Mountain Xpress 08.03.22 by Mountain Xpress

OU R 29TH Y E A R OF W E E K LY I N DE PE N DE N T N E W S, A RTS & E V E N TS FOR W E STE R N NORTH CA ROL I NA VOL . 29 NO. 1 AUG. 3 - 9, 2022

AUG. 3-9, 2022

MOUNTAINX.COM

C ONTENT S

WELLNESS

FEATURE

NEWS

FEATURES 8

DEAL OR NO DEAL? A closer look at Buncombe’s commercial property assessments

11 DROP OF SUNSHINE How much solar energy does local government produce?

16 Q&A Barbara Smith earns Girl Scouts lifetime achievement award

20 RASH DECISIONS Buncombe County announces four monkeypox cases

PAGE 22 HEY! HO! LET’S GO! For decades, local punk bands have contributed to a strong underground scene. But following extended periods of isolation due to COVID-19, many groups from the area punk scene are embracing the idea of larger audiences and greater visibility across the city.

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AUG. 3-9, 2022

OPINION

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

Solution needed for parking woes [Regarding “Car Wars: The Ripple Effects of Downtown Asheville Parking Costs,” June 15, Xpress]: Having spoken with the director of Asheville’s Transportation Department, Mr. Ken Putnam, on more than one occasion over the last four years, I would like to add my voice to the Montford Neighborhood Association’s parking woes. I live two blocks off of Trader Joe’s on the corner of Broad and Liberty streets with no off-street parking. Over the last six years, I have watched as the number of small and larger businesses have grown in the once-residential neighborhood. With that has come the frustration of chronic parking issues and escalating traffic volume. (Traffic on Broad Street has become increasingly dangerous, as it is now a high-speed route taken in order to avoid the lights at Merrimon Avenue and Chestnut Street.) In my conversations with Mr. Putnam, although he tentatively agreed with my assessment of the parking situation, his only response was to voice that the city is unable at this time to address residential parking permit concerns — with no indication when asked as to when they would do so. All the while, the commercial enterprises in the neighborhood continue to grow their businesses, with the ensuing increase in traffic and parking problems echoing Montford resident Jon Sackson’s statement regarding concerns for its residents in your June 15 article. I recognize that many of our neighborhood commercial enterprises have little or no parking available to them. Other businesses and larger enterprises such as Trader Joe’s, which do have parking, are faced with lots that are now too small to accommodate their customer base and staff, and so given its proximity, Broad and Liberty streets have become their overflow parking area.

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C A R T O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N The reality that I now plan my grocery shopping for when I’m more likely to return home to a parking spot has become more than an inconvenience. In the meantime, like our neighbors in Montford, residents here will have to keep their fingers crossed and pray they have a place to park when returning home. I would very much like to see the city of Asheville step up and work toward a solution for its residents and local businesses alike, preferably sooner than later. — Linda Levanti Asheville Editor’s note: Xpress reached out to Putnam about the neighborhood parking situation and received the following response: “It is accurate that over the last several years, with ongoing residential and commercial construction projects not only in the Broad Street/Liberty Street community but throughout Asheville, there is an increase in traffic volumes and on-street parking demand along many residential streets, especially those streets that are adjacent to commercial areas. Many times, these pressures occur during the evening hours when residents and business patrons are competing for parking spaces. Unfortunately, we have very limited resources and capacity to address these issues. Residential permit parking programs can help minimize the parking issues; however, they require much enforcement to be effective. In the past, the Parking Services Division provided enforcement activities (and still does) in the Central Business District. We are now trying to expand into other parts of the city, and we are actively recruiting to fill vacant positions.”

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The assessor is not wrong In response to the article written by Ben Williamson on July 20 regarding statements made by Mr. Joe Minicozzi of a local planning firm, I would like to respond that the assessor in most cases is not incorrect [“An Unfair Share? Reappraisal Committee to Bring Recommendations to Commissioners,” Xpress]. As a former assessor for 14 years and a special magistrate for tax appeals for 16 years, it has been my experience that there are very few times that the assessor is incorrect. In fact, in most cases, the assessor is conservative in his values. If he is wrong, that is what the appeals process is for, and it’s available to everybody. The key factor is (and admittedly I am not familiar with North Carolina statutes) that the property should not be assessed over the market value. The computer does not care how many kids you have to send to college nor is it familiar with your financial status. It only recognizes the property characteristics; in this case, the single-family home. In mass appraisal, homes and home sales are divided into market areas and analyzed with a model. Typically, the assessor is dealing with a bell curve, where in most likelihood the subject property is assessed somewhere between 75% and 95% of market value. If the assessor tries to move the curve via analysis to the high end of the curve, his lower-end properties are going to be over what their market value should be. Hence, the outliers are not given the same weight as the majority of properties. ... If a lower-end property is increased $10,000, then there may be a 10% increase. If a high-end property is

increased $10,000, then it may be only 1%. In reality, the higher-end properties do not increase at the same percentage rate because not only are there fewer of them, but there are also fewer buyers that can afford that price of home. Therefore, the high-end property may increase, for example, $50,000 to $80,000, or a 5%-8% value increase. ... In order to do a proper analysis, Mr. Minicozzi should be using the same sales the assessor used, which for a Jan. 1, 2021, valuation would have been 2020 and perhaps some 2019 sales. To compare any older sales to current sales would be, at best, flawed analysis. In regard to the Cecil property being at 50%, just how many previous sales of $9.5 million homes were available to the assessor on Jan. 1, 2021? Since the date of sale of this property was substantially after the date of valuation, it is disingenuous to claim that the assessor’s model estimate was an absolute failure in estimating the value of that house. Keep in mind that, in my opinion, there was a tremendous increase in valuation after that date of assessment. Also, in my opinion, some consideration should be given to what is currently called gentrification, where demand is to a point that buyers are moving to and buying well-located homes in what may be Black neighborhoods. This may be due to price, but it is usually the desirability of the location. You will probably see first extensive remodeling leading to total demolition with replacement by newer, larger homes. Lastly, Mr. Minicozzi notes that assessments in Black neighborhoods went up 36.7% while a 99% white neighborhood went up 11.6%. Curiously, the neighborhood that was 89% white went up 16.6%, even though that neighborhood had fewer whites. This indicates that the assessor is doing his job by assessing based on neighborhood market sales and not on who answers the door. As for me and my 2021 assessment, mine increased 57% for the 2021 assessment roll. I guess the computer didn’t care about me, either. And the assessor was not wrong! — Joy Hearn Maggie Valley Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.

Unfair taxation comes after assessment [Regarding “Commissioners Consider Equity Through Reparations, Property Taxes,” July 27, Xpress:] The math is easy. If the assessed value of your home goes up 10%, then the amount of tax dollars you actually pay will also go up 10% — unless the governing body lowers the rate at which

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN you are taxed by the same 10%. If that happens, then the new assessments are “revenue neutral,” in that the actual tax dollars you pay before and after the assessment will not change. If assessments went down, then the rate would be raised so that the amount of tax dollars paid out by citizens would remain the same. That is what happens in an ideal world. In the real world, these higher assessments result in you paying more tax because the governing body does not lower the rate of taxation enough so that your taxes stay the same. This is “free money” for them as they boldly say, “Your tax rate will not go up!” That is true, but your taxes go up. The amount you pay goes up, and that just gets schmoozed into the budget and no one complains. You should complain. If a new budget is not “revenue neutral” by lowering the rate of taxation the appropriate amount, then you are slapped with a tax increase from your blind side. They get more money — and they spend more money, and it keeps going that way unless the public insists on revenue-neutral assessments so they don’t automatically get free money. Then let them defend any tax increases in a transparent manner that people can understand and provide the public input that is appropriate. — Stephen Schulte Asheville

Business as usual won’t help our community It has been interesting and provocative to see the letters in Xpress “defending” the Sierra Club from what seems to be considered an attack upon its work by Bill Branyon [“Sierra Club Chimera: WENOCA Chapter Endorsements Are an Environmental Disgrace,” June 29, Xpress]. Bill was calling out the influential organization for its endorsement of incumbents in the last election. Incumbents who have allowed the rapacious overdevelopment of our town without any clear objection or critique. I’m grateful for the efforts of the Woodfin mayor pro tem and his community to head off the obviously destructive development plans in his town [“Sierra Club Critique Flames Out in Woodfin,” July 13, Xpress]. I also understand the theory behind infill development — to optimize the use of urban space, to lessen sprawl. I’d like to know Peter Robbins’ definition of “properly done” infill. The infill development I see looks like cookie-cutter box houses, out of character with the neighborhoods they are built in, squeezed onto lots so small there is virtually no green space left. ... One or two houses built to blend into the character of the neighborhood, preserving some green space, might be properly done infill.

I don’t see this happening in wealthier neighborhoods. I haven’t heard of North Asheville’s Griffing Boulevard Rose Garden Park, Beaver Lake or the Asheville Country Club golf course being sold off for infill development. Yes, two of those places are private property, but eminent domain proceedings could turn them into infill housing as often happens when green private property is conscripted for asphalt highways. And it is not preventing rural sprawl or increasing affordable housing to any appreciable extent. It is making money for developers and putting a strain on public infrastructure and pressure on our environment. And upsetting many citizens. I believe one point that Bill was trying to make is that business as usual is not going to take us where we need to go as a community resilient to the worsening effects of climate change or one that strives for economic justice for those who live and work here. We need visionary leaders who will think and act creatively. What about the promotion of local light rail, bikeways, sidewalks, comprehensive bus routes? What about bringing the downtown trolleys back to lessen car traffic pressures? What about giving tax breaks to people who preserve green space in their neighborhoods? Going to visit a friend recently who lives off Sweeten Creek Road, I was shocked to see a huge swath of forested

land being cleared. My friend told me that Biltmore Farms is clearing the land to put up 800 apartment units — just scrape all life off the land and build! That’s also what they’ve done to aid and abet the building of the Pratt & Whitney airplane-parts factory. Scrape and build, scrape and build. Development that defies climate-sensible zoning regulations, that ignores the ecological world it seeks to build upon decreases our resilience to climate change. Bill has called for a countywide referendum on development, allowing the people a voice in decision-making about the place in which we live. Tourists and developers don’t vote. Maybe that’s why we won’t have a referendum. To the powers that currently be, this town exists for them and the very wealthy who move here for its beauty or, as I have learned, because they consider themselves “climate-change refugees.” If business as usual continues, they will have made the wrong decision. — Anne Craig Asheville Editor’s note: The Citizen Times reported in May that Biltmore Farms sold the Sweeten Creek Road property to a Georgia company, Flournoy Development Group LLC, which plans to build 852 multifamily apartment units on 133 acres of a 331-acre site. A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.

MOUNTAINX.COM

AUG. 3-9, 2022

OPINION

Supreme Court decision highlights right-wing sexual hypocrisy The Gospel According to Jerry BY JERRY STERNBERG The next time you find yourself sitting in a local church or synagogue, or in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, or even attending an Asheville City Council meeting, take a look around. According to 50 years of data from the federal National Survey of Family Growth, 95% of the adults gathered around you will have participated in premarital sex at some time in their life. The same must be true for legislators, judges and clergy. When I was growing up, in the 1930s and ’40s, sex education was almost nonexistent. At some point there was supposed to be the obligatory, totally embarrassing discussion about “the birds and the bees.” It usually consisted of the admonition that “Sex is bad. Go do your homework.” The girls probably got a little more information when they had their menses, were in pain and thought they were going to bleed to death. I have strange memories regarding sex education in those years. When I attended Claxton School, there was a fellow student who everyone somehow knew was a “bastard.” The way the teacher treated him, relegating him to the back of the room, and the attitude of some of the students whose parents were uncomfortable with this poor kid’s mere presence in the classroom made me think he must have done something terrible. The “literature” that gave us what sexual information we did get con-

sisted of little comic books that had Maggie and Jiggs or Blondie and Dagwood performing lewd sex acts. Most of us didn’t understand the things they depicted, but it certainly piqued our interest. When I was at Lee Edwards High School, there were girls in our class who simply vanished one day — and, in some cases, never returned. It was rumored that they were in “the family way” and had to go off somewhere to have it taken care of. SOLELY THE WOMAN’S PROBLEM? By the time I graduated from high school, attended college and then went into the military, sex and drinking had become rites of passage. There were admonitions about using condoms when one performed sex, but the emphasis was on preventing STDs. When I joined the Navy, we were required to view documentaries about the consequences of unprotected sex. Sailors returning from liberty could visit a “prophylactic station” offering treatment to try to prevent venereal disease. Never, though, was there any discussion of the possibility of unwanted pregnancy, because — apart from using condoms, which were never foolproof anyway — the responsibility for preventing pregnancy was strictly the woman’s. For the most part, if she conceived an unwanted baby, the problem was hers to solve.

JERRY STERNBERG Meanwhile, for men, particularly married men, “safe sex” meant paying a prostitute. If she got pregnant, it was totally up to her to deal with. In June, we celebrate Father’s Day, but back then, many men were deprived of the chance to be so honored because they had no idea that they’d fathered a child by a long-lost lover or sex worker. By the 1960s, however, “the pill” was in widespread use, giving women more control over their own reproductive systems. Improvements in IUD technology and, later, “the morning-after pill” and medication abortions provided other options. No longer were women without resources to prevent

pregnancy or to choose not to deliver an unwanted child, especially in cases of rape or incest. FACE THE FACTS In the 1960s, the first Planned Parenthood affiliate in North Carolina was established here in Asheville as an education-only facility. A couple of decades later I was privileged to participate, along with other concerned community members, in establishing Asheville’s first women’s medical clinic, providing health care, family planning information and abortion referrals in a nonjudgmental manner to thousands of patients each year. In 2015, we moved the clinic to a stand-alone building on McDowell Street and added abortion to the list of services offered on-site. One of our most effective educational programs enlisted teenagers to perform short plays in Asheville and Buncombe County high schools. These presentations were designed to dispel myths and present factual information about sex in an age-appropriate way, and they were very well received. I write all this in response to the recent dreaded announcement by the Supreme Court that abortion is no longer a constitutional right. Two of the five oh-so-righteous justices who supported this ruling have been involved in highly publicized sexual transgressions themselves. Conservative legislators in red states, most of whom are men, have already set to work eliminating every right a woman has to prevent unwanted pregnancy. And if our right-wing North Carolina legislators follow the lead of their counterparts in other states, our clinic will no longer be able to offer abortions and could conceivably be forced to close lest, in the process of providing women’s health care, we give out

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“Why should women be the ones who pay the price for an unwanted biological mishap?”

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information on family planning or birth control. You might have noticed that I haven’t mentioned abstinence as the solution to unwanted pregnancies, but apparently, that approach didn’t work out for 95% of our adult population. Hormones trump morality, and sex is highly recreational — particularly for men. So why should women be the ones who pay the price for an unwanted biological mishap? TEEN PREGNANCIES By striking down Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court has eliminated the last option many women and children had to avoid being forced to deliver an unwanted child. Many of these children, some as young as 10, are in lower-income and minority communities, and in some cases they will have no responsible person who will be able to care for them. In 2020 there were 7,749 pregnancies reported among girls ages 15-19 in North Carolina, according to data from the state Department of Health and Human Services. Asheville and Buncombe County accounted for 129 of those, nearly half of them in minority communities. I don’t even want to think about how tiny the percentage of those sperm donors probably was who took any responsibility for supporting these girls: After all, unwanted pregnancy is the woman’s problem, right? As the full impact of overturning Roe v. Wade kicks in, will our streets become populated by these abandoned offspring, some of whom will inevitably commit serious mischief in order to survive? And at that point, will the hardcore probirthers demand those children’s abortion-by-death-chamber — in their 24th trimester? SHAME! Asheville native Jerry Sternberg is a longtime observer of the local scene. An anthology of his columns is available from Pisgah Legal Services for a $25 suggested donation. All proceeds will support the nonprofit’s work. To order your copy of The Gospel According to Jerry: 90th Birthday Edition, visit pisgahlegal.org/jerry, or send a check to: PLS, P.O. Box 2276, Asheville, NC 28802. X MOUNTAINX.COM

AUG. 3-9, 2022

NEWS

Deal or no deal?

