Mountain Xpress 09.28.22

Earlier this year, Gov. Roy Cooper signed Senate Bill 455 into law, legalizing hemp. But concerns remain about the industry’s future, leading some local hemp business owners to take matters into their own hands.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes

ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson

OPERATIONS MANAGER: Able Allen

MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder

NEWS EDITOR: Daniel Walton

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Thomas Calder

OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose

STAFF REPORTERS: Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Justin McGuire, Sara Murphy, Brooke Randle, Jessica Wakeman, Daniel Walton

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Andy Hall

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Lisa Allen, Peter Gregutt, Mary Jean Ronan Herzog, Rob Mikulak

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Barrett, Blake Becker, Morgan Bost, LA Bourgeois, Carmela Caruso, Nikki Gensert, Bill Kopp, Linda Ray, Kay West

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Cindy Kunst

ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson

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DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst

DISTRIBUTION Leah Beck, Desiree Davis, Tracy Houston, Marlea Kunst, Amy Loving, Henry Mitchell, Angelo Santa Maria, Carl & Debbie Schweiger

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

School staffer doesn’t deserve ‘Best Of’ vilification

Hello, my name is Keynon Lake, and I am writing in reaction to cit izens using your “Best Of”contest to vilify and slander a current Asheville City Schools staff person and Mountain Xpress ’ choice to participate and publish her name in the category. These actions con tribute to what Van Dempsey, dean of Watson College of Education at UNC Wilmington, describes as “the most toxic, abusive, cor rosive, hostile, exploitative time for public education, particularly K-12 education.”

Let me start by saying I am not nor have I ever been employed with the city school system. I work every day on the front lines of youth development as the founder and director of My Daddy Taught Me That. MDTMT teaches young men how to be positive and pro ductive citizens by focusing on good decision making, accepting responsibility and being account able for their actions.

During the 2021-22 school year, MDTMT was invited into Asheville Middle and High School to support school staff and students. Melissa Hedt was instrumental in mak ing this happen. I know from per sonal experience that she strives to create positive, inclusive and quality education for all Asheville City Schools students. After being in the schools daily and seeing firsthand what is happening in our school buildings, I have a new respect for the school system, our educators and our youths.

So, I ask our community, “Is publishing articles like the one previously mentioned how we sup port folks who have dedicated their lives to public education? Is this the example we want to set as adults for our children and students?”

I am asking us to do better as a community because our students, teachers and school administrators deserve better.

— Keynon Lake Executive director MDTMT Asheville

Editor’s response : We appreci ate your concerns about singling out educators. And yet, school boards, school systems and public education are a growing part of the ongoing civic dialogue. Mountain Xpress ’ mission is to build com munity and strengthen democracy by serving an active, thoughtful

readership at the local level — where the impact of citizen action is greatest.

The Best Of WNC annual sur vey has asked WNC residents and Mountain Xpress readers every year since 1995 to vote for the local people, businesses and nonprofits they consider the best — including the Local Villain category. We tally the votes, meticulously following a set of policies and then publish the findings. We do not run indi vidual articles about winners as you suggest in your letter. Rather, Best Local Villain is one of about 600 categories listed in our Best Of series.

Winners of the villain category have mostly been silent or taken it in stride. To our knowledge, we’ve never withheld a qualify ing winner’s name in any catego ry, although we have had a few requests. The community’s voice and vote matter.

We have been in communication with Melissa Hedt about the results and encouraged her to write a letter to the editor about the work she has done for our communi ty’s schoolchildren.

Don’t trade Rankin Avenue parking lot

[ Regarding “A Dark Cloud: Downtown Dodged a Mall, but Substation Now Looms,” Aug. 10, Xpress, and “Update on City of Asheville and Duke Energy Partnership to Identify a Suitable Site for Duke Energy Rebuild of Critical Power Infrastructure in

Downtown Asheville,” Sept. 16, Xpress website: ]

Please don’t trade the Rankin Avenue parking lot to Duke! Lexington Avenue is a very special part of downtown, and we need the parking. We also would not want to lose a wonderful tree canopy. We need more trees, not less!

— Carol Greenberger Asheville

Get with current century on substation project

[ Regarding “A Dark Cloud: Downtown Dodged a Mall, but Substation Now Looms,” Aug. 10, Xpress, and “Update on City of Asheville and Duke Energy Partnership to Identify a Suitable Site for Duke Energy Rebuild of Critical Power Infrastructure in Downtown Asheville,” Sept. 16, Xpress website: ]

Folks, Time is marching on! If you want candle power for Asheville, go for it.

If you want power — like for electricity to power all the stores and light the streets and other projects, just join this century.

— Michael Cooney Asheville

Rose will work hard for all of us

I am writing this in regard to Mollie Rose, N.C. House candidate, District 116. Mollie has a passion for this position that only a moth er, grandmother, former school

CARTOON RANDY

counselor, mental health worker and family advocate could pos sibly possess. Mollie has worked on the Clean Water for North Carolina board and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project, where she obtained a knowledge of environmental issues. By par ticipating in the Building Bridges program, she learned how racial prejudice is affecting the citizens of Buncombe County.

Mollie stands for a quality edu cation, with the parents making the decisions on what the children should be taught and where they should go to school. School choice should be allowed, as it improves the quality of education for every one, as the free market system improves the quality of goods and services.

Our citizens need to know that our elections are safe and secure. Mollie will support the North Carolina Election Integrity Team and work to eliminate Electronic Registration Information Center out of our state.

Small businesses and free enter prise are important to the integrity of our people, and it is Mollie’s desire to support sensible, lim

ited regulations and red tape to ensure that business will succeed and at the same time, protect our resources and the natural beauty of our mountains.

I have known Mollie for several years and know her as a hard worker who will continue to work for all of us. Please support and vote for Mollie as she seeks to better the quality of life for the citizens of Buncombe County.

— Bobbie Shiplett Asheville

Inform ourselves of the good in the world

I attended a wedding earlier this month in Asheville of two 80-plusyear-olds. The ceremony com bined a Celtic tradition along with Christian and ecumenical religious traditions, ending with an African spiritual saying. After taking vows, they turned to each other and each said, “I am what I am because you are who you are.” Then both turned to the crowded observers and said in unison, “We are who we are because of who you all are.” It was a two- to three-minute cer

emony that the couple described as a Celebration of Life. It brought tears to many witnesses of this ceremony of life, which reflected in the joy of the following reception.

I believe this reflection of joy and happiness is what being a human being is about. I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, this peak experience expressed the longing deep in the human species that expresses our spiri tuality. The longing to experience the goodness, the truth and the beauty of the gift of life — simple and profound.

The Celtic tradition included “handfasting,” when a couple ties their hands to each other, representing their oneness. The religious tradition expressed the power of love. The phrase “We are who we are because you all are who you are” reflects Ubuntu phi losophy expressing the idea that we are all one.

Feeling this peak experience within myself, I’m motivated to share my reflections on the one ness of the people present, which represented pluralism in America; our togetherness reflected we were “all one” when celebrating what matters in life.

I let my thoughts jump to Bhutan, which measures Gross National Happiness rather than the American dream of Gross National Product. The Bhutan govern ment’s mission is to steer national development toward promotion of happiness for all Bhutans, guided by the philosophy of GNH, not by any one political ideology that pursues divisive power and domi nation based on money, reflected in our polarized government.

This is too complex to achieve on a national or even state level, but we can act locally to influence other cities and our state gov ernment. Google Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Commission’s goals and objectives to see how this small country is rated the happiest country in Asia. Also Google where our country stands in the Happiest Countries rating of developed nations. We are far from No. 1.

I’m moved to share this with you to remind and encourage us to participate actively in our democ racy by informing ourselves of the good in the world and how blessed we are when we come together as a people. Ed Sacco

Americans are living in a war zone

I read Asheville news every day here in Vegas because I miss my hometown. What I am writing here applies to Asheville as much as it does here. Asheville has a vio lent gun problem now. People shot every week.

Same thing here. When I went to my local 7-Eleven yesterday to get a couple of things, I realized that every time I go out in these times (not a lot because of the 110-degree heat), I am watching for active shooters in cars, especially at a location like 7-Eleven.

Every insane person with a gun and livestream on social media seems to be primed to go off on anyone. A legendary investigative reporter was just stabbed to death here in Vegas, and arrested was a Democratic Party elected official who was upset about his reporting.

We are becoming like Mexico more and more every day, and Ukraine and Syria are not the only war zones now. We live in one here in America.

— John Penley Las Vegas Sardis

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Uncertainty lingers

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

jwakeman@mountainx.com

For many people, late spring is a time to relax. But among those in Western North Carolina’s hemp industry, May and June brought weeks of anxiety over the possibility of their businesses taking a mas sive hit.

Since 2015, hemp has been legal in North Carolina through legislation passed by the General Assembly distinguishing it from marijuana, which remains an illicit substance in the state. This legislation, how ever, contained a sunset provision that had been set to go into effect June 30.

WNC’s hemp industry waited for the General Assembly to extend the plant’s definition because otherwise, hemp and CBD products might suddenly become illegal to sell. On June 30, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 762 (the 2022 Farm Bill) with language distinguishing marijuana from hemp, and Gov. Roy Cooper signed it. Cooper also signed Senate Bill 455, which explicitly legal ized hemp.

That arrangement might have seemed to be the end of the hemp

Marijuana or hemp?

Marijuana and hemp are part of the same plant genus. The plants have historically been treated differently in the law due to their levels of the psycho active substance tetrahydrocan nabinol, or THC, which causes a “high.”

Marijuana contains 0.3% or more of THC, and under the N.C. Controlled Substance Act, it is a Schedule 6 controlled substance. Possession of mar ijuana is punishable as a Class 3 misdemeanor. Conversely, hemp and hemp products con tain 0.3% or less of THC, and they are legal to cultivate and sell. Senate Bill 455, which was signed by Gov. Roy Cooper June 30, spelled out that marijuana is illicit due to its THC, but noted an exception “for tetrahydro cannabinols found in hemp or hemp products.” X

Hemp industry worries about ‘legal gray area’

AMBIGUITY: The language in SB 711 currently creates “a huge legal gray area,” says Nicolette Baglio, owner of Ashe ville-based Citizen Bloom Botanics. She believes the ambiguity has been intentional by lobbyists for the legal cannabis industry, as it would group hemp and cannabis together. Photo by Neil Jacobs

industry’s woes, but local businesses say it would be premature to stop there. To give the sector a bigger voice in shaping its own future, Nicolette Baglio, owner of Asheville hemp-based wellness brand Citizen Bloom Botanics, recently partnered with Raleigh-based lawyer Morgan Davis to form the N.C. Cannabis Business Commission — the state’s first cannabis-focused chamber of commerce.

A NASCENT INDUSTRY

When Cooper signed SB 455, he released a statement saying the ability “to participate in this growing market is the right thing to do for rural communities and our economy.”

The potential for a growing mar ket is of interest to Baglio and Davis, the latter of whom specializes in hemp and cannabis law. (Davis says about 25% of her clientele is from WNC.) The N.C. Cannabis Business Commission is their attempt to ensure that market develops favor ably for the state’s existing hemp and cannabis businesses.

“The idea is to give the indus try a place to come together. That would mean plant-touching culti vators, product companies, whole salers, extractors,” Davis explains. “Hopefully, we would have members of the banking community join who have hemp divisions and members of insurance companies who have hemp divisions join.”

One local banker with an eye on North Carolina’s growing market is Ross Sloan, senior vice president of hemp/cannabis banking at West Town Bank & Trust in Asheville. This year, Sloan assisted hemp cultivators in North Carolina with the transition to U.S. Department of Agriculture oversight, and he says approximately 5%-10% of his current hemp industry clients are in WNC. That clientele, of course, could increase based on what hap pens in the General Assembly.

“North Carolina being a conserva tive state, I think we’ll move slowly — which is OK,” Sloan tells Xpress “Those of us that are proponents for medical cannabis all want it to move as quickly as possible. But I think we’d rather it move deliberately and get it right.”

Tarleton Wamsley, who co-owns the West Asheville cannabis lifestyle shop Garden Party, also wants any cannabis legislation to be deliberate. She would like North Carolina to legalize and develop an industry for recreational cannabis, as well as medical cannabis, and support equal access to licensing and busi ness ownership.

In particular, Walmsley says, she supports the expungement of the criminal records “of people who’ve been harmed through the war on drugs, who’ve been criminalized through this process.” New York, for example, prioritized people with marijuana convictions for dispensa ry licenses, who are disproportion ately nonwhite.

Says Walmsley, “We have an opportunity in North Carolina to look at other states who have either legalized medically or recreationally and do it better.”

‘A HUGE LEGAL GRAY AREA’

Among the most pressing issues for the N.C. Cannabis Business Commission is Senate Bill 711,

known as the Compassionate Care Act. Introduced by Republican state Sen. Bill Rabon , the bill would legalize marijuana usage for certain medical conditions, like epilepsy or HIV/AIDS, with a written diagnosis from a physician. It garnered the support of Senate Republicans but failed to pass the House before the end of the legislature’s short session in July.

Growers argue that poorly crafted language in SB 711 could freeze them out of the industry in favor of only big players. Baglio explains that the bill’s definition of hemp differs from that in SB 455, the legislation that legalized hemp and hemp products.

SB 711 uses the phrase “canna bis-infused, which is marijuana and hemp,” Baglio says. She worries that that definition means hemp prod ucts could be rolled into the defini tion of “cannabis-infused” products.

The language in SB 711 thus cre ates “a huge legal gray area,” Baglio continues. She believes the ambi guity was intentionally included by lobbyists for the legal cannabis industry, as it would group hemp and cannabis together.

Rabon did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Baglio tells Xpress she’s spent the summer asking lawmakers to add language to SB 711 that clarifies that “this term does not include ‘hemp’ or ‘hemp products.’”

Says Baglio, “I would like to think [among] the lawmakers that it’s an oversight.”

‘WHO’S GOING TO BENEFIT?’

It’s debatable whether SB 711 will pass the General Assembly at all, as there have been vast disagreements about its contents. State Sen. Julie Mayfield, who represents District 49, told Xpress in May “this bill would be worse than no bill.”

SB 711 creates an 11-member Medical Marijuana Production Commission and empowers it to approve only 10 medical cannabis supplier licenses for the entire state. The bill also requires vertical integration of each licensed medical marijuana business, called “seed-tosale tracking,” and it requires every aspect of the supplier’s business — from cultivation to selling — to be operated by one company.

“As we look at these bills, it’s really important to see who’s going to benefit most from them,” says Wamsley of Garden Party. She says the only 10 seed-to-sale companies that could afford the proposed

$50,000 per license would be mul tistate operators, i.e., established cannabis industry businesses based outside of North Carolina.

“Multistate operators have a lot of money,” explains Walmsley. “As a small business, we wouldn’t have even a foot in the door [to have] a license to operate.” She also points out that many people in the exist ing hemp industry, from farmers to shop owners like herself, work in specific areas of the industry. “We don’t have a farm, so if [licenses only go to companies that operate] seed-to-sale, that leaves us out of that structure as well,” she says. Opponents of the bill also say the list of medical conditions in SB 711 isn’t inclusive enough.

Due to these disagreements, SB 711 has languished in the House Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations since early June, says Mayfield. That could be where the bill dies. “If it doesn’t come out of committee this year, then it’s dead for the year, and they have to start over with a new bill next year,” she explains.

“That’d be the best thing that could happen, because then it basically has to start over,” adds Baglio. X

9/29: Reader: Shira Nerenberg 1-6pm Lou & Krista 7-8pm

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10/2: Reader: Pam Shook 1-6pm Class Coven 2-4pm

10/9: FULL MOON

Atena Aura Photography 1-4pm

10/11: Reader: Byron Ballard 1-5pm

Brian Henke Samhain Concert 5:30-8pm

Street signs

general public as well as the individ uals engaging in the activity.”

Asheville law restricts people from accosting, intimidating, threatening, using profanity or otherwise forcing a person to provide money. An indi vidual who is panhandling may not solicit within 20 feet of a financial institution or ATM, in an outdoor dining area, while riding or waiting for public transit, when under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol or after dark. Branham encourages anyone who “experiences unwanted and aggressive behavior in these situ ations to report the issue to the city.”

New Hours: M - Sat. 10-8pm Sun. 12-6pm Ave.

BY CARMELA CARUSO

Froggy, as he likes to be called, sits on the corner of Merrimon Avenue and the Interstate 240 off ramp in 82-degree heat holding a small card board sign. “Homeless,” it reads.

He’s hoping to make money to take his 11-year-old daughter back-toschool shopping. Froggy is 63 years old and says he’s been panhandling for 15 years. On a typical day, he says, he might make $25, $50 if he’s lucky.

“Don’t have a steady income. Don’t have enough money,” Froggy says, when asked why he’s been raising money this way for so long. Although aware of the services available to homeless people in Asheville, he says he doesn’t need them. Panhandling has become a way of life.

Froggy is not alone. On sidewalks across Asheville, in all types of weath er, people can be seen holding signs and asking passersby for money.

“They’re essentially fundraising for their daily needs,” says Michael DeSerio , outreach manager at Homeward Bound. “A person who has nothing and is in a desperate place — it’s usually a last resort to do panhandling. … When people get this desperate, it is a sign that there’s something broken systemically.”

Support systems for the area’s homeless population have been under increasing stress. According to Buncombe County’s annual point-intime count, even as shelter capacity decreased by nearly 12% from 2021

to 2022, homelessness rose by 21%, with unsheltered homelessness dou bling over the same period.

In response, the city of Asheville has partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based National Alliance to End Homelessness on a nearly $73,000 consulting project to better under stand the issue. Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer says the work, funded by the Dogwood Health Trust, will help the city address what she calls the “crisis of unsheltered homelessness.” The project is cur rently in phase one, with findings and recommendations expected to be presented in January.

Some local residents have won dered if amendments to the city’s panhandling laws might be part of that effort after Council member Sage Turner asked for input on the topic in the Asheville Politics Facebook group in July. Turner didn’t respond to Xpress requests for comment by press time, but Manheimer says no such changes are on the table.

IT’S THE LAW

While current city ordinances place some restrictions on the practice of panhandling, in most instances it is a legal means of making money. As City Attorney Brad Branham explains, “[Panhandling] is protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution. However, local govern ments are permitted to regulate it in order to ensure the safety of the

Panhandling is also forbidden in designated “high-traffic zones.” Those areas include all of Biltmore Village and a roughly 0.3-square-mile section of downtown covering most streets east of French Broad Avenue and north of Hilliard Avenue. Violations are misdemeanors under state law, punishable by a fine of up to $50, which may be waived if the offender “provides proof of a good-faith effort to seek assistance to address any underlying factors relat ed to unemployment, homelessness, mental health or substance abuse that might relate to the person’s ability to comply with the local ordinance.”

