Mountain Xpress 08.10.22

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. 2 AUG. 10 -16, 2022

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C ONTENT S

NEWS

NEWS

FEATURES 11 COUNTING CARS How do traffic impact studies shape development decisions?

12 GREEN ROUNDUP Nonprofits plan conversion of Saluda Grade into trail

PAGE 8 PREPARING FOR THE WORST School safety is on the minds of families, law enforcement and school personnel. Officials from Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools explain what they are doing alongside the Asheville Police Department and Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office to alleviate fears.

WELLNESS

FEATURE

COVER PHOTO iStock COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick 17 Q&A WITH HANDCYCLIST DUSTIN BAKER Local veteran discusses positive impacts of the sport

24 HEALTH ROUNDUP City, county file class-action lawsuit against HCA/Mission

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LETTERS

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CARTOON: MOLTON

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CARTOON: BRENT BROWN

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COMMENTARY

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NEWS

10 SNAPSHOT

A&C

14 BUNCOMBE BEAT 26 SOUND ADVICE Music industry insiders talk DIY versus the studio touch

20 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 24 WELLNESS 26 ARTS & CULTURE

A&C

34 CLUBLAND 30 WHAT’S NEW IN FOOD Food Connection introduces Fran the mobile meals truck

38 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 38 CLASSIFIEDS 39 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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OPINION

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

The empire strikes back The many Xpress letters and posts disputing my op-ed analysis of the Sierra Club’s political endorsements [“Sierra Club Chimera: WENOCA Chapter Endorsements Are an Environmental Disgrace,” June 29, Xpress] are so breezily fatalistic that the writers seem to be in a state of prodigious denial.

For instance, online commenter Peter Robbins posted: “Unlike Bill, the Sierra Club does not consider infill construction, when properly done, to be an ‘atrocity.’ It is generally regarded as a sound step towards environmental and economic sustainability.” Stop! Right there!

Before the obfuscating justification appears. Let us deeply consider that the environmentally motivated Sierra Club can zealously state that infill development — a process that will involve gouging out hundreds or even thousands of big trees, stuffing crowded buildings onto scores of remaining green spaces, cramming people into concrete, shadeless densities, etc., and etc.! — that all of that is environmentally sustainable?

Truly amazing.

Asheville City Council institutionalized this atrocity with its recently passed open space amendment. It accelerates development that will eliminate much of what’s left of Asheville’s green space. Only mayoral candidate and City Council member Kim Roney voted against it.

If you care about our sacred ecology, that means that in November, you should vote against those Council members who voted for it.

Of course, the Sierra Club’s justification is the contention that infill prevents more development in rural Buncombe County. But it has not!

Dear Sierra Club members, please just drive around the county and look almost anywhere. You’ll see brave glades, gallant meadows and

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energy finally, logically expressed, there’s no telling how much development we can control.

— Bill Branyon Asheville

Kudos to APD for handling break-in

C A R T O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N even gorgeous forests clear-cut and paved for giant, cookie-cutter housing projects. You’ll find strip malls and big-box stores sprouting like monstrous mushrooms of asphalt and concrete, and you’ll be smacked by the massive destruction involved in the Interstate 26 widening.

You’ll even see extensive French Broad riverfront woodlands being obliterated to make what may be many more plants that manufacture parts of weapons for that quintessential ecology destroyer: war.

And the vanguard of those factories, the new Pratt & Whitney plant, makes products that may be used for the ultimate planetary ecological destruction: nuclear war.

To contend this is not happening involves a breathtaking amount of repression. “We must have ever more destruction of the environment to save it,” chants the KoolAid quaffing Sierra Club. “Listen to yourselves, please!” insist the thou-

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sands resisting the brutal armies of the Development Empire.

The infill doublespeak also divulges the class aspect of the Sierra Club’s approach, for only in middleand lower-income neighborhoods does infill occur. Nobody’s urging infill for the large, graceful rose garden in the Griffing Boulevard neighborhood of North Asheville.

Nor is anyone suggesting filling up and then infilling the gloriously uneconomic Beaver Lake or the extravagantly pastoral Grove Park and Asheville Country Club golf courses or the sumptuous verdancy of Town-Sunset-and-Reynolds mountains. With eminent domain, we could infill them all, but we won’t because it’s politically untenable and their zoning is too restrictive.

However, zoning can work in any neighborhood that has enough political clout. Zone! And save what’s left of our holy, natural world.

Some letters accused me of being bitter about losing to Al Whitesides, but my supporters and I were mostly pleased with the 3,366 votes we did get, given the powerful momentums we were trying to overcome.

Nevertheless, some experts believe that a Sierra Club endorsement is worth 3,000 votes. If that’s true and we’d gotten the endorsement, we would have won.

Whether 3,000 or a thousand less or more, the Sierra Club’s endorsement is worth a lot of votes.

They are definitely the most powerful Buncombe County political machine. So, contact your Sierra Club friends and try to liberate their severely repressed, environmental souls. With all their ecological

I’d like to share an experience I and my neighbors had with the Asheville police that makes us fully appreciate the Asheville Police Department.

At about 3:30 a.m. on a recent Saturday morning, a very troubled man broke into our downtown condo building, which has three commercial units and four residential units.

He started screaming and smashing things in the lobby, then took the elevator to the second floor, which is residential, continuing to scream and smash things. As my neighbor went to dial 911, the police had already magically arrived. Perhaps they had seen the intruder’s activities in the lobby.

The first officers who arrived could not safely subdue the intruder, so they called in additional officers who arrived promptly.

Once the officers got the intruder out of the building, two of them came back. They had noticed that the intruder had caused the elevator to malfunction, so they returned to make sure it was working. That showed sincere concern about our well-being.

We could not be prouder of how our Asheville police handled the situation.

Without them, it would have been even more frightening than it was.

I want to acknowledge that, in the past, some officers have taken unacceptable, hurtful actions that have understandably received a lot of attention. But to focus only on the negative creates an incomplete picture that will not serve as a solid base for effectively moving forward.

In my letter, I’m trying to bring attention to the positive interactions the officers have with the community. By acknowledging both the positive and the negative, we can create a complete picture that can serve as a solid base from which we can move forward as a community.

— Cynthia Barrager Asheville

Celebrate clean water by volunteering This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which is one of the most comprehensive environmental statutes in our country’s history. The enactment of these reg-

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN ulations has allowed us to preserve one of our most vital resources, and we should celebrate this monumental milestone for clean water.

Here in North Carolina, we take pride in having clean, accessible water for our residents, and as North Carolinians, it is our job to ensure that we are actively protecting our waterways. Wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems aid in water filtration, flood and erosion prevention, and are home to thousands of native species.

A great way to get involved in this fight and celebrate clean water is to volunteer for a local river cleanup.

North Carolina houses hundreds of streams, waterways and tributaries, making it the perfect place for an event of this kind. I will be celebrating 50 years of clean water in style by cleaning up the wetlands in my area. You can visit Environment North Carolina’s website for more information about organizing your own cleanup and join the Clean Water Network.

— Callie Owens Greensboro Editor’s note: Owens reports working as an intern with Environment North Carolina and notes that additional information on local waterway cleanups can be found at Asheville GreenWorks’ website (avl.mx/bud).

Cartoon misses mark on river pollution The [July 27] Molton cartoon is a very unfortunate representation of what is involved in the water quality issues in the French Broad River [“Swim at Your Own Risk,” Xpress].

Sanitary sewer overflows were prevalent and a major issue 20 years ago.

A graph [included in this letter’s online version] shows the sanitary sewer overflows since 1999 for the Metropolitan Sewerage District entire service area for all rivers and tributaries. There has been almost a twentyfold decrease in these events due to all the replacement sewer work that has been accomplished in that time.

There are many inputs that are currently much more impactful, e.g., agricultural runoff from farm animal operations and erosion of clay silt from the many construction sites, straight-piping of houses directly to the river, poorly operating package plants and on-site septic failures.

One of the most impactful to recreation are rainstorm events, which stir up sediments from the bottom of the river.

MSD has spent over $314 million in that time frame just on rehabbing and replacing over 1.3 million feet

of the sewer system. We will be constructing over $380 million worth of rehab and replacements in the next 10 years.

I understand that it is important to get “clicks,” but I think the cartoonist does our community no favors by “dumbing it down.”

— Tom Hartye General manager Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County Asheville

What’s really causing river pollution [Regarding the Molton cartoon “Swim at Your Own Risk,” July 27, Xpress:] While sewer overflows were once a major cause of water quality issues in Buncombe County, the excellent work by the Metropolitan Sewerage District to proactively identify, repair and upgrade its systems has gone a long way to dramatically reducing overflows.

The French Broad River does have plenty of water quality problems, but overflows in Buncombe County are not the primary source of the high E. coli in the river. MountainTrue recently conducted an infrared imaging of the sewer lines throughout West Asheville, looking for sewer leaks and didn’t find a single issue.

MountainTrue believes the primary sources driving E. coli and water quality impairment are failing septics, animal agriculture and urban stormwater runoff. Issues that we think would improve water quality are better stormwater management in the city of Asheville, which the Asheville Stormwater Task Force has developed and presented to city staff; additional funding to help repair failing septic systems, which was recently secured from the state of North Carolina and Buncombe County; and additional funding to help farmers fence cattle out of streams.

— Hartwell Carson French Broad Riverkeeper MountainTrue Asheville

Correction In the Aug. 3 article “Deal or no deal?” we should have reported that the study conducted by Ori Baber analyzed about 5,200 home sales and found a tax value shortfall of roughly $657 million. Additionally, we should have noted that the Haywood Park Hotel is located a block away from the Asheville Hotel building. Other small corrections have been made to the online version of the article.

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OPINION

A dark cloud Downtown dodged a mall, but substation now looms

BY SUSAN RICH AND ANNE STRAUSS Our late father, landscape architect John Lantzius, was well-known for his determined efforts in his hometown of Asheville, starting in the 1970s, to preserve and renew Lexington Avenue. As longtime and frequent visitors to Asheville — since the 1950s, in fact — we share the passion he had to create a home for local, independent businesses, and a pleasant place for people to live, visit and enjoy.

When plans surfaced recently that threatened that vision, we felt we needed to speak out. But first, a bit of history.

THE DOWNTOWN MALL The remarkable trove of historic architecture in downtown Asheville survives mainly due to past economic hard times. Following the Great Depression, growth downtown was stymied by massive debt, and Asheville’s downtown became a 1920s architectural time capsule. Like many American cities, Asheville’s downtown of the 1970s had reached another low point when the city government saw a solution: Demolish 11 square blocks of a downtown area it considered “blighted” and build a huge new mall.

Had the project moved forward, residents and businesses would have been forced to relocate, and historic properties such as the Center for Craft building on Broadway would have been torn down. Much of

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Asheville’s downtown architectural heritage, including North Lexington Avenue, would have been lost.

But a group of determined Asheville residents rose up to save, protect and reinvigorate this large section of downtown in an ultimately successful effort to defeat the mall.

As a result, today Asheville’s residents and its many visitors can enjoy the graceful and unique architecture of the downtown area, and Lexington Avenue in particular, with its charming, historic brick buildings and brick sidewalks — an area vibrant with restaurants and independent, locally owned businesses.

Lexington Avenue is further enriched today by a large urban forest, shady courtyards and mature street trees that were hand planted by our father. The story is celebrated in the “Lexington Life Column” sculpture by artist Béatrice Coron, commissioned by the Asheville Downtown Association Foundation in 2018, that stands on Lexington Avenue.

A NEW THREAT Sadly, Lexington Avenue and its businesses and residents face a new threat. The city of Asheville and Duke Energy entered into a memorandum of understanding last September for a proposed land swap at 57 Rankin Ave. that will allow Duke to build a giant new electrical substation, which will engulf a remarkable tract of mature urban forest that reaches from Lexington Avenue to Rankin Avenue and eliminate 48 affordable city parking spaces. The substation will include a huge retaining wall, transformers, towers and high-tension wires, entirely out of scale with the surroundings. What may have initially made sense on a map fails completely in reality.

The trees at stake, some with trunks 2 feet or more in diameter, form an expansive canopy visible from many vantage points and are an integral part of the Lexington Avenue neighborhood. They also provide active cooling, an additional role that urban forests play in cities.

An ad hoc committee of the Asheville Downtown Commission completed a survey in 2019, in which most respondents were Asheville residents and 95% were residents from Buncombe

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ANNE STRAUSS, LEFT, AND SUSAN RICH

“What may have initially made sense on a map fails completely in reality.”

County. Trees and shade were identified out of 20 options as the most popular, highest contributor to a positive downtown experience. The survey notes the public benefit of trees: Increased tree canopy decreases the heat-island effect and supports Asheville’s climate resilience plan, helps enhance Asheville’s character and creates places to be and enjoy.

The proposal moves the substation to an elevated position, where it would loom over Lexington Avenue and its businesses. The overall impact is significant and would no doubt be catastrophic for the community. Small-business owners, 60 in all, in this retail and restaurant corridor will face economic challenges at a time when they are still reeling from the pandemic and unstable economic conditions.

A BETTER OPTION Leaving the Duke substation at its current location is by far the best available option. Duke Energy spokesman Jason Walls disclosed at a recent meeting with Friends of Lexington Avenue coalition members — a meeting that was attended

by Mayor Esther Manheimer and two City Council members — that the Duke substation in its current location can be expanded as needed to accommodate future power demands required for downtown Asheville.

By Duke Energy leaving the substation in its present location, Duke Energy and the city of Asheville will avoid harming downtown residential views, impairing trade and

commerce on Lexington Avenue, significantly reducing property values of adjacent properties and removing one of downtown Asheville’s largest urban tree canopies.

We can look back today and sigh with relief that the mall that nearly consumed a large portion of downtown Asheville was avoided due to the determined effort of some farsighted Asheville business owners and residents. More than 40 years later, we are rising to a different challenge, working hard to save one of Asheville’s most historic and vibrant cultural, commercial and residential communities as well as one of downtown’s largest urban tree canopies.

The Friends of Lexington Avenue understand what is at stake and are advocating for the future of the Lexington Avenue community and all the people who live, work and visit here. We encourage people to visit the Friends of Lexington Avenue website (avl.mx/bvh) to learn more and get involved with this important downtown effort. Please consider joining the Friends of Lexington Avenue coalition.

Susan Rich was a pastry chef and food editor who worked in New York restaurants for many years, and who now lives with her family in Los Angeles. Twin sister Anne Strauss has a master’s degree in art history, was a curator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for over 20 years and lives with her family in New York. They are committed to continuing their father’s vision for Lexington Avenue. X

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NEWS

Preparing for the worst City, county districts stress school security

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN jwakeman@mountainx.com On the morning of Aug. 1, employees of the Asheville City Schools’ central office gathered in the boardroom for some back-to-school training. It was the first such exercise conducted on this scale since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, says April Dockery, the system’s executive director of operations.

The subject was one that nobody wants to even think about, but everybody knows must be addressed: how to reunify families in the aftermath of an incident such as a shooting.

School safety coordinator Jennifer Auner showed a video from the “I Love U Guys” Foundation about how to establish parental check-ins and organize pickup in such situations.

She also fielded questions on how this would be implemented in Asheville.

For both the Asheville and Buncombe County systems, another school year begins Monday, Aug. 29.

And while every such cycle brings with it jitters about tests and homework, this year carries an additional burden: For many families and system staff, the nation’s continual threat of school violence has become impossible to ignore.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, during the 2020-21 school year there were 93 incidents at public and private elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. in which a gun was brandished or fired. So far this year, Education Week magazine has tracked 27 school shootings as of Aug. 1 — most recently, the May 24 attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

HOW TO REUNITE: At an Aug. 1 safety training, employees of Asheville City Schools’ central office watch a video from the “I Love U Guys” Foundation about how to reunify families with their children in the aftermath of an incident like a school shooting. Photo by Jessica Wakeman The deadliest school shooting in a decade, it underscored persistent questions about school safety, stricter gun laws and ways to “harden” schools to help keep students and staff safe. In Asheville and Buncombe County, those topics are very much on the minds of families, law enforcement and school personnel.

