Mountain Xpress 07.28.21 by Mountain Xpress

OUR 27TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 27 NO. 52 JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

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C ONTENT S

10 THE WORK GOES ON How local faith communities are addressing racial justice in 2021

12 ROCK OF AGES Cullowhee’s enigmatic Judaculla Rock continues to inspire conjecture

Sourcing materials from Western North Carolina while meeting consumer demand and growing a business can be difficult — and sometimes impossible. Local businesses in Asheville open up about their balancing act. COVER PHOTO iStock

13 ‘ONE COW FOR EVERY FIVE PERSONS’ WNC dairy farming pushed as an economic booster in the early 1930s

4 LETTERS 4 CARTOON: MOLTON

WELLNESS

5 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 16 WHERE CREDIT IS DUE Local orgs urge ACA signups by Aug. 15

A&C

ARCHIVES

COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

18 GREATER MYSTERIES Author Terry Roberts blurs genres in his latest novel

6 COMMENTARY 8 NEWS 14 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 16 WELLNESS 18 ARTS & CULTURE 26 CLUBLAND

30 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 31 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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EDITOR: Thomas Calder

23 WHAT’S NEW IN FOOD The Jazzy Vegetarian launches new season and other WNC culinary updates

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NEWS

SHOP LOCAL-ISH

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FEATURES

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OPINION

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

Seeking justice and connection around food My name is Zella, and I’m a recent graduate of the Warren Wilson social work program, a former Sonic employee and a first-generation college student. After graduation, I will move on to a higher-paying job after spending six months working in fast food during a global pandemic. For many of my friends, this is a longterm reality. Sonic employees are, in my opinion, shamefully underpaid for their labor, like many other workers in the fast-food industry. Carhops at Sonic are paid a subminimum wage, but they don’t have the infrastructure to allow tips via card, despite cashless transactions being most common. To address these concerns, I created a petition on Coworker.org that reached over 8,000 signatures at time of writing. My senior field placement was at Asheville Poverty Initiative, an economic justice nonprofit. We believe that learning to see each other as neighbors and friends will transform our community. The COVID-

Stand up for biodiversity and Arctic wildlife refuge

C A RT O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N 19 pandemic has radically changed the way that we approach our mission. Rates of food insecurity have tripled since the pandemic. Instead of a cafe-style environment, we have shifted to a food distribution model to mitigate viral transmission. Each week at API, we receive mountains of donations, ranging from pantry staples like milk, eggs and pasta to gourmet cheeses, fresh produce and desserts. This abundance changed my relationship with food and scarcity. I started bringing excess API food in to share with my co-workers at Sonic. Before long, there was a small section in the crew area with a bag full of food for employees. This small cultural shift was evidence that I was able to carry out API’s mission of abundance and expand its reach to new communities. The food brings people to the table, but the act of breaking bread with someone makes authentic connections. — Zella Roberts Asheville Editor’s note: Xpress reached out to Sonic’s media representatives about the letter writer’s points but received no response.

Youths need education on interacting with police I have several friends and clients who have served with the Asheville Police Department over the years and am so dismayed at the way our 4

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government and some people are treating these men and women who face potential danger every day, whether they are on shift or not. The police already know how to do their jobs. They do not need any critical race theory or race training. That is a complete crock. I am disgusted by what our once-fine city is doing to the morale of our police by caving to the few most vocal complainers among us. What needs to happen is education of the citizenry, especially our young people. They are obviously not learning what they need to know about interacting with the police at home, so we need bring it into our schools. Kids need to learn that the police are not their enemy unless they are doing something illegal. They need to learn at a young age that when a police officer tells them to do something or to stop doing something, they need to listen and not attempt anything other than to follow the order or request. Fighting or running from the police never ends well. People forget the danger that our officers face, and they do not think about how scary it can be to walk up to a car during a traffic stop these days. We need to recognize that they are just people, too, and that they do not want a fight. They want to work their shift and go home to their families, too. — Laura McCue Asheville business owner Arden

While Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is approximately 3,200 miles from Asheville, the threats facing it are closer to us than you might think. Asheville is facing natural disasters like increasingly strong storms and landslides, while the refuge is facing rapidly melting permafrost and sea ice. That’s why I recently joined fellow advocates to speak to Sens. Richard Burr’s and Thom Tillis’, and Rep. Alma Adams’ offices during Defenders of Wildlife’s Grassroots Advocacy Week. We advocated for the Arctic Refuge Protection Act (S. 282/H.R. 815) and the National Biodiversity Strategy (House Res. 69) because these issues affect everyone, no matter where we live. Biodiversity enhances the resiliency of Earth’s ecosystems against the threats posed to us all by a changing climate. Unfortunately, global biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate. One million species face extinction by 2050, including the red-winged blackbird, which travels through Asheville and the Arctic Refuge. Fossil fuel extraction on the refuge’s coastal plain threatens biodiversity by exacerbating the effects of climate change, endangering wildlife and jeopardizing the livelihoods of the Gwich’in Nation. For 20,000 years, the Gwich’in have stewarded this land and honored its abundant wildlife, calling the coastal plain The Sacred Place Where Life Begins. The refuge’s ancient heartbeat is felt in the graceful strides of polar bears as they traverse land and ice; it’s seen in the many hoofprints left by the Porcupine caribou herd during their yearly migration to the coastal plain; it’s heard in the gentle spouting of bowhead whales gliding under the frigid surface of the Beaufort Sea; it’s supported by the stories and experiences of the Gwich’in, whose ancestral connections to the land run like deep roots beneath its mountains, meadows, sands and seas. Let’s stand up for each other, wildlife, our planet and future generations by protecting the Arctic Refuge and establishing a National Biodiversity Strategy. — Maddy Watson Arden

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

Calling all photographers! is accepting photographs for its new feature:

Snapshot

You don’t need to be a professional photographer to contribute. The series seeks to highlight current grassroots efforts, unique gatherings and other local initiatives that capture the spirit of our community. If you have images you’d like us to consider, please submit them to news@mountainx.com with the subject line, “Snapshot.” MOUNTAINX.COM

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

OPINION

Beyond a monument Creating change for local Black communities

BY ISABELLA RICHARDS

On March 23, the Vance Monument on Pack Square, dedicated to the late Confederate military officer and North Carolina Gov. Zebulon Vance, was approved for removal. M.S. Lean Landscaping, a Black-owned landscaping and construction company, based in Asheville, was awarded a $25,535 landscaping contract for temporary site restoration. In the eyes of many, this may seem like a step in the right direction for supporting the Black community in Asheville. Yet, when I interviewed the founder of M.S. Lean Landscaping, Stephen Smith, about his thoughts regarding the project, he responded, “There could be more done.” The best way to learn how to support a community is to listen to the voices of those directly affected. From my interview with Stephen, I learned why the destruction of the Vance Monument does not directly address the issues that the Black community faces every day without the support of community leaders. A bit of background: In 2014, Stephen founded M.S. Lean Landscaping to hire formerly incarcerated Black men like himself and give them the support to reenter the workforce, gaining tangible and interpersonal skills through hands-on experiences and developing familylike bonds with one another. Stephen and his employees are grateful for the opportunity to do a larger-scale project but acknowledge that their company, along with many Black-owned businesses in Buncombe County, will continue to struggle financially without the creation and implementation of a comprehensive economic development plan by local and higher levels of government. A LACK OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT To truly support the Black community, individuals need to learn and understand the root causes of inequity within communities. A root cause of inequity is the lack of financial support for minority-owned businesses, leading to high poverty rates for many Asheville and Buncombe County community members. In North Carolina, people of color experience disproportionately high poverty rates, with 22% of Black North Carolinians in poverty compared with the statewide average of all races of 13.6%, according to 6

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like that. M.S. Lean Landscaping, along with other Black-owned businesses, is disappointed to receive that kind of news. This raises the question of what funds are being used for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion and how they can be better allocated all around to create a positive cycle of change. As Stephen says, “If you put money into the development of Black businesses, you’ll see change all around with more people getting jobs and not committing crimes to get their next meal. As for now, my employees and I will work every day to build cash flow and invest in what we see can make a change in this community.”

MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Asheville business founder Stephen Smith believes that community investments in Black-owned businesses would lead to positive change. Photo courtesy of Isabella Richards the N.C. Justice Center. In Asheville, 13.8% of residents are in poverty, according to the Census Bureau. A disparity study published by Triangle Business Journal shows that the state of North Carolina awarded $10 billion in contracts for goods and services during a five-year period (2013-18), and yet only $21.6 million dollars were spent with Black-owned businesses. That is less than 1%. “A $35 million transportation improvement project for the River Arts District was recently completed less than a mile from where many low-income Black people live,” Stephen told me. “Yet, Black males ages 16-21 who could have been given the opportunity to work on the project were not. We continue to see high rates of unemployment for Black people in Buncombe County. The more we wait to fix this trend, the further it pushes the Black community back.”

HOW TO HELP

So beyond removing monuments, how can communities practice what they preach when talking about equity and supporting the Black community? Stand behind the minority-owned businesses that are already advancing the mission. Take the time to learn about the work they do and give them a platform to share their voices on the issues impacting them directly. The best way to learn how to be an ally is to listen to the community and their needs, which extend beyond financial support for many Black-owned businesses in Asheville and Buncombe County.

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When Stephen founded M.S. Lean Landscaping, he had to navigate how to make a business plan, hire employees, get potential investors and much more. In his words, “I had no idea what to do, and when I asked for professional help, I was disregarded. Only my friends came to my side, and they didn’t know anything about business.” While it is important for Blackowned businesses to have financial support, many can benefit from people who volunteer their time and knowledge for free. People can do things like sit down with a founder and help them craft their business plan, teach them how to grow, invest and expand, and explain how they can earn money and capital. These invaluable skills can help Black-owned businesses gain the autonomy and knowledge to confidently make change for their communities, whose issues they know best. But how can the government support minority-owned businesses on a larger scale? Beyond making statements about diversity, equity and inclusion, transparency is needed on how statements are being put into action. M.S. Lean Landscaping has proposed plans of action, such as taking 10 Black-owned businesses and investing $10 million in them so they can in turn invest in youths who come from lower-income communities to break the cycle of impoverishment and criminal activity. Stephen envisions this plan giving them the opportunity to train youths in various trade skills that they can use throughout the rest of their lives. Yet, local government has said there are not enough funds for a program

NECESSARY WORK

Hitting the root causes of inequities in Asheville and around the country is necessary work. While further deconstruction of the Vance Monument is on hold because of a court challenge, citizens of Asheville and Buncombe County may wonder: What can they be doing to support the Black community? Assuming the monument fully comes down at some point in the future, what will life look like for them days, weeks, months and years afterward? The dynamics of entire communities need to be changed, with much more support and allyship being demonstrated beyond verbal or written statements. If you are unsure where you can help, ask someone who is part of the Black community about their mission and vision for change, and take the extra step further by asking how you can help them achieve that. Supporting a community means understanding their story and letting their voices be heard. Isabella Richards worked with M.S. Lean Landscaping as part of Bridging the Gap Consulting, a student-led organization working to close the racial wealth divide and cultivate top, diverse leaders through providing pro bono consulting services to BIPOC-owned businesses across the country. She currently attends the University of California, Los Angeles. X

ISABELLA RICHARDS

MOUNTAINX.COM

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

NEWS

Shop local-ish

Globalization complicates the meaning of local

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN jwakeman@mountainx.com It’s impossible to walk in downtown Asheville without receiving the message loud and clear: This city supports its local businesses. Locally based brands like Spicewalla, Roots Hummus and Buchi Kombucha appear regularly on store shelves. Stickers promoting Go Local Asheville (formerly the Asheville Grown Business Alliance), a locally focused economic alliance, adorn window fronts. A boutique on Haywood Street posts a cheeky sign outside its store, warning, “Friends don’t let friends shop at chains.” Go Local Asheville, the purveyor of the Go Local card that offers discounts at over 550 local businesses, defines a “local” business as one that is independent, not part of a franchise or chain and does not have a corporate headquarters outside North Carolina, says Executive Director Sherree Lucas. Owners with at least a 50% controlling

MADE IN WNC: Alex Matisse, co-founder of East Fork Pottery, says providing job opportunities in Asheville is rewarding. Photo courtesy of East Fork Pottery interest must live in Buncombe County or the surrounding counties. Business owners feel the love. “There is a community of business owners and customers who are all there to cheer you on and spend their hard-earned money with you when they can,” Claire Watson, co-founder of Moonlight Makers, a clothing and housewares shop, tells Xpress. Adds Ginger Frank, founder of Poppy Hand-crafted Popcorn, which has a production facility in Black Mountain, “The welcome from the locals is so heartwarming. They’re genuinely glad we’re there, and that smalltown feeling just can’t be ignored.” Yet while browsing downtown and elsewhere in the city, one sees evidence of globalization. T-shirts celebrating Asheville, its mountains and its vibes bear a tag reading “Made in Nicaragua.” At every turn, local entrepreneurs must decide where to source their materials and make their products. Those choices shape what “local business” actually means in Asheville’s economy.

FINDING A NICHE

Western North Carolina hosts a number of large manufacturing plants, including operations for GE, Linamar, Eaton and the recently announced Pratt & Whitney plant. But historically, the area attracted even more production, including large textile factories, metalworking and woodworking facilities — until the 1980s 8

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and 1990s, when most of those companies relocated their production to other countries with lower costs and weaker protections for workers and the environment. “A lot of that work has gone overseas and will likely stay overseas,” explains Sara Chester, co-executive director of The Industrial Commons, a nonprofit that incubates industry cooperatives in WNC. Factories that relocated tend to operate on large-scale runs, sometimes producing 100,000 units at a time. “You can make a $3.50 T-shirt with overseas production but not with American production, just sheerly because of what they pay overseas compared with what we pay here,” says Chester. For this reason, products made in China — or anywhere where the cost of manufacturing is much cheaper — are ubiquitous throughout the United States. But the international supply chain can also be responsible for a larger carbon footprint and environmental degradation, she notes. And in some places, producing goods involves forced labor, child workers or other human rights abuses. Industrial production in WNC is not extinct, Chester continues; it just tends to occur in “smaller batches.” For example, Opportunity Threads, The Industrial Commons’ cooperative cut-and-sew factory based in Burke County, can provide mid- to high-volume production of 3,000 to 25,000 units per style. The smallest runs start at 500 to 1,000 units per style, according to its website.

