Mountain Xpress 07.26.23

FAMILY MATTERS

Cousins Chris Zieber and Nathan Kelischek, co-founders of Boonebased Appalachian Mountain Brewery, opened their Mills River taproom last month. The expansion arrives at a time when the business is enjoying a newly realized independence after the pair purchased the company back from AnheuserBusch InBev.

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Locals get shafted by tourism industry

Watch a Tourism Development Authority meeting online or read its meeting minutes, and it’s pretty clear that the tourist “industry” is busy hacking away at the foundations of life in Asheville.

But to experience just how far the corruption has spread, book a room in a hotel. The reservation will be accepted, and any deposit will be billed to your card, but when you arrive at the front desk, you will be told that it is hotel policy not to accommodate locals or anyone who lives within 50 miles.

Apparently this is intended to prevent us from taking rooms that might be rented to the sainted tourists.

But what if your sewer line breaks, the water goes off or a big tree falls on your electric wire and Duke can’t get to you for a couple of days? Then, apparently, you have to drive out of town — or even out of the county — to find somewhere to stay.

No, I’m not making this up. It happened to us twice this month.

— Geoff Kemmish Asheville

Venue’s noise pollution makes life unbearable

It is no major surprise that when a city becomes “hot,” investors/businesses (typically out of state) begin looking to locate with little to no interest about the impact this may have on the people who live there.

What is surprising: In 2020, one of the original downtown businesses helped by Julian Price to rejuvenate downtown Asheville, The Orange Peel, decided to open an “outdoor venue” called Rabbit Rabbit. It is in the center of a heavily occupied residential area.

For many of us who live in this area, this venue has made life unbearable

due to the noise pollution (a form of air pollution) from this business. I have been informed this venue sought and received a permit to exceed noise levels. They are allowed to have a noise reading of 85 dBA (A-weighted decibels). The World Health Organization recommends decibel readings of 65 dBAs as noise pollution and 70 dBAs or less to prevent hearing loss. According to the EPA, WHO and other health organizations, in addition to hearing loss, noise pollution has also been associated with stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, heart disease, headaches, respiratory agitation, anxiety, depression, irritability, the inability to concentrate, sleeplessness, loss of productivity and communication issues.

I am uncertain if, as part of the excess noise approval process, input was sought by the community impacted by this venue. No one I know was notified concerning the application or asked to provide feedback on the impact it may have these past three years. I have filed complaints regarding the noise, which results in a phone call letting me know they have not exceeded their noise variance — at street level.

As a longtime downtown resident, I must leave my home and impose on friends each time this venue has a concert because of the noise in my home. I can’t be in my home and watch television, listen to music or even have friends over the days they have concerts. During the summer and fall, I have to leave my home between one and two times a week. The week of June 12, I had to leave my home three nights.

I have read a good deal about Julian Price. According to one of the

articles I read, he “envisioned a livable community,” a community of businesses and downtown residences supporting each other. I’m not feeling very supported by this local business.

— Mickey Randolph Asheville

Editor’s note: Xpress contacted The Orange Peel and the city of Asheville with the letter writer’s points. We received the following response from venue spokesperson Liz Tallent, which said in part: “Rabbit Rabbit is operated by longtime local businesses Orange Peel Events and Asheville Pizza & Brewing. We’re proud to have invested in our arts community, and in 2.5 years, our concerts have brought joy, connection and stress relief to 150,000 music lovers, mostly WNC locals. We employ 100-plus event professionals at a living wage.

“We worked closely with city officials and neighbor coalitions throughout the negotiations for the 2020 sound ordinance and have never had a violation. We have invested in improvements and sound equipment to minimize sound bleed, and we monitor levels constantly. Our concerts’ volume levels usually measure under 75 dBA at nearest residences, which is comparable to a toilet flushing or passing traffic. We voluntarily end shows by 10 p.m., an hour earlier than weekend requirements.

“In keeping with our sound permit, we may host 30 concerts maximum annually. Considering the history of downtown being home to festivals, entertainment, a baseball stadium and nightlife, this doesn’t seem an unreasonable impact.”

Xpress also received a response from city spokesperson Kim Miller, which

said in part: “Rabbit Rabbit is located in the city’s central business district, which allows a mix of different land uses. Rabbit Rabbit is one of the few performance venues in our city that has applied for and met the requirements for a sound exceedance permit.

“The city of Asheville staff conducted a robust community engagement effort as part of the recent update of the noise ordinance.

“For individual sound exceedance permits, such as Rabbit Rabbit, the applicant is required to provide notice to properties located within 500 feet of the venue.

“In 2023, Rabbit Rabbit started their season with a newly constructed stage enclosure. Development Services Department staff took sound measurements from the residential apartment building on Ashland Avenue behind the venue, the location that traditionally experienced the highest decibel levels. Decibels measured 71.3 dBA at the highest level.

“From January to July 2023, staff has only received one noise complaint for Rabbit Rabbit. If you are experiencing a noise issue, please contact the city.”

We don’t need a military survey of WNC

In a recent response to a letter about the proposed budget increase of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2024 I sent to N.C. 11th District Congressman Chuck Edwards, I read the following and shocking news as stated below:

“As a member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, I introduced an amendment that was included in the NDAA that will help reduce waste and misuse of U.S.-provided equipment — an area where the DOD spends billions of dollars annually. Another bipartisan amendment of mine was included in the NDAA that requires the DOD to complete a survey of the 15 counties in Western North Carolina as potential locations for future defense assets and report to Congress on its findings. Our topography is much like that of many U.S. adversaries. Thus, I believe our military should be able to train in similar environments.”

I ask, how will this save money? Seems like this is another slice of pork our congressman wants to bring back to his district.

And what does he mean when he states the Department of Defense will be required to complete a survey of our Western North Carolina region as “potential locations for future defense assets and report to Congress on its findings?”

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

Then he brings up our “many U.S. adversaries.” Could they be Russia and China? Do they have “similar environments”?

This is all worrisome for me. Our mountains are sacred to all of us going as far back as the Cherokee Nation, where members hid out to avoid marching to Oklahoma during the Trail of Tears nearly 200 years ago. Would this land be cursed as another training ground that will teach our military how to kill soldiers and civilians in other countries whom we insist on making our enemies?

Will they become contaminated with lead? Would our natural springs and majestic rivers have to suffer from more pollution? Will our trees be clear-cut again as their first-growth ancestors were during this region’s development by white settlers and rich capitalists?

We don’t need a survey, Rep. Edwards. We don’t want the military abusing our beautiful land that will soon become home to more climate refugees. The survey is a waste. This amendment and the NDAA were approved by our Congress. It now goes to the Senate. Cut the proposed 2024 military budget. No suitability survey in our mountains. One hundred acres of dense forestland was donated to Pratt & Whitney to build parts for military fighter jets just three years ago. We who

love peace will resist any additional giveaways to a bloated military.

— Rachael Bliss

Asheville

Editor’s note: A press release from Edwards’ office about the defense bill can be found at avl.mx/cv6.

Reimagining Asheville’s obelisk

Not being a year-round, nor yearslong resident, I’d seen the Vance Monument and actually believed it to be rather uninspiring, moribund. From an aesthetic viewpoint, I’m glad it’s gone.

From an appreciation of history, the man certainly needs to be mentioned in museums and other places where people can educate themselves about the Civil War governor and senator, native son and all of that. There’s a lot of “all of that” which contextualizes why he’s no longer a favored son.

I agree with the other opinion writer that another plaque “splainin” all of that would continue the boring granite obelisk type of monument favored by the Lost Cause folks [“Asheville’s Obelisk, Take Two,” July 19, Xpress]. I certainly didn’t consider it handsome. And with its decapitation, those folks are rightly relegated to their lesser cause. A disruption of their mythology was called for.

But couldn’t the dimensions of the old obelisk yield a new and beguiling one, perhaps composed of a transparent composite material? To look like crystal or glass? Or perhaps with an internal light source to illuminate? Isn’t that what we’re trying to create, a new understanding? If not transparent, then perhaps translucent? Or a gradient from translucent to transparent as it reaches toward the sky. Or a different gradient, from dark stone to lighter and lighter granite, to symbolize enlightenment?

It would certainly have the same scale. Most would consider it similar, but infinitely more interesting. No explanations, just a vibrantly gleaming obelisk, allowing individual interpretations and thoughts about what was once there and what is there now. Civic discourse.

— Donna Di Giacomo Weaverville and Coral Gables, Fla.

Thanks from Vermont to swift-water rescue teams

I currently live in Vermont with my wife, Naomi. We very recently visited Western North Carolina, staying in Burnsville while Naomi took a course at the Penland School of Craft. During our time there, parts of our home state experienced significant

flooding, although we were among the lucky who escaped serious damage.

Before I ever met Naomi, in the 1980s and 1990s, and then later, after we were together, I and we became active with the Outing Club of the not far away University of Massachusetts at Amherst. During a number of March spring breaks, we visited your region for the purpose of recreational whitewater canoeing. We had some great days paddling rivers like the Nantahala and the French Broad and an especially memorable one on the North Carolina section of the Nolichucky.

I mention all this because I read that Vermont has a flood event mutual aid agreement with four other states, one of which is North Carolina. Apparently as part of this agreement, North Carolina sent several swift-water rescue teams to help out aiding and saving people on the swollen streams in Vermont.

We and other people of our state are so very thankful for the help given us by North Carolina. We can appreciate just how skilled your swift-water rescue teams must be, since the above rivers and others are in your backyards.

I have no idea how to get our deep appreciation to the people of the North Carolina rescue teams, but hopefully, word will be passed on to them. “Mutual aid,” of course, means that when necessary, the favor will be returned.

— Michael Bosworth Brattleboro, Vt.

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

Trans ban Debate flares over who wins in shutting off sports

BY CHASE DAVIS

North Carolina is on the brink of banning transgender athletes in women’s sports from middle school through college.

HB 574, also known as the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, also has a provision that allows students who “are deprived of an athletic opportunity” to file suit if they feel a transgender student violates the law.

Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the bill July 5, but the legislature’s Republican supermajority is expected to override the veto.

William Hoke, the athletic director and head coach for girls basketball, coed tennis and coed golf at Cane Creek Middle School in Fletcher, said that he doesn’t know how the bill would work at the middle school level. He says it raises the risk of transgender students enduring more bullying if they are being forced to play for a team whose gender they don’t identify with.

“You’re basically telling these kids that because they’re different, they aren’t allowed to play a sport,” Hoke says. “Sports should be one of the things that brings these kids to school and keeps them there.”

Other athletic directors and coaches throughout the Buncombe County Schools district and Asheville City Schools were contacted but did not respond to requests for comment.

NEW POLITICAL TIDES

If the veto is overridden and the law is passed, immediate restrictions will be put into place in all public and private schools. State Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe, questioned the implementation of the proposed law, particularly at the college level.

“I don’t see how this law is really enforceable,” says Mayfield. “If a college participates in the NCAA, and the NCAA has its own policies, as I think they do on this issue for different kinds of sports, what we’re saying is that this trumps our colleges’ and universities’ participation in NCAA sports over the NCAA policy. That doesn’t make sense.”

The N.C. High School Athletic Association adopted a policy in 2019 that allowed transgender students to compete in high school sports as the gender with which they identify. Since then, 18 students statewide submitted gender-identity request forms to be evaluated by a commit-

tee, and 16 were approved. Of those 16, two were transgender girls.

Two years ago, a similar ban bill was filed, but Republican legislative leaders backed off after strong opposition from the public, dismissing the issue as a solution in search of a problem. But Republicans revisited the issue once it gained a supermajority this summer when Rep. Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg, switched parties from Democratic to Republican.

MIXED REACTIONS

Several LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have expressed their distaste for the bill, calling it discriminatory and divisive. Asheville-based nonprofit Campaign for Southern Equality announced July 5 that families of trans youths in North Carolina can apply for support from the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project, which provides emergency grants to families of trans youths, specifically regarding mental health services and gender-affirming care.

Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, a Buncombe County commissioner and the group’s executive director, says the organization expects the veto to be overridden.

“Even as we will advocate tirelessly for the North Carolina General

Assembly to do the right thing by sustaining Gov. Cooper’s veto, we remain clear-eyed that families should take steps to prepare if anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is enacted,” said Beach-Ferrara.

Conversely, several conservative activist groups, such as the Independent Women’s Forum, have praised the bill as a step to protect female athletes. In a press release, Virginia-based IWF said states should not sacrifice female athletes in the name of being more inclusive.

“As more and more biological males enter women’s sports, the threat to female athletes is growing. Allowing males to play women’s sports is unfair because of the incontrovertible male athletic advantage, and allowing a single male to play on a competitive women’s team takes opportunities from female athletes,” the release says.

Rachel McCanely, an Asheville resident and IWF supporter, said on the social media platform Reddit that she thinks the bill is an important step to protect young female athletes.

“I have two young girls of my own that play soccer, and to think that they could get hurt by some male athlete that is stronger than them is terrifying,” McCanely told Xpress. “It also bothers me to think my girls may lose opportunities or awards. That is not OK.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE TRANS

Jaime, who requested her last name be omitted due to safety concerns, is a 17-year-old transgender high school senior raised in Asheville who has spent most of her life trying to fit in and belong. She said that she felt like a girl her whole life but didn’t know how to express it as a younger child.

“Until I was about 5 or 6, I didn’t really think about the fact that I wasn’t a girl,” Jaime says. “One of my earliest memories is of me being yelled at by a teacher for going to the bathroom with the girls instead of the boys.”

Jamie transitioned when she was 12 and has been taking a testosterone hormone suppressant since she was 16. While her parents have supported her transition, her fellow students and teammates have been less accepting.

“School has always been extremely difficult because I get bullied a lot,” Jaime says. “I get picked on for being too thin, for being feminine, for not liking football, for hanging round with girls, for having long hair. They mocked everything they could think of in terms of gender and sexuality.”

Throughout middle school and high school, Jaime competed on male cross-country teams. However, now

TAKING A STAND: Jasmine Beach-Ferrera, executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, speaks out against new transgender legislation in downtown Asheville. Photo courtesy of the Campaign for Southern Equality

that she has been taking hormone suppressants and looks more feminine, she was considering petitioning to run for the women’s team.

“I love cross-country, but I always hated team practices [with the boys’ team],” Jaime says. “The guys on the team would constantly take their shirts off for practice and then pick on me for leaving mine on. I always wanted to try to compete with the other girls, but I was worried that I would make them uncomfortable, which is never something I wanted to do. I waited until I had gone through hormone therapy for a while so that I looked more feminine before asking the girls coach if I could try out for the team.”

The coach of the women’s team was very supportive of Jaime switching teams and encouraged her to petition the NCHSA. When she heard about the potential North Carolina legislation banning transgender athletes, Jaime was devastated. After a long conversation with her parents and the cross-country coaches at her high school, she decided it was not worth the backlash and struggle that she would endure to continue running for either team. She withdrew her petition.

“I was really depressed when I heard about the new law because I knew it would go through and that I would never get to run on a team where I felt like I belonged. I was so close, and it was all taken away from me.”

“Women have been historically oppressed, especially when it comes to sports,” Jaime says. “I understand the concern that a lot of girls have about transgender athletes competing, but I think people need to realize that none of us are trying to steal scholarships or awards from girls. For most of us, sports is just an outlet to get through the challenges of being trans in high school, and now it is being taken away from us. The new law isn’t pro-woman at all; it is just anti-trans.”

“A lot of people think that trans people just wake up one day and decide to be trans,” Jaime says. “It is not like that at all. Nothing has happened in my life to make me trans. I was born trans, and it’s not right that I am constantly being punished for it. It isn’t fair at all.”

WCU STUDENT SUPPORTS LAW

Payton McNabb, former high school volleyball player and current student at Western Carolina University, has been a strong supporter of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. She was injured by a transgender athlete during a game in September 2022. A transgender girl spiked a ball at McNabb’s face, causing her to suffer a concussion and neck injury.

“I remember the silence and shock in the gym after I got hit and the fear that

I saw on my teammates’ faces knowing that they would have to continue the game after it happened,” McNabb says. “It was very traumatizing, and the recovery has been really difficult.”

