Mountain Xpress 11.28.18

OUR 25TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 25 NO. 19 NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

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OUR 25TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 25 NO. 19 NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

C O NT E NT S

PAGE 34 STEEPED IN HISTORY An increasing number of tea-focused businesses and educational offerings in Asheville indicate that the city is nurturing a growing appreciation for the rich global history, ancient traditions and subtle flavors of Camellia sinensis.

COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

C O NTAC T US

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6 TO YOUR HEALTH Local experts explain insurance market changes, urge enrollment before Dec. 15 deadline

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26 THE ROOT OF THE MATTER New facility in Columbus aims to increase number of rural dentists, dental assistants

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36 BAGELS RISING Local bakers deliver the hole schmear

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31 BREATHE AND RELAX Three WNC counties to be removed from vehicle emissions program

44 LET IT BLEED Adrienne Ammerman releases new album ‘The Hook’

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46 WON’T BACK DOWN Monica McDaniel brings her latest production to the 35below stage

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OPINION

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

STA F F PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR/WRITER: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR/WRITER: Gina Smith GREEN SCENE EDITOR/WRITER: Daniel Walton OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose STAFF REPORTERS/WRITERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Virginia Daffron, David Floyd, Daniel Walton COMMUNITY CALENDAR EDITOR: Deborah Robertson

CARTOO N BY RAN D Y M O L T O N

A species more dangerous than bears It borders on the sadly humorous that so much worry is apportioned to the potential for bear attacks in our region. Yes, such an event is possible, and yes, it is more likely as we invade traditional bear territory.

But let’s get some perspective here.

The rate of murders in the Asheville area is approximately 10 per 100,000 people; the rate of rapes, 48 per 100,000; the rate of assault, 335 per 100,000. This, by the way, is per year.

The number of people killed by black bears in the past 20 years is 25, and most of these incidents occurred in Canada and Alaska.

Are bears potentially dangerous?

Absolutely. Some simple precautions and much common sense need to be employed when dealing with them.

But I would move that we should focus our concerns and our containment efforts on a spectacularly more dangerous and indiscriminately violent local species, Homo sapiens.

— Gary Simonds

Black Mountain

More reward money needed for murder info On gun violence in Asheville: In recent news reports on gun violence and the mayor’s proclamation about it, a letter was mentioned

CLUBLAND EDITOR: Lauren Andrews MOVIE REVIEWERS: Scott Douglas, Francis X. Friel, Justin Souther

by [Asheville City Council member] Vijay Kapoor as being the only one he had received on the murder of Derrick LaQuinn Lee Jr. That letter was written by me and published

by Mountain Xpress [“Where is the Outrage for Derrick?” Aug. 8].

Mr. Kapoor also noted that he had raised a $2,000 reward for info on the murderer [of the current $5,000 reward total]. Think about that: only $2,000.

With all the tourist, hotel, real estate, bar and restaurant money flooding this area, only a very small reward was collected, and to be honest, I have seen similar amounts offered for a lost pet. The police commented about how they were getting no help from people in the area. Did anyone ever consider that if someone talked to the Asheville Police Department, their lives would be in danger and they would have to move for safety reasons? Two thousand dollars would not be anywhere enough for that.

I am writing this letter to ask those who are making a lot of money here and others to donate to this reward and also consider helping set up a large reward fund to be used in all serious gun violence cases.

— John Penley Asheville Editor’s note: Community members can call Asheville-Buncombe Crime Stoppers anonymously to offer a tip at 828-255-5050 and still be eligible for a reward, according to its website (avl.mx/5fl). The

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Jonathan Ammons, Leslie Boyd, Paul Clark, Cathy Cleary, Kim Dinan, Abigail Griffin, Kiesa Kay, Tony Kiss, Bill Kopp, Cindy Kunst, Ali Mangkang, Jeff Messer, Joe Pellegrino, Brooke Randle, Kim Ruehl, Shawndra Russell, Luke Van Hine, Ami Worthen ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Norn Cutson, Olivia Urban MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Christina Bailey, Sara Brecht, Bryant Cooper, Tim Navaille, Brian Palmieri, Heather Taylor, Tiffany Wagner OPERATIONS MANAGER: Able Allen

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OPINION

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

reward amount for information on the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Derrick LaQuinn Lee Jr. on July 1 in Asheville is currently $5,000.

In a subsequent email, Penley asked how many unsolved homicides there have been in Asheville over the past several years. Xpress contacted Asheville Police Department spokeswoman Christina Hallingse, who provided statistics on homicides encompassing the full calendar years for 2013-17 and year-to-date numbers for 2018. She wrote via email: “There have been a total of 50 homicides during this roughly five-year period. Of the 50, 11 cases remain open and under further investigation. That is a closure rate of 78 percent for homicides, which is higher than the national average. In the FBI’s latest Unified Crime Report [avl.mx/5fq], they list clearance rates for murder/nonnegligent manslaughter in 2017 at 61.6 percent.”

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Yank sugary drinks from schools, health facilities As a citizen of Asheville concerned for the health of all the patients, visi-

tors, employees and staff of Mission Hospital; the students, visitors, faculty and staff of all public and private schools of Buncombe County; and the residents and staff at standalone medical and nursing home facilities in the area, I am calling for a complete removal of sugary beverages from all campuses throughout Asheville and Buncombe County.

This includes the kitchens, vending machines and gift shops, and includes drinks such as sodas, sports drinks and energy drinks.

Health concerns in the news have been exposing one after another link to the increase of sugary beverages in the diet, adding to the obesity pandemic worldwide, not to mention the astronomical rise in diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases.

Having flavored seltzer water beverages on clear-liquid diet trays is a perfect alternative. They have a slight fruity flavor with no sugar and none of the aftertaste of diet sodas.

As for diet sodas, the science is also panning out that they provide an insulin spike, adding to insulin resistance, furthering the aforementioned health problems.

Sugary beverages should not be served, even by concession stands, at school sporting events. Again, a general ban from the campuses.

I know this is extreme, but I am looking toward the health and the future of our children and basic common sense for medical facilities.

There is a growing call for a sugar tax in communities, and many countries have even instituted them, such as the U.K., France and Denmark, among others. Many cities in America have already instituted sugar taxes to start to combat the problem of sugar consumption, including Berkeley, Calif., Philadelphia and Seattle, just to name a few. I think Asheville should be the first city in the Southeast, before Atlanta or Charlotte, to institute one!

As it is, I’m calling to start at home by removing sugary beverages from medical and educational facilities across Buncombe County.

— Rebecca Bellospirito, RN Asheville

Let’s get back on track with civic clubs Please let me briefly reply to Margot Kornfeld’s letter of Oct. 31 [“Blame Disinterest and Apathy, Not Women,” Xpress]. But first, I wish

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to thank Mountain Xpress for publishing my original letter about civic clubs’ decline in the Oct. 10 issue [“Changes Forced on Civic Clubs Yield Leadership Decline”]. Also, let me thank Margot for taking the time to respond. I’m flattered.

In my letter, as your readers may recall, I expressed a heartfelt concern.

Service club membership in Rotary and other civic clubs has declined precipitously since 1987. That is the year the Supreme Court ordered them to become coed. It deeply concerns me that a valuable part of local communities nationwide have been torn asunder by this feel-good court decision. Communities have been robbed of the valuable services these clubs provided, the hands-on leadership training and the free exchange of ideas. No one could have foreseen the unintended consequences of this wellintended, capricious decision.

As a result of this court decision, examples such as the closure of Jaycees chapters in East Tennessee and the demise of the Civitan Club in Mars Hill were cited.

Let [me] make an important observation. I would be derelict not to point out that the National Organization for Women joyously applauded this Supreme Court decision that has destroyed service clubs. One can only hope that NOW will shuck their misandrous tendencies and support a reversal of this destructive 1987 court decision. Don’t we all need to work together for our nation’s well-being?

Margot says she was mightily offended. Everyone in America should be offended that a vibrant, noisy few can rob the rest of us of our right to free association. Let’s get America back on track!

— Anthony E. Ponder

Mars Hill

Trump is no traitor I take extreme exception to Lloyd Kay’s depiction of President Trump as a “traitor” [“Vote to Save our Country, Freedom and Lives,” Oct. 10, Xpress], especially without providing a shred of evidence to support such a spurious claim. I would never describe any president, past or present, as a traitor.

However, let’s look at the record: For 20 years, President Obama attended a church headed up by the Rev. [Jeremiah] Wright; in his sermons, he did not say “God bless America.” Instead he said, “God damn America.” Obama was friendly with former members of a terrorist organization, the Weather Underground. He

C A R T O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N approved $150 billion for a deal with Iran, a country that burned our flag and chanted “Death to America.”

And when Obama first got into office, he went on an “apology tour” throughout the world, apologizing for America’s greatness.

Contrast that with the record of President Trump, who extricated our country from the miserable deal with Iran, regained the world’s respect for America, moved the embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, is negotiating from strength with North Korea and rebuilding our military. Not to mention lowering the unemployment rate to its lowest level in decades, making America a net exporter of energy after decades of being at the mercy of other nations, some not very friendly, for our energy needs.

That certainly does not look like the record of a “traitor.”

— Roger Gilmore

Mars Hill Editor’s note: The New York Times noted in an April article that the U.S. and European nations released $100 billion in frozen Iranian assets in the 2015 nuclear deal. And the U.S. Energy Information Association projected that the U.S. will become a net exporter of energy by 2022, according to a February article in The Hill. X

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NEWS

TO YOUR HEALTH

Local experts explain insurance market changes, urge enrollment before Dec. 15 deadline

BY BROOKE RANDLE

costs, while other locations across the state can expect higher prices for coverage.

The average individual premium for Buncombe County residents will rise nearly 10 percent this year. According to Austin Vevurka, spokesperson for BCBSNC, the lower costs in certain areas stem from competition among hospitals and insurance providers, a health care environment not found in WNC. “The areas where we achieved decreases were the areas where there were multiple hospital systems, and we were able to have that competitive process,” Vevurka says.

“That’s not available in Western North Carolina because there aren’t multiple hospital systems.”

Vevurka says other factors also influence the average price of premiums, including some actions from the federal government. Federal tax cuts and corporate income tax savings under the current administration were responsible for a considerable part of the statewide decrease.

However, Vevurka explains, premiums could have dropped another 14 percent if a subsidy program, known as cost-sharing, had not been eliminated in 2017.

“There were some federal actions that benefited the rate and some that caused it to put some more upper pressure on it,” Vevurka says.

brandle@unca.edu Shannon McAbee was teaching at her East Asheville preschool when she noticed she was not feeling well. Again.

“I just kept getting tired and having bronchitislike symptoms that were just getting worse,” McAbee, 41, recalls.

McAbee, who also works part time as a restaurant server, says despite growing concern for her health, the high cost of health insurance left her uninsured and unable to see a doctor for years.

Finally, after qualifying for health insurance subsidies through the Affordable Care Act, McAbee was shocked to discover that her shortness of breath and lethargy were caused by a serious heart condition, which stemmed from the lasting effects of having developed rheumatic fever at age 11.

“I didn’t think about the connection,” McAbee says. “I didn’t think that it was my heart going bad.”

Open enrollment for 2019 health insurance plans is underway through Saturday, Dec. 15. For millions of Americans who sign up for health coverage every year, this means wading through a deluge of dense information, rule changes and the seemingly endless number of circumstantial factors that influence price.

But for McAbee, who underwent heart surgery last fall, the headache of navigating the health care system proved to be a lifesaver.

“I’ll never make that mistake again,” McAbee says.

LAW OF THE LAND Jaclyn Kiger, managing attorney for Pisgah Legal Services, a local nonprofit that provides legal aid to lowincome residents in Buncombe and five other counties in Western North Carolina, says that while efforts by the Trump administration at the federal level have sought to repeal the 2010 health care law, the act remains in place and available for consumers in 2019.

“One common confusion that has been going on for a couple of years now is around whether the ACA is still the law,” Kiger says. “As new

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#GOTCOVERED: Pisgah Legal Services client Fabiola, center, says she received lifesaving treatment after obtaining health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. With Fabiola are her daughter, right, and Pisgah Legal staff member Noele Aabye.

Photo courtesy of Pisgah Legal Services regulations come out, and there’s talk of different plans and different options, we do tend to come back to the point that the ACA is still the law: It has not been repealed or replaced. The financial assistance is still available, and many of the protections — including one of the most significant ones for some of the many people that we’ve helped, preexisting conditions — are covered.”

Kiger emphasizes that the ACA Marketplace — the online sales and information platform where consumers ultimately purchase their insurance — requires that plans include coverage for pre-existing conditions, maternity care, mental health and substance abuse and preventive care.

MOUNTAINX.COM

“These are comprehensive plans that are meant to meet the needs of people so that they are able to get the coverage for services that they need when they need it,” Kiger says.

GOING UP In an August press release, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina announced that average premiums for 2019 individual plans will drop an average of just over 4 percent statewide. However, savings vary considerably among different regions within the state. Some areas, such as The Triangle, will see as much as a 21 percent decrease in monthly premium

MANDATORY COVERAGE? A key change to the health care law will take effect in 2019. Previously, the ACA required taxpayers to purchase health insurance or face a penalty.

Those who remained uninsured during 2017 were required to pay $695 per adult or 2.5 percent of their of yearly household income when filing their taxes, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

But those who didn’t have coverage in 2018 won’t have to pay a penalty, thanks to the repeal of that part of the law in December 2017.

Geoffrey Ferland, president and owner of Hummingbird Insurance, says that while the penalty may have been one of the health care law’s least popular features, most taxpayers likely avoided having to actually pay due to factors like the price and availability of plans.

“We found that it’s really only subject to the top 1 percent of income earners. Ninety percent of people are subsidized through the ACA Marketplace and were not even affected by the penalty,” Ferland explains.

Regardless, Ferland says, the elimination of the individual mandate may push some consumers to seek options outside of the ACA requirements.

“The penalty going down to zero dollars on paper, and everybody being more and more aware of that, I think will make people that pay that full price that don’t really need the full coverage more interested in other marketplace options.”

ALTERNATE ROUTE The Trump administration has also loosened regulations to offer less expensive but less comprehensive plans. Known as short-term plans, these options will now provide a full year of coverage to consumers and may reduce costs significantly for some people whose incomes are too high to qualify for ACA subsidies.

However, the short-term plans do not meet the strict requirements for

coverage that all ACA plans must meet, including coverage for pre-existing conditions, substance abuse, mental health services and pregnancy.

Mike Peterson, director of the health and life department at Hummingbird Insurance, says that while the plans offer insurance at a cheaper monthly rate, it’s important for consumers to find a plan that covers all of their needs.

“Really, it’s important [to note] that if you do qualify for subsidies, the Affordable Care Act is the best place to be, but there is a percentage of the population that makes too much money, and it makes the ACA really unaffordable,” says Peterson.

“It strips a lot of coverages down, but as long as people don’t have any problems with those, they get a much cheaper option.”

Fifty-eight-year-old Asheville resident Colleen Troy, who owns a fitness cycling company for people 50 and older, says she switched to a short-term plan for 2018 when her small-business income exceeded what would qualify for subsidies under the

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

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NEWS Affordable Care Act. Without the subsidies, the costs of the plans rose out of reach.

“The first two years, we were with the ACA, and so that worked out OK,” Troy says. “But this year, when I started looking at the plans back in December [2017], the Blue Cross Blue Shield plans that we had been with, the premiums were skyrocketing. We went from paying a couple hundred dollars a month in insurance to over $1,000.”

Troy says that she and her husband, Mark, maintain active and healthy lifestyles, which allows them to feel confident in choosing plans that don’t include comprehensive coverage.

“We’re both thankfully in very good health. We don’t have pre-existing conditions — that’s the biggest thing,” Troy says. “I’m glad to have the option.”

GLITCHY Insurance agent Ferland says the short-term plans may also be a viable solution for those caught by what’s known as the “family glitch.”

According to Ferland, the family glitch occurs when a person is offered an affordable employer-sponsored plan,

ACA UPDATE: Jaclyn Kiger, managing attorney for Pisgah Legal Services, wants consumers to know that the Affordable Care Act remains in effect and that plans and subsidies are available for 2019. Photo courtesy of Pisgah Legal Services

which makes them ineligible for ACA subsidies. These plans, however, do not take into consideration the costs of covering other family members when calculating affordability. Once family members are factored in, the overall rates tend to exceed what families can afford to pay, leaving many families unable to qualify for ACA subsidies or sponsored plans.

Short-term plans may bridge that gap for some consumers.

“Hopefully, they’ll fix it with the new Congress coming in, but in the meantime, every employee, every spouse and every other kid or family member of them, is shut off from assistance that they should receive otherwise,” Ferland says.

Still, Kiger of Pisgah Legal, warns that while short-term plans may sound like a less expensive option, consumers of every income level should review the plans carefully before making a decision.

“There is a possibility that these plans may create some confusion or may sound good, but we are really emphasizing to the community to make sure that you know what you’re getting with your health insurance coverage,” Kiger says.

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FREE-FOR-ALL According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on national health issues, funding for health care Navigator programs, which supply trained instructors and insurance professionals to provide consumers with enrollment assistance, has been slashed by 85 percent in North Carolina since 2016.

“I would be lost without referring to somebody. I mean, it wasn’t this way years ago. I’m 58, I’ve been in the workplace forever, and now it’s changing and shifting so much, and I really want a professional that I can trust to sort through the options,” Troy says.

Both Pisgah Legal and Hummingbird Insurance will provide free and confidential guidance throughout the enrollment period.

“We’ll give you an honest opinion.

We deal with this stuff all day and we want you to be happy,” Ferland says. “There’s not very many other things where you can get free help from someone who is educated and professionally licensed.”

In addition to making an appointment by phone or online, Pisgah Legal will also provide walk-in services every Saturday during open enrollment.

“In Asheville, people can walk into our office on Saturdays without an appointment, and we can assist them,” Kiger says. “We are here to be a resource to the community. We are glad to meet with people and we are not going to pressure someone to enroll.”

Pisgah Legal, in partnership with Mission Health, will also host a last-chance enrollment event 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Mission Health/ A-B Tech Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Drive.

“That will just be a communitywide, come on in, you don’t need to have an appointment. We want to help you meet the deadline and get enrolled on that very last day,” Kiger says. “Walking through all of this, especially if you haven’t done it before, having someone by your side to help you understand why those questions are being asked and why this information is needed, can be really helpful.” X

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NEWS

by Leslie Boyd

leslie.boyd@gmail.com

CLOSE TO HOME

Asheville shows proposals for affordable housing on city-owned land

Michael Blair moved to Asheville a few weeks ago to start a new job and was surprised to see how much apartments cost in the city. Fortunately, his wife, who has lived here before, knew to look for apartments in older buildings, and they landed a three-bedroom apartment they could afford.

But Blair finds himself in the minority among his new co-workers — his job is community development director for Asheville city government.

About 75 percent of city employees live outside the city limits, according to Paul D’Angelo, city housing and economics specialist.

Housing that is within the financial means of the average worker in Asheville has been in short supply for years and is becoming increasingly difficult to find as building costs continue to rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual income in the city is $39,918, or just over $19 per hour.

For someone making that salary, the federally recommended maxi-

GRAND PLANS: The Rev. Jim Abbott of St. Matthias Episcopal Church in the East End/Valley Street neighborhood looks at a rendering of a proposed affordable housing complex on city-owned property on Charlotte Street. Photo by Leslie Boyd

Celebrating

mum spending of 30 percent of income for housing works out to $995 on rent and utilities monthly. The average Asheville rent, often not including utilities, is $1,148.

Blair arrived just in time to be part of the city’s push to increase the supply of affordable housing. In 2016, Asheville voters approved a $25 million bond to address the issue, $15 million of which is earmarked for repurposing city land into housing for middle- and lower-income families. At a Nov. 14 open house at the city’s Public Works Building, he reviewed proposals for up to 550 new affordable rental units on those properties.

“It’s a desirable place,” Blair said of his newly adopted city at the open house. “People want to come here, and that demand makes affordable housing more difficult to find.”

UNDER DEVELOPMENT

rs Ye a 10

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The three parcels being considered for affordable housing are on South Charlotte Street, where the city now has its Public Works Garage and Fleet Management facilities; on Biltmore Avenue at the old Matthews Ford site; MOUNTAINX.COM

and on Riverside Drive. Although the city does not currently own the Biltmore site, it has the option to purchase the property from Duke Energy for $5.3 million at any time until April 2024.

D’Angelo said the Riverside Drive site, which lies in the flood plain and is not as large as the other two, likely won’t be prioritized for development.

The city-owned property, also known as the “Ice House,” was recently the focus of a Center for Craft and Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce study that recommended its transformation into affordable housing and studio space for the city’s creative community.

In an email to Xpress after the open house, city spokesperson Polly McDaniel said the Ice House redevelopment would be discussed at City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

“The city of Asheville was a partner in the study and recognizes the opportunity for the creation of affordable live and work space for creatives at 91 Riverside Drive,” she wrote. “However, Biltmore and Charlotte provide more cost-effective affordable housing for a broader section of the community.”

Vera Clay was one of about 40 people who came to the open house to learn more. She has worked with low-income

families for much of her career and is currently with Community Action Opportunities, a nonprofit. She’s worried about how quickly construction costs are rising and whether the housing will be affordable for people making less than $15 an hour.

“We have to get creative,” she said.

“We have to do something new, because if you keep looking at what you’ve always done, you’re looking at things staying the same.”

MONEY MATTERS Architectural firm Lord Aeck Sargent presented development plans for both Biltmore Avenue and Charlotte Street, accompanied by a range of scenarios for the city to subsidize the housing. At market value, the proposed units would rent for $1,346 per month on average, while subsidized units could rent for as little as $786 per month, a 41 percent discount.

Neither development would offer units for sale, unlike the project on cityowned 360 Hilliard Ave. approved by City Council on Nov. 13. Although that project was originally slated for rentals, the developer said 25-40 percent increases in construction costs since its previous

WORTHY OF NOTE: Attendees at the city’s Nov. 14 open house on affordable housing were encouraged to leave questions and comments. Photo by Leslie Boyd approval in June 2017 made renting the units economically infeasible.

Under the most expensive proposal presented at the open house, a third of the apartments in the new projects would be “heavily” subsidized to be affordable for people making 60-80 percent of the area median income of $61,300 (no more than $49,040, or roughly $23.50 an hour), while twothirds would be “moderately” subsidized for those making 80-120 percent of AMI (no more than $73,560, or roughly $35.37 an hour). The least costly plan for the city would moderately subsidize only 20 percent of the units.

“It will be up to the city to decide, and of course, they can use whatever scenario they see fit. These are just examples,” said Bob Begle, principal at Lord Aeck Sargent.

Joshua Bell, owner of Bell Engineering, said either site — Charlotte Street, which would have about 550 units built in two phases at an estimated cost of about $94 million, or Biltmore Avenue, which would have 309 apartments at an estimated cost of $49 million — would put a dent in the housing shortage for middle-income families.

“The Biltmore site would be easier to build on because we just have to demolish the building that’s there,” Bell explained. “The Charlotte Street site would have to have the facilities there relocated, and that would take a little longer.”

NEIGHBORLY GOALS The Rev. Jim Abbott of St. Matthias Episcopal Church and neighbor Helen Lindberg attended the open house looking for features that would make the Charlotte Street development pedestrian-friendly. Both are members of the East End/Valley Street Neighborhood,

which once included houses where the proposed development would be built.

“This was all housing here,” Abbott said, motioning to the map along Charlotte Street. “This used to be a two-lane road that connected the community, called Valley Street. When they knocked down the housing as part of urban renewal, they widened Valley Street and renamed it South Charlotte Street, effectively dividing the community.”

But Abbott and Lindberg both approved of the proposed development. “They’ll have to find a way to slow traffic through there, but it’s good to see housing coming back to the neighborhood,” Lindberg said. The current speed limit on South Charlotte Street is 45 mph.

Other attendees wrote notes with questions and comments about public spaces, traffic issues and more, but most seemed positive about the proposed developments. Comments cited the fact that both sites are on public transit lines and within walking distance of downtown shops and restaurants, reducing the need to drive for people who work downtown.

All comments will be shared with the city’s Housing and Community Development Committee.

Randall Barnett, a real estate broker with The Buyer’s Agent in Asheville, said he would like to see the Charlotte Street development built. “I voted for the bond in 2016,” he said.

“We need the housing badly.”

Barnett said he’s not sure how affordable the housing will be for lowincome workers, but he believes the development will have a positive effect on the housing stock in the city. “It’s an experiment,” he said. “We’ll learn from it, and I’m feeling pretty positive about it overall.” X

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11

N EWS

by Jeff Fobes

CONSUMERISM, ASHEVILLE-STYLE Introducing the 2019 Go Local network It’s time to get acquainted with the next crop of Go Local businesses. The 2019 network of over 425 Buncombebased businesses is being introduced in a new directory that’s inserted in this week’s Mountain Xpress, as well as online at ashevillegrown.org.

The Go Local card program, now entering its eighth year, gives cardholders access to discounts and perks when shopping with network businesses. The annual card costs $18, half of which goes directly to Asheville City School programs.

“Unchained and independent” sums up the passion behind the Asheville Grown Business Alliance, creator of the Go Local network, according to the group’s founder, Franzi Charen. When people shop locally, she maintains, everyone comes out ahead. “Three times more money gets circulated back into the local economy when you work with local businesses,” Charen says. “I also think locally owned businesses are much more sensitive to what the local culture wants.”

Towns with active shop-local campaigns experience more growth in sales than towns without them, Charen says, citing a 2016 study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

In addition to valuing locally focused shopping, Charen sees Asheville’s youths as a critical component in maintaining the area’s culture and vibe.

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Today’s students, she says, must have incentives and opportunities to become the city’s future business leaders. So, in addition to giving half of Go Local card sales to Asheville City Schools, the alliance also works to create programs that put students in contact with business owners, managers and workers.

The Go Local directory is co-published

by Mountain Xpress and the Asheville Grown Business Alliance. X

by Virginia Daffron | vdaffron@mountainx.com VAN WINKLE CELEBRATES RANKING, JUDGESHIP The Van Winkle Law Firm was recognized as a 2019 Best Law Firm for Metropolitan Tier 1 rankings in Asheville for 13 practice areas by U.S. News — Best Lawyers.

To be eligible for this ranking, a firm must have at least one attorney who has been included in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America, which is determined by peer review and client feedback. Earlier this year, 16 lawyers from the firm were recognized in the 2019 edition.

A complete list of 2019 best law firm rankings is available at bestlawfirms. usnews.com.

The firm also announced that William Carleton Metcalf, a former senior principal in the firm, was named U.S. magistrate judge for the Western District of North Carolina. Metcalf began his new role Nov. 1.

MOBILE OIL CHANGE TESTS WNC MARKET WNC Mobile Oil Change is offering introductory prices for on-site oil changes to test the demand for the service in the Asheville area.

“We hope to offer the convenience of thirdparty fleet maintenance to the general public,” Paul Horrell, co-owner and oil-change tech, said in a press release.