These locally made products tend to be made of “quality materials,” Chester says. The goods then go to market as “higher-end niche products.” Asheville-based East Fork Pottery follows such a model, offering wares such as a $38 coffee mug and $46 dinner plate. “We sell a premium product,” says co-founder Alex Matisse. “It’s pretty expensive. And that’s because that’s how much it costs to make the thing and to operate the business in the way we want to do it.” Chester says that in her personal experience, consumers will accept prices of 3%-5% more for products that are made locally. “Both the consumer and corporations are in a place right now where they’re willing to pay a little bit more if something is environmentally friendly, produced with living wages or produced in a socially responsible way,” she explains. She hopes that in time, it will “always make sense” for businesses to source their materials and products locally, because the consumer will always be willing to pay a higher price. “We have zero issues right now, fortunately, selling what we make,” says Matisse.

GO LOCAL (IF YOU CAN)

When local businesses manage to source local materials from other local makers, the raw inputs may have traveled thousands of miles to get here. Frank notes that her popcorn uses chocolate from French Broad Chocolates, cinnamon honey whiskey

from Asheville Distilling Co., coffee from Dynamite Roasting Co. and gingerbread from Red Radish. Local coffee roasters like Dynamite Roasting Co. and Pisgah Coffee Roasters source their beans from faraway countries, such as Ethiopia, Sumatra, Bolivia and Brazil. French Broad Chocolates purchases cacao from Nicaragua, Guatemala, Peru and Costa Rica, although it processes the beans into bonbons at a factory on Riverside Drive in Asheville. Watson, from Moonlight Makers, says her company’s T-shirts come from a supplier in Indian Trail, near Charlotte, but the company had to look farther afield for another popular item. “We get our dish towels from Turkey and India through a couple of American middlemen, as we haven’t been able to source anywhere locally that can supply 20,000 pieces per month,” she says. The ability to source materials nearby while meeting consumer demand and growing a business can be difficult — or sometimes impossible. When Matisse co-founded East Fork Pottery with his wife, Connie, in 2010, he mixed the clay himself. The couple fired their pottery in a wood kiln that they and their friends built in a prefab Lowe’s storage shed. But as East Fork Pottery’s business grew, the company upgraded to purchasing clay from a supplier in Seagrove, a town in the North Carolina Piedmont. “To make what we make, it would be an impossibility to do that from what they call the pipe clay — the local clay you can find around the Asheville area,” Matisse says. “As we’ve grown, we’ve needed to expand. We use an enormous amount of clay.” As East Fork Pottery expanded its offerings, it searched farther afield to other clay suppliers (and introduced a gas kiln in 2015). Today, the company operates two shops and a ceramics manufacturing studio on Short McDowell Street. It now purchases clay from Highwater Clays in Asheville, which sources components from throughout the Southeast. Matisse acknowledges that with its components coming from Tennessee and Georgia, the clay is more regional than local. But he says the company is always mindful of the distance that its materials travel. East Fork Pottery now employs over 100 people and generates over $10 million in annual revenue. And while Matisse and his co-founders have received unsolicited emails about moving their manufacturing operations overseas, he says the company and its investors aren’t interested in that idea. Another Buncombe County-based company that has found it untenable to keep everything local is No Evil

FEELING THE LOVE: Nicole Hairfield and Claire Watson, co-founders of Moonlight Makers, say Asheville’s small-business community members help one another. Photo courtesy of Dominic Fearns Foods, a vegan protein brand. The company closed its Weaverville production facility in June and moved to a comanufacturing model. The decision “was precipitated by a series of unfortunate and compounding complications,” says co-founder Sadrah Schadel, “which eroded our cash reserves as we struggled to safely keep operations going during the [COVID19] pandemic.” On June 7, Schadel says the business learned that “significant infusion of essential capital fell through suddenly.” The company announced the closure of its Weaverville plant on June 11; it is currently in the process of establishing co-production with a partner in Illinois. Although Schadel declined to name the partner, she says it “works with other brands in the plant-based space.” Sourcing ingredients locally has also been difficult for No Evil Foods. The main protein in its products comes from hard winter wheat, which is sourced from Kansas. So Schadel says the company focuses on “prioritizing local and regional suppliers for other aspects of our supply chain,” such as Asheville-based printers BP Solutions, Hood Containers and Printville for the brand’s cartons, case boxes and coupons.

tourists and breweries,” he says. In his role as co-founder of a successful business, he says, “What I get excited about is offering job opportunities to people who have lived there their whole life.” Tom Dempsey, the founder of SylvanSport in Brevard, says he was

motivated to engineer and manufacture his main product, the GO camper, at a local factory in order to “do things here and try and solve the problems here, so that future generations have something to work with.” He employs 32 people and he anticipates hiring more. The GO camper is made of a proprietary aluminum alloy, waterproof and seam-sealed tents and powder-coated finishes. He says 80% of the parts are made within a 100-mile radius of Brevard. Manufacturing locally surprised some of his colleagues in the outdoor gear industry. “Early in the analysis, when I had a concept and an engineering development work being done, I had businesspeople ask me, ‘Why don’t you have that made in China?’” Dempsey recalls. But by manufacturing in Transylvania County, he says, he’s had an active presence in his two sons’ lives, which would have diminished if he were regularly traveling overseas. Being a local company, he says, was “a blend of sensible financial decisions, lifestyle decisions and decisions about the quality of life in the community in which you live and how you want it to evolve.” He adds, “I have zero regrets.” X

WORK FROM HOME

Local businesses arguably foster stronger social connections than chain stores, in part because the business owners tend to be embedded in the community. Matisse at East Fork Pottery says he worries about people in Asheville who are struggling. “The full spectrum of the community of Asheville is not just MOUNTAINX.COM

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

NEWS

The work goes on

How local faith communities are addressing racial justice in 2021 BY JESSICA WAKEMAN jwakeman@mountainx.com The murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020, spurred nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. In Asheville, Floyd’s murder had the immediate effect of religious institutions looking inward and engaging with their congregations around racial justice. More than a year on from those events, many faith communities have continued that work. Religious leaders say that they’ve strengthened initiatives that were in place before 2020 and started new efforts to face the social sins of racism. The racial justice healing group at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Asheville, for example, met monthly for several years prior to last spring, says Pastor Matt Smith. But as the national racial justice movement swelled, St.

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SPREADING LOVE: The Rev. Claudia Jiménez of Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville says racial justice work requires humility and accountability. Photo courtesy of UUCA Mark’s’ relationship with the WNC Baptist Fellowship Church — a historically Black Asheville congregation — brought the issue of police brutality and other consequences of racism into sharper focus. The two congregations occasionally share meals and hold joint worship services. “Our existing relationship with a Black congregation made us feel the effects of the George Floyd murder in a different way,” explains Smith. “It didn’t seem like an anonymous problem. This could have happened to our Black brothers and sisters that we have been worshipping with and breaking bread with.”

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zations led by people of color to distribute those funds directly to families adversely impacted by the coronavirus. Another religious institution in Asheville is factoring racial justice into its future plans. Biltmore United Methodist Church announced on July 19 that its congregation had voted to sell its 1.9-acre of its property on Hendersonsville Road. In a press release, the church shared that the endowment from the sale of the property may be used to support local racial justice initiatives. “The hope is that Biltmore will be able to support several organizations that work to address multiple forms of injustice within our community and the greater Asheville area,” Pastor Lucy Robbins tells Xpress.

CALLED TO ACTION

Witnessing the impact of tragedy on others has been a catalyzing force for many of Asheville’s faithful. The Rev. Claudia Jiménez, minister of faith development for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, says her congregation’s Anti-Racism and Immigration Justice Action Group became more active following Floyd’s murder and the inequities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The UUCA had a history of social activism, Jiménez says, such as providing sanctuary for undocumented immigrants and advocating for legalizing same-sex marriage. But the events of 2020, she continues, caused congre-

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gants who may not have previously recognized examples of white supremacy culture to witness its devastating effects on people of color, especially those who are economically insecure. “With the pandemic, that vulnerability could no longer be ignored,” she says. “Especially since there were so many people — usually people of the global majority — who were considered essential workers and yet whose salaries did not reflect how essential they were to us.” Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville also had a history of racial justice work within its congregation prior to 2020. For five years, says the Rev. Marcia Mount Shoop, the church’s Power and Race Team has brought in speakers such as Tema Okum, author of The Emperor Has No Clothes: Teaching About Race and Racism to People Who Don’t Want to Know. PART also partnered with The Cathedral of All Souls, an Asheville Episcopal congregation, to travel to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (informally known as the lynching memorial) in Montgomery, Ala. During 2021, Grace Covenant met the financial devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic by asking congregants to donate their coronavirus relief checks. Parishioners donated $35,000, says church spokesperson Anna Louise Murchison; Grace Covenant then asked partner organi-

LEARN AND LIVE

Other racial justice work in faith communities has focused on education. In November, the UUCA board formed a Racial Justice Advisory Council with a goal of making the congregation anti-racist. The council published a glossary of language around racism and white supremacy for parishioners in April and held a Zoom meeting to introduce congregants to the resources. And in May, UUCA ministers created an assessment on a Google Form to ask parishioners about their experience of race at the church. As of June, 90 people had responded out of a congregation of 450. Jiménez says the goal is to look at church’s hiring practices and other operations to uncover any existing racist structures. Faith-based reading and discussion groups also bolstered their efforts. Shoop says Grace Covenant’s Racial Justice Book Club, has read a book with a racial justice theme monthly since 2018. And amid the Black Lives Matters protests of the last year, 150 congregants participated in two months of reflections on the themes in Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad. UUCA also organized small groups to read Me and White Supremacy, and Jiménez says the positive experience may lead to the formation of a congregationwide racial justice book club. Robbins says that 20 congregants of Biltmore United Methodist Church held a reading group for Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving. “We had a good turnout for the book study, which indicates an interest from folks in learning about their own racist tendencies and how we work, individually and corporately, to overcome them,” she says.

She adds that she has preached several times since May 2020 about racial injustice “and how we are called as Christians to stand against these practices that oppress and marginalize our sisters and brothers of color.”

FROM THE TOP

As these ministers tend to their flocks, one faith leader is tending to the ministers — and encouraging them to do their own racial justice work. The Rev. Tami Forte Logan, the former pastor of Pharr Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, says she was called to form the interfaith group Faith 4 Justice Asheville following the killing of Jai “Jerry” Williams by Asheville Police Department Sgt. Tyler Radford in 2016. “This constant, what felt like a barrage of Black bodies — in particular, Black men — being shot and killed by police was disturbing to me,” Logan explains. She convened local faith leaders to assess how best to respond. “I wanted to hear from folks, ‘What is our role? What are you thinking? What are you feeling? How do we provoke justice for Black- and

brown-bodied people in this particular time?’” she recalls. Faith 4 Justice Asheville’s first meeting in 2016 brought together 25 multiracial and multidenominational clergy members. The group has taken numerous public actions over the years: prayer processions, candlelight vigils, writing letters, speaking before Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. The interfaith group, now a mix of about 30 clergy and laity, continues to meet monthly over Zoom. More white people have joined Faith 4 Justice Asheville since it started, and the number increased during the group’s past year of Zoom meetings, Logan says. The demographic change has demonstrated to her the need for racial justice to take place in churches. “More and more, I have recognized the need of white congregations to do this work,” Logan explains. “When you look at history and the support of white supremacy in this country and all the policies that follow, white churches have been highly complicit. ... There is a responsibility and accountability that white churches have to own and do their own work around that.” Addressing unconscious biases may be especially necessary, Jiménez says,

for denominations that have historically been progressive. Pastors and parishioners may push back against racial justice work under the assumption it is other people who have the most work to do. It’s internal work that Jiménez, who is Colombian, is doing herself. Even though she has Hispanic heritage, she says, she’s been influenced by white supremacist beliefs throughout her life, and so has her denomination. “One of Unitarian Universalists’ principles is respecting the inherent worth and dignity of everybody,” explains Jiménez. But despite a history of allyship and advocacy for social movements including racial justice, the denomination hasn’t always held itself accountable for its own complicity in structural racism. “We never really had a reckoning with the role white supremacy had,” she continues. Addressing racial justice in Asheville’s faith communities is not simple, nor will it be short-lived. It’s not a matter of “‘I’m going to read a book and be in a book club and I’m done,’” says Jiménez, wiping her hands for emphasis. “This is ongoing work, and this work requires curiosity and humility and vulnerability, as well as accountability.” X

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JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

N EWS

FEATURE

Rock of ages

Cullowhee’s enigmatic Judaculla Rock continues to inspire conjecture BRETT TINGLEY

the markings lend themselves to the imagination,” he continues.

