Since Tropical Storm Helene devastated the region, Taylor Knipp and her fianc é , Adam Smith , have transformed the Harley-Davidson of Asheville dealership in Swannanaoa into the Savage Freedoms Relief Operation — an ad hoc private air base running daily rescue, reconnaissance and resupply missions to some of the hardest-hit areas in Western North Carolina.
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PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes
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Together, we’ll overcome Helene’s destruction
My wife, Katie, and I have lived in the Asheville area for almost 11 years now. It’s been a vibrant community in so many ways, which makes it that much harder to see the total devastation and grapple with the lasting impact for everyone here.
We were supposed to fly out the day the storm hit, but we’re glad that didn’t happen as we were able to get our generator going and help friends and neighbors; we also volunteered at several local churches helping distribute basic necessities.
A week later, we finally got up the courage to drive downtown for groceries, and the sight of the River Arts District from the bridge was just horrifying. I had not felt that overwhelmed since arriving in Haiti on a mission trip shortly after the earthquake.
The needs remain massive, but by the grace of God, the response has been immense as well. So grateful for all the first responders and volunteers who inspire and encourage us every day. Together, we shall overcome! #AVLSTRONG
— Rob and Katie Allyn Candler
WNC’s hardworking ethos helped after Helene
After the storm passed, I got in my truck to head out of my neighborhood. But the entire neighborhood and the immediate road leading elsewhere were completely covered in fallen trees.
One finger road into my neighborhood was completely blocked off, but I could hear men with chain saws on the other side of the fallen trees cutting their way out.
By the end of the next day, all of these neighbors had managed not only to free themselves but also to clear a one-lane pathway through the adjoining neighborhoods and out to the interstate.
Western North Carolina has lost none of its independent and hardworking ethos. Rather than moan and wait on the government, people used their own equipment, their own gasoline and their own sweat to address a serious situation.
— Guy Smith Asheville
Tell us your storm stories
Readers, we have all been through a lot since Tropical Storm Helene swept into Western North Carolina on Sept. 27, and Xpress wants to hear from you. Please tell us your personal stories of how you experienced the storm and its aftermath. What has inspired you? On the flip side, what has frustrated you? What moved you — whether it be to tears or laughter? How did helping family, friends or strangers impact you and/or them? Email us at letters@ mountainx.com with the subject line: Storm stories. Aim for submissions of no more than 300-400 words. Please include your name and town (for publication) and your street address and phone number (not for publication) for verification purposes. Selected submissions will appear in Mountain Xpress. — Xpress Staff X
Neighbors’ response restores faith in people
We were both amazed and appreciative for our neighbors for reaching out to everyone inquiring and sharing of each other’s status and needs, and information on where to find food, water, gas and cell service. They organized and shared what they could. It restored my faith in people, especially in this current world of chaos and mayhem politically, environmentally, etc. A big shoutout to the Biltmore Commons community and management for banding together in a crisis!
— Janice Doyle Asheville
We’re pulling together at Givens Estates
One of the greatest blessings of my life is that I am a seven-year resident of Givens Estates, a continuing care retirement community in Asheville. Hurricane Helene swept through here Sept. 27, taking out trees, damaging some areas, roiling our creeks and drenching our beautiful grounds.
Correction
The party affiliation for Bruce O’Connell, running for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 2 seat, was incorrect in the Voter Guide published in the Oct. 9 issue of Mountain Xpress. O’Connell is running as an unaffiliated candidate. X
Thankfully, our homes (with one exception), apartments, main building, and our grounds and maintenance buildings came through undamaged. Some residents left to go to their families, but the majority of residents have remained on campus. And we are all safe! We have electricity and internet, but no running water or TV (small inconveniences in the big picture).
The truly amazing part of our story is our leadership team and staff members. Executive Director Kirsten Cone has continually communicated in person and on Facebook so that everyone knows what’s going on and the services being provided for residents. And our staff directors have led and coordinated their teams: dining (takeout meals), grounds, maintenance, health services, human resources and environmental services. All of these staff members are heroes, and we love and appreciate, appreciate, appreciate them!
Staff members and their families have suffered (some tragically) from the force and devastation of the hurricane, with damaged homes, vehicles and other property. But those who can are on our campus and doing their jobs (and more) to make life easier for our senior residents. Givens has set up what we’re calling a G-Mart where residents can contribute food, clothes, household items and other things that staff members might need. Givens has also set up a day care area so that staff can bring their children for the day while they help residents. And management has set up a staff assistance fund. We cannot begin to express how much we love them.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is on campus and is providing drinking water, which staff members are delivering to all resident buildings/homes. And the worldwide Samaritan’s Purse organization is providing water that can be used for washing dishes and other things — but not for drinking.
—
Kathy Cochran Givens Estates resident Asheville
HCA stepped up for WNC through disaster
Everyone should applaud how HCA stepped up for our region when we all needed a major medical facility as Helene struck. Mission Hospital as it was before HCA could never have come through this tragic destruction like we just did. The old hospital would’ve depended on the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other government agencies to pull us through and assist us. HCA with all of its resources across the country immediately reacted, put an
CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON
action plan into place and executed it. They made absolutely certain that we were staffed and well supplied.
Our medical services here never faltered. The volume of food HCA fed the staff, visitors, patients and anyone else who came into the hospital was unbelievable! HCA in our time of desperation here in Western North Carolina came through here with all its power, connections, supplies and strength like no other company could have. We were fortunate to have them when our worst natural catastrophe struck our region.
We all have to give out a special note of thanks and praise to the medical staff who lived here at the hospital. There are doctors and nurses who stayed here at 509 Biltmore Ave. for days, sleeping and napping when and where they could. A special note of thanks should be made to the hundreds of HCA medical staff who came here from across the country. When WNC needed a medical facility the most, HCA’s Mission Hospital and staff came through with flying colors!
Personally, I could not be prouder of this great company I work for. The way everyone worked together to help the region as we did set a precedent that no other hospital could surpass.
— William Boeheim Guest Services
Mission Hospital Candler
Vote no to amend state constitution
Western North Carolina voters may be surprised to find a constitutional amendment on their ballot this election. All amendments must be initiated by the General Assembly, and this one comes from House Bill 1074 [avl.mx/e6p] that was passed by the House and Senate in May/June of this
CONTINUES ON PAGE 6
Editor’s note
This week in Opinion, you’ll see a mix of content — from readers who answered our requests for personal stories about how they experienced Tropical Storm Helene and its aftermath to traditional letters to the editor. As space permits, we are also including letters that were scheduled to appear in the Oct. 2 issue, which was canceled because of the storm. Please also consider this a last call for election letters. For your best shot at having your election-related letter appear in print before Nov. 5, please email it to letters@mountainx.com by the end of day Tuesday, Oct. 22. See guidelines at avl.mx/5ds. X
CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN
year. It simply states, “Constitutional amendment to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise possessing the qualifications for voting shall be entitled to vote at any election in this State” and may seem innocuous.
In reality, this is based on unfounded, anti-immigrant fears and con-
spiracy theories that noncitizens are committing widespread voter fraud and threatening our elections. Existing North Carolina law makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote. Therefore, the proposed constitutional amendment prohibiting noncitizens from voting provides a purported solution to a problem that does not exist. The
Neighbors DIY it to source water for East End/Valley Street
After the storm on Friday, Sept. 27, my partner, Justin Mitchell, and I ventured out into our neighborhood in East End/Valley Street to assess the damage. Our area includes four apartment buildings along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and many of the residents have lived here their whole lives. As a result, many are elderly and some are immobile. Just across from our driveway is one of the Mountain Springs Apartment buildings, which houses 40 people.
By Sunday, it became clear that our water infrastructure wasn’t going to improve anytime soon, and our neighbors needed a way to flush their toilets. We decided to gather creek water using buckets and bins from a friend’s property and bring it back for our neighbors. By Monday, our new neighbors, Dennis Seely and Laura Misner, arrived with a small sump pump. We knew there was a water source behind the building — we could hear it but couldn’t see it. By the end of the day, with some long extension cords and a few hose pipes, we were able to pump spring water from the “Mountain Springs” and fill tubs and recycling bins, ultimately starting a water delivery system to surrounding neighborhoods.
As word spread quickly, the residents at 1 Miller St. were able to turn
on the pump and provide water to neighbors who came by with containers while we continued our deliveries. By the middle of the week, Dennis and Laura returned with a more powerful sump pump, which allowed us to pump water faster and fill a 60-gallon rain barrel. As the news spread, someone donated a used IBC tote tank (a large, cube-shaped intermediate bulk container), which we stationed and filled. By the end of the week, my family brought another IBC tote tank during a supply delivery. Then, by Monday of the second week after the storm, someone saw our social media posts and dropped off four more IBC tote tanks. With these resources, we set up additional flush water stations along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at other Mountain Springs Apartment complexes, so anyone passing by could fill up for a flush. Over the following week, Dennis and Justin worked hard to improve the system, ensuring the spring water flowed efficiently and that we could fill the tanks quickly. We also continue to deliver flush water to a list of neighbors who need assistance.
— Autum Kirgan Asheville Asheville resident Autum Kirgan is a licensed acupuncturist and clinic director at South Slope Acupuncture & Wellness.
League of Women Voters of North Carolina urges you to vote no on this amendment. Find out more here: [avl.mx/e6q].
— Suzanne Fisher President, League of Women Voters Asheville-Buncombe County and board member, LWV North Carolina Black Mountain
Stop the Merrimon Avenue madness
Thank you for running the cartoon about the Merrimon Avenue road diet [“Road Worriers,” Sept. 18, Xpress]. It is spot on. I read the report that was made about the results, and I can attest that whoever gathered that data doesn’t live in North Asheville and definitely doesn’t drive it regularly. I’ve seen the cyclist counters sitting at the corner of Weaver Boulevard and Merrimon Avenue. And it’s true that a lot of cyclists ride by that corner. I’ve seen them; I live off Merrimon farther up and pass by that corner at least twice a day — usually more.
But they do not continue onto Merrimon; instead, they cross over and ride behind Luella’s Bar-B-Que. No cyclist in their right mind rides the Merrimon Avenue bike lanes. I’ve talked to many. And the bicycle riders who do ride the busy state road don’t know — or don’t care — about traffic rules.
I’ve never had to check my right mirror to make a right turn before, but I do now, because these bicycle riders on Merrimon think that having their own lanes means they can pass on the right. They cut across multiple lanes at a time to make left turns, and they ride right through red lights if they don’t see any cars coming. They don’t wear helmets much of the time.
The left turn lane is the biggest hazard I face on a daily basis because I turn left off Merrimon to get home. Cars turning into and out of McDonald’s are also turning onto the
road at that juncture. It’s worse than any speedway I’ve ever encountered. I hold my breath and pray. I guess that’s one good result of the “diet”: I pray a lot more than I used to. And I get ready to meet my maker if someone trying to beat the long lines to get a burger smashes into me waiting to turn left. Stop the madness. I will never vote for another one of the current Council or mayoral positions who chose to kowtow to the cycle lobby, who now don’t even use the lanes because they, too, like the idea of living. I’ll vote for someone who just moved here yesterday before any sitting Council people get my endorsement.
— Linda Ray North Asheville
Tax assessor’s dismissal was justified
[Regarding “Buncombe County Commissioners Fire Tax Assessor,” Sept. 25, Xpress, and the Xpress newsletter question: “Did commissioners do the right thing by firing the county tax assessor?”]
Why even ask for Asheville citizens’ opinion on the firing of this person? Cheating is cheating!
He should not receive any county benefits going forward. And the county should not be afraid of a legal challenge. — Inge Durre Asheville
Respect the research on infill housing
In a letter earlier this year, local schoolteacher Sherrill Osborne Knight claimed that there are “a number of transparently erroneous arguments” in an opinion piece about affordable housing written by Andrew Paul, an organizer for the local Asheville for All group [“The Case for Infill Housing Falls Flat,” June 5, Xpress]. I have
PEOPLE POWER: Neighbors Justin Mitchell, left, and Dennis Seely stand with the IBC tote tanks they helped set up to provide flush water for the East End/Valley Street neighborhood. Photo courtesy of Autum Kirgan
always found Paul to be a pretty smart guy, so you can imagine my distress to learn that he had messed up so badly on a subject dear to his heart.
The piece that drew Knight’s ire summarized new economic studies which show that urban infill development makes housing cheaper for struggling families, even if the new housing itself sells at market rates [“Why Asheville Needs Infill Housing,” May 15, Xpress]. The studies rebut a complaint commonly heard from otherwise well-meaning people — that reducing barriers to responsible development is a fool’s errand because more plentiful housing does not necessarily mean more affordable housing.
The first argument dispatched by our brave Knight is Paul’s “claim” (actually the findings of the studies reported by Paul) that “allowing more infill will reduce rent and home prices.” She demolished this transparently erroneous canard with a simple declaration: “It sure would.” Goodness. That doesn’t sound too erroneous. It almost sounds as if Knight agrees with Paul. I hope she doesn’t teach logic.
She next asserted that even if market-rate construction does have the “moving chains” effect that economists claim for it (that is, it frees up housing in less affluent parts of town when current residents move from there into more upscale neighborhoods), the newly available housing in less elite areas will deteriorate after “successive waves of low-income households” run down the neighborhood. Oh, my. I hope she doesn’t teach sociology.
Despite her concern over cross-city migration, Knight then denied that resistance to new housing, which she sweetly attributed to a “desire to maintain neighborhoods and green spaces,” has anything to do with race or class, ignoring the many studies documenting a connection between single-family zoning and Jim Crow (one of which was cited in the online version of Paul’s piece). I hope she doesn’t teach history. Which, by the way, Paul does. Urban history, to be exact.
Finally, Knight opined that the “elephant in the room” is not rents but low wages. Well, now she’s getting a little closer to reality. It’s certainly true that low wages are a problem, though she’s scarcely the first one to notice.
But how is the City of Asheville to increase wages? It cannot simply establish a minimum wage for private employers.
