OU R 28TH Y E A R OF W E E K LY I N DE PE N DE N T N E W S, A RTS & E V E N TS FOR W E STE R N NORTH CA ROL I NA VOL . 28 NO. 50 J U LY 13 -19, 2022
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C ONTENT S
NEWS
NEWS
FEATURES 8
SLOWING DOWN APD taking longer to respond to 911 calls despite policy change
12 STARTING EARLY Area high schoolers take free college classes at A-B Tech
PAGE 24 LOVE AT FIRST HIKE Seven years after meeting, spouses Amber and Joshua Niven’s collaborative book, Discovering the Appalachian Trail, reflects their shared passion for the route that crosses 14 states, six national parks and eight national forests. The couple hopes to inspire others to venture outside and experience a resource that’s brought so much joy to their lives.
WELLNESS
14 COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE Are local development boards diverse enough?
22 HEALTH ROUNDUP Domestic violence nonprofit opens new Hendersonville facility
A&C
NEWS
COVER PHOTO Amber and Joshua Niven
26 COME TOGETHER The Big Secret Family Festival debuts at Salvage Station
COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick
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LETTERS
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CARTOON: MOLTON
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CARTOON: IRENE OLDS
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CARTOON: BRENT BROWN
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NEWS
20 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 22 WELLNESS 24 ARTS & CULTURE
A&C
34 CLUBLAND 27 SEE ME, HEAR ME Exhibit spotlights LGBTQIA+ photographers
38 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 38 CLASSIFIEDS 39 NY TIMES CROSSWORD
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OPINION
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.
Sierra Club critique flames out in Woodfin Come on, Bill Branyon, get your facts straight! Your attack on the Sierra Club in the June 29 issue of Mountain Xpress really did remind me of the old phrase “Angry and Bitter, Party of One!” [“Sierra Club Chimera: WENOCA Chapter Endorsements Are an Environmental Disgrace”] Attacking one of the nation’s largest and oldest organizations devoted to protecting our environment and going after a great public servant like Ken Brame was pathetic. Ken’s volunteers do play an important role in our local elections, because these days, the average Joes and Joannes who work the polls with Sierra Club endorsements feel locked out of the political system. Those folks meet Sierra Club-backed candidates who pledge to try and approve only smart development, then help them to get elected, no matter what you say. You see, Bill, we have to have some development, because this is America, and folks want to move around and live in places like Western North Carolina. If I own a piece of property and if it’s zoned to build, say an apartment complex, I try to do just that. With any luck, the town where I’m building has responsible elected officials (who probably were endorsed by the Sierra Club during their campaigns) who work with me to limit hillside clearing, tree cutting, building height and paving over open land. Being an environmentalist does not mean “all development is bad.” While I’m at it, since when are all rather bland-looking rectangular hotels bad for the environment? I cite specifically the work that the Sierra Club did in my town of Woodfin last year. Woodfin is adjacent to Asheville on its north side and has about 7,000 residents on both sides of not only Interstate 26 but also the French Broad River. After being controlled by a commission who let just about anything be built in the town for 50 years, Woodfin residents last November elected three new commissioners who — wait for it — were endorsed by the Sierra Club and had their volunteers campaigning with us. You see, I was one of those three badly needed candidates who said, “Enough!” As a result, I set a record for the most votes ever received in a Woodfin municipal election. Since elected, we’ve grown our environmentally patriotic majority on the commission to five, and in less than eight months, we passed a steep slope ordinance, conditional zoning ordinances and revamped the town’s comprehensive plan. We are current4
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C AR T O O N B Y R AN D Y MO L TO N ly working on stormwater controls, tree/canopy protection and rewriting our zoning ordinances in an attempt to attract neighborhoods instead of mini-storages and mini-malls. We are a good example of what you called Sierra Club’s “endorsements that are an environmental disgrace.” So, Bill, exactly what have you done for the environment lately? — James McAllister Commissioner and mayor pro tem Woodfin
We can’t freeze Asheville in time In response to Bill Branyon’s recent opinion essay in the Mountain Xpress [“Sierra Club Chimera: WENOCA Chapter Endorsements Are an Environmental Disgrace,” June 29]: I don’t know anything about the Sierra Club or Branyon’s claims about the organization. But I am saddened whenever I see Ashevilleans using fearmongering language that pits longtime residents against anyone who is from “out of town.” At the intersection of housing, land use and the environment, there is a lot of uncertainly and anxiety in Asheville. Fear and confusion are understandable. But the solution to our overlapping affordability and climate crises can’t be to try to freeze our city in time, to shut our borders or to blame anyone who hasn’t lived here long enough to earn the right kind of Asheville cred. And we needn’t be starry-eyed about capitalism or private builders
to understand that everyone’s home was “developed” by someone, and it’s a bit hypocritical to live in such a home and at the same time declare that no more homes should be built. Such “no growth,” neo-Malthusian thinking only leads to an “us” vs. “them” mentality, which is easily weaponized to pit different groups of working people — even workers who build homes for a living — against one another. And by maintaining scarcity in housing, it only preserves Asheville as a sprawledout, carbon-intensive playground for the wealthy. All successful cities grow. Let’s talk about how Asheville will do it equitably, sustainably and in a way that facilitates transit, “gentle density” and walkability. And let’s do it without resorting to xenophobia or provincialism. — Andrew Paul Asheville
Sierra Club criticism was baseless, unfair I am replying to Bill Branyon’s lengthy opinion article in the Mountain Xpress June 29 [“Sierra Club Chimera: WENOCA Chapter Endorsements Are an Environmental Disgrace”]. Clearly, his passion for the natural beauties of Buncombe County burns brightly. He and the local group of the Sierra Club should be natural allies. Yet, like a jilted lover, in his opinion piece he heaps venomous scorn, most of it unfair and baseless, on an organization staffed exclusively by
conscientious volunteers who selflessly devote their time and energy to doing what they can to preserve and protect the environment of Western North Carolina. Branyon claims not to be motivated by “sour grapes” after losing badly in his primary bid to join the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and affirms his support for the incumbent Al Whitesides, who he acknowledges “has many good qualities,” especially since his general election opponent will be “a Republican,” which Branyon advises voters to avoid. But Whitesides and other Democrats running in their respective county commission districts this fall have no opponents who are not running as Republicans. To be effective in achieving environmental goals, candidates need to get elected. After slinging mud-dripping slurs like “front for reckless out-of-town developers” and “most destructive environmental parasites,” Branyon blames Sierra Club-backed incumbents for a list of changes in Buncombe County that he sees as avoidable: 1. Infill development in Asheville and large-scale (presumably multifamily) developments in Buncombe County. Everyone is aware of the acute undersupply of housing in our area in relation to seemingly boundless demand. Does Branyon believe that we can find more affordable housing by further restricting supply? Buncombe County is currently in the process of developing a badly needed long-range comprehensive land use plan for 2043 to address concerns and goals for projected growth, seeking widespread public input from all sectors and demographics of the county. 2. Twenty-five new hotels approved between 2010 and 2019. Given the nature of North Carolina law and its constitution, there are severe legal limitations on what the city and county can do to limit hotel development on private property. Asheville has restricted new hotel developments to a limited number of designated areas but can’t legally ban them. 3. “The incredible amount of environmental destruction involved in the widening of Interstate 26.” Stalled bumper-to-bumper traffic jams are an almost daily recurrence on I-26. Does Branyon think voters would support a ban on additional lanes? 4. “The obliteration of extensive forest and animal habitat on the Pratt & Whitney plant site.” The
plant is being built on private land, and the county lacks the legal authority to prevent this private development. 5. Branyon further objects to plans to attract more facilities like Pratt & Whitney. As Buncombe County continues to grow, a balance of additional good jobs from less-polluting industries will remain a necessity. To be effective in representative government, leadership must understand the realities of real-world problems and the limitations of resources available to government. As Ken Brame explained, “The Sierra Club does place a high value on supporting candidates with a proven track record of accomplishments and a voting and leadership record that shows their commitment to protecting our environment.” Al Whitesides was a key vote when the county narrowly passed the most aggressive 100% renewable energy goal in the Southeast, and he has consistently voted for funding for energy efficiency and adding solar capacity to meet the goal. In addition, he is supporting the efforts to update the county’s land use planning to better deal with the growth we are experiencing. — John Sterling Local Sierra Club volunteer Asheville Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.
Research shows effectiveness of housing first Reading that the city’s budget will significantly expand the personnel focused on homelessness made me reflect on how many years homelessness has been an issue in the U.S. [“Council Approves $217 Million Asheville Budget,” July 6, Xpress]. I thought back to the first national homelessness march in Washington, D.C., in 1989. The theme was affordable housing, and the mantra at that march was “Housing, Housing, Housing!” Thirty-three years have passed! U.S. cities have tried all kinds of housing to address homelessness — emergency shelters, transitional housing, safe havens, wet and dry housing, housing first and permanent supportive housing. Local providers continue to try all of these, yet the city’s statistics show the population’s growth outpaces supply. Of all the housing models, housing first, a version of permanent supportive housing, has the imprimatur of
C AR T O O N B Y IRE N E O L D S research demonstrating its effectiveness at ending homelessness. People experiencing homelessness are placed in a stable housing situation directly and provided with the services and supports to succeed. They do. Research additionally demonstrates that it is a money saver when you calculate the costs we otherwise are spending on police response, emergency services, jail time, ER visits, etc. We know so much more than we did in the 1980s and should be acting on it. One piece of good news has been Homeward Bound’s renovation of
the former Days Inn on Tunnel Road. When complete, it will supply 85 units of permanent supportive housing with services on-site. Such initiatives help to fill this critical need. Let’s support and thank all of the homeless providers in our community. Let’s hope the city’s new commitment to personnel focused on homelessness will make a difference. Most importantly, let’s not forget that the 1989 mantra — Housing, Housing, Housing — is as relevant today as it was 33 years ago. — Walt Leginski Asheville
Community Action Opportunities H ELPING P EOPLE. C HANGING L IVES.
VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING
Community Action Opportunities (CAO) will hold a virtual public hearing on Thursday, July 28th at 1pm to discuss a new housing project. The proposed project aims to increase the number of affordable housing units in Polk County through a collaboration with The Housing Assistance Corporation. CAO estimates $80,000 of its allotted $809,529 Fiscal Year 2023 Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) funds for this proposed collaboration. All interested community members and organizations are invited to attend. Please contact Kate Singogo for login information: kate.singogo@tcqr.org or call 828.210.0601 MOUNTAINX.COM
JULY 13-19, 2022
5
OPINION
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.
Local urgent care system works pretty well I read your article “Is There a Doctor in the House? Urgent Care Centers and the Debate Over Advanced Practice Providers” with interest [June 15, Xpress]. Let me first say that I have been practicing as a physician assistant since graduating from the Duke University PA program in 1995. To be honest, I was not aware that there was much debate over “advanced practice providers” as the subhead suggests. The reader might be interested to know a little background and philosophy of APPs (namely physician assistants and nurse practitioners). In the late 1960s, Dr. Eugene Stead of Duke University foresaw the need for more medical providers. He envisioned a provider with less training, who could work in collaboration with a physician to help meet that need. To this day, PAs always work in collaboration with a physician as envisioned. The nurse practitioner profession was born soon after, and in North Carolina, NPs also always have a collaborating physician.
The quote in bold, “Misaligned incentives and cutting corners on training can result in catastrophe” by Dr. Mitch Li sounds pretty scary. In reality, patients receive the same quality of care by APPs as they would if they were seeing the physician face to face. That is not to say APPs are interchangeable with MDs. Like any competent health care provider, APPs recognize their limitations and either consult a physician when the problem is beyond their skill set or transfer the patient to a higher level of care. Another quote by Dr. Li caught my attention. “Urgent cares wouldn’t be necessary if we had a functioning primary care system” sounds good on the surface, but what really constitutes a “functioning” primary care system? First of all, the reader might be a bit confused about what primary care really is given the article’s sidebar titled “Asheville area primary care clinics” that actually lists acute care practices. While primary care practices do treat acute problems, they also manage ongoing, chronic problems like diabetes and hypertension, while urgent cares do not. Early in my career, I practiced in a family practice (primary care) in a nearby rural county. There were no urgent cares in that area at that time. We saw pretty much everything. I found my niche in that practice seeing primarily acute problems. Having my schedule open to see “walk-ins” and “work-ins” allowed the physicians to see their scheduled patients without getting bogged down. There were times when I was idle and times when I was extremely busy, but that was the nature of that primary care practice, and it worked. I now work in an urgent care in a different nearby county. The primary care practices in this county often direct their sick and injured patients to us. We always fax our office note to the patient’s primary care provider. This system also works pretty well. — Dennis Seely, PA-C (Physician Assistant - Certified) Asheville Editor’s note: Thank you for your feedback. We have updated the headline of the sidebar in the online version of the article to “Asheville area acute care clinics.”
The value of old-growth forests I want to thank Doug Baughman for his rebuttal to Susan Fletcher’s opinion article, “Taking the Long View: Increased Logging Will Benefit Our National Forests” [June 8, Xpress]. Mr. Baughman’s letter, 6
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“More Logging Isn’t the Answer for Our National Forests” [June 29, Xpress] refutes her points about what is good for our economy and our land. Ms. Fletcher is married to a logger and “chipmiller” and purveyor of other wood products. In our materialistic, nature-destroying culture, I tend to believe science over business, but I always reveal my father’s job after making such a statement. He was a paper salesman. I do understand that people need to be able to make a living. One of Dad’s customers gave him a set of 10 sketches of Paul Bunyan busy in his logging endeavors. Mom matted them in calico, framed them, and they hung in our hallway for many years. So, yes, Dad made a living for us, but he also loved trees and instilled in me his respect for nature and his great appreciation of trees. Destroying old-growth, and big trees particularly, is not a good way to make a living. If you do not know what big trees do for the forest, consider reading Suzanne Simard’s book Finding the Mother Tree. She was a forester who became a professor of forest ecology. I hope that in their tenure as the loggers at Pisgah View Ranch, the Fletchers did not take most of the big trees for themselves. The citizens of our state would love to experience those trees. Ms. Fletcher writes that she is “proudly married” to a mountain native who is a logger. I have seen videos of loggers who regretted their leveling of the forests later in their lives. I believe and hope that more of us are coming to believe that we really are “all one” — different peoples, animals and, yes, the plants that nourish us. We can make our communities — plants, animals and human animals — more connected. Our land and people will be better off with our old-growth forests. Suzanne Simard and countless other scientists have enumerated the many environmental benefits of old-growth forest. Please read Mr. Baughman’s letter. He is a scientist. I am just a person who loves these mountains. — Carol Diamond Candler
A point about the AT Chaplain program I was very bothered by the article “Appalachian Trail Chaplain Discusses Her Long Trek Ahead” [June 29, Xpress]. The article gave the impression that the AT has a formal chaplain. The Appalachian Trail is a National Park Service unit — formally called
the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. It is managed day to day by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, a nonprofit, nonreligious organization. The “chaplain” comes from a Methodist church that came up with this title and program. Why limit this program to Methodists? Why not have the whole gamut of religions with “chaplains”? The point is that this “chaplain” is not official or recognized by the AT or anyone else. I looked up the Appalachian Trail Chaplain program on Facebook. It clearly says that it is a religious organization. From there, I also learned that Rachel Ahrens is already off the trail. — Danny Bernstein Asheville Editor’s note: Thank you for your feedback. We have updated the online version of the article to reflect that Ahrens injured her foot on the trail and was off the AT seeking medical attention.
Act together with kindness to deal with changing world “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” — Mahatma Gandhi Do we teach in civic or history classes or via the media the potential transformational change that our Constitution and democracy bring to the world? Be aware that our Founding Fathers were “beginners,” creating a republic of democratic participation. They allowed for amendments to the Constitution as our way of life evolved from an industrial age to a highly technical society. The American Constitution was and still can be an outstanding revolutionary step forward in evolutionary consciousness. The job of government is to be an instrument of social good and human development for the common good of all. The job of politics is the process to enable citizens to live together and make a contribution to humanity in freedom and security. The job of the citizen is to become an informed voter and participate actively when possible. On a spiritual level, I see a potential to act effectively in the social sphere with compassion and empathy. This requires going beyond the categories of liberal, conservative, political ideology or any structure of domination and exclusion. In other words, caring for each other. Local nonviolent demonstrators consciously act to bring out the best in people while attempting to educate and expose inequality and injustice.
CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN For example, the Veterans for Peace and Resist Raytheon act locally, collaborating with national and global groups. We are not alone in seeking a more just and loving world. It is a lifelong activity of democratic and spiritual participation. Let’s overcome our feelings of helplessness and act together to deal with our changing world in kindness and mutual respect to overcome the negativity in our society. For example, I witnessed at Pack Square Park a small religious group screaming at pro-choice demonstrators that they were murderers and sinners. This is not the Christianity I grew up with. What school did they attend? I liken this to the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt to override an election. This group felt in their heart that our system is not working. I agree. But they denied the legal process and chose violence. These two groups reflect bad religion and bad citizenship, highlighting our materialistic way of life and the inability of our government to bring people together for a higher purpose. A contemplative spiritual path is the only way I see nonviolence and a caring society taking hold in the world. We need a “new bottom line.” Everything is changing, no matter how much the powers that
be work against democracy and we the people. Lifelong learning will benefit you younger folks in your retirement years. We need our souls to be stirred to action that comes from a deep spiritual place beyond labels and mere complaining. Positive change must be social and spiritual because our problems go deeper than politics and cannot be imposed from above. It can only spread from person to person, friend to friend, family to family, and conversing face to face with opposing views to find common ground and share each other’s partial truths. “American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful and more terrible than anything anyone has said about it.” — James Baldwin Act now! Don’t wait until retirement! — Ed Sacco Asheville Editor’s note: Sacco notes that readers may email esacco189@ gmail.com for local resources.
