Mountain Xpress 10.30.24

FEATURES

MEDICINE WITH ERIC BROWN

The impact of Tropical Storm Helene on Western North Carolina has been devastating. But in our latest monthly comedy feature, “Best Medicine,” four local comedians take a swing at finding humor amid this ongoing tragedy. Oh, and they also talk plenty about Halloween — ’tis the spooky season. Featured on the cover, starting left, Eric Brown, Nora Tramm and Marlene Thompson. Comedian Tim Hearn, who also contributed to this month’s feature, arrived to the photo shoot dressed as a ghost, which is why it appears as if he is missing from the group picture. But we assure you — he is there. COVER

Thomas Calder

Caleb Johnson

With

PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson

MANAGING

EDITOR: Thomas Calder

EDITORS: Lisa Allen, Gina Smith

ARTS & CULTURE

EDITOR: Thomas Calder

OPINION

EDITOR: Tracy Rose

STAFF REPORTERS: Lisa Allen, Thomas Calder, Justin McGuire, Pat Moran, Greg Parlier, Brooke Randle, Gina Smith

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Braulio Pescador-Martinez

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Jon Elliston, Mindi Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Oby Arnold, Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Carmela Caruso, Cayla Clark, Kristin D’Agostino, Brionna Dallara, Kiesa Kay, Storms Reback, Kay West

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Cindy Kunst

ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson

LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Tina Gaafary, Caleb Johnson, Olivia Urban

MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, Scott Mermel, Geoffrey Warren

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: Hinton Edgerton, Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick

WEB: Brandon Tilley BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler

ADMINISTRATION & BILLING: Hinton Edgerton, Mark Murphy

DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst

DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Ashley Alms, Cass Kunst, Henry Mitchell, Courtney Israel Nash, Joey Nash, Carl & Debbie Schweiger, Gary Selnick, Noah Tanner, Mark Woodyard

Support bond for greenways and climate resilience

Now that climate change in the form of Tropical Storm Helene has shown us it can climb our mountains and wreak havoc on our people and places, I think we should think through the role of our greenway corridors. For a host of reasons, we build our greenways along waterways, whether major rivers or their feeding streams. We stress their value for health, multimodal transportation, natural conservation and open space recreation.

Now it is clear that we must fit them into a framework for water flow management. Each stream flows into the Swannanoa or French Broad rivers, and from there to regional and national water bodies on their return to the sea. With climate change growing, we must have a manageable system for protecting our people and communities from devastation, death and the separation of families.

This will require determination and vision and draw upon the long-term experience of countries and institutions over years of trial and error. One world leader in this is Holland, where

Word of the week

blue devils (n.) low spirits; despondency

Given that it’s Halloween season, it felt appropriate to find a word that featured something spooky in it. And few things are scarier than the devil — much less devils! This, along with the experience we’re currently living through in Western North Carolina, made blue devils feel like an apt choice. Our community has been through a lot, dear reader. Moments of despair are part of our collective journey. But blue devils too shall pass.

the Dutch have applied themselves to this for over a millennium. They are the experts of the world in working with nature’s watercourses and not against them.

Elements of their system include the redesign of adjacent areas to protect their uses by introducing new detention ponds, parks and plazas, wetlands and green areas to slow the water while thoroughly engaging the people and institutions in harm’s way. This is resilience planning that we can learn from.

On Nov. 5, city residents will be asked to vote on a referendum on important city general obligation bonds for many public purposes, including expanding our greenway system. The city has agreed that if the referendum is approved, $4.9 million will be provided for the design and engineering to extend the Reed Creek Greenway north to connect with the Wilma Dykeman Greenway along the French Broad River and $600,000 for a feasibility study of the Smith Mill Creek Greenway along Patton Avenue.

Lunch & Learn

KNOWLEDGE IS ON THE MENU THURSDAY, NOV. 21ST

FROM 11-1 PM

Rethinking retirement has never been easier.

Come to a presentation about Givens Gerber Park: a more affordable rental retirement option (55+) and enjoy lunch on us. Monthly fees are all-inclusive based on income. RSVP required.

We should approve the bonds for the evolution of our city and county greenways because they are wise investments in our future and allow us to respond creatively to climate change.

— David Nutter Asheville

Editor’s note: Nutter notes that he’s a lifetime member of the American Planning Association and the chairman of the Connect Buncombe Advocacy and Partnerships Committee.

Vote Republican for reason and responsibility

Voting is about priorities. While certainly there is no perfect candidate, a voter should choose who will lead in the direction the voter thinks is best — best for the family, school, city, county, state and nation. This is a tough decision because, depending on the money that candidates get, they are publicized and branded with an image, not with their actual policies or effective solutions to problems.

Which is more important to you: a good personality or good decisions? Prioritize your values. Cast no stones. Look at a candidate’s solutions to problems, not his or her personality.

Look at the local “progressive” Democrats’ results based on their decisions. Was their idea to cut local police funding a good one? Has their irresponsibility with local water facility maintenance and the homeless been “progress”? Are higher taxes to pay for poor solutions “progress”?

Is allowing boys in girls’ sports and locker rooms, and taking girls’ sports scholarships “progress”? Of course, all individuals have rights, but not when they stomp on the rights of others.

Who should make decisions about a child’s chosen gender? A government in secret or parents? Who started this? Thirty-four of our schools received a grade of C or D from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. One got an F. Parents are clamoring to take other education options. Wake up and break up the woke. Is the one-party rule and a loss of free speech the direction in which you think we should go? Harris supported a speech misinformation police. There is no elected Republican in office in Buncombe! Is this a democracy? Choose your direction.

Be thoughtful and courageous. All the way down your ballot, prioritize reason and responsibility. Vote Republican.

— Janet Burhoe-Jones Swannanoa

Edwards is

too extreme for our vote

Here is the first part of the sacred oath Chuck Edwards took when getting sworn in as a member of Congress: “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

How can you honor your pledge and support Trump at the same time? He has no respect for the rule of law or democracy. Trump continues to push the election denial lie and fringe conspiracy theories. Donald is the first president since the beginning of our republic to try to stop the peaceful transfer of power and incited the Jan. 6 mob attack on the Capitol that left six people dead and 174 police officers injured.

Edwards asked that the disinformation about Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance stop when the biggest promoter of the false claims is Trump, who repeated these falsehoods on his Oct. 21 visit to Swannanoa, and Edwards said nothing, although he was standing next to Trump.

Do you know he is also a climate change denier?

Chuck Edwards is also at odds with 70% of Americans who support a woman’s right to choose. Do you really want someone whose expertise is selling Big Macs telling you how to plan your family? A vote for Edwards reduces women to second-class citizens who will be denied control over their own bodies and reproductive choices.

Chuck Edwards is too extreme for my vote because he is putting a cult above the country. He is enabling

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

FEMA DEBRIS REMOVAL GUIDELINES for Private Residential Properties

• City of Asheville regular curbside waste collection customers should download the AVL Collects app or sign up for sanitation alerts here: ashevillenc.gov/AVLcollects

• NO construction debris, concrete, or other bulky or hazardous items in carts.

• Roadway debris collection has begun in areas with critical infrastructure throughout the city and county.

• Do not block roadway. Ensure access for large trucks and emergency vehicles. There will be more than one pass for debris collection, so you don’t have to get it all out at once.

• The community can begin to place debris to the curb in the right of way.

• Debris should be SEPARATED at the curb according to the diagram.

• For more info, visit https://www.ashevillenc.gov/helene/debrisremoval/

Have a professional inspect your damaged property before attempting to clean up or repair any damage.

Wear protective gear and exercise caution during cleanup.

Check out FEMA safety guidelines for PPE and personal safety while cleaning up.

a convicted felon, liar, misogynist, racist authoritarian who continues to slander women, minorities, veterans and LGBTQ people. Trump does not deserve to hold any political office, especially the most powerful one in the world.

Chuck Edwards is too extreme for our vote.

I will be casting my precious vote this election for Caleb Rudow for the 11th District.

— Linda Pannullo Asheville

Edwards lives his ‘mountain values’

I see the Sept. 18 Mountain Xpress featured Randy Molton, who has been drawing for you for what seems forever [“The Man Behind the Pen: Randy Molton Reflects on Three Decades of Xpress Cartooning”]. I always check them out. Some are hysterical; some are dead on point; some are judgmental; and some are downright nasty. Whatever, they’re pretty consistent, and it’s pretty easy to see which side of the political aisle he falls on.

My first glance at the cover left me with the mistaken impression he was (once again, for the umpteenth time) drawing our congressman, Mr. Chuck Edwards. Closer inspection shows it’s actually JD Vance. However, I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s roasted and taken to task Mr. Edwards. I know Mr. Edwards usually rolls his eyes, expecting nothing less from Mr. Molton.

Full disclosure, I’ve known Mr. Edwards for many years, first as business associates and later as friends when I retired 10 years ago and relocated here to Asheville. In all those years, I’ve known Mr. Edwards as a devoted and decent family man, husband and father, always involved positively in his community and also as a highly ethical businessman. My personal experience has shown me he doesn’t just preach his “mountain values,” he lives them.

While I know him as an ardent and committed conservative, there are numerous positions he’s taken that I’ve fervently supported, and numerous others that I’ve fervently disagreed with him on. Through all of that, I have seen in him exactly what all of our constituents need in a quality representative, no matter which side of the political aisle you’re on. Chuck has committed as much, if not more, than virtually any other member of Congress of his allowable congressional budget into building knowledgeable and experienced staff who are there to listen to, react to and address constituents’ concerns and issues. He

had those same commitments here at the state level for six years.

I have numerous friends on both sides of the political spectrum, and I personally know three clearly on the liberal side who definitely didn’t vote for him, yet who each currently hold him in respect and regard. Why? Because of what he and his staff did to address their concerns, including tax, zoning and permit issues. He was not concerned with whether they had voted for him, only that they were his constituents, and he was their representative.

Sure enough, now in the midst of this terrible tragedy of Helene, Mr. Edwards is and has been exactly where I would expect he would be — daily both on the front lines directly helping with recovery efforts and behind the scenes coordinating the arrival of ever more relief and support resources. He’s also been communicating daily to his constituents up-to-date information on status, next steps, where to get help, etc. Finally, and just as important, he has taken a leading role nationally as a key debunker of the crazy and frankly dangerous conspiracy theories and lies being circulated by a number of his political colleagues.

I have many policy differences with Chuck and always feel free to engage him on these. He is an ardent conservative, and I guess I am a centrist at heart.

We need to return to a world and a country where the other side of the aisle is not considered “evil” or “the enemy of the people” — where the words “compromise” and “treason” are no longer synonyms! Perhaps Mr. Molton, as amusing as he certainly can be at others’ expense, will someday in his next 30 years gain the wisdom to see that.

— Joe Stritch Asheville

Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx. com.

Vote to protect our mountains

During the summer, before the catastrophic flooding, I drove 35 hours from Asheville to the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room in Yellowstone National Park. My three-month stay working at the restaurant held its fair share of wonder and joy, but I left the park with an enlightened understanding of Western North Carolina. Trading our rolling Blue Ridge Mountains for their jagged, snow-peaked ones illuminated previously undiscovered truths about how we treat our home and the price we pay for abusing it.

Unfortunately, our mountains don’t have the same protection as those in Wyoming. Instead, we chop, blast and build through them. No one is more to blame than Chuck Edwards, our House representative. He claims to “have always been proactive and strong on environmental issues,” but his voting record begs to differ.

Last year, he voted for H.R 8998, a bill that would slash Environmental Protection Agency funding by 20%. This year, he voted for H.R. 136, a bill that would nullify an EPA rule that attempts to phase out certain high-pollutant vehicle manufacturing. As the representative of an area that leans heavily on its environment, Edwards should be supporting the EPA, not going to war against it. Most importantly, Edwards refuses to acknowledge the dangers of global warming or enact any policies to curb it. He wants to log, drill, and mine until the Blue Ridge Mountains are burning, barren and broken.

Unfortunately, there’s a future and immediate price to be paid for global warming. Helene, the latest natural disaster in the global warming age, ripped through Western North Carolina this past month, destroying whole neighborhoods, districts and towns. Edwards has suspended his campaign to aid in disaster relief, a noble deed. But his anti-environment voting record reveals him as a

short-sighted, profit-hungry man who will do the bare minimum only when required rather than fighting the climate crisis at its roots. Hurricane Helene was an anomaly, but it will become the norm if we keep voting for representatives like Edwards.

Instead of him, I will be supporting N.C. House Rep. Caleb Rudow in the upcoming District 11 congressional election. Rep. Rudow has a record of helping communities — as a Peace Corps volunteer — and as an avid local paddler, he acknowledges the natural beauty of our district and the importance of protecting it. Edwards’ campaign is funded by super PACs and Big Macs, and Rudow’s by hikers and teachers who care about their mountain home.