CONFISCATED WEAPONS Happily, neither local system has had any on-campus shootings in the

last five years. During that period, however, the Police Department has recovered 16 weapons prohibited by the Asheville City Schools, spokesperson Bill Davis tells Xpress. Most were either knives or box cutters; the only gun was a BB gun.

In the same period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to six incidents in the Buncombe County Schools involving weapons, including guns, according to public information officer Aaron Sarver. As in the city schools, those incidents mostly involved things like knives or scissors, though one student did bring a firearm last year.

Students in such cases are typically referred to the N.C. Department of Public Safety’s Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Davis explains, adding, “There’s not usually a criminal element — somebody just didn’t stop and think.”

ON-SITE LAW ENFORCEMENT Both local districts employ fulltime school resource officers — sheriff’s deputies in the county schools and APD officers in the city system.

This fall, the county system will have 28 such officers, says spokesperson Stacia Harris — one each

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at all middle and high schools plus shared officers at the elementary and intermediate schools. They’re trained to deal with active shooter situations and serve as liaisons with the Sheriff’s Office, Sarver explains.Their salaries are partly paid by N.C. Department of Public Instruction grants.

The city schools currently have three resource officers: one each at Asheville High and Asheville Middle School, and one shared by the elementary schools, says Davis. There are also some open positions.

SECURITY UPGRADES In 2019, the two systems jointly hired a consultant to assess the security at each campus and recommend needed changes. The city system operates nine schools; the county has 44.

For security reasons, Harris explains, “We are unable to go into great detail about these upgrades. ...

Based on the results of that study, we have implemented security-related professional development courses for all staff.” In addition, several construction projects are underway.

All county schools, notes Harris, use the LobbyGuard visitor management system. And last year, the district

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“There’s not usually a criminal element — somebody just didn’t stop and think.”

— APD spokesperson Bill Davis upgraded the main entrance of each school so front office staff can “buzz in only the appropriate students, staff or visitors.” The public safety radio network has been upgraded, and an integrated video system “allows the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office to monitor our security cameras in real time in the event of an emergency.”

This system, says Sarver, is also being tied into 911 dispatch capabilities. Deputies can activate their phones and stream video from inside the schools in real time. “We can see [responding officers’] point-of-view perspective in addition to the fixed cameras,” Sarver explains, adding that the technology will eventually be integrated into body cameras as well.

Harris says all doors are secured with locks that require a key or badge to open; doors that lack outside hardware are exit-only. “We’ve also focused on educating our students not to allow visitors in when they knock on an exterior door,” she says.

The city schools, says Dockery, are exploring giving the APD full access to school cameras. School resource officers can access them at all times and can give the police access in an emergency. The system also uses the Fusus platform to monitor the external portions of schools, and the APD can access Fusus livestreams in an emergency.

The county system also requires all principals to conduct drills for each of the following scenarios: securing the campus perimeter, a tornado, a fire and a bomb threat. The city schools mandate a practice fire drill for students and two bomb threat drills for staff.

ASSESSING THREATS The Sheriff’s Office has one detective dedicated to investigating threats in the Buncombe County Schools; this person works with the school resource officer at each site. Those investigations are expanded if the detective considers the threat to be credible, says Sarver.

Any social media post or tip requiring further investigation is subject to a community threat assessment. In 2018, the Sheriff’s Office conducted eight such assessments; the following year, there were 22. In 2020 and 2021, there were 18 and 23 assessments, respectively, in connection with the county schools. So far this year, 32 have already been completed, and the fall session hasn’t even started yet.

One of the criteria detectives look for is a pattern of behavior indicating the potential for violence, Sarver explains. If an investigation

DRILLS, DRILLS AND MORE DRILLS Local schools conduct drills for multiple scenarios, some involving potential violence.

State law mandates two practice drills per year in every school. One is a run-through for key personnel involved in the planning process. The other is a schoolwide lockdown, which can be imposed in response to either an on-campus incident or a potential threat in the community, such as an unrelated shooting nearby.

In keeping with safety protocols at both the Asheville and Buncombe County systems, local law enforcement and emergency services agencies have created a risk management plan for each school.

Superintendents must provide law enforcement with a key to the main entrance of every school building or emergency access to the devices where keys are stored. If the locks or key storage devices are changed, the superintendents must provide updated access.

has determined there’s a risk and the detective finds probable cause, they will visit the home, ascertain access to weapons and speak with parents or guardians, as well as the student.

Xpress is seeking a part-time county reporter.

Want to keep your community in the know?

ONLINE CHATTER One way threats are assessed is through monitoring communications.

The county schools monitor student emails, as well as Google Drive and OneDrive, “for concerning language and keywords,” Harris explains.

In addition, the county system uses a communications platform called SchoolMessenger. The company’s SafeMail product flags messages, which are then reviewed by its Human Monitoring System, a team of experts trained to evaluate such content and alert school systems to “issues like suicide, sexuality, violence, interpersonal conflict and more,” according to its website.

The city schools, says Dockery, monitor students’ Gmail accounts using a program provided by a company called Gaggle.

Along with schools monitoring communications, law enforcement agencies must also contend with hoaxes. Most hoaxes originate on social media and aren’t generated locally, Sarver tells Xpress. “We often see hoaxes circulating on the anniversary of school shootings,” he notes. Under state law, communicating a threat of mass violence on educational property is a felony.

Usually, he continues, the Sheriff’s Office can determine that a warning of violence is “not a valid threat. But it often sets the rumor mill in motion, and we understand that parents are focused on the safety of their children above all else — and rightfully so.” Accordingly, Sarver explains, “A big part of our work is to assure parents ... that we have investigated and that they do not need to be concerned in this instance.” X

Send cover letter, resume and three or more clips to news@mountainx.com with the subject line: County reporter.

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WEAPONRY: Neither Asheville City Schools nor Buncombe County Schools have had a school shooting in the past five years. But the Asheville Police Department and Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office report that students have brought firearms, BB guns, kitchen knives, scissors and other weapons to campus. Photo by Jessica Wakeman MOUNTAINX.COM

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SNAPSHOT

FIRMLY ROOTED: On Aug. 1, eight environmental organizations and a coalition of local businesses participated in Protect Pisgah Party + Rally for the Forest outside the U.S. Forest Service’s headquarters in Asheville. Participants objected to the Forest Service’s current multidecade forest plan, which environmental activists argue fails to protect more than 100,000 acres of Pisgah and Nantahala national forests from logging, road construction and environmental harm. The final draft of the plan may be issued later this year or early next year. “If significant changes are not made … there will likely be legal challenges,” says Will Harlan, an Asheville-based campaigner with the national nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity. Photos by Jen Castillo

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NEWS

Counting cars

How do traffic impact studies shape development decisions?

BY JUSTIN McGUIRE jmcguire@mountainx.com In fast-growing Buncombe County, a familiar question emerges whenever a major new building project is proposed: How will it affect traffic?

Nearby neighbors wonder whether their commutes will get worse.

Developers want to know if they will have to make road improvements to relieve congestion. And government officials need details to make the call on whether to allow a project.

That’s where traffic impact studies come in. Such studies, which are required by the state and the county for certain projects, are prepared by engineering firms to forecast additional traffic associated with a development and identify possible problems.

“When we receive a traffic study, basically it’s an added tool to help some of our development boards make informed decisions, particularly the Board of Adjustment,” says Buncombe County Planning Director Nathan Pennington. The county forwards reports to the N.C. Department of Transportation, which is responsible for approving the driveway permits that are needed for every new development that connects to state roads. (NCDOT maintains the majority of the roads in the county.)

In most cases, the developer is responsible for hiring a traffic engineer, paying for the study and making any changes required by the state. “If a new turn lane is needed, a stop sign needs to be installed or even a full traffic signal — all of that responsibility falls to the developer,” says NCDOT spokesman David Uchiyama.

But some neighborhood groups question the benefits of traffic studies paid for by the very people who stand to benefit from a proposed project. After all, they wonder, don’t developers have an incentive to downplay possible traffic problems?

PROJECT PROJECTIONS So, how do traffic impact studies work?

Traffic engineers start by literally counting cars at peak hours, usually on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Peak hours are generally defined as the rush hours of 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m., as well as 11 a.m.-1

AUTO ANXIETY: Residents of Arden’s Ashley Woods subdivision are concerned that a proposed 244-unit apartment complex across the road will significantly worsen traffic in the area. Photo by Justin McGuire p.m., when people may be traveling to lunch or running errands.

“Those are typically the three highest levels of traffic volume, which results in delays and congestion,” says Calvin Clifton, business development manager for the engineering firm Mattern & Craig. The Roanoke, Va.-based company has an Asheville office that conducts local traffic studies.

“You want to do it when you have normal, routine traffic. You wouldn’t want to do it on a Friday evening when there’s going to be a high school football game,” Clifton explains.

Counts are often done using devices attached to rubber tube strips that run across the road and record each car that drives over them. Studies also can be done manually — someone sitting and counting cars — or with a camera.

The count establishes a baseline for the area’s traffic flow using an A-through-F grading system. An intersection that motorists pass through with little or no delay would be classified as having a A level of service.

Engineers then project how much additional traffic the new development will generate by referring to the Trip Generation Manual produced by the international Institute of Transportation Engineers.“Say you have a hotel with a hundred rooms, then that hotel would generate X number of trips per room,” Clifton says. “And we would use that num-

ber to say that’s the additional traffic on this intersection or this corridor.”

The engineers then crunch the numbers and prepare a study that calculates what likely impact the additional traffic will have on traffic flow in the area. If the impact is significant enough, it could cause the area’s grade to go down.

A level of service of A, B or C is generally considered acceptable, Clifton says. But a D or lower usually means the developer will be responsible for mitigating additional traffic congestion through new turn lanes, traffic signals or other measures.

DOWN WITH THE COUNT? Jim Pritchett, president of the Ashley Woods Property Owners Association, has some concerns about traffic studies.

In 2020, residents of the neighborhood off Brevard Road in Arden opposed a 244-unit apartment complex proposed for a wooded valley just across the road. The developer, SC Bodner Co. of Carmel, Ind., ultimately withdrew its application before the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment could make a decision.

At the time, a traffic impact study commissioned by the developer concluded the project would result in a left turn out of Ashley Woods Drive — the only entrance and exit to the neighborhood — onto Brevard Road

being reduced from a D to an F in the morning and evening.

Now, says Prichett, the company is back with a virtually unchanged proposal. But a new traffic study, done by a different firm, rates the current level of service for the same intersection at a C. The study also projects that service levels after the development was built would remain a C in the morning and be reduced to a D in the evening without improvements. “[The second study] shows that there would be very little difference in traffic from before the build-out until after the build-out, which in my mind defies common sense,” he says. “They want to put 244 apartments across the street, and there’s not going to be any impact on the traffic? Are you kidding me?”

Pritchett plans to talk about the conflicting traffic reports when the Board of Adjustment considers the proposal Wednesday, Aug. 10.

“If this were a civil case and we had discovery, we could ask them, did you contact any other traffic engineers?” says Pritchett, a former attorney, in reference to the legal process by which plaintiffs and defendants can demand information from each other. But because Board of Adjustment hearings are handled under quasi-judicial rules, he continues, that option isn’t available.

“If [SC Bodner Co.] contacted two or three [traffic engineers] before and just used this one, it’d be pretty clear they were shopping, but it’s hard to know in a case like this. I do know that it concerned them that we were harping on the F rating [in 2020], and I plan to introduce that and use it against them,” Pritchett says.

Pennington, the Buncombe County planning director, says he can’t discuss specific cases that have yet to go before the Board of Adjustment. But he dismisses the idea that developers shop around for favorable studies.

“Traffic studies have to be prepared by licensed engineers that are specifically trained in traffic management, and they’re putting their license on the line, just like any other professional,” he says. “When we receive a report that is signed and sealed by a licensed professional, we have to take those findings.”

Pennington adds that NCDOT has to review and sign off on the findings, approving the methodology used.

And Clifton says a traffic engineer’s job is to address traffic volume and delays safely, not please developers.

“We’re basing everything on safety and congestion management,” Clifton says. X

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GREEN ROUNDUP

Nonprofits plan conversion of Saluda Grade into trail A 31-mile stretch of inactive railway could become Western North Carolina’s next outdoor showpiece, if a plan by three area nonprofits comes to fruition. Hendersonville-based Conserving Carolina; Greenville, S.C.-based Upstate Forever; and Spartanburg, S.C.-based PAL hope to purchase the Saluda Grade corridor and convert it into a mixed-use trail.

The path would stretch northwest from Inman, S.C., through Tryon and Saluda before terminating in Zirconia, about 7 miles southeast of Hendersonville. In an email announcing the project, Conserving Carolina spokesperson Rose Jenkins Lane said her group eventually aims to connect it with the 19-mile Ecusta Trail planned between Hendersonville and Brevard.

Overall costs for the Saluda Trail project are estimated at $60 million, with half going toward purchase of the land and half toward construction of the trail itself. The state of South Carolina appropriated $5 million in support in its most recent budget; a Conserving Carolina FAQ says that most funding would be sought from state and federal sources, with local matching funds raised as needed.

“As we’ve seen with the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville County, trails like this are transformational economic engines,” said Andrea Cooper, executive director of Upstate Forever, in a press release.

“They bring money and jobs to the local economy, boost quality of life for residents, and offer a safe and accessible way to spend time outdoors. The Saluda Grade Rail Trail will yield a return far beyond any initial investment.”

More information and a sign-up form for updates on the project are available at avl.mx/bv1.

Accepting applications Building Outdoor Communities, an outdoor-driven economic development initiative, is accepting applications for its new program through Friday, Aug. 26. BOC’s goal is to help Western North Carolina’s community leaders grow their outdoor infrastructure.

The project will be administered by the WNC: MADE X MTNS Partnership — a collaborative effort that includes the Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC and Mountain BizWorks — and funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Work will primarily engage county-level leaders who are investing in 12

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HOT ON THE TRAIL: Three area nonprofits hope to convert the inactive Saluda Grade rail line, seen here running through downtown Saluda, into a 31-mile mixed-use trail. Photo by Jim Kelly, courtesy of Conserving Carolina outdoor projects, such as trails, bicycle facilities and river access points, and encouraging outdoor-focused businesses to locate in the region. Over the next two years, participants will receive personalized development assistance, opportunities for matching funds and an “outdoor economic impact toolkit” with data to inform future work.

“Overwhelmingly, rural community leaders see the value and importance of leveraging and caring for their outdoor assets. This program will provide them with targeted assistance to assess, analyze and prioritize outdoor infrastructure investments, grow their outdoor economies and truly take WNC to the next level as the outdoor industry hub of the east,” said Noah Wilson, Mountain BizWorks’ director of sector development, in a press release announcing the initiative.

Applications for the program are available at avl.mx/bt7. Events will kick off with a workshop in Boone Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 19-20.

Raise your voice • Buncombe County Solid Waste is conducting a survey of residents who use the county’s landfill or transfer station to dispose of trash and recyclables. The results may inform the placement of additional

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disposal sites and other services.

The survey is available at avl.mx/bt2.

• The N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency invites public feedback on an action plan for spending nearly $7.98 million in federal funds for Tropical Storm Fred recovery. A public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 15, at the Haywood County Historic Courthouse, 215 N. Main St., Waynesville; written comments can also be emailed to PublicComments@Rebuild.NC.gov by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30. A draft version of the plan is available at avl.mx/bv0.

• Hendersonville seeks input on potential updates to the city’s pedestrian plan through an online survey available until the end of August. The new plan will inform both city and N.C. Department of Transportation projects to make Hendersonville walkable. More information and the survey are available at avl.mx/bt4.

• The Asheville-based Organic Growers School is looking for recommendations about speakers and topics to include in its 2023 spring conference. Community members are encouraged to nominate themselves if they’d like to share knowledge on food, farming and sustainability. The recommendation form is available at avl.mx/bt5.