In testimony before a state Senate committee, McNabb blamed the NCHSAA’s inclusion policy for her injury and discussed the lingering effects of her concussion.

“Due to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association policy allowing biological males to compete against biological females, my life has forever been changed,” McNabb said. She said that she still struggles with the effects of her injuries, including impaired vision, partial paralysis on the right side of her body, unremitting headaches, anxiety and depression. She added her academic performance has been harmed and she now needs accommodations at school for testing. However, McNabb said that her own injuries are not as important to her as protecting female athletes in the future.

“I could go on and on about how this has affected my life, but that is not what I spoke about at the Capitol,” McNabb says. “I went for every biological female athlete behind me. I may have been the first to be injured, but if this law doesn’t pass, I won’t be the last.”

KEEPING SPORTS SAFE: Payton

McNabb speaks at the state Capitol about the safety concerns she has with transgender females competing in women’s sports. Photo courtesy of McNabb

McNabb said that she believes that the law is not intended to be discriminatory but rather a safety measure for young women athletes.

“Sports should be a safe space for girls, not one where they worry if they are going to make it through a game healthily,” McNabb says.

Dr. CK Raynes Wilder , an Asheville-based family physician, testified before a state Senate committee. She told the panel that excluding transgender women wouldn’t protect cisgender athletes from injury but instead would further isolate a small population of students already at risk of bullying and mental health challenges. Furthermore, Wilder noted in her testimony that the argument that transgender athletes competing would decrease female participation in sports was ill supported.

“There is no actual evidence to support the claim that allowing transgender athletes to participate will reduce or harm participation in girls sports,” Wilder said. “On the other hand, there is strong evidence that sports participation is an important childhood experience for all children.”

Should the law take effect, North Carolina will be among 22 states that ban transgender athletes. Several organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and the National Center for Transgender Equality, have already vowed to take legal action against the state if the bill is made law. The state legislature has until Aug. 31, the end of its legislative session, to override the governor’s veto.

Back on track?

Latest push for WNC passenger rail gathers steam

BY DANIEL WALTON

dwalton@mountainx.com

Dan Gurley has heard it all before. As a member of the nonprofit Western North Carolina Rail Committee, he’s quite familiar with the long-running effort to restore passenger train service to the Asheville area. He’s equally familiar with the cynicism many residents have expressed about that effort.

Regularly scheduled service to Asheville ended in 1975; since at least 1995, advocates have been pushing to bring back the trains. After nearly three decades of work and multiple studies by state officials, the most concrete local progress was the 2005 purchase of a potential station site in Biltmore Village by the N.C. Department of Transportation and city government. The 81 Thompson St. property currently provides office, storage and

maintenance facilities for Asheville’s Parks & Recreation Department.

“One of the refrains that we hear, unfortunately, is that it’s the same story every time: Western North Carolina gets left out. It’s a damn joke,” says Gurley. (Mountain Xpress shares the blame. Among the “Top 10 Complaints of Asheville’s Gentry” listed in the paper’s 2020 humor issue was this: “Delay at station for next train to Raleigh now approaching 50 years.”)

But Gurley contends that passenger rail service in WNC should no longer be relegated to a punchline. An Asheville-to-Salisbury link is included in the 2021 Amtrack Connects Us vision plan, the first public demonstration of federal support for the route. Later that year, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which allocated at least $18 billion explicitly for new passenger lines as part of $66 billion in new rail investment.

COMIN’ ROUND THE BEND: For nearly a century, passenger train service was a staple in Asheville. But in 1975, regularly scheduled service to the city ended. For nearly 30 years, advocates have been pushing to bring it back. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County Special Collections at Pack Memorial Library

North Carolina has jumped on the opportunity. The state DOT submitted the Asheville-Salisbury route to the federal Corridor Identification and Development Program, a newly established effort to support intercity rail planning. And last month, the department released a draft of its WNC Passenger Rail Feasibility Study to better inform conversations about the idea.

Gurley — who’s also a transportation policy adviser and deputy chief of staff to N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, a Republican — says there’s bipartisan interest in seeing the project succeed. “It’s important for people to understand that no, this is not a joke,” he notes. “We are further advanced in this effort than we have ever been since Southern Railway stopped running passenger trains into Asheville in 1975.”

NUTS AND BOLTS

The final version of the feasibility study is expected next month, following input from the region’s freight railroads and other key stakeholders, says Jason Orthner, director of NCDOT’s Rail Division.

But the substance of the report, he says, is unlikely to change from what the draft lays out. It examines a proposal for three round trips per day on a roughly 139-mile route from Asheville to Salisbury along existing tracks owned by Norfolk Southern. Stops along the way could include Old Fort, Marion, Hickory and Statesville.

The trip would cost about $24 and take a little over 3 1/2 hours, compared with about 2 1/4 hours for

the same journey by car. Once in Salisbury, passengers could transfer to North Carolina’s existing Piedmont and Carolinian trains and continue to Charlotte, Raleigh or points beyond.

Potential ridership is estimated at 100,000 local trips per year by 2045, as well as up to 290,000 annual trips by passengers connecting with the Charlotte-Raleigh trains. Even more riders could come from outside the state through the Southeast Corridor, a proposed high-speed rail network connecting North Carolina with Atlanta to the south and Washington to the north.

Those projections are much higher than the roughly 72,000 riders per year estimated by a study conducted for the DOT by the Wake Forest University School of Business in 2001. Tristan Winkler, director of the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization, says several trends have combined to increase demand for train service in WNC.

Most obvious is the region’s overall population growth: Buncombe County alone went from about 206,000 residents in the 2000 census to more than 269,000 in 2020, an increase of nearly 31%. But Winkler says that Asheville’s high housing prices have also pushed many who work in the city to live farther afield. About 1,800 more people now commute from McDowell County into Buncombe than did so a decade ago, he points out, and some of those workers might be able to make the trip by train.

Buncombe has also become more economically integrated with other

New & Used Appliances

parts of North Carolina as telecommuting has become more common. About 5,000 county residents have some sort of employment in Charlotte, notes Winkler, and another 3,000 or so have work based in Raleigh. Remote workers, he continues, might still use a train for travel to meetings and other in-person commitments.

Although the technology-driven rise of telecommuting is relatively new, the impulse to link WNC to the rest of the state by rail has a long legacy, says Ray Rapp. A former Democratic state representative from Madison County, he co-directs the WNC Rail Committee and has curated a museum exhibit on the region’s train history.

“We’re trying to firm up the connection between Western North Carolina and the Piedmont and eastern parts of the state. That was one of the goals of 1870s Gov. Zebulon Baird Vance when he helped promote the railroad,” Rapp explains. “We’re talking about, today, one North Carolina. History repeats itself that way, I guess.”

GETTING IT DONE

But even if the demand exists, providing Asheville-Salisbury service will require substantial investment. The DOT’s feasibility study estimates some $665 million in capital spending to establish the line, plus $7.3 million to $10.9 million in annual maintenance and operating costs.

Although the route would run on existing tracks, explains Hurley, the current Norfolk Southern line only supports freight traffic and lacks safety features that would be required for passenger service. Many railroad crossings would also have to be upgraded with new signals and equipment to accommodate the faster speeds of passenger trains.

Up till now, notes Winkler, funding has been the biggest obstacle to the region’s push for passenger trains. The new federal support, however, has shifted the conversation. “It’s changed from a theoretical thing to something with a real way forward,” he says.

If the Asheville-Salisbury line is accepted into the federal Corridor ID Program, says Orthner of the state DOT, there will be further opportunities for grants to help pay for planning and construction. The federal government could eventually cover up to 80% of the corridor’s capital costs, primarily through the FederalState Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail. State government would fund most of the remainder.

As with any other project, Orthner says the rail expansion will

be considered through the state’s Transportation Improvement Program, which prioritizes work based in part on input from regional planning organizations and municipalities. Local governments could also chip in, most likely through improvements to train stations along the route. The French Broad River MPO has asked the DOT to consider a potential Asheville station in the River Arts District in light of the area’s economic boom; according to the feasibility study, using that location rather than Biltmore Village would add about $5 million to the cost of establishing the line.

To put the estimated cost of the Asheville-Salisbury link in context, Winkler compares it to other regional transportation efforts. The Interstate 26 Connector project in Asheville, for example, is currently projected at $1.2 billion, while I-26 widening work in Buncombe and Henderson counties is estimated at $531 million.

Beyond rail’s advantages for passengers, such as less stressful travel and the ability to work while in transit, the line would bring benefits for society at large. Amtrak estimates a $31 million annual economic impact in addition to about $923 million related to one-time capital expenditures. Trains also generate about 80% lower carbon emissions per passenger mile than cars do, making them a more climate-friendly travel option.

ALL ABOARD

Like a train itself, the AshevilleSalisbury connector will take a while to get rolling. Amtrak’s vision plan shows a 2035 completion date, and no one Xpress spoke with for this story anticipated the work being finished sooner.

An initial sign of whether passenger rail is likely to move forward in WNC, however, will come much sooner. The U.S. Department of Transportation plans to announce which proposals have been approved for the Corridor ID Program this fall.

And at the state level, Orthner stresses the importance of local support in determining how transportation funds are spent. By lobbying city and county officials to issue formal statements backing the project, he continues, residents can influence the way the NCDOT allocates money.

“Everything in this business is about local interest and local advocacy. It is amazing what projects come about because people want them, will use them and need them,” Orthner explains. “The stronger the message that way, the more they do become real.”

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Middle ground

BY BROOKE RANDLE

brandle@mountainx.com

As Asheville homebuyers continue to face lengthy bidding wars and renters struggle to keep up with ever-rising costs, city leaders and housing advocates are using different tools to help alleviate the pressure. This year, they’re exploring a simple yet potentially effective solution that may hold the key to developing more affordable housing in the city: zoning ordinances.

The city of Asheville commissioned a Missing Middle Housing study to see if Asheville’s single-family zoning and other regulations may be contributing to a lack of townhomes, accessory dwelling units, duplexes and triplexes, and other affordable housing options. Another study will look at displacement risk. The city hired California-based Opticos Design and Oregon-based Cascadia Partners to conduct the studies. Together, the studies will cost $115,000.

To gather insights from residents, the city is holding a public workshop 4-7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 4, in the Banquet Hall at Harrah’s Cherokee Center, 87 Haywood St., in downtown Asheville. A public survey aimed at renters is active until Friday, Aug. 11.

DRIVEN BY SEGREGATION

Andrew Paul, who teaches history at A-B Tech and is the co-founder of the housing nonprofit Asheville for All, says that while the idea of separating neighborhoods from industrial or commercial areas through zoning was pretty commonplace throughout the 19th century, in the early 1900s, cities around the country began enacting zoning to explicitly keep communities segregated by race.

But in 1917, a law in Louisville, Ky., that prohibited Black people from living on a block where the majority of residents were white was found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Paul says that to continue keeping minorities out of white neighborhoods, cities began passing zoning laws that didn’t explicitly ban certain races or ethnicities but had a similar effect. Known as exclusionary zoning, the practice banned certain types of housing developments, such as apartment buildings, townhomes and other multifamily homes from being built in the same areas as single-family homes.

Zoning may hold key to affordable housing

Range Planning Division for the city of Asheville, says that roughly two-thirds of city neighborhoods are zoned for single, detached homes.

“Essentially, the regulatory controls have made this type of housing missing from the housing landscape for the past 70 years or so,” says Teshome.

She notes that the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which provides guidance for citywide policy decisions over several years, including efforts to encourage construction of affordable housing, may be stifled by those same zoning ordinances.

“The Comprehensive Plan identifies housing as a priority,” says Teshome. “I do not believe, though, that our zoning ordinance is quite aligned with the Comprehensive Plan.”

OPENING THE DOOR

Teshome says that the missing middle housing study, expected to be completed by fall, will identify aspects of the development code that may be a barrier to building middle-housing types, such as required setbacks and minimum parking requirements.

The displacement risk analysis will examine how current and future zoning could impact lower-income households.

Once the study is complete, it’s up to Asheville City Council members whether zoning ordinances will change. Paul notes that while changing zoning laws may sound minor, it may be key to increasing housing stock.

“People basically figured out that if racial covenants are starting to look bad or you can’t explicitly say that Black people can’t live somewhere, you can still make it very hard for Black people to live in certain places because they don’t have access to wealth to put into housing,” Paul explains. “But we know this segregates us by race, just by virtue of generational wealth.”

The Supreme Court ruled in 1926 that exclusionary zoning restrictions could be used by cities to prohibit apartment buildings and other multifamily dwellings in certain neighborhoods.

“In New York City, it was done to keep poor Jewish workers out of certain neighborhoods. People in big department stores didn’t want workers from the garment industry walking by their stores. So, it started happening for a lot of different reasons,” Paul says.

Exclusionary zoning is not limited to banning multifamily homes. It also specifies that builders meet other criteria such as lot-size requirements,

square-footage and parking-space minimums, and limits on building heights. “All of these things were ways of making the obstacle to homeownership a taller barrier,” Paul says.

LIMITED OPTIONS

Those laws contribute to the lack of so-called missing middle housing types that is still seen throughout the country. Duplexes, quadplexes, townhomes and other structures have largely been shut out of many cities, Paul explains.

“If you look at a lot of American cities, the vast majority of neighborhoods have only single-family homes. And then if you look at downtown, you have high-rises. But there’s very few in between that, three, four-story apartments, very few duplexes,” Paul says. “It’s the spectrum with very small single-family homes on one end and very large, high-rises on the other.”

Candra Teshome, who works as an urban planner in the Long

“How could the answer be as simple as more houses will bring down not just rents, but home prices?” says Paul. “It’s very counterintuitive to people — the idea that just changing our zoning code could make things more equitable could mitigate historic segregation. I think it can be counterintuitive even to people that really want to change things.”

For her part, Teshome says while she is careful not to predict Asheville’s housing market, increasing middle housing could have the power to reduce home costs.

“Opening things up to broader housing types, I think, may end up in having a greater supply of housing,” she says. “I don’t want to speculate, but I think an increase in supply can certainly help the housing market. Economists say that a vacancy rate of 5% is a healthy housing market. I think the point here is, if we can bring our 2.8% vacancy rate up to 5%, then the market may adjust itself, supply and demand may level out.”

FOR RENT: The city of Asheville commissioned a Missing Middle Housing study to see if Asheville’s single-family zoning and other regulations may be contributing to a lack of townhomes, accessory dwelling units, duplexes and triplexes and other affordable housing options. Photo by iStock.

EATS & DRINKS

GUIDE 2023

What Would What Would You Do You Do Without Without Neuropathy Neuropathy Pain Pain

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy treatments. I'm now in remission and have felt blessed to be here except for so much pain. My feet and hands were constantly burning – a tingling sensation, almost like when your leg is falling asleep," shares Barbara of Biltmore Forest.

Barbara was suffering from Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy or CIPN. While chemo kills cancer cells, it also causes much bodily damage. Nerves, especially those far from the brain, are among the first to be harmed. 30-40% of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy experience peripheral neuropathy.

"Standing all day was not just a challenge, and it caused me physical agony. Keeping up with my busy schedule – forget about it. I couldn't even go for walks in my neighborhood."

Billy & Neal Moxley

Barbara, like so many others, was prescribed Gabapentin help with the pain and told there was nothing anyone could do. In Doctors’ words, 'there is no treatment for neuropathy.'

Then Barbara found Dr. Autum Kirgan, DACM, C.SMA, L.Ac of South Slope Acupuncture & Wellness. By blending the time–tested science of acupuncture with more modern medical technology, Dr. Kirgan has designed a natural solution for peripheral neuropathy.

"Acupuncture is incredible at restoring blood flow and stimulating damaged nerves, preventing them from dying off," says Dr. Kirgan. "We take our treatments a step further by integrating FSM Therapy which targets specific nerves in the body using microcurrent. FSM Therapy is like watering a plant. This treatment will stimulate the blood vessels to grow back around the peripheral nerves and provide them with proper nutrients to heal and repair.

After only four weeks of treatment, Barbara is already seeing incredible improvement. "I've taken the handicap placard off my rearview mirror and I am finally back to walking my neighborhood. I can't wait to see how I feel at the end of my program! I used to think that this pain was just the price I had to pay for still being alive. Dr. Kirgan has really given me hope for a better life!"