An increase in the federal minimum wage, of course, would help. So would more generous subsidies for low-income renters. Unionization would be a step forward, too. And while we’re dreaming, we might as well go with an old idea once championed by Nobel laureate Milton Friedman — a min-
imum income distributed through a negative income tax. I’m all for that.
But none of those solutions, even if they were within the purview of city government, would solve the housing shortage (let alone address the environmental downside of low-density, car-dependent living).
Until a panacea comes down from the heavens, it serves no one’s interest to scoff like a petulant teenager when economic research does not yield the results one prefers. The simple truth is that unnecessary restrictions on supply push prices up. That’s what a commonsense understanding of supply and
demand would suggest. That’s what studies show happens in the housing market.
And that’s a lesson our crusading Knight can take back to her students: Respect the facts, even if you dislike where they lead.
— Peter Robbins Marshall X
Getting trees off roofs and feeling community support MY STORY
I am OK. And due to the support of our amazing community here on planet Earth pouring love and resources into Asheville when our infrastructure — and many homes, lives and businesses were devastated and destroyed — I can say that in all this chaos, I am better than OK.
I work for Smart Feller Tree Works LLC and was in Hickory for the Great N.C. Tree Conference WednesdayFriday when the storm hit. I have been answering the phone and coordinating aid to get trees off roofs since Thursday, Sept. 26.
Power went out at the hotel. Hickory became a staging ground for emergency aid. I tried to drive home to Candler and got as far as Marion on Friday, Sept. 27, when I had to turn around because of flooding.
All the services and all the communication, water and power were disrupted, and I wasn’t getting messages from my partner, family or crew back home. Sunday, Sept. 30, my partner’s text came through: “Go to Greensboro,” where we have family.
Our 2020 Hyundai Elantra’s car battery died. Three incredible good Samaritans hooked up their jumper cables three times to get me to an AutoZone for a new battery. That’s a story all on its own.
Eventually, I ended up in High Point with family, where I was able to keep answering the phone and coordinating aid and supplies into Asheville for our crew and clients to get trees off houses.
I reached out to TCIA (Tree Care Industry Association), and the people there suggested using the Facebook group of Emergency Tree Responders to get supplies. Clayton from Georgia, a Bandit chipper technician, drove to my house in Candler with fuel and chain saw fuel mix for our saws on Sept. 30.
More folks banded together to provide aid. Friends and families and the community sent funds, and we turned those funds into personal protective equipment, groceries and drinking water for our neighbors, crew and community.
I got lists of missing folks or people who were in need of things, and I called folks or clients who lived near
GERLINDE GENTZKE, RIGHT, AND PARTNER ED LEYKAM
where those people should be and we located them and got word to those who were worried.
I worked from High Point and kept answering phones and coordinating help — finding out which tree crews with cranes were where and getting that information to anyone with a tree on their house. Smart Feller Tree Works LLC is six mighty humans, two chip trucks and one knuckle boom crane — our capacity is limited to what we can do with the resources we have at the moment.
The lack of viable internet service that was needed to keep coordinating aid and supplies kept me from returning home to my family. I missed my partner, Ed Leykam; our best friends, Luke and Giovanni; and our three cats: Captain Loki Marvin, Easter Marie Briar and Freyja Elizabeth Bramble.
Ira Friedrichs, owner of Smart Feller Tree Works LLC, reported that internet was restored at our office, and I could return to Asheville to continue coordinating and communicating.
I returned on Sunday, Oct. 6. We continue to get trees off roofs. Our crew hasn’t had one injury in this catastrophic work environment. We are working safely and efficiently. I tell folks that we do not have any timeline, but that they
can call me any time for updates and that I will update them as I can. It is incredible to watch all hands on deck in Asheville rebuilding our infrastructure.
At our home in Candler and at the office in Smith Mill Works, we adapted quickly (no running water through the pipes to date). We use our dehumidifier to pull the water out of the air, and we use that water to fill our toilet tanks.
We boil the potable water we have for one minute in the morning and fill a bowl with a washcloth in it with that water. Let that water cool enough not to burn ourselves and do a hot-towel scrub in the morning and before bed.
Ed had once said I had too much mouthwash (I like the Eco-Dent mint) — but lo and behold, my supply of mouthwash is coming in handy for brushing our teeth.
Loki, Easter, and Freyja have adjusted to eating off paper plates. I feed them Weruva canned food (I like to call it “potted meat”), and our Chewy order arrived Oct. 7. So they really haven’t noticed any differences.
Oh, and I picked up the ukulele that my mother gifted me some four years ago, and I tuned it and can play some songs with C and F chords.
My family and community are keeping me safe and sound. So many have lost so much. We are rebuilding, and we will recover. Out of destruction comes creation.
A shoutout to everyone at Smart Feller Tree Works LLC, along with Preservation Arborists and Crown, Root & Soil.
And a note to the humans on Earth: Every arborist in Asheville is working together to safely get trees off houses. Folks are coming in from out of town. Do not despair. We will get through this. Nature will heal. Trees will grow again. Remember, this area was logged not more than 200 years ago.
— Gerlinde Gentzke Candler Gerlinde Gentzke works in the field, in the trees and on the phones as a certified arborist and operations administrator with Smart Feller Tree Works LLC.
ACS aims to reopen by Monday, Oct. 28
Asheville City Schools Superintendent Maggie Fehrman said the district is aiming to reopen its schools to students by Monday, Oct. 28.
“We hope that we can do that sooner, but we wanted to give our parents the date that we are working toward. Please know that that date may change depending on all these different factors that we have to consider, but we are hoping that that is much sooner,” she said at a Buncombe County media briefing Oct. 9.
Atop the list of must-haves for a school district to reopen is either flushing or portable toilets and hand-washing stations, said Fehrman, who met with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and the N.C. Division of Public Health on Oct. 8.
The district asked the county to order restrooms and handwashing stations from the state to place at every school. Spokesperson Kim Dechant wasn’t sure how much that would cost, but expected help from FEMA.
To supplement those, Fehrman, under consultation from the Asheville City Board of Education, decided to begin drilling wells at every school site in the district, which is entirely within the City of Asheville’s water distribution system.
“Some schools will be able to manage things on one well, and several schools may need two wells per campus,” Fehrman said. She estimated the district would need eight to 10 wells for its nine-school district.
So far, the county has permitted four wells for ACS. The district already drilled a well at Hall Fletcher Elementary, and plans to drill at Asheville High School next. Dechant wasn’t sure what other locations the district would prioritize.
The wells, estimated to cost about $100,000 each, will be paid for with district capital funds, but Fehrman said she hopes to get reimbursed from FEMA for their construction because “this is a response to an emergency.”
On Oct. 8 at Hall Fletcher Elementary, the district hit groundwater 465 feet deep. The well can produce 20 gallons of water a minute, Dechant said.
“We’re estimating a range of two to three weeks before we can take that water from the well to be used in our schools. We do plan on continuing drilling wells at each campus, so that regardless of what happens with our water system, we will always have a backup for our Asheville City Schools,” Fehrman said.
After the well is drilled, concrete must be poured around the wall of the well. It also must be hooked up to the school’s system and tested for
DIGGING DEEP: With the City of Asheville’s water system likely weeks away from being fully back online, Asheville City Schools has moved to begin digging wells on its school campuses to help bring students back faster. However, the district is still dependent on bringing in portable toilets and hand-washing stations in order to safely reopen, which it aims to do by Monday, Oct. 28. Xpress file photo
cleanliness, accounting for the delayed timeline, Dechant said.
The two to three week timeline between the drilling of a well and the availability of water from that well, as presented by Fehrman, makes the Oct. 28 timeline for reopening — just 2 1/2 weeks from the Oct. 9 media briefing — ambitious.
Fehrman stressed that the wells would be supplemental water, and not required to reopen, since the district would lean on the portable toilets and handwashing stations that are shipped in.
Dechant called the wells a “backup plan” that was deployed because the City of Asheville couldn’t provide a timeline for when municipal water would be restored, and the district wanted to get children back in classrooms as soon as possible.
Additionally, elementary school principals are meeting to consider combining school populations into buildings that may have access to water, such as through a well, Dechant said.
“We are looking at all our options,” she noted.
Fehrman added that the district will give parents and students 72-hour notice for when a firm reopening date is official.
In the meantime, ACS has set up a resource center for families at its William Randolph campus on Montford Avenue and started conducting bridgeto-learning activities for all students of any grade level from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Isaac Dickson and Hall Fletcher elementary schools Monday, Oct. 14. Meals are available for pickup at the same time, Fehrman said.
— Greg Parlier X
Buncombe County Schools continues to work toward reopening
Schools remain closed in Western North Carolina’s largest school district as officials scramble to get portable toilets and hand-washing stations shipped to Buncombe County Schools’ 45 campuses.
Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Rob Jackson could not give an exact timeline for reopening his district at a media briefing Oct. 9, instead saying officials are working to bring schools online “as quickly as possible.”
The key holdup is the availability of running water for students to use the bathroom and wash their hands, and for cafeteria staff to use to prepare meals.
“We’ve looked at every viable option we could imagine for the safest and quickest solution to get students back in school,” Jackson said, including temporarily merging school populations into fewer buildings, operating on partial-day schedules, moving 5,000-gallon tanks of nonpotable water to campuses and using flush brigades of volunteers to carry nonpotable water throughout the day to help flush toilets.
Just 13 of the district’s 45 schools have running water, and two of those — Leicester and Barnardsville — operate on wells, Jackson said. Nearly 15,000 students are served by schools without water as of Oct. 9.
“Our school system has truly tried to come up with any work-around to safely bring our students back. After meeting with state and local officials and with our principals, we believe the best option to safely open our schools as quickly as possible is through bringing in portable restroom trailers with builtin hand washing stations,” he said.
To open all of BCS schools, the district will need 939 portable toilets and 391 hand-washing stations, Jackson said, and that request has been made of local, state and federal emergency management authorities. To arrive at that number, the district used a formula that emergency managers use that factors in the number of students, adults and locations.
Meanwhile, the district’s nutrition team plans to prepare grab-andgo meals for students when school reopens, he said. The district’s transportation team is remapping the county’s bus routes, as some roads remain inaccessible or unsafe.
Complicating matters is that many schools are serving as hubs to distribute resources to people still without water or power.
Jackson promised to provide parents and students with 72-hour notice when a reopening date is determined. When schools do reopen, Jackson acknowledged that there will be significant mental health needs for students who have suffered loss from Tropical Storm Helene.
“Our families and neighbors have suffered incredible loss and trauma. We know that our schools will play a big role in helping our students cope and we will meet those needs. We’re working with school systems across the state to have additional school counselors and school social workers available for our students and staff when we return to school,” he said.
In the meantime, Jackson encouraged parents to make use of Little Free Libraries to keep their children reading until school reopens.
“Encourage students to write, to perhaps write about their experiences, or to write about what they’re most looking forward to as they return to school and prepare to turn to school, we’d encourage them to spend time in conversation, to be allowed to share in their own words what this experience has meant to them and what they’ve experienced. Those conversations with parents and loved ones are invaluable in the life of a child,” he said.
Other WNC public school districts reopening schedules
Dates according to district websites. Haywood: Tuesday, Oct. 15, on a two-hour delay. Regular schedule Wednesday, Oct. 16
Henderson: Tuesday, Oct. 15
Jackson: Reopened Monday, Oct. 7
Polk: Reopened Wednesday, Oct. 9
Madison: Reopening Wednesday, Oct. 16 on a two-hour delay. Regular schedule Monday, Oct. 21
Rutherford: Reopened Wednesday, Oct. 9
Transylvania: Monday, Oct. 14
Yancey: Teacher work days week of Monday, Oct. 21. Reopening yet to be announced
2024 GENERAL ELECTION VOTER GUIDE
Xpress reached out to this year’s candidates prior to the devastation our community experienced from Tropical Storm Helene. Please keep this in mind as you review our 2024 Voter Guide.
According to an Oct. 8 press release from Buncombe County, the Board of Elections has approved new times and locations for early voting under the authority of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE).
Early voting will run Thursday, Oct. 17 through Friday, Nov. 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The last day for early voting is Saturday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
According to the press release, “Buncombe County is in the initial stages assessing the status of its 80 election day polling places and contacting many poll workers.”
APPROVED LOCATIONS
• Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain
• East Asheville Library, 3 Avon Road, Asheville
• Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sand Hill Road, Candler
• Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview
• Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy., Leicester
• South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road, Asheville
• UNCA Health & Counseling Center, 118 W.T. Weaver Blvd., Asheville (new location)
• Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville
• Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Center, 285 Livingston St., Asheville
• West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road, Asheville
You can request an absentee ballot now by completing an absentee ballot request form (votebymail. ncsbe.gov/app/home). The deadline to submit an absentee ballot request form is Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 5 p.m. Please note, the deadline to return completed domestic absentee ballots is now 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Any North Carolina registered voter who is eligible for the election may request, receive and vote an absentee ballot by mail. No special circumstance or reason is needed. Registered voters in North Carolina must request an absentee ballot with an official N.C. absentee ballot request form. There are two ways to access and submit the form:
• Online: Request an absentee ballot at the N.C. absentee ballot portal.
tion, voters now will be required to provide a copy of an acceptable photo ID when they return their absentee ballot. See avl.mx/e20 for more information on ID requirements. Specific instructions are provided in the return envelope. You may return your ballot the following ways:
• By mail: Absentee ballots may be mailed to P.O. Box 7468 Asheville, NC 28802. Ballots must be received by Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
• At any early voting site: Absentee ballots may be returned to an early voting site during the early voting period or polling place operated by the voter’s county on Election Day.
• In person: Absentee ballots may be returned in person to our office at 59 Woodfin Place, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• In person to another county’s board of elections office by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
• On paper: Print the online N.C. absentee ballot request form for 2024 available on our website. A Spanish absentee ballot request form is also available by visiting avl.mx/e7e.
If you don’t have a printer, you can complete an absentee ballot request form at the Election Services office at 59 Woodfin Place, or call 828-250-4200 and one will be mailed to you.
