Over the last year, local activist Rob Robinson has taken his interest in urban design to YouTube, offering his critique of Asheville’s land use policy. His recent video highlighting the large number of downtown parking lots has triggered a broader community conversation about the city’s Unified Development Ordinance, which some argue makes it too difficult to build in the Central Business District.
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It’s time for city and county to approve reparations
I have been a member of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church-USA (GCPC) for 25 years and a member of our Power and Race Team (PART) since its inception eight years ago. We center the work of dismantling, disrupting and divorcing ourselves from the ways white supremacy culture shows up in our bodies, our relationships, our communities and our church. This is the work of our church. We believe it is the work of the Church with a capital “C.” Our pastor is the Rev. Marcia Mount Shoop.
I have attended the Community Reparations Commission meetings over the past two years as a member of GCPC and PART. I have shown up to say GCPC fully supports this sacred work of naming the harms stemming from white supremacy and the racial disparities created by the systems and structures built by white supremacy culture — in accumulating generational wealth, in accessing health care, education, housing and employment. GCPC and PART also support the necessary work of identifying policies that are steeped
in white supremacy and harmful to Black bodies.
The commissioners have seen and felt the harm, gathered critical data and relevant information, consulted with their communities and have formed 39 reparative recommendations ready to be submitted to the Asheville City Council and Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church firmly believes it is time for these entities to address the pervasive anti-Black racism by approving these recommendations and providing reparations.
GCPC stands with the Community Reparations Commission.
— Liz Huesemann
Asheville
Long-term shelter cats deserve a second chance
Time spent in an animal shelter is meant to be a temporary stop on the road to a new home for an animal that has nowhere else to go. Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue in Fletcher provides shelter and care to animals in need, and some animals take longer to rehome than others.
Charlie’s Angels has several cats that have been in the shelter for an extended stay, and the search for the
right home continues. I encourage people in our community who have the time and resources to provide for an animal to consider adopting one of these wonderful cats. There are three cats that deserve special consideration.
Whisper is a beautiful female Siamese cat who is around 4 years old. She was semiferal when she first arrived at the shelter, and she needs someone with the patience to give her the time and space she needs to adjust to a new environment. She has many good years left and lots of love to offer.
Fender is a gorgeous male cat around 3 or 4 years old who has a wonderful personality and needs a home without dogs but does well with smaller submissive cats. Fender is ready for the right person or family to welcome him home and give him the life he deserves.
Mickey is a supersweet senior cat who is a little shy at first, and he needs a quiet and loving home without dogs. He would do well with other cats that are very laid-back; otherwise he would do best as an only pet. He is full of love and personality and has much to offer to a new family.
Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue has many wonderful cats and dogs in need of a loving, permanent home. Please give them a chance!
Please reach out to Charlie’s Angels by calling 828-885-3647, emailing info@charliesangelsanimalrescue.com or visiting its website [avl.mx/dz2]. — Barbara Perry Hendersonville
General Assembly should let cities take action on plastic
North Carolinians dispose of an estimated $41.4 million worth of plastic annually, and in just one year, they throw away enough plastic bottles to line the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway 642 times, according to North Carolina Health News So why did the N.C. GOP General Assembly block plastic bans?
On Sept. 22, 2023, state lawmakers included a provision in the state budget prohibiting municipalities from enacting bans or fees on plastic bags and other single-use plastics. This has hindered local initiatives aimed at reducing plastic waste, especially in Asheville, where in much of 2023, there was a lot of local support toward a plastic-bag ban. Plastic bags offer much more harm than good as plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to decompose fully. A plastic-bag ban would mean a focus on reusable bags and paper bags, which create significantly less pollution.
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The justification for this provision is primarily centered around maintaining regulatory uniformity across the state and alleviating potential burdens on businesses. However, this approach ignores the pressing need for local governments to take action based on their specific environmental and public health needs. Cities such as Durham and Asheville were exploring bans or fees on plastic bags to address local waste management challenges and reduce environmental impact.
Furthermore, the argument that plastic bag fees disproportionately affect low-income communities overlooks the broader environmental justice issues. Low-income communities often bear the brunt of pollution and waste management problems. For instance, the GFL Sampson County Landfill, located near such communities, is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases among municipal landfills in the U.S.
It’s imperative that we recognize the long-term costs of maintaining the status quo. Plastic bags not only harm the environment but also incur significant costs for waste management systems. Mecklenburg County officials have pointed out that plastic bags cause operational issues and increase the costs of recycling efforts. We need to move toward sustainable solutions that prioritize both
environmental health and social equity. This includes rethinking our reliance on single-use plastics and empowering local governments to implement effective waste reduction policies. Consumer education and voluntary measures, while helpful, are not sufficient to address the scale of the plastic waste problem.
I urge North Carolina legislators to reconsider their stance and allow municipalities the flexibility to implement measures that protect our environment and communities. The health of our planet and future generations depends on our actions today.
— Sal Ward Swannanoa X
Word of the week
vaulting (adj.) reaching or stretching for the heights
This week’s issue features a number of articles spotlighting local residents with vaulting ambitions. Some are striving to reimagine what downtown Asheville could look like (see “Paved Paradise,” page 6), others are taking on HCA (see “Health Roundup,” page 20) and a couple are launching a new food festival (see “Why Not Us?” page 26). X
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Paved paradise
BY GREG PARLIER
gparlier@mountainx.com
When an amateur urbanist trained his video lens on downtown Asheville this spring, he found the city’s core to be surprisingly empty. Of buildings, that is.
According to Rob Robinson , 57% of buildable surface area in the Central Business District, not including parks or streets, is surface-level parking lots. That doesn’t include parking garages or on-street parking.
That, he argues in the popular video titled “Why my city is mostly empty” is wasted space in a city with a housing crisis, and a result of bad land use policy.
“Land use policies have a cost that leads to bad land use downtown like this parking lot,” Robinson says in the video, standing in an empty lot on Coxe Avenue.
Those costs include a less walkable, more dangerous area for pedestrians, including Asheville’s 12.5 million visitors a year. Because of that, downtown is less desirable for developers, Robinson argues.
Indeed, Asheville’s percentage of surface parking in its Central Business District doubles that of other, larger urban cores, according to parkingreform.org. Of the 100 major U.S. cities surveyed, only two — San Bernardino and San Juan, Calif. — surpass 40% surface parking in its “central city.” Closer to home, cities like Raleigh, Atlanta, Charlotte and Charleston, S.C., have somewhere around 25% surface parking in their urban cores.
Robinson and a couple of members of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board say the parking surplus is due to regulations in the city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that make it too difficult to build downtown.
City of Asheville Planning and Urban Design director Stephanie Monson-Dahl doesn’t dispute the issues with surface parking.
“We have too much,” she acknowledges. But she disputes that the excess of empty lots is singularly the result of bad land use policy or that there is any one planning policy that could incentivize owners to develop lots that currently generate passive income through parking. In fact, she says, the prevalence of parking predates many of the city’s current land use policies.
Why downtown Asheville is dominated by half-empty parking lots
CRITICAL EYE: Videographer Rob Robinson has gone viral locally with his land use videos on YouTube, specifically around some of Asheville’s autocentric designs. In an April post, he pointed out the large percentage of parking lots in downtown Asheville. Photo by Caleb Johnson
THE ON-RAMP
The parking debate in downtown Asheville goes back many decades.
In 1979, two banks purchased an entire block of historic buildings on Patton Avenue between Church Street and South Lexington Avenue to demolish them for surface parking lots, probably to provide parking for their employees and customers. Many were upset about the plan.
“Both the property owners and the [Asheville Revitalization Committee] are extremely shortsighted in this action ... of the wholesale destruction of an entire block of Patton Avenue for a single-level parking lot. Any more missing teeth in our streetscape and downtown will end up looking like it needs dentures,” wrote Jim Samsel in an editorial
that was published in both morning and evening newspapers on Jan. 1, 1980, according to Buncombe County Special Collections.
That block remains surface parking today.
This story is one of many that led Robinson, a 24-year-old former UNC Asheville student and freelance videographer, graphic designer and musician, down a rabbit hole of research, which he calls a “precipitous descent into car-induced psychosis.” He started making videos about carcentric areas of Asheville — including the stretch of Patton Avenue near New Leicester Highway — and explaining in his unique style why the design makes no sense.
His videos have garnered a lot of attention on YouTube, one with more than 93,000 views as of July
1, and their success has led him to pivot his career toward urban design issues, including downtown’s parking surplus.
Now that the city is growing, Robinson and others argue that it’s vital to attract as much development to the city’s core as possible to limit urban sprawl. But they say downtown’s building gaps scare away potential developers because of the decreased walkability of surface parking lots. Of which there are many.
“There’s an abundance of surface parking lots, and I think the best thing that the city can do to try to put those lots back into productive use as a building instead of a surface
parking lot, is to look at the barri ers to development,” says Barton, chair of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and CEO of Mountain Housing Opportunities.
OVERREGULATION?
Barton acknowledges that much of downtown was built before the city had a zoning ordinance. Now that times have changed, leaders are trying to figure out how to maintain downtown’s charm while promoting appropriate growth.
“We used to have many more vacant buildings and storefronts downtown. With the rebirth of eco nomic activity downtown through the 1990s, you don’t see a lot of vacant ground-floor retail space anymore. We may be running out of inventory for ground-floor retail,” Barton sug gests. Limited empty retail space and a plethora of undeveloped lots could read as an opportunity for property owners, but developers aren’t exactly lining up.
Jared Wheatley, a contractor who serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission, says the city’s Design Review Committee requirements are too onerous for smaller devel opers who don’t have the capital to build a massive complex or time to wade through months of red tape to get approval.
The Design Review Committee was created to ensure design standards are consistent and the city avoids getting, for example, a corporate drive-thru coffee shop in the middle of the South Slope. Review
by the committee is mandatory in the Central Business District and certain areas along the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers within the city, according to the city’s website.
Requirements to install sidewalks, curbs and trees, and utility improvements are overly onerous burdens for smaller developers and should really be taken care of by the city, he argues.
Plus, Wheatley says it simply takes too long to get through the review process and incentivizes any development to move outside of those areas or the city altogether.
“My contention is that it impedes downtown development because it’s an extra step in the overall development pattern.”
However, Monson-Dahl says she has heard from community members that they want staff — and by extension, City Council — to maintain some control over what types of development arise in those areas and that people wouldn’t be happy if something moved in that was counter to the architectural vision of the Central Business District in particular.
However, if that sentiment changes, staff would be glad to change the rules, she says, and is going through a process to tweak the design review guidelines now. Monson-Dahl encourages interested parties to get involved.
Further, while many American cities require nonhotel developers to include a certain number of parking spots for each unit built, Asheville does not have that rule in its Central Business District. The Planning and Zoning Commission recently recommended eliminating them citywide, a change that’s likely to come before City Council in August, Barton says. That puts Asheville on the front end of the national trend to eliminate those requirements in an effort to promote more walkable districts that are less autocentric, MonsonDahl says.
However, the lots downtown already exist, so the challenge is to incentivize developers to build on lots that are generating income via parking for business owners with no additional investment. Then there’s the fact that many of downtown’s lots are owned by businesses in adjacent buildings that want to retain parking for their employees and customers, she says.
“The truth is that there is no incentive right now for people to develop that parking because of the local economics of building anything [profitable],” Monson-Dahl acknowledges.
SINGLE-STORY BUILDINGS
One rule in particular spurred Robinson to make his parking-related video: No new single-story buildings can be built downtown without an exception from City Council.
“A ban on single-story buildings downtown is aimed at the benefit of downtown density. So has this policy achieved the outcome that
PLENTY OF SPACE: The parking garage at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville can often be found largely empty, as seen here on a recent weekday in downtown Asheville. Photo by Caleb Johnson
Land Use in Asheville’s Central Business District
we’re looking for? No, not at all!” Robinson argues.
Plus, there’s a wide range of popular businesses that operate in single-story buildings downtown, he continues. From Green Sage Cafe to Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co. to most of the South Slope, the Central Business District is full of them.
“Should we really be completely banning one-story buildings and an effort to create density downtown, when our downtown is mostly empty space, mostly parking, and under the current rules, almost nothing gets built? I don’t think so. A ban on single-story buildings isn’t free. It doesn’t automatically create density, it doesn’t automatically add a second story to every building that would have been built one-story downtown. It just filters out those one-story uses from being able to exist here,” he says in the video.
In effect, Robinson points out, preventing single-story buildings lowers downtown’s density rather than increasing it, as intended. Barton and Wheatley echo that argument from their positions on the Planning Board.
But Monson-Dahl says it’s not that simple. She doubts that making it easier to build single-story buildings as opposed to two-story buildings would immediately make potential developers more interested in the Central Business District because every project needs to be financially viable.
Smaller buildings bring less opportunity for revenue, and considering the cost of land, labor and materials in Western North Carolina right now, she doesn’t think there are many projects that could afford building just a one-story building. If a building is taller, it still only needs one foundation, which is the most expensive component, she points out.
The rule was added to the UDO 15 years ago during a time of rapid growth when the city was concerned
with encouraging as much density as possible.
“There was a thought that ... we really needed to infill to be able to support all the people that are moving here. [People thought] there needed to be a potential signal in our ordinances about what is appropriate for downtown,” she says.
Nowadays, she’s just not hearing many developers or owners of lots complaining about that rule, she says.
Regardless, like design review guidelines, if the mood of the development community has shifted around whether the city should allow single-story development downtown, she would love to hear that argument, and staff will incorporate those wishes into upcoming discussions around tweaks to the UDO.
“If that’s what people want now, let’s do it. Engage in the process,” Monson-Dahl says.
CIRCLING THE LOT
Ultimately, Monson-Dahl acknowledges that the city has more work to do to update its ordinances and guidelines.
“I think that the process can be streamlined and be made more attractive for people looking to do the kind of development that we want to do here,” she says.
Plus, Asheville’s housing shortage is well documented, and planning staff has that top of mind when proposing tweaks to the vision for planning and zoning.
“We’re trying to increase the amount of housing, the variety of housing, opportunities for housing, specifically in downtown and on [public] transportation corridors,” she says.
Indeed, those efforts are being noticed by folks like Robinson, who acknowledges that things seem to be heading in a positive direction now.
Monson-Dahl reiterates over and over that she hopes the community will continue to engage with the process at committee meetings and with staff to ensure the city moves in a direction that everyone feels is positive.
For his part, Robinson plans to keep his camera on to bring as much attention as possible to land use issues in Asheville — one YouTube video at a time. X
CENTRALLY LOCATED: Some of downtown’s most centrally located parking lots, like this one on South Lexington Avenue, are used by businesses or hotels for their employees or customers. Photo by Greg Parlier
Cutting class
BY ADDISON WRIGHT AN ASHEVILLE WATCHDOG REPORT
bark@avlwatchdog.org
The UNC System Board of Governors has approved UNC Asheville Chancellor Kimberly van Noort’s proposal to eliminate the university’s drama, philosophy, religion and ancient Mediterranean studies (classics) programs and to curtail languages and literature classes.
While the programs will be eliminated, classes in those areas will still be offered, van Noort repeatedly told the board’s Committee on Educational Planning, Policies, and Programs before the board’s action.
“Of course, current students are upset,” van Noort told the committee, but she said she has worked individually with each of the students affected by her decision to “help them understand their options.”
The religious studies department will continue as a minor, and the recently hired Provost Yvonne Villanueva-Russsell will work with the affected departments and deans going forward.
In addition to hearing van Noort’s proposal, the committee had received a letter of dissent from 21 UNCA department chairs and three program directors.
The departments affected by the decision employ about 40 professors and enroll 78 students. Half of the professors and 29 of the students are in the languages and literature department.
