Mountain Xpress 07.29.20

OUR 26TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 26 NO. 53 JULY 29- AUG. 4, 2020

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C ONT ENTS

11 REFORMING CRIMINAL JUSTICE Q&A with new Justice Services Director Tiffany Iheanacho

WELLNESS

15 ‘I KNOW THE NEGRO’ In Asheville Archives, local church leader challenges congregation about its racial assumptions, 1941

19 GROWING SUPPORT WNC resident helps others battling Graves’ disease

GREEN

FEATURE

NEWS

FEATURES

20 LANDS UNLOCKED Outdoor enthusiasts navigate murky waters of pandemic recreation

PAGE 8 GOOD FAITH The Rev. Eric Gash, pastor of Speak Life Community Church in Hendersonville, is among a number of local religious leaders — both Black and white — who have been galvanized by the May killing of George Floyd to facilitate dialogue about racial issues and use the pulpit to call for racial justice.

COVER PHOTO Getty Images COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick 4 LETTERS 4 CARTOON: MOLTON 7 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 8 NEWS 12 BUNCOMBE BEAT 15 ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES 16 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 18 WELLNESS

FOOD

20 GREEN SCENE 23 COMING ON STRONG Asheville Strong Fund to provide crisis relief for small businesses

22 FOOD 26 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 30 A&E ROUNDUP 31 CLUBLAND

A&E

32 MOVIES 26 RHYTHM THROUGH TIME Ron Rash releases his latest collection of stories

34 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 35 CLASSIFIEDS 35 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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OPINION

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

The time right now is to share power with Black Asheville, return and build wealth in a meaningful way for Black families and provide funding to get this important process started.

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C AR T O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N

Share power, respect and resources with Black Asheville I am proud that our city has made the decision to go forward with reparations for Black Ashevilleans. If you read the resolution passed, you will begin to understand that even aside from the atrocity that is slavery, the city of Asheville has wronged its Black citizens in many ways, including systemic oppression around housing, health care, education, commerce, the justice system and the accumulation of wealth.

I invite you to visit our Register of Deeds website and do an online records search using the firm name of “Redevelopment.”

There are 500 entries around Asheville commandeering property in the name of progress just since the 1960s, and the names are right there.

If Asheville is serious about attempting to right some wrongs, we must do much more than offer investment in programming and community. In our plan to build generational wealth for Black Ashevilleans, we can look at direct compensation for families and descendants with history in Asheville.

We have repeatedly heard the call to defund the police by 50% and spend those dollars elsewhere to support the community. Taking this action would offer some much needed funding to get us closer to truly helpful resources and/or direct payments or land grants.

We could give the East End, Eagle Street, Southside, Hill Street, Burton Street and Stumptown back to Black Asheville. That would go a long way toward increasing wealth for the Black 4

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community. Letting them have the land “redeveloped” within my lifetime might also dramatically cut down on some of the police issues we have, since the housing developments we created seem to be a large part of the problem, according to “Asheville Arrest Data Suggest Discrimination Against Black People”

by AVLWatchdog.org. The police issue petty citations to justify their presence in the projects, which begins a snowball of punishment and stereotypes that has gotten us here today.

We could use some of that money to bring back the excellent education and Black educators that the Black high school used to offer and expand on down to prenatal care, because we need a holistic fix for this education opportunity gap to close, not just a little extra homework help.

It is not a mystery why Black Asheville is and has been suffering. They’ve been educating us all along with their stories, trainings and receipts from history. White Asheville hasn’t been listening — until perhaps now.

Let’s keep listening to the leadership of Black Asheville as we attempt to right some of the wrongs perpetrated in the name of our city (and county) government. Apologies and acknowledgements are a good place to start. Listening and dialogue are a good place to start and to truly put meaning behind the word “reparations.” We as a government and people must give Black Asheville the power, respect and financial resources they are due.

We also need truth and reconciliation with the Cherokee people, but that will have to be another letter and time.

What is the sense of stores stating they require patrons to wear masks when they do not enforce it?

I’ve seen customers walk into The Home Depot and Ingles, to name two examples of many, with no mask on, walk around, check out and exit with not one employee or manager saying anything to them.

Don’t post the sign stating it’s required if you have no intention of enforcing it!

— Janice Doyle Asheville

Kratom distribution poses risks to people who use drugs Western North Carolina has experienced a surge of drug overdose deaths.

COVID-19 increases overdose risks for people who use drugs; isolation leads to using alone; pandemics disrupt treatment and support; and PWUD (people who use drugs) suffer determinants of health that compound vulnerabilities.

Overdose prevention strategies endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include naloxone distribution and syringe access programs. Harm reduction goes beyond, encompassing practical ideas to reduce negative consequences of drug use through advocacy, social justice and inclusion of PWUD in decision-making — with respect for the rights of PWUD. Serving populations at increased structural risk for overdose without adequate information is dangerous. ... A particular danger accrues from organizations promoting strategies and products not only inconsistent with harm-reduction principles, but scientifically proven to pose direct risks to PWUD. As a registered nurse working full time in public health with the harm reduction community and an applied medical anthropologist engaged in research with community-based harm reductionists, it is our duty to report behavior detrimental to public health that threatens PWUD. Most recently, a local organization, SeekHealing, whose website describes it as a “nonprofit serving people at risk for overdose” and uses the term harm reduction to describe their work, distributed “herbal first aid kits,” including kratom, as part of a COVID-19 response.

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

OPINION SeekHealing advertised the kits for people experiencing pandemic-related withdrawal. Kratom is an unregulated herbal opioid with known overdose risks. High-quality studies demonstrate kratom increases overdose death risks.

This distribution violates the tenets of harm reduction.

Harm reduction requires determining, with well-designed research and input from directly affected local stakeholders, what practices keep people safe and empower them to live healthy lives. ...

There is no evidence that kratom is effective or safe for opiate withdrawal, as SeekHealing claims. There is mounting evidence to the contrary. Toxicologists determined kratom increased the risk of adverse events, particularly when ingested with other drugs. Overdose deaths have been attributed to a combination of a synthetic opioid and kratom. Naloxone may reverse respiratory distress in kratom-only ingestion. Kratom contributes to respiratory depression, compounding death risk.

Withdrawal increases overdose risks.

Offering kratom to people experiencing withdrawal increases vulnerability. Such distribution seems at minimum reckless and at worst predatory, especially when done without honest education and informed consent. SeekHealing introduced “herbal first aid” ostensibly amid concerns COVID-19 would disrupt the local drug supply, causing withdrawal for PWUD. SeekHealing mainly targeted unsheltered folks; partnering with a homeless service organization and an organization offering HIV case management for precariously housed clients and distributing naloxone and safe injecting supplies to PWUD (on a drive-thru basis during the pandemic). Yet kratom distribution began without SeekHealing consulting folks already doing direct service to PWUD. Despite other COVID-19 disruptions, we have not seen it affect local opiate supply or cause pandemic-related withdrawal.

Information distributed with the kratom covers its history but included no overdose warnings. Instead, it falsely claims combining kratom with other opiates “cancel[s] each other out.” Despite efforts to communicate with SeekHealing, discourage kratom distribution and encourage discussion about building trusting relationships when working with PWUD, SeekHealing’s reckless behavior continues. When individualized care and informed consent were suggested, a SeekHealing representative dismissed this as “prescriptive” and not rooted in trust. Those who witness community-based harm reduction know this dismissal is off-base. ...

SeekHealing’s dangerous actions are in opposition to the harm reduction framework they co-opt. ... Introducing a new risk into a vulnerable community without education, while blatantly offering misinformation, does not reduce negative consequences of drug use, nor does it show respect for the rights of PWUD. It is not harm reduction. It only harms the efforts of principled harm reductionists, and, by extension, the health of those we serve.

— Vanessa Hixon, RN, co-director of The Steady Collective Asheville and Bayla Ostrach, Ph.D., applied medical anthropologist and community research liaison with The Steady Collective Fletcher Editor’s note: The writers note that The Steady Collective is a nonprofit Asheville-based harm reduction organization with a goal of improving overall community health by reducing the rate of drug overdose and the spread of infectious disease with education, advocacy and direct services.

Xpress contacted the nonprofit SeekHealing with a summary of the letter writers’ points and received the following response from the SeekHealing board of directors — Luc Richard, Jennifer Nicolaisen, Dr. Rachel Wurzman, Jennifer Garrett and Joshua Ginsberg:

NO JOB TOO LARGE OR SMALL

“Unfortunately, this letter is factually incorrect. Not all kits contained kratom — in fact, most did not. SeekHealing did not distribute anything directly: We donated kits to partner organizations that distributed them through peer supports.

“Over two months ago, Steady voiced concerns about the inclusion of kratom.

This was confusing because we had reached out to Steady for input on the project prior to launch, without response.

Ever since they reached out, we stopped including kratom in kits while we revisited the literature.

“The research around kratom is highly inconclusive. Recent studies show that correlations with fatalities ‘cannot be established in almost all cases because of poly-drug exposure.’ [avl.mx/7rn] “We offered these kits with compassion to support underresourced people during a pandemic when they were more isolated and unsupported than ever.

Participants universally offered gratitude and positive feedback.

“To prevent overdoses as a community, we need more interorganizational cooperation and mutual respect.”

A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.

Put people first before reopening schools Please listen to health experts, parents and teachers before opening our schools.

This is a health issue, not political. Take some time to contemplate these questions and contact our representatives, urging them to put people first: 1. How does this stress affect the health and well-being of our children, parents and teachers?

2. How does it affect the ability to teach and to learn?

3. What are the long-term effects of consistently being stressed out?

4. How will it affect students and faculty when the first parent, student

or teacher tests positive for COVID19? Or worse, dies from this?

We have not and we are not spending anywhere near the right amount to protect our citizens. And, in turn, we are putting our children in danger. Yes, the problem is daunting, and there really is no perfect solution, but to politicize the health of the American people reveals the necessity for we the people to speak out to our decision-makers: Call or write our representatives, write letters to the editor. And support those who are courageous enough to take the streets to voice their opinion.

I believe the readers of this are mostly like myself who can’t afford to flood the media with advertisements to voice our opinions. But don’t just sit there, do something. Save lives and our democracy.

— Ed Sacco Asheville

Events that haunt us forever What’s the tragic event in your life that most haunts you? You’ll remember where you were, probably even feel yourself in that very air and taste the emotion that coursed through your body as you realized what was happening. You probably weren’t able to do anything about it, but if you could have, you would have.

Mine found me in a Shakespeare class at the University of Texas on Aug. 1, 1966.

I was seated near the front of the room, away from the large bank of windows overlooking The Tower. Shots rang out.

We were hostages under gunfire for the next hour and a half. There was nothing we could do but hide in the tiled halls of the windowless basement and wait.

Someone had a radio tuned to the news.

Reporters were reading names of the wounded and dead in real time as they were collected off the streets and sidewalks above us. Suddenly, Paul Bolton, the news director, stopped the listing and asked for the last name to be repeated. It was his 18-year-old grandson.

Stay informed on

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C AR T O O N B Y B R E N T B R O W N If any of us could have done anything to stop it, we would have.

Today, we’re living a lingering tragedy from a viral pathogen. There are things we can do to save ourselves and those around us.

Instead, on the Fourth of July, a trio of Republican candidates hosted a gathering of about 500 unmasked constituents to shake hands, hug, get up-close-and-personal, supporting Trump’s theory that 99% of COVID-19 cases are “totally harmless.”

[As of July 23, the] U.S. death toll stands at more than 140,000.

The hosts of this party — Sen. Chuck Edwards, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and Madison Cawthorn — apparently echo their leader’s beliefs about the potency of COVID-19. If they’re this cavalier about the most virulent killer of our time, do you think they really care about things like equity in pay, racial disparities, public education, our environment or health care?

Don’t let this coronavirus haunt us more because we fail to do what we can to stop it. And for goodness sake, elect Democrats Brian Caskey to state Senate District 48, Roy Cooper to governor and Moe Davis to Congress in District 11.

They’ll work with us to put safest practices in place so we don’t have to be haunted forever in memory of those we infected.

— Suzi Leonard Etowah

Editor’s note: Leonard reports that she has volunteered for Caskey, who is running against Edwards. Xpress contacted Cawthorn, Edwards and Forest with a summary of the letter writer’s points, but received no response for publication.

Confederate monuments belong in museums People — a monument is an exaltation, a figure of pride. If a Confederate statue represents your “heritage,” I’m suggesting there’s nothing to be proud of here.

If it’s simply historical accuracy we’re interested in, why not a depiction of a plantation and the slaves who labored there for their masters, as compared to the preservation of the Nazi death camps, which reinforce “never again”?

Let’s put these historical representatives in museums where they belong so that generations to follow can learn from our folly.

— Margot Kornfeld Asheville

Davis would serve WNC well in Congress I confess. I’m what’s called a liberal, through and through. I have been since I was a small child. In elementary school,

I was the kid who made friends with all the underdogs and couldn’t understand why other children could be so mean and bullying to others. When I was 5, I wept when a neighborhood boy shot one of my baby frogs with a BB gun. I have cared deeply about humanity all my life, and while I’ve been called derogatory names like tree-hugger, peacenik or hippie (as if that were a bad thing), I am grateful that I feel so much love and compassion for the world.

That said, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Col. Moe Davis, who is running for our local District 11 U.S. House of Representatives seat, given his military background and time at Guantanamo.

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear him speak and to ask him questions about his positions about things of concern to me.

We spoke about health care, demilitarizing the police and redistributing police funds (as opposed to blanket defunding), immigration reform, ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment, improving relationships with our U.S. allies and realistic gun regulation. He had thoughtful responses to each question. We disagreed about banning assault weapons. But other than that, I was impressed with his expertise and experience and felt that he would serve Western North Carolina in Washington very well.

— Erica Burns Black Mountain

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NEWS

Love thy neighbor

Religious leaders tackle systemic racism

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com For most of his life, the Rev. Eric Gash didn’t consider himself an activist. “I’m almost ashamed to say I’ve never spoken at a protest rally, I’ve never marched — nothing,” says Gash, who leads Speak Life Community Church in Hendersonville. “Being Black in America, we’ve learned to overlook things, look past things, give folks the benefit of the doubt.”

But that changed for Gash after the May 25 killing of George Floyd. “It opened the eyes to what’s happened, decade after decade,” he says.

Partnering with white and Black religious leaders in Henderson County, Gash has recently begun working to facilitate dialogue about racial issues.

On July 12, he joined the Rev. Greg Mathis, who is white, of the evangelical Mud Creek Baptist Church for a special outdoor service addressing systemic racism. The event, which was livestreamed on Facebook, also featured Gash’s wife, Katy, Hendersonville resident Ben Smith and the Rev. William Hardin, associate pastor of Fruitland Baptist Church in Edneyville. (For the full service, see avl.mx/7qs) Speaking from atop a flatbed trailer, the panelists discussed Bible verses, personal experiences with racism, examples of institutional oppression

CALLED TO LOVE: “Jesus commands us to love,” says the Rev. Eric Gash, left.