For active-duty military, their family members, and U.S. citizens living abroad, visit fvap.gov. If you have questions about that process, you may call us at 828-250-4200 or visit buncombecounty.org/vote.
The deadline to return the completed absentee ballot is Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. However, voters are encouraged to return the ballot as early as possible. In addi -
• Note: The absentee ballot request form may not be emailed or faxed. Request forms that are hand delivered to the office must be returned only by the voter or the voter’s near relative or legal guardian, or, if you are not the voter or the voter’s near relative or legal guardian, the voter requested your assistance returning their request due to disability.
For more information about absentee voting, visit the N.C. Board of Elections website. Track the status of your mail-in ballot from start to finish at northcarolina. ballottrax.net/voter/.
For additional information, go to buncombecounty.org/vote. X
Better Schools. Better Community Paid for by Jim Fulton for Buncombe.
HURRICANE HELENE RECOVERY GUIDE: NAVIGATING
FEMA, STAYING
SAFE
DURING CLEANUP, AND PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM DISASTER FRAUD
There’s an overwhelming amount of applications, advice, requirements, and regulations to know after a disaster. We’ve compiled a guide — sourced from organizations, newsrooms, and government agencies — to help you navigate the days and weeks ahead.
How do I document damage and start cleaning up? If and when it’s safe for you to return home, it’s critical that you take photos of everything that was damaged.
Before you start, take these precautions:
• Turn off electricity and gas.
• Make sure your tetanus shot is up to date (your state or county health department may offer free tetanus vaccines if you need one; it’s best to call them to find out)
• Check the structural integrity of the building before entering.
• Grab a first aid kit and put on protective clothing: long sleeves and pants, rubber or plastic gloves, waterproof boots or shoes, a respirator or N-95 mask, a Tyvek suit (if available), goggles.
Document all damage:
• Gather any photos of your house or apartment from before the flood so that you can more easily prove your lost property value.
• Take photos of the outside and inside of your home or apartment, including damaged personal property. Label them by room before you remove anything. If you have insurance, take photos of the make, model and serial number for appliances, and gather any receipts you may have.
Begin the muck and gut process:
• Take wet items outside to dry.
• Open doors and windows to air out your home, and set up fans.
• Remove all mold you see and try to dry as much as possible. Only use bleach on hard, non-porous surfaces; don’t rely on it to kill mold in wood.
• Throw away anything wet that can’t be cleaned and dried within two days. Throw away perishable food items, clothing, cushions, and pillows. This can be hard, especially with sentimental items, but sewage or floodwater is unhealthy.
NEED HELP CLEANING? Contact Crisis Cleanup to get connected with community groups and faith-based organizations that can help with cleanup, tarping, and tree and debris removal: 844-965-1386
Curious about your rights as a renter? How to access federal food assistance? Find more information about relief and recovery by scanning this QR code:
How do I apply for FEMA aid?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the federal government’s main disaster response agency. If you are a U.S. citizen or meet certain qualifications as a non-citizen and live in a federal disaster declaration area, you are eligible for financial assistance. This may include: a one-time grant of $750 for emergency needs and essential items; temporary housing assistance; up to 18 months of rental assistance, and more.
To apply, go to: DISASTERASSISTANCE.GOV, use the FEMA app or call 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. You can also visit a Disaster Recovery Center to get help with your aid application.
Here’s what you’ll need:
• Contact information, including phone number, address at the time of the disaster, and the address where you are now staying if different.
• Your Social Security number (you, another adult, or a minor child in your household must have one).
• A general list of damage and losses.
• Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
• Insurance information, including the policy number or the agent and/or the company name. This can include homeowners, flood, automobile, or mobile home insurance.
Gather and keep track of documents:
• Proof of residency or ownership: FEMA has a list, including deed or lease, motor vehicle registration form, court documents, utility bills, repair bills, and more.
• Proof of identity: FEMA will ask for identification, including social security number. If you are on a visa or green card, make sure to have all your immigration paperwork.
• Personal property: Keep a list of appliances, clothing, furniture, and other essential items damaged, as well as receipts and repair estimates.
• Hotel receipts: If you are displaced, you can get reimbursed for a hotel stay.
NEED HELP WITH AN APPLICATION? Legal Aid of North Carolina can assist with FEMA aid applications, fraud cases, and more. Call the hotline at 1-866-219-5262. Pisgah Legal Services is hosting free FEMA application clinics and offers other free legal aid. Call 800-489-6144.
What else should I know about this process?
• Payments you receive through FEMA are grants, not loans. You do not have to pay them back.
• FEMA cannot seize your property or land.
• FEMA will require you to create an account when you apply online. You can track the status of your aid application and receive notifications if FEMA needs more documents from you.
• If FEMA denies your application or you need more than the award amount, you can appeal. Appeals must be submitted within 60 days of the date on the FEMA decision letter. The appeal process is often lengthy.
• You can apply for individual assistance for multiple disasters, but you can apply only once for each disaster.
Beware of scammers: Ask for official identification, and only use contractors you can verify or trust. Contact the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline 866-720-5721 or StopFEMAFraud@fema.dhs.gov if you suspect anything.
CHARLES MARTIN GLENDA
Buncombe County Board of Education
In one of the more crowded races in recent history for the Buncombe County Board of Education, nine candidates are running for four seats on Western North Carolina’s largest school board. Arria Williams, a candidate for the at-large seat, dropped out of the race in September and endorsed previous opponent Charles Martin for the seat, citing “shared values and his commitment and determination to advocate for the needs of our students, staff and community,” she told Xpress. Her name will remain on the ballot.
These races come at a critical time for school districts, as both Buncombe County Schools (BCS) and neighboring Asheville City Schools (ACS) are going through a county-led consolidation feasibility study conducted by an independent consultant. That study is due to state legislators in February.
Last year, BCS grappled with all manner of modern-day controversies, including navigating a contentious rewrite of policies to comply with a new law, commonly referred to as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, while aiming to protect its LGBTQ+ students. Public meetings on the policies drew standing-room only crowds, armed with hours of passionate public comments on the issue. The existing board voted to ban one book from libraries districtwide, and a school-based committee voted to remove three others from the shelves at Enka High School.
For this election, voters may notice changes in what races are on their ballot, as the board begrudgingly redrew its district lines at the behest of the N.C. General Assembly, spending thousands of dollars to slightly change an alignment that had been in place since 1975. On this year’s ballot, voters will only see the district race for candidates representing the district in which they live, unlike previous years when any voter living in BCS territory voted for all board candidates. Voters should check their sample ballot at avl.mx/6nq before heading to the polls.
— Greg Parlier X
THE QUESTIONS
What inspired you to run, and what differentiates you from your opponents?
The Buncombe County school board unanimously voted to support a resolution opposing the expansion of the state’s private school voucher program in June. Do you oppose the expansion of the voucher program? Why or why not?
What are your top safety concerns for students, and what policies could be implemented to address these?
In addition to lobbying the state for more funds, what could local school districts do to better support and retain teachers?
Buncombe County Schools enrollment has been declining for several years until it stabilized last year. What do you think the district should be doing to limit the loss of students, which corresponds to a loss in state funding?
Website: electcharlesmartin.com
Occupation: Pastor
Previous candidacy or offices held: N/A
Key endorsements: Public School Strong, Buncombe County Association of Educators
Amount of money raised: Did not answer Top three donors: Not provided
My professional career has been marked by roles that emphasize community service and support for education. Professionally, I gained fiscal management and human resources acumen from my time as operations manager for Home Depot. However, I have also served the needs of my community as the pastor of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in the Burton Street community for 11 years. Through my leadership at the church, I have implemented our Out-of-School Suspension (OSS) program through a collaboration with Partners Unlimited, which provides crucial support to BCS and Asheville City Schools students in need, fostering a safe and educational environment while they are out of school on suspension.
I do not support the private school voucher program and agree with the position of the Buncombe County school board. While private schools play a role in our education system, their funding should not come at the expense of public schools. Public schools are vital in providing quality education to countless families, yet they seem to be under threat. Unlike private schools, which fund themselves, and state and federal universities, which receive government support, public schools rely on taxpayer funding. If parents choose private education, they should cover the costs themselves rather than relying on taxpayer money.
Even though I believe that the Board of Education has policies and procedures in place to protect our students, I would highlight the following in the at-large position: 1. Physical safety (bullying and violence, school shootings and emergencies, and unsafe infrastructure or facilities); 2. Emotional and mental health (mental health issues and stress, social-emotional well-being and access to support services); 3. Digital safety (cyberbullying and online harassment, inappropriate online content, and privacy and data security); and 4. Health and wellbeing (spread of infectious diseases, substance abuse, and nutrition and physical health).
We can employ a variety of strategies to better support and retain teachers beyond simply advocating for additional state funding. These include: professional development — tailoring opportunities to meet teachers’ needs and interests; mentorship programs — providing guidance and support for new teachers and staff; workload management — ensuring a manageable workload for teachers; supportive work environment — encouraging open communication, recognizing and celebrating achievements, and promptly addressing conflicts and issues; career advancement opportunities — offering clear pathways for career growth within the district; involvement in decision-making — engaging teachers in decisions that affect their work; and parental and community engagement — building strong partnerships with parents and the community.
The Board of Education needs to understand why parents are withdrawing their children from public schools. We should investigate each case to identify where breakdowns are occurring and address these issues within our school system. Families leave when ongoing problems for their child remain unresolved. If elected to the Board of Education, I propose implementing exit interviews to determine the reasons behind parents’ decisions to withdraw their children. This will help us identify and address any unresolved issues and establish processes to improve our school system.
Website: glendaweinert.com
Occupation: Business owner
Previous candidacy or offices held:
Ran for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners; served as chair of N.C. Child Care Commission from 2013-18
Key endorsements: Jerry Green (former Buncombe County principal)
Amount of money raised: N/A
Top three donors: N/A
I have spent my entire career with education being a part of my path. I care about children and their families. I believe I can continue to add value to the board. I am an educator. I have the knowledge and background to support our public school system. I ask the voters to allow me to continue in this role.
I believe in parent choice. I do not believe the vouchers and public schools need to be in opposition to each other. It is my goal to support public schools and understand the funding streams that support both. Vouchers should not reduce the funding to public schools.
Each school system has unique safety issues. We as a school board must maintain safety for all students as a central focus.
Buncombe County Schools has worked extensively to support our teachers. The county commissioners continue to provide supplements for our teachers. We were named this week as a top 100 employer for the State of North Carolina.
Our enrollment is up again this year. We are working to consistently be the school system of choice for students in Buncombe County.
2024 ELECTION VOTER GUIDE
DISTRICT 1 DISTRICT 4
ANN FRANKLIN AMY CHURCHILL GREG PARKS
Website: None
Occupation: Retired schoolteacher and former UniServ director for N.C. Association of Educators
Previous candidacy or offices held: Currently serves as chair of the Buncombe County Board of Education
Key endorsements: Currently completing questionnaires and interviews with various organizations and groups for endorsements.
Amount of money raised: N/A
Top three donors:N/A
My inspiration to run for school board comes from my lifelong work in public schools. I am a product of Buncombe County Schools and have benefited from that education. My experience working in education differentiates me from my opponent.
Previous candidacy or offices held: Ran for a seat on the Buncombe County Board of Education in 2022
Key endorsements: Carolina Teachers Association
Amount of money raised: N/A
Top three donors: N/A
Our children are our most precious assets. My inspiration is for every child to have a solid educational experience — where a child can learn how to think independently, not just what to think. What differentiates me and my opponent is having school-aged children. I understand the struggles of families and the challenges they face daily. I understand what it is like to be ignored and forgotten by those making policies.
Website: amychurchill.org
Occupation: Respiratory therapist
Previous candidacy or offices held: Current board member and vice chair of Buncombe County Board of Education
Key endorsements: Buncombe County and Asheville City Association of Educators and Public School Strong
Amount of money raised: Not provided
Top three donors: Not provided
It’s been a privilege to champion the educational goals of Buncombe County Schools in innovative ways, such as STEM initiatives, including the Nesbitt Discovery Academy; digital learning initiatives; expanding Spanish dual immersion programs in elementary schools and adding Chinese for older students; expansion of career technical education programs; and supporting robust arts programs throughout our schools. Championing these and many other initiatives, and serving on the N.C. School Board Association, means I have experience my opponent doesn’t have — experience that, if reelected, will allow me to continue to be a highly effective champion for our public schools.
Website: Vote4JimFulton.com
Occupation: Recently retired project manager for an American multinational corporation (FIS Global) based in Jacksonville, Fla.
Previous candidacy or offices held: N/A
Key endorsements: Not provided
Amount of money raised: Not provided
Top three donors: Not provided
I’m running for Buncombe County school board because I believe our children deserve better educational outcomes than they receive today. Over the incumbent’s 12-year tenure, we’ve seen no improvement in reading, math and science proficiency. This stagnation is unacceptable, and it’s what motivated me to step forward. As a technical project manager, I’ve spent my career solving complex problems, optimizing resources and delivering results. I value transparency, fiscal responsibility and advocating for policies that support both our students and educators. It’s time for fresh perspectives and real progress, and I am committed to making that happen for Buncombe County.
I oppose the expansion of state’s private school voucher programs. I believe public tax dollars should go to support public schools.
No, I do not oppose the expansion. I believe that everyone should have a choice in what is best for their families. Instead of focusing on resolutions, I would be working toward solutions to attract and retain students in the school system. If BCS is providing the educational experience that families demand, then the voucher program is nonrelevant.
I strongly oppose North Carolina’s private school voucher program. Instead of fully funding public schools as mandated by the state constitution, the N.C. General Assembly is sending millions of taxpayer dollars not only to low-income families but now to high-income parents whose private school students never even attended public schools. Voucher funding is projected to reach $800 million PER YEAR by 2031. It is unconscionable that the 77% of North Carolina students who attend public schools, including students with special needs, will suffer as taxpayer dollars go to expensive, largely unaccountable, often religious and discriminatory private schools.