Solar successes • Haynes Wire, a Henderson County manufacturer, recently installed a 1-megawatt solar array outside its Mountain Home factory. The $2 million project is expected to cover over half of the facility’s energy needs and is part of broader plans to reduce its carbon footprint.

• Mountain Housing Opportunities and the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville partnered to install 144 kilowatts of solar power atop the Maple Crest at Lee Walker Heights housing development. The project marks the housing authority’s first major solar installation and is expected to offset over 172 tons of carbon emissions annually.

• UNC Asheville installed a roughly 27-kilowatt solar array on top of the Reuter Center. The 64 panels, installed by Charlotte-based Renu Energy Solutions, will double UNCA’s solar production and reduce the campus’s carbon emissions by about 30 tons per year.

Community kudos • Several WNC individuals and organizations were recognized by the N.C. Wildlife Federation’s

annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards. Jeff Hunter of Burnsville, senior program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, was named Wildlife Conservationist of the Year; Eric Hiegel of Boone, director of land protection and stewardship for the Blue Ridge Conservancy, earned Land Conservationist of the Year; and the Mainspring Conservation Trust in Franklin was designated the NCWF Affiliate of the Year.

• Trekroll, an Asherville-based outdoor gear company founded by Sanford Snyderman, has launched its first product. The business, a graduate of Mountain BizWorks’ Waypoint Accelerator program, will display its bedroll-style sleeping bag at Prestige Subaru and offer online sales at Trekroll.com.

• Nastassja Noell, a lichenologist and registration coordinator for the Asheville-based Firefly Gathering, had an essay published by the global Dark Mountain Project. “Spaces Between Branches,” available for free at avl.mx/prwt, reflects on the importance of partner relationships in both the natural world and human culture.

• Barnardsville-based permaculture school Wild Abundance has opened registration for a free online class, Living in a Tiny House, through Thursday, Sept. 1. The course will include in-depth tours of several tiny homes and a live panel discussion with their residents. More information and registration are available at avl.mx/buz.

• The West Asheville Garden Stroll features 14 gardens throughout the Burton Street and BrucemontDorchester neighborhoods

Saturday, Sept. 10. The free event kicks off at the Trinity United Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Road, at 10:30 a.m., with the gardens remaining open for tours through 4 p.m. More information is available at avl.mx/bw3.

• Hendersonville’s Bullington Gardens hosts its annual fall plant sale Friday-Saturday, Sept.

16-17, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The event features dahlias grown at the horticultural education center, along with many other perennials,

shrubs, trees and native plants.

More information is available at BullingtonGardens.org.

• The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s annual Farm Tour returns SaturdaySunday, Sept. 17-18, at 19 locations throughout WNC. Ten are new to the tour this year, including Davis Ranch and Good Wheel Farm in Leicester. More information and tickets are available at avl.mx/bt9.

— Daniel Walton X

Save the date • The WNC Climate Action Coalition hosts a free educational program and car show of electric vehicles Saturday, Aug. 13, at the First United Methodist Church, 566 S. Haywood St., Waynesville. Local electric vehicle expert and owner William Hite will present 10-11:30 a.m., while members of the Blue Ridge Electric Vehicle Club will answer questions about their cars 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

More information is available at WNCClimateAction.com.

• Conserving Carolina holds its 22nd annual Conservation Celebration fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 27, at Falling Creek Camp in Tuxedo. The event features live music by Zoe and Cloyd with Bennett Sullivan, and special announcements

by Kieran Roe, the nonprofit’s executive director. More information and tickets are available at ConservationCelebration.org.

• Every Friday at 7 p.m. through Sept.

30, rangers with the Blue Ridge Parkway hold a free 30-minute outdoor talk on hiking and nature topics at the Folk Art Center, milepost 382.

Upcoming offerings include Tips for a Successful Hike Aug. 12, The Legacy of Segregation on Public Lands Aug. 19, and Parkway vs.

Park? What’s in a Name? Aug. 25.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and refreshments.

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BUNCOMBE BEAT

Buncombe leaders talk rising poverty, county economy Even as poverty rates in North Carolina and across the U.S. have steadily declined, the percentage of Buncombe County residents experiencing poverty has been increasing since 2018.

That was a key takeaway from the county Board of Commissioners briefing Aug. 2 as staff members updated the board about the “vibrant economy” focus area of Buncombe’s Strategic Plan 2025.

According to data presented by Tim Love, Buncombe’s director of economic development and governmental relations, the county’s poverty rate went up from about 11.5% in 2018 — its lowest point in a decade — to about 13.9% in 2020, the latest year for which information was available.

In contrast, North Carolina’s poverty rate decreased from about 14% to 12.9% over the same period; the U.S. rate fell from approximately 13.1% to 11.9%. (A family of four must earn $26,496 or less annually to qualify as being in poverty.)

More recently, noted Love, median wages in the county have been going up, increasing by 71 cents per hour between May 2021 and this May to reach $27.32. However, that increase was less than half the $1.76 bump recorded statewide over the same period, and the median North Carolina hourly wage of $29.59 is also higher than Buncombe’s.

Commissioners asked staff to break out the data in more detail to better understand what was driving Buncombe’s rising poverty rates.

Board Chair Brownie Newman asked what percentage of families experiencing poverty were employed and how much they bring in each week, noting that the county’s unemployment rate of 3%

Mindful Self-Compassion Asheville 9-Session Fall Course Outdoors, Rain or Shine Saturdays Starting 9/17

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TRENDING POORLY: Buncombe County’s poverty rate has increased since 2018, even as statewide and U.S. rates have steadily decreased. Graphic courtesy of Buncombe County was very low. Other commissioners were interested to see the number of dependents each family had, how the data broke down by race and whether an exodus of working mothers from the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted the poverty rate.

“This is why we wanted to present this,” said Love. “There’s different stories to tell, and the reality is that at the end of the day, these are the numbers that matter, so we have to drill into those.”

Buncombe staffers had better news regarding other strategic plan targets. The county is on track to achieve its stated goals of implementing land use strategies that encourage affordable housing near transportation and jobs and increasing total employment in specific industries.

Progress has also been made in infrastructure projects expected to improve economic development.

The bridge connecting Smokey Park Highway to Enka Commerce Park is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, and the bridge to Biltmore Park West, which provides access to the Pratt and Whitney site from Brevard Road, has been completed and will open later this year.

Meanwhile, six applications from five different internet providers have been submitted for federal funding through the Growing Rural Economies with Access to

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Technology Grant program. The initiative is meant to support expansion of broadband service to areas that currently don’t have access.

The county anticipates that at least one of those grants will be awarded, with hopefully one or two more being awarded funding through the state’s Completing Access to Broadband program.

If all six applications were funded, said Love, about 7,000 Buncombe households would get broadband access. He noted that both grant programs will repeat next year, offering another chance for all six projects to be funded.

Commissioners support Kuwohi name change During their meeting later Aug. 2, commissioners unanimously voted in favor of a resolution to support the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in its efforts to restore the original Cherokee name of Kuwohi to Clingmans Dome. The current name of the mountain — the highest in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — honors Confederate general and explorer Thomas Lanier Clingman. The Cherokee name translates to “the place of mulberries.”

Four people spoke on the topic during public comment, all in favor of the name change.

“I’m a dual citizen of the Cherokee Nation as well as the United States, my family survived the removal along the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma, and my grandfather is a boarding school survivor,” said Asheville resident Jared Wheatley. “This type of restoring a name to our ancestral language goes beyond just a signal of importance. It also speaks to recognizing the community that still exists in Western North Carolina.”

Commissioner Parker Sloan, who brought the resolution to the board, said that the culture and language of the EBCI had survived through its members’ determination over the years, despite forced attendance at boarding schools that sought to erase their language. The EBCI’s Tribal Council had voted July 14 to send a resolution to the U.S. Department of Interior requesting the name change.

Sloan said that displays of local government and community support for the change would be an important factor in the federal government’s decision.

Before voting, Sloan asked EBCI representatives whether the pronunciation and spelling of the Cherokee name were correct. Lavita Hill noted that the tribe’s Speakers Council had verified that Kuwohi (ᎫᏩᎯ in Cherokee script) should be transliterated with an “o” instead of an “a,” as it had been originally spelled in the board’s resolution.

— Nikki Gensert X

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FEA T U RE S

Q&A: Handcyclist Dustin Baker discusses the positive impact of the sport U.S. Air Force veteran Dustin Baker is no stranger to adversity. In 2004, while serving overseas, he suffered a spinal injury that paralyzed his legs. Once he adjusted to life in a wheelchair, a fellow veteran reached out to see if he had any interest in handcycling.

“I did one mile and was completely gasping,” Baker recalls. But despite the initial fatigue, he kept at it. “With my lower spinal injury, anything that compresses the spine is an absolute pain for me. But with the bike, there’s no pressure on my spine. I could actually get out and do something. And I got hooked.”

Soon thereafter, he partnered with the Achilles Freedom Team, a subgroup of Achilles International, a nonprofit that supports disabled athletes. The organization invited Baker to compete in marathons.

“They don’t care if you come in first place or if you’re out there for 3 1/2 hours. They just want to get veterans together as a support group,” Baker explains. “But once I started getting top 20 finishes, I realized that I could be serious about this.”

Last year, Baker finished third at the U.S. Para-cycling Road National Championships. This July, he traveled to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., in preparation for the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Canada, which took place on Aug. 4-7.

Tragically, on July 26, Baker was struck and injured by an Asheville driver, while handcycling on Lower Brush Creek Road in Fairview.

“With the handcycle you lay out flat, so the impact [from the collision] was directly on my head and my shoulder,” he says.

Baker endured a concussion, lacerations to his face, three broken ribs, a damaged rotator cuff and road rash across his back and additional lacerations to the chest. Meanwhile, his $35,000 professional handcycle was totaled.

“Being in the mountains of Western North Carolina, I wish that cars and cyclists would have a better relationship,” he says. “You would think that would be natural considering the culture of Asheville. I just ask that drivers please be aware of their surroundings and please be considerate about the cyclists in our community.”

ON THE ROAD: After sustaining a spinal injury in 2004 that left him without the use of both legs, U.S. Air Force veteran Dustin Baker picked up handcycling and hasn’t looked back since. Photo courtesy of Baker Xpress sat down with Baker to discuss his recent injuries, the challenges of handcycling and how the sport benefits veterans in our area and across the nation.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

First, how are you feeling?

Still really banged up but starting on the road to recovery. I still have multiple weeks before the doctors will allow me to return to work due to the concussion. I can’t get comfortable due to the broken ribs, but I

GEARING UP: Last year, Dustin Baker finished third at the U.S. Para-cycling Road National Championships. Photo courtesy of Baker

have a wonderful wife who is taking care of me so that I don’t cause further injury. Most of all, I miss being on the bike and being able to get outdoors and get fresh air and ride.

Well, hopefully it won’t be much longer. Outside of your current health issues, what have been some other obstacles you’ve faced as a professional handcycler?

I think the biggest is the cost for the equipment. A handcycle that you can get out and just ride runs $10,000. If you want a pro-level bike, that usually starts around $24,000. So initially, there’s a lot of upfront cost to be able to get out and compete.

From there, it’s finding races.

There’s only a handful of handcycle-specific races throughout the nation. So I went on the USA Cycling app and started contacting every race that I saw within our region: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee.

Why do you think handcycling is a good option for veterans with disabilities?

When you get on the road, you’re focused on the next curve; you’re focused on your pace; you’re focused

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FEA T U RE S on your breathing; you’re focused on, “Am I in the right gear for this hill, or am I lined up for this downhill?” If you’re focusing on all those things, you’re not focusing on your PTSD symptoms. And that means that every time you go out and workout, that’s a reprieve from all the symptoms that you have swirling in your head.

That’s part of the motivation to get out and ride. Because now, all that noise in your head, all that anxiety, it just floats away while you’re out there.

Even after my recent accident, I still look at handcycling as a way to connect with the mountains and exercise. The accident was scary and almost cost me my life, but I can’t let that define me or cause me to stop doing the things I enjoy in life.

Assuming I can get a new bike, I will be back on the country roads as soon as I am healthy, maybe with some extra lights, and just hope vehicles will be a little more cautious after this story.

What is your proudest moment as a handcyclist?

Just seeing where I was when I first started to where I am today — the amount of weight I’d gained, and my very unhealthy lifestyle [prior to cycling]. To be able to see how I’ve definitely turned that around is rewarding. I’m more fit. I’m more healthy than I was before, which means I know I’ll be around for my family longer.

Beyond that, last year at the Nationals, I got third place. Hitting a podium at Nationals — that was an amazing feat.

This year, I was also selected to throw the first pitch at the Red Sox game during the Boston Marathon. I would never have had that opportunity except for handcycling. That was just an amazing experience.

If a person with a disability wanted to get involved in sports, where would you recommend they begin?

Achilles International has a very broad reach. They have chapters throughout the nation. A lot of these chapters have handcycles they can loan out while you’re in the process.

If it’s a veteran, reach out to your local VA. The VA has what’s called an adaptive sports program within their prosthetics office, and they can

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DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Baker continues his recovery following his July 26 accident. Photo courtesy of Baker give you guidance as to what paperwork you need to do to get involved.

And I’m always glad to help. After the VA saw that I was competing and how it was helping me feel better, they started asking me to talk to some vets about healthy lifestyles and PTSD mitigations through cycling.

What’s the most memorable success story you’ve had working with the VA? My favorite was a 78-year-old, double amputee Navy vet that wanted to get into handcycling. He was a stubborn, stubborn individual. There’s nothing like seeing someone get on a bike when they get that spark. We did the Tour de Apple with him. It’s a race during the Apple Festival every year in Hendersonville. ... He was out there just cycling away, having a hard ride, and he had sweat dripping down. He was like, “Thank you so much. This is amazing.”

Those things feed me. They give me renewed motivation.

A GoFundMe page to fund the replacement of Baker’s handcycle and other competition costs can be found at avl.mx/bve.

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— LA Bourgeois X

Your companion to land-use planning in Buncombe County

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR AUGUST 10 - 18, 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 Taiji to Awaken the Flow of Qi With Andrew NugentHead.

WE (8/10, 17), 5:45pm, 119 Coxe Ave Pub Run Rain or shine, all ages and experience levels welcome.

WE (8/10, 17), 6:15pm, Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Rd Montford Tai Chi Hosted by local acupuncturist Tyler White. All ages, every Thursday.

TH (8/11, 18), 9am, Montford Recreation Center, 34 Pearson Dr Yoga in Nature This beginner-friendly class takes place outdoors in partial shade.

TH (8/11), 11am, NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way Tai Chi for Seniors: Balance, Mobility & Joint Health Taught by Karen Brinkman.

TH (8/11, 18), 1pm, 119 Coxe Ave Skate Night Bring your own skates and roll bounce with Asheville Parks and Rec, until 11pm.

FR (8/12), 6pm, Carrier Park Skate Rink, 220 Amboy Rd Yoga and Flower Workshop Slow flow yoga practice along the shore of the pond, followed by a walking meditation into the gardens, with

tea. Afterwards, learn tips for flower cutting and floral design.

SA (8/13), 9am, Bloom WNC Flower Farm, 806 North Fork Rd, Black Mountain Morning Souls Yoga A local trainer and yoga instructor helps get your Saturday "ohm" on. Donation suggested.

SA (8/13), 9:45am, Bold Rock Mills River, 72 School House Rd, Mills River Goat Yoga Led by a certified yoga instructor and nurse with goats.

SA (8/13), 11am, Whistle Hop Brewing Co., 1288 Charlotte Hwy, Fairview Yoga in the Park An all-level friendly yoga class based on Hatha and Vinyasa traditions, by the French Broad River.

SA (8/13), SU (8/14), 11am, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd Black Mtn Yoga Outdoors, a portion will benefit Bounty & Soul.

SA (8/13), 2pm, Pisgah Brewing, 2948 US Hwy 70, Black Mountain Sound Healing Saturdays With sound healing practitioners who will play the gongs, crystal singing bowls and the harmonium.

