Mountain Xpress 11.22.23

OUR 30TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 30 NO. 17 NOV. 22-28, 2023

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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C O NT E NT S

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NEWS

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OPINION

FEATURES

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NEWS

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THE MORE THINGS (DON’T) CHANGE A Jew in Asheville

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17 CITY BEAT Council delays vote on Arden development

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LETTERS

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CARTOON: MOLTON

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CARTOON: BRENT BROWN

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COMMENTARY

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NEWS

18 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 24 WELLNESS

34 CLUBLAND 32 WHAT’S NEW IN FOOD Beradu opens in Black Mountain

38 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 38 CLASSIFIEDS 39 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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26 ARTS & CULTURE

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12 ‘INVEST BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY’ Local leaders call for TDA to reduce its tourism marketing budget

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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OPINION

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

Broadening state oversight seems excessive

time I saw it, it was definitely in need of replacing. The old one is severely dilapidated. Within the last couple of months, I sent two letters to one of the commissioners about the library sign. I hoped he would use his authority to get the sign replaced. To date, no reply to either.

From the time I was a teenager (I’m 63 now), I believe it’s been my calling in life to try to get taxes spent on seeable things.

I write letters, send carbon copies or call the powers that be, who tend to ignore me because, at present, I’m considered a nobody nothing.

Perhaps in the future, I’ll throw my hat in the ring to become a power that be. From a nobody nothing to a power that be. Sounds great!

Well, that’s my opinion.

— Tom L. Nanney Asheville

[Regarding “Accountability or Overreach? Local Leaders Respond to New State Investigative Powers,” Nov. 1, Xpress:] Federal and state grants have always had language that included fiscal and program oversight. It certainly seems excessive to broaden the language that has been in place previously.

— Anne Barker Asheville

Kids’ safety should take top priority I am writing to express my opinion about two items.

According to the following direct quote from the Oct. 19 Citizen Times: “Finally, commissioners unanimously approved carrying forward $722,480 in unused funds from the fiscal year 2023 budget’s general and solid waste enterprise funds to the 2024 fiscal year.”

1. There is a need for sidewalks in the Reynolds High School/mid-

C A R T O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N dle school area. At present, students have to walk a dirt path when they travel between the two schools. All the infrastructure bond money voted for by the taxpayers was spent, and

no money was used for those sidewalks to be put down.

I think kids’ safety should take top priority. It’s not fair that those kids’ parents pay high property taxes and don’t get seeable improvements.

The students need a good concrete sidewalk. I know they probably walk in the gutter curb to avoid getting mud on their shoes when it rains.

One of these days, a kid will be run over. Then the commissioners will say, “Well, we were intending to start putting a sidewalk in on the day before.” It’ll be too late then.

Before 2023 ends, some of the leftover 2023 budget money should be spent for a good cause — kids’ sidewalks.

2. Another seeable thing that should have 2023 excess money spent on it is a new sign for the Fairview Library (on Fairview Road, near the Fairview Fire Department). Recently, the last

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– Michele Bryan

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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Which path will you choose?

I appreciate the Nov. 8 Mountain Xpress issue publishing the four letters with the theme, “Why can’t we promote peace in the holiday parade?” It’s a moral issue, not political. Which path will you choose?

Will you hand over your spiritual and mental freedom to those in authority who censor free speech? This is huge.

Democracy demands dialogue.

When I have conversations with young people, it doesn’t matter what political party, religious denomination or cultural nature, they recognize the polarization and divisiveness of the Disunited States of America.

This brings me again to “LifeLong-Learning.” Why read, study, reflect and participate in our democracy? One neat thing about reading after your formal schooling is that your focus is not on convincing the teacher to give you passing grades.

You are free to form your own thoughtful opinions and in essence “take control of your own life.” What lessons are you learning now that will take you into the future? Prepare yourself now spiritually and in the secular world for your second half of life and your retirement years, when you can do what you are called to do with more freedom.

Our American democracy is not a finished product but a creative process of becoming, if we the people participate. Our Constitution provides for amendments to meet the evolving changes of life. Our political, religious and cultural divisions arise because our story and our worldview are too narrow.

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN Yes, it’s hard work, but you will benefit if you consciously work at expanding your life into new insights and new desires. Resist the tendency to be complacent, while keeping an open mind to the never-ending journey of life. It’s your turn to forge a new American story with a strong passion for an ever-larger notion of truth, goodness and beauty.

I say to the younger generations, if not every day, at least once a month: Reflect on your life — are you evolving your understanding of what it is to be human? Reflect on this: Ignorance is a good thing when it motivates you to seek the truth. Commit yourself to become fully alive, engaged, discovering, questioning and learning. You may discover that the things you wish to avoid or neglect turn out to be what makes your life matter as real growth comes. Who are you going to be 10 or 50 years from now? What will be important to you as you age?

Avoid floating aimlessly through life.

Yes, life is hard, short, beautiful and sometimes scary, but your future is at stake. What you do or don’t do in your younger years will have positive or negative consequences that you can’t imagine.

On PBS’ “American Portrait,” an 86-year-old Dr. Esty said, “People in their 80s are happier than those in their prime of life.” And an 83-year-

old said, “It’s not true that after 80, it’s all downhill.” I can attest to the truth of this. It’s up to you to discover this as you go through life.

As Robert Frost wrote, “I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Or as my baseball hero Yogi Berra said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” I can be reached at esacco189@gmail.com.

— Ed Sacco Asheville

Why do we value fancy surveillance toys over citizens?

The Asheville Police Department is thrilled to announce the arrival of their cutting-edge mobile command unit vehicle. They posted pictures of it with a beautiful fall mountain background. Yet they failed to inform the community how many hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars they spent on this luxury vehicle.

Every year, the APD demands a larger budget. This year, the city passed a $240 million budget, while our schools’ budgets aren’t sufficient to buy basic supplies and pay

employees living wages; our libraries are only open five days a week and their hours continue to decrease; and we can’t seem to afford to help people who are most in need. In fact, the police harass and give them citations.

The APD claims they need more money every year to pay officers (they always focus on the small salaries of their officers), yet it looks like their budget is plenty big enough. They keep bragging publicly about their new fancy toys; this cutting-edge surveillance vehicle, drones, a cute publicity dog and a cop car that features the color pink. The city could have spent that money on things that actually save and improve people’s lives.

— Liat Silverman Asheville

Tourism board should use budget to educate tourists We are told again and again what the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority can or cannot do with its immense war chest. It seems that whenever locals (including housing advocates and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists) dare suggest that tourism, for all its economic benefits, has societal or environmental costs and disproportionately burdens our infrastructure, we’re met with a massive list

of projects the TDA has helped fund to bring in more tourists. Or we’re admonished for being yokels who fell off turnip trucks and “ain’t got no clue how things is done in this here real world.” Yes, we get it. There’s big money in tourism, many who live here reap rewards, and we should expect an increase of visitors every year into perpetuity.

But the recent feeding (and attempted hugging?) of bears by visitors (which led to park closures impacting residents and guests alike) leads me to believe that the TDA (a group that takes credit for bringing 12 million guests to our region each year) should assume some responsibility for safeguarding guests, as well as impacted residents.

I believe the TDA, perhaps with the guidance of BearWise, should use some of its vast advertising budget and vaunted marketing expertise to craft and produce educational public service announcements and ancillary materials to share with hotels and short-term rental owners about the dangers and diminished experiences brought about by misunderstanding and mistreating wildlife in our region. Similar PSAs encouraging guests to limit use of single-use plastic would be welcome, too.

— Robert McGee Asheville

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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OPINION

The more things (don’t) change

As an afterthought, I asked him what the club’s policy would be when it came to admitting Jewish members.

He proudly informed me that the club would accept a limited number. Of course, I was outraged and told him so in no uncertain terms.

I spent the rest of the afternoon calling up members of the Jewish community whom I thought might be considering joining the club, warning them about the policy and urging them not to join. To my utter dismay and chagrin, many of the people I contacted couldn’t wait to get their names on the list before the quota was filled.

A Jew in Asheville

BY JERRY STERNBERG My transition to adulthood resulted in my being absent from Asheville for about eight years. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, I served in the Navy, mostly in the Far East.

By the time I returned to Asheville in 1955, I was married, and my first child was on the way. But even for World War II and Korean War veterans, the Jim Crow and Moshe Cohen laws were still in effect.

There was one change, however: The Grove Park Inn had begun accepting Jewish guests, though African Americans were still barred.

The Jewish community had grown substantially in the interim: Many young Jewish families had moved to Asheville or returned here after the war, and the Jewish Community Center was thriving.

Before continuing, however, I’d like to stress a couple of key points. First, it’s not my intention to bash country clubs. Second, only a fraction of the Jewish population had any interest in joining a country club even if they could afford to.

Many of those who were interested in joining were community leaders, prominent in both business and philanthropy. These folks met all the qualifications for membership but were denied acceptance solely because they were Jewish — an obvious attempt to keep Jews in their place.

My sense was that most members of both local country clubs did not agree with this exclusionary policy, but, not wanting to be accused of being troublemakers, they simply averted their gaze and declined to speak up.

Meanwhile, fearing retribution, the leaders of the Jewish community never made any loud protests, either. It was similar to the way most of us kept quiet about the Jim Crow laws in the South because, “That’s just the way it is.”

THERE’S JUST ONE PROBLEM ...

When many of my peers returned home, having finished their education and completed their time in the service, these bright, energetic, well-educated professionals and trained executives applied to prestigious local firms for jobs in fields such as bank-

ing, law, real estate and accounting.

Quite often, they were told by the interviewer that they had great qualifications and credentials, but you have to understand that we entertain our clients at the country club and you know (wink-wink) how that is.

So these companies lost out on all that talent because they didn’t have the stones to object to the country clubs’ discriminatory policies.

But the irony is that, in later years, many of these young men went on to build very successful businesses that wound up competing with and sometimes inflicting significant economic pain on those same companies.

For the next few years, I worked in my father’s scrap metal business, raised a family, participated in activities at the Jewish Community Center, got involved with local charities and was active in the Junior Chamber of Commerce. The latter group, consisting mostly of young veterans of the recent wars, was instrumental in making some very positive changes in the area’s political community.

In 1962, I went into business for myself, dealing in surplus, salvage, dumpsters, commercial garbage hauling and serving the industrial community by hauling away scrap metals, as well as used and unwanted equipment and machinery. We even did some building demolition work.

A sign on our office said, “We Buy Anything and Sell Everything.”

NUMBERS GAME In 1964, plans were announced to build the Northwestern Bank Building, now the Kimpton Hotel Arras, on Pack Square. The project also included razing the Langren Hotel, on the northeast corner of Broadway and College Street, to make way for a new parking garage that would serve both the hotel and the city.

Soon after, our company was contacted by a young man from Charlotte whom I will call Dave (not his real name). He’d been sent here to represent the builder in all matters related to constructing and leasing this new Asheville skyscraper. Dave sold us all the furnishings from the old hotel, which we very successfully sold to the

WHAT QUOTA?

JERRY STERNBERG

“These folks were denied acceptance solely because they were Jewish.” general public. We also assisted him with other property-clearing issues and eventually brokered the contract to demolish the building and provide a dumpsite for the debris.

Over the next year and a half, Dave and I became good friends and enjoyed a number of lunches and dinners together. He even came to our house for Friday night Sabbath dinner once or twice.

The Asheville Downtown City Club, an exclusive gathering place, was planned to occupy the 16th floor of the new building. One day Dave called and asked if I was going to join the club; I told him I wasn’t interested.

He pointed out that I could entertain my clients there at lunch, and I said that since I worked in the salvage and garbage business, my attire would not be suitable for a classy place like that.

It occurred to me that neither Dave nor my fellow Jews had any understanding of the meaning of this travesty. Dave and his board thought they were being magnanimous by accepting a few of the “others” — but not enough to dilute and contaminate the white Anglo-Saxon population.

Meanwhile, the Jews who wanted to join gave no thought to how their becoming a member would dignify and validate this ongoing racist policy.

In the end, however, there was still more irony at work. Before the club even opened, it was having financial difficulties, and later, despite a beautiful setting with spectacular views of the city, it continued to flounder until a successful Jewish industrialist with an interest in culinary art came out of retirement and made it a huge success.

And, of course, that was the end of the quota policy.

Asheville native Jerry Sternberg, a longtime observer of the local scene, can be reached at gospeljerry@aol.com. An anthology of his columns is available from Pisgah Legal Services for a donation of $25 or more. To order your copy, visit pisgahlegal.org/jerry, or send a check labeled “Jerry’s book” to: PLS, P.O. Box 2276, Asheville, NC 28802. All proceeds support the nonprofit’s work. X

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

7

NEWS

Fresh faces

Voters in northern Buncombe usher in new leaders As the town prepares for a likely influx of tourists after the projected completion of a man-made whitewater wave in the French Broad River at Riverside Park next summer, the incoming Council wants to ensure as much money as possible is spent in Woodfin, instead of trickling back to Asheville.

McAllister has his sights set on establishing a Woodfin Business Association, something Elisabeth Ervin, who was appointed in 2022 to replace the retiring Jim Angel, says will help showcase what the town has to offer.

BY GREG PARLIER gparlier@mountainx.com Turnover was the theme in election results Nov. 7. Among the 10 winners in three jurisdictions, only one had appeared on a ballot before.

Two of the 10 had been appointed but were running for the first time.

Another was running for a different position. All the rest will hold office for the first time.

NEW DIRECTION FOR WOODFIN Jim McAllister, who was voted in as mayor of Woodfin, says his promotion from Town Council member to mayor symbolizes a new direction for the town of about 8,000 that borders Asheville to the north.

“Being elected mayor is a huge honor that means the residents of Woodfin trust me to lead the town government in the right direction, using transparency and treating everyone the same,” he says.

McAllister plans to be more proactive in his new role than his predecessor, campaigning to bring more businesses to Woodfin and recruiting young people to get involved in civic matters.

He replaces longtime Mayor Jerry VeHaun, who chose not to run again for the post he held for 20 years. No one is left on Woodfin’s Town Council who was elected before 2021.

“I think it is clear that the voters of Woodfin are interested in positive, environmentally responsible progress in Woodfin. This includes how developments are approved, and the steps that are taken to mitigate the

PETITION FOR REMOVAL

NEW APPROACH: Following the Nov. 7 election, voters in Woodfin appear in favor of taking the town in a new direction under new leadership. Photo by Eula Rivest Calder problems that come with growth,” says newly elected Town Council member Johanna Young.

The wave of new Council members in Woodfin started two years ago after plans for a huge development just west of the French Broad River — The Bluffs — were shelved in the face of strong public opposition. A record 20% of voters turned out that year to vote in three new Council members who wanted more rigorous development rules, like a steep slope ordinance.

This year, about 17% of voters completed the sweep for a brand-new Council as growth and development has continued to dominate the conversation around Town Hall.

“I think it signals that the majority of the voters acknowledge that managing growth requires an active, forward-thinking philosophy,” says Council member-elect Ken Kahn.