“If we don’t love, well, the rest is history. And I don’t want that to happen.” Also pictured is Katy Gash, his wife. Photo courtesy of Gash and a breakdown of phrases sometimes misconstrued by white people, including “white privilege” and “Black lives matter.”

Many religious leaders in Western North Carolina are likewise using the pulpit to call for racial justice. And like

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Gash, they’re doing so with Scripture.

“Proverbs 4:7 says, ‘The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom,” Gash told the predominantly white audience at Mud Creek Baptist Church. “Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”

SHALOM Part of this understanding, explains the Rev. Rob Blackburn of Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville, is recognizing the church’s own past failures. As Xpress’ own weekly history feature, “Asheville Archives,” has revealed, the professed word of God has frequently been used to impede justice and prevent progress. (See “Asheville Archives: Letters condemning and condoning segregation, 1955,” Aug. 6, 2019, Xpress) In addition to employing religious texts to justify inequitable treatment of certain groups, religious leaders have also often remained silent on matters of race, notes Blackburn. But in his view, tacit approval of institutional racism is antithetical to the church’s theological underpinning.

“We cannot help but be in the middle of a response to systemic racism because one of the key tenets of our story as a people of faith is this notion of ‘shalom,’” he says, citing a Hebrew word often translated as “peace.”

According to the website of the New International Version of the Bible, shalom can refer to harmonious relationships between people and groups of people, to safety, to reconciliation with God and to inner peace.

“It’s a notion that peace means complete wholeness and justice for everyone,” says Blackburn.

In the wake of Floyd’s killing, Blackburn teamed with neighboring churches First Presbyterian and Trinity Episcopal to organize Prayer in Action. The three congregations, which are predominantly white, invited local religious leaders of color, along with elected officials, to speak on Church Street about racial justice. (For more, see “Religious leaders, public officials come together on Church Street,” June 4, Xpress) “That was the beginning of our response,” says Blackburn. “And I used the word ‘beginning,’ because I think we all know if we’re really going to bring change, it has to go farther than that. It’s got to find its way from the street to the courthouse to the schoolhouse to the church and so on. But that was a response that we felt was important. We’ve got to work together for a new day and a new way for all persons.”

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Defensiveness is a major challenge facing faith leaders when they initiate conversations about race and racism among members of majority white congregations.

On June 8, the Rev. Bruce Frank, lead pastor of Biltmore Church, held a virtual forum to discuss these matters with the church’s 8,000 members. Frank, who is white, was joined on stage by a number of people of color, among them Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller and former Hendersonville Police Chief Donnie Parks, who retired in 2007.

Before beginning the conversation, Frank implored viewers, “particularly my white brothers and sisters,” to consider how the country’s history continues to impact African American families and communities. “Before you bring your facts and before you bring your list and get defensive, just understand there is the definite truth that things in the past bear fruit,” he said into the camera.

Offering examples, Frank noted that the Social Security Act of 1935

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BORN ACTIVIST: “I grew up in a house where justice was what we talked about at the dinner table,” says the Rev. Marcia Mount Shoop. “When I was young, it was about rights and equality. And as an adult and somebody still learning and growing in the work, it’s shifted to be more about equity and dismantling white supremacy.” Photo by Jay Hill excluded coverage for agricultural and domestic jobs, positions largely held

by African Americans. Similarly, the benefits guaranteed by the GI Bill, designed to help World War II veterans prosper upon their return home, were denied to millions of Black soldiers, he said.

And turning from history to more recent developments, Frank also discussed a hot topic for many of his white congregants. Several members, he announced in the video, had posed the same question: “Why can’t we say, ‘All lives matter?’”

“Please hear me; hear my heart,” Frank urged his home audience.

“Don’t get defensive. Of course all lives matter. Of course they do. … But understand when that is said, it can come across very callous.”

To explain why the phrase “All lives matter” could be hurtful, the pastor asked his listeners to imagine a situation that might arise in his life: As his two boys are out playing, one gets hurt. Frank’s fatherly instinct would lead him to tend first to his injured son.

“The other son should know he matters, and I love him,” Frank explained to his viewers. “But at this moment, I want to make sure that the son that is hurting understands I hear him; I’m here to help.”

(For the full conversation, see avl.mx/7qh)

COMING TO GRIPS

Back on the flatbed trailer, Gash offered similar talking points to the

Mud Creek Baptist congregation.

Weeks later, the same topics come in conversation with Xpress. In both instances, Gash emphasizes that “by no means do [Black people] feel that all white people are racist or that all cops are bad.”

That reassurance may reflect Gash’s need to broach discussing systemic racism with caution. If he comes on too strong and too fast, resistance can kick in, ending the chance for thoughtful dialogue before it begins.

Too often, Gash says, “people get on the defensive” when they hear terms like “white privilege,” misunderstanding its central point. White people, Gash explains, “may have been poor and had to work just as hard for the wealth that they now have, but what ‘white privilege’ means is that your skin color or tone has not been a deterrent or determining factor.”

Like Frank, Gash points to the GI Bill and the disproportionate number of African Americans denied access to low-interest loans and mortgages, contributing to an expanding wealth gap between Black and white Americans.

The issue, exaggerated by redlining and urban renewal, continues to impact communities of color today. (For more, see “Uprooted: Urban Renewal in Asheville,” March 8, Xpress) Black soldiers, Gash emphasizes, “spilled the same blood, fought for the same country, but when they came back from that very same war, guess what? We were denied the loans simply because of the color of our skin.”

The discomfort that discussing the societal causes of racial inequities

seems to create, continues Gash, “is because white America is only now coming to grips with having to have these conversations” about the historic and social advantages their skin color represents.

Within the Black community, Gash points out, “we’ve lived with this knowledge.” From an early age, he reveals, “I had a firm understanding of what it means to be Black in America.

My mom — she had those conversations with me when I was 6 or 7 years old.”

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Though grappling with racial justice is new to some congregations, for others it is familiar territory. In 2016, the Rev. Marcia Mount Shoop joined the ministry at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in North Asheville, bringing to it her lifelong work as an activist.

Raised in Danville, Ky., Mount Shoop’s father was a Presbyterian pastor, college professor and the lone white member of the town’s NAACP chapter.

“I grew up in a house where justice was what we talked about at the dinner table,” she says.

Traditionally, Mount Shoop explains, the Presbyterian church has approached biblical teaching through a rational lens, ignoring the emotional vulnerabilities of its congregants. In doing so, she argues, Presbyterians have failed to incorporate central ele-

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N EWS ments of Jesus’ own life and words into their theology.

“One of the things in Scripture that really is calling to us at Grace Covenant right now is just the kind of incarnational ministry that Jesus had,” Mount Shoop says. “He did not shy away from complicated situations. He went toward them with a lot of moral courage and compassion.”

Today, part of the transformative work that Mount Shoop brings to Grace Covenant’s predominantly white congregation is greater self-awareness about the unintentional harms members inflict upon themselves as well as the broader community when they don’t recognize their own emotional vulnerabilities. Acknowledging individual needs and understanding “that I’m a broken human being in a broken world who wants to be part of healing opportunities for myself and for others,” is an essential first step toward more inclusive faith-based activism, Mount Shoop believes.

But awareness alone isn’t enough.

At Grace Covenant, members and ministry partners work together on homelessness, food insecurity, racial equity and building cross-cultural communities. Church members are also engaged in local government and national conversations.

Too often, Mount Shoop says, churches address an individual’s inner biases without confronting the laws and structures in place that promote white supremacy. “We need more than a change of heart,” she contends. “We need changes in our systems. And white people probably aren’t the ones to lead

the way on what that should look like.

And that is a really tough message for some people to hear. But from where I sit, faith was never about Disneyland or Easy Street. It’s always been about a really difficult transformation.”

LEAVE YOUR LIFE OF SIN

Whether this religious transformation will continue is unknown. “The discussion tonight is not meant to be in lieu of action,” Frank told his Biltmore Church audience during the June 8 online forum. “The discussion tonight is meant to actually propel us to different actions.”

When Xpress reached out to Biltmore Church to clarify what kinds of actions Frank hopes to see, the minister was unavailable for comment.

However, religious leaders who spoke with Xpress conveyed hope that their recent messages will prove just the beginning. To ignore racial justice would be to ignore the Bible’s core teachings, they say, pointing to a number of sources — from Galatians 6 to John 4, from the parables to the prophets.

“I don’t like to spend a lot of energy judging,” says Blackburn of Central United Methodist. “But I would certainly question a church that thinks it can be true to our calling and not have a willingness, if nothing else, to at least struggle with the issues.”

Back in Hendersonville, Gash reflects on the sin of racism, as well as the ongoing protests and calls for racial

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justice. Love, education and faith, he says, are key to moving forward.

“In John Chapter 8,” Gash notes, “Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, ‘Where are they that condemn you? Well neither do I condemn you. Now go and leave your life of sin.’”

Gash considers the passage. “We’re all guilty,” he says after a long pause.

“We’ve all fallen short. But are we continuing to sin? Or are we leaving it?

“For someone to say, ‘I never knew racism existed’ — well, okay, we’ll give you that. If you didn’t know there was racism, all right. But now you do know. So the question becomes: What are you going to do about it?” X

Dwell in unity

YOUTH IN ACTION: Rochelle Reich, right, poses with her two sons, Logan, center, and Alex. Shortly after the killing of George Floyd, Logan led Congregation Beth Israel’s virtual youth service with a teaching on racial justice. Photo by Laurie Johnson Jewish faith leaders have a long history of fighting for racial justice, says Deborah Miles, a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council and former executive director of UNC Asheville’s Center for Diversity Education.

“One of the first images that comes to mind of the civil rights movement is Rabbi [Abraham Joshua] Heschel marching with Dr. [Martin Luther] King in Montgomery,” she says.

In Asheville, the Jewish community continues this legacy through its collaborations with organizations like Carolina Jews for Justice, the Racial Justice Coalition, CoThinkk and BeLoved Asheville.

In response to George Floyd’s killing, Miles is creating a four-part online series on historical and contemporary issues related to race relations within the Jewish community. The production, intended for local Jewish congregations, debuted its first session on July 28.

“We need to normalize the conversation,” Miles says. “We have to develop the language for it and put the language into practice.”

One key message that Miles examines in the series is how hate fuels hate.

“Racism needs anti-Semitism; misogyny needs homophobia — all the oppressions are linked,” she says. “When folks are trying to tear people apart, they pit targets against each other. So rather than working in solidarity with each other, we work at cross-purposes. That’s part of how oppression works.”

One remedy, says Judy Leavitt of Carolina Jews for Justice, is building relationships with unlikely allies. “I’ve worked with people who are anti-Semitic,” she reveals. “And until they got to know me, they basically believed that I had horns on my head and that I had personally killed Christ.”

Another solution is educating and empowering the youth, says Rochelle Reich, executive director of Congregation Beth Israel in North Asheville. Shortly after Floyd’s death, Reich’s 13-year-old son, Logan, led the congregation’s weekly online youth service. Speaking on racial justice, Logan proclaimed: “In Psalm 133, we read ‘how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.’ It doesn’t say ‘in tolerance.’ It doesn’t say ‘in disparity.’ It doesn’t say to dwell ‘in inequity.’ We must embrace the simple fact that the problems of one are the problems of all of us. And once we do, only then can we dwell in unity — and it will be good and it will be pleasant.” X

Reforming criminal justice

“It’s not easy to see all of the nuances.”

— Tiffany Iheanacho

Q&A with new Justice Services Director Tiffany Iheanacho Tiffany Iheanacho says she’s “good at helping others help others.” She knows it takes a village to change a community — and as Buncombe County’s first justice services director, she intends to turn innovative ideas into action aimed at eliminating barriers within both the local criminal justice system and the broader community.

For the past three years, Iheanacho has served as the county’s justice resources coordinator, leading the implementation of a $1.75 million Safety and Justice Challenge grant from the MacArthur Foundation and helping establish the local Justice Resource Center. Now, she’s taking on a more advisory role that will include coordinating such related components as the Family Justice Center and pretrial services to help ensure that these types of assistance are equally available to all community members. Xpress spoke with Iheanacho recently about her new job and what she sees as the department’s initial priorities.

Xpress: Congratulations on the new position! Tell us about the role you’re taking on.

Tiffany Iheanacho: I’m still helping support the Justice Resource Advisory Council with goals and objectives, such as safely reducing the jail population.

We’ll also start providing more support and coordination with youth initiatives. We already have a functioning body, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, but our department will be able to provide them with some more support. Through the authority of the state, Calvin Hill, our chief District Court judge, wants us to start a local School Justice Partnership, so that is something that we’ll also be taking on. [Editor’s note: Iheanacho subsequently clarified that the partnership has already been established, Hill is leading it, and her department will be providing support services.]

What first made you interested in this type of work? What led you to this position?

It’s not a position that most folks hear about or aspire to. I studied criminal justice in undergrad, and under-

standing the structural inequities that exist has always been a big component in how we address change and give folks the resources they need to be successful. I think it’s just a natural fit with my passion for helping others.

I love visioning goals and supporting staff to achieve the work that they need to do to help others.

As you’re setting up this department, what are your priorities and goals for the next few months?

Luckily, a lot of stuff is already underway. A lot of the centers are established, so it’s really making sure that they have the infrastructure they need and that we’re working more collaboratively with the same mission and a uniting goal. I’m also helping to support staff and the new initiatives they will take on. Things in the foreseeable future would include building out our public-facing dashboards and doing more community engagement, so the community is involved in our process and informed of what we’re doing both within the department and across the county.

How have the recent Black Lives Matter protests and increased worldwide attention on the justice system impacted the work that you and your department are doing?

It’s hard for me to say. Yes, I think it helped push some change. The more awareness of any cause makes it more likely for change to happen. We recognize that we’re in the business of serving all; we just have to be more intentional about serving marginalized populations that are often overlooked or not equitably served because they’re not represented in the conversation.

Black people are represented in a disproportionate way both in our jail and when it comes to gun violence, and we recognize that a lot of that is rooted in structural and institutional racism.

The disproportionate makeup in our jail is not reflective of our individual justice stakeholders, but it’s reflective of our achievement gap in the Asheville City Schools, the issues of redlining and urban renewal, the taking of resources such as land and the limited economic

TAKING CHARGE: Tiffany Iheanacho, who formerly served as the county’s justice resources coordinator, credits the establishment of the local Justice Resource Center as her biggest professional accomplishment. In her new role as Buncombe’s justice services director, she’s moving into an advisory position. Photo courtesy of Iheanacho opportunities for African Americans.

All these things lead to the disproportionate makeup in our jail.