bbtingley@gmail.com Just outside Cullowhee, a 240-square-foot soapstone boulder lies in a field along Caney Fork Creek. From a distance, the boulder appears like many others that dot the mountain landscape. Up close, however, the face of Judaculla Rock reveals an enduring piece of native history and an archaeological mystery that continues to puzzle historians and scientists. The rock is covered by hundreds of curious markings that elude easy description. Some believe those markings, known as petroglyphs, are merely abstract geometric shapes. Others suggest they commemorate victories in battle, indicate altered states or represent marks made by spirit beings themselves. Judaculla Rock derives its name from Tsul´kălū´, or Tsu-tla-ka-la, a powerful hunter spirit from Cherokee lore. According to Cherokee tradition, Tsul´kălū´ is the “master of game” who ensures successful hunts, and many local landmarks and places are named after him — including Cullowhee itself, derived from Judaculla-whee or “Judaculla’s place.” But at least some of the petroglyphs predate recorded Cherokee history. The earliest carvings are estimated to be thousands of years old. The leading theory of the National Park Service, which added Judaculla Rock to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, is that the boulder served as a stylized, three-dimensional map of the surrounding terrain. Other Native American petroglyphs are found near sites where multiple trails converged, and some markings on the rock appear to correspond to local landmarks such as Devil’s Courthouse, Tanasee Bald and the Cherokee settlement of Kanuga. No one is certain what the images mean, says Asheville-based author and podcaster Micah Hanks, who has been visiting Judaculla Rock for decades. Other regional examples of petroglyphs feature more recognizable imagery such as human and animal footprints, he says, making Judaculla Rock more of an enigma. “With the variety of theories about the rock that exist, it becomes evident how easily the ambiguous nature of 12

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

LOOKING CLOSELY

That imagination inspired Joshua P. Warren, the author of Haunted Asheville and creator of Asheville Ghost Tours, to put forward his own theory on Judaculla Rock. “I had always heard of a great mystery regarding strange, undecipherable carvings on a rock near Cullowhee,” Warren says. “When I finally made the trip to have a look at them, in the early 2000s, I was mesmerized. Why did ancient people create these markings?” Warren made a connection to experiments he had conducted as a child. “The surface of the rock reminded me of the random ‘soup’ of microorganisms I would see as a kid when examining a drop of local creek water under a cheap microscope,” he explains. “The resemblance was so uncanny that I wondered whether or not the ancient people who made those markings were depicting the same thing.” In a video describing his hypothesis (avl.mx/a2o), Warren uses a drop of water atop a thin sheet of mica — a mineral found across Western North Carolina that naturally breaks into thin, translucent sheets — to observe an amoeba suspended in a microscope slide. Using this crude, natural microscope, Warren says he could “easily see the microscopic life” in the slide. While he admits that the theory sounds far-fetched, he hopes that local microbiologists will take an interest in his theory and evaluate it for themselves. Thomas Martin, an associate professor of aquatic ecology and head of the biology department at Western Carolina University, says there’s some scientific plausibility to Warren’s speculation. Small droplets of water can act as rudimentary microscopes, Martin confirms, and simple rock crystal lenses found in modern-day Iraq have been dated to 700 B.C. It’s possible, then, that the creators of the Judaculla Rock petroglyphs used some type of ancient natural microscope to observe microorganisms and then carve them into the boulder’s face. “There is absolutely no reason to think that native Americans wouldn’t have been aware of that phenomenon,” Martin says.

MOUNTAINX.COM

ON YOUR MARKS: The surface of Judaculla Rock is covered with over 1,500 carvings, or petroglyphs, with some thought to be thousands of years old. Photo by Micah Hanks However, Martin points out that there is a plethora of other explanations for the carvings on the rock that do not depend on rewriting the histories of native people or microscopes. “Given the many possible reasons for the carving, in my opinion, an early microbiologist wishing to document his or her observations isn’t a sufficient answer,” he says.

TOUCHING THE PAST

Stephen Yerka, tribal historic preservation officer with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and a specialist in noninvasive archaeology, says that while Warren’s theory is not something the EBCI would immediately discount, it still remains conjecture. Archaeological evidence, Yerka says, suggests that ancient people knew about internal parasites on some level. But such knowledge would have been limited to specialists — those who practiced medicine — and may not have been passed down in the oral tradition. Instead, Yerka says the images on Judaculla Rock are “the closest connection we have to the ancient human mind” and “representative of the way these people saw the world.” Yerka also adds that “there are things about it that are carried in the oral tradition that are not shared with other people.” While Yerka says that the EBCI is happy for people to interact with the rock in respectful ways, he adds that it’s important to honor the ancestors who created the markings and respect the Cherokee history of the rock. “It’s like any religion. You don’t learn the mysteries of a religion from the outside,” he says. “The carvings and the use of that stone date back 4,000 years or more,”

Yerka continues. “Over the next several thousand years it was visited by Cherokees for different purposes: stone bowl making, making petroglyphs, a place for prayer. All those things tie in together.” Ultimately, Yerka stresses that it’s important to remember there’s a living community in Western North Carolina that maintains a sacred connection to the rock. “A lot of times these fantastical claims get a lot more attention than the fact that this is a part of what was originally 140,000 square miles of Cherokee territory before European contact,” Yerka says. “It’s making a big hoopla and taking it out of the hands of the Cherokee.”

CHANCES TO SEE

Whatever Judaculla Rock’s true story is, its recent past also demonstrates the difficulty in making local history accessible to residents and visitors while also honoring and preserving it. For years, the rock sat unprotected, seeing its share of vandalism, graffiti and misuse. In 2016 alone, vandals spraypainted their initials on the rock in six different locations, and a Bryson City man turned himself in the same year after stealing an informative sign from the site. In 2009, Jackson County, the EBCI, the N.C. Office of State Archaeology and the Caney Fork Community Development Council developed a plan to help preserve the rock for future generations. The site now features an elevated viewing platform with informative signs, as well as features to control erosion and sediment that were degrading the petroglyphs. For more information about the rock and how to visit it, go to www. discoverjacksonnc.com. X

FEA T U RE S

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

‘One cow for every five persons’ WNC dairy farming pushed as an economic booster in the early 1930s In the early days of the Great Depression, Asheville residents were encouraged to take up dairy farming as a way to combat the economic hardships. “There is no sounder basis for agriculture anywhere than dairying where the conditions are such that this can be practiced with success,” declared a Nov. 12, 1931, editorial in The Asheville Citizen. “It is almost impossible for a region in which the dairy industry has been soundly established to experience prolonged hard times.” The following month, The Asheville Citizen ran a full report from a local dairy committee. The group urged “one cow for every five persons.” Furthermore, the committee encouraged feeding cattle “liberally” to ensure a net gain. “Little profit can be expected from a production of less than 275 pounds of fat,” the report read. Amid the dairy craze, the Biltmore Dairy Farms on the Biltmore Estate expanded its plant. On Aug. 26, 1932, The Asheville Citizen noted that over 6,000 residents visited the establishment during its grand reopening. Along with free entry, over 7,000 dishes of Biltmore ice cream were served, the paper stated. According to the article, the latest equipment allowed the plant to double its capacity, producing over 4,000 pounds of butter and 2,000 pounds of ice cream daily. That October, the push for additional dairy farmers once again appeared in the paper. Based on 1931 data, “production of cheese in this state was eleven million pounds short of the amount needed for local consumption,” the paper wrote. Meanwhile, the supply of butter fell 16 million pounds short of demand.

MOO: As Americans battled the early days of the Great Depression, Asheville residents were urged to take up dairy farming as a way to combat the country’s ongoing economic woes. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County Special Collections, Asheville With this in mind, The Asheville Citizen concluded: “Farm dairying should be undertaken as a permanent side-line to the usual cash crop, and not as a substitute or as an emergency measure for low-priced cotton or tobacco. The farmer who goes into farm dairying one year and out the next according to whether the price of cotton or tobacco is up or down will be a failure as a dairyman. However, the man who properly feeds his cows on home-grown feeds and gradually builds up milk productions by good breeding and selection will find that his returns from the cows over a period of years will compare favorably with any other farm enterprise.” Locals appear to have heeded the call. On May 28, 1934, The Asheville Citizen informed readers that Buncombe

County led the way in a recent study conducted by the Tennessee Valley Authority focused on the economics tied to farming in 15 WNC counties. Among its many first-place finishes, Buncombe farmers topped the list for most cropland with 57,559 acres (14% of the county’s total acreage), top total wages at $3,413,462 (or $69,210,744 in today’s currency) and the best value of dairy products at $770,688 (or $15,626,332 in today’s currency). “Buncombe is one of the most important livestock counties of the state, and leads them all in the number of milk cows,” the Tennessee Valley Authority declared. “It is noted for its fine dairies, purebred cows and large poultry industry.” Editor's note: Peculiarities of spelling and punctuation are preserved from the original documents. X

MOUNTAINX.COM

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

COMMUNITY CALENDAR JULY 28-AUG. 5, 2021

ART

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

Online Events = Shaded WELLNESS Hot Summer Series: Total Body Training with Eva A month of free, weekly workouts in different outdoor locations. WE (7/7), Asheville YMCA, 30 Woodfin St Sparkle Time - Holistic Senior Exercise Aerobic, strengthening, balance, flexibility. Ongoing. Call Lois at 828-274-1779. WE (7/28, 8/4), MO (8/2),10:30am, $5, Avery's Creek Community Center, 899 Glennbridge Rd SE, Arden Zumba Gold Low-Impact Zumba Gold dance to all styles, including Latin, pop, oldies, tango and bellydance. Suggested donation.

WE (7/28, 8/4), 12pm, $5, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Yoga in the Park Outdoor yoga group meets every Saturday and Sunday. SA (7/31), SU (8/1), 1:30pm, Registration required, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd Steady Collective Syringe Access Outreach Free naloxone, syringes and educational material on harm reduction. TU (8/3), 2pm, Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Rd WNC Prostate Support Group A meeting of Us Too, a forum for men, caregivers, family members and partners. Call Eric at 828-419-4565. TU (8/3), 7pm, avl.mx/a1e

THE FEHR PIANO STUDIO

The Nature of Summer Group art show featuring 21 artists. SU (8/1), MO (8/2), TU (8/3), WE (8/4), TH (8/5), 11am-6p.m, Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave Swinging the Pendulum: From Patriarchy to Empowerment Multi-medium exhibition featuring works of local artist Jenna Jaffe. MO (8/2), TU (8/3),WE (8/4), TH (8/5), 9am, Free, The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave Unearthing Our Forgotten Past Exhibit exploring the Spanish occupation of Fort San Juan and the native people who lived in the Joara area of WNC. Sponsored by the Western NC Historical Association. TH (8/5), 10:30am, Smith-McDowell House Museum, 283 Victoria Rd

ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS

Piano Lessons: all ages, experienced artistic teaching fully vaccinated Sand Hill Road: 1 Mile from 1/26 & 1/40 Juncture

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Olympics-themed Art Exhibitions Three exhibitions drawn from the Museum’s Collection in conjunction with the 2021 Summer Olympics. WE (7/28, 8/4), TH (7/29, 8/5), FR (7/30), SA (7/31), SU (8/1), MO (8/2), 11am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square

The Black Wall Street MarketPlace Supporting local Blackowned businesses. SA (7/31), 10am, Grind AVL, 346 Depot St

SUMMER DAYS: The Asheville Gallery of Art’s new exhibition, The Nature of Summer, will open Sunday, Aug. 1, and run daily through the end of the month, 11a.m.-6 p.m. The group show will feature landscapes, floral subjects and reflections on the season from 21 artists. Pictured is “Hay Barn,” by artist Terrilyn Dubreuil. Image courtesy of The Asheville Gallery of Art Mountain Makers Craft Market Monthly indie arts fair. SU (8/1), 12pm, Free, Haywood Square Plaza, 308 N. Haywood St, Waynesville

COMMUNITY MUSIC Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 Live classical music performance led by

conductor Ken Lam and featuring pianist Norman Krieger. FR (7/30), 7:30pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Lane, Brevard Hendersonville Symphony Quintet presents The American Songbag HSO’s principal wind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn) will perform

folksong-inspired works. SA (7/31), 7pm, $26-33, The Center for Art & Entertainment, 125 S Main St, Hendersonville

film composer. SA (7/31), 7:30pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Lane, Brevard

Hollywood Under the Stars Featuring the Music of John Williams Conductor Richard Kaufman and the BMC Orchestra play some of the most familiar melodies from the legendary

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD Miss Malaprop's Storytime Children's event. WE (7/28), 10am, Registration required, avl.mx/9op

Poetrio: Crystal Stone, Sally Rosen Kindred, and Rick Mulkey Conversation among three poets. Sponsored by Malaprop's. SU (8/1), 3pm, Free, avl.mx/9xz H. Byron Ballard Launches Seasons of a Magical Life Author discusses new book. Sponsored by Malaprop’s. MO (8/2), 6pm, Free, avl.mx/9y0

What does adventure mean to you? THE

adventure

ISSUE

A special issue about shaking things up, trying something new and finding adventure right here in WNC.

Coming August 18th advertise@mountainx.com 828-251-1333 x 1 14

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

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THEATER The Amazing Acro-cats A troupe of touring, performing house cats. SA (7/31), 7pm, $23$46, Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave First Date Performance of play written by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. TH (7/29), FR (7/30), SA (7/31), 7:30pm, SA (7/31), SU (8/1), 2pm, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, 44 College St, Mars Hill S'Wonderful The grand re-opening of HART’s main stage with S’Wonderful: The Music and Life of George Gershwin. TH (7/29), FR (7/30), SA (7/31), 7:30pm, SU (8/1), 2pm, 7:30pm, $14-$34, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville The Sword in the Stone Local production of King Arthur legend. FR (7/30), SA (7/31), SU (8/1), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St Magnetic in the (Smoky) Park Weekly outdoor variety show. TU (8/3), 7pm, $15-18, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr Puccini's Gianni Schicchi Performed by the Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center. Sung in Italian with English subtitles. TH (8/5), 7:30pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS Pack 2 School Supplies Drive School supply drive that lasts through Aug. 7. Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd Introduction to Medicare - Understanding the Puzzle Sponsored by the Council on Aging of Buncombe County in conjunction with the N.C. Department of Insurance’s Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program. WE (7/28), 2pm, avl.mx/9hz Asheville Development Happenings Happy Hour Various builders, developers, architects and real estate agents share ongoing projects. WE (7/28), 3:30pm, Free, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave Meet the Geeks Networking event for technology professionals.