Bill Davis, spokesperson for the Asheville Police Department, says police had received 95 calls for pan handling this year as of Aug. 17, the majority of which were requests for wellness checks out of concern for those in need. Responding officers attempt to connect those in crisis with community resources, he says.

Davis adds that while most calls are for individual welfare, others “deal with complaints about panhandlers impeding the flow of traffic or knock ing on windows and getting too close to vehicles.” He says that “only a small number dealt with the concern of aggressive panhandlers” but did not provide specific data when asked.

DeSerio with Homeward Bound, who also responds to calls about homelessness from the community, says “the biggest complaints come from people owning their own busi nesses” who don’t want individu als soliciting, sleeping or otherwise hanging out by their entrances. He sympathizes with those concerns, but he doesn’t think stricter laws will deter unhoused individuals from trying to get their basic needs met.

“There has to be another solu tion,” he says. “Because no matter if it’s against the law or not against the law, it’s still going to occur. People that are desperate are going to do it anyway, even if it means a night in jail or an arrest.”

MAKING CHANGE

Whether giving cash to panhan dlers helps or leads to more harm has been hotly debated. Most home less services advocates recommend giving in other ways.

“Sharing money with people who ask may be a kindness in the moment, but it doesn’t facilitate real solutions to homelessness,” says Emily Ball , the city of Asheville’s homeless strategy division man ager. “It’s important to engage respectfully and to remember that people asking for money are in crisis and need support, but we encourage directing resources to organizations that can provide ser vices that will sustainably resolve those crises.”

DeSerio emphasizes the impor tance of empathy. He admits it’s possible that some on the streets may be trying to make money dis honestly — Davis says APD isn’t aware of any “organized rings” of panhandlers in the area — but he says the vast majority of those individuals are struggling and truly in need.

“We’ve all been in desperate times before or making decisions

from a place of chronic stress,” DeSerio says. “We might have a bad day and spend our last dollar on a beer.”

Still, he says offering food or water is better than giving money to people who are panhandling. DeSerio agrees with Ball that donating to local organizations is the best option for addressing systemic issues. But he suggests there’s a simpler way that any one in the community can begin to enact change.

“Stopping to say hello and acknowledging people. Seeing them, versus, ‘I don’t know what to do, so I’m going to pretend this person is not there.’ I think that definitely goes a long way,” says DeSerio.

“The biggest thing people need, besides a solid roof over their head, is community. And, in fact, that’s bigger than the roof,” DeSerio con tinues. “And if they have people in their life — whether it be strangers or whether it be familiar faces — that can show them that there’s still hope and community and some body who cares, then I feel like that’s a real platform for change for some of these individuals.”  X

Women

Buncombe shapes plan to tackle opioid crisis

Buncombe County leaders continue to develop a long-term response to the opioid crisis — a response newly invigorated by over $16 million promised to the county from a lawsuit settlement with pharmaceutical companies. County behavioral health manag er Victoria Reichard updated the county Board of Commissioners about progress toward allocat ing that money during a Sept. 20 board briefing.

Reichard noted that Buncombe has received about $2 million from the settlement for the current fiscal year, with the remaining money to be doled out over the next 16 years. From those funds, a team of social service providers, law enforcement representatives, county adminis trators and community members has recommended about $518,000 in immediate spending.

Suggested allocations include $320,000 for the county’s commu nity paramedicine team, about $148,000 for jail and prison commu nity reentry programs and $50,000 for strategic planning. Those proj ects will be presented for approval by the board at their meeting of Tuesday, Oct. 4. (Representatives from the Mountain Area Health Education Center, the communi ty paramedicine program and the county jail’s medication-assist ed treatment program will also share data on the opioid crisis at that meeting.)

Commissioner Jasmine BeachFerrara said she was looking for ward to fresh information around overdoses and overdose deaths, as well as how expanding programs could help reduce deaths.

“Continuing to expand access to medically assisted treatment is a really high priority as we think about steps and interventions to actually reduce overdose deaths,” she said. She suggested the county look into adding treatment slots as part of its first stage of settle ment spending.

Commissioner Brownie Newman asked about using the settlement funds for prevention of addiction, not just treatment. Reichard responded that part of the strategic planning process includes reaching out to organiza tions that work with young people. She emphasized that getting feed

back from young people is crucial to identifying community needs when it comes to prevention.

A steering committee creat ed this month will meet through December as the focus shifts from identifying immediate needs to defining criteria for long-term funding. The committee will create a plan to guide funding recommen dations through fiscal year 2025-26, which Reichard said would yield a more cohesive approach than mak ing separate allocations each year.

Board members agreed on the importance of developing a longterm strategy for the funds. BeachFerrara asked, “How do we take the step from where we have been — which is having very innova tive, very impactful projects that sometimes operate discretely from each other — into having a truly integrated, county-level strategy?”

Reichard said Buncombe’s goal is to create a foundation of pro grams flexible enough to be used when facing multiple substance abuse problems, “whether it’s opioids, whether it’s methamphet amine, whether it’s something else coming into our community.”

An update on the multiyear financial plan is scheduled come

before the commissioners in January or February.

Tropical Storm Fred assistance still available

Also at the board’s regular meeting, representatives from the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management solicited residents whose homes were damaged by Tropical Storm Fred to reach out for assistance. The state’s disaster recovery program, which was cre ated after the storm hit in August 2021, still has funds available to repair homes, roads and bridges damaged last year.

A total of $44 million was allo cated last November to aid recov ery across 11 counties, including Buncombe, that were impacted by the storm; an additional $5 million was recently added for road and bridge repair after all the money originally intended for that pur pose was spent. Only 35% of the money dedicated to home recon struction and 40% dedicated to home repair has been spent so far.

State project manager Dana Phillips said that while most of the damage caused by Tropical Storm

Fred was a result of flooding, eli gible home repair is not limited to flood impacts. The funds can also be used to repair damage caused by rain, wind or downed trees — damaged roofs, for example, could be covered.

“There are folks who are prob ably watching this tonight who know folks who are impacted,” said Phillips. “That’s why we’re here. If you have a problem, let us know. We want to help. We have funding.”

“We’re worried about folks who may be living in unsafe housing,” added Richard Trumper , the state office’s executive director. “We’ve got winter coming. We worry that folks haven’t said they need help. They thought someone else was in a worse position than they were. They didn’t think there would be enough money to help them. Now is the time for those families to reach out and get the help they need.”

Residents can find out more about assistance available for damage caused by Tropical Storm Fred by visiting TSFred.NC.gov, emailing TSFred@NC.gov or call ing 828-526-6170.

FINANCIAL FORECAST: More than $16 million in funds from a lawsuit settlement with pharmaceutical companies re garding their role in the opioid crisis will come to Buncombe County over 17 years. Graphic courtesy of Buncombe County

TDA acknowledges, discusses tourism ‘paradox’ at annual meeting

“Paradox” was the theme of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s annual meeting Sept. 22, which featured several presentations on the costs and benefits of Asheville’s increased visitations.

The meeting drew roughly 200 attendees from a range of tour ism-related professions and was led by Explore Asheville’s President and CEO Vic Isley . The event included presentations from Asheville artist Jenny Pickins , Delaware-based academic and writ er Wendy K. Smith and Stewart Colovin , vice president of MMGY Global Brand Strategy.

Speaking on the theme, each presenter acknowledged both Asheville’s economic success as a regional tourism destination as well as long-standing concerns of some residents regarding the environ mental, infrastructure and social strains that the industry places on the city. Earlier this year, BCTDA conducted a survey of 382 people living in Asheville or Buncombe County — a smaller sample than the 468 people who completed a similar survey in 2019 — to gather community sentiment on local tour ism and its impacts.

Of those surveyed, 69% agreed that the positives of local tourism outweigh the negatives. Roughly 83% of people agreed or somewhat agreed that tourism was benefi cial to the community. But 68% of respondents also said that they believed Buncombe County’s econ omy is too dependent upon tourism. And 53% of those surveyed said that tourism contributes to the loss of green space and damages the environment. (Full survey results are available at avl.mx/bez.)

While the speakers did not offer specific solutions for how the BCTDA could address the costs associated with increased visitors, the discussion represented a shift in tone from the quasi-governmen tal agency, whose board members have responded defensively in the past to criticism of the entity and the effects of tourism.

“We know there are many per spectives and there’s a lot of pas sion in this community. But how do we harness that in a way that we can move forward on the majority

of what we agree on?” Isley said. “We’re sitting here as a community and part of a region where we’re dealing with the challenges of suc cess. But I would much rather be in a community and a place where we’re dealing with the challenges of success than being in a community that is atrophying.”

During her presentation, Isley also noted that visitor spending in Buncombe County has rebound ed from the pandemic — reaching $2.6 billion in 2021. She said that Buncombe County was ranked sec ond in the state for visitor spend ing, following Mecklenburg County, which contains the city of Charlotte, which drew $4.1 billion.

Isley also noted new legisla tion passed by the N.C. General Assembly this summer that chang es the disbursement criteria of Buncombe County’s occupancy tax, which is managed by the BCTDA. The law, which was first imple mented in 1983, previously required that 75% of the occupancy tax collected from overnight stays in Buncombe County be spent on tour ism advertising, with the remaining 25% going to tourism-based capi tal investments.

The newly revised law chang es the respective allocations for advertising and capital spending to 66% and 33%, respectively, and

expands the allowable uses of capital spending to include main tenance and infrastructure. The BCTDA is expected to bring in roughly $40.8 million in occupancy tax revenue this year. The new split will increase the amount spent on maintenance and infrastructure from $10.2 million to $13.6 million.

“For those who may think, ‘Oh, that was easy,’ and ‘That should have been done a long time ago,’ no occupancy tax [law] has changed in the state of North Carolina since 2017,” Isley said.

Later in the meeting, the BCTDA posthumously awarded writer, historian and environmentalist Wilma Dykeman with the William A.V. Cecil Leadership Award, which honors those who have made contributions to tourism in Asheville and Buncombe County. Outgoing BCTDA board member and Highland Brewing president and CEO Leah Ashburn was also acknowledged for her work with the board. Ashburn has served on the board since 2016, with her final term expiring this fall. BCTDA Chair Kathleen Mosher said that a vacation rental owner or vaca tion rental company owner will be appointed to the vacant seat.

PROS AND CONS: Explore Asheville President and CEO Vic Isley led the Sept. 22 event that explored tourism’s benefits as well as drawbacks. Photo by Brooke Randle

Regional councils

At first glance, programs like Mountain Mobility, the Clean Vehicles Coalition, French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization and Buncombe County Council on Aging seem to have little in common beyond their geographical location.

However, these are only four of the more than 199 programs current ly administered in Western North Carolina and beyond by the Land of Sky Regional Council.

As the name suggests, regional councils are local government bodies that fund and administer crucial ser vices on a regional scale. However, the name can also be misleading, because some projects serve only a single municipality or county, and others are statewide or beyond.

“The challenge in telling the regional council story is that we do so many dif ferent things,” says Nathan Ramsey, Land of Sky executive director.

The latest edition of Xpress’s WTF — “Want the Facts?” — series explains the history, purposes, struc ture, powers, services and limitations of regional councils.

WHEN AND WHY WERE REGIONAL COUNCILS CREATED?

During the Great Society period under President Lyndon B. Johnson, Congress passed a number of laws funding local infrastructure projects and social services. One of these, the 1968 Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, required municipalities and coun ties within a region to work together to set infrastructure standards and prevent duplication of projects. Even today, most federal and state grants for these projects require proof of collabo ration between local governments and regional scalability.

While the N.C. General Assembly divided the state into multiple region al planning districts in 1969, much of Western North Carolina already belonged to regional government bod ies. Three of the four councils west of Charlotte — the Southwestern Commission, the Foothills Commission and Land of Sky — were created in 1966. (The fourth, the High Country Council of Government, was estab lished in 1974.)

HOW ARE REGIONAL COUNCILS STRUCTURED?

North Carolina’s 16 regional councils are similarly, though not

identically, structured. According to Ramsey, Land of Sky is governed by a 60-member board of delegates that meets the fourth Wednesday of every month (except for July, November and December) at 12:30 p.m. at 339 New Leicester Highway in Asheville; since the pandemic these meetings have been hybrid. Nine board members serve on the executive committee, which meets an hour prior to the full meeting and has the power to enact the policies decided upon by the board.

Fifty-three full-time and 44 parttime Land of Sky staff members, under the guidance of the board-ap pointed executive director, work with in five departments: Administration and Finance, Area Agency of Aging, Economic and Community Development, the Mountain Area Workplace Development Board and the Transportation Resource Center. The full organizational chart can be accessed at avl.mx/bvn.

Although local governments are not required to join regional coun cils, all four county governments in the Asheville metropolitan area — Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania — and all 16 municipal governments in them — are members of Land of Sky.

“Smaller organizations do not always have the same resources as larger [ones], and Land of Sky helps fill those gaps with the multitude of services they provide,” Fletcher Mayor Preston Blakely, the executive com mittee treasurer, tells Xpress

WHAT DO REGIONAL COUNCILS DO?

Regional councils have the same powers as other local governments,

with two crucial exceptions: They can neither regulate nor tax. Dues from their member governments, federal and state grants and private sector money provides the funding that operates the programs under their jurisdiction.

In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the 20 governments of Land of Sky paid $195,165 in dues; 80%, or $150,000, was leveraged for federal grants. According to Ramsey, $19,000 in local money translated to $8 million in funds for aging programs in the region, and $30,000 of dues resulted in $65 million for economic development programs.

“That’s a pretty good ROI [return on investment],” Ramsey says.

Dues can also be spent for proj ects that federal and state grants will not fund. An example is the council’s current efforts to establish a foreign trade zone in the region, which aims to attract more business and trade by eliminating import and export tariffs.

WHAT KINDS OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES DO REGIONAL COUNCILS ADMINISTER?

The majority of Land of Sky’s bud get — 40%, according to Ramsey — goes to its aging department. This is primarily because a 1973 amendment to the federal Older Americans Act changed the administration of senior citizen services from statewide agen cies to regional ones. As Ramsey notes, many people in Buncombe County may know of the Council on Aging but have no idea it is run by Land of Sky.

Yet Land of Sky is behind a mul titude of other programs as well. It helped administer Buncombe County’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to increase broadband access

during the pandemic. It continues to work on digital expansion across the region through its WestNGN program.

Land of Sky oversees an important substance abuse recovery program made possible by an Appalachian Regional Commission grant. Land of Sky administers this program in partnership with the Southwest Commission, so the program reaches 11 counties and not just the four mem ber counties of LOS.

Land of Sky has also been chosen to be the pilot region for a statewide ini tiative called myFutureNC that helps residents achieve secondary educa tion credentials.

WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS OF REGIONAL COUNCILS?

In a 2008 study of regional councils by the UNC School of Government, 96% of local governments surveyed expressed satisfaction with their regional councils. However, those sur veyed also identified three primary barriers that prevent local govern ments from joining councils: not want ing to lose control over community decisions, lack of trust between gov ernments and concerns about unequal distribution of resources.

With 100% participation, Land of Sky does not have this problem. “Regional councils really are focusing on things that have broad-based bipar tisan support,” Ramsey says.

Todd Collins, professor of politi cal science at Western Carolina University, tells Xpress that rural regions like WNC often benefit more from regional council funding than regions with more populated cities with robust tax bases.

That may be one reason why only 62 of 80 local governments in the Centralina Regional Council, which include Charlotte, are council members. However, the Centralina council’s communications manager, Emily Hickok, notes that nonmember governments frequently participate in initiatives, events and trainings.

Residents within Land of Sky’s regional boundaries can learn more by attending council meetings both in person and virtually, as well as signing up for the council newsletter at avl.mx/bxp.

As important as Land of Sky is to its member governments — Blakely praises its “exceptional work and ser vices” — Ramsey stresses that that support is mutual.

“We have a long history of sup port throughout our region,” he says. “We’re blessed.”

On blueberries and plastics

Crisp autumn greetings, garden ers. Next month will be the last gar dening feature for the year. Please send in any final questions that you have so I can get them answered (gardening@mountainx.com). It’s been a pleasure to share my knowl edge and love of gardening with you! This month we’re exploring best practices for growing blueberries and safe ways to use plastics as part of your gardening toolbox.

BLUEBERRIES TAKE TIME

My husband and I want to grow blueberries. When should we plant them, and what varieties do best in our region? Is it true you need several to cross-pollinate?

Yay for blueberries! They are such a wonderful crop in general and par ticularly for our region. As you may know, blueberries are native here. And while wild blueberries are some what different from cultivated variet ies, both can thrive in our conditions.

Blueberries are perennial, shrub by plants, meaning that they will live for several seasons (up to 20-plus years for certain varieties in good conditions), and they have a woody, bushy growth habit. All blueberries require sun, moisture, organic mat ter, acidic soil and fertility in order to thrive.

They’re a member of the heath family, along with cranberries, rho dodendrons, azaleas and others; all these plants like acidity and can’t tol erate alkaline soil. Lucky for us, we have naturally acidic soil, though it’s a good idea to get a soil test and/or add acidity when planting blueber ries. Agricultural sulfur is a great pH reducer (lower pH = higher acidity), and gypsum can also be used.

Even though blueberries can survive in semishade, they will be way more productive in full sun, so choose your planting location accordingly. Along with adjusting acidity, you’ll want to add in a source of organic matter at planting time and continue adding organic matter in the form of mulch once the plants are established. Soil conditioner, sometimes called “pine fines,” is made of finely ground pine bark and is a great, locally available and fairly inexpensive source of organic matter. Other options for organic matter are compost, rotted manure or peat moss. If you’re using compost or manure, make sure that the pH is low (acidic), so you don’t inadver

tently harm your blueberries with alkalinity. Mix in organic matter into a 3-foot diameter hole before plant ing — that should give your plants what they need to get going. In terms of mulch, wood chips or pine straw are great choices, with wheat straw being another option if that’s what’s available to you.

To feed your blueberries, an acid-loving plant food like Holly-tone is a good choice, along with min eral sources such as Azomite and ground kelp at the time of planting. Blueberries particularly like nitro gen in the form of urea, so peeing at the bases of plants can actually be a great way to fertilize. (To learn more about fertilizing with urine, visit avl.mx/c0f.)