Editor’s note Due to changing health recommendations related to COVID-19, readers are encouraged to check with individual businesses for the latest updates concerning upcoming events. MOUNTAINX.COM
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7
NEWS
Slowing down
APD taking longer to respond to 911 calls despite policy change BY MARK BARRETT markbarrett@charter.net When the Asheville Police Department announced in June 2021 that it would no longer send officers to the scenes of certain minor crimes because of a staffing shortage, it fueled fears that the city was steadily becoming less safe. Those fears may have been overblown. More than a year after the policy change, the overall number of crimes reported in the city has actually fallen. The number of reported violent crimes in Asheville in the 12 months after the change was down 9.3% compared with the 12 months that preceded it, an Xpress analysis of APD figures found. Reported property crimes fell 18.2% over the same period. While that potential downside of the policy hasn’t emerged, neither has its intended benefit. APD had stated that its goal was “to improve response times for emergency calls made to 911.” Instead, response times increased from an average of 8.2 minutes for the highest-priority calls (crimes like homicide, armed robbery or domestic violence) in the 12 months before the shift to 9 minutes in the 12 months after. Response times also rose for three categories of lower-priority calls, which include incidents such as rape, kidnapping, breaking and entering, and motorist assistance, with increases ranging from 13.2% to 26.3%. APD Chief David Zack says the department has made progress in arresting perpetrators of gun-related crime after dissolving a team of officers focused on drug crime and starting one concentrating on violence. That, he
X Awards 2022
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Results publish in August 8
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the department in fiscal year 2020-21. In an effort to bolster police recruitment, Council also approved a pay increase for beginning officers of more than 20% as part of the 2021-22 budget, bringing their starting wage to about $45,000 per year. Zack counters that the policy change was made “solely to improve response times for the highest-priority calls” because a loss of officers was already creating problems. “APD could come up with a cure for cancer, and those same individuals would criticize us for it,” he says. FOCUSED ON THE WORST
RESPONSE TIME: Asheville Police Department Chief David Zack says it’s too soon to say why APD hasn’t improved its 911 call response since ending in-person responses to certain minor crimes last June. Photo by Mark Barrett said, has lowered the number of new violent crimes reported. He says it’s too soon to say why APD’s response to 911 calls hasn’t improved at the same time, but he argues that the slower response times don’t indicate that ending in-person responses to lower-priority calls was a mistake. “Where would we be had we not made the change? … I can’t tell you, but I can tell you it would probably be worse than what the numbers are currently,” he says. To critics of the department and its budget, such as West Asheville resident Grace Barron-Martinez, the drop in crime after the policy change is another piece of evidence indicating that it’s possible to redirect police funding for other city services without negative public impact. She believes the announcement of the change was part of a strategy to fend off cuts in spending on police. “They said that to scare people, and it worked,” she says. APD’s announcement came three weeks before City Council adopted city government’s budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year; that budget called for $29.26 million in police spending, down only slightly from the $29.29 million budgeted for
MOUNTAINX.COM
APD is authorized to have 238 police officers, but only 184 of those slots were filled as of late June, says department spokesperson Bill Davis. He notes that the department lost 59 employees in 2020, a figure that includes both officers and civilian workers, and 39 in 2021. Zack says the APD staffing situation was similar in June 2021, when the decision not to send officers to certain incidents was announced. The list of crimes affected by the policy change tends toward those in which damage is relatively minor and the chance of apprehending a suspect is low, or in which an officer’s physical presence will probably make less of a difference to the outcome. Examples include fraud and — if suspect information is lacking — offenses like theft from a
Getting there This chart shows how long it took city police officers to get to the scene of a crime or other incident after a 911 call before and after a policy change in which APD officers no longer are sent to some minor incidents. Priority P (top priority) calls include armed robbery, homi-
cides, and breaking and entering in progress. Priority 1 includes fights in progress, shots fired and rape. Priority 2 includes assault on a female, DWI and vandalism in progress. Priority 3 includes harassing phone calls, missing persons and breaking and entering. X
motor vehicle, thefts of less than $1,000 in value and minor property damage. An officer not responding in person, Zack emphasizes, does not mean that a crime will not be investigated. The APD asks residents to continue reporting these incidents online at avl.mx/brk or by calling 828-252-1110. Nonetheless, if all other factors remained equal, the decline in both crimes and in-person trips to crime scenes would have presumably reduced APD’s workload. So, if the number of officers available is roughly the same as a year ago and reported crime has decreased, why was the policy shift followed by longer 911 response times instead of shorter ones? Zack says that’s not clear: “You can’t make instant analysis.” He and other APD employees say there could be several possible reasons for slower responses. Asheville and Buncombe County governments consolidated their 911 services in January, they say, and that combined call center is also short staffed. The location of crimes during a given period could make a difference, Zack says, noting that APD analyzes crime data to determine where best to position officers. The COVID-19 pandemic may also play a role, says Deputy Chief James “Jim” Baumstark. The number of vehicles on the road has increased as worries about the coronavirus fade, he notes, potentially meaning officers have more wrecks and other traffic-related incidents to deal with. Police may also have to navigate more traffic when responding to 911 calls. The department was unable to provide figures on how many incidents to which officers no longer respond have occurred since the policy change, how that may have changed from prior years and what percentage of those incidents have resulted in arrest. Michael Lusick, an executive with the FIRC Group, which owns downtown hotels and other property, says APD officers “do a phenomenal job.” But, saying he is speaking only on his own behalf and not for his employer, he adds that he has noticed a decline in service. Lusick, who appeared before City Council recently to back spending on police, says the issues appear to relate to staffing shortages. “We’re used to a certain level of service and support as citizens and businesspeople,” he says. “[Police] used to be there really very quickly. It’s just not the same as it used to be.” WHO YA GONNA SEND? Other police departments have made changes like Asheville’s due to a shortage of employees.
“Agencies across the nation have been forced to prioritize calls, and in many cities, this has led to nonresponse to certain types of crimes,” says Christopher Marier, a professor of criminology at Appalachian State University. “This is not unique to Asheville, and it is not unique historically.” Marier says many law enforcement agencies “acknowledge this is unsustainable” and are offering incentives to lure new employees. “Far from defunding the police, cities and counties across the country have substantially increased public safety budgets,” he says. Damon Williams, head of the police force at N.C. Central University in Durham and president of the N.C. Association of Police Chiefs, said Zack is one of several police chiefs around the state who have made similar moves to eliminate some officer responses. “Do I think it is ideal? No. You want to see a police officer in front of you” after reporting a crime, Williams says. “Certainly the departments in North Carolina are experiencing critical shortages of officers, and I would define it as a crisis in law enforcement.” He notes that several North Carolina cities have asked state legislators for the authority to send civilian employees to investigate some traffic accidents instead of sworn police officers. Julie Mayfield, a Democrat who represents Asheville in the state Senate, sponsored a bill that would grant that power to the city May 2. The General Assembly didn’t pass that measure or a handful of similar bills affecting some other cities during its recently concluded short session. Officials in Asheville and other cities have suggested that public criticism and scrutiny of police, particularly in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis officer in 2020, is a major factor in the departure of officers. Marier, who has researched police attitudes, is skeptical. He says officers “have always felt unfairly maligned by the public” and that staff shortages nowadays are mostly caused by the same broad economic and demographic trends that have employers scrambling to find workers in fields ranging from firefighting to teaching. It takes about 14 months from the time someone signs up to be an APD officer to the point where that recruit is fully functional on the job, department officials say. Zack says the department is close to stabilizing the staffing situation. But, he emphasizes, that’s not the same as being fully staffed: “This staffing crisis is going to continue for years, not weeks or months.” X
What’s up — or down — with crime in Asheville? Whether one characterizes Asheville’s crime rates as good, bad or indifferent depends a lot on one’s frame of reference. Here are some figures and comparisons. RECENT YEARS Crime appears to have been on the rise in the city until recently. These figures, calculated from FBI data and population estimates, show the city’s crime rates from 2015-20, expressed as the number of reported crimes per 100,000 residents. RECENT MONTHS However, the FBI figures don’t capture a more recent downturn in Asheville crime. These figures, from an Xpress analysis of APD data, show the raw number of crimes reported to police and therefore are not directly comparable to the older FBI numbers. HISTORICALLY Crime rates in Asheville have still not reached levels seen as
recently as the 1990s. The city’s violent crime rate was higher in seven out of 10 years in that decade than it was in 2020. Property crimes were higher in nine out of 10 years in the 1990s than in 2019, the city’s most recent peak. AMONG NC CITIES Asheville’s violent crime rate in 2020, the last year for which full figures are available, was the seventh highest among North Carolina’s 20 largest cities reporting to the FBI. Asheville’s rate was 810 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, compared with an average rate of 561. (It is unclear why there is a small difference between this rate and the one in the “Recent years” section. Figures for Winston-Salem were not available.) The city’s property crime rate in 2020 was easily the highest among the 20 largest cities reporting at 5,395 per 100,000. The average rate for the 20 cities was 2,788. X
MOUNTAINX.COM
JULY 13-19, 2022
9
NEWS
Open water
Despite hiccups, Malvern Hills pool reopens to the public
BY BROOKE RANDLE brandle@mountainx.com For many people, summertime is synonymous with backyard barbecues, ice cream and long, hot days spent at the local pool. But if you were one of thousands of residents who use the Malvern Hills Pool in West Asheville each year, you may have recently been greeted by a handwritten, cardboard sign taped to the entrance: “Pool Closed For Repairs.” “It was the talk of all the dog walkers — they’re gonna open the pool,” recalls Malvern Hills resident and Xpress contributor Kay West. “But on the very day the pool was to open, that’s when they put up that sign.” The city eventually disclosed in a June 17 press release that the 100-year-old pool would remain closed for the season after failing to pass a safety inspection, leading to frustration and confusion within the community. But in a much-welcomed aboutface, the city of Asheville announced July 1 that the Malvern Hills Pool would reopen to the public for the summer. “Pools are one of those places where everybody gathers and are really an essential hub of the community,” Parks and Recreation program and operations manager Wayne Simmons tells Xpress. “And so not having those amenities, especially during the summer, can really have a negative impact.” PLAYING IT SAFE The fate of the pool was in the hands of an annual safety inspection report, explained Asheville Parks and Recreation Director D. Tyrell McGirt during an hourlong community meeting on June 22. He said that every public pool must meet federal safety regulations and that Asheville’s pools are required to pass an annual inspection with Buncombe County Environmental Health. Federal pool safety regulations were created following the death of a 7-year-old girl, Virginia Graeme Baker, who died after suction from a spa drain trapped her under the water in 2002. Following her death, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was implemented in 2008, which required drain manufacturers to pass stringent safety tests. Since then, there have been no 10
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POOL PARTY: The Malvern Hills Pool was expected to be closed for the season after initially failing to pass a safety inspection in May. Photo by Brooke Randle reported fatalities involving a child being trapped on a suction outlet cover in a public pool or spa. Those federal regulations were updated at the end of 2021, which required new manufacturer testing aimed at strengthening safety requirements. While the Malvern Hills pool passed the inspection last year, the new regulations pushed the pool’s drain configuration out of compliance during its inspection on May 24. Because of the pool’s age, its drainage system’s configuration and flow rate were unable to be tested by current standards. “Our process has not changed. We did the same that we do each year to get our pools prepped and ready for inspection,” McGirt told a group of roughly 30 community members at the meeting. “And because we passed last year and had no construction changes — no structural changes to the pool — we were under the impression that we will still be good for this year.” The failed inspection left the city scrambling to replace its drainage system, but supply chain delays were expected to put a hold on new drain parts until after the summer season was over, McGirt explained. Despite not meeting the new regulatory standards, the pool, which was built in 1921 and has seen an average of 10,000 visitors a year since 2016, has never experienced a drain-related fatality. A.B. Davis, who lives in the neighborhood, found the contradiction frustrating on the day of the meeting. He said that his three kids, ages 10-12, usually spend their summer days at the pool.
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“It bothers me that there’s some bureaucratic box that has to be checked off, even though the performance of the pool is good,” Davis said. “You got to look at whether it’s working. And if it’s not broken, then what are you going to fix?” SURRENDER TO THE FLOW RATE Amid pushback from local residents, Asheville’s Parks and Recreation manager Simmons says that the city worked for weeks with the manufacturer of the pool drain, AquaStar Pool Products, and Swim Management Group, a private aquatics company which oversees the dayto-day operations of the city’s pools, to find a solution. “We had exhausted a lot of avenues but we were still working very diligently to find a solution so that we could both get it open safely, most
importantly, but also as quickly as possible,” Simmons says. He explains that after Buncombe County Environmental Health obtained additional information regarding the dimensions and construction details of the drain, as well as consulted with the manufacturer’s compliance manager and regional pool representatives, the entity was able to verify that the pool’s flow rating (the speed at which water is cycled through the pool’s filtration system) was safe. The facility was approved to operate with its current drain configuration through 2024. “They were able to get to a point where the manufacturer was comfortable with the engineering calculations that had been previously done, and so we were able to get to something that allowed us to kind of move forward this season,” Simmons explains. “We’re just really, really happy that we’re able to kind of get this back up and running for the community.” X
Where to get wet Both the Malvern Hills pool (75 Rumbough Place) and Asheville’s other public pool, Recreation Pool (65 Gashes Creek Road), will remain open during regular operating hours this summer: noon-6p.m. MondayFriday; 11a.m.-6p.m. Saturday; and 1-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission for either pool is $3 per person, per day. Splashville, an interactive splash pad located in Asheville’s downtown, will remain open daily 10 a.m. to8:30 p.m. Admission is free. In anticipation of the pool closure, the city also developed Malvern Thrills, a series of free, water-based events in Malvern Hills Park. The program will continue throughout the summer in spite of the pool’s reopening, says Simmons, with the next date set for Tuesday, July 19 ,11 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is free. X
MOUNTAINX.COM
JULY 13-19, 2022
11
NEWS
Starting early
Area high schoolers take free college classes at A-B Tech
BY BEN WILLIAMSON bwilliamson@mountainx.com It sounded too good to be true. In 2017, Amelia Darnell was a 10th grader at Asheville High School. She was a strong student but struggled with the school’s social dynamics; she had become increasingly unhappy and found herself “waking up to anxiety every morning,” she says. But through a family contact, Darnell learned she could finish her last two years of high school attending classes at A-B Tech through that school’s Career and College Promise initiative. As part of the College Transfer Pathways dual enrollment program, she could take college-level classes for free and simultaneously earn credits toward both a high school diploma and a college degree. All of those classes could be on campus at A-B Tech, with her sitting alongside college students and learning from professors — and no more high school drama or pressures. Darnell applied for and was accepted into the program, and over the next two years, she earned 60 credit hours to graduate with a complete associate of arts degree. She then transferred to Meredith College in Raleigh, taking juniorand senior-level classes. “I was extremely happy to let go of teachers breathing down my neck over every assignment, of social cliques I couldn’t figure out,” Darnell says of her time at A-B Tech. “It restored a feeling of autonomy that is removed when you’re controlled by bells ringing and the threat of detention if you use the bathroom too long.”