The number of treatments needed to allow nerves to recover fully will vary from person to person and can only be estimated after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. If you or someone you love suffers from peripheral neuropathy (of any origin), call 828-575-5904 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kirgan and her South Slope Acupuncture & Wellness team. They are waiting for your call.

Summer’s bounty and bugs

BY CHLOE LIEBERMAN

Well, summer sure came with gusto last month. Things are finally heating up, and I’ve noticed my watermelons vining in exuberant celebration. Be sure to send your gardening questions, to be answered next month, to me at gardening@mountainx.com.

HOW TO WARD OFF SUMMER BUGS

It’s so hot and buggy, I don’t really like being in my garden right now, but it needs a lot of love. What do I do?

We are human animals, and gardening can be difficult because of heat, bugs, sun and general skin irritation from soil and plants. There’s no need to give up or get discouraged by these realities; just get prepared. Also, there’s no need for heroism. It’s worth the time, effort and potentially dorky appearance to take care of your body so gardening can feel comfortable and sustainable.

My first piece of advice is to garden in the mornings and evenings, and do something indoors or in the shade during the heat of the day. Sometimes you have to work out in the noonday sun; if that’s the case, plan a dip in a river, a shower or a run through the sprinkler right afterward to cool down. Bring cold water or another chilly beverage with you, preferably in an insulated container so it stays cool as you work.

What you wear in the garden has a big impact on comfort. I rarely enter the garden without a sun hat, even in the winter. There are many kinds from which to choose, and it’s worth trying a few to see what’s comfortable. Baseball caps are quick and easy and can be

stored without getting smooshed, but they don’t shade your shoulders or neck. Wide-brimmed straw hats provide maximum shade but can be cumbersome in windy conditions and need to be hung up. Doughnut-shaped hats are great for buns or ponytails because they provide more airflow through the doughnut hole.

If you look at agricultural fields in some parts of the world, you will see people covering themselves completely no matter the temperature. Lightweight cotton fabric protects us from sunburn, abrasion by plants and heat. I love getting inexpensive flowy or flowery button-up cotton shirts

from thrift stores, so I don’t feel bad when they get dirty and ripped. On really hot days you can dunk your long-sleeve shirt in water, wring it out slightly, and then put it back on for a low-tech air conditioner effect.

Covering up with loose clothing is my favorite way to deter biting bugs, but sometimes bug spray is helpful, especially for ankles and wrists.

In her book The Resilient Gardener, Carol Deppe talks about bringing a folding cot out to the field when she’s harvesting potatoes. I love this idea! If we hope to be gardening into our 60s and beyond, like Deppe, we need to pace ourselves and make sure to rest.

Designing a bench or swing in a shady spot is one great way to incorporate a rest space. Or lie down in a garden path for a moment and watch the clouds go by.

TOO LATE TO PLANT?

I’ve got some space opening up in my garden where I harvest beets, carrots and cabbage. Can I plant anything in their place, or is it too late?

Midsummer is actually the perfect time to sow seeds for many fall and winter crops. These veggies get started while it’s still hot and finish their

SWEAT AND TEARS: Gardens are bursting with produce this time of year. But they’re bursting with bugs, too. Photo courtesy of Wild Abundance

cycles when the weather gets cool. Fall gardening can be easier and less stressful than in the spring and summer. Crops that wither in summer’s heat can thrive and grow sweeter as temperatures dip.

I’m sorry to break this news, but it is too late to start tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers, squash or eggplants. Botanically, these are fruits, and they need warm temperatures to ripen.

The best vegetables for fall gardening are greens and root crops. Dozens of tasty and nourishing greens, herbs and root crops brighten fall and winter tables. Some of these will need to be planted soon, but others can wait until mid to late August or September. If your recently vacated beds are going to hang out empty for a while, I suggest covering them with straw, dry leaves or another kind of mulch to protect the soil and prevent weeds. Then when you’re ready to sow or transplant fall crops into them, they’ll be ready to go.

Here are some fall crops to try that should be sown in pots or flats now: chicory, radicchio, kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, and kohlrabi.

Carrots, turnips and winter peas (field peas, great for a cover crop and for tasty pea shoots) can be sown now but need to be kept well-watered. Fall root crops germinate much more quickly in warm summer soils.

Other vegetables that can be sown a little later are: arugula, Asian greens, cilantro, radishes, mustard greens, lettuce, pea greens (can be sown as late as early September) and garlic in October and sometimes in November.

To get more in-depth information and video-based instruction on fall gardening, check out Wild Abundance’s free course: Summer Planting for Fall and Winter Harvests.

DEMISE OF TOMATO PLANTS

The lower leaves of my tomato plants are turning yellowish and

then brown and black and curling up. What’s going on and what can I do?

Oh, the beloved tomato — so very sunny and generous and so prone to disease. The best way to diagnose plant diseases is to contact representatives of your local cooperative extension offices for assistance. They can help figure out the problem and assist you in sending a sample to the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic in Raleigh, if necessary. I live in northern Buncombe County and generally go to the Madison County office, but every county in North Carolina has an extension office.

I will wager a guess that you’re dealing with tomato late blight, though it’s a little early in the season for it to be in full swing. Late blight is caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans (P. infestans), which lives in soil, splashes onto plant leaves and thrives in warm, moist conditions. This plant sickness is best known for causing the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, which killed over a million people and caused another million to leave the country. Potatoes and tomatoes are cousins in the botanical family Solanaceae, so blight can get them both.

For late blight, my best strategy is to cut off infected leaves and compost them at the edge of the garden or farther. Be sure to wash your hands and any tools you use in warm soapy water and/or alcohol after discarding infected leaves, so you don’t spread the blight.

Prophylactic approaches include planting late-blight-resistant varieties (I like West Virginia 63), making sure your tomatoes are spaced and located for good airflow, trellising or otherwise supporting plants so they’re off the ground, mulching heavily to avoid soil contact, growing tomatoes in a hoop house or greenhouse and spraying with copper throughout the growing season. If you choose to use a spray, be sure you’ve got one for tomatoes and read the directions carefully. While copper products are approved for use in organic growing, they can be toxic if overapplied.

JULY 26 - AUG. 3, 2023

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

 Feature, pages 28-29

 More info, page 32-33

WELLNESS

Tai Chi for Balance

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

WE (7/26, 8/2), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Zumba Gold Fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. Donations appreciated. Call (828)350-2058.

WE (7/26), noon, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Diabetes & Your Vision

Learn how to balance your plate to help keep blood sugar levels in range and help slow the progression of diabetes and the degeneration of your vision.

TH (7/27), 12:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Dharma & Discuss Meditate, learn and discuss the Dharma. Beginners and experienced practitioners welcome.

TH (7/27), 7pm, Swannanoa Valley Friends Meetinghouse, 137 Center Ave, Black Mountain

Routines for Healthful Sleep

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

FR (7/28), 10am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain

Goat Yoga on the Farm

Move through your sun salutation in an open field as baby goats frolic nearby. Registration required.

SA (7/29), 10am, Round Mountain Creamery, 2203 Old Fort Rd, Black Mountain

Therapeutic Slow Flow Yoga

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

SA (7/29), 10am, Mount Inspiration Apparel, 444 Haywood Rd

Yoga in the Park

All levels welcome, bring your own props and mat. Pre-register at avl.mx/9n6

SA (7/29), 11am, 220 Amboy Rd

Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group

Free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar and related mental health challenges. Email depressionbipolarasheville@gmail.com or call or text (828)367-7660.

SA (7/29), 2pm, 1316

Ste C Parkwood Rd

Wild Souls Authentic Movement Class

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

SU (7/30), 9:30am, Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard

Walking Meditation

A short walk with meditation instructions to reduce stress, anxiety and increase health and balance.

SU (7/30), 10am, Lake

Tomahawk Park, 401 S Laurel Circle Dr BlackMountain

Summer Flow w/Jamie

This level 1+ class is designed to cool the body during the summer months. Expect a slow flow with long cool downs. Outside, bring a mat.

SU (7/30), 10:30am, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd

Gentle Yoga for Queer & GNC Folks

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

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

Tai Chi for Beginners

A class for anyone interested in Tai Chi and building balance as well as body awareness. MO (7/31), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Kids & Teens Kung Fu

Learn fighting skills as well as conflict resolution and mindfulness.

First class is free. MO (7/31), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Mett & Meditation

Guided meditation focused on benevolence and loving kindness. Beginners and experienced practitioners welcome.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

STEP RIGHT UP: Rides, fair foods and games will be featured at the Asheville Outlets Summerfest Carnival, which runs through Sunday, Aug. 6. The carnival operates Monday-Friday, 5-10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1-10 p.m. Photo courtesy of Asheville Outlets

MO (7/31), 7pm, Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

Morning Meditation

A grounding meditation experience with a silent group sit. Everyone is welcome; however, no meditation instructions are provided.

TU (8/1), 7:30am, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Qigong for Health

Part of traditional Chinese medicine that involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind and spirit.

TU (8/1), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Zumba

Mask and social distancing required.

Registration not necessary. Por Favor usa tu cubre bocas antes de la clase.TU (8/1), 6:30pm, St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black MountainTai

Chi Fan

This class helps build balance and whole body awareness. All ages and ability levels welcome. Fans provided.

WE (8/2), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Nia Dance Fitness

A sensory based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts, empowering people of all shapes and sizes by connecting the body, mind, emotions and spirit.

TH (8/3), 9:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings

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

ART

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

This exhibition brings the inventions and designs of R. Buckminster Fuller to WNC and introduces visitors to Fuller’s strategies for the sustainability of humans and the planet relating to housing, transportation, mathematics and engineering. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Aug. 21. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

The Art of Homage: New Works by Philip DeAngelo Highlighting connection to one's influences, inspirations and experiencess. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am. Exhibition through July 29. Philip DeAngelo Studio, 115 Roberts St Black Mountain College & Mexico

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

Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St, Black Mountain

Story/Arts Residency: The Memory Quilt Project (Sight & Touch) Participants are encouraged to contribute their own stories, memories and sensory items to enrich the fabric of this community quilt-making project.

TH (7/27), 6:30pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd

Rare Editions Exhibition: The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss

Explore and acquire works from Dr. Seuss’s best-known children’s books, as well as those from a mind-expanding collection based on decades of his private artwork, which Dr Seuss created at night for his own personal pleasure.

For more details about the exhibit and art, visit avl.mx/cup

TH (7/27)-SA (7/29),10am, BlackBird

Frame & Art, 365 Merrimon Ave

Bailey Mountain Art Show

This show is a celebration and benefit of Bailey Mountain

Preserve by local artists and community. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Aug. 18.

Mars Hill University, Weizenblatt Gallery, 79 Cascade St, Mars Hill

Geometry of Nature

This show brings together 18 glass artists to create representations of the geometry of nature and its symmetry that both thrill and mystify artists, scientists and laymen

alike.

FR (7/28), 10am, North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Ste B

Peter Roux: Always Elusive, Continually Shifting Opening Reception

Roux paints luminous swells of ocean surf, galaxies, clouds and atmospheric landscapes. Abstraction is laced throughout his paintings, including his newest paintings on multi-faceted surfaces.

FR (7/28), 5pm, Tyger

Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St

Sarah Mathilda Stewart: Rainbow Spirits

Opening Reception

Stewart’s highly detailed, prismatic paintings feature a range of imagery from plants to animals and figures, rainbows and mystical strands of dotted light undulating in symmetrical patterns.

FR (7/28), 5pm, Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St

Monoprinting: Each Print is Unique Use printmaking tools to produce personal works of art. Each class is centered around a different monoprinting approach: gel plates, linocuts and paper cut-outs.

SA (7/29), 10am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Rachel Meginnes: Snapshot

A collection of deconstructed quilts and discarded textiles woven on a digital loom, utilizing images sourced from Rachel Meginnes’ surrounding environment. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 9. Tracey Morgan Gallery, 188 Coxe Ave

The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation This exhibition explores the many identities of food in daily life: whether a source of pleasure, a reason for gathering, a mass-produced commodity, or a reflection of social ideologies and divisions. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed on Tuesday. Exhibition through Oct. 22.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Bizarre Sábado Inspired by Mexico City’s Bazaar Sábado, the innovative gathering place and crafts market first organized in 1960 by BMC alum Cynthia Sargent and

her husband Wendell Riggs.

SA (7/29), 1pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St, Black Mountain

Creating With Concrete

Learn to mix, mold and add pigment to create small home accessories, wearable pieces and art objects. Explore new ways to shape and finish concrete and discover the beauty of this accessible and durable material. All materials included.

SA (7/29), 1pm, Torched, 1056 Haywood Rd

Transient Bodies

This exhibition will expound upon the fragmented, damaged and repaired body to demonstrate ideas of transience and resilience despite limitations, pain and trauma. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 9 am. Exhibition through Aug. 30.

Revolve, 821 Riverside

Dr

Daily Craft Demonstrations

Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths, daily. 10am, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway

Arts-N-Scraps

Bring your creativity and interest in craft. All supplies wil provided.

TH (8/3), 5pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St

COMMUNITY

MUSIC

Pritchard Park Songwriter Series

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

TH (7/27), 5:45pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

Outdoor Jazz Concert Series

A live jazz series featuring host, pianist and composer, Michael Jefry Stevens. Outdoors..

TH (7/27), 6pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler

Jazz Jam

An open jam session. Drop ins welcome, bring your instruments.

TH (7/27), 7pm, LEAF Global Arts, 19 Eagle St

Summer Music Series

Live music from from Kristian Giglietti.

FR (7/28), 6pm, Oak and Grist Distilling Company, 1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain

Summer Tracks Con-

cert: Russ Wilson & His Famous Orchestra

A night of standards from the American songbook.

FR (7/28), 7pm, Rogers Park, 55 W Howard St, Tryon

Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas

A series of 12 classical music concerts, with a different musician each week.

SA (7/29), 7:30pm, Kittredge Theatre, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa

Vienna Light Orchestra

Magic Movie Scores

Experience cinema's most iconic music surrounded by over 2,000 candles and performances by world renowned Vienna Light Orchestra.

SA (7/29), 8pm, First Congregational Church, 20 Oak St

Harry Potter and the Socerer’s Stone in Concert

Performed by the Brevard Sinfonia. See p28-29

SA (7/29), 8:30pm, Brevard Music Center, Brevard

Mark's House Jam and Beggar's Banquet

Weekly Sunday potluck and musician's jam with acoustic and plug in

players. Bring a dish to share.

SU (7/30), 3pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Ebbs Chapel Summer Series: Richard Smith

Award-winning finger style guitarist, with a repertoire of fingerpicking classics, originals, fiddle tunes, blues, Joplin rags, jazz and more.

SU (7/30), 4pm, Ebbs Chapel Performing Arts Center, 281 Laurel Valley Rd, Mars Hill Sirens of Hominy Series

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

TU (8/1), 6pm, FBO Hominy Creek, 230 Hominy Creek Rd

LITERARY

Poet Philip Shabazz

An evening of poetry readings with the teaching artist and author of three poetry collections.

WE (7/26), 6pm, Bosu's Wine Shop, 138 Miller St, Waynesville

Summer of Love Book Club

A community discussion of Wired for Dating by Stan Tatkin.

WE (7/26), 6pm, Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St, Swannanoa

Laura Carney in Conversation w/Ann Batchelder

Author Ann Batchelder will be speaking with Laura Carney about her new book, My Father's List: How Living My Dad's Dreams Set Me Free.

WE (7/26), 6:30pm, West Asheville Public Library, 942 Haywood Rd

Black Experience Book Club: Sister Outsider Join other book lovers to discuss this month’s

pick by Audre Lorde.

TH (7/27), 6:30pm, Noir Collective, 39 S Market St

The Poetry & Paint Experience Episode 3

An immersive and interactive event during which those in attendance can participate in various activities such as open mic poetry, group poetry creation, group painting projects, individual canvas paintings, scavenger hunts, instruction in live painting, freestyle poetry and unique games.

FR (7/28), 7pm, STM Multimedia Studio, 3861-A Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden

Jack H. McCall Jr: Pogiebait’s War

Jack H. (“Nick”) McCall Jr. will talk about his book, chronicling the story of his father’s journey from a small town in Tennessee to World War II combat service with the US Marines.