WE (7/28), 5pm, Upcountry Brewing Company, 1042 Haywood Rd Arbor Evenings Stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens and experience the Wild Art outdoor sculpture showcase as live music plays. TH (7/29), FR (7/30), 5:30pm, Free-$16, NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way Expand Your Circle: Round Table for Women Entrepreneurs Each table will be led by a woman entrepreneur, and each attendee will invited to bring up a subject. TH (7/29), 5:30pm, $25, Registration required, Focal Point Coworking, 125 South Lexington Ave Suite 101 Labyrinth Walk Sponsored by the Creative Care Alliance. Open to people of all experience levels. TH (7/29), 6pm, Free, 220 Forest Knoll Ct, Weaverville WNC History Lecture Series: Literature and Stereotypes Led by Dr. Erica Abrams Locklear of UNC Asheville. Sponsored by Western North Carolina Historical Association. TH (7/29), 6:30pm, Free $5, avl.mx/9x6 Listen to This: Stories on More on Screen True tales of tricky wardrobe transitions by Enter If Known. Hosted by Tom Chalmers via Zoom. Produced by Asheville Community Theatre. TH (7/29), 7:30pm, $15, avl.mx/9zm Fridays at the Folk Art Center: Peregrines of the Parkway Discussion about one of the largest, most powerful and fastest falcon species. Outside event. FR (7/30), 7:30pm, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway Aurora Studio & Gallery’s Fun on Friday Arts/fundraising activity for Asheville visitors. To register, text Lori Greenberg at 828335-1038. Suggested donation. FR (7/30), 2:30pm, $20, The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave Rock the Classics Car Show Featuring cars from the 1900s through the 1980s. SA (7/31), 9am, $10-25, Swannanoa Valley Museum, 223 W. State St, Black Mountain Lake Monster Parade Make your own costume and join a parade around the lake. SA (7/31), 11am, Lake Tomahawk Park, 401 S. Laurel Circle Dr, Black Mountain

Ice Cream Social GAHS members, prospective members and guests enjoy ice cream and hear Pastor Ralph Campbell tell about the 100-year history of the church. SA (7/31), 2pm, Glenville Wesleyan Church, 5323 NC-107, Glenville Asheville Snuggle Party Non-sexual touch-based event. 18+. SA (7/31), 6:45pm, Reservations required. Asheville Cuddle Collective Fairy Trail Stroll the Fairy Trail, which extends about 300 yards and includes tiny doors. MO (8/2), 9:30am, Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville Ben's Friends - Support Group A support group for people in the hospitality industry struggling with addiction. MO (8/2), 10am, AB Tech Culinary Arts & Hospitality School, 30 Tech Dr Social Contract Bridge Group For more info, contact Stefano 727-481-8103. MO (8/2), 12:30pm, Free, Senior Opportunity Center, 36 Grove St Bereavement Support Group Meets the first and third Tuesday of every month. 21+. TU (8/3), 6pm, Woodfin YMCA, 40 N. Merrimon Ave, Suite 101 Ann Willoughby: What I Learned from Milton Glaser Sponsored by American Institute of Graphic Arts Asheville. WE (8/4), 6pm, $15-20, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy #200 Laurel Chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America Meeting First of a two-part class on creating a felted wool needle keeper. Contact Mary Ann Wyatt at 828-681-0572. TH (8/5), 9:30am, Cummings United Methodist Church, 3 Banner Farm Rd, Horse Shoe Money Visioning & Goal Setting Focuses on creating realistic savings goals. Presented by OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling. TH (8/5), 5:30pm, Free, Online, avl.mx/a34 Art Travels: Museum Of Bad Art Michael Frank, curator-in-chief of the Asheville Art Museum, introduces Boston's Museum of Bad Art and presents works from its collection. TH (8/5), 7pm, $15-20, Registration required, avl.mx/a14

BMC-TV: A Multidisciplinary Community Art Event & Screening Party Premier episode connecting area performers, musicians, artists and craftspeople. In-person and online. TH (8/5), 7pm, Free, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St Sierra Club: Electric Vehicles – The Time is Now Dave Erb, automotive engineer and professor, discusses the electric vehicle market. TH (8/5), 7pm, Registration required, avl.mx/a37

FOOD & BEER RAD Farmers Market Weekly farmers market featuring more than 30 local farmers, makers, bakers and craft artisans. WE (7/28, 8/4), 3pm, Pleb Urban Winery, 289 Lyman St Flat Rock Farmers Market Weekly farmers market. TH (7/29, 8/5), 3pm, Flat Rock Farmers Market, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Hendersonville North Asheville Tailgate Market Tailgate market featuring local farmers and vendors. SA (7/31), 8am, West Asheville Tailgate Market, 3300 University Heights Westside Creative Market Local handmade goods and artwork. SA (7/31), 11am, Haywood Quick Stop, 495 Haywood Rd Jackson Arts Market Weekly event through Dec. 18. SA (7/31), 1pm, 533 W Main St, Sylva Down Home NC Winter Market Local craft vendors on the first Sunday of every month. SU (8/1), 12pm, Haywood Square, 308 N Haywood Rd, Waynesville Meadow Market A rotation of local bakers, makers, and artisans. SU (8/1), 12pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy #200 Les-ter Farmers Market Recruiting Leicester-area vendors Weekly through September, WE (8/4), 3:30pm, Leicester Community Center, 711 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester

MOUNTAINX.COM

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

Mountain Xpress 27th Annual

HEMP & HEALTH

Time to get Fresh & Juicy

DS X AWAR

2021

WELLNESS

Where credit is due

Local orgs urge ACA sign-ups by Aug. 15 BY JESSICA WAKEMAN jwakeman@mountainx.com

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Western North Carolina residents who want to change the health insurance they receive through the Affordable Care Act, or who want to sign up for a plan through the health insurance marketplace, can do so during a special enrollment period ending Sunday, Aug. 15. And local nonprofits urge people to explore their options for potentially saving hundreds of dollars a month. “People who were already getting the tax credits and reductions can now get more,” explains Shannon Cornelius, health justice program director at Pisgah Legal Services. The special enrollment period, opened in July as part of the federal American Rescue Plan coronavirus relief package, includes two new enrollee benefits. One is a premium tax credit, or increased subsidy, which will bring down the premium a customer pays each month. Previously, eligibility for this tax credit was capped at 400% of the federal poverty limit, which varies based on the number of persons in a household. Now, those over that threshold will receive the credits if their insurance expense would exceed 8.5% of their household income. For a household of four, the income limit works out to $104,000, which some dual-income households exceed, Cornelius explains. The increased subsidy allows higher-income residents to qualify for help: A couple jointly earning $100,000 per year would not pay more than $700 a month in health insurance premiums, she says, noting that families in that income bracket paid as much as $2,000 a month before the new benefit. The second new tax credit is the zero-dollar benchmark plan. A household is eligible if it is below 150% the federal poverty limit or contains anyone who received unemployment compensation during 2021 for one week or more. Under this plan, a person may have doctor co-pays as low as $5, says Cornelius.

HELP IS HERE: Shannon Cornelius of Pisgah Legal Services urges residents to take advantage of American Rescue Plan subsidies. Photo courtesy of Pisgah Legal Services

HELPING HANDS

Several local organizations have been certified as “assisters” for navigating the at-times confusing health care maze: PLS; the Council on Aging of Buncombe County; Blue Ridge Community Health Services; Legal Aid of North Carolina; Mountain Projects Inc.; and Western Carolina Medical Society. These unbiased assisters offer confidential, free help for residents who need to select an insurance plan, troubleshoot issues and communicate with insurance companies if necessary. “We have plenty of appointments left that we can still fill before Aug. 15,” says Susan Wilson, Affordable Care Act program director at the Council on Aging of Buncombe County. There is no age limitation or cap on the income bracket for residents that the nonprofit will assist. A tool on www.PisgahLegal.org/ ACA is a centralized scheduling location each assisting nonprofit is using. The tool will search for a free 90-minute appointment via ZIP code. While appointments are

primarily being conducted over the phone, some organizations offer in-person appointments. Residents can visit NCnavigator. net for more information about plans or call 855-733-3711, the statewide number for scheduling appointments. Those who are considering enrollment or a change to their existing plan can research 2021 health insurance plans by searching their ZIP code on HealthCare.gov.

POPULAR PLANS

Wilson and Cornelius say their nonprofits have both experienced an uptick in WNC residents seeking information about health insurance plans in 2021 compared to the previous year. That uptick is reflected statewide as well. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at the federal Department of Health and Human Services, which issues data on the number of health insurance plans selected each year, reported that North Carolina residents selected 32,697 plans from Feb. 15 to June 30, 2020. During that same period in 2021, 91,166 plans were selected across

the state This nearly threefold increase “speaks to the fact that if you make health insurance more accessible, people are going to get it,” Cornelius says. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated job losses are likely driving the higher sign-up rates, Cornelius suggests. “We know during COVID is a really important time to have coverage, even if it’s ‘just in case,’” she continues, citing a Kaiser Family Foundation brief that estimates more than 3 million people ages 18 and older in North Carolina are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Six percent of working-age adults in the United States reported that they lost employer health coverage because of COVID-19, according to a July 16 study by The Commonwealth Fund, a foundation dedicated to health care. Of those, 67% reported that they gained other coverage. “We are excited that so many people are taking advantage of the increased subsidies available and we hope that people evaluate if they can get health insurance if they want it and reach out for assistance,” says Cornelius. “Now is the time.” X

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JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

ARTS & CULTURE

Greater mysteries

Author Terry Roberts blurs genres in his latest novel

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com Buncombe County native Terry Roberts may have found literary success later in life, but he hasn’t wasted a single minute since publishing his 2012 debut novel, A Short Time to Stay Here. At the time, he was 55; a decade later, the now award-winning author recently celebrated the July 27 release of his fourth novel, My Mistress’ Eyes Are Raven Black. The prolific writer attributes some of his success to his return to Weaverville in 2013 after spending nearly 30 years in the eastern part of the state. Since that time, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the region’s history have provided endless topics to explore. “It’s almost like a vein opened up and there’s been a lot of storytelling,” Roberts says. And while his latest novel takes place on the New York harbor in 1920, his main character’s deep longing to return home to Western North Carolina is apparent — even amid a string of mysterious murders being committed on Ellis Island, the former immigration station that operated 1892-1954. BEYOND FLAPPERS AND JAZZ Though not a sequel, My Mistress’ Eyes Are Raven Black reintroduces Stephen Robbins, the protagonist in Roberts’ debut novel set in the Madison County town of Hot Springs during World War I. Two years after the armistice, Stephen has since relocated to New York City, where he is tasked by the U.S. government to find an Irish immi-

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

BACK AT IT: In his latest novel, award-winning author Terry Roberts returns to the 1920s. But unlike previous works, his new book is not set in Western North Carolina, though the mountains are often on the mind of the story’s main character. Author photo by J.L. Roberts grant who recently went missing on Ellis Island. But shortly after stepping off the ferry, Stephen realizes his assignment may be part of a much larger conspiracy. In many ways, Roberts’ latest work is a classic whodunit. Yet at the same time, the tale spotlights a dangerous, albeit often overlooked, component of early 20th-century American history. While the 1920s are most readily associated with speak-easies, flappers and jazz, the decade also saw the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan and a growing obsession with racial, moral, physical and intellectual purity through the eugenics movement. On Ellis Island, Stephen discovers a number of administrators and hospital workers who seem bent on denying entry to those deemed undesirable. Soon thereafter, bodies begin washing ashore with inexplicable injuries. From the start, says Roberts, “I knew who was carrying out the murders and that they were motivated by racial purity.” But it took touring Ellis Island with his wife to truly understand how the gruesome act was performed. At the risk of a spoiler, this reporter will simply note Roberts’ enthusiasm upon the epiphany. “I turned to my wife and said, ‘That’s it,’” the author remembers exclaiming midway through the

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tour. “And she of course said, ‘What is it?’ And I said, ‘That’s how they’re doing it.’” WORLD’S MOST VICIOUS SPECIES As Stephen’s suspicions of foul play intensify, he meets Lucy Paul, an undercover nurse also assigned to investigate the island’s activities. Like the facility itself, both Stephen and Lucy bring their own secrets to the island, some of which put their lives at risk. One of the joys in reading Roberts’ latest novel is the constant game of cat-and-mouse between the two protagonists and the unknown culprits. Most of the suspects, while explicit in their white supremacist views, are subtle and manipulative in their efforts to derail the investigation. Through these investigative scenes, the author also explores some of the novel’s larger themes. For example, in an early exchange between Stephen and one of the book’s many suspects — the deeply religious Ethel Adams — the latter expresses her disappointment and disbelief in the violent theories the former is promulgating. “Why does that seem so outrageous?” Stephen replies. “So far as I can tell, your little oasis is fully staffed by human beings — and after all, we are the world’s most vicious species.”

DREAMS OF HOME

Along with leading the investigation, Stephen is the book’s narrator. Throughout the tale, readers are privy to his inner thoughts and turmoils, which include a dissolving marriage and a deep desire to return to WNC. His homesickness, explains Roberts, makes Stephen an ideal storyteller. Like most on Ellis Island, he is an outsider, far away from all that is familiar. Stephen’s unrelenting wish to return home also quietly reminds readers of the unspoken desires that many of the recent immigrants carried with them upon their arrival to America. Such moments, paired with Roberts’ additional interrogations into the arbitrary requirements for obtaining citizenship, adds a depth to My Mistress’ Eyes Are Raven Black that lingers with readers long after the murder mystery is solved. At its core, the book is asking: What does it mean to be an American? Who gets to decide? And why? “For a moment, I had the weird sense that I was some sort of minor god, floating in the sky above the sorting ground that is human experience,” Roberts writes in an early passage of the book, wherein Stephen stands upon a balcony above the registry room, overlooking the crowd of hopeful arrivals. “And below me, struggling and clawing and striving, was the mass of humankind, being funneled into the tracks that would determine not just who they might become — as if potential mattered — but who they were all along. Who they were fated to be from the beginning of the journey? From birth?” X

Malaprop’s hosts virtual launch party WHO Terry Roberts launches My Mistress’ Eyes Are Raven Black, in conversation with Wayne Caldwell WHERE Sign up for the free virtual event at avl.mx/a09 WHEN Wednesday, Aug.18, at 6 p.m.