“I hope we can do everything as a board to support you,” committee Secretary Sonja Phillips Nichols told van Noort before the board’s decision. “We’re going to have to do this on every single campus. This is a very
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UNC System approves van Noort’s plan to eliminate 4 UNCA academic departments
MEETING IN SESSION: A screenshot from PBS North Carolina’s livestream of the UNC System Board of Governors’ meeting July 24 shows UNC Asheville Chancellor Kimberly van Noort addressing the Committee on Educational Planning, Policies and Programs.
hard but very necessary road that we are going to have to travel to manage the budgets on our campus.”
The unanimous decision came five months after van Noort announced that state law mandated that UNCA had until the end of June to eliminate what she described then as a $6 million budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year, projected to grow to $8 million deficit for the following fiscal year.
Van Noort’s plan to eliminate and curtail programs was not factored into the deficit reduction for the current 2025 fiscal year, which began in July, but would have an impact on fiscal year 2026 at the earliest, UNCA’s new vice chancellor for budget and finance told Asheville Watchdog.
The board’s decision also comes three weeks before the fall semester. Students in the affected departments have said they are unsure whether they should remain at UNCA.
“I guess I’m disappointed but not surprised,” said Ashlin Heise, a rising UNCA sophomore majoring in drama, in reaction to the decision. “I was in denial about it for a while because there was really no way to predict it.
“The worst way it affects me is that I’m faced with the decision of whether or not to leave. As much as I would love to move on to a better program, I love UNCA. I have so much going for me there and so many memories. I would lose two jobs that I love dearly and so many good friends.”
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Ethan Colon, a senior philosophy major, criticized the decision.
“The direction that our legislature and our university’s ruling bodies are moving in is frightening for the prospects of the liberal arts,” Colon said.
“I’m worried about what the future will look like for students interested in philosophy, languages, literature and other non-STEM or business fields. What does it say about UNCA that there is such disparity in the care allotted to STEM versus the humanities?”
The Watchdog reached out to several professors in the affected departments but did not hear back before publication.
ACADEMIC REVIEW BEGAN IN 2022
The Board of Governors’ decision follows an academic portfolio review that began in December 2022. UNCA hired Charlotte-based First Tryon Advisors to identify programs for potential course reductions or program eliminations. As first reported by The Watchdog in June, First Tryon identified 14 academic programs for reduction or elimination.
Faculty criticized the agency’s methodology and analysis, and students majoring in the programs expressed their shock and anger. Van Noort said individual meetings with academic department chairs, associated deans and senior staff also informed her final decisions.
Van Noort and UNC System President Peter Hans received almost 1,500 letters asking them to reconsider eliminating the drama and philosophy departments.
Other actions have been taken to address the university’s budget deficit. In April, it dismissed 12 staffers, and it previously put adjunct professors on notice that their contracts would not be renewed for the next academic year.
Last week, UNCA announced plans to build a $4 million outdoor tennis facility on campus. The university said gifts from donors, corporate partners, alumni and grants would fund the project.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Addison Wright is a 2024 graduate of UNCA, where she majored in mass communications and political science. She was news editor for The Blue Banner, UNCA’s school newspaper. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/ support-our-publication/. X
No mudslinging
A look at the candidates running for the Buncombe Soil & Water Conservation District board and why it matters
BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE
jmcguire@mountainx.com
Buncombe County residents will see a number of high-profile elected positions on their ballots when they head to the voting booth this fall, from president to governor to Congress. But one race may leave folks scratching their heads.
Voters will be asked to select Stu Rohrbaugh of Asheville or Blair Thompson of Swannanoa for the position of Buncombe Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor. If you don’t know what a Soil & Water Conservation District is or what a supervisor does, you are not alone.
“Every election cycle we have people voting for our board, and most people tell us they have no idea what they’re voting for,” says Jennifer Harrison, director of the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District.
So here’s a quick primer before you head to the polls.
WHY THE POSITION MATTERS
Soil and water conservation districts are governmental subdivisions of the state, established and organized under a law passed in 1937. District boundaries follow county lines. North Carolina has 95 single-county districts, including Buncombe, and one multicounty district.
The Buncombe district has a fulltime staff, including Harrison, and is overseen by a board of five unpaid supervisors. Two of the supervisors are appointed by the state Soil & Water Conservation Commission, and three are elected by county voters. Of the elected positions, one will be voted to a four-year term this year. That’s the seat Rohrbaugh and Thompson are competing for. The winner will take office in December.
The majority of the work done by the board involves overseeing state funding programs, including the N.C. Agricultural Cost Share Program and the Agricultural Water Resource Assistance Program.
“In overly simplistic terms, the soil and water board of supervisors approves state tax dollars that are being used locally to implement best management practices that are protective of water quality and soil
health,” Harrison explains. “Most of our programs are for agriculture: farmers, growers, producers.”
For example, she says, a farmer who wants to build a fence to keep his cows from wading in a stream on his property could apply to the district for funding. “We want cows out of the stream because we’re worried about the water quality impacts from fecal coliform and pathogens,” Harrison says. “That makes it unsafe to drink, unsafe to swim and can kill our aquatic insects fauna and flora.”
Such a project also could involve drilling a well to create a drinking source for the cows and making sure the well isn’t creating erosion problems. If the board approves the project, the farmer will pay for the work and then be compensated for 75% of the costs once the job is complete.
“These projects often have many layers to them, and so our Soil & Water Board of Supervisors looks at all of them and makes sure that we’re thinking about the project holistically and that they are realistic,” Harrison says. “Once they vote to approve them, the project can move forward, and then the project will come back to the supervisors, and they will make sure it was implemented as designed before they agree to sign off on the payment to the landowner.”
Supervisors also:
• Oversee educational programs, including Envirothon, an annual competition in which middle and high school teams compete by demonstrating their knowledge of environmental science and natural resource management.
• Manage the William Hamilton Memorial Scholarship, which awards $1,000 annually to a Buncombe County student attending or planning to attend an accredited college or university in a conservation, agriculture or other natural resource-related program.
• Hold conservation easements for property under the county’s Farmland Preservation Program, which encourages the voluntary preservation of farms and forestland from development.
“We want to make sure that we have people in these positions that are making good decisions so that we all have
the best chance at protecting our natural resources,” Harrison says. “Often people think, ’I don’t care anything about agriculture, I’m an investment banker.’ But you don’t have to know anything about agriculture to know that you want clean water, you want clean air, you want to try to combat climate change. Water doesn’t just stay on that farm, and air quality doesn’t just hover over that farm. It migrates into all of our lives.”
MEET THE CANDIDATES
Rohrbaugh, 54, and Thompson, 42, are both running for elected office for the first time.
A Hendersonville native, Rohrbaugh recently retired after spending 30 years as a planner for local governments, including the City of Asheville. He thinks his familiarity and experience with land-use planning efforts throughout Buncombe County make him a good fit for the nonpartisan supervisor position.
“All my career, I’ve heard that people want to conserve the land, keep clean water and preserve all the farmland,” he says. “This board is going to be looking for people that want to voluntarily dedicate their land to conservation measures and see that they’re improving their farming practices and how they take care of the soil on their land. I want to work with individual property owners that are willing to participate in these conservation efforts.”
Thompson is a native of Kansas who has been farm manager at Warren Wilson College since 2020. The Swannanoa school operates a 300-acre working farm on its campus.
“What I’m hoping I bring is an agricultural voice who cares about good land stewardship and farm preservation,” says Thompson, who worked in various agricultural jobs for 15 years before arriving at Warren Wilson. “I have the experience of working with the Soil & Water District in the past and an understanding of what they’re trying to do. Having somebody that has seen how these programs work and why they work or don’t work is pretty useful, especially if we do care about making inroads with farmers seeing that local agriculture we do still have in our region continues and thrives into the future.”
HATS IN THE RING: Stu Rohrbaugh of Asheville, left, and Blair Thompson of Swannanoa will compete for the position of Buncombe Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor in the November election. Photos courtesy of the candidates
Council asks voters to approve $80 million bond package
Asheville City Council voted unanimously, 6-0, July 23 to put four, $20 million general obligation bonds on the Nov. 5 ballot. Council member Sheneika Smith was absent.
The bonds, if all approved by voters, would provide $20 million for housing, $20 million for transportation, $20 million for parks and recreation and $20 million for public safety.
Tony McDowell , the City of Asheville’s director of finance, said the entire package would mean an estimated property tax increase of $110 for the owner of a property assessed at $420,946, the city’s average house value.
That tax would be atop a citywide tax increase for owners of property valued at $400,000 of about $25.20 and a Buncombe County increase of $78. Those with property in the newly approved Business Improvement District downtown will face an additional increase of $360 per year.
Three people spoke in favor of the bonds before the vote. David Nutter, chairman of Connect Buncombe’s advocacy and partnership committee, supported the bonds.
“We believe these investments are welcoming for all the people in our community,” Nutter said.
Sally Grau and Brooke Heaton, members of Rebuild Malvern Hills Pools, thanked Council for its commitment to rebuild the historic pool with general obligation funds.
“Our community fabric is woven by the spaces we share, public schools, parks, libraries and in the hot days of summer swimming pools,” Grau said, “These public spaces mean so much … because they bring us together. We see and greet our friends and neighbors, we make new friends, and with each hug, each high-five, each hello, we build the fabric that makes our city the kind of place that people love to live [in].”
“There’s no better way to see our tax dollars at work than in the excited giggles of a kid splashing on a hot summer day,” Heaton said.
Haw Creek Road project approved
The Asheville City Council approved, 5-1, rezoning a 27-acre project at 767 New Haw Creek Road for an 84-unit residential develop-
ment. Council member Kim Roney voted in opposition.
The estate of landowner Margaret B. King and the project’s applicant, Warren Sugg of Civil Design Concepts, requested rezoning the parcel in East Asheville from Residential Single-Family Medium Density District (RS-4), which permits single-family homes, to Residential Expansion — Conditional Zone (RES EXP-CZ), which permits a range of high-density single and multifamily homes.
The plan, presented by Sam StarrBaum, urban planner II with the City
of Asheville’s Planning and Urban Design Department, will include 49 single-family homes and 35 townhomes, as well as parking, amenities and stormwater infrastructure.
The project, which also includes a 4.3-acre tree canopy preservation area on the eastern portion of the property, was approved 4-3 by the Planning and Zoning Commission on March 20.
The plan is the result of a compromise between developer L.B. Jackson and Co. and the Haw Creek Community Association. A previous proposal had included
92 housing units — 57 homes and 35 townhouses.
Twenty-four speakers addressed the Council during the hearing, nearly split between those for and against the project.
“It has been a bumpy road getting to this place,” Chris Pelly, president of the Haw Creek Community Association, said during public comments. “Within Haw Creek there has been a range of opinions about the best path forward.” Pelly praised Mayor Esther Manheimer’s role in fostering negotiations between Pelly and his neighbors and property developer Jackson.
“I believe that the proposal; before you is the least worst option,” Pelly continued. “For this reason, the 12-member board of directors of the Haw Creek Community Association have tepidly but unanimously supported the proposal before you today.”
In other news
Additionally, Council approved a contract for the repair and replacement of HVAC parts and equipment in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, passed a resolution authorizing up to $2 million for ongoing improvements at McCormick Field and designated the F.W. Woolworth building in downtown Asheville as the city’s latest historic landmark.
— Pat Moran X
Updates on the ‘Portland Loo’ and Hiawassee Street construction
Work continues on the City of Asheville’s public bathroom at the corner of College Street and Rankin Avenue. The prefabricated “Portland Loo,” a 7-by-10-foot single-stall structure, is expected to arrive via crane later this summer.
Meanwhile, crews are performing the groundwork, including a tie-in to the city sewer and water lines, and adding security cameras. The structure will be big enough to accommodate a wheelchair, bicycle or stroller and built to be resistant to vandalism and easy to clean. The blue interior lighting will make it difficult for intravenous drug users to find a vein for injection.
Landscaping, the last step in the process, is slated for September.
In February, City Council approved $183,620 for site enhancements and installation with a contingency amount of $46,724, as well as $170,760 for the restroom itself, bringing the total to $401,104. The restroom is paid for by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
Learn more at avl.mx/pryb..
HIAWASSEE STREET CLOSURE
“We currently do not have a projected finish date for the property,” writes Kim Miller, City of Asheville’s communication specialist, in an email to Xpress regarding the closure of Hiawassee Street between Rankin and North Lexington avenues. The street
has been closed since May, when heavy rains washed out the road.
Crews have been reconfiguring stormwater drains along the street and moving underground utilities, but they encountered utilities that had not been located previously.
“Those were in direct conflict with our routing of the storm system we are installing,” Miller writes. “The conflict required a re-design of the storm system.” After internal discussions, the city developed a new design that should work around the unknown utilities.
Depending on weather conditions, work should resume on Monday, July 29.
— Pat Moran X
MAKING A POINT: Council members Kim Roney, left, and Maggie Ullman discuss the bond package at the July 23 Asheville City Council meeting. Photo by Pat Moran
Tips for quashing squash plant pests
BY CHLOE LIEBERMAN
Your harvest baskets are probably overflowing, just like the insect populations in your gardens. Maybe you’ve begun planting for fall, too. As you keep tending the garden, be sure to send your questions to me at gardening@mountainx.com.
OUTSMARTING SQUASH PESTS
I had a beautiful patch of buttercup squash that was doing great, then one day I checked on them and they were all dead. What happened? Oh, the drama and tragedy of engaging with the living world! Although I can’t say for sure without more information, the most likely culprit is the squash vine borer (Melittia cucurbitae), an orange and black moth that is active in the
CUSTOM
LIVING SPACES
daytime. They deposit their eggs on the stems of squash plants and the resulting caterpillars bore into the plants, quickly killing them. If you look at the base of the stems of your plants, it’s likely you’ll see big wounds with bits of chewed-up squash stem around their edges. The fat white caterpillars with black heads may or may not still be present.
Unfortunately, once damage has occurred, it’s very difficult to treat this pest. That’s because by the time you notice the plant suffering, vine borers have already entered the stems and begun consuming them from the inside out. In rare cases you can save the plants by surgically opening the stem with a sharp knife and piercing the caterpillars, or injecting Bacillus thuringiensis — an organic pesticide made from a bacterium, also known as Bt — into the stem. This will only work if the damage hasn’t gone too far and if you’re able to kill all the caterpillars who may be hiding deep inside the stems.
The best way to approach this pest is through prevention. One way to do this is to cover squash plants with floating row cover until they flower. Depending on how many plants you have, this may or may not be practical. Another option is to wrap aluminum foil around the base of each plant once it has emerged (or right after transplanting, if you go that route). This can prevent vine borer caterpillars from burrowing into the stems, though it’s still a good idea to monitor the plants for eggs (which are dark brown and round), so that you can act fast if some end up emerging and making their way past the physical barrier of the aluminum foil.
There are three main species of winter squash that we home gardeners tend to grow: Cucurbita maxima, C. pepo and C. moschata. Within these species there are dozens and dozens of varieties. The difference between a
species and a variety is that plants in different species cannot interbreed, whereas different varieties, if they’re in the same species, can cross with each other.
The maxima group includes your buttercups, along with candy roasters, red kuris, kabochas, hubbards and others. Unfortunately, this species seems to be the most susceptible to vine borers, along with other pests and diseases. The pepo group includes most zucchinis and summer squash, along with delicatas, acorns, true pumpkins and others. This group is moderately susceptible to borers, too.
Finally, the moschata species, which includes butternuts, cheese pumpkins and others, seems to have the most resistance to vine borers, as well as other pests and diseases. No species or variety is immune to these or any pests, but planting a variety from the moschata species, along with taking the preventive measures I mentioned above, will give you the highest chance of success.
WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THE ZUCCHINI
I have so many zucchinis, and I’m getting tired of eating them. What are your favorite ways to prepare and preserve them?