But there are things we can do in the criminal justice system to mitigate that, and this new awareness is something that we had been working toward internally — things like having discussions about how to build trust with communities, working with the district attorney’s office to expand the criteria for diversion programs to make them more accessible for African Americans, working with the Asheville Police Department and the new police chief, and understanding how policing in certain communities leads to disproportionate interactions with law enforcement.

If there’s someone in Asheville who doesn’t know about the work your department is doing, what would you tell them about the resources that are available?

We’re here to serve. If you’re someone who is impacted by intimate partner violence, we have services and resources to hold those individuals accountable and to get you the support you need to reduce the impact of the trauma. If someone has been involved in or charged with a crime, we’re here to help support them through that process. If their charges are able to be diverted, or if their charge is severe but they need assistance in the jail with mental health and behavioral health services, we’re here. If someone is reen-

tering from prison, we have resources to help them get supported.

What else would you like people to know about your work?

The Safety and Justice Challenge grant is up for renewal. We did reduce the jail population, but now we need to work on sustainability. We talk weekly about how to reduce existing disparities. We need to improve processes by weeding out as many barriers and biases as possible. There are white and Black people with a similar background who are charged with a similar crime, and yet the Black person may stay in jail for a longer period of time.

We need to understand how and why these patterns are occurring. It’s not easy to see all of the nuances.

Do you think Asheville City Council’s recent vote to begin exploring reparations will impact the work you’re doing?

I’m not sure I can speak about how this will impact our work, but I’m excited to see how we can be a part of the solution. I’m also excited to see what innovative ideas can come from any of these initiatives that we’re taking on to reduce and eliminate racial disparities in our community.

What do you see as the biggest challenge to achieving greater equity within the local justice system?

The Justice Resource Advisory Council, for which I provide support, recently voted to declare racism as a public safety emergency. And they, with the support of the Racial Equity Workgroup, listed some action steps that would yield results, including making sure we train criminal justice stakeholders on historical perspectives — how we got here, implicit bias — and that the criminal justice stakeholders, or just the county in general, look for innovative and creative ways to reduce the disparity. We hope to look across the nation for the best practices and what people have done and implement it locally. I think the justice system as we know it plays a small role in repairing the harm done to communities of color.

MOUNTAINX.COM

— Molly Horak X JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

11

BUNCOMBE BEAT

Buncombe commissioners split on sheriff’s funding A proposal to hire three new detectives at the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office divided the county Board of Commissioners on July 21 — and not just along party lines. Democrats Amanda Edwards and Al Whitesides joined the board’s three Republicans in a 5-2 vote approving the move, which would match a $375,000 federal grant

with $734,000 in county funds through fiscal year 2025.

Two of the new positions, explained Democratic Sheriff Quentin Miller in a presentation to the board, would be undercover narcotics detectives targeting the “large-scale drug trafficking corridors” that run through Asheville to urban centers such as Atlanta,

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Charlotte and Knoxville. The remaining hire would primarily investigate arson cases, of which the county has solved fewer than a third since 2015.

Board Chair Brownie Newman, a Democrat, said he was confident that Miller and his force would “be able to hold some additional people accountable” with the new resources.

But he questioned whether further enforcement would be the most effective approach for the department, especially regarding opioid trafficking.

“We’ve been fighting this war on drugs for forever, and I’m skeptical that it’s the best investment of our dollars, frankly,” Newman said. “There’s a lot of different strategies that we need to be pursuing to tackle it; we don’t have enough treatment.”

After Democrat Jasmine BeachFerrara said she would oppose the funding, Republican Anthony Penland, who is running against her for the same District 2 board seat in November, challenged his colleagues to ride along with a deputy and watch enforcement in action. BeachFerrara countered that she had done so with not only the Sheriff’s Office, but also the Asheville and Charlotte police departments.

“I would respectfully ask that, in the future, you consider that your colleagues on commission have done their due diligence and are taking a very deep dive into one of the most critical policy issues of our time,” she admonished Penland. “We need to move past a very tired script in which if you have a conversation where you disagree, it means you’re anti-law enforcement.”

Meanwhile, Edwards said that she had been prepared to vote against the measure but changed her stance after talking with the families of county residents impacted by opioids. “A vote for this is not a vote against reform,” she emphasized, adding that she would continue to speak with the sheriff about implementing 21st-Century Policing and other changes.

Following the vote, the commissioners read numerous messages related to law enforcement as part of the board’s

Why I support Xpress:

ASK THE MASK: Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller responds to commissioners’ questions about his request to hire three new detectives. Screen capture courtesy of Buncombe County general public comment period. The overwhelming majority, including “several dozen” emails and voicemails that Newman condensed into a single message due to their similarity, demanded that Buncombe officials defund the Sheriff’s Office and detention center by at least 50% and reinvest the money into community services.

Those messages were consistent with over a dozen comments delivered during the county’s June 16 budget hearing, as well as thousands of comments received by Asheville City Council calling for the Asheville Police Department to be defunded.

Community demands for systemic changes to law enforcement have escalated in recent months following racial justice protests throughout Western North Carolina catalyzed by the May 25 police killing of Black Minneapolis resident George Floyd.

— Daniel Walton X

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13

NEWS BRIEFS

by Xpress Staff | news@mountainx.com

ASHEVILLE CITY SCHOOLS TO START YEAR WITH REMOTE LEARNING

Instead of bringing students back to the classroom under the Plan B model outlined by Gov. Roy Cooper, as had been announced on July 14, the Asheville City Board of Education voted unanimously to follow the remote-only Plan C for at least nine weeks at a July 23 special called meeting.

ACS Superintendent Gene Freeman, who took up his post on June 1, noted that he would have preferred to start the school year with children in classrooms, adding that many of the system’s Black students had missed substantial periods of instruction after school moved online this spring. “But if I have teachers that are fearful …

I don’t want to create a classroom environment to bring children back where everybody’s going to feel uncomfortable,” he said.

Prior to the vote, over 150 of the system’s K-6 teachers and staff had signed a solidarity statement saying they would refuse to return to campus under Plan B. The Asheville City Association of Educators, a professional group for school employees, also released survey results in which over half of 276 respondents said they did not feel safe conducting face-to-face instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At press time, the Buncombe County Board of Education was scheduled to hold its own special called meeting on July 28.

On the board’s agenda were two items: personnel and “reentry plans for August.” Buncombe County Schools had previously announced plans to adopt Plan B for the start of the 2020-21 school year.

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TAKE IT OUTSIDE: Instead of returning to Asheville Middle School and other campus buildings, Asheville City Schools students will receive remote-only instruction for at least the first nine weeks of the school year.

Photo by Virginia Daffron BUNCOMBE BOARD CONSIDERS RACISM CRISIS DECLARATION As communities throughout Western North Carolina grapple with issues of racial justice, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners may soon declare racism a “public health and safety crisis.” Members favorably reviewed a draft resolution to that effect during their July 21 briefing.

The resolution, projected to come before the board for a vote on Tuesday, Aug. 4, would direct the county to treat racism “with the urgency and funding of a public health and safety emergency.”

Such an approach would, the document continues, allow officials “to analyze data and discuss how to dismantle or change problematic institutions.” The full text of the resolution is available at avl.mx/7s9.

ASHEVILLE SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON HOTELS, DAM IMPROVEMENTS

The city of Asheville invites community members to participate in two public input opportunities through Sunday, Aug. 2. The first, available at avl.mx/7sa, is a survey regarding a proposed ordinance to regulate hotel development. Asheville

City Council unanimously adopted a yearlong moratorium on hotel construction in September to provide time for the policy’s development.

The second, available at avl.mx/7sb, seeks questions about the North Fork Dam Improvement Project to inform a final public information and project closeout session. Elements of the work, scheduled for completion in October, include raising the dam by 4 feet and adding an auxiliary spillway for flood control.

U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE VISITS WNC

Sonny Perdue, U.S. secretary of agriculture, made three stops in WNC on July 27 to promote various federal programs making an impact in the region.

Perdue visited Flavor 1st in Mills River, a participant in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program; the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, where he discussed North Carolina’s forestry stewardship agreement with the USDA; and French Broad EMC in Marshall, where he announced funding through the ReConnect Program to support highspeed rural broadband.

More information at avl.mx/7sc. X

FEA T U RE S

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

‘I know the Negro’ Local church leader challenges congregation about its racial assumptions, 1941

CONSIDER THIS: “Are you sure you understand the negro in Asheville?” asked the Rev. C. Grier Davis in a 1941 sermon to his white congregation at First Presbyterian Church. “Have you ever sat where he sat? Do you have any conception of what he thinks and how he feels?” The identity of the two individuals featured here is unknown. The photo is believed to have been taken by George Masa. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville On Oct. 23, 1929, the Western North Carolina Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church was held in High Point. Temperance, world peace and race relations were among the topics discussed. A report on the latter provided a number of recommendations to improve the relations between Black and white citizens, including a proposal to include sermons on race.

Over the next four decades, Race Relations Sunday became an annual event in Asheville. The local paper often previewed the gatherings, listing the names of presenters and the event’s themes, including: “Why Not Try Brotherhood?” (1947); “Of One Blood” (1952); “That All May Be One” (1953); and “Christ’s Challenge — the Church with the Open Door” (1956).

Scarcely did the paper provide excerpts from these sermons. But on Feb. 10, 1941, The Asheville Citizen included the Rev. C. Grier Davis’ address to the First Presbyterian Church. In it, Davis, who was white,

shared a passage from African American author and educator Robert Russa Moton’s 1929 book, What the Negro Thinks. The passage declares: “Perhaps no single phrase has been more frequently used in discussing the race problem in American than the familiar declaration, ‘I know the Negro.’ It has been commonly employed to support opinions and sustain the convictions of large numbers of white men and women who are zealous to defend existing customs and practices which give to the Negro a different status in civic life from that occupied by his white neighbor.”

After reading the section aloud, Davis asked his congregation if Moton’s observations surprised them.

He then further challenged the church with his own thoughts on the matter, stating: “[T]hink for a moment of how little you know about what the negro thinks and how he feels. Few of us ever talk

to him as man to man. Our intercourse is always on the basis of servant to master, of sexton to church officers, of employer to employee. We rarely read a negro newspaper or literature which portrays the life of the negro. On the other hand the negro does understand the white man. And the way he sees us is not all to our credit. In the public schools the negro children study the social and economic life of the white man. In the movies and over the radio they are further educated about the white man. In addition to all this the negro servants are the silent observers of our conflict and habits in the most intimate relationships of our homes.

“When anyone dared to suggest that we need to understand the negro better, we have traditionally become emotional about the question and have dismissed it with a shrug saying: ‘I understand the negro all right. Let him stay in his place and all will be well.’ Well, are you quite sure about that? You may understand the uneducated negro of ante-bellum days who always calls you ‘boss,’ but do you understand the negro of 1941, the thousands of negroes who have graduated from high school and college, whose tastes for a better way of life have been cultivated, and who in all sincerity seek only for an opportunity to live a useful life among his fellows.

Do you understand that negro? Have you ever sat where he sits?”

But Grier’s zeal for racial justice doesn’t appear to have extended beyond his Race Relations Sunday sermon. Or at least coverage of his efforts do not show up in subsequent searches.

By 1960, this lack of sustained interest in improving race relations beyond the annual gathering became a point of criticism directed at the churches. In a Feb. 13 editorial, The Asheville Citizen wrote, “Generally, Race Relations Sunday is not a strong influence for better communication between whites and Negroes. It is clear enough that the patterns of racial separation in the sphere of religion will be back in force on Monday.”

Despite the critique, some local churches continued participating in the yearly event throughout the 1960s.

On Feb. 11, 1963, The Asheville Citizen included a brief excerpt from the Rev. James A. Cannon’s sermon at Central Methodist Church. The guest speaker declared, “As Christians, we must repent; we must see all people as human beings; we must insist on one moral code; and we must love one another.” X MOUNTAINX.COM

JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

15

COMMUNITY CALENDAR JULY 22-30, 2020

CALENDAR GUIDELINES For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, ext.

137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, ext. 320.

Online Event= q ART

MUSIC & DANCE

Someday I'll Take Art: Demystifying the Art of Painting Studio art basics class.

WE (7/29), 12pm, Free, Tryon Painters & Sculptors, 78 N Trade St, Tryon How to Own & Live with Art Q&A on art investment and installation.

TH (7/30), 10am, Free, Atelier Maison, 121 Sweeten Creek Rd Slow Art Friday: Every Picture Tells a Story Discussion led by master docent Sarah Reincke at Asheville Art Museum.

FR (7/31), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7d0 q AIGA WatchStack: Group Talk & Signal Buzz Graphic design networking.

TU (8/4), 5:30pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7dr q Slow Art Friday: Art with an Attitude Discussion led by touring docent Michelle Weitzman Dorf at Asheville Art Museum.

FR (8/7), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7rc q First Friday Art Walks Open galleries.

FR (8/7), 5pm, Free, Biltmore Ave

A CAPELLA SINGING (PD.) WANNA SING? ashevillebarbershop.com Same Roots, Separate Sounds: Archiving Song Traditions in the Foothills Tryon Fine Arts exhibition opening.

WE (8/5), 10am, Free, avl.mx/7s6 q Posey Piano Hour Jazz and swing performance.

TH (8/6), 7pm, avl.mx/7mx q Looking Glass Dancers Society Launch Live performance and interactive games.

FR (8/7), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7qa q

FILM Movies in the Parking Lot: Space Jam Registration and directions: avl.mx/7qs.

TH (7/30), 7:30pm, Free, UNC Asheville Movies on the Lawn: Calendar Girls FR (7/31), 8:30pm, $5, Creekside Market, 8960 Greenville Hwy, Brevard

LITERARY Malaprop's Rise Up & Read Together Book Club Stamped: Racism,

Antiracism, and You

by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.

WE (7/29), 7pm, Hi-Wire Brewing, 2A Huntsman Place Stay Home & Write(rs) Group Community writing session hosted by Firestorm Books.

WE (7/29), 7pm, Registration required, avl.mx/7r8 q Reader Meet Writer Lara Prescott, author of The Secrets We Kept.

TH (7/30), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7pw q Wild Goose Reading Group Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, part 1.

MO (8/3), 6pm, Registration required, avl.mx/7ev q Malaprop's Author Discussion Ron Rash presents In the Valley. Learn more on Page 26.

TU (8/4), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7q9 q WILD (Women in Lively Discussion) Book Club Tell Me a Riddle, Requa I, and Other Works by Tillie Olsen.

TU (8/4), 6:30pm, Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave Haywood Library: Book Chat Open conversation with staff.

WE (8/5), 6pm, avl.mx/7kq q Malaprop's Author Discussion Karen Salyer McElmurray presents Wanting Radiance.

WE (8/5), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7rq q Reader Meet Writer Odie Lindsay, author of Some Go Home.