Watering and irrigation are cru cial for blueberries, as they have fairly shallow root systems. In order to thrive, blueberries need consis tent moisture and cannot dry out. At the same time, their roots can easily rot, so they don’t want to sit in waterlogged or soggy soil. Regular watering, along with good drainage are keys to blueberry success. Water every other day for the first week after planting, then once or twice a week, for a total of one inch per week once plants are established.

PICK AND EAT: Native to the region, blueberries are shrubby meaning that they will live for several seasons. Photo courtesy of Wild

FEATURES

While you can transplant blue berries any time of the year, late fall or early winter is ideal. This is because the plants will be dor mant at that time, which makes them less susceptible to transplant shock. Additionally, the cool temperatures during that part of the year mean that newly planted bushes will be less likely to dry out as their root sys tems get established in new ground. Don’t be surprised if the bushes don’t grow much during the first year, due to shock, if they’re transplanted while fully leafed out, flowering and/ or fruiting.

recently. Can you explain how this works and if it’s safe for a food garden?

Yes, mulching with black plas tic has become a common prac tice over the past several years. It serves multiple purposes: to kill weeds by smothering; to prevent weeds around crops by covering and preventing light from reaching the soil surface; and even to warm up soil as part of season exten sion practices.

There are two main groups of blue berry bushes: northern highbush and rabbiteye. Here in Southern Appalachia, we can grow both kinds, though the high-bush types tend to thrive and are what most commercial growers use. This group grows to be about 4-6 feet tall and are hardy in colder temperatures, though not as tolerant of sustained high tem peratures. Rabbiteye blueberries can grow to be 10-plus feet tall and are less cold tolerant and better adapted to warmer conditions and sandier, more alkaline soils (though they still thrive with some acidity). Also, rab biteye varieties are not self-fertile, meaning they need to be planted close to other rabbiteyes that flower at the same time in order to receive pollen and make berries.

Some great varieties of northern high-bush blueberries for our area are: Hannah’s choice, Elizabeth, Chandler and aurora. These are all self-fertile, so you don’t need to plant multiple varieties to get fruit, though planting a few different varieties close to one another can improve yield. Bear Necessities Farm sells plants of these varieties and more at the downtown tailgate market on Saturday mornings and at the West Asheville Tailgate Market on Tuesday afternoons. Farmer Lewis Blake is knowledgeable about blue berries and is happy to chat about what varieties would be best for your conditions. He’s also the instructor for growing blueberries, bramble berries (blackberries, raspberries, etc.) and strawberries with the Wild Abundance Online Gardening School that I co-direct. (To learn more, visit avl.mx/bbd.)

Do keep in mind that blueberries take a few years to produce fruit. You won’t be getting baskets full of goodness right away. But once they mature, they’ll provide fruit year after year for quite some time.

UV STABILIZED

I’ve seen a lot of people using black plastic in their gardens

There are various different mate rials that folks use for these purpos es, with different levels of ultravio let stability, and therefore different levels of risk. All plastics eventually break down into microplastics and, in some cases, chemical derivatives that can be harmful, especially to our hormonal systems.

For these reasons, I use agricul tural plastics judiciously. Because they’re so effective, especially at killing weeds, I definitely rely on black plastic in my garden, but I also use organic mulches when those are at hand and appropriate for the job. For me, this means using plastic to prepare beds and mulch for large areas, such as the spaces between squash or sweet potato plantings that will be impos sible to weed once the vining plants take off. For my regular vegetable beds, I use thick layers of hay, straw or hardwood leaves as mulch, instead of plastic.

If you’re curious about using plastic mulch, be sure to purchase a material that has been UV sta bilized and is made for agricultur al use. If you simply buy plastic sheeting from a home improvement store, it will break down into a million pieces after prolonged sun exposure, creating a big mess for you to clean up.

Two good options for plastic mulch material are high-quality silage tarps made of UV-treated low-density polyethylene and woven landscape fabric/ground cloth made of UV-treated polypropylene. Tarps can be purchased through Farmer’s Friend (avl.mx/c0h) and woven material is widely available; I rec ommend Dewitt Sunbelt fabric.

With plastics, I’ve found that if I put them out as needed, then stow them out of the elements between uses, they stay in good shape year after year.

One important step when using plastic mulch is securing the mate rial so it won’t blow away in the wind. Sandbags, logs, rocks or clumps of soil can be helpful here, along with landscape staples in the case of the woven material. Susan Roderick

Party on

GREETINGS: Marketing associate Braulio Pescador-Martinez helped manage the welcome booth. Photo by Susan Hutchinson

Snapshots from the 2022 Best Of WNC party

Xpress recently held its latest Best Of WNC party at Highland Brewing Co. Local business owners, artists, city leaders and readers joined us for an evening of great music, food and beer.

Below are a few highlights we managed to snap amid the celebration.

Thanks to everyone for coming out! Special thanks to musi cians Peggy Ratusz, Hope Griffin and DJ Lil Meow Meow; food trucks Melt Your Heart and El Kimchi; special guests Asheville FM. and the WNC Nature Center; and Highland Brewing Co. for sharing its space. Xpress X

COME ONE, COME ALL: Winners and readers alike dined and had a grand time during the 2022 Best Of WNC celebration. Photo by Su san Hutchinson

OFFICIAL VISIT: City Council member and mayoral candidate Kim Roney swung by the tent to say hello. Roney won the 2022 categories for Best Local Hero and Best Local Politician. Photo by Susan Hutchinson

AMONG THE CROWD: Readers and winners continued to sip and dine throughout the evening. Photo by Susan Hutchinson

CELEBRATE: Members of Franny’s Farma cy posed with the Best Of rooster. Franny’s Farmacy placed first this year for Best Locally Made CBD Treats and Best Place to Buy CBD Products. Photo by Vicki Catalano

ROCK ON: Peggy Ratusz and band were among the musical performances during the party. Photo by Susan Hutchinson

SPREAD THE WORD: Xpress marketing associate Vicki Catalano welcomed guests to theparty. Photo by Susan Hutchinson

COCK-A-DOODLE-DO: This year’s rooster theme was on display at the 2022 Best Of WNC party. Photo by Susan Hutchinson

HOWDY: Xpress staff, including front office and listings coordinator Mark Murphy, left, and managing editor Thomas Calder, rocked the purple. Photo by Susan Hutchinson

START THEM YOUNG: Even our youngestreaders found items to celebrate. (Mainly, thefree stickers!) Photo by Susan Hutchinson

PARTY TIME: Xpress publisher Jeff Fobes alsojoined in on the fun. Photo by Susan Hutchinson

WELLNESS

Zumba Gold for Adults

50+

This free class helps work on mobility while moving to the beat to burn off calories. Every Wednesday and Friday.

WE (9/28 & 30), (10/5), 11am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

5Rhythms Sweat Your Prayers

Let it in, let it out, let it go. Hosted by Karen weekly.

WE (9/28, 10/5), 5:15pm, Homewood, 19 Zillicoa St

Pride Community Meditation

Pride is a time for cele bration, and it started as a protest - how to be with both truths at once?

Contemplative practices for the curious - queer and trans centering.

WE (9/28), 6pm, Ashe ville Botanical Gardens, 151 WT Weaver Blvd

Waves on the Edge: 5Rhythms LGBTQ Sweat

Your Prayers

Follow the maps created by Gabrielle Roth.

First time dancers $10. Hosted by Karen every Saturday.

SA (10/1), 9:30am, Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd

Yoga in the Park

Join together alongside the French Broad River for this all-level friendly yoga class based on

Hatha and Vinyasa traditions.

SA (10/1), 11am, $10, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd

Wild Souls Authentic Movement Class

A conscious movement experience in a 100-year old building with a com munity of like-minded women at all life stages.

SU (10/2), 9:30am, $15, Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard

Monday Run Club

All ages and levels wel come, including walkers. In partnership with Mountain Running Co. MO (10/3), 6pm, Cataw ba Brewing Biltmore, 63 Brook St

WNC Prostate Support Group

A forum for men, caregivers, family members, and partners; with this month's speaker Dr Sven Jonsson. For info (828)419-4565 or wncprostate@gmail.com. TU (10/4), 6:30pm, First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St

Therapeutic Recreation: Wednesday Morning Movement

A variety of physical activities such as active games, aerobics and dancing. Open to individuals ages 17+ with disabilities. Contact the Therapeutic Recreation Program at (828)2324529 for additional information.

ELKS LODGE: Smoky Mountain Elk Fest will be held at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds in Maggie Valley on Friday, Sept. 30, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 1, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. The family-friendly event includes live music, craft vendors, education the Elk Calling Contest. Photo courtesy of Smoky Mountain Elk Fest

WE (10/5), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Men's Cancer Support Group

Safely meet in a large conference room and stay socially distant while wearing masks. RSVP to Will (412)913-0272 or acwein123@gmail.com. WE (10/5), 6pm, Woodfin YMCA, 40 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 101

Dementia Partners Support Group AVL

Providing a social setting for individuals to meet and discuss coping techniques, share experiences, and present resource speakers from a

variety of agencies. TH (10/6), 6pm, Scenic View Terrace Clubhouse, 60 Fallen Spruce Dr

ART

We Will Not be Silenced: Standing for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

A series of photographs and sculptures that bring voice to the international Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement through the lens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Com anche Nation, Lumbee, and other Native American artists. Open 10am Tuesday through

Friday. WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

NCGC Pumpkin Patch Glass pumpkins by glass blowers in an array of colors, styles and sizes. Purchases support the nonprofit glass center. Open 10am, closed Tuesday. Through Oct. 31.

North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Ste B

The Art of Abandon ment

The photography of Wal ter Arnold, in the school's John M. Crawford Gallery through Oct. 31. Open Monday through Friday 8:30am-5pm. The Asheville School, 360 Asheville School Rd

Inspiration

Features jewelry, fiber, clay and wood from six Southern Highland Craft Guild members.

TH (9/29), 10am, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway

Full Circle

Featuring oil painter Anne Marie Brown. TH (9/29), 11am, Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave

Mountain Legacies: Exploring Appalachian Culture

This exhibit shows how early settlers made their way into the Appalachian Mountains and made them their home, dispelling the myth of an uncultured people and reveal lives rich with customs and traditions,

including herbal medicines, handicrafts, and bluegrass music. Open Thursday through Saturday, 11am. Transylvania Heritage Museum, 189 W Main St, Brevard

Pop Up Art Show

Local artists, every Thursday.

TH (9/29), 7pm, Alley Cat Social Club, 797 Haywood Rd

Fall Exhibitions Opening Reception

Celebrating three new fall exhibitions: Disclo sure: The Whiteness of Glass, Material Rea soning, and Mįhąpmąk Accessible to all.

FR (9/30), 6pm, Center for Craft, 67 Broadway

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.

FR (9/30), 10am, Marquee Asheville, 36 Foundy St

Cultivating Collections: Glass

In this year’s exhibition, student researchers tell the stories of the Muse um’s glass collection, which includes a range of artists who have made significant contributions to the Studio Glass Movement in Western North Carolina. Open 10am Tuesday through CALENDAR

Friday.

WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Our Ecology, Shifting

Our Gaze Inward

Atlanta born and raised artist Bevelyn Afor Ukah’s art reflects a collabora tion of perspectives on race, sexuality and body image. Through Oct. 30, with a reception and artist's talk on Oct. 22 from 7–9pm. Open daily 10am, 12pm on Sunday.

Pink Dog Creative Gallery, 348 Depot St

The Way I'm Wired: Artist Reflections on Neurodiversity

This exhibition invites artists to share their lived experiences with neurodiversity and how these experiences have impacted their work as an artist. Open 10am Tuesday through Friday.

WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

When Was the Last Time You Saw a Miracle?

Prints by Corita Kent

Shaped by her experienc es as an artist, teacher, and Catholic nun, Corita Kent used her art to bring people together and ignite social change. Open 10am Tuesday through Friday.WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

The Sun Touches Everything Opening Reception

An exhibition curated by artist Danielle Winger featuring over 60 works from 15 different national and international artists. Through Nov. 30. Open 10am Tuesday through Saturday, 11am Sunday.

See p 33 FR (9/30), 5pm, Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste 144

Annual Multi-Kiln Opening Celebration

Featuring the special exhibit in the main gal lery, plus the exhibit and sale of works by each of the resident potters, live demonstrations, and kiln openings.

SA (10/1), 11am, The Village Potters, 191 Lyman St

Nature’s Gems featuring artist Judy Rentner

The oil painter's colorful works will be on display through Oct. 31. The opening reception will be held on Friday, Oct. 7, 5-8pm. Gallery open daily 11am.

Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave

Rebel/Re-Belle:Explor ing Gender, Agency, and Identity Combines works, primarily created by women, from two significant collections of contemporary art to explore how artists have innovated, influ enced, interrogated, and inspired visual culture in the past 100 years. Through Jan. 16,

2023. Open 11am, closed Tuesdays.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Nocturnes Opening Erstwhile Asheville artist Monika Teal returns from her home in Switzerland with a mixed media collection.

SA (10/1), 5pm, Grand Bohemian Gallery, 11 Boston Way

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. Through Oct. 10. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Asheville Piano Forum 22nd Anniversary Fall Benefit Concert

A lived concert plus delayed YouTube viewing featuring profes sional AAPF pianists and guests.

SU (10/2), 3pm, First Presbyterian Church Asheville, 40 Church St

Aizuri String Quartet Opening night with Grammy nominated ensemble.

TU (10/4), 7:30pm, $35, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

LITERARY

Poetry Open Mic Special Guest Lee Stockdale: Gorilla

The 2013 Sidney Lanier Poetry Prize winner will read from his debut poetry collection.

WE (9/28), 8pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave

Edible North Carolina Join University of North Carolina food historian Marcie Cohen Ferris and award-winning cookbook author Ronni Lundy as they discuss the book. See p31 FR (9/30), 11am, Plott Hound Books, 102 W Main St, Burnsville

Jay Bergen: Lennon, the Mobster and the Lawyer

The author will sign his book, an autobiography of his detailed personal relationship with John Lennon. See p32-33 SA (10/1), 1pm, Blue Ridge Books, 428 Hazelwood Ave, Waynesville

Ronald Evans: The Odys sey of Robert Peake The Franklin author will present his historical novel.

SA (10/1), 3pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St, Sylva

Discovering Carl Sand burg: The Eclectic Life of an American Icon A-B Tech instructor Dr. John W. Quinley will present a lecture on Carl Sandburg, reintroducing the poet and activist to a new generation and provide fresh insight into the man, his life, and his work.

MO (10/3), 12:30pm, AB Tech, Ferguson Auditori um, 340 Victoria Rd

Dark Poets Society: Poetry Night Monthly critique meeting.

TU (10/4), 6pm, Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

ReadWNC Series: The Ballad of Frankie Silver With author Sharyn McCrumb discussing the true events behind her novel. In this series, authors and historians explore the facts behind the fiction in books centered in WNC.

TU (10/4), 6pm avl.mx/c1i

Storytelling on the Mountain Sit back and listen to true life stories from your friends and neighbors in the community. If interested in being a storyteller, contact Jim at jamesrludwig@gmail. com. Monthly.

WE (10/5), 5:30pm, Homeplace Beer Co., 6 South Main St, Burnsville

Poetry Open Mic with Host Caleb Beissert Weekly.

WE (10/5), 8pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave

Queer Nature: A Poetry Reading Centers on LGBTQIA+ voices and perspectives in a collection of contemporary nature poetry, Showcasing over 200 queer writers with readings by contributors Amie Whittemore, Khalisa Rae, Jessica Jacobs, Ed Madden, Amber Flores Thomas, Tara Burke and Brian Teare.

TH (10/6), 6pm, Mal aprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St

WNCHA History Hour: Lost Cove, North Carolina

Once described as where the “moonshiner frolics unmolested,” the small town in Yancey County existed from 1864-1957, but today is a ghost town accessible mainly to hikers hoping to catch a glimpse of the desolate settlement.

TH (10/6), 6pm, avl.mx/c0i

A Night Of Poetry: Marybeth Holleman’s tender gravity

An evening of poetry, conversation, wine, and live music to celebrate the Asheville local's debut book of poetry. Royalties from book sales will support

MountainTrue. TH (10/6), 8pm, plēb urban winery, 289 Lyman St

THEATER & FILM

Fringe Summer Nights

The evening features performances by Toybox Theatre and Rigel Pawlak, fresh out of clown camp, and a surprise poetry guest. This is also a call to be part of the 2023 Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. Applications close Sept. 30.

WE (9/28), 6pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd

Pilobolus: The Big Five-OH!

The world-renowned modern dance company celebrates its 50th year in existence, promoting radical creativity and boundary-pushing.

TH (9/29), 7:30pm, $15-25, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

No Fear and Blues Long Gone: Nina Simone

In Howard L. Craft’s 90-minute, one-woman show, the world meets Simone when she returns to earth to address certain events in her life, answer questions and leaves her audience with a unique perspective on dealing with fear and current events in our world today. Starring Yolanda Rabun. FR (9/30), 7pm, Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave, Tryon Assassins

This multiple Tony Award-winning theatrical production explores the lives of nine men and women who either killed (or tried to kill) one of the presidents of the United States.

FR (9/30), SA (10/1), 7:30pm, SU (10/2), 2pm Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Our Town ACT gives this American classic a fresh approach and contemporary design to reflect our own town of Asheville today: how we look and sound, how we work and play, how we live and die. Various dates and times through Oct. 16.

FR (9/30), SA (10/1), 7:30pm, SU (10/2), 2:30pm, Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E Walnut St

Appa-Laffin' Mountain Revue

A monthly variety and game show with local music, performance and comedic talents. This month, featuring Aaron Price on keys, Vendetta Creme crooning tunes, standup by Petey Smith McDowell and comedy hip-hop by duo Gucci Palms.

FR (9/30), 8pm, $16-18, Citizen Vinyl, 14 O Henry Ave

The Mercury Theatre of the Air's Dracula

An adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel, recounted by various characters in the first person, written by 23-year old Orson Welles with producer John Houseman.

SA (10/1), 3pm & 7:30pm, $15, Hender sonville Theatre, 229 South Washington St, Hendersonville

Shirley Valentine

Local theater company Ovation Theatre Arts

Collective's inaugural performance, starring local actor Madison Brightwell.

SA (10/1), 7pm, SU (10/2), 2pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W.State St, Black Mountain

Hamlet

Montford Park Players presents Shakespeare's classic revenge tale.

FR (9.30), SA (10/1), SU (10/2), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St

Robert Returns

A successful singer-song writer who comes home to a small town in the wake of the passing of his friend and mentor, Robert encounters long-lost friends and a startling set of circum stances that force him to take stock of his life and the road ahead.