Oh, the abundance of high summer; what a mixed blessing. Yes, zucchini and other summer squash can be impressively productive, and with their mild flavor and sometimes watery texture, it’s easy to get tired of incorporating them into every meal. One key to enjoying zucchi-
STEMMING THE PROBLEM: Squash vine borers kill squash plants by burrowing into their stems. A few preventive measures can save gardens from a squashless growing season. Photo by Chloe Lieberman
nis is to harvest them while they’re young, before the skin gets tough and the seeds form. Both their flavor and texture are much better when they’re small, and picking smaller fruits means that you may not feel so totally inundated. Another cardinal rule is to cook them enough, but not too much. Both overcooked and undercooked zucchini is much less delicious than when it’s perfectly toothsome.
My personal favorite ways to eat zucchini and summer squash include: marinating and grilling strips, adding them into curries and stir fries, zucchini fritters, zucchini bread and créma de calabacín soup (check out a recipe at avl.mx/dyh). I usually use a combination of olive oil, garlic, garden herbs, red wine vinegar and a dash of honey and tamari for the marinade when I’m grilling zukes. Restaurateur and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi delights at getting creative with fresh ingredients and shares many delicious zucchini-focused recipes in his cookbook Simple. Another one of my favorite vegetable-loving chefs, Deborah Madison, includes zucchini and most veggies you may be growing in her various fabulous books and especially in Vegetable Literacy
As far as preserving zucchinis, a wise friend and fellow large-scale gardener inspired me to make and freeze zucchini bread, rather than shredded zucchini. As they said, it’s just as easy to make a bunch of batches of bread when the zucchini is fresh, and it’s way more exciting to pull a ready-to-eat loaf of zucchini bread out of the freezer, rather than a ziplock plastic bag of zucchini. We’ve both found ourselves with freezers full of such bags come the following summer, which defeats the purpose of preserving!
I’ve had some success with zucchini pickles but only when they’re picked very young and therefore stay firm through the pickling process. I
like to use a Mexican-inspired spice blend for these (cumin, Mexican oregano, allspice, garlic, chilis, etc.) and then eat them as a taco topping.
COVER CROPS WITHOUT TILLING
I’d like to plant some cover crops, but I also want to do no-till gardening. Can the two practices coexist?
Cover cropping and no-till gardening can absolutely coexist. In fact, they work really well together. Instead of chopping up and mixing the bodies of cover crops into the soil, you’ll end up laying them down in place as mulch or raking them away to use as mulch elsewhere.
With all cover cropping, choosing the right varieties to plant at the right time, then killing, or “terminating,” them at the right stage of their growth are the most important factors. (You can find an information sheet on cover crops for different seasons from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education organization at avl.mx/dyi.) In most cases, it’s ideal to terminate cover crops when they’re flowering. This means that some of their energy is still down in their roots, where dieback will nourish soil life, and that the likelihood of regrowing will be lower because they’ve switched gears from growing into flowering.
You can mow with a scythe or hand sickle to terminate cover crops, or you can crimp them down with a metal T-post, board or other method. After that, you may want to smother them with a thick layer of mulch or a UV-stabilized plastic sheet such as a woven weed fabric or silage tarp.
One tricky part of using cover crops with no-till gardening is that you won’t be able to direct-sow small-seeded crops right where a cover crop was. Instead, plan to transplant, sow something with big seeds or wait for the cover crop plants to completely decompose. X
Summer Hours: Mon-Sat 9am - 3pm Sun 11am - 3pm
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
JULY 31 - AUG. 8, 2024
For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.
Online-only events
Feature, page 29
More info, page 31
More info, page 32-33
WELLNESS & SUPPORT GROUPS
Tai Chi for Balance
A gentle Tai Chi exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life. All ages are welcome.
WE (7/31, 8/7), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Gentle Yoga for Seniors
A yoga class geared to seniors offering gentle stretching and strengthening through accessible yoga poses and modifications.
WE (7/31, 8/7), 2:30pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Tai Chi Fan
This class helps build balance and whole body awareness. All ages and ability levels welcome. Fans will be provided.
WE (7/31, 8/7), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Nicotine Anonymous
People will share their experience, strength and hope to stop using nicotine. You don’t need to be stopped, just have a desire to attend.
The original style of Tai Chi known for its continual spiraling movements and great health benefits.
TH (8/1, 8), MO (8/5), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Weekly Zumba Classes
Free in-person Zumba classes. No registration required.
TH (8/1, 8), TU (8/6), 6:30pm, St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black Mountain
Qigong for Health
A part of traditional Chinese medicine that involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind
and spirit.
FR (8/2), TU (8/6), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
FitVerse Montford
Ditch the treadmill, strap on your virtual backpack, and launch yourself into an epic fitness adventure through virtual worlds.
FR (8/2), 7pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Rise & Yoga on The Roof
Hot yoga sessions on the roof of the Radical.
SA (8/3), 9am, The Radical, 95 Roberts St
Yoga for Everyone
A free-in person yoga class for all ages and abilities that is led by alternating teachers. Bring your own mat and water bottle.
SA (8/3), 9:30am, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Adult Water Aerobics
Gentle water aerobics to improve cardio fitness, build strength, boost mood, and ease joint pain. Free for ages 60 and up.
SA (8/3), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Yoga in the Park Yoga class alongside the French Broad River, based on Hatha and Vinyasa traditions and led by certified yoga instructors. All experience levels welcome.
SA (8/3), SU (8/4), 11am, 220 Amboy Rd
Wild Souls Authentic Movement
An expressive movement class designed to help you get unstuck, enjoy cardio movement, boost immune health, dissolve anxiety and celebrate community.
SU (8/4), 9:30am, Dunn’s Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard
Sunday Morning Meditation Group Gathering for a combination of silent sitting and walking meditation, facilitated by Worth Bodie.
MOUNTAIN CRAFTS HAVEN: Downtown Burnsville hosts the 67th annual Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair on Friday, Aug. 2, and Saturday, Aug. 3, starting at 9 a.m. each day. Visitors can expect to find a wide variety of handmade goods, from intricate jewelry and textiles to beautifully crafted woodwork, ironwork, pottery and more. Photo courtesy of Explore Burnsville
SU (8/4), 10am, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Summer Cooling Yoga w/Jamie Knox
Our practice slows down in the summer to focus on stretching, calming, and cooling the body. We still include strength building but more emphasis is placed on internal calm. Walk-ins welcome.
SU (8/4), 10:30am, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd
Sunset Sound Bath
Celebrate the healing power of sound and vibration delivered with loving intention to relax and restore your body, mind, and spirit.
SU (8/4), 7:45pm, The Restoration Hotel Asheville, 68 Patton Ave
WNC Prostate Support Group
All men, family members, partners and supporters are welcome to attend no matter their current situation with prostate cancer.
TU (8/6), 6:30pm, First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St
QiGong Class w/Allen
Gentle movements that will improve your balance and increase your flow of life force energy. All levels and ages welcome.
TU (8/6), 10am, Asia House Asheville, 119 Coxe Ave
Asheville Kirtan
These ancient mantras, chanted in Sanskrit, help to connect us to
our hearts- invoking feelings of well-being, meditation, and joy.
TU (8/6), 7pm, Weaving Rainbows, 62 Wall St
Nia Dance Fitness
A sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.
TH (8/1, 8/8), 9:30am, TU (8/6), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, ste 109
Innerdance: Altered States of Consciousness with Soundscapes & Energy Work
A healing journey into altered states of consciousness as we flow through brain wave states with soundscapes & energy work.
WE (8/7), 6pm, The Horse Shoe Farm, 155 Horse Shoe Farm Dr, Hendersonville
DANCE
Saturday Night Square
Dancing
Led by Frank Brown, relish in the tradition of Scotch-Irish and English music dancing and the celebratory cakewalk.
SA (8/3), 8pm, Geneva Hall, 86 High Ridge Rd, Little Switzerland
Tango Tuesday Tango lessons and social with instructors Mary Morgan and Mike Eblen. No partner required, and no experience needed for the beginners class.
TU (8/6), 6pm, Urban Orchard Cider Co. S Slope, 24 Buxton Ave
Weekly Zumba Classes
Free in-person Zumba classes. No registration required.
TH (8/1, 8), TU (8/6), 6:30pm, St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black Mountain
Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez
A Latin dance social featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton with dance lessons for all skill levels.
WE (7/31, 8/7), 8pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd
ART
Gail Drozd: Mystery in the Mist Embark on a journey of discovery with a captivating exploration of nature's mysteries through Gail Drozd's latest art work. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through July 31.
Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave
The New Salon: A Contemporary View
A modern take on the prestigious tradition of the Parisian Salon with the diversity and innovation of today’s art world. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Aug. 19.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection
A variety of techniques and a willingness to
push boundaries of American glass art can be seen in this selection of works. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through September 16.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Lakisha Blount: When We See Us
This new solo exhibition honors the essence of Blount's experiences and generational stories of Black mountain life in Appalachia through her figurative oil paintings. Gallery open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through Aug. 10.
Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste 144
Adult Studio: Painting Places from Imagination
Callie Ferraro will guide you through painting destinations that only live in our imagination.
TH (8/1), 6pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Summer 1-On-1
Pottery Lessons Private lessons offering individuals 30 minute classes. Walk-ins will be welcome, schedule permitting.
SA (8/3), SU (8/4), 11am, Odyssey Clayworks, 236 Clingman Ave
Adult Studio: Exploring Dualities w/ Photography
Through a series of weekly assignments create photos that investigate the distinctions, contradictions, and intersections of
these dualities.
SA (8/3), noon, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Daily Craft Demonstrations
Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths, daily. These free and educational opportunities are open to the public. Open daily, 10am. Demonstrations run through Dec. 31.
Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy
Shifting Perceptions: Photographs from the Collection
A selection of photographs presented in a trio of sections, each featuring seemingly opposing forces: Natural/Unnatural, Together/Apart, and Inside/ Out. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through September 23. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Lou Ella Tucker: Story/ Place Tucker's exhibition showcases her curiosity of how spaces influence us and how we influence them, has led her to record their unique stories of humanity around the world. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through September 22. Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St
Honoring Nature: Early Southern Appalachian Landscape Painting
This exhibition explores the sublime natural landscapes of the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina and Tennessee. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Oct. 21. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Aaron Fields: Hidden Colors
This art exhibition presents a story about the perfect summer day in the mountains through the use of mostly acrylic paint, paint markers and spray paint. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 1. Marquee Asheville, 36 Foundy St
Robert Chapman Turner: Artist, Teacher, Explorer
The exhibition will include work by some of Turner’s students and colleagues as well as work by contemporary ceramic artists whose work fits within the context of the show. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 7. Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St
from across the east coast with Lyric providing the tunes this week.
TH (8/1), 7pm, Black Mountain Veterans Park, 10 Veterans Park
Dr Black Mountain Mountain Folk Harp Society of Asheville
An evening of Irish and Scottish melodies as well as other original and folk tunes performed by this local group of harpists led by Sue Richards.
TH (8/1), FR (8/2),
SA (8/3), 7pm, First Baptist Church of Weaverville, 63 N Main St, Weaverville
Concert Series on the Creek: Natti Love Joys
Free concert series for the community with Natti Love Joys bringing their own style of Reggae this week. These events are free with donations encouraged. There will be food trucks available on most nights.
FR (8/2), 7pm, Bridge Park Gazebo, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva
Summer Tracks
Concert: Peggy Ratusz & Reggie Headen
Tryon's Summer Tracks concert series returns with Peggy Ratusz & Reggie Headen's Sweet Summer of Rock and Soul Revue.
FR (8/2), 7pm, Rogers Park, 55 W Howard St, Tryon
Hiroya Tsukamoto
International acclaimed guitarist and songwriter Hiroya Tsukamoto takes you on an innovative, impressionistic journey filled with earthty, organic soundscapes.
FR (8/2), 8pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
A Night of Jazz Candice Dickson will be joined by some of her closest friends and surprise special guests. The evening promises to be a mesmerizing mix of smooth ballads and lively swing tunes.
SA (8/3), 7:30pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville
Carolina Celtic Presents: Robin Bullock & Tony McManus
Carolina Celtic showcases Irish and Scottish musical traditions and explores their commonality with the Appalachian ballads and stories of the Carolina mountains.
SA (8/3), 8pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
The Cello Encore
This concert marks the return of renowned cellist Robert DeVere Moore to the Hart Stage. Moore will be joined by an outstanding lineup of string musicians.
SU (8/4), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville
Dinah's Daydream
Gypsy Jazz Ensemble
This Sunday concert series continues with a performance by Dinah's Daydream, a popular local gypsy jazz ensemble.
SU (8/4), 3pm, St. Matthias Church, 1 Dundee St
Mark's House Jam & Sunday Potluck
Bring a potluck dish to share with an amazing
community of local musicians from around the globe. Please note that this isn't an open mic.
SU (8/4), 3pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr
Seven Nations & Tuatha Dea
Musical acts that embraces their Celtic heritage and bring a passionate, tender, and rollicking style that winningly veers from roots and folk to dance and fusion-rock.
SU (8/4), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Dark City Songwriter Round
The Dark City Song Swap takes place once a month and focuses on the art and craft of singer-songwriters. This week's featured country/folk duo Admiral Radio.
WE (8/7), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Wings & Strings: Peggy R
This music series at at the Sweeten Creek location will feature local bluegrass-style bands every week.
TH (8/8), 6:30pm, Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack S, 3749 Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden
David Lamotte
A songwriter, speaker, author, former board member, and long time friend of the White Horse.
TH (8/8), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Park Rhythms Concert Series: Greg Farley w/Zachary Warren
Briggs
This series features many talented artists from across the east coast with Greg Farley and Zachary Warren Briggs providing the tunes this week.
TH (8/8), 7pm, Black Mountain Veterans Park, 10 Veterans Park Dr Black Mountain
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
Brew & Taste Workshop
Learn with a Specialty Coffee Association certified brewer about coffee brewing science using only locally roasted coffees.
SU (8/4), 9:30am, Coffee Curious Workshops, 45 S French Broad Ave
Free Intro to Long Form Improv
A laid-back opportunity to tap into your creativity, build confidence, and improve communication skills, all while enjoying a good time. Space is limited so registration is required.
TU (8/6), 7:30pm, Misfit Improv & Acting School, 573 Fairview Rd Unit 21A
LITERARY
Hacks, Leaks & Revelations
Computer security engineer Micah Lee presents his new book for investigative journalists and amateur researchers interested in finding
An evening of soul-nourishing connection, rosé-tasting, yummy bites, and divine-feminine-inspired poetry read by self-care author Renee Peterson Trudeau.
TH (8/1), 6pm, Wine Sage Merchant + Wine Bar, 416 N Main St, Hendersonville
Summer Prosperity Book Study
Open yourself up to how abundance is already living in you and how it can be awakened in your life with the help of May McCarthy's book, Path to Wealth.
MO (8/5), 6:30pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way Poetry Critique Night
Everyone is welcome to share a few poems or just sit back and listen. Signups to share will open 15 minutes prior to the start.
TU (8/6), 6pm, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
A conversation with Diamond Forde about their debut novel, Failure to Comply. This conversation will touch on abolitionist craft-praxis, trans/ Mad creativity, and anti-genre writing, and more.
Artise James, local author & director, shares a dramatized life story of gangster turned author who lived through the gritty New York streets and lived to tell his story.
TH (8/1), 7pm, Rezonance Lounge, 51 College St 1A
Much Ado About Nothing
It's a whirlwind of wit, romance and mischief when sharp-tongued Beatrice reunites with charming Benedick in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing FR (8/2), SA (8/3), SU (8/4), 5pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 100 Gay St
Legally Blonde: The Musical
America’s favorite blonde, Elle Woods, is ready to prove who’s in charge in this fabulously fun, award-winning musical based on the adored movie. See p29 FR (8/2), SA (8/3), SU (8/4), 3pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville
Botticelli Babes
A new comedy storytelling experience that unearths the untold stories of history’s most infamous women with torytellers Cynthia Millhorn and Casadie Smith.