A closer look at Buncombe’s commercial property assessments BY BEN WILLIAMSON bwilliamson@mountainx.com Recent discussions of Buncombe County’s property tax appraisal process have been missing something — roughly $10.3 billion worth of something. That figure represents the estimated taxable value of commercial real estate in Buncombe County. According to Buncombe tax analyst Eric Cregger, nearly a third of the county’s projected $239 million in property tax revenue for fiscal year 2022-23 will be generated through commercial property taxes. But an ad hoc committee of real estate and urban planning professionals, convened in November at the request of Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman to review Buncombe’s assessment process, did not consider commercial property over a series of 14 meetings. The committee’s final recommendations, delivered to county commissioners July 19, included no advice regarding commercial assessments. “I think residential was at the top of the pyramid,” says Buncombe County Tax Assessor Keith Miller, when asked why commercial analysis was not included in the committee’s work. “Residential was really the [focus of] questions we were getting from property owners, who were concerned about their assessment values. We were not getting the same response from commercial owners.” MONEY MATTERS Issues of racial and economic equity dominated the debate over residential valuations, with critics arguing that Buncombe’s practices are unfair to low-income residents and communities of color. While those issues aren’t immediately apparent with commercial property, suggests ad hoc committee member Ori Baber, other deficiencies with county assessments likely do carry over from the residential side. Baber, who works as an analyst for Asheville-based urban planning firm Urban3, argues that the county uses the same flawed method to assess its valuation performance for commercial real estate as it does for residential. While Buncombe reports that its commercial sales ratio for 8

AUG. 3-9, 2022

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OVERCHARGED: After an appeal, Buncombe County reduced property taxes on the Asheville Hotel, which contains residential and retail spaces. Photo by John Warner Photography 2021 is 95% — meaning that the taxable value of commercial property averages 95% of that property’s actual sale price — Baber says that figure comes from a skewed sample of properties. The 95% ratio, Baber continues, is estimated only from buildings that have been assessed according to data reported by real estate agents prior to their sale; other buildings may be assessed based on outdated information that depresses their value. “This process only happens for sold properties,” he says. “So the remaining population of unsold properties is not receiving the same degree of hands-on attention — and therefore is unlikely to have a 95% sales ratio,” said Baber. Inaccurate assessments could have implications for county revenue. During the residential review process, Baber analyzed a sample of about 2,000 home sales and discovered that their total taxable value

fell around $96 million short of their total sale value. If a similar trend held for homes across the county, Buncombe’s government would be effectively shortchanged by about $450,000 in property taxes each year. “This ratio is based on the reappraisal methodology. This ratio is not based on a study of data quality,” says Miller of Baber’s criticism. The tax assessor says his office relies on a computer model to generate valuations for both commercial and residential properties. However, he notes that commercial assessments can differ significantly from residential in that a property’s revenue-generating potential is factored in. Specifically, commercial assessments are usually calculated by dividing a property’s “net operating income,” or its revenue minus operating expenses, by its “capitalization rate,” or the rate of return expected from the investment. Residential assessments, Miller says, are calcu-

lated by a formula that considers each structure type, market data and sales figures. SAME BUT DIFFERENT Baber’s colleague, Urban3 founder and principal Joe Minicozzi, reviewed assessment data on three similar commercial spaces: the former Kmart buildings on Patton Avenue and Brevard Road and the now-demolished Toys R Us building on Brevard Road. He found that the three showed wide differences in building value and overall tax value per acre (combined building and land value divided by lot size). Buncombe County data shows that the former Patton Avenue Kmart building, built in 1967, dropped in valuation from $953,200 in 2020 to only $200 in 2021, or from roughly $7.51 to about 3 cents per square foot. Ingles Markets, which purchased the property and building for $8.5 million in 2019, subsequently paid $4,366 per acre in 2021 property taxes. In contrast, the Brevard Road Kmart, built in 1991 and now leased by a home goods store, was valued at $13.67 per square foot and assessed at $3,170 per acre in property taxes this year. The Toys R Us building, located across the street and also built in 1991, was valued at $46 per square foot and assessed at $4,743 per acre in property taxes before it was demolished early this year. According to Miller, the Patton Avenue Kmart’s value was adjusted when his office learned Ingles planned to demolish the building. “In a property such as that Kmart, we often will take the building value off, because the sale was actually for the land,” Miller says. “We made our own judgment that there is no value in the building. Actually, it’s a negative value, if you consider their cost to demolish it.” “In our judgment, the Toys R Us building could have been repurposed. There was still life in that building, but the purchaser decided it didn’t suit their use,” Miller continues. “The other Kmart on Brevard Road is a much newer building. It also has a new tenant and a lease, so we know the value of that building.” BUSINESS OR PERSONAL? Karen Ramshaw is the vice president of Public Interest Projects, an urban development and property management company in Asheville. Ramshaw manages the Asheville Hotel, which despite its name is an apartment building of 29 units, mostly one-bedroom residences.

STANDING FIRM: Buncombe County Tax Assessor Keith Miller defended his department’s procedures during a recent ad hoc committee review. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County According to Ramshaw, rents at the space are set to support “workforce housing,” defined by the county as housing that a family earning up to 140% of area median income can afford without spending more than 30% of income on rent. After receiving what she felt was an overassessment on the building, which also houses the independent bookstore Malaprop’s, Ramshaw appealed her tax bill. In the appeal, she compared her building to the Haywood Park Hotel, an actual hotel that sits just across the street from her building. Land value at the Asheville Hotel was $145 per square foot, while Haywood Park’s land was only $125 per square foot. “Under no circumstances should the Asheville Hotel be valued more than a luxury hotel,” said Ramshaw, who used the county’s own commercial appraisal formula to claim she had been overassessed by nearly $1 million.

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“As hotels have proliferated downtown and higher-end condos skyrocket in value,” Ramshaw argued in her appeal narrative, “the valuations of other downtown properties have increased apace … with high-end residential condos increasing at lower rates than apartments and small local retail.” Ramshaw showed a 17% increase in valuations for her apartment and retail building, while condos at the adjacent Old Penney’s and nearby Aston condominium buildings only saw 9%-12% increases. The appeal was granted, and Asheville Hotel’s values were dropped by the amount Ramshaw had requested. Assessors do not personally inspect properties, Miller says, so the computer model is relied on to generate valuations. “In mass appraisal, we will not have all income data for each individual property,” he says. “We often have to assume we know the appropriate income and expenses, but owners don’t always like sharing that data. If we get the valuation wrong, it will be because we had incorrect income and expense data.” That lack of differentiation between different properties makes it

harder for some smaller businesses, argues Ramshaw. “Margins for local businesses are smaller. We make a smaller return so we can have a Malaprop’s instead of a Border’s and workforce housing instead of luxury housing,” she says. (She also claims she was told by the assessor’s office during her appeal that “you need to raise your rents.”) Miller says, “We often have a conversation with a property owner that the rent may be below market. We do that because we use market rent in the income approach rather than actually rent.” His office views apartments, hotels and condominiums differently. “Condo ownership is no different than a single-family home. Apartment buildings are built to produce income. It’s a totally different use.” While Ramshaw feels that valuations should reflect county priorities, that work may fall to elected leaders, not assessors. “The rules don’t always align with what the community says it wants. If you value everything like a hotel,” she says, “you get more hotels. The assessors have a lot of constraints in valuation that may need to be offset on the political side.” X

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AUG. 3-9, 2022

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NEWS

Drop of sunshine

How much solar energy does local government produce?

BY DANIEL WALTON dwalton@mountainx.com The clock to 2030 is ticking. Both Buncombe County and the city of Asheville have resolved that, by the end of that year, government operations will be powered entirely by renewable energy. A 2019 report produced by The Cadmus Group, a Massachusetts-based consulting firm, laid out numerous ways for the two local governments to achieve those goals. Perhaps in keeping with Western North Carolina’s crafty ethos, the first strategy Cadmus listed for both governments was a do-it-yourself approach: install, own and operate renewable energy projects. Asheville and Buncombe leaders have proceeded to place solar panels on everything from fire stations and downtown’s bus depot to libraries and a county training facility. Since then, local and global officials have only reiterated the importance of solar power and other renewable sources as ways to replace fossil fuels and combat climate change. Asheville adopted a climate emergency resolution in 2020; in 2021, U.N. SecretaryGeneral António Guterres said the current and predicted effects of global heating “must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet.” With the long summer days providing peak sunshine hours for those solar panels to pump out power, Xpress wanted to check in on the city and county. How much renewable energy are local governments making — and how much more will they need to reach their policy targets? SUNSHINE REQUEST Asheville and Buncombe provided production figures for all government-owned solar facilities from June 6 through July 6, covering the two weeks on either side of the June 21 summer solstice. That monthlong period represents the maximum solar energy theoretically available to the panels, barring interference from weather conditions. For Asheville’s five solar facilities, that figure came to about 29.84 megawatt-hours. The most productive set of panels was on the Asheville Rides Transit station, which produced 8.84 MWh, about 30% of the city’s total. (For comparison, the average North Carolina household con-

MOVING TO RENEWABLES: The solar array on the downtown Asheville Rides Transit station was the city’s most productive in June, generating 8.84 megawatt-hours of electricity. Photo courtesy of the city of Asheville sumed about 1.04 MWh per month in 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.) Buncombe County’s total production over the same period from its own five solar installations was about 25.04 mWh. The Leicester Library facility led the pack with 5.35 MWh generated, about 21% of the county total. IN DEMAND Due to the way Duke Energy bills local governments, Xpress wasn’t able to directly compare solar production with overall energy use over the same June 6-July 6 period. But Asheville and Buncombe were able

to provide rough figures for previous summers, which were used to estimate government-wide monthly power consumption. Across all Asheville government buildings, monthly summer power use in 2021 was roughly 746.6 MWh. For Buncombe County, the average June electricity consumption in 2020 and 2021 was 1,150 MWh. So, how much does local government’s production during peak solar season offset its needs? Based on these averages, Asheville covers roughly 4% of its electricity consumption through solar, with Buncombe covering about 2.2%. The remaining power comes from the Duke Energy grid; as of 2021, approximately 2% of Duke’s produc-

tion came from renewable sources such as hydroelectricity and solar. ON TARGET? The Cadmus report did not suggest that local governments should cover all of their energy use with on-site solar alone. However, it proposed that Asheville and Buncombe County could meet roughly 20% of their renewable energy needs through “feasible and prioritized” or “planned” local actions — significantly more than the current state of affairs. Asked about the city’s progress toward its goal, Sustainability Director Bridget Herring struck an upbeat tone. “I am proud of the steps City Council and the organization has taken to date,” she said. “While we know from the Moving to 100% report that there is not enough rooftop space or city-owned property to meet the 100% renewable energy goal on-site, I believe the city should continue to pursue feasible on-site renewable energy projects because it maximizes the public benefit through both the local environmental impact and economic impact of reduced utility costs.” Jeremiah LeRoy, Buncombe County’s sustainability officer, was similarly optimistic. “I am very excited about the tremendous progress that the county has made toward reaching its 2030 goal. With the significant commitments that our Board of Commissioners has made in clean energy projects, we are tracking toward being over 40% of the way toward meeting the 2030 goal, with many more opportunities to continue to improve that trajectory.” X

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AUG. 3-9, 2022

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DEVELOPMENT ROUNDUP

Enka Commerce Park requests change of plans City of Asheville The public will be able to provide input on the South Slope Vision plan and five zoning map amendments at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, which will take place in person at City Hall’s firstfloor North Conference Room at 70 Court Plaza. A pre-meeting of the same body to review the agenda, which is open to the public but does not allow public comment, will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the fifth-floor Large Conference Room. (Although the PZC unanimously recommended the adoption of the South Slope plan last month, according to Chair Joe Archibald, “an error was made with public comment.” The item must therefore be revisited this month. Further information on the proposal is available at avl.mx/bqc.) The Design Review Committee will meet virtually at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18. The agenda for that meeting was not available as of press time. PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION Members of the public can submit comments over email and voicemail until 24 hours prior to the meeting or provide in-person comment during the meeting itself. Instructions on how to attend and comment, as well as the full meeting agenda, are available at avl.mx/8b6. 645 & 651 Brevard Road, 28806 Jeffrey T. Brown of Asheville-based engineering firm Brown Consultants requests the rezoning of 1.35 acres on Brevard Road from Residential

PLAN TO PIVOT: After a tenant expected to lease the space — widely suspected to be online retailer Amazon, according to the Asheville Citizen Times — backed out, Enka Partners of Asheville is seeking a change to plans for the Enka Commerce Park. Graphic courtesy of the city of Asheville Single Family High Density (RS-8) to Community Business II (CB II). Unlike conditional rezoning, which is required for projects with more than 50 residential units or more than 100,000 square footage of construction, a rezoning request does not allow zoning requirements to be waived or reduced, according to city planner Will Palmquist. The city also cannot attach any extra requirements to the property as a requirement for approval. No plans for what might be done under the new zoning are available at this time. Enka Commerce Park (264 Enka Heritage Parkway, 28715) Enka Partners of Asheville requests an amendment to the conditional zon-

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ing on 45.5 acres on Enka Heritage Parkway to allow for new site plans. The site is currently zoned as Commercial Expansion - Conditional Zoning. Because a tenant expected to lease the space — widely suspected to be online retailer Amazon, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times — backed out, the plans have been redesigned as spec space, or space built for potential future tenants. The current plans call for three buildings with a combined total of 585,360 square feet. A new traffic analysis by Greenboro-based Ramsey Kemp Associates anticipates that, while the number of vehicles per day to the area will increase by almost 300 compared with the previous site

plan, there will be 176 and 157 fewer trips during peak morning and afternoon hours, respectively. Detailed project documents can be found at avl.mx/btx. Laurel Woods II (650 & 652 Caribou Road 28803) National nonprofit Volunteers of America requests a conditional rezoning from RM-8 (Residential Multifamily) to RES EXP - CZ (Residential Expansion - Conditional Zoning) to build 54 affordable oneand two-bedroom housing units for seniors on 14.73 acres. Current plans call for 32 units designated as affordable for residents at 80% of the area median income ($45,000 for one person and $51,400 for two), as well

SNAPSHOT as 17 units affordable at 60% AMI ($33,750 for one person and $38,550 for two) and five two-bedroom units affordable at 30% AMI ($16,900 for one person and $19,300 for two). Twelve of these units — five two-bedrooms at 30% AMI and seven one-bedrooms at 60% AMI — will accept federal affordable housing vouchers. One- and two-bedroom units will be 660 and 900 square feet, respectively. The project would expand the existing VOA Laurel Woods development at 650 Caribou Road. Detailed project documents can be found at avl.mx/bty. Woodland Development (100 Woodland Drive, 28806) Asheville-based Birch Circle Associates requests a conditional rezoning from RM-8 to RES EXP CZ to build a 72-unit development on 9.12 acres. Available documents do not indicate that any of the townhome-style rental units will be designated as affordable. This project was on the July PZC agenda but was postponed to the August meeting. Detailed project documents can be found at avl.mx/bqb.

Buncombe County Four projects requiring special use permits and a lot size variance will be on the agenda for the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment meeting at noon Wednesday, Aug. 10. The in-person meeting will take place at the Board of Commissioners Chambers, 200 College St. Two of those special use permit applications were on last month’s meeting agenda but were postponed. More details are available from the most recent Xpress development roundup at avl.mx/bu4 or at the following project pages: • Brevard Road Apartments SUP (1754 Brevard Road, 4 and 6 Atrium Trail, Avery Creek Township) — avl.mx/bqa

• Clayton Crossing SUP (642 Long Shoals Road, Arden, 28704) — avl.mx/bq8 Information on how to attend the meeting and apply for comment can be found at avl.mx/anq. Details on the new agenda items are listed below. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT Penley Variance (10 Roundabout Way, Asheville, 28805) Timmy Ray Penley of Asheville requests a reduction of the minimum lot size on 10 Roundabout Way from 30,000 square feet to 17,000 square feet to divide property on the site. When development started in 2001, the property was unzoned. It now falls within the R-2 zone, which has a 30,000-square-foot minimum lot size. Detailed project documents are available at avl.mx/bu0. Pinnacle View Rental Units SUP (17, 21 and unaddressed parcel on Pinnacle View Road, Asheville, 28803) TR 31 Pinnacle View, based in Alpharetta, Ga., requests an SUP to construct 14 buildings housing 73 rental units on 6.53 acres. Each unit will have a one-car garage and driveway, and seven additional parking spaces will be available. The application requests that the 20-foot minimum distance between buildings be reduced to 15 feet. Detailed project documents can be found at avl.mx/bu5. Wanderlust Vacation Rentals SUP (49 Reeds Creek Road, Fairview, 28730) Charlotte-based Wanderlust NC requests an SUP to build four vacation rental units — two one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units — on 10.48 acres of vacant wooded land in Fairview. The proposed density is 2.54 units per acre. A firetruck turnaround will be added where a single-family home once existed. Detailed documents can be found at avl.mx/bq4.