Rudow will enact conservationist policies, support the EPA instead of undercutting it and fight climate change so we don’t have to rebuild flood-wrecked communities every 25 years. For Western North Carolina, the choice is simple. Chuck Edwards will be complicit in destroying our mountains, and Caleb Rudow will commit to protecting them.

— Jake Bernstein Asheville

Editor’s note: Bernstein reports volunteering as an intern for Rudow’s campaign. A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com. X

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

Talking trash

Asheville halts plans to dump debris in residential areas pmoran@mountainx.com

BY PAT MORAN

Just a week after Asheville City Manager Debra Campbell announced that storm debris would be stored in two residential areas in West Asheville and at the just-renovated Donald Ross-designed Asheville Municipal Golf Course, the city will instead stage mounds of brush, appliances, paint, household batteries and chemicals and building materials at the Enka Commerce Park in Candler.

“[The new location] will now be the main site where storm debris will be taken to be staged, ground, compacted and prepared for hauling out of the city,” Campbell said Oct. 21.

Campbell had announced Oct. 14 that temporary debris storage and reduction (TDSR) sites would arise at Roger Farmer Park, 71 Deaverview

Road and 65 Ford St. She added the golf course two days later.

The Ford Street site is adjacent to Mountain Housing Opportunities’ Westmore Apartments and across the street from Asheville Housing Authority’s Deaverview Apartments.

Roger Farmer Park, less than a half a mile away, is near the Deaverview community. The neighborhood consists mainly of low-income and affordable housing.

When debris began piling up at the Ford Street site, residents strongly objected.

“Kids live here,” proclaimed signs seen Oct. 18 on Deaverview Road. Taylon Breanne and Aislinn Dugan held up a banner that spelled out their grievances: “No dumping toxic waste in our neighborhood.”

“We were shocked this morning when we learned about the site, just

because it’s residential zoning here,” Breanne said.

But Campbell changed course Oct. 21, saying that no additional debris will be taken to the Ford Street location, but security and site preparation measures such as fencing and access for heavy machinery will continue at Ford Street and the golf course sites in case they are needed later. No debris would be stored at Roger Farmer Park.

TIMELINE — TO BE DETERMINED

In the meantime, the piles of construction material at the Ford Street site will be compacted and prepared for hauling out of the city, Kelley Klope, strategic communications specialist with Asheville Fire Department, writes in an email to Xpress. “We do not have a timeline on this yet.”

Campbell said earlier that the sites were chosen because they are cityowned properties and could be activated quickly. The city has to find temporary staging areas for organic waste like trees and vegetation, construction and demolition materials like drywall, lumber and carpet, as well as appliances and electronics like refrigerators, washers, televisions and computers, and household hazardous waste like batteries, pesticides and paint, Campbell said.

Once sorted, the materials are processed on-site before they are taken to a final permanent location. Processing includes grinding trees to wood chips, crushing large rubble to aggregate and compacting metals.

A reference sheet released on Oct. 13 by the city’s Joint Information Center (JIC), a central public information location set up in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, says TDSR sites may incinerate organic materials by using air

curtain burners, which is an alternative to traditional open burning that produces less smoke and particulate matter by passing smoke through a stack of filters.

“All of these activities will possibly produce noise, dust and smells,” Campbell said.

Although the sites are designated to be temporary, they could be in operation for as long as a year, Campbell said. Breanne also expressed concerns about the city’s plans for air curtain burners.

“If we’re going to burn the trash, what kind of air pollution is the city going to be breathing in?” Breanne asked. “The county has an air pollution quality standard ordinance that says the county has to give at least a week’s notice to these neighborhoods before they put any kind of thing in the air that could potentially be toxic.”

“We agree we need to clean up what’s happened. It’s a disaster,” said Dugan. “But I think there are definitely better solutions to where that can happen, rather than in very thickly settled neighborhoods.”

HEALTH CONCERNS REMAIN

Geoffrey Barton, president and CEO of nonprofit Mountain Housing Opportunities, also objected to locating the debris fields in residential areas. Barton noted that the 65 Ford St. property has been studied by the City of Asheville and the Asheville Housing Authority as a potential housing development site, and its use as a TDSR site could jeopardize plans to develop housing there.

“It seems like there are probably plenty of sites that could have been a better location,” Barton said of the two sites. “I agree that [storm waste

TOXIC SHOCK: Taylon Breanne, left, and Aislinn Dugan protest a debris disposal site near Deaverview Apartments. Photo by Pat Moran

removal] is a priority, but it doesn’t feel like sufficient thought was put into the potential long-term impacts of this on adjacent residents.”

According to Barton, the city says they notified neighbors at Westmore by sending staff members door-to-door before the operation was set up. Xpress talked with six people at Westmore on Friday, and all said that no one contacted them.

“When it comes to subsidized housing, they always put it near or over a landfill,” Phylis Hagens, a resident of Westmore Apartments, told Xpress on Oct. 18. “I think they should put [the site] in an area where there are no people.”

Molly Katherine Steen, another Westmore tenant, feared that people could get sick from living so close to the Ford Street dump.

“Can they take care of all these people that are going to get sick from all the trash and everything that’s going to be put out here?” Steen asked. “It’s not healthy for children or anybody.”

At 65 Ford St., Breanne and Dugan said they and other Deaverview residents had met with Asheville City Council member Kim Roney on Oct. 18 to voice concerns about the sites. Roney posted on her Instagram page later that day that dumping at 65 Ford St. had been discontinued.

A BIG CLEANUP AHEAD

Greg Shuping, a consultant serving as deputy emergency operations center manager for the city, said that the debris from the city could exceed 2.5 million cubic yards.

“The safest thing we can do for our environment, our economy and our community is to remove storm debris from our homes and business areas as quickly and as responsibly as possible. There is and continues to be a sense of urgency about debris removal; the longer storm debris remains in our neighborhoods and business areas, the longer we are living with fire and safety hazards,“ Campbell said on Oct. 21.

“We will continue to diligently monitor the temporary sites to ensure environmental regulations are met, and safety will remain at the forefront of every decision we make,” Campbell said.

Shuping stressed that SDR, the Greer, S.C.-based company contracted by the city and county to remove debris, is held to local, state and federal regulations that make sure hazardous materials do not come to the sites.

“We have already engaged with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the N.C. Division of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ). No hazardous materials will be taken to the temporary debris staging areas,” Shuping said. X

Early voting and Election Day information 2024 ELECTION

Editor’s note: This is a condensed guide. The full guide, which includes additional information on early voting and voting locations for additional Western North Carolina counties, can be found at avl.mx/e8i.

Key dates to keep in mind:

• Through Saturday, Nov. 2: Early Voting and same-day voter registration period

• Tuesday, Oct. 29, 5 p.m.: Deadline to request an absentee ballot online at votebymail.ncsbe.gov

• Monday, Nov. 4, 5 p.m.: Deadline to request an absentee ballot in person

• Tuesday, Nov. 5: Election Day

• Tuesday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.: Deadline by which absentee ballots must be received

Key numbers to keep in mind:

• $1.77: the postage needed for absentee ballots (3 stamps)

• 2: the number of witnesses who must sign a voter’s absentee ballot, unless you have a public notary as a witness — then only one witness is sufficient

What changes should I expect on Election Day?

Usually, voters must vote in their precinct on Election Day. That requirement has been waived for counties impacted by Tropical Storm Helene.

The resolution permits counties to:

• Transfer voters from one precinct to another within the county.

• Use precincts in an adjacent county, as long as the affected county sets up its voting materials in a separate place and uses its own staff.

• Have multiple voting sites in a single precinct.

• Allow all county voters to vote at the central precinct.

See below for any of these changes made by county boards of election.

Where can I register to vote?

You can register and vote at the same time at any early voting site in your county through Saturday, Nov. 2. Search early voting sites at vt.ncsbe.gov/EVSite/. You’ll need to bring a photo ID and proof of address document, such as a paycheck, utility bill or bank statement. This can be a paper copy or on your phone.

What if I lost my photo ID?

You will be asked to show a photo ID when you vote. (Find a list of acceptable ID forms at BringItNC.gov.) While it is not necessary to have one, it will speed up the process. You will have to fill out a provisional ballot if you do not have a photo ID.

If you lost your photo ID during Helene, NCSBE offers these options:

• Go to your county board of elections office. If you are a registered voter, they can take your photo

and print an acceptable ID on the spot. You’ll provide your name, date of birth and the last four digits of your Social Security number to the staff; they will take a photo and give you a free photo ID. Find more details here: avl.mx/dd0

• You can fill out a photo ID Exception Form at your voting site or with your absentee ballot. Check the box for Exception 3: Victim of a Natural Disaster.

Can I still vote early if I had to seek temporary housing or shelter outside North Carolina?

If you had to relocate to another state because of Helene and you are already registered to vote, you can request an absentee ballot at votebymail.ncsbe.gov until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Mailed absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5. Keep in mind that you will need $1.77 worth of postage, equivalent to 3 Forever stamps. You must also have two witnesses, or one notary public, sign your ballot.

Can I still vote early if I’m living temporarily at a shelter or new address in North Carolina?

If you had to relocate within North Carolina and are already registered to vote, you can have your absentee ballot delivered to your temporary address. You can drop off these ballots at any county board of elections office. For a list of offices, see vt.ncsbe.gov/ BOEInfo/.

Mailed absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Some shelters have Multipartisan Assistance Teams authorized to transport completed ballots to county boards. I want to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. Have any poll places changed?

On Election Day, you’ll need to vote at your assigned polling place between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Some Election Day polling places have changed. Please see the below breakdown, as well as changes to early voting locations.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY

Ten of the 14 early voting sites are open, and you can check how many are standing in line at Buncombecounty. org/vote:

• Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain, 28711

• East Asheville Library, 3 Avon Road, Asheville,, 28805

• Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sand Hill Road, Candler, 28715

• Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview, 28730

• Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy., Leicester, 28748

• South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road, Asheville, 28803

• UNCA Health & Counseling Center, 118 W.T. Weaver Blvd., Asheville, 28804 (new location)

• Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville, 28787

• Wesley Grant Southside Center, 285 Livingston St., Asheville, 28801

• West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road, Asheville, 28806

Seventeen of the 80 Election Day polling locations have changed. Detailed maps are available at [avl.mx/e8o].

• Precinct 19.1 › Skyland First Baptist Church 2115 Hendersonville Road, Arden, 28704

• Precinct 24.1 › Lucy S. Herring Elementary School, 98 Sulphur Springs Road, Asheville, 28806

• Precinct 27.2 › St. Eugene Catholic Church, 72 Culvern St., Asheville, 28804

• Precinct 33.3 › Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain, 28711

• Precincts 34.1 & 35.1 › St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W. State Street, Black Mountain, 28711

• Precinct 36.1 › Ridgecrest Conference Center, 1 Ridgecrest Drive, Black Mountain 28711

• Precinct 37.1 › Temporary Polling Station, 11722 N.C. Highway 9, Black Mountain, 28711

• Precinct 39.2 › Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview, 28730

• Precinct 41.1 › Alexander Baptist Church, 1 Curtis Parker Road, Alexander, 28701

• Precinct 49.1 › Liberty Baptist Church, 875 Monte Vista Road, Candler, 28715

• Precinct 57.1 › Trinity of Fairview, 646 Concord Rd, Fletcher, 28732

• Precinct 60.2 › Reynolds Middle School, 2 Rocket Drive, Asheville, 28803

• Precinct 60.4 › Fairview Community Center, 1357 Charlotte Hwy, Fairview 28730

• Precinct 61.1 & 66.1 › Warren Wilson College, 124 Lower College Road, Swannanoa 28778

• Precinct 64.1 › Artspace Charter School, 2030 US 70 Hwy, Swannanoa, 28778

If you have any questions, contact the board of elections office at 828-250-4200. This story was produced by the WNC Election Hub, a project of the NC Local News Workshop, in partnership with The Assembly.

— Sara Murphy X

Final act

Brownie Newman leaves office on the heels of Helene

BY GREG PARLIER

gparlier@mountainx.com

When Buncombe County Commission Chair Brownie Newman first walked out of his house that Friday morning after the wind died down, he was hopeful the effects of Tropical Storm Helene wouldn’t be that bad. Sure, there were several trees down along Montford Avenue, but it didn’t seem catastrophic. Then he walked one block over to Pearson Drive.

“Your brain is just like, ‘I can’t even process this. It doesn’t even look real.’ It was really wild,” Newman remembers about dozens of trees lying across roads and power lines and utility poles smashed to bits.

Despite the carnage in Montford’s tree canopy, it still wasn’t clear to Newman how badly Helene had damaged the community he’s served for 20 years, the last eight as its top local elected official. Like most of Buncombe County, Newman had no power or cell service, and no way to get in touch with other county and city leaders. So he went searching for them.