SA (8/3), 7:30pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd
MEETINGS & PROGRAMS
Change Your Palate Cooking Demo
This free lunchtime food demonstration is open to all but tailored towards those with type 2 diabetes or hypertension and/or their caretakers.
WE (7/31, 8/7), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Local 99-Year Old WWII Veteran George Sarros to Speak A free public speaking engagement by a much beloved and well-known local WWII veteran, George Sarros. WE (7/31), 7pm, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2005 Brevard Rd, Hendersonville
NSA-WNC Meeting
Featuring professional keynote speakers, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and consultants who cover a broad range of topics, skills, and knowledge.
IBN Biz Lunch: Hendersonville Sarah Brice, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones hosts an Incredible business networking, along with other business people and entrepreneurs like yourself.
TH (8/1), 11:30am, Thai Spice, 220 S King St, Hendersonville
Our Deepest Happiness, Relationships & Love
Learn the art of sustainable joy and deeper love with free talks and safe, practical discussion. Open to
public every first and third Thursday at downtown YMCA.
It teaches 9 timeless principles for awakening through the beautiful, dynamic, and complex field of human relationship.
TH (8/1), 6:30pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Summer Skate Jam
Show your skating skills and jam to the music.
Rent skates for $3 or bring your own.
FR (8/2), 6pm, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd
Date Night Dinner & A Movie
Rekindle the spark with a delectable dinner and a spellbinding movie experience that will whisk you away.
FR (8/2), 7pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St
Second Callings
A one-day retreat designed to help you discern or understand your calling at any stage of life.
SA (8/3), 9am, Pilot Cove Amphitheater, 319 Gateway Junction Dr, Pisgah Forest
Three Peaks Hike: Black Balsam, Tennant Mountain & Sam Knob
An exhilarating 8-mile hike conquering three of North Carolina’s 6,000-foot peaks in one day. Enjoy the unique challenge and feast on fresh blueberries during peak season.
SA (8/3), 9am, Swannanoa Valley Museum, 223 W State St, Black Mountain
Sunday Celebration
A Sunday celebration for the spiritual community.
SU (8/4), 11am, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way
Adult Kickball & Picnic
Extravaganza
Enjoy a competitive kickball haven where you can channel your inner athlete and launch yourself into a homerun derby of epic proportions.
SU (8/4), 1pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Monthly Companion
Orientation
Learn about our worship services, our medical respite facility, and our bi-weekly restaurant style meals and how you can get involved.
MO (8/5), 5pm, Haywood Street Congregation, 297 Haywood St
Black Men Monday
A local group that has stepped up in the community to advocate for and mentor students through academic intervention.
MO (8/5), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Emerging Small Business Networking Event
ESBN's networking opportunity will feature a hot topic and a monthly guest speaker.
TU (8/6), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave, Kung Fu: Baguazhang
It is the martial arts style that Airbending from the show Avatar: The Last Airbender was based on.
TU (8/6), 1pm and 5:30pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
National Night Out
This event strives to triumph over a culture that isolates us from each other through positive experiences, games, music, fellowship, and more.
TU (8/6), 5:30pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd
Teen Mental Health First Aid Informative Session
Adults and teens have the opportunity to join separate info sessions to ask questions about the training and understand how it can benefit.
WE (8/7), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Senior Splash
Grab your bathing suit, water bottle, sunscreen, and a towel for a day of swimming. This event is free and open to anyone ages 50+.
WE (8/7), 1pm, Asheville Recreation Park, 65 Gashes Creek Rd
DIY Video Marketing Best Practices for Your Small Business
Digital marketing expert Sarah Benoit discusses her favorite video platforms, simple ways to explore making your own videos, and tips from the experts to make your content stand out. Register at avl.mx/dyy.
WE (8/7), 2pm, Online
IBN Biz Lunch: Brevard/Pisgah Forest
All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts. Bring a big stack of business cards, flyers and invite your business contacts to attend.
WNC Past & Present: 7 Origin Stories, Reflections on Warren Wilson's 130th Anniversary
In this discussion, Dr. Jeff Keith, a professor in the Department of Global Studies and History at Warren Wilson College, will uncover the hidden complexities behind "origin story" of Warren Wilson College.
TH (8/8), 6pm, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain
Dharma Talk: Paul Linn Meditation followed by a dharma talk with Paul Linn teaching Buddhist principles that can be applied to daily life. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.
TH (8/8), 6:30pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
GAMES & CLUBS
Music Bingo Thursdays
Test your music knowledge and your luck with Music Bingo by DJ Spence.
TH (8/1, 8), 6:30pm, Lookout Brewing Co., 103 S Ridgeway Ave, Black Mountain
Drag Music Bingo w/ Divine the Bearded Lady
A free evening of music bingo hosted by Divine the Bearded Lady that will have you dancing along as you play this classic game.
Weekly scrabble play where you’ll be paired with players of your skill level. All scrabble gear provided.
SU (8/4), 1:30pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS
LaZoom Kids’ Comedy Bus Tour
This educational and entertaining tour features a perfect blend of Asheville’s history and comedy with jokes for kids of all ages. Open weekly, noon. LaZoom Room, 76 Biltmore Ave
Asheville Museum’s Summer of Science Dive into a world of discovery with interactive science activities, including bubbles and noise machines. This family-friendly event promises to engage and entertain all ages with hands-on experiments and demonstrations.
WE (7/31), 5pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St
What’s Shaking? Music & Dance Party
A live, interactive 60-minute concert for
young people and their adults. Shows include Mr. Ryan’s original poems, songs, and a few classic covers.
SA (8/3), 3pm, Sweeten Creek Brewing, 1127 Sweeten Creek Rd
Imagination Monday Children can enjoy giant building blocks, tunnels, and fun games on this special day of open play geared for ages 1-5 years-old. No advance registration required, adults must accompany children the entire time.
MO (8/5), 10am, Hummingbird Park, 97 Starnes Ave
Kids & Teens Kung Fu Learn fighting skills as well as conflict resolution and mindfulness. First class is free to see if it’s a good fit for you.
TH (8/1, 8), MO (8/5), TU (8/6), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, ste 109 Summer Splash Dive into a world of water-themed activities and beat the heat with an array of aquatic adventures. Free and open to all ages.
TU (8/6), 11am, Malvern Hills Park, 75 Rumbough Pl,
LOCAL MARKETS
RAD Farmers Market
Providing year-round access to fresh local foods from over 30 local vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, pastured meats, cheeses, raw honey, and more. Located right on the Greenway, the market is safely accessible by bike, foot, or rollerblade.
WE (7/31, 8/7), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr Weaverville Tailgate Market
A selection of fresh, locally grown produce, grass fed beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, eggs, cheese, sweet and savory baked goods, artisan bread, body care, eclectic handmade
goodies, garden and landscaping plants.
Open year round.
WE (7/31, 8/7), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr
Weaverville
Etowah Lions Farmers Market
An array of farm-fresh local produce that features lettuce, collards, kale, mushrooms as well as local artisans, herbal products, plant starts, prepackaged meals and more. Every Wednesday through October.
WE (7/31, 8/7), 3pm, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville
Leicester Farmers Market
A community-led farmers market local produce, cheese, meats and crafts, every Wednesday.
WE (7/31, 8/7), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester
Enka-Candler Farmer's Market
A grand selection of local foods and crafts, everything from produce to pickles, baked goods to body care, and even educational resources.
Every Thursday through October 31.
TH (8/1, 8), 3:30pm,
A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler
East Asheville Tailgate Market
Featuring locally grown vegetables, fruits, wild foraged mushrooms, ready made food, handmade body care, bread, pastries, meat, eggs, and more to the East Asheville community since 2007. Every Friday through Nov. 22.
FR (8/2), 3pm, 954 Tunnel Rd
Pack Square Artisan Market
Featuring local handcrafted goods in the heart of downtown Asheville. Browse unique products and meet the folks that produce them. Every Friday through Oct. 25.
FR (8/2), 3pm, 1 South
Pack Square Park
Henderson County Tailgate Market
Featuring Henderson County's finest produce, hand crafts, plant starts, vegetables, Sourwood honey, baked goods, fresh eggs, mushrooms, sausage and more.
Every Saturday through Oct.
SA (8/3), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville
Hendersonville Farmers Market
Featuring fresh produce, meats, baked goods, crafts, live entertainment, food trucks, and more.
Every Saturday through
October. SA (8/3), 8am, 650 Maple St, Hendersonville North Asheville Tailgate Market
The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC, since 1980. Over 60 rotating vendors providing a full range of local, sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, plants and unique crafts.
SA (8/3), 8am, 3300 University Heights
Asheville City Market
Featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December 21.
A producer-only tailgate market located on the campus of Mars Hill University on College Street. Offering fresh local produce, herbs, cheeses, meats, eggs, baked goods, honey, body care and more. Every Saturday through Oct. 26.
SA (8/3), 10am, College St, Mars Hill
WNC Farmers Market
High quality fruits and vegetables, mountain crafts, jams, jellies, preserves, sourwood honey, and other farm fresh items. Open daily 8am, year-round. 570 Brevard Rd
BIPOC Farmers Market
A collaborative market with Southside Community Farms supporting local BIPOC crafters and vendors. The farm is also hosting a raffle with 100% of the proceeds supporting its free food programs. See p31 SU (8/4), noon, 133 Livingston St
Asheville City Market
Featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December 21.
SA (8/3), 9am, 52 N Market St
Meadow Market
Browse goods and gifts from local makers and artisans with different vendors every week, you’ll find specialty items. Shop for handmade jewelry, housewares, vintage goods, and crafts.
SU (8/4), 1pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200 West Asheville Tailgate Market
Featuring an array of goods including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, bread, eggs, cheese, milk, poultry, and fish to locally made specialty items such as natural beauty products, herbal medicine and locally made art and crafts. Every Tuesday through November 26.
TU (8/6), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
2024 USA Cycling
Gravity Mountain Bike
National Championship
Spectators are admitted free all five days to watch more than 700 professional and amateur mountain biker compete for national titles in a variety of categories.
WE (7/31), Ride Rock Creek, 298 W Rock Creek Rd, Zirconia
Friends of the Black Mountain Library Annual Gathering
An evening of music, snacks and social time followed by a short recap of the past year’s Friends of the Library’s activities, announcements of new officers, and recognition of FOL volunteers.
WE (7/31), 5:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
16th Annual Music
Video Asheville Awards
Area bands submit their music videos and the best 90 minutes of videos are selected for a viewing and awards ceremony in Asheville.
WE (7/31), 6:30pm, Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr
AVL Fest
A venue-based music festival returning to the Blue Ridge mountains August 1 through the 4th. One World West is an official venue of AVL Fest.
TH (8/1), One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd
AVL Fest
A venue-based music festival returning to the Blue Ridge mountains August 1 through the 4th. Featuring exceptional multi-genre lineup of local, regional, and national talent.
TH (8/1), 6pm, FR (8/2), SA (8/3), 2pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
AVL Fest
A venue-based music festival returning to the Blue Ridge mountains August 1 through the 4th. Sovereign Kava is
an official venue of AVL Fest.
TH (8/1), 2pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave
AVL Fest
A venue-based music festival returning to the Blue Ridge mountains August 1 through the 4th. Salvage Station will be featuring Fresh Buzz, Random Animals, Boulevards and Joslyn and the Sweet Compression.
TH (8/1), 5pm, SA (8/3), SU (8/4), 2pm, Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr
Mountain Dance & Folk Festival
A multi-day festival with a different performance showcasing the talent and dedication of Appalachian artists each evening. Expect hundreds of musicians, dancers, and storytellers who are preserving the traditions of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
TH (8/1), FR (8/2), SA (8/3), 7pm, Kittredge Theatre, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa AVL Fest
Asheville’s second annual AVL Fest, featuring a great lineup of local and touring artists. Friday’s line up features Aaron Ln, Jim Swayzee, Dan Johnston and more.
TH (8/1), FR (8/2), SA (8/3), 2pm, Jack Of The Wood Pub, 95 Patton Ave
Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair
Visitors can expect to find a wide variety of handmade goods, from intricate jewelry and textiles to beautifully crafted woodwork, ironwork, pottery and more. See p33
FR (8/2), SA (8/3), 9am, Burnsville Town Square, 100 Town Square, Burnsville Great Gatsby Party
Step back in time and experience the glitz and glamour of the Roaring Twenties with a dazzling celebration of the Jazz Age, complete with extravagant decor and live music. Dress in your finest 1920s attire.
FR (8/2), 6pm, Skylaranna Hotel & Resort, 2075 N Rugby Rd, Hendersonville
Southside Block Party
Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a free night of music as well as food, and fun for the entire family.
FR (8/2), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St The Way We Connect w/The World: Indigenous Film & Concert
Annual Native pop culture celebration showcasing emerging artists who are exploring identity through
film, music, and visual art. See p33
FR (8/2), 6pm, Harrah's Cherokee Casino, 777 Casino Dr Cherokee Oklawaha Anniversary Party w/Pink Beds & Abbey Elmore Band
Celebrate Oklawaha Brewing Company's Anniversary with a block party featuring an art market, dunk tank for charity, food trucks and drinks. Abbey Elmore Band and Pink Beds will be providing music for the evening with a DJ after-party.
SA (8/3), 3pm, Oklawaha Brewing Co., 147 1st Ave E, Hendersonville WNC Country Music Fest w/Ryan Perry
An epic day of country music, fun and giving back with a portion of the proceeds supporting Veterans Services of the Carolinas. The lineup will feature Ryan Perry, Ginny McAfee, Nick Mac & the Noise and more, SA (8/3), 4pm, Silverados, 2898 US-70, Black Mountain
RADVIEW Block Party & Kind Hearted Goods Grand Opening Local designers
along Radview come together to celebrate the grand opening of Kind Hearted Goods. This exciting launch will feature a block party with drinks, eats and music by DJ AVL. XLR and Phantom Pantone.
SA (8/3), 5pm, Radview, 20 Artful Way
WNCCHS 30th Anniversary Community Health Fair
A community health fair open to the public and will offer free health services and health education, fun activities, food trucks, entertainment, and more.
SU (8/4), 4pm, A-B Tech Campus, 16 Fernihurst Drive, 16 Fernihurst Dr Buncombe County Sheriff's Office National Night Out 2024
An annual, family friendly event where first responders and community members work together to build stronger, safer neighborhoods. Enjoy food trucks, ice cream, and games
TU (8/6), 5pm, Charles D. Owen Park, 875 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa
The 16th Annual Asheville Comedy Festival
The 16th Annual Asheville Comedy Festival returns with four days of performances by the country's fastest rising stars in comedy. Tom Segura will be headlining this festival on August 7th at Harrah's Cherokee Center. See p32 WE (8/7), TH (8/3), 7:30pm, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave
The Puppeteers of America Southeast Regional Festival
Featuring an all-star line up of some of the best puppeteers working today, workshops, potpourri, puppet slam, and more. All are welcome to attend and be inspired at Puppet Paradise.
TH (8/8), 5pm, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa
BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING
United Way's Day of Action Partners
Volunteers
Volunteers of all ages
come together at campuses across Henderson Country to contribute time and hands-on-labor to assist school staff as they prepare to receive students.