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JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

AR T S & C UL TU R E

BEER SCOUT BRIEFS

Drew Kostic begins work as Archetype head brewer Drew Kostic’s journey from lawyer to brewer is so intriguing that someone literally made a movie about it. The new head brewer at Archetype Brewing, Kostic was born in New York City, grew up in Connecticut and earned a law degree from Duke University. He then worked for six years as a litigator in Manhattan, where, in his words, he “helped bad guys and banks get richer.” While Kostic says the salary was nice, the long hours left him with little time to enjoy his earnings. After a few unfulfilling years, he thought back to his senior honors thesis at Colgate University, where he focused on the Buddhist perspective of death anxiety — specifically how the impermanent nature of life has the power to inspire people to follow what they love. “That was the motivating factor to pursue something that I truly, truly care about and that I want to get out of bed and do every day,” Kostic says. “I haven’t looked back since.” While enrolled in Auburn University’s brewing science and operations graduate program in 2016-17, Kostic was recommended by a mutual friend to be interviewed for a documentary about beer. What was supposed to be a brief chat about craft beer turned into a deeper conversation with the filmmakers about his unusual background and career goals. Three hours of filming soon turned into a seven- to eight-month endeavor and resulted in the 2018 feature documentary Brewmaster. That same year, Kostic landed a job at Circa Brewing Co. in Brooklyn, N.Y. Subsequent experience includes time at Brooklyn’s Keg & Lantern Brewing Co. and Little City Brewing & Provisions Co. in Raleigh. At Archetype, Kostic takes over for Erin Jordan, who accepted a job at Resident Culture Brewing Co. in Charlotte earlier this summer. In his new role, Kostic seeks to represent what he calls “the beer rainbow,” brewing balanced beverages that take drinkers on a journey of flavors while avoiding “palate fatigue,” a term he uses to describe patrons’ lack of interest in ordering a second beer from the same style. “I’d like to say that I have a foot in all three traditions: the American progressive style of beer, the tradi20

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

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(SHOULDER) DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS: When it comes to the varied, detail-oriented work of being a head brewer at a modestly sized operation like Archetype Brewing, Drew Kostic says his previous experience in law “is always working in the background” to help him do the best job possible. Photo by Kyle Gonzales tional German style and the traditional Belgian style,” Kostic says. “That’s the beauty of the industry. There are so many different things you can do that you never get tired of making beer.” avl.mx/9zn

Steel City love

Asheville and Pittsburgh breweries have collaborated on several beers over the past few years, including Dancing Gnome Brewing partnering with both Burial Beer Co. and DSSOLVR on two separate projects. Now, the connection between the two cities’ brewing industries is about to get significantly stronger. It all started when the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild contacted the Asheville Brewers Alliance and asked if its members would be interested in making a collaborative beer for the 2021 Three Rivers Beer Week, which has been dormant since 2017. “The more we’ve talked to the PBG team, the more we realize we have in common,” says Leah Rainis,

the ABA’s executive director. Both are situated in Appalachia, and each is in the western part of their respective East Coast state. Furthermore, Rainis says, “we [both] missed making and drinking good beer with cool people during [the COVID19 pandemic].” Brandi Hillman (Hillman Beer), Katie Smith (Highland Brewing Co.) and Rainis will travel to Eleventh Hour Brewing for the brew day in early September, while Jordan Boinest (White Labs) will represent the ABA there during Three Rivers Beer Week. The ABA and PBG teams will continue having regular Zoom calls to finalize recipe development, packaging and distribution, and they plan to use locally sourced ingredients from their respective regions. “Some folks might assume that most cities have their own ABA or PBG, but there aren’t a ton of regional guilds out there,” Rainis notes. “This Alliance/Guild collaboration provides an opportunity not only to shine a light on the beer scenes in our respective regions but

also a platform to highlight the value and importance of having a regional entity that promotes and supports the collective needs that are unique to that region.” The beer will debut at Three Rivers Beer Week, Oct. 6-10, and each group’s legal counsels are working together to nail down a distribution agreement to bring some of the collaboration beer to Asheville. One possibility for sharing it locally involves the ABA hosting a Three Rivers Beer Week pop-up event in October as part of the Road to AVL Beer Week series. “Our hope is to return to a ‘normal’ — and new and improved — AVL Beer Week in May 2022,” Rainis says. “The Road to AVL Beer Week aims to get out and about all over Western North Carolina to tell the stories of the faces, places and spaces that make this place magical.” avl.mx/9zo

Imperial investigation Beer plays a key role in Steven Tingle’s debut novel, Graveyard Fields, which he’ll launch at an author event at Bhramari Brewing Co. on Thursday, Aug. 12, at 6 p.m. The Cruso native has lived in Greenville, S.C., since 2012, making a living as a freelance writer with a focus on luxury travel pieces. But detective novels, he notes, have been a longtime passion. “I thought it would be interesting to put a private detective in Cruso and throw all kinds of bizarre characters and situations at him,” Tingle says. “And create a detective who’s not very good at detecting anything — a guy who has a laundry list of flaws, apathy being one of them, and stumbles upon solutions more by accident and dumb luck than by using powers of deduction.” Part of why the novel’s protagonist, Davis Reed, struggles with life stems

from imbibing copious amounts of homebrew, a labor of love with which Tingle has some experience. When Tingle was in his 20s, he and his father sought to create “a sensational beer” called Old Crab Ale — a nod to Cruso’s tagline, “Nine Miles of Friendly People, Plus One Old Crab.” “It was a complete disaster,” Tingle says. “It tasted like what I imagine Pine-Sol must taste like. After that one batch, we decided there were enough great beers out there that our time would be better spent drinking rather than brewing.” Davis’ aim in Graveyard Fields is to write a book about the B-25 bomber that crashed on Cold Mountain shortly after World War II. While no fictional version of Highland Brewing Co.’s cult favorite Cold Mountain Winter Ale makes an appearance, Tingle has great admiration for Asheville’s longest-running craft brewery. In the late ’90s, he managed a small restaurant in Cruso that featured Highland Gaelic Ale on tap, and, one day, brewery founder Oscar Wong called simply to thank him for carrying his beer. “That was years before Asheville became the beer mecca it is now, but it’s an example of the attitude that has propelled [Highland] to such acclaim — nice people making great beer,” Tingle says. With help from his son Julian, who’s a cook at Bhramari, Tingle stays current on Asheville’s brewing scene. Like Deputy Dale Johnson in the novel, the elder Tingle is a fan of IPAs and recommends Boojum Brewing Co.’s Hop Fiend and BearWaters Brewing Co.’s Stiff Paddle as excellent local representations of the style — and apt pairings while reading Graveyard Fields. “I tip my hat to those two breweries,” he says. “When I was writing the book, their output kept me going.” avl.mx/9z2

— Edwin Arnaudin X

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JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

ARTS & C U L T U R E

VISUAL ART

‘Dirt and bacteria and all that stuff’ Calvin Edney conveys truth through oil paints BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com

Asheville-based painter Calvin Edney Jr.’s hero is Vincent van Gogh, but while studying the Dutch master has greatly informed his approach to creating works of art, Edney doesn’t want to mimic his idol. “I want to paint like Calvin Edney, and I’m trying to do that,” he says. “I don’t want everything to be real smooth and orderly — blue skies all blue and the green pasture all green. I want it to have some dirt and bacteria and all that stuff.” The 85-year-old Madison County native primarily focuses on outdoor scenery but occasionally cycles in still-life portraits of flowers or pieces of fruit. These days, he paints from photographs due to difficulty standing for extended periods of time, as well as a disinterest in fighting mosquitos. But whatever he decides to feature, his aims remain consistent. “The truth in the painting comes when you first realize you’re painting what you want to be there, and not what is there,” Edney says.

PLANTING SEEDS

Though Edney has long loved the arts and had “the time of [his] life” frequenting art shows and

Broadway plays while living in Greenwich Village in the late 1950s and early ’60s, he didn’t begin painting until later in life. As a young man, he hopped between such area colleges as Mars Hill and CarsonNewman, “just playing around and cutting classes and not making the grades.” Ultimately, he wound up serving with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division in peacetime. Stationed at the front door of Central High School in 1957 when the Little Rock Nine first integrated the previously all-white institution, he was subsequently assigned to protect several of the Black students, namely Ernest Green, who became the first of the group to graduate. Edney then married, moved to Florida, had three children and began working for Winn-Dixie, which transferred him to Asheville in the late ’60s. He says he enjoys the grocery business because, as with painting, you work with your hands. And, while assigned to produce, he got to flex his creativity, “painting” with the colors of various fruits and vegetables as he put them on display. In early July, Edney retired from groceries for what he says was “the sixth time.” After Winn-Dixie, he went on to work for Bi-Lo and finally Ingles, where he worked in the meat department. Despite his

COLORFUL CONCEPTS: Calvin Edney Jr. stands by a selection of his paintings in his North Asheville home. The 85-year-old Madison County native began making art nearly 30 years ago. Photo by Edwin Arnaudin recent decision, he says that he may not be quite done with it yet. “I love the grocery business,” he says. “I can’t work like I used to — my body’s just not taking it. But everybody in this store down here at Merrimon Avenue, I know a great many of the people that come in there, and I know all the employees in there. It’s like family to me.”

PURPOSEFUL PATH

Edney’s painting adventures officially began at the age of 56. One day downtown in Fain’s Department Store (now home to Mast General Store on Biltmore Avenue), a woman at the cash register showed him a book of her paintings, and Edney had an epiphany. The woman soon got him started with acrylics and pointed him to

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art classes, which eventually led him to courses at UNC Asheville, where Jos Vandermeer proved an influential teacher. While at UNCA, Edney was introduced to oil paints, which he’s stuck with ever since. “Oils hold the peak, they mix together well, they feel good with a brush and they give you enough drag,” Edney says. “They’re also somewhat forgiving. If you make a mistake, you don’t have to tear the whole thing down and start over again.” Edney continues to paint whenever he can, and his dedication to the craft has resulted in multiple exhibitions, including one at Vanderbilt University. His most recent show, May 11-July 3, was at the Madison County Arts Council, where he says the organizers essentially gave him the respect of a hometown hero. “It was one of the better shows in my book — ever,” Edney says. “I’ve been treated nice at all my shows, but I can’t get over how they treated me.” Creatives in the Crowd focuses on local artists, both established and new, spotlighting unique stories and innovative artistic approaches within our creative community. Unlike much of our Arts & Culture reporting, these stories are not tied to upcoming events, exhibits or releases. The feature strives to represent a diverse range of voices, experiences and artistic mediums. If you’d like to nominate a community member for consideration, please reach out to ae@mountainx.com with the subject line, “Creatives in the Crowd.” X

What does adventure mean to you?

THE

FOOD ROUNDUP

adventure

What’s new in food

ISSUE

The Jazzy Vegetarian sings for her supper When it came time to start planning menus for the upcoming ninth season of her award-winning PBS cooking show, “Jazzy Vegetarian,” Hendersonville-based host Laura Theodore found inspiration looking inside, not outside, the box. “For about a year and a half, my husband and I have been getting fresh produce deliveries from Mother Earth [Food],” says the cookbook author, actor and jazz singer. “When I pulled a beautiful eggplant out of my box one week, it inspired the recipe for spicy eggplant rollatini, and it just went from there.” Theodore reached out to the food delivery service’s founder, Andrea Duvall, who committed to a partnership providing produce for the show and participating in ongoing promotions. Lifestyle changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic were also motivators in developing recipes for the new season. “More people were cooking at home and still are, so it was important to me to develop easy-to-prepare pantry recipes,” she explains of this season’s theme, easy vegan cooking at home. Theodore will continue the conversation on that topic with the October publication of her new companion cookbook, Easy Vegan Home Cooking. The book will include over 125 plant-based and gluten-free recipes for the family, along with tips for sneaking more vegetables onto the plates of even the most committed carnivores. When Theodore got the green light from PBS in 2011 to launch the show, she was still living in New York. “I was a child actor and did a lot of television and was a singer, so I was comfortable in front of an audience and camera,” she remembers. “I had 20 years’ experience turning family recipes vegan, but cooking in front of a camera is a new skill set.” She didn’t exactly have the full-throated confidence of PBS programming executives. “They said, ‘It’s a vegan show, maybe we’ll get two seasons out of it.’” She started airing in 45% of U.S. television households and is now in 90%. Among the recipes in the upcoming 10-episode season is the aforementioned eggplant rollatini,

A special issue about shaking things up, trying something new and finding adventure right here in WNC.

pantry polenta lasagna, hearty vegan meatloaf, potato-cauliflower mashup, date-nut snowballs and maple-espresso chocolate mousse. Theodore will also share pantry essentials, flavor enhancers, plantbased substitutions and a little bit of dinner music. “I like to sing while I cook,” she says. Season nine of “Jazzy Vegetarian” kicks off Friday, July 30, at 2 p.m. on PBS NC and will air weekly on Friday afternoon. For more information on the show, past episodes, recipes and Theodore’s books, visit avl.mx/9zw.

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The mode to bountiful Mother Earth Food has resumed the option for customers to add a donation to their weekly purchases to help the food-insecure and support local farmers. Friends in Need donation levels from $10-$100 go toward the purchase of produce, which in turn is distributed by Bountiful Cities, a local urban agriculture nonprofit that supports social justice, access to education, sustainability and economic viability. For more information, visit avl.mx/9yl.