When he got to A-B Tech, which was identified as a potential emergency operations hub, he caught a glimpse of the French Broad River atop a hill above the river.

“Seeing the river at that point, which still had not crested … it was clear that this was one of the worst floods, if not the worst flood, that the region had ever experienced, at least in recorded history,” he says.

Next, Newman drove over to Mission Health, where he hoped he’d find

enough internet signal to contact other community leaders. There, he managed to get a hold of County Manager Avril Pinder, who told him he was needed at the Emergency Services headquarters on Erwin Hills Road.

After what he describes as a “terrifying” commute across a city with no traffic lights, he was briefed on the status of the City of Asheville’s devastated water system and the damage to major roads in and out of Asheville.

“That’s when it started becoming more clear that we were going to have this major challenge with getting supplies into the region,” he says.

So he called state and local officials to plead for help. He knew WNC was going to need clean water both immediately and for an extended period.

This wasn’t the way Newman thought he’d end his 12 years on the County Commission. But the solar panel manufacturer is confident the county will bounce back. Over two interviews with Xpress recently — before and after Tropical Storm Helene — Newman reflected on his time in office and the legacy he leaves as he retreats from the public eye to focus on his renewable energy work and his family.

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE

Long before Newman first ran for City Council in 2001, he was civically engaged as an environmental activist and political science major at Warren Wilson College.

“I really believe in the political process as a way to make social change

TIME SERVED: Brownie Newman, chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, is nearing the end of 21 years as a local elected official. In his 12 years on the board, he’s led the county through a tumultuous time, from the Wanda Greene scandal to Tropical Storm Helene.

Photo by Caleb Johnson

happen. I just really find the process interesting and really meaningful,” he says.

His passion for renewable energy led him to a career in solar and spurred a

second, successful run for City Council in 2003. Once elected to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in 2012, Newman extended his mission to improve local environmental policy. Newman helped form the Energy Innovation Task Force in 2016 and pushed for a resolution committing the county to use 100% renewable energy by 2030 for county operations and 2042 for the community at large.

“I believe Buncombe County has done more to make progress on the transition to renewable energy than any other local government in North Carolina, and at the same time, we’re not doing nearly enough,” he acknowledges.

More recently, Newman is proud of the county’s work on affordable housing, which he calls Buncombe’s No. 1 issue.

“We need to really support development of the pipeline of projects to really increase the scale of construction of affordable housing at a much higher level than what we’ve had traditionally. But the exciting thing is that we’re seeing that happen,” he says.

He credits the $40 million general obligation bonds passed by voters in 2022 for jump-starting a program that he says will be responsible for about 800

CONTINUES ON PAGE 13

new deeply affordable units around the county. Newman is particularly proud of the county’s ability to leverage a federal tax credit program to get $3 or $4 of outside investment for every local dollar that is put toward affordable housing projects, greatly increasing the number of available units, he says.

“If we sustain the strategy that we’re now implementing over the next five to 10 years, we will see this issue play out in a much more favorable way than I think any of us would have thought.”

Newman hopes the county will ask the voters to approve another bond in 2026 and establish continued funding for an issue that has only gotten worse after Helene.

“We have ambitious goals and a really effective program in place to increase the construction of affordable housing, and so my hope is that the county will look at some strategies to just further accelerate and ramp those efforts up with a disaster like this hitting our region,” he notes.

IMPROVEMENTS

With a total budget of about $626 million this year, Buncombe County touches a wide range of services relevant to residents’ lives, from schools to courts.

Education represents the largest chunk of county spending — nearly 30% of the general fund budget — and the local supplement for public schools is often the most heated topic during budget season.

Commissioners raised the property tax rate in 2023 to help school districts pay all teachers and staff closer to a living wage, and they were still criticized for not doing enough, Newman notes.

“I hate this process we have for funding schools,” he says. Typically, the county is well into its own budgeting process, and then the school districts bring their budgets near the end of the process, often with “some big number, and everyone gets stressed out,” he notes.

The timing of those requests is often because school districts don’t have clarity from the state on how much funding they will have to work with and thus how much they will need in county funds. Instead of going through that drama every year, Newman proposes that the county work with the two districts — Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools — to establish a multiyear funding process. He helped get that conversation started last year, and in August, the county held a joint meeting to start that conversation.

Newman has also been vocal in recent years about property tax reform and was instrumental in establishing an ad hoc tax reappraisal committee in 2021 to review the equity of county tax assessments. There have been

conflicting reports on that topic, and most recently, an independent consultant found no evidence of bias in the department.

Going forward, Newman suggests the county look into joining other counties to advocate for state-level property tax reform. He’s concerned the property tax burden is shifting too far away from commercial properties and onto residential ones.

Because of Helene, the county has now delayed what was sure to be a consequential revaluation until 2026, originally scheduled to go into effect in January.

WEATHERING THE STORM

Newman’s time on the County Commission began with a storm of controversy. Ex-County Manager Wanda Greene was found guilty of embezzling thousands of public dollars, accepting bribes and kickbacks and falsifying her federal tax return, leading to deep distrust of the county government.

It took years for leaders to earn back residents’ trust, and Newman counts the rebuilding of the county’s leadership team as one of the commission’s greatest successes during his tenure.

He credits Greene’s replacement, Pinder, for establishing a new senior leadership team that has worked to establish the community’s trust over the last seven years.

Now, as Newman returns to private life, he leaves a county dealing with another storm, this one literal. In a way, he says he’ll miss playing an active role in helping Buncombe County bounce back from one of the worst natural disasters in its history.

“The next year is going to be a very consequential one for the city and county, for sure. So I think the decisions made over the coming months will play a large role in what the community looks like five, 10, 20 years in the future. So part of me will probably miss being more involved in those in an elected official capacity,” he notes.

But he insists he’s confident city and county leaders will do everything necessary for short- and long-term recovery.

“We’re in this moment where the community has vast needs, and the county will want to do everything we can to support them,” despite facing what is sure to be major losses in revenue from property and sales taxes due to the storm.

From home repair to helping area businesses survive while they rebuild, the county, with the help of state and federal assistance, will be involved.

After 12 years helping guide Buncombe out of a corruption scandal, Newman says he’s leaving the county well positioned to lead its residents out of this crisis. X

City Council frees up $4 million to provide grants to residents and businesses CITY BEAT

At an abbreviated Oct. 22 meeting, its first since Tropical Storm Helene, Asheville City Council voted, 6-0, to repurpose existing city money to aid businesses and residents impacted by the storm. Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore was absent.

In a presentation before Council, Nikki Reid, Asheville’s community and economic development director, said that city staff focused on three needs: business restabilization, home repair and rental assistance.

“Grants are in high demand right now,” Reid said.

Council approved two resolutions and a budget amendment, which frees up funds for the following:

BUSINESS

RESTABILIZATION GRANTS – $929,070

Using funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the city will offer grants to help businesses replace buildings, structures, furniture, fixtures and equipment.

announced in 2022, fell apart because of a lack of adequate funding. The city will work with nonprofit partners to manage the application process and award these funds.

In other news

• During her city manager’s report, Debra Campbell announced that most city offices would be open for normal business hours, starting Oct. 23.

• In a brief presentation, Tony McDowell, Asheville’s director of finance, said that if voters approve the city’s proposed $80 million general bond package in November, it will require the council to consider a property tax increase. However, because Buncombe County pushed back its reappraisal deadline by a year to see how the storm will affect property values, the city will also postpone a vote on the tax rate adjustment from June 2025 to June 2026, McDowell said.

HOME REPAIR, RENTAL AND DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS AND LANDLORDS

— $3.4 MILLION

Funding is coming from $1 million in Community Investment Program (CIP) funds no longer needed for supportive housing at the former Ramada Inn at 148 River Ford Parkway. That project changed focus to housing for veterans and low-income housing.

Another $2.4 million for home repairs and down payment assistance is coming from money set aside to build 82 units at Deaverview Apartments. That project,

• Mayor Esther Manheimer began the meeting by commending the community for coming together in the wake of Helene. “I would just like to begin first by thanking our community for stepping up and doing all the amazing work they did to help their neighbors,” Manheimer said. “I know there are folks that are eager to applaud and thank us for our efforts and pray for us, and we’ve heard from so many of them, and we also have our critics. We haven’t done everything right, and I know that we have stumbled. We’re trying to right any wrongs that we have done as quickly as they have happened.”

Editor’s note: For full meeting coverage, visit avl.mx/e8j.

—

Pat Moran X

GRANTS IN HIGH DEMAND: Nikki Reid, Asheville community and economic development director, presents a plan to provide relief to residents and businesses. Photo by Pat Moran

Make growing spaces more resilient GARDENING

BY CHLOE LIEBERMAN

chloeblieberman@gmail.com

Warmth and nourishing greens to you, Western North Carolina gardeners. I mourn the crops and gardens that were washed away by Tropical Storm Helene. I give thanks for those that remained and likely fed you and your neighbors while the stores were bare. And I call upon the wisdom of the seeds that know how to bring life to disrupted and disturbed ground. This is my last gardening feature of 2024; I’ll be back in early spring 2025.

This month, I’m going to share my thoughts and experience around building resilience into your garden.

WATER RESILIENCE IN THE GARDEN

In these weeks after Tropical Storm Helene, we’re all feeling humbled by the incredible power of water. This element can, as we’ve seen, surge to the point of destruction. At the same time, we need it daily to survive and thrive.

Gardens without water aren’t gardens at all. Yet, most of us with access to pressurized water through city systems or electrically pumped wells easily take it for granted. We’re used to this life-giving liquid simply flowing from our hoses whenever we need it.

In the practice of permaculture, which is an approach to working in collaboration with living systems (like the water cycle), redundancy is one way to build resilience. When it comes to water in the garden, this means having multiple sources of water, along with using mulch, drought-resistant crops and other techniques to minimize water needs.

One great way to bring water to your garden is by harvesting and storing rainwater, whether it’s your primary irrigation source or a backup. Here in WNC, we get plenty of rain each year to water most home gardens, even big ones.

The trick is to catch the water running off metal roofs and other clean-enough surfaces and to store it, ideally in a loca-

tion that’s uphill from your garden. This way, when you need the water, it will simply flow down to the garden through a hose powered by gravity, whether the electric power is on or not. (For more details on catching, storing and using rainwater, see a blog post I wrote for Wild Abundance: avl.mx/pryg.)

If you have a well, another option for water resilience is to use a solar-powered pump. These are a bit pricey — from a couple to a few thousand dollars — but adding one can mean that you don’t just have water for your garden when the power goes out, but for your home as well.

A solar pump will only work while the sun is shining unless you connect it to a battery bank that can store electricity for times of darkness. To keep the water flowing at all hours, even without batteries, you can place a cistern uphill from your house that fills when it’s sunny, providing gravity-powered water when it’s not.

Finally, locating the nearest bodies of water and making a plan for bringing that water to your garden adds another layer of resilience. Our mountains are full of creeks and streams, as we’ve all become keenly aware. Even a tiny trickle can usually fill a bucket or watering can. If you notice a wild water source uphill from your garden, you may be able to use that to fill a cistern or other tank, thus creating a gravity-fed system for irrigation just like a cistern filled by a solar well pump.

Of course, it’s important to think of the overall health of aquatic and riparian ecosystems when we tap into creeks and springs. That means remembering that the water isn’t just there for the taking, but plays a key role in the lives and homes of many creatures other than humans, too.

DIVERSITY BREEDS RESILIENCE

Another way to tend your garden so that it’s more likely to withstand the pressures of climate change, including natural disasters, is to celebrate and cultivate diversity. This can mean some-

thing as simple as growing many kinds of crops or different varieties of the same crops. When we do this, it’s more likely that at least something will do well and provide a yield, even if others don’t. Diversity in the garden can also look like growing perennials such as fruits, nuts and berries, along with annuals like carrots and tomatoes. Where I live, we have lots of mature chestnut and pawpaw trees. In the days just after the storm, when cell service and power were still out, the children in our neighborhood were heard discussing how dire things were. One of them said, “Well, at

least we have plenty of chestnuts and pawpaws. We’re going to be fine.”

Diversity can also look like growing food crops in more than one location. Here in the mountains, the wide, flat areas around waterways are some of the best places to grow gardens — most of the time. As we’ve recently learned, they also have their risks.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t grow in those places in the future, but it’s also a good idea to cultivate higher ground and maybe include some veggies in containers right near the house. Tending multiple garden locations can get labo-

rious, so choosing a few key spots and sticking with them is the best approach.

INTERDEPENDENCE

Community interdependence is our greatest strength, in the garden and in general. Some of us come into gardening motivated by the idea of self-sufficiency. It’s a beautiful thing to be in direct relationship with the source of our sustenance and to negotiate with the living world in order to eat, instead of with the profit-driven industrial food system.