“The alternative is to let the future happen to us, as opposed to directing it where possible.”

WAVES OF WOODFIN: Newly elected Council members and a new mayor will lead Woodfin into an era that will include a whitewater wave at Riverside Park, expected to be completed in 2024. Pictured, from left, are Council member-elects Johanna Young, Ken Kahn and Elisabeth Ervin, and Mayor-elect Jim McAllister. Photos courtesy of the candidates 8

NOV. 22-28, 2023

MOUNTAINX.COM

Although not everyone is thrilled with the direction of Woodfin, the new Council appears to be improving its reputation in parts of the community that don’t necessarily want to be part of the town at all.

After implementation of a stormwater fee this summer rankled many residents who live west of the river, resident Chip Parton started circulating a deannexation petition to his neighbors.

Thus far, he has gathered roughly 250 signatures of property owners who would rather not pay taxes to the town, and he is still amassing support.

Parts of the west side of the river were annexed by the town in 2006 and 2009 despite pushback from many residents there. He says his neighborhood has a more rural feel from the rest of the town and could just as well get trash and police services from the county rather than the Town of Woodfin.

That being said, Parton is happy with the election results and is especially impressed with how the mayor-elect has responded to his concerns.

“I feel heard. People who have not started the job yet have already had more conversations with me about how to improve our town than I’ve heard in the last 17 years,” he says.

McAllister and Town Manager Shannon Tuch, who has been on the job since March 2022, told Parton they are willing to set up a community meeting in January to hear concerns from those that want to be deannexed. Any deannexation has to be approved by the N.C. General Assembly, but support from the town for the movement would go a long way politically to getting the case heard, Parton argues.

TRUST ME: Newly elected Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District Trustees say they will make the district’s business more transparent. Pictured, from left, are Gordon Maybury, Lauren Edgerton and Larry Hopkins. Photos courtesy of the candidates For McAllister, turnout in the election shows exactly what Parton is saying: that Woodfin residents finally feel as if they’re being heard.

“This indicates that Woodfin is a real town and that folks have confidence that they are being listened to. It’s truly a new day for Woodfin’s future,” he says.

Kahn, who will be the first resident who lives west of the French Broad River on Woodfin’s Town Council, agrees.

“I think the past two years have set the stage. We intend to be open to our voters but also active in the areas that each of us wants to emphasize,” he says. “If anything, I hope residents feel that the next two to four years will be marked by a council that listens and that acts.”

A TRANSPARENT WATER DISTRICT The three-member Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District

Board of Trustees has all new members after its two longest-serving members, Sarah Gassaway and Ivo Ballentine, were voted out. The third member, Gordon Maybury, was elected after being appointed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in February. The other two newly elected members are Lauren Edgerton and Larry Hopkins.

Despite its name, the district serves water, but not sewer, to about 10,000 customers across three municipalities. Only about half of them can vote for the three-member board of trustees that governs the district.

Growth in service area and moving sanitation responsibilities to the Metropolitan Sewerage District has changed the district since its roots in the 1920s, but the voting district’s size has remained the same.

Dealing with those anomalies factor into the new trustees’ priorities, says Maybury, who wants to change the voting district boundaries to

BRIGHT FUTURE: From left, newly elected Weaverville Town Council members Peter McGuire, Dee Lawrence and reelected incumbent John Chase are pleased with the direction of Buncombe County’s northernmost town. Photos courtesy of the candidates

match the Woodfin town boundary and increase transparency in the board’s actions.

The district’s former trustees rejected a request to livestream board meetings, which were held in the middle of the typical workday, precluding most residents from attending, Edgerton says.

“The first step we will take is to ensure that board meetings will be livestreamed for all members of the public to see. That there should be increased transparency in local government has always struck me as an uncontroversial position, and the results of this election suggest the voting public agrees,” she says.

Indeed, more than three times as many votes were cast in 2023 — 1,320 — than in 2019 — 392.

“The fact that our electorate is now highly engaged is — more than the result of any one person being elected — the most important takeaway from the election,” she says.

Other priorities for the elected trustees include improving relations with the Town of Woodfin and development of a long-term capital projects plan, something the district has not had in the past, Edgerton says.

WEAVERVILLE’S FUTURE John Chase was the only true incumbent to win in the county. He was joined by two other newcomers on Weaverville Town Council.

Similar to Woodfin and many towns surrounding Asheville, growth and development issues ring in as Weaverville’s top ongoing challenges.

Chase focused his campaign on advocating for continued study of the town’s zoning regulations and comprehensive land use plan.

Council members-elect Dee Lawrence and Peter McGuire both agreed that the management of inevitable growth will be their most important job. Part of that job, they say, is to inform their constituency of what powers the town has when it comes to zoning regulations.

Overall, the new additions to Town Council say that while there is work to do, Weaverville has a lot going for it, and they hope to continue that positive momentum.

McGuire says, “I am extremely proud of what Weaverville is and what it has to offer. People want to live here; people want to raise their families here. As urbanization has progressed, Weaverville has done an excellent job in protecting green space, transforming its police force to alternative energies, providing a spectacular community center and nature parks, and maintaining its character.” X

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

9

NEWS

Connecting the county Fiber internet coming to Buncombe’s rural communities

BY CHASE DAVIS cdavis@mountainx.com High-speed fiber internet is on its way to several rural communities in Buncombe County, thanks to a $3.3 million state grant. Nearly 1,000 households will receive fiber internet service over the next two years, according to Buncombe County Director of Economic Development Tim Love.

The majority of Buncombe County has DSL internet, which is slower and more unreliable than fiber-optic internet. Justin Daniels, a Woodfin resident, says that he is unable to use streaming services with his home’s DSL connection.

“Anytime I try to watch Netflix or any other streaming service, I have to wait about 30 minutes for a movie to stop buffering. Even then, it’s usually really blurry and it cuts out a lot,” says Daniels. “The only way I can really enjoy a movie is if I go rent one. It’s really frustrating.”

Susan Pauley, a 63-year-old from Weaverville, says she can’t work from home due to poor internet service.

“I have DSL, but it doesn’t work well at all. My internet is so slow that I can’t really use Google, and most of my virtual meetings for work won’t even connect me,” says Pauley. “I commute to Asheville every day for my job, and while the drive really isn’t that bad, I am getting older and I would like the option to work from home every now and then.”

As Love explains, “Cities and urban areas are typically the first places that get fiber internet because they have the largest customer base in the most concentrated area. Unfortunately, smaller towns and more rural areas are often left out because the cost of installing fiber outweighs the money to be made. That is why grant funding is so important for projects like this; it helps to offset the cost and gives rural communities the same level of access and opportunity.”

DSL internet uses copper phone lines to transmit data, while fiber uses ultra-thin glass strands that carry light instead of electricity, allowing for significantly faster internet speeds and download times.

“Fiber internet is far more reliable than DSL, which is what the majority of residents in rural Buncombe are currently using,” says Love. “Being that we are in the mountains, satellite 10

NOV. 22-28, 2023

INTERNET EXPANSION: Buncombe County, in partnership with Frontier Communications, is installing fiber internet throughout underserved, rural portions of the county. Photo by Pat Barcas service is often unreliable as well, so fiber broadband is our best option.”

But there’s more to the issue than infrastructure. “Western North Carolina has two distinct issues in terms of addressing digital inclusion: infrastructure and affordability. While infrastructure is a key component, keeping the price of internet connectivity affordable is equally important,” says Sara Nichols, a regional planner for the Land of Sky Regional Council.

“Per capita, affordability affected more people’s ability to connect to their services than the rural issues did.”

nity-based process, and the projects that were selected, such as the broadband expansion, target some of the biggest needs that our community is dealing with,” says Love. “Also, by using ARPA funds for the expansion project, a timeline was placed on it,

as all of the federal COVID recovery money must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.”

Any company participating in the GREAT grant program must participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides eligible low-income households a $30 per month discount on high-speed internet service.

Frontier is offering new customers 1 gigabit fiber internet for $69.99, says Allison Ellis, senior vice president of business development for Frontier.

“For someone with the ACP credit, the price for 1 gigabit fiber internet would be $39.99, while the cost of our 100 megabit plan would be completely covered.”

Ellis says that the company is in the second phase of its five-step plan. “We have crews coming out to do their surveys and make a detailed plan of the engineering. From there, we will create the materials list and start to get the materials on order.”

The subsequent phases include construction, network activation and plan closeout. Construction is slated to begin later this year and last through January 2025. Residential installation, network activation and the plan closeout are projected to begin next October and run through May 2025.

“Our goal is to get this project done as quickly as possible so that community members will have the best access to the internet,” Ellis says. “While our official end date is May 2025, I anticipate that the majority of new customers will have access well before then.” X

STATUS OF THE EXPANSION Buncombe County is partnering with Frontier Communications to expand fiber internet to households and businesses from Woodfin to the Buncombe/ Madison County line and east into the Reems Creek and Ox Creek valleys.

Funding for the project comes from the state’s Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology grant. The GREAT grant pays broadband providers to complete last-mile broadband infrastructure to unserved areas.

Frontier and Buncombe County each pledged an additional $291,995 to the project. Buncombe County is utilizing American Rescue Plan Act funds to fund its portion.

“The process for deciding how to use ARPA funds was a very commu-

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NEW CONNECTIONS: The broadband internet expansion will cover 964 locations from Woodfin to the Buncombe/Madison County line and east into the Reems Creek and Ox Creek valleys. Image courtesy of Buncombe County

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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NEWS

‘Invest back into our community’ Local leaders call for TDA to reduce its tourism marketing budget

BY SALLY KESTIN, JOHN BOYLE AND ANDREW R. JONES AN ASHEVILLE WATCHDOG REPORT bark@avlwatchdog.org In Colorado, occupancy taxes charged on overnight visitor stays pay for first responders, affordable housing and child care for tourism workers.

In California, occupancy taxes fund city and county budgets.

On the Outer Banks, a portion goes to offsetting “the negative impacts of tourism.”

None of that is allowed in Buncombe County.

By law, all of the proceeds from the 6% tax on guests at hotels, vacation rentals, and bed-and-breakfasts goes back to tourism — two-thirds toward visitor promotion and one-third to capital projects that attract tourists.

The formula feeds an ever-growing cycle of more visitors, who generate more taxes and more money for the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to spend promoting Asheville for more tourists.

The TDA’s $40 million budget is now the largest in North Carolina.

Spending on marketing Asheville is more than double that of tourism agencies promoting Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, WinstonSalem, and Wilmington and nearby beaches, Asheville Watchdog found.

“I did not realize that we were so far ahead of everybody else in North Carolina,” said state Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe. “All of these other cities do a great job of marketing themselves, and they don’t spend as much money as we do.”

Changing the spending priorities of the Buncombe TDA could be done two ways: The county commission, which levies the occupancy tax, could cut the tax rate, which would effectively reduce the TDA’s budget and the amount available for marketing.

State lawmakers also could revise the TDA’s funding structure to shift more of the tax money to local needs.

Mayfield co-sponsored legislation in 2022 that reduced the tourism promotion portion of the TDA’s budget from three-quarters to two-thirds. She said it may be time for a further reduction.

“I think we could get by with spending much less money on marketing,” Mayfield told The Watchdog. “We’re a great city; people know that. We 12

NOV. 22-28, 2023

RALLY: Asheville service workers and others held a rally outside the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority board meeting May 31, urging the TDA to fund affordable housing. Photo by Jen Hampton continue to show up at the top of lists in national, regional, international publications. We could absolutely use more of that money to invest back into our community.”

TDA officials have said they need to maintain a robust marketing budget to stay competitive with other destinations that travelers consider, like Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Nashville.

“When we’re looking at the competitive nature of travel and tourism … we are competing for people’s hearts and minds and wallets,” TDA President and CEO Vic Isley said at a recent Leadership Asheville Forum.

Brenda Durden, chair of the TDA and a hotelier, told The Watchdog, “Tourism is part of the DNA of this community.”

The TDA is “a willing and eager investment partner within the guardrails established by our state legislation. Lodging tax is not a cure-all but plays a crucial role in fueling nearly $3 billion in visitor spending to support local businesses.”

(Read the full TDA response to The Watchdog’s request for comment at avl.mx/d6x.)

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Mayfield said she plans to ask Sen. Warren Daniel, a Republican whose district includes eastern Buncombe, about introducing legislation in 2025 to change the spending formula again, perhaps through a cap on promotion.

Daniel did not respond to requests for comment but proposed the idea in a meeting earlier this year with Mayfield, she said.

Mayfield, a former Asheville City Council member, served as the city’s representative on the TDA board beginning in 2016. “At that time, the marketing budget was something like $9 million, and some of the board members I talked to were saying, ‘Oh my God, we don’t need to spend $9 million marketing Asheville. That’s ridiculous,’” Mayfield said.

This year, the TDA’s budget for tourism promotion is $27.5 million, which includes $19.5 million for marketing. “They just have so much money,” Mayfield said.

She said she also found the “salary disparities at the TDA … pretty shocking.” Isley receives a base salary of $300,000 with total compensation of up to $456,000, while nearly

half the staffers at Explore Asheville are paid $45,000 to $65,000.

The explanation is “that’s just what the market demands,” Mayfield said, “but I just think really big salaries like that in a town that is so hard to live in, I think they’re unfortunate.”

OPTION 2: BUNCOMBE COUNTY Brownie Newman, chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, said he has “long believed and advocated” for the TDA to spend less on advertising Asheville and “more on addressing community priorities like affordable housing.”

Newman said he suspects many Buncombe residents find the idea of the TDA spending $27.5 million promoting Asheville to potential visitors “pretty crazy,” especially in a community with so many needs, like housing.

“That’s an enormous amount of money that could be used to really address key things that people are concerned about out in the community,” Newman said.

Changing the formula in the law would require agreement from hoteliers and Buncombe elected leaders, and passage by the General Assembly — two potential hurdles.

The County Commission has leverage, not in how the money is spent but in how much the TDA receives.

The county levies the occupancy tax.

In 2015, after hoteliers persuaded state lawmakers to allow an increase in the tax to 6% from 4%, the County Commission had to approve it and did so by a 4-3 vote, Newman said.

Newman voted against the increase because of the additional money it would raise for marketing.

“We basically said … ‘This is just so out of whack from what the community thinks is the right thing to do.’”

Ultimately, “the county raised the rate,” Newman said. “We could also vote to reduce it back down again.”

ELSEWHERE, TOURISTS PAY FOR POLICE, CHILD CARE Balancing the economic prosperity tourism brings with the impacts and needs of a local community is a struggle taking place across many tourist destinations, especially places like Asheville where visitors contribute to higher housing costs.

Colorado last year passed a law to expand the authorized uses of occupancy taxes to include workforce housing and child care, and local voters decide how the money is spent.