TH (8/6), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7rr q

BENEFITS AVL Nonstop Renaissance Block Party Two days of music and dance performances to benefit families facing eviction.

TH (7/30), 6pm, avl.mx/7s8 q Pounds for Pups Weightlifting benefit for Rusty's Legacy Animal Rescue.

Tickets: avl.mx/7s4.

SA (8/1), 10am, $10-$75, Strong Hand Fitness, 713 Ray Ave, Hendersonville

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY Incredible Towns Business Network General meeting.

WE (7/29), 11am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7g8 q Financial & Legal Strategies in the New Normal Presentation by Attorneys Derek Allen and Jamie Kilbourne.

TH (7/30), 10am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7nz q Western Women's Business Center: Business Planning Part 2 Operations, staffing and finance.

TH (7/30), 1pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7m2 q Business in Bare Feet Q&A on entrepreneurship and mentorship.

FR (7/31), 9am, Free, avl.mx/7gq q Gathering for Women Entrepreneurs Networking and presentations with Studio Zahiya.

FR (7/31), 10am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7qr q Are You Ready to be an Entrepreneur?

SCC Small Business Center seminar by Tonya Snider.

WE (8/5), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7qw q

How to Maximize Your PPP Loan Forgiveness Talk by Mike Ames of Mountain BizWorks.

WE (8/5), 3pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7md q National Interview Day Job matching event.

Appointments: expresspros.com.

TH (8/6), 8am, Express Employment, 1979 Hendersonville Rd

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS Farm to Table Picnic (PD.) Live Music by Cuddle In the Cosmos. Summer garden party delight.

BYOB. Covid-19 conscientious. Vegan/ Vege options available.

Support Local Food Sovereignty! Tickets: avl.mx/7ri. More info: 828-620-9861.

SA (8/1), 6:30pm, $45, Odd Bits Farm, 40 Odd Bits Ln Spanish Conversation Group For adults.

TH (7/30), 5pm, Free, avl.mx/7c6 q Let's Explore Africa Quiz Competition From the Shores to the Pyramids segment. For teens and adults.

FR (7/31), 5pm, The Collider, 1 Haywood St OLLI: Stories from Heaven & Earth Storytelling and comedy with Chuck Fink and Randy Robins.

TH (8/6), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7rl q

ANIMALS $5 Felines & Fidos Discounted adoption event. Appointments required: ashevillehumane.org.

Ongoing (thru 8/1), Asheville Humane Society, 14 Forever Friend Ln NC Wildlife Resources: BearWise How to live responsibly with black bears.

MO (8/3), 12pm, Free, avl.mx/7r7 q

ECO & OUTDOOR Soul Fire Farm: Ask a Sista Farmer Q&A on gardening, livestock, agroforestry, plant medicine and food preservation.

FR (7/31), 4pm, Free, avl.mx/7gl q Organic Growers School: Fall Gardening Series How to prepare your garden for winter.

MO (8/3), 6pm, $25, avl.mx/76h q Plastics: Problems, Solutions & How to Recycle

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Webinar by WNC Sierra Club.

TH (8/6), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7rm q Light Up the Night 5K Proceeds benefit Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. Register: avl.mx/prue.

FR (8/7), 7pm, $35, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd

WEEKLY MARKETS Tuesdays • West Asheville Tailgate Market. 3:30-6:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd Wednesdays • Asheville City Market South. 12-3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square • Weaverville Farmers Market. 2:30-6pm,17 Merrimon Ave, Weaverville • RAD Farmers Market.

3-6pm, Pleb Urban Winery, 289 Lyman St • Locally Grown on the Green. 3-6pm, 35 Hwy 64, Cashiers • Jackson County Farmers Market. 3:30-6:30pm, Innovation Station, 40 Depot St, Dillsboro Thursdays • ASAP Farmers Market at A-B Tech. 9am-12pm, 340 Victoria Rd • Flat Rock Farmers Market. 3-6pm, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Hendersonville • Enka-Candler Tailgate Market. 3:30-6:30pm, 70 Pisgah Hwy, Candler Fridays • Marion Tailgate Market. 10am-3pm, 67 W Henderson St, Marion Saturdays • North Asheville Tailgate Market. 8am-12pm, UNC Asheville, Lot C • Hendersonville Farmers Market. 8am-1pm, 650 Maple St, Hendersonville • Yancey County Farmers Market.

8:30am-12:30pm,10 S Main St, Burnsville • ASAP Farmers Market at A-B Tech. 9am-12pm, 340 Victoria Rd

Main St for an enhanced pedestrian environment.

FR (7/31), 6pm, Downtown Hendersonville

redcrossblood.org WE (7/29), 11am, Biltmore Park Town Square

Crafts After Dark: Night Market Handmade items from local crafters.

WE (8/5), 5pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Community Garden Workday SA (8/1), 10am, Buncombe County Sports Park, 58 Apac Circle

MANNA Express Free grocery items for neighbors in need.

FR (8/7), 12pm, Beacon of Hope, 120 Cavalry Dr, Marshall

CIVICS & ACTIVISM Buncombe County TDA Meeting WE (7/29), 9am, avl.mx/7ox q Court of Appeals Town Hall Meeting with Democratic candidates for Buncombe and Henderson counties.

WE (7/29), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7qc q Cultural Crash Course: Black Lives Matter Lecture by Dr. Cyndy Caravelis.

TH (8/6), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7qn q Asheville Women in Black Monthly peace vigil.

FR (8/7), 5pm, Vance Monument, 1 Pack Square

KIDS Imagine Space All about the Mars rover and how to make a balloon-powered lander.

WE (7/29), 10am, Free, avl.mx/7q0 q Haywood Library Storytime Ages 2-6.

TH (7/30), 10am, Free, avl.mx/7m4 q ecoEXPLORE: Herpetology Season Learn all about reptiles and amphibians.

MO (8/3), 2pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7qt q Miss Malaprop's Storytime Ages 3-9.

WE (8/5), 10am, Free, avl.mx/73b q

SPIRITUALITY

• Black Mountain Tailgate Market. 9am-12pm, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

First Harvest Gathering and food donation drive.

SA (8/1), 4pm, French Broad River Park, 508 Riverview Rd

• Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market.

9am-12pm, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Jewish Power Hour w/ Rabbi Susskind TH (8/6), 6pm, chabadasheville.org q

FESTIVALS, FAIRS & FOOD Open Streets Weekend-long closure of

VOLUNTEERING American Red Cross Blood Drive Appointments:

Blood Connection Blood Drive Free COVID-19 antibody screenings for donors.

MO (8/3), 3:30pm, Dilworth of Asheville Apartments, 17 Lyndhurst Ave

WELLNESS All About Pelvic Health PT Solutions seminar for people of all genders.

WE (7/29), 12:30pm, Free, avl.mx/7r5 q Intro to Medicare: Understanding the Puzzle How to avoid penalties and save money.

TH (7/30), 2pm, Registration required, Free, coabc.org q Alzheimer’s Association Workshop Understanding and responding to dementia-related behavior.

TH (7/30), 5pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7rs q Doula-ing During a Pandemic Webinar by Homegrown Families.

TH (7/30), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/7qe q Tranzmission: Transformers Support Meeting Open to people who are nonbinary, trans and/or exploring their gender identity.

SA (8/1), 2pm, avl.mx/7s7 q SeekHealing: Seeker Stories Interview on trauma and recovery with Danny Wallace.

SU (8/2), 7pm, Free, avl.mx/7rh q Living Beyond Breast Cancer: Session 1 Pardee UNC survivorship series for young women.

TU (8/4), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/64a q Steady Collective Syringe Access Outreach Free educational material, naloxone, syringes and supplies.

TU (8/4), 2pm, Firestorm Books, 610 Haywood Rd Tranzmission: Transfeminine Support Meeting Questions: info@ tranzmission.org.

TH (8/6), 6:30pm, avl.mx/7ra q

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JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

17

WELLNESS

Sick of waiting

COVID-19 testing backlog causes treatment delays

BY MOLLY HORAK mhorak@mountainx.com A national bottleneck of COVID19 testing supplies — including the chemical reagents used in most commercial laboratories — is causing significant delays in test results across North Carolina, including the western part of the state.

“We know more work is needed to get faster turnaround times for tests,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state’s secretary of health and human services, at a July 21 press conference. “Our commercial labs are swamped with samples from around the country, and our hospital labs are still struggling with supplies.”

Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville regularly sends COVID-19 tests to labs at the UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill and the Mayo Clinic laboratory in Rochester, Minn., explains Dr. David Ellis, chief medical officer,

Grace G. Evins MD, FACOG

Committed to optimizing your health and wellness!

Telehealth appointments available.

828.575.9562 • LivingWellWNC.com

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JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

MASKED UP: Staff members at Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville are going through personal protective equipment faster than they would like due to a delay in COVID-19 test results. Until a patient tests negative, staff must wear personal protective equipment in all interactions. Photo courtesy of Formation PR but wait times are now up to three and five days, respectively.

Pardee also conducts on-site rapid tests distributed by California-based Cepheid, which take the hospital roughly two hours to process.

Unfortunately, the reagents needed to test these samples are allocated on a weekly basis through the UNC Health Care System and are very limited, Ellis notes, with Pardee receiving supplies for approximately 30 tests each week.

Moreover, Ellis says, rapid COVID19 tests are less reliable than the standard tests, which use a technology that amplifies the virus’s genetic

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material so infections are easier to detect. He recommends that those with a negative finding on a rapid test get a second, slower test to confirm the result.

“We very much steward how we use these [rapid] tests,” Ellis says.

“We do them for people who are being admitted to the hospital or for certain situations. We’ve never had enough to use them on everybody that we’ve needed to test.”

Without a lab-confirmed COVID19 test, Pardee cannot provide any COVID-19 treatments to suspected patients, Ellis says. UNC Health Care, which provides Pardee’s supply of the antiviral medication remdesivir, and Mayo Clinic, which supplies Pardee’s convalescent plasma, both require documentation of a positive COVID19 test to administer treatment.

“If we’re waiting for several days on a positive test for somebody who is hospitalized, they may be in the hospital for some number of days before we can actually treat them with these medications,” Ellis explains.

Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, Buncombe’s interim health director, said at a July 23 press conference that she had not heard of any treatment delays from county health care providers. “It makes sense, logically, that you’d have to have proof that someone has COVID before you

could do some of the COVID-specific treatments, but I have not heard that expressed as a concern by anyone,” she said.

Mission Hospital performs COVID19 tests on hospitalized patients via in-house labs, meaning treatment decisions are not delayed, says spokesperson Nancy Lindell. She notes that Mission sends outpatient tests to Burlington-based LabCorp, which can take four to 10 days to provide results.

Long wait times are also impacting personal protective equipment supplies. Until a patient’s COVID-19 status is known, Pardee staff interact with new arrivals as though they had the coronavirus, Ellis says. A several-day delay in test results means several days’ worth of PPE is used treating patients who may not be infectious, burning through more masks, gloves and gowns than necessary.

Buncombe County is also struggling to secure testing supplies: On July 22, county health officials announced they would temporarily stop offering community-based COVID-19 testing, in part due to wait times of a week or longer for results. X

Growing support WNC resident helps others during Graves’ Disease Awareness Month

Nancy Patterson was driving back from the beach in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1987 when her heart began to pound. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other clutching her chest, Patterson, who was 44 years old at the time, immediately knew something was wrong.

Over the next few months, Patterson visited a series of doctors.

She felt weak walking up the three steps from the parking lot to her office. She passed out on a treadmill from high blood pressure and a high pulse. Her heart kept pounding.

Patterson, who now lives in Hendersonville, ultimately went to see an endocrinologist, who discovered she had an overactive thyroid.

Many tests later, she received her diagnosis: Graves’ disease.

HARD TO SEE

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes overactivity in the thyroid gland, according to the American Thyroid Association.

The disease — which many people know as the condition that afflicted President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara — is seven times more common in women and is the leading cause of hyperthyroidism in the United States. The ATA recognizes July as Graves’ Disease Awareness Month.

Ordinarily, says Patterson, Graves’ disease is difficult to diagnose because it can mimic so many other

conditions. Symptoms can include racing heartbeat, weak muscles, hand tremors, trouble sleeping, weight loss and heat intolerance.

Many people with Graves’ disease also develop thyroid eye disease, an associated condition that typically manifests within six months of a Graves’ disease diagnosis, according to the ATA. The condition can cause a gritty feeling in the eyes, swelling of the eyelids, excessive tearing, dry eyes and double vision.

“This really is a very debilitating disease,” says Dr. Robert Wiggins, a neuro-opthamologist at Asheville Eye Associates who works with thyroid eye and Graves’ disease patients. “It can suddenly change your appearance and it can affect your visual function.”

Patterson chuckles as she recalls going out to breakfast soon after her diagnosis and pouring cream into her coffee cup — or so she thought, before the cream dripped off the table. She had poured into the cup manifested by her double vision.

“You learn how to deal with it,” Patterson says. “For instance, you learn to run your finger along the wall when you’re walking down a hallway so you know where you are.”

BUILDING A FOUNDATION

Three years after her diagnosis, Patterson had her first ophthalmic reconstructive surgery to help with her thyroid eye disease. She was still

ALL IN FOR ADVOCACY: A team of Graves’ disease patients, including Nancy Patterson, far right, gathered in Washington, D.C., in December. The group testified before a U.S. Food and Drug Administration committee to support the approval of a new treatment for thyroid eye disease. Photo courtesy of Patterson in the hospital when she asked her surgeon about support groups. To her shock, there weren’t any.

With the help of her surgeon, Dr. Clinton McCord, and her endocrinologist, Dr. Robert Bucher, Patterson founded the Graves’ Disease and Thyroid Foundation in 1990. The nonprofit seeks to provide patient support, public education about the disease and funding for research.

Since its inception, the group has grown to include 195 individual, physician and corporate members, according to data from 2019.

The foundation also hosts webinars and a community forum for Graves’ patients, Patterson says, and is currently working to bring more support groups online.

“Most of the people that have Graves’ that still call me say they’ve never heard of it or know anyone who’s had it,” she explains. “And that’s been true for all of these 30 years. To get them together — it’s a

different approach than looking up information online or on Twitter.

It’s, for a lack of a better word, more personal.”

Two North Carolina support groups, in Charlotte and Raleigh, are listed on the foundation’s website; Patterson says both are inactive but hopes to get them up and running again in the next few months.

Another group met in Brevard in the late 1990s, she adds, but it disbanded in 2003.

Above all, Patterson hopes her foundation helps others with the illness feel less alone.

“There’s now treatment for the disease; before, there used to just be management,” she says. “In my opinion, that’s the biggest news since Santa Claus. But it’s all about early intervention and talking about it — for goodness’ sake, talk to somebody!”