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College, offer dedicated dual-enrollment programs. Patton says the program stands poised to grow and expand opportunities to even more students. A-B Tech seeks to increase its partnerships with local high schools, especially among ninth and 10th grade students. (North Carolina currently only allows those students to take college courses if they are part of a high school academically or intellectually gifted program.) ‘A SWEET DEAL’
HIGH SCHOOL HANDOFF: Claire Bowling, left, and Amelia Darnell receive their high school diplomas in July 2019 from Chuck Bowling, who served as principal of their home school, Parkview Academy. Photo by Roger Darnell Darnell is among the growing number of local students who have turned toward dual enrollment as an educational solution. According to Fairley Patton, executive director of student advising at A-B Tech, participation in the school’s program increased by nearly 150% between 2012 and 2020. Dual enrollment currently accounts for about 2,500 A-B Tech students, or roughly 30% of the school’s overall enrollment, making it one of the largest such programs among North Carolina’s 58 community colleges. A POPULAR PATH Dual enrollment has been around in North Carolina since 2008, Patton
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explains, when initiatives like the Huskins Bill and Learn to Earn programs allowed some high school students to take college-level classes. In 2011, the General Assembly restructured this effort into Career and College Promise and guaranteed that high school students could use their earned credits toward higher education. “The establishment of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement helped accelerate the increase,” says Patton, referencing the arrangement that allows students to transfer all college credits earned at A-B Tech (or any state community college) to any of the state’s 16 four-year public colleges, as well as many private schools. “Prior to the structure change, it wasn’t as much a part of the high school curriculum.” Many options now fall under the dual enrollment umbrella. Students can mix college-credit classes with coursework at their high schools or attend classes solely at A-B Tech, choosing between online, in-person or hybrid formats. Some students enroll in career-technical education classes and work toward certificates in dozens of trades, ranging from welding and nursing to cyber forensics and sustainability technology. And “cooperative-innovative high schools,” such as the School of Inquiry and Life Sciences at Asheville, the Martin L. Nesbitt Jr. Discovery Academy and Buncombe County Early College and Middle
One major benefit of dual enrollment, Patton notes, is financial. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics, a federal clearinghouse for education data, shows the average yearly costs for attending a four-year college in North Carolina in 2019-20 were $17,569 for an in-state student at a public school and $48,007 for students at private schools. Many students turn to loans to cover these expenses, often becoming burdened with debt before they even begin a career. In a 2021 report, the Education Data Initiative found that the average debt for a fouryear bachelor’s degree was $28,800 and that 65% of students seeking a degree from a public four-year college had some debt. “If we can provide free early access to college, it really eliminates thousands of dollars in tuition and fees,” Patton explains. “It helps to provide more equity and access to opportunity. Many of our students, especially in rural counties, don’t always have access. Dual enrollment provides that.” The impact reaches beyond dollars and cents, Patton continues. “All the statistics we see reinforced the idea that students that earn even some college credits or those who complete a certificate, a diploma, a degree … end up doing better in their lifetime overall, not just financially,” she says. “Their health is better, they live longer, they have a better work-life balance.” Once A-B Tech’s dual enrollment students get to a four-year institution, they generally perform well. Data from the UNC system shows that students who transfer from the community college as juniors have outperformed non transfer students since at least 2011. In 2020, A-B Tech transfers earned an average 3.13 GPA, compared with a 2.84 GPA for non transfer students. Nationwide studies by the U.S. Department of Education show dual enrollment students have higher levels of college degree attainment,
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EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS: Madison High School dual-enrollment students practice routing edges in a machining class. Photo courtesy of A-B Tech college enrollment, credit accumulation, high school completion and academic achievement than do other students. Chuck Bowling is the director of student success at McDowell Tech in Marion, where he advises students who opt into the dual enrollment program. His family lives in Asheville, and his daughter, Claire, was an A-B Tech dual enrollment student. (Claire is also Amelia Darnell’s cousin.) “The state pays for your college education. Claire got a two-year full ride scholarship to college. That is a sweet deal,” Bowling said. DOWNS AND UPS The Bowlings opted to enroll Claire into classes full time at A-B Tech as part of a home school curriculum. While this presented numerous opportunities, Chuck Bowling says, it still involved giving some things up. “The extracurricular activities that I remember from high school didn’t happen for her,” says Bowling. “Band, chorus, drama, sports … those things aren’t options if you’re doing a home school program like this. If you’re a [traditional] high school student and also doing [dual enrollment], you don’t have to give up all of that.” The accelerated schedule of the program, Bowling continues, may also prove a challenge for some participants. He notes that Claire nearly completed her associate degree at A-B Tech before transferring the credits to Warren Wilson College, where she was tasked with picking a major for her bachelor’s degree at 18 years old.
“You’re asking students between ages of 18 and 19 years old to go and complete the final two years of university and know what they want to do. We know it takes time, and that students change majors,” Bowling says. The National Center for Education Statistics notes that about 80% of college students change majors at least once. And Amelia Darnell’s mom, Beth, cites “somewhat of a disconnect in her ability to build lasting relationships” with other students at Meredith College when she entered as a first-year student taking courses targeted for juniors and seniors. But the positives of dual enrollment, she says, far outweigh the negatives. Beth Darnell remembers how Amelia once stopped her from checking her grades, schedule and assignments online. “Amelia said, ‘I got this, Mom.’ And she did. I feel like the program is set up so well for students who want to continue their education and feel ready for some independence,” she says. “In high school, the teachers were begging kids to do their work, and kids were trying to squeeze their social lives into the class at all costs. At A-B Tech, the teachers gave their lectures and left,” Amelia Darnell adds. “So much less anxiety. Being in control of my life and my education restored my love for learning.” Clark Bowling says Claire had a similar experience. “She had the opportunity to fail, and fail with support,” he explains. “She found what it means to be an independent learner, a person who is internally driven to learn, versus a constant, external hammering ask. So when she transferred to Warren Wilson, she had a clearer understanding of what it takes to be successful.” X
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JULY 13-19, 2022
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NEWS
Community architecture
Are local development boards diverse enough? BY SARA MURPHY smurphy@mountainx.com In many aspects, Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Joe Archibald is a conventional development board member. He is a licensed architect who owns Narwhal Design|Build, a residential design and construction firm. He’s white, male and a transplant to Asheville, having first arrived in 1995 and then settled for good after a brief absence in 2013. But one important quality gives him a perspective unique from those of his six fellow commission members. “I’m not a homeowner. I’m a renter,” Archibald declared at a January PZC meeting, during a discussion about whether to approve conditional zoning for a 45-unit apartment building, proposed by Haywood Street Community Development, that would offer 100% of units as affordable to residents earning 30%-80% of the area median income in perpetuity. “Three years ago, I would have qualified to live in this project,” he added. According to board members like Archibald and local officials, the makeup of the Asheville and Buncombe County bodies that have the greatest impact on large-scale development — the city’s PZC and Design Review Committee and the county Board of Adjustment — has recently become more diverse.
“It’s more diverse than it has been in the 4 1/2 years I’ve been here,” Archibald says, citing in particular the recent appointments of native Black Ashevilleans Robert Hoke and Kelsey Simmons to the PZC. (In 2021, according to a demographic report compiled by the city, 22% of all board members identified as African American or Black, an increase of 4 percentage points from 2020. Males made up 58% of board members, up 2 percentage points from 2020.) “The thinking used to be, you put some architects on there. And you’d want to have a real estate investor, or a developer, or someone who’s a real estate agent, or you’d have some prominent business owner,” says Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. “We’ve recognized that you need a Planning and Zoning Commission that’s more reflective of your community.” Yet Archibald’s status as the only renter on the PZC highlights economic class as one crucial area where diverse representation is lacking. Occupational diversity is also low: Only Commissioner Jenifer Bubenik, a store manager, has a job unrelated to development. Similarly, only three members of the seven regular and seven alternate members of the county Board of Adjustment have backgrounds unrelated to development or law; all seven members of the city DRC work in architecture, real estate or development. DIVERSIFYING SELECTION
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To have a diverse board, there first needs to be a diverse pool of applicants. That starts with alerting as broad a swath of the community as possible about board vacancies. City residents can sign up to receive monthly vacancy announcements by email or visit the city’s Boards and Commissions page at avl.mx/a4h. According to Assistant City Clerk Jerri Goldberg, flyers regarding vacancies also go out to local media and several area religious leaders. The county lists its own vacancies for the current year on its Boards and Commissions page at avl.mx/brh.
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WORKING FROM (RENTED) HOME: Of the seven members on Asheville’s Planning and Zoning Commission, only Chair Joe Archibald, top right, is a renter. Screen capture courtesy of the city of Asheville However, Goldberg also says that current board members and city staff offer recommendations for new members at multiple stages of the application process. That practice may make it more difficult for outsider applicants to stand out. “We ask members of current boards to reach out to their networks for people who may be eligible, qualified and interested,” Goldberg explains. Members also make recommendations to City Council’s Board and Commissions Committee, which then submits its own preferred members to the full Council. Since 2016, the city’s boards and commissions application has asked whether the applicant is a renter or homeowner in addition to more standard demographic questions. “We know about half of our population rents,” Manheimer says, “and we want to get that balance reflected on [all] our boards, not just Planning and Zoning.” Of all board members, 68% were homeowners and 24% renters as of 2021; the remaining 7% percent either completed their application before 2016 or chose not to respond. At Buncombe County government, spokesperson Kassi L. Day says that county commissioners now select members for the Board of Adjustment with the county’s Racial Equity Action Plan in mind. Unanimously approved by the commissioners in June 2021, the plan explicitly recommends increasing the diversity of representation on county boards. (Of the Board of Adjustment’s 14 members, 11 are white, and one did not provide racial identity.) However, Day continues, the commissioners also try to “seek members who have expertise in the law, real estate, surveying and engineering, as well as striving to create a balance in the membership with folks who have backgrounds like finance, education and other fields.” This is due to the board’s quasi-judicial function, which
requires board members to act as judges and consider sworn testimony that qualifies as legal evidence when ruling on development items. Three of the 14 board members have a legal background. Two are real estate agents; six work or worked in development; and one each work in the financial, insurance and educational fields. CUI BONO? When many of those making decisions on area development are themselves involved in the industry, members risk encountering conflicts of interest. Asheville’s Boards and Commissions Orientation Booklet states that “no member of a board shall participate in the discussion or vote on any item involving their own official conduct or financial interest” and notes that individual members are responsible for disclosing any potential conflicts. Upon such disclosure, other board members vote on whether to recuse the individual from voting. According to available minutes from February 2020 to last month, only two members of the PZC have been recused over that period: Archibald twice and Geoffrey Barton, director of real estate development at Mountain Housing Opportunities, twice. When in doubt, the commission appears to err on the side of recusal. One of Barton’s recusals occurred because a hotel developer coming before the board had donated money to a playground on a separate affordable housing development involving Mountain Housing Opportunities. “There is a process, and it works to maintain the integrity of the decisions,” Barton says. Six recusals have occurred on the Design Review Committee since its formation in May 2021. Half of these recusals — for real estate bro-
ker Jeremy Goldstein, landscape architect Stephen Lee Johnson and Christina Booher, designer at Laura Hudson Architecture — concerned just one development, the proposed Artful Way mixed-use building in the River Arts District, in April. Minutes for the county’s Board of Adjustment meetings are not accessible online. When asked for those documents, Day said they were “still in the approval process, and once approved, they will be available from the planning website.” VOICES IN THE ROOM Barton acknowledges that there’s room for greater diversity on development boards, particularly regarding the income of members. “A lot of times we’re trying to approve multifamily apartments that would serve people who aren’t yet able to come and speak [because] they currently live in Haywood County or Madison County [and] can’t afford to live close to their job,” he points out. But in the meantime, he tries to communicate the perspectives of lower-income people like the residents he works with at Mountain Housing Opportunities. “Even though I’m not a tenant in one of our apartments, I see my role as reflecting those voices,” Barton says. “We strive for greater and greater access … in creating ways to sustain the conversation out in the community,” Manheimer says. The city’s communications team, she continues, alerts neighborhood organizations when significant developments in their area are proposed and liaises with them during the process. As one recent example, Manheimer points to the Emma community’s successful appeal to the PZC and City Council not to include a planned Ingles development on Patton Avenue in the city’s Urban Place Zoning, which would have required greater density and encouraged housing development on the site. Emma residents had argued that such development could increase their property taxes and eventually lead to their displacement. PZC Chair Archibald stresses that part of his job as a commissioner is to be available to any member of the public seeking to understand the commission and its workings better. Anyone can email the entire commission via the PZC website, he notes. “If anybody ever has a question regarding [the] process or something that’s going to be before planning and zoning, people can certainly reach out.” X
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JULY 13-19, 2022
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GREEN ROUNDUP
Morrow Landing to offer new French Broad access near Brevard Those floating the French Broad River in Transylvania County will gain a new place to get on or off the water thanks to Conserving Carolina. The Hendersonville-based nonprofit has purchased a 1.25-acre property near Brevard, to be known as Morrow Landing, for use as a public river access point. The land, purchased from the Kathleen M. Morrow trust for $11,000, falls roughly halfway between the current Island Ford and Hap Simpson Park access points, which are separated by nearly 10 miles of river. Morrow Landing’s placement will therefore facilitate shorter trips by less experienced river users, improve access for emergency responders and help volunteers conduct cleanup efforts. “This location is about as strategic as it can be, from many perspectives — public safety, equitable access and proximity to other recreational resources,” said Torry Nergart, Conserving Carolina’s conservation easement manager, in a press release announcing the acquisition. “We feel this project will create lasting benefits to the community and to everyone who uses the French Broad River.” Morrow Landing is not yet open to the public, and Conserving Carolina is seeking donations to develop the site with parking, signage, a boat slide and picnic facilities. Spokesperson Rose Jenkins Lane said the nonprofit doesn’t yet have estimates for the cost of those improvements or a timeline for their completion. More information and donation details are available at avl.mx/bpg.
Conservation groups seek protection for Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander was only recognized as a species in 2019, but biologists are already worried about losing it. In an effort to prevent that outcome, the national
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JULY 13-19, 2022
POINT OF INTEREST: Morrow Landing will offer more convenient river access to paddlers and others on the French Broad in Transylvania County. Photo courtesy of Headwaters Outfitters nonprofits Defenders of Wildlife and Center for Biological Diversity have filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asking for the amphibian to be protected under the Endangered Species Act. “Like many of southern Appalachia’s iconic salamanders, this species is facing an existential crisis brought on by habitat loss and climate change,” said Ben Prater, who leads Defenders of Wildlife’s Asheville office, in a press release announcing the petition. “The Fish and Wildlife Service must institute critical protections for the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander and its habitat before it’s too late.” As suggested by its name, the salamander is only known to exist in the 14-mile-long Hickory Nut Gorge, which cuts through Henderson and Rutherford counties to Asheville’s
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southeast. No more than 500 are thought to exist in the wild, many in areas threatened by residential development. The Fish and Wildlife Service must evaluate the petition by mid-September, and if officials find listing may be appropriate, a decision on the salamander’s status would come within the next 12 months. In 2019, the FWS denied protections for the eastern hellbender, another rare Appalachian amphibian.
main reason for the change. She was hired as MountainTrue’s executive director in 2008 and became co-director with Wagner in 2013. While Mayfield will no longer play a day-to-day role in managing the nonprofit, she will continue to provide planning and policy direction. “This management restructuring will ensure continuity of leadership and a bright future for MountainTrue,” she wrote in a press release announcing the change.
Mayfield to leave director role at MountainTrue
Community kudos
Julie Mayfield, co-director of Asheville-based environmental nonprofit MountainTrue, has announced she will be leaving that role at the end of the year. She will become the organization’s senior policy adviser, making current co-director Bob Wagner its executive director. Mayfield, who was elected as state senator for Buncombe County’s District 49 in 2020, cited her increasing political responsibilities as the
• Asheville-based Pine Gate Renewables received $500 million in capital from Generate Capital, a San Francisco investment company, to further the construction and development of utility-scale solar energy projects. Generate’s investment includes a $200 million equity stake and will grant the company a seat on Pine Gate’s board of directors. • The Wildlands Network and National Parks Conservation Association released a report outlining strategies to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions along
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Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge. Based on decades of collision data and extensive monitoring of wildlife activity, the document identifies priority areas for wildlife road crossings. The full report is available at avl.mx/br4. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Mills River was recognized as the state’s first BearWise business by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The certification reflects the brewery’s work in securing trash, reducing bear attractants and educating visitors about how to live with bears. Nearly 23 acres of farmland in Fletcher are now protected by a conservation easement supported by Conserving Carolina. The Plumlea Farm property contributes to the water quality of Hoopers Creek, a tributary of Cane Creek, and preserves views from the Bill Moore Community Park. Sauna House, a Nordic-style bathhouse on Asheville’s South Slope, donated $10,000 — 1% of its 2021 revenue — to Asheville GreenWorks as part of the 1% for the Planet campaign. “Nature is one of the most healing environments, and so we here at Sauna House want to protect it,” said Andrew Nehlig, the company’s founder and CEO, in a press release. Bullington Gardens in Hendersonville received over $17,000 from the Community Foundation of Henderson County’s Perry N. Rudnick Endowment Fund. The money will help the nonprofit horticultural education center expand parking and improve drainage.
HANGING IN THERE: Two conservation groups seek federal endangered species status for the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander, which is found only in the 14-mile-long gorge southeast of Asheville. Photo courtesy of the Center for Biological Diversity
Opportunity knocks • Business owners with at least five employees can apply for help from North Carolina to deploy Level 2 electric vehicle chargers. The state will reimburse up to 60% of installation costs to a maximum of $25,000. Grant applications open Monday, July 25; more information is available at avl.mx/bpe. • The Organic Growers School has opened applications for its yearlong Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson Farmer Program cohorts. The former is designed for those interested in starting a farm business, while the latter serves farmers who have been operating for at least three years. More information and applications are available at avl.mx/bpz. • In honor of MountainTrue’s 40th anniversary, the nonprofit is hosting a Hike-a-Thon fundraiser through September. Participants who raise at least $1 will receive a custom MountainTrue patch and be recognized at the organization’s October annual gathering. More information, recommended hikes and registration are available at avl.mx/bpf. • The Asheville-based Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is launching a fundraising campaign to support 20 new projects across the national park. Initiatives include volunteer training, the installation of new outdoor exhibits at Craggy Gardens and reconstruction of the Mount Pisgah observation deck. More information and donation details are available at BRPFoundation.org.
Save the date • Josh Kelly, MountainTrue’s public lands field biologist, leads a guided hike through the proposed Craggy National Scenic Area Saturday, July 23. Participants will learn about the area’s fauna, flora and natural history during a 6-mile trek through high-elevation forest. More information and registration are available at avl.mx/br2. • The N.C. Utilities Commission seeks feedback on Duke Energy’s proposed Carbon Plan, a state-mandated document outlining the utility’s path to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. A hearing will be held at the Buncombe County Courthouse 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 27; a virtual statewide hearing takes place Tuesday, Aug. 23. More information on the plan and opportunities for public input are available at avl.mx/br3.