SA (7/29), 2pm, Brevard College, 1 Brevard College Dr, Brevard

Teen Poetry Writing & Slam

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

TU (8/1), 2pm, The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd

Under This Forgetful Sky

Book lauch event with author Lauren Yero, in conversation with Megan Shepherd. See p32-33

TU (8/1), 6pm, Malaprop’s Bookstore/ Cafe, 55 Haywood St Monthly Poetry Critique Meeting

A poetry reading with the Dark City Poets Society.

TU (8/1), 6pm, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain

Joke Writing Workshop

Hosted by Disclaimer Stand Up Lounge and

moderated by Cody Hughes, weekly. Bring 90 seconds of material that isn't working.

WE (8/2), 6:30pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave

All Arts Open Mic

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

TH (8/3), 6:30pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd

Poetry Open Mic

Hendo

A poetry-centered open mic that welcomes all kinds of performers every Thursday night.18+

TH (8/3), 7:30pm, Shakedown Lounge, 706 Seventh Ave East, Hendersonville

THEATER & FILM

Revolve Screens: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

An epic, emotional and interconnected story about internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin. Popcorn and drinks included with ticket cost.

TH (7/27), 7:30pm, Revolve, 821 Riverside Dr Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella

The age old tale, told with fresh humor and music, with new characters elements. Various dates and times

TH (7/27), 7:30pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Some Notes on Dating During Outbreak

After being quarantined to an empty dining room in a fancy restaurant, two strangers must decide whether to fight for their lives or simply enjoy the last night they may ever have on

earth. Various dates and times

TH (7/27), 7:30pm, BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St

Cleopatra

Celebrating 20 years of Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance. See p32

TH (7/27)-SA (7/29), 8pm, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

Everything is Rosie

The story of Rosemary Clooney's rise to top of the Billboard charts in the 50's, her success in Hollywwod films, her mental breakdown and her return to the top of the jazz charts. Various dates and times SA (7/29), 7:30pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville

Treasure Island

A new take on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of buccaneers and buried gold, from local playwright Honor Moor.

FR (7/28)-SU (7/30), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson

Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St

Fringe Summer Nights

Vol 2: Accordion Time Machine & Magnetic One Acts

Celebrating the triumphant return of Anam Cara's Accordion Time Machine, plus a preview of The Magnetic Theatre's One Act Play Festival. SU (7/30), 6pm, The Wedge at Foundation, 5 Foundy St Family Movie Night: Back to the Future Outdoors. All ages welcome. MO (7/31), 8pm, Silverados, 2898 US-70, Black Mountain

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Young actors bring the story of power, ambition and betrayal to life with passion and energy.

TH (8/3), 5pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Tales from All Over the Place

Four local performers will once again grace the stage to tell both personal stories and those from the treasure trove of historical tales from the Blue Ridge.

TH (8/3), 7pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Farm to Fabric Summer Camp

Local Cloth's initiative to reach out to the youth in the area to spread the love of the arts is highlighted with the debut of this summer camp. Six fiber arts skills will be offered to learn in our Farm to Fabric class series. Pick your favorite classes or sign up for the whole series.

WE (7/26), 9am, Local Cloth, 408 Depot St

Free E-Bike Rental

A one hour bike adventure to experience the historic River Arts District, French Broad River Greenway, local breweries, restaurants and more.

WE (7/26), 10am, ACE BIKES, 342 Depot Stt

Beginners Aerial Silks

All bodies are welcome. Space is limited so registration is required.

WE (7/26), 4pm, Amethyst Realm, 244 Short Coxe Ave

Bikes 'N Brews

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

WE (7/26), 5:30pm, WNC Outdoor Collective, 110 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain

Pritchard Park Series: Summer of Science

Explore hands on activities and experiments and learn about the science of bubbles using a variety of tools.

WE (7/26), 5:30pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

Homemade Health & Wellness Series w/ Ashley English: Home Canning 101

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

WE (7/26), 6pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler

Intro to Ballroom

Dance

Explore the world of Latin and ballroom dancing with such styles as swing, salsa, foxtrot, rumba, merengue and more.

WE (7/26), 6pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain Spanish Club Spanish speakers of all ages and levels are welcome to join together for conversation to practice the language in a group setting.

WE (7/26), 6pm, Black Mountain Brewing, 131 NC-9, Black Mountain

The Learning Garden

Presents: Fresh Indigo Learn about growing and collecting indigo for your dye garden and enjoy a hands-on experience dying with fresh indigo. Attendance is limited and registration is required.

TH (7/27), 10am, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd

Butts & Boots: Line Dancing Beginner line dance and two-step lessons, every Thursday. No cover. No partner or experience needed.

TH (7/27), 6pm, Banks Avenue, 32 Banks Ave

Project Mind Lab:

Adult Science Night

An evening of thought-provoking discussions and activities.

TH (7/27), 7pm, DSSOLVR, 63 N Lexington Ave

Competitive Duplicate Bridge

Check bridgeweb.com/ avl for dates, times and special announcements. Open games on Monday and Wednesday. 0-1500 point games on Friday. All are welcome.

FR (7/28), 12pm, Congregation Beth Israel, 229 Murdock Ave

Montford Glow Nights: Dodgeball

Each month offers a different glow activity for children ages 6 to 12 to enjoy.

FR (7/28), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Community Hike

A 3 to 4 mile hike around Rainbow, Lookout and Rattlesnake trails in Montreat. Bring water, snacks and whatever else you need on the trail.

SA (7/29), 8am, Lookout Trailhead, Montreat

Civil War Encampment

Witness the lives of the 19th Century. Visit soldiers, see their camps and tour the fort's blockhouse.

SA (7/29), 10am, Davidson's Fort Historic Park, 140 Bud Hogan Dr, Old Fort Trauma & Tension

Releasing Workshop

A lifelong tool for personal healing and reducing stress.

SA (7/29), 2pm, Black Mountain Yoga, 116 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Ladies Sunday Cycles

Routes will be posted on the Ride My GPS app under WNC Outdoor Collective.

SU (7/30), 7:30am, WNC Outdoor Collective, 110 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain

Weekly Sunday Scrabble Club Tournament-style scrabble. All levels of play.

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

Game Day: Perspective Café

Traditional game day with board and card games as well as refreshments.

SU (7/30), 2pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Introduction to Shiva-Shakti Meditation

An immersive experience of discovering and embracing the divine feminine and masculine as one within.

SU (7/30), 2pm, Weaverville (exact location provided upon registration)

Words of Wisdom w/ Charley Castex

An afternoon of inspiration and spiritual guidance, followed by Q&A.

SU (7/30), 3pm, The Park at Flat Rock, 55 Highland Golf Dr, Hendersonville

Asheville by Foot Walking Tours

An exploration of the city’s history, architecture, culture and hidden gems only accessible by foot. For tickets, call (828)337.3196.

MO (7/31), 10am, The Restoration Hotel Asheville, 68 Patton Ave

Imagination Monday

Giant building blocks, tunnels and fun games await on a special day of open play geared for ages 1-5. No advance registration required, adults must accompany children the entire time. MO (7/31), 10am, Jake Rusher Park, 160 Sycamore Dr, Arden Sew Co./Rite of Passage Factory Tour

On this 30 minute micro-tour, learn about sustainable and transparent business practices and hear about production processes and client collaborations. Preregister at avl.mx/cec MO (7/31), 11am, Rite of Passage Clothing & Sew Co, 240 Clingman Ave Ext

Chess Club

Open to all ages and any skill set. There will be a few boards available, but folks are welcome to bring their own. MO (7/31), 4pm, Black Mountain Brewing, 131 NC-9, Black Mountain

Black Men Mondays

Advocating for and mentoring students through academic intervention. Children

7+. MO (7/31), 7pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Pritchard Park Summer Series: Hoop & Flow Arts Jam Asheville Hoops provides tunes and demo props for all to use.

TU (8/1), 6pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

Dahlia Series: Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms

Learn all the steps of pruning in order to get the best blooms from your plants. Attendance is limited and registration required.

TH (8/3), 10am, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd

Swing Dance Lesson & Dance Swing dancing lesson and dance, every Thursday.

TH (8/3), 7pm, Alley Cat Social Club, 797 Haywood Rd

LOCAL MARKETS

Wednesday Farmers Market

A vibrant marketplace filled with local vendors offering fresh produce and handmade goodies. WE (7/26), 2pm, The Railyard Black Mountain, 141 Richardson Ave, Black Mountain

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

WE (7/26, 8/2), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester

Weaverville Tailgate Market

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

WE (7/26), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville

Etowah Lions Club

Farmers Market

Fresh produce, honey, sweets, flowers, plant starts and locally crafted wares. Every Wednesday through Oct. 25.

WE (7/26, 8/2), 3pm, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville

RAD Farmers Market

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

WE (7/26, 8/2), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

Flat Rock Farmers Market

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

Every Thursday through Oct. 26.

TH (7/27, 8/3), 3pm, Pinecrest ARP Church, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock

Biltmore Park Farmers Market

A wide array of farm fresh seasonal produce, eggs, honey, locally-grown flowers, artisan baked goods, foraged mushrooms, handmade soaps and more from local farmers, specialty food producers and crafters. Every Thursday through Aug. 17.

TH (7/27), 3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd

Enka-Candler Tailgate Market

A selection of local foods and crafts, produce to pickles, baked goods to body care, with a hefty helping of made-to-order meals from food trucks. Every Thursday through Oct.

TH (7/27), 3pm, A-B

Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler

Pack Square Artisan Market

This market will showcase local handcrafted goods in the heart of downtown. Every Friday through Oct. 27.

FR (7/28), 1pm, Pack Square Park

Saluda Tailgate Market

Over a dozen vendors every Friday May-Oct. The agriculture-only market features an assortment of homegrown produce, meat and eggs within a 25-mile radius.

FR (7/28), 4:30pm, W Main St, Saluda

Henderson County

Tailgate Market

Seasonal fruits, fresh mushrooms, vegetables, local honey, meat, eggs, garden plant

starts, perennials and more. Every Saturday through Oct. 28.

SA (7/29), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville

Hendersonville

Farmers Market

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

SA (7/29), 8am, 650 Maple St, Hendersonville

North Asheville

Tailgate Market

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

SA (7/29), 8am, 3300

University Heights

Anything Fiber Market

With over 40 vendors with unused yarns, piles of fabric, obscure tools, looms, duplicates of knitting needles and lots of wool, fleece and roving.

SA (7/29), 9am, A-B Tech Conference Center, 340 Victoria Rd

Asheville City Market

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

SA (7/29), 9am, 52 N Market St

Black Mountain Tailgate Market

Featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and local arts and handcrafted items. Every Saturday through Nov. 18.

SA (7/29), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Makers Market

Featuring a different combination of weekly vendors alongside resident studio artists.

SA (7/29), 12pm, The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd

Night Market

Discover handcrafted wonders, artisanal delights and treasures at this community market with local vendors and makers.

SA (7/29), 5pm, The Railyard Black Mountain, 141 Richardson Ave, Black Mountain

WNC Farmers Market

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

SU (7/30), 8am, WNC Farmers Market, 570 Brevard Rd

Show & Tell Sunday Market

Celebrating and supporting local and indie craft, design and vintage.

SU (7/30), noon, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave

Meadow Market

Browse goods and gifts from local makers and artisans with different vendors every week.

SU (7/30), 1pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy

Tuesday Creative Market

Browse the wares from local makers and creatives.

TU (8/1), 4pm, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series w/Jake Xerxes Fussell

Live music from folk pop singer.

TH (7/27), 7pm, Black Mountain Veterans Park, 10 Veterans Park Dr, Black Mountain

Third Annual Lake Monster Parade

A family-friendly costume parade. See p33 SA (7/29), 10am, Lake Tomahawk Park, 401 S Laurel Circle Dr, Black Mountain

Folkmoot International Day

Celebrating dance, music, crafts and food of many world cultures and the Appalachian Mountains.

SA (7/29), 10am, NC, 9 S. Main St, Waynesville

Swannanoa Valley Museum Classic Car Show

Third annual classic car show that will feature cars from the 1900s thru the 1980s. Attendees will be able to vote on trophies for vehicles, with the categories of Oldest Car, Best in Show and People’s Choice. SA (7/29), 10am, 205NC-9, Black Mountain

Hi-Wire's 10-Year Anniversary Small Batch Beer Festival

Including a market with over 20 local vendors, food trucks, live music and a variety of beers. All ages. SA (7/29), 1pm, Hi-Wire Brewing RAD Beer Garden, 284 Lyman St

The Foundy Street Full Moon Dance Party

A pop-up night market and dance party under the stars, featuring a variety of mystic vendors, music by DJ Griffin White and Altumatum.

SA (7/29), 9pm, The Wedge at Foundation, 5 Foundy St

Summer Splash

With kid pools, slip and slides, splash pad sprinklers, water sprayers, water balloons, summer treats, music and a karaoke competition.

Bring your lawn chairs and cold beverages.

SU (7/30), 2pm, Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd

DIYabled Disability Pride Art Show

Featuring a diverse lineup of 25 talented artists, writers, video artists and dancers.

See p32 MO (7/31), 4:30pm, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd

Asheville Outlets

Summerfest Carnival

Rides and games for all ages, plus food such as funnel cake, fried oreos, turkey legs - and more. For more information visit avl.mx/ayt MO (7/31)-SU (8/6), Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd

96th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival

The oldest continually running folk festival in the nation, known affectionally as “The Granddaddy” of all festivals. Performers aged two to ninety-two performing the traditions of music, dance and storytelling of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

TH (8/3)-SA (8/5), Lipinsky Auditorium, UNCA, 300 Library Ln

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Jesse Barry Fundraiser

A benefit for local songstress and music community pillar. Featuring several well-known performers on the local, regional and national scene to raise money to support medical and living expenses. SU (7/30), 5pm, Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr Tools for Schools Drive New school supplies will be collected for students. A list of items needed can be found at avl.mx/cv2. For more information contact ksoule@eblencharities. org. WE (8/2), 7am, Ingles, 151 Smoky Park Hwy

More than a Band-Aid

Community wound care expands to meet need

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

Haywood Street Congregation bustles with activity on a Wednesday morning in July. The backyard smells of grills firing up for a lunchtime cookout. People chat or rest in pews in the central hall, away from the heat. In a church office, Buncombe County’s Emergency Medical Services Mobile Community Outreach Team sets up for the day. Erika Harrison, a licensed practical nurse with BCEMS, unpacks several 30-quart plastic containers of medical supplies for wound care.

On Wednesdays, Harrison has a standing date at Haywood Street Congregation to clean and bandage wounds and replace bandages. Many of these wounds resulted from intravenous drug use; surgeries, trauma or amputations have caused others. Many of her patients at the church,

and clients who are served by the MCOT daily, are unhoused.

Volunteers or workers for Steady Collective, BeLoved Asheville and Holler Harm Reduction — all mobile groups addressing needs of the unhoused and people who use drugs — have provided wound care in the community for many years. EMTs and paramedics with BCEMS have also regularly treated wounds throughout the county. MCOT began offering wound care at Haywood Street Congregation in November, and Harrison, who has a certification in wound care, joined in May.

MCOT is currently a pilot program within BCEMS, says Harrison. It’s composed of four EMTs, three community health workers and her. The team is one of several mobile medical units addressing wound care through street medicine, also called backpack medicine, in Buncombe County. The Street Medicine Institute, a national nonprofit, describes it as “health and social services developed specifically to address the unique needs and circumstances of the unsheltered homeless delivered directly to them in their own environment.”

At Haywood Street Congregation, Harrison’s consultation room — which appears to be an empty office — has a medical exam table and a curtain for patient privacy. However, the vibe is “very communal,” she explains. There are several chairs and a minifridge filled with water. Patients chat with her and volunteer Tim Gastrock. Approachability is paramount, as many patients had negative health care interactions in the past, she says. “People with wounds are often very scared, very

vulnerable,” says Harrison. She’s dedicated to building rapport with patients, which she says takes “time and space and a lack of urgency, without having an agenda.”