SA (10/1), 7:30pm, BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St

The 14th Annual Music Video Asheville Awards

Celebrate with a red carpet 5-7pm, videos and awards show 7-10pm and an after party. See p32 WE (10/5), 5pm, $1215, Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

The Learning Garden: Drop in and learn September topics include: composting, harvesting and preserv ing dye plants, dividing perennials, fall seed starting, and plant prop agation. No registration required.

WE (9/28), 9am, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd, Ste 102

WNCHA Hikes With a Historian: Guastavino Estate Ruins and Cemetery Tour Executive Director Anne Chesky Smith will guide participants on an approximately 1.5 mile walk through ruins of renowned architect Rafael Guastavinos’ estate, including the foundations of the house, wine cellar, brick kiln, and small graveyard. WE (9/28), 11am, Christmount Christian Assembly, 222 Fern Way, Black Mountain Spanish Club Spanish speakers of all ages and levels are welcome to join together for conversation to practice the language in

a group setting.

WE (9/28), 6pm, Black Mountain Brewing, 131 NC-9, Black Mountain Cake Bake Off

Registration is required. Call (828)350-2062 to be a part of this competition.

TH (9/29), 2pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Swift Night Out

The Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter will hold their annual chimney swift viewing event, on the top floor of the Civic Center Parking Deck. Family-friendly and free to the public.

TH (9/29), 6:45pm, Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville, 87 Haywood St

September Community Nights

The opportunity to view Saturn, Jupiter, the moon, several deep sky objects, and stars through a 34" diameter Neutonian “Sam Scope”, as well as a 14" mirror Meade telescope.

TH (9/29), 8:15pm, $5, Bare Dark Sky Observatory, 66 Energy Exchange Dr, Burnsville Hemlock Volunteer Work Day

Join the Hemlock Res toration Initiative (HRI) and lend a hand to their partners at the Forest Restoration Alliance (FRA) at their research facility, where they are breeding HWA-resistant hemlock trees. RSVP: info@savehemlocksnc.org or (828)252-4783.

FR (9/30), 10am, Mountain Research Station, 265 Test Farm Rd, Waynesville

Introduction to Medi care - Understanding the Puzzle

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)277-8288.

FR (9/30), 2pm, Goodwill Career Training Center, 1616 Patton Ave

Fridays at the Folk Art Center Season Finale: Tips for a Successful Hike and National Public Lands Day

Covering topics such as proper equipment, trail etiquette, common mistakes made along the trail, 10 Golden Rules, hazards along the trail and hiker safety. Outdoors, weather permitting.

FR (9/30), 7pm, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway

Swannanoa Community Yard Sale

All proceeds from seller space rentals - $15 in advance, $20 day ofhelp support Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS), an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, and the Swannanoa community.

SA (10/1), 8am, Ingles Swannanoa Parking Lot, 2299 US-70, Swannanoa

SCORE Seminar: How to Find Your Customers

Discover the variety of market research tools that will give you critical information about your industry and customers. SA (10/1), 9am, A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Rd, Candler

Daoist Traditions

Student Acupuncture Clinic Open House

Learn about acupuncture, Chinese medicine and

the low-cost acupuncture clinic and receive free mini-treatments.

SA (10/1), 10am, Daoist Traditions Student Acupuncture Clinic, 222 S French Broad Ave

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day

There will be raffles, skill clinics and bike safety checks. Bring your bike and helmet. Free, no registration required.

SA (10/1), 10am, Richmond Hill Park, 280 Richmond Hill Dr

Honey Bee Mine: Snacks and Simple Meals Badge Activities

Prepare and enjoy healthy honey snacks, with a beekeeper presentation. Learn how to help honeybees do their important work by learning how to plant honeybee gardens. No charge for parents or guardians of youth participants.

SA (10/1), 11am, $15, Swannanoa Valley Muse um & History Center, 223 W State St, Black Mountain

Nuestra Voces: Podcast ing Workshop for Latinx Community Asheville journalists and audio producers Patricia Serrano and David Seth Miller are presenting the free, bilingual podcast workshop aimed at Lat inx community members (and allies) interested in producing audio stories or starting their own podcasts.

SA (10/1), 2pm, La Esperanza, 528 Emma Rd

Rosenwald Collaborative Panel Discussion: Past, Present and Future With Kenneth Morris, Peter Ascoli and Steph anie Deutsch sharing memories and knowl edge of their ancestors. All of the speakers have a connection to either Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee Institute, or Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears, Roebuck, and Company.

SU (10/2), 3pm, Broyhill Chapel, 338 Cascade St, Mars Hill

Tykes on Bikes

This class combines fun games and activities using Strider® balance bikes to develop balance and coordination without the distraction of pedals or training wheels. Strider bikes and helmets are provided to all registered participants. For ages 3-5 with an adult.

MO (10/3), 10am, $25, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Meet The Maker with Julio Nazario: Dulce A Learn and Play event. MO (10/3), 6pm, Well Played Board Game Café, 162 Coxe Ave

Swannanoa Valley Museum: Exploring the Brown Mountain Lights

Explore the possible explanations for this popular WNC phenomenon.

MO (10/3), 6:30pm, Free-$10, avl.mx/b99

Arts Council of Hen derson County Grant Workshop

A free workshop, in the Community Room. RSVP to info@acofhc.org.

TU (10/4), 3pm, Hen dersonville Community Co-Op, 60 S Charleston Ln, Hendersonville

Bingo Night

Doors open 4:30pm. Up to $2500 in prizes, weekly.

TU (10/4), 7pm, $25, American Legion Post 70, 103 Reddick Rd

Boy Scout Troop 91 Fall Kick Off

For boys ages 11-18, free to attend first two meet ings. Visit: avl.mx/bxq TU (10/4), 7pm, St. Pauls United Methodist Church, 223 Hillside St

Music To Your Ears Discussion Series: Bill Kopp and Jay Bergen on John Lennon

Explore John Lennon’s Rock 'N' Roll LP and the controversy and legal battles surrounding it. Bill Kopp is joined by guest host Jay Bergen, author of Lennon, the Mobster and the Law yer and the attorney who represented John Lennon and Yoko Ono during legal battles surrounding the album. See p32-33

WE (10/5), 7pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Family Outdoor Fishing Night

This introductory pro gram teaches basic skills and is geared for ages 5 and up. Fishing poles and bait are provided.

TH (10/6), 5pm, Azalea Park, Swannanoa River Rd

Why This Fall's Election Matters for the Environment

WNC Sierra Club’s political chair Ken Brame will share insights on the most competitive races and prospects for the State Supreme Court and the NC General Assembly. For further information, contact Judy Mattox, WNC Sierra Club Chair, at JudyMattox15@ gmail.com or (828)6832176.

TH (10/6), 7pm, avl.mx/977

LOCAL MARKETS

Staples Artisan Market

Small and homegrown market.

WE (9/28, 10/5), 11am, Staples Artisan Market, 65 Merrimon Ave

Leicester Farmers Market

Leicester’s only commu nity-led farmers market with local produce, cheese, meats and crafts.

WE (9/28, 10/5), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 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 greenway, plus ample parking.

WE (9/29, 10/5), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

Etowah Lions Club Farmers Market

Fresh produce, meat, sweets, breads, arts, and more, through Oct. 26.

WE (9/28, 10/5), 3pm, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville

Wednesday Night Market: Vintage and Crafts

Vintage and crafts from area-based vendors.

WE (9/28, 10/5), 4pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Enka-Candler Tailgate Market

Fresh local produce and heritage crafts. Weekly.

TH (9/29, 10/6), 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 (9/29, 10/6), 3pm, Pinecrest ARP Church, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock

East Asheville Tailgate Market

Local goods, every Friday.

FR (9/30), 3pm, 954 Tunnel Rd

Weaverville Tailgate Market

Local foodstuffs, along side a small lineup of craft and artisan vendors.

FR (9/30), 3pm, Weaverville Tailgate Market, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville

Henderson County Tailgate Market

One of the oldest open-air markets in Western North Carolina, this unique market has a festival feel, with local growers who operate small family farms in Henderson County.

SA (10/1), 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 (10/1), 8am, 650 Maple St, Hendersonville Mills River Farmers Market

A producer-only market, selling products raised or produced within 50 miles of the market. With local musicians, a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, and high-quality crafts.

SA (10/1), 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 (10/1), 8am, 3300

University Heights

Odd Flea

Dedicated to everything wacky and tacky - from taxidermy, antiques, records, junk, witchy tinctures, plants - you name it.

SA (10/1), 8am, The Odd, 1045 Haywood Rd

Asheville City Market

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

SA (10/1), 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 (10/1), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

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 (10/1), 9am, Down town Brevard Madison Co. Farmers & Artisans Market

Local goods and produce, weekly through Oct.

SA (10/1), 10am, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill Building Better Business es Pop-up Shop

Support the Asheville small business commu nity by shopping with a variety of vendors offering beauty items, décor, jewelry, food and more.

SA (10/1), 11am, Dr. Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

Junk-O-Rama Saturday

Vintage antiques market, every Saturday through Oct.

SA (10/1), 11am, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Jackson Arts Market Makers & Music Festival

With live, local music on Saturdays and an open mic on Sundays.

SA (10/1) & SU (10/2), 12pm, Downtown Sylva West Asheville Tailgate Market

Over 40 local vendors, every Tuesday.

TU (10/4), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Hatch's Fifth Birthday Party

An evening of food and drink, camaraderie, live music, and an open house to see what ren ovations are under way. Registration required, free parking available behind the building.

TH (9/29), 4:30pm, Hatch Innovation Hub, 45 S French Broad Ave

Carolina Mountain Jam

An intimate fami ly-friendly music festival with local and regional talent in a pastoral and private setting. Camping included with ticket price, with local vendors and civic organizations present, to support and build community.

FR (9/30) - SU (10/2), Deerfields, 101 Watagnee Trail, Horse Shoe

MAGMA Land of The Sky Gem Show

Indoor and outdoor vendors offering gems, minerals, fossils, artifacts, rocks, meteorites, jewelry, crystals and other hobby related items. All are welcome, rain or shine. Food and beverage vendors onsite.

FR (9/30) - SU (10/2), Land of Sky Shrine Club, 39 Spring Cove Rd, Swannanoa

38th Annual Asheville Quilt Show

Over 300 quilts from around the country with vendors, demos, exhibits a kids sewing station, and food on site.

FR (9/30) - SU (10/2), WNC Ag Center’s Davis Event Center, 765 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher

Shrektoberfest

Featuring Farquadd’s Tournament: Oktober fest games for all star competitors; Gingy’s Craft Corner: arts, crafts, and costume contests; and the Shrek and Fiona’s Swamp: green slushies and the release of the Festbier, “Hey Hey Yah Yah."

See p30

FR (9/30), 3pm, DSSOLVR, 63 N Lexington Ave

Asheville Design Weekend

Celebrate Asheville cre atives serving the design, craft and architecture industries with multiple events throughout the weekend and culminating with a self-guided tour.

SA (10/1) - SU (10/2), Multiple Locations Across Asheville ColorFest

A fine arts and crafts fair with over 40 vendors and live music.

See p33 SA (10/1), 10am, Front Street, Dillsboro Smoky Mountain Elk Fest

This family-friendly event is full of live music, local entertainment, craft vendors, educational demonstrations, and

the Elk Calling Contest. Proceeds help sustain the growing population of elk that were reintro duced to the Smokies in 2001.

FR (9/30) - SU (10/2) Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, 3374 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley

Annual Eliada Fall Festival and Corn Maze

One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to benefit the children, youth and families served at Eliada.

FR (9/30), SA (10/1, SU (10/2), Eliada, 2 Compton Dr Folk School Fall Festival

An annual celebration of Appalachian culture, with over 200 craft exhibitors lined along the school's wooded pathway. With artist demonstrations; live bluegrass, gospel, folk and Celtic; and food vendors that benefit non-profit and communi ty organizations.

SA (10/1), 10am, Free$5, John C. Campbell Folk School, 1 Folk School Rd, Brasstown Fiesta Hendersonville Journey through over 20 represented countries and experience the people, music, art, food and culture. Feast on Latin American delicacies, such as pupusas from El Salvador; empanadas from Argentina; and chicharrones, esquites, and elotes from Mexico. Browse both local art and the Latin marketplace of vendors.

SA (10/1), 11am, Hendersonville Visitor Center, 201 S Main St, Hendersonville

Ross Farm's Harvest Fall Fest with Appalachian Standard Greenhouse tours, pump kin carving, food trucks, curated vendors selling arts and crafts as well as CBD products. There will also be a costume contest and live music from local musicians such as almostmadi and Appalachian Standard’s own Substandards.

At 2:40pm, a 4/20 Burndown will occur. SA (10/1), 11am, Ross Farm, 91 Holbrook Rd, Candler

Bears Bees + Brews Festival

Show your support for wild creatures with family-friendly fun including learning from experts of local wildlife and conservation orga nizations, enjoyiong sweet and savory bites and brews, shopping local vendors and more.

See p30 SA (10/1), 12pm, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave

The Block Party

All proceeds from this year’s event will benefit The Pisgah Conservancy, a local nonprofit that was founded in 2015 to preserve the natural resources and scenic beauty of the Pisgah Ranger District. Featuring drumming by Billy Zanski,

music by Red Clay Revival, live T-shirt screen printing, crafts by local artisans, kid-friendly fun, and more. Presented by Looking Glass Realty. SA (10/1), 2pm, 237 S Liberty St

The Haunted Farm

The twelfth year of the Halloween season event, a self-guided and self-paced walk through of a farm haunted by families cursed by a feud, and a witch. See p33 SA (10/1), 7pm, The Haunted Farm, 624 Townsend Rd, Hendersonville

Fall Festivities

Donation-based pony rides, hay rides, local apples, fresh pressed cider, sould silo and a pig viewing area. All donations go toward Project HNG nonprofit.

See p31 SU (10/2), 10am, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview

Seventh Annual Asheville Veganfest

A celebration of compassionate living in one of the top vegan-friendly cities in the country. See p30 SA (10/2), 11am, Pack Square Park

Hendersonville National Night Out

The event will include emergency equipment displays from the Hendersonville Police Department and Hender sonville Fire Department in combination with trucks from Hender sonville Public Works and Water and Sewer departments. In addition to free hot dogs and cold treats, activities will include a kids obstacle course, music, foam axe throwing, dunk tank, face painting, and the return of last year’s popular Ellaberry Farm llamas. TU (10/4), 4pm, 1300 7th Ave E, Hendersonville

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

ArtsAVL Town Hall with County Candidates Socialize with other arts advocates and find out where candidates for Buncombe County Commissioner stand on important arts issues.

Moderated by Arts Coalition chairs Steph anie Hickling Beckman and Liz Whalen Tallent. Registration required. WE (9/28), 5pm, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Fairview Road Resilience Garden Work Day Volunteers are needed at the garden every Wednesday. All ages and skill levels are welcome to join us as we harvest, weed, plant, and build

community. WE (9/28, 10/5), 5:30pm, Fairview Resilience Garden, 461 Fairview Rd

Musicians for Overdose Prevention Benefit

Local artists the Dark City Kings, Slow Poison, Owen Munday and The Pieces with Pinkeye will play live music to benefit a local nonprofit that focuses on getting Narcan into music venues and into the hands of underinsured musicians.

TH (9/29), 8pm, Static Age Records, 82-A N Lexington Ave

French Broad River Cleanup

Join MountainTrue's French Broad Riverkeeper, Astral, and New Belgium Brewing for a river cleanup. Priz es will be given to the folks who collect the weirdest trash. Meet at the MountainTrue tents. FR (9/30), 12pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St

Red Cross Blood Dr To sign up, visit avl.mx/c0j FR (9/30), 2pm, 185 King Street, Brevard Green River Big Sweep 2022

A 4-6mile river paddle cleanup. Roadside volunteers are also needed. SA (10/1), 12pm, Fishtop Access Green River, 2302 Green River Cove Rd, Saluda

Hop to the Movies

This year’s family-friendly film is Disney Pixar’s Monster’s Inc. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy the film under the stars. The evening will also include carnival games, a hallway of scares and laughs inspired by the film, and a costume contest. All proceeds will support Arms Around ASD, an Asheville non-profit providing services for autistic people, their families, caregivers, and professionals who work with them.

SA (10/1), 7pm, $1025, Land of The Sky UCC, 123 Kenilworth Rd

PIVOTPoint WNC Benefit Dinner

To support at-risk high school students with therapeutic adventure program ming See p30 WE (10/5), 6pm, Bear’s Smokehouse, 135 Coxe Ave

A Taste of the Vineyard

A benefit for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. See p30 TH (10/6), 6pm, Point Lookout Vineyards, Hendersonville

The hardest choice

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

Ashley and Chris started trying to conceive during summer 2018. She went off her birth control, she says, and “we got pregnant that very first cycle.” The couple felt “super excited that it happened so quickly.” (Xpress is using pseudonyms for the couple, who live in the Asheville area, to pro tect their privacy.)

They began telling loved ones about her pregnancy and posed for a preg nancy photo shoot. “I was ready to put [the photos] in the mail as soon as we got home from an appointment” for a 12-week ultrasound and genetic testing, she says.

That Friday afternoon appointment changed everything. During the scan, “I noticed the ultrasound tech was just a little bit more quiet,” Ashley recalls. The couple sat in the waiting room, “looking at the pictures of the baby, just feeling excited,” Ashley says.

“Then the doctor just kind of rushes in and goes, ‘Let’s talk about these pictures,’” Ashley recounts. The physician informed them their baby had extra fluid behind its neck, and referred Ashley to a doctor who spe cializes in high-risk pregnancies. “I felt like I blacked out at that moment,” Ashley says. She doesn’t remember much else about that afternoon or the following weekend.

The next week, Ashley and Chris found obstetrics specialists at UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University. In Ashley’s 13th week, health care pro viders at Duke extracted fluid from her placenta to conduct DNA testing.

The couple had to wait another two weeks for the test results: Her baby, a girl, had a diagnosis of Turner syn drome, Ashley tells Xpress. “The baby didn’t just have extra fluid behind her neck; she also had it surrounding her heart, and surrounding her brain as well,” she says.

Turner syndrome is a chromosom al condition that primarily affects females, according to the Mayo Clinic. People born with Turner syndrome may have heart defects and abnormal kidneys; if the child reaches adoles cence or adulthood, she can have slow growth, shortness, stalled sexual development and struggles with con ception, among other issues.