DANCE AND PROTEST: On July 27, members of the community gathered outside the Buncombe County Courthouse to protest Duke Energy’s Carolinas Carbon Plan, which proposes a 70% carbon reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. At the time of the rally, the N.C. Utilities Commission was conducting the third of six hearings concerning the proposal. Several environmental coalitions have given Duke’s plan a failing grade. The event featured numerous speakers, including Mary Crowe, Southeast representative for the Indigenous Environmental Network, and Adam Hall, co-coordinator for the Sunrise Movement Asheville. Xpress reached out to Duke Energy for comment, but did not receive a response by press time. Photos by Jennifer Castillo

— Sara Murphy X

Updates to AMI On July 1, Asheville released updated area median income figures. AMI is used to calculate the maximum allowable rents for developers to qualify for subsidies under the city’s affordable housing programs, including the Housing Trust Fund and Land Use Incentive Grants. The Housing Trust Fund provides low-interest loans, while the Land Use Incentive Grants provide property tax rebates. According to the new tables, the “low moderate income” threshold of 80% AMI equates to $45,000 for a single person and $64,250 for a family of four. Apartments designated as affordable for that income level must charge no more than $1,205 per month for a one-bedroom unit and $1,446 per month for a two-bedroom (both with utilities included). The updated statistics can be accessed at avl.mx/bu2.

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AUG. 3-9, 2022

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BUNCOMBE BEAT

Asheville Open Space updates approved More housing, at greater density, may soon be coming to Asheville. At least that’s the hope of Asheville City Council, which voted 6-1 to approve a controversial update to the city’s open space requirements July 26. Council member Kim Roney was the sole vote against the measure. Open spaces, as defined by city planner Vaidila Satvika during the meeting, are required in residential and commercial construction to provide light and air for environmental, scenic or recreational purposes. Examples include lawns, decorative plantings, walkways, playgrounds, fountains, swimming pools and wooded areas; driveways, parking lots and other driveable areas don’t count. Under the city’s former open space rules, developers building eight or more residential homes or apartments were required to dedicate the greater of either 500 square feet per unit or 15% of the total parcel to open space. (Developments of seven units or fewer are exempt.) Subdivisions were required 20% of total area to be left as open space. The old rules also did not include stormwater management requirements for infill housing projects. The newly approved amendment loosens those regulations by reducing the amount of open space required to as little as 5% of the parcel for apartments and as little as 10% for subdivisions. Sites of one 1 acre or larger that include affordable housing will also have lower open space requirements. And the new rules create incentives for those properties to include stormwater management measures. The city had been working on updates to the ordinance for about

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SPACE ODDITY: Urban Forestry Commission member Perrin de Jong argued that updates to Asheville’s open space requirements, which were approved during the July 26 Council meeting, are not guaranteed to increase affordable housing and may instead lead to gentrification and higher costs for homebuyers. Photo by Brooke Randle three years. A task force consisting of members from several city boards and commissions, including the Riverfront Commission, Affordable Housing Advisory Commission, Downtown Commission and others, was formed in 2021 to help address community concerns about the proposed changes. Satvika said that the task force had helped shape the new rules with “full consensus” by its members. Concern among some community members remained, however. Before the vote, the amendment received

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both support and criticism from 10 speakers during public comment. Six people opposed the measure, including Urban Forestry Commission member Perrin de Jong, who called the amendment “a deregulatory gift basket of wishlist items for developers.” Council member Roney said that the affordable housing incentive in the new rules didn’t go far enough. She also argued that Council should wait for a recommendation from the city’s urban forester, who has yet to be hired, on how the policy would impact Asheville’s tree canopy. “The stormwater incentives are obviously sorely needed. But I wonder if, before loosening the development standards for open space, we could incentivize deeper affordability at 60% of the area median income … and then consider pausing approval until the new urban forester is hired,” Roney said. “I would hate for us to bring a new staff member on board and have this policy and that staff member’s work be in conflict when we have an opportunity to get it right.” Satvika said that the number of trees on a given property is managed by a separate policy, the Tree Canopy Preservation Ordinance, which was established in September 2020.

Four people supported the change, including Chris Joyell, director of the Healthy Communities program at Asheville-based environmental advocacy nonprofit MountainTrue. “Our community currently faces two mounting crises, affordable housing and climate change, and these two issues must be addressed in concert,” Joyell said. “While we have serious concerns about the city’s urban tree canopy, we are confident that the Asheville City Council can use the existing tree ordinance to protect our city’s trees.” Another supporter was Barry Bialik, chair of the city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and owner of Compact Cottages, which builds “missing middle” housing. He said that the city’s former open space requirements had reduced the number of units that he could build. Continuing to wait to change the open space ordinance, he argued, would deepen the city’s affordable housing crisis. “We talk about a lot of stuff over the years [in regards to] affordable housing and building. And we press pause a lot, we stall a lot,” Bialik said. “Sometimes we need to look at ‘good enough.’”

— Brooke Randle X

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AUG. 3-9, 2022

FEA T U RE S

Q&A: Barbara Smith earns Girl Scouts lifetime achievement award Barbara Smith, winner of the Girl Scouts of the Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont Juliette Gordon Low Lifetime Achievement Award, began her journey with the organization as a Brownie in 1938. Years later, she found an old membership card from that time and discovered that her leader’s name was Mrs. John Smith. Smiling, she says, “And my husband’s name was John. So, I was Mrs. John Smith, too. I don’t remember my Brownie leader at all, but that’s a funny coincidence.” By the time the U.S. entered World War II, Smith was an established Girl Scout. Later, she became a Girl Scout Mariner and learned about water activities. But she says she had the most fun as a Wing Scout. “Our leader was a flying instructor,” she remembers. “We didn’t actually learn to fly, but we learned all about flight and about planes — the parts of planes, why they could

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fly and that sort of thing. Ground school, I guess.” Smith’s parents, the Lashleys, moved to Arden in 1936. Decades later, in 1980, Smith and her husband purchased her childhood home, where the two raised their own family. “Both my girls went as far as they could in Girl Scouts. Both my sons are Eagle Scouts, and my husband was a scoutmaster for 11 years.” To this day, Smith remains a Girl Scout, working as a member of the Council Archives Committee, helping to collect, catalog and display Girl Scout memorabilia. Smith is also active in the Trefoil Guild of Western North Carolina, a group of adult Girl Scouts who meet regularly for fun, fellowship and service. Additionally, Smith meets weekly via Zoom with the Girl Guide Trefoil Guild in Aberdeen, Scotland, presenting programs on topics including her 80-plus-year history with the organization. Xpress sat down with Smith over Girl Scout cookies to discuss her Scout work over the years, the lifetime achievement award and her favorite camping spot in the area. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed. What sort of Scouting work is typical for individuals like you who remain a Girl Scout into their adulthood? Among other things, I am an adult learning facilitator — what we used to call trainers. Trainers train troop leaders. I primarily train leaders in outdoor skills. And I’ve been doing that for about 40 years. The courses I help teach prepare

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LIFER: Barbara Smith has been a Girl Scout for the past 84 years. Earlier this year, the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont recognized her ongoing dedication to the organization with a lifetime achievement award. Photo by LA Bourgeois leaders to be comfortable with their troops in the out-of-doors, including such things as fire building, knots, safe use of knives, meal planning, outdoor cooking and the use and care of tents and tarps. I also help maintain our training equipment and supplies. What was your reaction to learning you’d been given the lifetime achievement award? The award totally took me by surprise. It was at the annual meeting this year. In the program, they listed all the various awards. The program would say what the award was, the requirements for winning it and then it listed the recipients. Well, the program got down to this one lifetime achievement award, and it listed all of the requirements but no name was printed. There were about 175 people there, and so I kept looking around to guess who it was. When they announced my name, I couldn’t even stand up. I didn’t know what to think. I was humbled and honored by it.

What does receiving this award mean to you? I don’t know how to express it. … It just meant so very, very much to me because my friends were responsible for this happening. They went to the CEO and said, “We need to do something for Barbara Smith.” The council had never given this award before. They developed it just for me. So that in itself is very humbling. And then the same friends said, “It’s all well and good for her to have a trophy. But if you give this award again, somebody else will get a trophy like that. And we want Barbara to have something that is just hers.” And so they had this badge made for me. It’s one of a kind. There’ll never be another one like it. It’s engraved on the back with what it’s for. It’s very hard to put into words how much it means to me. What was a particularly memorable adventure that you had as a Girl Scout? Once a year, a group of five friends plus our Wing Scout leader would get together for a long weekend, usually over Labor Day, or whenever we had some extra time. One year in the ’90s, we decided we wanted to go to the Girl Scouts and Girl Guides’ international center, a chalet in Adelboden, Switzerland. Our leader said, “Let my travel agent plan all this, and you just send us your check for the airfare.” We did that and went to Europe, traveled around, went to the chalet and had a wonderful time. On the plane coming back, our leader handed us our checks. She paid for our trip! Most unusual. She said, “I’m single. I don’t have any children. You’re my children.” Growing up, what was your favorite camping spot here in Western North Carolina? In the late 1940s, there was a cabin in the Cradle of Forestry called Shank Lodge. We could rent that for the weekend for $16. And that included all of our lanterns and wood for the fire and all kinds of things. We used to try to camp there when the moon was full. And there’s a big flat rock down at the bottom of Looking Glass Falls. We would go down there and sit on that rock in the moonlight and sing Girl Scout songs. That’s a good memory. Favorite Girl Scout Cookie? It used to be Thin Mints. But then I decided I like Peanut Butter Patties [aka Tagalongs] better. And there is a new one this year called Adventurefuls that I really like. Would you like to sample it? For more on Barbara Smith, visit avl.mx/btb.

— LA Bourgeois X

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

GOLDEN HOUR: Local musicians perform on the lawn behind Baker Visitor Center at The North Carolina Arboretum’s ArborEvenings. The next installments will be held Thursday, Aug. 4, and Friday, Aug. 5, 5:30-8 p.m. The event, which take place most Thursdays and Fridays through September, allows guests to sip beverages or enjoy a picnic as the sun sets on the gardens. Photo by Andy Hall AUGUST 3 - 11, 2022 For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.

Online Events = Shaded WELLNESS Men's Cancer Support Group Safely meet in a large conference room and stay socially distant while wearing masks. RSVP: Will at (412)9130272 or acwein123@ gmail.com. WE (8/3), 6pm, Free, Woodfin YMCA, 40 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 101 Pub Run Rain or shine, all ages and experience levels welcome. WE (8/3, 10), 6:15pm, Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Rd Montford Tai Chi Hosted by local acupuncturist Tyler White. All ages, every Thursday. TH (8/4, 11), 9am, Free, Montford Recreation Center, 34 Pearson Dr Yoga in Nature This beginner-friendly class takes place outdoors in partial

shade. TH (8/4, 11), 11am, NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way Tai Chi for Seniors: Balance, Mobility & Joint Health Taught by Karen Brinkman. Tuesdays and Thursdays. TH (8/4, 11), TU (8/9), 1pm, $10, 119 Coxe Ave Morning Souls Yoga A local trainer and yoga instructor helps get your Saturday "ohm" on. Donation suggested. SA (8/6), 9:45am, Bold Rock Mills River, 72 School House Rd, Mills River Guided Trail Walks One and half to two and a half hour hikes, led by trained volunteer guides. Also at 1pm, and Tuesdays at 1pm. SA (8/6), 10am & 1pm, TU (8/9), 1pm, NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way

Goat Yoga Taught by a certified yoga instructor/nurse. SA (8/6), 11am, Whistle Hop Brewing Co., 1288 Charlotte Hwy, Fairview Sound Healing Saturdays With practitioners David Heiss and Dawn Sagonias who will play the gongs, crystal singing bowls and the harmonium as attendees reset. SA (8/6), 5pm, $41, Inner Wolf Retreat Space, 2854 Puncheon Fork Rd, Mars Hill Tiny Tykes Triathlon Kids will bike, run and splash their way through during Asheville's annual triathlon designed for little ones ages three to six. SU (8/7), 8:45am, Free$10, Pack Square Park Morning Meditation Group Set the mood for the week.. MO (8/8), 8:15am, $5, 119 Coxe Ave Monday Run Club In partnership with Mountain Running Co. All ages and levels welcome - including walkers. MO (8/8), 6pm, Catawba Brewing Biltmore, 63 Brook St

ART Local Legends: Appalachian Folktales, Myths, and Lore Discover the mystery and magic of Appalachia, creatively interpreted by artists Julie Armbruster, Carrie Cox, Frances Domingues, Betsy Kendrick, Rosy Kirby and Jessica C. White. TH (8/4), 5pm, The Wedge at Foundation, 5 Foundy St Blown Glass Demos with Andrew Montrie Fridays throughout the summer FR (8/5), 1pm, Appalachian Craft Center, 10 N Spruce St, Ste 120 Cherishing Mountain Moments Opening Reception Featuring paintings by Robin Wethe Altman during the month of August, daily at 11am. FR (8/5), 5pm, Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave Celia Reigle: Out of My Mind Solo Show Opening The Cuban-born artist takes you into a space where textures, colors, images and what people see are her main source of inspiration. Open Wednesday through Saturday 11am-5pm,

through Sept. 3. FR (8/5), 5pm, Mars Landing Galleries, 37 Library St, Mars Hill

closed Monday. Exhibit Aug. 1-Sept. 11. Eclipse Salon, 16 Wall St

Monochrome - A Group Exhibition Opening Reception Each of the participating 14 artists randomly picked a color swatch and were asked to create a new piece of art using only that color and its variations; creating works in clay, glass, photography, and painting. Exhibition through August 12. FR (8/5), 5:30pm, Mark Bettis Studio & Gallery, 123 Roberts St

Amanda Clark: Regeneration II The artist uses abstraction and the human figure to explore emotional and physical connections, finding taboo topics such as the human reproductive system and mental illness as inspiration for her works. Hosted by Cindy Walton Fine Art. Open 10am daily, 12pm on Sunday. Pink Dog Creative, 348 Depot St

Elephants Trampeding Trackside Opening Reception An exhibit depicting elephants and other creatures of the Serengeti region of Africa. The show runs through Aug. 30. SA (8/6), 1pm, Trackside Studio, 375 Depot St

Bullington Gardens Fairy Trail Three hundred yards of tiny doors that can be gently opened and closed to reveal fairy life scenes. Open 9am, closed Sunday. Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville

Community Access Art Night: Graffiti A laid-back focus on creativity, with materials and instruction provided. FR (8/5), 6pm, Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Dr On the Walls: Featured Artist Alexandra Bloch “Contemplative glimpses of a simple scene rather than a wide view of a jumbled world.” Open 10am,

American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection Over 80 works of folk and self-taught art, including assemblages, needlework, paintings, pottery, quilts and sculpture. Open 11am, closed Tuesday. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square André Daughtry: Sketches for Wilderness A visual travelogue in

which the artist pulls together and explores elements for Wilderness, a speculative documentary photography, film and performance project. TH (8/11), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

COMMUNITY MUSIC Transfigured Night Inspired by Richard Dehmel’s poem of the same name, and influenced by a meeting with the woman who would later become the composer's wife, this fin de siècle String Sextet embodies the rich harmonic and chromatic textures of late German Romanticism. WE (8/3), 7:30pm, $35, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard Park Rhythms with Pimps of Pompe Hot jazz meets hip hop, outdoors. TH (8/4), 7pm, Free, Black Mountain Veterans Park, Black Mountain An Evening with Cole Porter A tribute to the gifted composer and lyricist known for songs like Night and Day and acclaimed Broadway musicals including Anything Goes and Kiss

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me, Kate. TH (8/4), 7:30pm, $37, Porter Center, 1 Brevard College Dr, Brevard Arbor Evenings Sip and stroll through the gardens while listening to live music from local and regional artists. FR (8/5), 5:30pm, Free$16, NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way Drum Circle A Friday night summer tradition. FR (8/5), 6pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St Concerts on the Creek Performance by The Super 60s Band. Donations encouraged. FR (8/5), 7pm, Bridge Park, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva Sleeping Beauty and Boléro Tchaikovsky’s mastery of orchestration, and Ravel’s most wellknown work. FR (8/5), 7:30pm, $24, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard Mozart to Pop Chart Nat Zegree returns for an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today's current hits. Various dates and times through Aug. 13. Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Hwy 225, Flat Rock

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C O MMU N IT Y CA L E N D AR Symphonie Fantastique As part of BMC’s American Voices Festival, Keith Lockhart conducts Chadwick’s Jubilee and Randall Goosby performs Florence Price’s rhapsodic Violin Concerto No. 1. SA (8/6), 7:30pm, $24, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard Season Finale: Mahler 3 Scored for large orchestra, women’s and children’s choruses, and mezzo soloist. SU (8/7), 3pm, $24, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard Family-Friendly Saucy Sundays: Latin Vibe Party Meet people from the Hispanic community, dance and enjoy the afternoon with live music, food trucks and salsa lessons at 3. SU (8/7), 3pm, Haywood Country Club, 662 Haywood Rd

LITERARY Terry Roberts launches The Sky Club in conversation with Heather Newton The story of money, greed, and life after the crash from the eyes of one woman. Registration required. WE (8/3), 6pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St Swannanoa Valley Museum Book Club: Murder at Asheville’s Battery Park Hotel Attendees will discuss the book from 10-10:30am, then author Anne

Chesky-Smith will read from and discuss her book. TH (8/4), 10am, Free, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N.Dougherty St, Black Mountain Lost Cove, North Carolina: A Portrait of a Vanished Appalachian Community Christy Smith will discuss and sign her book about what was once a remote moonshiner settlement. SA (8/6), 11:30am, Orchard at Altapass, 1025 Orchard Rd, Spruce Pine Poetrio: Joseph Bathanti, Eric Nelson, Emily Paige Wilson Coordinated by writer, poet and UNCA Creative Writing and World Literature assistant professor Mildred Barya. SU (8/7), 4:30pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond launch Black Boy, Black Boy This book encourages boys to imagine everything they can be, drawing on the strength of people throughout history that paved the way for Black boys. MO (8/8), 7pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St No Work in the Grave: Life in the Toe River Valley A conversation with Jo Ann Thomas Croom and Katey Schultz discussing the ways in which the Toe River Valley informs and inspires their writing, moderated by Jim

Stokely. WE (8/10), 6pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St

THEATER & FILM Chow Chow Movie Night: Ratatouille Family-friendly screening of the Disney food film. TH (8/4), 3pm, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee In this Tony award-winning musical, six awkward spelling champions vie for the championship of a lifetime. FR (8/5), SA (8/6), 7:30pm, SU (8/7), 3pm, $25-30, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 South Washington St, Hendersonville The Tin Can Man World Premiere Screening The film focuses on the underdog Hendersonville High School boys’ basketball team that won the 3A state championship in 1971-72. Proceeds will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Henderson County. FR (8/5), 6:30pm, Hendersonville High School, 1 Bearcat Blvd, Hendersonville Annie The Playground Stage Summer Family Musical, a new family theatre camp program, will present the classic musical. Open to the public, the production is "Donate What You Wish."