TH (8/1), 8:30am, Multiple locations in Henderson County, 1214 Greenville Hwy, Hendersonville
Light Up the Night 5K
A family friendly glowin-the-dark race and fundraiser to support homelessness and addiction recovery in our community. FR (8/2), 7pm, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd Orison Books' 2024 Fundraiser
A special evening of literature and music that supports Orison Books' unique mission of publishing exceptional literary work. See p32 SA (8/3), 7pm, NC Stage Co., 15 Stage Ln Comic-Con Drag Brunch
A fabulous fusion of fun and scrumptious delights from The Sweet Monkey. All proceeds benefit Sunrise Community Recovery and Wellness. SU (8/4), 11am and 1pm, Hi-Wire Brewing Event Center, 2B Huntsman Place
Xpress wins multiple awards
GROUP EFFORT: Xpress recently won first place for its Best of WNC guide. Photo by Caleb Johnson
The Association of Alternative Newsmedia recently announced its 2024 award winners. Xpress staff won first place in the Special Publication category for its Best of WNC guide. Managing editor Thomas Calder also received honorable mention in the Arts Feature category for his piece, “Charles Frazier’s latest novel takes readers across Depressionera America.”
Xpress also received three North Carolina Press Association awards. Reporter Justin McGuire won first place for Sports Enterprise Reporting, “Western North Carolina college athletes navigate new world of endorsements.” He also took home the top prize for Sports News Reporting, “What will legalized sports betting mean for Western North Carolina?” Calder placed third for headline writing. X
by Jessica Wakeman | jwakeman@mountainx.com
Grassroots group Reclaim Healthcare WNC aims to replace HCA
Reclaim Healthcare WNC, a volunteer-led grassroots coalition dedicated to replacing HCA Healthcare as the owner of Mission Hospital and other hospitals in the region, has officially launched.
HCA, a Nashville-based for-profit health care system, purchased nonprofit Mission Hospital for $1.5 billion in 2019. HCA’s management has drawn scrutiny since the sale, including for delays and lapses in care, and nurses have warned about what they say are unsafe nurse-topatient ratios.
Reclaim Healthcare WNC’s goals are to replace HCA with a nonprofit hospital system, “hold HCA accountable for its harmful culture and practices” and “restore bestin-class health care throughout the Mission system,” per a press release.
State Sen. Julie Mayfield says the coalition loosely formed in October when a group of about eight health care providers, clergy and politicians began meeting. It has since grown and now has a name, a website and social media. Group leadership meets twice a month. It has not held any public meetings yet. “We’re encouraging people to go to the website and take the actions on the website,” Mayfield says.
Mayfield says it remains to be seen whether “something … triggers HCA to sell quickly … or it could take a while. We don’t know.” But she’s optimistic a sale is possible and emphasizes the coalition is “in for the long run.” Reclaim Healthcare WNC’s fiscal sponsor is advocacy organization Health Equity Coalition of WNC. Xpress reached out to HCA for comment. Spokesperson Nancy Lindell sent a “Mission Hospital fact sheet” in response.
Haywood adds mammography unit
Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC) in Clyde added a new mammography unit. The unit doubles HRMC’s capacity for breast cancer screenings and introduces an imaging technique called contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) to provide more detailed screenings. CEM can be done in conjunction with standard mammograms and involves an intravenous injection of an iodine-based dye. HRMC will
COALITION GOALS: Reclaim Healthcare WNC’s goals are to replace HCA with a nonprofit hospital system, “hold HCA accountable for its harmful culture and practices” and “restore best-in-class health care throughout the Mission system,” per a press release. Photo by Jen Castillo
begin to provide CEM in August for patients who receive a referral from a licensed medical care provider. Patients may self-request a standard mammogram through their health care provider or through HRMC’s scheduling department at 828-456-7311.
HRMC is part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare and supported by Duke University Health System.
Vaya Health launches behavioral health plan
On July 1, Vaya Health launched Vaya Total Care, a Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Tailored Plan through N.C. Medicaid Managed Care. The health care plan will serve individuals with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), intellectual/developmental disorders (I/DD), severe substance use disorders (SUD) and serious mental health conditions.
Vaya Health manages Medicaid, federal, state and local funds in 32 counties of North Carolina for patients with TBI, I/DD, SUD and
behavioral health struggles. Under Vaya Total Care, Vaya Health will manage all Medicaid-covered needs, including mental health services, substance use services, pharmacy benefits and more. Vaya Total Care is available to people who receive Medicaid in those counties.
For more information about Vaya Total Care, visit avl.mx/dyk. For more information about Vaya Health, visit avl.mx/a1l or call 800-962-9003.
Vecinos health care receives certification
The N.C. Office of Rural Health has designated Vecinos, a nonprofit, bilingual, free health clinic, as a rural health center through June 30, 2025.
Vecinos is a primary care provider for low-income and uninsured people in rural communities in Western North Carolina. It provides outpatient clinics, a mobile clinic and telehealth services, as well as a limited licensed pharmacy and diagnostic lab. For more information, visit avl.mx/dyj.
Carrier Park playground under construction
The playground in Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Road, closed in midJune for the installation of a new playground by Asheville Parks and Recreation (APR). According to the city’s APR website, the $500,000 upgrade being completed by Play by Design will replace deteriorating wooden materials. The new playground design will include two castles, four slides, monkey bars and swings. The project is anticipated to be completed this summer.
Harm reduction help sought
Western North Carolina AIDS Project seeks volunteers to support its harm reduction program by making available naloxone and
For expectant parents, families with young children, and community members.
wound care kits. Naloxone is an overdose reversal medication that can be administered as a nasal spray or as a shot. Anyone interested should email wncapvolunteer@ wncap.org with “harm reduction volunteer” in the title.
Student-athletes sought for study
UNC Health Sciences at Mountain Area Health Education Center is prescreening potential subjects for a study on eating disorders among student-athletes. Participants selected for the study will be asked about behaviors related to food, weight and body composition in a one-on-one interview with a medical doctor. Current student-athletes, ages 18 and older, who play NCAA-sanctioned Division I, II and III sports may apply. The prescreening survey is at avl.mx/dya.
Mediation Center seeks volunteers
The nonprofit Mediation Center is seeking volunteers to train to
become mediators. The next training will take place throughout August and September. Participants in Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties, as well as those who are fluent in English and Spanish, will be prioritized as potential volunteers. The training requires over 50 hours of classroom and homework time and is free for those who apply and are accepted. Volunteers must commit to participating in at least two mediation sessions per month for two years, completing a 16-hour apprenticeship, attending at least 16 hours of in-service training and working toward certification as an N.C. District Criminal Court Mediator.
For more information, email community@mediatewnc.org or call 828-251-6089.
Medical society receives grants
The Western Carolina Medical Society (WCMS) received numerous grants recently. The Leon Levine Foundation has awarded the nonprofit $50,000 to be used for the WCMS Interpreter Network, which provides medical interpretation ser-
vices to deaf, hard-of-hearing and limited-English-speaking patients; and Project Access, which connects low-income, uninsured patients in Buncombe and Madison counties with free or low-cost medical services.
Sisters of Mercy North Carolina Legacy awarded $50,000 to WCMS to fund a full-time health access outreach coordinator to engage with community members about WCMS programs.
Lastly, The Duke Endowment, a private foundation started by the late American Tobacco Co. founder James B. Duke, awarded $375,000 to WCMS to support Project Access, in particular for patients who do not qualify for Medicaid.
Community kudos
• Geriatric specialist Dr. Margaret A. Noel was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the state’s highest honors. Noel is the founder of MemoryCare, an organization that provides support for people with dementia and their caregivers.
Mark your calendars
• Buncombe County Health and Human Services is holding a free drop-in overdose reversal training Friday, Aug. 2, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at 40 Coxe Ave. Participants will learn about the signs of an opioid overdose and how to use naloxone; they will receive a free Narcan kit while supplies last.
• The Buncombe County breastfeeding coalition LatchAVL is hosting a free event to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. Expectant parents, families with young children and community members are welcome. The event will include advocacy about
breastfeeding, a babywearing class, a safe-sleep demonstration, yoga, a cooking class, story time, music and more. The event is Saturday, Aug. 3, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave. RSVP at avl.mx/dyb.
• WNC Community Health Services is hosting a community health fair Thursday, Aug. 8, 4-7 p.m., at the A-B Tech campus, parking lot A7, near 71 Fernihurst Drive. The event is free and open to the public and will feature health screenings and resources.
• Appalachian dancing instructor Linda Block from the Green Grass Cloggers will teach the basics of flatfoot dancing Saturday, Aug. 10, 10:30-11:30 a.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 13, 6-7 p.m.; and Tuesday, Aug 20, 6-7 p.m., at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. Adults and families with children ages 10 and older are welcome; children must have a parent present. Participants should wear comfortable clothing and shoes that can slide but will stay on feet; opentoed shoes are not recommended. Classes are free to attend, but registration is required at packnc@ buncombecounty.org.
• Our VOICE’s sexual violence survivors support group will meet Wednesday, Aug. 21, 6-7:30 p.m. For more information contact Rebekah M. at 828-252-0562, ext. 108.
• Beginning Thursday, Aug. 22, a mobile food market will come to Woodfin YMCA, 40 N. Merrimon Ave., on the third Thursday of every month, 2-3 p.m. The mobile food market will distribute free produce to anyone, no questions asked. A calendar of all YMCA of Western North Carolina’s mobile food markets in August, including stops at community centers, libraries and parks, is at avl.mx/dyc. For more information, call 828-775-7081. X
Experience a 45 minute adjustment that starts with a cranial sacral massage to relax the nerves followed by a gentle hands-on chiropractic adjustment.
Sacral Occipital, Applied Kinesiology, and traditional adjustments also available
ARTS & CULTURE
WITH CAYLA CLARK
BY CAYLA CLARK
caylaclark73@gmail.com
Hello, you magnificent readers, you! Congratulations on making it halfway through summer. As a community, we’ve been trauma-bonding in a very beautiful way as we pluck bloodthirsty ticks from the backs of our brethren, mourn the impending loss of Salvage Station’s current location and brace ourselves for several more decades of highly inconvenient highway widening.
This month, we’ll be covering pressing topics on staying cool, celebrating birthdays (shoutout to my fellow Leos) and the best options for local comedy open mic nights. Joining me are comedian and cool dad Corey Day, Asheville’s sweetheart Larry Griffin and Tater Tot the dog’s mom, Evelyn Pekarek. These three local comedians are not only hilarious, they all scored above an 800 on the SAT. Meaning, of course, that you should take their word as gospel.
Cayla: Speaking of gospel, Asheville has been experiencing a heat wave — as if this godless, heathen-riddled town wasn’t already enough of a hellscape. I actually fried an egg on my mailbox this past weekend. Meanwhile, the asphalt has been far too hot for my poor old dog’s tender paw pads, so we’ve built her an elaborate indoor dog gym, complete with elliptical trainer, free weights and treadmill. She still just sits on the couch, stuffing her face with Bugles and watching “Family Guy.” Not a bad way to pass the time. What’s your favorite way to escape the upper 90s?
Corey: Being born and raised in central Florida, I’m pretty used to the sweltering heat. It’s actually a bit more tolerable in Asheville because the humidity is a bit different. Nonetheless, anything above the mid-80s seems like a plea from God to find something to do indoors. It may be a bit cliché, but good ol’ brewery hopping always tickles my fancy. You can get some vitamin C on the walk from one brewery to the next and usually find a refreshing light beer
Local comedians offer tips for dodging the summer heat
your sweetie (or yourself) on a top-tier, heat-busting date for under $40. That’s actually insane. If you’re a butter baby, like myself, I recommend springing for the popcorn, too. They layer in real clarified butter. The snacks are so good, it doesn’t even matter if the movie is complete trash. Usually they feature a selection of esteemed films, but I do have to say … Longlegs was garbage. I’m sorry (and feel free to fight me), but I can’t take anything starring Nicolas Cage remotely seriously. He’s a national treasure and we love him, and no YouTube video will ever beat “Compilation of Nic Cage Freaking Out,” but in my humble and correct opinion, he ruined that film. Larry: Oh, come on. His performance couldn’t have been that bad. Cayla: He ruined it, Larry. Ruined it. Larry: I don’t think it’s possible to truly escape the heat, just as it’s impossible to truly escape Nic Cage. It’s everywhere, waiting for us, knives out, as we take the extra few seconds at Odd’s Cafe to place our drink order just to avoid heading back out there into that hellish sun-drenched apocalypse. We can try swimming in some of the area’s bodies of water, but in the midst of a 100-degree sweatbox of a day, even the water’s going to be sweltering. We will be cooking like we just stepped into a bath of cartoon volcanic lava.
to sip down while people-watching random tourists or bachelor parties melting like hot butter into our sidewalks as they try to trek uphill from South Slope to Pack Square.
Cayla: That read like poetry, Corey. Really beautiful stuff.
Corey: Why, thank you. I’m a literary genius. Another cool thing to do (pun intended, BOOM) is strolling the WNC Nature Center. I’ve got a toddler, so keeping him occupied is always a chore. There’s tons of shade there and watching the animals handle the heat while I’m wearing short shorts and a tank top adds perspective that it could be worse … unless you’re Teen Wolf
or have to wear full-body clothing for religious purposes. I personally think God would understand if you shed some layers or got a nice buzz cut.
Honorable Mentions — Sliding Rock and my supersecret swimming hole off the trail at Catawba Falls.
Cayla: Grail Moviehouse (one of my very favorite spots in Asheville), has $5 Icees that include a free refill. You heard me correctly. In this economy, you can’t even snag a pack of godd*mn gum for under $12. But the Holy Grail offers plenty of neon, sugared slush for a price so scant it’s basically irrelevant. Not to mention, movie tickets themselves are only $10. You can take
Recently, I tried just going out at night, to a metal show at The Odd, but being packed like a can of sardines inside with all those hairy, sweaty metalheads thrashing around wasn’t a reprieve either. Even if we try to stay home and enjoy a lazy summer afternoon, the price of the electric bill is going to bleed your wallet dry like a high-noon robbery. I’ve been thinking of what I could do and I think the best option is to move my bed, TV and work setup into the Ingles meat locker and take up residence there until Halloween.
Evelyn: Coming from north Florida, I’ve had my fair share of 100-plus degree days. But I’m with Corey — after a certain temp, I need to be inside with some A/C or in the water somewhere or on a boat on the water. That was always one of my favorite things on hot summer days: Taking the boat out on the lake or to the springs.
HEAT WAVE: Summer is here and things are hot. This month Cayla Clark, top left, shares tips for avoiding sunburns with her latest round of local comedians. Also pictured, clockwise from top right, are Corey Day, Larry Griffin and Evelyn Pekarek. Photo of Clark by Donnie Rex Bishop; all other photos courtesy of the comedians
Cayla: Wait, Evelyn — you have a boat? Have you been holding out on us?
Evelyn: I’m in my 30s and I live in Asheville, Cayla. Of course, I don’t have a godd*mn boat.
Cayla: I’m a Leo, and we all know what that means — I love being the center of attention. And I’m insane. This year, I’m going big for 34. God, 34. I didn’t like writing that. Let’s go with … 28. This year, I’m going big for 28: I’m contributing to the unaffordable housing crisis by renting out an Airbnb in Marion and relaxing hard on someone else’s couch, defrosting a pizza in someone else’s oven and going to bed at 9:30 p.m. in someone else’s bed. I do love a good staycation — close enough to rush home and kiss my cats on the forehead should I start to miss them too intensely; far enough away to trick my brain into thinking I’m even farther. What’s your favorite way to spend your birthday in Asheville?
Corey: Also a Leo, and I turn 33 in a few weeks!
Larry and Evelyn: Happy upcoming birthday, Corey!
Cayla: What about me?
Corey: Anyway, one thing I love to do for myself on my special day is cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway on my motorcycle. I just got it a few years ago, and it’s an adventure bike, built for a doomsday prep or Mad Max situation with crash bars and a spot to secure a hatchet and a machete. Whether I head toward Mount Mitchell or Pisgah National Forest/DuPont State Forest, the views are breathtaking.