MOUNTAINX.COM

— Molly Horak X

JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

19

GREEN SCENE

Lands unlocked

Outdoor enthusiasts navigate murky waters of pandemic recreation

BY CAMERON DUKE cameronbduke@gmail.com For those looking to the Western North Carolina mountains for solace during the first months of COVID-19, efforts to hit the trails often ran into a dead end. Initial local, state and federal responses to the pandemic restricted access to many of WNC’s most treasured outdoor spaces, including the Pisgah National Forest and Blue Ridge Parkway.

Most of those restrictions have since been relaxed. Gov. Roy Cooper’s “Safer at Home Phase 2” order, which went into effect on May 22 and has been extended through at least Friday, Aug. 7, allows parks and trails to operate and permits outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases have continued to surge, both in WNC and across the state, with Buncombe County interim Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Mullendore calling recent local increases “alarming.” Despite this rise, many involved with the area’s outdoors industry say enthusiasts, novices and businesses alike are eagerly returning to newly available trails, rivers and campsites.

TRAIL HEADS

Jennifer Pharr Davis, owner of Asheville-based Blue Ridge Hiking Co., says there’s a simple reason behind the pent-up demand for outdoor recreation: In a world where many activities are either unsafe or unavailable, going for a hike is very appealing. “There is a surge of people looking for relatively safe adventures and vacations,” she explains.

“Outdoor recreation is a low-risk way to exercise, see new places and benefit from the therapeutic benefits of time spent outdoors.”

Debby Jones, president of the Carolina Mountain Club, has also seen a recent increase in outdoor users. But she notes that trail crowding, especially on weekends, has actually lightened up since the start of Phase 2.

While areas such as the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests saw widespread trailhead closures, other public lands, including the Blue Ridge Parkway, never completely shut down. As a result, Jones says, crowds concentrated on the few trails that were open at the time. She observed significant buildups of trash in parking lots and along trails due to the closure of restrooms and trash cans at the trailheads. Many trail users also failed to practice proper social distancing, she says, discouraging others from hiking.

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JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

CLEARING THE WAY: Volunteer workers with the Carolina Mountain Club, such as this recent crew at Craggy Gardens, accumulated a 2,500-hour backlog of trail maintenance due to COVID-19 shutdowns of public lands. Photo by Gail Snowden Most trails are still more crowded than usual, Jones says, with easier, more accessible trails seeing the most use. But Paul Curtin, the CMC’s Appalachian Trail supervisor, says the Appalachian Trail is far less crowded than it has been in previous years. He explains that many thru-hikers left the trail at the start of the shutdown and haven’t come back.

BACK TO WORK

As users navigate the evolving status of public lands, WNC’s recreation sector is working hard to keep the outdoors a safe option during the pandemic.

Kevin Howell, who owns Pisgah Forest-based Davidson River Outfitters, is happy to be back up and running after being shut down for six weeks during Phase 1 of COVID-19 restrictions. Now that public lands are available for his guided fly-fishing trips, he’s returned to the river with some additional safety precautions.

Howell enforces a strict limit of two guests per trip, with the anglers driving their own cars to the river and bringing their own lunch. Additionally, each client and guide must wear a buff or face mask.

The simplest social distancing measure,

MOUNTAINX.COM

he says, “is staying at least one fly rod (9 feet) apart.”

Pharr Davis, whose Blue Ridge Hiking Co. has resumed guided hikes, says that taking social distancing precautions on their trips hasn’t required much change.

“There is very little that we do beyond administering necessary wilderness first aid that requires us to break a 6-foot boundary with our clients,” she says.

When 6 feet cannot be ensured, the company provides face coverings for clients and guides. Most importantly, Pharr Davis continues, clients are made aware of what is expected of them on the day of the trip so that everyone feels safe and there is little confusion.

Both Pharr Davis and Howell report that they’ve gotten little to no pushback from clients regarding their COVID-19 precautions. They both agree that customers generally seem to be happy for the opportunity to be back outdoors and regard the precautions as a small price to pay to enjoy those spaces safely.

IN NEED OF REPAIR

Trail safety, adds Pharr Davis, also depends on making sure trails are clean and clear for adventure. And for WNC’s

trails, maintenance during the pandemic has been a mixed bag.

“Some trails have not been as well maintained due to COVID, but they are typically the lesser-traveled trails,” Pharr Davis explains. On many routes, trees have blown down and vegetation has occasionally overtaken the path.

This makes some areas more difficult to access, especially for people of more limited ability.

Curtin with the Carolina Mountain Club agrees that area trail maintenance has suffered from the shutdowns. Volunteers with his club and other groups, not the government, are primarily responsible for keeping trails in good working condition; the CMC alone is responsible for 94 miles of the Appalachian Trail and 150 miles of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Due to public land closures, about 2,500 hours of maintenance work just didn’t happen.

Catching up on these lost maintenance hours is a daunting task. Curtin says trail crews have picked up where they left off, working five days a week to reclaim footpaths out of the wild overgrowth, but the backlog remains substantial — especially with new limits on work group size and a prohibition on tool sharing to avoid COVID-19 spread.

MOVING ON

One of the pandemic’s few upsides, suggests Howell, is that people are choosing to head outdoors instead of partaking in other activities. Many new fly-fishing clients have come from urban centers like Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh and Birmingham, Ala. “Everyone that can drive to the area is planning on it,” he says.

Pharr Davis has seen similar trends with her clients, many of whom are choosing guided trips to ensure a safe experience. For those choosing to go it alone, she recommends hiking either early or late in the day to avoid both crowds and the worst of the late summer heat. She also suggests exploring less popular trails to promote social distancing but reminds hikers to bring plenty of water, check frequently for ticks and practice “Leave No Trace” principles in those more remote locations.

And Jones with the CMC is encouraged by the new interest in the outdoors. “I think there are people outside now that would have never been on a trail,” she says. “I think there are people camping now that wouldn’t have otherwise. We want to see people out. I think this is a positive thing — as long as they follow the rules.” X

MOUNTAINX.COM

JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

21

FOOD

Plan-to-table

Restaurants convert parking lots, sidewalks and streets to open-air dining rooms

BY KAY WEST kwest@mountainx.com “I joke that we have opened three different restaurants in the past four months,” says April Moon Harper of Sunny Point Café, the West Asheville restaurant she opened 18 years ago with her mother, Belinda Raab.

After the state shut down dining rooms in March due to COVID-19, the restaurant switched to takeout, then closed and later reopened to do family-style takeout.

“The end of May, we were allowed to reopen at half-capacity, but our dining room is too small for that,” says Harper.

“We had to think how we could move forward and keep our DNA intact. And then the city presented this plan.”

The plan, explains Dana Frankel, downtown specialist for the city of Asheville, is one that allows businesses — particularly restaurants — to use private parking lots, public sidewalks and designated on-street parking spaces in front of their businesses as additional space to set up retail and safely distanced dining. “There was a lot of encouragement from the community to create opportunities to continue doing business, and we were seeing things other cities were doing to allow restaurants to create expanded dining,” she explains.

The trick was figuring out how to create distanced outdoor spaces downtown and in other densely populated commercial corridors. “We had to think outside the box on what resources the city could offer to support economic recovery, and we realized we do manage streets and sidewalks,” says Frankel.

With permission from the city, businesses with private parking lots, such as Sunny Point and Zia Taqueria (also in West Asheville), can now convert 50% of their parking area to dining.

To expand onto public sidewalks, says Frankel, businesses must be able to maintain 6 feet of clear space for diners and pedestrians.

On the city of Asheville’s development portal, there are links to applications for both options and a third

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JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

THE MURAL OF THE STORY: Murals painted by Gus Cutty of culinary icons Julia Child and Edna Lewis and new tables transform Sunny Point Cafe’s new patio. Photo by Alice Oglesby to apply to turn public parking spaces into “parklets.” “The turnaround for private property and public sidewalks [applications] is about one day,” says Frankel. “It’s trickier on public streets and parklets because you’re trading out one public use for another use.

That turnaround has been about a week. We’re doing our best to balance the needs of everyone and respond to this crisis.”

Parklets are already popping up on several downtown streets designated as pedestrian priority areas or shared streets, including Wall Street, where Early Girl Eatery’s five tables with bright red umbrellas resemble a European sidewalk café. “I didn’t know what a parklet was until Dana showed me the concept, and I said, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is amazing!’” says Jesson Gill, who owns the restaurant’s three locations with his wife, Cristina. “Even before COVID, people would walk by

MOUNTAINX.COM

and think we didn’t have a dining room.

Now people walk up, they want to sit outside, there’s tables and chairs, and they love it. It’s like a beacon calling people to stop and eat. It’s awesome of the city to figure this out.”

Robert Tipsword, operating partner of Zia, agrees that Asheville planners deserve an A-plus. “The city created this great one-stop, online shop with all the information you need without having to apply for new permits or pay for anything. They really hit a home run.”

Tipsword created his 14-table al fresco dining room by thinking inside the box. “When we determined the open-air concept was the way to go, I went out to the parking lot with a stick of chalk and started drawing,” he recalls. He drew numbered blue, red and yellow squares with spacing more generous than that called for

by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

“We are running a fast-casual, no-reservation restaurant now, so the trick is that the line to the order counter be visible to the people sitting so they don’t camp out for an hour and a half,” he explains. “We also offer drinks to people in line to make that wait easier.”

The project was the ultimate in DIY for Tipsword and his staff. With

orders for preassembled picnic tables backed up, they bought lumber and built them themselves. Likewise, they bought 150 feet of plastic chain and strung it on stanchions they made of PVC pipe. Hand-painted signs are in primary colors and simple. “Don’t get too wordy,” he advises. “Entrance, exit and wrong way.”

Before posting her signage, Harper’s priority was resurfacing Sunny Point’s parking lot so the picnic-style tables — built by a local craftsperson — could be placed there and posts could be installed for anchoring shade sails. More tables and Adirondack chairs with attached tabletops are set around the meandering, lush garden, tended by the restaurant’s marketing person, Alice Oglesby. Reflective of the restaurant’s DNA are two large, striking murals by artist Gus Cutty of Harper’s personal culinary heroines, iconic chefs Julia Child and Edna Lewis.

“We used our grant from the Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund for this, so it was important we put that money back into the community by contracting with locals,” says Harper. “The murals are so joyful, and we need more of that these days.” X

Coming on strong Asheville Strong Fund to provide crisis relief for small businesses

When Catherine Campbell launched #AshevilleStrong on March 14, the owner of Bright Planning marketing agency felt she was answering a 911 call. The fledgling online directory of independent local businesses with links to purchase their gift cards was her immediate response to the crisis shutting down their operations. “The gift card directory will always be there,” she says.

But as the crisis wore on — and as she herself fell ill and spent nine weeks in quarantine — Campbell knew there was more to be done. So did others, including Stepfanie Romine, who proposed a digital cookbook of recipes from Asheville chefs to raise funds for the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Restaurant Workers Relief Fund. Asheville At Home has so far grossed $16,000. “The first check we wrote to NCRLA in mid-June was for $12,500, which translates to 25 grants of $500 each to Buncombe County restaurant workers,” says Campbell.

While still recuperating, Campbell also heard from local event planner Shay Brown and Jeff Anderson of Urban Orchard Cider Co., and the three began a conversation about starting a nonprofit. They soon initiated efforts to register Asheville Strong as a 501(c)(3) organization, with Brown and Anderson as the first two founding board members, and created the Asheville Strong

Fund, a microgrant crisis relief fund for small-business owners. “We are in aggressive fundraising mode right now to seed that fund,” Campbell explains.

“Our initial goal is $150,000, and we are confident we will reach that.”

When they are closer to that goal, applications for the grants — which will range from $500 to $5,000 — will open, then be reviewed by the board of directors and appointed committee members with the goal of a four- to sixweek turnaround. “We are especially looking to help fund microbusinesses with sole proprietors who have really fallen through gaps in other funding,” Campbell says. She notes that the Asheville Strong Fund will continue to serve as crisis relief beyond COVID-19.

Campbell says another program in the works, tentatively titled the Feed Our City Fund, is taking inspiration from José Andrés’ World Kitchen with the dual purpose of putting restaurants back to work and feeding people in need. “We know that food scarcity will continue for some time,” says Campbell. “Overall, with Asheville Strong, we are building for the long term.”

For more on the Asheville Strong Fund, visit ashevillestrong.com/fund.

— Kay West X

Sizzling Summer Steak Night • USDA Prime Beef • Dinner service until 9pm weekdays, 10pm weekends • A la carte menu available in Bar, Lounge, & Patio

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: A video crew prepares to film Asheville Strong board member Shay Brown announcing a new crisis relief fund. Photo credit Stephan Pruitt Photography

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TAKING THE FIELD: In the absence of a 2020 minor league season, the Asheville Tourists fielded diners on their diamond. Photo courtesy of Asheville Tourists The very first opening day at a newly constructed McCormick Field, nestled midway up a hill on the outskirts of downtown Asheville, was in 1924.

Through multiple upgrades and renovations, the Great Depression, World War II and other nation-rattling events, the ball field has hosted one every April since.

But in 2020, there will be no umpire roaring “Play ball,” no pitcher rearing back to hurl a fast ball from the mound, no thud of ball in glove, no crack of the bat, no home runs soaring over the outfield fence, no stolen bases, no impossible catches, no runners racing toward home, no seventh-inning stretch and the crowd singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” It is a sorrowful summer for baseball fans in general and Asheville Tourists faithful in particular.

“We closed our offices on March 15,” says team President Brian DeWine.

“We hoped we might start playing in July, but as we saw what was going on around the country, we knew the chances were growing smaller, so it wasn’t a surprise when we received word June 30 there would be no minor league season this year. It really leaves a void in this community. For staff and fans, the absence of baseball in this time has been devastating.”

To help satisfy the community’s craving for the game, the Tourists staged a pop-up concession stand, dubbed

Summer Grill, the first weekend in July, serving ballpark favorites such as the Tourists Dog, chili cheese dogs, bratwurst, soft-serve ice cream and, because it’s Asheville, craft beer. Guests entered the park wearing masks, stood distanced in line, ordered and paid at the counter, then were escorted to a table on the diamond or a seat in the stands.

“Who doesn’t want to eat lunch on second base?” DeWine asks rhetorically. “So many of our fans showed up wearing Tourists jerseys and caps.

We’ve had groups of friends who come just for a beer and sit in the stands. No one can spread people out better than we can.” This ability to host spread-out gatherings was apparently behind the thinking of the people who rented the facility for a memorial service and others who have inquired about moving their weddings to this field of dreams.

Summer Grill has popped up at McCormick Field several weekends following the inaugural event, and the Tourists will continue to host it throughout the summer. At press time, the schedule was 11 a.m.-8 p.m. FridaySaturday, but DeWine notes that plans are subject to change. Before heading to the park, look for updates on Facebook or Instagram or check the Asheville Tourists’ website at milb.com/asheville.