FR (8/5), SA (8/6), 7pm, TC Roberson High School, 250 Overlook Rd Much Ado About Nothing Director Dwight Chiles has chosen to use the Shakespearean hijinks to give the audience a show that celebrates diversity. FR (8/5), SA (8/6), SU (8/7), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St [title of show] With the help of their friends, the two struggling writers decide to write a musical about writing a musical. FR (8/5), SA (8/6), 7:30pm, SU (8/7), 2:30pm, Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E Walnut St Sunday Sinema The film will be announced at the showing at this locals dive bar that does not serve burgers. Outdoors, 21+. SU (8/7), 9pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St The Sandlot Free summer movie night. MO (8/8), 7pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave Family Movie Night: Princess Bride First come, first serve seating - or bring your own chair. Food truck and bar available. TH (8/11), 6pm, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave, Rocky Horror Picture Show Summer movie night, with an interactive "shadow cast"

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experience. TH (8/11), 8pm, $10, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave

CLASSES & MEETINGS Swannanoa Valley Museum Walk through History: The Historic Early Cherokee Village at Warren Wilson The tour will focus on a Native American archaeology site where major excavations were conducted between 1964 and 2000. WE (8/3), 10am, $25-35, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa Ayurveda 101: A Crash Course in Vibrant Health Dr. Poornima Sharma, certified yoga instructor and health coach, will present on eating well, living well, and embracing mindful living to enjoy both positive inner transformations and outer dynamism. WE (8/3), 7pm, avl.mx/8u5 Music to Your Ears Discussion Series: Jim Fielder of Blood Sweat & Tears Led by Asheville author and music journalist Bill Kopp, this event focuses on the career history of the Grammy Award-winning bass player. WE (8/3), 7pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr Laurel Chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America Alice Earl will lead the program on dry needle felting. Visitors are welcome to attend.

If interested, contact Mary Ann Wyatt at (828)681-0572 or Janet Stewart (828)575-9195. TH (8/4), 9:30am, Cummings United Methodist Church, 3 Banner Farm Rd, Horse Shoe Liveable Appalachia: Access to Healthcare in Rural Areas AARP and community collaborators in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee will explore the unique challenges and opportunities of access to health care in the South-Central Appalachian Region during this free summit. TH (8/4), 2pm, avl.mx/bup WNC Sierra Club: Making Highways Safer with Wildlife Crossings Jeff Hunter, senior program manager with National Parks Conservation Association,) will provide an overview and update on Safe Passage: The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project. TH (8/4), 7pm, Free, avl.mx/977 27th Annual Southeastern Permaculture Gathering This weekend-long event involves information sharing and community building within the southeast, with a mix of highly experienced permaculture leaders as well as newcomers, camping at the base of Mt. Mitchell. FR (8/5)-SU (8/7), Arthur Morgan School, 60 AMC Circle, Burnsville Fridays at the Folk Art Center: Are you connected to the wood wide web? Join park rangers

every Friday night this summer for a program about the Blue Ridge Parkway’s stories and sites. Outdoors, no tickets required. FR (8/5), 7pm, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway Compost Demonstration Learn more about composting with five different composting methods on display: a single bin unit, a tumbling composter, a wood pallet bin and a classic three-bin system, along with an example of vermiculture. SA (8/6), 9am, WNC Farmers Market, 570 Brevard Rd YMI Cultural Center Brother’s Brunch To provide an opportunity for male individuals to bond, fellowship and network. No registration required. SA (8/6), 11am, The Foundry Hotel, 51 S Market St Michael Checkhov Method Originally developed as a movement theater technique, Noreen Sullivan has adapted the method to be inclusive for all artists and creatives seeking to expand their craft through modes of embodiment. Sliding scale. SA (8/6), 11am, $10-40, Center for Connection + Collaboration, 65 Coleman Ave Cherokee Heritage Day with Davy Arch World-famous Cherokee tribal historian and award-winning craftsman of traditional Cherokee clan masks will give an educational

program. SA (8/6), 1pm, Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center, 2878 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley Wild Walk: A Behind the Scenes Tour The tour includes learning about feeding and caring for the animals, an animal enrichment session, and exclusive interactions with the keepers. 14 and up, masks required around animals. SA (8/6), 1:30pm, WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Rd Stitches of Love Asheville Meeting A group dedicated to creating handcrafted items which are donated to local charities. For info, call Janet at (828)575-9195 or visit the group's Facebook page. MO (8/8), 7pm, New Hope Presbyterian Church, 3070 Sweeten Creek Rd

LOCAL MARKETS Asheville City Market South Midweek market operated by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP). WE (8/3, 10), 12pm, Biltmore Town Square, 1 Town Square Blvd Les-ter Farmers Market Support local farmers and craftspeople offering a variety of local produce, herbs, flowers, cheese, meat, prepared foods, art, gifts and much more - all locally grown and produced. WE (8/3, 10), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester

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River Arts District (RAD) Farmers Market Located on the river with live music and over 30 local vendors. Safely accessible via the greenway, plus ample parking. WE (8/3, 10), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr Weaverville Tailgate Market Local foodstuffs, alongside a small lineup of craft and artisan vendors. WE (8/3, 10), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville Flat Rock Tailgate Market A diverse group of local produce farmers, jam and jelly makers, bread bakers, wild crafters, and merrymakers. TH (8/3, 11), 3pm, Pinecrest ARP Church, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock Wednesday Night Market: Vintage and Crafts Vintage and crafts from area-based vendors. WE (8/3, 10), 4pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd Enka-Candler Tailgate Market Fresh local produce and heritage crafts. Weekly. TH (8/4, 11), 3pm, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler YMCA Mobile Market Bring your grocery bags and get fresh food for your family. Distributions are free and all community members are welcome. TH (8/4), 4:30pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler Museum Rummage Sale This year’s sale will take place under a large tent at the corner of Padgettown Rd and Old US 70. FR (8/5), 11am-4pm, SA (8.6), 8am-12pm Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, Black Mountain East Asheville Tailgate Market Local goods, every Friday. FR (8/5), 3pm, East Asheville Tailgate Market, 954 Tunnel Rd Henderson County Tailgate Market One of the oldest openair markets in WNC, this unique market has a festival feel, with local growers who operate small family farms in Henderson County. SA (8/6), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville Hendersonville Farmers Market: Tomato Day In addition to local produce and goods, attendees can experience free tomato sandwiches, heirloom tomato education, a tomato beauty pageant, live music, kid yoga and

a tomato art project. SA (8/6), 8am, 650 Maple St, Hendersonville

vendors, and live music, weekly. SU (8/7), 11am, Gladheart Farm, 9 Lora Ln

Mills River Farmers Market A producer-only market, selling products raised or produced within 50 miles. With local musicians, a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, and high-quality crafts. SA (8/6), 8am, Mills River Elementary School, 94 Schoolhouse Rd, Mills River

Meadow Market A rotation of local bakers, makers, and artisans - every Sunday through Oct. SU (8/7), 12pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy

North Asheville Tailgate Market The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC. Over 60 rotating vendors. SA (8/6), 8am, 3300 University Heights The Odd Flea Dedicated to everything wacky and tacky, from taxidermy, antiques, records, junk, witchy tinctures, plants - the list goes on. SA (8/6), 8am, The Odditorium, 1045 Haywood Rd Asheville City Market Over 50 vendors and local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and more. SA (8/6), 9am, 52 N Market St Black Mountain Tailgate Market Seasonal community market event featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and local arts and handcrafted items. SA (8/6), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Haywood's Historic Farmers Market Located at HART Theatre, weekly. SA (8/6), 9am, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville Transylvania Farmers Market Fifty vendors offering fresh, locally-grown produce, meat, poultry, eggs, honey, cheese, coffee, plants, herbs, cut flowers, baked goods, jams, jellies, relishes, prepared foods and handcrafted items. SA (8/6), 9am, Downtown Brevard Madison Co. Farmers & Artisans Market Local goods and produce, weekly through Oct. SA (8/6), 10am, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill Junk-O-Rama Saturday Vintage antiques market, every Saturday through Oct. SA (8/6), 11am, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd Gladheart Farm Fest Market Fresh produce, bread and pastries, food

West Asheville Tailgate Market Over 40 local vendors, every Tuesday. With live music from Mother Marrow. TU (8/9), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd Etowah Lions Club Farmers Market Fresh produce, meat, sweets, breads, arts, and more, through October 26. WE (8/10), 3pm, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS Chow Chow: An Asheville Culinary Event Series Programming includes immersive and educational events that celebrate and enrich the unique foodways of Southern Appalachia. A local Makers Market will take place at the WNC Farmers Market. TH (8/4)-SU (8/7), Multiple locations 95th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival A different show will be presented live on stage each evening, with musicians, dancers, and storytellers who are preserving the traditions of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. TH (8/4)-SA (8/6), 7pm, Lipinsky Auditorium at UNCA, 300 Library Ln Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair With 200 juried crafters displaying handmade goods, with music, dancing and Southern and festival fare. SA (8/6), 9am, Burnsville Town Center, 6 Main St, Burnsville Grin and Bear It: Smokey Bear's 78th Birthday Live music, games, activities and a parade led by the furry fire marshal. SA (8/6), 11am, The Cradle of Forestry, 11250 Pisgah Hwy, Pisgah Forest Lake Monster Parade Dress in your best aquatic wear and parade around the lake with the marching band Brass Your Heart. Family-friendly. SA (8/6), 11am, Free, Lake Tomahawk Park, 401 S Laurel Circle Dr, Black Mountain Asheville Comedy Festival Featuring over 50 of the brightest comedians from all around the country,

the festival kicks off Wednesday, Aug. 10 at Highland Brewing, and then continues for a three-night run at the Wortham Center with three showcases, ending Saturday, Aug. 13.

SPIRITUALITY Online Baha'i Sunday Devotional Friends gathering virtually for readings, music, prayers, and conversation. All are welcome. SU (8/7), 10am, Free, avl.mx/a9m

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING Light Up the Night 5k Western Carolina Rescue Ministries and iDaph Events present a fundraising, nighttime walk/run that welcomes all. One hundred percent of the proceeds will directly benefit the continuous work of recovery, rescue and restoration to individuals throughout WNC. FR (8/5), 7pm, $35, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd

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Climb for a Cure Colorectal cancer survivors Jacob (J.J.) Singleton and Joe Bullock are hosting a local hiking event as part of a national event. Proceeds will support breakthrough research endeavors. SA (8/6), 9am, Old Mitchell Trail, Burnsville Tools for School Drive New school supplies will be collected and will be donated to support students, teachers and schools in the Asheville City and Buncombe County school system. WE (8/10), 7am, Ingles, 151 Smoky Park Hwy Experiential Garden Volunteers Needed Verner Experiential Garden (VEG) will host community garden nights, with gloves and tools provided. Email volunteer coordinator Polly: pphillips@ verneremail.org for more details. TH (8/11), 4pm, Verner Center for Early Learning, 2586 Riceville Rd Rock On For Education Kick off the brewery's chosen "Nonprofit of the Month," Henderson County Education Foundation, with 20% of sales from the event and a percentage throughout August going to support programs that benefit students and teachers of Henderson County Public Schools. With a raffle and live music from The Last Full Measure and The Stipe Brothers with Dan & Joel. TH (8/11), 4:45pm, Oklawaha Brewing Co., 147 1st Ave E, Hendersonville

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AUG. 3-9, 2022

WELLNESS

Rash decisions Buncombe County announces four monkeypox cases

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN jwakeman@mountainx.com Buncombe County has four cases of the monkeypox virus as of July 25, according to N.C. Department of Health and Human Services data. The county announced its first monkeypox case July 21. In a media briefing July 22, Buncombe County Health and Human Services Public Health Director Stacie Saunders said the affected individual was isolating and the department was conducting contact tracing with the individual’s acquaintances. She said BCDHHS would not release further information about the individual at this time. North Carolina has 53 cases of monkeypox as of July 29, according to a dashboard on the NCDHHS website. There have been no reported deaths from monkeypox in the U.S. “Over 99% of people who get [monkeypox] are likely to survive,” Saunders says. Saunders also said Buncombe County has supplies of the monkeypox vaccine. The NCDHHS designated the BCDHHS and Western North Carolina Community Health Services (also called the Minnie Jones Clinic in Asheville) to administer monkeypox vaccines in Buncombe County. Called Jynneos, the vaccine requires two doses administered one month apart. An individual is considered protected from the virus two weeks after the second dose.

AUG. 3-9, 2022

BCDHHS received 520 dosages of the vaccine; as of July 29, Saunders says it had administered 288 first doses. BCDHHS provided 100 doses to WNCCHS, which serves the 18 counties of Western North Carolina. The following people are eligible for the monkeypox vaccine: those who have been in close physical contact with someone who has monkeypox in the past 14 days; men who have sex with men or are transgender, especially those who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners; and certain health care and public health workers. The vaccine is available at no cost, and residency in Buncombe County is not required. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an individual be vaccinated prior to exposure, or four-14 days after exposure.) Testing for monkeypox is “widely available” in Buncombe County, says Saunders, who urged anyone who notices a lesion or rash to get tested at WNCCHS or BCDHHS as a precaution. Individuals also can inquire if their health care providers offer testing. Saunders says the BCHHS communicable disease staff is reporting an average of around 48 hours for turnaround time for lab results. Vaccines are available at the BCDHHS immunization clinic, 40 Coxe Ave., 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. No appointment is required. Vaccines also are available at the Minnie Jones Health Center, 257 Biltmore Ave., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

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COMMUNITY UPDATE: Buncombe County Health and Human Services Public Health Director Stacie Saunders, pictured, said in a July 22 media briefing that the first person in the county confirmed with monkeypox was isolating. Screengrab by Jessica Wakeman Saunders encouraged the public to learn more about the local spread via the DHHS or the CDC websites. RASH AND A FEVER Monkeypox can have similar symptoms to influenza, like exhaustion and headache, as well as lymph node swelling and a bumpy rash. The bumps are filled with fluid and then scab or crust over. The virus can spread through skinto-skin contact and on items like towels and bedsheets. “Monkeypox virus can be spread person-to-person through infected body fluids (including saliva and lesion fluid), items that have been in contact with infected fluids or lesion crusts and respiratory droplets,” the NCDHHS website explains.