Ashley says she was told, in her case, if her daughter were to survive throughout the pregnancy she’d likely

require cardiac surgery upon birth, Ashley says. If she were to survive postnatal cardiac surgery, she would experience very high medical needs throughout her lifetime.

“I think what really did it for us was that we didn’t want the baby to have a life of suffering,” Ashley says. “We chose to suffer so that she didn’t have to.” She calls the experience the darkest time of her life.

North Carolina law requires Ashley to receive state-directed counseling and undergo a 72-hour waiting period before terminating a pregnancy. For the counseling, her nurse at Duke “had to read me a script of all my options I had instead of an abortion,” Ashley tells Xpress. “[The nurse] even apologized — she’s like, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m required by law to do this.’” The nurse informed Ashley about her options, such as raising a special needs child, and Ashley began “sobbing,” she recalls, and pulled the phone away from her ear. After the counseling, Ashley waited the required 72 hours before physicians provided an abor tion at 16 weeks of pregnancy.

Her loved ones knew about the pregnancy, and Ashley says some assumed she’d miscarried. “I didn’t know who was safe to say, ‘No, I didn’t miscarriage — we had to have an abor tion,’” she explains. “I do remember [voicing my fears] to my husband. He [said] ‘It’s nobody else’s business!’”

She adds, “And I [said] ‘I know it’s not their business. But it’s my truth.’”

NORTH CAROLINA’S CHANGING ABORTION LAWS

The majority of abortions take place during the first trimester of pregnancy. According to 2016 data from Guttmacher Institute, a non profit dedicated to research on repro ductive health, 65.4% of abortions nationwide occurred during the first eight weeks of pregnancy in 2016, and 88% occurred in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Four percent of pregnan cy terminations occurred between 16 and 20 weeks — when Ashley had her abortion — and 1.3% occurred after 21 weeks.

The reproductive landscape in America vastly changed on June 24 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Dobbs v. Jackson that abortion is not a right under the Constitution. This overturned the precedent set by Roe v. Wade in 1973 and left legislation on abortion up to individual states. North Carolina is considered to be a state where abortion is more acces sible than other places in the South.

The Pew Charitable Trusts even called North Carolina a “Southern abortion haven.”

Prior to Aug. 17, abortion was legal in North Carolina until fetal viability, generally considered to be around

WE ARE FAMILY: Ashley and Chris are the proud parents of a 3-year-old and a 4-month-old. (Xpress is using pseudonyms to protect the family’s Photo courtesy of the couple

24-26 weeks, Elizabeth Nash, princi pal policy associate for state issues at Guttmacher, told Xpress in previous reporting. A physician determined viability, explains Nash, and terminat ing a pregnancy after 24-26 weeks was legal only if the patient’s life or health was at stake. (Life endangerment also was determined on a case-by-case basis by a physician, says Nash.)

But on Aug. 17, a ban on abortions after 20 weeks was reinstated in North Carolina after Republicans in North Carolina’s General Assembly asked U.S. District Judge William Osteen to lift an injunction that had held the ban at bay since 2019. Following the Dobbs ruling in June, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, stat ed he would not seek to reinstate the ban, The Associated Press reports.

Abortions after 20 weeks of preg nancy are rare. Dr. Elizabeth Buys, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist at Mountain Area Health Education Center, tells Xpress “when I looked it up, the number of terminations that occurred after 20 weeks was not very many — 39 in a year” in the state.

In 2020, 31,850 abortions were obtained in North Carolina, according to the Guttmacher Institute. (This figure includes people who traveled from other states.) It is unknown yet how many people in North Carolina have sought pregnancy terminations after 20 weeks following the reinstate ment of the ban in August.

‘HARDEST SITUATIONS’

There are no universally accepted answers as to when life begins or the limits of bodily autonomy. Health care professionals do, however, know how a fetus develops throughout a pregnancy.

Buys, who practices at Mission Hospital, says that at 20 weeks of pregnancy, “the basic structures of fetal anatomy are in place.” The baby has arms, legs, a heart, brain and lungs. However, those organs are undeveloped for functional usage. “At 20 weeks, a fetus cannot survive outside of the womb, no matter what the support would be,” she says.

Lung development is at a critical stage around 20 weeks, Buys says. “The fetus has lung tissue, but the lung tissue needs to develop in order to be able to ultimately breathe and have oxygen exchange.” The intri cacies of brain development also are occurring at this time, she explains.

The reasons for terminating a preg nancy in the second trimester are “unique” to each family, says Buys. She continues, “These are some of the hardest situations and conversations that we have to deal with.” She has

counseled families who have learned about fetal abnormalities during a second trimester.

“This is definitely more complicat ed than most people are aware,” says Buys. She also thinks second trimes ter abortions are “more common than people think.”

Terminating a pregnancy in the second trimester can be done several ways. Health care providers try to determine maternal risks like hemor rhage, infection or damage to the cer vix and uterus, Buys says, explaining “depending on the gestational age, we do have some clarity on what is safest for the mom.”

One surgical procedure is a dilation and curettage, also called a D&C. Another method for terminating a pregnancy in the second trimester is “a patient can decide to go through an experience that is like labor and deliver a fetus,” Buys explains. The procedure used to terminate the preg nancy will depend on safety, as well as the patient’s wishes, she says. “It is case by case — there are so many factors that go into that.”

North Carolina’s ban on abortions after 20 weeks makes an exception for urgent medical emergencies, the AP reports. But preventing a medi cal emergency is unpredictable, says Buys. “One thing about a medical emergency is that the definition is obvious when you’re in that emer gency,” she says. “But the goal [for doctors], really is to try to prevent being in an emergency.”

Planned Parenthood’s Asheville Health Center is Western North Carolina’s lone abortion provider, and it can terminate pregnancies up to 14 weeks. Abortions in the second trimester are typically done in Chapel Hill, says Buys.

HEARTACHE

Three months after her abortion, Ashley became pregnant again.

Today she is a mother to a 3-year-old and a 4-month-old — “the loves of my life,” she says. She feels gratitude for her children, but she’s dealing with the trauma of her first pregnancy. She started to see a therapist after the birth of her son.

Ashley says she and Chris have found “peace in our decision,” espe cially after they learned to frame ending the pregnancy as “an act of love” for their daughter. She says that abortion is so often framed in

society as commingled with shame; their decision is one they stand by.

She’s heard other people say that if they were pregnant and learned through genetic testing that a baby had health issues “‘We’d love the baby no matter what!’” Ashley says, “That always rubbed me the wrong way,” she tells Xpress. “Because we loved her too. We just showed our love in another way, and it was for her to not have to suffer.” X

Local comedians discuss bonds, bonding and festivals

BY MORGAN BOST

Dear reader, my sincerest apol ogies for the following chaotic line of questioning. Mercury along with five other planets are in retrograde, and I, like many others, am going through it. Am I being ironic? Who knows! (Not even myself at this point.)

Who am I, anyway? According to my editor, I still need to introduce myself despite being Xpress ’ Aug. 24 cover. (I hung framed copies in every room of my house, in hopes of finally earning the respect of my cats.) I’m a local comic, and each month I’ve been tasked with poking fun at all things Western North Carolina in an attempt to balance out Xpress’ regular dose of hard-hitting news.

Mercury retrograde aside, the changing of seasons always leaves me moody and nostalgic. But rather than wax poetic, I called up some of my funniest friends from Asheville’s music, improv and stand-up communities — Hannah Kaminer , Joe Carroll and Peter Smith-McDowell , respectively — to ask how they’re bringing in the fall. Below, we discuss local bonds, propose ways to avoid romantic partners during leaf season and brainstorm new concepts for fes tivals that are not currently being held in WNC.

Bost: This November, Buncombe County residents will vote on two bonds, totaling $70 million – $30 million toward farmland and open space conservation initiatives, as well as greenways, and $40 million to address affordable housing. These bonds are estimated to cost taxpay ers roughly $32 in additional proper ty taxes per year for 20 years. If both bonds were to pass, and if you could, how would you invest your individu al bond budget of $32 a year?

Hannah Kaminer: I’d make more of those painted signs that got posted around town during the pandemic. You know, the ones that said, “You’re doing great!” and “It’s all going to be

OK.” Those signs were legitimately encouraging to me, especially during the early days of COVID. But I’d use my $32 a year to make inspirational signs that are a little more realistic. Messages such as, “Someone is prob ably proud of you” and “Manifest your dreams — hope you have a trust fund.” Oh, and “Don’t worry — tour ists won’t find everything you love.”

Joe Carroll: I think investing more money into the concerns of the unhoused is a great place to start. Basic human needs should be met for all of the inhabitants of Asheville. Being poor is not a crime. That said, greenways are great! Whenever I bike fast on the French Broad connector, I barely even think about all of the encampments that it displaced. I like

to do wheelies over the cardboard signs on the ground that say things like “Dreaming of a cheeseburger” and “Anything helps.” It’s like a grown-up version of peekaboo, where if you can successfully get noodles downtown without noticing someone who is barely making it, you win! But in all seriousness, I would like to see more funding go to basic needs before Asheville gets any better at its apathy for the less fortunate.

Peter Smith-McDowell: Instead of taxes, what if we tried to raise the $70 million with the resources we have? I mean, we could sell all those crystals in the hope that they give us good money karma. Maybe bear rides for the children?

Bost: I’ll admit, I had a hard time answering this question despite the fact that I wrote it. (I told you, chaos.) On the daily, I trip outside and somehow manage to spend $32. So, I Googled, “What can you buy for under $30?” and it turns out, not much. I did find a Brita water filter pitcher on Amazon in that price range. With my annual bond budget, I would purchase exactly one water filter pitcher to be shared across Buncombe County. This will be critical once we’ve run out of clean water and most residents have been displaced.

Bost: Elections aside, let’s get personal. Fall is also known as “cuffing season,” a period where single folks settle down and find someone to cuddle throughout the long winter months. But what about those look ing to extend “single summer” into fall? After all, we were stuck inside for two years. That’s a lot of dating to catch up on! What’s the best way to create the worst Asheville date night and avoid the latest cuffing season?

Kaminer: Ah — advice for staying single. I recommend a good old-fash ioned pub crawl. There’s nothing more encouraging than witnessing all the bad decisions other people are making. And nothing is more motivating to stay single forever than spending an evening on the South Slope with other drunken people your age. After that, it’s easy to feel fine

with the idea of cats and knitting forever. Of course, if you happen to find someone you like — and you’re worried about getting attached — you can always bring them to my next show. You can ask Morgan about this; apparently, I write songs that are extremely effective at getting people out of relationships.

Carroll: I have never gone on a date with the intention of self-sabotage. Instead, that seems to happen to me almost as naturally as a wolf puppy howling for the first time. So, fol lowing my own experiences, I would simply recommend being yourself. Take your date to a dimly lit bar in the South Slope. Make your way past the service industry folks carving tally marks into the picnic tables. Find a seat next to someone in chef clothes who is staring out into the void like they are waiting for a bus. And then ask yourself vulnerable questions out loud. Let them know the real you in as few words as possible. Where do I like to go? “Abandoned buildings.” Who am I really? “Spontaneous. Edgy. Hilarious.” What is my favorite movie? “I love Gattaca. I can relate to Ethan Hawke’s character because I too was bullied as a child!” Be your self! Make some memories. Then call them an Uber.

Smith-McDowell: The best worst place to take your date in Asheville is the drum circle. Duh. It’s super cheap, great entertainment and having rhythm is optional — so no pressure about being on beat. But if you don’t do public dancing, just take a walk downtown and maybe consider a brewery. Here’s a little-known fact about Asheville — we like beer. But shhhhh! It’s a secret. Another secret: every broom closet in Asheville has a brewery in it. So you can’t miss one.

Bost: I love love! So most of my worst date night experiences have been the result of my own failed attempts at cuffing. However, I can think of few environments more toxic to relation ships than open mic comedy. Sit your soon-to-be ex-lover in the front row of any open mic comedy night and talk loudly throughout. The resulting heckling from unhinged stand-ups is sure to kick off the beginning of the end! If that doesn’t work, try taking your not-so-special someone to any local brewery for trivia night or live music. Set your “it’s not you, it’s me” conversation to the soundtrack of early ’90’s factoids or the smooth stylings of a Grateful Dead cover band.

Bost: In addition to loving love, I also love a good festival. Fortunately, WNC has plenty — from celebrating Bigfoot in Marion to white squir rels in Brevard; from Apples in Hendersonville to ... well, nearly any thing you can imagine in Asheville. But do these gatherings truly reflect the realities of our region? What would be a more accurate Asheville festival for fall 2022?

Kaminer: The most appropriate new festival for Asheville would be Rage & Apathy Fest 2023, where Ashevilleans of all stripes take to the stage to express absolute outrage in song, dance, poetry and visual arts. The outrage can be about anything — the weird person in front of you in line at Whole Foods; how hotels seem to be more important than people; police brutality; that jerk who took your spot at community yoga. The weekend will be a fun time that is open to all. The only requirement will be that abso lutely no action items or solutions are permitted. Anger is pretty much the same thing as goodness, y’all.

Carroll: First off, we run an ad in the paper that says, “Looking for a rockstar teammate in a growing indus try.” Then we put whoever took the bait on a busted Schwinn bicycle at the top of Biltmore Avenue. Attached to the rear of the bike are two tick ets to see Shania Twain. A few feet behind the bike is a shaking metal gate holding back hundreds of bridesto-be, their BFFs and their BFFFs. These eager festivalgoers have been waiting hours with only pitchers of blood orange White Claw to sustain them; meanwhile, upon their arriv al, they were handed a slip of paper that reads, “You have been awarded special privilege on behalf of the city of Asheville. The expectation to treat those around you with a minuscule amount of respect does not apply to you. Congratulations!” Finally, “Let’s

go, girls!” is heard over a loudspeaker followed by a bullhorn. The gates are opened. The Running of the Brides has begun. Much like the Spanish tradition, the public can run with the group but are encouraged to keep a safe distance.

Smith-McDowell: A festival? That much human contact might still be too scary for some. So, whatever the event, human-sized hamster bumper balls for all. We can poke holes in these devices so you can still get your chicken on the stick, though. Speaking of hamsters, we could do an Open Petting Zoo Festival. We have bears, our pigeons don’t really run when you chase them, and if you throw in a stray cat, we got ourselves a party.

Bost: The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority

Asheville an official sponsor of the U.S. Open. Since the city is apparently working hard to address our area’s most pressing issue — attracting even more tourists — I thought it might be fitting to have a Tourists’ Only Festival: a festival for tourists, run by tourists to see what it’s like to live in Asheville. The festival will operate on a token system, with tokens being allocated in accordance with local wages. Upon entry, festivalgoers will receive enough tokens for exactly one PBR and an Ingles sandwich. However, additional tokens can be earned through “side hustles,” immersive Asheville expe riences like driving a taxi or serving other festivalgoers food and drinks. No crying, though! Save that for the walkin cooler. In fact, tokens can be traded for Crying in the Walk-In Time along with souvenirs like healing crystals and Delta 8. X

Talk to me

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

For years, Asheville res ident Michael Capra thought a career in voice-over acting was wholly impossible.

Growing up in northern New Jersey in the 1980s, he quickly took an interest in the various audio work that he heard on TV and in commercials but noticed that one man seemed to get all the work: Donald Sutherland . To solve what was then life’s biggest mystery, the preteen Capra turned to the one person in his life who had all the answers: his mother.

“I asked her, ‘How do you get that job?’” Capra recalls. “She said, ‘I don’t know. Be Donald Sutherland, I guess.’”

In recent years, through a com bination of hard work, determi nation, natural talent, coaching — and, let the record show, zero cloning or Face/Off shenanigans — Capra has broken into the formerly Sutherland-monopolized field. It hasn’t been easy, but he and a growing number of local artists are finding success in an industry that’s become a near-ideal fit for the work-from-home era.

HEARD MENTALITY

Stephanie Morgan , who does voice-over work under the name Chloe Taylor , has become one of the local industry’s steadiest fig ures. But she got her start some what by accident.

Around 2007, Morgan — then the frontwoman of former local rock band stephaniesid — had just wrapped up a show when Jim Knuth , an engineer from local pro duction house ProComm Voices, approached her.

The engineer explained that the industry was shifting away from the more traditional announcer’s voice. “He said, ‘We need someone who sounds more like your friend talking to you,’” she remembers. “And he was like, ‘Have you ever heard of voice-over? And would you like to learn more about it?’”

Within days, Morgan arrived to ProComm’s professional-grade booth, was given training and had her demo recorded. Such seren dipity, she notes, “is absolutely unheard of. ... I didn’t realize that

WNC voice-over artists find success in a challenging industry

at the time, but it was the right time and right place.”

Soon thereafter, she began doing bit parts for various clients, noting that it took a while “to get fully revved up” and “build trust in all kinds of ways.” Now, it’s her full-time job and includes teach ing classes on voice-over, which is where Capra finally got his foot in the proverbial doorway.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

Though Morgan stresses prag matism in her courses, she keeps her ears alert for promising voices who could likewise find success in her field. In 2018, she was regularly sitting in with Capra — perhaps better known by his hip-hop artist moniker, Foul Mouth Jerk — and duetting with him in his band Evil Note Lab. The collaborations were a success and led to her recording with the band.

“She was like, ‘Man, you’ve got a good voice for voice-over. Have you ever thought about that?’” Capra says. “And I was like, ‘Have I ever ? Um, yeah. Ever since I was a little kid. Why are you asking?’ I didn’t know that that’s what she did professionally.”

The timing was fortuitous as Capra had been looking into voice-

over classes. Unlike other courses, Morgan offered helpful insights from her experiences on the busi ness side.

“You can be as good as you want at anything, but if you don’t know where to apply for jobs, [you won’t be successful],” Capra points out.

According to Morgan, there are many sources where voice-over artists can find work on pay-toplay sites, including voices.com and voice123.com. On each site, an annual fee grants access to audi tions, but a compelling profile and a demo of high technical quality are necessary to stand out.

Along with these resources, Morgan continues to work with ProComm as well as Fletcherbased production house SunSpots Productions. Meanwhile, her agents in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Colorado help land her additional jobs. And as her reputation in the industry has grown, she’s also cultivated pri vate clients who contract with her directly.

“When I work on the [pay-toplay] sites, I do all the stuff myself. I do the editing. I do the quoting. I totally handle the client on my own,” Morgan says. “And when I work with a production house or with an agent, they send me audi tions that are targeted to me, so

MIC CLUB: Asheville-based voice-over artist and instructor Stephanie Mor gan, left, has given her students, including Michael Capra, the tools to like wise be successful in the industry. Morgan photo by Joe Bruno; Capra photo courtesy of the artist

it’s not a huge pool of people. And they kind of nurture my career in the sense that they know what I’m good at.”