SA (8/13), 5pm, Inner Wolf Retreat Space, 2854 Puncheon Fork Rd, Mars Hill

SAY CHEESE, PLEASE: Farmer and cheesemaker Robert Russell serves up a sampling of his homemade cheese and caramel at the Les-ter Farmers Market, which takes place at the Leicester Community Center every Wednesday, 3-6 p.m., through November. Russell and his wife, Kathleen, who own French Broad Creamery at Mount Gilead Farm, also sell handmade goat’s milk soap at the market weekly. Photo by Andy Hall Monday Morning Meditation Group Silent meditation to set the mood for the week.

MO (8/15), 8:15am, 119 Coxe Ave Qi Gong 101: Beginner's Course Access and flow your Qi for optimum health, with Allen Horowitz.

MO (8/15), 9:30am, 119 Coxe Ave Pint for Pint Blood Drive Hosted by the American Red Cross.

MO (8/15), 2pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy HIV Support Group WNCAP sponsors a twice-monthly (first and third Tuesdays), confidential, professionally-facilitated HIV support group to the WNC community.

Email juliatrobinson1@ gmail.com for more information.

TU (8/16), 6pm Men's Cancer Support Group Safely meet in a large conference room and stay socially distant while wearing masks. RSVP to Will at (412)913-0272 or acwein123@gmail.com.

WE (8/17), 6pm, Woodfin YMCA, 40 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 101

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ART 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 Blown Glass Demos with Andrew Montrie Every Friday from 1-5pm.

Appalachian Craft Center, 10 N Spruce St, Ste 120 RAD Collabs Painters, potters, metalsmiths, woodworkers and others working with glassblowers.

FR (8/12), 10am North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Ste B Making Identity Count Through Art See and hear from LGBTQ+ photographers and subjects of photographers speak of their experience making images, sharing their own narratives and orchestrating how they

wanted to be seen.

FR (8/12), 6:30pm, Revolve, 821 Riverside Dr, #179 Public Art Unveiling: The Mother An original piece from artist and designer Kristof Galas, the mixed media display, inspired

by Marshall-based kombucha brewer Buchi, will be the fourth addition to the Madison County Manufacturing Art Park.

SA (8/13), 7pm, Otis Duck Greenway, Mars Hill Behind the Brush Watch the signature styles of five resident artists while they create, hear the stories behind the work, and the techniques and tools used while creating.

SA (8/13) & SU (8/14), 11am, Art MoB Studios & Marketplace 124 4th Ave E, Hendersonville 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

We Built This: Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in NC From Preservation North Carolina, this exhibit is part of a multi-faceted educational program about the history and legacy of Black builders in our state. Open 10am, closed Sunday and Monday. Through Oct. 10.

Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St A Walk in the Woods Five guest artists approach the Carolina woodlands through their personal perspectives, revealing Appalachia through a fresh lens, inspired by fall. Open daily 10am, through Oct. 30.

Marquee Asheville, 36 Foundy St Nature and Nurture: The Voorhees Family Artistic Legacy This multi-generational, multi-media exhibit displays paintings, pottery and jewelry from seven members of the Voorhees family. Daily 9am, through Sept. 5.

NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way Elephants Trampeding Trackside An exhibit depicting elephants and other

creatures of the Serengeti region of Africa.

Open daily 10am, through Aug. 30.

Trackside Studios, 375 Depot St Amanda Clark: Regeneration II The artist finds 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, noon on Sunday.

Pink Dog Creative, 348 Depot St On the Walls: Featured Artist Alexandra Bloch “Contemplative glimpses of a simple scene rather than a wide view of a jumbled world.”

Open 10am, closed Monday, through Sept.

11.

Eclipse Salon, 16 Wall St Cherishing Mountain Moments Featuring paintings by Robin Wethe Altman during the month of August. Open 11am daily.

Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave 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

COMMUNITY MUSIC Startribe: Ecstatic Dance With live music from Mikaya. Drug and alcohol free.

TH (8/11), 6:30pm, Pack Square Park Park Rhythms with Alexa Rose The final event of this outdoor summer music series.

TH (8/11), 7pm, Black Mountain Veterans Park, Black Mountain Concerts on the Creek With live music from WNC dance band Tuxedo Junction. With food trucks onsite.

FR (8/12), 7pm, Bridge Park, Downtown Sylva Music On Main With live music from the Rewind House Band, and a classic car and Corvette show.

FR (8/12), 7pm, Historic Downtown Hendersonville

Family Drum Day Drums and other instruments will be provided; all-ages, all-abilities.

SA (8/13), 11am, East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Rd Kid Hop Hooray Family-friendly tunes from DJ Oso, ice cream, face painting and more.

SA (8/13), 11am, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave Shindig on the Green A mountain tradition since 1967, with bluegrass and old-time string bands, cloggers, ballad singers and storytellers..

SA (8/13), 7pm, Pack Square Park Concierto de la Tarde An Afternoon Concert This classical and musical theatre concert features Sandy Riccardi and Patricia Sands-sopranos, classical guitarist Andy Jurik, pianist Richard Riccardi, and pianist/organist Eric Fricke. Donations will go toward Woodfin Food Distribution.

SU (8/14), 3pm, Trinity United Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Rd Saucy Sundays Family-friendly Latin vibe party with music, food trucks and salsa lessons.

SU (8/14), 3pm, Haywood Country Club, 662 Haywood Rd 2nd Saturday Summer Music Series With live music from Nick Chandler and Delivered, in the nature park.

SU (8/14), 6pm, Main Street Weaverville Hendersonville Street Dances The oldest street dance event in the United States, with bluegrass music from Lynn Goldsmith and The Jeter Mountain Band and a clogging demonstration from Southern Connection.

MO (8/15), 7pm, Historic Downtown Hendersonville Rhythm & Blues Concert Series with Alexa Rose Monthly summer concert series continues.

Singer-songwriter Aaron Burdett opens the show.

TH (8/18), 5:30pm, Historic Downtown Hendersonville

LITERARY 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

Poetry Open Mic Asheville’s longest-running open mic, hosted

by Caleb Beissert. Five and ten minute spaces available.

WE (8/10, 17), 8pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave Creative Writing Group A supportive group of writing and reading.

Email anna.booraem@ buncombecounty. org for the link to the online meeting.

TH (8/11), 4pm Friends of the Black Mountain Library PopUp Book Sale Hardbacks and paperbacks, including a selection of children's books.

SA (8/13), 10am, Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

HOT BUNS & TASTY MEAT 48 College St. Downtown, Asheville ORDER ONLINE: zellasdeli.com 828-505-8455

Author Event: Ronnie Evans The author will sign his new book, The Odyssey of Robert Peake, a historical-fictionalized story set in the 17th century.

SA (8/13), 1pm, Blue Ridge Books, 428 Hazelwood Ave, Waynesville Read a Romance Local Author Event Brooke Campbell and Kel O'Connor will read book excerpts and talk about their experiences with writing and publishing, in celebration of National Read a Romance Month.

SA (8/13), 2pm, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St Author Talk: Andrew Aydin The author will talk about his work with the late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis and their #1 NYTs bestselling book, March.

SA (8/13), 2:30pm, East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Rd Chloe Maxmin & Canyon Woodward: in Conversation with BPR’s Lilly Knoepp The talk will center around the book Maxmin and Woodward collaborated on, Dirt Road Revival. The book details the journey of the young Maine politician Maxmin and her campaign manager, Woodward, to win two unlikely elections.

SA (8/13), 3pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St, Sylva Dark City Poets Society: First Anniversary of Poetry Night This free event will feature limited releases of DCPS merchandise and time to share poetry and drink. Ten percent of all drink sales will be donated back to the Friends of the Black Mountain Library.

TU (8/16), 6pm, The Low Down, 204 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain

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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 Rock N Roll Nightmare Free outdoor movie night.

TH (8/11), 8pm, The Odd, 1045 Haywood Rd Rocky Horror Picture Show Summer movie night, with an interactive "shadow cast" experience.

TH (8/11), 8pm, $10, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave Movies in the Park: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids The Rec-n-Roll Play Zone activates at 7pm with the movie beginning at dusk. Bring a blanket.

Presented by Asheville Parks and Rec. FR (8/12), 7pm, Pack Square Park Much Ado About Nothing Director Dwight Chiles has chosen to use the Shakespearean hijinks to give the audience a show that celebrates diversity.

FR (8/12) & SA (8/13), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St The Book of Will The story of how the lone survivors of Shakespeare's acting company worked together to save the plays.

FR (8/12) & SA (8/13), 7:30pm, SU (8/14), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville Sunday Sinema Free popcorn but no burgers served at this locals, 21+ dive bar.

The movie will be announced at the event.

SU (8/14), 9pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St The Big Lebowski Free movie night.

MO (8/15), 7pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave Flashback Film Series: Xanadu Outdoor screening with a DJ set by Jaze Jries, and performances by Drag Queen Ganymede.

To benefit the Cat Fly Film Festival.

TH (8/18), 7pm, The Wedge at Foundation, 5 Foundy St

CLASSES & MEETINGS Introduction to Medicare - Understanding the Puzzle The class will explain how Medicare works, the enrollment process, how to avoid penalties and ways to save money.

To register, visit coabc. org or call the Council on Aging at (828)2778288.

WE (8/10), 2pm

Back-to-School Community Clothing Swap Kids, teen and adult shoes and clothes welcome, as well as backpacks and messenger bags. No undergarments or socks. Registration required, visit buncombecounty.org.

TH (8/11), 4pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler WNCHA History Hour: Asheville’s Black Baseball Teams Exploring the history of Negro League baseball teams in Asheville, and the larger influences of these leagues on the Civil Rights movement.

TH (8/11), 6pm, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St Fridays at the Folk Art Center: Tips for a Successful Hike A park ranger will talk about trail etiquette, or the golden rules of the trail, at an outdoor program, weather permitting. Bring a blanket or chair.

FR (8/12), 7pm, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway Family Discovery Day Explore the 25-acre forest, ninja course, pine play, chicken field and more on this free day.

SA (8/13), 10am, Asheville Farmstead School, 218 Morgan Cove Rd, Candler Michael Checkhov Method 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 (8/13), 11am, $10-40, Center for Connection + Collaboration Electric Vehicles (EVs): a Growing Presence in WNC Presenter William M. Hite, WNC Climate Action Coalition, will share the latest and upcoming EV technology, makes and models, charging options, and latest government incentives.

SA (8/13), 11:30am, First United Methodist Church, 566 S Haywood St, Waynesville WNC Forest Farming Series: Mushroom Production These tours will include hands-on workshops and site visits to offer beginning and advanced forest farmers valuable learning opportunities.

SU (8/14), 1pm, The Forest Farmacy, 24 Davis Ln, Marshall Accessing and Honoring the Living Spirit of Nature A day-long shamanic retreat centered on deepening one’s connection to the natural world, where attendees will participate in elemental ceremonies, a guided nature walk and lunch with like-minded

individuals.

SU (8/14), 10:30am, $40-80, Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd

greenway, plus ample parking.

WE (8/10, 17), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

The Railroad and Incarcerated Labor (RAIL) Memorial Project Members of the steering community of the Railroad and Incarcerated Labor (RAIL) Memorial Project will discuss the history, goals of the project, current and ongoing initiatives and fundraising needs.

MO (8/15), 6pm, Free-$5, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

Weaverville Tailgate Market Local foodstuffs, alongside a small lineup of craft and artisan vendors.

WE (8/10, 17), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville

The Folding Chair: August 2022 This month's speaker is Maranda Holmes, professional resume writer and career consultant.

TU (8/16), 6pm, avl.mx/bvx WomanUP Workshop: DNA of Impactful Women Through Betsy Allen-Manning's interviews with impactful women, along with her expertise in human behavior, the speaker breaks down DNA and gives six core strategies for developing a game plan of achievement.

TH (8/18), 8am, Crowne Plaza Resort, 1 Resort Dr Date Night: Merge T-Shirts Breathe new life into t-Shirts that are heading for the donation pile - using scissors and thread, cut apart and patchwork together garments. With music and comp beverages.

TH (8/18), 6pm, $15, Center for Craft, 67 Broadway

LOCAL FOOD & CRAFT MARKETS Asheville City Market South Midweek market operated by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP).

WE (8/10, 17), 12pm, Biltmore Town Square, 1 Town Square Blvd.

Etowah Lions Club Farmers Market Fresh produce, meat, sweets, breads, arts, and more, through October 26.

WE (8/10, 17), 3pm, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville 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 (8/10, 17), 3pm, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester River Arts District (RAD) Farmers Market Located on the river with live music and over 30 local vendors.

Safely accessible via the

Wednesday Night Market: Vintage and Crafts Vintage and crafts from area-based vendors.

WE (8/10, 17), 4pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd Enka-Candler Tailgate Market Fresh local produce and heritage crafts. Weekly.

TH (8/11, 18), 3pm, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler Flat Rock Tailgate Market A diverse group of local produce farmers, jam and jelly makers, bread bakers, wild crafters, and merrymakers.

TH (8/11, 18), 3pm, Pinecrest ARP Church, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock Handmade in the Shade A wide array of unique wares from artists and crafters in Brevard and Transylvania County.

FR (8/12) & SA (8/13), 9am, Masonic Lodge Brevard, 174 E Main St, Brevard YMCA Mobile Market Bring your grocery bags and get fresh food for your family. Distributions are free, all community members are welcome.

FR (8/12), 10:30am, Oakley/South Asheville Library, 749 Fairview Rd East Asheville Tailgate Market Local goods, every Friday.

FR (8/12), 3pm, East Asheville Tailgate Market, 954 Tunnel Rd Henderson County Tailgate Market One of the oldest openair markets in WNC, with local growers who operate small family farms in Henderson County.

SA (8/13), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville Hendersonville Farmers Market Produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, coffee, crafts and more from 30+ local vendors.

With live music, kids' activities and cooking demos weekly.

SA (8/13), 8am, 650 Maple St, Hendersonville Mills River Farmers Market A producer-only market, selling products raised or produced within 50 miles of the market.

SA (8/13), 8am, Mills River Elementary School, 94 Schoolhouse Rd, Mills River

North Asheville Tailgate Market The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC. Over 60 rotating vendors.

SA (8/13), 8am, 3300 University Heights, Asheville

Haywood's Historic Farmers Market Located at HART Theatre, weekly.

SA (8/13), 9am, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Zinnia and Sunflower Experience Pick zinnias and sunflowers from a mountaintop field only accessible via an onsite wagon ride. While visiting the farm, enjoy the local market with available fruits, ciders and live bluegrass music.

SA (8/13) & SU (8/14), 10am, Jeter Mountain Farm, 1126 Jeter Mountain Rd, Hendersonville

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 (8/13), 9am, Downtown Brevard

Asheville City Market Over 50 vendors and local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and more.

SA (8/13), 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 (8/13), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Junk-O-Rama Saturday Vintage antiques market, every Saturday through October.

SA (8/13), 11am, Fleetwood’s, 496 Haywood Rd

Madison Co. Farmers & Artisans Market Local goods and produce, weekly through Oct. SA (8/13), 10am, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill

Jackson Arts Market A makers and music festival with Wooly Booger on Saturday and an open jam on Sunday.

SA (8/13) & SU (8/14), 1pm, Main St. Downtown Sylva

Sourwood Pottery Market Ten potters each day from the clay studio.

SA (8/13), 10am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Bullington Gardens Fairy Market Featuring face painting, Zen tangle art classes and a gnome scavenger hunt. Handmade crafts, crowns, wands, wings and DIY items will be available for purchase.

SA (8/13), 9am, Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville

Gladheart Farm Fest Market Fresh produce, bread and pastries, food vendors, and live music, weekly.

SU (8/14), 11am, Gladheart Farm, 9 Lora Ln

Earth Tone Craft Fair Craft disciplines will include ceramics, jewelry, naturally dyed and reworked textiles, vintage clothing, soaps, tinctures, woodworking, and more.

SA (8/13), 10am, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Meadow Market Runs every Sunday from May-August and will feature a rotation of local bakers, makers

and artisans.