• Bountiful Cities hosts a free tour of Asheville’s urban gardens Saturday, July 30, 2-6 p.m., with educational activities and guided walk-throughs of each location. Guests can also purchase a $35 tasting pass to enjoy small bites and nonalcoholic beverages at the seven gardens. More information and registration are available at avl.mx/bqv. • Creation Care Alliance, a faithbased initiative of MountainTrue, offers a retreat at Canton’s Lake Logan Retreat Center Saturday, July 30. The daylong gathering aims to build community and promote well-being among environmental advocates. More information and registration are available at avl.mx/bpd. • The Riveter, an indoor climbing facility in Fletcher, holds a free adaptive climbing clinic 9 a.m.noon Saturday, Aug. 20. Hosted by Atlanta-based nonprofit Catalyst Sports, the event will show how people with disabilities can climb using specialized equipment and techniques. More information and registration are available at avl.mx/bpc.
— Daniel Walton X
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N EWS
WANT THE FACTS?
Is the French Broad River safe for swimming? Nothing sparks an online debate among Asheville-based social media groups faster than a question concerning the cleanliness of the French Broad River. Advocates for water activities say they’ve spent countless hours in the river without so much as a tummy ache, while opponents maintain that they wouldn’t dare stick a toe in the water. And being a local doesn’t necessarily put someone on one side of the dispute or the other. “Some folks say, ‘It’s dirty,’ and, ‘No way. I don’t want to get in there, man,’” says French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson with Asheville nonprofit MountainTrue. “There’s also a lot of locals that have seen what the river used to be and think it’s dramatically cleaner than it used to be back in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. They tend to think, ‘This is great,’ and they enjoy the river. And both of those perspectives are not wrong.” For our latest installment of WTF — Want the Facts? — Xpress sat down with Carson to answer some of the most pressing questions about the French Broad and learn what’s safe or not regarding Asheville’s beloved, and belittled, ancient river.
TEAM CLEAN: French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson collects samples to test the water quality of the river. Photo courtesy of MountainTrue al different sources. Weather events — primarily, lots of rain — can lead to runoff from nearby plant- or livestock-based agriculture. Sewer overflows and saturated septic fields can also seep into the river, all of which can lead to spikes of E. coli, a bacterium that can cause illness. E. coli is also an indicator of other, more harmful microbes, such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia and
WHAT MAKES THE RIVER ‘DIRTY’? Carson says that contamination in the French Broad comes from sever-
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Shigella. Contact with or consumption of contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illness or skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurological and wound infections. The most commonly reported symptoms are stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and low-grade fever. In general, waterways that are located farther away from urban areas and lands that lack many agriculture or industrial pollution sources are the cleanest and least affected by stormwater runoff. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO CLEAN THINGS UP? The federal Clean Water Act of 1972 created new regulations that reduced and restricted the dumping of pollutants into waterways. The law also developed new water quality standards that required industrial and agricultural facilities, as well as governments, to test and meet clean water goals. Now in its 50th year, the law has been credited with keeping billions of pounds of pollution out of rivers, streams and other bodies of water across the country. “The Clean Water Act was really the galvanizing force around the country and can really be considered an environmental success story,” Carson says. “It dramatically improved water quality around the country, certainly on the French Broad as well.” Since then, Carson explains, federal, state and local agencies, as well
as environmental nonprofits like MountainTrue, have continued to advocate for litter enforcement, participate in cleanup efforts, install rain gardens and employ other runoff management tools to filter pollutants out of local waterways. The French Broad River’s early advocates included Jean Webb and Karen Cragnolin, who helped organize RiverLink, a nonprofit focused on the environmental and economic vitality of the river. Under their leadership, the nonprofit implemented stormwater control measures and soil testing, constructed greenways and riverfront parks and furthered K-12 education emphasizing the economic and environmental importance of the waterway, among other achievements. OK, BUT CAN I ACTUALLY SWIM IN THE RIVER? Yes and no. Carson says that whether it’s safe to swim in the French Broad can vary based on the location and timing, with much depending on rain-driven runoff or other unpredictable contaminants. Carson recommends that folks planning to recreate in the river reference the Swim Guide, a monitoring program that provides weekly updates on E. coli levels at 85 popular water recreation areas throughout Western North Carolina, northeastern Tennessee and north Georgia. Testing occurs each Wednesday, and results are posted online ahead of the weekend. “If you’re going somewhere routinely, and it’s clean 90% of the time, I think you should feel good about that,” he says. “If it’s clean 10% of the time, you might want to find a new [location].” However, water quality testing has its limits, says Carson. The Swim Guide only monitors for E. coli, not all contaminants, and water quality can change rapidly, making the water safety assessment inaccurate. Carson advises those on the river to always check the color of the water before diving in. How muddy or clear the water is serves as a good indication of water quality and whether it’s safe to swim.
— Brooke Randle X
FEA T U RE S
Q&A: Elizabeth Colton on life abroad, diplomacy and journalism Growing up in Asheville nurtured Elizabeth Colton’s desire to travel. And she has Warren Wilson College, in part, to thank for it. Throughout her youth, Colton’s parents invited international students studying at the college to their home during holidays. In meeting these travelers, the young Colton knew she wanted to explore the world for herself. Now, Colton might be the most well-traveled person in Asheville: She’s lived in 13 — and worked in 120 — countries. At one point, she held three passports, courtesy of her career as a journalist and a diplomat with the U.N. General Assembly and the U.S. Foreign Service. Among her many other professional accomplishments, Colton has worked as a diplomatic correspondent for NPR, covered world news for ABC and NBC, won an Emmy Award for her 1982 “ABC Nightly News” reporting on Libya and co-authored a book, Connecting to Creativity: Ten Keys to Unlocking Your Creative Potential. Currently, Colton is Warren Wilson’s diplomat- and journalist-in-residence. “I don’t have a lot of money to give to somewhere,” she explains. “What I have is myself.” Xpress recently spoke with Colton about the advice she offers young journalists, her belief in reading the news from multiple outlets and how women’s rights have changed since her childhood in Asheville. This interview has been condensed for length and edited for clarity. So tell me what a journalist-in-residence does. I’ve been speaking in different classes and I’ve started mentoring students, not just for diplomacy or journalism. What I would like to do is have forums. But because of the pandemic, nothing like that has quite happened. What’s some of the advice you dole out to Warren Wilson students? I actually tell people, don’t let your parents tell you that you can’t major in English. Because in reality, to be able to write well [means] you can get a job in anything. But a lot of people don’t know this. … I’ve been helping the people at the [student] newspaper, and I say, “You can major in anything and be a journalist.” To be a journalist is to be curious and also to be able to jump from different kinds of things. And this is true in diplomacy as well. … You can be a math major,
WHERE IN THE WORLD? Asheville native Elizabeth Colton lived in 13 — and worked in 120 — countries during her career in journalism and diplomacy. Photo courtesy of Warren Wilson College history [major], political science [major]. People think, “Oh, I have to major in international relations.” I’ve never had a course in international [relations]. Where did your interest in journalism come from? Starting when I was 8, I had my first newspaper that I wrote out and carbon copied and delivered early morning around the Montford neighborhood. … This is all in the middle ’50s. When I was 9, I had three papers: one at the school [and one] that I delivered around the neighborhood. And then I had an international paper. Fortunately, my parents didn’t ever tell me, “Well, girls can’t do this.” I read about [World War II journalist] Ernie Pyle. I wanted to be a war correspondent. I wanted to be a foreign correspondent. … I always had these dreams. I wanted to work at the U.N. And then when [President John F.] Kennedy announced the Peace Corps, I immediately thought, “I have to do that.” Journalism has changed a lot throughout your career. Media coverage can seem more partisan, and people will read things that confirm what they already believe. What do you think about the state of media literacy today?
The question people always ask me is, “What is your one source?” I say, “I have no one source.” I’m reading fanatically all the time. … The editorial pages are one thing, and then news reporting should be another. And I tell people, “Look, The Wall Street Journal news reporting is some of the best in the world.” … I have friends on the left who say, “I wouldn’t even look at The Wall Street Journal!” I say, “What do you mean?” I want to know what they’re thinking, so I read their editorials and I read their columns. Let’s talk about growing up in Asheville. What were the schools like in the late 1950s and early 1960s? It was segregated then. I can remember when the Brown v. Board of Education [Supreme Court decision] was announced in 1954. I was in the third grade. I came home and I told Mother that we had discussed it in my school classroom that day. And Mother said, “What did you say?” I said, “I thought it was very good, because it’ll make us be the kind of country that we’re supposed to be with equality for everybody.” [The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County President] Oralene Simmons, [Buncombe County Commissioner] Al
Whitesides and I were all in the Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality to promote integration. … A big thing that we worked on was integrating the library. Gender roles were different for girls and women when you were younger, too. The truth is the discrimination against females was pretty awful — it was total. In 1975, when I was 30 years old, I got my first credit card. There was a bank that opened in New York City, and if [a woman] could put in $2,000, you would get your first credit card. … When I tell people that, they can’t imagine. What do you think about the current state of democracy and the role the local and national press play in it? The national and the local press have an extremely important role in supporting, maintaining and building our democracy and all of our freedoms. I personally do a great deal of work promoting press freedom internationally as chair of the board of [Directors of] Reporters Without Borders USA. … It’s a twoway street. It’s important journalists maintain higher standards, and there’s training for journalists to realize the important role they have.
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— Jessica Wakeman X JULY 13-19, 2022
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR JULY 13 - JULY 21, 2022
Book Discussion and Author Reading: Woodsmoke by Wayne Caldwell Swannanoa Valley Museum will host a discussion of the author's poetry collection, followed by a presentation by the author. TH (7/14), 10am, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain
For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.
Online Events = Shaded WELLNESS Pub Run Rain or shine, all ages and experience levels welcome. WE (7/13, 20), 6:15pm, Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Rd Goat Yoga SA (7/16), 11am, Whistle Hop Brewing Co., 1288 Charlotte Hwy, Fairview Yoga in the Park Join together alongside the French Broad River for this all-level friendly yoga class based on Hatha and Vinyasa traditions. Also Sunday 1:30pm. SA (7/16), SU (7/17), 1:30pm, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd Men's Cancer Support Group Safely meet in a large conference room and stay socially distant while wearing masks. RSVP: Will (412)9130272 or acwein123@ gmail.com. WE (7/20), 6pm, Woodfin YMCA, 40 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 101 Montford Tai Chi Hosted by local acupuncturist Tyler White. All ages, every Thursday. TH (7/21), 9am, Montford Recreation Center, 34 Pearson Dr
ART RAD Collabs Painters, potters, metalsmiths, woodworkers and others partnering with glassblowers.
FR (7/8), 10am-5pm, North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Ste B
Mindi Meltz presents The Queen’s Rain, in conversation with Gary Caton The authors discuss Meltz's novel. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. TU (7/19), 6pm, avl.mx/brc
American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection Over 80 works of folk and self-taught art, including assemblages, needlework, paintings, pottery, quilts and sculpture. Open 11am, closed Tuesdays. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
ReadWNC Series: Guests on Earth by Lee Smith Explore fact and fiction with the author, whose novel is set at Asheville’s Highland Hospital during the period when Zelda Fitzgerald resided there, before she and eight other women perished in a fire in 1948. TU (7/19), 6pm, avl.mx/brr
Blown Glass Demos with Andrew Montrie Fridays through Sept. FR (7/15), 1-5pm, Appalachian Craft Center, 10 N Spruce St, Ste 120 Girl with Flowers Twelve large scale portrait paintings will be on display, with 3D glasses given to guests to enhance the experience. FR (7/15), 5-7pm, SA (7/16), 12-6pm, Jeffrey Luque Art, 162 W French Broad St, Brevard WT Jubilee closing reception Will include reading from the book-length poem Operation Unsung Pyramid. SA (7/16), 4-8pm, REVOLVE, 821 Riverside Dr Nature and Nurture: The Voorhees Family Artistic Legacy This multi-generational, multi-media exhibit displays paintings, pottery and jewelry from seven members of the Voorhees family, some featuring some NC landscapes and plants. Open 9am, daily
LOVE AT FIRST BITE: Asheville’s Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance will present Vampyre, a Gothic Tale of Love, Death and Immortality at The Diana Wortham Theatre Thursday-Saturday, July 14-16, at 8 p.m. Inspired by a short story by John Polidori, the show features dancers from ballet companies from across the United States and abroad. Photo by Jeff Cravotta through Sept. 5. NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way Bullington Gardens Fairy Trail Three hundred yards of tiny doors that reveal fairy life scenes. Open 9am, closed Sundays. Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville
COMMUNITY MUSIC Steve Newbrough and Kate Steinbeck Kate Steinbeck of Pan Harmonia plays the flute, joining Steve Newbrough on classical guitar. WE (7/13), 8pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr
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Bonnie Jones A Korean-American improvising musician, poet, and performer working with electronic sound and text. Presented by Black Mountain College. TH (7/14), 7pm, avl.mx/brp Shindig on the Green A mountain tradition since 1967, with bluegrass and old-time string bands, cloggers, ballad singers and storytellers. SA (7/16), 7pm, Pack Square Park Slavic Festival Concert to Benefit Ukraine Featuring musicians from around the world performing Slavic folk music - an 80-piece folk orchestra with virtuoso soloists on balalaika, domra, and mandolin. A portion of the concert proceeds will be donated to Ukrainian relief efforts. SA (7/16), 7:30pm, Free-$25, DoubleTree by Hilton, 115 Hendersonville Rd Tuesday Night Block Party Whitewater Bluegrass Co. and an experienced caller will take attendees step-by-step through
a collection of moves that combine square and contra dancing styles. Family-friendly with food vendors and other activities. TU (7/19), 6pm, Downtown Brevard Swing Dance and Lesson Lesson at 7, live music from Sparrow and Her Wingmen at 8. TU (7/19), 7pm, Cork & Keg, 86 Patton Ave
SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD Discussion Bound Book Club Monthly discussion to exchange ideas about readings that relate to artworks and the art world. WE (7/13), 12pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Corban Addison presents Wastelands The author discusses his non-fiction legal thriller. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. WE (7/13), 6pm, avl.mx/bq1
Lydia Stryk presents The Teachers’ Room in conversation with Kia Corthron The authors discuss Stryk's novel. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. TH (7/21), 6pm, avl.mx/brb Malaprop's Notorious HBC (History Book Club) Participants will discuss Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford. Registration required. TH (7/21), 7pm, avl.mx/9s9
THEATER & FILM West Side Story The number one requested musical from the venue's 2019 show survey. Various dates and times, through July 30. Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Hwy 225, Flat Rock Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare's comedy about a weekend in the country, by the Montford Park Players. FR (7/15), SA (7/16), SU (7/17), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St Terpsicorps presents: Vampyre, A Gothic Tale of Love, Death and Immortality Featuring a cast of critically acclaimed dancers from ballet companies across the United States and abroad. Inspired by the gothic short story by
John Polidori. TH (7/14), FR (7/15), SA (7/16), 8pm, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave Sunday Sinema Free popcorn (no burgers), film will be announced upon arrival. Outdoors. SU (7/17), 9pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St Elsa’s Legacy: The Born Free Story A documentary showing, follwed by a discussion and Q&A with host Wendy Wheat, who lived and worked with George and Joy Adamson in the Kenyan bush. Light refreshments. Donations welcome. For further info contact Wendy: (415)419-4499 or wendy4g@yahoo. com. WE (7/20), 7pm, Jubilee Community Church, 46 Wall St Reception, Screening and Discussion of Come Hell or Highwater, Remembering the Flood of 1916 Presented by the Swannanoa Valley Museum and the Center for Cultural Preservation. With music performed by folk and bluegrass musician David Wiseman, whose tribute song is featured in the film. TH (7/21), 7pm, $1520, Swannanoa Valley Museum, 223 W State St, Black Mountain
CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS An Intro to Circling A present-moment relational practice guided by Levi Chettle, Group Facilitator and Relationship Coach. Limited to 12 participants. Bring a cushion to sit upon. WE (7/13), 6:30pm, $22, 17 Old US 19-23, Candler Introduction to Medicare How Medicare works, the enrollment process, avoiding penalties and ways to save money. To register, visit coabc.org or call the Council on Aging (828)277-8288. FR (7/15), 2pm, Goodwill Career Training Center, 1616 Patton Ave Cruise then Booze Paddle Outing A two hour paddle trip down the French Broad, ending at the brewery. Boats, life jackets, paddles and a two-minute shuttle trip to Pisgah Forest access provided. FR (7/15), 4:30pm, Oskar Blues Brewery, 342 Mountain Industrial Dr, Brevard
Michael Checkhov Method Originally developed as a movement theater technique, Noreen Sullivan has adapted the method to be inclusive for all artists and creatives seeking to expand their craft through modes of embodiment. Sliding scale. SA (7/16), 11am, $1040, Center for Connection + Collaboration ACLU of NC/WNC Chapter Annual Celebration Highlighted by the presentation of the Evan Mahaney Champion of Civil Liberties Award to UNC Asheville Professors Emeriti Dwight Mullen, Ph.D. and Dolly Jenkins-Mullen, Ph.D. Refreshments will be served. SA (7/16), 2pm, UNC Asheville Quad, 1 University Heights North Carolina Outward Bound School 55th Anniversary Celebration An opportunity to connect with the NCOBS crew, with a short program featuring two alumni sharing the impact of Outward Bound. Tickets include small bites, nonalcoholic beverages, and two beer and/or wine tickets for attendees over 21. SA (7/16), 6pm, Free-$25, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr Weekly Chess Tournament All skill levels welcome. SU (7/17), 2pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave History Cafe: The Black Mountain-Tyson Library - The First 100 Years In this presentation, researcher and Black Mountain resident Tom Stiles will provide an overview of the founding and growth of the Black Mountain Public Library from 1922 to today. MO (7/18), 6pm, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain Heirloom Care Workshop: Digitizing Your Family Photos, Cards, Letters and Videos Bring a few photos, letters or cards and learn what causes damage and how to prevent it, how to properly house these objects so they will remain in good condition for many years, and different techniques to digitize objects and set up a WordPress site to showcase them. TU (7/19), 6pm, $2025, Swannanoa Valley Museum, 223 W State St, Black Mountain
LOCAL MARKETS Asheville City Market South Midweek market operated by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP). WE (7/13, 20), 12pm, Biltmore Town Square, 1 Town Square Blvd Les-ter Farmers Market Support local farmers and craftspeople offering a variety of local produce, herbs, flowers, cheese, meat, prepared foods, art, gifts and much more - all locally grown and produced. WE (7/13, 20), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester River Arts District (RAD) Farmers Market Located on the river with live music and over 30 local vendors. Safely accessible via the greenway, plus ample parking. WE (7/13, 20), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr Etowah Lions Club Farmers Market Fresh produce, meat, sweets, breads, arts, and more, through Oct. 26. WE (7/13, 20), 3pm, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville Weaverville Tailgate Market Local foodstuffs, alongside a small lineup of craft and artisan vendors. WE (7/13, 20), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville Wednesday Night Market: Vintage and Crafts Vintage and crafts from area-based vendors. WE (7/13, 20), 4pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd Enka-Candler Tailgate Market Fresh local produce and heritage crafts. Weekly. TH (7/14, 21), 3pm, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler Flat Rock Tailgate Market A diverse group of local produce farmers, jam and jelly makers, bread bakers, wild crafters, and merrymakers. TH (7/14, 21), 3pm, Pinecrest ARP Church, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock SCB Summer Nights Market With live music, local vendors, barbecue and an outdoor bar. Every other Thursday through Oct.