While she’s done her share of funny voices, Morgan notes that her passion for the environment and human connection has result ed in her primarily getting hired for what she calls “really empa thetic, connective narration.”

“It’s the best exercise in empathy I’ve ever gotten,” Morgan says. “I have to get inside the head [of the script writer] and be like, ‘What do they intend here?’ and deliver that unironically. I’ve got to fully get behind that or just say no to the audition if I don’t connect with what’s going on.”

BOOTH CARE

As he began auditioning and building a portfolio, Capra start ed getting macho, tough-guy work like a Dodge truck commercial and voicing a nonplayable character in a Grand Theft Auto -type video game. But he was missing one critical piece to produce the level of quality that his clients desired.

Though he’s been rapping for roughly 30 years, Capra didn’t get a home studio setup until he start ed doing voice-over work. Initially, Capra set up a makeshift booth of plywood and egg crates. But he quickly realized the approach would not suffice in blocking out traffic from the busy highway he lives near, as well as other sourc es of noise pollution he’d never noticed before.

“Once I needed it dead silent to record things, I realized I’m actually in the flight path and the holding pattern of the [Asheville Regional] Airport because you can hear them turning circles,” Capra says. “And apparently I live in the lawn-mowing district that’s run by a gang of nefarious streetwise dogs that always seem to know when I’m recording. And the birds [are noisy,] so eventually I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to really invest.’”

In the interim, his friend Marisa Blake let him record in her home studio booth. A fellow vocalist, Blake started doing voice-over and on-camera acting in Washington, D.C., when she was 13 but says she wasn’t prepared for all the rejec tion that comes with the industry. About 10 years ago, after relo cating to Asheville, she resumed acting and looked into voice-over again, thinking it would be a flex ible, part-time job that she could balance with screen work. But she quickly learned that to be success

ful in voice-over, “it can’t really be your side gig,” and that having the right home setup was an essen tial component.

“You’ll want a super quiet space — closets are great for this if you are just getting started — a micro phone and a preamp, recording software program of your choice and headphones,” Blake says. “And if you book work, you’ll want to be able to connect with clients in real time with Source-Connect, Zoom or a phone patch.”

Capra has since upgraded to a booth that he says “looks like a spaceship.” While he wasn’t count ing on it taking up a third of his bedroom — the only place in his home where he could put it — the mere sight of it brings him joy.

“It would be awkward and intru sive, but because it looks so futur istic and cool, you’re like, ‘Yeah, that’s just what the place needed — class up the joint!’” he says.

DREAM FACTORY

Payment for voice-over work varies based on usage, and the rate card set by the Global Voice Acting Academy can prove essen tial in securing a fair amount. Compensation ranges from less than $100 for a “pickup” (i.e., rere cording part of a project) to $50,000 plus for a “mnemonic” gig, such as the “Got milk?” national campaign that’s used in perpetuity.

It took Blake five years to earn a living from voice-over, but she now counts a wide range of clients, including regular promo work for Cartoon Network and voicing an exhibit in the Smithsonian National

Museum of Natural History. Being bilingual has further expanded her offers and has led to narrating over 50 audiobooks, many of them by Latin authors, which she calls “a huge honor.”

“You really have to hustle to make it happen,” she says. “Once

you have clients who know you and trust you, it gets easier. But it does take time and you are still an entrepreneur, so some months are going to be better than oth ers, regardless of how successful you are.”

Like Morgan and Blake, Capra has slowly begun getting work that aligns with his core values. Earlier this year, he played the role of “Incarcerated Individual” in a PSA for the NFL Players Coalition’s Rikers Island project, which calls for the long-planned closure of the notoriously mismanaged New York City prison. As someone who’s had friends spend time in Rikers and has ex-convict friends in Asheville, the role had special significance for Capra, who was particularly motivated to sound genuine while reading the words written by an actual Rikers inmate. For now, such work remains part time, but he’s working toward making it his primary occupation.

“It’s great work, if you can get it,” Capra says. “Even the most irritating, difficult voice-over job is better than showing up to your job.” X

DOUBLE AGENT: Local voice-over artists Marisa Blake has used her English and Spanish language skills to book steady work. Photo by Jeff Haffner

Pub ales and fresh produce

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

Despite still being dry, Old Fort is suddenly a two-brewery town.

Hillman Beer became the McDowell County town’s pioneer brewing estab lishment in 2020, following the passage of N.C. Senate Bill 290, which permits beer, wine and cider to be served on the premises where they are made, “regardless of the results of any local malt beverage election.” Two years later, Whaley Farm Brewery has dou bled the town’s local beer options.

The husband-and-wife team, Jessica and Chris Whaley, began pouring Chris’ brews from a 7-barrel system in late July, nearly three years after purchasing the property at 178 Catawba Ave. The “Farm” compo nent of the business’s name refers to Jessica’s agriculture operation in Black Mountain, which specializes in salad mixes in addition to other crops grown throughout the year. Her produce can be purchased at the brewery and is gradually making its way into the beer.

“We started talking about building a farm brewery about 10 years ago and having a small radius of sourcing ingredients,” Chris says.

Though both are originally from the Midwest, the pair met in South Florida, where Chris taught homebrewing classes at Funky Buddha Brewery. Following a brief stint in Vermont, the Whaleys relocated to Asheville. And after completing South College’s brew ing program in 2015, Chris continued working on his craft at a number of local establishments, including Thirty

Monk Brewery, Appalachian Vintner and Zebulon Artisan Ales.

Though the Whaleys live in East Asheville, they plan to eventually move to Old Fort, which has long held spe cial significance for them. The couple got engaged at nearby Catawba Falls shortly after moving to Asheville in 2014 and, while they enjoy the vibrancy of Asheville, prefer a more leisurely pace of life.

“We’ve always had a passion for small towns — both our families are from small towns,” Chris says. “And we really wanted a pub experience where the community could get together and have good conversations.”

Such neighborhood gatherings will be fueled by a variety of brews — tra ditional styles, lagers, farmhouse ales and classic English pub ales — nearly everything except IPAs.

“I love classic styles and followed that path through the cicerone pro gram and doing all those certifications,” Chris says.

Best Bitter Ale is the brewery’s first bottled beer. More recently, Chris introduced the 1910 London Porter on tap. The recipe comes courtesy of Amsterdam-based beer histori an Ron Pattinson, whom Chris met through Mike Karnowski, co-owner of Zebulon Artisan Ales. The new porter and other creations are poured via the brewery’s two beer engines, and the cask-conditioned ales have earned the approval of customers with a palate for authenticity.

“There are three British expats who’ve been coming in every weekend from Marion,” Chris says. “The biggest compliment ever has been them saying, ‘Oh, this takes me back to being a kid.’”

For more information, visit avl.mx/c0p.

APPLES TO APPLES

After a two-year, pandemic-induced hiatus, CiderFest NC returns Saturday, Oct. 8, at a new host site. A fundraiser

for Asheville-based sustainability non profit Green Built Alliance, the gather ing will take place at Olivette Riverside Community & Farm, a 346-acre planned community and historic farm located alongside the French Broad River. The event’s host is a longtime member of Green Built Alliance with homes that have been certified through its Green Built Homes program.

“Olivette is the region’s first ‘agri hood,’ built around a four-season organic farm and designed to connect people with nature, community and their food,” says Cari Barcas, associate director of Green Built Alliance. “The fact that Olivette is not only a stun ning riverside event venue but also a residential community committed to sustainable living with deep ties to our nonprofit makes them the perfect fit for CiderFest NC.”

As has been the case since the event’s 2013 launch, attendees will be able to sample ciders and mead from over 20 producers, most of them local (e.g., Black Mountain Ciderworks and Urban Orchard Cider Co.) or from across the state, including Durham-based Bull City Ciderworks. And for the first time, Green Build Alliance is partnering with the N.C. Cider Association, which Barcas notes sets CiderFest NC up for a strong future.

“They are a statewide association of award-winning cidermakers, and their leadership team has helped us tap into relationships within the craft beverage scene that would have been difficult to cultivate otherwise,” she says. “We want to bring together makers and art ists who are committed to supporting our beautiful community in sustainable ways, and we are proud to have so many talented people coming together to create this festival.”

Barcas adds that she and her col leagues have missed having the oppor tunity to gather with cidermakers in person and celebrate the robust state and regional industry. Delighted to be back, she’s also thankful for the oppor tunity the event provides to amplify Green Built Alliance’s mission and community efforts, such as providing no-cost energy-efficiency upgrades and solar system installations on the homes of local low-income families as well as schools and nonprofits.

“Our work focuses on advancing sustainable living, green building and climate justice in hopes of cultivating a community where everyone has equi table access to healthy homes and a thriving natural world, and CiderFest helps us further that mission,” she says.

For more information, visit avl.mx/c0q. X

LOVE AND MARRIAGE ... AND BEER: Chris Whaley, left, and Jessica Whaley are the owner/operators of Whaley Farm Brewery in Old Fort. Photo by Angeli Wright

Whether you’re a vegan, a parttime vegan or someone curious about the lifestyle, the seventh annual Asheville VeganFest invites everyone to open their minds (and mouths) to the virtues of a plantbased diet. The latest gathering con venes at Pack Square Park, Sunday, Oct. 2, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

“The goal of Veganfest is to help educate the community on the bene fits of a plant-based diet while enjoy ing a fun, family-friendly festival,” says Helene Greenberg, lead orga nizer. “We want everyone to come out and support our vendors; I want people to smile.”

Ten food trucks, serving all man ner of vegan cuisine from Greek and Latin to traditional sandwiches and burgers, will be present during the gathering. “The food at this festival is always off the charts,” says Greenberg.

Additionally, over 100 mer chant booths will be selling vegan, eco-friendly cheeses and desserts, clothes and jewelry, and arts and crafts. “We always strive to have a variety of vendors that will appeal to everyone,” Greenberg continues.

Face painting, a live magician and life-size board games found in the festival’s Kids Fun Zone will keep children entertained while parents peruse all that is purveyed. Educational and motivational speak ers will speak on a number of topics extolling the nutritional and ecologi cal benefits of a vegan diet, and eight musical guests are lined up to supply live music over the course of the day.

Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge serves as the presenting sponsor of the festival, and Asheville VeganFest will commit a portion of all dona tions gathered throughout the event to assist the 120 animals in its care.

Asheville VeganFest is at 121 College St. The event is free to attend, though a $10 donation is suggested. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $25 per person. Visit avl.mx/ah0 for additional information.

Prepare to Prost!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for those who love festbier!

DSSOLVR will debut its inau gural Shrektoberfest (that’s right — a Shrek-themed Oktoberfest cel ebration) on Friday, Sept. 30, 3-8 p.m. Along with the special festbier release and green slushies to mark the occasion, the event will also fea ture classic Oktoberfest food, games, arts and crafts, and costume contests all blended with the Shrek theme.

DSSOLVR is at 63 N. Lexington Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/c0v.

On Saturday, Oct. 1, both The Whale and Eurikso Beer Co. will fea ture more traditional Oktoberfests. At The Whale from 4-6 p.m., you can expect themed competitions (pretzel toss, costume contest, stein run and stein hoist) and a bevy of classic fest beers on tap, such as Ayinger, Paulaner, Hofbräu and an exclusive Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest available all day from noon-11 p.m.

The Whale is at 507 Haywood Road, Suite 10. For more information, visit avl.mx/c0x.

Eurisko’s Oktoberfest party runs all day from noon-10 p.m. and will feature a loaded tap list of classic German beers, foods, new merchan dise and the can release of the brew ery’s own festbier.

Eurisko Beer Co. is at 255 Short Coxe Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/c0y.

A toast to local wildlife

Party down to raise awareness for area wilderness at the second annual Bears Bees + Brews Festival, happening Saturday, Oct. 1, noon-5 p.m., at Rabbit Rabbit.

This free, family-friendly event will feature over 15 local wildlife and conservation organizations engaged

in on-site demonstrations and activi ties. Voting for the top three finalists in a youth art contest will take place as well, with a winner announced that day; all three works are inspired by wildlife and wilderness. Meanwhile, adults can join a com petition of their own in a raffle for a two-night stay at the Renaissance Asheville Downtown Hotel.

Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.’s full food and drink menu will be available throughout the event. Asheville Tacos & Taps food truck, Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, Vortex Doughnuts and Kafe Neo Espresso Bar will also provide food and bever age options throughout the event.

“I would love our guests to leave with a sense of pride for our incred ible mountain region,” says Roni Hidalgo , the festival’s founder. “I would hope that they become inspired to do more to help protect, preserve and coexist with our local wildlife and wilderness and that they continue to talk about what they learn at the festival with others.”

Rabbit Rabbit is at 75 Coxe Ave. Learn more at avl.mx/c0z.

BBQ Benefit

Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ and Mikasa AVL are hosting a collab orative benefit dinner Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. Funds raised from the $75 ticket cost will directly sup port at-risk high-school-age students through PIVOTPoint WNC’s thera peutic adventure programming.

The evening’s dinner will include smoked squash and leek soup, mixed greens salad with Green Man brown

ale reduction dressing, Peruvian shrimp and grits, tri-tip with chi michurri and smoked cobbler made with ice cream from The Hop.

“I hope that guests learn the power of therapeutic adventure and how it can be such a positive influ ence in people’s lives,” says Cheryl Antoncic, Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ co-owner. “It is life-changing for individuals and their loved ones when they are able to access the right kind of recovery programs and make connections to people who can help them along the way.”

The event takes place at Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, 135 Coxe Ave. Visit avl.mx/c0a for tickets and information.

A taste of the vineyard

Point Lookout Vineyards will hold a benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Henderson County on Thursday, Oct. 6, 6-9 p.m. Tickets to A Taste of the Vineyard will cost $75 each and include food from Amanda’s Catering and a complimentary glass of wine from Point Lookout.

The Bryson City bluegrass band Granny’s Mason Jar will perform that evening, and a silent auction will be held featuring getaway vaca tions, art services and other prizes.

“The money raised enables us to ‘ignite potential’ in the 85 young peo ple we serve,” says Erin Erickson, program coordinator of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Henderson County, in a news release.

Point Lookout Vineyards is at 408 Appleola Road, Hendersonville. Visit avl.mx/c09 for tickets and information.

PLANT POWER: Attendees of last year’s VeganFest enjoy a day filled with plant-based food, fun and education. Photo by Michael Gibbons

Edible education

Marcie Cohen Ferris, editor of Edible North Carolina: A Journey

Across a State of Flavor, will host a speaking engagement discussing the book’s culinary topics Friday, Sept. 30, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Plott Hound Books. The bookstore’s owner, Ronni Lundy, contribut ed the essay “Crafting Asheville’s Foodtopia: Two Decades in the Mountain South” to Ferris’ book.

This free event will provide per spective on North Carolina’s food culture as well as “how to easily, and deliciously, help rebuild and strengthen vibrant working food landscapes in your community,” says Ferris. “By doing so, you are choosing both healthy and flavor ful foods that also help to sustain the environment, diminish climate change and ensure food justice, access and food sovereignty for all North Carolinians.”

Plott Hound Books is at 102 W. Main St., Burnsville. Visit avl.mx/c0l for additional information.

Fall at the farm

Ready for some autumnal fun? Hickory Nut Gap has announced the launch of its 2022 fall festivities schedule featuring a variety of sea sonal, family-friendly activities tak ing place each weekend in October.

Pony rides, hayrides, apple picking and a pumpkin patch are available with free admission at the company farm. Donations for the pony rides are suggested, with proceeds benefiting Project HNG, the farm’s nonprofit organization focused on community enrichment throughout WNC.

Fresh-pressed cider and all of Hickory Nut Gap’s in-store offer ings will also be available during the festivities.

Hickory Nut Gap is at 57 Sugar Hollow Road, Fairview. Visit avl.mx/c0r for additional information.

Ginger’s Revenge South Slope debut

The recently opened second loca tion of Ginger’s Revenge on South Slope is holding two special events to celebrate the expansion.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place Wednesday, Sept. 28, 4-6 p.m., in partnership with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Each guest will receive

a special thank-you treat at the door, prize drawings will be available, and Darë Vegan Cheese will pro vide spreads.

The official grand opening party will be held Saturday, Oct. 1, 2-9 p.m. The first 50 attendees will receive a free koozie. Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn will hand out celebratory gifts on-site, and live jazz will be played by Connor Law and Dan Keller from 4-6 p.m.

Ginger’s Revenge South Slope Lounge is at 32 Banks Ave. Visit avl.mx/c0u for addition al information.

Spice up your seafood

The Lobster Trap’s execu tive chef, Mike McCarty, and Firewalker Hot Sauce Co. owner Franco Donohue have collaborated to create a new seafood-friendly hot sauce for the downtown restaurant.

Made with cayenne and red bell peppers, garlic and black pepper, this new specialty hot sauce is for mulated to brighten and intensify the flavors of menu items like po’boys, lobster mac and cheese and crab cakes, without overpowering the natural flavors. The sauce is low-so dium, vegan and gluten-free and made with only natural ingredients.

“The Lobster Trap has been using our Firewalker Original Hot Sauce for years, and Chef Mike and I go way back,” says Donohue. “Mike had the idea that we do a collabora tion for a new house hot sauce, and we came together with a flavor con cept in mind and even co-designed the label together.”

The Lobster Trap is at 35 Patton Ave. Visit avl.mx/c0t for addition al information.

Buncombe County wins big at state fair

A pair of Buncombe County res idents recently placed first in cook ing competitions at the 2022 N.C. Mountain State Fair.

Susie Zuerner, competing in the N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council’s Classic Comfort Food competition, wowed judges with Denver ragu. Liam Robertson’s blueberry tart coffee cake placed first in the N.C. Egg Association’s Coffee Cake reci pe contest.

All first-, second- and third-place winners in each competition call Buncombe County home.

Around Town

It’s been three years since orga nizers of the Music Video Asheville Awards rolled out the red carpet, and they are more than ready to return to action with this year’s festivities at Salvage Station.

The annual event showcasing collaborations between filmmakers and musicians was last held with an in-person audience in 2019 before going virtual in 2020.

“We made do and were happy with the way it turned out, but we are so excited to be back in person,” says Josh Blake, founder of IamAvl, which produces the event. “There is something so special and fun about watching a bunch of music videos with friends in a large room and cheering each other on.”