After clearing my head on the ride, I like to head downtown for a small lunch with friends and shoot some pool in the upstairs bar at Barley’s. They have a ton of draft beers and also a few dart boards, so I’m done on the motorcycle by now and starting to let the birthday bear out of its cage. A few blocks away is where the night ends at Brasilia Churrasco Steakhouse. My wife, son and another close group of friends meet up as everyone marvels at the feat of me accepting every piece of meat that is graciously offered whilst I order old fashioned after old fashioned until a final espresso martini nightcap. I proceed to sleep for three days. Once this hibernation is over, I start dreaming of when it will all happen again next year.
Larry: I’ve celebrated a few birthdays in or around Asheville now. I think the best way to do it is to drink a lot of alcohol (or whatever liquid substance you’re the most into that year) and then go tour the town’s numerous barcades. Stay at each location for
as long as you want, playing “Street Fighter” and “Donkey Kong.” If you’re drinking alcohol, you’ll only get better the more you consume. Trust me, I know. The drunker I get, the better I get at fighting in the streets and konging donkeys. I’m sure if you stay at any single barcade for long enough, drinking and dominating ’80s arcade games, you’ll be approached by a game show to appear on national television.
Cayla: Has that happened to you, Larry?
Larry: Not yet, but it will. I can feel it.
Evelyn: I’m an Aries baby and I’ve only been in Asheville for a little over two years now. I haven’t actually spent any birthdays in town, but I did end up moving here after a birthday trip to Asheville a little over three years ago. I kind of always went away for birthdays versus staying where I live, but the celebration definitely always includes some drinks and good food.
Cayla: In a town with so much comedic talent, there really should be an open mic every night of the week. And it seems as if we’re on the right track. A new open mic started Monday nights at 8 p.m. at Bottle Riot (hosted by Jimmy Smith and Jason Reel), and there is a buzz about another couple in the works. What’s your favorite mic in town, and why?
Corey: My favorite mic in town would be Disclaimer on Wednesdays at Asheville Music Hall. It typically draws the biggest crowd for an open mic and brings a welcome mix of locals supporting the arts and tourists that were barked into the door by the comics out front or the flyers/chalkboards around downtown promising cold drinks with a hopeful side of willful laughter. The production value of that room likens it more toward a feature showcase than an open mic, and it’s usually the place where most local comics hit every week, so we can catch up and hang out together to bounce ideas or just chop it up and be silly.
Evelyn: Really good hangs and overall vibes at Disclaimer — agreed.
Corey: Aside from Disclaimer, I love any pairing of two mics in the same night. Again, having a toddler at home makes it hard for me to go out five nights a week to work on material, so the value of hitting two sets in the same night is immense for me personally.
Cayla: Corey, is your toddler any good at comedy? Maybe what Asheville really needs is Mics for Tykes. I can’t imagine anything better than a 2-yearold telling jokes about diapers and breast milk. “I went to work the other day, and my boss said, ‘Hey, what’s
that on your bib?’ I said, ‘Oh sh*t, I musta spit up mama’s milky on the commute!’ What are you gonna do, amirite?” Sorry, that was weird. That’s how I imagine toddlers tell jokes.
Corey: I’m just going to pretend like that didn’t happen, Cayla. In an effort to shamelessly plug and also “start the buzz” for another new mic in town, I’m going to try an open mic format on Friday, Aug. 16, after my monthly showcase show at One World Brewing’s downtown location. The showcase is typically storytelling stand-up, where I book local and regional talent to give their best stories on a specific topic provided ahead of time. Anyone that signs up for the open mic afterward is free to perform whatever they’re working on or take a stab at the showcase topic. The free show starts at 9 p.m., and the mic will be first come, first served!
Larry: I love all open mics equally. They are a meeting of the greatest minds of the 21st century so far. Comedians, and anyone who even tries an open mic, should be the ones leading the country and making electoral decisions — just look at Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He started out as a comedian and now he is leading that country. So who knows where the rest of us could go with this art form? That’s why I will always support open mic comedy. However, if I have to pick just one, I’ll go with The Odd’s mic on Tuesdays at 9 p.m., just because I still have hope that one day someone’s jokes will contain the magic runic incantation that will bring Zoltar the fortuneteller machine to life, and then he’ll finally be able to take the stage.
Evelyn: I have love for each of the mics but would love to see some new ones around town on other days as well. We all can’t be booked at the same time, so it would be nice to have a place to always go and do reps. Or just give more options for people who may have jobs or families to make it to more. That being said, if I had to choose one, it would be Sunday at the Root Bar. It’s just always full of surprises.
Cayla: I’m very new to the stand-up comedy scene, and I haven’t formed any particularly strong opinions yet. I love Disclaimer and The Odd mic, but what I love even more than the venues themselves is the community. Everyone has been so kind and supportive, genuinely. Speaking of community, Ryan [Gordon] (my stand-up comedian boyfriend) and I are looking to start a sober open mic soon, possibly in a church. We bring a comedy workshop into local rehabs and detox centers, and want to provide people who are newly sober and fresh out of treatment with a safe, supportive place to make light of their trauma. Stay tuned. X
8/3: Reader: Edward 12-6 Lughnasadh Faire 11-6
8/4: NEW MOON @ 7:13am Reader: Andrea 12-5 Local Vendor Pop-Up: Occult Flora 12-6
Why not us?
Bite Me reimagines the food festival
BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN
earnaudin@mountainx.com
Jefferson Ellison is tired of the notion that only certain groups of individuals can succeed at planning and hosting large-scale events in Asheville — and that when and if they fail, it’s time to scrap those concepts entirely.
“I think a lot of people in the city feel like if white people can’t do it, nobody can. Or if rich people can’t do it, nobody can. And I just think that’s bullsh*t,” he says. “As a young, queer, Black person who’s from Asheville, I have a visceral reaction to that.”
Looking to prove those naysayers wrong, the founder and owner of brand-building agency Jawbreaking Creative developed Bite Me, a five-day food festival that runs throughout the city, Wednesday, Aug. 14-Sunday, Aug. 18. Offerings include fresh twists on the usual meals, panel discussions and conversations that tend to dominate such events, as well as a community market and week-concluding cookout featuring a la carte access.
While Ellison’s intense response to the aforementioned dismissive comments proved key to inspiring him to take action, he notes that it was just one part of a perfect storm of motivation earlier this year.
In February, the board of directors for the Chow Chow Food + Culture Festival — an ambitious multiday event that debuted in 2019 and returned in various annual forms after restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation in 2020 — announced its permanent shutdown, citing financial obstacles. Considering the amount of planning typically involved in food festivals, Ellison felt confident that no one else in the Asheville area would produce such an event in 2024. But the odds of an outside group taking advantage of the situation seemed disturbingly high.
“You know somebody from f*cking Florida is going to come in here and bring another food festival,” he recalls thinking.
Sensing a chance to keep such an event locally controlled, Ellison was further spurred by a desire for Jawbreaking to prove that it can han-
dle productions of this magnitude. He and his employees then decided to give Bite Me a go, while acknowledging that Chow Chow’s demise could be a sign that the climate may not be ideal for another big Asheville food festival.
“I don’t know that now is a great time,” Ellison says. “Probably, this is the worst time, which also makes it the best time to try something new. That’s sort of my understanding of how business works: Opportunities usually show up during the worst moments in an industry.”
THE PEOPLE’S FESTIVAL
To plan Bite Me, Ellison recruited Jennifer Rodriguez, founder of food and lifestyle website Asheville Guide; pastry chef Melinda Hanley; and Sarah Fiori, business administrator at Asheville Crafted Edge, a local provider of handmade kitchen tools.
“We’re all friends,” he says. “If this was a reality TV show, I’d be the nucleus because it’s all my individual friends.”
The planning committee met at Jawbreaking and used the whiteboards lining the office’s walls to jot down what aspects of foodcentric events each of them enjoys. Once they whittled down the areas of interest, the quartet split up and put their strengths to work.
For example, Fiori is organizing the cooking competition on Friday, Aug. 16, which she describes as “a heavy lift” but one that she hopes will become a cornerstone of Bite Me for years to come. Developed in partnership with chef Stephen Hertz of host A-B Tech, the face-off features chefs Nick Abbott, Rakim Gaines, Ryan Kline and Suji May from the school’s acclaimed culinary department, battling over the course of two rounds, followed by a final head-to-head showdown with a $1,000 prize on the line.
“I am not involved,” Ellison says. “I know nothing. That’s not my skill set. I’m just going to show up and clean a pot.”
He is, however, using his plentiful connections to bring notable stars from his life to the festival. Among them are chef/author/ entrepreneur Hawa Hassan and historian/writer Cynthia Greenlee
— both James Beard Award winners who will be in conversation Thursday, Aug. 15, at the YMI Cultural Center. Ellison notes that the setting runs counter to scenes at many food festivals in which interesting, important figures are on a stage in August in the sun, surrounded by vendor tents that distract from the speakers.
“I’m really excited to be able to sit in a room with nothing else going on and hear from people that I don’t hear from often,” he says. While Ellison feels optimistic about the variety of events, he thinks the Friday and Saturday after-parties will rank among Bite Me’s
defining moments. In his words, “Asheville is a party,” and he feels that entry points for younger people have been missing from some of the other local events.
“That was the biggest thing: making sure that there were some cheap early morning options and really late night options,” he says.
COMPLEX SITUATION
If it all sounds like a lot — it is. And that’s intentional.
“The only way to have a community event is if it is everything to everyone, because everyone is different,” Ellison says. “To make
“We’re paying chefs to do dinners at restaurants where the restaurants keep the money [from sales]. But we’re using somebody else’s money to do that,” Ellison says. “We are literally robbing Peter to pay Paul. It’s not a model; it’s a negotiation of priorities.”
All-access passes cost just over $150, and though Ellison feels they’re worth closer to $500, he’s confident that amount would prove wildly prohibitive. Yet he continues to get pushback from the community about the price.
“Every single person who’s been involved with a food festival in Asheville has told me the tickets are too cheap, and every single person who has not bought a ticket, who wants to come, has said they’re too expensive,” he says. “That’s what kills food festivals. People are just operating from different standpoints.”
The planning committee’s goal for the inaugural Bite Me is for no one to go broke in the process of hosting the event. But there are larger philosophical, cultural and societal issues at stake as well.
it accessible, you have to make it complicated. Because I don’t know what [attendees] are going to [choose].”
In turn, Bite Me offers full festival and day passes, plus individually ticketed events including the cooking competition. Admission is free to the community market on Saturday, Aug. 17, at Rabbit Rabbit, and The Big Ass Cook Out on Sunday, Aug. 18, at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Vendors will sell items at both events. Otherwise, thanks to modest funding from sponsors, Ellison & Co. are able to foot the bill for certain activities upfront.
According to Ellison, “If we’re able to pull off the festival without investors and we’re able to do something that feels good to chefs and good to business owners and good to people that’s also really fun, then that means that it wasn’t the city [holding us back]. It wasn’t the economy. It was people’s willingness to ask to do our things and ask different questions.”
He and his collaborators have other metrics for success as well: bars that seem achievable regardless of how things play out.
“We’re just here for a good time,” Ellison says. “And there’s a million ways to be involved, and whatever works for you works. If it doesn’t work for you, that’s cool, too — but it’s not because you didn’t have a path.”
To learn more, visit avl.mx/dyo. X
ON THE MENU: Chef/author Hawa Hassan, left, and writer/East Fork co-founder Connie Matisse are among the featured participants at the inaugural Bite Me AVL. Photos courtesy of Bite Me AVL
‘Legally
Blonde The Musical’
Hendersonville Theatre’s production is entertaining yet overwhelming
BY KAI ELIJAH HAMILTON
kaielijahhamilton@gmail.com
Omigod, you guys! Guess what’s showing at Hendersonville Theatre through Sunday, Aug. 4!? Legally Blonde The Musical, that’s what!
Most of us have seen the beloved 2001 movie version of Legally Blonde that helped make Reese Witherspoon a household name. What you might not know is that the screenplay was based on novelist Amanda Brown’s law school experiences at Stanford University.
Her parody lives on as the stage musical version with book by Heather Hach and music and lyrics from the team of Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. The show debuted in 2007 to a surprisingly lukewarm reception and ran for just over a year on Broadway. Nonetheless, Legally Blonde The Musical proved it had staying power, trickling through community theaters and eventually arriving at Hendersonville Theatre.
Beautiful California sorority girl Elle Woods (played by Morgan Miller) is in quite the conundrum. Just when she thinks her boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Mackenzie Raub) is going to pop the question, he instead pops the balloon on their perfect relationship. His reason: He wants to lead a more serious, high-profile life when he attends Harvard Law School. So, Elle gets the bright idea to follow him. After all, how hard can getting into an Ivy League university really be? Miraculously, she gets admitted despite her blonde Barbie appearance, love for fashion and excessive admiration for the color pink. Off she goes with her pursesized dog Bruiser (Clair) in tow to win Warner back.
Soon after Elle surprises Warner on campus, a group of law students led by the vicious Vivienne Kensington ( Beth Norris ) makes Elle’s scholastic journey a living hell. To combat the bullying and prove herself, she must strengthen her focus and study skills. In comes the bookish Emmett Forrest (James Gorsuch) to help. As Elle climbs her way up the ladder, she finds herself in the mix of working on a real murder case defending famed fitness instructor Brooke Wyndham
(Shelley Nielsen). Against all odds, it’s up to Elle to save her client before the gavel strikes the final time.
Though Hach’s book is flawed, Legally Blonde The Musical is certainly not boring. It’s just too wild and untamed to belong in the league of great or even very good musicals — which may explain its brief Broadway run. The biggest issue is the lack of scenes without songs. The few fleeting times the production slows itself down, we catch a glimpse of what could have been — an impactful play with a message. It can’t be said that Hendersonville Theatre didn’t give it its all. In fact, an experience with this much spirit behind it is a marvel in itself.
Clearly, director Heather Fender has the ability to sincerely inspire a troupe. Unfortunately, this production is too overwhelming. With a big, zany musical of this scale in a theater this intimate, it all becomes claustrophobic and very loud. Most of the actors are unnecessarily mic’d, and the two hanging speakers just above the audience make it feel as if you’re being blown back against the wall by the sound pressure.
While there is a youthful sweetness to it all, a slightly more serious interpretation may have finessed the outrageous antics. But giving the production an injection of feminist ideals — which the musical strangely didn’t carry over from the film — might have been challenging with the material at hand. Regardless, the cast is having a lot of fun, and it can’t help but somewhat rub off on you.
Miller has rather challenging high heels to fill, and she’s quite lovely as Elle. There’s a noticeable fragile innocence about her that appropriately gives the character a fresh sparkle. Miller is game to play along with the exuberance of the rest of the cast, but her heart appears to be yearning for a stripped-down version that allows for more realism. It shines through regardless, and her singing is most definitely appealing.
Gorsuch is outstanding and paired believably with Miller. He plays the handsome studious type that’s bound to make it in life. While that security is frustrating for those who know the struggle is real, it’s accurately portrayed for those with assured determination. Interestingly, his Emmett pushing
Elle to take law school more seriously is a prime example of undercutting the feminist outlook of the film. Here, it’s as if she can’t always think for herself.
Certain actors rarely make a faulty move in any given production, and Norris is one of them. While her serious roles are the most satisfying and sadly too few, she manages to infuse both comedy and drama here. The sassiness is in full swing, and there are several moments when the play is tamed, albeit briefly, by her undeniable skill.
Other impressive standouts include Rebecca Boyce , Dakota Mann , Annika Lee Knudson , Sharvis Smith, Zoe Zelonky and especially Nielsen as the fitness guru-turned-alleged murderess. Overall, the cast carries the musical numbers alongside a live band, thanks in large part to Chuck Taft’s work as musical director. However, with the exception of “Omigod You Guys,” few songs are memorable — especially when compared with the film’s punchy soundtrack.