The role of tourism agencies “has evolved to not only support economic growth through tourism, but also to address the social, cultural and environmental issues related to tourism,” the Colorado General Assembly concluded. “A visitor’s experience is also heavily influenced by the host community’s ability to support their residents and local workforce with housing and other essential services. … Robust support for our residents’ needs is essential to the long-term

TOO MUCH: State Sen. Julie Mayfield said she found the “salary disparities at the TDA … pretty shocking.” Photo courtesy of Mayfield health of both our communities and our economy.”

More than a dozen counties and cities in Colorado have laws directing occupancy tax money outside tourism promotion.

Telluride voters approved spending tax revenue on managing the effects of tourism and for town purposes, including transportation services, improvements to its wastewater treatment facility and affordable housing.

In Dillon, voters approved tax revenue for community projects and services addressing tourism impacts on recreation, public safety, street and parking improvements, and “any other governmental purposes of the town.”

Nederland and Palisade voters directed a portion of the money toward police and emergency services. And in Eagle, to construction and maintenance of trails, restrooms, parking areas and physical improvements to the town’s open space.

Some Colorado towns raised the occupancy tax rate to preserve the

tourism marketing budget. Estes Park voters approved a 3.5% increase on top of the existing tax to provide workforce housing and child care.

“If we take away marketing funding, we will lose market share and businesses will close,” said a Q&A on the proposal. “This has been proven over and over in destinations, most notably in the state of Colorado, when they stopped funding tourism marketing in 1993. The state did not regain market share for 20-plus years.”

In California, occupancy tax rates are among the highest in the country. In sparsely populated Sierra County, the 12.5% “bed tax” pays for such general county services as law enforcement, ambulances, parks and promotion of tourism. In San Francisco, revenue from the 14% tax supports arts and cultural causes and the general fund.

In Seattle, just 25% of tax revenue can be used to promote tourism; the rest must be spent equally between affordable housing and the arts.

Even in North Carolina, uses of occupancy taxes vary.

In Charlotte, a portion of the money pays for the NASCAR Hall of Fame and convention centers. In Durham, occupancy taxes help pay

for the Durham Performing Arts Center, built in 2008 and considered a premier venue in the Southeast.

In Dare County on the Outer Banks, just 1% of the tax is allocated to the tourism agency; 2% is spent on beach nourishment and 3% goes to the county and six municipalities.

That money is used for tourism-related capital projects and “to offset the negative impacts of tourism … for instance, sanitation, water, police, the services needed to support the high number of visitors that we have,” said Lee Nettles, executive director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.

About 3 million people visit Dare County each year, enough to generate sufficient tax revenues for marketing, he said. The budget for the visitors bureau was $9.8 million last year, with $7.5 million for tourism promotion.

“Like you all, we’re a big tourism market,” Nettles said. “So if the number’s big coming in, you can still do what you need to do on the marketing and promotion side, we feel.

“I think it’s very important that the tourism industry try to do everything that it can to have more immediate

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N EWS and tangible good for the people that live in the area,” Nettles said.

GUIDELINES IN N.C. RESTRICT TAX USE Of 182 North Carolina counties and cities authorized to collect an occupancy tax, 32 have laws that allow for spending less than twothirds on tourism promotion, according to an analysis by the Magellan Strategy Group, an Asheville-based consulting firm specializing in tourism and hospitality.

Though occupancy taxes are levied by local governments, they require approval from the N.C. General Assembly through local bills.

Buncombe and four other counties were the first in the state to pass an occupancy tax in 1983.

Asheville’s business and elected leaders saw the tax as a way to reverse a declining downtown and boost tourism. Hoteliers supported the idea so long as the money went toward promoting Asheville for travel and tourism.

The 11-person TDA board consists of nine voting members from tourism businesses and two nonvoting representatives from the Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.

By the mid-1990s, other cities and counties in North Carolina had passed occupancy taxes. To ensure uniformity and that “the proceeds were used primarily for tourism,” the state House Finance Committee in 1997 adopted guidelines from the N.C. Travel and Tourism Coalition, a trade association whose members include resorts, attractions and tourism agencies.

Those guidelines state, “at least two-thirds of the proceeds must be used to promote travel and tourism, and the remainder must be used for tourism-related expenditures, which may include beach nourishment.”

Most of the cities and counties in North Carolina that spend less than two-thirds on tourism promotion have laws passed before the guidelines, said Chris Cavanaugh, president of Magellan, the tourism consulting firm.

“There’s actually been very little occupancy tax legislation passed in Raleigh in the last decade,” Cavanaugh said at the Leadership Asheville Forum with Isley, the TDA president.

The state Senate also has guidelines — that are the opposite of the House’s: At least two-thirds must be used for tourism-related expenditures and the rest for tourism promotion.

Those guidelines were created in 2017 when a powerful senator 14

NOV. 22-28, 2023

LEAF SEASON: Tourists take in a view in DuPont State Recreational Forest this fall. Photo by Starr Sariego from Onslow County wanted to deviate from the House formula to generate money to build a sports park in his district, Cavanaugh told The Watchdog.

The 2022 bill revising Buncombe’s funding formula “was dead on

the floor until a local hotel owner called and had some conversations to educate some folks about how important this was for our community,” Isley said at the Leadership Asheville Forum.

LOGJAM IN RALEIGH BROKEN

ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE: Brownie Newman, chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, said he has “long believed and advocated” for the TDA to spend less on advertising Asheville and “more on addressing community priorities like affordable housing.” Photo courtesy of Buncombe County

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The House guidelines have been the standard for occupancy tax laws for 26 years but need revision, Mayfield said.

“Tourism in North Carolina has changed,” she said. There’s an “understanding in the tourism industry that destination management organizations need to be investing in their communities in new and different ways and that places that are great for their residents are also great for visitors. And the guidelines that we have don’t reflect that.”

Lawmakers should not stand in the way of cities or counties that come up with a different plan for how to spend occupancy taxes, Mayfield said.

“It’s fine for the legislature to say, ‘This is ideally what we would like things to look like,’” she said. “But if local governments can come to us and explain why they want it to be different, and to me the key thing is, is there unanimity between the TDA, the local governments. ... And if that’s there then the legislature

should have no business saying no, because the locals know best what they need, what they want, how they want that money to be spent.”

The General Assembly passed a bill the last day of the legislative session in October creating or changing occupancy tax laws for nearly two dozen local governments, all within the two-thirds/one-third House guidelines.

“The dam has broken on occupancy tax legislation,” Mayfield said, “and I don’t anticipate that it will be so difficult to get it through the next time.”

TIME FOR ANOTHER CHANGE, LEADERS SAY Mayfield said she attended a meeting earlier this year with Sen. Daniel, who proposed capping the TDA’s marketing budget. Tax money generated on top of the cap would go into the capital projects portion of the budget or be split instead of twothirds on promotion and one-third on capital projects, perhaps 50/50, she said.

“It did not go anywhere,” Mayfield said.

Also at the meeting were representatives of the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association and the N.C. Travel and Tourism Coalition, “the

statewide entities that lobby on this issue and view themselves as the protectors of the occupancy tax,” Mayfield said. They “pushed back very strongly on that and, of course, the TDA did as well.”

She said, “Their argument was, and I didn’t disagree with it, ‘Hey, we just made big changes. Let those play out a little bit.’”

Lynn Minges, president and CEO of the restaurant and lodging association, told The Watchdog the organization opposes any legislation that does not meet the two-thirds/one-third formula in the House guidelines.

If the Buncombe TDA has “too much money,” the tax rate could be lowered, Minges said. “Then try to find funding somewhere else to fund all these other needs, like police and infrastructure and affordable housing. … I don’t think our industry would support changes” like Colorado made.

The 2022 legislation that reduced the TDA’s budget for promotion also changed the one-third designated for tourism-related capital projects.

That portion had gone exclusively to a “Tourism Product Development Fund” for projects that “increase patronage of lodging facilities” and promote economic development.

More than $80 million has been spent from the fund on at least 45 community projects, including improvements to Pack Square Park, Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville and the riverfronts in Asheville and Woodfin.

Now, half of the one-third goes into a Legacy Investment from Tourism fund for capital projects that “benefit

the community at-large” but that also attract overnight visitors.

“I really didn’t want it to be connected to tourism at all,” Mayfield said. “I wanted that fund to be totally focused on investing in the community … so that could open up the use of those dollars for things like affordable housing, transportation … cleaning up downtown, funding police officers, funding more firefighters, funding a downtown ambassador program.

“If we were going to do another shake-up of the legislation, I would want to go back to the language of the LIFT fund and make it more permissive.”

Mayfield said she believes the TDA formula should be reconsidered in 2025. The legislature meets next year but in a short session.

“I would want to try to approach this in a collaborative way, where we’re working with the city and the county and the hoteliers and the TDA and trying to get to a place that we can all agree on,” Mayfield said.

“That just takes a long time.”

Mayfield said everyone in Buncombe benefits from tourism, including businesses that depend on visitors and local residents who have far more dining, entertainment and arts options.

“We punch way above our weight in everything: culture, restaurants, beer, music, art — I mean, everything. And we wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for the tourism industry,” she said. “I think there’s still a rebalancing of the money that needs to happen.”

the place we all want to call home.

I would welcome the opportunity to work with our state legislators, county and BCTDA leadership to improve upon the current legislation.”

‘MORE DRAMATIC’ CHANGE NEEDED, ADVOCATE SAYS

QUALITY OF LIFE: “While many people realize that visitors significantly contribute to and support our local businesses, they also are concerned about the quality of life for our residents,” said Buncombe County Commissioner Terri Wells, the county’s nonvoting representative on the TDA. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County Buncombe County Commissioner Terri Wells, the county’s nonvoting representative on the TDA, said in an email to The Watchdog, “While many people realize that visitors significantly contribute to and support our local businesses, they also are concerned about the quality of life for our residents.

“This is an important conversation for us to have as we work together to build a strong future for our community and ensure it continues to be

Ben Williamson, an organizer of Buncombe Decides, an organization advocating for redirecting tourism money to affordable housing for service workers, said that state legislators have already made multiple tweaks to Buncombe’s occupancy tax law. “We need something more dramatic,” he said.

Buncombe rents are among the highest in the state, and wages in many tourism jobs are low.

“Some people are thriving in this tourism economy, but the average worker is still struggling,” Williamson said. “A lot of them are working two or three jobs.”

He said the TDA has “been asked by the state assembly to market this county to tourists, and they have done that extremely well. … We try not to be mad at the TDA.” Williamson would like to see occupancy tax revenues going “to the county governments or the municipal governments where those taxes were earned, and let those democratically elected officials decide how best to spend them in a transparent budget process where the voters and citizens can participate.

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N EWS “No one’s calling for tourism to go away,” Williamson said. “Threefourths of my family are in the service industry. We’re heavily personally invested in the success of tourism in the county.”

Buncombe County Commissioner Parker Sloan said that when he was running for office in 2019, he hadn’t considered the occupancy tax much “other than everyone in Asheville has some sort of opinion about tourists.”

“It really wasn’t until I started talking to the public about how this tax is levied by government but it is not spent by elected officials,” he said. “And I’ve yet to meet a citizen who was not taken aback by that.”

Sloan said it seems the TDA has “had more money than they know what to do with at times.”

He said he supports “a new standalone occupancy tax” controlled by the county and cities in Buncombe to use on needs such as affordable housing, early childhood education and higher salaries for teachers and public servants.

The County Commission currently has two options, Sloan said: reduce or eliminate the occupancy tax. “If nothing were to change, this seems like the eventual discussion,” he said.

Some workers in the tourism industry would like to see the county exercise that authority as soon as possible.

In a statement issued Nov. 11, Buncombe Decides and three other groups representing local service workers called on the County Commission to abandon the occupancy tax at its next opportunity in 2024.

The groups have collected more than 2,000 signatures on a petition asking the TDA to fund affordable housing.

The statement cited a comment to The Watchdog by Durden, the TDA chair, that “housing is not what TDA is here to do” and said the tourism authority rejected the group’s candidate for a committee that will recommend how to spend millions of dollars in the new LIFT fund.

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HAND OVER FIST: Buncombe County Commissioner Parker Sloan said it seems the TDA has “had more money than they know what to do with at times.” Photo courtesy of Buncombe County “Only by boycotting the occupancy tax do we believe that the county can bring the state legislature to the table to renegotiate the terms by which the hotel tax funds are spent,” the statement said. “Eliminating the tax now is, in our view, the only way to force a more democratic, equitable, and just use of this tax in the future.”

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County.

Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. Email skestin@ avlwatchdog.org. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century.

You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org.

Andrew R. Jones is a Watchdog investigative reporter. Email arjones@avlwatchdog.org. As a free, nonprofit, volunteer-run news team, The Watchdog’s in-depth coverage of local issues depends on support from the community. Please donate at avl.mx/d6y. X

CITY BEAT

Council delays vote on Arden development Asheville City Council voted unanimously Nov. 14 to postpone a vote on a proposed 279-unit apartment complex in Arden over concerns around a shortage of family-sized units and a lack of renewable energy. The project was unable to get a formal recommendation to Council from the Planning and Zoning Commission at its Oct. 4 meeting; however, the developer asked to continue with the zoning approval process.

Georgia-based Flournoy Development Group, lead developer for the project, is requesting to have nearly 9 acres that front Long Shoals Road and Plott Place rezoned from Community Business II to Residential Expansion – Conditional Zone. The developer also is seeking a modification to allow 32 units per acre where 20 units per acre is the maximum, as well as permission to reduce the width of internal sidewalks from 10 feet to 5 feet.

The parcel is between Bojangles and the State Employees’ Credit Union near Lake Julian. The new apartment complex would be where several vacant single-family homes and a small mobile home park stand now.

At its meeting in October, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission did not recommend approval of the project after a 3-3 vote over concerns regarding housing affordability, a lack of tree preservation and an increased potential for traffic crashes. The developer didn’t agree to the commission’s requests to preserve more trees and accept housing choice vouchers for all affordable units.

During the Nov. 14 Council meeting, several Council members expressed more concerns, voicing a desire for more family-sized units and a commitment to some form of renewable energy, especially since the parcel qualifies for an energy community tax credit bonus because of its proximity to the retired Duke Energy coal plant on Lake Julian, which shut down in 2020.

“If the applicant, or anyone in this area, was going to install a renewable energy system that qualified, they could get a 50% tax credit,” said City Urban Planner Clay Mitchell.

“That’s a dollar for dollar credit against your taxes.”

“It’s a little bit of uncharted territory for us,” said Tom Burr, vice president of development for Flournoy. “We’ve been kind of learning as we’ve gone. We haven’t really implemented this on any projects in our footprint in the past.”

NEW DEVELOPMENTS: Urban planner Clay Mitchell discusses Flournoy Development Group’s plan for a mixed-income apartment complex at 2 Butler Road. Photo by Chase Davis The project, which is estimated to cost $30 million-$50 million, would have one- to three-bedroom units, as well as a pool, a fitness center, a car wash and a dog spa. Plans include roughly 376 surface parking lot spaces, 24 garage spaces and 40 bicycle spaces.