More than a mouthful Madison County-based author, teacher, gardener, forager and international chef Susi Gott Seguret has plenty to say about food and cooking. But for her new book, A Chef’s Book of Favorite Culinary Quotations, she lets more than 200 food luminaries do the talking. Segmented into categories such as nourishment, dining, wine, cooking and love, the book features quotes from locals such as Joe Scully, Mark Rosenstein and Tres Hundertmark as well as icons like M.F.K. Fischer and Julia Child. “I’ve collected food quotes all my life,” says Seguret. The book, she adds, is “for people who love to cook or people who just love to eat.” A Chef’s Book of Favorite Culinary Quotations is available for order online and in bookstores. To learn more, visit avl.mx/9z8.

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ON A ROLL: Laura Theodore, creator and host of PBS cooking show “Jazzy Vegetarian,” presents the eggplant rollatini with vegan chive ricotta from season nine of the program. Photo by Andy Ebberbach

Pick and play

Jeter Mountain Farm in Hendersonville kicked off its 2021 U-pick season on July 23 with the debut of a newly constructed 6,000-square-foot indoor play area. Features include a wooden tractor jungle gym with slide, stacks of hay

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JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

ARTS & CU L T U R E

MOVIE LISTINGS Bruce Steele’s and Edwin Arnaudin’s latest critiques of new films available to view in local theaters and via popular streaming services include: OLD: This psychological thriller about a secluded beach that causes people to age rapidly is one of writer/director M. Night Shyamalan’s most intriguing premises, yet it’s undermined by some of the same issues that have plagued his spotty filmography. Grade: B-minus. Rated PG-13 SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS Why can’t Hollywood make a decent G.I. Joe movie? This lazily written and schlockily made adventure is a total snoozefest. Grade: D-plus. Rated PG-13

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

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

bales for climbing, apple basketball hoops and a playhouse with black-light chalkboard walls and glow-in-the-dark chalk. Also new this year is a sunflower field, a cheerful setting for those already planning their holiday photo cards. “We cut back on the amount of fields we use for commercial crops this year to open up more space for our U-pick guests,” says co-owner Jocelyn Hunsader. “The Sunflower Experience is such a happy place!” Containers are provided for each type of picking (peck baskets for apples and peaches, pint boxes for berries and water-filled bags for sunflowers). The Cider Barn taproom is also open with several drink options, including The Original, a new Pink Lady Jeter Mountain Hard Cider and four Flat Rock Cider Co. ciders. Jeter Mountain Farm is open Fridays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.-3 p.m. with expanded operating hours to kick off apple season starting Friday, Aug. 13. For special events and a seasonal product calendar, visit avl.mx/9z7. The farm is at 1126 Jeter Mountain Road, Hendersonville

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Head for the hills

Agritourism 101

If you want to spend quality, up-close-and-personal time with a farmer rather than being part of an unruly herd, the N.C. Foothills Farm Tour is the place for you. But organizers say you need to act fast as these intimate experiences always sell out in advance. The NCFFT launched in 2019 to promote regional collaboration and partnerships within the agricultural community of Polk and Rutherford counties. “It is also our hope to connect our local communities to our agricultural producers and showcase rural heritage and farms for our surrounding urban neighbors,” says Hannah Bundy, horticulture agent with the Rutherford Cooperative Extension. The 2021 schedule began in June with tours at San Felipe Farms and Buttercup Cottage. The next event happens Saturday, July 31, inviting 30 guests to Looking Glass Creamery in the morning and C-Saw Hill in the afternoon. Additional tours are scheduled for Aug. 15, Sept. 18 and Oct. 23. For more information and tickets, visit avl.mx/9zd.

As consumer interest in eating locally and knowing the hands and lands that feed us has increased, so has agritourism. But just like raising crops, growing that curiosity takes planning and organization. After a year interviewing agritourism operators and stakeholders in the region, N.C. State University’s EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems team will spread the seeds of knowledge it gained by partnering with several regional organizations and agencies to present the 2021 Regional Agritourism Seminar by the Center for Environmental Systems on Monday, Aug. 9. The event runs 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Haywood County Extension Office, 589 Raccoon Road, Waynesville. Afterward, participants are invited to visit KT’s Orchard and Apiary in Canton to hear about its agritourism programming and sample berries, apples and honey produced on the site. Participation is free, but registration is required in advance at avl.mx/9yf.

— Kay West X

ROUNDUP

Around Town

Lake Monster Parade offers accessible family fun Look out, Nessie! The mythical aquatic scene is growing with the debut of the Lake Monster Parade on Saturday, July 31, at 11 a.m. at Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain. Water creatures, mermaids and pirates of all ages are invited to attend in costumes — the more homemade, creative and silly, the better — and take a lap around the lake. The free inaugural event comes from the mind of Jeannie Regan, the program director of SkillSet at UNC Asheville’s STEAM Studio and the tech director at Asheville Performing Arts Academy. The Black Mountain resident was moved to action after fielding numerous inquiries from families about financial aid for this summer’s SkillSet camps, in addition to talks with community members about their needs to cut back on summer activities due to income loss brought about by the pandemic. “I thought it was sad that, after the dismal school year that many of these kids have had, they were not going to have many fun summer activities or camps to look forward to,” Regan says. “I wanted to come up with something fun, free and creative for my local community to participate in.” As the school year wound down, Regan also first heard the urban legend of the giant snapping turtle that lives in Lake Tomahawk and eats ducks. She started thinking about what else might be lurking in the beloved community pond and decided to combine that intrigue with the need for a joyful event. Regan says feedback has been unanimously positive and that multiple local entities, from the Black Mountain Library to DotDot Crafters Club, are hosting costume and crafting sessions to encourage community participation. In turn, she hopes to see the parade become an annual offering that can evolve as more individuals become involved. “People are excited about it,” she says. “I think the idea of dressing up in something silly for no good reason is quite appealing right now. I’ve seen some photos of costumes and heard about people’s plans, but many people are keeping their creations a secret until the parade.” For more information, visit avl.mx/a0a.

Excalibur nights

The Montford Park Players open The Sword in the Stone on Friday, July 30, at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 90 Gay St. The play follows young King Arthur — known then as Arty — and the wizard Merlin, who takes the boy on a journey to show him what is required to be a great ruler. The production is directed by Kristi DeVille and stars Brendan Nickerson (Arthur), Stephanie Hickling Beckman (Merlin), and a supporting cast that includes Kathy O’Connor, Badi Mirheli, George Heard, Gabe Holland and Zay Hickling Beckman. Performances take place Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. through Saturday, Aug. 28. Tickets are free and may be reserved online at avl.mx/9y3.

Studio friends

Local artists Jonathan Bidwell and Aaron Hill celebrate the grand opening of their new studio at Pink Dog Creative, Suite 104, on Friday, July 30, 6-9 p.m. According to Bidwell, he and Hill were inspired to launch the venture out of a shared love of painting and fun, and chose Pink Dog for its lively mix of artists and makers throughout the building. “It’s a tight little community,” Bidwell says. “A group of us paint together one night a week, and afterwards we’ve been hanging out on Aaron’s front porch drinking beers, singing and playing songs, and eating tasty food.” In addition to establishing the studio, Hill has been creating an unusually large work that’s a figurative piece of one of his friends. “The composition really excites me, but I’m also very interested in using a technique that forces me to focus on the process in a way that preserves a lot of the beginning stages of the work,” he says. “This style of painting pushes me to leave a lot of marks and accidents I may make along the way. I really see this as another step in my journey as a painter.” Meanwhile, Bidwell is excited to resume making live performance paintings, which he’d been unable to do during the pandemic. The process involves him painting onstage alongside musicians and creating a work from start to finish in front of the audience. He’ll accompany Del McCoury on Thursday, Aug. 5, and Sam Bush on Wednesday, Aug. 11, both at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre. “The end result is wildly different than my

TWO IF BY SEA: This creation by the Mountain Fairy Hair team is one of many homemade creatures that will be at the Lake Monster Parade on July 31 at Lake Tomahawk. Photo by Erin Lee studio work, and I have a ton of fun performing live,” he says. To learn more, visit avl.mx/a0b.

Songbag style

The Hendersonville Symphony begins its Simone, Sandburg and the American Orchestra summer and fall celebration with “The American Songbag” on Saturday, July 31, at 7:30 p.m. at The Center for Art & Entertainment 125 S. Main St., Hendersonville. Inspired by Carl Sandburg’s 1927 anthology The American Songbag, the HSO’s principal wind quintet of Esther Waite (flute), Shannon Thompson (clarinet), Kelly Vaneman (oboe), Sonja Coppenbarger (bassoon) and Christopher George (horn) will perform folksong-inspired works by Anton Dvorak, William Grant Still and Valerie Coleman. Tickets are $29-$33 and may be purchased online at avl.mx/a0c.

New gallery, part deux Local painters Alicia A. Armstrong and Jeremy Russell have opened a combined studio and gallery space under their respective names at 24 N. Lexington Ave. People may view recent oil works by Armstrong including “Mama Tired,” featuring a bear in a bathtub and “Gold Ass Horse,” starring an equine with a shiny derriere. Russell’s latest abstract creations include “Hanging out the Laundry,” a 5-by-5 acrylic on canvas, as well as “Harvest,” an autumnal oil on canvas. “After the crazy couple of years I’ve been through, it is amazing to have something as public as this space,” Russell says. “Spending lots of time with patrons is also very rewarding

and what this space is all about. I look forward to meeting so many new people and [having] endless dialogue about creative pursuits and intuitive impulses.” Learn more at avl.mx/a12.

Experienced fiction Asheville-based author William D. Auman has a new novel out called If Trees Could Testify ... The mystery is based on the true story of Madison County’s Gahagan murders, which began with a double homicide in 1983 and led to defendants being arrested and charged 18 years later. Auman was the principal defense attorney in the case, and his fictionalized account is spiced up by biker gangs, organized crime and such colorful characters as the draft-dodging son of a snake-handling minister. For more information, visit avl.mx/a0e.

Vroom in the valley The Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center hosts Black Mountain’s inaugural classic car show in the parking lot across from 304 Black Mountain Ave. on Saturday, July 31, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Rock the Classics will feature cars from the 1900s through the 1980s, including historic Edsels, Shelbys, Chevrolets and Volvos. Prizes will be awarded for Oldest Car, Best in Show and People’s Choice. The day also includes live music from country rocker Andy Buckner, children’s activities and a 50/50 raffle, with half of the proceeds going to support the museum. Free to attend. To learn more or register a car, visit avl.mx/9uc.

MOUNTAINX.COM

— Edwin Arnaudin X JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 28 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Mark Fisher (solo acoustic), 1pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Beauty Parlour Comedy w/Nat Baimel, 7pm

CITIZEN VINYL Kathryn O’Shea (Americana), 4pm

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Bingeable Trivia, 7pm

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 5:30pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Dirty Logic – A Steely Dan Tribute (classic rock), 7:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY J.W. Carlson (country, folk), 6pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE Fringe Summer Night 1, 7:30pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Jay Brown (roots), 6pm BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Trivia Night, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm ISA’S FRENCH BISTRO Jay DiPaola’s Live Lounge (solo acoustic), 6pm CASCADE LOUNGE Open Bluegrass Jam, 6pm ICONIC KITCHEN & DRINKS Marc Keller (acoustic), 6pm FBO AT HOMINY CREEK Old Timey Jam by the River (musical collaboration), 6pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night w/ Tommy Yon, 6pm THE 2ND ACT Round Robin Open Mic w/Letters to Abigail, 6pm MILLS RIVER BREWING Open Mic Night, 6pm MYSTIC DOME STUDIO Open Jam in the Dome (open mic), 6:30pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Blooming Bass w/DJ Ephcto (cultural bass), 6:30pm RABBIT RABBIT Trivia Night, 7pm SILVERADOS Open Mic Night, 7pm HANDLEBAR & GRILL Ladies Night Karaoke, 7pm THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN The B’s (jazz, standards), 7pm 185 KING STREET Trivia Night, 7pm THE GREY EAGLE Travis Book Happy Hour w/Cristina Vane & Mike Ashworth (Americana), 7pm

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 7pm

MOUNTAINX.COM

ALLEYCATAVL Karaoke Night, 8pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm BEN'S TUNE UP Big Blue (jam), 8pm DOUBLE CROWN Hannah Juanita (country, honky tonk), 8pm OFF THE WAGON All Request Piano Show, 8pm THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic/Free Jam, 8pm THE SOCIAL Karaoke w/DJ Lyric, 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Anesthesia (psychedelic power trio), 9pm ONE WORLD BREWING Latin Night Wednesday, 9pm

THURSDAY, JULY 29 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Bob Sherill (singer-songwriter), 1pm THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Rod Sphere (rock), 5:30pm 131 MAIN Aaron LaFalce (soul, rock, pop), 6pm RYE KNOT KITCHEN BREWERY DISTILLERY Chris Flanders (acoustic), 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Open Mic, 6pm GINGER’S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM Best Served Cold (open mic comedy), 6pm THE 2ND ACT Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm THE GREY EAGLE Songwriters in the Round: Hannah Kaminer, Kathryn O’Shea, Laura Boswell (Americana), 6pm PRITCHARD PARK Jelly Ellington (blues, rock), 6pm

SIBLING SONGS: Brother and The Hayes (David Bingman, left, and Jennie Hayes Kurtz) will perform on the main stage of Isis Music Hall on Saturday, July 31, at 7 p.m. The Texas-bred brother-sister duo count Doc Watson, Norah Jones, Gillian Welch and Levon Helm among their primary influences. The show will include selections from their debut album, Tennessee Nights. Photo courtesy of Brother and the Hayes ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Random Animals (indie soul), 6pm

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Gene Holdway (bluegrass), 7pm

BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS LyriSmith (acoustic duo), 3pm