Hendersonville Theatre’s numerous changes with leadership and branding in a surprisingly short amount of time have been daunting. Despite these shifts, the company’s latest production still manages to retain some of the spunk and verve it’s come to be known for over the years. While Legally Blonde The Musical is a campy and very overthe-top endeavor, it’s a no-brainer crowd-pleaser — even if it is a rather predictable choice. And it’s sure to have you practicing the “bend-andsnap!” behind closed doors when you get home. X
WHAT
Legally Blonde The Musical WHERE Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, hendersonvilletheatre.org WHEN
Through Sunday, Aug. 4. Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m., Saturday matinees 3 p.m. on July 27 and Aug. 3 2:30 p.m. $26-$38.
THINK PINK: From left, Annika Lee Knudson, Allie Marée Starling, Zoe Zelonky and Morgan Miller star in “Legally Blonde The Musical” at Hendersonville Theatre. Photo by John Owens
What’s new in food
DayTrip brings ’70s bar concept, burgers and coffee to Amboy Road
While many locals still mourn the loss in April of Cascade Lounge and Home Ground Coffee Bar & Deli, two longtime Asheville bartenders and a burger chef are joining forces to fill that void on Amboy Road.
Married couple Brandon Davis and Davie Roberts are partnering with Christian Meyers of the Boy Howdy Burgers pop-up concept to launch DayTrip, a new bar and restaurant venture with 1970s ambiance, across from Carrier Park at 219 Amboy Road. A mid-August opening is planned.
Davis previously worked as a manager and bartender at Nine Mile and was a bartender for Green Man Brewery and Universal Joint. Roberts was on the staff at Rosetta’s Kitchen for 14 years and helped open Rosetta’s Buchi Bar. Meyers is sales manager at DSSOLVR brewing company and his Boy Howdy pop-up has been serving smash burgers in DSSOLVR’s downtown taproom since April 2023.
DayTrip will reflect the three business partners’ combined industry experience through its operations as well as its menus and atmosphere. “We feel like we’ve done it for so long that we know what we want and how we want to treat our employees,” says Davis. “We want to cultivate not only for employees but for customers, too, a comfortable, inclusive, all-accepting safe zone and just a great vibe.”
While the décor at DayTrip will be vintage ’70s, he continues, the aim is to create a “cozy neighborhood spot” with a cocktail program, evening burger eatery and a little bodega offering grab-and-go drinks, snacks, sunscreen, dog treats and other items. By mid-September, DayTrip will add a daytime café with a full coffee program featuring PennyCup Coffee plus breakfast sandwiches, yogurts and smoothies.
The beverage program will aim to “keep the long-standing tradition of the dive bar alive,” says Davis, while also featuring a menu of more upscale cocktails developed by Roberts. “We’ll have some quick, easy drinks for when you’ve spent the day in the sun at the park and just want something refreshing, but if you want something more elaborate, we’ll have those options as well.”
There will be plenty of mocktails, too, plus a selection of canned beers, wines and a few beers on draft, “so
everybody can get a little something,” he adds.
Meyers’ Boy Howdy burger menu, which will be available in the evenings, will be anchored by his signature Smashburger in Paradise with grilled onions, American cheese, bread-and-butter pickles and his Duke’s mayonnaise- and dill pickle juice-based Boy Howdy sauce. There will also be a vegan version using Impossible plant-based ground beef. Other options will be Meyers’ unique riffs on the Whopper and Big Mac.
To start, sides will be the Zapp’s Voodoo potato chips and Sour Patch Kids candies he’s been serving at his pop-ups, but he will eventually offer fries or tots as well as fresh, seasonal vegetable options.
Davis says that for him and Roberts, starting their first business in this location feels like coming full circle — they hosted their wedding rehearsal in the outdoor space behind Cascade Lounge four years ago.
And for Meyers, the collaboration with Davis and Roberts feels right. “I think both our vibes and concepts mesh very well together, he says. ”I think it’s going to be a good fit.“
DayTrip is slated to open in mid August at 219 Amboy Road. The bar will be open 2-11 p.m. daily with burgers available 4-10 p.m. The coffee shop will be open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. starting around mid-September. For updates, follow DayTrip on Instagram at avl.mx/dyf.
Big Tikka debuts downtown
A new Indian restaurant opened July 6 on the shady, quiet end of Rankin Avenue behind Harrah’s Cherokee Center in the large space that previously housed Noble Cider’s second taproom. Big Tikka is a concept imported to Asheville from New Zealand, says co-owner Lokesh Solanki, who is based in Morrisville.
Big Tikka’s original two locations are in Auckland, New Zealand. “We create authentic Indian with a New Zealand touch,” Solanki says. “In New Zealand, we use the spices and the local produce over there, and we have modified [the menu] accordingly to bring those flavors and recipes to the U.S. market.”
Typical Indian restaurant items such as samosas, butter chicken, tandoor-roasted kebabs and palak paneer can be found on Big Tikka’s menu. But it distinguishes itself from Asheville’s growing catalog of Indian eateries, says Solanki, with some less familiar options that reflect its New Zealand roots as well as Chinese and Southeast Asian influences.
He points to the menu’s lamb dishes — both chops and curries — which he says are very popular in New Zealand, as well as offerings like the kampung beef rendang, made with beef slow-cooked in coconut milk, lemongrass and spices.
Big Tikka is still working on getting its full ABC permitting to offer alcoholic drinks. In the meantime, Indian lassis, fruit juices and other nonalcoholic drinks are available.
Big Tikka is open for lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday-Sunday, for dinner 5-9:30 p.m. Wednesday-Monday and closed Tuesday. For more information, visit avl.mx/dy5.
A-B Tech culinary team takes national title
A team of five students from A-B Tech’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality program earned top honors at the American Culinary Federation (ACF) National competition July 14-17 in Phoenix, bringing home the national championship. This marks the second national win for an A-B Tech culinary team, the first since 2007.
Team members include captain Abbey Franklin, Yajaira Sandoval, Ethyn Jester, Rebecca McElreath and Avery Lathan. Under the leadership of A-B Tech chef instructors Chris Bugher and Bronwen McCormick , the students won the championship with a menu of coconut-crusted red snapper; petite greens salad with tomato-jicama vinaigrette; chipotle and prickly pear-glazed pork loin and a Mexican chocolate tart with vanilla meringue, almond financier and mango sorbet.
“It has been an amazing journey with a very talented group of students,” says Bugher in a media statement. “From the beginning of the team selection process, we knew we had a great shot at the title. This team has worked so hard, putting in countless hours to get to where they are.”
The team advanced to the nationals after winning the ACF Southeast Regional competition in April — the 15th time an A-B Tech student team captured the ACF Southeast Regional title and competed at ACF Nationals. No other culinary school in the U.S. has achieved this dis-
GROOVY BEGINNINGS: Longtime local bartenders Brandon Davis, left, and Davie Roberts, right, are partnering with Christian Meyers, center, of Boy Howdy Burgers to launch DayTrip in mid-August. Photo by Caleb Johnson
tinction, according to a press release from A-B Tech.
Additionally, recent A-B Tech graduate Nickolas Abbott won a silver medal in the ACF’s Student Chef of the Year competition. Abbott, who was coached by A-B Tech chef instructor Stephen Hertz, advanced to the national event after winning the Southeast Regional Student Chef of the Year award as a representative of the ACF’s Western North Carolina Culinary Arts Association.
For more on A-B Tech’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality program, visit avl.mx/cjo.
BIPOC Farmers Market and raffle
Southside Community Farm’s next BIPOC Farmers Market happens Sunday, Aug. 4, in the parking lot at the Arthur R. Edington Center in the Southside neighborhood. Launched in 2020, the market features fresh produce and herbs from the farm along with flowers, juices, teas, baked goods, natural body care products and other items from local vendors who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color.
The farm is also hosting a raffle with 100% of the proceeds supporting its free food programs, including Southside Food Fridge, South French Food Fridge and Feed AVL Food Boxes. The more than 20 prizes are from local vendors, including The Hop, Neng Jr.’s, Bagatelle Books, East Fork Pottery, Biscuit Head and OWL Bakery. Winners will be drawn the week of Aug. 11.
Now celebrating its 10th year, Southside Community Farm’s mission is to establish and sustain Black food sovereignty while celebrating culturally diverse foodways. Its future is in limbo this year as it awaits word from the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville about whether it will be allowed to continue in its current location after the end of the 2024 growing season.
The BIPOC Farmers Market happens the first Sunday of each month May-October. The next market is noon3 p.m. Aug. 4 at Southside Community Farm behind the Arthur R. Edington Center, 133 Livingston St. For details on how to enter the raffle, visit avl.mx/dyg. For more on Southside Community Farm, visit avl.mx/dnl.
Farm Birds hatches at Farm Burger
This
chicken sandwiches and salads at its South Asheville store. Dubbed “Farm Birds,” the menu features antibiotic- and growth hormone-free chicken that’s poached in sweet tea, dipped in buttermilk then rolled in seasoned flour before frying. On the menu are three sandwich varieties — original, honey-lemon pepper wet and Nashville hot — plus chicken-topped kale-based superfood and seasonal salads.
Farm Birds evolved from an online-only concept that emerged in 2020 at Farm Burgers’ Georgia locations. The company also has locations in Tennessee and Alabama.
“We are thrilled to bring Farm Birds to our Asheville community after witnessing great success in our Georgia markets,” says Farm Burger co-owner George Frangos in a press release.
The Farm Birds menu is available for dine-in, pickup and delivery at Farm Burger South Asheville, 1831 Hendersonville Road, suite 100. For more information, visit avl.mx/dxt.
Summer glow-up at Gemelli
Along with the recent addition of a brand-new wooden cocktail bar, Gemelli has rolled out a fresh summer menu and afternoon aperitivo offerings. While some popular housemade pasta dishes remain, executive chef de cuisine Gabe Cerrato has debuted a selection of new brunch options, pastas, mains and piadina flatbread sandwiches.
Complementing a new summer cocktail menu from bar director Devon Dickerson, Gemelli’s recently launched aperitivo service runs 3-6 p.m. Guests can order from a menu of half-price small bites, including arancini, warm olives and mixed nuts. Two items — Tuscan stuffed figs and truffled mushroom
crostini — are only available during aperitivo service.
Gemelli is at 70 Westgate Parkway. For more information, visit avl.mx/dy2.
National honors for Oklawaha Brewing Co.
Oklawaha Brewing Co. claimed two top awards at the 2024 U.S. Open Beer Championship, held July 9 in Oxford, Ohio. The Hendersonville brewery brought home a gold in the Imperial Stout Specialty category for its coffee-forward Weekend Joe imperial stout. It also secured a silver award for its Tiny Pils lager in the German Leichtbier category.
“This recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication of our brewers,” says Oklawaha’s head brewer, Zack Zollner, in a press release.
The U.S. Open Beer Championship is one of the top three beer competitions in the nation. This year’s event included more than 9,000 competing beers representing over 170 styles.
For more information on Oklawaha Brewing, visit avl.mx/dxv.
— Gina Smith X
month, Farm Burger launched a new menu of fried
Around Town
Orison Books hosts
Orison Books, a nonprofit literary press based in Asheville, will hold a fundraising event at N.C. Stage Co. on Saturday, Aug. 3, 7 p.m.
The event will feature award-winning novelist Jacinda Townsend and poets Bruce Beasley and Christian Detisch . Local singer-songwriter Thomas Kozak will also perform.
Townsend is the author of three novels: Trigger Warning (forthcoming in 2025); Mother Country, recipient of The Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence; and Saint Monkey, recipient of The Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize and The James Fenimore Cooper Prize and named the 2015 Honor Book of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She also teaches in the Master of Fine Arts program at Brown University.
Orison Books, founded in 2014 by local poet Luke Hankins, is a primarily volunteer-based organization. “Orison” is an archaic word for prayer. The mission of the press is to offer spiritual literature from a range of perspectives that encourages contemplation rather than reinforcing ideology. By doing so, it aims to bridge the gap between literary publishers, which do not tend to focus as much on the spiritual, and the narrower ideology of strictly religious publishers.
The press has garnered a national readership and has published nearly 50 titles. Despite this, the future of the publication has come into doubt many times because of financial concerns, according to Hankins. Recent fundraising efforts have enabled the press to hire a part-time assistant to expand promotional efforts and assist Orison’s authors with planning book tours.
Orison books have won national awards and have been featured in The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Poets & Writers, Foreword Reviews, Booklist, The Boston Globe , The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Electric Literature, The Rumpus, Literary Hub and other publications.
This new fundraising effort is aimed at expanding the donor base to support a more robust organization. All ticket sales will directly benefit the press.
N.C. Stage Co. is at 15 Stage Lane. For more information, visit avl.mx/dym.
Asheville Comedy Festival
returns
The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts will host the annual Asheville Comedy Festival from Wednesday, Aug. 7-Saturday, Aug. 10.
This is the 16th year for the festival, which showcases both local and national talent. This year’s festival will kick off with Tom Segura, followed by over 30 other comedians who will perform as part of four showcases across the next three evenings. Segura will perform at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena on Wednesday. The showcases will take place at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday at 6 and 8:30 p.m.
In addition to the comedy shows, the festival will provide free entertainment industry panels and workshops, including a course titled “Taking Your Funny Behind the Camera” by Emmy Award winner and executive TV producer K.P. Anderson, an interactive comedy clip show workshop led by studio executive Jeff Tully, a marketing seminar by Brand Stage Consulting about creating a comedic pitch, and more.
The ExploreAsheville.com Arena is in Harrah’s Cherokee Center — Asheville at 87 Haywood St. The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is at 18 Biltmore Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/cvn.
Wolfe literary award seeks nominations
The Asheville Museum of History is accepting nominations for the 2024 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award until Friday, Aug. 16.
The award has been presented by the Western North Carolina Historical Association (now called the Asheville Museum of History) since 1955 and includes a cash prize of $1,000. Previous recipients of the award include Wilma Dykeman, Robert Morgan, Gail Godwin, John Ehle, Robert Brunk, Michael McFee, Lee Smith, Ron Rash, Wayne Caldwell, Charles Frazier and Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle David Joy was the recipient of the 2023 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award for
his nationally acclaimed novel, Those We Thought We Knew
Any author who meets the qualification criteria can be nominated for the award. To be considered, an entry must be a published work of fiction, nonfiction, drama or poetry. It must be a first-edition work, published between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. The author must be a WNC native or a resident for at least 12 months before the closing date, but a work may also qualify if it has a WNC setting or focus. Western North Carolina includes the Qualla Boundary and the following 23 counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey.
Nominations should include three copies of the work and a cover letter that indicates the date of publication, the author’s birthplace or residence, and the setting of the work. An awards ceremony and reception in honor of the finalists and 2024 award recipient will be held in November.
The Asheville Museum of History is at 283 Victoria Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/dyn.
Mount Mitchell hosts annual crafts fair
The Yancey County Chamber of Commerce will host the Mount
Mitchell Crafts Fair on Friday, Aug.2, and Saturday, Aug. 3, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The annual craft fair dates to 1956 and takes place in the Burnsville town square. This year’s fair will feature over 175 artists and craftspeople. “A strict selection process guarantees a high standard of craftsmanship, with no mass-produced or resale items permitted,” says festival director Elaine Mann of the Yancey County Chamber of Commerce, in a press release. “Visitors can expect to find a wide variety of handmade goods, from intricate jewelry and textiles to beautifully crafted woodwork, ironwork and pottery.”
In addition to the vendor booths, there will be craft exhibitions, live gospel, country and bluegrass music on the town square stage and a performance by the cast of the Parkway Playhouse. Pets are prohibited due to safety concerns. The event is free, and food trucks will be on-site.
For more information, visit avl.mx/a3b.
Celebrating Indigenous culture
The Museum of the Cherokee People will host its annual Indigenous cultural showcase at The Cherokee Conference Center at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort on Friday, Aug. 2, 6 p.m.