“We live in a world where on-site and ondemand services are becoming the new norm. It’s only natural

PLAYING HOST: The 87-room Foundry Hotel is made up of three original brick structures with two new buildings. Located on South Market Street in The Block, Asheville’s historic African-American business district, the hotel opened on Nov. 20. Photo courtesy of The Foundry Hotel that we would explore an innovative new process that could disrupt an industry that hasn’t changed since the ’80s.”

Using a mobile oil vacuum system, technicians access and remove the oil from beneath the hood rather than pulling the drain plug underneath the car, allowing the work to take place nearly anywhere. WNC Mobile Oil Change will recycle the used oil and oil filters in an environmentally friendly manner.

Appointments are available at 828-3658821 or online at www.wncmobile.com.

Customers will receive a free estimate for their vehicle.

FOUNDRY HOTEL OPENS The Foundry Hotel opened at 51 S. Market St. on Nov. 20. According to a publicist, the hotel offers “hyperlocalized experiences in The Block, a historic neighborhood largely

untouched by Asheville’s recent tourism boom.”

The hotel’s restaurant, Benne on Eagle, will serve breakfast and dinner, while its Workshop Lounge offers drinks and live music.

VENTURE ASHEVILLE TO HOST AWARDS EVENT The inaugural Venture 15 awards will recognize the 15 area startups with the highest compounded annual growth rates, while additional awards will go to the mentor, investor, entrepreneur and resource of the year.

The 2018 Courage Award will honor a tenacious and resilient entrepreneur in the community.

The event takes place 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at Isis Music Hall, 743 Haywood Road. For more information and tickets, visit avl.mx/5fr or call the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce at 828-258-6101. X

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BUILDING A FUTURE: Buncombe County commissioners voted Nov. 20 to move forward with a long-awaited expansion of the East Asheville Library. Schematic designs offer an early look at the renovation. Image courtesy of Buncombe County

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they’re really hubs of lifelong learning and community engagement,” he said. “So you want certain programmatic elements to be incorporated in those.”

Before he interviewed for the job, Blanton remembers touring the county’s libraries. The East

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system, Assistant County Manager Jim Holland said the East Asheville Library has the fifth-highest circulation rate of the 13 county libraries.

“It’s a very well-used and active branch library,” he said.

The county’s new library director, Jim Blanton, said expansion plans should meet the needs of the community the library serves. “When you look at libraries moving forward,

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A planned expansion for the East Asheville Library has been a long time coming.

“I want to see us go ahead and get it approved, because when you all started working on the library, my hair was black,” said Commissioner Al Whitesides at the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting on Nov. 20, “and if we don’t move ahead with it, I might look like Joe.” Commissioner Joe Belcher, who is balding, smiled at Whitesides’ quip.

Despite projections showing it could cost more than initially estimated, the long-awaited renovations to the East Asheville Library, located at 902 Tunnel Road, received unanimous approval from the Board of Commissioners.

“One of the main issues has been that this has come in about $1.3 million more than an initial architectural estimate that we had,” interim County Manager George Wood told commissioners.

“It’s our opinion that we should move forward on this library.”

Wood said the county underspent its fiscal year 2018 budget by about $4.5 million, and he proposed that the county use its fund balance to pay for the added $1.3 million cost.

The library will grow from 2,717 to 14,665 square feet and will add dedicated spaces for children, teenagers and adults. Programs and learning activities will get more room, as will collections.

Despite being the third-smallest library in the Buncombe County

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26 Glendale Ave •828.505.1108 BOOKWORMS: A vote on the expansion of the East Asheville Library drew a large crowd to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting on Nov. 20. Several members of the audience stepped up to the microphone to voice support for the project.

Photo by David Floyd

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N EWS Asheville Library was notable for its busyness, he said.

“In fact, they were having a children’s program that day, and there was as sign up saying, ‘Beware, there’s going to be noisy children in here,’” he said. “So you really want to dedicate space so those kinds of activities can take place while other functions take place, and I think this design really checks that box.”

The county has completed schematic design for the building. The

board’s Nov. 20 vote authorized county staff to proceed with commissioning detailed plans, which will include architectural, foundation and building system design.

The design team will develop contract bid documents, which the county’s construction manager at risk will use to advertise for bids.

The project will come back to the board for authorization before construction starts.

Michael Greene settles with county Commissioners also agreed to accept a $40,000 settlement from former county employee Michael Greene as payment for relief sought in Buncombe County’s civil lawsuit against Greene and his mother, former County Manager Wanda Greene.

Federal prosecutors charged Michael Greene in April with charg-

NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON DECEMBER 13 FOR PROPOSED INTERCHANGE AT I-40/BLUE RIDGE ROAD (S.R. 2500) WITH THE WIDENING OF BLUE RIDGE ROAD FROM JUST SOUTH OF I-40 TO U.S. 70 AND A ROUNDABOUT AT BLUE RIDGE ROAD AND N.C. 9 IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY

STIP Project No. I-4409 The N.C. Department of Transportation proposes to convert I-40 / Blue Ridge Road (S.R. 2500) grade-separation to an Interchange, widen Blue Ridge Road from just south of the new interchange north to U.S. 70, and construct a roundabout at the intersection of Blue Ridge Road and N.C. 9.

A public meeting will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13 at the Lakeview Clubhouse at Lake Tomahawk Park located at 401 Laurel Circle Drive in Black Mountain.

The purpose of this meeting is to inform the public of the project and gather input on the proposed design. As information becomes available, it may be viewed online at the NCDOT Public Meeting Webpage: https://www.ncdot.gov/news/public-meetings.

The public may attend at any time during the public meeting hours, as no formal presentation will be made. NCDOT representatives will be available to answer questions and receive comments. The comments and information received will be taken into consideration as work on the project develops.

The opportunity to submit written comments will be provided at the meeting or can be done via phone, email, or mail by January 11, 2019.

For additional information, contact Michael Clark, NCDOT Division 13 Project Engineer at, 55 Orange Street, Asheville, NC 28801, (828) 251-6171 or, mgclark@ncdot.gov.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598, by phone (919) 707-6069 or by e-mail at magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.

Persons who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.

Aquellas personas no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800-481-6494.

14

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MOUNTAINX.COM

ing about $7,500 in personal purchases to his county-issued purchasing card. “It was discovered that, while he had not been indicted on other matters, the total amount that Buncombe County was probably out by his misdeeds was approximately $38,000,” said attorney Ron Payne, who has been working to recoup money the county says was stolen by former county officials.

According to an indictment filed in April, the county previously ordered Greene to pay back $1,579 after the county’s internal auditor determined during a January 2009 audit that Greene was making inappropriate purchases on his county credit card.

Greene pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiring to commit an offense against the United States. The plea deal included a requirement that Greene forfeit about $11,700, which court documents say he acquired directly or indirectly from the offenses for which he pleaded guilty.

In July, county commissioners approved a settlement totaling more than $2 million from Guardian Life Insurance Co., the company Wanda Greene allegedly used to purchase whole-life insurance policies for herself, her son and eight other county employees.

An annuity was purchased for an additional employee.

Payne said Michael Greene assigned his policies back to the county.

Payne recommended on Nov. 20 that the settlement keep open the possibility of future measures against Greene. “In other words, should something else be discovered that is not specifically referenced in the release, we would be free to pursue Mr. Greene in a legal action if you so chose to do so,” Payne said.

Board Chair Brownie Newman said arriving at an agreed settlement amount marked another step toward the board’s goal of making county taxpayers fully whole for money that was allegedly misappropriated by former county officials.

“In the big scheme of things, this was one of the somewhat smaller items in there,” Newman said, “but it’s an important one [in] that each of the folks who misappropriated funds take steps to repay that.”

— David Floyd X

NEWS BRIEFS

by News staff | news@mountainx.com

HUMP MOUNTAIN LAND TRANSFER Using funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, the U.S. Forest Service purchased a 324-acre tract near the Appalachian Trail in the Highlands of Roan from the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. The land is now part of Cherokee National Forest.

SAHC purchased the tract last year in hopes that LWCF funding would facilitate the transaction that was completed this month. A grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also helped transfer the property to public ownership.

Despite the success of its effort to preserve

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NCDOT TO HOLD I-26 CONNECTOR MEETING A big public highway project deserves a big public input session, and that’s just what the N.C. Department of Transportation will host to discuss plans for the Interstate 26 Connector and Riverside Drive widening projects in Asheville.

Beginning with an open house 4-6:30 p.m., the Tuesday, Dec. 4, meeting will also include a presentation at 7 p.m. followed by a public hearing. The event takes place at the Renaissance Asheville Hotel’s Grand Ballroom, 31 Woodfin St., downtown Asheville.

In addition to recording spoken comments during the public meeting, NCDOT will accept written comments on both projects until Friday, Jan. 4.

Project maps and information will be available at the meeting and can also be viewed online at avl.mx/5fp. The NCDOT has established a toll-free hotline for the I-26 Connector project at 800-233-6315.

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The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy transferred a 324-acre tract on Hump Mountain to the U.S. Forest Service in November. The land is now part of Cherokee National Forest. Photo by Don Pugh the Hump Mountain tract, SAHC warned that future land conservation efforts are threatened by policy changes at the federal level.

“Unfortunately, Congress allowed the LWCF to expire Sept. 30, after 53 years as America’s most successful conservation program,” Jay Leutze, SAHC trustee and spokesperson for the LWCF Coalition, said in a press release. “We certainly hope this project is not the last one we get to do in this treasured landscape. Congress should reauthorize and fully fund the LWCF immediately before we lose the opportunity to save more places like Hump Mountain.”

More information about the LWCF is available at www.lwcfcoalition.com.

SERVICE DOG TRAINING PROGRAM HELPS VETERANS Warrior Canine Connection has teamed up with Buncombe County’s Veterans Treatment Court to offer a service dog training option for veterans involved with the criminal justice system.

Veterans train service dogs for fellow veterans, a process that also promotes their own recovery from combat-related trauma and satisfies

required community service commitments.

The training takes place weekly at the courthouse, and veterans may participate in the program throughout the VTC process.

The Asheville program is WCC’s sixth; other locations include four counties in California and one program in Baltimore.

“Working with Clifford, I feel normal. I feel like a person again,” said one program participant in a WCC press release.

“The best way to put it — Clifford keeps me calm.

He is always happy to see me. And he responds to my moods. I am learning that I can control how I feel. And instead of being alone with my thoughts, I am often focusing on Clifford.”

Judge Marvin Pope commented that WCC “has brought a new sense of joy into the courtroom that directly mirrors our nonpunitive and supportive approach. I am seeing veterans [who] are otherwise isolated and reserved (from unaddressed PTSD symptomatology) coming to life. ... While we are training the service animal, it is actually a mutual process of growth and healing.” X

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FEA T U RE S

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

SLEEPWORLD of Asheville

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

‘A thing of splendor’ The former 1892 City Hall building comes down

PRIDE OF THE CITY: In 1892, the new City Hall was a source of pride for Asheville residents. The structure was located at present-day Pack Square. The building to its right, W.O. Wolfe’s tombstones and monuments shop, is where the Jackson Building currently stands. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville On March 20, 1926, The Jackson Campbell Co. took out an advertisement in The Asheville Citizen. In it, the real estate company paid homage to an old landmark. “The City Hall Building was for many years a sort of beacon for the citizen,” the advertisement declared. “[T]oday it is being razed to make way for progress.”

Thirty-six years earlier, in September 1890, J.A. Tennent was authorized to manage the building’s construction.

The multistoried structure would house a number of city departments, including the mayor’s court, City Council chambers, Fire Department and jail. It would also feature a market in its basement. Work began in late fall.

By spring 1891, however, Mayor Charles D. Blanton suspended further construction in response to a signed petition. On May 21, the Asheville Daily Citizen shared the petitioners’ complaints. Residents objected to the proximity of the market to the fire station; they also contested the market’s placement in the building’s basement, stating it was an inconvenient and inaccessible location.

The newspaper disputed both claims. “[T]he fire department as proposed will be 50 feet from the nearest entrance to the market,” it asserted. “[T]here can be no reason to supposing that crowds will congregate around the doors, to

be run over by the horses in case of an alarm of fire.” With respect to accessibility, the paper pointed out that there were eight different entries available to people visiting the market.

The mayor and city aldermen ultimately agreed with the Asheville Daily Citizen’s assessment. On May 30, construction resumed.

Local pride soon replaced consternation and complaint. In August, one resident wrote to the paper proclaiming that the new City Hall would be “one of the prettiest, if not the prettiest buildings in North Carolina.” The following month, another resident echoed

the previous author’s claim, writing, “Our new City Hall will be the handsomest structure in the State.”

That same month, the paper reported on the dire need for the new market.

Until its completion, the Asheville Daily Citizen declared, “there is really no place where the wood, fruit and huckster’s wagons can stand and feel at home.”

At the time, the paper noted, 18 wagons occupied the northern side of the square, impeding foot traffic.

Wagon owners also left behind quite a mess, one angry resident wrote in a Sept. 3 letter to the paper: “Rinds, manure and rotten slimes and shells line the square all the way up and down. ...

I know of a party of three families who refused to board in Asheville because of the stink and stench of its streets.”

Construction continued throughout the winter and spring. Finally, in July 1892, officials began moving into their offices at the new City Hall. Along with employees, local prisoners were also transferred to the building’s new jail (with a man known as “Squirley” Anderson earning the title of “first occupant”).

Decades later, on April 18, 1926, with the building’s demolition underway, The Sunday Citizen remembered the pride which preceded its destruction. The paper wrote:

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“With its turrets and towers, its brownstone front and pressed brick walls, the pile was in its day a thing of splendor. All of which may go to show that along about 1960, Asheville folks who are now pointing to some of the gorgeous glories of its admiration may be lifting an index finger in the same direction with sneering scorn.”

The 1892 city hall was replaced by the present-day, Douglas Ellington design.

Editor’s note: Peculiarities of spelling and punctuation are preserved from the original documents. X

GREETINGS FROM ASHEVILLE: This 1906 postcard offers an additional view of City Hall, background center. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville

MOUNTAINX.COM

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

17

COMMUNITY CALENDAR NOV. 28 - DEC. 6, 2018

CALENDAR GUIDELINES For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 251-1333, ext.

137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 251-1333, ext. 320.

=❄ ANIMALS

BENEFITS

Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 25

Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 25

❄

ASHEVILLE BROWNS BACKERS CLUB 828-658-4149, ashevillebbw@gmail. com • SU (12/2), 1pm Proceeds from this social gathering to

ASHEVILLE OUTLETS 800 Brevard Road • TH (11/29) & (12/6), 5-8pm - Dog and cat photos with Santa. Free to attend.

WHAT THE DICKENS: Historic Biltmore Village transforms into a Victorian backdrop for Dickens in the Village running Friday, Nov. 30, through Sunday, Dec. 1. Events along Boston Way include strolling carolers, storytellers and instrumentalists in costume, by Montford Park Players, with concerts and refreshments from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and the annual tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. The Southern Highland Craft Guild Store hosts events Saturday and Sunday, including guild member demonstrations by Marc Tickle (kaleidoscopes) and Bill Apelian (woodcarving). The Charles D. Owens High School Barbershop quartet, Fourmata, will sing festive songs. Cider and cookies will be offered to revelers.

Free to attend. For more information, visit southernhighlandguild.org/event/dickens-in-the-village. Photo courtesy of Biltmore Village (p. 21) watch the Cleveland Browns play football benefit local charities.

Free to attend. Held at The Social, 1078 Tunnel Road AUTHORS FOR LITERACY 828-254-3442, volunteers@ litcouncil.com • TH (11/29), 6-9pm - Proceeds from the Authors for Literacy dinner and silent auction with a keynote speech by Barbara Kingsolver, benefit the Literacy Council of Buncombe County. $95. Held at Crowne Plaza Expo Center, 1 Resort Drive FEED THE NEED 828-575-2737, isisasheville.com/ • WE (12/5), 8:3011pm - Proceeds

from “Feed the Need” show featuring CaroMia Tiller, Leeda Lyric Jones, Jack Victor Music, Stephanie Morgan, David Earl Tomlinson, Ashley Heath, Juan Holladay and Stevie Lee Combs benefit MANNA FoodBank. $15. Held at Isis Music Hall, 743 Haywood Road

❄ FRENCH BROAD’S ANNUAL GREENS MARKET fbrgcf.org • SA (12/1) & (12/8), 9am-2pm - Proceeds from the French Broad River Garden Club Foundation annual Christmas greens market with wreaths, roping, fir trees, handcrafted wooden bowls and toys, cutting boards,

nutcrackers, ornaments, potted plants and baked goods benefit the French Broad River Garden Club Foundation.

Free to attend. Held at Clem’s Cabin, 1000 Hendersonville Road HENDERSONVILLE SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA 828-393-5222, hendersonvillesymphony .org/hsyo • SA (12/1), 5:15pm - Proceeds from the concert and dinner benefit the Hendersonville Symphony Youth Education Programs.

Registration: 828697-5884. $90. Held at Kenmure Country Club, 100 Clubhouse Drive, Flat Rock

HOMINY VALLEY CRISIS MINISTRY PANCAKE BREAKFAST • SA (12/1), 8-10am - Proceeds from this pancake breakfast benefit the Hominy Valley Crisis Ministry. $10. Held at Fatz Cafe, 5 Spartan Ave. CHILI AND CORNBREAD BENEFIT DINNER FOR ROAR 803-727-4807 • FR (11/30), 6-9pm - Proceeds from this chili and cornbread dinner with live music from the Resonant Rogues benefit Rural Organizing and Resilience mutual aid programs in Madison County. Held at Marshall Container Co., 10 South Main St., Marshall

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

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ROOTS FOUNDATION rootsfound.org • TH (12/6), 6-8:30pm - Proceeds from this French bistro buffet with drink and dessert benefit The Roots Foundation. $48. Held at Creperie Bouchon, 62 N. Lexington Ave.

❄

TRYON FINE ARTS CENTER 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, 828-859-8322, tryonarts.org • SA (12/1), 6:3010:30pm - Proceeds from this holiday ball with food, drinks, music and silent auction benefit Tryon Fine Arts Center. $100 and up.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY DEFCON 828 GROUP meetup.com/ DEFCON-828/ • 1st SATURDAYS, 2pm - General meeting for information security professionals, stu-

dents and enthusiasts.

Free to attend. Held at Earth Fare South, 1856 Hendersonville Road FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER GALA 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain, 828-3579009, floodgallery.org • THURSDAYS, 11am5pm - "Jelly at the Flood," co-working event to meet up with like-minded people to exchange help, ideas and advice. Free to attend.

LENOIR-RHYNE CENTER FOR GRADUATE STUDIES 36 Montford Ave., 828-778-1874 • WE (11/28), 5:30pm - "Responsible and Regenerative Business? How Might We Redesign Our Work?" Viewing of a live-streamed presentation by Carol Sanford. Free.

• TH (12/6), 8:3010:30am - "Five Donor

Love Languages," presentation by Tammy Zonker about fundraising. Sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of WNC. Registration required: conta.cc/2Tt4obH. $15/$10 members.

WNC LINUX USER GROUP wnclug.blogspot.com, wnclug@main.nc.us • 1st SATURDAYS, noon - Users of all experience levels discuss Linux systems.

Free to attend. Held at Earth Fare South, 1856 Hendersonville Road

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS CLASS AT VILLAGERS (PD.) Wooden Spoon Carving: Two Night Workshop • Sunday, December 2, from 5:30pm-8:30pm and Wednesday, December

5, from 6:30pm9:30pm • $80 per person; fee includes carving blanks.

Registration/information: www. forvillagers.com EMPYREAN ARTS CLASSES (PD.) Sultry Jazz 4 Week Series starts Friday 11.30 6:15pm $60.

Sultry Pole weekly on Wednesdays 7:30pm.

Flexibility-Contortion weekly on Sundays 2:15pm and Tuesdays 7:30pm. Intro to Pole Fitness weekly on Tuesdays 7:15pm and Thursdays 8pm.

EMPYREANARTS. ORG. 828.782.3321 IMPROVE ACT/SAT SCORES (PD.) A trained, 8+ year ACT/SAT tutor can show you how to increase your scores in one-on-one sessions.

References available.

Email Kathleen at kcalby@ sbcglobal.net

NAVIGATING FARM LABOR (PD.)

ASHEVILLE ROTARY CLUB

The Organic Growers School is hosting Navigating Farm Labor, a workshop on how to structure labor on a small farm through the eyes of established regional farmers. Monday, December 10th, 2018 3-8pm in Alexander, NC Register: https:// organicgrowersschool. org/farmers/ navigating-farm-labor/

rotaryasheville.org • THURSDAYS, noon1:30pm - General meeting. Free. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St.

AARP 828-380-6242, rchaplin@aarp.org • TH (11/29), 3-4:30pm - "Fraud Watch," presentation regarding investor education, fraud, insurance scams and ID theft.

Registration required: aarp.cvent.com/ stopscamsWestAsheville. Free. Held at West Asheville Public Library, 942 Haywood Road

ASHEVILLE SUBMARINE VETERANS ussashevillebase.com, ecipox@charter.net • 1st TUESDAYS, 6-7pm - Social meeting for US Navy submarine veterans. Free to attend. Held at Ryan's Steakhouse, 1000 Brevard Road

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BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty. org/governing/depts/ library • MO (12/3), 10amnoon - "Itch to Stitch," casual knitting and needlework group for all skill levels. Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester

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CONSCIOUS PARTY

FOREVER GREEN: The French Broad River Garden Club Foundation hosts the 91st Christmas Greens Market, the group’s annual fundraiser. Freshly cut Fraser firs, wreaths, handcrafted wooden bowls, toys, cutting boards, nutcrackers, ornaments and potted paperwhites are offered with the all of the proceeds supporting local horticultural and conservation scholarships and projects. The event takes place at Clem’s Cabin the first two Saturdays in December from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, visit fbrgcf.org (p. 18)

10% OFF STOREWIDE Mention promo code to get 10% OFF

Promo Code: Xpress — expires 12/09/18 —

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=❄

by Deborah Robertson Free to attend. Held at Asheville Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway

ECO • TU (12/4), 11am - Holiday Party bingo for all ages.

Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • TUESDAYS (12/4) until (12/18), 2-6pm - "Tape & Take Tuesdays," event to wrap Christmas presents. Tape, scissors, large tables, music and cookies provided. Bring your own wrapping paper. Free. Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain • TU (12/4) & TU (12/18), 4-5pm Basic computer skills class. Free.

Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St.

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BUNCOMBE LADIES HOMESTEAD GATHERING 828-253-7656 • TU (12/4), 6-8pm - Buncombe Ladies Homestead Gathering holiday wreath-making workshop, all materials provided. $25 members/$30 non-members.

Registration: buncombenc@nlhg. com. Held at Earth Fare - Westgate, 66 Westgate Parkway ONTRACK WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave., 828-255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • WE (11/28), 5:30-7:30pm Sponsorship by The Biltmore Company means no charge for Home Energy Efficiency.

Registration required. Free.

WNC’S WOMEN’S FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER 828-255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • WE (11/28), 5:30-7:30pm OnTrack WNC’s Women’s Financial

Empowerment Center (WFEC) will host its second annual Women & Money Story Night. Registration required. Free to attend. Held at Loretta's Cafe, 114 N. Lexington Ave. SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE showingupforracialjustice.org • TUESDAYS, 10amnoon - Educating and organizing white people for racial justice. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road TRANZMISSION PRISON PROJECT tranzmissionprisonproject.yolasite.com • Fourth THURSDAYS, 6-9pm - Monthly meeting to prepare packages of books and zines for mailing to prisons across the US. Free to attend.

Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road VETERANS FOR PEACE 828-490-1872, VFP099.org • TUESDAYS, 5pm Weekly peace vigil.

Free. Held at the Vance Monument in Pack Square, 1 Pack Square VFW POST 9157 165 Cragmont Road, Black Mountain • TUESDAYS, 7pm Trivia night. Free.

• WE (12/5), 7pm & 9pm - Poker night.

Free.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AIDS PROJECT 828-252-7489, wncap.org • MO (11/26) through SA (12/1), 10am-7pm Exhbition of the traveling AIDS Memorial Quilt.

workshop. Registration required: 828-456-3575. $20. Held at Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office, 589 Raccoon Road, Suite 118, Waynesville

CREATION CARE ALLIANCE OF WNC creationcarealliance.org • TH (11/29), 6-8pm - "Solar 101 for Faith Communities," presentations by experts, congressional leaders and the Director of NC Interfaith Power and Light. Free. Held at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. FRIENDS OF CONNECT BUNCOMBE weconnectbuncombe. org/about • WE (11/28), 5:30-7pm - Annual meeting. Free.

Held at Comfort Suites Outlet Center, 890 Brevard Road

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WNC SIERRA CLUB 828-683-2176, wenoca.org • TH (12/6), 6:30-9pm Annual holiday potluck party with environmental recognition ceremony for companies and individuals. Free/Bring a dish to share. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

FARM & GARDEN

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MASTER GARDENER HOLIDAY WREATH-MAKING WORKSHOP • SA (12/1), 9:30amnoon & 1-3:30pm - Master gardener holiday wreath-making

FESTIVALS

❄ HENDERSONVILLE CHRISTMAS PARADE cityofhendersonville. org • SA (12/1), 10:30am - “The Magic of Christmas” themed parade along Main St. from Five Points to Caswell St. Free to attend. Held at Historic Downtown Hendersonville, Hendersonville

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HISTORIC BILTMORE VILLAGE 10 Brook St. • FR (11/30), 6-8pm Christmas Tree Lighting with performances

by The Charles D. Owens High School Barbershop quartet.

Free to attend.

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HOLIDAYS AT THE WCU UNIVERSITY CENTER 828-227-7397, bardoartscenter.edu • WE (12/5) & TH (12/6) - “Holidays at the University Center,” event featuring an ice rink, sledding hill, train ride and photos with Santa. Information: dca. wcu.edu. $15. Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee

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NC ARBORETUM WINTER LIGHTS 828-665-2492, ncwinterlights.com

Re-Imagine Senior Living

• 1st WEDNESDAYS, 5pm - Citizens-Police Advisory Committee meeting. Free. Meets in the 1st Floor Conference Room.

Held at Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte St.

• FR (11/16) through MO (12/31), 6-10pm - "Winter Lights," outdoor holiday lights exhibition. $18/$12 children under 12/Free children under 4. Held at NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way

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SEASON OF LIGHT, MULTICULTURAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION 828-452-7232 • SA (12/1), 5-8pm - "Season of Light," multicultural holiday celebration of the music and customs of Advent, Diwali, Fiesta de la Griteria, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas and Winter Solstice. Event includes hors d'oeuvres and dessert bar. Tickets: ticketstripe.com/season-of-light-celebration. $10/$5 for children under 12/Free for children under 6. Held at Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, 450 Pigeon St., Waynesville

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WNC HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION wnchistory.org • FR (11/30) & SA (12/1), 6pm, 7pm & 8pm. - Christmas twilight tours. Registration required. $20. Held at Smith-McDowell House Museum, 283 Victoria Road

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS CITY OF ASHEVILLE 828-251-1122, ashevillenc.gov

FLETCHER TOWN HALL 300 Old Cane Creek Road, Fletcher, 828-687-3985 • TU (12/4), 6pm Public input meeting regarding the need for expanded broadband service. Free.

HENDERSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY 905 S. Greenville Hwy. Hendersonville, 828692-6424, myhcdp.com • 1st SATURDAYS, 9-11am - Monthly breakfast buffet. $9/$4.50 for children under 10.

HENDERSONVILLE CITY OPERATIONS CENTER 305 Williams St., Hendersonville • WE (12/5), 6pm Public input meeting regarding the need for expanded broadband service. Free.

INDIVISIBLE COMMON GROUNDWNC Indivisible-sylva.com • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6:30-8pm -General meeting. Free. Held at St. David's Episcopal Church, 286 Forest Hills Road, Sylva LAND OF SKY REGIONAL COUNCIL 828-251-6622, landofsky.org • TU (12/4), 4pm NCDOT open house

Now Open

More Affordable Rental Retirement Community Givens Gerber Park is pioneering the next generation of affordable housing for 55 year olds and better with a range of one- and two-bedroom rental apartments and beautiful on-campus amenities. Residents can enjoy lunch with friends in our café or walk to nearby shops and restaurants while enjoying breathtaking views of the North Carolina mountains. We welcome you to make the most out of your next chapter at Givens Gerber Park.

Contact Nicole Allen at (828)771-2207 or nallen@givensgerberpark.org to schedule an appointment.

For more information, to download applications, or to view floor plans, go to www.givensgerberpark.org MOUNTAINX.COM

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C OMMU N IT Y CA L EN D AR

and public hearing for I-2513 I-26 Connector project. Open house from 4-6:30 pm. Public hearing at 7pm. Free.

Held at Asheville Renaissance Hotel, 31 Woodfin Ave. OPEN HEARTS ART CENTER 217 Coxe Ave. • TU (12/4), 5:307pm - South Slope Neighborhood

by Deborah Robertson

Association, general meeting. Free to attend.

APPLE VALLEY MODEL RAILROAD & MUSEUM 650 Maple St, Hendersonville,

KIDS

AVMRC.com

APPALACHIAN ART FARM 22 Morris St., Sylva, appalchianartfarm.org • SATURDAYS, 10:30noon - Youth art class. $10.

• WEDNESDAYS, 1-3pm & SATURDAYS, 10am-2pm - Open house featuring operating model trains and historic memorabilia.

Free.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • 2nd SATURDAYS, 1-4pm & LAST WEDNESDAYS, 4-6pm - Teen Dungeons and Dragons for ages 12 and up. Registration required: 828-2504720. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St.

• FR (11/30), 4pm Read for 15 minutes to J.R. the Therapy Dog. Free. Held at EnkaCandler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • MONDAYS, 10:30am - "Mother Goose Time," storytime for 4-18 month olds. Free.

Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road

• MO (12/3), 7pm Family storytime event where listeners are encouraged to wear pajamas. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • WE (12/5), 4pm "Heroes Unlimited," role playing game for middle and high schoolers. Registration required. Free. Held

INTERSTATE 26 CONNECTOR AND RIVERSIDE DRIVE WIDENING PROJECT ASHEVILLE, BUNCOMBE COUNTY

PUBLIC HEARING |

Project Nos: I-2513 and U-5868

Tuesday, December 4, 2018 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Pre-Hearing Open House Formal Presentation

Grand Ballroom, Renaissance Asheville Hotel – 31 Woodfin Street, Asheville The N.C. Department of Transportation in partnership with the City of Asheville, has completed preliminary designs for the preferred alternative for the I-26 Connector Project (I-2513) and Riverside Drive Widening Project (U-5868). A Pre-Hearing Open House and Public Hearing on the above stated projects will be held on December 4th. NCDOT representatives will be available between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to answer questions and receive comments relative to the proposed projects.

The opportunity to submit written comments or questions will also be provided. Interested citizens may attend at any time during the above-mentioned hours.

A formal presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. Following the formal presentation, an opportunity for the public to provide verbal comments will be provided. The hearing will be open to those present for statements, questions and comments. The presentation and comments will be recorded and a transcript will be prepared.

The project calls for widening existing I-26/240 from the I-26/240 interchange to Patton Avenue (U.S. 74A) and construct on new location a fully controlled access freeway from Patton Avenue (U.S. 74A) to an interchange at U.S. 19/23/70 and Broadway Street (S.R. 1781). The proposed freeway will be median divided with eight 12-foot travel lanes and 12-foot paved shoulders. Additional right of way and the relocation of homes and businesses will be required for this project.

The maps displaying the design of the are available for public review at the following locations: • City of Asheville Transportation, 70 Court Plaza—Mezzanine Level, Asheville, North Carolina, 28802 • NCDOT Division 13 Office, 55 Orange Street, Asheville.

• The maps are also available online at http://www.ncdot.org/projects/I26Connector and http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/publicmeetings/ NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this hearing. Anyone requiring special services should contact Robbins as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.

Persons who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.

Aquellas personas no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800-481-6494.

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at Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview

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FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE DOWNTOWN 125 S. Main St., Hendersonville, 828-693-0731, flatrockplayhouse. org • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (12/6) until (12/16) - Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, production based on the best selling book for children. Thurs.-Sat.: 7pm. Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. $30/$16 students.

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FOUR SEASONS COMPASSION FOR LIFE 828-233-0948, fourseasonscfl.org • SA (12/1), 10am - "Healing Hearts," holiday workshop for grieving children and teenagers to create an ornament in remembrance of their loved one.

Registration: 828692-6178. Free.

Held at Greatrex, 571 S. Allen Road, Flat Rock

THE CENTER FOR ART AND SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 1 School Road, 828-258-0211 • THURSDAYS (10/25) until (12/27), 4-5pm Kids yoga and art class integrating themes of peace.

For ages three and up. Co-sponsored

by Creative Peacemakers. Free for children from low-income families.

Information: ashevillekidsyogaandart. com. $10-$25.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET 4 S. Tunnel Road • MONDAYS, 9-10am "Playdates," family fun activities. Free to attend.

YWCA OF ASHEVILLE 185 S. French Broad Ave., 828-254-7206, ywcaofasheville.org

• SA (12/1), 1-3pm - Open house for the YWCA Early Learning Program with music, speakers, refreshments, children's activities and prizes for the first 50 children.

Free.

OUTDOORS CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK (PD.) Enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Lure, trails for all levels of hikers, an Animal Discovery Den and 404-foot waterfall.

Plan your adventure at chimneyrockpark. com ELISHA MITCHELL AUDUBON SOCIETY emasnc.org • SA (12/1), 9-11am - Bird walk. Free.

Held at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, US-25 MOUNTAINTRUE 828-258-8737, mountaintrue.org • SA (12/1), 1pm - Guided, 3.5 mile hike to learn about MountainTrue's work in this park.

Free. Held at Richmond Hill Park, 280 Richmond Hill Drive SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River • TH (12/6), 7pm Backcountry Film Festival, produced

by Winter Wildlands Alliance, featuring nine short films about winter, adventure, youth outdoors and ski culture. $12/$10 advance.

PUBLIC LECTURES ASHEVILLE ROTARY CLUB rotaryasheville.org • WE (11/28), 6:30pm - Metro Talks Series: "Blood Moon: The Magic of Lunar Eclipses," presen-

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winter 2019 mindful self-compassion register by 12/21 for early bird pricing

wednesdays 1/23-3/13 6-9pm + sat. 2/23

MSC is a scientificallyvalidated training program designed by Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer.

Holly Satvika completed the MSC Teacher Training program in Ontario, Canada in 2018.

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

PUBLIC LECTURES AT UNCA unca.edu • TU (12/4), 7:30pm World Affairs Council Series: "Report from 90 Miles South: Continuity and Change in Post-Castro Cuba," lecture by pastors Stan Dotson and Kim Christman. $10. Held at UNC-Asheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road

SENIORS

mindfulselfcompassionasheville.com (828) 761-1776

tation by Dominic Lesnar, president of the Asheville Astronomy Club.

Free. Held at YWCA of Asheville, 185 S. French Broad Ave.

HARVEST HOUSE 205 Kenilworth Road, 828-350-2051 • TUESDAYS, 2:30pm - "Focus on Flexibility," exercise class focused on balance, breathing

MOUNTAINX.COM

by Deborah Robertson

and body alignment.

Information: 828-2994844. Free.

SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St. • MO (12/4), 2-3pm Bingo for seniors and older adults. .75 per card.

SPIRITUALITY ASTROCOUNSELING (PD.) Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services.

Christy Gunther, MA, LPC. (828) 258-3229.

DE-STRESS, GET HAPPY & CONNECT! (PD.) Mindfulness Meditation at the Asheville Insight

Meditation Center.

Group Meditation: Weekly on Thursdays at 7pm & Sundays at 10am. ashevillemeditation.com, info@ ashevillemeditation.com.

LEARN TO MEDITATE (PD.) Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation class at Asheville Insight Meditation Center, 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month at 7pm – 8:30pm. ashevillemeditation.com, info@ ashevillemeditation.com.

LOOK FOR THE DOORWAY TO SPIRITUAL FREEDOM (PD.) Sing HU, the most beautiful prayer, and open your heart to balance, inner peace, Divine love, and spiritual self-discovery.

Love is Love, and you are that. HU is the Sound of Soul.

Spiritual discussion

follows. Sponsored

by ECKANKAR. • Sunday, December 2, 2018, 11am. Eckankar Center of Asheville, 797 Haywood Rd. (“Cork and Craft” building, lower level), Asheville NC 28806, 828-254-6775. (free event). www.eckankar-nc. org

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ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES 828-259-5300, abccm.org • TH (12/6) until SU (12/9) - Return to Bethlehem, interactive nativity theatrical production. Thurs & Fri.: 6-8:30pm.

Sat.: 2-8:30pm. Sun.: 2-6pm. Free. Held at Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Road

❄ CHABAD HOUSE 127 McDowell St., 828-505-0746, chabadasheville.org

• SU (12/2), 4:30-6pm - Chanukah Live 2018 and grand opening of the Chabad House.

Free.

group mentoring and

THE CENTER FOR ART AND SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 1 School Road, 828258-0211 • TUESDAYS 7-8:30pm - Mountain Mindfulness Sangha.

Admission by donation.

now. Will you answer

rites of passage to boys ages 12-17 and are enrolling qualified adult male mentors the call? Learn more: journeymenasheville@ gmail.com or 828230-7353.

TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) 43% of adults with

VOLUNTEERING Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 25 MAKE A DIFFERENCE - BE A MENTOR! (PD.) As a mentor with Journeymen, you make a profound impact in the lives of teenage boys as they journey toward becoming men of integrity. We offer

low literacy live in poverty. Volunteer and help our neighbors rise above the confines of poverty. Orientation 12/3(10am) or 12/13(5:30pm) RSVP: volunteers@ litcouncil.com. Learn more: litcouncil.com.

For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

GIVING GAMES

Make a gift, get local goodies

November-December Campaign At Give!Local’s halfway point, 169 people have donated a total of $35,000 to the campaign’s 40 nonprofits. The average donation has been about $200. Just over 100 of the donors — those who gave $20 or more — have been sent voucher books for goodies from local merchants. What’s more, donors of $300 or more will be sent additional rewards in January, including movie tickets, theater passes, tour passes, dinners at area restaurants and more.

One hundred percent of Give!Local donations go directly to the nonprofits, as a result of Give!Local’s “Every Penny Counts” program, which covers all credit card fees. In addition, a dozen Give!Local nonprofits have raised $40,000 in matching funds to help donors’ gifts go further.

Visit givelocalguide.org to find out more and to make a donation.

FUNDS RAISED AS OF NOV. 26: HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES All Souls Counseling Center.........$465 Asheville Community Yoga..........$170 Autism Society of North Carolina.......................$120 Buncombe County Special Olympics.......................$125 IFB Solutions.............................. $0 Irene Wortham Center................. $60 Light a Path.............................$235

ARTS AND LITERACY Asheville Area Arts Council.........$150 Asheville Choral Society.............$150 Center for Cultural Preservation...$130

The POP Project........................$107

Asheville Museum of Science......$659 Friends of the WNC Nature Center...................$710 Green Built Alliance...................$165 MountainTrue.........................$1,268 RiverLink.................................$845

Children First/CIS of Buncombe County................$1,610

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy............$6,295

F I R S T.................................... $0

The Collider..............................$170

OpenDoors of Asheville..............$880 The Bicycle Thrift Shop............... $60

ANIMALS Appalachian Wildlife Refuge.....$2,603 Asheville Humane Society...........$586

NONPROFIT EVENTS NOV. 28-DEC. 6 This week the Community Calendar is highlighting events that are sponsored by nonprofits that are participating in the Give!Local campaign. The campaign is raising money for 30 worthy local nonprofits that make a big difference where we live. These events are wonderful examples of some of the great work that these nonprofits do within our communities!

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Open Hearts Art Center..............$160

ENVIRONMENT

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina..........$870

(Gift Certificate from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop for $600)

North Carolina Glass Center........$146

The Council on Aging of Buncombe County..................$190

YOUTH

new bike!

Literacy Council of Buncombe County................$1,706

MemoryCare.............................$220

Western Carolina Medical Society Foundation........$110

All donors who give during Big Give Week (Dec. 1-8) will be entered in a drawing for a

SOCIAL JUSTICE Asheville Poverty Initiative........$1,055 Bounty and Soul.......................$520 Helpmate...............................$1,030

Friends2Ferals..........................$559

Homeward Bound of WNC........$1,325

Full Moon Farm Inc...................$183

Our VOICE..............................$2,407

Wild for Life...........................$5,499

Pisgah Legal Services...............$1,415

ANIMALS

❄ WNC NATURE CENTER 75 Gashes Creek Road, 828-298-5600, wildwnc.org • SA (12/1), noon-4pm “A Winter’s Tail,” familyfriendly event with arts and crafts, games, educational programs, animal encounters and an appearance from Santa.

Admission fees apply.

ART GALLERY EXHIBITIONS ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (11/30) 2018 Veterans’ Juried Exhibition. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. OUR VOICE HEART WORKS SURVIVORS ART SHOW 828-252-0562, ourvoicenc.org • Through TU (12/4) - 17th annual Survivors’ Art Show, exhibition of art works and performances created by survivors of sexual assault. Held at Revolve, 521 Riverside Drive, #179

BENEFITS

❄ ELIADA 828-254-5356, eliada.org, info@eliada.org • FRIDAY through SUNDAY (11/30) until (12/2) - Proceeds from the theatrical nativity production, Let It Be, Christmas, benefit Eliada. Fri.-Sun.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $10. Held at Biltmore United Methodist Church, 378 Hendersonville Road ❄ HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER 828-232-2879, townandmountain.com/ Ashevillefundraiser/ • FR (11/30), 5-10pm - Proceeds from the seventh annual Home for the Holidays Fundraiser with live music, children’s games, silent auction, photos with santa and refreshments benefit Homeward Bound WNC, BeLoved Asheville, ABCCM, Helpmate and Eliada. Admission by donation. Held at Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave. PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES 828-253-0406, pisgahlegal.org • SU (12/2), 4-5:30pm - Donations received

at the “Viva La Música Latina,” Pan Harmonia concert benefit Pisgah Legal Services. Free to attend. Held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 337 Charlotte St.

❄ NATIONAL GINGERBREAD COMPETITION 828-252-2711 • Through FR (1/4) Proceeds from parking fees from the annual National Gingerbread Competition exhibition benefit United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, American Legion Baseball Post #70, Meals on Wheels of Asheville and Buncombe County, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Homeward Bound, Horizons at CDS, Buncombe Partnership for Children and Camp Watia Camper Scholarship Fund.

Contact for schedule: 888444-OMNI. Free to attend with $20 parking fee per car. Held at Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Ave. SUPPORT GROUPS MEMORY LOSS CAREGIVERS network@memorycare. org • 1st TUESDAYS, 1-3pm – Held at Fletcher Seventh Day Adventist Church, Howard Gap Road and Naples Road, Fletcher OUR VOICE 35 Woodfin St., 828-2520562, ourvoicenc.org

• Ongoing drop-in group for female identified survivors of sexual violence.

VOLUNTEERING 12 BASKETS CAFE 610 Haywood Road, 828-231-4169, ashevillepovertyinitiative. org • TUESDAYS 10:30am Volunteer orientation.

HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC 218 Patton Ave., 828-2581695, homewardboundwnc.org • THURSDAYS, 11am, 2nd TUESDAYS, 5:30pm & 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 8:30am - “Welcome Home Tour,” tours to find out how Homeward Bound is working to end homelessness and how the public can help.

Registration required: tours@homewardboundwnc.org or 828-7859840. Free.

For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

WELLNESS BUNCOMBE COUNTY SPECIAL OLYMPICS 828-250-4260 • WEDNESDAYS, 3-4pm - Adaptive crossfit classes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Free. Held at South Slope CrossFit, 217 Coxe Ave., Suite B

Learn about and give to 40 great local nonprofits at givelocalguide.org MOUNTAINX.COM

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

25

WELLNESS

THE ROOT OF THE MATTER New facility in Columbus aims to increase number of rural dentists, dental assistants

BY VIRGINIA DAFFRON vdaffron@mountainx.com Marion resident Megan, 41, is mom to four children ages 4, 9, 12 and 13.

Her youngest child has disabilities and requires 24/7 care. “If something was different with my daughter, I would be working,” she explains. “I used to be a CNA and I loved it. That’s not an option anymore.” To preserve her family’s privacy, Megan asked Xpress to use her first name only.

Megan’s husband works full time, and his modest income exceeds the level that would allow the adults in the family to qualify for Medicaid, though their children are covered under N.C. Health Choice. After not seeing a dentist for three years, a bad toothache that kept getting worse drove Megan to explore her options.

“I even looked at regular dentists and told them I didn’t have insurance. It was like, ‘It will be this much money out the door for us to even look at you,’” she recalls. Desperate, she contacted the McDowell County Department of Social Services and learned that Mountain Area Health Education Center offers dental care on a sliding fee scale at its Glenwood clinic.

Filling out the required paperwork and scheduling her first appointment didn’t take long, Megan says. Because MAHEC offers only 60-minute visits at the clinic, and a dentist sees patients there one day a week, attending to Megan’s dental needs — a root canal, a tooth extraction, fillings and a cleaning — took a total of about eight visits spread over the course of a year, from November 2017 to the beginning of this month. Megan paid $40 for each visit.

“If I had to pay triple what I had to pay with my sliding scale, it’s still better than walking into a dentist’s office and paying full price,” Megan says.

The MAHEC dentists were gentle and understanding about her dental anxiety. “They never hurt me, and now I have a happy smile,” she says.

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TOOTH WISDOM: Dr. Ed Coryell, left, director of MAHEC’s department of dentistry and dental residency program, will oversee the training of dental students and residents at MAHEC’s new Columbus Dental Health Center. Photo courtesy of MAHEC BARRIERS TO CARE

EMERGENCY MEASURES

About 40 percent of Americans don’t have access to dental care, says Dr. Jeff Heck, MAHEC’s CEO. And in rural areas, a shortage of dentists and other barriers reduce access even further.

That’s a big problem. “Poor dental care leads to poor health, and poor dental care is also a social poverty stigma that makes it hard for people to get jobs,” Heck says.

In line with its mission to train the next generation of health care professionals for Western North Carolina, MAHEC is working to increase the supply of rural dentists to help change those outcomes. With the signing of an agreement with St. Luke’s Hospital and Isothermal Community College, MAHEC launched a collaborative initiative to provide dental care and train dentists and dental assistants at a facility that will open on St. Luke’s campus in Columbus in the spring.

Twelve of the 16 counties MAHEC serves in WNC are federally designated dental health professional shortage areas, and the state as a whole projects a shortage of 459 dentists by 2025.

North Carolina residents seek dental care at their local emergency room at a rate more than double the national average, 2017 research at the UNC School of Public Health revealed. In rural areas — where the shortage of dentists is more acute — the rate of dental emergency room visits in 2014 was nearly twice that in metropolitan regions.

Emergency departments aren’t well-equipped to provide dental treatment, which has often advanced to a severe state by the time a patient seeks care. Instead of receiving dental work to resolve the cause of the problem, Heck says, patients get antibiotics, increasing the problem of antibiotic resistance. Perhaps even more

troubling, they receive painkillers, which can lead to addiction.

According to a commentary published in the Journal of the American Dental Association on July 25, “ED physicians often prescribe opioid and other analgesic medications to manage acute dental pain.” And while dentists reduced the amount of opioids they prescribed by over 50 percent between the 1990s and 2012, the commentary noted, “An examination of a nationally representative data set suggested no reduction in the rate of opioid analgesic prescriptions for dental pain in emergency settings.”

RURAL RAMIFICATIONS Reducing the number of emergency room visits for dental problems better addressed in primary and preventive care settings requires accessible clinics close to where people live.

But data assembled by the UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research show that nearly three-quarters of all new dentists who entered practice in the state over the past four years settled in five counties already well-served by dentists.

The most effective strategy for increasing the number of health care professionals — including dentists — committed to serving rural communities, Heck tells Xpress, is training those practitioners in rural settings.

That’s why, in addition to its main campus in Asheville, MAHEC is working to develop four rural care and teaching sites over the next five years.

Besides the new Columbus center, MAHEC plans to locate a new facility in the far western area of the state, Heck says.

Two graduates of MAHEC’s medical residency program now serve as family physician rural fellows at the organization’s health centers in Burnsville and Bakersville, constituting a third training hub, while a fourth clinic now operating in Lake Lure rounds out MAHEC’s training sites.

“We will be sending more learners in more health disciplines to those two locations over time,” says Jennifer Maurer, MAHEC’s external communications manager. She points out that providing services in these

CONTINUES ON PAGE 28

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communities reduces transportation challenges and the need to take time off from work for appointments.

Supporting excellent teaching and training programs in rural areas, Heck says, will enable MAHEC to “get people who find that practicing in rural areas is professionally rewarding and personally satisfying so that they want to practice there.”

A new initiative starting at the UNC School of Dentistry this spring will place 10 percent of each new dentistry class in a rural-practice track, Heck says, with a goal of increasing the number of dentists practicing in underserved rural areas. Some of those rural-track dental students will receive clinical training in MAHEC facilities.

COLLABORATION STATION Isothermal Community College has long been interested in offering a dental assistant training program, says Michael Gavin, the college’s director of marketing and community relations.

With no prerequisite other than a high school diploma and starting salaries for dental assistants nearing $40,000, demand for local training is strong.

And for residents of Polk and Rutherford counties, tuition for any ICC program can be covered in full by the Powers Promise, an endowed scholarship that means “finances shouldn’t be a barrier to completing a program like this,” Gavin says.

The cost of outfitting a clinical training facility and hiring instructors, however, is steep.

But when the hospice program at St. Luke’s Hospital relocated to a larger facility in Landrum, S.C., the program’s former facility at 130 Forest Glen Drive became available for a new use.

ICC’s Columbus campus sits next door to St. Luke’s, Gavin explains. A collaborative plan emerged to create a training center for aspiring dentists and dental assistants through a partnership with St. Luke’s and MAHEC. Beginning in fall 2019, ICC will enroll a cohort of up to 10 dental assistant students, while a rotating group of eight dental students from the UNC School of Dentistry (with up to four on-site on a given day) and one dental resident from MAHEC’s residency program will also work out of the center.

Foothills Medical Associates, a physician practice affiliated with St. Luke’s Hospital, will provide primary care at the facility. According to Maurer, additional learning opportunities for primary care and pharmacy residents,

nurse practitioner and behavioral health students and other care providers will be available through MAHEC’s partnership with Foothills Medical.

MEETING THE NEED MAHEC’s new facility will complement the services provided by Collins Dental Center to Polk and Rutherford county residents. Also located in Columbus, Collins Dental Center originally opened in 2006 and began operating as part of Blue Ridge Health, a nonprofit community health care system headquartered in Hendersonville, in July 2017. The facility serves residents from birth through age 21.

“We work really closely with Blue Ridge,” comments Heck. “We actually have a residency training program in family medicine that we share with them.”

Most of MAHEC’s work at its new Columbus dental facility will address the needs of adult patients, including preventive dentistry and fillings, as well as more complicated services such as crowns, bridges and dental surgery.

“The facility will be well-equipped with all the modern supplies we have to have to provide complex dentistry,” says Heck.

Providing advanced dental care in coordination with primary care, Heck says, increases the benefits of both services, since dental health is closely linked with overall health.

“Collaboration between primary care doctors and dentists is important because there are a lot of dental problems which lead to significant health problems and, likewise, significant health problems that lead to significant dental problems,” Heck says.

Following a complete renovation, the Columbus facility will begin serving patients and training future health care providers in late spring. The facility will accept Medicaid and Medicare, private insurance and direct payment.

Fees for those without dental coverage will be on a sliding scale based on the patient’s income.

MAHEC patient Megan looks forward to continuing to use the Glenwood clinic, and she plans to see if her husband can also qualify for dental care there this year. Having a low-cost resource in their own community, she says, is “pretty awesome.”

Megan wants to bring attention to dental options for low-income families in rural areas. “I see people all the time, kids and parents, with their teeth falling out,” she says. “I just hope that people actually know that this kind of program is out there. I had no idea.” X

WELL NESS CA L E N DA R

=❄ WELLNESS Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 25 SHOJI SPA & LOUNGE • 7 DAYS A WEEK (PD.) Private Japanese-style outdoor hot tubs, cold plunge, sauna and lodging. 8 minutes from town. Bring a friend to escape and renew! Best massages in Asheville! 828-2990999. shojiretreats. com SOUND HEALING • SATURDAY • SUNDAY (PD.) Every Saturday, 11am and Sundays, 12 noon. Experience deep relaxation with crystal bowls, gongs, didgeridoo and other peaceful instruments.

• Donation suggested.

At Skinny Beats Sound Shop, 4 Eagle Street. skinnybeatsdrums. com WAVE YOGA & DANCE (PD.) Looking for a way to get moving that’s fun, social and low impact?

We offer group and private Ballroom Dance and Yoga classes. Pricing/schedule: waveasheville.com AARP 828-380-6242, rchaplin@aarp.org • 4th WEDNESDAYS, 11:30am-noon Coffee and conversation on wellness topics. Free. Held at Ferguson Family YMCA, 31 Westridge Market Pl, Candler EARTHFARE WESTGATE 66 Westgate Parkway, 828-253-7656 • FR (11/30), 6:308:30pm - "Ecotarian Revolution," meetup group for those interested in the "ecotarian" lifestyle.

Information: meetup. com/Eco-LogicalEcotarians. Free to attend.

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 9am - Walking exercise class. Free.

LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828-774-3000, facebook.com/ Leicester.Community.

Center • MONDAYS, 5:306:30pm - Gentle Flow Yoga. $5.