TH (7/14, 21), 5:30pm, Sweeten Creek Brewing, 1127 Sweeten Creek Rd
foods and handcrafted items. SA (7/16), 9am, Downtown Brevard
East Asheville Tailgate Market Local goods, every Friday. FR (7/15), 3pm, 954 Tunnel Rd
Madison Co. Farmers & Artisans Market Local goods and produce, weekly through October. SA (7/16), 10am, Mars Hill University, 100 Athletic St, Mars Hill
Henderson County Tailgate Market One of the oldest open-air markets in WNC, this unique market has a festival feel, with local growers who operate small family farms in Henderson County. SA (7/16), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville Hendersonville Farmers Market Produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, coffee, crafts and more from 30+ local vendors. With live music, kids' activities and cooking demos weekly. SA (7/16), 8am, Hendersonville Farmers Market, 650 Maple St, Hendersonville Mills River Farmers Market A producer-only market, selling products raised or produced within 50 miles. With local musicians, a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, and high-quality crafts. SA (7/16), 8am, Mills River Elementary School, 94 Schoolhouse Rd, Mills River
Junk-O-Rama Saturday Vintage antiques market, every Saturday through October. SA (7/16), 11am, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd Makers Market Showcasing vendors and artisans selling housewares, vintage clothing, original art, handmade crafts, fair trade imports and more. SA (7/16), 12pm, Atelier Maison & Co., 121 Sweeten Creek Rd Gladheart Farm Fest Market Fresh produce, bread and pastries, food vendors, and live music, weekly. SU (7/17), 11am, Gladheart Farm, 9 Lora Ln Asheville Punk Flea Local vendors with patches, pins, tshirts, records, jewelry and other unique finds. SU (7/17), 12pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd
North Asheville Tailgate Market The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC. Over 60 rotating vendors. SA (7/16), 8am, 3300 University Heights
Meadow Market Runs every Sunday from May-August and will feature a rotation of local bakers, makers and artisans. SU (7/17), 12pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy
Asheville City Market Over 50 vendors and local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and more. SA (7/16), 9am, 52 N Market St
West Asheville Tailgate Market Over 40 local vendors, every Tuesday, with live music from George Trouble & The Zealots. TU (7/19), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd
Black Mountain Tailgate Market Seasonal community market event featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and local arts and handcrafted items. SA (7/16), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Haywood's Historic Farmers Market Located at HART Theatre, weekly. SA (7/16), 9am, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville Transylvania Farmers Market Fifty vendors offering fresh, locally-grown produce, meat, poultry, eggs, honey, cheese, coffee, plants, herbs, cut flowers, baked goods, jams, jellies, relishes, prepared
F.O.W.L. Used Book Store Anniversary Celebration A celebration with storytime, a uke jam, food and gardening demos, crafts and discounts. SA (7/16), 11am, Weaverville Library, 41 N. Main St, Weaverville
SPIRITUALITY Prayer for Healing and Soaking Prayer WE (7/13), 6:30pm, A quiet time to seek the presence of Jesus, as prayer ministers move behind you, silently offering prayers on your behalf. Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 Sixth Ave W, Hendersonville Wednesday Night Thing A new spirit fed, lightly led weekly ritual meditation, celebration and connection with Daniel Barber, Billy Jonas, Whitney Moore and Jackie Dobrinska. Donations welcome. WE (7/13), 7pm, Jubilee Community Church, 46 Wall St
BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING Experiential Garden Volunteers Needed Verner Experiential Garden (VEG) will host community garden nights, with gloves and tools provided. Email volunteer coordinator Polly: pphillips@ verneremail.org for more details. TH (7/14), 4pm, Verner Center for Early Learning, 2586 Riceville Rd The Big Secret Family Festival Featuring performances from The Secret Agency, Empire Strikes Brass, Snake Oil Medicine Show, and John John Grant, Eastern Band Cherokee storyteller and cultural ambassador). SU (7/17), 2:30pm, Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr
Green thumbs & aspiring gardeners alike! Summer is here, and Xpress’ monthly gardening feature is flourishing based on reader questions. Please send all gardening inquiries to gardening@mountainx.com
Project Linus: WNC Chapter Seeking volunteers to create and donate children’s blankets to area children, providing a sense of security and warmth to children in crisis. Contact Ellen Knoefel at (828)645-8800 or gknoefel @charter. net or Pat Crawford (828)873-8746.
The Museum of the Cherokee Indian presents:
The Way We See the World: Exploring Indigenous Representation In Film
July 22, 2022 Mountainside Theatre Cherokee, NC 5–10:30 P.M
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS Truth Seekers Water Festival Co-creating an alternative pop-up society where attendees are choosing resolutions to form solutions - with tools, fresh water, food/medicine, family and friends, information and self-healing ways. TH (7/14) - SU (7/17), $10-200, Private Location, Burnsville Arbor Evenings Sip and stroll through the gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artiststs. TH (7/14), FR (7/15), 5:30pm, NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way
6 Award-winning & Sundance-selected short films Panel with Indigenous Filmmakers: Sterlin Harjo (Seminole Nation, co-creator, FX’s Reservation Dogs) Keli Gonzales (Cherokee Nation) Brit Hensel (Cherokee Nation) Anthony Sneed (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) Peshawn Bread (Comanche/Kiowa/Cherokee)
Art Market | Silent Auction | VIP Reception
Tickets at MCI.org All proceeds support Community Learning and Educational Programming at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian
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HEALTH ROUNDUP by Jessica Wakeman | jwakeman@mountainx.com
Plan determined a need for 67 additional acute care beds by 2024. The three hospital systems are Mission Health, which proposes to add to its existing campus in Asheville, Novant Health and Surgery Partners, which proposes a new building in Asheville, and Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corp., which proposes a new building in Candler. A public hearing about the three applications is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 12, 9:30 a.m., in the Ferguson Auditorium at A-B Tech, 19 Tech Drive. Written comments about the proposals can be submitted until Friday, Aug. 5, 5 p.m. via email to DHSR.CON.Comments@dhhs.nc.gov.
Domestic violence nonprofit opens new Hendersonville facility Safelight, a Hendersonville nonprofit that supports survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new facility June 29. Executive Director Lauren Wilkie says the new space at 317 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, pulls together three services previously in separate locations: the Child Advocacy Center, the Counseling Center and the Family Advocacy Center. “Those programs are now in a building we own within walking distance to our other programs,” Wilkie explains. The services mean a parent or child “doesn’t have to go four or five places around town telling their story over and over” when seeking care after abuse or assault, she continues. Safelight’s new facility also contains dedicated spaces for partner organizations, including Pisgah Legal Services, The Free Clinics and the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office. Previously these partners shared a communal space. Safelight provided help for about 800 unduplicated people in 2017, Wilkie says; by 2021, that figure had increased to 1,200. Its Child Advocacy Center, for children and teens experiencing abuse and neglect, saw a 34% increase from 2020-21. “It was our highest year to date since we started that program,” says Wilkie. The nonprofit’s Counseling Center, which provides free counseling to children, teens and adults, experienced a 43% increase in the use of counseling services by adults and children during 2019-20, Wilkie says. “COVID has been a very strong
Mission Health funds 3 nursing instructors
NEW DIGS: Executive Director Lauren Wilkie says Safelight’s new facility pulls together three services previously in separate locations: the Child Advocacy Center, the Counseling Center and the Family Advocacy Center. Photo courtesy of Safelight factor in so many more people seeking help, because of isolation and increased stressors from COVID — more substance use and more time in the home,” explains Wilkie. “So that means more abuse occurred. It’s sad.” Safelight’s shelter, which has 40 beds for adults and children fleeing violence or sexual abuse, and Dandelion, its cafe providing on-the-job training for survivors, remain at their current locations in
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Hendersonville. More information is at safelightfamily.org.
Public hearing for hospital applications Three local hospital systems have filed certificate of need applications to build hospitals serving Buncombe, Graham, Yancey and Madison counties. The 2022 State Medical Facilities
Mission Health will fund one nursing instructor each at three local universities, the hospital system announced in a press release May 25. A full-time faculty member will join A-B Tech, Blue Ridge Community College and Western Carolina University. Each instructor may teach 10 students, which should allow for an increase of 30 students receiving nursing education. “Funding a role at each of these schools is one of the steps we are taking to help relieve the nursing shortage and help qualified applicants attend our local schools,” said chief nurse executive Fran Paschall in a press release.
Buncombe offers COVID vaccines to children The Buncombe County Health and Human Services Department
Mountain Xpress presents
The insider’s guide What to do and where to find it!
We provide tips on the well-known attractions, hidden gems and quirky oddities that make Asheville so beloved.
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is providing COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 5 years. On June 17, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer vaccine for children between 6 months and 4 years. The Moderna vaccine was arppoved for children between 6 months and 5 years June 18. According to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, the Pfizer vaccine is administered in a series of three shots (two shots and a booster) over seven weeks, while the Moderna vaccine is administered in two shots over six weeks. The immunization clinic is located at 40 Coxe Ave., Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. COVID-19 vaccinations are free. No appointment is necessary. For more information, visit avl.mx/br5.
Galen College of Nursing opens Asheville campus Galen College of Nursing, a regional nursing school, is opening a campus at 30 Town Square Blvd., Suite #220, in Biltmore Park. The campus will initially offer three educational tracks: a three-year Bachelor of Science in nursing degree, a 2-year associate degree in nursing and a licensed practical nurse to associate degree in nursing bridge option (LPN to ADN Bridge). HCA Healthcare, the for-profit company that purchased Mission Hospital in 2019, purchased Galen College of Nursing in 2020, according to an HCA press release. Fulland part-time employees of Mission Health may be eligible for up to $5,250 per calendar year in reimbursements for tuition, books and other class-related fees. Admission for Galen’s fall 2022 semester is open. For more information, call 877-223-7040 or visit galencollege.edu.
French Broad Fire Rescue receives CPR system The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation gifted a Defibtech Lifeline ARM Chest Compression System, which performs CPR during cardiac arrest, to the French Broad Volunteer Fire & Rescue June 14. The device was purchased with a $10,600 grant from the nationwide restaurant chain’s foundation. Firefighters received the chest compression device in a ceremony
at the Firehouse Subs franchise in Weaverville.
Movers and shakers • UNC Pardee Health Care named infection preventionist Ivan Gowe its 2022 health care provider of the year. • AdventHealth Hendersonville welcomed Timothy Bell, RN, as director of surgery services. • Certified physician assistant Eric Ho joined Pardee Bariatrics and General Surgery within Pardee UNC Healthcare. Ho earned a Master of Health Sciences degree in the Physician Assistant Program at Duke University. • Restor Metabolix has opened a clinic in Asheville at 18 Medical Park Drive, Apt. F. The clinic provides treatment for metabolic disorders such as prediabetes, Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. For more information visit rmxasheville.com.
Mark your calendars • The Asheville Triathlon is Sunday, July 17, 7:30a.m.-noon. at Asheville Recreation Park Pool, 65 Gashes Creek Road. The triathlon consists of a pool swim, a run and a bike course. For more information, visit avl.mx/br8. • AdventHealth geriatric care manager Lisa Kauffman will lead a seminar on caregiver wellness in partnership with the Council on Aging of Hendersonville. The seminar is Monday, July 25, 5:30-7:00 p.m., at AdventHealth Medical Group Multispecialty at Laurel Park, 1881 Pisgah Drive, Hendersonville. Call 855-744-5433 to register. • The Asheville chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America is holding a virtual meeting over Zoom Tuesday, July 26, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Contact hlasheville@gmail.com for a link to the meeting. • The Light Up the Night 5K will take place Friday, Aug. 5, 7:30-9:30 p.m., at Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Road. The 5K is a fundraiser for Western Carolina Rescue Ministries, a nonprofit serving the homeless population. For more information, visit avl.mx/br9. • Highlands-Cashiers Hospital will offer free health screenings at the Mountain Top Rotary’s 2022 Art and Craft Show in Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, 440 Pine Street, Cashiers, Aug. 27-28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. There will be free glucose screenings and body mass index readings, and physicians will be available to speak with people. X
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ARTS & CULTURE
Love at first hike
Local couple collaborate on comprehensive Appalachian Trail book standout hike, animal, plant, shelter, trailblazer and personal narrative. Furthermore, the couple included a section on backpacking basics, a glossary of trail terms and an introductory chapter on the history of the trail and the mountains themselves. “We also sprinkled in some little ‘Did you knows’ just to keep it interesting, because we wanted people to be able to flip to any page and become inspired — or start in the beginning and read it all the way to the end, like a thru-hike,” Amber says.
BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com Considering Amber and Joshua Niven’s creative interests and history with the Appalachian Trail, it’s clear they were destined to one day write a book about it. The couple first met in 2015 at the Appalachian Trail Days Festival in Damascus, Va., which Joshua describes as an “annual college reunion” type of event where people who’ve hiked the 2,194-mile public footpath connect. He was there selling his coffee-table book, The Thru Project, featuring over 150 images that he made during his thru-hike in 2013. “And Amber [who hiked most of the trail in 2014] had an artist collective and candle company, and she would go there and set up and sell her stuff,” Joshua says. “We got put across from each other in 2015, so we were selling our stuff, literally standing on the Appalachian Trail in Damascus, Va., and that’s where we met.” Seven years later, the Nivens’ collaborative Discovering the Appalachian Trail: A Guide to the Trail’s Greatest Hikes, published June 1, reflects their shared passion for the route that crosses 14 states, six national parks and eight national forests. In turn, they hope to inspire others to venture outside and experience a resource that’s brought so much joy to their lives. NATURAL PROGRESSION Currently based in Madison County outside Hot Springs, the Nivens and their two young children, River Axel and Indie Oaks, can see the Appalachian Trail ridgeline from their
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THE PEOPLE’S JOURNEY
NATURAL CONNECTION: The Appalachian Trail has been a throughline for Amber and Joshua Niven across their relationship. Author photo courtesy of the Nivens homestead. Such proximity is only fitting, seeing as the trail has been a throughline across their relationship. “That’s what we enjoyed doing when we first started dating; we would go hiking and backpacking and camping,” Amber says. “And then when we started house hunting and came onto our property where we are now, it reminded us of being on the AT. The house is like an old cabin, so it kind of looks like a shelter. And then you’re looking into the woods, and there’s a little creek.” And though Amber grew up in Gatlinburg, Tenn., with an avid outdoorsman father, and Joshua is from outside Charlotte, both of their families have roots in the Hot Springs area. “That maybe cosmically drew us to this area,” Joshua says. “I just grew up in a little bit of a chaos, and I’m a deeply introspective person, so the
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only thing that really makes sense in the world other than my children and my wife is nature. When I’m out in the woods, everything makes sense.” COMBINING FORCES The couple had long discussed teaming up on a creative endeavor that united Amber’s writing with Joshua’s photography. Meanwhile, Joshua’s close friend Ryan Klinger, a designer for Eagles Nest Outfitters, regularly brought copies of The Thru Project with him to outdoor retailers and trade shows. At one such event, Klinger shared the book with Falcon Guides, an imprint of Globe Pequot, publisher of Discovering the John Muir Trail: An Inspirational Guide to America’s Most Beautiful Hike (2018) and Discovering the Colorado Plateau: A Guide to the Region’s Hidden Wonders (2021). Impressed, the reps told Klinger that they were in search of people to undertake the third volume in the series, Discovering the Appalachian Trail. Klinger connected the parties, and the Nivens started work on the project in early 2019, right after they found out Amber was pregnant with their second child. “I wanted to do more of an artistic book, and Amber did, too — not so much a guidebook,” Joshua says. “Falcon Guides was into us inserting as much of our creativity as we could into their format.” The Nivens took a maximalist approach. Each of the 14 states on the trail receives its own chapter with a
In addition to conducting extensive research, Amber turned to the journal she kept while backpacking over 1,400 miles of the Appalachian Trail with her father and brother. A family emergency required the three to leave their trek while in Virginia, four months into their journey. And while Joshua drew from 14 years of photographing the trail, he notes that camera technology has significantly evolved over that time, which prompted him to upgrade his gear and take better shots at various locations. These newer, sharper images were captured during a few trips with friends, as well as jaunts with Amber and their children. With their roles for the book clearly defined, the Nivens say that the only detail they butted heads over was whether to start the book in Georgia or Maine. Amber wanted to begin at Mount Katahdin to honor her southbound experience. But Joshua pointed out that the majority of thru-hikers launch at Springer Mountain in Georgia. The couple ultimately settled on Georgia. For those who pick up the colorful, information-packed, 337-page book, the Nivens hope that it expands people’s knowledge about the AT. Joshua notes that the trail was “made by the people, for the people” and is far more accessible than many assume, including for children and individuals in wheelchairs. “It’s really a pilgrimage being out there and it’s a place where people in this modern day go to get their brain reconnected and their senses back in order,” he says. “People have been using it as a tool for a long time, and it has restructured my life and it’s restructured my wife’s life.” To learn more, visit avl.mx/bqm. X
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ARTS & CU L T U R E
MUSIC
Come together
The Big Secret Family Festival debuts at Salvage Station
BY MORGAN BOST getitcontributor@mountainx.com For many musicians, contributing their talents to a good cause is part of the gig. But in the wake of COVID-19, which left touring acts locked out of venues and unable to earn a living for an extended period of time, the opportunities to give back are now more challenging than ever. “Artists in general, always kind of get that ask of like, ‘Oh it’s a benefit, can you do it for free?’” says Grammywinning musician and Asheville local Cactus (AKA Secret Agent 23 Skidoo). “And out of the goodness of their hearts, a lot of times artists do that. But I mean, let’s be fair — artists aren’t rich.” With that in mind, Cactus set out to create a unique music gathering — The Big Secret Family Festival — that not only brought people together but also gave back, both to a local nonprofit and to the artists participating in the event. To do so, he says he had to get creative. Instead of relying on ticket sales to pay talent, he financed that portion of the event with community dollars raised through a combination of traditional sponsorships and digital collaborations. Taking place Sunday, July 17, at 2 p.m. at Salvage Station, the inaugural lineup features The Secret Agency with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Empire Strikes Brass, Snake Oil Medicine Show with Caroline Pond and Eastern Band Cherokee storyteller and cultural ambassador John John Grant Jr. There will also be face painting, circus acts, puppetry by Toybox and magic by Criswell the traveling magician. Along with
COMMUNITY AND COLLABORATION
SECRET’S OUT: The inaugural Big Secret Family Festival will feature a number of acts, including Secret Agency, pictured. Photo courtesy of Cactus (AKA Secret Agent 23 Skidoo) live music and entertainment, Root Down and Baba Nahm will be serving Southern cuisine and Middle Eastern street food, respectively. “I’m making sure that artists get paid what they deserve,” Cactus says. “I think everybody, not just the artists but the community of people that go and see music, has really felt the loss of [live music] over the past couple of years and really now understand what it is to go out to a show and be with people and celebrate life together like this.”
TURNING 10 After securing the finances for the festival’s performers, Cactus began asking around for input on which local nonprofit the gathering should support. “Everybody in the community pointed directly at Keynon [Lake],” says Cactus. Lake, a graduate of Asheville High School, launched My Daddy Taught Me That in 2012. July 1, he notes, marked the organization’s 10-year anniversary.
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“So, this was awesome that Cactus reached out and wanted to have this event because it’s also a way that we can celebrate [the milestone],” Lake says. MDTMT offers a variety of services for young men, including mentorship programs, career training, academic enrichment and supplying participants with basic needs. In 2018, former program members interested in staying involved with the nonprofit helped launch an ambassador program. “Any young man who’s been in the program for five-plus years [can] become an ambassador,” Lake explains. It’s this mentorship structure that really struck a chord with Cactus. “I think it’s super powerful, and I think that the family aspect of this festival is just so much enriched and made more deep by that idea,” he says. All profits from ticket sales will go directly to MDTMT.
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At its core, notes Cactus, the inaugural Big Secret Family Festival is about coming together. Like so many, he says, the pandemic has given him a greater appreciation for community. “I really missed connecting with people,” he says. “Having festivals, being onstage — I never took it for granted, but you never know what parts you’ll miss until you miss it.” The festival is also a celebration of collaboration, which Cactus adds, will manifest onstage. “You’re not just going to have Snake Oil Medicine Show and Empire Strikes Brass, but you’re going to have a collaboration set called Snakes and Brass. And each act is going to do that, and then finally we’re all going to [perform] together,” he says. “That models the type of community collaboration that we’re talking about — not everybody staying in their own zone … but instead representing what happens when everybody gets together and collaborates,” Cactus continues. “We’re trying to show that onstage in a way that the kids will understand.” X
WHAT The Big Secret Family Festival WHERE Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Drive, avl.mx/bqy WHEN Sunday, July 17, 2 p.m. $23 general/ free for children 3 and younger
VISUAL ART
See me, hear me Exhibit spotlights LGBTQIA+ photographers BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com
As with all of Starr Sariego’s work, This Skin I’m In: A Visual Narrative was informed by her personal experiences. The Asheville-based photographer, who moved here from Miami in October 2020, focuses on longterm social justice projects, and for her latest endeavor, she was inspired by her child, Chloe Sariego, coming out as a nonbinary person. “I’ve always been very liberal and open-minded. Most of our friends in Miami are gay or people of color, and my kids were raised with that, so it wasn’t a big leap,” Starr Sariego says. “But I really wanted to understand, so I did a deep dive through really listening to my child and learning a lot about the whole LGBTQIA+ community, the terms that people use and then seeing the reactions of people my age.” Sariego, who recently turned 64, transformed her awakening into a call for the LGBTQIA+ community to express their personal experiences of queerness through a series of images. The exhibit opened July 2 at Revolve gallery, where it will be viewable through Monday, Aug. 29. MULTI-EXPERIENTIAL GROUNDWORK In 2016, Sariego was asked by a friend to curate the Bold Beauty Project, an exhibit featuring women with disabilities. She notes that the undertaking was her first time spearheading an exhibit and also marked the first time that she “gathered a bunch of photographers” — an experience that proved thoroughly inspirational. The project was ultimately displayed at three different Miami galleries. Each image included a written statement by the subject about their lives, with the intention of upending how the general population looks at people with disabilities. “We tend to infantilize [disabled] women,” Sariego says. “These women were sexual and parents and working and having very full and dynamic lives. People walked through that exhibit and would literally weep reading some of the narratives.”
Sariego followed up that exhibit in 2019 with The Compassion Project, which focused on formerly incarcerated women. The idea was inspired by her volunteer work at a women’s prison, where she led prerelease programming that aimed to reduce recidivism. The exhibition was composed of 25 large-scale portraits of the subjects and featured their written personal narratives. It ran for four months at the Coral Gables Museum and was augmented by an interactive app, a five-minute black-and-white art film made by Sariego’s friends, an installation piece and transmitter beacons embedded in seven of the portraits that allowed visitors to hear the women speak about their post-incarcerated lives. The experience had a major influence on the way she thought about future projects. “I really got even more convinced of this idea of multi-experiential [exhibits] — to hear, to see, to feel different ways of changing the way people see women who are incarcerated,” Sariego says.
UNFILTERED: Photographs by local artists Erik Mace, left, and Alice Aldrich are among the works featured in This Skin I’m In. Images courtesy of Starr Sariego photo from each applicant who was pertinent to the exhibit’s focus. They also wanted to represent beginning and well-established photographers while covering as wide an age range as possible. The resulting artist roster spans generations, and each work is accompanied by a narrative
penned by each photographer. And like The Compassion Project, there’s a complementary film and app, as well as a zine to help challenge attendees on their own journeys.
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ASHEVILLE ADVOCACY Sariego has carried that multi-experiential approach into This Skin I’m In, which was set in motion when she began volunteering with Blue Ridge Pride shortly after moving to Asheville — an effort made in tandem with learning to be a better ally for her child. The advocacy nonprofit connected her with UNC Asheville English professor Amanda Wray. But when the timing didn’t work out for a collaborative photography exhibit with Wray — leader of the LGBTQIA+ Archive of Western North Carolina — Sariego’s friend Tema Stauffer, a professor of photography at East Tennessee State University, stepped in as co-curator. “I sort of launched into the idea of inviting the LGBTQIA+ community to declare [their] own identity,” Sariego says. “Even within that community, the terms are changing. They’re very fungible. You can be trans, you can be nonbinary and you can be drag all at once. I was superfascinated by all of that, and so I was like, ‘Let’s do this. Let’s let people define themselves.’” As submissions trickled in, the co-curators strove to take at least one MOUNTAINX.COM
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ART S & C U L T U R E COMMUNITY UNITY Among the photographers selected for This Skin I’m In are a pair of locals, including 76-year-old Weaverville resident Alice Aldrich. The amateur photographer submitted a self-portrait that she originally took in 2015 as an assignment for the Baltimore Camera Club. She and her wife left Baltimore that same year and moved to Buncombe County.
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“I just wanted, for once in my life, to have a photograph that really captured me and the unvarnished truth,” Aldrich says. “This is what I really look like. This is me without any fancy clothing or makeup — not that I ever wear makeup. I wanted to put something out there to be seen and heard for who I am.” She notes that it’s rare to see pictures of older women that haven’t been touched up to make wrinkles look less prominent. With the self-portrait, she purposefully didn’t
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hide the fact that she’s an aging woman and wants people to see that humans can be beautiful as they age and that they should be proud of who they are. In turn, she sees The Skin I’m In as a chance for the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies to connect and strengthen bonds, especially as rights for women and minorities are being stripped away. “We’re living in extremely dangerous times, beyond anything I’ve seen,” Aldrich says. “If there was
ever a time to be visible and aware of our chosen family and stand by each other, this is it. We’re going to need each other — this is going to get uglier, and we need to know who our support is.” Erik Mace also sees significant potential in the exhibit’s ability to connect and build a community. After 15 years in Brooklyn, the professional photographer relocated to Asheville in 2020 with his husband. Still feeling fairly new to town, he says he is especially excited to be part of such a welcoming, inclusive show. “Moving down to the South from a big city, I think there’s a lot of fear involved with that,” Mace says. “I think anyone who’s been othered in their life or has been made to feel like something else beyond the norm — you just never know how you’re going to be received and how your true self might be taken in the world.” He adds that the description of This Skin I’m In’s call for artists “seemed to echo almost word for word” the focus of his recent projects on self and identity. Looking through his portfolio, Mace selected two diptychs that he’d yet to share publicly: one featuring a friend who wanted to explore his masculinity and gender identity through Mace’s practice, and the other composed of self-portraits. “I’m doing very different work now, so this actually feels like some kind of really nice closure for those bodies of work that were very much about my own identity and masculinity, and how I operate and feel in the world,” he says. “When other people start to experience your work and react to it and have a conversation with it, it feels like you’ve given birth — it’s finally out in the world. And you can kind of see how it grows and take a little more of a distance from it.” By sharing the work of artists like Mace and Aldrich, Sariego seeks to build on her already rich exhibition history while further challenging herself and other community members to grow. “So much of our lives are very binary, and we live with guardrails around everything — how you behave, how you look, how you dress. Do you fit in your gender? Your politics?” she says. “The idea for these projects are always about trying to get people to loosen or lower the guardrails and see if you can expand your thinking and be more flexible.” To learn more, visit avl.mx/bqz. X
ART S & C U L T U R E
FOOD ROUNDUP
What’s new in food
More than 20 Asheville chefs are fired up to participate in the first local production of Cochon555’s national Heritage Fire tour. On Sunday, July 17, the tantalizing scent of wood-fired smoke will waft from Franny’s Farm in Leicester, where the celebration of live-fire cooking will take place. Heritage Fire is an annual traveling culinary festival celebrating heritage breed livestock and heirloom produce by inviting local chefs to cook over a live fire at an outdoor site. The 2022 tour began in Atlanta and will burn its way across the country before ending in Charleston on Dec. 4. Each city’s event benefits a local nonprofit. The Utopian Seed Project has been selected for Asheville’s July 17 gathering. Rhubarb chef de cuisine Glenn Osterberg says he is looking forward to the event. This will be his first Asheville food festival since arriving in the city over a year and a half ago. Between Rhubarb’s livefire grill and wood-burning oven, he notes, “Most of our menu hits the fire in some way.” Organizers asked participating chefs to list three items they would like to use for their dish to ensure the tasting plates offer plenty of variety; each cooking station will prepare 750 4-ounce portions for the crowd of grazers. John Fleer, Rhubarb’s chef and owner, “has a great relationship with Gaining Ground Farm, so we decided to go with vegetables,” Osterberg notes. The dish, Osterberg continues, will be a vegan perloo — a Southern interpretation of paella — using tomatoes, peppers and okra. “We’ll do some of the prep in Rhubarb’s kitchen but will cook it in big paella pans over fire at the event,” he explains. Festival production staff is building the fire cook stations on-site for the chefs, ranging from pits and grills to planchas and smokers. Along with grub, there will be plenty of wine, cocktails and craft beer to imbibe during the gathering. Another Cochon555 Asheville participant, Michelle Bailey, co-owner and chef of Smoky Park Supper Club, is also well versed in livefire cooking. “We have that big old smoker outside, and in the kitchen, we have the wood-burning grill and wood-fired brick oven,” Bailey says. She has missed the unbridled creativity of culinary festivals, in short
Asheville chefs fired up for live-fire culinary fest
LIGHT MY FIRE: Among the 20-plus local chefs participating in the first Cochon555 Heritage Fire culinary festival to be held in Asheville are, from left, Chop Shop’s Graham House, Smoky Park Supper Club’s Michelle Bailey, Tastee Diner’s Steve Goff and Rhubarb’s Glenn Osterberg. Photos, from left, by Mark Thalman, Jennifer Cole, Jessica Crawford and Nicole Osterberg supply since COVID-19. “Cooking for events is probably one of my favorite things to do,” Bailey says. “You can get really creative and come up with something really awesome, that you then have to execute on a large scale and blow everybody’s mind. In restaurants, it’s more about consistency.” For Cochon555, Bailey intends to do a deconstructed gumbo. “I make an andouille sausage that is really tasty and will hang links on hooks over fire, grill some shrimp and top those with pickled tomato and trinity salad and crispy grilled okra with dark roux and smoked Duke’s sauce.” She adds she will bring some dry-rubbed tofu for vegetarians. Along with channeling the creative energy that festivals bring, both Osterberg and Bailey say they value the opportunity to visit with fellow chefs. “I haven’t stepped out of the kitchen much since I’ve been here, so I’m looking forward to meeting other chefs in town and trying their food,” says Osterberg. “Chefs don’t get to hang out together a lot,” Bailey adds. “It’s cool to see what your peers and colleagues are up to. We’ve all been really grinding the last couple years, so we all need some chef therapy time,” she says with a laugh. “It’s also a lot of fun to interact with guests and see and hear their immediate reaction to your food.”
Cochon555’s Heritage Fire event takes place Sunday, July 17, at Franny’s Farm, 22 Franny’s Farm Road, Leicester. General admission is $99 and includes unlimited food and drink with access to the festival at 4:45 p.m. VIP tickets are $150 and include 4 p.m. entry, as well as unlimited food and drink. For tickets and more information, visit avl.mx/bqo.
Growth spurt For nearly two years, Southside Community Farm has been tending the small apple orchard originally planted by Asheville GreenWorks on Livingston Street, across from
the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center. With the awarding of a $25,000 grant from Lowe’s Hometowns community impact program, farm manager Chloe Moore says workers will improve the 0.15-acre plot where it is located. “Our vision is to have a place the community can enjoy more, by adding some picnic tables to sit under the shade of the apple trees, a walkway, diverse native plants and a multilayer food forest, including medicinal herbs and berry bushes,” she says. “We also want to add more diverse fruit trees like
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AR T S & C UL T U R E persimmon and pawpaw — all things that are valuable to humans, birds and pollinators.” The apples now on the trees in the Southside Community Orchard, marked by a small sign, will be harvested and distributed similarly to the produce grown on the farm and pressed into cider in the community kitchen located inside the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center. Southside Community Orchard is at 214 Livingston St. For more information, visit avl.mx/bqq.
Soupy sales DITCH THE DRIVE-THRU.