The appearance of the pox, which resemble blisters or lesions, can be confused with chickenpox or sexually transmitted diseases like herpes or syphilis. The lesions appear most often on the face, hands, feet, mouth, genitals and buttocks, according to the NCDHHS. Complications of monkeypox can include secondary infections, bronchopneumonia, sepsis, encephalitis and vision loss from infection of the cornea, says Saunders. If an individual suspects exposure to monkeypox, she recommends the person make an appointment with a medical provider, or visit their local public health office, and avoid close contact with anyone else “including skin-to-skin contact like hugging, cuddling, sex and other close intimate contact” until a negative monkeypox test. She also recommends

wearing a mask around others, as the virus can spread through respiratory droplets. An individual with monkeypox “should isolate until rash has fully resolved, the scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed,” Saunders adds. NOT AN LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY VIRUS The outbreak in the U.S. has primarily been among men who have sex with men. (The NCDHHS website regularly updates its monkeypox surveillance data, including an infected person’s age, race and gender.) Experts emphasize that monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease, despite the fact the most cases in the U.S. are among people from the LGBTQ+ community. “We’re seeing folks label this as a sexually transmitted disease or infection, and that is not the case,” says Jack Hoda, LGBTQ+ health coordinator for WNCCHS. “It’s not been classified as [an STD or STI] because we don’t have real evidence to say that it spreads through sexual fluid.” To that end, monkeypox can “spread much more easily through just cuddling than — evidence says — sex,” he adds. Hoda says WNCCHS is partnering with local community organizations Blue Ridge Pride, Tranzmission, Campaign for Southern Equality, Western North Carolina AIDS Project and YouthOUTright to educate the LGBTQ+ community about monkeypox. Between 55,000 and 80,000 WNC residents identify as LGBTQ, according to Blue Ridge Pride. Monkeypox can infect anyone regardless of their sexual orientation. Explains Mountain Area Health Education Center CEO

Bill Hathaway, a “virus and germs attack the next available host regardless of any feature about them.” In her July 23 brief, Sanders from BCDHHS said that depending on the course of the outbreak, other groups may become eligible for the monkeypox vaccine. “The bottom line is anyone can get monkeypox,” she said. However, Hathaway predicted monkeypox may not spread as widely as COVID, as this virus has a visible rash allowing individuals to see they are infected. LOCAL RESPONSE As of Aug. 1, WNCCHS administered 49 first doses of the monkeypox vaccine, and had another 19 first doses scheduled, says Hoda. The clinic was chosen to distribute the vaccine because it is already integrated in the local LGBTQ+ community, Kim Wagenaar, chief executive officer of WNCCHS, tells Xpress. NCDHHS reported the first identified case of monkeypox in a North Carolina resident June 23. Most monkeypox infections in North Carolina are in Mecklenburg County. But Hoda says WNCCHS has gotten “a steady influx” of inquiries about transmission and vaccination information. (MAHEC spokesperson Michelle Morgan and Blue Ridge Health chief medical officer Dr. MaryShell Zaffino both tell Xpress they’re getting few inquiries. Both health centers can test for monkeypox.) Neither the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nor Gov. Roy Cooper has declared monkeypox a public health emergency. “The governor consults with state health officials to guide the state’s response to threats to public health,” Mary Scott Winstead,

CORRECTING MISINFORMATION: Jack Hoda, LGBTQ+ health coordinator for Western North Carolina Community Health Services, is educating the community that monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease. The virus spreads through skin-to-skin contact. Photo courtesy of Hoda spokesperson for Cooper’s office, tells Xpress in an email. “NCDHHS has been working with federal and local partners and health providers to increase awareness of monkeypox and protect North Carolinians.” GLOBAL OUTBREAK Monkeypox was identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the World Health Organization.

Primates and rodents originally transmitted the virus to humans through direct contact. According to the WHO, the first monkeypox outbreak in the U.S. occurred in 2003 among infected pet prairie dogs, which had been housed with rodents in Ghana infected with the virus. Subsequent outbreaks have since occurred globally. (Wagenaar from WNCCHS and Hathaway from MAHEC say their clinics have never treated a monkeypox case.) The WHO identified a monkeypox outbreak — meaning at least one occurrence in a nonendemic country — May 16, and the CDC announced the first U.S. monkeypox case in the current outbreak May 18 in Massachusetts. The WHO declared a global health emergency June 23. The vaccine, Jynneos, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2019. In a July 21 address to local health directors, NCDHHS Secretary of Health Kody Kinsley shared that monkeypox vaccines were limited in North Carolina, but the federal government offered assurances more would come. (And the federal Health and Human Services Department has ordered millions more vaccines from the Jynneos manufacturer.) Saunders said BCDHHS has received three shipments of monkeypox vaccines, one week apart. She said the county anticipates an arrival of more vaccines during the week of Aug. 1. X

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ARTS & CULTURE

Hey! Ho! Let’s go!

Local punk scene vies for greater visibility

SEEING ORANGE: Cloud City Caskets, pictured, will play on The Orange Peel’s main stage Thursday, Aug. 4, for Local Punk Showcase, which also features three other Asheville punk bands. Photo by Heather Burditt

BY JAMES ROSARIO jamesrosario1977@gmail.com Sam Fox, guitarist for Asheville pop-punk trio Busy Weather, has been playing in bands and going to punk shows for nearly 30 years. He recalls his first booked performance was scheduled at the now long-defunct venue the Squashpile, on Riverside Drive. But the space permanently shut down before the show, and his then-band, No Alternative, never made it to the stage. According to Fox, code enforcement was a go-to tactic for breaking up performances throughout the ’90s. “Police would show up at our shows with the fire marshal to make sure we weren’t over capacity,” he recalls. “They were just looking for reasons to shut us down.” But it wasn’t just city officials who posed a threat to the punk scene, Fox continues. The guitarist remembers an incident at a former venue, Alternative Pub on Merrimon Avenue, that was disrupted by a 22

AUG. 3-9, 2022

large group of UNC Asheville students looking to “pick on the weirdos,” he says. “It turned into your classic bar brawl.” Undaunted by shutdowns and hostile outsiders, Asheville’s ever-resourceful punk scene simply created its own venues and networks in an effort to build more sustainable show spaces. By the late-’90s, legendary DIY venues like the Pink House (a long-gone punk house located near Five Points on Broadway) and The Headquarters (now a literal hole in the ground on Merrimon Avenue, across the street from Luella’s BarB-Que) were in full swing, with local bands such as Astrid Oto, Excessive Defiance, Christ Filthy Dogs, Pugnacious Bastards, Wartorn Babies and Kakistocracy sharing basement stages and overblown PAs with touring bands such as American Steel, Black Army Jacket, Oi Polloi and Submission Hold. At that time, continues Fox, the underground DIY punk touring network was massive, thanks in

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part to publications such as Book Your Own F---in’ Life (the premiere pre-internet networking guide to DIY booking). “Bands from out of town would just call you up and ask if they could play, and you wouldn’t know who they were,” Fox says. “But, you’d just talk to them a little bit, and the show would be booked.” Such informal bookings, however, did come with risks, including unannounced cancellations that Fox and his fellow touring bandmates would only discover upon their arrival to a new town. “You were really living on a prayer back then,” he says. FEW AND FAR BETWEEN Decades later, cellphones and internet access have replaced collect calls and postage stamps, but the DIY spirit of those halcyon days of punk’s not-so-distant past remains largely unchanged. While hundreds of bands may have come and gone since Asheville’s mid-’90s glory days

(not to mention dozens of venues), most wouldn’t know it by examining the scene’s current state. With dedicated venues such as The Odd, Fleetwood’s and Static Age, the Asheville punk scene is arguably stronger than ever and showing no signs of slowing down. On Thursday, Aug. 4, at 7:30 p.m., The Orange Peel will host Local Punk Showcase on its main stage, highlighting four Asheville punk bands — Busy Weather, Cloud City Caskets, The Deathbots and Pink Eye. While The Orange Peel has booked a number of national punk acts over the years (including pioneering ’80s hardcore bands Circle Jerks, 7 Seconds and Negative Approach on the same July 20 bill), an all-local show is rare. However, notes Robb McAdams, The Orange Peel’s assistant manager, the venue is always working to place local punk bands as the opener for nationally touring punk acts. “We try to offer as much opportunity to the local music scene as possible,” he says. “But more and

scenes, especially as COVID-19 restrictions continue to loosen. “There is a wealth of new bands that have come out of the last twoplus years that are invigorated and excited to get out and play live,” says McAdams. “So when I saw we had some open August dates, I wanted to do my part to support our local [punk] musicians and do something special at the Peel.” McAdams credits Deutsch for getting the show organized. “I knew I would need his help to find the right group of bands who would be down to get something in the works,” McAdams notes.

more tours seem to have dedicated support artists locked in, and those chances for a local band to get a slot on a big stage are sadly few and far between.” NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES Despite limited opportunities to share the stage with bigger names, the bands featured on the Aug. 4 showcase are eager for the chance to reach a larger audience. “It’s about time to kind of change the perception of what the Asheville music scene really is,” says Alex Deutsch, bassist for The Deathbots. Along with finding a broader audience, the members of the four bands hope to put to rest certain assumptions about punk shows — namely, that such gatherings are violent and dangerous. “There’s all these labels put onto the punk-rock scene that typically deals with negative stereotypes,” says Cloud City Caskets guitarist and singer Zachary McMakin. “Folks outside the scene only see Sid Vicious [the late bassist for Sex Pistols].” “I have zero intention of my idea of punk to ever be alienating,” adds Chainer (who goes by her first name only), bassist and vocalist for Busy Weather. “I hope it’s always inviting.” As a member of Asheville’s female punk community, such distinctions are important to Chainer. Growing up in the Seattle punk scene, she reveals that not all cities are on equal footing with Asheville. With bands like Bonny Dagger, Harriers of Discord, Fantømex, Bad Vibes and Cam Girl leading the way, Chainer says, “Asheville is one of the most impressive scenes I’ve seen when it comes to women making music.” This notion of punk as an inviting and safe space may run contrary to the often intentionally confrontational image many punks display in their appearance, artwork and uncompromising music. But inclusivity has been an important aspect of the subculture since its inception in the late ’70s. From London’s gigantic Rock Against Racism shows in the late 1970s (featuring The Clash, X-Ray Spex and others) to more low-key and communal initiatives like Food Not Bombs, Musicians for Overdose Prevention and Asheville Survival Program, punks and punk affiliates have often strived to make differences big and small by creating safe spaces for everyone — especially those most marginalized by structural inequalities. And while earning a living off punk music is not often a viable

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JOIN THE PARTY: “I have zero intention of my idea of punk to ever be alienating,” says Chainer (who goes by her first name only), bassist and vocalist for Busy Weather. “I hope it’s always inviting.” Photo by Scott Sturdy option for the vast majority of bands, many within the local scene remain eager to help causes they believe in through their music, when possible. And now more than ever, says John Kennedy, guitarist and vocalist of Pink Eye, the punk ethos seems essential. “Modern life was supposed to keep us all safe and keep death far away from us,” he says. “But now we have COVID, we have mass shootings, we have an overdose crisis. Death is out there stalking us. And I think that the correct response at this moment is punk rock.” INVIGORATED AND EXCITED Back at The Orange Peel, McAdams acknowledges some of the challenges the venue faces in introducing newer acts to the community. Three of the four bands participating in the upcoming concert were established during the pandemic: Busy Weather, The Deathbots and Pink Eye. “Trying to reach a specific local fan base can be hard for a multigenre venue and event space like ours,” he says. “The fans who are in these niche local movements aren’t usually looking to us for local up-and-coming artists bringing new music and energy.” However, McAdams and the rest of The Orange Peel brass still recognize the importance of local music

When asked what, if anything, is holding Asheville’s punk scene back, the answer is obvious to those in it. “Money,” says Chainer. “Gentrification,” clarifies Fox. “The people that create this kind of music are not going to be able to afford to live here much longer.” Chainer, Fox and drummer Sean Dail do not consider Busy Weather to be an overtly political band, but they note that the economic realities of their lives in Asheville are a driving creative force in their songwriting. “We write real songs about our real lives, and guess what? That turns it into a political song,” says Chainer. “You’re just heaped with so much that it can’t help but make it into your songs. Isn’t it inevitable that it will end up political?” It’s these kinds of real-time observations that have always made punk such an urgent and important form of music. Whether such urgency will register with a larger audience at the upcoming Orange Peel showcase remains to be seen. But, as local punk musicians will tell you, the genre is here to stay — be it in dive bars, garages, dingy basements or even on professionally lit stages. “The nature of punk rock is to be resilient,” says Fox. “It always resurfaces over and over again in spite of whatever happens.” X

WHAT Local Punk Showcase

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WHEN Thursday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m., avl.mx/btp

Downtown Asheville

WHERE The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave. All ages. $10-$12

West Asheville

723 Haywood Rd

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

COMEDY

Tears of joy

Asheville Comedy Festival returns after two-year hiatus

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com There’s something special about being the only local stand-up comic selected to perform in your hometown comedy festival. That’s the situation Marlene Thompson finds herself in for the 14th Asheville Comedy Festival. Hundreds of comedians from around the world applied to participate in the annual event, but only 56 were selected. Yet, rather than running full-page ads and printing T-shirts proclaiming herself “Asheville’s Best Stand-up,” Thompson is taking a humbler approach to the honor. “There are so many talented, hardworking comedians living in Asheville, and I feel very lucky to have been chosen to perform at this year’s festival,” she says. “[But] I do think it’s significant to not have just another straight white male comic representing Asheville in a male-dominated industry.” Following a two-year, COVID-19 pandemic-induced hiatus, the event formerly known as Laugh Your Asheville Off returns Wednesday, Aug. 10-Saturday, Aug. 13, with shows at Highland Brewing Co. and the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Other than the 20 pounds he put on during the pandemic — “I call it my lockdown love handles” — festival producer and Executive Director Charlie Gerencer is mum on what’s new for this year’s edition. Nevertheless, he is elated to be back at it after a long, difficult layoff. “It was a bummer, man,” Gerencer says. “It’s an incredibly fun event to produce and attend. Over the multiday run, what’s the worst thing that you’re going to experience? You may only laugh a lot? We’re kind of a winwin type deal.” A LAUGHING MATTER Back in action, Gerencer thinks comedy is in its best shape ever. Throughout the pandemic, he notes, writers, performers and artists created out of necessity for their personal and professional well-being, resulting in a creative juggernaut for comedy. “Comedians needed to find levity in an awful situation, needed to create an outlet to smile and laugh, and found it necessary to adapt and evolve their comedy to reach the masses in any way possible,” he says. “Dare I

BORN STANDING UP: Marlene Thompson, left, and Jen O’Neill are among the performers at this year’s Asheville Comedy Festival. Thompson photo by Sahil Dhawan; O’Neill photo by Lola Scott say, ‘Thank you, Zoom’? Podcasts and VODcasts exploded, too. It was a literal virtual comedy boom.” But while the quantity of comedy increased, those who participated in these virtual events are more dubious of its quality, including Atlantabased comic Jen O’Neill. “It was a new thing, people wanted to connect, they wanted to support comedians, so for a minute, it was good,” says O’Neill, a veteran of the 2016 LYAO, who will return to Asheville for this year’s event. “We tried, but ultimately, I think it was just too hard for comedians to connect with Zoom audiences when they can’t hear any laughter. It fizzled out fast.” O’Neill has also witnessed the power of TikTok and its potential to make comedians famous. As such, she’s certain that the popular video app would be the fastest way to grow her audience, though she has thus far resisted taking the plunge. “The cranky old lady in me is fighting it tooth and nail,” she says. “I’m going to have to cave at some point.” Whatever avenue she chooses to share her comedy, audiences can expect a shift in her content. O’Neill divorced during the pandemic, and since most of her old material was tied to her relationship and marriage, she decided to start fresh. “I like to say that I lost half of my jokes in the divorce,” she says. The pandemic has similarly impacted Thompson’s material. She

notes that the past two-plus years have changed her as a person, and therefore the way she writes and views the world. In turn, she essentially threw out all of her jokes from before 2020 to more accurately reflect the world in which we now live. “I believe it’s important for comics, or any performer for that matter, to engage with the audience about the pandemic,” Thompson says. “It’s a serious disease that affected us all on a deeply traumatic level. Over one million people died. A lot of people lost their jobs, homes and/or loved ones. It would be a major disservice to the public to not mention such a catastrophic global event.” O’Neill concurs for the most part. “I think it really depends on the comic and their material,” she says. “At the end of the day, it all just comes down to whether or not the joke is funny. If you can make an audience laugh for 30 minutes on straight pandemic talk, then for the love of God, do it.” THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS Both stand-ups will get the chance to share their new material at an event that Gerencer says has become known as a “performers-first festival” — a quality that he says comics usually recognize in retrospect. “All of our efforts are to help make them a household name,” he says.