SU (8/14), 12pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy Rabbit Rabbit Sunday Market Shop vintage clothes, housewares, handmade jewelry, ceramics, apparel and more, outdoors. With music, special activities, and drinks and bites by AVL Taco and AVL Brewing Co. SU (8/14), 12pm, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave Wet Hot Summer Market A celebration of local artists and vendors, with Grush's Cajun Dino Grill.

SU (8/14), 1pm, DSSOLVR, 63 N Lexington Ave West Asheville Tailgate Market Over 40 local vendors, every Tuesday. With live music from Watkins.

TU (8/16), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS Work/Life Balance Job Fair Featuring over 90 local employers who are offering flexible schedul-

ing, education & training support, paid leave, health, and wellness benefits as well as many other opportunities to help employees enjoy a work-life balance.

TH (8/11), 11am, WNC Ag Center, 761 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher 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.

Brews and Bears Food trucks, beverages including local beer and cider, music, an education program

by BearWise, and an enrichment activity with the resident black bears, Uno and Ursa.

FR (8/12), 5:30pm, WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Rd RAD Second Saturday Hundreds of working artists with demonstrations, adjacent to a greenway all along the French Broad River.

Free trolley rides.

SA (8/13), River Arts District

Sourwood Festival Celebrating bees and local sourwood honey, with 200 vendors, food and live music.

SA (8/13), 9am, Downtown Black Mountain

and kids of all ages, with community partner organizations that will share upcoming programs and services.

TH (8/18), 4pm, Pack Square Park

Dinosaur Day Twenty-five minute trolley railroad rides with jurassic sightings and family activities at the depot.

SA (8/13), 10am, Craggy Mountain Line, 11 Woodfin Ave, Woodfin

Teen Back to School Bash: Tha After Party With music, dancing, giveaways, games, inflatables, photo booths, surprises, and appearances from special guests, this event takes place immediately after the United for Youth Block Party.

TH (8/18), 7pm, Pack Square Park

Swannanoa Valley Museum Classic Car Show Part of Black Mountain's annual Sourwood Festival, with over 100 1890s-1980s vehicles.

SA (8/13), 10am, 304 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Wood Day More than 15 Southern Highland Craft Guild fine masters of wood will demonstrate their work and includes opportunities for attendees to get handson with basic woodworking techniques.

SA (8/13), 10am, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway United for Youth Block Party Youth performers, young leaders, free food, books, a DJ and activities for families

Tools for School Drive All funds and school supplies collected will be given away 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 Umoja's Midsummer Night White Party Featuring: the Hypnotic Band, the Free Flow Band, Saxlife, Cooking with Comedy, Beer City Sisters Silent Auction performances from the H.O.P.E. 4 the Future youth and more. Dress is all white. All proceeds go to benefit the work of local nonprofit Umoja Health, Wellness and Justice Collective.

SA (8/13), 6pm, A-B Tech Campus, 16 Fernihurst Dr Rescues & Rainbows Wag Show Dress up your pup and show them off on the catwalk to celebrate Pride. All proceeds benefit Asheville Humane Society and Tranzmission.

SA (8/13), 1pm, Hi-Wire Brewing, 197 Hilliard Ave Fairview Rd Resilience Garden Work Day Volunteers are needed at the garden every Wednesday. All ages and skill levels are welcome to join to harvest, weed, plant, and build community.

WE (8/17), 5:30pm, Fairview Resilience Garden, 461 Fairview Rd

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WELLNESS HEALTH ROUNDUP

City, county file class-action lawsuit against HCA/Mission Asheville and Buncombe County filed a class-action lawsuit against HCA Healthcare and Mission Health on July 27 in U.S. District Court. The lawsuit alleges HCA is attempting to monopolize health care in Western North Carolina.

“The Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners felt it was necessary to take this step to bring an end to predatory practices that limit HCA Healthcare’s competition and clearly result in overpriced and limited choices in people’s health care,” said Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer in a July 28 statement announcing the lawsuit. “We believe this lawsuit will not only address the damages sustained by local governments and other self-insured organizations but will also result in a fair and improved health care system for our entire community.”

The city of Asheville has a self-funded health plan utilized by 1,122 employees, the lawsuit says.

In the same statement, Buncombe County Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman said, “On behalf of our public employees and our community, we have a responsibility to challenge these unfair business practices that harm patients and families at a time they are often most vulnerable.”

Buncombe County’s self-funded health plan covers 1,416 employees, and 3,700 people in total, including employees’ families and retirees.

The lawsuit demands a jury trial and alleges HCA/Mission Health operates a monopoly over general acute care in hospitals, including

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CLASS ACTION: A new lawsuit alleges HCA/Mission Health operates a monopoly over general acute care in hospitals, including overnight stays, and outpatient care. Photo by Jen Castillo overnight stays, and outpatient care. The plaintiffs allege HCA/ Mission Health required health insurance plans to have “all-ornothing” arrangements with its services and prevented tiered plans that would have allowed insurers to offer less expensive options, among other complaints.

It states, “Defendants’ conduct has restricted competition in the health care markets defined herein, thereby substantially and artificially inflating health care prices paid by plaintiffs and proposed class member health plans. This proposed class action for unlawful restraint of trade and monopolization seeks to redress these harms.”

In an Aug. 3 statement to Xpress, HCA/Mission Health spokesperson Nancy Lindell called the lawsuit “meritless.” She wrote, “Mission Health has been caring for Western North Carolina for more than 130 years and our dedication to providing excellent health care to our community will not waiver as we vigorously defend against this meritless litigation. We are disappointed in this action and we continue to be proud of the heroic work our team does daily.”

According to the lawsuit, Mission Hospital System merged with St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1995, thus creating a monopoly on general acute

care in WNC. However, Mission was able to hold this monopoly due to a certificate of public advantage, which the lawsuit refers to as “a form of regulation in which a hospital is permitted to operate with monopoly power in exchange for subjecting itself to state oversight.”

The state repealed the COPA in 2016. HCA, a for-profit company based in Nashville, purchased nonprofit Mission Hospital for $1.5 billion in 2019.

Shortly after HCA’s purchase, both community members and health care providers alleged patient care declined. In February 2020, Manheimer, Newman and state Rep. Brian Turner co-signed a letter to the Asheville Citizen Times stating, “[R] educed care for low-income patients, increased patient risk, and dismissing important practice groups that have provided outstanding service to Mission — are simply unacceptable and must be corrected.”

HCA is defendant in two additional lawsuits: one filed in July 2021 by insured residents of WNC alleging “artificially inflated out-ofpocket costs and health insurance premiums,” and the second filed June 2022 by the city of Brevard.

HCA also has drawn criticism from nurses at Mission Hospital, who ratified their first union contract with National Nurses United

in 2021. On June 2, RNs held a rally outside the hospital alleging unsafe staffing levels and an inability to take breaks guaranteed in their contracts due to staff shortages.

Public hearing for CON applications A public hearing about applicants vying to build a new 67-bed hospital will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 12, at A-B Tech, 19 Tech Drive, in the Ferguson Building’s Ferguson Auditorium.

The 2022 State Medical Facilities Plan, published by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Division of Health Service Regulation, stated Buncombe, Graham, Madison and Yancey counties will have a projected need of 67 additional acute care beds by 2024. To apply to build a facility for those beds, each health care organization must submit a certificate of need application.

AdventHealth Asheville, Novant Health Asheville Medical Center and HCA/Mission Health each submitted a CON application on June 15, according to NCDHHS application logs.

For more information about the public hearing, contact the Healthcare Planning and Certificate of Need Section of the Division of Health Service Regulation at 919-855-3873.

Group opposes HCA’s CON application The State Employees Association of North Carolina, an advocacy group for the 750,000 individuals on the State Health Plan, submitted public comments Aug. 1 in opposition of HCA’s certificate-of-need application. HCA applied to provide 67 additional acute care beds in coming years.

In a 66-page letter to NCDHHS’ Division of Health Service Regulation, Ardis Watkins, executive director of the state employees association, detailed the group’s concerns over HCA’s staffing decisions, access to care for underserved populations, clinic closures and quality of care, among other items. “The applicant does not meet the required criteria and high standard of care that North Carolinians deserve,” Watkins wrote. “Therefore, we urge the agency to deny Mission Hospital’s Certificate of Need application.”

The public comment period for CON applications ended Aug. 1.

VA awards grants locally Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry and Homeward Bound of Western North Carolina are recipients of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2023 Supportive Services for Veteran Families grants.

Funds assist with health care, housing and transportation for homeless and at-risk veterans, and are available Oct. 1. The nonprofits are among 258 nonprofits nationwide served by $431 million in grants.

Health care hiring Western North Carolina Community Health Services, a nonprofit primary care provider serving a primarily uninsured or low-income population, is holding a job fair Tuesday, Aug. 16, at Minnie Jones Health Center, 257 Biltmore Ave. Positions are open across medical, dental, behavioral health and administrative departments. For more information, call 285-0622, ext. 4416, or email employment@ wncchs.org.

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Mark your calendars • The Asheville Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a free class on four-season food production and preservation 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, at Montford Center Edible Park, 30 George Washington Ave. Register at avl.mx/bv9.

• The sixth annual Mental Wellness Walk will take place at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, at Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Road. Participants can choose a 2K or a 5K. Funds raised will support All Souls Counseling Center and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Western Carolina, co-hosts of the event.

Register at avl.mx/ah2.

• The Race to the Taps 5K will be from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. The race begins and ends at Oskar Blues Brewery, 342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard. Register at avl.mx/bv4.

• AdventHealth Hendersonville, in partnership with the Council on Aging of Hendersonville, will hold a free seminar on depression 5:307 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11. The seminar will be held at AdventHealth Medical Group Multispecialty at Laurel Park, 1881 Pisgah Drive, Hendersonville. Visit avl.mx/bv8 or call 855-744-5433 to register.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Sound advice

Music industry insiders talk DIY versus the studio touch

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: Asheville-based composer, producer and engineer Patrick Doyle has helped numerous bands achieve their sonic dreams, but he also understands the appeal and cost savings that come with DIY recording projects. Photo by Mike Martinez

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com Over 20 years have passed since Napster shook up the music industry and rendered decades-old distribution practices obsolete. Shortly thereafter, Asheville-based composer, producer and engineer Patrick Doyle says composers for TV, film and radio began shifting to home studios, where they could be just as creative but with a lower overhead.

And as recording equipment technology has improved and costs have decreased, an increasing number of artists from various genres have followed a similar path.

“We are in the second wave of that right now,” Doyle says. “My career started on 2-inch tape, but I’m definitely a Pro Tools guy [now].

I think technology is neat and cool,

so there is no part of me that thinks things have to happen in big-budget studios.”

At the same time, however, Doyle adds that there are downsides for artists going fully DIY. Newer bands in particular may not have the industry knowledge that seasoned producers have about licensing music and getting songs played on the radio to reach a broader audience.

“It’s just a riskier proposition,” Doyle says of those going it alone.

“At a certain point, it’s a very hard thing to achieve any of this. So if you’re playing the odds, you’re trying to always put yourself in successful positions.”

Such are the dilemmas facing local artists attempting to create recordings that catch the attention of industry tastemakers without going bankrupt in the process. Precisely

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what rubrics need to be met can change from person to person, but as area radio hosts, publicists and studio professionals note, triumphs are attainable.

GOOD LISTENERS When it comes to the quality of recording, mixing and mastering, the industry standard is quite flexible.

“Mostly it comes down to taste and finding someone with the skill set to achieve a desired outcome,” says Adam McDaniel, co-owner of Drop of Sun Studios in West Asheville.

“We work with both mainstream and independent artists, and for all clients, we deliver the highest-quality recordings,” McDaniel continues. “But the subjective qualities of tone and fidelity are dictated by the songs and the artists’ preference.

Personally, I can’t abide an attitude of ‘that’s good enough.’ If something can be better, then let’s go further.”

That commitment is appreciated at area radio stations such as Spindale-based WNCW, where music director and host Martin Anderson says songwriting and musicianship worthy of airplay

go hand in hand with high-grade recording. But as noted by his colleague Joe Kendrick, director of programming and operations, many factors can determine whether a song sounds “good enough.”

“It’s completely subjective.

However, it also depends on the style of music and what the artist is going for,” Kendrick says. “A good song is a good song, but there are a lot of songs that really benefit from having more studio touch.”

When Anderson interviews artists playing in the station’s Studio B, production will frequently come up in their conversations. Often, the musician will mention the name of a producer and the studio where the album was recorded. But on occasion, musicians will tell him that they handled the process themselves.

For Anderson, the latter is inspiring. “Not only are they a musician and they came up with these songs, but they know their way around the recording studio and they made it sound this good,” he says. “And there’s more and more of those.”

Kendrick adds that every musician he knows is “at least a little bit of a gearhead.” That interest may take the form of collecting instru-

ments, building one’s own pedals or having their own studio, all of which he feels contributes to high personal standards for recordings.

Danielle Dror, founder of Asheville-based Victory Lap Publicity, agrees that artists want to be viewed as professionals by industry tastemakers and are unlikely to compromise those connections with subpar recordings.

“A lot of artists have an inherent sense of perfectionism, and they put a lot of pressure on themselves to get it right,” Dror says. “A lot of times, they have their own strong opinions about how they want something to sound because they’re the ones listening to that one bridge over and over and over again until they get the levels where they want.”

AUTHENTIC AUDIO In deciding whether to work with an artist, Dror seeks collaborators whose musicianship accurately reflects the sound they’re trying to create as well as their identity as an artist. She adds that it goes a long way when listeners can tell that everybody in a band is not only on the same page but clearly invested in what they’re creating. And it’s important to have a solid outfit where all involved know their places and the instrumentation complements the song itself, as opposed to trying to embellish an arrangement just for the sake of having bells and whistles.

“That’s one of the biggest things that I personally pick up on,” Dror says. “I think it’s a testament to the professionalism and sense of maturity of a band when it’s clear that what they’re doing is very appropriately fitting to the song. There’s a time and place for gymnastics and showing off their skills, but I think you can tell when it’s within context.”

On a mixing and mastering level, Dror similarly looks for a sense of cohesion and an absence of one instrument overpowering the others. Here again, she notes, intentionality plays a major role. Dror identifies the late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith as someone with a lo-fi, crunchy sound that gives the impression of his songs being recorded in a bedroom. While that production style fit Smith’s music and became part of his identity, going that route isn’t a one-size-fitsall solution.

“You can tell, even if it’s something that’s a little bit more gritty and rough around the edges, that that is sound they’re intentionally trying to make versus it just came out this way because [they] have very limited equipment,” she says.

SHANGRI-LA-LA-LA: Drop of Sun Studios in West Asheville has become a favorite recording spot for mainstream and independent artists. Photo by Daniel Barlow Echoing her industry peers’ thoughts on DIY recording, Dror notes that technology has gotten to the point where artists can have a high-quality home studio at a reasonable price. But she and other experts caution musicians

against diving in too quickly on a home studio.

Doyle points out that there’s an entire industry that’s popped up around trying to sell and market products to artists, convincing them that they need to do every part of

the recording process themselves.

Online courses are a prime example, and while he thinks these resources can be a positive force and encour-

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AR T S & C UL TU R E age musicians to take control of their careers, they’re not a solution for everyone.

“There’s also a group of people that are incredibly talented and creative that have no chance succeeding in that realm,” Doyle says. “I hope that as we move forward and navigate some of that, we find a way to be sure that some of these people that aren’t so technically savvy but can write a wonderful song or play some of the most creative synth parts you’ve ever heard don’t get left out.”

McDaniel agrees that if artists feel as if they are falling short of their potential, they should reach out to people with experience producing and recording music.

“If you’re recording at home on an acoustic guitar, but you’re envisioning a dramatic piece with a densely composed arrangement of symphonic and electronic instruments, you can achieve that with the resources and experience of people who do that on a daily basis,” McDaniel says. “At the same time, a well-recorded, simple acoustic guitar and vocal can allow the message of a song to really shine.”

STANDING OVATION: Martin Anderson, music director and host at WNCW, is frequently impressed by singer/songwriters who are also studio engineers. Photo by Brenda Craig

SONIC ATTENTION

correctly. That kind of stuff is a really big deal.”