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES redcrosswnc.org • TH (11/29), 1:306pm - Appointments & info: 800-REDCROSS. Held at Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Road, Black Mountain • FR (11/30), 11am-4:30pm Appointments & info: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at Highsmith Student Union, 1 University Heights • SU (12/2), noon-4:30pm Appointments & info: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at Walmart, 25 Northridge Commons Parkway, Weaverville • TU (12/4), 2-6:30pm - Appointments & info: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at Highland Brewing Company, 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Suite 200 • WE (12/5), 10am-2:30pm Appointments & info: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at State Employees' Credit Union, 111 Smokey Park Highway SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St. • THURSDAYS, 2:303:30pm - "Slow Flow Yoga," yoga class adapted for all ages and abilities. Free.

TAOIST TAI CHI SOCIETY taoist.org/usa/ locations/asheville • WEDNESDAYS, 3-4:30pm - Beginner tai chi class and information session for the class series. First class is free. Held at Town and Mountain Training Center, 261 Asheland Ave. THE BLOOD CONNECTION BLOOD DRIVES 800-392-6551, thebloodconnection. org • TU (12/4), 9am6pm - Blood drive appointments & info: 828-585-8060. Held at Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W., Hendersonville

THE CENTER FOR ART AND SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 1 School Road, 828-258-0211 • WEDNESDAYS, 3:30-5pm & 6:30-8pm - Open mindfulness meditation. Admission by donation.

URBAN DHARMA 77 Walnut St., 828-225-6422, udharmanc.com/ • TUESDAYS, 7:308:30pm - Guided, nonreligious sitting and walking meditation.

Admission by donation

SUPPORT GROUPS Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 25 ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS & DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES adultchildren.org • Visit mountainx. com/support for full listings.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS • For a full list of meetings in WNC, call 828-254-8539 or aancmco.org ANXIETY SUPPORT GROUP 828-231-2198, bjsmucker@gmail.com • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 7-8:30pm - Learning and sharing in a caring setting about dealing with one’s own anxiety. Held at NAMI Offices, 356 Biltmore Ave. ASHEVILLE WOMEN FOR SOBRIETY 215-536-8026, womenforsobriety.org • THURSDAYS, 6:308pm – Held at YWCA of Asheville, 185 S. French Broad Ave. ASPERGER’S TEENS UNITED facebook.com/groups/ AspergersTeensUnited • For teens (13-19) and their parents.

Meets every 3 weeks.

Contact for details.

CAROLINA RESOURCE CENTER FOR EATING DISORDERS 50 S. French Broad Ave., #250, 828-3374685, thecenternc.org • 1st and 3rd Mondays, 5:30-7:30pm – Family Support Group.

• WEDNESDAYS, 6-7pm – Adult support group, ages 18+.

CODEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS 828-242-7127 • FRIDAYS, 5:30pm Held at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 556 S. Haywood, Waynesville • SATURDAYS, 11:15am – Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. • TUESDAYS 7:30pm - Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway DEBTORS ANONYMOUS debtorsanonymous. org • MONDAYS, 7pm - Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE 828-367-7660, depressionbipolarasheville.com • SATURDAYS, 2-3pm – Held at Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance Meeting Place, 1316-C Parkwood Road EATING DISORDERS ANONYMOUS 561-706-3185, eatingdisordersanonymous.org • FRIDAYS, 4:30pm - Eating disorder support group. Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway FOOD ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 8284236191 828-242-2173 • SATURDAYS, 11amHeld at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway

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FOUR SEASONS COMPASSION FOR LIFE 828-233-0948, fourseasonscfl.org • TUESDAYS, 3:304:30pm - Grief support group. Held at Four Seasons - Checkpoint, 373 Biltmore Ave. • THURSDAYS, 12:30pm - Grief support group. Held at SECU Hospice House, 272 Maple St., Franklin GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS 828-483-6175 • THURSDAYS 6:30-7:30pm - Held at Biltmore United Methodist Church, 378 Hendersonville Road GRIEF & PRAISE CIRCLE griefcircle.net • 1st TUESDAYS, 6-7pm - Layperson support group for grief.

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WELLN ESS CA LEN DA R HAYWOOD COUNTY COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS 828-400-6480 • 1st THURSDAYS - Support group for families who have lost a child of any age.

Held at Long’s Chapel United Methodist, 133 Old Clyde Road, Waynesville HOPE CONNECTIONS 828-575-2701, Hopeconnections@ crestviewrecovery.org • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Clinically led support group for loved ones of addicts and alcoholics. Held at Crest View Recovery Center, 90 Asheland Ave., Suite D LIFE LIMITING ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUP 386-801-2606 • TUESDAYS, 6:308pm - For adults managing the challenges of life limiting illnesses.

Held at Secrets of a Duchess, 1439 Merrimon Ave. LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA, NC CHAPTER 877-849-8271, lupusnc.org • 1st TUESDAYS, 6-7pm - Lupus support group for those living with lupus, their family and caregivers. Held at All Souls Cathedral, 9 Swan St.

That Meeting Place, 16-A Pisgah View Apartments NARANON nar-anon.org • MONDAYS, 7pm - For relatives and friends concerned about the addiction or drug problem of a loved one. Held at West Asheville Presbyterian Church, 690 Haywood Road • WEDNESDAYS, 12:30pm - For relatives and friends concerned about the addiction or drug problem of a loved one.

Held at First United Methodist Church of Hendersonville, 204 6th Ave. W., Hendersonville ORIGINAL RECOVERY 828-214-0961, originalrecovery.org, riley@seekhealing.org • MONDAYS, 6:30pm - Walk in the Park, meetings at area parks. Held at Original Recovery, 70 Woodfin Place, Suite 212 • WEDNESDAYS, 6:30-8pm - Alternative support group organization meeting to discuss service projects, workshops and social events to support the recovery community. Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road

MINDFULNESS AND 12 STEP RECOVERY avl12step@gmail.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7:308:45pm - Mindfulness meditation practice and 12 step program.

Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway

OUR VOICE ourvoicenc.org/ trauma-educationseries • WEDNESDAYS, 3-5pm - Creating Community in the Healing Journey, open group for adult femaleidentified survivors of sexual violence.

Registration required: 828-252-0562 x.115.

MY DADDY TAUGHT ME THAT mydaddytaughtmethat. org • MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS, 6-8pm - Men’s discussion group. Free. Held at My Daddy Taught Me

OVERCOMERS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 828-665-9499 • WEDNESDAYS, noon-1pm - Held at First Christian Church of Candler, 470 Enka Lake Road, Candler

OVERCOMERS RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP rchovey@sos-mission. org • MONDAYS, 6pm - Christian 12-step program. Held at SOS Anglican Mission, 1944 Hendersonville Road OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS • Regional number: 277-1975. Visit mountainx.com/ support/ for full listings.

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP OF ASHEVILLE • TU (3/6), 10am-noon - Monthly support group for patients, partners, families and caregivers coping with Parkinson’s Disease.

Free. Held at Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Road RECOVERING COUPLES ANONYMOUS recovering-couples.org • MONDAYS 6:307:30pm - For couples where at least one member is recovering from addiction. Held at Foster Seventh Day Adventists Church, 375 Hendersonville Road REFUGE RECOVERY 828-225-6422, refugerecovery.org • For a full list of meetings in WNC, call 828-225-6422 or visit refugerecovery.org SANON 828-258-5117 • 12-step program for those affected by someone else’s sexual behavior. Contact 828258-5117 for a full list of meetings.

SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS saa-recovery.org/ Meetings/UnitedStates • MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS, 6pm - Held at First Congregational

UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. • SUNDAYS, 7pm Held at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. SMART RECOVERY 828-407-0460 • FRIDAYS,2pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, 370 N Louisiana Ave. • TUESDAYS, 6-7pm - Held at Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County, 24 Varsity St., Brevard • THURSDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Episcopal Church, 871 Merrimon Ave. SUNRISE PEER SUPPORT VOLUNTEER SERVICES facebook.com/ Sunriseinasheville • TUESDAYS through THURSDAYS, 1-3pm Peer support services for mental health, substance abuse and wellness. Held at Kairos West Community Center, 610-002 Haywood Road US TOO OF WNC 828-273-7689, wncprostate@ gmail.com • 1st TUESDAYS, 7pm - Prostate cancer support forum for men, caregivers and family.

Held at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. WIDOWS IN NEED OF GRIEF SUPPORT 828-356-1105, meditate-wnc.org • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - Peer support group for anyone who has survived the death of their spouse, partner, child or other closed loved one.

Registration required.

Held at The Meditation Center, 894 E. Main St., Sylva

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Wellness Issues

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

GREEN SCENE

BREATHE AND RELAX Three WNC counties to be removed from vehicle emissions program

SMOOTH SAILING: Vehicle owners in Haywood, Henderson and Rutherford counties will no longer be required to undergo annual emissions inspections. Photo courtesy of Max Hunt

BY DANIEL WALTON dwalton@mountainx.com When it comes to ensuring clean air, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality, Western North Carolina has some breathing room. As of Saturday, Dec. 1, vehicle owners in three of the region’s counties — Haywood, Henderson and Rutherford — will no longer have to submit their cars and light-duty trucks to an annual emissions inspection.

The change comes as part of a broader loosening of the state Inspection and Maintenance Program approved by the General Assembly’s Regulatory Reform Act of 2016-17. A total of 26 mostly rural counties will be removed from the I/M program; however, emissions inspections remain in place for Buncombe and 21 additional counties. The three other counties bordering Buncombe — Madison, McDowell and Yancey — have never required the inspections.

Since the program was first implemented in 1982, says DEQ Division of Air Quality spokesperson Sharon Martin, changes in technology and regulations have made these inspections unnecessary in many parts of the state. “We’ve made such improvements in North Carolina’s air quality that the removal of these inspections is not a negative impact,” she explains.

While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which had to approve the rule change, projects that removing the 26 counties from the I/M requirements will lead to an additional 611 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions annually, it notes that North Carolina has reduced its overall NOx emissions by nearly 12,000 tons per year from 2007 levels. Therefore, the relaxed inspections program “will not interfere with the state’s obligations” for clean air.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 32

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G REEN SC E N E PICK AND CHOOSE Carol Kemker, deputy director for the Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division with the EPA’s Southeast office, says the Clean Air Act gives individual states significant flexibility on how to achieve federally mandated air quality goals. That approach allows different governments to focus on different problems, she explains, with an end result of what she calls “wild success” in achieving federal standards.

North Carolina, for example, targeted its large array of coal-fired power plants through the Clean Smokestacks Act of 2002. Within seven years, the law slashed the state’s annual NOx emissions by 189,000 tons, a 77 percent reduction from 1998 levels. This change alone, noted the EPA in its commentary on the vehicle inspections changes, was sufficient for the state to meet federal emissions limits.

But other changes have reduced the impact of the I/M program itself.

Turnover in the state’s vehicle fleet, Kemker says, has replaced older cars and trucks with cleaner, newer models, and stricter federal fuel standards have further cut emissions from the

32

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

gas those vehicles burn. Total vehicle miles traveled in the 26 counties to be removed from the program, as determined from car registration data, also decreased.

“The I/M controls aren’t being relied on to maintain the national ambient air quality standards, and I mean any of the national ambient air quality standards,” Kemker says. For pollutants such as ozone, lead, carbon monoxide and others, she explains, “North Carolina doesn’t need this program to maintain the healthy levels.”

FEE FOR ALL Drivers in the 26 counties will still have to have their vehicles inspected annually for safety, but they will no longer pay the $16.40 emissions inspection fee. Across Haywood, Henderson and Rutherford counties, which together conducted approximately 139,000 vehicle inspections in the 2015-16 fiscal year, that adds up to a savings for vehicle owners of nearly $2.28 million.

Local auto shops will take the biggest hit from this change: According to the legislative fiscal note accompanying the Regulatory Reform Act, private

MOUNTAINX.COM

inspection stations receive $11 for each emissions inspection. That works out to nearly $1.53 million in annual revenue WNC mechanics will no longer collect.

But agencies at the state level will also be affected. The Division of Air Quality receives 65 cents of every emissions inspection fee, while the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Highway Fund receives $4.75.

In an email to Xpress, Martin estimated that her division will experience a $1.1 million reduction in annual revenue due to the removal of the 26 counties from the I/M program. “Since the changes have been in process for several years, DAQ has had time to prepare for the reduced revenues and make adjustments to spending levels to account for that reduction going forward,” she wrote.

However, Martin did not respond to a request for clarification of what programs had their funding cut or whether the department had sought an additional allocation from the General Assembly. According to the N.C. Open Budget website, the DEQ’s Air Quality Control fund received roughly $5.58 million in fiscal year 2017; the reduction in I/M fee revenue thus represents nearly 20 percent of that budget.

Steve Abbott, a spokesperson for NCDOT, says the Highway Fund would receive about $4.6 million less annually due to the inspection changes, out of roughly $1.7 billion in Highway Use Tax and fee revenue. He adds that the General Assembly has slightly raised NCDOT’s Highway Fund allocation to cover the difference.

ROLLING ALONG For now, Martin says, the state has no plan to remove the remaining 22 counties from the I/M program.

However, the DEQ has submitted a request to change the model year coverage for vehicle inspections. Instead of applying to all cars and trucks manufactured after 1996, inspection coverage would move to a “rolling 20-year window” measured from the present.

That proposal is still under EPA consideration, Kemker says. But she explains that further alterations to the inspection program are a sign of North Carolina’s shifting regulatory needs. “As technology changes and the way we live and move around the country changes, our air quality plans can evolve.” X

Hot Springs Health Program

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Fax: (828) 656-9434

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After Hours: (828) 689-9713

Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 9am–7pm

Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 9am–5pm

Mars Hill Medical Center

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119 Mountain View Rd. Mars Hill, NC 28754-9500 Phone: (828) 689-3507 Fax: (828) 689-3505 After Hours: (828) 689-9713 Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 9am–7pm Sat 9am–7pm Sun 1pm–7pm

66 NW Us 25 70 Hwy. Hot Springs, NC 28743 Phone: (828) 622-3245 Fax: (828) 622-7446 After Hours: (828) 689-9713 Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 9am–5pm Sat 9am–12noon

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Each medical center has its own pharmacy so prescriptions can usually be filled at the same site where you saw your physician.

Helping families care for their loved ones at home.

Most people prefer to be in their own homes to recover from illness or surgery, to take care of their chronic illnesses or to live out a limited life expectancy. Madison Home Care and Hospice provides quality health care in the homes of residents of Madison County as well as the surrounding areas including Buncombe and Yancey counties.

PHYSICAL THERAPY Physical therapy focuses on maximizing functional independence through the use of manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, balance training, gait training, and therapeutic modalities.

Phone: (828) 649-1775

Services are available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

Phone: (828) 649-2705

For more information, please visit our website at www.hotspringshealth-nc.org.

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STEEPED IN HISTORY

Asheville gets nerdy about tea

BY JONATHAN AMMONS jonathanammons@gmail.com

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Asheville is a coffee town. Looking for a perfectly extracted espresso? Not a problem. Pour-over? We’ve got that, too. Local roasters? Nitro cold brew?

Bulletproof coffee or CBD oil? Check, check, check and check — we’ve got all of that in spades.

But how about something for those in search of a subtler buzz? In recent years, the success and expansion of Dobra Tea, the launch of new businesses such as Asheville Tea Co. and 3 Mountains and an increased number of tea-focused event offerings signal the emergence of a fledgling tea culture in Western North Carolina.

And local educational opportunities for beverage geeks prove that tea drinkers can get just as nerdy as the caffeine-crazed coffee drinkers. But unlike coffee’s wealth of trendy gadgets and hipster techniques, tea culture embraces practices that are thousands of years old.

“The steps that coffee has made in its development, and the transparency of the trade, and the nerdery that has happened in the coffee industry kind of helps us, because it sets the stage for us to be nerds as well,” says Dobra Tea General Manager Miles Cramer, who is starting his second year of teaching tea classes at the shop. “So you have these coffee people that are already doing cuppings and already sourcing coffee themselves, so it becomes a lot easier for them to get into tea. There is a market for people that want to get nerdy.”

Although coffee has long been king among Western beverage preferences, tea has a rich history that stretches back 4,500 years, Cramer observes. “This beverage has been through way more,” he says. “All that we know about tea is usually through the lens of the English.

I like to take that lens and focus through China and Japan because it opens up a much bigger world of what tea is and what it has been.”

Historically, tea was more of a staple in the American diet than coffee. But when wars and strained relations with England made the tea supply unreliable, coffee was an easy substitute. By the time the percolator became mainstream in the 1900s, the traditional ritual of brewing tea seemed old hat.

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ART OF TEA: “All that we know about tea is usually through the lens of the English,” says Dobra Tea General Manager Miles Cramer. “I like to take that lens and focus through China and Japan because it opens up a much bigger world of what tea is and what it has been.”

Photo by Luke Van Hine MIXED BAG “The U.S.’s major contribution to tea has really been its simplification,” says Cramer, noting the only significant American tea industry development was the tea bag, a wet sock of shredded tea leaves that, to tea connoisseurs, is essentially the instant coffee of the tea world. “We simplified the process and marginalized the process and cheapened the process in a way, I guess.”

Frankee Muller, the only International Tea Masters Association certified tea master in the Carolinas and owner of the import company A Thirst for Tea, agrees. “Nine times out

of 10, if you walk into a tea shop, they just serve regular tea in a tea bag, and even when it’s not just tea in a bag, it’s English Breakfast or Earl Grey,” she says. “What you really want is wholeleaf tea, not just loose-leaf. There is such a dramatic difference in the aroma, the texture, the taste and all of that.”

Each time a tea leaf is cut or broken, it loses antioxidants, oils and aroma compounds, she explains. “Those other teas are grown on huge plantations where they are mechanically harvested, and it cuts and tears and curls the leaves, and so what you get is a robust cup of tea, but you lose all the flavor, you lose all the subtleties and you lose

a vast majority of the health benefits,” she says.

Muller, who recently moved her company from Bozeman, Mont., to Oriental, N.C., plans to host a tea sommelier training for the ITMA in Asheville in early February (details are yet to be decided). She explains that, similar to wine, there are tea sommeliers and tea masters, but unlike wine, tea requires knowledge of preparation methods and techniques.

“With wine, sommeliers have to know the grapes and where they are grown, how it is made and the dates, and then they pour the wine,” she says.

“They have to know all of those same things about tea, but they also have to be able to know how to prepare it — what temperature water to use, how long to steep it — and it’s not the same with every tea. It’s an entire ritual.”

As an introduction for students, she likes to use the Chinese Gongfu method, which involves rituals of warming and emptying each vessel, rinsing the tea and, finally, precise steeping, dousing the pot and all in hot water, draining, straining, testing in the aroma cup and serving. “It focuses on examining the tea leaf in every possible way so that we can get a feeling for every aspect of the tea,” she says.

Tea sommelier training courses can cost well over $1,000 and can include on-site seminars along with extensive home study and blind tastings. They are aimed mainly at employees of high-end international hotels and restaurants that serve only the finest, handpicked teas. In many countries, tea sommeliers are as revered as wine sommeliers.

TEA PARTY Muller says that in identifying cities for hosting ITMA sommelier trainings, she looks at demographics such as age, education level and socio-economic data. “We look for a relatively affluent population that is health-conscious, because specialty tea is both expensive and is known to have significant health-enhancing properties,” she explains. Millenials, she notes, are probably the biggest market.

Although she sees Asheville as an area with a growing interest in tea — she points to Dobra’s multiple local locations as evidence — she hasn’t observed business owners yet clamoring for their own tea sommeliers.

“I’m not aware of any restaurants or hotels in the area that have been seeking tea sommelier certification for their employees, but I suspect that is because they don’t know it exists,”

she adds. She hopes to gain the attention of the several hotels and restaurants in Western North Carolina that serve formal afternoon tea, when it comes time to promote her Asheville sommelier training.

Sara Stender, owner of the Ashevillebased 3 Mountains tea company, views tea as a market with great growth potential in the U.S. “In the U.K., the tea market is very saturated, but it’s a very, very new industry in the U.S., so there is a huge opportunity,” she says. Her fair trade company imports organically grown, non-GMO, loose-leaf teas from Rwandan farmers and markets them under the brand name Tima Tea. After learning about the Rwandan genocide and developing a passion for the recovery of the affected people, Stender moved to Rwanda in 2007. After returning to the U.S., she founded the Africa Healing Exchange, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting resilience, trauma recovery and entrepreneurship in Rwanda and other countries. Tima Tea was founded as a way to create economic opportunity for farmers in northern Rwanda, where she notes that more than 100,000 people are impacted by the tea industry.

Tea was only introduced as a crop in Rwanda in the early 1950s, but it’s already developed into one of the country’s main agricultural commodities. “It’s still a much smaller market than coffee, but it’s growing at a faster rate,” Stender says. “I did a little digging and found that new generations really look at food as medicine. We want to live longer, we want a better quality of life, so we are demanding more out of our products. And the sky’s the limit with tea. There’s so many opportunities for blending, putting it into sauces and using it as an ingredient for baking. It’s becoming more trendy and popular in the culinary field.”

A TASTE OF CULTURE Part of the responsibility of tea shops and those trained in appreciating teas,

says Cramer, is to highlight the history and efforts of the regions and cultures that have spent thousands of years growing and brewing them. “When we are talking about Chinese culture or Korean tea, we don’t want to claim that culture; we want to point the way to that culture, to be presenters,” he says.

“Here, you’ll find [a type of Chinese tea called] longjing, and you’ll see it hidden behind pomegranate and blueberry in a Western tea,” he continues.

“And I want to push all of that aside and focus on how good the longjing is and maybe suggest that you might not need that pomegranate, because when you get a well-made, straight-leaf tea, it is an amazing experience. To brew it, to smell it, everything about it — it’s about keeping that 4,000-year-old culture alive.”

Cramer, who has traveled to Japan, Thailand and China to select teas for Dobra, will offer a series of tea classes this winter that, at $20 each, are a bit more approachable than a full sommelier course. The series of workshops will include a look at the overall history of tea plus cover the four main tea varieties — green, black, oolong and pu’erh — with full overviews and tastings of 40 different teas.

“You can get really nerdy about the tea itself, but it’s all reflective of the commerce at the time; the Chinese needed horses, so they would trade tea to the Tibetans, or the Mongols kept invading, so they would placate them with tea, and it was really the bartering tool to keep peace all throughout history,” says Cramer. “The addiction to the beverage is at the core, but there are all these socio-economic issues alongside it that are so much larger than the beverage itself.”

For updates on Muller’s planned tea sommelier training in Asheville, visit athirstfortea.com. Details on ITMA trainings are available at teamasters. org. For a full list of Dobra’s upcoming tea classes, visit dobrateanc.com. X

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by Ali Mangkang

alimangkang@gmail.com

BAGELS RISING •• THE FIRST ANNUAL ••

Winter In The Weave Holiday Pop Up Shop

Thursday | Dec. 6 | 5-9pm

Eat. Drink. Shop.

Music. Enjoy.

While bagels haven’t yet reached the cult status in Asheville of their Southern counterpart, the biscuit, a growing number of locally owned bakeries and food spots are carving out a niche for this much-loved fixture of Northern food culture.

Recently, Cúrate and Nightbell chef and co-owner Katie Button became a bona fide member of Asheville’s emerging bagel scene with the opening of her new venture, Button & Co. Bagels.

It’s here that Button’s signature sourdough-leavened bagels, made with locally ground flour, become vessels for an impressive list of local foods, from jams and Three Graces cultured cream cheese spread to smoked meats and other seasonal offerings.

“I didn’t just want to bring New York to Western North Carolina,” she explains.

“I was really looking for ways to connect and incorporate local products.” So far, it’s a plan that seems to resonate with customers — Button and her staff are rolling out somewhere between 700-900 bagels daily.

And Button’s spot isn’t the only recent addition to WNC’s bagel scene. Brandon Murry, owner of Rise Above Deli (which shares space with Hillman Beer in Biltmore Village), opened a separate bakery venture on Nov. 5. Sticking close to its original brand, Rise Above Bakehouse offers two bagel varieties alongside a daily selection of other handmade baked goods from its Charlotte Highway location (formerly Ruth & Ranshaw bakery) in Fairview.

Murry and baker Sarah Purcell developed the recipe for the bakery’s bagels, which Murray says are close to New York style. “They’re dense enough to schmear with cream cheese, but soft enough to make into a sandwich,” he says, adding that both options are available at the bakery.

AROUND TOWN Throughout Asheville, in fact, there are a growing number of smaller “unchained” bakeries where folks can grab fresh, handmade bagels. Coming soon to the Wilcox Travel Center shopping plaza at 1550 Hendersonville Road in South Asheville is Ziggy’s Bakery & Deli — a partnership between Philadelphia transplant Robyn Ziegler and Asheville native Joshua Widner. Together, Ziegler and Widner bring nearly 20 years of culinary experience to this concept, where in-house baked breads will set the stage

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

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WNC bakers deliver the hole schmear

HOME, SWEET HOME: New York native Luke McDermott took ownership of the Black Mountain-based Home Free Bagels in 2016. “It takes a minimum of 24 hours to produce a single bagel when doing it in the traditional manner, which includes shaping, overnight proofing, boiling and baking,” he explains. Photo courtesy of McDermott for sandwiches made from freshly sliced meats and cheeses.

All of the shop’s breads, meats and cheeses will also be available as retail items. This is especially important to Zeigler, who was disappointed upon moving to Asheville that she couldn’t find a local mom-and-pop deli where she could buy breakfast and lunch sandwiches as well as sliced meats and cheeses.

Widner will produce Ziggy’s bagels using traditional methods, including an overnight rise for the dough, which is then hand-rolled, boiled in a water bath with sorghum and, finally, steam-baked every morning. The shop will offer five varieties, including plain, everything, onion, sesame and egg, as well as special flavors that will rotate weekly.

Ziegler will also offer whipped cream cheeses featuring add-ins such as homemade strawberry preserves, veggies, smoked jalapeños and ramps. Keep an eye on the Ziggy’s Bakery & Deli Facebook page for the official grand opening date, which is projected to be the first week in December. Hours will be 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

In East Asheville, Filo pastry chef Maria Papanastasiou fills her bakery

and café with lots of classic pastries, bread and homemade Greek desserts.

When it comes to bagels, she keeps it simple with plain and everything varieties, which are all vegan and made on-site.

When the mood strikes, Papanastasiou will sometimes add a limited seasonal flavor, like the pumpkin spice bagel she developed in October.

On the west side, longtime gathering spot West End Bakery has likely been doing bagel business in Asheville longer than any of its competitors, serving the hole-y snacks since it opened in 2001.

Head baker Josh Young updated the bakery’s recipe more than a year ago with a focus on basic ingredients, which he says are “flour, salt, water, yeast and time.” The bakery produces four vegan varieties — plain, sesame, poppy, and everything — daily.

Nearby, at 1570 Patton Ave., North Star Bakehouse recently changed ownership and acquired a new name, though the staff remains the same. Now doing business as Malvern Hills Bakery, Trish Sodano remains the shop’s resident bagel maker. She developed her recipe, which is made with sourdough starter, at the request of a former employer.