That being said, the way things work in that food-giving, living world is through collaboration. So many forces, elements and beings work together for the plants, animals and fungi we’re nourished by to thrive. So, we too can embrace the spirit of working together, interdependently, for the strength of our gardens and our lives.

How many of you have been completely bowled over by the power of kindness and the generosity of your neighbors in the past several weeks? And how many of you have met folks who live very close to you, whom you never knew before?

Out here in Barnardsville, where I live, we have mobilized community care to provide clean water, food, fuel, medical care, transportation, companionship, pet care, child care and more among folks who share this valley. In doing so, we’ve seen that what some people desperately need, others may have in abundance; it’s just a matter of making the connections and inviting the goodwill of both giving and receiving. What does this have to do with gardening, you may be wondering? Well, it’s the notion that we can’t all do it all, and we’re stronger together.

Here’s a practical, garden-oriented example of what I mean: Imagine that you live in a moderately shady spot, but you have a great greenhouse and can grow winter greens like it’s nobody’s business. Trouble is, you leave the area for a month each winter, so you can’t always tend the greens well. Your neighbors down the way have a really sunny garden that’s perfect for growing heat-loving crops like tomatoes, peppers, melons and squash. They happen to be carpenters, so the growing season is their busy time at work.

What if y’all work together to care for the hot-weather crops, sharing the harvest? Then you enlist them to keep the greenhouse watered and cared for while you’re out of town in the winter? Everybody ends up with more bounty and less stress, just by thinking outside the box of our individualism! X

WATERWAYS: In the face of natural disasters and other challenging circumstances, having multiple water sources, planting diverse crops in a variety of locations and collaborating with neighbors can make gardens more resilient. Photo by Natalie Bogwalker

30 - NOV. 7 , 2024

For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.

 Online-only events

WELLNESS

Halloween Zumba Gold

Get moving in costume as Liz leads a Zumba class in the parking lot.

TH (10/31), noon, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Strength & Exercise

Workout at your own pace in a fun atmosphere in this weekly class for active adults working on overall fitness and strength.

MO (11/4), 9:30am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Mindful Movements

Yoga

Instructor Laura Towell weaves breath and movements together to create a playful exploration of body and mind. Bring your own mat or use one of ours.

MO (11/4), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Power Hour Chair

Exercise

Build power through fun, upbeat, and gentle chair exercises each Tuesday.

TU (11/5), 10am, Grove

St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Gentle Yoga for Seniors

A yoga class geared to seniors offering gentle stretching and strengthening through accessible yoga poses and modifications.

WE (11/6), 2:30pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

SUPPORT GROUPS

Drop-In Mental Health Support

Free mental health support for the community where people can come talk, have some coffee and snacks, and speak with trained support group facilitators.

WE (10/30), TH (10/31), 10am, NAMI - WNC, 356 Biltmore Ave

Nicotine Anonymous People share their experience, strength and hope to stop using nicotine. You don’t need to be stopped, just have a desire to attend.

TH (10/31, 11/7), 4:30pm, Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 1 Kenilworth Knolls Unit 4

Hurricane Helene Trauma Support

In the wake of a natural disaster or other trauma, the need for human

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

TREAT STREET: Hendersonville hosts its Treat Street Carnival on Thursday, Oct. 31, starting at 5 p.m. The family-friendly Main Street event will feature plenty of candy, a costume contest with prizes, inflatables, a dance party and more. Photo courtesy of the City of Hendersonville

connection and support is as great as food, water, and shelter. This is a place to share your grief, anxiety, and other mental or emotional health experiences happening at this time.

FR (11/1), 3pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group

A free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. For more information contact (828) 367-7660.

SA (11/2), 2pm,1316 Ste C Parkwood Rd

Wild Souls Authentic Movement Class

An expressive movement class designed to help you get unstuck, enjoy cardio movement, boost immune health, dissolve anxiety and celebrate community.

SU (11/3), 9:30am, Dunn’s Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard

WNC Prostate Support Group

A forum for men, caregivers, family members, partners and supporters to attend no matter their current situation with prostate cancer.

TU (11/5), 6:30pm, First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St

DANCE

Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez

A Latin dance social featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton with dance lessons for all skill levels.

WE (10/30, 11/6), 8pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd

Swing Asheville Weekly swing dancing lessons with a live dance social afterwards.

TU (11/5), 7pm, Fleetwood’s, 496 Haywood Rd

Ballroom Dance

Learn the basics of ballroom dancing in this drop-in class that works

on two different dances each week including waltz, tango, foxtrot, cha cha, rumba, swing, and salsa.

WE (11/6), 6pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

ART

Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination

This exhibition explores an imaginative landscape of plant forms that come to life when activated with augmented reality. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Jan. 20, 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

James Henkel: Cynosure Exploring new interpretations of still life photography, Henkel’s images subvert accepted ideas of classical floral art arrangements from both Eastern and Western stylistic perspectives. Gallery open Wednesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Nov. 9.

Tracey Morgan Gallery, 22 London Rd

The Farm

Built on more than a decade’s worth of deep, original archival research, this exhibition will constitute a comprehensive new history of Black Mountain College. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Jan. 11, 2005.

Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Beautiful Mystery

Exhibition

This exhibition features colorful batik paintings by Robin Ford, the clay pieces by Susan Grier and Joe Frank McKee,

at (828) 545-2262. WE (10/30), 6:45pm, St. Matthias Church, 1 Dundee St

John Jorgenson

Bluegrass Band

Four legendary musicians unite to deliver bluegrass as it’s never been heard before, with impeccable musicianship, incomparable songwriting, incredible harmonies and seasoned showmanship.

TH (11/7), 4pm, Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave

Echoes Across the Smokies: A Night of Bluegrass, Ballads & Tall Tales

An unforgettable event celebrating the rich tapestry of mountain culture with a unique blend of bluegrass, folk, and classical influence.

TH (11/7), 7:30pm, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Virtuoso Guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre

jewelry by Ilene Kay, and wood sculptures by Brian Melton. Gallery open daily, 10am. Exhibition through Nov. 11. Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy

Moving Stillness: Mount Rainier

An immersive experience that explores the ideas of death and regeneration in nature. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Jan. 20, 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

At the Table

This exhibition features numerous contemporary works of art from the 1980s to the present that explore ideas of community, power, and representation through their depiction or use of a table. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through Dec. 6, 2024.

WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Daily Craft Demonstrations

Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths. These free and educational opportunities are open to the public. Open daily, 10am. Demonstrations run through Dec. 31. Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Men in Harmony: Open Singing Jam

Men's a capella ensemble

hosts an open jam session to scout for new talented members as well as share an evening of music. For more information contact Jim Gordon

Rookie Readers

An engaging literacy program designed specifically for toddlers with an aim to foster a love for reading while nurturing creativity through crafts. MO (11/4), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St Pen to Paper Writing Group

Share stories of your life with others on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

WE (11/6), 10am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

THEATER & FILM

Hocus Pocus

A free movie night for the community. Donations will be accepted for the Arts AVL Emergency Relief Grant.

Experience the extraordinary talent of Raphaël Feuillâtre, a rising star in the world of classical guitar.

TH (11/7), 7:30pm, Parker Concert Hall at Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Access to Capital Learn why businesses borrow money, what lenders are looking for when reviewing your application, and the importance of having cash flow projections. Visit avl.mx/e8f to register.

TH (10/31), noon, Online

Free Community Narcan Training

A very important training led by Sunrise Recovery and hosted by AmeriHealth Caritas. Bring your questions and concerns to this session.

TU (11/5), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

LITERARY

When Freedom Is the Question: A Conversation w/Bill Ayers In When Freedom is the Question, Abolition is the Answer, Ayers shares reflections that incorporate history, political theory, literature, and his own personal experience within social movements, offering a radical vision for a more just and equitable world.

WE (10/30), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

Taking the State Out of the Body: Book Talk & Workshop

Taking the State Out of the Body is a guidebook in deconstructing nationalism through trauma informed praxis.

SA (11/2), 4pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

WE (10/30), 6pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave Movies in the Park Dress in costumes and enjoy Insidious, a fun and frightening horror film that takes place in a haunted house. Rated PG-13 for frightening images, brief strong language, terror, thematic material, and violence.

WE (10/30), 6pm, Pack Square, 1 N Pack Square Disney's Finding Nemo Jr.

A 90 minute musical adventure about a clownfish named Marlin who embarks on a daring journey across the ocean to rescue his son, Nemo, with the help of a forgetful yet optimistic fish named Dory. FR (11/1), SA (11/2), 7:30pm, SU (11/3), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville Misery

Based on Stephen King’s acclaimed, best-selling novel, Misery's tense cat-and-mouse game will grip you until the end. In the wake of the hurricane, Misery will serve as a fundraiser for survivors.

FR (11/1), 7:30pm, SA (11/2), SU (11/3), 3pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville

An Evening of Cherokee Storytelling w/Nancy Pheasant Inspired by her father, Nancy has become a renowned storyteller, dedicated to preserving and sharing the traditions and history of the Anikituwah/Eastern Band of the Cherokee people.

TH (11/7), 7pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Ecogathering Guided conversations explore how to make

HENDERSONVILLE

sense of the modern world by regrounding connections to nature and one other.

FR (11/1), 6:30pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Veterans Creative Retreat

Create beautiful, handmade journals and fill them with watercolor paintings, charcoal sketches, mixed-media collage, and more. All materials and supplies are included.

TU (11/5), 11:30am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St So, You Want to Start a Farm…Now What?

This one-half day workshop can help is designed to assist new and aspiring farmers in taking the first steps in thinking through farm start-up (whether you already have land access or not).

TH (11/7), 2pm, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd, Ste 102

AgriBusiness Series: Agri-Tourism

Come to this introductory session to learn about

the basic considerations and regulations before you launch your operation.

TH (11/7), 5:30pm, Regional High Technology Center, 112 Industrial Park Dr, Waynesville

GAMES & CLUBS

Día de Muertos Lotería (Day of the Dead Bingo)

Celebrate the traditional Mexican holiday by learning Spanish vocabulary and symbols of Día de Muertos, from La Catrina to pozole. FR (11/1), 4pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St

Firestorm Game Night

Cooperative and competitive table-top gameplay for new and experienced player. You’re welcome to bring your own games.

FR (11/1), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

Bridge for Fun

A bridge game night for mid-level players, not for beginners. Contact Tom Fehsenfeld at tom. fehsenfeld@gmail.com.

WE (11/6), 2pm, North Asheville Recreation Center, 37 E. Larchmont Rd

KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

Parks & REC-cess

A recreation experience for kids and teens who are homeschooled with a variety of activities. Advance registration required.

WE (11/6), 1pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

LOCAL MARKETS

RAD Farmers Market

Providing year-round access to fresh local foods from over 30 local vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, pastured meats, cheeses, raw honey, and more.

WE (10/30), 3pm, Stein Mart, 848 Merrimon Ave

Leicester Farmers Market

A community-led farmers market local produce, cheese, meats and crafts, every Wednesday.

WE (10/30, 11/6), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester Weaverville Tailgate Market

A selection of fresh, locally grown produce,

Halloween Events

Halloween Block Party

A community led Halloween Block party featuring activities and events throughout the district. Individuals and families are encouraged to trick and treat at local businesses.

TH (10/31), 4pm, Downtown Asheville.

Trunk or Treat

A free for all ages community event that will feature hot meals, a live DJ, a movie, candy, costumes, arts and crafts, face painting, pumpkin carving and more.

TH (10/31), 2pm, Target Asheville, 115 River Hills Rd

All Hallow’s Eve/ Samhain Purrrty

Expect many family-friendly activities including a food truck, backyard bonfire, bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving contest, local vendors and more.

TH (10/31), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

AVL Fire Truck & Treat

Kids of all ages can check out AVL’s impressive fire truck, meet the airport’s friendly

fire fighters, police officers and Paws for Passengers volunteers, and take home some sweet treats.

TH (10/31), 4pm, Asheville Regional Airport, 61 Terminal Dr, Fletcher

Halloween on Town Square

Enjoy free candy, toys and fun Halloween items. Halloween costume donations will be accepted, contact recreation@tobm.org.

TH (10/31), 4pm, Black Mountain Town Square, Black Mountain

Trunk-or-Treat at Navitat

Celebrate Halloween and benefit the town of Barnadsville with games, crafts, free food and more.

TH (10/31), 3pm, Navitat Canopy Adventures, 242 Poverty Branch Rd, Barnardsville

Booville Community

Halloween Party

Southside families are invited to dress as their favorite characters to trick-or-treat and dig into candy stations as the parking lot becomes a vibrant catwalk of zombies, superheroes, vampires,

grass fed beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, eggs, cheese, sweet and savory baked goods, artisan bread, body care, eclectic handmade goodies, garden and landscaping plants. Open year round.