But as important as sound quality is, Dror notes that it’s only one of many aspects of an artist’s brand and identity. She says that 85% of

Throughout the years, Doyle says there have been lots of things that producers and artists can do to increase their production value.

“You’re not going to gravitate toward or remember the records that you made that didn’t reach that level of production,” Doyle says. “That’s the thing that you have to offer clients, too. They need to be able to look back on this — even if their band isn’t successful — and still want to be able to play their songs for family and friends on Spotify.”

To that end, Doyle also has a small speaker in his studio that mimics a cellphone. Since so many people listen to music on their mobile devices, he’s careful in his mixing and mastering to ensure that his work sounds good through those audio sources. But the space where he conducts these activities is also crucial.

“Figure out a way to treat the room that you’re listening to stuff in, because without some sonic attention, no room is going to sound good,” Doyle says. “You’re doing all of these different things that might be great decisions in the moment.

You might be like, ‘This song needs more bass’ and whatever, but it’s just you listening in that room. And you might be completely, wildly off just because you didn’t build some bass traps or position your speakers

CONNECTED: Danielle Dror, founder of Victory Lap Media, works at the 2021 Mempho Fest in Memphis, Tenn. Photo courtesy of Dror

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her press emails seeking coverage don’t receive a reply from journalists or radio personnel, and the other 15% is a mix of interest in providing coverage or a rejection. For the latter, she’ll often follow up to inquire about the decision and learn that the artist doesn’t fit in with coverage interest or isn’t compatible with the editorial production cycle. But she rarely, if ever, has gotten an answer from a media person saying that audio quality isn’t up to standards.

“It’s also a big priority to make sure that your website is polished and your press photos are high-resolution and look like they were taken with a professional camera and you have a well-written bio,” Dror says.

“Those are just some of the steppingstones that catalyze people to pay more attention to artists and take you seriously. Sometimes, they’re the first things needed in order for a journalist to even put extra thought to click the SoundCloud link in an email and listen to your album.”

Meanwhile, Anderson confirms that timing has a lot to do with whether a song makes it on the air at WNCW. A submission may arrive during a busy week and get overlooked. Or, he notes, it could be “the 28th male singer/songwriter/ guitarist record [I’ve] gotten this week,” suggesting that a quota has been met.

Likewise, echoing Dror’s comments on a holistic approach to publicity, Anderson says that a strong social media presence and easy accessibility to a song is a plus. And a certain level of name recognition in the credits can help WNCW hosts determine whether to press “play” on a song by a regional artist with whom they may not be familiar.

“If they did it at home, that’s not a mark against them. But when I see that it was recorded at Hollow Reed [Arts Recording] Studios by Chris Rosser or at Echo Mountain [Recording], I’m like, ‘OK, it’s probably going to fit our style and they’ve gone through the effort to pay the money and whatnot, or they know the right connections for it to happen,’ and that can help,” Anderson says.

“So, it can be worthwhile to make that kind of investment,” he continues. “But that said, I love that we’re in an era where someone doesn’t have to go down the road of shelling out a whole lot of money for any one particular studio. They can do it on their own, but you get a lot of unexpected benefits when you use a nice production studio, like the name recognition, and that can help with getting bookings at local venues as well as radio airplay.” X

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AR T S & C UL TU R E

FOOD ROUNDUP

What’s new in food

Food Connection introduces Fran the mobile meals truck

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’: Marisha MacMorra, left, Food Connection executive director, and Flori Pate, the organization’s founder and community engagement leader, show off the nonprofit’s new mobile meals truck, Fran. Photo by Daria Uporsky

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Flori Pate, Food Connection’s founder and current leader of community engagement, wants the communities it serves to be on a first-name basis with the nonprofit’s newest venture, a mobile meals truck. “An anonymous donor gave us $55,000 to help commission the truck, and his only request was we name it Fran,” Pate explains with a laugh.

So, painted on both sides of the colorful truck is the name, though the script is discreet compared with the bold block letters announcing, “For the People” and “For the Planet.”

Pate designed the truck, which was built out and wrapped by Food Trucks South of Marietta, Ga. “It went from my 16-inch screen to a 24-foot truck, which is huge,” she says of the process. “It has seven refrigerator units, sinks and enough counter space to pack 70 individual meals at a time.”

The idea for the truck was born out of the pandemic pivot Food Connection made in 2020, when it began packaging individual heatand-eat meals for distribution during the shutdowns. “We saw there was such a need for that, and when someone in a brainstorming session last summer suggested a food truck, we jumped on it,” notes Pate.

Original Food Connection launch partner, Grace Covenant

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Presbyterian Church, houses the truck. And on Wednesdays, the food truck opens its service window and distributes prepared meals to families picking up their children enrolled in the Youth Transforming Lives program at Grace. Meanwhile, on Saturdays, Fran rolls out to 105 Whitson Ave., Swannanoa, for drive-thru distribution from 11 a.m. until the food is gone.

“We can’t wait to go more places,” says Pate. “We have the truck; we just need more resources to grow our distribution.”

For more information and to donate, visit avl.mx/bue.

Trial run Four chefs, eight dishes and a mess of yard-long beans await attendees at Utopian Seed Project’s Trial to Table: A Summer Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 13, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Unlike past events, the upcoming gathering does not have a theme, notes Chris Smith, founder and executive director of the Utopian Seed Project.

“Basically, we want [chefs] to be inspired by the concept of biodiversity in the food system, use things straight from our trials or crops inspired by trials and all different parts of the plant,” he says

of the event, which takes place at The Boathouse on the Smoky Park Supper Club property.

Accepting the challenge to prepare two small plates each, one of which must be vegetarian, are chefs Caro Gutiérrez Paz of Ayni51 Peruvian pop-ups; Rakim Gaines, executive chef of Capella on 9; Chestnut and Corner Kitchen pastry chef Mallory Foster; and chef Steve Goff, who recently purchased and will be reopening Tastee Diner.

A tasting of nine varieties of yardlong beans will also be held, with feedback encouraged.

The event’s $50 ticket includes beverages from Botanist & Barrel and Burial Beer Co. Smith, the author of the 2020 James Beard Award-winning book, The Whole Okra: A Celebration from Seed to Stem, sweetens the pot and reveals, “Because it’s me, The Hop will serve okra ice cream.”

The Boathouse is at 350 Riverside Drive. For tickets, visit avl.mx/bu6.

Learn Burmese Yunanda Wilson says that growing up in South Florida, her family — immigrants in 1999 from Yangon, Myanmar (formerly Burma) — worked long hours. “The one time

I knew we’d be together was for meals, and my mother made traditional Burmese food.”

Most Americans are likely unfamiliar with Burmese cuisine, but Wilson, a 2021 A-B Tech culinary program graduate, is excited to change that, one aThoke Lay pop-up at a time.

After testing recipes at home, she connected with High Climate Tea, which hosted Wilson’s first four popups earlier this year. “I was happy and surprised at the enthusiasm,” she says.

Wilson explains that because Myanmar is such a large Asian country and shares borders with many others, the food has influences from China, India, Pakistan and Laos.

Two dishes specific to Burmese cuisine are lahpet thoke, a fermented tea leaf salad, and mohinga, a catfish stew/soup.

On Monday, Aug. 29, Wilson will prepare her most ambitious popup to date — a five-course meal in partnership with Citizen Vinyl’s Turntable Suppers series. If past pop-ups are any indicator, it will likely sell out quickly, but she is talking with chef Michelle Bailey of Smoky Park Supper Club about presenting there as well.

Wilson says she has tweaked her original idea of opening a food trailer and is instead now seeking a “small, charming building” for a brick-and-mortar. “My mom is ready to move up here and help, so I’ve got staff!”

For more information on aThoke Lay and Wilson’s pop-up schedule, visit avl.mx/buk.

It’s only natural When Emily and Jon Svendsen opened Madison Natural Foods store in Marshall in 2012, they had two toddler sons and a lease on about 1,500 square feet of the stone building that had once been an American

Motors. A decade later, they have three children and more than double the retail space in the building they now own. On Friday, Aug. 12, they will mark their 10th anniversary with a daylong celebration.

The couple met working in a natural foods store in their native Ohio and moved to Marshall 15 years ago; Emily worked for French Broad Food Co-op before opening Madison Natural Foods. “There really wasn’t a fully natural foods business here,” she says. “We grew our inventory gradually and organically the first eight years, based on our experience and customer requests. But we were really running out of space.”

Two years ago, they reclaimed the building’s warehouse section, which they had previously been renting out. The couple renovated it to suit their planned growth, which included installing a small kitchen.

Though they do have some diner-style tables and chairs, there is no table service. “It is strictly grab-andgo, ”says Emily. “We have salads, sandwiches and wraps in the case in the front which also has cheeses, hummus and things like that. People can take what they want to a table, take it home or take it on a picnic.”

Madison Natural Foods carries local products like breads and baked goods from City Bakery, Annie’s Bakery and The Rhu, as well as plant-based salmon by Faux Lox Foods, whole chickens from Fiddler’s Green Farm and frozen bake-athome pizzas by The Sweet Monkey.

Velvet Morning Farms is one of their primary produce vendors.

Madison Natural Foods will mark the decade of growth with 10% off all day, free samples from the kitchen and a raffle for reusable bags filled with groceries. Also from 3-6 p.m., vendors will display their wares in the building’s back area.

“Marshall has grown quite a bit, so that made us believe it was a good time to grow the business,”

Emily says. “Plus, our oldest, Milo, loves working here, and hopefully the other two will as well. Kids love to ‘play store.’ Ours get to do it for real.”

Madison Natural Foods is at 101 N. Main St., Marshall. For more information, visit avl.mx/bu7.

Growth spurt Chai Pani’s downtown Asheville location has always dealt with long waits due to its limited seating and widespread popularity. But, when it was named Outstanding Restaurant in the 2022 James Beard Awards in June, the okra fries hit the fan.

“We were thrilled but immediately found ourselves in a kitchen crisis,” admits Charlotte Stack, chief operating officer of Chai Pani Restaurant Group. “We had to figure something out.”

Owners Molly and Meherwan Irani made the reluctant decision to close Nani’s Piri Piri Chicken in the Grove Arcade, which the Chai Pani Restaurant Group opened amid the pandemic. The former Nani’s kitchen now operates as the prep kitchen for Chai Pani.

“That was life changing,” Stack says. “We also hope to be able to resume takeout soon.”

Meanwhile, the front of the space has been converted into a pop-up retail space. Shelves are stacked with Spicewalla’s 250-plus tinned spices and blends, as well as other products like Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn’s Chai Masala, cookies, beverages, imported pantry items and Indian chips (though sadly not Nani’s Piri Piri chips).

Ultimately, the current prep kitchen and Spicewalla pop-up will relocate to Wall Street when renovations are completed on the space below Chai Pani’s downtown location. Once the move occurs, the storefront in the Grove Arcade will become Chai Pani Restaurant Group’s next undisclosed venture.

“It will definitely be Indian street food,” says Stack. “The plan is to keep it casual and grab-and-go, something more accessible to our downtown businesses and workers who want to grab a quick lunch.”

Spicewalla pop-up is at 1 Page Ave., Suite 147. For more information, visit avl.mx/bu9. Chai Pani is at 22 Battery Park Ave. For more, visit avl.mx/bu8.

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

ROUNDUP

Around Town

Historic Asheville inn invites writers to interpret history If walls could talk, The Gray Rock Inn in downtown Asheville would likely have some stories to tell. Constructed in 1911, the property has stood firm through several historic periods, including World War I, the Roaring ’20s, the Great Depression, World War II and urban renewal, which decimated many of Asheville’s Black neighborhoods.

Inn owner John Senechal purchased and renovated the property in the early 2000s and later began penning short fictional stories inspired by some of the earliest guests. Now, Senechal is inviting other locals to submit their own creative interpretations of the inn’s history with the launch of The Gray Rock Inn Writers Project.

“One of the wonderful things about historic buildings is the stories they contain,” says project coordinator Alli Marshall. “I’m so curious to know who might have stayed at The Gray Rock Inn during the Roaring 1920s. But I’m also imagining a traveling salesperson in the 1950s who books a room at the inn and wanders across the street to Skateland Rollerdome, now The Orange Peel.”

Writers interested in participating in the project must first submit a cover letter, resume and links to published works of fiction, nonfiction, reporting and/or historical research. If selected, writers will then be asked to craft a story about one guest, resident or employee from the past, using historically accurate details within their creative story.

Senechal and Marshall hope to continually receive submissions, in

order to commission one writer each month to create a 1,000- to 2,000word story within 30 days. The inn will publish selected stories through various platforms, including blog entries, print anthologies and social media posts.

“Knowing about the Asheville of 25 and 50 and 100 years ago helps us to more clearly envision the future of this city,” says Marshall. “I could see this project continuing for a couple of years. There’s certainly no shortage of historic detail by which to be inspired.”

The Gray Rock Inn is at 100 Biltmore Ave. For more information or to apply, visit avl.mx/btu.

Sharing sonnets A year ago, the Dark City Poets Society established Poetry Night to provide an accessible reading series for local writers. The monthly gathering encourages writers of all experience levels to share their work, free of cost and without registration.

On Tuesday, Aug. 16, 6-7:30 p.m., the DCPS will celebrate the one-year anniversary of Poetry Night at The Lowdown in Black Mountain. Along with local poetry, the event will feature drinks and limited releases of DCPS T-shirts and stickers for purchase. A portion of all drink sales will be donated to the Friends of the Black Mountain Library.

“Many poets who want to get their poetry published often lack the resources to receive feedback on their work due to financial bar-

Blue Ridge Books and Folkmoot Present: Dr. Bart Ehrman Heaven and Hell: A History

Reading, Discussion & Book Signing Tuesday, Aug. 23rd

Doors Open: 5:30pm • Reading & Discussion: 7pm Queen Auditorium at Folkmoot Friendship Center 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville, NC Tickets: $10 in advance / $15 at the door Tickets @ Blue Ridge Books & Folkmoot.org Dr. Ehrman’s books available at Blue Ridge Books and will be sold at event!

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828-456-6000

INN ON IT: John Senechal, seated, owner of The Gray Rock Inn, featured, has teamed up with local author Alli Marshall, left, for a new project that invites area writers to submit short stories imagining individuals who have stayed or worked at the inn during its 111-year history. Also featured is Sara Legatski, the site’s Airbnb manager. Photo by Jennifer Castillo riers or the absence of a writing community,” says co-founder Clint Bowman. “Our aim is to create a welcoming environment where writers don’t feel intimidated to share.”

Along with Poetry Night, the DCPS meets on the first Tuesday of every month for a free workshop at the Black Mountain Library. All are welcome to attend. Poetry Night takes place on third Tuesdays.

The Lowdown is at 204 Black Mountain Ave. In the event of inclement weather, Poetry Night will take place at BAD Craft, 128 Cherry St. For more information, visit DCPS’ Instagram page at avl.mx/buf.

Flex your brain The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center will present Constructing Nature’s Architecture: Leonardo DaVinci & Buckminster Fuller, a workshop by mathematician and artist Mark Hanf. The class will focus on modeling the connections between nature and geometry. Hanf will use the new 3D modeling toy Flexistix to build geometrically constructed objects.

The all-ages workshop takes place Saturday, Aug. 20, 9:30 a.m.-noon.

Admission is $15 per person, $20 for two and $10 for museum members and students with a valid ID. Also in August, artist André Daughtry will present his latest exhibit, Sketches for Wilderness, a

visual travelogue examining the Cauca region of southern Colombia.

The free livestream will be on Vimeo and Facebook on Thursday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m.

Lastly, artist Vandorn Hinnant will discuss his visual exploration of metaphysical ideas as part of the Faith in Arts Institute hosted by BMCM+AC and UNC Asheville.

The online talk will be available on Vimeo and Facebook on Thursday, Aug. 25, at 1 p.m.