TWO TYPES OF WOUNDS

There are two general categories for wound care, says Shannon O’Conner, a family nurse practitioner and co-founder of WNC Healing Collaborative, an independent family practice in Marshall. Both categories can be influenced by social determinants of health, such as economic stability or access to nutritious foods.

One category is for chronic, hardto-heal wounds that have failed to go through the normal process of healing. Patients may have “complex medical histories and problems,” like diabetes, poor lower-extremity blood flow or an infection, O’Conner explains. “Their bodies just physically cannot make the skin they need to heal the wound.” She recalls one patient who has been tending to the same nonhealing wound for 40 years.

These wounds can be stuck in an inflammatory phase. Inflammation is the body’s normal response to healing a wound, but nonstop inflammation can cause poor circulation or swelling. O’Conner also manages “a lot of post-surgical site infections — I’ll see folks sometimes six weeks after surgery when their wounds just aren’t healing along the normal progression.” When patients’ wounds aren’t healing, she provides advanced dressings and skin grafts that serve as wound coverings.

The other category of care is for wounds caused by physical trauma or intravenous drugs, which O’Conner calls community wound care. Patients in this category of need may be younger and have fewer comorbidities or chronic diseases. Their wounds may be newer and less complicated to manage. But IV drug use may cause multiple skin breaks on various locations on the body. Some wounds, like those caused by xylazine, or “tranq,” can cause sores and abscesses that kill the tissue and then require amputation.

Prevention of infections is a crucial part of wound care and decreases the need for antibiotic use. Regularly accessing antibiotics, fulfilling prescriptions and taking medication can be difficult for people who are

HEALING HANDS: Erika Harrison, a nurse with the mobile community outreach team for Buncombe County Emergency Medical Services, holds a bottle of saline-based wound cleanser at the Haywood Street Congregation. Photo by Jessica Wakeman

unhoused or experiencing physical or mental health issues.

WHAT WOUND CARE ENTAILS

Wound care, to hear its practitioners describe it, has a simple goal: Keep the wound clean.

That may sound straightforward, but Melissa Weiss, who works part

THE NURSE IS

IN: Shannon O’Conner is a family nurse practitioner at WNC Healing Collective in Marshall, where she frequently provides advanced wound care. Photo courtesy of O’Conner

time doing wound care for Steady Collective, says until recently, health care providers would leave wounds to dry out. Protocol has changed, she says. “What I tell people is keep your wound covered and moist with medication.” Weiss is certified as an EMT, and in addition to Steady Collective, she works for the medic team at Salvage Station.

Cleaning a wound means excising damaged tissue and removing debris. Wound care practitioners say they use Hibiclens, an antibacterial cleanser often used in hospital settings, and Vashe wound solution, as well as cotton-tipped applicators and nitrile synthetic exam gloves. When Harrison is meeting people out on the street, she carries these supplies in a backpack.

Wound care practitioners also make choices about bandages and gauze depending on what’s available, and what’s accessible due to the cost. Silver foam dressing is considered top notch, but it’s more expensive than other dressings. Weiss also uses Tegaderm, a transparent film dressing often applied to people’s skin after receiving a tattoo.

Availability of supplies may also be affected by the season. Bandage adhesives are less reliable in the summer, when people who live outside are sweating. During warmer months, Weiss says she often uses Coband self-adhesive bandage, a colorful, stretchy material commonly used after a blood draw.

BARRIERS AND STIGMA

Basic wound care — say, bandaging a sliced finger — can be done at home with clean water and bandages. More complex wounds can be managed at clinics, emergency rooms or dedicated wound care facilities, like the six that Mission Health operates throughout Western North Carolina.

But patients who use drugs or who have used drugs in the past can feel stigmatized in traditional health care settings. Unhoused people can also lack consistent access to clean water and clothing, let alone costly supplies like stretchy gauze or antiseptic skin cleanser.

“You’re going to avoid situations where people are rude to you,” says Weiss of people who have used drugs. She’s lost many friends to overdoses, she says, and originally began working in wound care as a volunteer for Steady Collective. “If I noticed a Band-Aid or noticed a wound, I would say, supercasually, ‘Hey, do you want me to look at that?’” Most people were receptive to her help, she says. Some

didn’t want anyone looking at their wounds but would take supplies.

“Wounds have a stigma, and sometimes people feel shame around their wounds,” Weiss explains. “They feel gross or hideous.” The trusting relationship she has developed goes a long way, she says, because “the act of wound care is pretty intimate.”

Currently, there is no indoor clinic space for wound care in Asheville (the setup at Haywood Street Congregation isn’t officially permitted to call itself a clinic). While some people who work in street medicine will go directly to individuals living on the street, or staying in encampments, Steady Collective operates out of a decommissioned Red Cross ambulance that travels around the county.

“Doing this outside of the ambulance is really challenging — because of the weather, because of the publicity of it, because you’re on the street, so it’s hard to make a clean area for your supplies,” Weiss explains. “And people also deserve privacy when they’re getting medical care.”

OUNCE OF PREVENTION

When people seek health care at Haywood Street Congregation, BCEMS can use the opportunity to link them to other resources as well. On the Wednesday when Xpress visited, one man came to Harrison needing clean socks; he left with two pairs. Another man sought a way to clean his feet, which itched. Harrison advised him not to use a wet sanitizer but to keep them dry, and gave him talc powder to use. One of BCEMS’ community paramedics was available in a nearby room to share information about medication-assisted treatment or mental health treatment.

Each expert who spoke with Xpress emphasized the importance of education, particularly among IV drug users. O’Conner notes that follow-ups are not guaranteed; she may only have one opportunity to demonstrate to someone how to clean a wound and change a dressing, and share supplies that could prevent infection or a wound reopening. Such interventions could prevent emergency room visits in the short term or nonhealing wounds — essentially, open sores — in the long term, she explains.

In addition to more primary care access, Weiss would like to see more compassion overall for people who use or have used drugs. All people “deserve respect and integrity in their life,” she says. “And access to lifesaving medical care.” X

Family matters

Cousins buy back Appalachian Mountain Brewery from A-B InBev

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

New additions to the Ashevillearea craft beverage scene are a cause for celebration, particularly when they involve a native or two returning home. Such is the case for cousins Chris Zieber and Nathan Kelischek, co-founders of Boone-based Appalachian Mountain Brewery, who opened their Mills River taproom on June 23.

A full-circle milestone, the expansion arrives at a time when the business is enjoying a newly realized independence after the owners purchased the company back from Anheuser-Busch InBev. But none of it would have happened, they say, without a firm foundation and deep appreciation for the region that made them who they are.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The cousins grew up in Asheville and both graduated from high school in 2007 — Zieber from T.C. Roberson High School and Kelischek from Asheville High School. Back then, the city only had a few breweries, which made the handful of downtown pubs popular attractions. Though still a minor, Zieber recalls soaking in the fledgling scene.

“I definitely remember going to the upper floor at Barley’s [Taproom & Pizzeria] and playing games, and a couple times going to Jack of the Wood to listen to music with my parents,” he says. “People ask all the time, ‘Did you guys just love going to breweries as a kid?’ And we’re like, ‘Yeah, well, we weren’t 21 when we were kids.’”

While majoring in environmental science at Appalachian State University, Kelischek took an introduction to brewing science course. Though the UNC general administration wouldn’t approve the school’s fermentation sciences program until 2012, the experience proved inspirational for Kelischek, who began homebrewing shortly thereafter.

“Of course, we’re broke college kids, so we’re just doing extract brews,” he says. “But I was doing all-grain stuff at the school.”

At the same time, Zieber was at UNC Chapel Hill, also pursuing a

degree in environmental science, and got into brewing while studying abroad in Singapore. His American lab professor couldn’t find a good IPA while overseas and invited Zieber to help homebrew one in the educator’s tiny apartment. The undergrad loved getting a grasp on the process, and back in North Carolina, he continued to pursue this new hobby the best he could considering the resources at hand.

“I was brewing and cooling the wort in my bathtub with ice — all these normal homebrew things, but even more [limited] because we’re in college and just don’t have the resources to do all of it,” Zieber says. “I think that ignited the passion toward brewing and the fun of it and the problem-solving.”

The next time the cousins were back home for Thanksgiving, their uncle introduced them to his threetiered, malt-based homebrewing system, and together they made a beer that was ready to imbibe at Christmas. The cousins enjoyed working with each other and in 2011 founded Appalachian Mountain Brewery in Boone, where they opened their first taproom in 2013. From there, however, Zieber describes the next 10 years as “a roller coaster.”

RAPID GROWTH

From the get-go, Zieber credits his and Kelischek’s college degrees as the keys to AMB’s quick success.

“Environmental science is a little bit of chemistry, a little bit of biology, a little bit of problem-solving — and all those things are really important for brewing,” he says. “Especially [when] running a small brewery where you have to fix things on the fly.”

In 2014, AMB began canning and distributing its beers as well as making ciders. That same year, the brewery also won Brewbound’s and Craft Brew Alliance’s Startup Brewery Challenge. The competition gives new brewery owners an opportunity to pitch their company and product to a panel of expert judges, who then rate the entrepreneurs on their ability to convey their brand proposition, go-to-market strategy and product quality.

According to Zieber, the win put them “in talks with Craft Brew Alliance,” which led to a strategic

partnership with CBA, the conglomerate whose portfolio also includes Redhook Brewery and Kona Brewing Co. In 2015, AMB started contract brewing with CBA and making its core beers — including Long Leaf IPA and Boone Creek Blonde — at the Redhook production facility in Portsmouth, N.H.

In 2018, AMB was acquired by CBA and then became a part of A-B InBev in 2020, when the global behemoth went from minority to full owner of CBA. Then, after a few years under the A-B InBev umbrella, Zieber and Kelischek did something unusual: They bought AMB back.

“As we got further down the rabbit hole, the industry also changed,” Zieber says. “The flexibility that’s required in order to innovate new products and the route to market — the timeline between committing to something and actually getting it on the shelf — with a large company like Anheuser-Busch, it’s just too long for us. That flexibility just wasn’t there.”

Zieber adds that additional factors helped him and Kelischek realize that it made more sense to become their own business again, including the ability to make big decisions and be held accountable to themselves and to each other. The challenge of succeeding on their own is likewise appealing for the cousins.

“Anheuser-Busch is a huge company with a lot of resources,” Zieber says. “I’m doing HR, IT, accounting — all of that stuff myself now. So, I think that that’s certainly a factor, but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.”

1st NC Restaurant to have Brewers & Distillers permits

CURRENTLY FEATURING 14 DIFFERENT BEERS & 8 DIFFERENT SPIRITS

HOMEWARD BOUND

But before reacquiring AMB, Zieber and Kelischek started planning the brewery’s expansion to Mills River in early 2022. According to the cousins, this project was in the works while AMB was owned by A-B InBev, which contributed to the construction costs and other related expenses. These figures were all factored into the repurchase agreement and, post-acquisition, finishing the project became AMB’s financial responsibility.

“We really wanted a location that was tied into the outdoors and in a community that had more room for growth,” says Kelischek, who now lives in Asheville. “Mills River really stood out for us, being at the confluence between the access to Brevard and Pisgah [National Forest].”

Located across from Bojangles on Highway 191, with whom AMB collaborated on Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea earlier this year, the 3,000-square-foot indoor space features 32 taps and a creative menu crafted in collaboration with chef Michael Harwell

“We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to travel throughout the world, so we want to take our trav-

els and kind of put the Southern twist on them,” Kelischek says. “We have everything from smash burgers to gravy-pour poutine with pickled cheese on it — which sounds kind of weird, but it’s absolutely amazing.”

The property also features a 4,000-square-foot beer garden and room for live music and other community events. Though the co-founders would eventually like to brew on-site, all production remains in Boone for now. And while they also plan to become better acquainted with their neighbors at Burning Blush Brewery, Mills River Brewing Co., Bold Rock Hard Cider and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the one-two punch of again becoming independently owned and readying the new taproom has demanded the bulk of their attention.

“It takes time to get to know everybody, but we’ve already been engaging with Pisgah [Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association] and other local nonprofits,” Kelischek says. “We’re definitely excited to be a part of the brewing community as well, but our core mantras are community, sustainability and philanthropy. So, first and foremost, we wanted to make sure that we connected with people in the community that need support.” X

Now available on Apple Store & Google Play for Apple and Android smartphones.

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Daily Specials

Mon: BOGO Meatloaf and Others

Tue: Taco Tuesday (Brisket Nachos & Tacos: Brisket, Pork Belly, Chicken or Shrimp)

Wed: Wine bottles 1/2 price

Thu: All you can eat mussels

Open for Lunch!

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HOMECOMING: Appalachian Mountain Brewery co-founders Chris Zieber, left, and Nathan Kelischek opened the business’ Mills River taproom on June 23. Photo by Frances O’Connor

WITH MORGAN BOST

BY MORGAN BOST

morganbost1@gmail.com

We’ve made it, dear readers, to the most wonderful time of the year: Leo season. Putting aside the undivided birthday attention I’ll receive come Saturday, July 29, I truly love summer. It’s a time for love and lust (if you can ignore the boob sweat). A season to lounge by the pool and enjoy your favorite book or social media squabble.

But honestly, who needs Threads or Twitter when you have Xpress’ opinion section? The other week, I certainly went down the section’s rabbit hole. In case you missed it, there was a back-and-forth between local readers Karen White and Lindy McClure over what or who is ruining Asheville.

White, a recent arrival from Chapel Hill, argued that the city’s quirky reputation wasn’t doing it any favors in preserving the area’s natural beauty. She implored residents to clean up their mess. “Take care of your community or don’t live here,” she wrote. “Have some pride, for God’s sake.” Within this short missive, White also suggested she was moving on to cleaner pastures.

Writing in response, McClure asserted that “greedy, unrestrained development” was responsible for Asheville’s demise. Furthermore, she argued “newcomers who don’t care” were also to blame for the city’s current conditions. In a final mic drop, McClure bid Karen a “good riddance,” leaving me with a near Nextdoor-level adrenaline rush.

To discuss this, summer fun and so much more, I’ve gathered Asheville comics Peter Smith-McDowell, Eric Brown and Timothy Hearn. When it comes to social media, SmithMcDowell, who runs a Western North Carolina meme page to complement his live comedy, is a true pro!

Bost: Since social media doesn’t seem to be going out of style, what would the ideal Asheville social media account need to look like to satisfy locals and tourists alike? In short, if these mountains could tweet, what would they say?

say?

Etsy as its last refuge (if only it could remember its password).

Eric Brown: Even though Threads just launched, I imagine some enterprising parasite is already squatting on BlueRidgeMountains as a handle, so I imagine Asheville will have to settle for RealBlueRidgeMountains420 or something like that. I think an easy way to satisfy both tourists and locals alike is to not even attempt to. As a lifelong Asheville resident, I hate the tourists as much as the next person; but I do love their money. My suggestion is to create a standard city Web presence, but also a secret, second account for locals. The main account will do all the basic Asheville stuff: “Gee, aren’t hotels neat?” and “Come down to the new 14 Blue Dogs Brewery and try the new kombucha stout.” Then on the alternate account, probably called RealBlueRidgeMountains420AfterDark, posts would bemoan: “Oh great, another hotel” or “Don’t go to 14 Blue Dogs Brewery, it’s a front for a beer conglomerate, and also I hear they use real dog meat in the kombucha stout.” Now is that cynical of me? Yes. I like to think so.

Timothy Hearn : I think the Asheville social media world would

FUN IN THE SUN: Summer is here and local comic Morgan Bost is ready to bask in all its glory. To celebrate, she’s invited fellow WNC comedians, clockwise from top right, Timothy Hearn, Peter Smith-McDowell and Eric Brown to discuss the season, as well as social media. Photos of Bost and Brown by Cindy Kunst; photos of Smith-McDowell and Hearn courtesy of comedians

be vast and groundbreaking! Its Instagram account would feature only happy couples looking at mountains and getting engaged in front of the Biltmore Estate. Its Vine account would be 10-second clips of beer bros talking about dry-hopped IPAs and bachelorette parties getting lost downtown. Over on Asheville TikTok, folk songs and cover bands would all perform on the side of the road. And if we were lucky, Asheville’s Facebook page would be loaded with invites to events that we could reply “maybe” to and then get on with our lives.