WHISTLE HOP BREWING CO. Jazz and Wine Night w/ Mattick Frick, 6pm

CELLAREST BEER PROJECT Jukebox Jumpers w/ Steve Trismen (blues, soul, rock), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Josh Blake Organ Trio w/Marisa Blake (funk, soul), 6pm

FLEETWOOD’S Terraoke! Karaoke with Terra, 6pm MILLS RIVER BREWING Funky Ass Trio Jam (funk), 6pm PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Hunter Begley & Eric Ledford (Americana), 6:30pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Weekly Trivia w/Billy Nesbit, 6:30pm TRISKELION BREWING CO. Open Mic Night, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Izzi Hughes (acoustic), 7pm SALVAGE STATION Chalwa (mountain reggae), 7pm ALLEYCATAVL Open Mic w/ Lincoln, 8pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & the Space Cooties (rock), 7:30pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN BJ Leiderman and Future 26 (keyboards, vocals), 7:30pm BLACK MOUNTAIN VETERANS PARK Park Rhythms w/Hustle Souls (soul), 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Dine With Divas (drag), 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Darren Nicholson Band (bluegrass), 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew & the Boys, 7pm OFF THE WAGON All Request Piano Show, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Jacob Williams (comedy), 8pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Karaoke w/KJ Salina, 8pm RABBIT RABBIT Sunset Rooftop Comedy Show, 8pm SLY GROG LOUNGE Marceline's Menagerie Summer Extravaganza Edition Drag Show!, 9pm BEN’S TUNE UP Offended! Open Mic (comedy), 9:30pm

FRIDAY, JULY 30 SAWYER SPRINGS VINEYARD Myron Hyman (classic rock, blues), 2:30pm

THE GREY EAGLE Ashley Heath and Her • Heathens (Americana, soul), 6pm • The Brothers Gillespie (Americana), 9pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Carolina Creepers (Americana), 6pm SALVAGE STATION Empire Strikes Brass (funk/rock), 6pm

• Brian Hilligoss (country, bluegrass), 8:30pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Hannah Juanita (country, honky tonk), 7:30pm POINT LOOKOUT VINEYARDS The Tams (beach music), 7:30pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Living Light, Pathwey (EDM), 8pm THE GETAWAY TIKI BAR Caleb Synan (comedy), 8pm RABBIT RABBIT Silent Disco, 8pm

BRIDGE PARK Concerts on the Creek w/Arnold Hill Band (alt rock, classic rock), 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Blind Phoenix (roots), 8pm

DRY FALLS BREWING CO. 28 pages (rock), 7pm

WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Commodore Fox (rock, dance), 8:30pm

HENDERSONVILLE VISITOR CENTER Music On Main Concert Series (oldies), 7pm ROGERS PARK Summer Tracks w/ Rebecca and the Reckoning (honky tonk, Americana), 7pm THE BARRELHOUSE Ben Phantom (jazz fusion), 7pm THE GREENHOUSE MOTO CAFE Unpaid Bill and the Bad Czechs (acoustic blues, rag, swing), 7:30pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Chuck Brodsky (Americana, folk), 7pm

SOQDET IN SYLVA Wachacha & Friends w/ Orion Records Linz-E (drum & bass), 9pm THE GREY EAGLE Waxahatchee w/Fenne Lily (indie rock, indie folk), 9pm ORANGE PEEL Sane Voids (punk, psychedelic), 9pm THE BLACKBIRD RESTAURANT Rick Praytor (guitar), 10pm BEN’S TUNE UP DJ Kilby Spinning Vinyl (throwback dance party), 10pm

ASHEVILLE-AREA

SATURDAY, JULY 31 SLY GROG LOUNGE Asheville Apocalypse:The Coursing, Path To Exile, Cleansweep, Keptin Ruins, AVOH, The Plan (metal), 4pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah’s Daydream (jazz), 5pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • The New Lefties (acoustic covers), 5pm • Diamond Simon & The Family Jewels (funk), 8:30pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Mr Jimmy Power Trio (blues), 6pm ASHEVILLE CLUB Kyle Corbett (acoustic), 6:30pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Beauty Parlor Comedy w/David Perdue, 7pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Conkrete God, Drunk in a Dumpster, Busy Weather (hard rock, punk), 7pm

• Anya Hinkle w/Finn Magill (folk, bluegrass), 6pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB Freshen Up (comedy, open mic), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Jazz Jam Brunch (jazz), 1:30pm

HENDERSONVILLE VISITOR CENTER Monday Night Live! w/ Johnnie Blackwell Band (classic rock), 7pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Dark City Kings (rock), 2pm ARCHETYPE BREWING Sunday Live Sessions + Food Trucks, 3pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Blues Brunch w/ Blake Ellege & Travis Corcoran, 3pm ASHEVILLE CLUB Vaden Landers (country blues, honky tonk), 3pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mark's House Jam, Beggar's Banquet (rock), 3pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Acoustic Envy (rock, acoustic), 5pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Drinkin’ & Thinkin’ Trivia w/Allie & Alex, 5:30pm

PACK SQUARE PARK Shindig on the Green, 7pm

BEN'S TUNE UP Good Vibes Sunday (reggae), 6pm

SILVERADOS • Caleb Johnson & The Ramblin Saints (rock, heavy metal), 7pm • Ricky Gunter (country), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Jerry Garcia’s Birthday Sunday Jam, 6pm

SALVAGE STATION Town Mountain w/Christina Vane (bluegrass), 7pm DRY FALLS BREWING CO. 3 Cool Cats (vintage rock), 7pm HENDERSONVILLE VISITOR CENTER Block Party on Main w/ Joe Lasher, Kaitlyn Baker (country), 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Brother and The Hayes (Americana), 7pm JIMMY’S ON THE RIVER Lucky James (Americana), 7pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Vince Junior Band (blues, surf, reggae), 7:30pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Jig Jam (Americana, bluegrass, celtic), 7pm SALVAGE STATION Amy Ray Band (folk rock), 7pm THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN Bruce Lang (guitar, vocals), 7pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Tuatha Dea (Americana, Celtic), 7:30pm OFF THE WAGON All Request Piano Show, 8pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Nick Colavito and Friends (jam), 8pm

MONDAY, AUGUST 2

ORANGE PEEL Thirstin Howl the 3rd (rap), 8pm

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

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Andy Buckner & Band (country), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Mitch’s Totally Rad Trivia, 6pm

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1 ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Life’s a Drag Brunch, 11:30am JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Brunch, 12pm THE GREY EAGLE • Asheville Drag Brunch (2 shows), 12pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Trivia Night, 6pm CASCADE LOUNGE Bill and Swanny (rock, jam band), 6pm RABBIT RABBIT Buzz Music Video Asheville, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. House of SYNth (dance), 6:30pm

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Bob Sherill (singer-songwriter), 1pm GREEN MAN BREWERY Old Time Jam (musical collaboration), 3pm ANTIDOTE The Little Posey Trio (jazz, swing), 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Music Bingo, 6pm MILLS RIVER BREWING Weekly Trivia Night, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Inside Out Stand-Up Comedy Showcase, 6:30pm DOWN DOG AVL Tacos and Trivia, 7pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Team Trivia, 7pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Tuesday Trivia with Eister, 7pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Open Mic at White Horse, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Mark Fisher (solo acoustic), 1pm SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 5:30pm BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Jay Brown (roots), 6pm 2 GUYS PIZZA Drive-Up Drag Show benefiting Hendersonville Pride, 6pm BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Trivia Night, 6pm CASCADE LOUNGE Open Bluegrass Jam, 6pm THE 2ND ACT Round Robin Open Mic w/Letters to Abigail, 6pm ICONIC KITCHEN & DRINKS Marc Keller (acoustic), 6pm FBO AT HOMINY CREEK Old Timey Jam by the River (musical collaboration), 6pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING Open Mic Night, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm MYSTIC DOME STUDIO Open Jam in the Dome (open mic), 6:30pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Blooming Bass w/DJ Ephcto (cultural bass), 6:30pm RABBIT RABBIT Trivia Night, 7pm 185 KING STREET Trivia Night, 7pm SILVERADOS Open Mic Night, 7pm THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN The B’s (jazz, standards), 7pm HANDLEBAR & GRILL Ladies Night Karaoke, 7pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Bingeable Trivia, 7pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Queer Comedy Party w/ Trumaine Bradley, 7pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm BEN'S TUNE UP Big Blue (jam), 8pm FLEETWOOD'S Hickoids w/Viva Le Vox (cow punk), 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN VETERANS PARK Park Rhythms w/Victoria Victoria (indie pop), 6pm RYE KNOT KITCHEN BREWERY DISTILLERY Chris Flanders (acoustic), 6pm WHISTLE HOP BREWING CO. Jazz and Wine Night w/ Adi the Monk, 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Open Mic Night, 6pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING Funky Ass Trio Jam (funk), 6pm GINGER’S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM Best Served Cold (open mic comedy), 6pm

HAZEL ROBINSON AMPHITHEATRE Del McCoury Band (bluegrass, folk), 6pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Weekly Trivia w/Billy Nesbit, 6:30pm

THE GROCERY Jay Brown (roots), 6:30pm TRISKELION BREWING CO. Open Mic Night, 7pm

EATS & DRINKS GUIDE

SALVAGE STATION Trevor Hall w/Cas Haley, 7pm CONTINUUM ART Ryan Perry (acoustic, country, blues), 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE Rami Feinstein (folk, world), 6pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Cultivated Mind (reggae), 6pm

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Hunter Begley & Eric Ledford (Americana), 6:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew & the Boys (bluegrass), 7pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Zoh Amba and Michael Jefry Stevens (jazz), 7:30pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Bread & Circus (retro rock), 7:30pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Kristy Cox (bluegrass), 8pm OFF THE WAGON All Request Piano Show, 8pm BEN'S TUNE UP Offended! Open Mic (comedy), 9:30pm

2021 Edition

Coming Soon!

Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre Concert Schedule

Presented by Plugged-In Productions

OFF THE WAGON All Request Piano Show, 8pm THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic/Free Jam, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Miami Gold w/Thieves Like Us (rock), 5pm The Unlikely Candidates (alt rock), 8pm THE SOCIAL Karaoke w/DJ Lyric, 8pm

Del McCoury Band | August 5 @ 6PM Still Inside: A Tribute to Tony Rice

Sam Bush Band | August 11 @ 6PM Songs From The Road Band

ft. Travis Book of Infamous Stringdusters & Friends

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Anesthesia (psychedelic power trio), 9pm ONE WORLD BREWING Latin Night Wednesday, 9pm

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Bob Sherill (singer-songwriter), 1pm THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Rod Sphere (rock), 5:30pm 131 MAIN Aaron LaFalce (soul, rock, pop), 6pm

Bill Frisell’s Harmony | Sept. 2 @ 6PM @ Isis Music Hall

Animal Collective | Sept. 6 @ 6PM Jamal R. Moore

plugged-inproductions .com

MONTFORD PARK



90 GAY ST.



ASHEVILLE

Tickets and Information

HAZELROBINSONAMPHITHEATRE.COM @HAZELROBAMP // @PLUGGEDINTUNES MOUNTAINX.COM

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM

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

HOUSE FOR SALE House • 1 BR • 1 BA $249,000 • House • 2 BR • 2 BA Solid home with great open floor plan For Sale in the Druid Hills area of Hendersonville just 25 miles from downtown Asheville. Perfect for people with pets, this home has large backyard with full privacy fence and sunny garden area. With 2 Bedrooms, 2 baths, fireplace, sunroom, hardwood floors and a one car garage, this 1344 Sq ft home offers privacy at the very end of a no outlet street. This home is priced at $249 K. For more information call Aaron Stanford, ReMax Mountain Living, at 828290-3293. Motivated seller.

RENTALS HOMES FOR RENT FRIENDS OF DOROTHY COME AND LIVE IN A REAL PARADISE. A HEAVEN ON EARTH... 2B/2B Deluxe Chalet in the Mts. with vista views from wrap around decks with gardens and privacy. Tastefully furnished and immaculate. West Burnsville with easy access to 26; 20 min to Weaverville and 45 min to Asheville; Gas fireplace and 3 big screen TV’s and much more. No pets. Ref $1400+ 1 Person 1 Car; $1600+ 2 People 1 Car LETS TALK... TEXT 954.496.9000

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL FINANCIAL EDUCATOR & FINANCIAL/HOUSING COUNSELOR F/T Financial Educator & Financial/Housing Counselor needed. We are seeking candidates with cultural competency and lived experience within the African American community. $36,670 annually. Visit www. ontrackwnc.org/hireme for full posting. NAVITAT CANOPY ADVENTURES ADVENTURE GUIDE & DRIVERS Looking for a new adventure? Navitat is hiring Adventure Guides to guide world class zipline tours. Spend 2021 working with a group of talented and passionate outdoor enthusiasts! We are seeking safety conscious, hard-working, customer service-oriented team members for our 2021 Season. avlemployment@ navitat.com www.navitat. com

VITA TAX PROGRAM COORDINATOR & FINANCIAL HOUSING/COUNSELOR VITA Tax Program Coordinator & Financial/ Housing Counselor needed. We are seeking candidates with cultural competency and lived experience within the African American community. $37,988 annually. Visit www. ontrackwnc.org/hireme for full description.