“We don’t produce for any other reason but to do our part in helping them roll the square boulder up the steep hill called a career in entertainment.” Both O’Neill and Thompson note that comedy festivals have indeed helped further their professional aspirations and enjoy performing in them. They particularly like the perks of getting to travel, network and meet new fans. “Not only have I gotten tons of work from doing festivals, but some of my best friends are comics that I’ve met on the festival circuit,” O’Neill says. “Now I don’t have to pay for hotels when I go to their cities.” Such gatherings also feel more meaningful than in the pre-pandemic days. Despite stand-up being more readily available than ever on streaming services, O’Neill feels that communities are finally ready and eager to get out, do things and — more than anything — laugh. Thompson agrees. “It’s fun to watch comedy from your couch at home. Who doesn’t love a night in with takeout and a comedy special?” she says. “But the shared experience of laughing together at a live performance is something that can’t be replicated on a TV.” Taking that concept one step farther, Gerencer sees — well, maybe not the potential for world peace, but the capacity for greater positivity across people of different backgrounds. “In an environment where the comedy is live, you’re more apt to be open to the humor and forgive any initial instinct of judgment, criticism, shock or offensiveness. It’s a safe place to let go from the straps of social norms and just be free to laugh,” he says. “It feels a hell of a lot better than getting in a political argument with someone you don’t know on social media. Laughter, plain and simple, is contagious and a main ingredient to joy. The more people laughing, the more joy there is to be had. I’m such a dork but I know this is true.” X

WHAT Asheville Comedy Festival, ashevillecomedyfestival.com WHERE Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave., and Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Highway. See website for schedule WHEN Wednesday-Saturday, Aug. 10-13. Ticket packages $25-$100

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ARTS & CU L T U R E

LITERATURE

‘Poetry midwife’ Burnsville poet Pat Riviere-Seel discusses poetry, voice and gardening

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com Award-winning poet and Burnsville resident Pat RiviereSeel remembers catching the poetry bug her sophomore year of college at N.C. State University. “I realized that I had no choice but to write poetry,” she says. Among those whom she credits for revealing the power of the form is fellow North Carolina poet Thomas Heffernan, who taught one of Riviere-Seel’s senior English literature courses. Poetry, however, took a back seat as Riviere-Seel pursued a career in journalism and later a stint as a lobbyist for nonprofit organizations in the Maryland State House. Eventually, she returned to her home state, earning an Master of Fine Arts from Queens University of Charlotte. Though she’s won multiple writing awards, she says her greatest

accomplishment as a poet “is my role as a ‘poetry midwife,’ a teacher, who encourages and helps other poets become the best poets that they can be.” Riviere-Seel recently shared her poem “Reclamation” from her 2021 collection, When There Were Horses. Along with the work, the poet speaks with Xpress about her writing life. Xpress: There are so many wonderful details in this poem. Is there a particular line that got the piece going? Pat Riviere-Seel: Like many of my poems, this one began with an image — the large garden that I created when I bought a little house in the woods of Yancey County in 1993. The year prior, I had moved from Annapolis, Md., back to North Carolina, to be closer to my dad and my extended family in Shelby. I had dreamed of retiring to the North Carolina mountains, a favorite place since my childhood. But,

BE YOURSELF: As an instructor, poet Pat Riviere-Seel says there are two things she cannot teach aspiring and established poets: “No. 1: Your ear for music. No. 2: The way you see the world.” Photo courtesy of Riviere-Seel I made the move sooner than anticipated when I accepted the job as editor of a bimonthly journal, which I renamed Voices, published by Rural Southern Voice for Peace. When my dad died unexpectedly in March 1993, I realized that for the first time in my life I was completely alone, with no immediate

family — no parents, no siblings, no children, no significant other or partner. I decided to buy the house in Yancey County in part because it offered the chance to create a garden. I did not know at the time how long I would stay, but I wanted something to literally sink my hands into. I lived there for

Reclamation by Pat Riviere-Seel First she reclaims the garden, tangled north facing plot where summer comes slow. The root cellar holds cloudy jars neatly stacked on wooden shelves. A neighbor bush-hogs the brambles, the wild blackberries, the weeds grown tangled from neglect. A storage shed keeps stories of better days wrapped in cobwebs and dust. An artist whose medium is dirt walks behind his Gravely tractor turning soil while she follows raking, breaking clods of clay.

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Together they carve a spiral and dig keyholes for herbs. The man plows long rows. Autumn she plants buckwheat, begins a compost pile. Winter she curls into the sofa, reads seed catalogues and stokes the fire. Spring brings blueberry bushes, flats of basil. She plants by the moon and dreams of chickens. A tree trimmer prunes the apple tree’s branches split by winter winds and ice. Order brings its own regrets, but she cannot resist the impulse. Sunrise she kneels between the rows pulling weeds from soil still damp with dew, thinks to stay awhile.

five years, and the garden became my joy and solace. But I did not begin the poem until more than 25 years later. Given the personal inspiration behind the piece, do you find that readers sometimes have a hard time distinguishing the poem from the poet — especially as many of your works are written in the first person but are not necessarily written about your personal experiences? How to make that connection with the reader without the reader assuming that the speaker is the poet? It gets tricky, especially when writing poems that evoke strong emotions. For example, a friend read a poem where the speaker in the piece talked about the death of her brother. My friend did not have a brother. After the reading, several people came up to her and expressed their condolences. She was mortified. It was a poem. The speaker was not the writer. That story has stayed with me for years and presented a question I cannot answer very well: What would I have done? My friend did not tell the reader that she did not have a brother, but she wondered afterward if she should have. If she had said that was not her experience, would the reader have trusted the speaker in her other poems? Does it matter? We can never control how any reader reacts to our poems. Unless the poem is obviously a persona poem, there is always the risk that the reader will identify the poet as the speaker in the poem, believe that the experience belongs to the speaker. So, I try not to think about that too much. The poet’s job is to craft a work of art. Sometimes that comes from personal experience. More often, I believe, the poem comes from wanting to explore an image, a line, a situation or an experience.

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It’s that exploration, along with imagination, that goes into creating the poems. The details in this poem and others in the collection are so specific and layered. I wonder if this is a talent you’ve always had or one that you’ve cultivated over the years. If the latter, in what ways did your understanding of poetry evolve and reshape the way you perceive and write about the world around you? I like to think that the images in my poems have come from the skills that I’ve developed — and am still developing — as I work on my craft. I don’t think that I have any innate talent for images or poetry. I fell in love with poetry when I first read William Blake in high school. His images were so powerful, so vivid, otherworldly. And yet they allowed me to see a very concrete world that existed in imagination. The connection to the images was at first very visceral. As I began to study poems and poetry, I started asking, how did the poet do that? Why that particular image? What does it allow me to see that I did not see before I read this poem? I also began asking the question we all ask as we begin working with metaphor: What’s it like? If I begin a poem with an object, I investigate the object — what draws me to that particular object and why? Where is the beauty? Where are the flaws? And always, what’s it like? As I frequently told my poetry students, there are two things that are unique to each poet, something I cannot teach anyone: No. 1: Your ear for music. No. 2: The way you see the world. Lastly, who are the four poets on your personal Mount Rushmore? Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Bishop and Marianne Moore. X

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FOOD ROUNDUP

What’s new in food

YMI Cultural Center continues its 129-year tradition of forging new cultural, educational, social and business opportunities for Asheville’s Black community with its latest Brother’s Brunch on Saturday, Aug. 6, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The monthly free gathering, which debuted in June, takes place the first Saturday of every month and is intended for men of color of all ages. “The purpose of Brother’s Brunch is to provide an opportunity for male individuals to bond, fellowship and network,” says Justin Blackburn, peer support specialist at YMI Cultural Center. “The impact of having a strong network of professional and supportive men in my life has propelled me tremendously into becoming the man I am today.” Each monthly brunch is catered by a rotating list of local chefs and restaurants that sponsor the events and provide complimentary meals. “The food is obviously a large aspect of Brother’s Brunch because our fellowship takes place around the table,” says Blackburn. Joe Scully, chef and co-owner of Chestnut and Corner Kitchen, catered the first two Brother’s Brunches and was instrumental in setting the precedent for what Blackburn and YMI hope will become a long-running event and a new pillar of the local Black community. “I became friendly with Justin Blackburn through my interest and involvement with the YMI Cultural Center,” says Scully. “I have always loved the YMI; as a matter of fact, my wife and I held our wedding reception in the auditorium there. We hope to bring a sense of fellowship and unity and break down barriers through the Brother’s Brunch.”

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Building brotherhood for Black Asheville

BUILDING BROTHERHOOD: The YMI Cultural Center’s Brother’s Brunch event series promotes Black excellence through good food and quality networking opportunities. Photo courtesy of the YMI Cultural Center Del Vecchios, the latest local sponsor, is set to provide lasagna, salad and sides for attendees of the Aug. 6 event. Tony Franco and Matthew Macon of Food Experience will take over meal responsibilities for the next event. Due to renovations closing the main YMI offices, The Foundry Hotel has stepped up to host these monthly events until the center reopens. “My hope is that not only will men that attend be able to find a place in someone else’s support system, but that the younger attendees will see men interacting on a level they may not normally see,” says Blackburn. A similar program accommodating Black women of all ages is currently in development with a tentative start date set for Oct. 26. There is no registration required to attend Brother’s Brunch. The Foundry Hotel is at 51 S. Market St. Visit avl.mx/9gc for more information.

Chow Chow events fill weekend A series of culturally immersive and culinary events will take place Thursday, Aug. 4- Sunday, Aug. 7, during the second weekend of the 2022 Summer of Chow Chow. On Saturday, Aug. 6, event sponsors Burial Beer Co. and the WNC Farmers Market will host Nourishing

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Community at the WNC Farmers Market. The gathering will feature seven chefs creating three small dishes each and seven craft beverage makers pouring drink samples to accompany each dish. Six speakers from local gardens and markets will discuss the importance of ethical agriculture and food justice throughout the service, which runs 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person. Also on Saturday, Aug. 6, is the Sowing Seeds of Equity seated dinner 6-9 p.m. at the WNC Farmers Market. Farmers of color will be celebrated and engaged in conversation throughout a five-course meal paired with beverages featuring six local chefs and five craft beverage makers. A cocktail hour will follow the meal. Tickets are $150 per person. Chef Steven Goff (Tastee Diner) and mixologist Chris Faber (The Times Bar) will co-host a Cooking with Scraps Seminar at the Asheville Masonic Temple on Sunday, Aug. 7, 9-11 a.m. Kitchen resourcefulness meets environmental sustainability in an event exploring Southern Appalachian food ingenuity. Tickets run $25 per person. From cuisine to fuel and everything in between, corn represents one of the most diverse and commonly used food products across cultures and time periods. A robust series of speakers and chefs will address the

diversity of this humble maize during Corn: A Cross-Cultural Celebration, a four-course brunch with paired beverages on Sunday, Aug. 7, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., at Highland Brewing Co. Tickets cost $125 per person. WNC Farmers Market is at 570 Brevard Road. The Asheville Masonic Temple is at 80 Broadway. Highland Brewing Co. is at 12 Old Charlotte Highway, No. 200. For a complete list of events, visit avl.mx/6gm.

Peru in the spotlight Citizen Vinyl is set to welcome Peruvian artist, stage designer and chef Caro Gutiérrez Paz of Ayni 51 Peruvian Food as part of its Turntable Suppers series. The dinner series melding food and vinyl takes place Monday, Aug. 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m. “Peruvian culture is a mix of life and of culture,” says Paz. “My family is diverse. They taught me how to cook and that food is a part of my history. We’ll have Andean cuisine, jungle food and coastal dishes.” Records representing artists from the Peruvian coast, the Andean mountains and even a few of Paz’s favorite local artists will provide the soundtrack for the night.

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AR T S & C UL TU R E “There’s nothing better than creating culture in new spaces through new forms,” says Paz. Citizen Vinyl is at 14 O. Henry Ave. Tickets cost $65 per person. Visit avl.mx/btm to reserve your spot and for additional information.

New Origin Brewing turns 1

COMING SUMMER 2022 Westgate Shopping Center

70 Westgate Pkwy. - Next to Earth Fare Asheville, NC 28806 www.gemelli.restaurant

One of Asheville’s newest breweries, New Origin, celebrates its first anniversary with a party commemorating the milestone on Saturday, Aug. 6, noon-10 p.m. A special barrel-aged stout and a New England IPA, brewed in collaboration with Charlotte’s Heist Brewery, will be released for the event. The Garage BBQ food truck plans to be on-site, serving smoked meats topped with scratch sauces, while supplies last. Local band Iggy Radio kicks the party up a notch starting at 6 p.m. The brewery will also unveil special edition anniversary T-shirts and pour celebratory seltzer slushies throughout the event. New Origin Brewing is at 131 Thompson St. Visit avl.mx/btn for additional information.

Pass it on BeLoved Asheville has announced an innovative new initiative designed to preserve cultural traditions through fresh healthy food. Dubbed La Cocina de Mama/ Mama’s Kitchen food truck, the local nonprofit plans to accommodate communities of color with a series of education classes, kid-friendly chef kits and opportunities to pass down traditions and techniques to the next generation of culinary creators. Donations are currently being gathered ahead of the Aug. 22 dead-

line to help fund the project, with a goal of $6,000 set by the organization. “We are so excited to announce this new innovative solution to preserving cultural traditions through fresh healthy food,” says BeLoved Asheville in a press release announcing the project. “Mama’s Kitchen gives mothers, aunts, sisters and grandmothers a chance to keep their cultural traditions alive.” Visit avl.mx/btl for more information and to donate.

The future of Foothills Meats From a small farm to a retail butcher shop to a multifaceted food service and hospitality company, Foothills Meats has continuously evolved its concept since its inception in 2002. “We’re so grateful to be looking back on 20 years in local food and farming,” says owner Casey McKissick in a press release announcing the company’s anniversary. “Every year we’ve stuck with our core mission of providing ‘Honest Meat,’ and the local community has supported us at every step.” In celebration of its 20th year in business, Foothills is looking to return to its roots with a new concept and a new iteration of its Black Mountain Butcher Bar. The brand-new concept comes by way of Foothills Grange, an expansive outdoor space suited to accommodate 250 people named in honor of the Grange Movement — a culturally significant period in American agriculture history when the first progressive farming movement was established. “We wanted to create a unique spot that brings all types of people together and celebrates our collective agriculture heritage,” McKissick says in the same press release. “By day, it will be a family-friendly place. By night, it might get a little more honky-tonk.”

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When Foothills Grange opens later this month, the flagship Foothills Butcher Bar at 107 Black Mountain Ave. will close temporarily before reopening in the fall as a dinner-service-only restaurant specializing in dry-aged steaks and boasting a revitalized bar. Foothills Grange will be at 120 Broadway Ave., Black Mountain. Visit avl.mx/6n3 for additional information.

Poetic provisions Like haikus? Here’s one for you: New Ukiah lunch? Fridays: noon to 4 p.m. Try the pork belly. The above poem was inspired by Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse’s recent announcement of a new Haiku Lunch Menu, promising a delicious, cost-friendly lunch to downtown diners each Friday. Miso soup, a seasonal salad, a wood-fired chicken, the aforementioned pork belly, mushroom skewers and ramen are among the menu options. Ukiah’s full selection of appetizers, entrees, desserts and cocktails will remain available during the new Friday lunch period, and this haiku menu can be enjoyed across the restaurant’s bar, indoor and outdoor terrace dining locations. Ukiah is at 121 Biltmore Ave. Visit avl.mx/9kg for additional information.

Cause for shell-ebration Jettie Rae’s Oyster House recently commemorated its two-year anniversary with the launch of a new seasonal menu just in time for summer. “Launching a coastal-inspired seafood restaurant in the mountains — in the middle of a pandemic, no less — was an idea just crazy enough to work, as evidenced by Jettie Rae’s many loyal customers and glowing reviews,” says Emma Waugh, account coordinator for CBPR, a firm representing the restaurant. Fresh local produce complements even fresher seafood in a number of seasonally inspired items. Low country shrimp salad, crab ricotta tomato toast and Nantucket scallops served with a pecan-tomato sauce and zucchini ribbons are among the featured items. Jettie Rae’s Oyster House is at 143 Charlotte St. Visit avl.mx/bef for more information.

— Blake Becker X

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

ROUNDUP

Around Town

New children’s book spotlights famous and lesser-known Black historical figures For Asheville attorney Jorge Redmond, both the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, and memories of the 2016 movie Hidden Figures served as inspiration for his debut children’s book, Black Boy, Black Boy. “Wearing many hats as a father, teacher and attorney, I wanted not only my son but other Black and brown boys to believe ... in themselves and to know that anything is possible,” says Redmond, who serves as assistant district attorney in the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office. Redmond co-wrote the book with friend and social entrepreneur Ali Kamanda; award-winning artist Ken Daley illustrated the story. Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe will host a free hybrid launch Monday, Aug. 8,

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at 7 p.m. with the official publication date the following day. Black Boy, Black Boy tells the story of a father walking his son along a metaphorical path of history. The father highlights figures who represent Black excellence and pride, including former NFL quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick, former President Barack Obama and writer Chinua Achebe. The picture book is intended for children ages 4 and older. “This book was written to Black boys [and] for all kids, and allows an understanding of important historical figures that could be inspiring to any reader,” says Redmond. “Black success can come from many parts of society, not just on the field and stage.” Malaprop’s is at 55 Haywood St. To register for the event, visit avl.mx/brz.

Forevermore I’ll Sing As a child, whenever Madison County vocalist Donna Ray Norton attended the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, she saw it more as a family reunion and less as her potential future. But now, after 23 years as a performer, she has established herself as a recognized ballad singer, continuing the Western North Carolina tradition that’s been part of her family legacy for eight generations. Norton is one of over 40 performers participating in the 95th annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, taking place at UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Hall Auditorium, ThursdaySaturday, Aug. 4-6, 7-10 p.m.