Peter Smith-McDowell: In some ways, I could see an Asheville social

media account reading like those posts we see from older relatives or friends on Facebook. You know, the person always asking simple questions as their status: “Is it OK for a dog to lick moisturizer off your face?” (We don’t know! Just Google it like the rest of us dumb-dumbs.) Asheville would also post weird charcuterie board photos — like pepperoni folded into squares with Velveeta Cheese. And, of course, our city would slide in other cities’ DMs with messages like, “Hey, wanna see my mountains?” Meaning Asheville would definitely be blocked by Charlotte. In fact, I could see Asheville getting banned on all social media platforms, with

Morgan Bost: Imagine your over400-million-year-old Appalachian grandparent trying to Thread: That would be the Blue Ridge Mountains — granted that segment of the mountain range is even older! Jam recipes and bird pictures with questionable politics mixed in. Reminiscing about the “good old days” (prehistoric to be exact), while reminding everyone that they used to be uphill both ways. They’d probably need the much younger Rockies to help set up an account and reset the Wi-Fi.

The White/McClure exchange was in response to Xpress reporter Jessica Wakeman’s article on Asheville’s skyrocketing cost of living and its impact on local artists and business owners. Since we’re all local creatives — translation: perhaps broke — what are your recommendations for making it in Asheville?

Hearn: Get roommates! Get someone to live in a van under your extra oak tree in the backyard. Charge the

If these mountains could tweet, what would they

mice living in your walls some sort of monthly rent, or potentially train them to play basketball and start a local business that charges people to watch their games.

Better yet, get three restaurant jobs, a side gig and start your new mouse business. Once the “Mouse Basketball” project takes off, go ahead and franchise it. Of course, you’ll need to come up with a better name than “Mouse Basketball” in order for it to get big enough to take over a good portion of the sports entertainment market. Once you do all that, I am pretty sure you’ll be able to afford to live in Candler.

If all that doesn’t work, there’s always Uber or DoorDash.

Smith-McDowell: I recommend wearing several random items from your house and strolling through downtown Asheville. Yes, the tourists will look at you oddly as you pass them sporting bubble wrap, your child’s tutu, a baseball cap and a Cheerwine shirt you got from Goodwill. But the sight will certainly make these same tourists second-guess whether or not to buy a second home here. It’s on us to do our part. It really takes a village of people dressed like the Village People to make sure our rent doesn’t go up.

Brown: Times are certainly hard, and the prices of food, gas and rent continue to climb. If you’re anything like me, you’re living paycheck to paycheck, hoping that your next comedy gig pays something — anything! — so you can afford food for the night. I mean, sure — you’re devastatingly handsome and certainly smarter than everyone you’ve ever met (and most importantly, humble), but that doesn’t pay the bills, does it? So, what can you do? I’ve come up with a simple yet elegant solution. We typically waste anywhere from six to eight hours a day on sleep. Imagine how much money you could make with an extra shift cleaning up at any one of our illustrious hotels. I bet you could make upward of an extra $100. By God, with that kind of money you could buy the 78-cent ramen noodles without thinking twice.

Bost: Someone once asked if I had tried “cutting costs” by scaling back on iced coffees and baked goods. As a West Asheville Leo, I’m not sure I understood the question.

Switching gears to something more … sensual. Summertime means sexy time for many WNC locals. As temperatures rise, so do libidos. Where are the best summer spots for sweeties (and strangers) to, ahem, heat up this month?

Hearn: If you really want to heat things up this summer, just hike your date down to Paradise Falls. It is a secret place that nobody knows about. (Those who do are all too busy getting hot and bothered to let you in on the secret.) This awesome little waterfall was carved into the mountain and manifested for your pleasure. But don’t go telling anybody I told you — we already have enough new people coming around and crowding our prime swimming holes.

Brown: Have your date meet you at the Sloth/Tom Selleck mural at Burial Beer Co. Everybody looks better standing in front of Sloth. Your date will take one look at the mural, and suddenly you don’t look so bad anymore. At least, that’s been my experience. (WARNING: Positioning is important. Do NOT stand in front of the Tom Selleck portion of the mural. You’ll never be able to compete with him. He’s got a mustache for days.)

Smith-McDowell: Best place to go is Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge on Wednesdays at Asheville Music Hall. It’s free and there’s food and drinks to purchase. See all levels of stand-up comics, including some who’ve performed on Netflix, Comedy Central and Prime. I heard on TikTok laughter helps the libido.

If that doesn’t get you sensual and slippery this summer, bring your date down to my new small business located under the bridge with the chess mural. It is currently called “Mouse Basketball,” but we are workshopping new names.

Bost: Contrary to Smith-McDowell’s very obvious plug (he’s a co-producer of Disclaimer Lounge), longtime MedHeads will remember I wrote the truth about open mic comedy’s notoriously libido-killing vibe. I love the Disclaimer Lounge, it’s a great place to laugh and feel better about yourself, but nothing kills date night like being lambasted by underinsured, former class clowns. I suggest Disclaimer romance only if you’re anticipating a dry summer (and I don’t mean alcohol). X

Heroes’ journeys

Sci-fi novel focuses on female solidarity

BY RUBY SIMONEAU

Novels are not written overnight — a fact local author Donna Glee Williams isn’t shy to point out. Though she’ll be celebrating the release of her latest sci-fi book, The Night Field, on Friday, July 29, at 3 p.m. at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, the project itself dates back over a decade.

In 2008, she notes, her friend and mentor Gerald Marten shared a story about the small village of Punukula in Andhra Pradesh, India. At the time, the once-stable farming community was experiencing an ecological disaster, as the introduction of pesticides and chemical fertilizers was believed to be decimating the soil. Measurements were taken to introduce new and different types of organic crops back into the land,

eventually stabilizing the situation, Williams recalls.

Later that same year, Williams received a Fulbright Senior Environmental Leadership Fellowship, allowing her to travel to India and meet village residents. Along with her environmental concerns, Williams arrived in the region as a registered nurse interested in learning more about the villagers’ public health issues. The trip, she notes, inspired the idea for what later became The Night Field.

Set in a fictional world known as the Real, Williams’ book follows Pyn-Poi, a woman drawn more to the natural world than her future role as her clan’s matriarch. But when poisonous rain, known as the Stink, starts destroying the land and its people, Pyn-Poi is called to unravel the phenomenon’s mystery. The quest takes her to unknown lands, confronted by dangers far greater than she anticipated.

INITIAL SPARK

Williams says she didn’t set out to write The Night Field as a retelling of what she witnessed in Punukula. “I wouldn’t have the guts to try and write their story,” she says of the villagers she met in 2008. “But one can take a spark and put it in a different pile of kindling and see where it goes.”

Science fiction, the author continues, felt like the best fit for what began as a short story in 2012. The genre gave her the freedom to explore abusive agricultural practices without sounding didactic. Over time,

WHILE ABROAD: Local author Donna Glenn Williams’ latest sci-fi book, The Night Field, was inspired by a 2008 trip to Andhra Pradesh, India. Over the previous decade, as she worked on the narrative, the story morphed and evolved into the novel that it is today. Photo courtesy of the author

the story’s characters and themes evolved into their current form.

Part of the novel’s success stems from Pyn-Poi’s narration. Because the character lacks the scientific terminology, her story isn’t weighed down by technical jargon. “If I were to try and write this experience as nonfiction, I think it would trigger resistance,” she says. “I hope that learning this information in terms of story makes a real difference.”

Williams notes that while some of the story’s background was inspired by her time abroad, much of the Real’s topography was pulled from the Western North Carolina forests she’s called home for nearly 30 years.

“The physical sensations of being in forest — the light, your feet on slippery rocks, the sound of water — all of that comes from walking in the woods,” she says.

A COMMUNITY OF WOMEN

The Night Field took several drafts, Williams notes, before it found its emotional center. Earlier versions, the author admits, would have left readers with little to hope for. “I thought, ‘Oh no! I have written a book that starts in a utopian Eden, moves to an adventure, has a bit of a semicomic interlude and then the whole rest of the book is death, damnation and despair.’

“You can’t do that to a reader,” she continues. “I thought a lot about Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and how he makes us stay with [his characters] on such a miserable ride. I realized it was because of love. So, I worked on [my characters’] relationships.”

In doing so, Williams created a story focused on female solidarity. Throughout her journey, PynPoi is kept alive by women, and women are kept alive by the story’s protagonist.

“Classically, we’ve seen the male hero’s journey chronicled by going on an adventure, getting the treasure and bringing it back unchanged,” Williams explains. In the case of The Night Field, it is a community of women working together to serve the whole.

“The heroism of young women right now is really rising in public awareness,” the author continues. “I feel like this energy for me to create young women heroes is probably half a tribute to them and half the hope I’m serving them.”

Casting a spell

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

Whether it’s Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark or the theme for the Olympic Games, John Williams has composed some of the most iconic orchestral music of the past 50 years. But according to fellow Los Angeles-based composer John Jesensky, Williams is “just like every other music person — or anyone who really loves anything” in that he just wants “to talk shop and meet other like-minded people.”

As members of a small but tightknit community, the two Johns occasionally cross paths at professional gatherings and have shared several conversations over the years. And when Jesensky started conducting live orchestral performances of Williams’ score for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, with the 2001 film projected above the musicians, he turned to the maestro for advice — and was not disappointed.

“He is one of the nicest guys that I’ve ever met,” Jesensky says.

Their conversations are sure to be on Jesensky’s mind Saturday, July 29, at 8:30 p.m., when he heads east to conduct the Brevard Sinfonia in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert at Brevard Music Center’s Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium. The young musicians from across the U.S. representing BMC’s college division will be playing through the entire 2 1/2-hour film, providing an exciting new experience even for attendees who’ve seen the J.K. Rowling adaptation numerous times.

“All of the sound effects, dialogue, etc., are all in there — just with the recorded score removed so we can

provide it live,” says Jesensky, who notes that the film is subtitled. “We put a lot of emphasis on making it a really cool film screening experience, but at its heart, it’s also an orchestra concert.”

REHEARSAL PROCESS

A native of Massachusetts, Jesensky says he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a composer and orchestrator. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Music in composition from the Hartt School of Music and a master’s degree in music from the scoring for film and multimedia program at New York University.

After moving to LA, he began making inroads into composing and was hired by CineConcerts — which produces Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert and similar events — to restore Nino Rota’s score for The Godfather.

Over the next few months, Jesensky digitized the legendary Italian composer’s original manuscript, preserving it for future generations and readying it for one of CineConcerts’ live performances. Despite his familiarity with the score, he was still surprised when CineConcerts sent him to Montreal with two days’ notice to conduct The Godfather: Live.

Though Jesensky says he panicked as soon as he accepted the assignment, he had an advantage over many others in his field. During his undergraduate studies at Hartt, he learned how to conduct using a system from the early days of film scoring whereby he’d look at a screen and be cued by “streamers” and “punches” — lines and hole punches added to the celluloid film to help the conductor sync the music with the action.

Rather than look up at the projected film, modern conductors keep their focus between the film score on their music stand and a computer monitor set up just behind it, on which the movie plays. But the same system of onscreen glyphs — now in digital form — still pops up at critical

moments to help alert Jesensky to particular sequences of notes in the score. The setup also allows him to swivel his head around and engage with the musicians, who are sometimes caught up in the overall experience a little too much.

“It’s funny: I occasionally catch the front row of the strings, who are right on my same plane, watching my screen and watching the movie along with it,” Jesensky says. “And sometimes we have to catch each other and be like, ‘Oh, we’re about to play. Here we go.’ I’ve almost gotten caught before where I’m just chuckling along with the movie and then I see — I have a little countdown that tells me when the next thing’s about to start. And it’s at five seconds it’s like, ‘Oh no!’ And I bring my arms up really quickly.”

HEDWIG’S THEME

Jesensky’s work with CineConcerts and industry peer Avex Classics International has taken him around the world and added Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage and Amadeus to his repertoire. But getting to conduct Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone holds special significance for the artist.

A high school sophomore when the film premiered in November 2001, Jesensky was already a fan of Williams’ work, particularly Jurassic Park. Though primed for this first

MR. MULTITASK: John Jesensky conducts live film scores with a video monitor in front of him that plays the movie.

Photo by Rebecca Britt

‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert’ enchants Brevard Music Center

cinematic visit to Rowling’s wizard world, the teen was nevertheless entranced by the way Williams’ music enhanced the visuals.

“I was sitting in the theater, and then the lights go down, and you see the Warner Bros. logo with that flurry of notes in the strings, and I was so instantly transported to this magical world. It was one of those moments where you lose your breath,” Jesensky recalls. “And then you go to this night scene, and there’s this sort of creepy but also magical celeste. And I was just so sucked in. I remember afterward thinking, ‘I have to do this for a living.’”

Now having conducted the film’s music numerous times, Jesensky considers it “the quintessential John Williams score,” primarily because he feels the sonic palette makes viewers “believe everything” in Harry Potter’s world.

“He is putting you in the mind of the main character. If Indiana Jones punches someone or if he’s running from something, [Williams is] not writing about what’s chasing him. He’s not writing just his footsteps. He’s trying to write music that’s going on in Indiana Jones’ head — like, panic or just, ‘Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go,’” Jesensky says.

“And that’s what he does with Harry Potter. When he is flying on his broomstick for the first time, it’s this elation — and it’s very difficult music for the strings. They are tormented through this whole first movie. It’s constant 32nd notes all over the place. But he’s doing that to simulate the feeling of taking flight.”

While he usually only gets around four hours of rehearsal with an

orchestra for the film events, Jesensky is looking forward to having a handful of practices with the Brevard Sinfonia “to really dig into the music with the students.” Noting that such live cinema performances are “a major part of orchestra repertoire now,” he’s also excited to help these musicians gain a set of skills that he says is vastly different from typical symphony work.

CHERISHING THE OPPORTUNITY

Among the performers is one Western North Carolina native, Asheville-based cellist Elijah White Though he’s attended a few silent film screenings with live piano accompaniment, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert marks his first time playing for a live score performance.

“Preparation for a concert like this is much more like an opera or a musical than a typical symphonic concert. First off, there is just tons of music. It requires fast-paced learning and extra flexibility,” White says. “And then there is the coordination of the orchestra with the film. The conductor is the only thread keeping the music and visuals together, so they must have immense precision, and the musicians must be willing to respond to anything the conductor indicates extra quickly.”

Like Jesensky, White also fell in love with classical music primarily through film scores. One of his professional goals is to be involved in the process of making music for films as his career develops, and he’s cherishing the opportunity to take his first steps in that journey so close to home.

“There is something special about meeting people from all over the world at [BMC], all while being hardly an hour from my doorstep,” White says. “For the many people who have never been to this area before, I get to introduce them to a place I proudly call home.”

Along with his conductor and fellow musicians, White will also be part of a much larger introduction process whose benefits extend well beyond the professional realm.

“Doing these performances, one of the most rewarding parts of it is when you see all the kids in the audience, or even the adults who’ve never been to a classical performance before, either because they didn’t think it was their thing or they were maybe even a little intimidated,” Jesensky says.

“A lot of people who have never been to see an orchestra do their thing show up to these [events] and are blown away. And hearing the little kids giggling or gasping and just having a great time, it’s great. I hope at least one person — a young person or adult — goes, ‘You know what? I’m going to come back for the next performance.’” X

LOCAL BOY DOES GOOD: Asheville resident Elijah White is thrilled to be part of the “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert” experience. Photo by Evan Vorhis

What’s new in food

Islands meet highlands at The Tiki Easy Bar

The Tiki Easy Bar, a new tropical-themed speakeasy owned and operated by Hi-Wire Brewing, has set sail on the South Slope.

Located in the back of Hi-Wire’s original brewery and taproom at 197 Hilliard Ave., The Tiki Easy Bar provides an escape for thirsty tourists and locals alike with a menu of classic and contemporary tiki cocktails made with fresh juices, craft syrups and premium spirits.

According to marketing and public relations specialist Shanda Williams, an unexpected opportunity last summer prompted the expansion. Hi-Wire’s landlord retired, offering a chance to purchase not only the building that housed the brewery but also the 2,500-squarefoot workshop space where he’d made metal art in the back for 50 years.