Rather than focusing on opposing vouchers, I believe public schools should focus on improving student outcomes. If public schools demonstrate strong academic performance and a safe, engaging learning environment, they will naturally retain and attract students without relying solely on funding concerns. So, I do not oppose expansion of the voucher program. I believe parents should have the right to choose the best educational setting for their children, whether that be public, private or charter schools. School vouchers give families, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, access to schools that might offer more personalized or specialized education for their children.
Safety is always a grave concern of mine. Students and staff should be allowed to work and learn in a safe environment. I acknowledge the challenge and am constantly searching for ways to provide that safety. We work cooperatively with our sheriff’s department to provide school resource officers (SROs) in our schools. My hope is for each school to have an SRO.
Lack of school resource officers, aging infrastructure, safety training and staffing levels. Policy is just a start, but you must have ownership from the county to support funding for more officers. Must reexamine our school buildings and answer the question: “Do they provide the safe environment our children deserve?” We need to have fully staffed schools.
In BCS we provide quality training and support for our teachers. We provide updated technology to enhance instruction. We work to offer support to help our teachers feel confident in their work.
BCS is working to inform the public of the wonderful opportunities for student success. We strongly support the arts, athletics and academics in Buncombe County Schools.
Building employee engagement is key. Giving employees a voice, listening to their concerns and showing them that their opinions matter is critical. We must strive to create an environment where employees flourish and perform to their best abilities.
My concerns for student safety include bullying, mental health and, sadly, violence. No one can ignore the random attacks on students and teachers happening around the country. With the full support of the board, Buncombe County Schools has been a leader in working closely with law enforcement to develop, implement and practice “Safe Schools” policies, including tightening school access, communications and surveillance; increasing the number of SROs and mental health professionals; enhancing emergency preparedness through training exercises; and adding anti-bullying programs. As a board member, I would continue to advocate for the resources to enhance these programs, practices and policies.
Recruiting and retaining well-qualified teachers is essential for maintaining a high-quality education system. By focusing on compensation, professional development, work environment and opportunities for growth, schools can build a supportive and attractive environment that draws in talented teachers and keeps them engaged over the long term. Focusing on these key efforts will allow Buncombe County Schools to continue being a top education destination.
Student safety is one of my top priorities. My main concerns include bullying (both in person and online), the risk of school violence and mental health challenges that can go unaddressed. To address these issues, I support strengthening the school resource officer (SRO) program to ensure that schools are protected by trained officers who understand the needs of students. Additionally, offering voluntary mental health screenings in schools can help identify and address issues early. Anti-bullying initiatives, both in person and online, should be enhanced to create a safer, more supportive environment for all students.
We can support and retain teachers by improving work conditions, offering competitive compensation and creating professional growth opportunities. Mentorship programs for new teachers and ongoing professional development help teachers feel supported. Providing financial incentives, such as loan forgiveness or retention bonuses, can alleviate financial stress. Reducing class sizes and administrative burdens allow teachers to focus on instruction. Establishing strong teacher leadership pathways and offering recognition programs boosts morale. Prioritizing teacher input in decision-making processes ensures their voices are heard, fostering a positive work environment that encourages long-term commitment.
Listening to the community and identifying where the school system is coming up short that causes families to seek other educational opportunities. To solve a problem, you must first identify the root cause. I don’t believe the school system has embraced the feedback they get from families.
Buncombe County schools have always encouraged family involvement and welcomed visitors to their schools. Parents today are very savvy in researching the different options they have in educating their children. Buncombe County Schools has increased its effort in showing off all the amazing things our students are doing. I truly believe we have the best options for a well-rounded educational experience, including our wonderful arts programs, language programs, special-needs programs, STEM initiatives and athletic programs. My hope is that we will continue highlighting all of the great things going on in our schools every day, and parents will make us their first choice.
To prevent student loss, we need to focus on the quality of education we’re offering. This means improving academic outcomes, offering more innovative programs like STEM or vocational training, and ensuring that we create a safe, welcoming environment for students. By offering more personalized learning options and focusing on early intervention for struggling students, we can address issues before they become reasons for families to leave the district. We should also improve communication and collaboration with parents to better understand their concerns and keep them engaged in their children’s education. Parental involvement is key to student success and retaining families in the district.
Buncombe County Board of Education
GREG CHEATHAM
Website: Gregforgood.com
Occupation: Firefighter, retired teacher
Previous candidacy or offices held: Not provided
Key endorsements: Public Schools First, Buncombe County Association of Educators
Amount of money raised: Not provided
Top three donors: Not provided
THE QUESTIONS
What inspired you to run, and what differentiates you from your opponents?
The Buncombe County school board unanimously voted to support a resolution opposing the expansion of the state’s private school voucher program in June. Do you oppose the expansion of the voucher program? Why or why not?
I retired from Buncombe County Schools in 2023 after a 26-year teaching career. I am enjoying my second career as a firefighter with the City of Asheville. I am running for this position because I believe in public schools. I feel that my recent, extensive classroom teaching experience will bring an important perspective to the board.
Website: Instagram: #electnancyhargrove and Facebook @electNancyHargrove
Occupation: Retired teacher of special needs students at C.D. Owen Middle School, Swanannoa
Previous candidacy or offices held: First-time candidate
Key endorsements: N/A
Amount of money raised: N/A
Top three donors: N/A
I became a candidate for school board because I seek to serve by preserving, improving and strengthening Buncombe County Schools to meet the needs of students and their families. Everyone in our family has either taught or attended/graduated from this school district. We have invested our life’s work as educators in this community. I have been loyal to our school district as a teacher, parent and grandparent, living, working and raising a family here for 34 years. One accomplishment, National Board Certified Teacher, shows my passion for learning and serving with skills developed over the years.
Website: facebook.com/ SDisherRatliff
Occupation: Compliance manager
Previous candidacy or offices held: 2022 Buncombe County school board candidate, Reynolds District seat
Key endorsements: Jerry Green, former principal of 35 years at Black Mountain Primary; Michele Woodhouse, NC-11 GOP Chair
Amount of money raised: Not provided
Top three donors: Not provided
As a full-time working mother with four children in Buncombe County Schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school, I bring a vital and underrepresented perspective to the school board. With only one current member having a child in the school system, I’m dedicated to being a strong voice for parents. My firsthand experience with the daily challenges families face — homework, communication, extracurriculars and peer relationships — gives me unique insights often missing in school board decisions. As an active stakeholder in public schools, I am committed to ensuring parents’ voices are heard.
I will never fault a family for seeking out a school placement that is the best fit for their child. I do not, however, support diverting funds away from public schools for private school vouchers. The only exception I could support would involve a voucher for a specialized school that could provide advanced interventions for a student with special needs.
What are your top safety concerns for students, and what policies could be implemented to address these?
I am concerned about the mass shootings in schools. Increased security in our buildings and more SROs could help.
I oppose expansion of the voucher system. I agree with the June board meeting resolution calling on the General Assembly to prioritize teacher pay increases and early childhood education over more funding of private schools. Legislative lobbying on our behalf is important.
Physical harm, verbal and/or physical aggression/ bullying and all forms of harassment can happen, especially in unsupervised circumstances. Data has shown that there is a lack of specialized staff in state and county schools for counselors, psychologists, nurses and social workers to handle mental health issues which students face, such as major depression episodes. Upgrade security and safety measures in each school, and train students to respond appropriately in campus emergencies. Address the root causes of mental health by hiring more counselors and specialized staff to serve students with serious depression problems and other time-sensitive mental health issues.
Public education has always been the choice for my family. As a proud graduate of A.C. Reynolds High School, I wanted my children to benefit from the same exceptional system I did. However, I also believe that parents should have the freedom to choose the best educational path for their child. Higher-income families often contribute more in state taxes, while those in lower income brackets pay less. Given this, it’s unfair to penalize families based on income by limiting their educational choices. Everyone should have equal access to the educational opportunities that best suit their children, regardless of their income level.
My top safety concern is ensuring that every student feels secure while learning. While the current board has done a great job retrofitting and updating campuses, we must also utilize available technology to enhance safety. This includes better surveillance systems and secure access points. Additionally, we need to push for stronger partnerships between schools and law enforcement, with a full-time school resource officer (SRO) in every school by the end of our sheriff’s term. SROs are important, but technology and improved campus infrastructure will also play key roles in keeping our students and staff safe.
In addition to lobbying the state for more funds, what could local school districts do to better support and retain teachers?
Buncombe County Schools enrollment has been declining for several years until it stabilized last year. What do you think the district should be doing to limit the loss of students, which corresponds to a loss in state funding?
I do not think pay is the only reason that we lose staff. Finding ways to make our employees feel respected and listened to is equally important.
I believe that the best way to maintain and increase student enrollment is to promote the many amazing programs that make our system special. Our schools have never done more to address the interests and learning styles of our students.
We need to raise North Carolina teacher pay to the national average. Presently, base pay ranks 38th! Our local supplemental teacher pay is of huge value in attracting, retaining and supporting teachers. Other financial incentives, such as grants, scholarships and financial aid, would enable educators to improve their credentials. Mentoring programs for new teachers would help retain educators and likely help their instruction and discipline in the classroom. Team support by grade level or common subject areas is important.
Our student population affects our state funding. Quality education needs funding. We need to ask the N.C. General Assembly for more funding per student. Our state is 50th in funding efforts that North Carolina legislators are willing to allocate. Positive publicity, (on social media and local news outlets,) about BCS’ successful programs will help, highlighting student groups’ achievements, service and individual testimonials of great experiences. Maintaining and improving the BCS and schools’ websites would be an asset for families. The priority is more state funding per student.
My approach to recruiting and retaining qualified teachers emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive and empowering environment. Retention is about ensuring that teachers feel valued and have opportunities for growth that align with their professional goals. By listening to and addressing their needs, we can help them thrive in their roles. While compensation is a factor, true job satisfaction often comes from a teacher’s ability to make a meaningful impact in the lives of their students.
Parents today have an unprecedented array of educational options beyond traditional public schools, further expanded by the pandemic. It is the school board’s responsibility to ensure our public schools are so welcoming, dynamic and high achieving that they become the preferred choice for families. While parents deserve the autonomy to choose the best educational path, the state must ensure equitable access to these diverse options. By understanding and addressing parents’ needs, we can enhance public education, making it a compelling choice for more families and benefiting all students.
Asheville City Board of Education
Until 2022, the Asheville City Board of Education was fully appointed by Asheville City Council. But that year, voters elected Liza Kelly, Amy Ray, Rebecca Strimer and Sarah Thornburg — four of the board’s seven members. Now the remaining three seats are up for election.
Among the candidates running are current Chair George Sieburg and current member Jesse Warren who was appointed by the school board to replace former member Peyton O’Conner, who resigned at the end of 2022. Also running is Pepi Acebo, who received more votes than Warren in the 2022 race, and William (Bill) Young Jr., who finished last that year.
After years of high turnover, Superintendent Maggie Fehrman is in her second year at the district’s helm and appears poised to stay amid significant challenges. The district continues to struggle with the recruitment and retention of teachers and staff who say Asheville’s rising cost of living is outpacing wages. Student enrollment remains in decline. And the district continues to struggle with a wide achievement gap between its white and Black students, although that gap appeared to narrow slightly in Fehrman’s first year.
The district also closed one of its two middle schools in March in what some observers said was a rash decision, leading parent Daniel Shetley to launch a write-in campaign for the board.
Additionally, the potential consolidation of Asheville City Schools (ACS) with its larger neighbor, Buncombe County Schools (BCS), is being studied this year by an independent consultant. Led by the county, the study won’t be completed until January, with recommendations due to state legislators in February.
Notably, the Asheville City Association of Educators, a teacher and education staff advocacy group, has endorsed Acebo, Sieburg and Young for the three seats.
— Greg Parlier X
Website: pepiforasheville.com
Occupation: Manufacturer of wooden children’s products
Previous candidacy or offices held: Ten years attending nearly every ACS Board of Education meeting. Eight years as a PTO officer in three different Asheville City Schools. Successful primary candidate in 2022. Key endorsements: Asheville City Association of Educators, Buncombe County Association of Educators, N.C. Association of Retired School Personnel
Amount of money raised: Self-funded Top three donors: Self-funded
Reduced funding. State and national political realities: Our state legislature appears to be in a race to the bottom in per-pupil funding, and we’re facing a COVID-19 relief funding cliff. Self-inflicted: The district has closed successful schools of choice and discouraged enrollment through out-of-district fees that apply to more than half the residents of the City of Asheville. Political: Our TDA-accelerated housing crisis makes renting and homeownership extremely challenging, driving out families, which also lowers enrollment. Systemic: Our moth-eaten district map excludes large portions of Asheville and exempts many hotels and commercial interests from the Asheville City Schools tax.
Website: N/A
Occupation: Finance director, Asheville Community Theatre
Previous candidacy or offices held: Board chair, Asheville City Schools (appointed by Asheville City Council 2021)
Key endorsements: Asheville City Association of Educators (ACAE) Amount of money raised: None Top three donors: No funds raised so far.
The importance of ACS to our community makes picking just one challenge impossible. So here are a few, and our children deserve all people in our district, whether you have school-aged children or not, working on solutions: 1) the N.C. General Assembly (NCGA) must fully fund our public schools, including the Leandro decision. 2) We must address the racial achievement and opportunity gaps. We have done a disservice to ALL our students by not supporting and serving our Black and brown students. 3) Our community is going to be asked for their input A LOT this school year, with a district consolidation study, a facility study and strategic planning.
In addition to lobbying the state for more funds, what could local school districts do to better support and retain teachers?
Enrollment at Asheville City Schools has been declining for several years. What do you think the district should be doing to limit the loss of students, which corresponds to a loss in state funding?
I believe that adopting the proposed Meet, Confer and Collaborate policy to give the Asheville City Association of Educators seats at the table will make a big difference in teacher retention, effectively addressing issues as they come up and avoiding unintended consequences. We also have to address a culture of fear and retaliation from previous administrations and work to repair harm with our current and former staff.