INSPIRING YOUNG READERS: Two longtime friends will celebrate the publication of their first children’s book at an Aug. 8 event. Local attorney Jorge Redmond, left, and entrepreneur Ali Kamanda, right, hope the book’s story sends a positive message to their sons and other young readers. Photo courtesy of Sourcebooks Publishing Norton will debut two songs from her new album, Forevermore I’ll Sing, during her Friday, Aug. 5, performance. The album, featuring centuries-old ballads, will be available for purchase at the event. Each evening will offer a different show, featuring musicians, dancers and storytellers who aim to preserve the traditions of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Performances will include bluegrass, century-old ballads, clogging, smooth dance and storytelling. “I hope that people who aren’t familiar with my genre [of music] will enjoy my album enough to continue to listen to it for years to come and maybe even want to learn to sing these old songs themselves,” Norton says. “For people who are familiar, I hope that they can hear how much

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I’ve grown as an artist over the years [and] see how committed I am to keeping this tradition alive.” The Lipinsky Hall Auditorium is at 300 Library Lane on the UNC Asheville campus. Tickets range $5-$25. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit avl.mx/btk.

Save the elephants For most people, the question is cats versus dogs. However, local artist Dee Santorini has a soft spot for elephants. “It is the strong sense of family that I find most charismatic about elephants,” says Santorini. “They love deeply. One of their favorite things to do is hug each other. I love who and what elephants are. I wish humanity was more like elephants.” Santorini will present Elephants Stampeding Trackside, an exhibit depicting elephants and other creatures of the Serengeti region of Africa, at Trackside Studios in the River Arts District from Saturday, Aug. 6-Tuesday, Aug. 30, 10 a.m.5 p.m. An opening reception will be held Saturday, Aug. 6, 1-4 p.m. Santorini will also host live painting sessions every Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 6-27, noon-4 p.m. A portion of all elephant painting sales will be donated to Save the Elephants, a Kenyan-based charity. Trackside Studios is at 375 Depot St. For more information on the exhibit, visit avl.mx/btg.

Magical Offerings Second Saturday Speaking of the River Arts District, the latest Second Saturday in the RAD takes place Saturday, Aug. 13, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Along with featured artists and demonstrations, the event will include a class on Ukrainian pysanky eggs led by Andrea Kulish. For the complete Second Saturday schedule, visit avl.mx/bth.

Crafts fair days The Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair returns for its 65th year Friday, Aug. 5-Saturday, Aug. 6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., on Main Street in Burnsville. This year, the fair will feature more than 200 vendors and performers, including 40 local artists from Yancey County. The jury-selected lineup includes ceramics and woodcarvings, jewelry, blown and sculpted glass, metalwork, textiles and woven baskets. Bluegrass, country music and clogging will be performed on the main stage throughout the weekend. “These days, [we have] nearly 250 vendors and more than 30,000 visitors,” says festival director Christy Wood. “Craft fair days are two of the biggest sales days for many businesses in the county.” Along with live music, Parkway Playhouse will present a kid-friendly performance of Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play. All children in attendance will receive a free book as part of the playhouse’s Reading is Alive program. The fair takes place on Main Street in Burnsville. For more information, visit avl.mx/a3b.

Take a walk Artsville Collective will present A Walk in the Woods, an exhibition by seven local artists depicting fall in Appalachia at Marquee in Asheville’s River Arts District Friday, Aug. 5-Sunday, Oct. 30. “[Viewers] will feel immersed in the woods through a variety of artists and mediums,” says Louise Glickman, Artsville co-founder and artist. “The artists’ works invite one to consider what they think and dream about when they walk in the woods.” The event features the work of five guest artists: Jim McDowell’s storytelling face jugs, Bronwen McCormick’s watercolor fall landscapes, Jo Miller’s nature-inspired “illusion” baskets, Ellen Golden’s modified landscape photography and Mary Farmer’s encaustic woodland scenes. Additionally, Glickman will exhibit her own quilted landscapes, and fellow Artsville

Collective co-founder Daryl Slaton will have augmented reality pop characters. Marquee is at 36 Foundy St. For more information, visit avl.mx/bte.

Where there’s smoke The Asheville Center for Connection + Collaboration will present Smoke & Mirrors, an immersive performance installation that uses smoke and mirrors to create multimedia layers of projected imagery, movement and sound. The outdoor show takes place Saturday, Aug. 20, 8:30-10:30 p.m. After the performance’s successful spring premiere at the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center’s {Re} HAPPENING at Lake Eden, CCC artists knew they had to perform it again, says CCC founder Cilla Vee. “Some people said it was one of the most beautiful performances they had ever seen,” she says. “[Others] had a deeply spiritual experience with the piece.” This time around, there will be more time and space for audience members to “get in the zone,” Cilla Vee adds. The performance will feature artist Geo Lynx on graphic animation and video projection, his son Pax on music and composition, and performance art by Cilla Vee. The CCC is at 65 Coleman Ave. Suggested donations are $5-$20. For more information or to register, visit avl.mx/btd.

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MOVIE REVIEWS Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include: VENGEANCE: B.J. Novak (NBC’s “The Office”) makes an impressive feature-length debut as a writer/director, and also brings his distinct deadpan acting charms to the role of Ben, an NYC-based podcaster whose trip to Texas for an ex-flame’s funeral doesn’t quite go as planned. Ben’s adventures investigating her death involve plentiful comedic culture-clash situations, but an unearned climax and an abrupt ending leave things on a sour note. Grade: B — Edwin Arnaudin

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Queer Comedy Party: Mimi Benfield, 7pm • Aquanet Goth Party w/Ash Black, 9pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Trivia! Trivia! Night, 6:30pm

CONTINUUM ART Westie Wednesdays (West Coast Swing), 7pm DOUBLE CROWN Western Wednesday, 9pm GUIDON BREWING Trivia Night, 7pm HI-WIRE BREWING Weekly Trivia Night, 7pm HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Well-Crafted Wednesdays w/Matt Smith, 6pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Survey Says: Family Feud Style Trivia, 7pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 An Evening w/the DonJuans (acoustic), 7pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Trivia Night, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm

CATAWBA BREWING BILTMORE Singo (musical bingo), 7pm

LAZY HIKER BREWING SYLVA Trivia Night, 6:30pm

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Trivia w/Billy, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

MAKE TONIGHT A WONDERFUL THING: Dirty Logic, Asheville’s Steely Dan tribute band, will perform at Salvage Station’s outdoor stage Saturday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m. The 11-piece supergroup consists of local members who hail from national and regional acts. Photo courtesy of Dirty Logic ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Wild Wednesday Funk-n-Rock w/Free Anesthesia, 10pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm

RENDEZVOUS Albi (musique Francaise), 6pm SILVERADOS Wednesday Night Open Jam hosted by Hamza Vandehey, 6pm SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Slice of Life Standup & Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING Comin' Home The Band (blues, folk, rock), 6pm

27 CLUB HolyRoller, Smoke and Mean Green (hard rock), 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS 7 1/2 Giraffe, Naturalblkinvention, Tombstone Poetry, & Tympanic Rupture, 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING The Blushin' Roulettes' (Americana), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Andrew Wakefield (folk, rock, bluegrass), 7pm

305 LOUNGE & EATERY Geriatric Jukebox (oldies), 5pm

BLUE GHOST BREWING CO. The '00s Trivia, 6:30pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Phirsty Phursdays w/ Lumpy Heads (Phish tribute), 9pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Early Dance Party, 7pm • Venus (dark house dance party), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Sariyah Idan (R&B, soul), 8pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mr Jimmy's Big City Blues, 7:30pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm THE DUGOUT Karaoke Party w/ Sandman, 8pm THE FOUNDRY HOTEL Andrew Finn Magill (acoustic), 7pm THE GREY EAGLE • Trouvère (indie rock), 5pm • Andrew Duhon (singer-songwriter), 8pm THE HAWK & HAWTHORNE Homeboy Sandman & Deca (rap), 7pm THE POE HOUSE Team Trivia w/Wes Ganey, 7pm HARRAH'S CHEROKEE CENTER ASHEVILLE ZZ Top (classic rock), 7pm TOWN PUMP The Tall Boys (rock), 6:30pm TURGUA BREWING CO. Trivia Night, 6pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic, 6pm

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4 185 KING STREET Congdon & Co. ft Kelly Jones (covers), 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 8pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Blue Ridge Jazzway, 8pm

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BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Trivia Night w/Mindless Minutia, 7pm BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm CAFE CANNA SpanGLISH Karaoke Patio Party, 9pm CATAWBA BREWING BILTMORE Thursday Trivia w/Billy, 6:30pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Singo (musical bingo), 6pm FLEETWOOD'S Bonny Dagger, Beneath Trees & Zillicoah (punk), 8pm FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm GUIDON BREWING Open Mic, 6:30pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM David Potter (bluegrass, folk, Celtic), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Asheville Sessions ft Sharon LaMotte (jazz, pop, rock, blues), 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm MEADOWLARK SMOKY MOUNTAIN HERITAGE CENTER Steve "Piano Man" Whiddon, 6pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Logical Delirium (improvisational), 8pm PISGAH BREWING CO. Pixel Vision (dance/ electronic), 6:30pm ROOM NINE Thirsty Thursday w/DJ Moto, 9pm THE FOUNDRY HOTEL The Foundry Collective ft Pimps of Pompe (jazz, acoustic), 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR • Rum Punchlines Comedy Open Mic, 6pm • Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Lil Meow Meow (house, hip hop, dance, R&B), 9pm THE ODDITORIUM Indighost, Wyndrider & Tombstone HWY (rock'n'roll psych electro, stoner doom), 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Local Punk Showcase, 8pm THE ROOT BAR Perry Wing Combo (rock), 6pm

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5 185 KING STREET The Wildmans (Appalachian), 8pm

BIG PILLOW BREWING Kevin Reese (guitarist), 6pm BLUE RIDGE HEMP CO. Chaotic Comedy, 8pm BREWSKIES Karaoke, 10pm CORK & KEG Sparrow and her Wingmen (vintage jazz, swing), 8pm DIRTY JACK'S Reverend Finster (acoustic R.E.M. tribute), 7:30pm DRY FALLS BREWING CO. Folkadelic Jam Band, 7pm FLEETWOOD’S Mr. Pibbonacci, Blissful Thoughts, Roamck (rock), 8pm FROG LEVEL BREWERY The Mug Band (classic & blues rock), 6pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM David Hughes (Americana, Piedmont blues, roots), 7pm GUIDON BREWING Mike Pauer (acoustic), 7pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Tuxedo Junction (covers), 7pm

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HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Drag Music Bingo w/ Divine the Bearded Lady, 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Takénobu (acoustic, folk), 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Sons of Ralph (bluegrass, rock), 9pm MEADOWLARK MOTEL Friday Night Karaoke, 7pm NEW BELGIUM BREWING CO. Clouds of Delusion (Grateful Dead inspired), 5:30pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Sly Sparrow (rock, Top 40, blues), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Friday w/ Generous Electric & Gus & Phriends, 6pm

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 185 KING STREET Rebekah Todd (cosmic soul rock), 8pm 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 1pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Vinyl Timetravelers: Hip Hop Dance Party, 10pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Back to the 90's Party with DJ Deacon, 9pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (Gypsy jazz), 5:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • Fancy and the Gentlemen (alt country, honky tonk), 6pm • Tao Jones (improvisational funk & jazz), 9pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE • Bluegrass Brunch, 10am • Mark Bumgarner (Southern Americana, country), 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Unspoken Tradition (bluegrass), 6pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Bex, Scout Gillett, Aunt Ant & Convalesent (indie), 8pm THE DUGOUT Kayla McKinney & Twisted Trail (rock, country blues), 8pm

BOOJUM BREWING CO. Brother Fat (funk), 9pm BREWSKIES Pool Tournament Saturdays, 7pm CONTINUUM ART Rivals (dark pop-rock), 7pm CORK & KEG The Lads avl (classic rock, blues), 8pm FLEETWOOD'S Bad Ties, Beset & Feeling Bad (indie, noisy punk, prog rock), 8pm FROG LEVEL BREWERY The Maggie Valley Band (dark Appalachian), 6pm

THE FOUNDRY HOTEL Hot Club of Asheville (jazz), 7:30pm

GUIDON BREWING Beer and Loathing (acoustic duo), 6:30pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR • Getaway Comedy: Sally Brooks, 8pm • Hot Bish: a drag experience ft Danielle Eclipse, 10pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Justin Cody Fox Band (singer-songwriter), 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE • ImiJ of Soul (Jimi Hendrix tribute), 6pm • Cruel Summer: Taylor Swift Inspired Dance Party, 9pm THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Press Play (disco, funk, lofi), 9pm THE ODDITORIUM Invocation of the Southern Gate (trap, horror rap), 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL 80s vs 90s Dance Party, 8pm

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WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Pinkish Floyd, 8pm

BIG PILLOW BREWING Vaden Landers Band (honky tonk, blues), 6pm

SALVAGE STATION Fireside Collective w/ The Grass Is Dead & Cristina Vane (bluegrass), 7pm

AUG. 3-9, 2022

UPCOUNTRY BREWING CO. Phish Live Stream: Atlantic City, 7:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING 5j Barrow (folk rock), 8pm

RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Ionize (reggae), 6pm

TOWN PUMP Perry Wing Combo (rock), 9pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Peggy Ratusz Trio (blues, jazz, soul), 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Michael Reno-Harrell (Americana, folk, story teller), 7pm • Erick Baker (country, rock, soul), 8:30pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Traditional Irish Jam, 4pm • Jarvis Jenkins Band (Allman Brothers Band tribute), 9pm

LITTLE JUMBO Downtown Division Mothership Landing: 70s Dance Party, 10pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

• SOL Dance Party w/ Zati (soul house), 9pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mark's House Jam and Beggar's Banquet, 3pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Martini Monday, 8pm BREWSKIES Open Jam w/Tall Paul, 7:30pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING Fresh Buzz (rock), 7pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Dark City Kings (outlaw country, rock), 3pm

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Musicians in the Round, 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. TrancEnd (trip-hop), 8pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Bluegrass Brunch, 10am

DSSOLVR Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Jerb (funk), 9pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY Divine's Karaoke Kiki, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Andrew Wakefield (folk, rock, bluegrass), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Jesse Barry & The Jam (funk, soul), 2pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Pure Fiyah Reggae Band, 8pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Bluegrass Brunch w/ Supper Break, 12pm • Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash, 6pm PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Days Beteween Night 1: Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 8pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Jukebox Jumpers (country blues), 6pm SALVAGE STATION Dirty Logic: A Tribute To Steely Dan, 8pm STORY PARLOR Clint Roberts, Zachary Warren & Miles Hewitt (Americana, roots), 7:30pm SUNNY POINT CAFÉ Albi (fingerstyle guitar), 6pm THE BURGER BAR Best Worst Karaoke w/ KJ Thunderk*nt, 9pm THE FOUNDRY HOTEL Jazz Soul Trio, 7:30pm THE GREY EAGLE • Carpal Tullar (rock), 6pm • Billingsley w/Ross Osteen Band, 9pm THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Short Stop (soul, Latin, dance), 9pm THE ORANGE PEEL Crank County Daredevils, Gak, Bonedozer, Night Beers & DJ Pinkus (metal, rock, thrash), 9pm UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Phish Live Stream: Atlantic City, 7:30pm URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE Breakin' on Buxton w/ Free Range DJ (80s dance party), 8pm

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7 ARCHETYPE BREWING Sunday Sessions, 3pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Life's A Drag Brunch w/Ida Carolina, 12pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY Old Time Jam, 5:30pm HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB Taylor Martin's Open Mic, 6:30pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm LITTLE JUMBO Live Jazz Mondays: Jay Sanders Trio, 7pm

NEW BELGIUM BREWING CO. Asheville Drag Brunch, 12:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Night, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Citizens' Dead (Grateful Dead tribute), 4pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic w/Tony Willingham, 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • Sunday Jazz Jam & Brunch w/The Fully Vaccinated Trio, 1pm • Purple Quintet (instrumental pop, jazz, soul), 6pm PISGAH BREWING CO. Days Between Night 2: Phuncle Sam (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm SIDEWAYS FARM & BREWERY Myron Hyman (classic rock, blues), 12pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Withered, Harsh Realm, & Urocyon (prog), 8pm THE FOUNDRY HOTEL Daniel Shearin (singer songwriter), 6pm THE GREY EAGLE • The 40, 20, 10s (Americana, outlaw country), 5pm • Owen w/Thomas Kozak (singer-songwriter), 8pm THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Chico Feo (international dance), 9pm THE ODDITORIUM Darkhand, Cleansing of the Temple, Sidious, and Sanity (metal), 8pm UPCOUNTRY BREWING CO. Phish Live Stream: Atlantic City, 7:30pm ZILLICOAH BEER CO Sunday Bluegrass Jam Series, 4:30pm PLĒB URBAN WINERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