The complex would include five residential buildings, with 10% of the units deemed affordable for those earning at or below 80% of the area median income. Up to half of the affordable units also would accept housing choice vouchers.

Burr noted the project will include bike parking, maximized windows for “passive energy efficiency” and approximately 20 electrical vehicle charging stations.

“Those, very soon, like within the next couple years, are going to be superbare minimum,” Council member Kim Roney said. “And especially because this lot has such an amazing potential, I’m surprised that it’s not a selling point, also, for folks who want to live in this new neighborhood. For me, elec-

tric charging and bike parking is a 10-years-ago conversation.”

Another concern was the scarcity of family-sized units, specifically ones offering three bedrooms. Of its 279 units, only 24 would have three bedrooms. With its proximity to three schools, Council member Sage Turner said it was a “rare opportunity” to commit to more three-bedroom units.

“It’s really unfortunate, because we don’t get too many opportunities to build close to so many schools.

It could really be a dynamic, huge family complex, and it’s going to be 160-something one-bedroom units,” Turner said. “That doesn’t sit well with me.”

Burr said that the project was still very early in the planning process and that the final number of three-bedroom units had not been finalized.

“We can go back and look at the unit mix again to try to add some three-bedrooms; I just can’t speak to it in detail because we haven’t gotten to the level of construction documents,” said Burr.

“We don’t have any requirements that say if you are going to build next to a school, you have to have more family-sized units, but I wish we could encourage you to do more,” Turner said.

After a brief discussion, the City Council sought a motion to vote on the zoning requirement; however, none of the members were willing to do so.

Rather than deny the request, which would prevent the developer from reapproaching for a year, Council voted 6-0 to delay consideration. Mayor Esther Manheimer recused herself from the vote and discussion because the applicant is represented by Craig Justus, who practices at the Van Winkle Law Firm, where Manheimer is an attorney.

Council member Maggie Ullman said that she had higher expectations for the project and requested that the developer come back with more information.

“I feel like you have done a lot of diligence, and I see that you have put a lot of work into this. I see the responsiveness from the now 11-month process that you have gone through,” said Ullman. “I don’t think [the project] is poorly done, I just think to match our values and the values of the people who want to live there, I think we expect more.”

Prior to the vote on a continuance, Justus said they were willing to continue the conversation about concerns such as more three-bedroom units or adding solar to the project.

“As you have said, this is not really a criteria, so you are holding this project to something different than your ordinance says,” said Justus, referring to the Council’s hesitancy to approve the project over a lack of renewable energy. “We are willing to try and negotiate and work through that.”

The City Council unanimously voted to reconsider the conditional zoning request at its next meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

— Chase Davis X ASHEVILLE-AREA

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Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

TH (11/23), 7pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Routines for Healthful Sleep Sleep is essential to living a healthy life. Learn easy ways to achieve the best night’s sleep.

FR (11/24), 10am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain Morning Meditation Everyone is most welcome to join the sit; however no meditation instructions are provided.

FR (11/24), TU (11/28), 7:30am, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

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Yoga for Everyone A free-in person yoga class for all ages and abilities. Bring your own mat, water bottle and mask.

SA (11/25), 9:30am, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Qigong for Health A part of traditional Chinese medicine that involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind and spirit.

SA (11/25), 11am, TU (11/28), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Therapeutic Slow Flow Yoga A blend of meditation, breathing and movement. All bodies, genders, and identities welcome. Bring your own mat.

SA (11/25), 10am, Mount Inspiration Apparel, 444 Haywood Rd, Ste 103 Wild Souls Authentic Movement Class w/ Renee Trudeau Enjoy release, movement and connection with like-minded women.

SU (11/26), 9:30am, Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard Fall Flow w/Jamie Knox Levels 1+ heat increasing flow with restorative bonds designed to warm the body, calm anxiety, and release excess heat built over the summer.

SU (11/26), 10:30am, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd Yoga in The Solarium A Vinyasa flow that is perfect for yogis of every experience level.

Bring your water bottle and your mat.

SU (11/26), 10:30am, The Restoration Hotel Asheville, 68 Patton Ave Walking Meditation Reduce stress, anxiety and increase health and wellbeing. Meditation instructions provided.

SU (11/26), 11am, Walk Jones Wildlife Sanctuary, Montreat Gentle Yoga for Queer & GNC Folks This class is centered towards creating an affirming and inclusive space for queer and gender non-conforming

NOV. 22-28, 2023

HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING: Hendersonville’s Historic Courthouse Square is the site of the town’s holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 24, starting at 5 p.m. The evening will feature a special appearance from Santa to light the Christmas tree, along with carriage rides, Christmas choirs, music from Peggy Ratusz & Friends, sweet treats and more. Photo by Todd Bush individuals.

SU (11/26), 1:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

MO (11/27), 7pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Barre Fusion A high energy low impact practice that shapes, sculpts, and tones the body like a dancer. No experience necessary, open to all levels.

MO (11/27), 9:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Asheville Women's Breathwork Circle A transformative and empowering women's circle where the power of breath meets the strength and healing of sisterhood. No prior experience is necessary. Pre-registration is required.

TU (11/28), 6pm, WellSpring Wellness Center, 960 Tunnel Rd

Tai Chi for Beginners A class for anyone interested in Tai Chi and building balance, whole body awareness and other health benefits.

MO (11/27), TH (11/30), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Mettā Meditation Free in-person guided meditation focused on benevolence and loving-kindness. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

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Zumba Free zumba class; Registration not needed.

TU (11/28), 6:30pm, St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black Mountain Tai Chi Fan This class helps build balance and whole body awareness. All ages and ability levels welcome. Fans will be provided.

WE (11/29), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

ART Flor Widmar: Verde In this work, Flor closely works with the color verde (green).

There is a connection to the color by the artist that is not only a preference, but also has a rich meaning in her culture. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 9am and Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Dec. 1.

Revolve, 821 Riverside Dr, Ste 179 Creating Textures: Focus Gallery Exhibition This exhibition features the work of five Guild members: Michael Hatch, Valerie Berlage, Joseph Rhodes, Barry Rhodes, and Joanna Warren. Each artist will display their own respectable arts and crafts during this exhibition. Open daily, 10

am. Exhibition through Feb., 2024.

Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy Janice Geller: InHer Visions This exhibition revolves around the processes Janice Geller uses to create her paintings after exploring vivid dreams, inner meditations, authentic movement, active imagination, inner body states or the sumptuous allure of nature. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition through Dec. 3.

Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St Reckoning: Adornment as Narrative An exhibition of diverse practices, anchored at three points: methods of reckoning; the function of adornment; and the fusing of personal and cultural narrative. Through material language, each artist tells the story of

their identity. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am and Sunday, 11am.

Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste 144 Weaving at Black Mountain College: Anni Albers, Trude Guermonprez & Their Students The first exhibition devoted to textile practices at Black Mountain College. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Jan. 6, 2024.

Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works.

Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday.

Exhibition through April 15, 2024.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Spark of the Eagle Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson This exhibition celebrates the legacy of Lambert Wilson, a passionate collector of contemporary Native American art. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through Dec. 8.

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, daily. These free and educational opportunities are open to the public. Open daily, 10am.

Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway

American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940–1960 This exhibition features works created during the 1940s–1960s. Much of the art during this time expressed the uncertainty of the era, often relying on automatism and biomorphic forms. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through April 29, 2024.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing & Painting This exhibition offers viewers an opportunity to explore a singular and still vigorous aspect of American photorealism. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed on Tuesday.

Exhibition through Feb. 5, 2024.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Romare Bearden: Ways of Working This exhibition highlights works on paper and explores many of Romare Bearden's most frequently used mediums including screen-printing, lithography, hand colored etching, collagraph, monotype, relief print, photomontage, and collage. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Jan. 22, 2024.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Hannah Cole: A Mirror, Not a Window A collection of paintings and sculptures that turn the viewer’s attention to often overlooked aspects of their surrounding environment and reframing the very definition of representational art.

Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Dec.16.

Tracey Morgan Gallery, 188 Coxe Ave In the Flow: The Art of Safi Martin Martin involves pouring acrylic paints directly on the canvas, which conveys a celebration of flow, both in art and in life. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 11am and Sunday, 1 pm. Exhibition through Jan. 7.

Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Rd, Black Mountain Stella Alesi: Squish This exhibition is a group of geometric, abstract oil on oil paper paintings. With the use of simple shapes and a limited color palette, these works explore the visceral experience of living at this current moment. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Dec. 16.

Tracey Morgan Gallery, 188 Coxe Ave

Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition Experience work by graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts students. This exhibition highlights their comprehensive course of study at WCU’s School of Art and Design and serves as a preface to their forthcoming careers as professional artists.

Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am.

Exhibition through Dec. 8.

WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee Vessels of Merriment This invitational exhibition will feature handcrafted drinking vessels by 15 studio potters from around the country. Viewers will have the opportunity to browse ceramic mugs, goblets, whiskey cups, wine cups, tumblers and more.

Gallery open Monday through Sunday, 10am.

Exhibition through Dec. 31.

Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Rd

COMMUNITY MUSIC Ariella An evening of soulful melodies and musical delight with captivating lyrics.

WE (11/22), 7pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd Poranguí: Music is Medicine Poranguí masterfully weaves ancestral songs and indigenous rhythms from around the world as a one-man orchestra.

FR (11/24), SA (11/25), 7pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd Mark's House Jam & Beggar's Banquet Weekly Sunday pot luck and musician's jam with acoustic and plug in players. It's a family friendly community day so bring a dish to share.

SU (11/26), 3pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr Reuter Center Singers Seasoned seniors that study and perform classical, popular, show tunes and other favorites. Membership fees apply.

MO (11/27), 6:15pm, UNC Asheville Reuter Center, 1 University Heights Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer A live, multi-sensory musical experience in awe-inspiring locations, like never seen before in Asheville.

TU (11/28), 6:30pm and 8:45pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd Open Folk A songwriters showcase where the audience is required

NC

HOLIDAYS November 23 - January 1 Lighting Ceremony 6:30–9 PM THANKSGIVING NIGHT 11/23

Christmas Parade 3–5PM SUNDAY 11/26

Rutherford County Farmers Market

Annual Holiday Market and Winter Festival 172 Park Sq. SATURDAY 12/2, 9AM-4PM

Carriage Rides 6– 8:45PM

Online Reservations Only @ ExploreForestCity.com starting November 27th

FRIDAYS 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22 SATURDAYS 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 12/23

Hayrides 6–9PM

FRIDAYS 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22 SATURDAYS 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 12/23

Ice Skating 6PM–Until

Ice rink is synthetic ice which acts and performs as real ice

FRIDAYS 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22 SATURDAYS 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 12/23

Visit with Santa 6–9PM

FRIDAYS 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22 SATURDAYS 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 12/23

Santa Paws 1–4PM

SUNDAYS 12/3, 12/10, 12/17

Be the Light 5K 6:30PM

Register at https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/ ForestCity/BetheLight5KRu n

SUNDAY 12/10

Call 828.447.1730 Visit TownofForestCity.com Search Forest City Events on FUNDED IN PART BY THE RUTHERFORD COUNTY TDA VISITNCSMALLTOWNS.COM MOUNTAINX.COM

NOV. 22-28, 2023

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WINTER spirit issue

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COM M U N I TY CA LEN DA R to stay silent while six songwriters play three original songs each. Donations are accepted.

TU (11/28), 7pm, Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave

The Band: Last Waltz & Pink Floyd A movie night hosted

by Alex Wolfinger Jones.

SA (11/25), 8pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave

Dark City Song Swap: Beth Lee, Jon Vezner & Jon Weisberger A new series focusing on talented local, regional, and national songwriters who both write and sing their original compositions.

WE (11/29), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Jeeves Takes a Bow The British upper crust meets the New York mob in this witty play.

Everyone’s favorite hapless hero, Bertie Wooster, embarks on an American adventure armed only with his handsome fortune, his talent for trouble, and his remarkable valet, Jeeves.

FR (11/24), SA (11/25), WE (11/29), TH (11/30), 7:30pm, SU (11/26), 2pm, NC Stage Co., 15 Stage Ln

LITERARY Joke Writing Workshop Hosted by Disclaimer Stand Up Lounge and moderated by Cody Hughes, weekly. Bring 90 seconds of material that isn’t working.

WE (11/22, 29), 6:30pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave Poetry Open Mic Hendo A poetry-centered open mic that welcomes all kinds of performers every Thursday night. 18+ TH (11/23, 30), 7:30pm, Shakedown Lounge, 706 Seventh Ave E, Hendersonville Christy Cashman: The Truth About Horses A book signing for Christy Cashman's new novel, The Truth About Horses.

SA (11/25), Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Asheville Mall, 3 S Tunnel Rd Black Experience Book Club: Reader’s Choice The Black Experience Book Club reads books

by Black authors about the many facets of the Black experience. We will be discussing what each member is reading and trading ideas about what to read next.

TH (111/30), 6:30pm, Noir Collective, 39 S Market St, Ste C

THEATER & FILM Robbie Robertson's Last Waltz A 1978 concert film by Martin Scorsese that documents The Band’s last concert at Bill Graham’s historical San Francisco concert hall, Winterland.

WE (11/22), 8pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley Family comedy by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon that takes place two years after the events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

FR (11/24), SA (11/25), 7:30pm, BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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Stories of Christmas An evening of great storytelling, hilarious comedy, nostalgia and warm holiday sing-alongs with Donna Marie Todd, an award-winning storyteller and singer.

SU (11/26), 2pm,Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 West State St, Black Mountain Silent Films & Loud Music A screening of silent short films accompanied by local bands providing live music, all proceeds support Fierce Flix summer camp for girls and queer youth.

MO (11/27), 7pm, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd, Ste 101 Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes The film follows Roach across a rich and complicated life, years of now-legendary achievement, deep personal struggle, and the price he paid for his outspoken views.

TH (11/30), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS Eightfold Path Study Group A group will gather to study the Eightfold Path Program. Kris Kramer will host the group as a fellow participant and student.

WE (11/22), 3pm, Black Mountain, Honeycutt St, Black Mountain Free E-Bike Rental A free one hour bike adventure to experience Asheville’s historic River Arts District, French Broad River Greenway, local breweries, restaurants and more.

WE (11/22, 29), 10am, Ace Bikes, 342 Depot St Aerial Silks Foundations Learn how to properly ascend, descend, and create stunning shapes

on the silks while emphasizing safety and proper form.

Participants of all ages and all abilities are welcome.

WE (11/22, 29), 4pm and 5:30pm, Amethyst Realm, 244 Short Coxe Ave Poranguí: Music is Medicine & Workshop The workshop will explore where voice and Spirit meet in improvisational dance.

SA (11/25), 1pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd Dididada: Movement Lab w/Coco Villa A movement workshop created by Coco Villa.

Enjoy getting back into your bodies, and simply dancing for the joy of moving through hyper warm ups, routines, and prompts.

SU (11/26), 11am, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd, Ste 101 Local Cloth Community Holiday Make & Take Fun holiday crafting with fun for the whole family, including indigo dyeing, felting, embroidery, card making and more.