We need to mirror the internal “You belong” messaging out to our entire community, within and beyond the district. We need to address the sticky issue of our legacy district boundaries that give big-box stores and commercial zones a free ride and exclude families from our enrollment. We need to address the myth that charging extra fees to “out of district” families in our community is “fair.” We need to confront our funding issues without a culture of scarcity or an austerity mindset that leads to a downward spiral of diminished schools and reduced enrollment. We need more “Yes, and” and less “Yes, but.”
The most important thing our district is doing to support and retain teachers — while we wait for the NCGA to fulfill their constitutional duty to fully fund our public schools and pay our educators what they deserve — is to work collaboratively with the Asheville City Association of Educators (ACAE) on their proposal for Meet, Confer and Collaborate. I am proud that as a current board member, I have worked with Superintendent Dr. Maggie Fehrman to rebuild trust between educators in our buildings and central office staff. School-based staff, including cafeteria staff, bus drivers and custodians know what is happening in our buildings with a specificity that is critical.
Simply put, our school district needs to do a better job telling its story. Amazing learning happens in Asheville City Schools buildings each day. Our educators make deep connections with our students, our school-based and central office leaders build lasting relationships with families and community partners, and our schools provide unique programs and opportunities for youth from pre-K to 12th grade. Asheville City schools are the heart of our community. I want families to contribute to that heartbeat.
What actions should Asheville City Schools take in addressing its well-documented achievement gap between white and Black students?
What are your top safety concerns for students, and what policies could be implemented to address these?
We need to recognize, as the county commissioners have, that the first and best way to close every testing, achievement and opportunity gap is universal access to quality early childhood education so that every child starts kindergarten ready to learn. To close gaps, we must work with government and community partners to provide universal access to quality early childhood education, to food and health care, to safe and affordable housing, and to educational opportunities in our public schools. Public schools cannot close all gaps in isolation. We must also radically commit to educating ALL students, not allowing any student to fall through the cracks, with the dedication and funding that this requires.
I share concerns about vaping and self-harm for our middle and high school students, and the impact of cellphones and unlimited social media on the mental health of all students and their families. I am also concerned about mass shootings and the next pandemic. But we can’t make every decision based on fear. It’s not healthy for our schools. I believe in teachers, families and school communities to problem-solve and prioritize the safety needs of their students. For 10 years, I have advocated for school-selected professional development and resources to address issues like behavior management and approaches to discipline from the grassroots so they take ownership over their shared school culture.
It is the board’s role to revisit achievement data throughout the school year and connect those data to the superintendent’s goals. The board should continue to champion the work of the Racial Equity Ambassadors Program (REAP) at AHS/SILSA and its expansion into Asheville Middle School — especially the Asheville 6, the six strategies for increasing cultural responsiveness. Additionally, the board and the district must continue to advocate for more state and local funding for universal pre-K programs for kindergarten readiness.
The biggest safety concern facing our students is the student mental health crisis that has been growing over the last decade and a half and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. I have seen district teachers and school-based leaders over the past couple years building deep relationships with students and providing time and space in their classrooms and buildings for students to build community; we need to continue to highlight the powerful work that educators are doing to support our youth. The board can also further advocate for funding from the state and from county commissioners for mental health positions in our schools, like school counselors, social workers and site-based therapists.
What’s the No. 1 challenge facing the district in the upcoming school year?
N.C. House
Incumbent Democrats Eric Ager and Lindsey Prather are running for reelection in N.C. House districts 114 and 115, respectively. But both districts look different from when the pair was first elected to two-year terms in 2022.
That’s because all North Carolina state legislative districts have been redrawn by Republican legislators.
The new version of District 114 covers eastern and south central Buncombe County, and notably no longer includes a large portion of the City of Asheville. It is still considered to lean Democratic. Ager faces certified public accountant Sherry Higgins , who lost a close Republican primary for the seat in 2022.
District 115, meanwhile, went from a “lean Democratic” to a “lean Republican” district, according to Chris Cooper , professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University. The new district covers western, northern and northeastern Buncombe County.
Prather will square off against attorney Ruth Smith for the seat.
Higgins and Smith did not respond to multiple requests for participation in the Xpress Voter Guide.
— Justin McGuire X
QUESTIONS
What are the top state and local concerns for your constituents, and how do you plan to address them?
ERIC AGER
Website: ericager4nc.com
Occupation: Retired military/nonprofit executive director
Previous candidacy or offices held: State House of Representatives District 114 since the 2022 election
Key endorsements: Sierra Club, VoteVets, Equality NC, N.C. Association of Educators, N.C. State AFL-CIO
Amount of money raised: $30,000
Top three donors: James Wolfe, Steven Baumohl, Richard Wasch
1) Agriculture and the environment — I believe in bringing farmers and environmentalists together to take care of our soil, air, land and water because these are the people in our community who are the most focused on the beauty of our mountain lands. We were able to appropriate $2 million of ag costshare money for farmers in the French Broad River basin that will help farmers complete projects that will have a big impact on water quality in the French Broad and all of its tributaries but need to continue to build on this effort. 2) Behavioral health — We are in the middle of a behavioral health crisis in our state and need to continue to fund innovative efforts to improve lives and build a strong workforce. 3) Public school funding — We must change the trajectory of funding for our public schools so that they have the resources that they need to do the most important job in our state, which is educating our children.
Website: pratherfornc.com
Occupation:
Assistant director of admission, UNC Asheville
Previous candidacy or offices held: State House of Representatives District 115 since the 2022 election
Key endorsements: Sierra Club, EMILY’s List, N.C. League of Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood
Amount of money raised: $282,772.91 as of June 30
Top three donors: Steve Baumohl, Rich Wasch, Brad Stanback
Education — Put a moratorium on the private school voucher program and increase teacher and staff pay. Housing — I would invest in the Housing Finance Agency to assist with aging in place, workforce housing and down payment assistance. Health care — Expand physical/mental health care access in schools and communities through school-based health care programs and incentivize health care providers to work in rural areas. Cost of living — I will again file HB 1055, the Working Families and Small Business Act. It will invest in state employee salaries, cost-ofliving adjustments for retirees, tax credits to small businesses and child care subsidies so parents can get back to work.
North Carolina ranks 49th in the country in the percentage of its gross domestic product spent on education, according to nonpartisan think tank Public School Forum. What will you do to improve state support of public education, including higher education?
North Carolina has a $1 billion surplus. Many in the state legislature have expressed using that to expand private school voucher programs. How would you spend the surplus?
Current school funding levels are inadequate, and the Republican majority instead directed more than $500 million to the private school voucher program, which allows the wealthiest in our communities to receive a subsidy to send their children to private schools. Instead, this money should be directed toward our public schools, which educate more than 80% of the kids in North Carolina.
I would spend the surplus to ensure that our state employees, including teachers, are given cost-ofliving (COLA) raises to ensure that they are able to afford to live in the communities in which they teach. The state worker vacancy rate is currently almost 25%, and this is not sustainable. From our schools to the DMV to the Department of Agriculture, we don’t have enough workers to do what needs to be done. Additionally, I would direct some of the surplus toward a COLA raise to our state government retirees whose buying power has been cut by almost 50% in the last 20 years.
I will continue pushing for the state legislature to follow the Leandro Plan to fully fund our public schools according to our constitutional obligation. I would invest in teacher preparation programs, including NC Teaching Fellows and local “grow your own” programs. I will also continue to advocate for the proposed community college funding formula, which expands workforce training programs and short-term workforce credentials.
I would focus on expanding North Carolina pre-K so that families who qualify can actually access the service. Investments in early childhood education are fiscally sound and improve the entire state’s economy.
What can the N.C. General Assembly do to improve health care and access to it in your district?
Do you run a business in a local town outside of Asheville?
Advertise in Xpress’ once-a-month recurring feature!
Should the N.C. General Assembly allow the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) to use more occupancy tax revenues to address affordable housing?
Medicaid expansion during the last term was a huge step forward, but we have a lot more work to do. We need to ensure that Mission HCA is held accountable by our community and that it returns its focus to people instead of profits. We need to continue to provide funding for programs like the Healthy Opportunities pilot program, which has a real impact on improving the social determinants of health. And finally, we need to continue to look for innovative ways to ensure that our health system meets the needs of patients instead of being directed primarily by organizations that are simply in search of profits.
Yes, we have a housing crisis in Buncombe County, and without relief, the tourism industry won’t have the workforce necessary to continue to bring tourist dollars into our local economy if we don’t have places for those workers to live.
SHERRY M. HIGGINS
HIGGINS DID NOT RESPOND TO MULTIPLE REQUESTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE XPRESS VOTER GUIDE.
I was proud to vote for Medicaid expansion last year, which has allowed over 12,000 people in Buncombe to get health care. However, more work needs to be done to expand access to care, particularly in rural areas. One action the General Assembly can take is passing my bipartisan bill, Preserving Competition in Healthcare (HB 737), which enhances the powers of the Attorney General’s Office to review sales of nonprofit hospitals to for-profit companies. What happened to Asheville with HCA cannot be allowed to happen to any other communities. I will continue pushing for incentives to encourage health care providers to work and serve in rural areas.
YES. In order to maintain a thriving tourism economy, we need workers who are able to staff the hotels, restaurants, bars, tours, etc., that visitors use. Those workers need to be able to live in Buncombe County.
RUTH SMITH
SMITH DID NOT RESPOND TO MULTIPLE REQUESTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE XPRESS VOTER GUIDE.
JOHN AGER WARREN DANIEL
N.C. Senate
Republican Warren Daniel of Morganton and Democrat Julie Mayfield of Asheville will defend their N.C. Senate seats in the Tuesday, Nov. 5 election. The candidates are representing districts that have changed since each was last elected in 2022, after Republican legislators redrew all the state’s legislative districts.
Daniel, a Morganton attorney, has represented District 46 since 2010. He will face Democrat John Ager, a retired Fairview farmer who previously served four terms in the N.C. House. The newly drawn district encompasses Burke and McDowell counties as well as the east, north and west portions of Buncombe County. It is considered Republican-leaning.
Mayfield, a senior policy adviser at MountainTrue and former Asheville City Council member, was first elected to District 49 seat in 2020. She is being challenged by Kristie Sluder, a family, crisis and recovery counselor based in Reems Creek.
District 49 now covers the central and southern parts of Buncombe County, including the City of Asheville. It leans Democratic.
Daniel and Sluder did not respond to multiple requests for participation in the Xpress Voter Guide.
— Justin McGuire X
THE QUESTIONS
What are the top state and local concerns for your constituents, and how do you plan to address them?
Website: ElectJohnAger.com
Occupation: Retired farmer and legislator and author
Previous candidacy or offices held: Four terms in the N.C. House of Representatives
Key endorsements: Did not respond Amount of money raised: Did not respond
Top three donors: Did not respond
The N.C. General Assembly needs to quit meddling in education policy and adequately fund our public schools, community colleges and universities. It is time to quit rigging elections and end gerrymandering once and for all. The General Assembly needs to quit trying to micromanage women’s health care. I will make supporting our small farms and soil health a top priority. I will also make sure our people have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. I also want to find ways to make family life more affordable, including child care, housing, health care and food costs. I enjoy helping people solve problems they have with our state government. I am a “fix the roads” and “pay the teachers” political leader. Government cannot solve everyone’s problems. We have to be pragmatic.
North Carolina ranks 49th in the country in the percentage of its gross domestic product spent on education, according to nonpartisan think tank Public School Forum. What will you do to improve state support of public education, including higher education?
North Carolina has a $1 billion surplus. Many in the state legislature have expressed using that to expand private school voucher programs. How would you spend the surplus?
Education is the primary responsibility of the N.C. General Assembly. For the past decade and a half, public school funding has been lagging in a state with a growing population and tax revenues. Our university system, once the envy of the country, has been riddled with partisan policies and attacks. We need to unburden our public schools so they have the same freedoms as charter schools and unburden the way schools receive funds from Raleigh.
Regarding private school vouchers, state tax dollars should only go to accredited private schools, not a few homeschooled kids in a church basement. Moreover, opportunity scholarships should only go to students who need the opportunity, not children from wealthy families. And finally, any school receiving state funds must show with comparable testing whether these students are achieving goals or not. I am fine with some surplus in our treasury to be used for emergencies, such as we have experienced with climate-related hurricanes. Raising pay across our traditional public schools would be a high priority for me, along with other pay raises for state employees like prison guards, DMV and Highway Patrol officers. We have too many vacancies in our state agencies. We are going to need general funds for our transportation needs, including passenger rail back to WNC. And finally, we need to fund a state museum of history and culture to showcase our rich heritage for students, residents and visitors.
DANIEL DID NOT RESPOND TO MULTIPLE REQUESTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE XPRESS VOTER GUIDE.
What can the N.C. General Assembly do to improve health care and access to it in your district?
Should the N.C. General Assembly allow the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to use more occupancy tax revenues to address affordable housing?
Clearly, the privatization of health care delivery has not gone well here in the mountains. HCA’s monopoly power has driven up costs while HCA has put their workers under enormous workloads. I support expanding the scope of practice for practitioners in various fields trained to provide a wide variety of care. I am very proud to have extended health care to half a million residents of North Carolona with Medicaid expansion and want to make sure that they can access the services they need.
It is tempting to look for these dollars to solve a difficult and expensive problem in providing housing for those in the hospitality economy, but I think state guidelines for TDA money would not allow that approach. I think the hotel community, which has been thriving, should look at providing basic housing for hospitality workers in motels that are no longer competitive in our market.