Customers can choose from a rotating selection of hand-blended cream cheese options as a schmear for Sodano’s small-batch bagels, which are available in two varieties and only Friday through Sunday.

THE NEW YORK CONNECTION While everything and plain bagels are hands-down the most popular varieties among all the makers in our area, there are still some independently owned businesses cranking out larger volumes and more varieties for adventurous bagel connoisseurs. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, they all share a common starting point — New York.

Geraldine’s Bakery counts some 120 years of combined experience among its bagel makers, who are led by owner Fred Dehlow. Originally from Long Island, Dehlow credits his father and other New York-area bakers with teaching him the art of bagel making.

Asheville native Aaron Wiener, former owner of Carolina Mountain Bakery and employee of North Asheville’s old Rollin’ Pin Bakery, brings some local expertise to Geraldine’s bagel production. The bakery currently offers nine varieties of New York-style sweet and savory bagels.

Joe Scarlata is another New Yorker who brought his bagel know-how to the WNC mountains with the opening of his first Joey’s NY Bagel location in Hendersonville in 2011. A few years later he added a second location in Fletcher. According to the restaurant’s website, Joey’s offers 16 bagel

varieties, all handmade daily. Spreads are also plentiful with hand-mixed additions like lox, scallions, chocolate chips and several others. The eatery also has a breakfast and lunch menu with lots of options for building hearty bagel sandwiches.

Fellow New York native Luke McDermott has also found success bringing high-quality, handmade bagels — and help for the homeless — to WNC since he took ownership of Home Free Bagels in 2016. Established in 2011, Home Free’s 11 bagel varieties and four spreads are sold at more than a dozen local businesses, as well as at the West Asheville Tailgate Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market, Waynesville Historic Tailgate Market and Black Mountain Tailgate Market. McDermott notes that he is “always looking to take on more wholesale accounts.”

If you happen to be in the neighborhood, you might be lucky enough to grab a fresh bagel on Tuesdays or Fridays from his regular baking spot inside Seven Sisters Tap Room in Black Mountain. McDermott also hopes to have his small “bagel buggy” truck back in service soon, offering bagels along Haywood Road in West Asheville.

McDermott is serious about his process. “It takes a minimum of 24 hours to produce a single bagel when doing it in the traditional manner, which includes shaping, overnight proofing, boiling and baking,” he explains. He is currently developing gluten-free and paleo bagels to satisfy multiple customer requests. Both varieties will be made from alternative flours and available in early 2019.

But Home Free isn’t just focused on bagels. Part of its mission from the beginning, the business has employed more than a dozen homeless people and

continues to be committed to the company’s original vision by providing job opportunities and product donations to a population that is often overlooked. X

Dinner 7 days per week 5:00 p.m. - until Bar opens at 5:00 p.m.

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Historic Biltmore Village

828.277.1510 MOUNTAINX.COM

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

37

FOOD

SMALL BITES

by Paul Clark | paul2011clark@gmail.com

Foothills Meats brings back its Butcher Table events

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: Foothills Meats owner Casey McKissick introduces the butcher board course during a recent Butcher Table event at Foothills Butcher Bar Black Mountain. Photo by Paul Clark

Comfort in a Crust 202 Stone Ridge Blvd • AVL, NC 28804

828.545.0664 potpieshop.com 38

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

This is the kind of indulgence that makes you want to slap your mama.

Foothills Meats has brought its succulent Butcher’s Table supper events back to Black Mountain. The suppers happen every Thursday night through the winter in the immaculately scrubbed butchery that stands cheek to jowl beside its spacious, sleek restaurant — Foothills Butcher Bar Black Mountain — in this charming (and growing) town.

Chef Nathan LeCount’s locally sourced menu will change every week, but a recent preview event began with a velvety herb crème fraiche cauliflower soup and a butcher board of house-made Braunschweiger, American Pig salami, house pickles and English cheese curd.

A crostini of beef tartare and horseradish cream followed, as did an outrageous board of fresh sausages and mustards.

Redolent platters of Bradley Farms porchetta and standing beef rib roast (dryaged 24 days) were passed around, and a delightful apple pie in a hot cast-iron skillet wrapped things up.

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Served along the way were excellent local beers, meads, ciders and whiskeys, as were perfectly matched wines from the restaurant’s wine list.

The three butcher block tables will seat more than a dozen people on comfortable diner stools. The dinner can be booked by a single party or a combination of several parties. Parties of eight or more who want to book a private dinner can do so most any day of the week with a couple of days’ notice.

The dinner series started as a small gathering on the front patio of Foothills Meats’ original shop in Black Mountain in 2014. Foothills Meats held them in various locations before putting them on ice last year to open the restaurant in Black Mountain and one in West Asheville.

“We’re really excited to get back to it,” Casey McKissick, owner of Foothills Meats, told his group during the preview event. “We believe in honest meats.”

Foothills Meats’ Butcher’s Table events are held every Thursday (or any other night a party wants to book them). Tickets are $60 (if the tables are full). Contact

Foothills Butcher Bar Black Mountain at 107 Black Mountain Ave., at 828-357-9029 or info@foothillslocalmeats.com.

Slow Food Asheville Happy Hour returns On Thursday, Nov. 29, Slow Food Asheville will host its latest happy hour event at OWL Bakery. The last Slow Food Asheville Happy Hour of the year, the tea-time event will feature food and tea to sample, but drink purchases are on you. Samples will include a variety of teas from 3 Mountains, a local company that sources organic, non-GMO and ethically raised teas from northern Rwanda.

Sara Stender will talk about her company. Also free to sample will be special items that the OWL Bakery pastry team will make using Tima Teas.

Slow Food Asheville Happy Hour is 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29. There’s no cost to attend. OWL Bakery is at 295 Haywood Road.

New pop-up beer dinners in Burnsville The historic Nu Wray Inn in Burnsville will host a new series of pop-up beer dinners presented by Homeplace Beer Co. The first one, on Saturday, Dec. 1, will feature a four-course, hyperlocal menu by Stackhouse American Eatery & Pub of Mars Hill. Just like in the old days of the inn’s dining hall, the meal will be served family-style, with each course paired with Homeplace beers, made in Burnsville. Guests will also take home a 7-ounce commemorative glass. The meal will start with the standing course — smoked cheddar beer cheese with soft pretzel, sausage and pickled vegetables. After a palatecleansing salad, the main course will be Dry Ridge Farm smoked pork shanks glazed in a tomato-bacon gastrique with red cabbage rotkohl. For dessert?

Apple strudel a la mode.

The Nu Wray Inn is at 102 Town Square, Burnsville. Tickets to the dinner are $50. Reservations are available at avl.mx/5fh.

Blind Pig supper honors Prince Dearly beloved, the latest supper event by The Blind Pig Supper Club, on Sunday, Dec. 2, will honor the life of musician, composer, innovator and cultural icon Prince. The tribute will feature custom cocktails and a fivecourse menu. The dinner is not a BYO event, organizers say. The location will be announced shortly before the meal, as are all Blind Pig Supper Club charity fundraising food events. Menus will be revealed at the dinner.

Seatings will be at 5 and 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $40 and are available at bpdearlybeloved.eventbrite.com (gratuity is not included in the ticket price).

Learn how to make ghee Ghee, a kind of clarified butter, has been used in India for thousands of years. Stable at room temperature, it’s thought to have healing properties and is an essential ingredient in a lot of Indian cooking. Villagers, an urban homesteading shop in West Asheville, will host a workshop, Making Culinary and Holiday Spiced Ghee, on Sunday, Dec. 9. Teaching will be Marion Hearth, founder and creator of Goddess Ghee, an Asheville-based company that makes ghee from the milk of grass-fed cows.

Hearth advocates ghee not only as a kitchen staple but also as a vehicle of herbal medicine. This is one of the last classes Villagers will offer before it closes for good at the end of December.

The workshop will be 5:30-8 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 9. Villagers is at 278 Haywood Road. The cost is $20. To register for classes, visit forvillagers.com.

Are you prepared for the holidays?

We have a large delicious assortment of pies!

Order yours early!

GIVING GAMES

Tupelo Honey pairs meal with beers Tupelo Honey in South Asheville will host a four-course dinner Wednesday, Dec. 12, with beer pairings from Pisgah Brewing Co. The meal will feature local ingredients and beverages curated and created by executive chef Brian Anders and sous chef Matt Rebol. After an amuse bouche of country ham deviled egg and the roasted vegetable and wilted arugula salad appetizer, the menu moves to the main course — deep-fried turkey mole with cherry cranberry sauce, vegetable casserole with tobacco onions, sweet potato crisp with marshmallow and roasted maple and sage root vegetables. Dessert is apple brown betty.

Tupelo Honey is at 1829 Hendersonville Road. The dinner is $45 and includes all courses and drink pairings. X

All donors who give during Big Give Week (Dec. 1-8) will be entered in a drawing for a

new bike!

(Gift certificate from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop for $600)

Join us for a CH AMPAGNE TASTING Dec 13th The most festive time of year calls for the most festive type of wine — Champagne! Join us as we explore small grower Champagne with 3 flights of 9 wines from 6 producers!

Dec 13th, 7-9pm $25/person, Call to make a reservation.

is raising funds and awareness for 40 worthy local nonprofits that make a big difference where we live — and to make giving simple and fun, no matter how small or large the gift.

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

39

TOP SHELF VIEWS

FOOD

by Audrey and Bill Kopp | audreybill@liquornerds.com

The allure of bourbon The origin of most spirits can be traced to a specific region or country: Gin is most often associated with England; scotch, of course, is a product of Scotland. Rum is a Caribbean spirit, while tequila comes from Mexico.

Rye whiskey is often thought of as an American spirit, but it has origins in and around Germany.

So it’s bourbon whiskey that best deserves the appellation of “the quintessential American spirit,” says Casey Campfield of downtown bar The Crow & Quill. “There’s a poetic allure to the history of bourbon that really appeals to me.”

Compared with other spirits, bourbon has a relatively short history. The alcoholic beverage we call bourbon appeared only after European settlers made their way to North America.

Despite its comparative newness, beverage historians can’t even agree on where the name bourbon came from.

Many assume that the spirit originated in Bourbon County, Ky. But, as liquor historian Michael Veach explained when interviewed for a 2013 Smithsonian Magazine interview, there’s strong evidence that the term was first used in New Orleans.

Nineteenth-century bar patrons were known to request “that whiskey they sell on Bourbon Street,” a Kentuckymade corn-based product aged in barrels so that it would taste a bit like cognac.

HORSE’S MANE Courtesy of Casey Campfield • 1¼ ounce bourbon • 1¼ ounce Aperol • Two dashes Bittermen’s Tiki Bitters • Two thumbnail-sized pieces of fresh ginger • Eight fresh mint leaves • Ginger beer Muddle mint and ginger in a mixing glass. Add bourbon, Aperol, bitters and ice; shake vigorously. Strain into zombie glass, top with ginger beer and garnish with a sprig of mint.

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

Asheville bartenders discuss ‘the quintessential American spirit’

WAXING POETIC: Although its provenance is not as clear as many assume, bourbon is a truly American liquor, says Casey Campfield of The Crow & Quill, pictured, right, with Double Crown and Lazy Diamond owner Chris Bower. “There’s a poetic allure to the history of bourbon that really appeals to me.” Photo by Luke Van Hine Experts do agree on what makes a bourbon. In fact, in some cases, it’s mandated by law. Bourbon must be distilled from a mash bill (grains and water) containing at least 51 percent corn. That corn gives bourbon one of its distinctive characteristics: sweetness. The remainder of the mash can include rye, malted barley, wheat and/or other grains. “A high rye mash bill will give you a really nice, spicy kick,” Campfield says. “Wheat creates a gentler, softer, slightly sweeter bourbon.”

Bonded bourbon is produced under exacting standards, explains Chris Bower, co-owner of West Asheville “dive bar” The Double Crown, downtown’s Lazy Diamond and Eda Rhyne Distillery.

“Bonded bourbon is 100 proof [50 percent alcohol] and aged in a warehouse under government supervision. The reason I love bonded stuff is because there’s transparency,” he says. “You know exactly what you’re going to get, right down to the warehouse it was aged in.”

Bourbon must be matured at least two years in new American oak casks that have been charred. “New oak gives a lot of vanillin and other compounds,”

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Campfield explains. “It imparts a lot of sugar to the spirit as well.”

“The barrel process is where a lot of the magical things happen,” adds Bower. He says that many factors affect bourbon’s finished character, including where within the rick house (aging storage facility) the barrel is located, weather and blending. The addition of leftover mash from a previous batch — a process called “sour mash” — helps ensure consistency.

But consistency isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, says Bower. “I look for inconsistency,” he says. “That way I know the product is actually made by human beings. If I can taste a little bit of variation, that makes it more real to me.”

The Crow & Quill and Double Crown each offer more than 125 brands of bourbon. And Campfield and Bower agree that sweetness is just part of what gives bourbon its character. “You really want to be looking for sweetness and spice and the way those two things balance each other,” says Campfield.

Both recommend Henry McKenna Single Barrel, a bonded bourbon aged for a decade, as a good balance of price and quality. “If you want to sip on a

sophisticated bourbon, this would be it,” Bower says. Campfield emphasizes that McKenna is “a great mixing bourbon” as well. And Bower says that despite its unfortunate reputation as the choice of rabble-rousing college students, Fighting Cock is a good choice, too. Campfield has good things to say about Buffalo Trace bourbon but notes that the brand has become more difficult to find locally.

Both men express a preference for the bonded varieties of bourbon. “I really like a slightly higher-proof bourbon for mixing,” Campfield says. “It punches through the other ingredients that are lying on top of it.”

“I’m just a debutante when it comes to all this stuff,” says Bower with a chuckle. “I’m not that intellectual about it; I just love the spirit.” Campfield’s perspective is not dissimilar. “Keep in mind that this is a completely subjective field,” he advises. “Your tastes are just as valid as anyone else’s.”

The Crow & Quill and Double Crown both make a point of offering bourbons that are inexpensive and approachable, right alongside superpremium brands. “Just because you don’t have $250 doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good bourbon,” Bower says. He believes drinkers can enjoy a wide variety of bourbon experiences at any price, so there’s no reason not to explore. “Some people say, ‘I only drink Jack Daniel’s,’” he says. “I don’t quite understand that; it’s like saying, ‘I’m only going to eat pizza.’” X

THE FAIRFIELD CONNECTION Courtesy of Chis Bower • 1½ ounce bourbon • 1⅛ ounce Suze • 3/4 ounce Eda Rhyne Fernet Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until glass is frosted; strain into a coupe. Twist to express the oils from a strip of orange peel over the glass, and rub the peel around the rim of the glass.

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

41

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

STATE’S EVIDENCE

‘Oxford American’ celebrates North Carolina music with two local events

BY BILL KOPP bill@musoscribe.com North Carolina has a rich musical history and a thriving current music scene. Both are being recognized in the winter 2018 issue of Oxford American. The esteemed literary and arts magazine devotes the entirety of the issue to the state’s music and poetry. And in conjunction with the issue, Oxford American is hosting a series of events in four cities. That series of celebrations culminates with two events: one at Isis Music Hall on Friday, Nov. 30, and a separate event at Malaprop’s the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 1.

Along with Asheville, events to launch the issue are scheduled in Raleigh, Durham and Charlotte.

At Malaprop’s, authors will read selected stories from the magazine, with brief interstitial sets from Raleigh-born singer-songwriter Tift Merritt.

Merritt — whose essay on folkblues musician Elizabeth Cotten is included in the magazine — will take part in all seven Oxford American happenings across North Carolina. Though she lived in New York City for nearly a decade and has toured extensively, Merritt still acknowledges deep roots to her home state.

“North Carolina has always informed the way that I tell stories,” Merritt says. “I grew up at a time where regional identity was really a strong and special thing.”

After years during which she felt she needed to explore the world, Merritt says she realized, “I just want to be in this place where people know me, my child and my family.”

In addition to performing at the celebration events, Merritt is the talent organizer. While the Oxford American staff initially floated the idea of a touring “house band,” Merritt had another idea. She asked herself, “How can we put together something that is seamless and simple, but also encourages interesting collaborations and cooperation?”

The answer comes in the form of a “singing circle” featuring multiple artists. Merritt explains the concept: “I’ll sort of invite someone to sing

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

DON’T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD: The winter issue of Oxford American, left, spotlights North Carolina music with a wealth of essays exploring the state’s sounds, past and present. Two local events – one featuring a singing circle that includes Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen, right – will take place in Asheville. Photo of Cohen by Jimmy Williams with me and then set it off spinning,” she says. “From both a spiritual place and a production standpoint, it seems like a way to thread the needle somewhat elegantly.”

Isis Music Hall will be the setting for the Asheville circle, featuring Amanda Anne Platt (Oxford American’s current opening spread displays an evocative photo — by Asheville photographer Sandlin Gaither — of Platt outside her West Asheville home), Tyler Ramsey, Shannon Whitworth and several others, including Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen. Born in North Carolina, the blues singer had a thriving career in New Orleans. But amid the postKatrina devastation, she came home.

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“You’re going to have ups and downs wherever you go,” Cohen says. “But if you have downs here, it’s a lot easier to live. People are basically pretty nice.” She brought her optimistic attitude with her.

“I said, ‘I’m going to build myself back up again; the more I work, the better I get. I’m going to get better and better every time I go someplace,” she says, “until everybody will know who I am.”

An image of Tryon-born singer and musician Nina Simone graces the cover of Oxford American’s 20th annual Southern Music Issue. Tiana Clark’s essay, “Nina Is Everywhere I Go” examines Simone’s role as a poetic influence. But that cover

story is only one of nearly 20 North Carolina-focused features, delving into the life and work of artists as diverse as jazz giant John Coltrane, hip-hop producer/rapper 9th Wonder, James Taylor, alternarock legends the dB’s, John Cage, George Clinton and Etta Baker.

Other features in the 160-page issue explore the beach music scene, Latin music in Charlotte and the role of Kinston in the history of funk. The issue goes beyond music, including poetry from Ashevillean Nickole Brown and four other North Carolina writers: Tyree Daye, Benjamin Naka-Hasebe Kingsley, Zachary Lunn and C.L. White.

Since 2012, Charlotte native and Oxford American deputy editor Max George has been on the staff of the magazine, which is published in partnership with the University of Central Arkansas. “Even as a North Carolina native, I knew going into the production of this issue that it would be a deep well,” he says. “But I’ve been floored with the depth of the stories and the unexpected subjects that came about.”

The issue chronicles stories that might otherwise go untold. Writer and Winston-Salem native John Kirby is a record scout for reissue record label Numero Group and, says George, “a deep North Carolina music head.” His profile of Winston-Salem musician Wesley Johnson of the Teentones is one of many standout features. “We want to be as sensitive as we can to covering as many different genres, eras and artists as we can,” George says.

George concedes that the magazine simply can’t be comprehensive with its state-themed issues, but the winter 2018 publication remains an impressive sampler of North Carolina’s musical-cultural landscape: “We really try to present

a snapshot of the scene from the state in the time and the place that we’re coming at it.” X

WHAT Oxford American’s Statewide Singing Circle WHERE Isis Music Hall 743 Haywood Road isisasheville.com WHEN Friday, Nov. 30, 8:30 p.m. $20 ___________________ WHAT Stories from Oxford American’s N.C. Music Issue WHERE Malaprop’s 55 Haywood St. malaprops.com WHEN Saturday, Dec. 1, 3 p.m.

Free

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

43

A& E

by Alli Marshall

amarshall@mountainx.com

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

If The Hunt — the 2015 debut album by local singer-songwriter Adrienne Ammerman — was a quiet and personal project, Ammerman’s follow-up record comes out of the gate with proverbial guns blazing.

“The Hook,” the title track of the new album, begins with waves of electric guitar and driving percussion before Ammerman’s velvety vocal enters.

“From the dry earth tended our fragile seeds / the best we could never enough to reprieve,” she sings. “Extricate the hook and let it bleed / burn the rags stained by what we don’t need.”

Ammerman wrote the song while going through a divorce and finding her footing as a single mother of two small children. But, despite its dark moods and wrenching genesis, The Hook also offers plenty of hope. Ammerman will launch the album at The Mothlight on Thursday, Nov. 29.

“For this [record] I gave myself permission to speed things up, and bringing other people on changed the sound a lot,” says Ammerman. The crunchy guitar on The Hook is played by her brother, Nick Ammerman, the person who introduced Adrienne to music when she was young. Nick and his wife, Sarah Ammerman (bass), who live in Chicago, recorded their parts last year at Thanksgiving while they were in Asheville. Other contributors include Michael Libramento (bass), Charles Howes (drums), Wes Tirey (guitar), Kim Roney (keyboard), Ronika McClain (vocals) and Meg Mulhearn (violin). Mulhearn also served as production consultant (“We called her album midwife,” Adrienne notes) and will open the album release show as Divine Circles. The project was engineered by Patrick Kukucka.

Aside from her brother’s guitar work, “I feel the women in my family so much,” on this album, Adrienne says. One grandmother was a writer, another was a painter. Adrienne’s mother created the album art for The Hook. “I’m lucky to have that legacy of the women in my family demonstrating to me that creative expression is something to take pride in and make time for and to be brave with.”

A longtime writer and poet, Adrienne didn’t fully venture into music until 2014. She had volunteered at the inaugural Girls Rock Asheville camp as a band coach teaching guitar, and through that organization met other local women musicians. Those rela-

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Adrienne Ammerman releases new album ‘The Hook’

BRAVE ART: “I’m lucky to have that legacy of the women in my family demonstrating to me that creative expression is something to take pride in and make time for and to be brave with,” says Adrienne Ammerman of part of the inspiration for her songwriting. She also loves to collaborate with other women artists, and her new album, The Hook, includes the contributions of many local players. Photo by Sarah Snyder tionships still bolster her creative process. Speaking to the even balance of men and women artists on her new album, Adrienne points out, “I collaborate a lot with women, so it’s not like I had to try” to include them in the recording process.

Still, it’s noteworthy because it’s not yet the norm. But Adrienne seems determined to make her art on her terms. She created her own imprint,

Patience Peacock, for the release of The Hook because, she says, “I don’t have a lot of patience for gatekeepers.”

Because making the album meant working around Adrienne’s full-time job and parenting responsibilities, plus the schedules of the other musicians involved, songs for The Hook were tracked in batches of three.

“What I like about recording an album is it’s an encapsulation of time,” she

explains. “It tells a story of a period in my life.” Though it took about a year to complete The Hook, most of its songs were written recently.

A couple had been penned for The Hunt but didn’t fit in that collection.

“Songs are a meditation on what I’m going through,” Adrienne says.

“It’s helped me heal through a difficult time — helped me get to the heart of what I’m feeling.”

The title track “helped me tell myself I was going to be able to get at a point of healing and forgiveness even though I wasn’t there yet,” she says. “Some people pray, or they have an outlet like that. For me … the music process helps guide me.”

“The Ones We Love,” which appears second on the album, pairs Tirey’s strident, droning guitar part with Adrienne’s clear and insistent vocal. But the most aching part of the song is the near-spoken delivery of the line, “You won’t know my children, you lost that right / wish I could guard all the girls in the night.” The lyrics were written about Donald Trump right before the 2016 presidential election and is informed in part by a conversation with someone who endured sexual abuse.

The breezy, dreamy “Orlando” was written about the time that recording began. It felt “important to me to include it on the album and have it as the last song on the album because, in terms of my story of the album, it’s a shift into a more positive, hopeful stance,” Adrienne says.

The idea of playing this vulnerable material doesn’t faze the musician.

She’s added newer material to her live-show repertoire, including “a song about falling in love that’s kind of sexy and fun.”

Because, as Adrienne adds, “For me, I know it’s not a static story.

It’s continuing to evolve.” X

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45

A&E

by Ami Worthen

amiworthen@gmail.com

WON’T BACK DOWN Addiction, family and faith are some of the themes artistically addressed in Asheville-based writer Monica McDaniel’s upcoming play, Left Behind — Reflection. Building on the success of last year’s production of Left Behind at the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, McDaniel will present this new work at 35below. It opens Friday, Nov. 30.

In Left Behind, the lead character Logan, who struggles with addiction, leaves her young daughters with their grandmother. She returns years later to bury her mother, seeking reconciliation with her family. For Left Behind — Reflection, “I wanted to take a lighter approach. No one will die this time,” says McDaniel. “It’s also about ... unity and family, and a mom not giving up on her child.”

McDaniel acknowledges the difficulties faced by the relatives of a person dealing with addiction issues. “I know a lot of times parents give up,” she says.

“It hits home because my mom never gave up on my sister during her addiction, even though it was frustrating to myself and my brother. She was still like, ‘As a mom, I can’t give up on her.’”

In addition to family support, in Left Behind — Reflection, Logan finds pastoral guidance and friendship. McDaniel says the play will be “uplifting and funny, but still with a deeper message.”

The move to 35below came as a result of an invitation from the Asheville Community Theatre, which was impressed with Left Behind and enthusiastic about bringing McDaniel’s work to its space. While her first play, The Many Personalities of the Soul…, was staged at the ACT in 2012, McDaniel put it on independently, and tickets were not sold at the

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Photo courtesy of McDaniel box office. To have ACT officially host this play “is a true honor,” she says.

Going from the large stage at the Grant Center to the more intimate setting of 35below required crafting a smaller set and a smaller cast. Actress Ki’era Gash returns as Logan, and she is joined

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

Monica McDaniel brings her latest production to the 35below stage

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by new characters played by Rasheeda Johnson, Michael Davis and Kim Akbar.

For McDaniel, a plus of the black box format is, “[The audience is] right there, so it puts you right into the story.”

Like Left Behind, this play will feature music and singing, this time directed by William Hamilton, the pastor at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Mars Hill.

Her experience with Left Behind taught McDaniel a number of lessons. She says she learned “patience, definitely a lot of patience.” She also learned that “you have to be more business-minded, and even though you have a friendship, you have to realize it is a business and you have to run your business accordingly.”

As a result of this growth, McDaniel is confident that the production will be “a lot more professional this time around.”

The performances of Left Behind at the Grant Center were met with full houses and visible support from the local African-American community.

When asked about putting on an allblack theater production in Asheville, McDaniel says, “It’s rare, so when it happens, it’s important and it’s like, ‘Let’s show support to each other.’

How many playwrights do we have who are African-American who are actually putting their stuff on?”

She continues, “Last year, the response was awesome. That was mind-blowing, and it gave me even more motivation to keep going.”

Of black-led theater, McDaniel says, “People want it and people crave it. I think we need it here. You can go to the big cities and see it anytime — the big cities are spoiled. Let’s spoil each other here.”

With her latest play ready to open, McDaniel is already planning her next production. “Next year I’m going to try my best to write a play about the #MeToo movement,” she says. “It will talk about the victims and the perpetrators. The victims are not always women — men are victims, too — so I will cover aspects on both sides.”

The play will “cover the politics of it, as well,” she adds, addressing racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

But back to the current production.

“This play has helped me in so many ways,” McDaniel reveals. “While working on Left Behind — Reflection, my daughter and I became homeless through unfortunate circumstances that were beyond my control.”