SALES/ MARKETING

SALES PROFESSIONAL Mountain Xpress is looking to add a new member to our sales team. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present confidently, while working within a structure. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, and working well in a team environment. While no outside sales experience is required, experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful. The position largely entails account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies, and working to meet or exceed sales goals. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent, community-minded organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@mountainx.com

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES P/T & F/T MAINTENANCE POSITIONS AVAILABLE Seeking mature, reliable persons with basic plumbing, drywall and carpentry knowledge to work at apartment communities in the Asheville and Hendersonville areas. Positions start at $15/hr. Duties include routine maintenance, preparing vacant units, cleaning common areas, etc. Ideal candidate will be well-organized, pro-active, knowledgeable in troubleshooting maintenance needs and coordinating contractor services. Skilled trade replacements and extensive repairs are made by third party service contractors. Must have reliable transportation and provide your own hand tools. Must be on-call for after-hours emergencies. Credit and criminal checks required. Please email letter of interest to dleonard@ partnershippm.com or mail

to Attn: D. Leonard at PO Box 26405, Greensboro, NC 27407. Equal Opportunity Employer and Provider.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITION - FLEXIBLE PART-TIME HOURS Administrative Assistant 20-25 hours/wk. Able to lift up to 50 pounds frequently while climbing stairs, 21+, valid NC license/insurance, and reliable vehicle. Email a cover letter and resume to hello@jp-bourgeois.com BILINGUAL DATA AND PROGRAM SUPPORT SPECIALIST NEEDED AT SMART START PFC Support Family Connects newborn nurse home-visiting activity by scheduling visits, conducting follow-up calls. Oversee data collection, maintenance, reporting. Spanish fluency required. Full job description: www. smartstartpfc.org. Send cover letter/resume to kelly@smartstartpfc.org.

MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY- EASTER SEALS UCP Eastersealsucp provides exceptional services, education, outreach and advocacy so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play in our communities. We are currently hiring for direct support professionals in our Group home in Asheville. Direct Support Workers provide support to persons residing in a variety of residential settings. This staff participates in the daily routine of the home, and provides support for habilitative and rehabilitative activities, personal care, health care, and other activities. Please explore our open opportunities and apply www.eastersealsucp. com

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT F/T SITE MANAGER NEEDED FOR APT. IN ASHEVILLE Candidates must have excellent customer service and admin skills, possess basic math skills, be organized & professional while maintaining a positive attitude. Attention to detail & problem-solving abilities are needed. The ability to lead and be part of a team is important. The ideal candidate will possess a minimum of one year of property management and/ or leasing experience. The Site Manager is an experienced professional with the skills and knowledge to perform the following duties including, but not limited to: • Manage & lead administrative responsibilities at the site level • Lease apts. and

follow up with prospective leads • Coordinate details of Move-Ins/Move-Outs • Work with the on-site team to ensure the property meets company performance standards • Engage residents & guests to create a positive housing experience • Collection activities • Address & resolve resident issues; escalate to the Property Manager as appropriate • Enforcement of community policies • Other duties as assigned Must pass credit and criminal background screening. Benefits include insurance, 401K and paid holidays. Please email letter of interest to Jpatricktaylor@ partnershippm.com, or mail to Attn: J. Patrick Taylor at PO Box 26305, Greensboro, NC 27407. Equal Opportunity Employer and Provider. THE JCC IS HIRING AN AQUATICS ASSOCIATE The JCC Aquatics Associate is the central point of connection between the JCC and all aquatics program participants. The AA ensures that every individual using the JCC pool receives a warm welcome and experiences a safe and secure environment. Visit jcc-asheville.org/news/ aquatics-associate/ for full listing. E-mail resume to wendy@jcc-asheville. org to apply.

TEACHING/ EDUCATION A-B TECH IS HIRING A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Full-Time position Dental Assisting Instructor. For more details and to apply: https:// abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/5708 A-B TECH IS HIRING A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Full-Time position Nurse Aide Instruction. For more details and to apply: https:// abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/5695 EVERGREEN COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL IS SEEKING ASSOCIATES FOR AFTER SCHOOL INITIATIVE Evergreen Community Charter School, a free public K-8 school in Haw Creek, is seeking part-time associates for its After School initiative. Please visit evergreenccs. org/careers to apply. SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS Hanger Hall is seeking substitute teachers. Pay is $15 an hour. Hanger Hall is an independent, middle school with a fun and dynamic curriculum. Applicants must like middle school children, be flexible, positive and able to follow lesson plans. To apply, email a cover letter and resume to brigittac@ hangerhall.org.

Calling all photographers! is accepting photographs for its new feature:

Snapshot

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

THE

adventure

ISSUE

A special issue about shaking things up, trying something new and finding adventure right here in WNC. Coming August 18th advertise@mountainx.com • 828.251.1333 x 1

ARIES (March 21-April 19): What does it mean to feel real? Some people have a hard time doing that. They have such false ideas about who they are that they rarely feel real. Others are so distracted by trivial longings that they never have the luxury of settling into the exquisite at-home-ness of feeling real. For those fortunate enough to regularly experience this treasured blessing, feeling real isn’t a vague concept. It’s a vivid sensation of being conscious in one’s body. When we feel real, we respond spontaneously, enjoy playing and exult in the privilege of being alive. After studying your astrological potentials, Aries, I suspect that you now have an enhanced capacity to feel real.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Now is a fantastic time to seek out effervescent socializing and convivial gatherings and festive celebrations. If you surround yourself with lively people, you’ll absorb the exact influences you need. May I suggest you host a fun event? If you do, you could send out invitations that include the following allures: “At my get-together, the featured flavors will be strawberry, chocolate and impossibly delicious. There’ll be magic vibrations and mysterious mood-enhancers. Liberating conversations will be strongly encouraged. Unpredictable revelations will be honored. If possible, please unload your fears and anxieties in a random parking lot before arriving.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When she was a child, author Valerie Andrews visited her secret sanctuary at sunset every day for seven years. She lay on the ground among birch trees and aromatic privet plants, feeling “the steady rhythmic heartbeat of the earth” as she basked in the fading light. I’d love for you to enjoy the revitalizing power of such a shrine. The decisions you have to make will become clear as you commune with what Andrews calls “a rootlike umbilicus to the dark core of the land.” Do you know of such a place? If not, I suggest you find or create one.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio author Andrew Sean Greer writes, “As the Japanese will tell you, one can train a rose to grow through anything, to grow through a nautilus even, but it must be done with tenderness.” I think that’s a vivid metaphor for one of your chief tasks in the coming weeks, Scorpio: how to carefully nurture delicate, beautiful things as you coax them to ripen in ways that will bring out their sturdiness and resilience. I believe you now have an extra capacity for wielding love to help things bloom.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I suspect that your immediate future will be a patchwork of evocative fragments. You may be both annoyed and entertained by a series of flashing attractions, or an array of pretty baubles, or a hubbub of tasks that all seem at least mildly worth doing. Chances are good that they will ultimately knit together into a crazy quilt unity; they will weave into a pattern that makes unexpected sense. In the spirit of the spicy variety, I offer three quotes that may not seem useful to you yet, but will soon. 1. “Isn’t it possible that to desire a thing, to truly desire it, is a form of having it?” — Galway Kinnell 2. “It is not half so important to know as to feel.” — Rachel Carson 3. “Like all explorers, we are drawn to discover what’s out there without knowing yet if we have the courage to face it.” — Pema Chödrön CANCER (June 21-July 22): A Tumblr blogger named Cece writes, “The fact that you can soak bread in sugar, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla, then butter a pan and fry said bread to make a meal is really liberating.” I agree. And I share this with you in the hope of encouraging you to indulge in other commonplace actions that will make you feel spacious and uninhibited. You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when you’ll thrive on doing day-to-day details that excite your lust for life. Enjoying the little things to the utmost will be an excellent strategy for success. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo poet Renée Ashley articulates a perspective I recommend you adopt. She writes, “I’m drawn to what flutters nebulously at the edges, at the corner of my eye — just outside my certain sight. I want to share in what I am routinely denied or only suspect exists. I long for a glimpse of what is beginning to occur.” With her thoughts as inspiration, I advise you to be hungry for what you don’t know and haven’t perceived. Expand your curiosity so that it becomes wildly insatiable in its quest to uncover budding questions and raw truths at the peripheries of your awareness. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “There are many things in your heart you can never tell to another person,” declared Virgo actor Greta Garbo (1905–1990). “It is not right that you should tell them,” she concluded. “You cheapen yourself, the inside of yourself, when you tell them.” I presume Greta was being melodramatic. My attitude is the opposite of hers. If you find allies who listen well and who respect your vulnerability, you should relish telling them the secrets of your heart. To do so enriches you, deepens you and adds soulful new meanings to your primary mysteries. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to seek this wise pleasure in abundance.

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM

BY ROB BREZSNY

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Suggested experiments to try soon: 1. Remember a past moment when you were touched with the sudden realization that you and a person you’d recently met were destined to fall in love. 2. Remember a past moment when you kissed someone for the first time. 3. Remember a past moment when someone told you they loved you for the first time or when you told someone you loved them for the first time. 4. Allow the feelings from the first three experiments to permeate your life for five days. See through the eyes of the person you were during those previous breakthroughs. Treat the whole world as expansively and expectantly as you did during those times. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn poet Kenneth Rexroth was shirtless as he strolled along a rural road. To his delightful amazement, a fritillary butterfly landed on his shoulder, fluttered away, landed again, fluttered away — performed this dance numerous times. Nothing like this had ever happened to him. Later he wrote, “I feel my flesh / Has suddenly become sweet / With a metamorphosis / Kept secret even from myself.” In the coming days, I’m expecting at least one comparable experience for you. Here’s your homework: What sweet metamorphoses may be underway within you — perhaps not yet having reached your conscious awareness? AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Each time we don’t say what we want to say, we’re dying.” Aquarian artist and singer Yoko Ono said that. I will add a further nuance: Each time we’re not aware of the feeling or experience or situation we want, we’re dying. And these will be key themes now that you’ve entered the “I KNOW WHAT I WANT AND I KNOW HOW TO ASK FOR IT” phase of your cycle. The most healing and vivifying thing you can do during the next six weeks is to be precise about your desires. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 1829, Piscean author Victor Hugo began work on his novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He had other projects, though, and by September 1830, he had made scant progress on Hunchback. Growing impatient, his publisher demanded that he finish the manuscript by February 1831. In response, Hugo virtually barricaded himself in his room to compel himself to meet the deadline. He even locked his clothes in a closet to prevent himself from going out. For the next five months, he wore only a gray shawl as he toiled nonstop. His stratagem worked! I recommend you consider trying a somewhat less rigorous trick to enforce your self-discipline in the coming weeks. There’s no need to barricade yourself in your fortress. But I hope you will have fun taking stringent measures.

THE N EW Y OR K TI M ES C ROSSWORD P UZ Z LE

MARKETPLACE THE JCC IS HIRING AFTERSCHOOL GROUP LEADERS JCC Kids Group Leaders are responsible for caring for a group of school age children in our after-school and fullday enrichment programs. Group Leaders develop weekly activity plans and facilitate programming and practices that enable children to develop friendships and expand their learning. Please visit jcc-asheville.org/ employment/after-schoolgroup-leader/ for full listing. E-mail resume to daniel@ jcc-asheville.org to apply.

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PETS PETS FOR ADOPTION

ACROSS

1 Plays for time, in a way

6 Word repeated by Hamlet before “solid flesh”

9 Hairstyle for Audre Lorde

14 13th-century Persian mystic who is one of the best-selling poets in the U.S. 16 Cookout side dish 17 Mario Kart contestant 18 The Aggies of the Mountain West Conference 20 “Blech!” 23 Indigenous 24 Decorative items washed up on the beach

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27 Meal accompaniment at a trattoria 28 Flotsam and Jetsam in “The Little Mermaid” 29 Crusty piece of bread 31 Stick up 34 The Lorax’s final word

9 15

51 56

58 61

59 Jiffy 61 Underwater ecosystems 63 Cooling succulent 64 It may be taken in protest 65 Start of a saying about staying fit

10 Fleeting romantic interest

40 Thither 41 Farrier’s tool

11 Give feedback on Yelp, maybe

43 Strike hard, in the Bible

12 Fall short

45 Like the same old same old

15 “Beats me!”

50 Hiding soldiers in the Trojan horse and such

19 It may turn at a station 22 Shift blame to someone else

52 Good things to strike

25 Nerdy sort

66 Lairs

26 “Get it together!” … or a hint to the highlighted letters

37 Musician Yoko

67 Is the pope Catholic?

30 ’Fore

38 Hollywood’s Dwayne Johnson, with “the”

68 Adam who directed “The Big Short”

33 Corpus

36 ___ Duncan, Obama education secretary

39 Like the blood of a universal donor 41 Tech that enables contactless credit card payments 42 Neither’s partner 43 Wedge, e.g. 44 Loquacious 46 Bit of water or snow equipment 47 What a QR code at a restaurant might link to

DOWN 1 Malware, often 2 “Curiosity killed the cat,” e.g. 3 Author of “Jurassic Park” 4 Who wrote “To Helen” and “For Annie” 6 Support structure

49 Digs

7 Not in the closet

51 Most desirable, say, as a ripe peach

8 Muscat’s sultanate

55 “Can it!”

9 Actor John or Sean

53 Actress Vergara 54 Quick to snap 55 Lone 56 One providing a ride at a fair, maybe

32 “Roger that, boss!”

59 Tricked

34 Locales for some Grecian art

60 French word between two names

35 Cozy place

62 “Exit” key

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

B L A N K C D

R A P A N U I

A M E N I T Y

C H I M P S

S H A K I R A

K I N E S I S

5 Ambles

48 Verdant

65 67

58 Ill

57 Where Boxing Day comes before Christmas, in brief?

41 44

36 39

23 26

28 34

PUZZLE BY KATE HAWKINS

13 Bozo

21 Black ___

BUBBA NEEDS HELP Please adopt if you can! 3-year-old bull-terrier mix needs immediate save from high-kill shelter. Super loving, good on leash, has anxiety and requires a single-person household. No cats. Call 843-425-2858 oconeehumane.org

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A B B A T R I M T F O O T E N P R C A C I A S T O C K A S S E N R E V I L U N I T E P D O W N T L O G B E R T A N K H E T S Y

JULY 28 - AUG. 3, 2021