JULIE MAYFIELD KRISTIE SLUDER
Website: mayfieldforncsenate.com
Occupation: State senator, NC-49; Senior policy adviser, MountainTrue
Previous candidacy or offices held: District 49 senator since 2020; Asheville City Council member, 2015-20
Key endorsements: N.C. Association of Educators, Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic, Pro-Choice N.C., Lillian’s List, N.C. AFL-CIO, National Nurses United, Equality N.C., Sierra Club, Conservation PAC
Amount of money raised: $170,000
Top three donors: Mack Pearsall, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Amy and Lynn Pletcher
Top concerns are likely the economy, housing and mental health/homelessness. The economy is largely out of our control, but I will continue the effort to raise the minimum wage and to bring down the cost of living. Part of lowering the cost of living is increasing the supply of housing, generally, and affordable housing, specifically. I am leading a bipartisan, bicameral effort to enact state-level housing policy in 2025 that will advance both of those goals. In terms of mental health and homelessness, we need to invest more in mental health services and in building permanent supportive housing.
I will continue to advocate raises for teachers and other school personnel, more per-pupil spending, and more counselors and social workers to provide our students with the constitutionally required sound, basic education. The Leandro plan does all of this, but the legislature refuses to fund it. I will also continue to advocate against private school vouchers for people who can afford to and already do send their children to private schools. As to higher education, we need to better fund community colleges and remove partisan politics from higher education boards, policies and programs.
Republican legislators just voted to put over $400 million more for vouchers for this year and for next. This takes money out of public schools directly through a reduction in the per-pupil allocation and indirectly in that those funds could be used to invest in public schools. I would invest that money in any combination of the following: state employee raises and staff expansion in key agencies, public schools, child care, mental health services, innovations waivers (for people with disabilities), affordable housing, election services or many other services.
SLUDER DID NOT RESPOND TO MULTIPLE REQUESTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE XPRESS VOTER GUIDE.
IMPORTANT DATES
for the Nov. 5 General Election
Thursday, Oct. 17:
In-person early voting begins. Same-day registration available.
Tuesday, Oct. 29:
The last day to request an absentee ballot. Any registered voter can request, receive and vote through a mail-in absentee ballot. You can request one online at avl.mx/8ii or by mail at avl.mx/e13.
Saturday, Nov. 2:
The last day for in-person early voting.
The primary health care issue here is the degradation of services and quality of care at Mission Health. Hundreds of doctors and nurses have left, and Mission Hospital was cited with “immediate jeopardy,” the severest penalty possible. This is all due to HCA, a publicly traded company that prioritizes profits over people. I will introduce several bills to address this. One would allow the N.C. attorney general to stop the sale/merger of a hospital if it would negatively impact the quality, cost, availability and accessibility of care. The second would strengthen the prohibition on the corporate practice of medicine.
Yes. The state guidelines that govern occupancy taxes have not been revised in over two decades, but tourism and hospitality have changed significantly and now recognize that good places to visit should also be good places to live. Changing the guidelines to allow TDAs and local communities to decide together what the community needs are and how the tax revenue should be used to meet those needs is the logical step forward. Allowing some of the ever-increasing occupancy tax revenues to be used to expand housing that directly supports hospitality workers would be a welcome change.
Tuesday, Nov. 5: Election day. Absentee ballots must be submitted by 7:30 p.m.
For additional information on voting locations, voter ID requirements and other election-related news, visit avl.mx/e20.
Rescue mission
BY PAT MORAN
Whirring helicopter blades cut the air as Taylor Knipp crosses the lot at the Harley-Davidson of Asheville dealership in Swannanoa. The location is a hive of activity — volunteers hustle to load trucks and pallets, while forklifts stack crates full of food, water, generators and medical supplies.
Since Tropical Storm Helene devastated the region, Knipp and her fiancé, Adam Smith, have transformed the site into the Savage Freedoms Relief Operation — an ad hoc private air base running daily rescue, reconnaissance and resupply missions to some of the hardest-hit areas in Western North Carolina.
“On any given day we’ve had up to 30 … aircraft land,” Knipp says. “We can accommodate up to nine helicopters at a time. We’ve had over 100 different helicopters and upwards of 200 hundred pilots since this all started.”
But the group’s origin story, Knipp continues, began with a single rescue mission in mind.
ALL-VOLUNTEER OPERATION
The steady stream of helicopters makes the relief and supply operation feel like a military base.
And in a way, that’s what it is.
Smith — who was on a supply run at Statesville Regional Airport during Xpress’ visit to the Swannanoa location — is a veteran of the U.S. Army Special Forces. He and Knipp’s all-volunteer workforce includes private pilots, former special operations personnel, off-duty firefighters and National Guard members as well as members of nonprofits such as the
Local couple launch private air force operation to reach
rural communities
Civilian Critical Response Team and Charlie Mike.
The operation also has medical personnel on-site at all times, Knipp says, including nurses, paramedics and emergency medical personnel as well as doctors. This revolving roster of health care workers helps deliver donated medical supplies including oxygen, insulin and prescriptions.
Additionally, the volunteer air force has been distributing Starlink kits to remote rural areas. Initially, they focused on fire departments. But more
recently the delivery has expanded to community hubs.
“For communities that we couldn’t get to other than by air, we drop off a generator and a Starlink unit and some fuel,” Knipp explains. “We can then communicate with that community, and they can let us know exactly what they need [and] when they need it.”
’THE CAPACITY TO HELP’
Knipp says Savage Freedoms Relief Operation has been coordinating its
efforts with the National Guard and local sheriff’s departments.
“We have a point of contact at all the different fire stations,” she explains. “Since day one, we’ve been building that network. We wanted to have contacts at every place.”
But the rescue operation has not collaborated with the federal government.
“FEMA was at our gate this morning [on Oct. 8] talking to us. That’s the first we’ve seen them,” Knipp says. “[FEMA] just offered help and assistance. We politely declined, and they went on their way.
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POWER COUPLE: Taylor Knipp and Adam Smith head a rescue and relief operation at the Harley-Davidson of Asheville dealership in Swannanoa. Photo by Caleb Johnson
“The biggest difference between what we’re doing and the response system that’s already in place at the federal level is response time,” Knipp continues. “There’s a lot of red tape when it’s government entities. There’s a lot of approval that has to happen versus civilians who can bring their aircraft here right now and we’re good to go.”
Darrell Habisch, public information officer with Federal Emergency Management Agency, says there is a misunderstanding about how the federal agency operates.
“Most of what we do is in coordination with other agencies,” says Habisch, who spoke with Xpress on Oct. 10. “You don’t see FEMA logos and FEMA trucks [because] we are in a support role. Whether or not [people] see personnel branded as FEMA, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t there.”
What people do see is the result of the support and cooperation that FEMA is providing, Habisch continues. That includes $70 million in housing and other types of assistance for over 57,700 households in Western North Carolina.
The agency is also paying hotels to shelter more than 1,250 households through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, while approximately 45 mobile sites have begun delivering meals across 13 counties, Habisch says.
On Oct. 9, FEMA opened a disaster recovery center at A.C. Reynolds High School, 1 Rocket Drive, Asheville. The center, a one-stop shop where survivors can receive in-person help as they navigate their recovery process, is open Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Back at the Swannanoa base, volunteer Matt Dodge offers Xpress a closer look at some of the helicopters. Amid the inspection, Dodge — a 20-year veteran and former Army Ranger — provides his take on Savage Freedoms Relief Operation.
“What we have here is guys that are used to being in austere environments where not a lot is going right, and then the job is to figure out how to make it go right,” he says. “There are a lot of people here who have been in situations like this, and have the capacity to help.”
FIRST MISSION
Before blossoming into a homegrown air force and supply chain, Savage Freedoms Relief Operation had a single goal — saving a family.
In the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, Smith was unable to reach his ex-wife, Megan Smith, and his daughter, Tove, who live alongside the Broad River.
“We tried to get to the house, which is 7 miles from here, and the road was
a mudslide on one end, completely missing at the other,” Knipp says.
The couple drove to South Carolina, where they got in touch with Smith’s friend Jon Paramore, a St. Louisbased business consultant. Paramore connected Smith and Knipp with Aaron Rudolph, a pilot and owner of a helicopter. Smith, who lives near Swannanoa, is an avid motorcycle rider; familiar with the open field at the Harley-Davidson dealership, he directed Rudolph to land there.
“We just showed up,” Knipp says.
Shortly after, Rudolph took off with Smith to rescue his family. Megan and Tove are safe and have since moved in with family in Asheville.
Megan Smith is helping with Savage Freedoms’ relief efforts.
THE NEXT PHASE
Since that initial rescue, the operation has snowballed. Working with Rudolph, Smith and Knipp started dropping supplies to neighbors who were stranded without resources. Smith’s reputation in survivalist circles quickly drew a growing roster of volunteers — as well as a visit from Ivanka Trump.
As pilots rallied to the site in Swannanoa, Smith placed a call to the Federal Aviation Administration, which has provided the flyers with squawk codes — four-digit sequences that air traffic control uses to identify aircraft when they are flying, says Knipp.
Meanwhile, Paramore launched a GoFundMe to cover the operation’s costs for fuel, water, helicopter maintenance and pilot fees, with all donations going to Smith and his company, Savage Freedoms LLC. As of Oct. 11, the page had raised $315,620 from over 2,300 small donors. The goal is
to raise $500,000. Top donors include John Watch and David Adams, who chipped in $5,000 apiece.
With permission from the HarleyDavidson dealership’s owner, Douglas J. Rudd, Smith and Knipp started connecting supplies with pilots on-site and began coordinating their efforts with emergency management services.
“In the beginning, we were dropping a lot of supplies to the different fire departments, and they were dispersing them from there,” Knipp says.
But with many of the distribution centers full and no longer accepting supplies, the operation has begun stockpiling donations at the dealership.
Communities, Knipp notes, will eventually need to be resupplied. And when they do, she continues, the operation will have them covered.
In the meantime, the operation works on mapping out its latest needs.
“Right now, we’re trying to find big shipping containers that we can set up at different communities or fire departments,” Knipp says. “Because they can store supplies like cold-weather gear, sleeping bags and space heaters and have them ready to go.”
The group’s ongoing goal is to rely on local support.
“Rather than bringing outside companies in to do the restoration … we let the people that live here — [who] have companies that can do it — rebuild their own community,” Knipp says. “That’s the idea.”
Savage Freedoms Relief Operation has a hotline at 888-618-0504 where people can request assistance or volunteer. X
CHOPPERS AT THE PUMP: Helicopters gas up for their next mission. Photo by Caleb Johnson
HELENE RESOURCE DIRECTORY
For this week’s issue, our staff has compiled a list of important information for readers to know in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene’s devastation. Please be aware that things are changing rapidly, and some of these listings may be out-of-date by the time you read this. If you know of any information that should be included in future issues, please email calendar@mountainx.com.
SUPPLIES
DISTRIBUTION & INTAKE LOCATIONS
Asheville Middle School
MREs, food and bottled water are available. One case of water per family.
Open till 7pm 211 S. French Broad Ave, Asheville
Beloved Asheville
Donations are accepted. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Days and hours may vary.
32 Old Charlotte Hwy
Dssolvr
Distributing hot food, water, supplies. Monday through Friday, 10am.
63 N Lexington Ave
Poder Emma: El Mercadito
Providing food, diapers, water, first level medications and clothing. Open Wednesday through Friday, 1pm and Sunday, 12pm.
477 N. Louisiana Ave
Linwood Crump
Shiloh Community Center
MREs, food and bottled water are available. One case of water per family.
Open till 7pm 121 Shiloh Rd
Pack Square Park
Bring your own water container. 2 gallons per person/ day.
70 Court Plaza
Lucy Herring Elementary
Bulk water location. Bring your own container, if possible.
98 Sulphur Springs Rd
12 Baskets Cafe
Food distribution and supplies intake.
Open daily, 10am. 610 Haywood Rd
The Fresh Market Distributing free bottled water. 944 Merrimon Ave
Rosettas
Free soup kitchen for the public.
68 N Lexington Ave
Harrah’s Cherokee Center
Front door is accepting small donations, 9am to 5pm.
87 Haywood St
Double Crown
A community-led distribution and intake location.
Open daily, 12pm to 5pm.
375 Haywood Rd
MANNA FoodBank
Manna has set up a temporary donation and distribution site at WNC Farmers Market.
570 Brevard Rd
William W. Estes Elementary School
Buncombe County is distributing food, water, and supplies that will be available from noon until 4 p.m.
275 Overlook Road, Asheville
Sand Hill Elementary
Buncombe County is distributing food, water, and supplies that will be available from noon until 4 p.m.
154 Sand Hill School Road, Asheville
North Windy Ridge Intermediate School
Buncombe County is distributing food, water, and supplies that will be available
distribute fundraised resources along
from noon until 4 p.m. 20 Doan Road, Weaverville
Fairview Elementary School
Buncombe County is distributing food, water, and supplies that will be available from noon until 4 p.m.
1355 Charlotte Highway, Fairview
Black Mountain
Ingles
Buncombe County is distributing food, water, and supplies that will be available from noon until 4 p.m.
550 NC-9, Black Mountain, 28711
Cane Middle Creek
Middle
Buncombe County is distributing food,
water, and supplies that will be available from noon until 4 p.m.
570 Lower Brush Creek Road, Fletcher
Leicester Elementary School
Buncombe County is distributing food, water, and supplies that will be available from noon until 4 p.m.
31 Gilbert Road, Leicester
Woodland Baptist Church
Supplies available Monday through Friday, 8am. Donations accepted Saturday, 9am and Sunday, 2pm.
545 Crabtree Rd, Waynesville
Jonathan Valley Elementary School
Supplies available Monday through Friday, 8am. Donations are accepted.
410 Hall Dr, Waynesville
Bethel Elementary School
Supplies available Monday through Friday. 8am. Donations are accepted.
4700 Old River Rd, Canton
Maggie Valley Pavilion
Supplies available Monday through Friday, 8am. Donations are accepted.
3987 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley
Reynolds Baptist Church
Supplies are available for pickup and distribution. Open daily, 9am.
520 Rose Hill Rd
Asheville YMCA
Distributing essential relief items to the public. Open daily, 10am.
30 Woodfin St, Asheville
Laurel Community Center
Distributing food, water and supplies.
4100 NC 212 Hwy, Marshall
Center Community Center
Food, supplies and water available.
Open daily, 8am.