MONDAY, AUGUST 8 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Mashup Mondays (funk, soul, jazz), 8pm SIDEWAYS FARM & BREWERY Bike Night Mondays, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Early Tuesday Jam (funk), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Dead tribute), 6pm

RENDEZVOUS Albi (musique Francaise), 6pm

THE BURGER BAR C U Next Tuesday! Late Night Trivia w/Cervix-ALot, 9pm THE GREY EAGLE Crywank & Chastity (alt/ indie), 8pm THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Mad Mike: Music for the People, 9pm THE ODDITORIUM Open Mic Comedy, 7pm TURGUA BREWING CO Tuesday Jam Sessions: Swing Jam, 5:30pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Open Mic Night w/Bill Altork, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Aquanet Goth Party w/ Ash Black, 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS Wes Tirey ft. Claire Whall (folk), 8pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Trivia by the River w/ James Harrod, 8pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Trivia! Trivia! Night, 6:30pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Short Stop (soul, Latin, dance), 9pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Survey Says: Family Feud Style Trivia, 7pm

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9 ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Downtown Karaoke w/ Ganymede, 9pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10:30pm CASCADE LOUNGE Tuesday Bluegrass Jam, 6pm CORK & KEG Cajun Dance Party w/ Jesse Lege, 7pm FLEETWOOD'S Heavy Metal Mixer w/ Reuben, 6pm FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm FROG LEVEL BREWERY Rockwood Taylor (alt-Americana), 5:30pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6:30pm

SILVERADOS Wednesday Night Open Jam hosted by Hamza Vandehey, 6pm SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

THE ODDITORIUM Magic The Gathering: Play Night, 7pm

SALVAGE STATION Trouble No More (Allman Brothers tribute), 8pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm THE DUGOUT Karaoke Party w/ Sandman, 8pm THE FOUNDRY HOTEL Andrew Finn Magill (acoustic), 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Sausage Party, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE The Resonant Rogues (dark Appalachian folk), 5pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Trivia Night w/Mindless Minutia, 7pm

THE ODDITORIUM Doll Spirit Vessel, Dish, & Aunt Ant (alt/indie), 7pm

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

THE POE HOUSE Team Trivia w/Wes Ganey, 7pm

CAFE CANNA SpanGLISH Karaoke Patio Party, 9pm

TURGUA BREWING CO Trivia Night, 6pm

CATAWBA BREWING BILTMORE Thursday Trivia w/Billy, 6:30pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic, 6pm VINTAGE KAVA Rooted Radio, 7pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 7pm

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11 185 KING STREET Zorki & Sipe (acoustic grooves with vocals), 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 8pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR MGB (covers, singer-songwriter), 8pm BLUE GHOST BREWING CO. At the Beach Trivia, 6:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S Drunken Prayer, Viva le Vox (rock) & Jamie Stirling (humorist), 8pm FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm GUIDON BREWING Open Mic, 6:30pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Lady and The Lovers (funk, Top 40), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Asheville Sessions ft Frances Eliza (jazz, pop, blues), 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Ashley Heath (Americana, country, blues), 8pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST ImiJ of Soul (Jimi Hendrix celebration), 6pm ROOM NINE Thirsty Thursday w/DJ Moto, 9pm SILVERADOS Yngwie Malmsteen (prog metal), 7pm THE FOUNDRY HOTEL The Foundry Collective ft Pimps of Pompe (jazz, acoustic), 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR • Rum Punchlines Comedy Open Mic, 6pm • Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm THE GREY EAGLE • Will Easter and The Nomads (Americana), 5pm • Tommy Prine w/Matt Moran (singer-songwriter), 8pm VINTAGE KAVA Full Moon Campfire and Drum Circle, 7:30pm WELL PLAYED BOARD GAME CAFÉ Asheville Comedy Festival Secret Show #1, 10pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Trivia Night, 6pm CATAWBA BREWING BILTMORE Singo (musical bingo), 7pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Trivia w/Billy, 7pm DOUBLE CROWN Western Wednesday, 9pm GUIDON BREWING Trivia Night, 7pm HI-WIRE BREWING Weekly Trivia Night, 7pm HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY • Well-Crafted Wednesdays w/Matt Smith, 6pm • Asheville Comedy Festival, 8pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

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AUG. 3-9, 2022

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries poet Ada Limón advises us to notice and love “the music of the world.” She says that praising and giving attention to the good things “are as important and necessary as witnessing and naming and holding the grief and sorrow that comes with being alive.” This is always a crucial principle to keep in mind, but it will be extra essential for you in the coming weeks. Your ability to attract the influences and resources you need most will thrive if you focus on and celebrate the music of the world. P.S.: I encourage you to sing more than usual, too. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Here’s my hope for you in the coming months: You will cultivate a specialty for connecting people and situations that need to be affiliated but aren’t yet. You will regard your flair for blending as a gift you offer generously. Can you picture yourself doing that? I think it will be fun and will also benefit you in unexpected ways. So here’s my proposed plan: Conspire to heal fragmentation and schisms. Unite heavenly and earthly things. Keep the far side and the near side in touch with each other. Never let the past forget about the future, and vice versa. One more thing, Taurus: Be gleefully imaginative as you mix and conjoin and combine. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In a play by Gemini philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, a character says, “Hell is other people.” What did he mean by that? One interpretation is that our fellow humans always judge us, and their judgments rarely align with who we really are and who we imagine ourselves to be. Here’s my solution for that problem: Choose allies and companions whose views of you match your own. Is that so hard? I suspect it will be easier than usual for you in the coming months, Gemini. Take advantage of life’s natural tendency to connect you with cohorts who appreciate you. Be picky as you avoid the hell of other people. CANCER (June 21-July 22): The people most likely to succeed as entrepreneurs are those with a high degree of analytical intelligence. Right? Well, it’s more complicated than that. Reasoning ability and problem-solving skills are key skills, but not as important as emotional intelligence: the power to understand and manage feelings. I mention this, Cancerian, because the coming months will be a favorable time to advance your ambitions by enhancing and expressing your emotional intelligence. Here’s some reading to foster your powers: 1. tinyurl.com/EmotionSmarts 2. tinyurl.com/SmartFeeler 3. tinyurl.com/WiseFeeler 4. tinyurl.com/BrightFeeler

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Everyone knows that “balance” is a keyword for you Librans. However, there are many interpretations of what balance entails. Here’s how I define it for you during the coming weeks: 1. an openness to consider several different ways to capitalize on an opportunity, but to ultimately choose just one way; 2. the ability to see and understand all sides of every story, while also knowing that for pragmatism’s sake you must endorse a single version of the story; 3. the capacity to be both constructively critical and supportively sympathetic; 4. the facility to be welcoming and inviting while still maintaining healthy boundaries. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Life is enchanting for me because I have so much control over what I think,” my Scorpio friend Daria told me. “If I decide to flatter myself with comments about how attractive I am, I can do just that. If I would like to imagine a good fairy visiting me while I sleep and giving me a dream of having an orgasm with my lover while we fly over the Serengeti Plains, I can.” I asked her about the times when worries gush forth unbidden from her subconscious mind and disturb her joy. She said, “I simply picture myself shoving those worries in a hole in the ground and blowing them up with an exploding rose.” I bring Daria’s mind-management expertise to your attention, Scorpio, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to raise your mastery over what you think. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): People might impatiently advise you to relax and settle down. Others might tell you to stop dreaming such big visions and formulating such adventurous plans. Still others might give you the side-eye because they imagine you are having too much fun and brainstorming too wildly and laughing too loudly. If you receive messages like those, give the complainers a copy of this horoscope. It will tell them that YOU WILL NOT COMPLY WITH ANY INHIBITING DIRECTIVES. Your astrologer, me, authorizes you to be as vast and venturesome and enterprising and spontaneous as you dare. In doing so, I am speaking on behalf of the cosmic rhythms. Your plucky audacity has been heavenly ordained. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In accordance with astrological omens, I hereby authorize you to worry, worry and worry some more. Stew and simmer and ferment as you weigh all the options and mull the correct actions. But when the time is right, end your fretting with crisp decisiveness. Shake off any residual doubt that still clings to you. And then undertake robust action to transform the situation that provoked your righteous brooding. In my astrological opinion, what I have just described is your best plan for success in the coming days.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the coming weeks, Leo, I urge you to always be confident that YOU ARE THE PARTY! Everywhere you go, bring the spirits of fun and revelry. Be educationally entertaining and entertainingly educational. Amuse yourself by making life more interesting for everyone. At the same time, be kind and humble, never arrogant or insensitive. A vital part of your assignment is to nourish and inspire others with your radiance and charm. That formula will ensure you get everything you need. I foresee bounty flowing your way! P.S.: Regularly reward your admirers and followers with your magnanimous Cheshire-cat grin.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “I was looking for a love unlike my parents’ love or my sister’s love or the love on a foreign kitchen floor,” writes Rebecca Dinerstein Knight in her novel The Sunlit Night. “I wanted to forgive my mother and father for their misery and find myself a light man who lived buoyantly and to be both his light and his dark.” I offer you her thoughts, Aquarius, in the hope of inspiring you to expand and deepen your ideas about the love you want. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to revise and reinvigorate your definitions of intimacy and togetherness. You will have extra power to see new truths about how best to create maximum synergy and symbiosis.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In my Astrological Book of Life, here’s what I have inscribed about Virgos: You may not always find the perfect solution, but you are skilled at finding the best solution available. This will be an especially valuable knack in the coming weeks, both for yourself and others. I trust you will scan for practical but compassionate answers, even if they are partial. And I hope you will address at least some of everyone’s needs, even if no one is completely satisfied. You can be the master of creative compromise that we all need. Thanks in advance for your excellent service!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Even raw and messy emotions can be understood as a form of light, crackling and bursting with energy,” writes Jungian psychoanalyst Clarissa Pinkola Estés. For example, “We can use the light of rage in a positive way, in order to see into places we cannot usually see.” Likewise, confusion might be a healthy sign that a long-held misunderstanding is dissolving. Disappointment may herald the demise of an unrealistic expectation. So let’s unleash a big cheer for raw and messy emotions, Pisces! I suspect they will soon be your gateway to clarity and renewal.

AUG. 3-9, 2022

MOUNTAINX.COM

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BY ROB BREZSNY

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

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HUMAN SERVICES HELPMATE CASE MANAGER - HOUSING FOCUS Job description at https:// helpmateonline.org/ about/job-opportunities/ Send resume & cover letter to hiring@helpmateonline. org . UNIVERSAL MH/DD/SAS is looking for compassionate, energetic individuals to provide one on one services to persons with Intellectual Development Disabilities in a community or home setting. Must have a high school diploma and reliable transportation. We have various openings for full and part-time hours. Competitive pay.

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If interested please email ifreeman@umhs.net or visit us on the web at www. umhs.net . UNIVERSAL MH/DD/SAS is looking for compassionate, energetic individuals to work in our Psycho-Social Rehabilitation (PSR) program. Must have a high school diploma. Competitive pay. We have part-time positions. If interested please email csankey@ umhs.net or visit us on the web at www.umhs.net.

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XCHANGE GENERAL MERCHANDISE ST. JOHNS EPISCOPAL RUMAGE SALE Saturday, August 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 290 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville. Come in and see! Our Parish Hall will be filled with home goods, furniture, tools, camping gear, and much more.

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Black, Mossberg, Maverick, 12 ga; Black/Silver, Ruger, P97DC, 45 cal; Brown, Glenfield, 25, 22 cal; Black/Brown, NEF, R92, 22 cal; Black/Brown, Kel-Tec, PF-9, 9mm; Black/Cream, Lorcin, L22, 22 cal; Black, MAB, A, 6.35 cal; Black/ Silver, Taurus PT, 111 Pro, 9mm; Black/Silver,Ruger, SR9, 9mm; Black/Brown, EIG, E15, 22 cal; Brown/ Silver, Jennings, J22, 22 cal; Brown/Silver, Raven, MP-25, 25 cal; Black/ Silver, Sig Sauer, P238, 38 cal; Black, CZ, P-10C, 9mm; Black, Ruger, LCP, 9mm; Black, Jennings, T380, 38 cal; Black/Silver, Ruger, SP101, 357 cal; Black/Silver, Taurus, 38 Special, 38 cal; Black/Brown, Smith & Wesson, 38 Special, 38 cal ; Black, Crusader, ST 15, 223; Black/Brown, Charter Arms, 38 Special, 38 cal; Black/ Silver, Accu-tek, AT-380, 38 cal; Black, Marlin, 25, 22 cal; Black/Silver, FEG, PA-63, 9mm; Black, Colt, 38 cal; Black/Brown, RG, MOD RG 31, 38 cal; Black, Smith & Wesson, Airweight, 38 cal; Black, Ruger, LC95, 9mm; Black/Silver, Smith & Wesson, 38 Special, 38 cal; Black, Beretta, 21A, 22 LR; Brown/Silver, RG, RG 25, 25 cal; Black/Brown, Armi, Tanfoglio, 25 cal; Black, Astra, Unceta C, 38 cal; Black, Harrington & Richardson, Pardner, 20 ga; Black/ Brown, Springfield, 1911, 45 cal; Black, Colt, Police Positiv, 32 cal; Black/Silver, SCCY, CPX-2, 9mm; Silver/ White, Senorita, B, 22 cal; Black/Silver, Smith & Wesson, DS40 VE, 40 cal; Black, Colt, New Frontier, 22 cal;

Black/Brown, Marlin, 39A, 22 cal; Black/Gray, Glock, 43, 9mm; Black/Silver, PW Arms, PA-63, 9 x 18mm; Brown/Silver, Harrington & Richardson, 949, 22 cal; Black/Silver, Taurus, PT 738, 38 cal; Black, Glock, 20, 10mm; Black, Hi-Point, C9, 9mm; Black, Smith & Wesson, 14-4, 38 cal. Anyone with a legitimate claim or interest in this property must contact the Asheville Police Department within 30 days from the date of this publication. Any items not claimed within 30 days will be disposed of in accordance with all applicable laws. For further information, or to file a claim, contact the Asheville Police Department Property & Evidence Section at 828232-4576. WATER DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME? Call for a quote for professional cleanup & maintain the value of your home! Set an appt. today! Call 833-664-1530 (AAN CAN)

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edited by Will Shortz | No. 0629

ACROSS

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1 Cardamominfused tea

5 Not give up, say

10 Pronoun before “it may concern”

17 Ate and ran, say

19 Almost closed

20 ___ on actual events

25 28

40 42

43 46

49 52

21 Fit to live in

26 Make a scapegoat of

16 Place that generates buzz

25 Some E.R. cases

15 China’s Zhou ___

23 “The Goldfinch” writer Donna

PUZZLE BY JARED GOUDSMIT

14 Partner of raised

28 Kigali resident 32 Title of respect 33 Unclear mental state 36 Throw with force 37 Legendary Himalayan humanoid

Expand your horizons with us

41 Capacious 42 Not falling for 43 Play for a sucker

DOWN 1 N.Y.C. venue for the Ramones and the Cramps 2 Sesenta minutos

29 Block, as a stream

50 Arctic predators

30 “Stop!,” at sea

51 Cool head? 52 Dislike with a passion

31 State bird of Hawaii

53 Cartoonist Goldberg who drew contraptions like the “SelfOperating Napkin”

32 Hummus brand

3 Certain horses 4 Still being debugged

34 Prickly plant with healing qualities

5 Gave sustenance

35 ___ garden

46 Entice

6 “Not right this second”

39 Spiral-horned antelope

49 Amber quaff

7 Flicker of light

40 The “N” of N.B.

57 “Think again!”

50 Catherine of “Beetlejuice”

8 “Thirty days ___ September …”

45 Aromatic evergreens

58 Bit of binary code

52 The magic word?

9 Finish giftwrapping, say

47 Dublin’s land, to poets

59 Geographical inits. until 1991

44 Place to pitch a product

56 Japanese automaker

10 “How’ve you been?”

60 Jabba the ___ (“Star Wars” meanie)

11 Muslim headscarf

61 Core exercises … or a hint to eight squares in this puzzle 63 Relative of a cor anglais 64 Consumes, in a way 65 Sharer’s word 66 Tear to bits 67 Food service giant 68 Norse god of thunder

12 The earth’s path around the sun, e.g. 13 Little more than 18 Dutch cheese 22 Neighbor of Montana 24 Fix up again, as a house 26 Hen’s hatchlings 27 V.I.P. conveyances 28 Staff break?

38 Affected

54 Gobs 55 Friar’s home

48 Poppin’ Fresh or Tony the Tiger

62 Troop troupe, for short

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

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AUG. 3-9, 2022

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