The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center is at 120 College St. For more information or to purchase tickets for the workshop, visit avl.mx/bub. To access Daughtry’s livestream, visit avl.mx/bul. To access Hinnant’s livestream, visit avl.mx/bum.

Read a romance Asheville’s Pack Memorial Library will host Read a Romance, an author event featuring local writers Brooke Campbell and Kel O’Connor. The event, celebrating National Read a Romance Month, happens Saturday, Aug. 13, 2-3:15 p.m.

The two authors will read excerpts from their books and discuss their experiences writing and publishing contemporary romance.

Afterward, the library will have a selection of romance novels available for library cardholders to check out.

“I hope [this event] will encourage readers to pick up a romance for the first time,” says O’Connor. “I think new readers will be surprised and even delighted at the creativity of the stories, twists and incredible characters available.”

Campbell will read from her lesbian paranormal romance The Warrior Within, the first in The Warrior Series.

O’Connor will read from Broken Bits and Unsettled Scores, the first two romantic suspenses of the fourbook DAG Team series, which focuses on agents outside of the law. The third book is set to be released in late 2022.

Pack Memorial Library is at 67 Haywood St. For more information on the event, visit avl.mx/buu.

Action!

Hendersonville Theatre is seeking experienced directors for the 2023 season for three plays, two musicals, one youth musical, one original work and three adult readers’ theater productions.

The application requires a letter of introduction, answers to specific questions, contact information, twothree references and a resume. The application is due Friday, Aug. 12.

For more information or to apply, visit avl.mx/buq.

Mental health support The nonprofit Black Mountain Counseling Center will host Concert for Mental Health at Anderson Auditorium in Montreat on Friday, Aug. 19, 7:15-9 p.m. Prior to the concert, there will be wine, dessert and a silent auction, 6:30-7:15 p.m.

Leslie Applewhite, BMCC board chair, notes that from January to July, the center received 309 calls requesting help accessing mental health services. This year’s numbers will likely surpass last year’s total call count of 360. “The need for affordable and accessible counseling is escalating, and we are actively working to meet that demand,” Applewhite says.

The center’s subsidy program provides over 40% of its clients with accessible mental health services that they could not otherwise afford.

Donations from the concert will directly finance this program.

The concert will feature singer-songwriter David LaMotte, national champion hammered dulcimer player Benjamin Barker and kalimba musician Chinobay. All proceeds support mental health services in Buncombe and McDowell counties. Tickets cost $25 per person.

Anderson Auditorium’s “Upper Anderson” is at 303 Lookout Road.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit avl.mx/buw.

Can you be-LEAF it?

LEAF Global Arts will host its annual summer music festival, appropriately dubbed LEAF Down by the River, at the Outpost in West Asheville on Saturday, Aug. 20, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

LEAF Down by the River will focus on giving young performers a space to express themselves. The festival will feature cultural youth performances, dance classes, roaming artists, bounce houses and youth competition finalists.

“This year’s festival is all about our youth and family in the community,” says marketing and communications director Alexa Kincaid. “It is also different in the sense that it is more of an intimate size and is more connected to nature.”

Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and young vocalist Jordan Scheffer will perform. LEAF will also welcome Internacional Dance Academy youth performers representing Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain, in addition to other artists.

The Outpost is at 521 Amboy Road.

For more information on the festival, visit avl.mx/8eb.

— Flora Konz X

MOVIE REVIEWS Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include: FIRE OF LOVE: In the tradition of Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man, documentarian Sara Dosa meticulously arranges footage taken by French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft to convey their love of volcanoes and each other. While the stunning imagery of the couple amidst flowing lava and explosive ash never grows old, Miranda July’s comatose narration threatens to suck the life out of a film teeming with energy — and nearly succeeds.

Grade: B — Edwin Arnaudin

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

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CLUBLAND

ON THE ROAD: Georgia-based musicians Ralph Roddenbery and The Jones will play the barn venue at Roadmaster Stage in Black Mountain at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13. The Americana group, which has family ties in the Asheville area, will welcome special guests throughout the evening. Photo courtesy of Richie Jones For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY 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 BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Jay Brown (classic country, jazz, ragtime), 6pm BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Survey Says: Family Feud Style Trivia, 7pm 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 FLEETWOOD'S Pretty Embers, Gods Green Earth is Dying, Well Kept (indie/emo), 8pm

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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 • Asheville Comedy Festival, 8pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Mountain Music Jam, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm RENDEZVOUS Albi (musique Francaise), 6pm SALVAGE STATION Trouble No More (Allman Brothers tribute), 8pm 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/ Caleb Beissert, 8pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR MGB (covers, singer-songwriter), 8pm

THE DUGOUT Karaoke Party w/ Sandman, 8pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (Gypsy jazz), 5:30pm

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 THE ODD Doll Spirit Vessel, Dish, & Aunt Ant (alt/indie), 7pm THE POE HOUSE Team Trivia w/Wes Ganey, 7pm TURGUA BREWING CO. Trivia Night, 6pm 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

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Allan Day (rock, R&B), 6pm BLUE GHOST BREWING CO. At the Beach Trivia, 6:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Lady and The Lovers (funk & Top 40 covers), 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, 7:30pm

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

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

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

ONE WORLD BREWING Ashley Heath (Americana, country, blues), 8pm

CAFE CANNA SpanGLISH Karaoke Patio Party, 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST ImiJ of Soul (Jimi Hendrix celebration), 6pm

CATAWBA BREWING BILTMORE Thursday Trivia w/Billy, 6:30pm CROW & QUILL Black Sea Beat Society (Baltic, Klezmer, Turkish), 8pm 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

ROOM NINE Thirsty Thursday w/DJ Moto, 9pm SILVERADOS Yngwie Malmsteen (prog metal), 7pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Django Jazz Jam, 8pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Tympanic Rupture, Gos, Mordaga (edm), 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 GREY EAGLE • Will Easter and The Nomads (Americana), 5pm • Tommy Prine w/Matt Moran (singer-songwriter), 8pm THE OUTPOST Richard Barrett & Friends: Robert Greer & Jackson Dulaney (Americana, bluegrass), 6pm VINTAGE KAVA Full Moon Campfire and Drum Circle, 7:30pm WELL PLAYED BOARD GAME CAFÉ Asheville Comedy Festival Secret Show #1, 10pm

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12 185 KING STREET Random Animals (indiesoul), 8pm ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Friday Nite Salsa Dancing, 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Early Dance Party, 7pm • Venus (dark house dance party), 10pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mr Jimmy's Big City Blues, 7:30pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Parrotice w/Salty, Xenotype, Shakes & Saligia (edm), 9pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Ashley Heath (country, blues), 6pm

NEW BELGIUM BREWING CO. Caleb Caudle (folk, Americana), 5:30pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (Gypsy jazz), 5:30pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Decades Party: The 70s, 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Fwuit (indie, r&b, soul, 8pm

BIG PILLOW BREWING Reverend Finster (acoustic R.E.M. tribute), 6pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Myron Hyman (classic rock, blues), 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Friday w/ Generous Electric & Gus & Phriends, 6pm

BLUE GHOST BREWING CO. Axe Throwing, 1pm

BREWSKIES Karaoke, 10pm CEDAR MOUNTAIN CANTEEN Jazz w/Jason DeCristofaro, 2pm CORK & KEG Jackomo Cajun Country Band, 8pm CROW & QUILL The Krektones (surf rock, exotica), 8:30pm DIRTY JACK'S Jeb Rogers Band (funk, soul, bluegrass), 7:30pm DRY FALLS BREWING CO. Haphazard (rock), 7pm FBO AT HOMINY CREEK Chalwa (reggae), 6pm FLEETWOOD'S Fantømex, Daisychain & SnakeSnakeWhale (rock), 8pm GIGI'S UNDERGROUND Asheville Comedy Festival Secret Show #2, 10pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM Mark & Mary Jazz Duo, 7pm GUIDON BREWING John Friday (tropical balladeer), 7pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Funk'N Around, 7pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Drag Music Bingo w/ Divine the Bearded Lady, 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Becky Buller & Ned Luberecki (bluegrass), 7pm • Sofia Goodman Group (jazz), 8:30pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Resonant Rogues (dark Appalachian folk), 9pm LAZY HIKER BREWING SYLVA Sister Ivy (neo-soul, jazz, rock), 8pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Hope Griffin (acoustic, folk, blues), 6:30pm MEADOWLARK SMOKY MOUNTAIN HERITAGE CENTER Songwriters Camp Concert w/Jim Lauderdale, Darren Nicholson, Clay Mills, 9am-10pm MILLS RIVER BREWING The Mattocks-Johnson Band (blues rock, classic rock), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING 5j Barrow (folk rock), 8pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • Killakeyz Organ Trio ft Eric Travers, 5pm • Dreads for Brains (reggae), 9pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Pants Party, 5:30pm SILVERADOS Terri Clark w/The Ali Randolph Band (country), 7pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Joshua Lee Project (funk, blues, jazz), 9pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Slow Packer w/Glenn Echo (alt/indie), 9pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Creative Differences (Americana), 6pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Night of 1000 Madonnas Drag Show and Dance Party, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE • The Pinkerton Raid (indie rock), 6pm • Noche de Verano Sin Ti: Celebración de Bad Bunny (dance party), 9pm THE ODD Annabel Lee, Systematic Devastation, Storm of Arrows & Sick Beyond (alt/indie), 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Lovely World, Jeff Santiago & Los Gatos, Krave Amiko (indie), 7:30pm WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT Dirty Bird (pop fusion), 7pm

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 185 KING STREET Jay Van Raalte and the Spectrum (folk, country, blues, rock), 8pm 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 1pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY The Improv Hour, 7pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE • Bluegrass Brunch, 10am • Michael Kotzen (rock), 9pm BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY Trusty Hucksters (rock, swing, mambo), 9pm BREWSKIES Pool Tournament Saturdays, 7pm CORK & KEG An Acoustic Evening: Andy & Ruthie Hunter, 8pm CROW & QUILL Firecracker Jazz Band (New Orleans style hot jazz), 8:30pm FBO AT HOMINY CREEK Ska City, 6pm FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER R. Daniel Johnston (singer-songwriter), 6:30pm GREAT WILD NOWHERE Squatch (Appalachian roots music with teeth) and The Old One-Two (blues), 6:30pm GUIDON BREWING Clay Johnson & The Hard Promises (Americana), 6:30pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Testifiers (funk, soul, rock), 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Jay Byrd, Danielle Howle & Tumo Kohrs (Americana, blues, rock), 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm • Cyndi Lou & the Want To (honky tonk, classic country), 9pm MEADOWLARK SMOKY MOUNTAIN HERITAGE CENTER Songwriters Camp Concert w/Jim Lauderdale, Darren Nicholson, Clay Mills, 9am-10pm MILLS RIVER BREWING Renegades (rock and party hits), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • 5j Barrow (folk rock), 4pm • Dirty Dead (Grateful Dead tribute, rock), 9pm PILOT COVE AMPHITHEATER Second Saturdays Live, 7pm PISGAH BREWING CO. Chalwa (reggae), 8pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Rudy's Rhythm Review, 6pm ROADMASTER STAGE Ralph Roddenbery and The Jones w/ Special Guests (rock, Americana, folk), 7pm SALVAGE STATION Trevor Hall w/Gone Gone Beyond (alt/ indie), 8pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Polly Panic (rock), 9pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Thom Nyugen, Okapi, JPH & Florecita (improv, experimental), 8:30pm STORY PARLOR Skylar Gudasz, Kate Rhudy & Libby Rodenbough (Americana, singer-songwriter), 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 GETAWAY RIVER BAR In Plain Sight Dance Party (house music), 7pm THE GREY EAGLE • East Coast Dirt (rock), 5pm • Life Like Water & Free Planet Radio (world, folk), 8pm THE ODD Party Foul Drag & Saturday Night Tease, 7pm THE OUTPOST Shorty Can’t Eat Books (rock, punk, surf), 6pm THE ORANGE PEEL Abbey Road Live (Beatles tribute), 8pm WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT Splash Saturdays ft Asheville AV Club & DJ RexxStepp, 1pm

SUNDAY, AUGUST 14 APPALACHIAN RIDGE ARTISAN HARD CIDER Geriatric Jukebox (oldies), 2:30pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. The Get Right Band (psychdelic indie rock), 8pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR The Tallboys (rock, regggae, singer-songwriter), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Highway Natives (rock), 10pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Life's A Drag Brunch with Ida Carolina, 12pm • SOL Dance Party w/ Zati (soul house), 9pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL L.A. Witch w/Cor de Lux (alt/indie), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Brew Davis & Andy Pond (brewgrass), 8pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mark's House Jam and Beggar's Banquet, 3pm

ARCHETYPE BREWING Sunday Sessions, 3pm

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C LU BL A N D BENT CREEK BISTRO Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 1pm BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Dark City Kings (outlaw country, rock), 3pm BLUE GHOST BREWING CO. Sunday Open Jam w/ Knob Creek Incident, 4pm BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Bluegrass Brunch, 10am CROW & QUILL The Roaring Lions (parlour jazz), 8pm FBO AT HOMINY CREEK Jeb Rogers Band (funk, soul, bluegrass), 4pm GREEN MAN BREWERY Kipper's Yacht Rock Brunch, 12pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Jackson Grimm (singer-songwriter, Appalachian folk), 2pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Mr Jimmy Duo w/ Chris Norred (blues), 1pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Connor Law Quintet plays Cedar Walton (jazz), 6pm • Daniel Champagne and Catherine Britt (Americana, folk, country), 7:30pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Bluegrass Brunch, 12pm • Traditional Irish Jam, 4pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Roots & Dore (blues, roots), 3pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Shakedown Sunday (rock, jam, Grateful Dead), 8pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • Sunday Jazz Jam & Brunch w/The Fully Vaccinated Trio, 1pm • Solvivor (rock), 6pm PISGAH BREWING CO. Sunday Jam hosted

by Spiro & Friends, 6:30pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Klark Sound, Improvement Movement, Nostalgianoid & Cam Stack (psychedelic), 9pm THE GREY EAGLE • Paul Edelman (country), 5pm • Queens of Country w/ Vaden Landers (classic country, country blues), 8pm THE ODD • Weirdo Rippers (post punk, new wave), 5pm • Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm PLĒB URBAN WINERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

MONDAY, AUGUST 15 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 7pm BREWSKIES Open Jam w/Tall Paul, 7:30pm DSSOLVR Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm GREAT WILD NOWHERE Smunday Open Mic w/ Mat Masterson, 6pm 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: Asheville Jazz Collective, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. • Oklawaha Synthesizer Club, 6pm • It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Night, 7pm ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic w/Tony Willingham, 8pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Andy Dale Petty (folk), 9pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Trivia by the River w/ James Harrod, 8pm THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Mr Jimmy and Friends (blues), 7pm

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16 185 KING STREET John Trufant & Friends ft Jelly Ellington (soul, blues, country), 6:30pm 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (jazz, swing), 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Drag Bingo w/ Calcutta, 8pm • Downtown Karaoke w/Ganymede, 9pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10pm CASCADE LOUNGE Tuesday Bluegrass Jam, 6pm CORK & KEG • Old Time Moderate Jam, 5pm • Swing Dance & Lesson w/Swing Asheville, 7pm FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm HEMINGWAY'S CUBA Para Gozar (Cuban), 6pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6:30pm

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

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

PULP The By Gods, Her Pilots and Safety Coffin (rock), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Dead tribute), 6pm PULP BYO Vinyl: Funk Disco, 7pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Slashers, Bonny Dagger & Haldol (skater punk), 9pm THE BURGER BAR C U Next Tuesday! Late Night Trivia w/Cervix-ALot, 9pm THE GREY EAGLE • Kristen Englenz (rock), 5pm • Man or Astro-Man w/ Shutups and Seriously (retro-futuristic), 8pm TURGUA BREWING CO. Tuesday Jam Sessions: Irish, 5:30pm HARRAH'S CHEROKEE CENTER - ASHEVILLE Foreigner (classic rock), 6:30pm