There’s a happy ending: McDaniel is now a homeowner.

She continues, “The people in this play gave me so much hope, so much laughter and joy. They gave me sunshine through my darker days. I want people to walk away with that light. ... Even though you’re going through something, that light is there. It may not come when you want it, but it’ll be there on time.” X

WHAT Left Behind — Reflection WHERE 35below 35 E. Walnut St. ashevilletheatre.org WHEN Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 30-Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m. $20

by Kim Ruehl

anymedia@gmail.com

HAMMER OUT THE LOVE Joshua Messick was 4 years old when his whole world changed.

He was buckled into his mother’s van, she slipped a cassette into the player, and he heard the most beautiful sound of his short life.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“That’s a hammered dulcimer,” his mother said.

“That’s so beautiful. I’m going to learn how to play that by the time I’m 30,” he claims to have decided.

Now 33, Messick has built a loyal local following through his hammered dulcimer. Indeed, for two nights — Fridays, Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 — he will transform White Horse Black Mountain into a winter wonderland with his holiday soundscapes. Not only will Messick deliver some favorite Christmas classics with his ensemble (including his wife, Stephanie Messick, on Celtic harp), but he’ll also unfurl original compositions that he wrote after being inspired by winter in the mountains.

Born and raised in Houston, Messick found his way to the Asheville area six years ago, thanks to his passion for the hammered dulcimer. He’d set out from Houston on a tour that had him swinging through Western North Carolina.

“I played a concert,” he remembers, “and I’d never found people that were more appreciative of me as an artist and appreciative of my instrument. I said, ‘This is me. I’m not going back to Texas.’ That was when I was 27. I had $300 in my wallet and I moved here, lived in a guy’s basement for a while.”

Six years later, Messick regularly sells out shows in the area, and he looks forward to the White Horse concerts, when he’ll also be celebrating the release of his latest recording, Hammered Dulcimer Christmas, Volume II. This album comes as a follow-up to Messick’s first Christmas album, 2014’s aptly titled Hammered Dulcimer Christmas, whereon he performed his exquisite arrangements of “O Holy Night,” “Carol of the Bells” and other classics. Volume II is slightly more ambitious, with gorgeous interpretations of “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” “I Wonder as I Wander” and more.

Joshua Messick releases a second holiday album

REASON FOR THE SEASON: “There’s a lot of things around Christmas that can be difficult for people, myself included,” says hammered dulcimer player Joshua Messick. After years of avoiding the idea, he finally decided to record holiday albums because “I know what it means to hurt, but I also know what it means to experience healing through music.”

Photo by Lynne Harty Though these are all widely beloved holiday songs, Messick admits resisting the pull toward Christmas music for as long as he possibly could. “People asked for 20 years, ‘Josh, when are you going to make a Christmas album?’ I said no, everybody has a Christmas album.

Why would I do that? … I couldn’t do it just for commercial interest.

That would feel like selling out,” he explains.

Messick notes that his first holiday album came after he “hit a crisis point. I put on a totally different lens of what Christmas means,” he says.

“It’s important to celebrate the good things of life, even when things don’t feel good in your life. … Sometimes, to be able to celebrate, we have to heal.

“There’s a lot of things around Christmas that can be difficult for people,” he adds, “myself included.

We’re reminded of bad news, family disharmony, issues. We have to heal from those. So, really, my Christmas album — the first one — I made saying, ‘I want to reach out to the world and let you know I know what it means to hurt, but I also know what it means to experience healing through music.’ I think it’s good to celebrate the wonderful and beautiful things about life … through a season where we all get together and say, ‘OK, we’re going to celebrate these things.’ ... I wanted to be a part of that.”

Next to the Christmas season and the new recording, another thing Messick is celebrating this year is

the stateside release of Mary and the Witch’s Flower, which features his dulcimer as the signature instrument in the animated film — the first from Japanese filmmakers Studio Ponoc (the successor of Studio Ghibli).

As the studio’s all-hand-drawn animation came together, director Hiromasa Yonebayashi was determined that the film’s soundtrack feature hammered dulcimer. His search for the perfect instrumentalist brought him to Messick, whom he flew to Tokyo to record with some of Japan’s finest musicians for that nation’s most revered animated film studio.

The soundtrack is a tremendous honor and accomplishment for an artist mostly unknown within his own country. The first note in the film comes from Messick’s instrument, and one of the characters wields a magical dulcimer mallet, in honor of Messick’s work on the soundtrack.

On a recent November morning, Messick mused about the year that’s passed and the year ahead, the luck he’s had with his musical journey and his hammered dulcimer and how it feels like he’s part of something bigger whenever he picks up the mallets.

“Music is what connects everybody together in a way that really very few things can,” he says. “You can have every single different culture, background, political agenda, personality together and nobody’s asking any of those questions.

We’re together. And that force of connection is really what we need. ... That’s so powerful.” X

WHO Joshua Messick WHERE White Horse Black Mountain 105 Montreat Road Black Mountain whitehorseblackmountain.com WHEN Fridays, Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, 8 p.m. $18 advance/$20 at the door

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THEATER PREVIEW

by Jeff Messer | upstge@yahoo.com

Mad tidings With the coming of the holiday season in Asheville, there are many traditions within the world of local theater.

Montford Park Players has staged A Christmas Carol for many years: It’s a time-honored way for audiences to celebrate the season. The Magnetic Theatre, however, has staked out the opposite territory in its annual offering.

For nearly a decade, the theater company has offered an annual peek into the lives of one infamous family: the Bernsteins. The Magnetic Theatre proudly describes the play as “an ideal family celebrates the holidays with booze, sex, recreational drug use and a complete lack of shame or propriety.” Fa-la-ooh-la-la.

This year, The 25th Annual Bernstein Family Christmas Spectacular opens Thursday, Nov. 29. Be forewarned — performances sell out.

Never mind the “25th annual” part of the title. Never mind that last year was the “34th annual” show. There have been many numerical Bernstein shows over nine years. What is important is that, despite changes in management at The Magnetic Theatre in the past year, the popular production goes on.

The Magnetic Theatre’s new artistic co-director Andrew Gall (who teams with Katie Jones) refers to the show as “an ode to the TV specials of yesteryear, with the dysfunctional Bernstein clan doing a variety of skits as they pay a twisted kind of homage to beloved Christmas traditions.”

Just how twisted are those skits?

“This show is absolutely for adults only,” Gall says, “and only for those who are willing to go along for a ride with some delightfully depraved individuals.”

So, maybe not for the especially sensitive or easily offended.

“The initial idea behind the Bernsteins was to create a Christmas show that wasn’t the typical fare — something a little more fun, exciting, drunken and raucous, and it’s such an honor that local audiences have responded so positively to the show,” says producer Chall Gray. “The great thing about starting the show from scratch every year is that we always get to push the envelope in new directions.”

That means unlike many holiday staples — those with dialogue so familiar the audience can recite it along with the actors — each year’s Bernstein Family staging is an original production. New sketches and new family members are added as needed from year to year.

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

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The Bernstein Family returns to The Magnetic Theatre

NAUGHTY AND NICE: “The initial idea behind the Bernsteins was to create a Christmas show that wasn’t the typical fare — something a little more fun, exciting, drunken and raucous,” says Chall Gray, producer of The Magnetic Theatre’s The 25th Annual Bernstein Family Christmas.

Tracey Johnston-Crum, pictured, stars. Photo by Rodney Smith/Tempus Fugit Design “The show is, as always, written completely anew by the writing team,” says Gray, “and we even have a couple of new surprises this year that will surprise even long-standing attendees.”

This year’s play is written by Peter Lundblad, Jim Julien, Genevieve Packer and Lucia Del Vecchio Gray, who also serves as this season’s director.

But it’s not a complete do-over.

Audiences will see familiar faces from previous Bernstein exploits, such as stars Tracey Johnston-Crum and Darren Marshall, who have been staples throughout all nine years of the R-rated romp. Erik Moellering has been a part of the cast for eight years, and Glenn Reed has been there for seven. With only two years under her belt, Sarah Felmet rounds out the cast this year.

The show has garnered something of a cult following, and the late-night showings are legendary for being even more raucous than their early-evening

counterparts. To set the tone, “It’s the Christmas show for people who are intrigued by the idea of Baby Jesus being a grown man with a flask of vodka hidden in his diaper,” says Gray. X

WHAT The 25th Annual Bernstein Family Christmas Spectacular WHERE The Magnetic Theatre 375 Depot St. themagnetictheatre.org WHEN Thursday, Nov. 29-Saturday, Dec. 15.

Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. with 10 p.m. showings on Fridays and Saturdays after the first weekend. $27

SMART BETS

A&E

by Edwin Arnaudin | Send your arts news to ae@mountainx.com

It’s a Wonderful Life With Dec. 25 rapidly approaching, many people will be dusting off their copies of Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life or blocking out a few hours for NBC’s annual Christmas Eve broadcast. In the days leading up to that beloved tradition, Asheville’s Immediate Theatre Project offers Live From WVL Radio Theatre: It’s A Wonderful Life, the company’s creative take on the familiar material. The brainchild of local actor and playwright Willie Repoley, the story involves a resourceful group of radio station employees who perform the tale of George Bailey when a snowstorm prevents the professional voice actors from getting to the studio. The N.C. Stage Company production opens Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m. It runs through Sunday, Dec. 16, Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with additional Saturday matinees on Dec. 1 and 8. $17-36. ncstage.org.

Photo courtesy of N.C. Stage Company

The Big Crafty Shoppers looking to give loved ones arts and crafts gifts they can’t find anywhere else will encounter a plethora of options at The Big Crafty’s holiday weekend events. Now in its 10th year of celebrating “the beauty of a human-scale economy and communitybuilding, soul-enriching creative work,” the 2018 gathering features 170 artists, creators and craft innovators, including 51 first-time participants. The showcase begins Saturday, Dec. 1, at U.S. Cellular Center with a preview party that’s free for children ages 12 and younger and $5 for everyone else. It will be followed by a free Community Day on Sunday, Dec. 2. Each day’s festivities run noon-6 p.m. thebigcrafty.com. Photo

by Brandy Bourne

Warren G

Elly Lonon For her new graphic novel, North Carolina native Elly Lonon took her McSweeney’s political satire column, Amongst the Liberal Elite, and expanded it into a book-length tale. Featuring art design by Joan Reilly, The Road Trip Exploring Societal Inequities Solidified by Trump (RESIST) follows couple Alex and Michael as they use their tax refund to embark on a cross-country trek. Their goal is to reconnect with their fellow Americans and better understand how Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. “Basically, it’s a political satire about how hard it is to get woke,” Lonon says. “I ... hope it will inspire people to keep trying, regardless of how hard it is or isn’t to do.”

Lonon will share her latest work at Firestorm Books & Coffee on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 3 p.m., in conversation with local illustrator Michelle Lodge. Free. firestorm.coop. Author photo by Lee Seidenberg Photography

Best known for teaming with the late, great Nate Dogg on the iconic 1994 anthem “Regulators,” Warren G has remained an active musical force over the past 25-plus years. Along with dropping a steady stream of West Coast hip-hop records, he collaborated with Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø on the 1998 concept album The Rapsody Overture, which paired European opera singers with American rappers. Dr. Dre’s stepbrother is also featured in the recent YouTube Originals documentary G Funk, which explores the distinct sound that he, Snoop Dogg, the D.O.C. and others broadcast to the world from Los Angeles. The music legend stops by The Grey Eagle on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 10 p.m. A pair of Asheville acts — hip-hop artist Colston and jazz/hip-hop/R&B band April B. & The Cool — open the night. $22 advance/$25 day of show. thegreyeagle.com Photo courtesy of Warren G

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A & E CALENDAR

=❄ ART ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS 828-254-1776, ashevillegreenworks.org • FR (11/30), 3-5:30pm - River Arts District public art unveiling. Free. Held at Jean Webb Park, 30 Riverside Drive ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 43 Patton Ave., 828-254-7162, colburnmuseum.org • FR (11/30), 6-8pm - "Make and Mingle: Corny Crafts," adult only journal making event with refreshments. Registration required: bit. ly/2qKtuWq. $20.

❄ BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty. org/governing/depts/ library • SA (12/1), 11am12:30pm - Holiday ornament craft-making event. Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester • TUESDAYS (12/4) until (12/18), 10am - Art classes for veterans: "Observations in Art and Music."

Sponsored by the Asheville Area Arts Council. Registration required: 828-2580710. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828-774-3000, facebook.com/ Leicester.Community.

Center • 1st TUESDAYS, 6:30pm - Community art night for children and adults. Free.

ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS

❄ SHOW & TELL HOLIDAY POP UP SHOP (PD.) 11/30-12/19, 10am8pm @AVL MASONIC TEMPLE. A gift for everyone on your list!

Shop local/indie craft, design, and vintage.

Opening party 12/1, 6-9pm w/ Bhramari beer, live music, fairy hair, and face paint. showandtellpop50

Library, 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard BREVARD MUSIC CENTER 828-862-2105, brevardmusic.org • 1st MONDAYS, 12:30pm - Community concert series. Free.

Held in the Porter Center, Brevard College, 1 Brevard College Drive, Brevard

upshop.com • 80 Broadway St. 28801.

❄ ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY YOGA CENTER 8 Brookdale Road, ashevillecommunityyoga.com • SU (12/2), 10am5pm - Third annual holiday art market with food, ceramics, photography and jewelry. A portion of each purchase will support Asheville Community Yoga. Free to attend. ❄ BULLINGTON GARDENS 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville, 828-698-6104, bullingtongardens.org • FR (11/30) & SA (12/1), 10am-4pm Holiday greenery and craft sale. Free to attend. ❄ CATHEDRAL OF ALL SOULS PARISH HALL 9 Swan St., Biltmore Village, 828-259-9717 • FR (11/30), 5-8:30pm & SA (12/1) 10am-5pm - The Well-Crafted Gift Holiday Pop-Up Shop, event featuring local artisans selling handmade art and crafts.

Free to attend. ❄ FRANKLIN SCHOOL OF INNOVATION 21 Innovation Drive, 828-318-8140, franklinschoolofinnovation.org • SU (12/2), noon-5pm - Holiday craft fair with over 20 vendors. Free to attend. ❄ HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Regional High Technology Center, 112 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville, 828-258-8737 • TH (12/6), 4-6pm & FR (12/7), 9am-5pm - Professional crafts programs holiday craft sale. Free to attend. Held in the Mary Cornwell Gallery of the Creative Arts Building.

MOUNTAIN AREA GEM AND MINERAL ASSOCIATION 828-779-4501, americanrockhound. com, rick@wncrocks. com • TH (11/29) until SU (12/2) - Gem and Mineral Christmas Show with indoor and outdoor vendors offering rocks, gems, minerals and fossils from around the

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

TOE TRIP: It’s time again for the annual Toe River Holiday Studio Tour. More than 100 artists, including potters, painters, glassblowers, textile artists, jewelers, blacksmiths, sculptors, carvers and mixed-media artists of Yancey and Mitchell Counties, open their studios for the three-day weekend, Friday, Nov. 30, through Sunday, Dec. 2. Studios are grouped into geographical regions: Bakersville, Burnsville, Celo, Penland and Spruce Pine. Attendees travel from one studio to the next on a self-guided tour 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Guidebooks with a list of participating artists, photos and maps are available at the Toe River Arts Council galleries in Burnsville and Spruce Pine, as well as a digital version online. Free to attend. For more information, visit toeriverarts.org. Photo of Nick Joerling courtesy of Toe River Arts Council (p. 50)

world. Fri. & Sat.: 9am5pm. Sun.: 10am-4pm.

Free to attend. Held at Camp Stephens, 263 Clayton Rd. Arden

❄ SOUTHERN HIGHLAND CRAFT GUILD 828-298-7928, craftguild. org • SA (12/1) & (12/8), 10am4pm - Annual holiday show with over 70 members.

Free to attend. Held at Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway ❄ THE BIG CRAFTY thebigcrafty.com/, crafty@ thebigcrafty.com • SU (12/2), noon-6pm Holiday craft fair featuring over 150 vendors. Free to attend. Held at US Cellular Center, 87 Haywood St.

❄ TOE RIVER HOLIDAY STUDIO TOUR 828-682-7215 • FR (11/30) until SU (12/2), 10am-5pm - Self-guided tour through artist studios is Mitchell and Yancey counties. For more information or studio maps visit: toeriverarts.org. Free to attend. Reception: Friday, Nov. 30, 5:307:30pm at Toe River Arts Council, 269 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 35 E. Walnut St., 828-2541320, ashevilletheatre.org • MO (12/3) & TU (12/4), 6-9pm - Open auditions for Footloose. Contact for guidelines.

MOUNTAINX.COM

CENTER FOR CRAFT 828-785-1357, craftcreativitydesign.org, info@craftcreativitydesign. org • Through FR (2/8) Applications accepted for 2020 Curatorial Fellowships. See website for guidelines.

CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE cityofhendersonville.org • Through TU (1/15) Submissions accepted for the 2019 ArtScape Banner Project in downtown Hendersonville.

Information: artscapehvl. org.

UPSTAIRS ARTSPACE upstairsartspace.org • SA (12/1), 1-5pm Seeking art donations up to $500 for the 40th Anniversary Gala Exhibition and Auction, Saturday, Dec. 8. Artists receive one free ticket. Contact: manager@upstairsartspace. org or 828-859-2828. Held at Upstairs Artspace, 49 S. Trade St., Tryon

DANCE LEARN TO DANCE! (PD.) Ballroom • Swing • Waltz • Salsa • Wedding • TwoStep • Special Events.

Lessons, Workshops, Classes and Dance Events in Asheville. Certified instructor. Contact Richard for information: 828-3330715. naturalrichard@mac. com • www.DanceForLife.net

❄ ASHEVILLE CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATRE 828-254-2621, acdt.org/

• FR (11/30), 7:30pm & SA (12/1), 2pm & 7:30pm Nutcracker and the Mouse King, dance performance. $29/$20 children. Held at Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave. HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS 174 Broadway, habitatbrewing.com • 1st MONDAYS, 7-8:30pm - "Salsa Dancing for the Soul," open levels salsa dance. Free to attend.

SOUTHERN LIGHTS SQUARE AND ROUND DANCE CLUB 828-697-7732, southernlights.org • SA (12/1), 6pm - "Santa's Toy Chest," themed dance. Advanced dance at 6pm. Early rounds at 7pm.

Plus squares and rounds at 7:30pm. Free. Held at Whitmire Activity Center, 310 Lily Pond Road, Hendersonville

❄ THEATER AT MARS HILL mhu.edu • SA (12/1), 5pm - Bailey Mountain Cloggers Christmas performance.

Silent auction at 3pm. $5.

Held in Moore Auditorium ❄ THEATER AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu.edu • TU (12/4), 7:30pm - The Nutcracker, performed by the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville. $15/$5 students. Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee • THURSDAY through SATURDAY (12/6) until (12/8), 7:30pm - Light Chasers, dance production from the WCU School of

Stage and Screen. $20/$10 students. Held at Western Carolina University Hoey Auditorium, 176 Central Dr, Cullowhee

MUSIC AFRICAN DRUM LESSONS AT SKINNY BEATS DRUM SHOP (PD.) Wednesdays 6pm. Billy Zanski teaches a fun approach to connecting with your inner rhythm.

Drop-ins welcome. • Drums provided. $15/class.

(828) 768-2826. www.skinnybeatsdrums. com

❄ ASHEVILLE CHAMBER

MUSIC SERIES 828-259-3626, ashevillechambermusic.org • FR (11/30), 8pm - "The Great Fugue," Calidore String Quartet concert featuring works by Haydn, Mendelssohn and Beethoven. $40. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

❄ ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY CHORUS ashevillesymphonychorus. com • TU (12/4), 7:30pm Fourth annual Handel's Messiah community singalong. $20. Held at First Presbyterian Church, 40 Church St. ❄ BLUE RIDGE RINGERS

HANDBELL ENSEMBLE blueridgeringers.tripod. com, blueridgeringers@ gmail.com • TU (12/4), noon Handbell Christmas concert. Free. Held at Transylvania County

❄ CAROLINA BRONZE HANDBELL ENSEMBLE 828-859-9414 • SU (12/2), 3pm - Carolina Bronze Handbell Ensemble.

Free. Held at Congregational Church of Tryon, UCC, 210 Melrose Ave, Tryon ❄ CAROLINA CONCERT CHOIR 607-351-2585, carolinaconcertchoir. org, ldoebler@ithaca.edu • FR (11/30), 7:30pm & SA (12/1), 3pm - Winter concert. $22/$5 student.

Held at Bo Thomas Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College, Hendersonville ❄ FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE 2661 Highway 225, Flat Rock, 828-693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS (11/29) until (12/22) - "A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas," production featuring holiday music and dance. Wed., Thurs., Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. Wed. & Thurs.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 8pm. $22 and up.

FOLKMOOT USA 828-452-2997, folkmootusa.org • TH (11/29), 6pm Art of Music Festival kickoff with performances by Milan Miller, John Wiggins, Mark Bumgarner, Aaron Bibelhauser and Balsam Range’s Buddy Melton and Darren Nicholson.

Information: balsamrangeartofmusicfestival.com. $30. Held at Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • FR (11/30), 7pm Peter Mayer concert. $30.

❄ GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 828-693-4890 • MO (12/3), 4pm Community Christmas

carol sing-along. Free to attend. Held at The Poe House, 105 First Ave., Hendersonville

❄ HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY BAND hcbmusic.com • SU (12/2), 3pm - Holiday concert featuring the Blue Ridge Ringers. $10.

Held at Blue Ridge Community College, 180 W Campus Drive, Flat Rock ❄ HENDERSONVILLE SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA 828-393-5222, hendersonvillesymphony.org/hsyo • SU (12/2), 4pm - Winter concert featuring the children's choir concert.

Held at Blue Ridge Community College, 180 W Campus Drive, Flat Rock ❄ J.E. BROYHILL CIVIC CENTER 1913 Hickory Blvd SE. Lenior, broyhillcenter.com • MO (12/3), 7pm - "Nutcracker Christmas: Ellington meets Tchaikowsky," concert featuring the ASU Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra. $15/$8 students. ❄ MADISON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL 828-649-1301, madisoncountyarts. com, info@ madisoncountyarts. com • SA (12/1), 10am3pm - Christian harmony shaped-note singing. Free. Held at Marshall Presbyterian Church, 165 S. Main St., Marshall MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-254-6734, malaprops.com • SA (12/1), 3pm Oxford American’s 2018 North Carolina Music Issue, launch with readings and live music. Free to attend.

❄ MUSIC AT MARS HILL mhu.edu • FR (11/30), 7pm Christmas concert by the MHU Department of Music. Free. Held in Moore Auditorium, Mars Hill University, 265 Cascade St., Mars Hill ❄ MUSIC AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu. edu • SU (12/2), 4pm - “Sounds of the Season,” concert featuring the WCU Wind Ensemble and University Chorus, jazz ensemble, percus-

sion ensemble and the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra. $15/$5 students and children. Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee

❄ ST. MATTHIAS CHURCH 1 Dundee St., 828-285-0033, stmatthiasepiscopal. com/ • SU (12/2), 3pm Pyramid Brass Quintet Christmas chamber music concert.

Admission by dontion.

WOMANSONG OF ASHEVILLE womansong.org • MONDAYS, 7-9pm - Community chorus rehearsals open to potential members. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 828-254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • TH (11/29), 7:30pm - "Listen to This" storytelling series hosted

by Tom Chalmers and featuring stories and original songs from locals. $15.

ASHEVILLE WRITERS' SOCIAL allimarshall@bellsouth. net • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6-7:30pm - NC Writer's Network group meeting and networking. Free to attend. Held at Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave., #101 BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE 1 Page Ave., #101 • TU (12/4), 6:30pm - Women in Lively Discussion Book Club (Wild): Over the Plain Houses by Julia Franks.

Free to attend.

BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS 225 W. State St., Black Mountain, 828-669-0930, blackmountainarts.org • SA (12/1), 7:30pm "Drop Your Troubles," solo storytelling performance with Connie Regan-Blake. $15.

BLUE RIDGE BOOKS 428 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville • SA (12/1), 3pm Rebecca Lile presents her book, God’s Diner.

Free to attend.

• 1st & 3rd SATURDAYS, 10am Banned Book Club. Free to attend.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (11/28), 6pm "Civil War Stories of Catherine Henry and James Henderson," dramatic reading presentation of local Civil War era letters and journals. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • SA (12/1), 10am3pm - “Fill a Box for $5” used book sale.

Free to attend. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • TU (12/4), 7pm Enka-Candler Book Club: Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig. Free.

Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • TU (12/4), 7pm Weaverville Evening Book Club: assorted short stories. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • WE (12/5), 3pm Weaverville Afternoon Book Club: Nocturnes

by Kazuo Ishiguro. Free.

Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville FIRESTORM BOOKS & COFFEE 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115, firestorm.coop • SA (12/1), 3pm - Elly Lonon presents her book, The Road Trip Exploring Societal Inequities Solidified by Trump (RESIST) along with comic Michelle Lodge. Free to attend.

• First SUNDAYS, 5pm Political prisoners letter writing. Free to attend.

HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS 174 Broadway, habitatbrewing.com • WE (12/5), 7:30pm WORD Series: Annual holiday show featuring singer-songwriter and storyteller, Michael Reno Harrell. $16.

LITERARY EVENTS AT UNCA unca.edu • WE (12/5), 6pm - Reading by UNC Asheville's 2018 Ramsey Library Community Author, Alli Marshall with accompaniment by singer-songwriter Heather Taylor. Refreshments at 5:30 pm. Free. Held at UNCA, Ramsey Library, 1 University Heights MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-254-6734, malaprops.com • TH (11/29), 7pm - Works in Translation Book Club: Heartsnatcher by Boris Vian, translated by Stanley Chapman. Free to attend.

• FR (11/30), 6pm Kevin McIlvoy presents his book, At the Gate of All Wonder and Christine Hale presents her book, A Piece of Sky, A Grain of Rice.

Free to attend.

• MO (12/3), 7pm LGBTQ Book Club: A Wild Swan: And Other Tales by Michael Cunningham. Free to attend.

• WE (12/5), 7pm Malaprop's Book Club: WAR by Sebastian Junger. Free to attend.

NEW DIMENSIONS TOASTMASTERS 828-329-4190 • THURSDAYS, noon1pm - General meeting.

Information: 828-3294190. Free to attend.

Held at Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, 33 Meadow Road ONTRACK WNC 828-255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • WE (11/28), 5:307:30pm - OnTrack WNC’s Women’s Financial Empowerment Center's Women & Money Story Night.

Registration required.

Free to attend. Held at Loretta's Cafe, 114 N. Lexington Ave.

THEATER 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 828-254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS (11/30) until (12/8), 7:30pm Left-Behind Reflection, production from WinniesChild. $20.

❄ ASHEVILLE CHRISTMAS SHOW AshevilleChristmasShow. com, info@marlumor.com • FR (11/30) & SA (12/1), 7:30-10pm - Asheville Christmas Show, familyfriendly Broadway-style show. $26. Held at Auditorium at AHS, 419 McDowell St. ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 35 E. Walnut St., 828-254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS (11/30) until (12/16) - Snowbound.

Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm.

Sun.: 2:30pm. $26/$12 children.

ATTIC SALT THEATRE COMPANY 828-505-2926 • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (12/6) until (12/16) - Blue Window,

by Craig Lucas. Thurs.Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $20. Held at Attic Salt Theatre, The Mills at Riverside, 2002 Riverside Drive, Suite 42-O

❄ BREVARD LITTLE THEATRE 55 E. Jordan St., Brevard, 828-884-2587, TheBrevardLittleTheatre. org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS (11/30) until (12/16) - The Lion in Winter. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 3pm. $18/$12 student/$6 children. ❄ HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-692-1082, hendersonvillelittletheater.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS (11/30) until (12/16) - Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $26. ❄ NC STAGE COMPANY 15 Stage Lane, 828-239-0263 • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS (11/28) until (12/16) - It's a Wonderful Life. Wed.Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm.

SA (12/1) & SA (12/8), 2pm. $17 and up. ❄ SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REPERTORY THEATRE 828-689-1239, sartplays.org • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (12/6) until (12/23) - Sanders Family Christmas. Thurs.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sat. & Sun.: 2:30pm. $25. Held at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, Owen Theatre, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill ❄ THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 828-279-4155 • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS (11/29) until (12/15), 7:30pm 25th annual Bernstein Family Christmas Spectacular. Fri. & Sat. (12/6) until SA (12/15) includes at 10pm. performance. $25. ❄ VANCE BIRTHPLACE 911 Reems Creek Road, Weaverville, 838-645-6706, nchistoricsites.org/vance • THURSDAY through SATURDAY (12/6) until (12/8) - A Christmas Carol, toy and shadow theatre production by the American Myth Center. Tours run every 30-minutes starting at 5:30pm with the last tour at 8pm.

Registration required: 828-645-6706. $5/$2 children/Free under 6 years.

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GALLERY DIRECTORY TRANSYLVANIA HERITAGE MUSEUM 189 W Main St., Brevard, 828-884-2347, transylvaniaheritage.org • Through SA (12/22) - Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum and Research Center (ATOM) Exhibition.

Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 25 AMERICAN FOLK ART AND FRAMING 64 Biltmore Ave., 828-281-2134, amerifolk.com • Through MO (12/31) - 2018 Holiday Wish List Celebration, group exhibition of folk art.

ART AT BREVARD COLLEGE 828-884-8188, brevard.edu/art • Through FR (12/7) - Eternity Is Written In Our Hearts, exhibition of photography and video

by Janelle VanderKelen. Held in the Spiers Gallery Held at Brevard College, 1 Brevard College Drive, Brevard

UPSTAIRS ARTSPACE 49 S. Trade St., Tryon, 828-859-2828, upstairsartspace.org • Through FR (11/30) - A Glass Act, exhibition of glass works by Michael Hatch.

• Through FR (11/30) - Solo Connections, exhibition of works by Nancy Cramer Lettenstrom, Libby Skamfer and Vivian Torrence.

• Through FR (11/30) - The Cloud Paintings, exhibition of works by Peter Roux.

ART AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY mhu.edu • Through FR (12/14) - Night Wings, exhibition of multi-media art by David Hopes. Held at Weizenblatt Art Gallery at MHU, 79 Cascade St, Mars Hill

WEST END BAKERY

ASHEVILLE BOOKWORKS 428 1/2 Haywood Road, 828-255-8444, ashevillebookworks.com • Through TH (1/31) - Wood Engravers' Network Triennial, group exhibition of wood engraved prints.

Putting the Bunk back in Buncombe! presents

The

Humor Issue

Coming Jan. 2 advertise@mountainx.com 52

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, FINE ART MUSEUM

ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART 82 Patton Ave., 828-251-5796, ashevillegallery-of-art.com • Through FR (11/30) Celebration, group show celebrating the gallery's 30th anniversary.

• SA (12/1) through MO (12/31) - Energy and Life, exhibition featuring the paintings of Sun Sohovich and Kari Swanson.

BLUE SPIRAL 1 38 Biltmore Ave., 828-251-0202, bluespiral1.com • Through FR (12/7) - From Sea to Shining Sea: The Decay of America, exhibition of works from four photographers.

FARM BURGER DOWNTOWN 10 Patton Ave., 828-348-8540, farmburger.com/asheville-nc/ • Through FR (11/30) Exhibition of works from Open Hearts Art Center.

GROVEWOOD GALLERY 111 Grovewood Road, 828-253-7651, grovewood.com • Through MO (12/31) - Eat, Drink & Be Merry, curated showcase of table settings for holiday entertaining.

Asheville’s post-holiday recovery tool

757 Haywood Road, 828-2529378, westendbakery.com • SU (12/2) through SU (12/30) - Exhibition of paintings by Joshua Weinstein and Rena Lindstrom.

MOMENTUM ON BROADWAY 52 Broadway St., 828-505-8550, momentumgallery.com • Though TH (12/13) - Casey Roberts: Cyanotype Paintings, exhibition.

• Though TH (12/13) - Small Works, Big Impact, annual curated collection of paintings, sculpture and mixed media.

PINK DOG CREATIVE 348 Depot St., pinkdog-creative.com • Through SU (12/30) - Al Dente, exhibition of photography by Clay Harmon.

MOUNTAINX.COM

THE EYES HAVE IT: Eyes, a group show curated by Constance Vlahoulis, features 20 artists working in a range of styles, including photorealism, impressionism and abstract expressionism. River Arts District artist Stephanie Grimes (featured at left), works in scratchboard — a process in which the artist uses a sharp instrument to incise into the ink-blackened page to reveal the white surface beneath. The opening reception for Eyes is Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the Adler Gallery, behind the main dining room of Posana Restaurant. Photo: “Equine Observer” by Stephanie Grimes courtesy of the artist POSANA CAFE 1 Biltmore Ave., 828-505-3969 • WE (12/5) through TH (2/28) Eyes, group painting exhibition curated by Constance Vlahoulis.

Reception: Wednesday, Dec. 5, 6-8pm.

PREMIER SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY 10 Brook St., Suite 130 • Through TU (12/18) - In the Midst, exhibition of environmental Imagery from the Asheville Art Museum.

RAMP STUDIOS 821 Riverside Drive, 828-5480090, therampstudios.com • Through FR (11/30) - A Dialog in Photographs, photographs

by Susan Patrice and Benjamin Dimmitt.

• Through FR (11/30) - Picturing Purity, curated group exhibition of photography and new media.

SOUTHERN HIGHLAND CRAFT GUILD 828-298-7928, craftguild.org • Through TU (2/5) - The Golden Fleece, group exhibition featuring more than 20 handmade ensembles in women's fashion.

Held at Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway THE ASHEVILLE SCHOOL 360 Asheville School Road, 828254-6345, ashevilleschool.org • Through FR (12/14) - Eccentric Archetypes, exhibition of mixedmedia portraits by Patti Anastasi.

Held in the Walker Arts Center's John M. Crawford Art Gallery

TRACEY MORGAN GALLERY 188 Coxe Ave., TraceyMorganGallery.com • Through SA (12/22) - Altering Nature: Pictures of a Changing Environment, group photography exhibition covering a range of techniques and media.

TRACKSIDE STUDIOS & GALLERY 375 Depot St., 828-545-2904, facebook.com/ TracksideStudios375/ • SU (12/2) through SU (12/30) - Toys, group show featuring paintings of toys.

THE TRYON DEPOT ROOM

TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL

22 Depot St., Tryon, 828-859-7001, tryondepotroom.com • Through FR (12/14) - Exhibition of paintings by Rich Nelson.

349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 828-884-2787, tcarts.org • Through FR (12/21) Appalachian Art: Past to Present, group exhibition.

199 Centennial Drive Cullowhee, wcu.edu/bardo-artscenter/fine-art-museum/ • Through (5/3) - Defining America, exhibition in a variety of media.

• Through SA (12/8) - Bachelor of Fine Arts students of WCU Portfolio Exhibition. Reception: Thursday, Dec. 6, 5-7pm.

• Through FR (12/7) - Glass Catalyst: Littleton's Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture featuring contemporary glass artists.

• Through FR (12/7) - You and I, mixed media works by Julie Buffalohead.

WINDOW GALLERY 54 Broadway, windowcontemporary.org • Through SA (1/26) - The Slowness, exhibition of works

by Brooks Dierdorff.

WINE DOWN ON MAIN 28 E Main St., Brevard, 828-8839463, winedownbrevard.com • Through FR (11/30) - The Road to Indigo, exhibition of art work by artists from Mamapajama Studio.

WOOLWORTH WALK 25 Haywood St., 828-254-9234 • Through MO (12/31) Exhibition of the paintings of Scott Mills.

ZAPOW! 828-252-7489, wncap.org • Through SU (1/20) Reclaiming Masculinity, group exhibition. Held at ZaPow!, 150 Coxe Ave., Suite 101 Contact the galleries for hours and admission fees

CLUBLAND

GO BIG: Nashville-based singer-songwriter Sarah Potenza (who made it to the top 20 of the NBC show “The Voice”), performs in flashy costumes inspired by Bette Midler.

“I’m trying to write these real, genuine lyrics and cross them with the performing style that goes along with my personality,” Potenza says. “When I surrender to the song and let myself do what it is that I want to do, without thinking about what I should do, what I naturally do is big.” She’ll be onstage at Isis Music Hall Friday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m. $15. isisasheville.com. Photo by Jeremy Ryan

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk music), 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic hosted by Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM BYWATER Open Can of Jam (blues, jazz open jam), 8:00PM CORK & KEG 3 Cool Cats (rock n' roll dance party), 7:30PM DOUBLE CROWN Western Wednesdays w/ Classic Honky-Tonk Bands, 9:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Doug Mcelvy Ensemble (soul, jam), 10:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tough Old Bird, 7:00PM Taylor Martin, 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM NANTAHALA BREWING - ASHEVILLE OUTPOST Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM NOBLE KAVA Poetry Open Mic with Caleb Beissert (sign up at 7:30PM), 8:00PM ODDITORIUM Galena, Uncle Kurtis (rock), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/ DJ's Zeus & Franco, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: 5J Barrow (Folk Rock, Singer Songwriter), 9:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Claudio Simonetti's Goblin performs Suspiria, 8:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Hope Griffin, 7:00PM SALVAGE STATION Open Mic, 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Valley Music Association Mountain Music Jam, 6:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, 6:30PM STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Andrew Thelston, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Asheville’s Most Wanted Funk Bandits: Kazz & Unk 8:00PM THE GREY EAGLE SUSTO Series: Justin Osborne of SUSTO Acoustic, 8:00PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Low Keys (jazz folk), 9:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE Hip Hop Hump Day w/ DJ drew, 8:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Music Bingo, 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jazz Night: The Bill Bares Trio, 7:30PM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM AMBROSE WEST Asheville Circus (electric Americana), 9:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:30PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

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C LUBLAND BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club (jazz), 9:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Matt Sellars, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Tim Levene & Laura Laughter, 6:00PM

COMING SOON WED 11/28 7:00PM–TOUGH OLD BIRD 8:30PM–TAYLOR MARTIN

THU 11/29 7:00PM–THE RIGHTLY SO: AWARD-WINNING ACOUSTIC AMERICANA 8:30PM–THE BAREFOOT MOVEMENT HOLIDAY SHOW

FRI 11/30 8:30PM–OXFORD AMERICAN’S 2018 NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC ISSUE CELEBRATION: A STATEWIDE SINGING CIRCLE

SAT 12/1

8:30PM–GABRIEL KAHANE

SUN 12/2 5:30PM–SARA BURTON 7:30PM–”EVERYBODY IS A STAR” UPLIFTING SONGS TO CELEBRATE THE SEASON WITH PEGGY RATUSZ & FRIENDS

TUE 12/4 7:30PM–TUES. BLUEGRASS SESSIONS- HOLLY HILL RAMBLERS

WED 12/5 7:00PM–CAROLINE COTTER 8:30PM–FEED THE NEED- MANNA FOODBANK BENEFIT

THU 12/6 7:00PM–SARAH PEACOCK

FRI 12/7 7:00PM–SARAH POTENZA

SUN 12/9 5:30PM–CLAUDIA NYGAARD 7:30PM–JOE JENCKS & SI KAHN IN CONCERT

TUE 12/11 7:30PM–TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS HOSTED BY THE DARREN NICHOLSON BAND

WED 12/12 7:00PM–JACOB JOHNSON’S

ALMOST ACOUSTIC CHRISTMAS 8:30PM–STATE BIRDS WITH SIPE, SEAL, FOUNTAIN, & LOPES

THU 12/13 7:00PM–FOREST BAILEY 8:30PM–ITALIAN NIGHT W/ MIKE GUGGINO & BARRETT SMITH

FRI 12/14 7:00PM–WEST KING STRING BAND

SAT 12/15 6:30PM–THE NOUVEAUX HONKIES 8:00PM–NEWSONG MUSIC SONGWRITING & PERFORMANCE COMPETITION

SUN 12/16 5:30PM–PRETTY LITTLE GOAT

TUE 12/18 7:30PM–TUES. BLUEGRASS SESSIONS- THE HONEY CHASERS

ISISASHEVILLE.COM DINNER MENU TIL 9:30PM LATE NIGHT MENU TIL 12AM

TUES-SUN 5PM-until 743 HAYWOOD RD 828-575-2737

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BYWATER Open Mic w/ John Duncan (sign-ups at 6:15PM), 7:00PM CITY OF MORGANTON MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM A Very Electric Christmas: Lightwire Theatre, 7:30PM CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (gritty ragtime jazz), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Old Gold w/ DJ Jasper (rock 'n soul vinyl), 10:00PM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open Mic (6pm sign-up), 6:30PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Tao Jones (funk, jam), 9:00PM FOLKMOOT FRIENDSHIP CENTER Art of Music Festival Waynesville Kickoff at Folkmoot, 6:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Brian Stephenson (bluegrass), 6:00PM FUNKATORIUM Hot Club of Asheville, 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY The Patrick Dodd Trio, 6:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 The Rightly So (acoustic Americana), 7:00PM The Barefoot Movement Holiday Show, 8:30PM

ODDITORIUM Party Foul Weekly Drag, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/ Franco, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Adwela & The Uprising, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Ethan Heller & The Jam Fam (jam band), 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Michelle Wolf [SOLD OUT], 7:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Jeff Anders & Jason Whitaker, 8:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Juan Holladay, 7:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY The Paper Crowns Duo, 8:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Michael Reno Harrell, 7:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Todd Hoke, 7:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Toadface, G-Space, Zeplinn & Spokes, 9:00PM STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Open Mic, 7:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Mike Cooley (Drive-By Truckers) [SOLD OUT], 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Burger Kings (rock n' roll), 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Adrienne Ammerman w/ Divine Circles, 8:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE BRRRZDAY w/ Jj Smash & Genetix, 8:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam, 7:00PM

TOWN PUMP Around Hounds, 9:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND 80's Invasion w/ DJ Chubberbird (80s dance party), 10:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Virginia & The Slims (blues, swing), 9:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones, 6:30PM LOCAL 604 BOTTLE SHOP Vinyl Night, 8:00PM NOBLE KAVA Hip-Hop Night, 9:00PM OWL BAKERY Thursday Night Jazz, 7:30PM

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Craft Karaoke, 9:30PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Dave Desmelik Songwriter Series, 7:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Clarinet Holiday, 2:00PM

WED

28 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The Get Right Band (funk, rock, reggae), 9:00PM AMBROSE WEST The Freeway Revival w/ City Dirt Trio (mountain music, funk, soul), 9:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Big City Blues Jam, 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Brown Bag Songwriting Competition 2018 Finals, 7:00PM BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Hot Club of Asheville, 5:30PM

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Dave Desmelik Trio, 7:00PM CORK & KEG The Gypsy Swingers, 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Momma Molasses (dreamy folk), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Rock 'n' Soul Obscurities w/ DJ Greg Cartwright, 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Simon George and Friends (jazz, funk), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Scott Bianchi & Friends (gothic folk), 6:00PM

BEN'S TUNE UP Throwback dance Party w/ DJ Kilby, 10:00PM

FROG LEVEL BREWERY Art of the Music Week: Elysium Park Band, 7:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM

FUNKATORIUM Pleasure Chest, 8:00PM

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER 28 Pages, 6:00PM

WEEKLY EVENTS

THIS WEEK AT AVL MUSIC HALL

BYWATER Doug McElvie Ensemble, 8:00PM

GINGER'S REVENGE Sister Ivy (soul-fusion), 7:30PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS A Night Out with Blacklist Improv, 9:00PM

HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical, 7:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Porch 40, 7:00PM

MARSHALL CONTAINER CO. Chili and Cornbread Benefit Dinner for Rural Organizing and Resilience w/ Resonant Rogues, 6:00PM NEW BELGIUM BREWERY Redleg Husky, 5:30PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Oxford American’s 2018 North Carolina Music Issue Celebration: A Statewide Singing Circle, 8:30PM

NOBLE KAVA Noble Pursuits: An Original Music Series w/ Jason Moore, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM Asheville After Dark Presents: Perversions (18+ kink night), 9:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Barsters, 9:00PM

THU

29

JUSTIN OSBORNE OF SUSTO

WED

5

W/ ELISE DAVIS

AN EVENING WITH

THU

LD

SO MIKE COOLEY OUT!

6

OF DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

FRI

THE BLACK LILLIES

FRI

SAT

JEFF AUSTIN BAND + THE LARRY KEEL EXPERIENCE + JON STICKLEY TRIO

SAT

MIKE FARRIS AND THE FORTUNATE FEW

SAT

30 1

WED

5

7

W/ ALEX KRUG COMBO

8

8

W/ ADAM WAKEFIELD, 7PM

WARREN G

W/ APRIL B. & THE COOL, COLSTON, 10PM

WHY? PLAYS ALOPECIA W/ LALA LALA

WAVY TRAIN PLAYS DEAD HOLIDAY CRAFT MARKET

ALL LOCAL VENDORS • 10AM-4PM

JD MCPHERSON W/ EDDIE ANGEL’S GUITAR PARTY

Asheville’s longest running live music venue • 185 Clingman Ave TICKETS AVAILABLE AT HARVEST RECORDS & THEGREYEAGLE.COM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam acoustic, 5:30PM Kismet, 10:00PM

LAKE JUNALUSKA CONFERENCE & RETREAT CENTER Balsam Range Art of Music Festival, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Hot 'n' Nasty Night w/ DJ Hissy Cruise (rock & soul), 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP The Hillbilly Diamonds, 6:30PM MAD CO BREW HOUSE John The Revelator, 6:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Bardic Alchemy (Celtic rock), 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: The Anton Filippone Band (originals, blues, soul, R&B), 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL 7th Annual Home for the Holidays FUNdraiser w/ Lyric & Swing Step, 5:00PM

THIS WEEK AT THE ONE STOP:

DO CA$ NA H T IO

THU 11/29 Adwela & the Uprising - [Reggae] FRI 11/30 Kismet - [Rock] SAT 12/1 Aaron Kamm & the One Drops - [Rock/Reggae]

UPCOMING SHOWS - ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL:

BROWN BAG SONGWRITING COMPETITION 2018 FINALS

[Talking Heads Tribute] + HALF STATE

FRI 11/30 - S HOW : 7pm (D OORS : 6 pm) - T ICKETS : $10

SAT 12/1 - S HOW : 10 pm (D OORS : 9 pm) - T ICKETS : $15

TUESDAY:

Turntable Tuesday - 10pm

AN EVENING WITH

START MAKING SENSE

WEDNESDAY:

THURSDAY:

FRIDAY:

BROWN BAG SONGWRITING COMPETITION - 6pm

Mitch’s Totally Rad Trivia 6:30pm

F ree Dead F riday

Disclaimer Comedy 9:30pm

N$

5pm

SUNDAY: Bluegrass Brunch

ft. Bald Mountain Boys + Aaron “Woody” Wood and Friends - 10:30am-3pm

12/7 12/8 12/10 12/13 12/14

Enter The Earth 17th Annual Xmas Party Freddy Todd, kLL sMTH Akae Beka w/ Dub Kartel paris_monster w/ Brether Truth, Khiva

TICKETS & FULL CALENDAR AVAILABLE AT ASHEVILLEMUSICHALL.COM

@AVLMusicHall MOUNTAINX.COM

@OneStopAVL

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

55

CLU B LA N D

Cheers To Seven Years!

THU, Nov 29 Brrrzday [Rema Kingz Movement]

FRI, Nov 30 DJ G3ms [House Party]

SAT, Dec 1 Decades 80’s & 90’s

BLACK MOUNTAIN-BOUND: Local musicians Ben and Will Saylor made two award-winning albums with the group Brushfire Stankgrass. For their own project, Saylor Brothers, the siblings craft self-described “modern mountain music,” fusing bluegrass with elements of rock and R&B. They will perform on Saturday, Dec. 1, in Pisgah Brewing Co.’s taproom. Mandolin player and vocalist Bobby Miller will join the Saylors for the 8 p.m. show. Free. pisgahbrewing.com. Photo courtesy of band

[dj Drew]

SUN, Dec 2 Bring your own vinyl 5 Biltmore Ave, downtown Asheville timos-house.com

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Angela Easterling Duo (folk duo), 6:00PM PACK'S TAVERN DJ Dayo, 9:30PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR April B. & the Cool, 7:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY GrudaTree, 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION Big Something Night I, 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Shabudikah, 8:00PM

North Carolina’s First Cider Bar Family Owned & Operated

Hot Mulled Cider Kits To Go! 210 HAYWOOD RD- WAVL (828)774-5151 24 BUXTON AVE. SOUTH SLOPE (828)505-7243 URBANORCHARDCIDER.COM 56

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

THE MOTHLIGHT SLUGLY Album Release w/ The Holifields & Temp Job, 9:00PM THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM Kansas, 8:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE G3MS (house music), 8:00PM TOWN PUMP Chicken Coop Willaye Trio, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES

STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Vinylly Friday, 6:00PM

The Shane Gang (blues, soul), 10:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE The Super 60s w/ original member of Tommy James & the Shondells (music & costume contest), 8:00PM

UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY

THE GREY EAGLE The Black Lillies w/ Alex Krug Combo, 9:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ Sets, 9:00PM

Jarvis Jenkins Band, 9:00PM

Joshua Messick: Hammered Dulcimer Christmas, 8:00PM

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1

CORK & KEG The Resonant Rogues, 8:30PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR King Garbage (indie soul), 9:00PM

CROW & QUILL House Hoppers (hot jazz), 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Swing Step Swing Jam, 5:00PM Jody Carroll Roots & Blues, 8:00PM

DISTRICT WINE BAR Saturday Night Rock Show, 10:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Start Making Sense: Taking Heads Tribute w/ Half State , 10:00PM BANKS AVE SES: Satisfaction Every Saturday, 9:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Dave Dribbon (Americana, rock n’ roll), 7:30PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Vintage Vinyl, 6:30PM BYWATER White Oak Splits, 8:00PM CHESTNUT Jazz Brunch, 11:00AM

DOUBLE CROWN Soul Motion Dance Party w/ DJ Dr. Filth, 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Space Mammals (funk, jam), 10:00PM FUNKATORIUM Virgina & The Slims, 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Asheville Waits Band, 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Gabriel Kahane, 8:30PM LAKE JUNALUSKA CONFERENCE & RETREAT CENTER Balsam Range Art of Music Festival, 6:00PM

2019

Wellness Issues

Coming Jan. 30th & Feb. 6th advertise@mountainx.com | 828-251-1333 x 320

LAZY DIAMOND Saturday Swing-a-ling w/ DJs Arieh & Chrissy (world soul dance party), 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio, 6:30PM LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Leo Johnson's Gypsy Jazz Brunch, 1:00PM MG ROAD Late Night Dance Parties w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10:00PM ODDITORIUM Filth, The Machinist, Impale the Betrayer, Abhorrent Deformity, A World of Lies (metal), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Aaron Kamm & The One Drops, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: 2 Broke Kings feat. Ross Childress (collective soul), 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Grubby Little Hands (indie rock), 8:00PM OWB West: One World Brewing & Mixed Culture presents the SlumBeer AfterParty (dance party), 8:00PM ORANGE PEEL 17th Annual Make-AWish Benefit Concert, 6:30PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Carpal Tullar (rock), 6:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Grand Theft Audio, 9:30PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Circus Mutt, 7:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Saylor Brothers feat.

Bobby Miller, 8:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE ScOOt Pittman, 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION Big Something Night II, 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Matt Walsh & The Movers, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Santa Mayhem, 10:00PM STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Sherry Lynn, 6:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE CommUNITY Salsa & Latin Saturday Dance Night w/ DJ Edi Fuentes (lesson, 9:00PM), 9:30PM THE GREY EAGLE Jeff Austin Band, The Larry Keel Experience, Jon Stickley Trio, 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Breathers w/ Space Heater & Celia Verbeck, 9:30PM TIMO'S HOUSE Decades 80s & 90s w/ DJ drew, 8:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Chuck Lichtenberger Trio (jazz, evergreens), 7:30PM Lenny P & PTB (modern funk, evergreens, dance), 10:00PM

TAVERN Downtown on the Park Eclectic Menu • Over 30 Taps • Patio 14 TV’s • Sports Room • 110” Projector Event Space • Shuffleboard Open 7 Days 11am - Late Night WE

H AV E FO O O N O U R T BA L L 15 SCREENS!

THU. 11/29 Jeff Anders & Jason Whitaker (acoustic rock)

FRI. 11/30 DJ Dayo

(dance hits, pop)

SAT. 12/1 Grand Theft Audio (classic rock)

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Robin Bullock & Sue Richards (Celtic holiday), 8:00PM

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Eleanor Underhill & Friends (Americana), 7:00PM

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com

ARCHETYPE BREWING Post-Brunch Blues, 4:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Musicians Jam & Pot Luck, 3:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL BMC & OHP Present: Goldie, 7:00PM BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Hendersonville Symphony Youth Orchestra & Children's Choir Concert, 4:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Strong Water, 1:00PM BYWATER Bluegrass Jam w/ Drew Matulich, 4:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM FUNKATORIUM Bluegrass Brunch w/ Gary Macfiddle, 11:00AM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 1:00PM

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NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

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¡ Celebrating 2 Years of CommUNITY Salsa & Latin Dance Saturdays!