SU (11/26), 11am, Local Cloth, 408 Depot St, Ste 100 Scrabble Weekly scrabble play.

All scrabble gear provided.

SU (11/26), 12:15pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault A two hour training session on Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault techniques. In this 2 hour training, you will learn how to best intervene when harm is happening.

MO (11/27), 11am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave Kids & Teens Kung Fu Learn fighting skills as well as conflict resolution and mindfulness.

First class is free to see if it's a good fit for you.

MO (11/27), TU (11/28), TH (11/30), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Black Men Monday A local group that has stepped up in the community to advocate for and mentor students through academic intervention.

MO (11/27), 7pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave World Tavern Poker Night A free to play poker night every Monday.

MO (11/27), 7pm, The Getaway River Bar, 790 Riverside Dr Toddler Discovery Time Crafts, games, and playtime for

youngsters. Advance registration at avlrec. com is required.

TU (11/28), 9:45am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Intro to Senior Games Sports Each week will cover a different sport. This is for people trying a new sport for the 2024 Asheville-Buncombe senior games.

TU (11/28), 10am, W Asheville Park, 11 Vermont Ave Therapeutic Recreation Adult Crafting & Cooking A variety of cooking and crafts for individuals with disabilities ages 17 and over each week. This week will focus on cooking chicken salad.

TU (11/28), 10am, Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd Holiday Cookie Baking Learn how to perfect your cookies so you’ll be ready to make some for Santa. We provide dough, you cut it into festive shapes and decorate.

TU (11/28), 5pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave Community Choice Enjoy family activities including puzzles, board games, arts and crafts, and more. Kids ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

WE (11/29), 6:30pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston S Dollar Décor DIY Enjoy new crafts made from simple items you have at home or can be found at dollar stores.

Advance registration at avlrec.com required.

WE (11/29), 7pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Building Our City Speaker Series w/ Gregg Colburn This free speaker series features Gregg Colburn, author of Homelessness is a Housing Problem.

TH (11/30), 5:30pm, Asheville Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway Dharma & Discuss: Michael Scardaville Teaching A dharma talk and an opportunity to ask questions afterwards.

The topic for this talk will be: The Nature of Awakening. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome TH (11/30), 7pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Personal Stories of Recovery & Redemption Three men with stories of overcoming trauma

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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This #GivingTuesday, think It’s been a wild first three weeks in 2023’s Give!Local campaign. Thanks to over 100 incredible contributors, we’re ahead of where we were this time last year.

In 2022, we were able to raise just over $263,000 to provide much needed financial aid to our participating area nonprofits.

Can you help us top that figure this year? #GivingTuesday is an international day of giving that lands on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. For many Asheville area nonprofits it’s the busiest day of the year.

Mountain Xpress and First Bank are covering credit-card fees, so 100% of your donation goes directly to the nonprofits.

Donate now at givelocalguide.org 22

NOV. 22-28, 2023

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C OMMU N IT Y CA L E N D AR and adversity.

TH (11/30), 7pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville Swing Dance Lesson & Dance Swing dancing lesson and dance, every Thursday.

TH (11/30), 7pm, Alley Cat Social Club, 797 Haywood Rd

LOCAL MARKETS MANNA FoodBank Mobile Market This market is free and open to anyone who needs support with groceries. Walk or drive through in just minutes.

WE (11/22), 11am, Fernihurst Mansion, 16 Fernihurst Dr, A-B Tech Weaverville Tailgate Market A selection of fresh, locally grown produce, grass fed beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, eggs, cheese, sweet and savory baked goods, artisan bread, fire cider, coffee, pickles, body care, eclectic handmade goodies, and garden and landscaping plants.

Open year round.

WE (11/22, 29), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville RAD Farmers Market Winter Season Browse 30+ local vendors all winter long with fresh produce, pastured meats, baked goods, honey, and more. Safely accessible by bike or foot on the greenway, plus free public parking along Riverside Drive.

WE (11/22, 29), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr Blackwatch Release Party & Holiday Market Annual Holiday Market and to celebrate the release of Blackwatch.

Over 45 local craft vendors will also be selling their wares.

FR (11/24), 11am, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200 North Asheville Tailgate Market The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC, since 1980. Over 60 rotating vendors offer fresh Appalachian grown produce, meats, cheeses and eggs with a variety of baked goods, value added foods, and unique craft items. Weekly through Dec. 16.

SA (11/25), 8am, 3300 University Heights Asheville City Market Local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products.

Weekly through Dec. 17.

SA (11/25), 9am, 52 N Market St

Holiday Market Days Browse trees, poinsettias, gifts and even take a family Holiday photo while getting Holiday shopping done.

SA (11/25), 9am, BB Barns, 3377 Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden Outpost: Full Moon Market Let the lunar light guide you as you peruse local art and crafts vendors, food trucks, music and more.

SA (11/25), 7pm, The Outpost, 521 Amboy Rd 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 Handmade Holidays A market of handmade pottery and craft goods made by local artisans. Perfect for holiday gifts or to treat yourself.

MO (11/27), 10am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain Black Mountain Tailgate Market: Golden Hour Market Series A monthly market series bringing high-quality produce & artisan-made goods to Black Mountain, Swannanoa, East Asheville and beyond.

TH (11/30), 4pm, Oak and Grist Distilling Co., 1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS Annual Turkey Giveaway An entire Thanksgiving meal will be provided to 800 families in the community.

WE (11/22), 9am, Ingles Market, 780 Hendersonville Rd 23rd Annual Asheville Turkey Trot & Gobble Wobble 1 Mile Portions of the proceeds will be donated to MANNA Food Bank. Race day registration available in Pack Square starting at 7am until 8:30am. Visit avl.mx/d65 for all race related info.

TH (11/23), 9:15am, Pack Square Park, 80 Court Plaza Thanksgiving Day Dinner Bring a dish to share and celebrate the holiday with new people. Please sign up at the Grace lobby or call (828) 693-4890 to sign up and note how many are coming with you. Register before Nov. 19.

TH (11/23), 1pm, Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville

Friendsgiving Potluck & Karaoke Bring a dish and bring your friends. Karaoke starts 9pm with Franco Nino.

TH (11/23), 6pm, Shakey's, 38 N French Broad Ave Skate Your Turky Off A festive event offering a fun-filled experience for all ages with activities such as roller skating, arcade games, mini golf and more.

TH (11/23), 6pm, Smoky Mountain Sk8way & Fun Zone, 19025 Great Smoky Mountain Expressway, Waynesville Photos w/The Grinch The event is free, but we ask that you donate a new, unwrapped toy or a monetary donation to Western North Carolina Toys for Tots.

FR (11/24), 10am, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd David Wilcox Annual Thanksgiving Concert Annual Thanksgiving homecoming concert with revered folk musician. See p30 FR (11/24), 8pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave 2023 Holiday Tree Lighting Santa arrives at the Historic Courthouse to illuminate the town tree and all the lights along Main Street. The evening includes carriage rides, Christmas choirs, music from Peggy Ratusz & Friends band and sweet treats.

FR (11/24), 5pm, 1 Historic Courthouse Square, Hendersonville Healing & Harvest Music Festival A community festival where healing, decolonization, diversity and music takes the center stage for an evening of longing for change and rebirth. The festival will feature rhythm, rhymes and magical music with special guests on both nights.

FR (11/24), SA (11/25), 6pm, Weaving Rainbows, 62 Wall St Wildflower Women’s Market Fall Festival Visitors will enjoy music, food trucks, and other activities while browsing a wide selection of unique products, services and art works presented by local women-owned businesses and artisans.

SA (11/25), 10am, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd Annual Tree Lighting Celebrate the holiday season with a Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Santa will light the tree at 6 p.m. Prior to the tree lighting, visitors will enjoy festive music from the Enka High School Marching band, strolling magic, stilt walkers, face painting

and more.

SA (11/25), 4pm, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony A large, family-friendly holiday extravaganza featuring live music from the Bill Bares Trio, refreshments, performances from Asheville Ballet, caroling with A Capella Alive, a Santa appearance and more.

SA (11/25), 6pm, Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave 1 Year Shiloh & Gaines Anniversary Party w/ Datrian Johnson & Friends One year anniversary party with the man, the myth, the Asheville legend Datrian Johnso SA (11/25), 9pm, Shiloh & Gaines, 700 Hendersonville Rd Bobby McMillon Legacy Project Tribute Concert This project, funded in part by South Arts, preserves and makes accessible the collections of the legendary Bobby McMillon, who was an extraordinary ballad-singer, storyteller, and folklorist.

WE (11/29), 7pm, Owen Theatre, 44 College St, Mars Hill

BLACK FRIDAY SALE!

30% OFF ENTIRE PURCHASE (excludes gift cards and trade credit)

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING Warming Shelter & Sanctuary In addition to a warm, welcoming space to share a meal with neighbors, Saturday Sanctuary offers restrooms, phone charging, videos, popcorn and a safe place to rest.

SA (11/25), 11am, First Presbyterian Church Asheville, 40 Church St Babies Need Bottoms: WNC's Diaper Bank Celebrate Babies Need Bottoms 6th Anniversary by donating diapers, wipes and rash cream.

Help families meet basic needs for their babies.

SU (11/26), 2pm, Ginger's Revenge, 829 Riverside Dr, Ste 100 Beer & Hymns Benefit People coming together to raise their glasses, raise their voices, and raise funds for organizations that change the world.

MO (11/27), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Holiday Blood Drive A Holiday Blood Drive to benefit hospitals in this 5-county area.

Set an appointment by calling (828) 585-8065 and give them Sponsor Code, 23GL. TH (11/30), 8am, Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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WELLNESS

Sleepless in Asheville Insomniacs share strategies for finding rest

BY KELLY GRAY kelly@kellygray.org It’s 1 a.m., and the night yawns ahead. By 3 a.m., your eyeballs feel like saucers. You tell your mind and body to shut down, but they work as a team to rob you of what you desire most in this world — the sweet elixir of natural sleep.

Welcome to life with chronic insomnia; you are not alone. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 10% of the world’s population experiences insomnia that qualifies as a medical condition. These individuals struggle falling asleep, staying asleep and/or getting enough quality sleep.

In pursuit of the Holy Grail — natural sleep unaided by pharmaceuticals — some residents have resorted to an array of methods, including working with horses, massage therapy and dance.

‘WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY’ Juliane Groger is the morning anchor at 96.1 “The Bear.” Her “Jewel in the Morning” show, running 7-10 a.m. during the week, also airs on 1350 AM in Black Mountain.

Along with informing her listeners about country music, she also shares her story about sleep and the impact it has on her life. Groger can’t ever recall having a normal sleep cycle.

“When you are an insomniac, and you finally fall asleep, you don’t want anything interrupting your sleep. It’s challenging to wake up [because] it’s not like a normal person, where you can go right back to sleep,” she says.

As a mother of two young children, she adds, “It can be a challenge to get enough sleep.”

Recently, Groger experienced one of her worst sleepless nights in months, missing what insomniacs

call “the window of opportunity,” the short time an insomniac feels the body start to fall asleep. Miss that window and sleep escapes.

“When you have extreme insomnia, the more you don’t sleep, the more you panic, and then the more you panic, the more you don’t sleep,” says Groger, who once didn’t sleep for four straight days. “The problem with most medications is that they don’t work forever; plus I am a parent, so I can’t live my life feeling medicated.

“Suggesting melatonin to people with an extreme level of insomnia is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound,” she continues. “I feel like saying, ‘Yes I’m trying. Yes, I am doing everything I can, but I can’t force my body to sleep.’ And even now, people still don’t understand how painful it is to go without sleep.”

She’s found that weightlifting is a huge help in combating sleeplessness, along with a wind-down exercise routine to encourage her body to be more receptive to sleep.

“You have to burn off that energy ... with dancing or anything that helps you get up and move,” says Groger. “Light weightlifting as part of a wind-down routine is helpful.”

LIGHT LIFT: Juliane Groger, the morning anchor at 96.1 “The Bear,” lifts weights to get some sleep. Photo by Kelly Gray “Humans helped save my life twice, but animals helped heal me.”

Lifelong equestrian Ashlee Gill of Asheville agrees. She and husband, Trever, and daughter, Paislee, care for more than a dozen horses at their TAG farm.

“Don’t underestimate the power of time spent cleaning stalls to help you get more sleep at night — sift by sift, bucket by bucket, and one wheelbarrow load after another, with the horses soft breaths and steady swish of a tail, it is soothing,” says Gill. “This is when I have done my best thinking, made big decisions and wrestled with some of the toughest battles.”

HORSING AROUND The internet is full of obvious sleep hygiene tips — less screen time, meditation, a restful sleep environment — but most suggestions are child’s play to a lifelong insomniac.

A lesser-known suggestion has hooves. Those who volunteer with horses say the interactions even out disordered sleep and mood, and decrease anxiety and stress levels.

One study showed that equine therapy volunteers increased average sleep time by up to 30 minutes for each session spent with the horses.

Another five-part study revealed that relationships between horses and humans affect heart rates.

Volunteers at equine sanctuary Hope for Horses in Leicester, a home to 16 displaced horses, say working with horses helps them sleep at night.

“I have struggled with sleep since I was a kid and without a doubt, being around horses creates a grounding calmness that does make sleep and staying asleep better,” says volunteer Jackie Austin, a cancer survivor.

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HORSE SENSE: Ashlee Gill, center, her husband, Trever, and daughter, Paislee, care for more than a dozen horses at their TAG farm. Ashlee Gill says that working with horses helps her sleep at night. Photo by Kelly Gray

GOT THE RIGHT BED? A more fundamental factor regarding slumber is where you sleep.

One of the most common culprits disturbing sleep is a bad bed. Deb Vetere and Christy Corna, owners of mattress store Sleep On It in Arden, say if you’re not sleeping on the right mattress, you don’t have a prayer of getting enough rest.

“Better sleep equals better health, because we spend 33% of our lives in our beds,” says Vetere. “We see people come in with back and neck issues, fibromyalgia and different ailments that create pain, and they quickly discover that their bed is a healing element.”

If a mattress is too soft, a heavyset person will sink; too firm, and someone with fibromyalgia will experience nerve discomfort.

“You want to be on your mattress, not in your mattress,” says Vetere.

Speaking of things in a mattress – Sleep On It clients are often horrified at the reason foam mattresses eventually harden.

“Memory foam collects bacteria when you sweat,” says Vetere. “It’s like a sponge on your kitchen sink, becoming floppy in summer, and in the winter, it becomes like a rock, so it doesn’t maintain shape for the support your body should be getting.”

Gel mattresses keep cool, which regulates body temperatures, while pushing moisture away from the body so it does not collect bacteria.

“Ordinary mattresses can make allergies worse, especially for children, so we recommend eco-friendly, natural mattresses,” says Corna.

“When sleeplessness is caused by sleeping position, we recommend a bed and pillows to help the sleeper switch positions, resolving the issue, and sometimes, that’s all someone needs to sleep better.”