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm 185 KING STREET Business-themed Trivia Night, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Beauty Parlor Comedy: Aaron Naylor, 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 BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Survey Says: Family Feud Style Trivia, 7pm BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Trivia Night, 6pm FLEETWOOD'S Terraoke Karaoke, 8pm 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 JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

RENDEZVOUS Albi (musique Francaise), 6pm SALVAGE STATION Iya Terra & Mike Love w/Nattali Rize (roots reggae), 8pm

CROW & QUILL Black Sea Beat Society (Baltic, Klezmer, Turkish), 8pm FLEETWOOD'S Blvck Hippie, Mad Mike Martinez & Nostalginoid (indie, electro-experimental), 8pm FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

SILVERADOS Wednesday Night Open Jam hosted by Hamza Vandehey, 6pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Asheville Sessions ft Harry Schulz (jazz, pop, blues), 7pm

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7:30pm

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

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Billy Litz (roots, blues, ragtime), 8pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

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

THE DUGOUT Karaoke Party w/ Sandman, 8pm THE FOUNDRY HOTEL Andrew Finn Magill (acoustic), 7pm THE GREY EAGLE • Pimps of Pompe (hiphop meets jazz), 5pm • SUMAC w/Big Brave & Manas (metal), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • Adrienne Blanks (folk & vintage country), 6pm • Chase, Pastorius & Stanton ft Bob Lanzetti of Snarky Puppy, 9pm

PISGAH BREWING CO. Spiro w/special guests (jam, rock, blues) 6:30pm PULP Carly Taich & Jason Scavone (alt/indie), 8pm SALVAGE STATION Greensky Bluegrass w/ The Wood Brothers, 5:30pm SIERRA NEVADA Dangermuffin (Americana, folk, jam), 6:30pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Bloomsday, Sinai Vessel & Colin Miller (indie rock/pretty rock), 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 GREY EAGLE The Jeb Rogers Band (rock, Americana, R&B), 5pm THE OUTPOST Richard Barrett & Friends: Doug McElvy & Will Trakas( Americana, bluegrass), 6pm WELL PLAYED BOARD GAME CAFÉ Flip the Table! Comedy Night, 9pm

THE POE HOUSE Team Trivia w/Wes Ganey, 7pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic, 6pm

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18 ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 8pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Blue Ridge Jazzway, 8pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Shady Recruits w/ Killakeyz (funk, jazz), 9pm ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Stand Up Comedy, 8pm BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING The Blushin' Roulettes' (Americana), 6pm BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE • International Night: Spain, 4pm • Trivia Night w/ Mindless Minutia, 7pm BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm CAFE CANNA SpanGLISH Karaoke Patio Party, 9pm CORK & KEG Melissa Carper (country), 8pm

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Tips to get the most out of the coming weeks: 1. Exercise your willpower at random moments just to keep it limber. 2. Be adept at fulfilling your own hype. 3.

Argue for fun. Be playful and frisky as you banter.

Disagree for the sport of it, without feeling attached to being right or needing the last word.

4. Be unable to understand how anyone can resist you or not find you alluring. 5. Declare yourself President of Everything, then stage a coup d’état. 6. Smile often when you have no reason to. 7. If you come upon a “square peg, round hole” situation, change the shape of the hole.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If I had to choose a mythic deity to be your symbolic helper, I would pick Venus. The planet Venus is ruler of your sign, and the goddess Venus is the maven of beauty and love, which are key to your happiness. But I would also assign Hephaestus to you Tauruses.

He was the Greek god of the metalworking forge.

He created Zeus’s thunderbolts, Hermes’ winged helmet, Aphrodite’s magic bra, Achilles’ armor, Eros’ bow and arrows, and the thrones for all the deities in Olympus. The things he made were elegant and useful. I nominate him to be your spirit guide during the next ten months. May he inspire you to be a generous source of practical beauty.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): To be a true Gemini, you must yearn for knowledge — whether it’s about coral reefs, ancient maps of Sumer, sex among jellyfish, mini-black holes, your friends’ secrets or celebrity gossip. You need to be an eternal student who craves education. Are some things more important to learn than others? Of course, but that gauge is not always apparent in the present. A seemingly minor clue or trick you glean today may become unexpectedly helpful a month from now. With that perspective in mind, I encourage you to be promiscuous in your lust for new information and teachings in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian drummer Ringo Starr is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Though he has received less acclaim than his fellow Beatles, many critics recognize him as a skillful and original drummer. How did he get started? At age 13, he contracted tuberculosis and lived in a sanatorium for two years. The medical staff encouraged him to join the hospital band, hoping it would stimulate his motor skills and alleviate boredom. Ringo used a makeshift mallet to bang the cabinet near his bed. Good practice! That’s how his misfortune led to his joy and success. Is there an equivalent story in your life, Cancerian? The coming months will be a good time to take that story to its next level.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): One of the inspiring experiments I hope you will attempt in the coming months is to work on loving another person as wildly and deeply and smartly as you love yourself. In urging you to try this exercise, I don’t mean to imply that I have a problem with you loving yourself wildly and deeply and smartly. I endorse your efforts to keep increasing the intensity and ingenuity with which you adore and care for yourself. But here’s a secret: Learning to summon a monumental passion for another soul may have the magic power of enhancing your love for yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Musician Viv Albertine has recorded four albums and played guitar for the Slits, a famous punk band. She has also written two books and worked as a TV director for 20 years. Her accomplishments are impressive.

Yet she also acknowledges that she has spent a lot of time in bed for many reasons: needing to rest, seeking refuge to think and meditate, recovering from illness, feeling overwhelmed or lonely or sad. She admiringly cites other creative people who, like her, have worked in their beds: Emily Dickinson, Patti Smith, Edith Sitwell and Frida Kahlo. I mention this, Virgo, because the coming days will be an excellent time for you to seek sanctuary and healing and creativity in bed.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran author Katherine Mansfield wrote, “The mind I love must have wild places, a tangled orchard where dark damsons drop in the heavy grass, an overgrown little wood, the chance of a snake or two, and a pool that nobody’s fathomed the depth of.”

Be inspired by her in the coming weeks, Libra. I suspect you will flourish if you give yourself the luxury of exploring your untamed side. The time is ripe to wander in nature and commune with exciting influences outside your comfort zone.

What uncharted frontier would you enjoy visiting?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When you are functioning at your best, you Scorpios crave only the finest, top-quality highs. You embrace joys and pleasures that generate epiphanies and vitalizing transformations. Mediocre varieties of fun don’t interest you. You avoid debilitating indulgences that provide brief excitement but spawn long-term problems. In the coming weeks, dear Scorpio, I hope you will embody these descriptions. It’s crucial that you seek gratifications and delectations that uplift you, ennoble you and bless your future.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Wish on everything,” advises Sagittarian author Francesca Lia Block. “Pink cars are good, especially old ones. And first stars and shooting stars. Planes will do if they are the first light in the sky and look like stars. Wish in tunnels, holding your breath and lifting your feet off the ground. Birthday candles. Baby teeth.” Your homework during the next two weeks, Sagittarius, is to build a list of further marvels that you will wish on. It’s the Magic Wish season of the year for you: a time when you’re more likely than usual to encounter and generate miracles. Be proactive! Oh, and very important: What are your three top wishes?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Author Aldous Huxley wrote, “That people do not learn much from the lessons of history is the most important lesson that history has to teach.”

While his observation is true much of the time, I don’t think it will be so for you in the coming weeks. I suspect you will triumph over past patterns that have repeated and repeated themselves. You will study your life story and figure out what you must do to graduate from lessons you have finally, completely learned.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the film I Origins, a scientist says this to a lover: “When the Big Bang happened, all the atoms in the universe were smashed together into one little dot that exploded outward. So my atoms and your atoms were together then . . . my atoms have always known your atoms.” Although this sounds poetic, it’s true in a literal sense: The atoms that compose you and me and everyone else were originally all squeezed together in a tiny space. We knew each other intimately!

The coming days will be an excellent time to celebrate your fundamental link with the rest of the universe. You’ll be extra receptive to feeling connection. You’ll be especially adept at fitting your energy together with others’. You’ll love the sensation of being united, merged, blended.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): My Piscean friend Luna sent me a message that sums up how I feel about you these days. I’ll repeat it here in the hope it will inspire you to be perfectly yourself.

Luna said, “Every time I meet someone who was born within like two weeks of my birthday, I end up with the impression that they are the loopiest and wisest person I’ve met in a long time. They are totally ridiculous and worthy of profound respect. They are unhinged and brilliantly focused. They are fuzzy-headed dreamers who couldn’t possibly ever get anything practical accomplished and they are lyrical thinkers who charm me with their attunement to the world’s beauty and impress me with their understanding of how the world works. Hahahahaha.

Luckily for me, I know the fool is sacred.”

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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 ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE CHILDREN FIRST COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS IS HIRING FOR A RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR The Resource Development Director is a member of the senior leadership team and is responsible for successful planning, execution, and evaluation of fundraising and marketing goals for the organization including donor development, grants, special events, and communications.

This position works closely with the Executive Director, program staff, board members and supervises the Communications and Events Coordinator. https:// childrenfirstcisbc.org/ employment/

FRONT OFFICE & LISTINGS COORDINATOR Mountain Xpress is seeking an organized, multitalented, high-energy, person ready to handle a variety of tasks from connecting incoming callers to the resources they need, to helping develop routines, to data entry, simple accounting and collections work. Skills needed are a friendly, professional demeanor, attention to detail, strong verbal and written communication skills, broad computer literacy, including social media and office software tools as well as the ability to self-organize, engage with repetitive data entry and multitask under pressure. Must have a knowledge of Asheville/WNC and be community-minded. Experience in customer service (especially using point-of-sale systems) and/or publishing preferred. This position is full time; somewhat flexible hours and some benefits are available. Mountain Xpress is a certified living wage employer. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to xpressjob@mountainx.com.

who reports to the BOH Supervisor, is a member of the kitchen team who will receive and organize products; wash and sanitize equipment, plates, utensils, and spaces; stock equipment as needed in order to maintain proper BOH operations for the continuity of the guest experience. https:// sierranevada.com/careers/

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. If interested please email ifreeman@umhs.net or visit us on the web at www.umhs. net.

LINE COOK - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING $1000 SIGN ON BONUS + BENEFITS The Line Cook is a member of the kitchen team, who will work closely with all other positions in the Back of the House operations to prep, cook, and expedite food to the guests ordering onsite, delivery, and to-go.The Line Cook, who reports to the BOH Supervisor Team, operates grills, fryers, broilers, and other commercial cooking equipment to prepare and serve food. https://sierranevada.com/careers/

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.

WHOLE FOODS PROGRAM MANAGER Eagle's Nest Foundation is seeking a FullTime Whole Foods Program Manager to oversee the development and management of our from-scratch food program for our summer camp and semester school focusing on wholesome meals and teaching campers and students about healthy living and sustainable practices. See full job announcement and apply at enf.org/foundation/ employment.

DRIVERS/ DELIVERY PART-TIME SHUTTLE BUS DRIVERS NEEDED For Cullowhee. CDL with passenger and airbrake endorsements required. Contact Corey @ (636) 577-1919 or cheilandgws@yahoo.com.

HUMAN SERVICES

RESTAURANT/ FOOD

HELPMATE INTAKE SPECIALIST Helpmate, a domestic violence agency in Asheville, NC, seeks to hire a full-time Intake Specialist.

Email resume and cover letter to hiring@helpmateonline. org. Please see full posting at https://helpmateonline.org/ about/job-opportunities/

DISHWASHERS PT AND FT SIERRA NEVADA BREWING $1000 SIGN ON BONUS + BENEFITS The Dishwasher,

UNIVERSAL MH/DD/SAS is looking for compassionate, energetic individuals to provide one on one services

HIRING?

TEACHING/ EDUCATION JCC HIRING LEAD PRESCHOOL TEACHER JCC seeking a lead preschool teacher for its 5-star early childhood education center. $16-18 per hour with benefits.

To apply, send your resume to tiffany@jcc-asheville.org.

XCHANGE ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES STILL BUYING ANTIQUES Seeking old stuff! Cast iron, advertising signs, military, primitives, collections, art, pottery, estates, crocks, bottles, silver, license plates, unusual stuff, taxidermy, rifles, bbguns, more. Call/ Text 828-582-6097,steadyaim1@yahoo.com.

SERVICES CAREGIVERS COMPANION • CAREGIVER • LIVE-IN VACCINATED • Alzheimer's Experienced • Heart failure and bed sore care • Hospice reference letter • Nonsmoker, with cat, seeks live-in position • References • Arnold, (828) 273-2922.

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS A COURSE IN MIRACLES ONLINE/ ZOOM GROUP A truly loving, open study group. Meets first and third

Mondays 6:30 p.m. on Zoom.

For information, contact Susan at 828-712-5472 or email TJ at tjstierslcsw@ gmail.com.

NEVER CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS AGAIN! Affordable, professionally installed gutter guards protect your gutters and home from debris and leaves forever! For a FREE Quote call: 844-499-0277 (AAN CAN) PAYING TOP CA$H FOR MEN'S SPORT WATCHES! Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster. Call 888320-1052.

SPECTRUM INTERNET AS LOW AS $29.99! Call to see if you qualify for ACP and free internet. No Credit Check.

Call Now! 833-955-0905 TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 866-243-5931.

(M-F 8am-6pm ET). Computer with internet is required.

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT COUNSELING SERVICES ASTRO-COUNSELING Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services. Christy Gunther, MA, LCMHC. (828) 2583229.

AUTOMOTIVE BOATS/ WATERCRAFT FOR SALE 13 FOOT GRUMMAN CANOE w/ 2 new paddles and life preserver push-ins.

Double-ender used two times on Beaver Lake. 2 years old.

Weaverville. $950. Call or text 772-285-3333.

Advertise your job listings

Place your ad here and get a FREE online posting Contact us today! advertise@mountainx.com

THE N EW Y OR K TI M ES C ROSSWORD P UZ Z LE edited by Will Shortz | No. 0706

ACROSS 1 Beanstalk climber in a fairy tale 5 Actress Sonia 10 Range for yodelers 14 “Ailment” for the heart

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17 Fad item of the 1990s

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35 Big hot dog?

37 Land on Lake Victoria 39 Gave for a while 40 Certain Kentucky racer 44 Small-arms runner of years past?

45 Poetic preposition 46 Land bridge between Africa and Asia 47 Welling up 48 Recovers from a bender, with “up” 49 Key that works to exit but not enter 50 Habitually 53 Touchdown figs.

55 Smidge 58 There’s a bridge near the top of it

DOWN 1 Much of sparring 2 Best fourof-a-kind 3 “Seems likely …”

4 Knowledge 5 ___ Rabbit 6 New beginning 7 Plains people 8 Be a chatterbox 9 Whichever 10 “Gosh dang it!”

11 Den 12 Typesetting unit 13 Unlikely Christmas present in Hawaii 18 Editorial slant?: Abbr.

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31 It requires a tap to get started

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22 Jaguar spot, for example

30 Country band, for short?

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28 Big name in shampoo

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59 Pulling a rabbit out of a hat, e.g. … which happens three times in this puzzle 62 Something stored in an upright position on a plane 63 Person with talent 64 50-50 65 Gumbo ingredient 66 Many indoor tennis facilities have them 67 Super

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25 Brand so named because it limits ultraviolet light

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22 Vessel that may be portaged 24 Next-best option 26 Certain evergreen 27 Singer Michael known as the “King of Christmas” 28 Fuddy-duddy 29 ___ Rabbit 31 Tempting, as an offer 32 ___ Rabbit 33 Kind of vote 35 Term of address in colonial India 36 Pot seeds?

38 Hoover rival 41 The Chiffons’ “___ Fine Day”

42 It’s a beauty in its setting 43 ___ Chapel 47 What drivers do to cars at Car and Driver 48 “Buh-bye!”

50 Not sucked in by 51 Go off in two directions 52 Leader overthrown by a revolution 54 Takes steps 56 Big name in PCs 57 Fashion inits.

59 Hopping ___ 60 What “syne” means in “Auld Lang Syne” 61 Increase the speed of

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

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