— Kay West X

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Rhythm through time

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com Ron Rash had no intention of revisiting Western North Carolina’s 1930s logging industry, a topic he explored in his 2008 New York Times bestseller, Serena. But in the subsequent 12 years, the author — who divides his time between Clemson, S.C., and Cullowhee — couldn’t shake one of the book’s lesser-known characters: Ross, a mercurial logger with a tragic history.

“I knew there was so much more to him,” Rash explains. Ultimately, this lingering intrigue inspired his latest collection, In the Valley: Stories and a Novella Based on ‘Serena,’ which will be published Tuesday, Aug. 4. To celebrate its release, Malaprop’s will host a virtual launch party that same day at 6 p.m.

The nine stories leading up to the novella span centuries, from the Civil War to the present day. Yet thematic ties, including Rash’s exploration of the unusual

bonds that sometimes develop between strangers, create a cohesive collection.

The contemporary story “Sad Man in the Sky” best exemplifies this particular motif. In it, a helicopter tour pilot winds up with a passenger uninterested in seeing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Instead, the client — an unnamed man hauling a pillowcase filled with mysterious goods — makes an unexpected request that ultimately reveals as much about the pilot as it does the man himself.

(Sorry, dear reader, but you’ll have to read the story to find out the rest.)

Vengeance, justice, loss and addiction further bind the collection’s disparate characters, despite the decades and centuries that otherwise separate them.

“What I hoped for in this book was a kind of rhythm through time,” Rash says.

“So that you get the sense of the past and present kind of merging and diverging throughout.”

Ron Rash releases his latest collection of stories

BACK AT IT: Vengeance, justice, loss and addiction are all explored in Ron Rash’s latest collection, In the Valley: Stories and a Novella Based on Serena, which hits bookstores Tuesday, Aug. 4. Author photo by Richard Nourry

MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE

Time also creates urgency throughout In the Valley. In the book’s standout piece, “L’homme Blesse,” protagonist Jake Yancy is an art professor who comes across a curious series of drawings depicting strange beasts. The illustrations, which cover the walls inside a dilapidated home on the verge of being razed, lead Yancy into an unanticipated research project to uncover the story behind the artwork before it’s too late.

Like many of Rash’s characters, Yancy’s life is marked by tragedy. Yet readers only catch glimpses of his inner turmoil. Nevertheless, within these small moments, Rash manages to reveal the weight of Yancy’s past.

This minimalist technique showcases one of the author’s many talents: balancing character development and pace. And the pace of Rash’s collection is exquisite.

Mysteries and suspense keep readers on edge to the point that several of the stories are essentially literary thrillers.

Meanwhile, the characters never fail to surprise — both readers and Rash himself.

“That’s the fun part of writing,” he says.

“I think it was Robert Frost who said, ‘No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.’”

RESILIENCE In addition to the happy surprises that sprung up during the drafting process, Rash says he also experienced a fair amount of delight experimenting with the

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dialogue for the collection’s titular novella. The loggers in the story, notes Rash, often speak in iambic pentameter. The technique, familiar to students of William Shakespeare, features 10 syllables per line, alternating back and forth between unstressed and stressed syllables.

“I thought it would be fun to have these guys speaking in this very Western North Carolina colloquial language, and yet they’re also speaking in a poetic metric,” Rash explains.

Examples are plentiful throughout the novella. “There ain’t nary a bit of news in that,” one logger declares in discussing the latest round of bank closures. “Them fellows up north has lit the powder keg,” another states following news of recent labor strikes.

Much like the uncertainties Rash’s characters face, the author’s book debuts during unprecedented times. Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered Rash’s original plans for the release. “I would normally be doing [an in-person] book tour,” he explains. “And I kind of regret not being able to because I feel a great loyalty to stores like City Lights Bookstore and Malaprop’s.”

However, Rash remains optimistic that In the Valley will offer readers hope and points out that one of the collection’s broader themes is resilience. “The characters in this book have gone through some really rough times,” he says. “And most of them endure and get through it. And maybe that’s a good reminder, too.”

To register for the free Malaprop’s virtual release party, visit avl.mx/7re. X

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A& E

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Patience, grasshopper

Jeremy Boger returns to music with help from talented local friends Nearly a decade after pressing “pause” on his music career, Jeremy Boger has emphatically hit “play” with a masterful solo album, one bursting with a level of creativity that feels as if it’s been evolving and expanding during the artist’s dormancy.

A resident of Asheville since July 4, 1995, Boger soon began performing in local rock bands — including The Makeout Room, The Hellsayers and Cobra Horse — and spent a considerable amount of time hanging out and playing shows at the now-defunct downtown venue Vincent’s Ear. There, he became friends with such future longtime local players as Tyler Ramsey and Joshua Carpenter, but after 15 years in the business, Boger enrolled in the University of Kansas’ civil engineering program, which all but consumed his life from 2010-19.

“I basically stopped doing anything music-related so I could focus on my studies. I didn’t even really listen to music because it was too distracting,” says Boger, who works full time as a self-employed general contractor. “After I graduated, I realized how much I missed playing music, so I bought some recording gear, wrote some songs, brought some talented friends into the mix and ended up putting out an album.”

The result is Golden Eagles, a rich collection of 10 originals and one distinctly Boger-esque cover. The album was digitally released on May 6, which gave him a reason to stop tweaking the mixes — something he realized could become an endless endeavor — and fulfilled his desire to move on to the next project.

Though plans for an album release show and some regional gigs with the musicians who played on the album have been

Fresh to your inbox every Wednesday morning!

SING FOR THE YEAR: Jeremy Boger has a natural inclination to write lyrics about possible dystopian/apocalyptic futures for the human race, mainly caused by what he calls “people behaving foolishly,” but his songs aren’t all gloom and doom.

“The Wolf,” from his new album Golden Eagles, concerns “looking out for the people you care about when times are tough.” Photo by Counch Mornganton

Mon. - Sun. Lunch: 11:30am–2:30pm Mon. - Sun. Dinner: 5:00–8:00pm Sat. + Sun. Brunch: 9:00am–2:30pm delayed (due to the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily closing venues), the labor of love is arguably best experienced in its studio-recorded form.

“It would be a bit tricky to pull it off live because the instrument arrangements

are intentionally different for every song, and a lot of the songs have high track counts,” Boger says. “Even if we had a 10-piece band, we’d have to figure out what instruments are most important to keep, and which ones wouldn’t be played.

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So, basically, we’d be trying to nail the vibe of each song and not necessarily the arrangements as they were recorded. It would be a cool challenge, though. I would definitely want to make it a big, fun show for the band and the audience.”

COZY RECORDING

The album’s sonic complexity is the result of Boger investing what he calls “a crazy amount of work” and “an absurd amount of time” into getting it right. After deeming the spare bedroom in his home “too noisy to make good recordings,” he built a small, soundproof studio in his backyard, which he finished in May 2019 and has been using almost every day since. The cozy, 11-feet-3-inches by 11-feet-3-inches space is “so small that I have a CO2 monitor to make sure we don’t die from CO2 poisoning when we are recording,” he says. It was there that Boger taught himself how to record, which he notes is still an ongoing process.

He “watched a lot of videos, tried stuff that didn’t work out and generally made a bunch of mistakes,” quickly understanding why there are four-year degrees for learning audio engineering.

“Also, I recorded one instrument at a time instead of recording a whole band at once, which is very time-consuming.

For instance, if a song ended up having 30 parts, that meant you had to play and record 30 parts, edit all 30 parts and mix all 30 parts so they worked together,” he says. “I would guess that maybe that’s 30 minutes to an hour per part, per step, which could be 45-90 hours for one song.

It really adds up if the album has 11 songs with 30 tracks each. I also spent way too much time mixing the album, as I mentioned before. I think I’ll be a lot faster now that I’ve gone through the whole process.”

Additional time arose from Boger’s thorough, hands-on approach to the instrumentation. On the liner notes for Golden Eagles, he’s credited with vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion, Mellotron, piano, organ, synthesizer, electric piano, drum machine, glockenspiel, vibraphone, celeste, marimba, orchestral arrangements and samples. He describes his typical process as recording “a bunch of instruments” until he’s out of ideas, which generally gives him a good overall feel for where the song is going.

“I can play some basic guitar and keyboards, but I’m really just a bass player. When a part needs something more exciting, I reach out to one of my talented musician friends,” he says, and aimed for at least two other musicians on each song.

“I definitely didn’t have any problem deleting parts I played if somebody else had a better part or if a song needed more

space. I did end up playing a lot of the instruments myself, but I don’t think the album would have been very interesting without the input of the other players.”

To complete his vision, Boger recruited much of the old Vincent’s Ear gang, including multi-instrumentalists Ramsey, Carpenter, Kevin Rumley and Billy Sheeran, the last of whom he fondly remembers pushing a 600-pound piano around downtown Asheville to busk before they became friends. Each contributes backing vocals, as do fellow local artists Jonas Cole, Emily Easterly, Joti Marra, J. Seeger, Matthew Sherwood, Angi West and Andrew Woodward. Alex Farrar, a professional audio engineer, critiqued Boger’s mixes at West Asheville’s Drop of Sun Studios, providing welcome objectivity at a critical juncture. Also key to the process was Brian Landrum, who plays lap steel guitar on multiple tracks and reviewed the final masters of each song. Once Landrum gave Boger the thumbs-up on the masters, he knew the album was done.

SUSTAINING MOMENTUM

Firmly back into creating music after years away from it, Boger is already building on the “huge learning experience” of making Golden Eagles. The jumping-off point for his next project is the album’s lone nonoriginal, a reworking of Sparklehorse’s “Heart of Darkness,” one of Boger’s favorite songs by one of his favorite bands. He chose the song to see if he could rework it in a way that felt true to the original while still reflecting his recording and production style. His successful tribute now out in the world, Boger is currently hard at work on a full covers album. On June 26, he released his take on Sebadoh’s version of David Crosby’s “Everybody’s Been Burned,” featuring Rumley and Sheeran, and plans to post a new track to his Bandcamp page “every month or so” until he has enough — 11 or 12 — for an album, appropriately titled Friends and Covers.

“I’m picking songs that I love, that I think are timeless, and that I can do something interesting with. I’m generally not trying to do sound-alike covers. I’m also picking songs that will be challenging and that I can learn from as a musician and songwriter,” he says. “I’m hoping to work with all the musicians that helped out with my album, and maybe some new ones, too. COVID has definitely made it more difficult to collaborate, so we’ll just have to see how that goes.” jeremyboger.bandcamp.com

— Edwin Arnaudin X MOUNTAINX.COM

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A&E ROUNDUP

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

Roberta Flack mural unveiled

A mural of acclaimed singer and Black Mountain native Roberta Flack was completed on July 21 on the exterior of Black Mountain Brewing. The work is the latest installment in Chapel Hill-based creator Scott Nurkin’s N.C. Musicians Mural Project, which pays homage to influential artists in their hometowns across the state. The series’ prior editions include a John Coltrane painting in Hamlet and ones of Don Gibson and Earl Scruggs in Shelby. blackmountainbrewing.com

Write away • Published in October 2019, Celobased writer Katey Schultz’s novel Still Come Home has received two recent accolades: the Bronze Medal in the 21st annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards’ Adult General Fiction category and a spot as a finalist in the 14th annual National Indie Excellence Awards’ Military Fiction category.

Set in Western North Carolina and Afghanistan over the course of three days, Still Come Home follows the intersecting paths of Aaseya, an educated Afghan girl who rebels against the misogyny and violence around her; 2nd Lt. Nathan Miller, a North Carolina native who blames himself for a subordinate soldier’s death and fears his military service has permanently damaged his marriage; and reluctant Taliban worker Rahim, who’s troubled by his employers’ new violent plan. kateyschultz.com • Kim Jones, the Gerton-based author/ illustrator who made her children’s book debut in April with The Silly

Why I support Xpress:

CELEBRATING HER BOLDLY: Beloved singer Roberta Flack has been honored with a mural in her native Black Mountain. The work, which graces the side of Black Mountain Brewing, is the latest installment in Chapel Hill-based creator Scott Nurkin’s N.C. Musicians Mural Project. Photo by John Richardson Letters of Agnes Buttons, further flexes her dexterity with Peace: a simple meditation. Jones, who wrote and illustrated the book, describes it as a “simple guided meditation” that “leads the reader through pages of colorful flower mandalas.” bluegatedesign.com • Local poet Toinette Ishee had two poetry collections published on June 17. Within the Mind of a Butterfly finds the military veteran exploring such mental health issues as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxi-

“We need to support community journalism now more than ever.”

– Dot South

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ety and depression, while The Poetic Seduction is a bilingual (English and Spanish) look at intimate fantasies, seduction and desire. avl.mx/7ro • In-person author events are also slowly returning, starting with Spartanburg, S.C.-based writer Susan Zurenda at the Lake Lure Inn on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 11 a.m., for a “Books and Bites” luncheon sponsored by the Friends of the Mountain Branch Library. The event will be held outside on the Veranda Terrace; tables will be spaced out and seat either two or four people; and there will be a no-contact buffet with a server. Face coverings are required when entering the inn, and attendance will be capped at 32 people.

Zurenda’s latest novel, Bells for Eli, was published in early March and explores how one misstep changes the trajectory of a young boy’s life in the small-town South of the 1960s and ’70s. Her talk is appropriately titled “The Small-town South in the ’60s.” Participants can register for the luncheon by phoning the library at 828-287-6392.

Casting call

Have a memorable funny story that also happens to be true? It could be featured on television.

Representatives from NBC’s forthcoming series “True Story” are specifically looking for someone from Asheville with an interesting, unusual tale to tell. The show is hosted by Ed Helms (NBC’s “The Office”) and Randall Park (ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat”), and features one-of-a-kind true stories from great storytellers that will then be reenacted by actors.

“Think of it like ‘Drunk History’ on Comedy Central, but with everyday Americans who have hilarious stories — from tales of disastrous family holidays to disasters on the job and everything in between,” says casting director Nathan Baker.

The series is based on the Australian show “True Story with Hamish & Andy” and will consist of six hourlong episodes with two real-life stories apiece. Interested parties are invited to email their name, age, location, phone number, a recent photo and a synopsis of their story to Baker at nathan@citymediaent.com. There’s also an online application at truestorycasting.com

Arts aid

Applications are currently being accepted for Artist Support Grants to aid the professional and artistic development of artists in all disciplines in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania counties. Qualifying uses include the creation of work, improvement of business operations and expanding capacity to bring work to new audiences.

Artist fees are also allowable expenses.

Artist Support Grants are made possible by a partnership of the North Carolina Arts Council, Asheville Area Arts Council, Haywood County Arts Council, Arts Council of Henderson County, Tryon Fine Arts Center, Rutherford County Recreation, Cultural and Heritage Commission, and the Transylvania Community Arts Council. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Sept. 30. Grants ranging from $500-$1,000 will be distributed by the Haywood County Arts Council.