1300 Grapevine Rd, Marshall
Ebbs Chapel Community Center
Food, supplies and water available. Days and hours vary.
281 Laurel Valley
Tranzmission Food
Pantry
Food items, nonfood supplies and water. Thursday through Saturday, 4pm.
Direct Message via Instagram for address.
Bounty and Soul
Latino
Food and supplies in Swannanoa. Open at 1pm.
216 Whitson Ave, Swannanoa
Swannanoa Library
Food and supplies in Swannanoa. Open at 1pm. 101 W Charleston Ave, Swannanoa
Bee Tree
Food and supplies in Swannanoa. Open at 2:30pm. 372 Tree Rd, Swannanoa
East Haven
Food and supplies in Swannanoa. Open at 4:45pm. 2244 US-70, Swannanoa
ANIMALS & PET SUPPLIES/ CARE
Asheville Veterinary Associates
Distributing dog food, cat food, litter, water and farm animal food.
50 New Leicester Highway.
Heart of the Foothills Animal Rescue
Edneyville Elementary
Offering shelter for pets. 2875 Pace Rd Yancey County Humane Society Providing essential pet supplies with the help of Best Friends Animal Society. Open daily, 9am.
211 Kind Hearts Wy, Burnsville Mitchell County Animal Rescue Dog and cat food available. Open Monday through Friday, 11am. 2492 Hwy 19E, Spruce Pine First Baptist Church Swannanoa Offering dog and cat food, cat litter and veterinary care. 503 Park St
Providing essential pet supplies with the help of Best Friends Animal Society. Wednesday through Saturday, 11am. 380 US-221, Rutherfordton Charlie’s Angels animal rescue Distributing pet food. Open daily, 10am. 5526 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher
WE GOT US: Stacie Ziele and Alyse Stevens, coworkers at an Asheville retail shop,
South French Broad Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 12. Photo by Caleb Johnson
Grovemont Park
Offering dog and cat supplies as well as veterinary care.
251 Stonewall Ave, Swannonoa
Ingles Black Mountain Distributing dog and cat food.
550 NC-9, Black Mountain
MedVet Asheville
An emergency and specialty veterinary hospital. Open daily, 7am.
677 Brevard Rd
Patton Ave Pets
Pet supplies for sale.
1388 Patton Ave
Wilson Farms
Site is accepting livestock supply donations.
1953 New House Road, Shelby
Heritage Farm Supply
No storage capacity. Drop-off/pick-up only.
1320 Jupiter Road, Weaverville
Upper Mountain Research Station
Site is accepting livestock supply donations.
8004 NC Highway
88 E, Laurel Springs
WNC Livestock Center
Site is accepting livestock supply donations.
474 Stock Drive, Canton
Mills River Research
Station
Open for livestock supply donations
Monday through Friday, 8am.
455 Research Drive, Mills River
McDowell County
Agriculture Center
Open for livestock supply donations
Monday through Friday, 9am and for distribution, 2pm.
188 Ag Services Dr, Marion
Beam FarmsResource Center
Open 24/4 as needed.
402 Clarence Henson Rd, Rutherfordton
Tryon International
Indoor Complex
Open daily, 10am.
2676 John Shehan Rd, Mill Spring
Pisgah Brewing Co
Pet supplies will be distributed. Open Friday through Sunday, 2pm and Thursday, 4pm.
2948 US-70 in Black Mountain
PUBLIC SHOWER & LAUNDRY LOCATIONS
Alpha Fitness
Open to non-members for showers. Days vary, 9am. 2570 Asheville Hwy
AC Reynolds High School
Comfort care center with showers, laundy, charging stations and counseling services. Open 7am to 7pm.
1 Rocket Dr
AB Tech
Bring your own towel. No hot water available. Open 7am to 7pm.
Between Coleman Building and McDowell House.
AG Center
Hot showers open to the public. Bring your own towel and shower products.
765 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher
Calvary Road
Church, 2701 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley Weaverville Laundromat
Open 24 hours. Coin only.
1 Central Ave
J & D Laundromat ATM on site. Days vary, open 7am. 1899 Brevard Rd, Arden
Express Laundry
Open daily, 6am. 5838 Asheville Hwy, Hendersonville
Camp Grier
Open daily, 10am and 4pm.
985 Camp Grier Rd, Old Fort
First Baptist Church
Check for hours and times.
63 N Main St, Weaverville
Ingles Black Mountain Hours and times vary.
550 NC-9
Reuter Family Branch YMCA
Open daily, 10am.
3 Town Square Blvd
Walmart Supercenter: Arden Free showers and laundry services. Open daily, 7am. 60 Airport Rd
West Asheville Truist Bank
Free mobile showers, laundry facilities and bathrooms.
Bring your own towel and flip flops.
Open daily, 11am. 1343 Parkwood Rd
Walmart Supercenter: Asheville Free showers and laundry services. Open daily, 7am. 1636 Hendersonville Rd
Walmart Supercenter: Weaverville Free showers and laundry services. Open daily, 7am. 25 Northridge Commons Pkwy
Trinity Baptist Church
Hot showers and a mobile laundry service on campus. Open daily, 10am. 216 Shelburne Rd
Corpening Memorial YMCA
Free public showers with WiFi and charging. Open daily, 2pm.
348 Grace Corpening Dr, Marion
Maple Ridge Baptist Church
Public showers, laundry and bathrooms. Open Monday
through Wednesday, 10am.
133 Medford Branch Rd, Candler Ingles: Swannanoa Hot showers. Open 7am.
2299 US-70, Swannanoa
BATHROOM LOCATIONS
The Flat Iron Hotel
Porta Potties for public use in front of the Flat Iron Hotel.
20 Battery Park Ave
Breakout Games
Porta Potties for public use in front of Breakout Games and the Restoration.
60 Patton Ave
Asheville Pinball Museum
Porta Potties for public use across from Harrah’s Cherokee Center. Page Avenue
Whole Foods Market
Porta Potties and handwashing stations.
1856 Hendersonville Rd
The Orange Peel Porta Potties are stationed.
101 Biltmore Ave
Corpening Memorial YMCA
Bathrooms are available. Open daily, 2pm.
348 Grace Corpening Dr, Marion
Walgreens: Merrimon Porta Potties and handwashing station. Open daily, 9am.
841 Merrimon Ave
Reuter Family YMCA
Bathrooms are available. Open daily, 10am.
3 Town Square Blvd
Publix Super Market: Weaverville
Bathroom trailer by Wells Fargo. Open daily, 7am.
165 Weaver Blvd, Weaverville
Lowe’s Home Improvement
Porta Potties and handwashing stations. Open Monday through Saturday,
6am and Sunday, 8am.
95 Smokey Park Hwy
Walgreens: Candler
Porta Potties and handwashing stations. Open daily, 9am.
41 Westridge Market Pl, Candler Trust Bank: West Asheville Bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities. Open daily, 11am.
1342 Parkwood Rd
Asheville City Preschool Emergency Food Closet
4 Porta Potties and 2 handwashing stations by the main entrance.
441 Haywood Rd
Grassroots Aid Partnership Bathrooms on Haywood Road across from the West Asheville Fire Station.
959 Haywood Rd
Maple Ridge Baptist Church Public showers, laundry and bathrooms. Open
Monday through Wednesday, 10am.
133 Medford Branch Rd, Candler
First United Methodist Church
Bathrooms and showers are available. Open daily, 10am.
566 S Haywood St, Waynesville
Asheville Farmstead School
Public bathroom and public shower.
Open daily, 10am.
218 Morgan Cove Rd, Candler
Woodfin Elementary School
Porta Potties available. Open daily, 10am.
216 Shelburne Rd
The Car Park Porta Potty next to Downtown Books & News.
79 N Lexington Ave
Chick-fil-A: Merrimon Porta Potty stationed for patrons.
170 Merrimon Ave
The Orange Peel Porta potties are stationed behind The Orange Peel. Open to the public. Hours and time vary.
101 Biltmore Ave
AB Tech: General Shelter
16 Fernihurst Dr Asheville, NC 28801
Veterans Restoration Quarters 1329 Tunnel Rd
HENDERSON COUNTY
Edneyville Elementary
This shelter has bathroom facilities and serves hot meals.
2875 Pace Rd, Hendersonville Athletics & Activity Center
708 S. Grove St, Hendersonville HAYWOOD COUNTY
Haywood County Government Armory
285 Armory Dr, Clyde MADISON COUNTY
Madison County Wellness Center
5738 US 25-70 Hwy, Marshall MCDOWELL COUNTY YMCA
348 Grace Corpenin Dr, Marion
Double Crown First aid medical tent is set up. Also a supplies distribution and intake location.
Open daily, 12pm to 5pm.
375 Haywood Rd
Mobile Medical Urgent Care Free medical care and clinic.
12 Florida Ave, Black Mountain
Fast Med Urgent care and clinic with telehealth Available.
Open Monday through Sunday, 9am.
511 Smokey Park Hwy
Fast Med Urgent care and clinic with telehealth Available.
Open Monday through Sunday, 9am.
835 Spartanburg Hwy, Hendersonville
Fast Med Urgent care and clinic with telehealth Available.
Open Monday through Sunday, 9am. 160 Hendersonville Rd
Pardee Hospital Pardee Hospital and the emergency department are open 24/7 for emergent medical care.
800 N. Justice St, Hendersonville
First Baptist Church 503 park St., Swannanoa
WNC Agriculture Center
1301 Fanning Bridge Rd, Asheville NC
A-B Tech On site medical help.
10 Genevieve Circle, Asheville
Old Gold’s Gym On site medical help.
1815 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville
Pardee Blue MD: Asheville Hwy Pardee Hospital and the emergency department are open 24/7 for emergent medical care.
1409 Asheville Hwy, Brevard
Pardee Blue MD
Pardee Hospital and the emergency department are open 24/7 for emergent medical care.
2775 Hendersonville Rd
Pardee Urgent Care: Fletcher Pardee Hospital and the emergency department are open 24/7 for emergent medical care.
2695 Hendersonville Rd. Arden
Pardee Urgent Care: Mills River Pardee Hospital and the emergency department are open 24/7 for emergent medical care.
3334 Boylston Hwy, Mills River
Pardee Urgent Care: Pisgah Dr. Pardee Hospital and the emergency department are open 24/7 for emergent medical care.
1824 Pisgah Dr, Hendersonville
Pardee Urgent
Care: Hendersonville Pardee Hospital and the emergency department are open 24/7 for emergent medical care.
212 Thompson St, Hendersonville
Pardee BlueMD
Pardee Hospital and the emergency department are open 24/7 for emergent medical care.
2695 Hendersonville Rd, Arden
Valley Hope Church: Medical Clinic
There’s a team of medics available to help with any health concerns. Monday through Friday, 9am.
115 Rockale Ave, Swannanoa
PHARMACY LOCATIONS
BUNCOMBE COUNTY
Ingles Markets Inc
Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 298-3514. 1141 Tunnel Rd
Blue Ridge LTC Pharmacy Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 298-7600.
1070 Tunnel Rd
Ingles Markets Inc Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 667-9306.
151 Smokey Park Hwy
Ingles Markets Inc Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 254-3496.
575 New Leicester Hwy
CVS Pharmacy Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 252-2119.
320 New Leicester Hwy
Sam’s East, Inc. Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 251-0372 645 Patton Avenue
CVS Pharmacy Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 667-5457.
505 Smokey Park Hwy
Ingles Markets Inc Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 665-0787. 863 Brevard Rd
Walgreen Co
Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 771-0512. 578 New Leicester Hwy
Walgreen Co Days and hours vary. Contact (828) 236-1519.
1124 Patton Ave
ENKA/CANDLER
Mahec Pharmacy
Open Monday through Friday, 8am.
25 Westridge Pl, Candler
HOT MEALS
Papa Johns: Fairview
Providing free pizzas while supplies last. Open daily, 12pm.
800 Fairview Rd
Bears BBQ Smokehouse
Open daily, 12pm. 135 Coxe Ave
Rosetta’s Kitchen & The Buchi Bar
Serving free vegetarian and vegan meals. Open daily, 12pm.
68 N Lexington Ave
Greenhill Store
Open daily, 12pm. 2751 US Hwy, 64/74A, Rutherfordton
Papa Johns: Merrimon
Papa John’s mobile kitchen will be providing free pizzas while supplies last.
Open daily, 11am. 825 Merrimon Ave
MannaFood Bank
Open daily, 12pm. 570 Brevard Rd
West Asheville Ingles
Open daily, 3pm. 669 Haywood Rd
Tryon Equestrian Center
Open daily, 12pm. 4066 Pea Ridge Rd, Mill Spring
Roseland Community Center
Open daily, 12pm. 56 Peake St, Tryon
Wesley Grant
Community Center
Open daily, 12pm. 285 Livingston St.
Black Mountain Ingles
Open daily, 12pm. 550 NC-9, Black Mountain
Shiloh Community Center
Open daily 12pm. 121 Shiloh Rd
Grovemont Park
Open daily, 12pm. 251 Stonewall Ave, Swannonoa
Jukebox Junction
Open daily, 12pm. 3606 Pigeon Rd, Canton
Nesbitt Chapel
Open daily, 3pm. 12 Nesbitt Chapel Rd
Regina’s Westside
Hot meals till supplies run out. Days and hours vary. 1400 Patton Ave
Shanghai Dumpling House
Hot meals till supplies run out. Open daily, 12pm. 37 Biltmore Ave
12 Bones Smokehouse: South Asheville
Serving food for paying patrons.
Open daily, 11am. 2350 Hendersonville Rd, Arden
Asheville Pizza:
South Asheville
Serving food for paying patrons.
Open daily, 3pm. 1850 Hendersonville Rd, Arden
Biscuit Head South: South Asheville
Serving food for paying patrons.
Open daily, 8am. 1994 Hendersonville Rd
Luella’s Bar-B-Que:
South Asheville
Serving food for paying patrons.
Open daily, 11am. 33 Town Square Blvd
Nine Mile Biltmore Park
Serving food for paying patrons.