A MEDICAL APPROACH Dr. James Graham, director of sleep medicine at Mission Health, can address sleep apnea, a condition in which people stop breathing while asleep. Treatments can include a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, weight loss or surgery. But problems with insomnia can be much harder to treat, even with good sleep hygiene like less screen time and eliminating caffeine. But those efforts do help, Graham says.

“If you look at a toddler who has to be rocked to fall asleep, they cannot fall asleep without that stimulus,” he says. “You need a time in the evening to wind down outside the bedroom,

REST ASSURED: Christy Corna, left, and Deb Vetere of Sleep On It guide customers to the right bed. Photo by Kelly Gray because the more you allow yourself to do in bed that is meant to be an awake activity, the more you are telling your brain, it’s OK to stay awake.”

Dr. Christina Velderman uses traditional Chinese medicine at Soulfire Medicine in Asheville to treat imbalances in the body, including insomnia.

“Insomnia is sometimes difficult to treat because there are so many different potential causes, and they often appear alongside one another,” says Velderman. “It may take some time, but at the core, the body wants to find its way back into balance,

and if you stick with it, you will be able to get back to deep, restorative sleep again.”

Hope Nichols found better quality sleep after she began seeing Velderman.

“I was two years into menopause, navigating the ending of a romantic relationship, in deep grief from the recent passing of a dear friend as well as manifesting symptoms from other traumas when I began treatment,” says Nichols. “Dr. C’s skills brought me and my body back from the most dark, lonely and malnourished place, and sleep was one aspect of my life that was improved.”

Velderman often uses a combination of acupuncture and custom-crafted herbal medicines.

“Acupuncture opens a conversation and asks the body to shift how its systems are interacting, while herbal medicine gives the internal organs the tools with which to carry out the request,” says Velderman.

“Chronic conditions like ongoing insomnia leave your body in a state of depletion from which it can be very difficult to rebuild, so traditional Chinese medicine works to harmonize the natural cycles implementing simple and practical steps that work with a modern lifestyle.”

Since cost can be a barrier to treatment, Velderman created an online program called Elemental Alchemy, a personalized system of mind-bodyspirit self-care, incorporating the methods she recommends to patients most frequently in the clinic. It offers live or on-demand weekly group coaching and self-paced online learning resources.

Massage therapist Tillman “Bubba” Miles of Sparrow’s Nest massage therapy in Asheville helps clients relieve muscular issues, injuries, chronic pain, work-related aches and pains, and hormone imbalances that rob patients of sleep.

“Once aches and pains are alleviated, or at least lessened, the muscles learn to relax again and the body is able to naturally rest through the night,” he says. “For chronic pain, regular massage offers relief by improving mobility, and it helps balance hormones, allowing the body to naturally fall asleep easier and sleep deeper.”

Insomnia is one of the most common types of disordered sleep. It is pervasive and difficult to treat, but it is manageable.

“Don’t be afraid to say you have a sleep problem,” says Graham.

“Because how you sleep really affects your quality of life, memory, blood pressure, diabetes control — it touches so many different conditions.” X

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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ARTS & CULTURE

Don’t fear the foam Local breweries embrace classic Czech pours

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com Tired of the same old beer pours?

Try some methods so old that they feel almost brand-new.

Side-pull faucets allow for multiple styles of serving brews that place an emphasis on foam and yield a notably creamier taste. While it’s tough to pinpoint when the hardware was first developed, Vince Tursi, head brewer and co-founder of DSSOLVR, notes that beer drinkers in today’s Czech Republic have been ordering these types of pours for hundreds of years. And these styles are becoming more widely available in taprooms throughout the Asheville area.

Instead of the simple open/close mechanics of a traditional beer tap, side-pull faucets have a ball valve that allows for different flow rates.

The mechanism pushes the beer through a mesh or stainless steel screen that’s composed of hundreds of tiny openings, resulting in an increased amount of carbon dioxide breakout and foam. While fully opening the valve lets the beer move through freely, variations produce markedly different results.

“If you just barely crack it, you still have a bunch of restriction on the back end, which is then limiting flow, which then causes more breakouts and you literally just get foam,” Tursi says.

As soon as that breakout recovers, however, Tursi notes that you’re left with “superclean, crisp beer” — just like Czech drinkers have been enjoying for years.

By offering these alternative pours, brewers such as Tursi and Andrew Zinn, co-owner of Leveller Brewing Co. in Weaverville, stand out in an increasingly competitive industry where craft beverage quality continues to rise.

“You can get 80%-90% of the way [to a great beer experience] on the beer itself, but that last little bit is the part that matters the most,” Zinn says. Pouring a beer the right way and “serving it through proper equipment,” he notes, is essential to finishing the job.

THE THREE POURS In keeping with tradition, Leveller and DSSOLVR typically serve 26

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DRAFT DECISIONS: Burning Blush Brewery reps, from left, Melody Lanning, Sarah Justice and Ashley Toler show off the three pour styles, respectively: mliko/“milk,” na dvakrat/“crisp” and hladinka/“smooth.” Photo by Megan Harney pilsners and other lagers on their side-pull faucets. But since opening Burning Blush Brewery in Mills River in 2019, head brewer Whit Lanning has gone from having two side-pull faucets to featuring them on all 12 taps. Along with providing a quality regular pour, the equipment gives his bartenders more range, depending on the beer, as well as each customer’s preference.

“Each different type of pour is meant for the session that you’re drinking it on,” Lanning says. “We typically do a na dvakrat.”

Also known as a “crisp” pour, this method involves pouring in beer first and finishing with foam. Lanning notes that this approach produces an oxidation barrier and allows the beer to stay crisper longer. It’s therefore better for longer sits, particularly while eating, because the beer stays carbonated for a greater amount of time.

Imbibers can also request the hladinka or “smooth” pour, which involves an initial layer of foam on the bottom of the glass, followed by beer. The resulting pour is 20%-25% foam and, since it lacks the oxidation barrier, is better suited for more immediate drinking.

But gaining popularity is the mliko or “milk” pour, which is composed almost entirely of foam.

“It’s called a ‘milk pour’ because people can’t pronounce ‘mliko,’” Tursi says with a laugh.

He adds that a mliko pour will settle into half the volume of its glass if left undisturbed. But it’s intended for immediate consumption, similar to a shot, and has therefore caught on among certain beer drinkers.

Zinn became interested in the pour while visiting the Czech Republic and has advertised it on Leveller’s menu since opening the taproom.

While overseas, he was informed that tourists are the primarily consumers of mliko, and though he’s an unapologetic fan of the style, it’s likewise been visitors to Weaverville who’ve expressed the most interest.

“We had some people here from New Jersey a couple weekends ago, and they asked, ‘Do you do milk tubes?’ Apparently people are calling them milk tubes up there,” Zinn says. “I’m not gonna call them that.

I’m willing to mispronounce the Czech word.”

NICHE MARKET In addition to Burning Blush, DSSOLVR and Leveller, Zillicoah Beer Co. co-owner Jeremy Chassner says his brewery usually has three side-pull faucets in operation. And Andrew Ross, co-owner of The Whale in West Asheville, currently has one such tap, on which the establishment serves its Haüs Pilz, which Fonta Flora Brewery makes specifically for the beer bar.

But if side-pull pours result in a superior beer experience, why don’t more taprooms offer them?

The costs of the equipment is a primary obstacle. Tursi says that the hardware was previously known as “beer faucets” until modern sidepull faucets were developed. And that the 1991 launch of LUKR CZ, which Tursi notes is the most famous manufacturer of the side-pull faucets, has helped make the hardware significantly more accessible.

Though prices of the Czech imports have come down in recent years, the LUKR faucets still run around $500 apiece and, according to Zinn, need a specific shank (i.e. the piece that goes through the wall that the faucet attaches to) for flow control.

Education is also a factor.

“Some people aren’t using it right. [DSSOLVR co-founder Mike Semenec and I have] been to places

where you can tell that there’s no filter in place or the bartender isn’t doing it properly, and it just doesn’t come out the same,” Tursi says.

“It really is that slightly nuanced level of differentiation plus training that makes a world of difference.

Anybody can open up a faucet, but to pull a proper side-pull is a little bit more difficult.”

Perhaps most prohibitive is customer perception. In addition to its side-pull faucet, Leveller features exclusively German faucets that are likewise designed to stick the nozzle into the beer glass.

“You get a beer anywhere in Europe, that’s how it’s done. You get a beer in the U.S. and you see it done like that and everyone’s like, ‘Ew, that’s disgusting. What are you doing? It’s so gross,’” Zinn says.

“Why is it gross? The gross thing is that if people are not cleaning their taps enough to trust those [pours].”

Aiding that misconception are beer drinkers’ general opinions on foam. Many consumers think they’re being cheated out of a full pour if the beer doesn’t fill the pint glass to the brim. Local breweries try to get around the issue by serving the beverages in proper glassware.

Lanning notes that there’s nothing inherently wrong about most taprooms pouring beers in shaker pints — which, as their name suggests, are meant for shaking cocktails — but says that 18-ounce tankard glasses better support the foam atop the beer and result in a superior overall taste.

“We as a craft industry should be trying to teach consumers better about how important the foam is to making the beer taste great and finish on your palate right,” Lanning says. “I really do think it makes a difference in the flavor and the presentation, especially in those mugs.

Seeing that three or four fingers of foam makes a huge difference, just to get different aromatics, different flavors and all that kind of stuff.” X

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

HISTORY

Pondering Bascom

A lifelong resident’s passion for preserving an Appalachian legacy

BY ANDY HALL ahall@mountainx.com For years, Buncombe County native and lifelong resident Whitney Ponder was looking to relocate from the city back to the county. Her search for the perfect home narrowed in 2021, when she discovered a listing for a property in Leicester previously owned by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Ponder wrote a heartfelt letter to the current sellers, explaining how she would honor Lunsford’s legacy if given the chance. In a little over a week, it was hers.

Even at the time, says Ponder, the outcome felt inevitable. “I don’t know how to explain it. ... But I knew, before we ever even toured the whole house, that I was supposed to be in it. It was just really weird.”

Ponder, who grew up about 10 miles from Lunsford’s homestead, says her late mother, Brenda Gail Rice, regularly shared stories about participating in Lunsford’s youth competitions.

For readers unfamiliar with Lunsford’s legacy, he dedicated his life to researching Appalachian music and dance. In 1928, he launched Asheville’s Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, the longest-running festival in Western North Carolina. And today, the second-longest running festival in the region, the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival, is named in his honor.

Currently, Ponder is turning the home into the Pondering Bascom Performing Arts and Education Center. The nonprofit, which is still in its early stages, will eventually provide a community gathering space for traditional performances, education and hands-on workshops.

The work, says Ponder, has been hard and at times overwhelming.

She has relied primarily on her own funds for renovations, along with a grant from The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County.

But now with a board established and a plan in place, she hopes to start hosting fundraisers in the near future.

“Just when I start to get discouraged, something magical happens that assures me that this is what I am meant to do,” she says.

A REUNION OF SORTS One of those occurrences happened at the end of September, when filmmaker David Hoffman visited Ponder’s home.

TRADING STORIES: Whitney Ponder, left, guides filmmaker David Hoffman through Bascom Lamar Lunsford’s former home in Leicester. Ponder purchased the property two years ago and plans to turn it into a community center. Photo

by Andy Hall Fifty-eight years ago, at the age of 21, Hoffman traveled from New York to the Buncombe County countryside, where he filmed the documentary Music Makers of the Blue Ridge (Bluegrass Roots). The film features Lunsford, along with folks living, working and playing music throughout the surrounding hills.

In September, Hoffman was in town for the annual Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival. Ponder invited the filmmaker to return to the house where he and Lunsford met. Hoffman — accompanied by his wife, Heidi, as well as a small film crew — toured the property. The event marked Hoffman’s first time back at the site since 1965.

“It’s very emotional to be at this house,” Hoffman told Xpress during the visit. “I can remember walking and shooting in these directions. That was a long time ago.”

Hoffman described Bascom as a worthy subject for the documentary.

“Every morning he’d have something for me to eat, which I always did out of politeness. And then we’d go all over. I remember all the roads, they were dirt back then. He loved the names of the roads and would say them as we would drive by. I could still hear them — it was like music to me: Sandy Mush, South Turkey Creek, North Turkey Creek.”

Throughout the tour, Hoffman shared his memories, and Ponder

shared her new vision for the space.

At one point, Hoffman paused and pointed toward a field adjacent to the home and asked Ponder if the location once had a footbridge. She nodded, and Hoffman relived the scene in the film where Lunsford danced across it.

“He picked that [spot] for the sound,” Hoffman said. “He liked the sound of his feet on that bridge, tapping on it with incredible shoes. He always wore a dress shirt and a tie and his hat. It was because he respected the people we visited.”

HOME EVOLUTION One of the film’s most memorable scenes, which features a large group clog dancing to a live bluegrass band, took place in the living room of Ponder’s home. Ponder says she wants to restore the room to host intimate gatherings that include dance, music and sustainable lifestyle workshops.

Many of these future workshops, she says, will use what’s on the property. For example, she has an old stove ideal for teaching canning. Lunsford, who was an attorney, also made a living briefly selling fruit trees. Ponder, who has discovered an old apple tree behind the house, wants to honor that part of his legacy by using the fruit in classes on topics such as cider making.

“This place deserves to be shared,” she says. “But I’m not trying to restore it to what it was like when Bascom lived here. This is the new generation. This is the evolution of Bascom’s house.”

“I don’t have children of my own, but I can be an instrumental part of fostering these younger generations who are still playing those old ballads and mountain traditions,” Ponder continues. “So let’s keep them alive. They might be modernized; they may have a twist to them. But we’d still be carrying on in that tradition of preserving our heritage and ... where we came from. That’s really important.” X

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NOV. 22-28, 2023

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

ROUNDUP

Around Town Local artist pens a children’s book For Asheville sumi-e artist Maki Nishio Phipps, the process of creating a painting is like a dance through which her emotions can explode onto a blank canvas. “Viewers who look at my work have to be able to find a lot of interesting things in them,” says Phipps, who grew up in Japan. “Each one has a story to tell.”

Phipps’ own story as an artist is far from a linear tale. Though much of her youth was spent studying Japanese ink painting, her professional career took a different path.

After relocating to the U.S. in the 1970s, she spent 35 years working as a translator in the Detroit automobile industry.

Art remained a constant side project and passion throughout her working life. But in 2016, a year after she and her husband relocated to Asheville, Phipps sustained retinal hemorrhages in both eyes. Her doctor was concerned she might lose her vision.

“I thought, I better hurry up and do what I wanted to do,” she says.

“Going blind — I would be dead as an artist.”

Fortunately, Phipps’ health outlook improved, but a new fire was lit.

Along with continuing her work as a sumi-e artist, she began writing and illustrating children’s books in both

Japanese and English. Her second and latest book, Pipi, Pupu, Pepe and Popo’s Family, was released earlier this year.