“When given the chance to own where we started Hi-Wire 10 years ago, it was a no-brainer to make it happen and cement our roots where it all began,” says Chris Frosaker, co-owner of Hi-Wire Brewing and the driving force behind this new concept.

“I have become obsessed with tiki bars and drinks since the pandemic began,” continues Frosaker. “Our world seems to be getting crazier every day, and I love the escapism a tiki bar provides, where you can enter a new world and forget about your day-to-day life with a strong drink in hand.”

The Tiki Easy Bar boasts an expansive drink menu offering over 50 tropical cocktails, frozen/boat drinks, shareable bowls, mocktails, beer, wine and cider. Several items, including Tiki Easy rum, merchandise and handmade ceramic tiki mugs from local artists Jason Rojas and Allison Cochran, are also for sale.

While The Tiki Easy Bar is an extension of Hi-Wire Brewing’s business, the decor and feel are completely distinct from any of the company’s many taprooms. Neon lights and palm fronds decorate the bar’s entrance, tropical animal calls pipe through speakers and simulated thunderstorms strike twice an hour.

The inspiration behind these experiential elements, says Williams, is one of the company’s core values of “creating fun, which The Tiki Easy Bar will certainly not be short on.”

Visit avl.mx/cus for hours of operation and additional information.

A new kind of buzz

Hope Coalition, a community collaborative working to build healthy, strong

connections through substance use prevention, education and recovery, has opened The Buzz, Western North Carolina’s first sober bar and café.

“We designed The Buzz to be a social gathering hive where people can come together and enjoy nonalcoholic beverages and local snacks in a ... friendly environment,” says Suzanne English, community outreach and development coordinator at Hope Coalition. “We are not advocating for the next Prohibition — we just want our community to have alternative options if they need them.”

The Buzz offers various drip coffees, espresso drinks and specialty lattes each morning, crafted from beans exclusively roasted by ShareWell Coffee Co., a Flat Rock roaster. As the evening approaches, usually around 4 p.m., the menu shifts to seasonal mocktails using NA liquors, NA beer from Athletic Brewing Co. and Clausthaler, and NA wines accompanied by salads, baked goods from Mini Batch Bakery, snacking plates and a rotating food truck calendar.

Since Hope Coalition operates as a nonprofit, every purchase made at The Buzz directly funds programs such as Hope Rising, which supports local at-risk youths.

“We teach harm reduction through education and advocacy ... and provide many resources, from youth programs to our peer-support living room at the Recovery Community Center,” says English. “The Buzz is another program that will hopefully extend a hand to the nondrinkers, sober curious, athletes, teens and more in WNC.”

The Buzz Sober Social Bar and Café is at 225 S. Grove St., Hendersonville. Visit avl.mx/cur for hours and information.

Apple partnership bears fruit

Five years ago, Asheville’s Noble Cider and Lewis Creek Farm in Henderson County partnered to plant an orchard of traditional French apple trees. Now the fruits of their labor have led to a double-award-winning cider.

Lewis Creek’s Trey Enloe, a fifth-generation farmer now running his family’s farm, says, “The initial grafting and propagating of these apple varieties took two years in the nursery, and then after being transplanted to the orchard, it was another three years before they started to bear fruit. It took a lot of experimentation.”

The end result of that experimentation is the Lewis Creek Orchard Reserve French Cidre, which just won the top platinum award in the Heritage Dry category at the sixth annual Cidercraft Awards. The cider also beat over 1,500 competitors to win Best in Show at the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition, the world’s largest hard cider competition.

“More commercial modern ciders are often made from regular dessert apples, and so much of the taste comes from added ingredients,” explains Noble Cider founder and head cider maker Lief Stevens. “With a cider like this one, all the flavor comes from just the apples themselves. It’s more like growing fruit for a fine wine, really. This cider pays homage to a long history of French cider making.”

Noble Cider is at 356 New Leicester Highway. Visit avl.mx/cue for additional information.

Gingerbread contest registration opens

The Omni Grove Park Inn has opened registration for the 31st National Gingerbread House Competition. Hosted by the resort annually, the competition is the largest of its kind in the nation and has grown significantly

over the years. Registration is open through Monday, Nov. 13, for bakers of all ages and skill levels to compete for more than $40,000 in cash and prizes distributed across four age categories: adult, teen, youth and child. The competition will be held Monday, Nov. 20, and the confectionery creations will be on display at the resort from Monday, Nov. 27-Tuesday, Jan. 2.

“Gingerbread is a truly magical time here at The Omni Grove Park Inn,” says Isabel Miller, senior marketing and events manager, in a news release. “From the competitors who have been competing for years to those participating for the first time to

each visitor who comes from far and wide to experience the gingerbread cheer, the competition has become an iconic holiday tradition for all.”

The Omni Grove Park Inn is at 290 Macon Ave. Visit avl.mx/a8y for registration and additional information.

Sudden exit for Elliot Moss

Two-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee chef Elliot Moss is no longer serving as the executive chef at Regina’s and Little Louie’s. Both

restaurants were opened by Moss and several business partners earlier this year.

“For all my friends out there checking in on me or reaching out, I just wanted to let everyone know that I’m doing good,” says Moss via social media in a public acknowledgment of the swirling rumors. “There is some heavy stuff going on, and I wish I was able to elaborate, but I cannot at this time.”

While Moss remains a partner in both businesses for the time being, he is no longer in charge of culinary operations. It has been reported by several local news outlets that a dispute between Moss and the other business partners led to the split.

Regina’s is at 1400 Patton Ave.; Little Louie’s is at 1478 Patton Ave. This is a developing story. Follow Moss at avl.mx/bsu for updates.

End of Eurisko

Eurisko Beer Co. owner and brewer Zac Harris has laid off his entire staff and announced plans to sell the brewery and his beer recipes.

“I have come to the ultimate conclusion that Eurisko will not be able to continue operating into the years to come and have started taking steps to find someone to take over our space,” says Harris on the brewery’s social media pages. “With that being said, I do anticipate being open through the summer and potentially into the fall in a somewhat limited capacity. My girlfriend, Jill, and I plan on running the operation.”

Previously open daily, the brewery’s taproom will now be open only from Thursday to Sunday. Harris will continue to supply Eurisko beer to the taproom, as well as to restaurants and bars, until supplies run dry.

Eurisko Beer Co. is at 255 Short Coxe Ave.

— Blake Becker  X

SPEAKY-TIKI: Hi-Wire Brewing has opened The Tiki Easy Bar, a tropical-themed speakeasy in the back of its original South Slope taproom. Photo courtesy of The Tiki Easy Bar

Around Town

DIYabled stages second annual Disability Pride Art Show

July is Disability Pride Month, marking the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. In celebration, local nonprofit DIYabled will hold its second annual Disability Pride Art Show at Different Wrld in West Asheville on Sunday, July 30, 4:30 p.m.

The show, held in partnership with Iowa-based arts nonprofit This Body Is Worthy, will honor the rights of disabled individuals through the power of art. Twenty-five artists, writers, video artists and dancers will exhibit their talents.

Priya Ray, DIYabled founder, fell through a skateboard ramp in Atlanta in 1999, causing a spinal cord injury that resulted in her having to use a wheelchair. Ray, an artist and musician, was already part of a DIY community, which creates space for artists to express themselves without corporate support.

“After I became disabled, I became aware immediately of how inaccessible almost everything is and how little people knew about the rights of disabled people. After the ‘bathroom bill’ passed — a bill that limited the bathroom rights of the transgender community — I thought about how my bathroom rights as a disabled person were vio-

lated daily. That is when I decided I needed to speak out about disability rights [and] created DIYabled.”

“Disability on the Spectrum,” a documentary film created by Ray that features disabled people and their experiences, will be shown during the event.

“My mission is to have a community that includes disabled people,” says Ray. “We all must make sure that our streets, sidewalks, schools and stores include every person in [our] communities — not just some.”

Different Wrld is at 701 Haywood Road, Suite 101. For more information, visit avl.mx/cuw.

Terpsicorps toasts to 20

Professional contemporary ballet company Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance, founded in Asheville, is celebrating its 20th season with a grand performance of Cleopatra at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts from Thursday, July 27-Saturday, July 29, at 8 p.m.

The Terpsicorps production is an interpretation of the Shakespeare play “Antony and Cleopatra,” but artistic director Heather Maloy

chose to remove Antony from the title. “As soon as I started researching Cleopatra, it became very obvious to me that it would be unjust for her to share the title with anyone,” she says. “I think she would appreciate it.”

Maloy conducted research for a year, which included a five-day boat trip down the Nile River that followed the same route Cleopatra took with Julius Caesar. “Everything about our trip inspired me, and I feel that there is a hint of that experience in every aspect of the show,” she says. “What is amazing is that many of the sites she toured with him were already in ruin then and were built as far away from her time as her time is [from ours]. I’ve tried to incorporate that heavy weight of time that you feel when you are within a structure that people have been standing in for 4,000 years.”

The production will feature a two-story set, lavish costumes, five projection screens and dancers from around the world. “This is the largest and most ambitious production I have ever created,” says Maloy. “I feel that my career as a choreographer has been leading me to this point. The costumes, set, projections, music, dancers, lighting — even the scents of the time wafting through the theater — it is all coming together to be a one-of-a-kind spectacle.”

Terpsicorps, which is known for casting ethnically diverse dancers, is based in Asheville and also has a location in Winston-Salem.

The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is at 18 Biltmore Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/c9q.

A party of firsts

Southern rock, gospel and blues musician Kevin Daniel will celebrate his first label album release at the One Stop at Asheville Music Hall on Friday, July 28. The free show will begin with singer-songwriter Ashley Heath at 10 p.m., followed by Daniel and his band, The Bottom Line, at 11:15 p.m.

The album, The Life & Adventures of Kevin Daniel, is produced by Ardenbased Organic Records, which is also Heath’s label. Daniel says it’s his first album created with multiple co-writers and his first where he covers another artist’s song. It includes well-known and respected musicians such as keyboardist Kevin Williams of Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters, keyboardist Aaron Price, steel guitar master DaShawn Hickman and guitarist Patrick French

“A lot of this is new territory for me, and I think that’s what excites me the most,” says Daniel. “I really wanted to touch on a lot of different parts of my life — including love, touring and the struggles I face as a musician pursuing his dreams.”

The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall is at 55 College St. For more information, visit avl.mx/cux.

Booking it

Two local women authors will hold book launch events at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe early next month.

INCLUSION NOT INJUSTICE: Priya Ray, founder of DIYabled, must use a wheelchair as a result of an accident at an Atlanta skateboard park in 1990. Photo courtesy of Ray

Lauren Yero, whose book Under This Forgetful Sky is a young adult science fiction novel about two futuristic star-crossed teens in love, will converse with New York Times bestselling, local young adult author Megan Shepherd on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m.

Meagan Lucas is the author of Here in the Dark, a collection of grit-lit stories set in Southern Appalachia. She will speak with Asheville horror and dark fantasy author Nathan Ballingrud on Tuesday, Aug. 8, at 6 p.m.

Yero says her novel “is full of acts of resistance, longing and questions about the state of our world and its future.” She says publishing her first book came with a learning curve. “I never realized how involved authors are in helping their books find the right readers, and I’m still learning how to do this in ways that feel right for me,” she says. “But the most surprising thing has been seeing just how many people make their mark on a book before it goes out into the world. It makes me so grateful ... that this story gets to live on bookshelves for anyone to discover.”

“It’s wonderful because as a writer there is [nothing] much better than being able to share your work, than connecting and feeling heard,” says Lucas. “But it’s also terrifying because the stories in Here in the Dark are so deeply personal. They are my hope and fear, my desire and pain, my entire heart on paper. It’s an intensely vulnerable position to be in, and I’m not quite comfortable with the public nakedness, yet.”

Both events will be hybrid in-person and online. Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe is at 55 Haywood St. For more information, visit avl.mx/cuy.

Lake monsters

Approximately 200 revelers are expected to dress in costume and participate in the third annual Lake Monster Parade at Lake Tomahawk Park in Black Mountain on Saturday, July 29, at 10 a.m.

New this year is music by Brass Your Heart marching band and The Upbeats Ukulele Band. Food truck Voodoo Roux will sell New Orleans Creole cuisine.

This free event is put on by a team of local volunteers with the aim of providing a summer activity for local families. It was started by Jeannie Regan, director of UNC Asheville’s SkillSet program; Theresa Fuller, owner of Arbor House of Black Mountain; and Bethany Boyle, owner of DotDot Crafters Club. “I came up with the idea when I was working as a summer camp instructor,” says Regan. “I realized the cost of summer

camps was becoming so high that camps were out of reach for a lot of families, and that meant many kids didn’t have much to look forward to doing over the summer.”

The organizers chose the monster theme in homage to the legend of an extra-large snapping turtle that lives in the lake.

“We need more activities for our community that encourage people to be creative and silly,” says Regan.

Lake Tomahawk Park is at 401 Laurel Circle Drive, Black Mountain. For more information, visit avl.mx/cv0.

Documentation series offered

Monday, July 31, is the deadline to file a statement of interest for the In these Mountains Community Documentation Workshops, a training series presented by the N.C. Folklife Institute and the N.C. Arts Council.

The workshops, which will be presented in Thursday evening training sessions from August to October, mostly in Cherokee, are open to residents of Western North Carolina “who are interested in the preservation of the culture and traditional arts of our communities.” Training will be offered in research skills, interviewing methods and ethics, archival techniques, photography and videography. A $300 research stipend will be awarded to participants who complete the full workshop series.

For additional information and to obtain an application, contact Sarah M. Sneed, project facilitator, smsneed9@ gmail.com, 828-269-8346; or Olivia Phillips, Folklife intern for the N.C. Arts Council, phillips.liv.h@gmail.com. Applications may be completed online at avl.mx/cuz.