WE (10/30, 11/6), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr

Enka-Candler Farmer's Market

A grand selection of local foods and crafts, everything from produce to pickles, baked goods to body care, and even educational resources. Every Thursday through October 31.

TH (10/31), 3:30pm, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler

East Asheville Tailgate Market

Featuring locally grown vegetables, fruits, wild foraged mushrooms, ready made food, handmade body care, bread, pastries, meat, eggs, and more to the East Asheville community since 2007. Every Friday through Nov. 22.

FR (11/1), 3pm, E, 954 Tunnel Rd

Asheville City Market

Featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and

other artisan products. Every Saturday through December 21.

SA (11/2), 9am, 52 N Market St

Black Mountain Saturday Tailgate Market

Featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and locally handcrafted items.

SA (11/2), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

I Heart Indie Pop-Up Makers Market

A day featuring local makers, artists and several taprooms coming together to bring the best of Asheville to you.

SA (11/2), 1pm, Urban Orchard Cider Co. S Slope, 24 Buxton Ave

WNC Farmers Market

High quality fruits and vegetables, mountain crafts, jams, jellies, preserves, sourwood honey, and other farm fresh items. Open daily 8am, year-round.

570 Brevard Rd

Junk-O-Rama

Browse vintage clothing vendors, local crafters, antiques and more.

SU (11/3), 11am, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

West Asheville Tailgate Market

Featuring an array of goods including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, bread, eggs, cheese, milk, poultry, and fish to locally made specialty items such as natural beauty products, herbal medicine and locally made art and crafts. Every Tuesday through November 26.

TU (11/5), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Ancestros, Cultura & Sabores

A space for collective grief, music and dance to celebrate the lives of all those that we have lost. Bring photos of your loved ones to add to the community altar and a dish to share. There will be food and coffee for everyone as well as music from DJ Malintzin.

SA (11/2), 5pm, 17 Westside Dr

Asheville Reptile Expo

Calling all herpetology enthusiasts, critter lovers, and reptile aficionados, this event is your passport to a reptilian wonderland where you can not only admire these remarkable

animals but also take home a scaly friend of your very own.

SA (11/2), 9am, WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Peel Jam Benefit

This show features Andrew Scotchie, Santiago y Los Gatos, Big Fur, McKinney and Slow Pony Magic Show. Proceeds to benefit Arts AVL Disaster Relief Fund for Musicians. FR (11/1), 6pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave

Garden in the Lot Help clean up Dr. George Washington Carver Edible Park and paint a pot to take home with a plant.

SA (11/2), 1pm, Stephen's Lee Community Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Caverns of Gold Compilation Release & Benefit Show

Featuring 15 of the over 150 bands/artists featured on the comp. All proceeds from both the album and the show go to Beloved Asheville.

SA (11/2), 2pm, Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St

WNC Writers Hurricane Relief Show

The Western Carolina Writers organizers have graciously offered to donate 100% of net ticket proceeds directly to BeLoved Asheville and the AVL Musician Relief Fund. The night features Rebekah Todd, Josh Blake, 5J Barrow, Jason Curtis and more. SU (11/3), 6pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Karen Cragnolin Park Volunteer Day Karen Cragnolin Park’s greenway is now open to the public, but our work doesn’t stop there. Our work continues to beautify and create a native habitat for the public and pollinators to enjoy.

WE (11/6), 10am, Karen Cragnolin Park, 190 Amboy Rd

AMS Silent Auction

A fun-filled event where you can bid on a wide variety of amazing items, all while supporting a great cause. Whether you're a seasoned auction-goer or a first-timer, this event is perfect for everyone.

TH (11/7), 6:30pm, Marquee Asheville, 36 Foundy St

and more with themed stations and live DJ performances.

TH (10/31), 5pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Halloween On Vermont Ave

A spooky night of Halloween fun. Neighbors have begun decorating and will be giving candy donations for the kids.

TH (10/31), 5pm, Vermont Avenue Halloween, Vermont Ave

Treat Street Carnival

An evening filled with ghoulish delights, thrilling activities, and spine-chilling entertainment for all ages. There will also be a costume contest and Monster Mash dance party by Sound Extreme DJ.

TH (10/31), 5pm, Hendersonville Historic Courthouse Square, 1 Historic Courthouse Square, Hendersonville

2nd Annual Boo Bash

A night of eerie excitement and hauntingly good fun with supernatural sounds of Sketoe’s Ghost. Dance the night away, sing

your heart out and compete for the best costume in town.

TH (10/31), 6pm, The Main Event, 125 S Main St, Hendersonville

Montford Haunted Tent

It’s mostly delicious treats, and some special tricks, for Montford families under the haunted big top.

TH (10/31), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Shiloh Trunk or Treat

Join neighborhood families as costumed kids go from station to station to collect candy and other treats.

TH (10/31), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

A Divinely Lazrluvr

Halloween

Get ready to party like it’s 1985 during an unforgettable Halloween night with thrills, chills, and killer tunes. There will be a costume contest so dress to impress.

TH (10/31), 7pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTION & INTAKE LOCATIONS

Beloved Asheville

Donations are accepted. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Days and hours may vary.

32 Old Charlotte Hwy

At Home Store

Food, drinknig water and water for flushing available. Open 9am to 7pm.

980 Brevard Rd

Sky Lanes Bowling

Alley

Food, drinking water and water for flushing available. Open daily, 9am to 7pm.

1477 Patton Ave

Swannanoa Ingles

Food, drinking water and water for flushing available. Open daily, 7am to 7pm. 2299 US 70, Swannanoa

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 9am to 7pm.

121 Shiloh Rd

Pack Square Park

Bring your own water container. 2 gallons per person/day.

70 Court Plaza

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

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

Woodland Baptist Church

Supplies available Monday through Friday, 8am. Donations accepted Saturday, 9am and Sunday, 2pm. 545 Crabtree Rd, Waynesville

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, non-food 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

HELENE RESOURCE DIRECTORY

East Haven

Food and supplies in Swannanoa. Open at 4:45pm.

2244 US-70, Swannanoa

PUBLIC SHOWER & LAUNDRY LOCATIONS

Alpha Fitness Open to non-members for showers. Days vary, 9am. 2570 Asheville Hwy

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

At Home Store

Showers, laundry and bathrooms available on their parking lot. 9880 Brevard Rd

Buncombe County Sports Park

Hot showers and bathrooms open to the public. Open daily, 7am to 7pm. 58 Apac Dr

Big Lots/Innsbrook

Mall

Hot showers, laundry and bathrooms open to the public. Open daily, 7am to 7pm. 85 Tunnel Rd

Bethel United Methodist

Hot showers, laundry and bathrooms open to the public. Open daily, 7am to 7pm. 1050 Riceville Rd

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

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 daily, 7am. 2299 US-70, Swannanoa

HOT MEALS

Ben’s Tune Up Free meals from World Central Kitchen. Open daily, 12pm. 195 Hilliard Ave

Gashes Creekek Baptist Free hot dinner. Open daily, 4pm to 6pm.

308 Gashes Creek Rd

Valley Hope EPC Free hot dinner. Open daily, 5:30pm to 7pm.

115 Rockdale Ave

Blunt Pretzels

Free hot meals and water supplies. Open daily, 12:30pm to 8pm.

120 Alexander Pl

Dilbar

Free hot meals. Open daily, 12:30pm to 4:30pm.

5 Biltmore Ave

First Baptist Church

Mercy Chefs serving hot meals. Lunch at 12pm and Dinner at 5pm.

5 Oak St

Bolen’s Creek Baptist Church

Mercy Chefs serving hot meals. Lunch at 12pm.

19 Heavenly Ln

The Rock Church

Mercy Chefs serving hot meals. Dinner at 5pm.

273 Monte Vista Dr

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

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

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 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) 2595300 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

Asheville Museum of Science

Open for normal business hours. Monday through Saturday, 10am, closed on Sunday.

The Grey Eagle Live music returns to The Grey Eagle.

185 Clingman Ave

One World West Live music returns to One World West. 520 Haywood Rd

Cinemark Bistro at The Carolina Asheville Movie theater returns. Visit avl.mx/e83 to see movie options and times.

1640 Hendersonville Rd

Voodoo Brewing Brewery and their food options return. 3578 Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden

Highland Brewing Co. Craft brewery and their live music returns.

12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

The Village Porch Re-opening with a limited menu.

51 N Merrimon Ave

The Barksdale Hot dogs and cocktails are back. Open daily, 1pm to 11pm till curfew is lifted.

42 Banks Ave

Shakey’s Popular queer bar reopens. Open daily, 4pm to 10pm till curfew is lifted.

38 N French Broad Ave

Sly Grog Lounge

Asheville’s weirdest indoor-outdoor event space returns. Hours and shows vary.

271 Haywood St

Sierra Nevada Brewery and amphitheater re-open. Open daily, 11am. 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Fletcher Old Europe Pastries Old-world coffee shop is open. 18 Broadway St

Shiloh & Gaines

Friendly neighborhood bar has opened its doors.

700 Hendersonville Rd

The Orange Peel Visit avl.mx/e8a for shows and times.

101 Biltmore Ave

Lazoom Room

Regular bar hours will be Tuesday through Saturday, 3pm to 9pm until further notice.

76 Biltmore Ave

Well Played Board games and a limited menu of sandwiches, snacks and desserts. Open Thursday through Sunday, 9am.

162 Coxe Ave

The River Arts District Brewing Company Brewery, live music and food on site.

13 Mystery St

The Whale: A Craft Beer Collective Craft brewery reopens.

507 Haywood Rd, St 10

Jettie Raes Walk-ins only with a limited menu. Open, 5pm.

143 Charlotte St

Vinnie’s

Enjoy a limited menu. Open, 4pm. 641 Merrimon Ave

Dssolvr Will be open Thursday through Sunday, 3pm. 63 N Lexington Ave

West Asheville Yoga Open Monday through Friday, 9am, 10:30am and 5:30pm. Saturday and Sunday, 10am.

602 Haywood Rd

Eulogy

Live music returns. Visit avl.mx/d47 for shows and times. 10 Buxton Ave

Oklawaha Brewing Co.

Brewery and live music returns.

147 1st Ave E, Hendersonville

Manna has set up a temporary donation and distribution site at

WNC Farmers Market.

570 Brevard Rd

Food and supplies in Swannanoa. Open at 2:30pm.

372 Tree Rd, Swannanoa

Reuter Family Branch

YMCA

Open daily, 10am.

3 Town Square Blvd

Redeemer American Church

Mercy Chefs serving hot meals. Dinner at 5pm. 531 Haywood Rd

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

BUSINESS RE-OPENINGS

Grove Arcade Retail shopping center and historic landmark has re-opened. Open daily, 10am. 1 Page Ave

WELLNESS

Bonding waters

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

North Asheville’s Elle DeBruhl works in recruiting for multinational accounting giant Ernst & Young. She is not in any way an expert on water distribution.

But after Tropical Storm Helene left Asheville without running water, DeBruhl and her husband, Buddy DeBruhl, came up with a plan to provide a way for people to get nonpotable flushing water. The couple had access to intermediate bulk containers (IBC) totes — industrial-grade containers for the mass handling, transport and storage of liquids — at Buddy’s family farm near Weaverville.

“We outfitted our own rig [a flatbed trailer hitched to a pickup truck] with six of these totes and started pulling water from wells and ponds at the farm and bringing it into the more vulnerable populations that did not have access to gray flushing water,” Elle DeBruhl explains. “We just knew that the people were not in a good position to help themselves, so we needed to help.”

Within days, the DeBruhls’ fledgling operation had grown into Flush AVL with the help of co-founder Molly Black, an executive with the American Cancer Society, and a team of dedicated volunteers. In partnership with Highland Brewing, BeLoved Asheville and Plenty.org, Flush AVL distributed 400 totes around town and kept them supplied with nonpotable water.

Now that running water has been restored to Asheville, the group is changing its focus to bring flushing water to smaller communities that were devastated by Helene. “We’re on Operation Redeploy, and that’s just as fulfilling as the original project,” she says.

Elle DeBruhl spoke with Xpress about the origins of Flush AVL, its rapid

growth, its new mission and what might be next for the group’s organizers. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Xpress: How did the program grow so fast after your initial efforts?

Shortly after we started doing this, the bucket brigades started following us around, using our water and helping some of these low-income housing units, veterans homes, nursing homes, individuals that can’t carry a 5-gallon bucket. In a matter of about two days, I was able to leverage my connections to get a large sum of these IBC totes donated. Lots of corporate sponsorships. [Former NASCAR star] Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave quite a large sum of containers.

How did you connect with Molly Black, your co-founder?