The 14th annual Music Video Asheville Awards will be held Wednesday, Oct. 5. Things get underway at 5 p.m. as guests walk the red carpet and get their pho tos taken by paparazzi. The show and awards ceremony will follow from 7-10 p.m., with local comedi an Hilliary Begley hosting.

Out of about 90 videos submitted, about 30 will be shown on the big screen at Salvage Stage. Once the crowd votes for its favorite videos, the awards ceremony will begin with winners announced in such cate gories as best costume design, best direction, best cinematography and best soundtrack.

The winner of the Judges Choice Award will receive $500, and the Crowd Favorite will earn a day at Echo Mountain Recording.

Music Video Asheville was started in 2008 by Jenny Fares, Margaret Lauzon and others as a way to showcase the work of local musi cians, filmmakers, photographers and designers.

“Music Video Asheville has been around since before the current influx of residents and visitors, so it holds a special place in our city as a staple event that has been showcas ing local talent well before Asheville became so popular,” Blake says. “It helps put a well-deserved spotlight on our city’s creative culture and gives people a chance to put down their craft for a night of networking and celebration.”

Salvage Station is at 468 Riverside Drive. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 on the day of the event. For more information or to purchase tick ets, go to avl.mx/c11.

Gimme some truth

About five years ago, retired attor ney Jay Bergen went out to the garage of his Saluda home to take a look at six boxes full of legal docu ments from his most famous case. In the 1970s, Bergen represented leg endary former Beatle John Lennon in a dispute with music industry titan Morris Levy.

Included in the files, which Bergen had lugged around through several moves, were thousands of pages of trial transcripts and exhibits such as LPs by The Beatles and Lennon.

“I was trying to think of what I was going do with these things,” Bergen

says. “Should I donate them to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? And I started reading John’s testimony. The trial and us working together suddenly came rushing back to me. I thought to myself, ‘There’s a story here, and I’ve got to tell this story.’”

The result is Lennon, the Mobster & the Lawyer: The Untold Story , recently published by DeVault Graves Books.

Bergen will sign copies of the book at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville on Saturday, Oct. 1, 1-3 p.m. And on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 7-8:30 p.m., he will discuss the book with music journalist and Xpress contributor Bill Kopp as part of

the Music to Your Ears series at Asheville Guitar Bar.

The 1976 trial pitting Lennon against Levy was the culmination of a series of events that started when Lennon wrote “Come Together” in 1969. Levy, who owned the rights to Chuck Berry’s music publishing, sued Lennon, saying he had plagia rized Berry’s 1956 song “You Can’t Catch Me.” To settle, Lennon agreed to record at least three songs from Levy’s catalog on an album that ultimately was released as Rock ’n’ Roll in 1975.

But before that album came out, Levy marketed a television mail-order version of its rough mix called Roots: John Lennon Sings

DRESSED TO THE NINES: The 14th annual Music Video Asheville Awards will begin as attendees walk the red carpet Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Salvage Station. Photo by Leigha Rochelle Beck

the Rock ’n’ Roll Hits. A series of lawsuits and countersuits resulted, pitting Levy against Lennon and Capitol Records/EMI. Bergen, who was a New York trial attorney, rep resented Lennon in the litigation after meeting him and Yoko Ono in February 1975.

Others have tried to untangle the complicated story, Bergen says, but none of them knew all the details.

“And I knew that I could get it right,” he explains. “And I knew that I could humanize John because we got along very well. It was time to tell a story about a different John Lennon. Not the rock icon, but just John Lennon the person.”

Blue Ridge Books is at 428 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville. Asheville Guitar Bar is at 122 Riverside Drive, Suite D. For more information about the book, go to avl.mx/c10.

Color commentary

At the beginning of October each year, as the leaves start changing colors, the tiny Jackson County town of Dillsboro welcomes thousands of visitors to ColorFest, its fine arts and crafts fair.

“At first, it was just art, then it grew to be other artisans: chair can ing, baskets, soap making, storytell ing, books,” says Brenda Anders, co-director of the fair.

The 14th annual ColorFest will be Saturday, Oct. 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., along Front Street in Dillsboro. The event will feature over 40 ven dors, fine artists and craftspeople, many of whom will demonstrate their work and compete for priz es handed out by the Dillsboro Merchants Association.

Among those on hand will be pot ter Cory Plott, chair caner David Ammons , photographer Jason Rizzo and jewelry and wind chime maker Jennifer Strall.

The fair also will feature perfor mances by the J. Creek Cloggers at 11 a.m., acoustic duo Twelfth Fret at noon, and singer Suzie Copeland at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

For more information, go to avl.mx/bfu.

Sunny days ahead

Tyger Tyger Gallery will pres ent The Sun Touches Everything, an exhibition curated by artist Danielle Winger and featuring more than 60 works from 15 different national and international artists. Following an opening reception Thursday, Sept.

30, 5-8 p.m., the exhibition will be run through Wednesday, Nov. 30.

The show will include work from emerging to midcareer artists rep resenting a range of styles bridging abstraction and representation.

“In David Utiger’s paintings, the sun works with quiet determination to give light to untouched and wild parts of Appalachia,” Winger says in a press release. “Krista DedrickLai ’s neon palette both reveals and obscures the path forward as a mother cradles her child, illumi nated from within as she wades through a swirling vortex of painter ly darkness. While deceptively sim ple, what ties these and other works together is a collective approach that is frontally and unapologetical ly delightful.”

Tyger Tyger Gallery is at 191 Lyman St., No. 144. The gallery is open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m-6 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, go to avl.mx/bvi.

Ghost stories

Ready to be scared?

Head out to Hendersonville’s Haunted Farm, which gets under way at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at 642 Townsend Road. The attraction will be open each subsequent Friday and Saturday in October and on Halloween, Monday, Oct. 31.

“The Haunted Farm sits on a mysterious, blood-soaked stretch of land where the locals claim an ageold blood feud between the Lively and Tate families has devastated the local farming community,” organiz ers says in a press release. Sounds pretty scary to us.

Tickets for the Haunted Farm run from $35-$60. For more information or to buy tickets, go to avl.mx/c12.

Ukrainian music

Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha will perform at UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Hall at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23.

The group merges cabaret, jazz, rock and hip-hop with Ukrainian folk styles accompanied by tradi tional instruments from Russia, Australia, India and more. The band has performed in concerts and inter national festivals worldwide, includ ing the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

DakhaBrakha, which translates to “give and take” in Ukrainian, was formed at an experimental theater in Kyiv, Ukraine. The group’s shows are often punctuated with political

messages, which have grown more impassioned during the current U.S. tour, which kicked off just weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Lipinsky Hall is at 300 Library Lane on the UNCA campus. Admission is free to UNC Asheville students, faculty and staff on a first come, first served basis. A limited number of general admission tickets will be available to community members for $15. To buy tickets, go to avl.mx/prwy.

Future of craft

In October 2021, the Center for Craft brought together a group of multidisciplinary thought leaders for the Craft Think Tank. The three-day visioning process examined ques tions of craft’s relevance and future impact, not only for artists but for a range of disciplines and professions.

The discussions that emerged from those discussions will shape the center’s goals, from developing large projects to framing strate gic thinking.

Results of that process have been compiled into a 48-page report that is available at avl.mx/c13.

— Justin McGuire X

MOVIE REVIEWS

Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include:

MOONAGE DAYDREAM: Director Brett Morgen’s spellbinding David Bowie documentary makes a strong case for the musician as one of our greatest artists, and the filmmaker as one of our top documentarians. Grade: A-minus — Edwin Arnaudin

BARBARIAN: All horror fans should make haste to see writer/ director Zach Cregger’s jarring new film — and head to the theater knowing as little as possible about the plot. You won’t be disappointed. Grade: B-plus — Edwin Arnaudin

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY

Beauty Parlor Comedy: Andy Gold, 7pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Jay Brown (roots), 6pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE Survey Says: Family Feud Style Trivia, 7pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS

RIVER

Trivia Night, 6pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE

Open Mic hosted by Kathryn O'Shea, 7pm

CATAWBA BREWING BILTMORE Singo (musical bingo), 7pm

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE

Trivia w/Billy, 7pm

FINCH GOURMET MARKET

Altamont Jazz Project, 5pm

HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Wednes days w/Matt Smith, 6pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

Twisted Pine (acoustic, Americana, bluegrass), 7:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Wild Wednesdays, 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Sunday Jazz Jam Brunch, 1pm

• Latin Night Wednes days w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm

RENDEZVOUS Albi (musique Fran caise), 6pm

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

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY

Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Pyrex and Dead Legggs (punk), 8pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

THE FOUNDRY HOTEL Andrew Finn Magill (acoustic), 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE glaive (pop), 8pm

THE ODD Swansgate, Snakesnake whale, Shutterings, Rhinestone Pickup Truck (punk, indie, math rock, lo-fi), 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

The Band Camino (alt/ indie), 8pm

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

THE SOCIAL Wednesday Night Karaoke w/LYRIC, 9pm

TOWN PUMP Buffalo Kings (blues country, soul, rock), 6pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Traditional Irish Music Session, 7pm

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

BLUE RIDGE HEMP CO.

Gluten Free Comedy: Andy Gold, 8pm

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

CAFE CANNA SpanGLISH Karaoke Patio Party, 9pm

CASCADE LOUNGE Trivia Night w/Nick, 7pm

CATAWBA BREWING BILTMORE

Thursday Trivia w/Billy, 6:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S Hi Helens, Manarovs, Minorcan (indie, punk), 8pm

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER PARK

Regenerative Life Design Playbook Launch Party, 5:30pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

Mr Jimmy (blues), 10pm GREEN MAN BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Shane Meade (folk rock), 6pm

HOMEPLACE BEER CO.

Laura Blackley & The Wild Flowers (Appalachian blues & soul), 6:30pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

• Asheville Sessions ft The Jazzebelles & the Crooner (jazz), 7pm

• Jackie Bristow and Rick Price (Americana), 8:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING Kewl Dewey Kudzu (acoustic pop/soul/alt), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Jason Merritt (folk, Irish folk, covers), 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Phirsty Phursdays w/ Lumpy Heads (Phish tribute), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Thursday Residency w/ Ben Balmer (rootsy con temporary Americana), 7pm

PISGAH BREWING CO. Melissa McKinney (blues, rock, soul), 6:30pm

SILVERADOS Line Dance Thursdays w/DJ Razor, 9pm

THE FOUNDRY HOTEL The Foundry Collective ft Pimps of Pompe (jazz, acoustic), 7pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER

BAR Rum Punchlines Come dy Open Mic, 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Darby Wilcox (sing er-songwriter), 5pm

• Drivin N Cryin (folk rock), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Fontaines D.C. w/ Wunderhorse, 8pm

THE ROOT BAR Knotty G's (jam, rock, soul), 6pm

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

185 KING STREET Brother Fat (funk, rock), 3pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB Classical Cello w/ Patrick, 6pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

ENiGMA Dubz w/Chief Kaya, King Shotta & Konvoy b2b Nambala (edm), 9pm

BLOOM WNC FLOWER FARM Cast Iron Bluegrass, 6pm

BREWSKIES Karaoke, 10pm

CEDAR MOUNTAIN CANTEEN Jazz w/Jason DeCristo faro, 2pm

CORK & KEG Fancy & the Femmes (country roots), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Shun, Black Lung, Doomsday Profit & Burned (doom metal), 5pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. The Moves (rock), 7pm HOMEPLACE BEER CO.

SIRSY (indie pop/rock), 6:30pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

• This Joint is Jumpin’! A Celebration of Fats Waller with Charlotte Sommers & Bob Strain, 7pm

• Sylvia Rose Novak (rock), 8:30pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Tina Collins (indie folk), 6:30pm

MEADOWLARK MOTEL Friday Night Karaoke, 7pm

MILLS RIVER

BREWING Shelby Rae Moore Band (blues, soul, Americana), 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Ross Osteen (blues, rock), 8pm Sept. 30,

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Free Dead Friday w/ Generous Electric and Gus & Phriends, 6:15pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING

5j Barrow (folk rock), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• L.I.T. (punk, alt rock), 6pm

• In Flight (world, jazz, funk), 9pm

RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY

BEER CO.

Billy Litz (roots, blues, ragtime), 6pm

SALVAGE STATION

The Infamous Stringdusters w/Sierra Hull (bluegrass, folk, Americana), 7pm

SILVERADOS

David Cook (sing er-songwriter), 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Lo Wolf and Sarah Tucker (acoustic), 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Shell of a Shell, Corey Parlamento, and Dish (emo, punk), 8pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR

Getaway Comedy: Bill Squire, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• William Metheny (singer-songwriter), 6pm

• Vista Kicks (rock), 8pm

THE ODD

Perversions: September Edition, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Flamingosis & Block head (edm), 8:30pm

THE OUTPOST

The Explorers Club (alt/ indie), 7pm

THE ROOT BAR

High Blue Heron (Americana, blues, rock), 9pm

THE SOCIAL Ricky Gunter Band (country), 9pm

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1

185 KING STREET

The Harrows (blues, gospel), 8pm

305 LOUNGE & EATERY

Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 3pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Beauty Parlor Comedy: Jim Tews, 7pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Cycles (psych rock fusion), 10pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

Dinah's Daydream (Gypsy jazz), 5:30pm

BENT CREEK BISTRO

Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 12pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING

Stephen Evans (folk rock), 6pm

CORK & KEG

Zydeco Ya Ya, 8pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Dylan LeBlanc (sing er-songwriter), 6:30pm

GINGER’S REVENGE SOUTH SLOPE

Grand Opening Party w/Connor Law & Dan Keller (jazz), 4pm, see p31

HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB

Latin Grooves w/DJ Mtn Vibes, 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Melissa McKinney (blues, rock, soul), 6pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Asheville 8 String Collective (jazz, funk, blues), 7pm

HOMEPLACE BEER CO.

Jeb Rogers Band (funk, soul, bluegrass), 6:30pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

• Sidney Barnes and Richard Shulman: Autumn Leaves (jazz), 7pm

• Bitch w/Katie Cash (pop, folk), 8:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE 5j Barrow (folk rock), 5pm

MEADOWLARK MOTEL

BBQ & Live Music w/Mike Ogletree (acoustic), 6pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING

• ALR Trio (rock, blues), 2pm

• The Get Right Band (psychdelic indie rock), 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Hustle Souls (soul), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Houseplant (rock, jam band), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• The Stolen Faces (Grateful Dead), 6pm

• Looking Glass Block Party After Party w/ Freeway Jubilee (rock, funk, soul), 9pm

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY

Bryan Elijah Smith (singer songwriter), 6pm

SILVERADOS

Pinkish Floyd w/ Contagious (Pink Floyd experience), 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA GruntWerk (multi-instru mental beats), 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Kal Marks, Trash Police, and Nerve Endings (indie rock), 8pm

STORY PARLOR

Thomas Kozak & The Poets w/Night Walks (singer-songwriter), 7:30pm

SUNNY POINT CAFÉ Albi (fingerstyle guitar), 6pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING SIRSY (indie pop/rock), 5pm

THE GREY EAGLE Scott Miller (sing er-songwriter), 9pm

URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE

Breakin' on Buxton (80s dance party), 8pm

VINTAGE KAVA Larsen Gardens (folk), 9pm

WAGBAR

Emily Musolino (blues, rock, soul), 6pm

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Sunday Honky Tonk w/ Vaden Landers, 6pm

BENT CREEK BISTRO

Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 12pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

The JackTown Ramblers (bluegrass, swing, jazz), 2pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Mr Jimmy Duo (blues), 1pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Missy Raines & Allegheny (Americana, bluegrass), 7:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch, 12pm

• Traditional Irish Jam, 4pm

MILLS RIVER

BREWING Circus Mutt (country punk), 2pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Bill Loftus (blues), 4pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

• Sunday Jazz Jam Brunch, 1pm

• Industrial Coffee Pot: UNCA Jazz Group, 6pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Phuncle Sam (Grateful Dead tribute), 6:30pm

SILVERADOS

• Skies of Avalon (progressive rock, classic rock), 3pm

• Karaoke Sunday Nights w/Lyric, 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Tall Juan (alt rock), 8pm

THE BURGER BAR Sunday Sinema, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE Gangstagrass, 8pm

THE ODD Quinn Cicala (indie Americana), Leah Lawson (folk), Charlie and Margot (indie rock), Little Champion (bedroom punk), 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Trevor Wallace (come dy), 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Sheila Kay Adams & Her Nest of Singing Birds (Appalachian songs & stories), 7:30pm

ZILLICOAH BEER CO. Sunday Bluegrass Jam Series, 4:30pm

PLĒB URBAN WINERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3

305 LOUNGE & EATERY

Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 5pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 7pm

CASCADE LOUNGE Industry Night, 6pm

DSSOLVR

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

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 Mike Bagetta (jazz), 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

It Takes All Kinds Open Mic: Velvet Under ground Night, 7pm

SILVERADOS Bluegrass Jam Mondays w/Sam Wharton, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE Melt (pop, soul, jam), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy at and Friends (blues), 7pm

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4

185 KING STREET

Jon Stickley and Drew Matulich (bluegrass, Americana), 6:30pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

The John Henrys (jazz, swing), 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10pm

CASCADE LOUNGE Tuesday Bluegrass Jam, 6pm

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

ALT ASO (Asheville Symphony Orchestra), 7pm

LITTLE JUMBO Jay Sanders, Zack Page & Michael W. Davis (jazz), 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Early Tuesday Jam (funk), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (JGB, Dead tribute, rock, jam), 6pm

SALVAGE STATION B.o.B. (alt hip-hop, dirty south, pop rock), 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Open Jam hosted by Chris Cooper & Friends, 7pm

THE BURGER BAR C U Next Tuesday! Late Night Trivia w/Cervix-ALot, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE Ramblin' Jack Elliott (folk), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Remi Wolf (funk, soul, indie), 8pm

THE SOCIAL Travers Freeway Open Jam Tuesdays, 7pm

TURGUA BREWING CO.