Inspired by her late dog, Yogi, and her rescue Chihuahua, Poochie, the story is about “looking at life from a dog’s perspective — a life of love and happiness,” says Phipps. “I feel that children all over the world can learn how to live from dogs.”

Meanwhile, Phipps’ own experience offers a lesson to people of all ages: No matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to pivot and try something new.

“I am 70-years-young and a kid at heart,” Phipps says. “What I’m noticing about getting older is I have a lot of stories to tell.”

With a third children’s book already underway and a novel in the works about her life in Tokyo and the U.S., Phipps is keeping busy between her painting and writing projects, despite occasional roadblocks.

“Ideas don’t always come,” she says. “I’m never sure how [a project] is going to turn out.” All that Phipps does know is that the end result must move her audience. “I try to never write a boring sentence,” she says.

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AUTHOR’S BEST FRIEND: Artist and writer Maki Nishio Phipps poses with one of her inspirations, Poochie. The author recently celebrated the release of her latest children’s book, Pipi, Pupu, Pepe and Popo’s Family. Photo by Jennifer A. Sheffield

Thanksgiving Homecoming Concert On Friday, Nov. 24, at 8 p.m., singer-songwriter David Wilcox will hold his annual Thanksgiving Homecoming Concert at The Grey Eagle. This will be the 20th time Wilcox is hosting the fully seated, all-ages event.

“The spirit of Chet Baker is expected to show up,” jokes Stephen Cohen, Wilcox’s manager. “There will be old songs, new songs, spontaneous songs and, as David puts it, ‘the right song at the right time for everyone in attendance.’”

Scheduled guests include Chris Rosser, David LaMotte, Billy Jonas, Samara Jade, Michael Lille and Cary Cooper.

Wilcox, who attended Warren Wilson College in the 1980s, is known for his folksy storytelling.

In 1987, within a couple years of graduating, Wilcox released his first independent album, The Nightshift Watchman. About twenty records later, he won the 2018 USA Songwriting Competition for “We Make The Way By Walking,” a song from his newest release, The View From the Edge.

“I’m grateful to music,” Wilcox says. “I started to write songs because I wanted to find a way to make my life feel as good as I felt when I heard a great song. I don’t think I’d be alive now if it had not been for music.”

The Grey Eagle is at 185 Clingman Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/d6a.

Local teen dances her way to Herald Square Fourteen-year-old Amber Guzy of Arden will tap dance in the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Guzy received the opportunity to participate after winning first place at the regional Showstopper Dance Competition in Concord last April.

She will perform with 500 other dancers from across the country with Spirit of America Productions.

Guzy got her start dancing onstage with her mother’s team, the Mountain Thunder Cloggers, and began formal dance training at age two.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is on Thursday, Nov. 23, at 8:30 a.m. For more information, visit avl.mx/d6b.

Asheville FM seeks board members Asheville nonprofit radio station 103.3 Asheville FM is looking for board members.

Required duties include attending meetings (six per year), serving on a committee, participating in fundraising and “providing leadership, vision and direction.” Board members also recruit volunteers, help procure financial resources, support the executive director, staff and volunteers, and develop programming that aligns with the station’s mission.

According to a press release, the organization seeks diverse perspectives, including “women and members of disabled, BIPOC, LGBTQ and other historically marginalized communities.”

Send emails of interest to Gray@ashevillefm.org to receive a short application.

103.3 Asheville FM is at 864 Haywood Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/d6c.

Celebrating Native American heritage Behind the Mask: Cherokee Mask Makers and Their Legacy, sponsored by the Transylvania County Historical Society, will exhibit for one more weekend at the Allison-Deaver House.

The exhibition runs through Sunday, Nov. 26 in honor of Native American Heritage Month. It features Cherokee masks and the history of the craft, as well as the Transylvania Heritage Museum’s collection of Cherokee artifacts found in Transylvania County.

The Allison-Deaver House is at 2753 Asheville Highway, Pisgah Forest. For more information, visit avl.mx/d68.

New novel takes flight Author Heidi Williamson has had a busy year. In June, she published Birdie in Prague, the third book in a time-travel fantasy series. Now she’s published her fourth, Birdie in Paris, just in time for her move to Asheville.

The series follows Birdie’s summer abroad, where she gets swept up in a magical adventure that starts with a piece of enchanted glass and upends her life as she travels through time.

Her search for clues to solve the mystery is complicated by the possibility of romance.

Williamson selected each city in the series for its medieval history and historical layout. “I almost bypassed Paris because it’s so different architecturally today compared to 1499 — but ultimately those differences added to the richness of the story,” says Williamson.

While the Birdie Abroad series wraps up next year, Williamson won’t stay put as an author. She already has two other ideas in the works — a historical mystery inspired by a vintage velvet dress and a new suspense series centered around a quirky postcard-shop owner. She’s also excited to settle into her new home of Western North Carolina.

“We moved to the Asheville area at the end of October, and I haven’t had a chance to reach out to local stores or connect to the writing community yet,” she says. “It’s one of the things I’m looking forward to doing as I get settled.”

For more information, visit avl.mx/d66.

— Jennifer Sheffield X

Additional reporting by Andy Hall and Murryn Payne

MOVIE REVIEWS THE HOLDOVERS: Director Alexander Payne reunites with his Sideways star, Paul Giamatti, in this hilarious and heartfelt holiday tale. Grade: A-minus — Edwin Arnaudin

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

NOV. 22-28, 2023

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A R TS & CU LTU R E

FOOD ROUNDUP

What’s new in food Beradu opens in Black Mountain Beradu, a specialty market and restaurant, opened at The Village of Cheshire in Black Mountain on Nov. 11.

The market features local goods, wild game, North Carolina seafood and a selection of wine, beer and unique nonalcoholic beverages.

Co-owners Patrick and Maggie Beraduce moved to Black Mountain from Naples, Fla. this summer after purchasing the business, which was formerly occupied by The Grocery.

“We didn’t know anything about Black Mountain, but we came to look at the business and just fell in love with the town and everything,” says Patrick, executive chef, who owned a catering and private chef company in Naples.

Maggie, a former elementary school teacher, calls herself Patrick’s “sous chef.” Patrick used to visit her classroom to perform cooking demonstrations, and then they started teaming up and giving lessons around the Naples area.

They discovered they enjoyed working with each other. “Once we found our groove, we were ready to do this,” she says. “It’s been really fun, a good partnership.”

Whereas the former market was more wine-focused, Beradu will emphasize food products made in or sourced from the Carolinas, such as grains and beans. Patrick, an expert on wild game, says he’s excited to introduce it to market customers as well as restaurant diners. He will also make charcuterie in-house and, in a nod to his Italian background, offer house-made pastas and sauces.

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The name is also an homage to Patrick’s ancestors. His given last name was McGrath. But he changed it to Beraduce — altered at Ellis Island from the original Beraducci — to carry on the name of his maternal grandfather, who raised him.

The market is open TuesdaySaturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Its restaurant, which is undergoing kitchen renovations, is estimated to open after Thanksgiving. For the first two weeks after opening, restaurant seating will be reservation only.

Beradu is at 2 E. Market St., Suite A, Black Mountain. For more information, visit avl.mx/d6j.

Breweries raise money for Maui Several local breweries are joining a campaign to brew Kokua beer to raise money for those affected by Maui’s August wildfires.

The Kokua Project involves more than 700 domestic and international breweries who pledge to donate proceeds to the Global Empowerment Mission, the nonprofit organization facilitating the Maui Brewing Co. Fire Fund. Kokua means “extending help to others” in the Hawaiian language.

The beer is a session IPA with a tropical hop aroma. It can be found on draft locally at Big Pillow Brewing Co., Ecusta Brewing Co., Green Man Brewery, Highland Brewing Co. and Oskar Blues Brewery.

For more information, visit avl.mx/d6i.

“This is an exciting upgrade, both for our team and for the community,” says Loott House co-owner and chef Jake Whitman, in a press release.

“Though it’s a bittersweet feeling to leave our original location, we are looking forward to the opportunities waiting for us in the new space.”

Formerly at 2372 Highway 70, Whitman and his wife, Ali, opened Loott House in June 2022, along with Jake’s brother Jason Whitman and his wife Maggie. The restaurant’s name is a combined celebration of the Jake and Ali’s favorite “loott” — their children, whose names are Logan and Otto.

Loott House is at 204 Whitson Ave., Swannanoa. For more information, visit avl.mx/d6g.

Brunch | Lunch | Dinner 7 Days a Week

Gourmand closes in S&W Market Gourmand, a charcuterie and wine counter, has closed its location in downtown’s historic S&W Market, after opening in spring.

“Hello friends, we have some news to share with you,” said owners Katie Grabach and Peyton Barrell in an Oct. 27 Instagram post. “Tomorrow will be our final service at the S&W. We are very grateful to have had an amazing launching pad to what will hopefully be a long and fruitful career in Asheville. This is by no means the end of Gourmand! We have so many great things lined up in the coming months that we can’t wait to share with you.”

For more information, visit avl.mx/d6h.

NEW TO TOWN: Maggie and Patrick Beraduce recently opened a local goods market in Black Mountain. Photo by Andy Hall

Four decades of yule logs On Nov. 13, The Hop Handcrafted Ice Cream began taking orders via its online store for its annual ice cream yule logs.

The yule logs, which are a 40-plusyear tradition for the shop, can be ordered traditional or vegan, with both regular- and mini-size options, through Wednesday, Dec. 20. Supply is limited: the ice creamery will make 600 total.

The logs consist of house-made chocolate cake rolled with a choice of salted caramel, peppermint stick or vanilla bean ice cream, topped with chocolate ice cream and decorated with toadstools, holly leaves, poinsettias or a wrapped present — with custom decorations as an option.

Vegan yule logs are made the same,

but with house-made vegan cake and vegan oat milk ice cream.

Curbside pickup for all orders is currently Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.2 p.m., at The Hop Creamery at 167 Haywood Road.

For more information, visit avl.mx/auf.

Loott House gets a new home The Loott House, a family-owned restaurant in Swannanoa, celebrated its grand reopening in Beacon Village on Nov. 12.

The new location accommodates more seating, as well as more parking and private event space. The current menu — pub food with a twist — will be expanded, with more nightly and weekly specials.

Scheffer Group buys Gan Shan West Eric Scheffer and his management firm, The Scheffer Group, bought Asian restaurant Gan Shan West from founder and owner Patrick O’Cain earlier this month.

Scheffer’s Asheville hospitality career has spanned 25 years, with ventures including Jettie Rae’s Oyster House and Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian.

“We’re not coming in to make any drastic changes,” Scheffer says. “We love Gan Shan West as it exists right now, and we’re extremely grateful and excited to have the current chef de cuisine, Ray Hui, at the forefront of the menu direction and helming the transition of ownership.”

Gan Shan West is at 285 Haywood Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/prxo.

— Andy Hall X

70 Westage Parkway Asheville, NC | (828) 565 6111 Gemelli.Restaurant

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33

CLUBLAND

JAMMY PSYCH BAND: On Saturday, Nov. 25, East Coast Dirt returns to the One Stop at Asheville Music Hall. The show starts at 10 p.m. and features original songs and choice covers, ranging from jammy psychedelia to full-force rock. Photo courtesy of East Coast Dirt For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.

WINTER spirit issue

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 ALLEYCAT AVL Karaoke Party, 8pm BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Jay Brown (roots, blues, jazz), 6pm DSSOLVR Family Avoidance: Thanksgiving Comedy Showcase, 9pm

Publishes December 13th For advertising, contact 828-251-1333 x 1 advertise@mountainx.com

FLEETWOOD'S Psych Night, 9pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Bluegrass Jam w/The Saylor Brothers, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Freeway Jubilee (rock, blues, funk), 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23

SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/Ek Balam & Mad Mike, 10pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Well-Crafted Music w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

SHILOH & GAINES Trivia Night, 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm

THE RESTORATION HOTEL ASHEVILLE Trivia Night, 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

NOV. 22-28, 2023

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Karaoke w/Banjo Mitch, 6pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mr Jimmy's Friday Night Blues, 8pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke, 9pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL SoDown (dance, electronic), 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES Karaoke Night, 8pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN Mr Jimmy (blues), 5pm

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE ASHEVILLE • Comedy at Catawba: Lisa Curry, 7pm • Post-Thanksgiving Comedy Showcase, 9pm

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

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CROW & QUILL Meschiya Lake's New Orleans Jazz Band, 8pm

THE ODD Asheville After Dark: Perversions, 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. • Whitney Mongé (Americana, soul), 1pm • The Fixins (rock), 6pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Rock N Roll Rewind (rock), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Modern Mammals (rock, blues), 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Honky-Tonk Fridays w/Jackson Grimm, 4pm • Rae & The Ragdolls (rock, psych-folk), 9pm LA TAPA LOUNGE Open Mic Night w/ Hamza, 8pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Wayne Buckner (country, Southern-rock, Americana), 6:30pm NOBLE CIDER & MEAD TAPROOM AND PRODUCTION FACILITY Crisp Comedy: Rowen Young, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Kayla McKinney (country, honky-tonk), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Sugar Bombs (jazz), 10pm ONE WORLD BREWING Muddy Guthrie (rock, Americana), 8pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Phutureprimitive, Medisin, Morphonic & UJJAYI (dance, electronic), 8pm SHAKEY'S • Yesterdays Clothes & Rhinestone Pickup Truck (indie, rock, glitter-grunge), 9pm • Friday Late Nights w/ DJ Ek Balam, 12am

THE RAD BREW CO. The Paper Crowns (indie, folk, Americana), 7pm THE RESTORATION HOTEL ASHEVILLE Lyric Jones (pop, rock, funk), 8pm

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25 ALLEYCAT AVL Karaoke Party, 8pm ASHEVILLE CLUB Mr Jimmy (blues), 7pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Peter Tart, Galen Holland & Jeff Santiago (folk, Americana, indierock), 7:30pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mike Dillon & Punkadelick w/Brian Haas & Nikki Glaspie (rock, jazz, punk), 10pm CORK & KEG Zydeco Ya Ya (Cajun, Zydeco), 8pm CROW & QUILL Drayton & The Dreamboats (vintage-jazz, rock'n'roll), 8pm DIFFERENT WRLD Byrds Of A Feather (R&B, soul, blues), 9pm FLEETWOOD'S Busy Weather, On The Block & STGMA (punk), 9pm FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON Comedy Hypnosis w/ Jon Dee, 8pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM Alma Russ (country, folk, Appalachian), 4pm