HaywoodArts.org/grants-funding X

CLUBLAND

Online Event= q WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

HI-WIRE BREWING BIG TOP Socially Distanced Trivia Night, 7pm BALSAM FALLS BREWING CO. Open Mic Night, 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Laura Thurston (solo acoustic), 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Gunslinging Parrots (Phish tribute), 8pm

NANTAHALA BREWING SYLVA Eat Drink Think Trivia, 6:30pm

BEN’S TUNE UP Comedy Open Mic w/ Baby George, 9pm

185 KING STREET Team Trivia & Games, 7pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE 90s Outdoor Trivia Night, 7pm MOUNTAIN SPIRIT q David Jacobs-Strain (solo acoustic), 7pm, avl.mx/7pb TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic w/ Thomas Yon, 7pm MOVE NOURISH HEAL Sound Bath w/ Will Bear Harris, 7:30pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Lasso Twins (psychedelic rock), 8pm SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY q Tyler Pierson Trio (jazz), 8pm, avl.mx/7s2 SOVEREIGN KAVA q Poetry Open Mic, 8:30pm, avl.mx/76w THE PAPER MILL LOUNGE Karaoke X, 9pm THE SOCIAL Karaoke w/ Lyric, 10pm

THURSDAY, JULY 30 LAZY HIKER BREWING Open Jam, 5pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST JLAD (psychedelic), 6pm

WE’RE BACK!

DINNER AND A CONCERT ON THE LAWN

CONCERTS BEGIN AT 6:30PM T HU 7/ 30

ALIEN MUSIC CLUB JAZZ QUARTET

FRIDAY, JULY 31 ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Friday (Grateful Dead tribute), 5:30pm WHITESIDE BREWING CO. Doug Ramsay (jazz, soul), 5:30pm APPALACHIAN RIDGE ARTISAN CIDERY Sunlight Drive (acoustic duo), 6pm THE HIDEAWAY Datrian Johnson (soul, Americana), 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Emily Musolino (jazz, blues), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL Lawn Concert w/ Tall Tales (folk, jazz), 6:30pm THE ORANGE PEEL q The Get Right Band (psychedelic, indie), 7pm, avl.mx/7pg THE GREY EAGLE Patio Show w/ Life Like Water (folk), 7pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN q Tuatha Dea (Appalachian rock), 8pm, avl.mx/7pv SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY JED Flanders (rock, reggae), 8pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL Lawn Concert w/ Alien Music Club Jazz Quartet, 6:30pm

185 KING STREET Andrew Thelston Band (rock), 8:30pm

TRISKELION BREWERY Irish Session (traditional Celtic music), 6:30pm

BEN’S TUNE UP DJ Kilby Spinning Vinyl, 10pm

THE GREY EAGLE Patio Show w/ Analog Moon (rock, synth), 7pm

AUX BAR DJ Databoy & DJ Woodside, 11pm

JAZZ

ADVENTURES IN AMERICANA: Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters will take the stage at 185 King Street in Brevard on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 8 p.m. Driven by frontwoman Platt’s songwriting, the Asheville-based group is known for its old-school Americana sound and witty lyrics. The group received acclaim for their 2019 album Live at the Grey Eagle.

Photo by Sandlin Gaither SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (Gypsy jazz), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL Lawn Concert w/ Peggy & Paula: The Music of Linda Ronstadt, 6:30pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE The Knotty G's Celebrate Jerry Garcia, 7pm DRY FALLS BREWING CO. Mojomatic (funk, blues), 7pm THE GREY EAGLE Patio Show w/ MoonFish 2 (Jerry Garcia tribute), 7pm GUIDON BREWING Just Rick (rock, country), 7pm 185 KING STREET Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters (Americana), 8pm SIP’SUM TEAHOUSE iliveinoblivion (alternative), 8pm TRISKELION BREWERY Izzi Hughes & Eric Congdon (folk, rock), 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL q Fade to Black (Metallica tribute), 9pm, avl.mx/7rd ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Ranford Almond (solo acoustic), 10pm

THE SOCIAL Karaoke Show w/ Billy Masters, 10pm

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 2pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Nerdy Talk Trivia, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Night, 7pm

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4

185 KING STREET Team Trivia & Games, 7pm

SUN 8 / 2

185 KING STREET Travis Book & Friends (bluegrass), 7pm

THE PAPER MILL LOUNGE Karaoke X, 9pm

LOCAL 604 BOTTLE SHOP Ambient Drone Machine Jam, 7pm

THE SOCIAL Karaoke w/ Lyric, 10pm

TRISKELION BREWERY JC & the Boomerang Band (Irish trad, folk), 6pm

LAURA'S PIZZA & TRATTORIA Soulshine Jam w/ Bongo Surf Kings, 4pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL Lawn Concert w/ 40 Pound Sledge, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

MOUNTAIN SPIRIT q Cliff Eberhardt (folk), 7pm, avl.mx/prul THE GREY EAGLE Dale Ann Bradley (bluegrass), 8pm

MONDAY, AUGUST 3 ARCHETYPE BREWING Old Time Jam w/ Banjo Mitch McConnell, 6pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Laura Thurston (solo acoustic), 6pm

ACOUSTIC, POP/ROCK, R&B

4O POUND SLEDGE

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Outdoor Trivia Night w/ Bingeable, 7pm

RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER COMPANY Drinkin’ & Thinkin’ Trivia, 5pm

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5

SAT 8 /1

THE MUSIC OF LINDA RONSTADT W/ PEGGY RATUSZ & PAULA HANKE

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Team Trivia Tuesday, 6pm

185 KING STREET Open Electric Jam, 6pm

TALL TALES

FOLK, JAZZ, WORLD MUSIC

THE GREY EAGLE q Travis Book Happy Hour w/ Lindsay Lou (bluegrass), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST In Flight (jazz, experimental), 5pm

UPCOUNTRY BREWING CO. Grateful Sunday w/ Phuncle Sam (jam, funk), 5pm

F RI 7/ 31

CLASSIC SOUL, OLDIES

F RI 8 / 7

CHUCK BRODSKY WITH CHRIS ROSSER

SOVEREIGN KAVA q Poetry Open Mic, 8:30pm, avl.mx/76w

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 BALSAM FALLS BREWING CO. Open Mic Night, 8pm BEN'S TUNE UP Comedy Open Mic w/ Baby George, 9pm

SINGER-SONGWRITER, STORY TELLER

SAT 8 / 8

HANNAH KAMINER AMERICANA, COUNTRY, FOLK

SUN 8 / 9

HOT CLUB OF ASHEVILLE GYPSY JAZZ

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LAZY HIKER BREWING Open Jam, 5pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Gunslinging Parrots (Phish tribute), 8pm

WAVERLY INN David Childers (folk), 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE q Eleanor Underhill & Friends Album Release Show, 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic w/ Thomas Yon, 7pm

TRISKELION BREWERY Irish Session (traditional Celtic music), 6:30pm

CALL 828-575-2737 ISISASHEVILLE.COM

SEE WEBSITE FOR CURRENT HOURS & UPDATES

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MOVIE REVIEWS THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS

Hosted by the Asheville Movie Guys EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com HHHHH

BRUCE STEELE bcsteele@gmail.com

= MAX RATING Read the full review at mountainx.com/ movies/reviews REVIEWED BY KRISTINA GUCKENBERGER KRISTINA.GUCKENBERGER@GMAIL.COM

2020 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour HHH DIRECTORS: Various PLAYERS: Various SHORT FILMS NOT RATED

The Fight HHHH DIRECTORS: Eli B. Despres, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg PLAYERS: Brigitte Amiri, Joshua Block, Chase Strangio, Lee Gelernt, Dale Ho DOCUMENTARY RATED PG-13 The Fight, the latest documentary feature from the directorial trio of Elyse Steinberg, Eli Despres and Josh Kriegman (known for their 2016 Sundance grand jury prize winner, Weiner), is the underdog tale of five American Civil Liberties Union lawyers fighting furiously on the front lines of a relentless war with a federal behemoth: the Trump administration.

This timely film is an enlightening, behind-the-scenes look into the tireless, demanding and often frustrating lives of those who practice civil rights law in the U.S. and how their work and sacrifices affect our daily existence. The Fight makes it clear from the start that the ACLU’s significance in the nation’s legal landscape is paramount, as the organization has fought for constitutional rights for over 100 years.

But the filmmakers’ most pressing point is that the nonprofit’s presence is needed now more than ever, as demonstrated by the 147 (and counting) lawsuits it has filed against the Trump administration since his presidential inauguration in January 2017. Beginning with the Muslim travel ban just seven 32

JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

days after he took office, the ACLU has been hot on the heels of what it sees as Trump’s discriminatory efforts, and shows no sign of slowing down.

The Fight focuses on four momentous cases and the lawyers who litigate them. Despite the film’s firmly rooted pro-ACLU foundation, the filmmakers make an effort to show the limits of unwavering constitutional loyalty and, by extension, the organization’s participation in it. By showcasing the ACLU’s more divisive clientele, most notably those who organized the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., the film sheds a much needed light on the darker underbelly of democracy.

Perhaps what the film does most successfully, though, is illustrate the physical and emotional toll that the constant grind for justice takes on those who are tasked with preserving it. Their home lives and personal needs often take a back seat to the larger fight on the horizon, as they endlessly grapple with feelings of guilt, defeat and hopelessness — a worthy, relatable sacrifice that fictional legal dramas rarely capture. The time spent on the road and away from their families, the punishing work-days-turned-intowork-weekends and even the comical “waiting for the verdict to arrive while you anxiously charge your phone in a Starbucks” moments all work seamlessly to give The Fight a more human and accessible identity.

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The 2020 Sundance Film Festival feels as if it happened seven years ago rather than its actual seven months. In an effort to be reminded of that more innocent time and restore a sense of normalcy to the cinematic world, an 82-minute program of six short films that played the fest are now “on tour” and available on viewers’ home screens — though why three of them were chosen over more deserving options is a bit of a mystery.

Such head-scratching is on full display with thoroughly unpleasant opening selection “Benevolent Ba.” While there’s some intrigue to its Malaysian family awaiting a goat sacrifice, the forced endurance of screams by the animal — and the clan’s youngest boy — along with a nonsensical ending, render the entire exercise close to pointless.

The subterranean bar thus established, prospects instantly improve with the first glimpse of the Daniel Cloweslike animation of “Hot Flash,” in which a menopausal meteorologist has a day to remember. The sufficiently entertaining work has a good story to tell and several laugh-out-loud moments, but certain details feel so random that they dilute the overall product.

The collection’s variety continues with “The Deepest Hole,” an illuminating documentary about an underreported Cold War competition to achieve the titular goal, which employs a smart buildup to a startling revelation, and “Meats,” a simple but nicely constructed comedy from writer/director/star Ashley Williams (CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother”). In the latter, the actor plays a conflicted pregnant vegan and presents a compelling take on responsible carnivorous eating, ably expressing the roller coaster emotions of a challenging but rewarding undertaking.

Kristina Guckenberger

Kevin Evans

James Rosario

Next up is the intriguing fly-on-thewall documentary “T,” which follows three grieving yet eccentric participants of Miami’s annual T Ball — where people gather to show off memorial shirts and creative costumes to honor the deceased — and produces more questions than answers. But its curious characters are far more appealing than those of “So What If the Goats Die,” a frustrating blend of Islamic agrarian drama and science fiction that, beyond some impressive special effects and natural scenery, in no way warrants its Short Film Grand Jury Prize.

REVIEWED BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN EARNAUDIN@MOUNTAINX.COM

A Girl Missing HHH DIRECTOR: Kôji Fukada PLAYERS: Mariko Tsutsui, Mikako Ichikawa, Sôsuke Ikematsu FOREIGN FILM/DRAMA NOT RATED In the Japanese film A Girl Missing, viewers may find themselves “missing” at times. That is to say, it’s an easy film to get lost in, which has less to do with the subtitles than its dodgy and deception-riddled plot.

The main character, Ichiko (Mariko Tsutsui), is a hospice nurse who takes care of a grandmother for a family with whom she has formed a natural and significant bond. Unfortunately, one of her patient’s granddaughters goes missing, and the media reveals Ichiko’s nephew as the perpetrator. In turn, she’s forced to make a decision early on: keep this information from her sheltered, elderly client or risk losing relationships, employment and her good name.

Urged by one of the granddaughters who has ulterior motives and feelings, Ichiko stays mum against her better judgment. The missing girl is recovered fairly quickly and seemingly unscathed, but as one can easily surmise, given the nature of karmic pitfalls, any relief and peace are all destined to be short-lived.

A Girl Missing drags at times and can be rather sleepy in the creases of some of its shady valleys, but it’s also quite bizarre while also being mundane and pensive. Its most interesting aspect is how it can be seemingly harmless and ominous at the same time, threatening no real death in the physical, but more so in spiritual and interpersonal ways. As

such, it reflects the ending and changing of life as we know it with regard to comfort zones, boundaries and loyalty.

If you are seeking a feel-good movie, this is not for you, particularly during these troubling times. But if you enjoy digging beneath the surface with what just may be an imaginary shovel, you might go for this one.

You Could Read My Mind,” the years fell away and his promise and passion shined through. The movie provides a similar nostalgic warmth. Nothing wrong with that.

REVIEWED BY KEVIN EVANS K.A.E.0082@GMAIL.COM

My Dog Stupid HHHH

Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind HHHS DIRECTORS: Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni PLAYERS: Gordon Lightfoot, Geddy Lee, Sarah McLachlan, Anne Murray DOCUMENTARY NOT RATED Gordon Lightfoot may seem like something of a footnote to 1970s folk-pop music in the U.S., but this endearingly Canadian documentary reminds us that he’s the near equivalent of Bob Dylan up yonder. The adoring filmmakers — Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni — have done extensive interviews with Lightfoot himself, now in his 80s, and with a who’s who of Canadian pop-rock: Anne Murray, two members of Rush, Sarah McLachlan, two members of The Guess Who and many others who will be better known to viewers north of the border.

Lightfoot has indeed written many timeless classics, including “Beautiful,” holiday album staple “Song for a Winter Night” and “Early Morning Rain.” And that’s in addition to the enduring hits he charted himself, most prominently “Sundown” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

But the documentary is quaintly skewed in Lightfoot’s favor, so that his infidelities, flashes of anger and rampant alcoholism are softened in the retelling.

Kehoe and Tosoni wisely focus on the person and the music rather than the career, so the typical rock bio touchstones of hovering album covers and chart positions are mostly absent.

Instead, If You Could Read My Mind is shaped by Lightfoot’s personal journey, and the songs’ backstories emerge naturally from that narrative. You will never hear “Sundown” the same again, for example.