Molly knows Drew Reisinger, the Buncombe County register of deeds. My husband works in the Register of Deeds office. So Drew’s like, “Hey Molly, you need to meet Elle, because her and Buddy are doing this great work,” and that’s how we met. She’s working on her doctorate in public health, so she recognized the impact that not having flushing water would have on the public if it wasn’t done as quickly as possible. She works for the American Cancer Society, and she got some really smart people there to build us a GIS [geographic information system] map. Using this very smart GIS map, we started to build an infrastructure around the city in strategic places that we knew needed to get these totes on the ground. Communities like Livingston Street, Erskine Street, Deaverview, Maplecrest Apartments.

Can you explain the logistics of the program?

We set up this large volunteer drive of people who had equipment and trucks to transport the totes. We staged them at Highland Brewing. We would tell them [the volunteers] where to go to drop the

And then we are taking those totes and driving them into those communities. How have your efforts in those communities been going?

totes and we would mark it on the map. We just continued to do that and really expand our efforts to where we had 400 totes around the city. [People in the community] could just scan a QR code, and it notified us in dispatch that your tote needed to be refilled. We would send out a volunteer to fill that tote. We outfitted them with hoses and different things so that they would be able to pump water from their trucks. We just worked like that around the clock.

We had upwards of 30 volunteers and a core set of six people. We had somebody that was in charge of the map. We had somebody in charge of dispatch. We had somebody in charge of water fill. We’re so proud of the fact that this is truly community built. We did meet with the City of Asheville and other leaders in the community, and there just wasn’t the infrastructure and manpower to help with this. So we knew we had to do it. Now that nonpotable water is back on in Asheville, what is the plan for AVL Flush?

We realized very quickly that we’ve got all these totes on the ground, and our friends in Swannanoa, in Old Fort, in Burnsville, in Marshall, in Hot Springs, in Spruce Pine, in Barnardsville, are going to be without water for a very long time. So that’s where we’re now redeploying all of our totes that we’ve laid down. We’re just basically working the map in reverse. We know where the totes are, so we’re using volunteers to gather them up. And my husband and I, we have a central drop site where we’re having our volunteers bring the totes.

It’s not as easy as going, “Here’s some totes,” and walking out. You really have to make inroads with someone local. They are proud people, and they don’t want help. For example, we go to Marshall, and I think, “If I need to speak with someone in charge, I’m going to go to the fire department.” And I go to the fire department, and there is no fire department. That building is gone. So it takes me about 30 minutes to network my way through my phone and get to someone that’s in charge of their operations. And they didn’t believe me. They were like, “What do you mean you’re just gonna give us totes? What’s the catch?” I’m like, “There’s not a catch. We don’t need them anymore, and you guys need them.” And we’re just doing that with all of these communities in Western North Carolina. How will the totes in those communities be filled with water? If we can get them the totes, they are scrappy enough to figure out how to fill them. We are donating all of our pumps and things to help. For example, we delivered quite a few totes [to Hot Springs], and we left them with one of our pumps. We showed a couple key community members how to use those. And we gave them some pointers on how to manage the totes and keep them full, but we don’t have the infrastructure to go and fill them. And if they need more, they can keep reaching out to us and we will get them more totes. Have you given any thought to keeping Flush AVL going after all these communities have access to water again?

I work for Ernst & Young. I am in a global recruiting role in a corporate job. I’m not a specialist in any type of water distribution, but I have just used my skills of knowing how to build teams and working projects and getting things turned around as quickly as possible. And that is very fulfilling. Molly, my co-founder, I did not know her, and now we’re forced by circumstance to meet and build something so important. And so you do wonder, “Should we think about something else when this is all over?” Who knows the answer to that?

But what I will say is that the devastation that I have seen in these communities, they’re going to need these totes for a very long time. And I can’t sleep knowing that we have them sitting on the street, not being utilized, and it could truly save lives in these other impacted areas. X

WATER WOMAN: Elle DeBruhl co-founded Flush AVL, a volunteer effort that provided nonpotable flushing water to communities throughout Asheville. Photo courtesy of DeBruhl

ARTS & CULTURE

WITH ERIC BROWN

BY ERIC BROWN

Normally this column involves me making jokes with fellow local comedians about traffic on Patton Avenue, weird breweries — that sort of thing. But the fact is there’s no way to not talk about the impact Tropical Storm Helene has had on our community. Believe me, I’ve tried.

Like everyone in Asheville, life is totally different for me now. Fortunately, I didn’t lose anyone or anything in the storm. I keep thinking I’ve been incredibly lucky, but I don’t really feel lucky. I read somewhere that what I’m feeling is called survivor’s guilt, but in fairness, that was from an Instagram story I only looked

at for a second, and I wasn’t wearing my glasses when I saw it. I was going to look more into it later, but lately my schedule has been filled with crying and dissociating while I play dumb games on my phone.

Anyway … how am I doing on this comedy column, everyone? It’s a laugh riot, right?

Comedians on Halloween, Helene and humor amid horrific disaster

11/01:

Reader: Alondra 12-6

12-1

Krysta 12-7

My whole life I’ve used comedy as a defense mechanism to take power away from tragedies, but Helene is a tough one to make funny. We all lost so much, but I guess picking frogs out of buckets of creek water so you can flush your toilet is kind of funny. It’s like having the Little Rascals as your plumber. (Note: The fact that I thought the Little Rascals was a timely reference tells you just how shaken up I am post-Helene. We survived a storm so bad it pushed my already dated references back another 40 years. At this rate, by the time I’m 80, I’m going to have very funny jokes about Y2K and how bad it hurts when you hit your shin with a Razor Scooter.)

They say tragedy + time = comedy, but unfortunately, there hasn’t been much time. It feels like it’s been years, though it’s only been weeks. Hours seem to stretch on forever, which is kind of similar to my experience watching that new Joker movie (more on this later).

OK, on with the show. I’ve gathered some of the funniest people I know — Marlene Thompson, Tim Hearn and Nora Tramm — who personally helped me weather the storm. I don’t know if we have the words to make any of this funny, but we’re going to try.

Eric: Let us start with the question that everyone is asking everybody these days, how are you holding up after the storm? I would also like to know how you are feeling about comedy these days, especially here in Asheville?

Nora: I just got the internet back on at my house after 3 1/2 weeks — shout out to Spectrum, which approached this crisis like that one guy in a high school group project: procrastinating until the last possible moment and

DARK HUMOR: The impact of Tropical Storm Helene on Western North Carolina has been devastating. But these four brave comedians take a swing at finding humor amid this ongoing tragedy. Pictured, clockwise from top left, are Eric Brown, Marlene Thompson, Tim Hearn and Nora Tramm. Photo of Brown by Cindy Kunst; photo of Tramm by Thomas Calder; photos of Thompson and Hearn courtesy of the comedians

then claiming they were held back by the other kids (NCDOT and Duke Energy), who in reality did most of the work. So, I’m just now getting online and catching up with all the discourse. And frankly? I’m disappointed by the quality of the misinformation that has been circulating. FEMA is going to take your land — really? As unfounded rumors go, that one is tired, unoriginal and lacking in local flare. So, I’m going to take this space to pitch some better misinformation that I want y’all to start spreading instead. Ready?

• My neighbor flushed with water from Beaver Lake and now his toilet has rabies.

• I heard from my mom’s gardener that everyone’s favorite assistant city manager, Ben Woody, is actually a large language model AI trained on AVL Watchdog exposés, brewery tour scripts and the owner’s manual for a 90-gallon aquarium tank filter.

• My friend said she read on the internet that Spectrum actually employs at least one human being in its customer service depart-

ment. (Remember, this is misinformation. The more implausible and outlandish, the better.)

Marlene: Like many of us, my feelings have been coming in waves. I feel hopeful as I see progress being made on broken infrastructure and the distribution of water. I see a city coming together as a community to help each other in some of the darkest times in our lives. My optimism is then dashed with every story I hear about folks who have lost their entire livelihood. Whether it’s the survivor’s guilt that’s been eating away at me — as it has been for many of us — or the dose of reality that smacks me in the head when we see another favorite spot has been decimated, another small business lost, another house swept away by flooding. My house is fine. My life wasn’t destroyed. We were displaced for a little while and were able to stay with friends. I can still call Asheville home. That’s not the case for many people in WNC right now. Their hopes are gone with a million different microdecisions they must make in order to survive — from where to get food to where to take a shower. The effects of Helene are rewiring our brains in real time. All of that said, am I still funny? Sure. Will I cry the next time I’m onstage? Who’s to say? (I am, and I say, “Highly likely!”)

Tim: Okaaaayyyy, how do I feel after this terrible hurricane that left all of our lives in chaos and dissaraayyyyy? Honestly, I probably won’t know the answer to that for a while. I know I feel lucky to be alive and grateful for the people around me. I feel very sad for our community and those who have it the worst. I can’t help but be thankful for my life and for the wonderful mountains we call home. Don’t get me wrong, the entire experience has been truly Traumatic (Big T trauma), but I have seen really wonderful parts of humanity. I’ve seen ALL of WNC taking care of each other and spreading love, resources and attention. That has been a breath of fresh air and incredible to be witness to and take part in. I also saw my roommate not shower for a week — different but still coooool.

I heard some great hurricane jokes, too. I think we will all probably have some funny jokes and experiences from the last seven months. … Wait, how long has it been?

Eric: I guess as far as comedy goes, there really isn’t much right now. The 2024 Asheville Improv Festival was canceled, which was a huge blow to the improv community and myself. A lot of venues for comedy, which were already scarce, are also closed or just gone. That being said, my friends in the comedy scene, including everyone

in this week’s column, are a lot of what has kept me going. Knowing that we are all still here and lifting each other up until we can all get onstage again has kept me from really spiraling into the dark. I’m excited to see what we all build together now. I’m truly optimistic that Asheville and its comedy scene will emerge stronger than ever. I can’t wait to be back onstage with you all, and I’d also like to apologize to my therapist for all the jokes these last few sessions. I haven’t had an audience in a month, and you shouldn’t have had to hear so many first-draft jokes.

Eric: Finding the humor in hard things is also what keeps me going, or at least that’s what my therapist says. On that note, do you have any funny stories that happened during the storm or in the immediate aftermath?

Marlene: I’m not sure if it’s funny or just gross, but I’m going to tell it anyway. For about two days after the storm, my house had running water. Probably from our water heater, but who knows? I was doing my business in our toilet like normal because toilets are a modern-day convenience and we live in the modern day. Well, I did my you-can-guess-which-kind-of business after the water stopped flowing out of my faucets, and I had no way to flush the toilet. My mind was functioning on rote memory, and I never stopped to think that I couldn’t flush my toilet without running water. We had stocked up on drinking water, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to use that to flush waste. But what if you used liquid waste to flush solid waste? That’s right, friends. I peed in a plastic cup and dumped it in the top of my toilet until I had enough pee to flush the solid waste. I’m not proud of it but I am. Kinda.

Tim: I just want to give a shout-out to the awesome names of people in the wonderful town of Hot Springs, N.C.! We did some volunteer work up there, and basically everyone we met had trail names. I actually met a guy who was named Trale. (Shout-out to Trale!)

Our first day we met a guy named Ya-Ya, who sent us to the Spring Creek Tavern to meet Cowboy and the owner of the tavern, Tim. I mean, what are the odds? Two Tims in North Carolina? We locked eyes and immediately began a duel in the street, where a used Tyvek suit blew across our battleground like the tumbleweeds of old. … I’m sorry, what was the question?

I believe I have what the doctors call “Hurricane Brain.”

Also! There was a wonderfully cheerful man named David, who has had the Spring Creek Hotel in his family for generations. Almost every day I saw him wear a hat that said, “This actually is my first rodeo.” Made me smile every time.

So, a big shout-out to the community of Hot Springs and all the new friends we have made. Please continue to contribute and donate to the businesses and towns impacted by this hurricane, they need it and they deserve it.

Nora: I’ve spent post-Helene either cutting trees into sticks and then putting sticks into piles, or hunkering down with my cats, trying to stay out of people’s way. Not exactly story material, so you’ll have to settle for a few anecdotes.

• Whenever anyone asks the guy at the New Bridge Baptist Church FEMA water truck if the water is potable, his answer is always, “It’s from Louisiana!” That seems unrelated to what I asked, but I felt like I would be a choosing beggar if I pestered him with follow-ups, so I’ve just been drinking it and hoping for the best.

• The number of people willing to loudly announce that they’re from Florida early in your acquaintance has gone way up lately. Are we cool with Floridians now? How long is that going to last?

• I’ve learned that sometimes it’s better for everyone involved if you just accept help because helping is how a lot of us are coping. Sure, you may not need a jar of peanut butter, but that person needs to give you that jar of peanut butter. When you think about it, you’re really the hero of that exchange. In unrelated news, I ended up with an extra jar of creamy peanut butter that somebody can have, just HMU on Insta. Nothing wrong with it, I just prefer crunchy.