SHILOH & GAINES Free Flow Band (funk), 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Isaac Hadden Organ Trio (funk, jazz, rock), 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Fresh Locals Organ Trio w/Aaron Lebos (jazz, pop, soul), 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM 5J Barrow (folk), 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Nobody's Darling String Band, 4pm • Vaden Landers (country), 9pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Alex Bazemore Trio (bluegrass), 7pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE Karaoke, 9pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Comedy Night w/Ritch Shydner, Hiliary Begley & Jason Scholder, 8pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. High Flying Criminals (funk, soul), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL East Coast Dirt (rock, psychedelia), 10pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • The Paper Crowns (Appalachian, folk, Americana), 4pm • Circuitbreakers (rock), 8pm PISGAH BREWING CO. Magenta Sunshine (blues, folk, soul), 1:30pm SHAKEY'S Partyland Sessions w/ DJ Grimmjoi, 10pm SILVERADOS Rory Kelly Band (rock), 9pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Total Maniac, Cave Grave, Paezor & High Crime (rock, deathgrind, thrash), 8pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Greg Candle (blues, country), 6pm THE BURGER BAR Best Worst Karaoke, 9pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR PLUTO (dance party), 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Leanna Firestone w/bby Cates & Sydney Rose (indie, pop), 7:30pm THE ODD Party Foul Drag: Saturday Night Tease, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Spiderwebs (No Doubt & Gwen Stefani tribute), 8pm

WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT DJ Molly Parti, 7pm

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26 BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Parker’s Back (swing, jazz), 3pm CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE ASHEVILLE Comedy at Catawba: Stef Bright, 6:30pm DSSOLVR Appalachian Gothic: Folk Brunch, 12pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Drayton & The Dreamboats (swing, rock'n'roll, honky-tonk), 2pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Bluegrass Brunch, 1pm • Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. The Lads (classic-rock, blues), 4pm ONE WORLD BREWING Kid Billy (Americana, blues, indie-folk), 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Sunday Jazz Jam, 1:30pm PISGAH BREWING CO. Pisgah Sunday Jam, 1:30pm S & W MARKET Mr Jimmy (blues), 1pm SALVAGE STATION Jeff Sipe & Friends (holiday music), 7pm

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BEST OF WNC 2023 Guide

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SUN: Aaron “Woody” Wood & Friends 7pm MON: Ping-Pong Tournament 7pm TUE: Open Jam w/ house band the Lactones 8pm WED: Poetry Open Mic AVL 8:30pm/8pm signup

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FRESH LOCALS ORGAN TRIO, 9pm Feat. Aaron Lebos • Jazz

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SOVEREIGN KAVA Aaron Woody Wood (Appalachia, soul, Americana), 7pm THE GREY EAGLE That 90's Love (R&B), 8pm THE ODD K!ng Sh!t: Drag King Night, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL American Aquarium (alt-country), 8pm THE OUTPOST The Grateful Family (Grateful Dead tribute), 2pm THE RESTORATION HOTEL ASHEVILLE • Brunch & Live Music w/Lyric, 10:30am • Karaoke Nights, 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Trivia: Are You Smarter Than a Drag Queen?, 8pm • Karaoke w/Ganymede, 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Acklen Walker (hip hop, pop, indie-rock), 8pm

SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/Ek Balam & Mad Mike, 10pm

OUTSIDER BREWING Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

SHILOH & GAINES Trivia Night, 7pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke Night, 9pm

SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday, 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES Karaoke Night, 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES Songwriters Night, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE Big Freedia (Southern-rap, bounce), 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS Bad Ties, Bombay Gasoline & True Lilith (electro-rock, gothpunk), 8pm

SILVERADOS Dark City Comedy Night, 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Totally Rad Trivia w/ Mitch Fortune, 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Weekly Open Jam hosted by Chris Cooper & Friends, 6:30pm

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

THE GREY EAGLE Nolan Taylor w/Logan Halstead (country), 8pm

SHAKEY'S Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibes, 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Well-Crafted Music w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

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

ONE WORLD BREWING Eric Chesson (funk, Americana), 8pm

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

HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB Open Mic w/ Taylor Martin & Special Guests, 7:15pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Bluegrass Jam w/The Saylor Brothers, 6:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

FLEETWOOD'S Spooky Tuesdays: All Vinyl DJs, 7pm

27 CLUB Karaoke Monday, 10pm

FLEETWOOD'S Best Ever Karaoke, 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Daniel Mason, JD Pinkus & Dylan Walshe (country, punk), 9pm

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

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Team Trivia, 7pm

DSSOLVR Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING Jay Brown (roots, blues, jazz), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Dave Desmelik (alt-country, folk, Americana), 7pm

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Mashup Mondays w/ The JLloyd Mashup Band, 8pm

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic Downtown, 8pm

NOV. 22-28, 2023

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm

PLĒB URBAN WINERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

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

36

STATIC AGE RECORDS Alexalone, Lavender Blue & Bendrix Littleton (indie, experimental-folk), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Postmodern Jukebox (electronic, jazz, pop), 8pm THE RESTORATION HOTEL ASHEVILLE DJ Lyric, 8pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN White Horse Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29 ALLEYCAT AVL Karaoke Party, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Jackson Breit (pop), 8:30pm THE RESTORATION HOTEL ASHEVILLE Trivia Night, 8pm WICKED WEED BREWING Kipper's Totally Rad Trivia, 6pm

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm THE GREY EAGLE Buffalo Nichols (blues, electronic, folk), 8pm THE ODD Joe Buck Yourself, Aunt Vicki & Paprika (metal, rock), 8pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR The Tallboys (rock, reggae), 7:30pm

THE ORANGE PEEL 49 Winchester w/ Sam Barber (Appalachian-folk, alt-country, rock), 8pm

CROW & QUILL Drayton & The Dreamboats (vintage-jazz, rock'n'roll), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Dark City Kings (indie, bluegrass), 7pm

CULTURA Vinyl Night w/DJ Lil Meow Meow, 7pm

THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN Mr Jimmy (blues), 5pm

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MARKETPLACE

F R E E W I L L A S T R O L O G Y BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): When we experience authentic awe, our humility deepens. This is turn tends to make us kinder, smarter and more positive. So how can we stimulate awe?

Among the many possible ways are gazing at magnificent art, hiking in a natural wonderland or being in the presence of a beautiful human soul. In accordance with astrological omens, I recommend that you go in quest of awe and related feelings like reverence, amazement, adoration, and veneration. Your mental, physical and spiritual health will flourish in response.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s the Season for Cherishing and Smoking Out Secrets. So let’s talk about the subject. 1. Some secrets are sad, haunting, even risky — and worth keeping secret. 2. Other secrets can be beautiful, healing, and potentially life-changing if they are revealed gracefully. 3. Some secrets are buried so deeply that only very persistent seekers dig them up. 4.

Some secrets are “hidden” in plain view, and only visible to people who are clear and brave enough to identify them. I suspect you Tauruses will have a special knack for managing all types of secrets in the coming weeks, including those I mentioned.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I hope you won’t fill yourself up with appetizers and hors d’oeuvres in the coming weeks, Gemini. My soul will be at peace if I see you save your hunger for the main courses. Your motto should be “Feasts, not snacks!” or “The Real Deal, not the pretenders!” or “The jubilee, not the distractions!” If you ever find yourself feeling halfhearted or inattentive, you’re probably not in the right situation. Here’s an affirmation to go with your mottoes: “I am liberating my divine appetite!”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Playwright Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) is regarded as one of history’s great writers. That does not mean everything he said was wise, useful, or worthy of our attention. For example, he was once asked to give his opinion about ballet. “During the intermissions, the ballerinas stink like horses,” he replied.

I hesitate to bring up such a vulgar reference, but I wanted to make a vivid point. In the coming weeks, I hope you will ignore the advice of people who don’t know what they are talking about, no matter how smart or charismatic they may be. I hope you will not attribute expertise to those who have no such expertise. I hope that as much as possible, you will rely on first-hand information, rigorous research, and reliable influences.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Researchers have determined that there are two basic dispositions among tigers. One is what they call “majesty.”

Creatures with this orientation tend to be dignified, imposing and agile. The other type of tiger personality revolves around “steadiness.”

This is the opposite of neuroticism, and includes the qualities of being affable, easy to get along with and well-adjusted. I know many astrologers associate lions with you Leos, but I prefer to link you with tigers. If you agree with me, here’s my prediction: You are beginning a phase when you will be more majestic than steady — but with plenty of steadiness also available if you want it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “It is better to entertain an idea than to take it home to live with you for the rest of your life,” wrote author Randall Jarrell. That’s decent advice, though I will add a caveat. If you entertain an idea for a while and it turns out that you love it, and you also love the beneficent effect it has on you, you may be smart to take it home to live with you.

I’m guessing you Virgos are at a pivotal point in this regard. Not yet, but soon, you will know whether it will be wise to get cozier with certain influences you have been flirting with — or else decide they are not ones you want to keep.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If I could give an award for Most Curious Genius in the World, it would be to Libran author and naturalist Diane Ackerman. She would also get my prize for

38

NOV. 22-28, 2023

Most Voracious Learner and Best Questioner and Most Exuberant Seeker and Searcher. “To hear the melody,” she writes, “we must hear all the notes.” In response to the question, “What is life?” she offers this answer: “corsages and dust mites and alligator skin and tree-frog serenades and foreskins and blue hydrangeas and banana slugs and war dances and cedar chips and bombardier beetles.” In accordance with current astrological omens, I encourage you to be like Diane Ackerman in the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Have you located any of your soul twins? If not, is that an interesting prospect for you? Please note that soul twins are not necessarily the same as dream lovers. They may simply be people with whom you share deep values and perspectives.

They might aspire to influence the world in ways similar to you. With a soul twin, you feel at home in the world and extra happy to be yourself.

I bring these meditations to your attention, Scorpio, because the coming months will be an especially likely time for you to encounter and engage with soul twins. Be on the alert!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) was charismatic and forceful, but also hot-tempered and prone to rude behavior. The writer Goethe, his contemporary, said “his talent amazed me,” and described him as an “utterly untamed personality.”

Beethoven seldom lived in one home for very long and loved to sing at the top of his lungs as he washed himself. Although he played piano with exquisite skill, he was quite clumsy as he moved through the world. Can you guess what astrological sign he was? Same as you! Sagittarius! I’m not saying you are exactly like this wild, unruly genius, but you do have tendencies in that direction. And in the coming weeks, I expect you’ll be inclined to be more Beethoven-esque than usual. Please work on emphasizing the winsome aspects.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I hope you have developed good boundaries, Capricorn. I hope you are so skilled at taking care of yourself that you steadfastly refuse to let people manipulate you or hurt you. Just to make sure your discernment is working at peak levels, though, I will offer you a tip. In the English language, we have the idiom “to rub salt in a wound,” which refers to the fact that daubing salt in an open gash in the skin makes the pain even worse. But did you know that smearing sugar in a wound is equally distressing? The metaphorical lesson is that you should be vigilant for seemingly nice, sweet people who might also violate your boundaries to hurt or manipulate you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I estimate this horoscope is worth $22,225. It has been made possible by my many years of disciplined meditations, extensive reading of holy texts, and an ever-growing devotion to astrology and my readers. But here’s the fun part: You can read these words for free! No cost at all!

I will, however, ask you to do something for me in return. First, give your gifts joyously and generously in the coming weeks, holding nothing back. Second, don’t be in the least concerned about whether you will receive benefits in return for your gifts. Find the sweet spot where you love bestowing blessings for no other reason except this one: You are expressing your gratitude for the miraculous life you have been given.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do you possess gambits, tactics and knacks that we might refer to as your “bag of tricks”? I hope so, because such an asset will be extra valuable during the coming weeks. You will be wise to employ every cagey move you can imagine and call on every favor that’s owed to you and cash in on every advantage you have accrued. I don’t want you to engage in outright cheating, but I encourage you to use ploys and stratagems that have full integrity. Be on the lookout for secret shortcuts, magic cookies and wild cards.

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T HE N E W Y O R K T I ME S C R O S S W O R D P U ZZLE edited by Will Shortz | No. 1018

ACROSS 1 Rent in the garment district?

4 Tuna type 7 Amount on an invoice 10 Nickname for a young Skywalker 13 The Great Depression, for one

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20 Get out of a tangle 21 “Charlotte’s Web” monogram 22 Yoga posture 23 Unit of doubt, so to speak 24 Relating to city life 26 Twisted tangle 27 Name seen going down the drain?

28 Drum type 29 Camila Cabello’s “Never Be the ___” (2018) 30 Get more, say 32 Kind of belt 36 Patrick on the 1992 Dream Team 41 Name that translates as “people of the standing stone” 43 Divine or digital representation 44 Declares 45 “Groom and board” locale 46 Vegetarian’s demand 47 Bio and chem student’s program, perhaps

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GIVELOCALGUIDE.ORG •

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17 “Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to witness something extraordinary that has never been seen or attempted before!” (go to 34-Down)

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...to 51 local nonprofits & get stuff back!

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Donate your car.

Change a life.

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48 “The spell is cast! Don’t blink or you’ll miss it …” (go to 15-Down) 52 Bulldoze 54 Not as well 55 Pepper and others: Abbr.

58 Sheltered from the wind 59 Bet more than 60 Bird revered by the Maori 61 Modern initialism when skipping text 62 What a server may “serve” 63 Recycle bin on a desktop, e.g.

15 Visual representation of this puzzle’s trick (go to 38-Down) 18 Considerable, as a sum 19 Sounds of disapproval 24 Application 25 Lily Potter, ___ Evans 30 Sunfish with colorful gills 31 Echo effect 32 Cap’n’s mate 33 Smitten with 34 “You will experience a great and unexpected surprise!” (go to 48-Across) 35 Miller offering

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37 Participate in an aquatic sport 38 “Presto!”

39 Back of the neck 40 ___ school 42 Rogers’s co-star in “Top Hat” 43 Tailcoat, vest and bow tie, e.g.

49 Stop talking, with “up” 50 Inter ___ 51 Relating to the Indian subcontinent 52 Tell (on) 53 ___ too easy 56 II 57 Transgress

Do you have an extra car that needs a new home?

Your donated car can open the doors to independence, increased income, and higher education for a hardworking member of our community. Vehicles of all types and conditions are welcomed and appreciated!

The donation is tax-deductible. The process is simple.

The impact is real.

workingwheelswnc.org | 828-633-6888 There is always something to be thankful for at Givens Gerber Park.

Do you have family in town for the Holidays?

Consider inviting them to our Lunch & Learn on Thursday, November 30th from 11am - 1pm.

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

DOWN 1 Garbage 2 Straightened (out) 3 Like some hair and seas 4 Hunger (for) 5 Chopping tool 6 Hell of a poem?

7 Overfamiliar, in a way 8 Hosp. sections 9 James of jazz 10 Grande of pop 11 “So, so delish!”

12 Brainstorm

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

A J A R S A M I B A R R E R O C K M U S I C O N I O N S T R U T A N D O U I L L E S T A L E S M I X B I C A E O N T W A P E P P E R C A Y E N N E A T O P S E A L E D A L E A J O S N I D E C H A S M I S S U E S O V E N T I C C H I C K E N C E L E R Y T A I K O L A M E H N OWN OW V A N WH I T E R I C E L U C A S L I F E S A V E R S T O C K D E L A Y S P E D Y A R D

Contact us today: 828.771.2938

Info@GivensGerberPark.org

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