GET HEALTHY MEALS DELIVERED. Order online at: Ashevilleprokitchen.com 828.357.7087
Soup for breakfast? Ilona Kossoff, CEO and founder of 18 Chestnuts plant-based soups, highly recommends it. The businesswoman moved to Asheville by way of Tampa, Fla., a year ago but says she has been in a pursuit of clean nutrition most of her life. When she decided to trade accounting and real estate for more creative expression, “I realized the kitchen is my art studio and vegetables are my subject to play with,” she explains. “18 Chestnuts is a passion project for me.”
Ready for sunny days at the Supper Club SMOKYPARK.COM 350 RIVERSIDE DR. ASHEVILLE, NC 28801 828-350-0315
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She began developing her recipes on a larger scale last November in the Blue Ridge Food Ventures commercial kitchen, donating quarts of those test batches to 12 Baskets Cafe, a local nonprofit. Once she selected her core seven soups and finalized branding and packaging, she began selling 18 Chestnuts any Saturday she could land a slot at the North Asheville Tailgate Market. Success there led to the launch of an e-commerce site in May. The soups are all plant-based, gluten- and dairy-free with ingredients sourced from local producers when possible. Among the seven flavors are butternut squash pear, carrot ginger dill and chestnut maple, the one she recommends for breakfast with the addition of toasted granola, nuts or dried fruit. Three new soups — including a cold mint pea — will be added this month. Shoppers can add an online donation to 12 Baskets. For more information on 18 Chestnuts, visit avl.mx/bqr.
Community center Cultura is hosting another mashup of chefs who were spotlighted in previous Cultivated Community dinners. The Reunion Vol. 2, hosted by Cultura chef and Cultivated Community dinner series founder Eric Morris, will bring together chefs Ashleigh Shanti, Graham House and Atlanta’s Maricela Vega and Luis Martinez on Thursday, July 21, at the Funkatorium event space, 147 Coxe Ave. The six-course meal with beverage pairings will commence at 6 p.m. The nonprofit partner chosen by Morris for this dinner is Asheville’s YWCA. Tickets are $100 per person. To reserve, email culturareservation@ gmail.com and for more information, visit avl.mx/ap2 .
Brewing up brunch As the hospitality industry continues its recovery from COVID-related slowdowns, brunch is popping back up all over, including at Archetype Brewing’s West Asheville taproom. In partnership with chef Steve Goff — who will soon be revealing his new vision for old favorite Tastee Diner
— the Archetype brunch and beer pop-up takes place every Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays, 1-6 p.m. Archetype Brewing is at 265 Haywood Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/bqt.
Fresh hell Consider the enduring wiener: New York City sidewalk carts; concession stands in ballparks coast to coast; on rollers at highway convenience stops; and de rigueur on backyard grills. Even more, they are the tubular foundation of that peculiar all-American sporting event, the eating contest. On Wednesday, July 20, DSSOLVR supersizes Four Feet to Hell, its Satanic twist on the tried-and-true tradition that made its debut last year. This year, 30 contestants will have 6 minutes and 66 seconds to consume four Chop Shop foot-long hotdogs (with buns) and one pint of beer. Contestant slots are $40 per entry, with a portion of entry fees benefiting MANNA FoodBank. Spectating is free, with gourmet and vegan hot dogs for sale by Hot Dog Tuesday. DSSOLVR is at 63 N. Lexington Ave. The event runs 6-10 p.m., with the contest beginning at 7 p.m. For more information, visit avl.mx/bqs.
Connect the hops July is Connect Buncombe’s annual Brewing for Greenways fundraiser, taking place at eight different Buncombe County breweries to raise awareness of and funds for current and future county greenways. Since it was conceived in 2015, the event has raised over $28,000 to support greenway projects. Representatives of Connect Buncombe will be on hand to share ways to support, volunteer, donate and provide information on the upcoming 2022 open space bond referendum on November’s general election ballot. For more information, dates and participating breweries visit avl.mx/bqu.
— Kay West X
nksing Tha r Vot Fo
Results publish in August
X Awards 2022
ROUNDUP
Around Town
When Gina Cornejo first conceived of Dirty Laundry, she intended it to be a solo show about pivotal moments in her marriage, divorce and dating life. “I [imagined] it in a theater — bare bones, one mic, one chair, just focused on the stories,” says the Asheville artist. “I knew it could be a bigger entity, but I really had no idea — especially in a pandemic — how to even entertain the thought of creating beyond just myself.” After meeting Gavin Stewart and Vanessa Owen of Stewart/Owen Dance in summer 2020, Cornejo began to transform her idea into a multidisciplinary, immersive show that combines film with original choreography, live spoken-word performances and a haunting soundscape. The completed Dirty Laundry will debut at Story Parlor, a cooperative arts space that recently opened in West Asheville, for three straight Thursdays, July 14-July 28, 7-9:30 p.m. Cornejo is the first artist-in-residence for Story Parlor’s Story/ Arts Residency, which is dedicated to showcasing work of local storytellers from BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and other historically marginalized communities. “We wanted to create a program that celebrates the intersection of art and community, while also providing a platform for underrepresented voices,” says Story Parlor founder Erin Hallagan Clare. Moving forward, Story Parlor will offer two or three monthlong artist-in-residence spots per year. The application process is now open for the next residency, to be held the first three Thursdays in November. In addition to the three-week performance run, residents will receive dedicated rehearsal time in the space, a $400 artist stipend, two creativity coaching sessions, marketing and promotion, and professional headshots. “It’s a bonus to go first and set the tone for the next artist,” Cornejo says. “There’s always room for more truth, and storytelling will never be branded as obsolete, especially if we invest our resources into the discovery and presentation of diverse and marginalized emerging artists within the Asheville community.” Story Parlor is at 227 Haywood Road. Tickets are available on a “pay what you can” sliding scale. For more information or to buy tickets, go to avl.mx/bqw. For more information
Story Parlor residency program debuts with ‘Dirty Laundry’
GRAND OPENING
in WEST ASHEVILLE Fri., 7/15 • 4-9pm
Luxury Toy Drawing Every Hour! Free Gift Bags & Bubbles! Erotic Novel Reading! Original Art! ALL WELCOME!
AIRING IT OUT: Dirty Laundry, which includes filmed performances, was choreographed and directed by Vanessa Owen and Gavin Stewart. Photo by Josh Fink about the residency program, visit avl.mx/bqx.
Art that grows Continuum Art in Hendersonville will present Journey Home, an exhibition of works by local sculptor Nina Kawar, Saturday, July 16-Monday, Sept. 12. An opening reception with a talk by Kawar will be July 16, 5-8 p.m. Kawar, a Palestinian American native of Wisconsin, says moving to the mountains of Western North Carolina in 2014 inspired the show, which will feature sculptures resembling pieces of nature, such as trees, antlers and mushrooms. “These past seven years … [were] an awakening to the stillness within and a desire to live from the heart and connect with this beautiful world around us,” she says in a press release. “A deep love for immersing myself in nature … ignites my passion to create and desire to speak to the silent reminders that nature has for us and our evolutionary growth.” Continuum Art, 147-C First Ave. E., is open daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, go to avl.mx/bqi.
Let me hear your balalaikas ringing out The Balalaika & Domra Association of America will help raise money for Ukrainian relief efforts with a Slavic folk music concert at Hilton’s
DoubleTree hotel at Biltmore Village Saturday, July 16, at 7:30 p.m. The concert, the culmination of the group’s annual convention, will feature an 80-piece orchestra performing Ukrainian, Eastern European, Romani and klezmer music on authentic folk instruments – the balalaika, domra and bayan. Also performing will be Tetiana Khomenko on balalaika and the AlexandrovSkliar Duo on domra and mandolin. “Music has the ability to invoke change in the world,” says BDAA President Kirill Chernoff. “We hope [our] music will inspire desire to support our friends and families in Ukraine.” The multiethnic group has collaborated for 45 years, and this is its first in-person concert since 2019 due to the pandemic. The theme is “Music brings people together.” Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to Ukrainian relief groups. The BDAA also will collect donations to support Ukraine during the performance. “The war is not only destroying Ukraine’s buildings and its innocent inhabitants, but also its culture,” Chernoff says. “We want to share a part of what the world is striving to maintain.” The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Asheville-Biltmore is at 115 Hendersonville Road. Ticket prices range $18-$25; children 12 and under enter for free. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to avl.mx/bqh.
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ARTS & CU L T U R E
Flooding the zone The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center will present the exhibit Rising Waters: The Past and Future of Flooding in the Swannanoa Valley, Thursday, July 21-Sunday, March 26, 2023, 10 a.m-5 p.m. The free exhibit will explore the history and present dangers of flooding in the region, highlighting over 200 years of flood history, along with examining causes and describing
ways to prevent them. Large-scale photographs of major floods will be displayed alongside banners from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources about the Great Flood of 1916. A free reception with drinks and refreshments at the museum takes place Thursday, July 21, 4-6 p.m. At 7 p.m., visitors can attend a screening and discussion of Come Hell or High Water, a documentary by award-winning filmmaker David Weintraub about the Great Flood
of 1916. Musician David Wiseman, whose tribute song is featured in the film, will perform. The screening will be at White Horse Black Mountain, 105 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. Tickets for the screening are $15 for museum members and $20 for the public. The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 W. State St., Black Mountain, is open WednesdaysSaturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, go to avl.mx/br0. To register for the film screening, go to avl.mx/bqn.
Read the room Local novelist Thomas Calder and poet Luke Hankins will participate in Punch Bucket Lit, a free reading series at Cellarest Beer Project, on Tuesday, July 19, at 6:30 p.m. Calder, who is also managing editor for Mountain Xpress, will read from his debut novel The Wind Under the Door, which was published by Unsolicited Press in 2021. Hankins, the founder and editor of Orison Books, will read selections from his 2020 poetry collection Radiant Obstacles. Punch Bucket Lit is organized by Rachel Hanson, a writer and visiting assistant professor at UNC Asheville. Cellarest Beer Project is at 395 Haywood Road in West Asheville. For more information, visit avl.mx/br1.
Arts and crafts Downtown Dillsboro will host the annual Front Street Arts & Crafts show on Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The festival will feature over 40 booths along Front and Church streets. Among the regional artists and creators offering their wares will be Webster’s Pamela Judson
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with jewelry and upscale art, Henderson County’s Lori Wright with candles, Sylva’s Don Wood with sourwood honey products and Cullowhee’s Mickey Sizemore with handmade brooms. Entertainment will include the J. Creek Cloggers at 11 a.m., vocalist Suzie Copeland at noon and 1 p.m., and We Three Swing, a jazz collective from Sylva, at 2 p.m. The festival will offer traditional fair food as well as food from local restaurants. The arts and crafts show is free, with a small parking fee that includes a shuttle from nearby Monteith Park. For more information, go to avl.mx/bfu.
— Justin McGuire X
With additional reporting by Flora Konz
MOVIE REVIEWS Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include: THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER: Director/co-writer Taika Waititi serves up another slice of action/ comedy heaven with his latest MCU adventure, which finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) teaming with Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Waititi himself) and ex-flame Jane (a badass Natalie Portman) to battle Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale, in full Voldemort mode). Top-shelf entertainment ensues. Grade: A-minus — Edwin Arnaudin
Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com patreon.com/ashevillemovies
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CLUBLAND For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm 185 KING STREET Trivia Night, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Beauty Parlor Comedy: Charlie Vergos, 7pm • Aquanet Goth Party w/ Ash Black, 9pm ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Trivia! Trivia! Night, 6:30pm BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Karaoke Night, 7pm BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Trivia Night, 6pm HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Well-Crafted Wednesdays w/Matt Smith, 6pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm
SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Sausage Party, 7pm THE GREY EAGLE • Suzie Brown & Scot Sax (folk pop), 5pm • Vision Video w/Blood Lemon & Cold Choir (alt/ indie), 8pm THE POE HOUSE Team Trivia w/Wes Ganey, 7pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic, 6pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 7pm
THURSDAY, JULY 14 185 KING STREET Blue Cactus (Americana), 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 8pm
LAZY HIKER BREWING SYLVA Trivia Night, 6:30pm
ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR • Jazz Thursday, 7:30pm • MGB (covers, singer-songwriter), 8pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Mountain Music Jam, 6pm
BLUE GHOST BREWING CO. Random AF Trivia, 6:30pm
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Wild Wednesday Funk-nRock w/Free Anesthesia, 10pm
BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm
ONE WORLD BREWING Pingo Wednesdays, 7pm RENDEZVOUS Albi (musique Francaise), 6pm SALVAGE STATION TreeHouse! w/Chalwa (reggae), 8pm SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Purple (jazz, funk, soul), 5pm
CASCADE LOUNGE Weekly Trivia Night, 6:30pm CROW & QUILL Black Sea Beat Society (Baltic, Klezmer, Turkish), 8pm FLEETWOOD'S Gold Light, Lacey Guthrie & Old Dirty Sally (indie, folk), 8pm GIGI'S UNDERGROUND Mr Jimmy (blues), 7pm
SYRUPY SWEET: Momma Molasses, the alter ego of Ellen Patrick, will perform honky-tonk, blues and Appalachian folk on Saturday, July 16, at 8:30 p.m. at Crow and Quill. The Tennessee-based singer grew up in the North Carolina Piedmont, where she learned stringed instruments and sang gospel in the church choir. Photo courtesy of Momma Molasses HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM 5j Barrow (folk rock), 6pm
MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Karaoke Night, 6pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Keepers (rock), 8pm
ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Asheville Sessions ft Melissa Hyman (jazz, blues), 7pm • Big Al and the Heavyweights, 8:30pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Paul Edelman (Americana), 7pm
PISGAH BREWING COMPANY High Blue Heron (honky tonk, blues, folk), 6:30pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Gunslinging Parrots (Phish tribute), 9pm
RENDEZVOUS Gin Mill Pickers (Americana, Piedmont blues, ragtime), 6:30pm ROOM NINE Thirsty Thursday w/DJ Moto, 9pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Free Weekly Table Tennis Tournament, 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR • Rum Punchlines Comedy Open Mic, 6pm • Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm THE GREY EAGLE • Sara Jean Kelley & Sonia Leigh (folk), 5pm • Rhett Miller w/ Christopher Paul Stelling (alt country), 8pm THE ODDITORIUM Desolation w/DJ Exo (industrial, EBM, darkwave), 9pm THE ROOT BAR Melodic AF (soul, jazz, country), 7pm
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FRIDAY, JULY 15 185 KING STREET Kevin Spears' Groove Keepers (galatic funk), 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Venus (dark house dance party), 10pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm BIG PILLOW BREWING The Future 26's (surf, alt rock), 6pm BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Summer Concert Series w/Jake Burns (acoustic), 6pm BREWSKIES Karaoke, 10pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Ken & Nicole (acoustic duo), 3pm CITIZEN VINYL Michael Flynn (singer-songwriter), 5pm CORK & KEG Old-Time Jam, 8pm DRY FALLS BREWING CO. The Mug Band (roots, blues, rock), 7pm
FBO AT HOMINY CREEK Pocket Strange (rock), 6pm
ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Clam Chowder Society (vintage jazz), 8pm
GUIDON BREWING Jeff Michaels Folkadelic 2 (folk), 7pm
ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Snozzberries Psychedelic Circus w/Dr. Bacon (rock, Appalachian funk), 9pm
HIGHLAND BREWING CO. East Coast Dirt (rock), 7pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Drag Music Bingo w/ Divine the Bearded Lady, 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Wolfpen Branch (bluegrass, Americana), 7pm • Sarah Potenza and Katie Kadan (jazz, blues, soul), 8:30pm LAZY HIKER BREWING SYLVA The Log Noggins (progressive Southern rock), 8pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE The Trusty Hucksters (swing jazz, rock), 6:30pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Andrew Thelston Band (Fleetwood Mac tribute), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL • Free Dead Friday w/ Generous Electric & FDF Band, 6pm • Rebekah Todd (folk), 9pm ONE WORLD BREWING 5j Barrow (folk rock), 8pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Rooster (folk, Americana), 6pm SALVAGE STATION The Get Right Band (psychdelic indie rock), 7:45PM THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Getaway Comedy: 1 Ball Show w/Terence Hartnett, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Pinkest Floyd (Pink Floyd tribute), 8:30pm THE POE HOUSE Wes Ganey (acoustic), 7pm THE ROOT BAR Perry Wing Combo (rock), 9pm
SATURDAY, JULY 16 185 KING STREET Magenta Sunshine (funk, jazz, soul), 8pm
BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (Gypsy jazz), 5:30pm BIG PILLOW BREWING Miami Gold (rock), 6pm BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Summer Concert Series w/Dirty Dead (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm BREWSKIES Pool Tournament Saturdays, 7pm CITIZEN VINYL Saturday Spins, 1pm CORK & KEG Zydeco Ya Ya (Cajun), 8pm CROW & QUILL Momma Molasses (oldtime, blues, folk), 8:30pm DRY FALLS BREWING CO. Tuxedo Junction (covers), 7pm FBO AT HOMINY CREEK Ska City, 6pm FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER The Flying Cloud Band (acoustic), 6:30-9pm
THE GREY EAGLE • Tina & Her Pony (folk), 6pm • Pink Beds & Hustle Souls (indie pop, soul), 9pm THE ORANGE PEEL Rumours (Fleetwood Mac tribute), 8pm THE ROOT BAR Ashley Heath (country, blues), 8pm URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE DJ Coustin TL (throwback hip-hop), 7pm
SUNDAY, JULY 17 185 KING STREET Open Electric Jam with the King Street House Band ft. Howie Johnson, 5pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Life's A Drag Brunch w/ Ida Carolina, 12pm • SOL Dance Party w/Zati (soul house), 9pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mark's House Jam and Beggar's Banquet, 3pm BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Summer Concert Series w/Gin Miller Pickers (Americana), 1pm
BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Bill and Tad's Excellent Duo (acoustic), 2pm
STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE The Candleers (classic country, bluegrass, blues), 1pm
THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Trivia by the River w/ James Harrod, 12am
CROW & QUILL The Roaring Lions (parlour jazz), 8pm
PLEB URBAN WINERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm
FBO AT HOMINY CREEK JLAD (Doors tribute), 4pm
THE GREY EAGLE • The Deslondes w/Julie Odell & Julia Sanders (Americana, blues, rock), 8pm
THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Mr Jimmy and Friends (blues), 7pm
HI-WIRE BREWING Taco Belles Drag Brunch, 11am HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY The Feels (folk, soul, roots), 2pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Mr Jimmy Duo (blues), 1pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Bob Sinclair and the Big Deals (Americana, classical, swing), 6pm • Haunted Summer (dream pop, rock), 7:30pm
MONDAY, JULY 18
TUESDAY, JULY 19 185 KING STREET Stickley Mountain Boys w/ Travis Book, Derek Vaden, Nick Dauphinais, 6:30pm
5 WALNUT WINE BAR Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 7pm
5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (jazz, swing), 8pm
BREWSKIES Open Jam w/Tall Paul, 7:30pm
ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Drag Bingo w/Calcutta, 8pm • Karaoke w/Ganymede, 10pm
DSSOLVR Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB Taylor Martin's Open Mic, 6:30pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Irish Jam, 3:30pm
LITTLE JUMBO Asheville Jazz Collective, 7pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Kind Clean Gentlemen (acoustic duo), 3pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Night, 7pm
SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Reed Turchi (blues), 2pm
ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic hosted by Tony Willingham, 8pm
ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10:30pm BOTTLE RIOT DJ Lil Meow Meow's Listening Room, 7pm CBD CAFE Open Mic Night, 7pm CASCADE LOUNGE Tuesday Bluegrass Jam, 6pm FLEETWOOD'S JD Pinkus, PW Long & D. Kosmo (experimental, singer-songwriter), 8pm
GUIDON BREWING Denis Coleman (acoustic), 7pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM The Dirty French Broad (Americana, bluegrass), 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Nobody's Darling String Band, 4pm LITTLE JUMBO Saturday Night Dance Party w/Devyn Marzoula, 7pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Stephen Evans (folk rock), 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. The Greybirds (rock), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Pushing Daisy's Band (rock, Americana, funk), 8pm SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Hope Griffin Band (acoustic, folk), 2pm SILVERADOS Paulie Shore (comedy), 7pm
305 LOUNGE & EATERY Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 1pm
SUNNY POINT CAFÉ Albi (fingerstyle guitar), 6pm
ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Beauty Parlor Comedy: Drew Lausch, 7pm • Maximum Overdrive 80's Dance Party w/DJ Nato, 10pm
THE DUGOUT Graywind (rock), 8pm
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THE BURGER BAR Best Worst Karaoke w/KJ Thunderk*nt, 9pm
THE FOUNDRY HOTEL Jazz Soul Trio, 7:30pm
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CLU B LA N D FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6:30pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Early Tuesday Jam (funk), 9pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Dead tribute), 6pm
BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Trivia Night, 6pm DSSOLVR Four Feet to Hell Hot Dog Eating Competition, 6pm FBO AT HOMINY CREEK Open Mic and Jam, 6pm HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm LAZY HIKER BREWING SYLVA Trivia Night, 6:30pm
SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Drayton and the Dreamboats (swing), 5pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Mountain Music Jam, 6pm
SWEETEN CREEK BREWING All Arts Open Mike w/ Mike Waters, 6pm
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Wild Wednesday Funk-nRock w/Free Anesthesia, 10pm
THE BURGER BAR C U Next Tuesday! Late Night Trivia, 9pm
WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm 185 KING STREET Trivia Night, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Queer Comedy Party: Powell Mansfield, 7pm • Aquanet Goth Party w/ Ash Black, 9pm ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Trivia! Trivia! Night, 6:30pm
ONE WORLD BREWING Pingo Wednesdays, 7pm RENDEZVOUS Albi (musique Francaise), 6pm SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Hope Griffin (acoustic, folk), 5pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm THE DUGOUT Karaoke Party, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Circle Jerks (hardcore punk), 8pm THE POE HOUSE Team Trivia w/Wes Ganey, 7pm
THURSDAY, JULY 21 185 KING STREET Congdon & Co. w/Paul McEntire (covers), 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 8pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Jazz Thursday, 8pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Goddman Gallows w/Rebelmatic (alt/indie), 9pm BLUE GHOST BREWING CO. The '80s Trivia, 6:30pm BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm CASCADE LOUNGE Weekly Trivia Night, 6:30pm CROW & QUILL Black Sea Beat Society (Baltic, Klezmer, Turkish), 8pm FLEETWOOD'S Echo Pilot, Bonny Dagger, & Busy Weather (punk), 8pm GIGI'S UNDERGROUND Mr Jimmy (blues), 7pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Chris Jamison Duo (singer-songwriter), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Asheville Sessions ft Michael John, 7pm • The Dirty Grass Players (bluegrass), 8:30pm
MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Tina Collins (folk), 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Billy Litz (roots, blues, ragtime), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Gunslinging Parrots (Phish tribute), 9pm PULP Justin Osborne and Darby Wilcox (indie rock), 7pm ROOM NINE Thirsty Thursday w/DJ Moto, 9pm SALVAGE STATION Muscadine Bloodline w/ Ben Chapman (country), 8pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Free Weekly Table Tennis Tournament, 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR • Rum Punchlines Comedy Open Mic, 6pm • Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm THE ROOT BAR Rachel Waterhouse (neo-soul, jazz, rock), 6pm WELL PLAYED BOARD GAME CAFÉ Flip the Table! Comedy Night, 9pm
Keeping Asheville Weird Since 2010
BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Karaoke Night, 7pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic, 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm
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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): With a fanciful flourish, Aries poet Seamus Heaney wrote, “I ate the day / Deliberately, that its tang / Might quicken me all into verb, pure verb.” I’d love for you to be a pure verb for a while, Aries. Doing so would put you in robust rapport with astrological rhythms. As a pure verb, you’ll never be static. Flowing and transformation will be your specialties. A steady stream of fresh inspiration and new meanings will come your way. You already have an abundance of raw potential for living like a verb — more than all the other signs of the zodiac. And in the coming weeks, your aptitude for that fluidic state will be even stronger than usual. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): According to Arthurian myth, the Holy Grail is a cup that confers magical powers. Among them are eternal youth, miraculous healing, the restoration of hope, the resurrection of the dead and an unending supply of healthy and delicious food and drink. Did the Grail ever exist as a material object? Some believe so. After 34 years of research, historian David Adkins thinks he’s close to finding it. He says it’s buried beneath an old house in Burton-on-Trent, a town in central England. I propose we make this tantalizing prospect your metaphor of power during the coming weeks. Why? I suspect there’s a chance you will discover a treasure or precious source of vitality. It may be partially hidden in plain sight or barely disguised in a mundane setting. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I’m pleased to authorize you to be extra vast and extensive in the coming weeks. Like Gemini poet Walt Whitman, you should never apologize and always be proud of the fact that you contain multitudes. Your multivalent, wide-ranging outlook will be an asset, not a liability. We should all thank you for being a grand compendium of different selves. Your versatility and elasticity will enhance the well-being of all of us whose lives you touch. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your memory is SUBSTANTIAL. Your sensitivity is MONUMENTAL. Your urge to nurture is DEEP. Your complexity is EPIC. Your feelings are BOTTOMLESS. Your imagination is PRODIGIOUS. Because of all these aptitudes and capacities, you are TOO MUCH for some people. Not everyone can handle your intricate and sometimes puzzling BEAUTY. But there are enough folks out there who do appreciate and thrive on your gifts. In the coming weeks and months, make it your quest to focus your urge to merge on them.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Ancient Roman philosopher Seneca wrote, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” But a Spanish proverb suggests a different element may be necessary: “Good luck comes by elbowing.” (Elbowing refers to the gesture you use as you push your way through a crowd, nudging people away from the path you want to take.) A Danish proverb says that preparation and elbowing aren’t enough: “Luck will carry someone across the brook if they are not too lazy to leap.” Modern author Wendy Walker has the last word: “Fortune adores audacity.” I hope I’ve inspired you to be alert to the possibility that extra luck is now available to you. And I hope I’ve convinced you to be audacious, energetic, well-prepared and willing to engage in elbowing. Take maximum advantage of this opportunity. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Many Scorpios imagine sex to be a magnificent devotion, a quintessential mode of worship, an unparalleled celebration of sacred earthiness. I endorse and admire this perspective. If our culture had more of it, the art and entertainment industries would offer far less of the demeaning, superficial versions of sexuality that are so rampant. Here’s another thing I love about Scorpios: So many of you grasp the value of sublimating lust into other fun and constructive accomplishments. You’re skilled at channeling your high-powered libido into practical actions that may have no apparent erotic element. The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to do a lot of that. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A Sagittarius reader named Jenny-Sue asked, “What are actions I could take to make my life more magical?” I’m glad she asked. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to raise your delight and enchantment levels, to bask in the blessed glories of alluring mysteries and uncanny synchronicities. Here are a few tips: 1. Learn the moon’s phases and keep track of them. 2. Acquire a new sacred treasure and keep it under your pillow or in your bed. 3. Before sleep, ask your deep mind to provide you with dreams that help generate creative answers to a specific question. 4. Go on walks at night or at dawn. 5. Compose a wild or funny prayer and shout it aloud it as you run through a field. 6. Sing a soulful song to yourself as you gaze into a mirror. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Being able to receive love doesn’t come easy for some Capricorns. You may also not be adept at making yourself fully available for gifts and blessings. But you can learn these things. You can practice. With enough mindful attention, you might eventually become skilled at the art of getting a lot of what you need and knowing what to do with it. And I believe the coming weeks will be a marvelous time to increase your mastery.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I love these lines by Leo poet Conrad Aiken: “Remember (when time comes) how chaos died to shape the shining leaf.” I hope this lyrical thought will help you understand the transformation you’re going through. The time has come for some of your chaos to expire — and in doing so, generate your personal equivalent of shining leaves. Can you imagine what the process would look and feel like? How might it unfold? Your homework is to ponder these wonders.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “If I don’t practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it.” This quote is variously attributed to violinist Jascha Heifetz, trumpeter Louis Armstrong and violinist Isaac Stern. It’s a fundamental principle for everyone who wants to get skilled at any task, not just for musicians. To become a master of what you love to do, you must work on it with extreme regularity. This is always true, of course. But according to my astrological analysis, it will be even more intensely true and desirable for you during the coming months. Life is inviting you to raise your expertise to a higher level. I hope you’ll respond!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A British woman named Andie Holman calls herself the Scar Queen. She says, “Tight scar tissue creates pain, impacts mobility, affects your posture, and usually looks bad.” Her specialty is to diminish the limiting effects of scars, restoring flexibility and decreasing aches. Of course, she works with actual physical wounds, not the psychological kind. I wish I could refer you to healers who would help you with the latter, Virgo. Do you know any? If not, seek one out. The good news is that you now have more personal power than usual to recover from your old traumas and diminish your scars. I urge you to make such work a priority in the coming weeks.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In May 2021, Jessica and Ben Laws got married on their dairy farm. The ceremony unfolded smoothly, but an unforeseen event interrupted the reception party. A friend who had been monitoring their herd came to tell the happy couple that their pregnant cow had gone into labor and was experiencing difficulties. Jessica ran to the barn and plunged into active assistance, still clad in her lovely floor-length bridal gown and silver tiara. The dress got muddy and trashed, but the birth was successful. The new bride had no regrets. I propose making her your role model for now. Put practicality over idealism. Opt for raw and gritty necessities instead of neat formalities. Serve what’s soulful, even if it’s messy.
JULY 13-19, 2022
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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 REAL ESTATE FOR SALE BY OWNER 2 CEMETERY PLOTS FOR SALE Pisgah View Memorial Park, Garden of Honor section. Must be a Veteran. Call 828-648-8250 for details.
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SALES/ MARKETING
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TEACHING/ EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS NEEDED Brevard Academy is looking for highly motivated Instructional Assistants. Log onto our website at www.brevardacademy. org to see the full listings. tduncan@brevardacademy. org
CAREGIVERS/ NANNY COMPANION/ CAREGIVER I am seeking part-time employment as a companion/ caregiver. I am a 57 year old female who has resided in Buncombe County since 2005. Please call or text Jennifer at 828-641-1277.
XCHANGE ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES STILL BUYING ANTIQUES Seeking old stuff! Cast iron, advertising signs, military, primitives, collections, art, pottery, estates, crocks, bottles, silver, license plates, unusual stuff, taxidermy, rifles, bbguns, more. Call/Text 828-582-6097,steadyaim1@ yahoo.com.
SERVICES SALES ASSISTANT Entry level administrative assistant position to our vibrant sales team. Position includes handling house accounts, organizing outreach schedules, collections, and other tasks in support of the sales staff. Strong organization and communications skills as well as computer competencies required. Opportunity for advancement depending on skill level and abilities. Includes benefits and a positive team environment with an emphasis on community engagement. Please send
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MIND, BODY, SPIRIT BODYWORK MOONJATA MASSAGE & BODYWORK Need support with big life changes that you wish to create or perhaps have happened and blindsided you? Try a Spiritual "Massage" (energy work). Or destress with a relaxing Esalen Massage. www.Moonjata.com
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) 258-3229.
AUTOMOTIVE BOATS/ WATERCRAFT FOR SALE 13 FOOT GRUMMAN CANOE w/ 2 new paddles and life preserver push-ins. Double-ender used two times on Beaver Lake. 2 years old. Weaverville. $1,100 Call or text 386-473-5585.
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THE N EW Y OR K TI M ES C ROSSWORD P UZ Z LE edited by Will Shortz | No. 0608
ACROSS 1 Plate appearance 6 Short break? 11 Director Brooks 14 Some Kiwis
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29 Upstage, say 32 Fastball, in slang
68 Some boards
29 Chisel
46 Jack of 1950s TV
30 Elaine ___, labor secretary under George W. Bush
47 Character ___
31 They may leave a lengthy paper trail
49 “Square” things
34 Job in the TV biz
51 Relaxes 54 Horne with a sultry voice
5 Busy
35 Sound heard “here” and “there” on Old MacDonald’s farm
6 Frankie of the Four Seasons
36 L.P.G.A. star Thompson
56 Many profs
7 “___ the only one?”
38 Ice ___
33 Watery 34 Locale for drawers in the study? 37 Subject of many a funny TikTok 38 Once-popular activity hath no more fans? 41 Golf variable 42 They may be close to reception
X Awards 2022
s k n a h T Voting
For
Results publish in August
44 Post-boomer cohort 45 Title 6-year-old of 1950s children’s literature
DOWN 1 Day and night? 2 Follow closely 3 Strong German brew 4 Months-long couples retreat?
8 Fool 9 “___ we good?”
48 Bail out 50 Monastery figure
55 Thingy 58 NASCAR stat 59 Deposit of a sort
39 Somewhat 40 Small amount in a recipe
60 Publish private info about online, in modern lingo
46 Schuss with a chute
10 OK
43 Fraternal order
61 Sheepish one?
49 Doth apply graffiti?
11 Things cast for films
44 Boyle’s law subject
62 Breakfast cereal with little balls
52 Goes out
12 “Middlemarch” novelist
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE
53 Grains in some milk
13 Setter fetter
54 Rim
15 Well-used pencils
57 ___ Simbel (Lake Nasser landmark)
19 Robust
58 Runway walker hath megatalent? 63 Record
23 “Yecch!” 24 It may burst your bubble
64 Be on the hunt
25 Rock with four Emmys
65 Blown
26 Mal de ___
66 A and B, in D.C.
27 Hop kiln
67 Whammies
28 Rash sensation
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JULY 13-19, 2022
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YOUR BODY.
Your Choice. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD ON NOVEMBER 8TH!
today - it is about ensuring that
“
abortion rights and to push back against efforts to put these decisions in the hands of government , instead of with us and
our young people and those who come after can make personal decisions about their health and their family .”
our doctors, where it belongs.”
- Cheri Beasley U.S. Senate Candidate
- Julie Mayfield NC Senate, District 49
“I will be a vote to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law in Congress. I am a pro-choice pastor. Choice is deeply
provider. I’ll be a vote to sustain Governor
personal and there is just no place for the government —except in - Jasmine Beach-Ferrara NC-11 Congressional Candidate
Register to Vote or Verify your
to go. Let’s be a state that cares for women instead of hurting them .” - Lindsey Prather NC House Candidate, District 115
Support and Donate to Pro-Choice Candidates
Vote Early or Vote November 8th. Encourage friends and neighbors to vote.
buncombedems.org/yourchoice Learn how to ensure your voice is heard in November and beyond!
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