Since 2022, The Way We Connect with the World has featured Indigenous self-representation from musicians, filmmakers, visual artists
and craftspeople. This year, attractions include six film screenings, a live musical performance and a market featuring art, apparel, crafts and jewelry by Indigenous artists.
Film presentations include The Great Cherokee Grandmother, a short film written and directed by Anthony Sneed, about a Caucasian woman and a Cherokee man on a date; Mothertown, a documentary short, also by Sneed, about reclaiming the Cherokee’s Kituwah mound; Inhabitants, a documentary directed by Costa Boutsikaris and Anna Palmer that follows five Native American tribes as they restore traditional land management practices across various regions of the country; The Language of Ribbon, a documentary short by Tia Panther about women in a small community in the North Carolina mountains; ‘
(“Meet me at the Creek”), a documentary short by Loren Waters about the irreversible destruction of Tar Creek and the Cherokee elder who fights it; and My Home NC/Cherokee Culture Meets Modern Fashion, a documentary short produced by Brooks Bennett that follows Luke Swimmer on his path from powwow dancer to Buffalotown Clothing designer.
Cherokee musician Agalisiga Mackey will perform a musical set singing original country-folk and blues songs in the Cherokee language. Mackey is a graduate of the Cherokee Language Master Apprenticeship Program, and his music reflects his struggles and
joys as a member of the Cherokee community. His Tiny Desk Contest submission was recently selected as a standout performance by Julien Baker of Boygenius.
In advance of The Way We Connect with the World, filmmaker Waters will host a free storytelling workshop on Thursday, Aug. 1, 1-4 p.m. The workshop is open to aspiring filmmakers ages 15-22, with preference given to enrolled members of federally recognized tribes.
All of the festival events are free, and tickets can be reserved in advance.
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort is at 777 Casino Drive, Cherokee. For more information, visit avl.mx/dt4.
MOVIE REVIEWS
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE:
Maybe it’s time to rethink this whole superhero movie thing after all. Grade: C-minus — Edwin Arnaudin
PRESS PLEDGE: Orison Books founder Luke Hankins, third from right, with fellow Orison authors at the 2024 Yetzirah Jewish Poetry Conference. Also pictured, starting left, Aviya Kushner, Rebecca Aronson, Bruce Beasley, Yehoshua November and Erik Bendix. Photo by Richard Chess
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31
27 CLUB
Halloween In July, 8pm
ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm
ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO.
Trivia Trivia!, 6:30pm
BARLEY'S TAPROOM
& PIZZERIA
Trivia Night w/ PartyGrampa, 7pm
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY
Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6pm
HIGHLAND BREWING
CO.
Well Crafted Music Series w/Ed Jurdi & Matt Smith, 6pm
IMPERIÁL
DJ Otto Maddox (soul, funk), 9pm
JACK OF THE WOOD
PUB
Old Time Jam, 5pm
LAZOOM ROOM BAR
& GORILLA
Everybody But You Bro Open Mic, 6pm
OKLAWAHA
BREWING CO.
Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
Team Awesome (electronic, punk, rock), 10pm
PULP
Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic, 7pm
SHAKEY'S Sexy Service Industry Night, 10pm
SHILOH & GAINES
Trivia Wednesdays, 7pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm
4.
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Druid Stone, Divorce Papers Vs. Cultleader. global, An Invitation & Curbside Loveseat (doom-metal, deathpunk, hardcore), 9pm
THE GREY EAGLE River & Rail w/Thomas Kozak & Liliana Hudgens (folk, Americana), 8pm
BLACK MOUNTAIN BUG ATTACK: On Friday, Aug. 2, Asheville-based psychedelic rock band Shed Bugs perform at The RailYard in Black Mountain, starting at 7 p.m. Listeners can expect a funky, trippy time with this jam-style band. Photo courtesy of Brighton Kilgore
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm
LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA
Petty Funny: A Spite Filly Comedy Showcase, 8:30pm
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL
The Lumpy Heads (Phish tribute), 10pm ONE WORLD BREWING
Eric Sommer (folk), 8pm
OUTSIDER BREWING
Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
The Family Tree: Datrian Johnson, Mike Rhodes, Woody Wood & Tony Black (soul, Americana), 6:30pm
SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm
SHILOH & GAINES
• AVL Fest w/Dirty Dead (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm
• Karaoke Night, 8pm
STATIC AGE LOFT Karaoke Night, 10pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS Kuh-Leeb, Cold Pizza, Kyle 34k, Salt & Natural Blk Invention (experimental, hip-hop), 8:30pm
FRIDAY, 8/2
2:00pm: Julianna Jade
3:30pm: Laura Blackley
5:00pm: Virtuous
6:30pm: Po’Folk
8:00pm: Adama
9:30pm: Pretty Little Goat
11:00pm: Sufi Brothers
THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR
Karaoke w/Terraoke, 7pm
THE JOINT NEXT DOOR
Bill Altman (blues), 7pm
THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN
The Salty Moondogs (Southern-rock, jazz, country), 7pm FRIDAY, AUGUST 2
4,000 Sq Ft taproom & Live Music On Our Outdoor Stage
Wednesday, July 31, 7-9pm
Dan ’s Jam - Open Bluegrass Jam Every Wednesday! Come jam with us - all levels are welcome.
Birthday Party for Jerry Garcia
w/the Salty Moondogs from Bristol, TN
Jam band performing original songs and covers. Friday, Aug 2, 7-9pm Shed Bugs Saturday, Aug 3, 7-9pm Live music w / TBD Details, food menus and more at railyardblkmtn.com
15 tvs for your Olympics viewing pleasure! + 20 taps + full bar + in - house restaurant + private event space + ice cream sammies + fun for the whole family
141 RICHARDSON BLVD - BLACK MOUNTAIN ThurSday, Aug 1, 7-9pm
Naomie April & The Moments (soul, pop & jazz), 8pm
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY
Karaoke Night w/KJ Marcula, 8pm
EULOGY
SK The Novelist (hiphop, rap), 8pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm
IMPERIÁL
DJ Mark Majors (hiphop, funk, R&B), 9pm
JACK OF THE WOOD
PUB
Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm
LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA
Modelface Comedy Presents: Kevin McCaffrey, 8:30pm
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
The Lumpy Heads (Phish tribute), 10pm
ONE WORLD
BREWING
Shady Grove Stringband (bluegrass, folk, country), 8pm
ONE WORLD
BREWING WEST
Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
Asheville Mountain Boys (bluegrass), 6:30pm
RABBIT RABBIT
Sold Out: Cake (rock, alt-indie), 7pm
SHAKEY'S
Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm
SHILOH & GAINES
Karaoke Night, 8pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA
Django & Jenga Jazz Jam, 7pm
STATIC AGE LOFT
Karaoke Night, 10pm
THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR
Karaoke w/Terraoke, 7pm
THE GREY EAGLE
Michelle Malone
Duo (rock'n'roll, folk, country-soul), 8pm
THE JOINT NEXT DOOR
Hope Griffin (folk), 7pm
THE ODD
The Welcoming, Aylum 213 & Platitudes (rock, experimental), 8pm
THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
Isaac Hadden's Thursday Throwdown (funk, jazz, rock), 9pm
THE OUTPOST
Outpost: Erika Lewis & Liliana Hudgens (jazz, indie-folk, Americana), 7:30pm
WICKED WEED
BREWING
Owen Walsh (folk), 6pm
FREEWILL ASTROLOGY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries singer-songwriter Lady Gaga has written many songs, both for herself and other artists. She has famously declared that some of her most successful songs took her just 10 minutes to compose. They include “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” and “Born This Way.” According to my interpretation of the astrological omens, you could be rising to Lady Gaga levels of creativity in your own sphere during the coming weeks. And I won’t be surprised if your imaginative innovations flow with expeditious clarity, like Gaga at her most efficient.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): During the winter, some animals hibernate. They enter a state of dormancy, slowing their metabolism, breathing and heart rate. Other animals enter a similar state during the summer, conserving energy when the weather is hot and dry. It’s called estivation. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, many of you Tauruses would benefit from a modified version of estivation in the next couple of weeks. You’re in prime time to recharge your energy through deep relaxation and rest.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The English word “amphibian” is derived from the Greek term amphibios, which means “living a double life.” The original meaning of the English word was “combining two qualities; having two modes of life,” though eventually it came to be used primarily to describe animals that function well on both land and in water. You Geminis are of course the most amphibious of all the astrological tribes. You can feel at home in a variety of situations. This may sometimes stir up confusion, but I see it as one of your greatest potential strengths. In the coming weeks, I hope you enjoy it to the maximum. It should serve you well. Wield it to take advantage of the sweet perks of versatility.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): I dreamed that a young elephant appeared on the back deck of my house and stuck its trunk through the open sliding glass door. I got up from my chair and gently pushed the animal away, then closed the door. But after I woke up, I was sorry I had done that in my dream. What was I afraid of? The elephant posed no danger — and may have been a good omen. In some cultures, elephants in dreams and visions are symbols of good luck, vitality, long life, and the removal of obstacles. So here’s what I did. I dropped into a deep meditative state and reimagined the dream. This time, I welcomed the creature into my home. I gave her the name Beatrice. We wrestled playfully and had fun playing with a red rubber ball. Amazingly, later that day, a certain obstacle in my actual waking life magically disappeared. The moral of the story, my fellow Cancerian: Welcome the elephant.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Some bamboo species grow very quickly — as much as 36 inches per day. I suspect your capacity to burgeon and blossom will display a similar vigor in the coming weeks. You may be surprised at how dramatic your development is. I’m hoping, of course, that you will be acutely focused on channeling your fertility in positive ways. Don’t feed an urge to recklessly gamble, for instance. Don’t pursue connections with influences that are no damn good for you. Instead, decide right now what areas of your life you want to be the beneficiaries of your growth spurt. Choose the beauty and power you will encourage to ripen.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): For months, we heard and saw crows pecking on the roof of our rental house. Why? Were they grubbing for food? It was mildly annoying, but seemingly no big deal. Then one night, their small, regular acts of mayhem climaxed in an unexpected event. Rain began to fall around 8 p.m. It was constant, though not heavy. At 9, the ceilings in five rooms began to leak. By 10:30, our house was flooded. We managed to rescue most of our precious items, but the house was damaged. We had to find a new place to live. I don’t expect anything nearly this drastic to befall you,
BY ROB BREZSNY
dear Virgo. But I do encourage you to check to see if any small problem is gradually growing bigger. Now is a favorable time to intervene and forestall an unfavorable development.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Two Scottish veterinarians researched the health of rhesus monkeys that are compelled by human handlers to dance on the streets of Islamabad, Pakistan. When I first learned about this, my response was, “Wow! Don’t those doctors have anything better to do? That is the most obscure research I have ever heard of.” But later, I decided I admired the doctors because they were motivated primarily by compassion. They found the monkeys were under severe stress, and they publicized the fact as a public service. Their work will ultimately lead to better treatment of the monkeys. In accordance with astrological omens, Libra, I advise you to seek out comparable ways to express altruism in the coming weeks. By engaging in noble and idealistic acts, you will attract good fortune into your sphere both for yourself and others.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Do you place any limits on how deep and expansive you allow your yearnings to be? Are you ever worried that maybe you desire too much and are at risk of asking for too much? If you answered yes to those questions, Scorpio, I will give you a temporary license to rebel against your wariness. In accordance with astrological rhythms, I authorize you to experiment with feeling the biggest, strongest, wildest longings you have ever felt. Please note that I am not advising you to immediately go out and actually express those longings to the hilt. For now, I’d like you to simply have the experience of entertaining their full intensity. This will be a healing experience.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You will never guess the identity of the strongest animal on the planet. It’s not the gorilla, tiger, or elephant. It’s the dung beetle, which can lug loads that weigh 1,141 times as much as it does. The equivalent for you would be to pull six double-decker buses crammed with people. I’m happy to inform you that although you won’t be able to accomplish that feat in the coming weeks, your emotional and spiritual strength will be formidable. You may be surprised at how robust and mighty you are. What do you plan to do with all that power?
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): By age 35, you have already shed over 50 pounds of skin. The flesh that covers you is in a constant state of renewal. In the coming weeks, I expect your rate of regeneration to be even higher than usual — not only in regard to your skin, but everything else in your life, as well. Here’s a proviso: Renewal and regeneration are always preceded by withering or dwindling. To enjoy the thrill of revitalization, you must allow the loss of what was once vital but is no longer.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Among people who go hiking a lot, “death march” is a term that refers to a long trudge through boring scenery in bad weather. Let’s use this as a metaphor for your life. I believe you have recently finished your own metaphorical version of a “death march.” Any minute now, you will begin a far more enjoyable series of experiences. Get ready for an entertaining meander through interesting terrains in fine weather. Be alert for unpredictable encounters with inspiration and education.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Alex Larenty gives massages to lions at the Lion Park near Johannesburg, South Africa. They especially love foot rubs. Even Jamu, king of the local beasts, rolls onto his back so Larenty can get a good angle while caressing and kneading his paws. I bring this to your attention, Pisces, because it’s a good metaphor for the unique power you will have in the coming days: a knack for dealing successfully with wild influences and elemental powers through the magic of kindness, affection and service.
MARKETPLACE
Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to advertise@mountainx.com
RENTALS
APARTMENTS FOR RENT
APARTMENT FOR RENT
Lower level 1 bed 1 bath apartment East of Asheville near Warren Wilson College. Owner shares laundry room. $1050/month, plus $150 for utilities. Includes heat, A/C, and Wi-Fi. 828545-0043
EMPLOYMENT
HUMAN SERVICES
ONTRACK
WNC IS HIRING A BILINGUAL
EDUCATOR We will review applications and schedule candidate interviews on a rolling basis beginning Thursday, August 8th until the position is filled. Job description & application instructions: ontrackwnc. org/were-hiring
PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT
EVENING MANAGER, MARSHALL Madison Natural Foods is seeking an evening manager. Retail and management experience preferred. 30-40 hours/week, paid time off, great work environment. Resumes to madisonnaturalfoods@ gmail.com or stop by for an application.
COMPUTER/ TECHNICAL
DATA ESCALATION TECHNICIAN Buildfax, Inc. seeks a Data Escalation Technician in Asheville, NC to analyze source data, map source data fields, and audit datasets to ensure accuracy. Apply at jobpostingtoday.com Ref# 22575.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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YOU MAY QUALIFY For disability benefits if you have are between 52-63 years old and under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now! 1-877-247-6750. (AAN CAN)
1 Birthplace of the Ironman World Championship
5 Slays
9 Give a talking-to
14 Where popovers “pop”
15 Bottom of some prep school uniforms
16 World capital nicknamed the “Soaring Dragon”
17 Frosh
19 Cuban dance
20 *Jesus
22 ___ Dhabi
23 Like a Senate vote that requires the vice president
24 *Dorothy Gale
32 “Rules ___ rules”
33 Rihanna, to fans
34 Prefix with present
35 Jay relative
37 Church centers
40 Bupkis
41 Refine
42 Impersonates, maybe
44 Part of a pecking order?
45 *Neil Armstrong
50 Chance to go
51 Genre for Reel Big Fish
52 Memorable ad-lib in “Midnight Cowboy” … or what the starred clues would say about their answers
57 Bygone carrier whose first hub was in Pittsburgh
58 Flattening, informally
61 Elegant shorebird
62 ___ Linda, recurring “Saturday Night Live” character played by Kristen Wiig
63 [waggles hand back and forth] 64 Chemical attractions 65 Tax whizzes 66 Bog buildup
1 “That’s rough” 2 Bird: Prefix 3 Women’s health care brand 4 Open, as a letter 5 “Fine, I give” 6 Feudal land 7 Identify as a potential problem 8 Low-altitude clouds