— Andy Hall X

MOVIE REVIEWS

OPPENHEIMER: The three hours of director Christopher Nolan’s emotionally rich biopic about the “father of the atomic bomb” fly by. Grade: A-minus — Edwin Arnaudin

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

ALLEYCATAVL

Karaoke Dance Party, 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BREWING

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

DIFFERENT WRLD

Queer Comedy Party w/Karen Felix, 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Totally 80's Wednesday Night Dance Party, 9pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

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

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE Bike Night w/Connor Hunt (Appalachian, country), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

FBVMA: Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Hump Day Hootenanny (rock/funk), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

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

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE ODD

Jaguardini, Juniper

Willow & Nesting Doll (goth, electronic, synth), 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Irish Music Circle, 7pm

WICKED WEED

BREWING

Kipper's Totally Rad Trivia, 6pm

THURSDAY,

JULY 27

27 CLUB

Asylum 213, Followship, The Welcoming & Lady Kabela (post punk, rock), 8pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

The Tallboys (rock, reggae), 8pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

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

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING

Hunter Begley (alt country, folk), 6pm

CORK & KEG

Jesse Lege Cajun Dance Party, 7pm

CROW & QUILL

Firecracker Jazz Band, 8pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

Mindvac, Powder

Horns & Roamck (punk, noise rock, metal), 7pm

DOUBLE CROWN

Gospel Night w/Tony Bush and the Deacs, 9pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

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

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

VOTED

WNC #1 KAVA BAR

SUN: Aaron “Woody” Wood & Friends 7pm

Ping-Pong Tournament 7pm

Open Jam w/ house band the Lactones 8pm

Poetry Open Mic AVL 8:30pm/8pm signup

Stand Up Comedy hosted by Justin Blackburn, 8pm 7/28: Ryan Oslance, 9pm

GruntWerk, 9pm Downtempo / Chill Out

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

5J Barrow (folk, soul), 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

The Lumpy Heads (Phish tribute), 9pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING

Jason Hazinski (blues, soul), 8pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

The Ruckus w/Kathryn

O'Shea & Reggie

Headen (blues), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Rebekah Todd (soul, rock), 6:30pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Stand Up Comedy w/ Justin Blackburn, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Pons, Tombstone Poetry & Chupakabra (indie rock, alternative, noise), 9pm

THE DFR LOUNGE

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

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Dani Kerr & The Skeleton Krew (rock'n'roll, blues, funk), 5:30pm

• The NTH Power (funk, soul, rock), 8pm

THE ODD Brujas Del Sol, Horseburner & Rocky Mtn Roller (metal, rock), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Rory Scovel (comedy), 7pm

THE OUTPOST J.M. Clifford (folk, bluegrass), 7pm

THE ROOT BAR

Kendra & Friends (multiple genres), 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD Trivia Thursday, 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE

Social Bachata, 8:30pm

WNC OUTDOOR COLLECTIVE Trivia, 6:30pm

WICKED WEED BREWING

The Hillclimbers (Appalachian, bluegrass), 6pm

FRIDAY, JULY 28

27 CLUB

Assimilation: Dark Dance Party, 10pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

Mr Jimmy's Friday Night Blues,

FROM THE SWAMPS OF SAVANNAH: Cosmic bluegrass group Swamptooth will travel from Savannah, Ga., to play at Jack of the Wood on Friday, July 28, at 9 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Swamptooth

BEN'S TUNE UP

EK Balam (reggaeton, hip hop), 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BREWING

Seth & Sara (modern Western), 6pm

CATAWBA BREWING

COMPANY SOUTH

SLOPE ASHEVILLE

Comedy at Catawba: Brian Parise, 7pm

CORK & KEG

Fancy & the Gentlemen (country, roots), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Peggy Ratusz (blues, jazz, soul), 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Honky Tonk Fridays w/Jackson Grimm, 4pm

• Swamptooth (cosmic bluegrass), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Open Mic Night w/ Hamza, 8pm

NOBLE CIDER & MEAD TAPROOM AND PRODUCTION

FACILITY

Crisp Comedy, 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

• Free Dead Friday ft

Gus & Phriends (Grateful Dead), 5:30pm

• Kevin Daniel w/Ashley Heath, 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

5J Barrow Friday Nights (folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Nerd Alert ft Brandon

Manitoba (electro/funk), 8pm

RABBIT RABBIT

Silent Disco: Eric v. Erik, 9pm

SALVAGE STATION

George Porter Jr. & Runnin Pardner w/ Marvelous Funkshun (R&B, soul, funk), 7pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Mood Ring (R&B, soul, vintage jazz), 9pm

SILVERADOS

Jason Passmore & Carolina Kin Band (country, rock, blues), 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Ryan Oslance, 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Austin Lucas w/Have

Gun Will Travel (Americana/folk), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Roots & Dore (blues, roots), 6pm

• Horsegirl w/Lifeguard (noisy rock/punk), 9pm

THE ODD

Asheville After Dark

Presents Perversions (kink night), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

80s vs 90s Dance Party, 9pm

THE RAD BREW CO.

Life Like Water (Americana, indie, folk), 6pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Jody Carroll (Americana, folk, blues), 8pm

SATURDAY, JULY 29

27 CLUB

Mary's Letter, 86Hope, Ever After, Little Champion (punk), 8pm

ALLEYCATAVL

Karaoke Dance Party, 8pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 7pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

Vince Junior Band (Appalachian, blues, surf), 8pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

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

BEN'S TUNE UP

Jaze Uries (house, electronic), 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING

Chris Jamison (Americana, folk), 6pm

CORK & KEG

Vollie, Kari & The Western Wildcats (honky tonk, country, swing), 8pm

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON

Comedy Hypnosis w/ Jon Dee, 8am

GINGER'S REVENGE

SOUTH SLOPE

LOUNGE

• Color Machine (folk, rock), 4pm

• Modelface Comedy:

Mark Chalifoux, 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody's Darling String Band, 4pm

• Cyndi Lou & the

Want To (Western honky tonk), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Karaoke Night, 9pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

• Sonic Playground

Saturdays, 6pm

• Crash Test Radio (rock), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Synaptic Gardens (techno, ambient, hiphop), 4pm

• Electric Garden (rock, funk, fusion), 8pm

RABBIT RABBIT

Manchester Orchestra & Jimmy Eat World, 6pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Lyric (pop, rock, funk), 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

GruntWerk (downtempo lounge), 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Sik Minds (rap, hip hop), 9pm

THE BURGER BAR

Best Worst Karaoke, 9pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR

Pluto: The Underworld Dance Odyssey, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Asheville Junction (bluegrass, Americana), 5pm

• 50th Anniversary of Watkins Glen Summer

Jam ft Idlewild South, Dirty Dead & Eric Travers Band, 8pm

THE ODD

Party Foul Drag & Saturday Night Tease, 8pm

THE OUTPOST

Mama & The Ruckus (blues, soul), 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE

Don't Tell Comedy: South Slope, 9:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Richard Smith (blues, jazz), 8pm

SUNDAY, JULY 30

APPALACHIAN

MOUNTAIN BREWERY

Muddy Guthrie (Americana, rock, blues), 4pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Sunday Hustle Dance Party, 9pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO.

Standup Comedy, 6:30pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING

Dark City Kings (garage rock, country, pop), 2pm

CATAWBA BREWING COMPANY SOUTH

SLOPE ASHEVILLE

Comedy at Catawba: Clark Jones, 6pm

DSSOLVR

Emo Night w/Kerosene Heights, 6pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm

HIGHLAND

DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Mr Jimmy Duo (blues), 1pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch, 1pm

• Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Shakedown Sundays (rock, jam band), 8:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Sunday Jazz Jam, 1:30pm

• DJ Topspeed, 6pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Pisgah Sunday Jam, 6:30pm

SILVERADOS

Sunday Bike Night, 3pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

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

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Season of the Witch w/Buzzhound (doom metal, stoner metal), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Emery (alt/indie), 7:30pm

THE ODD

Zillicoah, Lost Horizon, Shutterings (rock/indie), 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Tony McManus w/Robin Bullock (Celtic, jazz), 7:30pm

PLĒB URBAN WINERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

MONDAY,

JULY 31

27 CLUB

• Goth Night: Cold Choir, Obsidian, Scary Black & Tears For the Dying, 8pm • Karaoke Monday, 10pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

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

ALLEYCATAVL

Hot Seat Comedy Open Mic Show, 8pm

DSSOLVR

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Traditonal Old Time Jam, 5:30pm

HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB

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

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Totally Rad Trivia w/ Mitch Fortune, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

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

NOBLE CIDER

DOWNTOWN Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

It Takes All Kinds

Open Mic Nights, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Open Mic Downtown, 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Mashup Mondays w/

The JLloyd Mashup Band, 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm

THE MONTE VISTA HOTEL

Music Mondays, 5pm

THE ODD

Magic The Gathering & Smash Bros. Tournament, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Julia Jacklin w/Kara

Jackson (alt/indie), 8pm

THE RAD BREW CO. Trivia w/Billy, 7pm

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10pm

FRENCH BROAD

BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Team Trivia, 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Early Tuesday Jam (funk), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Grateful Family Band Celebration of Jerry

Garcia's Birthday, 6pm

SHAKEY'S Mid-Summer Booty w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 9pm

SILVERADOS Dark City Comedy Open Mic Night, 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

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

THE BURGER BAR

C U Next Tuesday Trivia, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

HELLCRAB (contemporary jazz octet), 8pm

THE ODD

Open Mic Comedy, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Atmosphere (pop, hip hop), 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Tuesday Night Trivia, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

White Horse Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2

ALLEYCATAVL

Karaoke Dance Party, 8pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

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

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

FBVMA: Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Hump Day Hootenanny (rock/funk), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

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

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Dirty Heads w/Lupe

Fiasco, Little Stranger & Bikini Trill (reggae rock), 5:30pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Irish Music Circle, 7pm

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3

AMAZING PUBCYCLE

The Office Trivia Night, 6pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

The MGB's (acoustic), 7:30pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

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

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

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

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Iggy Radio (Southern rock), 7pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING

Muddy Guthrie (Americana, rock, blues), 8pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST Andre Lasalle Frequencies (rock, R&B, soul), 8pm

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

THE ROOT BAR Kendra & Friends (multiple genres), 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD Trivia Thursday, 7pm

WNC OUTDOOR COLLECTIVE Trivia, 6:30pm

WRONG WAY

CAMPGROUND Don't Tell Comedy: West Asheville, 7pm

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are about to read a thunderbolt of sublime prophecies. It’s guaranteed to nurture the genius in your soul’s underground cave. Are you ready? 1. Your higher self will prod you to compose a bold prayer in which you ask for stuff you thought you weren’t supposed to ask for. 2. Your higher self will know what to do to enhance your love life by at least 20 percent, possibly more. 3. Your higher self will give you extra access to creativity and imaginative powers, enabling you to make two practical improvements in your life.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1991, John Kilcullen began publishing books with “for Dummies” in the title: for example, Sex for Dummies, Time Management for Dummies, Personal Finance for Dummies, and my favorite, Stress Management for Dummies

There are now over 300 books in this series. They aren’t truly for stupid people, of course. They’re designed to be robust introductions to interesting and useful subjects. I invite you to emulate Kilcullen’s mindset, Taurus. Be innocent, curious, and eager to learn. Adopt a beginner’s mind that’s receptive to being educated and influenced. (If you want to know more, go here: tinyurl.com/TruthForDummies)

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I could be converted to a religion of grass,” says Indigenous author Louise Erdrich in her book Heart of the Land. “Sink deep roots. Conserve water. Respect and nourish your neighbors. Such are the tenets. As for practice — grow lush in order to be devoured or caressed, stiffen in sweet elegance, invent startling seeds. Connect underground. Provide. Provide. Be lovely and do no harm.” I advocate a similar approach to life for you Geminis in the coming weeks. Be earthy, sensual, and lush. (PS: Erdrich is a Gemini.)

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I hereby appoint myself as your temporary social director. My first action is to let you know that from an astrological perspective, the next nine months will be an excellent time to expand and deepen your network of connections and your web of allies. I invite you to cultivate a vigorous grapevine that keeps you up-to-date about the latest trends affecting your work and play. Refine your gossip skills. Be friendlier than you’ve ever been. Are you the best ally and collaborator you could possibly be? If not, make that one of your assignments.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): There are two kinds of holidays: those created by humans and those arising from the relationship between the sun and earth. In the former category are various independence days: July 4 in the US, July 1 in Canada, July 14 in France, and June 2 in Italy. Japan observes Foundation Day on February 11. Among the second kind of holiday is Lammas on August 1, a pagan festival that in the Northern Hemisphere marks the halfway point between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. In pre-industrial cultures, Lammas celebrated the grain harvest and featured outpourings of gratitude for the crops that provide essential food. Modern revelers give thanks for not only the grain, but all the nourishing bounties provided by the sun’s and earth’s collaborations. I believe you Leos are smart to make Lammas one of your main holidays. What’s ready to be harvested in your world. What are your prime sources of gratitude?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): For many of us, a disposal company regularly comes to our homes to haul away the garbage we have generated. Wouldn’t it be great if there was also a reliable service that purged our minds and hearts of the psychic gunk that naturally accumulates? Psychotherapists provide this blessing for some of us, and I know people who derive similar benefits from spiritual rituals. Getting drunk or intoxicated may work, too, although those states often generate their own dreck. With these thoughts in mind, Virgo, meditate on how you might cleanse your soul with a

steady, ennobling practice. Now is an excellent time to establish or deepen this tradition.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I’m wondering if there is a beloved person to whom you could say these words by Rumi: “You are the sky my spirit circles in, the love inside love, the resurrection-place.” If you have no such an ally, Libra, the coming months will be a favorable time to attract them into your life. If there is such a companion, I hope you will share Rumi’s lyrics with them, then go further. Say the words Leonard Cohen spoke: “When I’m with you, I want to be the kind of hero I wanted to be when I was seven years old.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your theme for the coming weeks is “pleasurable gooseflesh.” I expect and hope you’ll experience it in abundance. You need it and deserve it! Editor Corrie Evanoff describes “pleasurable gooseflesh” as “the primal response we experience when something suddenly violates our expectations in a good way.” It can also be called “frisson”—a French word meaning “a sudden feeling or sensation of excitement, emotion, or thrill.” One way this joy may occur is when we listen to a playlist of songs sequenced in unpredictable ways — say Mozart followed by Johnny Cash, then Edit Piaf, Led Zeppelin, Blondie, Queen, Luciano Pavarotti and Yellow Magic Orchestra. Here’s your homework: Imagine three ways you can stimulate pleasurable gooseflesh and frisson, then go out and make them happen.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Fire rests by changing,” wrote ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. In accordance with astrological omens, I ask you to meditate on that riddle. Here are some preliminary thoughts: The flames rising from a burning substance are always moving, always active, never the same shape. Yet they comprise the same fire. As long as they keep shifting and dancing, they are alive and vital. If they stop changing, they die out and disappear. The fire needs to keep changing to thrive! Dear Sagittarius, here’s your assignment: Be like the fire; rest by changing.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): There’s ample scientific evidence that smelling cucumbers can diminish feelings of claustrophobia. For example, some people become anxious when they are crammed inside a narrow metal tube to get an MRI. But numerous imaging facilities have reduced that discomfort with the help of cucumber oil applied to cotton pads and brought into proximity to patients’ noses. I would love it if there were also natural ways to help you break free of any and all claustrophobic situations, Capricorn. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to hone and practice the arts of liberation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone,” said Aquarian author Gertrude B. Stein. She was often quirky and even downright weird, but as you can see, she also had a heartful attitude about her alliances. Stein delivered another pithy quote that revealed her tender approach to relationships. She said that love requires a skillful audacity about sharing one’s inner world. I hope you will put these two gems of advice at the center of your attention, Aquarius. You are ready for a strong, sustained dose of deeply expressive interpersonal action.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to the International Center for Academic Integrity, 95% of high school students acknowledge they have participated in academic cheating. We can conclude that just one of 20 students have never cheated — a percentage that probably matches how many non-cheaters there are in every area of life. I mention this because I believe it’s a favorable time to atone for any deceptions you have engaged in, whether in school or elsewhere. I’m not necessarily urging you to confess, but I encourage you to make amends and corrections to the extent you can. Also: Have a long talk with yourself about what you can learn from your past cons and swindles.

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ACROSS

1 Leave no way out

5 Send (off)

9 Home of Akershus Castle, which has a replica at Disney World

13 “Star Trek” communications officer

14 Common conifer

15 Word with sight or speed

16 Kidney-related

17 *Christina of “Bad Moms”

19 Neptune, for one

21 Honey and Sugar, for two

22 *Robotic type

24 Peace activist Yoko

25 Zippo

26 Arm rests?

29 .doc alternative

32 It’s a deal!

34 Vampire’s “bed”

35 Intensity, metaphorically

37 *Cause for a blessing

39 Selection screen

40 Cream-filled pastry

42 Overlook rudely

44 Kobe currency

45 Site of the first “Occupy” protests, in brief

46 Feature of many of a Corvette

48 Music genre originating in Jamaica

49 *Tab found on many musicians’ websites

54 Confession from someone who had an ace up the sleeve

57 “This is weirdly familiar”

58 Hierarchical system … or what is formed when the answers to the starred clues are placed end to end

60 Manipulated unfairly, as a system

61 Type

62 Target for salicylic acid

63 Famous last words?

64 “A Man Called ___” (2022 Tom Hanks film)

65 “Can you repeat that?”

66 Lip

DOWN

1 Grp. with a 12-star flag

2 Charge

3 Neighbor of Catalonia, in Spain

4 Cocktails of tequila and grapefruit soda

5 Balneotherapy site

6 “Hungry hungry” animal in a popular game

7 How signatures are typically written

8 Bombard, as with snowballs

9 Any living thing

10 Novelty aquarium dweller

11 Way to sleep or run

13 ___ Major

18 “The ___ Holmes Mysteries” (young adult detective series)

20 Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain,” e.g.

23 Diamond’s opposite on the Mohs scale

26 Did some intel work

27 It may be passed down from parent to child

28 Shock

29 “That was a close one!”

30 Ten: Prefix

31 Not quite succeed

33 Canadian interjections

36 Spoke with

38 Airing

41 Sir ___ Newton

43 Features of many New York City street corners

47 Word with pants or party 49 Drain, as from soil

50 Tony-winning actress Menzel