Tuesday Jam Sessions: Bluegrass, 5:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Open Mic Night, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY

Beauty Parlor Comedy: Jono Zalay, 7pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Trivia Night, 6pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE

Open Mic hosted by Kathryn O'Shea, 7pm

CATAWBA BREWING BILTMORE Singo (musical bingo), 7pm

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Trivia w/Billy, 7pm

FINCH GOURMET MARKET Altamont Jazz Project, 5pm

HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Wednes days w/Matt Smith, 6pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

• Trae Sheehan (Ameri cana, roots), 7pm

• Mourning [A] BLKstar (progressive soul), 8:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Wild Wednesdays, 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Sunday Jazz Jam Brunch, 1pm

• Latin Night Wednes days w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm

RENDEZVOUS Albi (musique Fran caise), 6pm

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

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY

Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

THE FOUNDRY HOTEL

Andrew Finn Magill (acoustic), 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE Steve Kimock & Friends, 8pm

THE ODD

RUGG, Seismic Sutra, Powder Horns, Socialist Anxiety (alt/indie), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Sunny Day Real Estate (emo), 8pm

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

THE SOCIAL Wednesday Night Karaoke w/LYRIC, 9pm

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6

185 KING STREET Congdon & Co. ft Hope Griffin (covers), 7pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

• MGB (covers, sing er-songwriter), 7:30pm

• Blue Ridge Jazzway w/Reggie Headen & Sara Stranovsky, 8pm

CAFE CANNA SpanGLISH Karaoke Patio Party, 9pm

CASCADE LOUNGE Trivia Night w/Nick, 7pm

CATAWBA BREWING BILTMORE

Thursday Trivia w/Billy, 6:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S Gentlemen's Crow, Tongues of Fire & Pic tures of Vernon (stoner rock, grunge), 8pm

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

Mr Jimmy (blues), 10pm GREEN MAN BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Highland Reverie (Americana, folk), 6pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

• Jacob Johnson (Americana, jazz), 7pm

• The Faux Paws (acoustic, jazz, pop Cajun), 8:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Phirsty Phursdays w/ Lumpy Heads (Phish tribute), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Part Time Companions (Southern rock, jam), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

The JackTown Ramblers (bluegrass, swing, jazz), 6:30pm

SILVERADOS Line Dance Thursdays w/DJ Razor, 9pm

THE FOUNDRY HOTEL

The Foundry Collec tive ft Pimps of Pompe (jazz, acoustic), 7pm

THE GETAWAY

RIVER BAR

Rum Punchlines Come dy Open Mic, 6pm

THE ROOT BAR Perry Wing Combo (rock), 6pm

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Poet Susan Howe describes poetry as an “amorous search under the sign of love for a remembered time at the pitch-dark fringes of evening when we gathered together to bless and believe.” I’d like to use that lyrical assessment to describe your life in the coming days — or at least what I hope will be your life. In my astrological opinion, it’s a favorable time to intensify your quest for interesting adventures in intimacy; to seek out new ways to imagine and create togetherness; to collaborate with allies in creating brave excursions into synergy.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Social reformer Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) had a growlery. It was a one-room stone cabin where he escaped to think deep thoughts, work on his books, and literally growl. As a genius who escaped enslavement and spent the rest of his life fighting for the rights of his fellow Black people, he had lots of reasons to snarl, howl, and bellow as well as growl. The coming weeks would be an excellent time for you to find or create your own growlery, Taurus. The anger you feel will be especially likely to lead to constructive changes. The same is true about the deep thoughts you summon in your growlery: They will be extra potent in helping you reach wise practical decisions.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Conduct your blooming in the noise and whip of the whirlwind,” wrote Gemini poet Gwendolyn Brooks. I love that advice! The whirlwind is her metaphor for the chaos of everyday life. She was telling us that we shouldn’t wait to ripen ourselves until the daily rhythm is calm and smooth. Live wild and free right now! That’s always good advice, in my opinion, but it will be especially apropos for you in the coming weeks. Now is your time to “endorse the splendor splashes” and “sway in wicked grace,” as Brooks would say.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Don’t look away,” advised novelist Henry Miller in a letter to his lover. “Look straight at everything. Look it all in the eye, good and bad.” While that advice is appealing, I don’t endorse it unconditionally. I’m a Cancerian, and I sometimes find value in gazing at things sideways, or catching reflections in mirrors, or even turning my attention away for a while. In my view, we Crabs have a special need to be self-protective and self-nurturing. And to accomplish that, we may need to be evasive and elusive. In my astrological opinion, the next two weeks will be one of these times. I urge you to gaze directly and engage point-blank only with what’s good for you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Tips to get the most out of the next three weeks: 1. Play at least as hard as you work. 2. Give yourself permission to do anything that has integrity and is fueled by compassion. 3. Assume there is no limit to how much generous joie de vivre you can summon and express. 4. Fondle and nuzzle with eager partners as much as possible. And tell them EXACTLY where and how it feels good. 5. Be magnanimous in every gesture, no matter how large or small. 6. Even if you don’t regard yourself as a skillful singer, use singing to transform yourself out of any mood you don’t want to stay in.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the coming weeks, you should refrain from wrestling with problems that resist your solutions. Be discerning about how you use your superior analytical abilities. Devote yourself solely to manageable dilemmas that are truly responsive to your intelligent probing. PS: I feel sorry for people who aren’t receptive to your input, but you can’t force them to give up their ignorance or suffering. Go where you’re wanted. Take power where it’s offered. Meditate on the wisdom of Anaïs Nin: “You cannot save people. You can only love them.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh was born under the sign of Libra. He said, “The root-word ’Buddha’ means to wake up, to know, to understand; and he or she who wakes up and understands is called a Buddha.” So according to him, the spiritual teacher Siddhartha Gautama who lived in ancient India was just one of many Buddhas. And by my astrological reckoning, you will have a much higher chance than usual to be like one of these Buddhas yourself in the coming weeks. Waking up will be your specialty. You will have an extraordinary capacity to burst free of dreamy illusions and murky misapprehensions. I hope you take full advantage. Deeper understandings are nigh.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I invite you to be the sexiest, most intriguing, most mysterious Scorpio you can be in the coming weeks. Here are ideas to get you started. 1. Sprinkle the phrase “in accordance with prophecy” into your conversations. 2. Find an image that symbolizes rebirth and revitalization arising out of disruption. Meditate on it daily until you actually experience rebirth and revitalization arising out of disruption. 3. Be kind and merciful to the young souls you know who are living their first lifetimes. 4. Collect deep, dark secrets from the interesting people you know. Employ this information to plan how you will avoid the trouble they endured. 5. Buy two deluxe squirt guns and two knives made of foam rubber. Use them to wage playful fights with those you love.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There’s an ancient Greek saying, “I seek the truth, by which no one ever was truly harmed.” I regard that as a fine motto for you Sagittarians. When you are at your best and brightest, you are in quest of the truth. And while your quests may sometimes disturb the status quo, they often bring healthy transformations. The truths you discover may rattle routines and disturb habits, but they ultimately lead to greater clarity and authenticity. Now is an excellent time to emphasize this aspect of your nature.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let’s imagine you are in your office or on the job or sitting at your kitchen table. With focused diligence, you’re working on solving a problem or improving a situation that involves a number of people. You think to yourself, “No one seems to be aware that I am quietly toiling here behind the scenes to make the magic happen.” A few days or a few weeks later, your efforts have been successful. The problem is resolved or the situation has improved. But then you hear the people involved say, “Wow, I wonder what happened? It’s like things got fixed all by themselves.” If a scenario like this happens, Capricorn, I urge you to speak up and tell everyone what actually transpired.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): To honor your entrance into the most expansive phase of your astrological cycle, I’m calling on the counsel of an intuitive guide named Nensi the Mercury Priestess. She offers the following advice. 1. Cultivate a mindset where you expect something unexpected to happen.

2. Fantasize about the possibility of a surprising blessing or unplanned-for miracle. 3. Imagine that a beguiling breakthrough will erupt into your rhythm.

4. Shed a few preconceptions about how your life story will unfold in the next two years. 5. Boost your trust in your deep self’s innate wisdom. 6. Open yourself more to receiving help and gifts.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Colin Wilson describes sex as “a craving for the mingling of consciousness, whose symbol is the mingling of bodies. Every time partners slake their thirst in the strange waters of the other’s identity, they glimpse the immensity of their freedom.” I love this way of understanding the erotic urge, and recommend you try it out for a while. You’re entering a phase when you will have extra power to refine and expand the way you experience blending and merging. If you’re fuzzy about the meaning of the words “synergy” and “symbiosis,” I suggest you look them up in the dictionary. They should be featured themes for you in the coming weeks.

MARKETPLACE

Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to advertise@mountainx.com

REAL ESTATE

LAND FOR SALE

25 ACRES IN SWANNANOA

Wooded, private, several building sites, suitable for housing. Includes utilities. Easy access off paved road. 13 miles to downtown Asheville. $269,900. Call Purcell Realty. 828-279-8562.

RENTALS

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

CHOICE RENTAL: SEEING IS BELIEVING 2bd/2ba, deluxe chalet, immaculate tastefully furnished private west Burnsville with easy access to 26; 20 min to Weaverville and 45 min to Asheville. no pets. ref. $1600. Text 954-496-9000

EMPLOYMENT

GENERAL

AFG DISTRIBUTION FT WAREHOUSE ASSOCIATE AFG Distribution is looking for several full-time employees to join our growing shipping and receiving departments. $17.55 per hour For more information contact us at afgdistribution.com/ careers or call us at 828252-5228.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE

JOIN THE BLUE RIDGE PUBLIC RADIO TEAM - DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE Blue Ridge Public Radio is hiring a Development Associate! The Development Associate joins a strong team of professionals that applies a balanced approach to annual and philanthropic giving to advance the goals of the organization.

This role is recognized as foundational and essential for the team and BPR as a whole. The organization offers competitive salary and benefits. Please visit www.bpr.org/careers for the full description of the position and to submit your application. careers@bpr. org www.bpr.org/careers

HUMAN SERVICES

HELPMATE SEEKS OUTREACH AND VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Helpmate, an intimate partner violence service organization in Asheville, NC, seeks a full-time Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator. This management position's key duties will include provision and oversight of educational programming designed to prevent, respond to or raise awareness about domestic violence. This position will supervise outreach and volunteer program staff and will be responsible for planning and implementing outreach programs and for tracking results. The Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator will help oversee onboarding, training and management of volunteers. This position requires on-call responsibilities, including recurring night/weekend availability. Qualified candidates will have a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, including gender equity. Strong communication skills, high attention to detail, the ability to form meaningful collaborations and advanced public speaking abilities are required. Candidates should have BA or BS in human services/related field and 2 years’ experience in intimate partner violence or a commensurate combination of work and experience. Diverse candidates encouraged to apply. The annual salary range is $46,707-$51,707. Pay rates are offered on a structured scale and are based on incentives for relevant experience, professional licensure and fluency in Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, or Moldovan. Helpmate provides a comprehensive benefits package, which includes health, disability and life insurances, a retirement plan matched up to 5%, optional supplementary insurances, generous paid PTO, and 14 annual paid holidays. E-mail resume and cover letter to hiring@ helpmateonline.org with the subject line “Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator.” Applications lacking a cover letter will not be considered. Posting open until 5pm on October 14. Applications will be considered as they are received and interviews conducted on a rolling basis. www.helpmateonline.org

YOUR CAREER STARTS HERE WITH MHC! Get paid to do good! Assessment/ Youth Counselors are needed to support at-risk youth in our residential facility in Asheville. We offer paid training and excellent benefits. Apply at bit.ly/ MHCCareers 919-754-3633 vpenn@mhfc.org mhfc.org/ opportunities

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT

CAMP AND PROGRAM MANAGER Under 1 Sky serves youth in foster care throughout NC. The Program Manager oversees all aspects of Under One Sky programs including Camps, Mentoring, and Passages.kelly@ under1sky.org www.under1sky.org

TEACHING/ EDUCATION

NC LITERACYCORPS AT READ TO SUCCEED! Join the NC LiteracyCorps and Read to Succeed to address education equity in the Asheville area. Interested? Please send resume and interest email to servicelearning@ duke.edu. servicelearning. duke.edu/nc-literacycorps

CAREGIVERS/ NANNY

NANNY NEEDED FOR 2 KIDS Reliable sitter needed to care for 18 months old child in my home. My husband and I are in need of a nanny to take care of 2 adorable kids with no special needs 20-30 hrs. per week, schedule will vary. Off Sundays. MUST be willing to work flexible schedule. $760/week depending on hours worked. If interested, application should be sent to billwilliams00229@gmail. com

SALON/ SPA

MASTER BARBER / BARBER NEEDED South Asheville location. Busy with lots of walk-ins. Excellent place to build clientele. Plenty of parking. Commission only. Full-time chair available. Now taking interviews. 828-230-7088

XCHANGE

ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

STILL BUYING ANTIQUES  Seeking old stuff! Cast iron, advertising signs, military, primitives, collections, art, pottery, estates, crocks, & RENTALS | ROOMMATES JOBS | SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENTS CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | MIND, BODY, SPIRIT MUSICIANS’ SERVICES | PETS | AUTOMOTIVE XCHANGE | ADULT

bottles, silver, license plates, unusual stuff, taxidermy, rifles, bbguns, more. Call/ Text 828-582-6097,steadyaim1@yahoo.com

SERVICES

AUDIO/VIDEO

DISH TV SPECIAL $64.99

For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/21/23. 1-866-566-1815 (AAN CAN)

HOME

4G LTE HOME INTERNET

NOW AVAILABLE! Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as $109.99/mo.! 1-866571-1325. (AAN CAN)

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

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES

In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!  Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1-866-370-2939 (AAN CAN)

CREDIT CARD DEBT RELIEF! Reduce payment by up to 50%! Get one LOW affordable payment/ month. Reduce interest. Stop calls. FREE no-obligation consultation Call 1-855-7611456 (AAN CAN)

DIRECTV SATELLITE TV Service Starting at $74.99/ month! Free Installation! 160+ channels available. Call Now to Get the Most Sports & Entertainment on TV!  877310-2472 (AAN CAN)

DO YOU OWE OVER $10K TO THE IRS OR STATE IN BACK TAXES? Our firm works to reduce the tax bill or zero it out completely FAST. Let us help! Call 877414-2089. (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm PST) (AAN CAN)

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: 844499-0277

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! 833-9550905

TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. 877-589-0747 (AAN CAN)

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.

UNCLAIMED FIREARMS

The following is a list of unclaimed firearms currently in possession of the Asheville Police Department: Black/Brown, Remington, 870, 12 ga; Black, Kel-Tec, P-32, 32 cal; Blue/Silver, Kel-Tec, P-11, 9mm; Black, Smith & Wesson, Bodyguard, 38 cal; Black, Smith & Wesson, Bodyguard, 38 cal; Black, Mossberg, 715T, 22 cal; Black, Mossberg, Maverick, 12 ga; Black/Silver, Ruger, P97DC, 45 cal; Brown, Glenfield, 25, 22 cal; Black/ Brown, NEF, R92, 22 cal; Black/Brown, Kel-Tec, PF-9, 9mm; Black/Cream, Lorcin, L22, 22 cal; Black, MAB, A, 6.35 cal; Black/Silver, Taurus PT, 111 Pro, 9mm; Black/Silver,Ruger, SR9, 9mm; Black/Brown, EIG, E15, 22 cal; Brown/Silver, Jennings, J22, 22 cal; Brown/ Silver, Raven, MP-25, 25 cal; Black/Silver, Sig Sauer, P238, 38 cal; Black, CZ, P-10C, 9mm; Black, Ruger, LCP, 9mm; Black, Jennings, T380, 38 cal; Black/Silver, Ruger, SP101, 357 cal; Black/ Silver, Taurus, 38 Special, 38 cal; Black/Brown, Smith & Wesson, 38 Special, 38 cal ; Black, Crusader, ST 15, 223; Black/Brown, Charter Arms, 38 Special, 38 cal; Black/ Silver, Accu-tek, AT-380, 38 cal; Black, Marlin, 25, 22 cal; Black/Silver, FEG, PA-63, 9mm; Black, Colt, 38 cal; Black/Brown, RG, MOD RG 31, 38 cal; Black, Smith & Wesson, Airweight, 38 cal; Black, Ruger, LC95, 9mm; Black/Silver, Smith & Wesson, 38 Special, 38 cal; Black, Beretta, 21A, 22 LR; Brown/Silver, RG, RG 25, 25 cal; Black/Brown, Armi, Tanfoglio, 25 cal; Black, Astra, Unceta C, 38 cal; Black, Harrington & Richardson, Pardner, 20 ga; Black/Brown, Springfield, 1911, 45 cal; Black, Colt, Police Positiv, 32 cal; Black/ Silver, SCCY, CPX-2, 9mm; Silver/White, Senorita, B, 22 cal; Black/Silver, Smith & Wesson, DS40 VE, 40 cal; Black, Colt, New Frontier, 22 cal; Black/Brown, Marlin, 39A, 22 cal; Black/Gray, Glock, 43, 9mm; Black/Silver, PW Arms, PA-63, 9 x 18mm; Brown/Silver, Harrington & Richardson, 949, 22 cal; Black/Silver, Taurus, PT 738, 38 cal; Black, Glock, 20, 10mm; Black, Hi-Point, C9, 9mm; Black, Smith & Wesson, 14-4, 38 cal. Anyone with a legitimate claim or interest in this property must contact the Asheville Police Department within 30 days from the date of this publication. Any items not claimed within 30 days will be disposed of in accordance with all applicable laws. For further information, or to file a claim, contact the Asheville Police Department Property & Evidence Section at 828232-4576.

WATER DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME? Call for a quote for professional cleanup & maintain the value of your home! Set an appt. today! Call 833-664-1530 (AAN CAN)

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

BUNCOMBE COUNTY BEEKEEPERS 2022 BEE SCHOOL Buncombe County Beekeepers Bee School to be held Nov. 1st & 3rd evenings; Sat Nov. 5th all day. Find information & sign up at wncbees.org. Get all the info to start your journey.

FALL WORKSHOP WITH THE ASHEVILLE FLORIST Come Join The Asheville Florist for a Fall Workshop! Have a date night or bring a friend! Create your own wreath with a local and experienced florist of 30 years! https://www.eventbrite. com/e/fall-workshopwith-the-asheville-floristtickets-424653930337

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

BODYWORK

TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING Gain clarity, feel lighter, grounded, get unstuck, and open to your potential with a Spiritual "Massage" (energy work). Helpful to support big life changes! www.Moonjata. com • moonjata@gmail. com • 808-635-9522.

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

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

AUTO WHEEL AND TIRE FOR SALE new 18" tire wheel with quality used tire mounted. Fits outback & others. Details at link. Avl.Mx/c0g $80.00 Stan 828-299-0425

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689 (AAN CAN)

PERSONALS

TALENTED, LOVING CARIBBEAN MAN SEEKS GOOD-LOOKING LADY 20-60 St Lucian man, pro musician, builder, landscaper, seeks lady for gf or future wife. Any race, white lady welcome. Tel 828-779-0130 guitarpiano@aol.com