The movie is too quick-paced to give us a sustained, now-I-get-it sample of his peak showmanship, but it’s satisfying to see an aging pop-music master who still seems sort of giddy and pleased to perform. In an Asheville concert a few years ago, when he launched into “If

REVIEWED BY BRUCE STEELE BCSTEELE@GMAIL.COM

DIRECTOR: Yvan Attal PLAYERS: Yvan Attal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Eric Ruf FOREIGN FILM/COMEDY/DRAMA NOT RATED Near the end of the quirky French dramedy, My Dog Stupid, there’s a beautiful introspective section cued to Brad Mehldau’s piano-centric orchestral cover of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android,” followed by a similarly lovely reworking of The Beatles’ “And I Love Her.” Both singular tunes are instantly recognizable but so unexpected in this classical form and in this type of film that they tricked this viewer into

AVAILABLE VIA FINEARTSTHEATRE.COM (FA) GRAILMOVIEHOUSE.COM (GM) 2020 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour (NR) HHH (GM) A Girl Missing (NR) HHH (GM) Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly (NR) HHHS (GM) Alice (NR) HHH (FA) All I Can Say (NR) HHHHS (GM) Amulet (R) HHHH (GM) Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint (NR) HHHS (FA) The Booksellers (NR) HHHS(FA) Days of the Whale (NR) HHHS(GM) Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things (NR) HHHS(GM) Fantastic Fungi (NR) HHHH (FA) The Fight (PG-13) HHHH (Pick of the Week) (FA, GM) Flannery (NR) HHHH (FA) Fourteen (NR) HHHH (FA) Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind (NR) HHHS (GM) Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful (NR) HHH (FA) The Hottest August (NR) H (FA) House of Hummingbird (NR) HHHH (FA) John Lewis: Good Trouble (PG) HHHH (FA, GM) Lucky Grandma (NR) HHHH (FA) My Dog Stupid (NR) HHHH (FA) Papicha (NR) HHH (FA) Proud (NR) HHH (FA) Rebuilding Paradise (PG-13) HHHS (GM) Runner (NR) HHHS (GM) Shirley (R) HHHHS (FA) Someone, Somewhere (NR) HHHH (FA) The Surrogate (NR) HHHHS (FA) The Times of Bill Cunningham (NR) HHHHS (FA) The Tobacconist (NR) HHHS (FA) Vincent Van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing (NR) HHHS (FA) Vitalina Varela (NR) HHHHS (FA) We Are Little Zombies (NR) HHHH (GM)

second-guessing himself and forced his brain to focus and confirm the songs’ true identities.

These compositions are apt choices, given that overall the movie proves similarly engaging and pleasantly challenging, exuding a catchy vibe that’s front-loaded with humor yet gives way to far more serious matters — thankfully without ever losing its lightheartedness.

Co-written and directed by Yvan Attal (My Wife Is an Actress) and based on the short story by John Fante, My Dog

Stupid stars the charming Attal as Henri Mohen, a former literary wunderkind whose critically acclaimed debut novel has been followed by 25 years of garbage.

Suffering from writer’s block and fed up with his depressed alcoholic wife Cécile (Attal’s real-life partner, Charlotte Gainsbourg) and four grown children crowding his existence, Henri receives an unexpected boost when a giant wrinkly dog appears outside their house and comically makes himself part of the family.

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MOVIE RE V I EW S Dubbed “Stupid” — resulting in steady yuks from Henri having to explain that it’s the dog’s name, not an insult to the other person in the conversation — the gay, sex-crazed canine brings his master unexpected solace but also serves as the catalyst for difficult change that Henri nevertheless needs in order to be truly happy and to write another great book.

As Henri’s life quickly unravels and his household population dwindles, long-held spats come to a head through realistic, interpersonal comedy, which Attal excels at pulling from his appealing cast and amplifying through intelligent editing.

Visually compelling from the getgo, the film also consistently employs thoughtful framing and frequent, purposeful camera movements, which are filled with comparably mature and compelling material and performances.

Along the way, My Dog Stupid additionally joins the ranks of the precious few films to feature a “work of art within a work of art” that’s legitimately great, making the movie even more worthy of cinephiles’ attentions.

REVIEWED BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN EARNAUDIN@MOUNTAINX.COM

Rebuilding Paradise HHHS

DIRECTOR: Ron Howard PLAYERS: Michelle John, Steve “Woody” Culleton, Carly Ingersoll DOCUMENTARY RATED PG-13 The first 20 minutes of Rebuilding Paradise are as terrifying as anything in the history of documentary filmmaking.

Composed almost entirely of dashcam, bodycam and cellphone footage, we watch as the events of Nov. 8, 2018, unfold before our eyes. In a matter of hours, the small Northern California town of Paradise would be completely engulfed in flames, leaving its citizens scrambling to escape the inferno.

Moments of pure horror are captured as families attempt evacuation with zero visibility due to a smoke-filled sky completely choked of light and heat that melts cars, concrete and anything else in its path. A woman fleeing asks an officer, “Are we going to die?” while another family, racing to safety, catches sight of the large city limits sign on fire and halfgone. It reads: “May You Find Paradise to Be All Its Name Implies.”

These intense opening scenes are a gripping introduction to the immensity of the fire and set up what should be an exhilarating story of loss and rebirth — but it doesn’t quite work out that way.

Ron Howard’s documentary about the aftermath of the 2018 “Camp Fire” — 85 34

JULY 29 - AUG. 4, 2020

dead, 18,000 buildings destroyed, 153,000 acres burned, 52,000 evacuated — is instead a somewhat bland mishmash of indistinct and directionless chitchat that never fully reaches the emotional high point it’s striving for. Still, even without ever living up to the power of its beginning, Rebuilding Paradise has enough working for it to warrant a look.

Read the full review at thedailyorca.com REVIEWED BY JAMES ROSARIO JAMESROSARIO1977@GMAIL.COM

Runner HHHS DIRECTOR: Bill Gallagher PLAYERS: Guor Mading Maker DOCUMENTARY NOT RATED In addition to helping fill the void left by the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics, Runner’s story of marathoner Guor Mading Maker provides a welcome reminder of the Olympic ideal.

For Maker, representing his nation created a personal ideological conflict that attracted worldwide attention. Director Bill Gallagher creates intrigue for that story by opening his documentary with Maker being asked at an Olympics press conference about his background.

Growing up in war-ravaged Sudan, Maker likely would have been slaughtered as an 8-year-old or groomed into a child soldier. (In a nice creative touch, Gallagher uses animation to portray Maker’s Sudanese backstory.) Running helped him escape.

To ensure his survival, Maker’s parents sent him to the U.S. with an aunt and uncle. As a refugee living in New Hampshire, a gym teacher recognized his talent as a runner and introduced him to the high school’s track coach.

Maker’s success resulted in a scholarship to Iowa State University and eventual Olympic aspirations.

After qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics, Maker did not want to represent a government whose civil war killed eight of his siblings. Yet he wasn’t allowed to compete for the newly independent South Sudan, which hadn’t formed a national Olympic committee.

Gallagher’s narrative approach is choppy, but the inherent drama of Maker’s story compensates for that shortcoming. In turn, Runner demonstrates that athletes sometimes must overcome far more than physical limits and rivals in their endeavors, and how that struggle can be overwhelming.

REVIEWED BY IAN CASSELBERRY IANCASS@GMAIL.COM

MOUNTAINX.COM

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti is renowned for his buoyancy. In one of his famous lines, he wrote, “I am awaiting, perpetually and forever, a renaissance of wonder.” Here’s what I have to say in response to that thought: Your assignment, as an Aries, is NOT to sit there and wait, perpetually and forever, for a renaissance of wonder.

Rather, it’s your job to embody and actualize and express, perpetually and forever, a renaissance of wonder. The coming weeks will be an especially favorable time for you to rise to new heights in fulfilling this aspect of your lifelong assignment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I live in Northern California on land that once belonged to the indigenous Coast Miwok people. They were animists who believed that soul and sentience animate all animals and plants as well as rocks, rivers, mountains — everything, really. Their food came from hunting and gathering, and they lived in small bands without centralized political authority.

According to one of their creation stories, Coyote and Silver Fox made the world by singing and dancing it into existence. Now I invite you to do what I just illustrated: Find out about and celebrate the history of the people and the place where you live. From an astrological perspective, it’s a favorable time to get in touch with roots and foundations.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “When I look down, I miss all the good stuff, and when I look up, I just trip over things,” says singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco.

I wonder if she has tried an alternate approach: looking straight ahead. That’s what I advise for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. In other words, adopt a perspective that will enable you to detect regular glimpses of what’s above you and what’s below you — as well as what’s in front of you. In fact, I suggest you avoid all extremes that might distract you from the big picture. The truth will be most available to you if you occupy the middle ground.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Italian word nottivago refers to “night roamers”: people who wander around after dark. Why do they do it? What do they want to accomplish? Maybe their ramblings have the effect of dissolving stuck thoughts that have been plaguing them. Maybe it’s a healing relief to indulge in the luxury of having nowhere in particular to go and nothing in particular to do: to declare their independence from the obsessive drive to get things done. Meandering after sundown may stir up a sense of wild freedom that inspires them to outflank or outgrow their problems. I bring these possibilities to your attention, Cancerian, because the coming days will be an excellent time to try them out.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Notice what no one else notices and you’ll know what no one else knows,” says actor Tim Robbins. That’s perfect counsel for you right now, Leo. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, your perceptiveness will be at a peak in the coming weeks. You’ll have an ability to discern half-hidden truths that are invisible to everyone else. You’ll be aggressive in scoping out what most people don’t even want to become aware of. Take advantage of your temporary superpower! Use it to get a lucid grasp of the big picture — and cultivate a more intelligent approach than those who are focused on the small picture and the comfortable delusions.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else,” wrote playwright Tom Stoppard. That’s ripe advice for you to meditate on during the coming weeks.

You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when every exit can indeed be an entrance somewhere else — but only if you believe in that possibility and are alert for it. So please dissolve your current assumptions about the current chapter of your life story so that you can be fully open to new possibilities that could become available.

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “One must think with the body and the soul or not think at all,” wrote Libran author and historian Hannah Arendt. She implied that thinking only with the head may spawn monsters and demons. Mere conceptualization is arid and sterile if not interwoven with the wisdom of the soul and the body’s earthy intuitions. Ideas that are untempered by feelings and physical awareness can produce poor maps of reality. In accordance with astrological omens, I ask you to meditate on these empowering suggestions. Make sure that as you seek to understand what’s going on, you draw on all your different kinds of intelligence.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I always wanted to be commander-in-chief of my one-woman army,” says singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco. I think that goal is within sight for you, Scorpio. Your power over yourself has been increasing lately. Your ability to manage your own moods and create your own sweet spots and define your own fate is as robust as I have seen it in a while. What do you plan to do with your enhanced dominion? What special feats might you attempt? Are there any previously impossible accomplishments that may now be possible?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your meditation for the coming weeks comes to you courtesy of author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau. “We can never have enough of nature,” he wrote. “We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and titanic features, the sea-coast with its wrecks, the wilderness with its living and its decaying trees, the thunder cloud, and the rain which lasts three weeks and produces freshets. We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.” Oh, how I hope you will heed Thoreau’s counsel, Sagittarius. You would really benefit from an extended healing session amidst natural wonders. Give yourself the deep pleasure of exploring what wildness means to you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Author and activist bell hooks (who doesn’t capitalize her name) has taught classes at numerous American universities.

She sometimes writes about her experiences there, as in the following passage. “My students tell me, ’we don’t want to love! We’re tired of being loving!’

And I say to them, if you’re tired of being loving, then you haven’t really been loving, because when you are loving you have more strength.” I wanted you to know her thoughts, Capricorn, because I think you’re in a favorable position to demonstrate how correct she is: to dramatically boost your own strength through the invigorating power of your love.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Langston Hughes (1902–1967) was a pioneering and prolific African American author and activist who wrote in four different genres and was influential in boosting other Black writers. One of his big breaks as a young man came when he was working as a waiter at a banquet featuring the famous poet Vachel Lindsay. Hughes managed to leave three of his poems on Lindsay’s table.

The great poet loved them and later lent his clout to boosting Hughes’ career. I suspect you might have an opening like that sometime soon, Aquarius — even if it won’t be quite as literal and hands-on. Be ready to take advantage. Cultivate every connection that may become available.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Faith Baldwin has renounced the “forgive and forget” policy. She writes, “I think one should forgive and remember.

If you forgive and forget, you’re just driving what you remember into the subconscious; it stays there and festers. But to look upon what you remember and know you’ve forgiven is achievement.” That’s the approach I recommend for you right now, Pisces. Get the relief you need, yes: Forgive those who have trespassed against you. But also: Hold fast to the lessons you learned through those people so you won’t repeat them again later.

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edited by Will Shortz

ACROSS

1 Ansari of “Parks and Recreation” 5 Lotion letters 8 Class for expectant mothers 14 Only 15 ___-El (Superman’s birth name) 16 Roberto in Cooperstown 17 It served as its state’s capital before Des Moines 19 Traditional Japanese sword 20 Whack-a-mole implement 21 Where dreams are made?

22 Fleur-de-___ 23 Waste receptacle 24 Joe and Jack, say?

27 Voting against 29 Latin “I love” 30 Shows, as shows 31 Set free 33 Glossy coating 35 Medical ethics topic 40 In a drab way 41 Bluesman Willie 42 Asti Spumante, per esempio 45 Noise from a nest 46 Senate rebuke 47 “Barrier” dismantled in 1991 52 Word before or after pack 53 Country’s ___ Brown Band 54 New Orleans-toTampa dir.

55 Bratislava resident 57 Even 59 Start of each “S.N.L.” episode … or a hint to the initials of the words in 17-, 24-, 35- and 47-Across 61 Adopt-a-Highway concern 62 Director Lee 63 Old-timey “not”

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64 Give a good looking-over 65 Jed’s adviser on “The West Wing” 66 Where Southwest Airlines is LUV

DOWN 1 Subject of a Louisville museum 2 Magnify 3 Lacking 4 True believer’s quality 5 Athlete in goggles 6 Smith known as the Poet Laureate of Punk 7 Stylish, slangily 8 Italian tourist destination 9 Car rental choice 10 Bon ___ 11 Italian tourist destination 12 More out there 13 Wipes out 18 151, in old Rome 21 Department store founder 23 Indonesian tourist destination

25 Place for a pickup baseball game 26 Fake eyelash, slangily 28 Geometric figure with equal angles 32 Prove one’s humanity, in a way 33 Literary character who lives in the Gloomy Place 34 Goal 36 Apple pickers?

37 Reward for working overtime 38 “Anyone? …

Anyone?”

39 Threaded fastener

42 Hungarian sporting dog 43 Dinar spenders 44 “Back of the line!”

48 Closest dwarf planet 49 Together 50 “My turn” 51 Start to snooze, with “off” 56 Winter Olympics star Lindsey 58 Downed 59 Old presidential nickname 60 December 31, in brief

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