Eric: So, we were lucky and sheltered out of town for two weeks. The storm was on Thursday, and we drove out the middle of Sunday. It was a stressful time being crammed in a tiny hotel room in Hickory with my girlfriend as well as a dog and a cat who had never met before. I never experienced the phrase “fighting like cats and dogs” so directly before. I have a really funny story about trying to cry silently in the hotel bathroom so I wouldn’t wake my girlfriend, but the cat and dog wouldn’t stop trying to get in the bathroom. Trust me, it’s very funny.

Another story: My girlfriend works remote, so I decided to get out of her

hair and see the movie Megalopolis By all accounts, I’d heard it was an awful movie, but it was at least something to do. But as I was leaving the hotel, I was hit with a debilitating bout of food poisoning. Frankly, I’m probably to blame for ordering Indian food in Hickory. (I’d also like to issue an apology to that particular bathroom in Hickory.) Needless to say, I didn’t make it to Megalopolis

At the end of that first week, we went to stay in Charlotte, and I decided to try to see the movie again. I’m on Letterboxd (follow me there at EricJBrown), which is a movie review social networking site for movie nerds like me, so on the drive over to the theater, I was thinking of joke reviews for this allegedly awful movie. As I thought of the review — “Seeing Megalopolis was worse than surviving Helene” — the low-tire light came on in the car. I stopped to deal with that. In that moment, I thought that both my body and the universe were trying to keep me from seeing this movie. But at that point, I had bought a ticket for this film twice with my rapidly dwindling money. I was seeing Megalopolis one way or another. I get into the movie and I am absolutely staggered with how insane it is. None of the movie makes any sense. It is so pretentious and somehow none of the plot points line up or even seem to matter. At one point Jon Voight says to a person, “Hey! Look at my boner!” It is unbelievably bad. And I loved it. Megalopolis was definitely not worse than surviving Helene. I couldn’t believe I had even thought of such a crass thing to say about a movie I had a really fun time watching, and I felt ashamed for even thinking that.

Now, Joker: Folie á Deux, on the other hand — THAT’S a movie that was worse than surviving Helene. I saw that a few days later with Tim, and it was even bleaker and more unpleasant than making Kraft Mac & Cheese on a camp stove in the dark during a natural disaster and wishing you had cell service so you could find out if your friends and family are all alive. Trust me, I did both over the last couple of weeks, and Joker was worse.

Eric: Despite the storm, we can’t lose Halloween. What are your Halloween plans? What is your costume this year?

Tim: Well, my birthday is on Nov. 1, so this Halloween I’ll be turning 47! Wait, what month is it? What’s my age again? This “Hurricane Brain” is no joke.

Anyway, I’m going to be a ghost this year. You won’t see me anywhere, but you’ll wonder if I’m still here. Hopefully, when you think of me you’ll think of me as Casper the Friendly Ghost or even Patrick Swayze the Sexy Ghost — but never a scary ghost. I also would like to clarify that although I will be going as a ghost, I do not condone “ghosting” as a form of communication, unless of course … (smoke explodes from the floor) that person be cray. (Tim vanishes from the room, children clap, mothers cry, curtains fall.)

Marlene: I do love Halloween very much. All things spooky and macabre make this my favorite time of year. The chill in the air gives me life. Not sure what my plans are yet for the actual day, but if there’s any parties going on where there are working toilets, let a girl know. My costume this year will be a mix of ease and millennial core — I’ve got a bright green coat and some construction paper. I’ll cut out the letters to spell “BRAT” and be the Charli XCX hit album cover. In my head, it’s BRAT fall because why not? Unless I change my mind and do something completely different. Nora, do you still have my hot dog costume?

Nora: Marlene, that costume (which was put to good use in Nemesis Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet this past summer) is very clearly a hot dog, not a BRATwurst. I will get it back to you, but please be advised that during my time with it, I sweated in it a lot.

As far as my Halloween plans this year, I am a remote worker, and my colleagues are mostly outside the region, so I’ve had to break out my costume early. That’s right, this year I’m going as “someone who is not five seconds away from either screaming, crying, taking a daylong nap or some unholy combination of all three.” Now, they don’t sell emotional stability at Spirit Halloween (and even if they did, the f*cking storm took that away from us, too), so this is a custom, bespoke costume that I MacGyver’d up out of a few unconventional components:

• A shower where I don’t wash my face.

• An extensive trial-and-error study of which anecdotes are not appropriate in a business-casual “how are you today” conversation.

• Long, frequent huffs of the fur on the back of my cats’ necks.

You know, normal sh*t. I think I’m pulling it off.

Eric: Halloween is my favorite holiday, and generally the fall is my favorite time of year. Clearly, the storm has put a gigantic looming shadow over all that this year, and not even a fun and spooky looming shadow. I’m still not willing to give up on Halloween. Halloween has been in my blood my whole life. I’ve written and performed a “Monster Mash” parody. I currently have a framed portrait of Vincent Price and two different Frankensteins hanging in my living room. When I was a kid, I was “the kid who was way too into monsters,” and now that’s just everyone it seems. (Am I bitter about it? Of course, I am!)

It feels weird to be thinking about monsters and horror in the wake of the storm. I don’t really know how to deal with Helene. Monsters I can deal with. I could theoretically escape a monster. I couldn’t escape the storm. Take Frankenstein for example. He’s slow and plodding and afraid of fire. That’s an easy one. Back up, kick him hard in the knee and set him on fire as he goes down. I couldn’t do that with Helene. She had no knees to kick and was resistant to fire.

Same situation with werewolves. One silver bullet, and you’re done. I tried it on Helene, and it was completely ineffective. And since Helene isn’t a vampire, you can’t fend her off with a cross and a wooden stake, although I did try warding her off with garlic. It didn’t work, but for a couple of seconds, the wind did smell delicious.

With all that said, I’m not sure what my plans are. But there’s no way I’m not celebrating Halloween. I had planned to go to the Halloween thing at Dollywood, but that’s obviously out now. This is where I put out a call to you, the reader. If you know of any killer Halloween parties, let me know.

I was initially thinking I would dress as Dracula. That was my favorite costume and monster as a kid, and I probably went as him four or five times. Then I thought I’d be a cowboy, but I kind of just dress like a cowboy all the time, so that’s out. I was thinking I might go a little more current, so maybe I’ll dress up as FEMA support money. I figure I’ll ask whoever invites me to a party about 60 questions, then I’ll never really contact them and ultimately just not show up with no explanation. X

by Gina Smith | gsmith@mountainx.com

Hurricane Relief Burger Bash Center for Craft Emergency Relief Fund for WNC Artists

Asheville food lovers might know Colfax Creek Farm from the grassfed beef and pastured pork and poultry it supplies to local restaurants. With their Hurricane Relief Burger Bash on Sunday, Nov. 3, owners Nicole and Aaron Bradley will offer folks an opportunity not only to visit the Rutherford County farm but also to eat burgers, listen to live music and ride a mechanical bull, all while supporting Western North Carolina’s storm

recovery efforts. The JackTown Ramblers will perform 2-4 p.m., and Wiregrass will take the stage 4-6 p.m. Kids activities, a silent auction and blacksmithing demonstrations will also be part of the fun. The festivities will run 2-6 p.m. at 274 Harvey Logan Road, Bostic. Admission is by donation — suggested $10 in advance, $15 at the gate — with proceeds benefiting local relief and recovery initiatives. avl.mx/e8d  X

In May 2020, with COVID-19 lockdowns throwing the entire world into a state of panic and uncertainty, downtown Asheville’s Center for Craft launched the Craft Futures Fund to provide economic support to craft-focused education projects across the United States. The nonprofit rebooted the initiative on Oct. 15 as an emergency relief grant program to help Western North Carolina artists struggling in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. A pot of $876,000 from crowdsourced

funds and contributions is being distributed to artists and crafters across 29 storm-affected counties, including to arts communities in smaller towns such as Spruce Pine, Burnsville, Marshall and Chimney Rock. The funding will be distributed in two phases: Emergency Relief and Recovery. The current Emergency Relief phase is being offered on a rolling basis with unrestricted $500 grants distributed weekly. Applications can be submitted online, by phone and in person. avl.mx/e8e  X

Photo of The JackTown Ramblers courtesy of the band

Photo of the River Arts District after Tropical Storm Helene by David Huff Creative

Lake Logan benefit concert and volunteer weekend

With its mission to reduce pollution in the Pigeon River watershed, the Haywood Waterways Association has been on the ground — and in the water — for weeks in Haywood County doing cleanup projects in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. The first weekend of November, the nonprofit will partner with Cold Mountain Music Festival organizers to host a hybrid music event, cookout and volunteer weekend at Lake Logan. Saturday will feature a donation-based community cookout and donation-based concert featuring local Americana band Fancy and the Gentlemen.

Proceeds will support the Lake Logan Fire Department and the lake’s storm recovery. Volunteer projects for all ages will be staged throughout the weekend focusing on storm cleanup and restoration on the banks of the Pigeon River above Lake Logan. There will also be indoor projects, including assembling care packages for residents impacted by the disaster. Preregistration is required. Cabins and dorms are available by donation; camping is free. The event begins at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 1, and wraps up at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at Lake Logan, 25 Wormy Chestnut Lane, Canton. avl.mx/e8g.  X

Highland Brewing’s Cold Mountain Release Weekend

For many in WNC, the holidays don’t commence until Highland Brewing Co. has popped the top on its seasonal batch of Cold Mountain Winter Ale with the annual Cold Mountain Release Weekend. Even this year, Asheville’s oldest brewery has decided the show must go on, marking its 28th year of brewing Cold Mountain. The four days of events kick off with a multicourse beer dinner featuring a viewing of the aurora borealis (northern lights). The following three days celebrate the release of not only the traditional Cold Mountain ale but also

spinoff flavors such as Coconut, Breakfast and Barrel-Aged. The party will feature a lineup of food trucks, tunes from DJ Lil Meow Meow, a silent disco with Celestial Dreamers and live performances by The Get Right Band, Peggy Ratusz & Daddy Longlegs, Ka-Pow!, Twen, Phuncle Sam and many others. The auroras beer dinner starts at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7. Tickets are $120 each. The release party happens Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8-9, noon10 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 10, noon-8 p.m. A weekend pass is $20, daily passes are $10. avl.mx/anm.  X

Photo of Fancy and the Gentlemen performing at Open Folk AVL by Chris Guirl

Photo of 2024 Cold Mountain Winter Ale courtesy of Highland Brewing

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

The New Mastersounds w/Datrian Johnson & The Rising River Band (soul, funk), 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm

EULOGY

Teenage Halloween w/ Teens in Trouble (pop, indie-rock, emo-punk), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S PSK Karaoke, 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA

Everybody But You Bro Open Mic, 6pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Trivia Wednesdays, 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Music w/Travis Book, Jon Stickley & Matt Smith (multi-genre), 6pm

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

The New Mastersounds w/Datrian Johnson & The Rising River Band (soul, funk), 8pm

CORK & KEG

Caleb Klauder & Reeb

Willms (honky-tonk, country), 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Karaoke Night w/KJ Marcula, 8pm

EULOGY

Eulogy's Halloween Party w/Phantom Pantone, 8pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

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

CLUBLAND

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Felonious Monks (blues, rock, funk), 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

East Coast Dirt (psychrock), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Karaoke Night, 8pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Spooky Boat Bash 2 w/ Boat Command, McKinney, Chris McGinnis & Bill's Garage (multigenre), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Velvet Truckstop, Woody Wood & Hollywood Red w/

Ashley Heath & Sons of Ralph (Southern-rock, Americana, blues), 7pm

THE ODD

Withered, Urocyon & Weight Shift (metal), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Marley Carroll (electronic, experimental), 8pm

FRIDAY,

NOVEMBER 1

AMERICANA SOUNDSCAPES: On Friday, Nov. 1, Abby Bryant & The Echoes host a release party for Bryant’s new album, Glowing, building on the critical acclaim and Americana chart success

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Abby Bryant & The Echoes w/Buddhagraph Spaceship (Americana, soul-rock), 9pm

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

Comedy at Catawba: Zak Toscani (late show), 9pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Rae & the Ragdolls (rock, psych-folk), 8pm

LOBSTER TRAP

Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

Alma Russ Trio (country, folk, Appalachian), 8pm

Lady & The Lovers (funk, R&B, pop rock), 10pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST Petah Iah & The Mindrenewing Band & Tuff Sol (rock-reggae, latin), 8pm

SHAKEY'S

Total Gold w/DJ Abu Disarray, 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Night of the Dirty Dead (Grateful Dead tribute), 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA

BREWING CO. Zapato (jazz, funk), 5:30pm

THE GREY EAGLE The Lemon Twigs w/ Slippers (alt-indie, rock), 9pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Ben Balmer (Americana), 6pm

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Surfer Girl w/Coyote Island & Beach Fly (surfrock, indie, hip-hop), 8pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE

Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 6pm

EULOGY

Atta Boy w/Wonderfool (indie-pop, pop-Americana), 8pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

• Peach Ice Cream Bluegrass, 8pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Kayla McKinney (country, honky-tonk), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Eric Travers Band (rock, blues, Americana), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Invitational Blues Jam, 3pm

• Art of House Presents Saturday Sessions, 7pm

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Many people believe in the existence of ghosts. If you’re not yet one of them, you may be soon. The spirit world is more open than usual to your curiosity and explorations. Keep in mind, though, that the contacts you make might not be with ghosts in the usual sense of that term. They might be deceased ancestors coming to deliver clues and blessings. They could be angels, guardian spirits, or shapeshifting messengers. Don’t be afraid. Some may be weird, but they’re not dangerous. Learn what you can from them, but don’t assume they’re omniscient and infallible. Halloween costume suggestion: one of your ancestors.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When you attended kindergarten, did you ever share your delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich with friends who didn’t like the broccoli and carrots in their lunch boxes? If so, you may be well-primed to capitalize on the opportunities now in your vicinity. Your generous actions will be potent catalysts for good luck. Your eagerness to bestow blessings and share your resources will bring you rewards. Your skill at enhancing other people’s fortunes may attract unexpected favors. Halloween costume suggestion: philanthropist, charity worker, or an angel who gives away peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): For you, dear Gemini, the coming weeks could be the least superstitious time ever. There will be no such thing as bad luck, good luck, or weird luck. Fears rooted in old misunderstandings will be irrelevant. Irrational worries about unlikely outcomes will be disproven. You will discover reasons to shed paranoid thoughts and nervous fantasies. Speaking on behalf of your higher self, I authorize you to put your supple trust in logical thinking, objective research, and rational analysis. Halloween costume suggestion: a famous scientist you respect.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Which sign of the zodiac is sexiest? Smoldering Scorpios, who are so inherently seductive they don’t even have to try to be? Radiant Leos, whose charisma and commanding presence may feel irresistible? Electrifying Aries, who grab our attention with their power to excite and inspire us? In accordance with current astrological omens, I name you Cancerians as the sexiest sign for the next three weeks. Your emotional potency and nurturing intelligence will tempt us to dive into the depths with you and explore the lyrical mysteries of intimate linkage. Halloween costume suggestion: sex god, sex goddess, or the nonbinary Hindu deity Ardhanarishvara.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In ancient Egypt, onions were precious because they symbolized the many-layered nature of life. Just as some modern people swear oaths while placing a hand on a Bible, an Egyptian might have pledged a crucial vow while holding an onion. Would you consider adopting your own personal version of their practice in the coming weeks, Leo? It is the oath-taking season for you—a time when you will be wise to consider deep commitments and sacred resolutions. Halloween costume suggestion: a spiritual initiate or devotee.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Two of the world’s most famous paintings are the *Mona Lisa* and *The Last Supper*. Both were made by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), one of the world’s most famous painters. Yet the brilliant artist left us with only 24 paintings in total, many of which were unfinished. Why? Here are two of several reasons: He worked slowly and procrastinated constantly. In the coming months, Virgo, I feel you will have resemblances to the version of da Vinci who created *The Last Supper* and the *Mona Lisa*. Some of your best, most enduring work will bloom. You will be at the peak of your unique powers. Halloween costume suggestion: Leonardo da Vinci or some great maestro.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “When you are faced with a choice between two paths, it’s always

better to take the most difficult one.” What!? No! That’s not true! A shamanic psychotherapist gave me that bad advice when I was young, and I am glad I did not heed it. My life has been so much better because I learn from joy and pleasure as much as from hardship. Yes, sometimes it’s right to choose the most challenging option, but on many occasions, we are wise to opt for what brings fun adventures and free-flowing opportunities for creative expression. That’s what I wish for you right now. Halloween costume suggestion: a hedonist, a liberator, a bliss specialist.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio painter Pablo Picasso has been described as a “masterfully erratic pioneer.” He influenced every art movement of the 20th century. His painting *Guernica* is a renowned anti-war statement. Though he was a Communist, he amassed great wealth and owned five homes. Today, his collected work is valued at over $800 million. By the way, he was the most prolific artist who ever lived, producing almost 150,000 pieces. I nominate him to be your role model in the coming weeks. You are due for a Season of Successful Excess. Halloween costume suggestion: an eccentric, charismatic genius.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian Keith Richards, guitar player for the Rolling Stones since 1962, is a gritty, rugged man notorious for his rowdy carousing. Lots of observers predicted he would die at a young age because of his boisterous lifestyle, yet today he is 81 years old and still partying. But here’s his confession: “I never sleep alone. If there is no one to sleep next to, I’ll sleep next to a stuffed animal. It makes me feel secure and safe. It’s a little embarrassing to admit it. It’s important to me, though.” I bring this up, Sagittarius, because I feel that no matter how wild and free you are, you will be wise to ensure that you feel extra secure and supported for a while. Halloween costume suggestion: a stuffed animal or a lover of stuffed animals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Halloween offers us a valuable psychological opportunity. We can pretend to perform our shadowy, wounded, and unripe qualities without suffering the consequences of literally acting them out. We can acknowledge them as part of our make-up, helping to ensure they won’t develop the explosive, unpredictable power that repressed qualities can acquire. We may even gently mock our immature qualities with sly humor, diminishing the possibility they will sabotage us. All that’s a preamble for my Halloween costume suggestion for you: a dictator or tyrant. If you have fun playing with your control-freak fantasies, you will be less likely to over-express them in real life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Paganism and astrology have key affinities. For instance, they both understand that our personal rhythms are connected with the Earth’s cycles. I bring this to your attention because we are in the season that pagans call Samhain, halfway between the equinox and solstice. For Aquarians, this festival marks a time when you are wise to honor and nurture your highest ambitions. You can generate fun and good fortune by focusing on lofty goals that express your finest talents and offer your most unique gifts. How might you boost your passion and capacity to make your mark on the world? Halloween costume suggestion: your dream career.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I like how you are opening, widening, and heightening! Keep up the good work, Pisces! I am cheering you on as you amplify, stretch, augment, and burgeon. Here’s a small alert, though: You may be expanding so fast and so far that it’s a challenge for less expansive people to keep up—even your allies. To allay their worries, be generous in sharing the fruits of your thriving spaciousness. Let them know you don’t require them to match your rate of growth. You could also show them this horoscope. Halloween costume suggestion: a broader, brighter, bolder version of yourself.

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.

Daniel Shearin (alt-indie), 2pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Melt w/MARIS, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Kid Hop Hooray (dance party), 10:30am

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Queen Bee & The Honeylovers (blues, swing, Latin), 7pm

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Jazz Sunday's, 2pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Traditional Irish Music Session, 3:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

West End String Band (bluegrass, roots, acoustic), 4pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

• Brightsome Color (multi-genre), 9pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

One Love Sundays (reggae), 6pm

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.

Bradley Bacci Band (prog-rock), 2pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Open Mic w/Mike AndersEn, 6:30pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Brady Turner (pop, soul, R&B), 2pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Better Lovers w/Full Of Hell, Spy & Cloakroom (hardcore, punk, metal), 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Hank Pattie & The Current (bluegrass), 7:30pm

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4

FLEETWOOD'S Best Ever Karaoke w/KJ Chelsea, 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Trivia Night w/Two Bald Guys & A Mic, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Takes All Kinds Open Mic Nights, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Mashup Mondays w/ JLloyd, 8pm

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10pm

EULOGY

Drug Church (post-hardcore, grunge, punk), 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Turntable Tuesdays, 10pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

The Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm

SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday w/DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Tuesday Night Open Jam, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE David Shaw w/Crowe Boys ( rock’n’roll, soul, funk), 8pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Open Mic Comedy Night, 7pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S PSK Karaoke, 9pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

SHILOH & GAINES Trivia Wednesdays, 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards (folk), 8pm THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Well-Crafted Music w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Blockhead w/Wick-It (hip-hop), 9pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Karaoke Night w/KJ Marcula, 8pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Bill Loftus Duo (rock, blues, folk), 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Isaac Hadden's Thursday Throwdown, 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES Karaoke Night, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Clem Snide w/Rye Valley (alt-rock, indierock), 8pm

THE ODD Asheville After Dark: Perversions, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Drive-By Truckers (Southern-rock), 8pm

EMPLOYMENT

SALES/ MARKETING

SALES PROFESSIONAL

WORK FOR A LOCAL COMPANY THAT HAS COVERED

THE ASHEVILLE SCENE FOR OVER 30 YEARS! This is a fulltime, salaried position with benefits, in a community-service, locally-owned media outlet. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, can follow guidelines as well as think independently. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, and a drive to close sales. Outside sales experience is preferred, experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful. The position largely entails account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent media organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@mountainx.com.

MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE

DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS NEEDED

Irene Wortham Center is hiring multiple Direct Support

MARKETPLACE

Professionals 2 Rose S W Asheville NC 28803 828-2747518 srobinson@iwcnc.org ireneworthamcenter.org.

HOTEL/ HOSPITALITY

FRONT OF HOUSE RESTAURANT SUPERVISOR Cousins

Cuban Café seeking Front of House Restaurant Supervisor to manage operations and customer experience in Black Mountain, NC. Will manage and train minimum of 8 employees, oversee product ordering, and resolve customer issues. Must have 2 years of restaurant experience. Send cover letter and resume to: Cousins Cuban Cafe, Attn: B. Martinez-Sperry, 108 Broadway Street, Black Mountain, NC, 29761

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) 551-6000 electricblustudio@gmail.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

AFFORDABLE TV & INTER-

NET If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1-844588-6579. (AAN CAN)

AGING ROOF? NEW

HOMEOWNER? STORM

DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly

stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888-292-8225 (AAN CAN)

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1-877-510-9918. (AAN CAN)

BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as one day. Superior quality bath and shower systems at affordable prices. Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1-855-402-6997. (AAN CAN)

GOT AN UNWANTED CAR?

Donate it to Patriotic Hearts. Fast free pick up. All 50 States. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans find work or start their own business. Call 24/7: 1-855-402-7631. (AAN CAN)

NEED NEW WINDOWS?

Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energy efficient windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & FREE quote today. 1-877-248-9944. (AAN CAN)

PAYING TOP CA$H FOR MEN'S SPORT WATCHES

Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster. Call 1-855-402-7109 (AAN CAN)

PEST CONTROL Protect your home from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-833-237-1199. (AAN CAN)

STOP OVERPAYING FOR AUTO INSURANCE A recent survey says that most Americans are overpaying for their car insurance. Let us show you how much you can save. Call now for a no obligation quote: 1-866-472-8309 (AAN CAN)

TOP CASH PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. 1-855402-7208. (AAN CAN)

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: 1-888-290-2264 (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) 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 Update, as a kitchen

5 It might be L-shaped

9 Scottie in the White House in the 1940s

13 Brio

14 Operating system developed at Bell Labs

15 Wishes undone

16 Pioneer in show recording

17 Allot, with “out”

18 First-string players

20 Aquí, across the Pyrenees

21 Stock quote?

22 Icelandic poet Sturluson

23 Raised strip

25 Wig out

28 California’s Big

29 Spirit of a culture

30 Life-size … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme

32 “The Stars and Stripes Forever” composer

34 Runner in the snow

35 Got down

36 Phone numbers? … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme

39 Word after double or day

41 Deborah’s co-star in “The King and I”

42 Many a foreign E.S.L. teacher

45 Marginalia … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme

48 Tool with a bubble

50 Midwest sch. with 65,000+ students

51 Bright-eyed

52 Coffeehouse lure

53 Said

55 “Toy Story” dinosaur voiced by Wallace Shawn

57 Skill practiced on a health class dummy, in brief

58 Longtime senator Hatch

59 Sees red?

61 Part of A.P.R.

62 Greek music halls

63 Whisper menacingly

64 Named, informally

65 Peeved

66 Soup served before sushi, say

67 Bird in “Alice in Wonderland”

1 Strike out, perhaps

2 Draws out

3 AIDS researcher who was Time’s 1996 Man of the Year

Artist who once ran a “War Is Over!” poster campaign

Yokozuna’s sport

Something done a single time

In good health

Guitar, slangily

Fan fare?

Lambo, e.g.

Eyeballs like a scuzzball

Kind of solution for contacts

in northeastern Nevada

of cartoons

“___ Nacht!”

Small restaurants

Facebook co-founder