Open daily, 4pm. 33 Town Square Blvd
Voodoo Brewing Serving food for paying patrons.
Open daily, 12pm. 3578 Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteers Needed in Burnsville
The town of Burnsville needs helping hands. Volunteers can just show up at the address during the day to help. 52 Bald Creek School Rd, Burnsville
Volunteers Needed in Burnsville
Volunteers are needed to help sort clothing donations. Don’t have to sign up, just show up to Roses Discount Store. Contact Tracie for any questions at (704) 297 5381. 120 Reservoir Rd, Burnsville
Volunteers Needed in Burnsville Helpers are needed to sort through clothing that will be donated to Burnsville School.
395 Burnsville Rd
World Central Kitchen
Still needs volunteers to help with cooking and other misc tasks. Register at avl.mx/e7u. West Yancey Fire Department Volunteers are needed to help organize their distribution center and help folks with supply distribution. Come out as early as 8:30am. 6557 US-19, Burnsville
United Way of Asheville Buncombe Find volunteer opportunities via avl.mx/e7x
ABBCM Warehouse Volunteers are needed to help unload trucks, sort donations and assist with distributions of supplies. Monday through Friday, 9am. Contact (828) 259-5300 for more info.
1845 Brevard Rd
All Hands & Hearts Looking for volunteers to help with debris removal and muck assistance. They will be operating for months. Contact (828) 712-6928.
Carrier Park Cleanup Effort Neighbors coming together to clean up their neighborhood. Must wear Personal Protective Equipment, boots and sling sleeves/ pants. Daily cleanup, 9:30am. 220 Amboy Rd
St. James Church Volunteers are needed to help with on-site supply distribution, starting at 1pm.
44 Hildebrand St
Given Estates Seeking volunteers to ensure residents’ safety and well-being. To learn more or sign up, call us at (828) 274-4800 or email: heleneinfo@ givensestates.org.
2360 Sweeten Creek Rd
Beloved Asheville Help sort/organize goods, deliver supplies, and other miscellaneous work. Daily, 9:30am.
32 Old Charlotte Hwy
Photography
DREAMS
Staying afloat
BY GINA SMITH
Since Tropical Storm Helene battered its way through Western North Carolina at the end of September, Asheville Brewers Alliance (ABA) Executive Director Karis Roberts has been tracking the status of area craft beverage businesses on a special spreadsheet.
One column notes active GoFundMe links. Another reports each brewery’s status: intact but closed due to no water or power; closed, but providing supplies; closed, in rough shape; in extremely rough shape; destroyed.
Despite the sobering picture this list sketches of the previously bubbling industry, Roberts is working hard to connect and communicate with brewers, locate and share resources, and inform state and national trade organizations about the gravity of the situation and the need for assistance and support.
And along with the inevitable exhaustion, she’s feeling a sense of optimism rather than despair.
“I’m going to say that this will show us just what tenacity in the brewing industry looks like; just what community in the brewing industry looks like,” she says. “It’s going to take some time — Rome wasn’t built in a day. But there are already so many businesses that are saying, ‘We’re going to rebuild.’”
Though Roberts says the ABA had around 48 official members at the time of the disaster, her spreadsheet so far includes nearly 100 beverage businesses from all over WNC. She has been working to make contact with all of them. At press time, she had connected with about half.
“I don’t even care if you’re an ABA member anymore,” says Roberts. “If you’re in the brewing or beverage industry, and you need help, I’m going to share your GoFundMe. I’m going to help register your employees for unemployment. All those things.”
Roberts has transitioned the ABA’s regular monthly newsletter into a means of relaying relief and recovery information among brewing community members, such as where to find food and internet service, sell existing products and find staff support resources. It’s also serving as an impromptu job board for brewery workers now seeking employment outside WNC.
Along with breweries on Roberts’ list that have sustained serious damage — and those, such as Chimney Rock Brewing Co. and New Origin Brewing, that were demolished by flood waters
READY TO REBUILD: Western North Carolina’s craft beverage businesses are looking for ways to rebuild while also collaborating to serve the community, says Asheville Brewers Alliance Executive Director Karis Roberts. Roberts, left, is pictured with French Broad River Brewery head brewer Aaron Wilson.
Photo by Gina Smith
— there are many that are simply not operating due to loss of water or power. Several of those, she says, have shifted to acting as collaborative distribution centers for water and supplies.
“The beautiful thing about breweries is we are primed for distro like this,” she explains. “We know how to use forklifts. We have the capacity to bring in huge trucks, and we know how to get them in and out. Some breweries had their Brite tanks filled with water already and were able to redistribute it.”
White Labs Brewing Co., Devil’s Foot Beverage Co., Green Man Brewery, Cultivated Cocktails, Pisgah Brewing Brewing Co., DSSOLVR and Terra Nova Beer Co. are a few she points to that have been collaborating among themselves and with other organizations to move water and supplies — from food to diapers — to community members.
French Broad River Brewery, where Aaron Wilson is head brewer, is among the businesses in the “seriously damaged” category. The Biltmore Village brewery, which marks its 24th anniversary this year, was flooded to a depth of about 5 feet, says Wilson, resulting in heavy damage and lost equipment. Wilson even lost his personal vehicle to the flood.
He counts French Broad as lucky, though, because its brewing tanks and brewhouse are still intact. “We lost a lot of stuff, but it’s our intention, at this point, to rebuild and continue on and keep moving forward.”
The brewery is “winging it right now,” he says, as far as covering the
expenses of cleanup and recovery. The best way he knows of for people to support WNC breweries as they struggle to recover, other than donating to their individual fundraising campaigns, is to buy their beer and other products whenever they see them on the shelves.
“Our goal is to be up and brewing as soon as possible once the water is safe,” says Wilson.
Roberts says another avenue for helping brewers recover is the N.C. Craft Brewers Guild’s new Pouring for Neighbors program, which allows beverage companies nationwide to designate a beer or other drink with proceeds benefiting WNC disaster relief.
Additionally, DSSOLVR has released Higher Calling, a collaborative hazy IPA, aimed at raising money to help the N.C. Craft Brewers Foundation allocate disaster relief funding to WNC breweries.
Roberts also encourages supporters to visit individual brewery websites to buy their merchandise and urges retailers and breweries outside WNC to buy packaged Asheville beer for resale.
“Any revenue, at this point, is beneficial for Asheville breweries, whether it’s merch, direct beer sales or just donating money to their GoFundMe — any way we can get them funding,” she says.
For more information on the Asheville Brewers Alliance, visit avl.mx/e7v. To learn about the Pouring for Neighbors campaign, visit avl.mx/e7w. Breweries interested in collaborating on DSSOLVR’s Higher Calling beer project should email highercallingbeer@gmail.com. X
Water woes
Asheville restaurants that have been without running water since Tropical Storm Helene hit on Sept. 27 will have the chance to reopen if they can demonstrate a reliable source of water for cooking, hand washing and more.
Buncombe County and the state have created an emergency operations plan (EOP) application for restaurants and other establishments that prepare and sell food. The two-page document is a streamlined version of the lengthy form the state normally requires restaurants to fill out when they are without water. “It really just gets to the nuts and bolts of what you need to have in place if you want to open up,” Felissa Vazquez, the county’s environmental health supervisor, told restaurant operators during an Oct. 9 Zoom call. Even so, some restaurant operators say the process of providing a temporary water source is too cumbersome for them to consider reopening before the City of Asheville restores service. What they need, they say, is financial help.
Why I support Xpress:
Eateries that apply for an EOP must specify what their water source will be before they can get approved. If they are using bottled water, for instance, they must provide receipts or name the company it was purchased from, Vazquez says.
“If the water is going to sit for more than two or three days, just know that the residual chlorine is no longer there to consider that water safe,” she explained. “So we don’t want to bring a big tanker truck that’s going to sit there with this water for a week or two weeks. Just be mindful about how you are obtaining your water and make sure you have an approved water source.”
Among other things, restaurants also have to explain how they will provide ice if they are planning to serve it to customers and must describe their hand-washing setup. If they are providing dine-in service, they are required to say where customers will go to the restroom.
The state is providing inspectors to review applications. Once an application is approved, county inspectors will
visit the restaurant to give a final OK. “They don’t really know what’s here, so it’s fair that they want us to make sure that you do have a tanker, that you have that potable water on site.”
Meghan Rogers, executive director of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR), praised the efforts of the county and state.
“I think they’ve worked hard to prioritize food safety and food handling while also offering some flexibility so that restaurants can bring some of their team members back to work,” she says.
The county could not provide numbers about how many establishments had applied or been approved for an EOP.
’A NONSTARTER’
But some establishments are not planning to start selling food again until water service is back. That could take several more weeks as the City of Asheville works to repair catastrophic damage to its water system.
“As far as Old Europe stands right now, we’re not trying to open up,” says Abby Moore, general manager of the Broadway pastry shop. “You have to go through the emergency operation plan process, and it would be way too much of a hassle for us.”
Since the day after the storm, Old Europe has been giving out free food and coffee (prepared with bottled water) and acting as a distribution hub for donated supplies. The state does not require food service establishments to have a permit if they are giving away food for free, says Jessica Silver, the county’s environmental health program manager.
Aaron Thomas co-owns Nine Mile, a Caribbean-influenced restaurant with three locations. On Oct. 9, he was able to reopen the Biltmore Park site, which has running water.
“We had a record-breaking night, so the community really came out and supported us,” he says. “And I hope it’s the same way going forward because one night of record-breaking business won’t pay the bills.”
Thomas is not planning to reopen his Montford and West Asheville restaurants until water is restored. The logistics of bringing in a temporary water supply are not realistic, he says.
“To me it’s, it’s a nonstarter,” Thomas says. “When you’re pumping out 300 covers a night in a fast-paced, busy restaurant, that doesn’t work. We need to stay closed until we can get back up and running to normal.”
Thomas says restaurants affected by Helene need grants to help them stay afloat financially. Loans like those that were available during the COVID-19 pandemic will not suffice.
“October is our busiest month, so to lose that at Montford and West Asheville is a really big deal,” he says. “Why should we have to go in debt to keep functioning as a business that provides jobs for people when this wasn’t our fault?”
AIR’s Rogers says the organization is exploring ways it can help support restaurants and employees financially, though it doesn’t have a plan in place yet.
“I am deeply concerned for our restaurant employees,” she says. “October is traditionally a very busy month for them and helps sustain them through the slower winter months.”
Rogers says the restaurant industry, at a time when it is dealing with its own problems, has stepped up in a big way by giving free meals and providing water and supplies to the community.
“I have been absolutely blown away, but not surprised, by the generosity that I see from our restaurant community. They are doing what they do best, and that’s feed people.” X
BACK IN BUSINESS: Nine Mile’s Biltmore Park location reopened Oct. 9. Locations in Montford and West Asheville remain closed. Photo courtesy of Nine Mile
MARKETPLACE
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RENTALS
HOMES FOR RENT
COZY CABIN FOR RENT
1 bed 1 bath, furnished. 10 minutes to downtown. Country setting. $1500/ month. Includes electric and heat. (828) 380-6095
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HANDY MAN
HANDY MAN 40 years experience in the trades, with every skill/tool imaginable for all trades with the exception of HVAC. No job too small. $35 an hour. Carl (828) 5516000 electricblustudio@ gmail.com
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The following is a list of unclaimed property currently being held at the Weaverville Police Department. Electronics, personal items, tools, weapons (including firearms) and other miscellaneous items. Anyone with a legitimate claim in the listed property has 30 days from the date of publication to contact the Weaverville Police Department, M-F 9AM- 3PM, 828-645-5700
Items not claimed within 30 days will be disposed of in accordance with North Carolina General Statute.
WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. We do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! For a free estimate, call 24/7: 1-888290-2264. (AAN CAN)
YOU MAY QUALIFY For disability benefits if you have are between 52-63 years old and under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now! 1-877-2476750. (AAN CAN)
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
HEALTH & FITNESS
QIGONG DOWNTOWN W/ ALLEN QiGong Tuesdays 10-11am at Asia House 119 Coxe Ave, downtown over the Alternative Clinic. Qigong is Chinese exercise for health and well-being. Open to all levels cost is $15. 216-6646 allenhavatar@gmail.com
RETREATS
GRIEF & LOSS RETREAT
Retreat for all to find support in safe space to share, process and integrate personal and collective grief. Fri (11/1), 4pm, Sa (11/2), 9am. More info & registration at melody. lebaron@gmail.com
FOR MUSICIANS
MUSICIANS’ BULLETIN
WANTED: BANDMATES FOR ROCK/METAL Possible limited practice space. Bass, drums, other. Equipment necessary. Chevelle, Tool, Måneskin, Clutch, Paramore, Pantera, not Ghost. Text Lee W. (828) 335-0930
edited by Joel Fagliano
ACROSS
1 Break down
4 Overly
7 Journalist Sawyer 12 Not now
14 ___ health therapist (part of a dental practice)
15 Type in
16 Device with Alexa
17 Swim around, scare some people, ram a boat …?
19 Limit on borrowing
21 As required, after “if”
22 Good quality for a midwife?
25 Claim made stronger by a witness
26 Palindromic preposition
27 Some ring decisions, in brief
31 Excuses
33 Counts at the gym
36 High dudgeon
37 What the world’s largest piggy bank holds?
41 Brewpub order
42 Leave ’em rolling in the aisles
43 “Smooth Operator” singer
44 New Mexico’s ___ National Forest
46 Turn for the worse
48 Turbine turner
51 Heroes in L.G.B.T.Q.+ history?
55 Verdi’s next opera after “Aida”
58 “Chicago” or “Oklahoma!”
59 Jacket sleeves?
62 Contacts listing 63 Smooths, as unruly hair
64 1998 animated film set in Central Park
Marriott competitor
New beginning?
Vietnamese celebration DOWN 1 Parks whose cookbook “BraveTart” won the James Beard Award 2 “That’s pretty nifty!” 3 Like problems a schoolteacher might deal with 4 Word seen in 20 squares on a Scrabble board