Lesson: 9 - 9:30pm Dance: 9:30pm - 2am Only $5 39 S. Market St, Asheville, NC 28801 254-9277 • theblockoffbiltmore.com

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Sarah Burton, 5:30PM “Everybody is a Star” – Uplifting Songs to Celebrate the Season with Peggy Ratusz & Friends, 7:30PM

DOUBLE CROWN Country Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Traditional Irish/Celtic Jam, 3:00PM

ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque w/ Deb Au Nare, 9:00PM

JARGON Sunday Blunch Live Music: Vollie McKenzie, 11:00AM LAZY DIAMOND Punk Night w/ DJ Chubberbird, 10:00PM ODDITORIUM Remnants, The Styrofoam Turtles, Sane Voids (rock), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass Brunch w/ Woody & Krekel & Bald Mountain Boys, 10:30AM ORANGE PEEL Killswitch Engage w/ Born of Osiris, Crowbar & Death Ray Vision, 7:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Trivia Night, 5:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Pisgah Sunday Jam, 6:30PM SALVAGE STATION Grateful Sunday, 5:00PM Karaoke, 8:30PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Sly Grog Open Mic, 6:30AM

THU

11/29

Asheville Circus [Electric Americana] DOORS: 8PM / SHOW: 9PM

FRI

11/30

The Freeway Revival w/ City Dirt Trio [Mountain Music/ Funk/Soul] DOORS: 8PM / SHOW: 9PM

828-332-3090 312 HAYWOOD RD, WEST ASHEVILLE

www.ambrosewest.com 58

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Burlesque, Bubbles and Brunch hosted by Queen April., 1:00PM Sunday Jazz Jam w/ UNCA's Jazz Dept., 4:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo Trivia, 7:30PM Open Mic, 9:30PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Live Band Honky Tonk Karaoke, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Myles Kennedy & Co., 8:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Mountain Music Mondays Jam, 6:00PM PORTER CENTER AT BREVARD COLLEGE Henning Schröder & Gerald Noble (saxophone, percussion, pop, jazz), 12:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Night, 7:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Yam Fest w/ Corey the Gardener (comedy openmic), 9:00PM THE ASHEVILLE CLUB Mr. Jimmy, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE V*g*n Pizza Karaoke for a Cause (benefiting Just Folks), 9:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Open Mic, 6:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Leo Johnson Trio (vintage jazz), 9:00PM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 5:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions hosted by Holly Hill Ramblers, 7:30PM

LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim, 10:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Noise Oasis w/ DJ Salty Stax (post punk), 10:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM

LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown, 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Free Open Mic Comedy, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday w/ DJ Meow Meow (rap, trap, hip-hop), 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesday, 10:00PM SALVAGE STATION Trivia, 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Jazz & Justice Swing Dance Benefit Tuesday, 7:00PM Blues Dance, 11:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Leo Johnson (Gypsy jazz), 9:00PM THE MARKET PLACE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE Rat Alley Cats, 7:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Funk Jam (funk, jazz), 9:00PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ Sets, 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:30PM

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Roberts Twin Leaf Trivia, 8:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Bill Gerhardt and Wave Cycle (jazz), 7:30PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Siamese Sound Club (R&B, soul, jazz), 8:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Old-Time Jam, 6:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Classical Guitar Mondays, 7:30PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Open Mic hosted by Jon Edwards, 6:00PM

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Trivia, 6:30PM BYWATER Baile w/ KirbyBright (DJs, fire-spinning, art), 9:00PM CORK & KEG Old-Time Moderate Jam, 5:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Asheville Symphony Chorus 4th Annual Messiah Sing Along, 7:30PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD Nikki Talley & Jason Sharpe, 7:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM

THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic, 6:00PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Caroline Cottier, 7:00PM Feed the Need Benefit for Manna FoodBank, 8:30PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Jam, 6:30PM Open Mic, 8:30PM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk music), 8:00PM BYWATER Open Can of Jam (blues, jazz open jam), 8:00PM

NANTAHALA BREWING - ASHEVILLE OUTPOST Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM ODDITORIUM Nova One, Brief Awakening, Cora Hill (Indie), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/ DJ's Zeus & Franco, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Prohibition Repeal Day Party w/ Hot Point Trio (jazz), 5:30PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Dave Desmelik, 7:00PM SALVAGE STATION Open Mic, 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Valley Music Association Mountain Music Jam, 6:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, 6:30PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Asheville's Most Wanted Funk Bandits: Kazz & Unk, 8:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Mike Farris & The Fortunate Few w/ Adam Wakefield, 7:00PM Warren G. w/ April B. & the Cool, Colston, 10:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Low Keys (jazz folk), 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Nervous Dupre w/ Wume & Twin Star, 9:30PM

CORK & KEG 3 Cool Cats (rock n' roll dance party), 7:30PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Western Wednesdays w/ Classic Honky-Tonk Bands, 9:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jazz Night: Maddy Winer, 7:30PM

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS

BY SCOTT DOUGLAS, FRANCIS X. FRIEL & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH = H PICK OF THE WEEK H

MAX RATING Xpress reviews virtually all upcoming movies, with two or three of the most noteworthy appearing in print.

You can find our online reviews at mountainx.com/movies/reviews. This week, they include: CREED II

HHH

THE FRONT RUNNER

H

GREEN BOOK (PICK OF THE WEEK) HHHS RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET

HHH

ROBIN HOOD

Stars Mahershala Ali and Vigo Mortensen elevate Green Book, director Peter Farrelly’s racially charged period buddy comedy/biopic.

Green Book HHHS DIRECTOR: Peter Farrelly PLAYERS: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Maniscalco, Dimiter D. Marinov DRAMEDY RATED PG-13 THE STORY: A black, homosexual pianist from New York hires a racist Italian-American enforcer to safeguard him on a concert tour through the ’60s segregation-era South.

THE LOWDOWN: A surprisingly affective drama from comedic director Peter Farrelly that, despite its best intentions, still manages to elide much of the ugliness of its subject matter.

Peter Farrelly is not a name I typically associate with Oscar buzz. So, despite the rumors of respectability surrounding Green Book, I walked in prepared to be confronted with “Dumb and Dumber Duz the Deep South” or “Kingpin 2: The Civil Rights Years.”

Thankfully, this is Farrelly’s id at

its most restrained, and though vestiges of the writer/director’s road-trip buddy-comedy background remain, Green Book still manages to be both tasteful and entertaining. While the white guilt is laid on heavily, it isn’t quite the reductive racism roadshow I had expected, and dynamic performances from stars Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen bolster a solid script from Farrelly, Brian Currie and Nick Vallelonga. I don’t see this one taking home a statuette come February, but it’s probably worth a watch regardless.

I must admit to having been entirely unaware of the real-life basis for Green Book, the unexpected professional partnership and unlikely friendship that developed between virtuosic pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Ali) and casually racist quasi-mobster Tony “Lip” Vallelonga (Mortensen) on a concert tour through the segregation-era South. As you might reasonably expect from a movie of this sort, they eventually find common ground and foster a mutual apprecia-

tion for one another in the process. If that sounds trite to you, well, that must be because you’re very perceptive. Perhaps the most interesting observation I came away with is that, while I feared Farrelly’s unavoidable tendency to digress into comedic territory would undermine Green Book’s very serious subject matter, it’s that very sense of humor that saves the film from becoming unbearably dour.

It’s really the performances delivered by Ali and Mortensen that sell the occasionally dissonant script, and they truly are noteworthy turns.

Mortensen’s certainly no stranger to playing heavies, but he brings a deranged affability to his portrayal of self-proclaimed “bullshit artist” Tony Lip that distinguishes the role from his prior work. But for my money, he’s outshone by Ali, who brings a graceful imperiousness to his take on Dr. Shirley that only becomes more fascinating as his facade of imperturbability begins to show its inevitable cracks. The two boast an admirable onscreen chemistry that proves

HH

almost inexhaustibly watchable, even as the surrounding narrative fails to do them both justice.

As a director, I doubt Farrelly has ever been considered much of a stylist — and Green Book is unlikely to disabuse anyone of that notion. The script is aimed squarely at an aging demographic struggling to come to terms with decades of institutional racism, and its heartwarming narrative handles such hand-wringing boomers with somewhat unearned kid gloves, strangely mirrored by Farrelly’s lackadaisical visual aesthetic. Still, as far as such things go, Green Book proves more emotionally affecting than one might presume. If you’re looking for a feel-good movie about mid-’60s racism this holiday season, I suppose this would be it.

Like its titular guidebook to the oases of acceptance intermittently available to black travelers of the era, Green Book is a film that finds safe haven in some questionable places, and not without a modicum of tribulation. But with Mortensen and Ali behind the wheel, Farrelly’s film gets where it needs to go. Rated PG-13 for thematic content, language including racial epithets, smoking, some violence and suggestive material.

Now Playing at Carolina Cinemark, Grail Moviehouse, Regal Biltmore Grande.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

MOUNTAINX.COM

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

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SCREEN SCENE

MOVIES

T H E A T E R IN F O ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. (254-1281) CARMIKE CINEMA 10 (298-4452) CAROLINA CINEMAS (274-9500) CO-ED CINEMA BREVARD (883-2200) EPIC OF HENDERSONVILLE (693-1146) FINE ARTS THEATRE (232-1536) FLAT ROCK CINEMA (697-2463) GRAIL MOVIEHOUSE (239-9392) REGAL BILTMORE GRANDE STADIUM 15 (684-1298)

Creed II HHH DIRECTOR: Steven Caple Jr. PLAYERS: Michel B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Dolph Lundgren DRAMA RATED PG-13 THE STORY: Newly minted heavyweight boxing champ Adonis Creed accepts a grudge match against the son of the man who beat his father to death in the ring, which ends disastrously until it very predictably doesn’t.

THE LOWDOWN: A tepid sequel to an interesting reboot that sets a franchise on course to repeat the sins of its fathers.

The inciting incident of Creed II revolves around the eponymous boxer’s first-generation Mustang, but he probably should have been driving a mid’70s Mustang II. It’s slower, less visually appealing and generally defanged when measured against the genuine article. In short, it’s something that fails to capture the rugged integrity and raw visceral appeal of the original. That’s Creed II in a nutshell — a reasonable facsimile of its predecessor that never quite manages to hit the same grace notes. It may be closer to a fair comparison to evaluate Creed II alongside Rocky IV, rather than the 1976 progenitor of the franchise or its immediate sequels, in which case this one stacks up rather more favorably.

But considered in the context of the series as a whole, the present film feels distinctly redundant.

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Still, for those who were taken with the first Creed, this is a perfectly acceptable follow-up treatment. Crowned heavyweight champ in the first minutes of the film, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) finds himself called out by monstrous Vitor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Rocky IV antagonist Ivan Drago, for a generational grudge match. If you don’t know where this is headed by the time the second act rolls around, you might have the attention span of the 8-year-old who kept running in and out of the screening I attended. Creed II checks all the right boxes, and for some, that will suffice. I, unfortunately, had harbored higher hopes.

That box-checking proves to be so rote and predictable that it often threatens to take you out of the film entirely. Does anybody really believe that, when, an hour into the movie, our hero fights his antagonist, he has a snowball’s chance of winning? What would the rest of the movie be about? While it’s fun for folks of a certain age (such as myself) to see Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren reprise their iconic roles as Rocky and Ivan Drago some 30 years on, it also rates relatively high on the “so what” scale. Coupled with an almost offensively formulaic script from Cheo Hodari Coker, Sascha Penn, Juel Taylor and Stallone, Creed II becomes an object lesson in diminishing returns.

But then again, so did pretty much every Rocky sequel. Am I expecting too much of the eighth iteration of these stories? Probably. I usually do when it comes to such matters. But I can’t escape the feeling that this film could have been much, much better had it simply not tried so diligently to conform to the preexisting template laid out by its antecedents. Director Steven Caple Jr. is nowhere near as capable a stylist as Creed director Ryan Coogler has proven to be, and with a script this pedantically derivative, Creed II could have used a better director (and a set of better writers) in its corner. If you’re dedicated enough to the Rocky franchise or its Creed progeny to accept whatever is offered, this installment won’t disappoint egregiously. But if you’re looking for a follow-up original enough to stand on its own merits, you’ll find that Creed II is punching above its weight. Rated PG-13 for sports action violence, language, and a scene of sensuality.

Now Playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

MOUNTAINX.COM

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com 292 Thetford St. Tickets are $12.50 and available online and at the respective theaters’ box offices. originstory.mw • The Beer City Blazers motorcycle club launches Moto Movie Night on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m., at Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Drive. The event takes the place of the group’s bike nights over the winter and will feature a different motorcycle-themed film each month.

Riders of all types are invited. Free to attend, but donations for the group’s charitable efforts are appreciated. salvagestation.com • The West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road, continues its Book-toMovie series on Friday, Nov. 30, at 2:30 p.m., with a screening of The Shawshank Redemption. Free. avl.mx/4xl

NEON DEMON: An artist from the Meow Wolf collective participates in the group’s The Moon Is to Live On exhibition. A documentary about the artists’ rise to prominence screens at the Carolina Cinemark and Biltmore Grande on Nov. 29. Photo courtesy of Fathom Events • The Swain Arts Center, 1415 Fontana Road, Bryson City, will screen Miracle on 34th Street (1947) on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. Free to attend. swainartscenter.com • On Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m., Meow Wolf: Origin Story will have a onenight screening at movie theaters across the U.S. The documentary chronicles the titular Santa Fe, N.M., art collective’s rise from obscurity to a multimillion-dollar corporation, including its large-scale exhibitions and support from author George R.R. Martin. The organizers of Zed AVL, an immersive experience museum opening in 2019, invite the public to see the film with them at the Carolina Cinemark, 1640 Hendersonville Road. After the screening, there will be a discussion in the theater’s upstairs lounge. The film will also be screened at the same time at the Regal Biltmore Grande Stadium 15,

FILM BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • FR (11/30), 2:30pm - Book to Movie Film Screening: The Shawshank Redemption. Free. Held at West Asheville Public Library, 942 Haywood Road • TU (12/4), 6pm - "Peter Sellers - A Life & Career in

Four Films," Being There.

Free. Held at Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain, 828-357-9009, floodgallery.org • FR (11/30), 8-11pm Classic World Cinema Series: Like Stars on Earth, film screening. Free to attend.

• The next installment in the monthly Silent Sunday series takes place Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. at Grail Moviehouse, 45 S. French Broad Ave. Film historian Frank Thompson will curate, introduce and provide commentary on a selection of holiday-themed silent short films, featuring Laurel and Hardy, Charley Chase and Our Gang. Local stride pianist Andrew J. Fletcher will provide live accompaniment. Tickets are $12 and available online and at the Grail box office. grailmoviehouse.com • On Monday, Dec. 3, at 5 p.m., The Next Generation of Jubilee! hosts a screening of Elf at Jubilee! Community Church, 46 Wall St. The event also includes a potluck supper and singing holiday songs. Attendees are invited to bring a dish to share, alcohol or other drinks for themselves and pillows or blankets for comfortable seating. Free to attend. jubileecommunity.org • The Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, hosts a screening of Planes, Trains and Automobiles on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. A local film buff will introduce the film. Tickets are $6 at the door. tryonarts.org X

HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-697-4725 • WE (12/5), 2-4pm Midweek Movie Matinee: Winnie the Pooh starring Ewan McGregor, movie screening. Free.

TRYON FINE ARTS CENTER 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, 828-859-8322 • TU (12/4), 7pm - Film Series: Planes, Trains &

Automobiles, film screening. $6.

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. 100 Sierra Nevada Way Mills River • TH (12/6), 7pm Backcountry Film Festival, produced by Winter Wildlands Alliance, featuring nine short films about winter, adventure, youth outdoors and ski culture. $12/$10 advance.

Ralph Breaks the Internet HHH DIRECTOR: Phil Johnston, Rich Moore PLAYERS: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina, Ed O’Neill ANIMATED ACTION-ADVENTURE RATED PG THE STORY: When a player breaks the steering wheel on the “Sugar Rush” arcade cabinet, video game bffs Wreck-it Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz set out through a newly installed Wi-Fi router to find a replacement on the internet.

THE LOWDOWN: Eye candy that’s roughly as good for you as its mouthcandy equivalent.

I’ve suspected for quite some time that I might be … old. If that conclusion were ever in any doubt, Ralph Breaks the Internet has officially confirmed it. This follow-up to Disney/ Pixar’s generally well-received 2012 Wreck-it Ralph is so packed with memes and tropes that it will likely prove almost as indecipherable to future generations as it does to outof-touch old fogies such as myself.

Yes, it sports all of the sheen and polish one would expect from the mouse-eared money machine, but could it be considered required viewing? Only the ages of your presumptive children and your opinion on the contemporary relevance of Rickrolling can answer that question for you.

Picking up six years after the preceding film left off, Ralph Breaks the Internet finds the eponymous Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) on a quest to retrieve a replacement steering wheel for the latter’s racing game cabinet. This forces them to delve into the convoluted world of this newfangled thing called the internet — which, for some reason, the script never adequately explains, is novel to both our protagonists and the arcade owner who blithely controls their fate like a technophobic

demiurge. What this amounts to, in effect, is a rudimentary story that exists for little purpose beyond providing a backdrop for co-directors Phil Johnston and Rich Moore, working from a script by Johnston and Pamela Ribon, to insert as many of Disney’s intellectual properties as possible into a 114-minute running time.

If Ralph descends too often into pop-cultural pastiche, it’s not entirely without its redeeming points. The excessively kinetic set pieces function with the style and verve we’ve come to expect from Disney/Pixar, and some of the gags land reasonably well, most notably when it comes to a sequence of self-reflexive critiques aimed at Disney Princess culture’s highly questionable gender politics.

Reilly and Silverman are every bit as good as they were last time around, and an all-star ensemble including Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Ed O’Neill, Alan Tudyk and Alfred Molina contribute enough vocal diversity to keep things interesting (most of the time, anyway).

That said, there’s just not enough going on with Ralph Breaks the Internet to fully justify its existence.

Yes, it will most likely prove sufficiently entertaining to its target demographic. Those not counted among such happy few will find its saccharinity is surpassed only by its freneticism, the cinematic equivalent of an ill-timed sugar high — and as with such dietary missteps, the ensuing crash is both inevitable and unpleasant. But if Ralph Breaks the Internet seeks to appeal almost exclusively to internet-addled teens, it does so with a brazenness that’s almost respectable even as it deprives its audience of any real cinematic nourishment. The narrative stakes may be as high as possible for a pair of pixelated sprites, but it seems harder to genuinely care about Ralph and Vanellope here than it was the first time around. And maybe that’s the moral of Ralph Breaks the Internet — that our postmodern inundation of connectivity robs us of the ability to care deeply about anything beyond a fleeting first impression. If only Ralph could truly wreck the web, maybe the world would be a better place. But as I said, I’m old. Rated PG for some action and rude humor.

Now Playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville.

S T AR TIN G F R ID AY

The Possession of Hannah Grace Low-budget inter-holiday counter-programmer. According to the studio: “A shocking exorcism spirals out of control, claiming the life of a young woman. Months later, Megan Reed (Shay Mitchell) is working the graveyard shift in the morgue when she takes delivery of a disfigured cadaver. Locked alone inside the basement corridors, Megan begins to experience horrifying visions and starts to suspect that the body may be possessed by a ruthless demonic force.” No early reviews.(R)

S PEC IA L SCR E E N IN GS

Like Stars on Earth (Taare Zameen Par) HHHS DIRECTOR: Aamir Khan PLAYERS: Aamir Khan, Darsheel Safary, Vipin Sharma, Tisca Chopra MUSICAL DRAMA Rated PG Bollywood-star-turned-director Aamir Khan and writer Amole Gupte may not exactly be household names in Western North Carolina, and while Khan’s debut behind the camera for Like Stars on Earth (2007) may not be likely to remedy that state of affairs, there’s still plenty about this teacher/ student musical that should appeal to local audiences. A fanciful story about a dyslexic boy mired in an uncaring school system ill-suited to his special needs, India’s contender for the 2009 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar suffers at times from a distinctly problematic script and an overlong running time. Still, its heart is in the right place, and strong performances from Khan and Darsheel Safary as 8-year-old Ishaan manage to buoy what could otherwise have been something less than the sum of its parts. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Like Stars on Earth on Friday, Nov. 30, at the new Flood Gallery location in Black Mountain, 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

MOUNTAINX.COM

NOV. 28 - DEC. 4, 2018

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Every year the bird known as the Arctic tern experiences two summers and enjoys more daylight than any other animal. That’s because it regularly makes a long-distance journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again. Let’s designate this hardy traveler as your inspirational creature for the next 11 months. May it help animate you to experiment with brave jaunts that broaden and deepen your views of the world. I don’t necessarily mean you should literally do the equivalent of circumnavigating the planet. Your expansive adventures might take place mostly in inner realms or closer to home.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When the American Civil War began in 1861, the United States fractured. Four years later, the union was technically restored when the northern states defeated the southern states. At that time, African-American slavery became illegal everywhere for the first time since the country’s birth decades earlier. But there was a catch. The southern states soon enacted laws that mandated racial segregation and ensured that African-Americans continued to suffer systematic disadvantages. Is there a comparable issue in your personal life? Did you at sometime in the past try to fix an untenable situation only to have it sneak back in a less severe but still debilitating form? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to finish the reforms; to enforce a thorough and permanent correction.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Does an elusive giant creature with a long neck inhabit the waters of Loch Ness in northern Scotland? Alleged sightings have been reported since 1933. Most scientists dismiss the possibility that “Nessie” actually exists, but there are photos, films and videos that provide tantalizing evidence. A government-funded Scottish organization has prepared contingency plans just in case the beast does make an unambiguous appearance.

In that spirit, and in accordance with astrological omens, I recommend that you prepare yourself for the arrival in your life of intriguing anomalies and fun mysteries. Like Nessie, they’re nothing to worry about, but you’ll be better able to deal gracefully with them if you’re not totally taken by surprise.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Does moss really “eat” rocks, as Cancerian author Elizabeth Gilbert attests in her novel The Signature of All Things? Marine chemist Martin Johnson says yes. Moss really does break down and release elements in solid stone. Gilbert adds, “Given enough time, a colony of moss can turn a cliff into gravel and turn that gravel into topsoil.” Furthermore, this hardy plant can grow virtually everywhere: in the tropics and frozen wastes, on tree bark and roofing slate, on sloth fur and snail shells. I propose that we make moss your personal symbol of power for now, Cancerian.

Be as indomitable, resourceful and resilient as moss.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Let’s shout out a big “THANKS!” and “HALLELUJAH!” to the enzymes in our bodies.

These catalytic proteins do an amazing job of converting the food we eat into available energy. Without them, our cells would take forever to turn any particular meal into the power we need to walk, talk and think. I bring this marvel to your attention, Leo, because now is a favorable time to look for and locate metaphorical equivalents of enzymes: influences and resources that will aid and expedite your ability to live the life you want to live.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you’ve never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground,” writes author Judith Thurman. I’m guessing you will experience this feeling in the coming weeks. What does it mean if you do? It may be your deep psyche’s way of nudging you to find an energizing new sanctuary. Or perhaps it means you should search for fresh ways to feel peaceful and well-grounded.

Maybe it’s a prod to push you outside your existing comfort zone so you can expand your comfort zone.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Venice, Italy consists of 118 small islands that rise from a shallow lagoon. A network of 443 bridges keeps them all connected.

But Venice isn’t the world champion of bridges.

The American city of Pittsburgh, Pa. holds that title, with 446. I nominate these two places to be your inspirational symbols in the coming weeks. It’s time for you build new metaphorical bridges and take good care of your existing metaphorical bridges.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To aid and support your navigation through this pragmatic phase of your astrological cycle, I have gathered counsel from three productive pragmatists. First is author Helen Keller. She said she wanted to accomplish great and noble things, but her “chief duty” was “to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” Second, author George Orwell believed that “to see what is in front of one’s nose” requires never-ending diligence. Finally, author Pearl S. Buck testified that she didn’t wait around until she was in the right mood before beginning her work. Instead, she invoked her willpower to summon the necessary motivation.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Blackjack is a card game popular in gambling casinos. In the eternal struggle to improve the odds of winning big money, some blackjack players work in teams. One teammate secretly counts the cards as they’re dealt and assesses what cards are likely to come up next. Another teammate gets subtle signals from his card-counting buddy and makes the bets. A casino in Windsor, Ontario pressed charges against one blackjack team, complaining that this tactic was deceptive and dishonest. But the court decided in the team’s favor, ruling that the players weren’t cheating but simply using smart strategy. In the spirit of these blackjack teams, Sagittarius, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to better your odds in a “game” of your choice by using strategy that is almost as good as cheating but isn’t actually cheating.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What has become of the metaphorical seeds you planted during the weeks after your last birthday? Have your intentions flourished? Have your dreams blossomed? Have your talents matured? Have your naive questions evolved into more penetrating questions? Be honest and kind as you answer these inquiries. Be thoughtful and big-hearted as you take inventory of your ability to follow through on your promises to yourself. If people are quizzical about how much attention you’re giving yourself as you take stock, inform them that your astrologer has told you that December is Love Yourself Better Month.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you want to play the drinking game called Possum, you and your friends climb up into a tree with a case of beer and start drinking. As time goes by, people get so hammered they fall out of the tree. The winner is the last one left in the tree. I hope you won’t engage in this form of recreation anytime soon — nor in any other activity that even vaguely resembles it. The coming weeks should be a time of calling on favors, claiming your rewards, collecting your blessings,and graduating to the next level. I trust your policy will be: no trivial pursuits, no wasted efforts, no silly stunts.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In his song “Happy Talk,” Academy Award-winning lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II offered this advice: “You gotta have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?” Where do you stand in this regard, Pisces? Do you in fact have a vivid, clearly defined dream? And have you developed a strategy for making that dream come true? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to home in on what you really want and hone your scheme for manifesting it. (P.S. Keep in mind Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s idea: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”)

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RESTAURANT/ FOOD

CONDOS/ TOWNHOMES FOR RENT NORTH ASHEVILLE TOWNHOUSES 1 mile from Downtown Asheville. Hardwood floors, nice North Asheville neighborhood on busline. • No pets. 1BR/1BA: $745 • 2BR/1BA: $845 • 3BR/1BA: $945. Call 828-252-4334.

ROOMMATES ROOMMATES NEED A ROOMMATE? Roommates.com will help you find your Perfect Match™ today! (AAN CAN) SENIOR MALE NEEDS ROOM Seeking Christian roommate to share expense who is ok with me content with hair and having tea-cup chihuahua. Call 707-223-1619, prophetmark.voiceofGod@ gmail.com

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL TROLLEY TOUR GUIDES If you are a "people person," love Asheville, have a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and clean driving record you could be a great Tour Guide. Full-time and seasonal part-time positions available.

Training provided. Contact us today! 828 251-8687.

Info@GrayLineAsheville.com www.GrayLineAsheville.com

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR TECHNICIAN Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church is hiring a full time Maintenance and Repair Technician. Experience in building maintenance and repair work is required. Construction experience is a plus. 30 hours per week, benefits included.

Send letter of interest and resume to Sherrie Meehan at: smeehan@gcpcusa.org

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE CHIROPRACTIC ASSISTANT/ FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST Full time, receptionist/assistant position available in multi-disciplinary holistic health office (Chiropractic, Kinesiology, Functional

PART-TIME & FULL-TIME COOK POSITIONS AVAILABLE Position(s) will serve meals following menu, complete prep work, restock supplies, take in deliveries, sanitize kitchen and other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Email resumes to Nancy Lynch nlynch@ silverridgerecovery.com

DRIVERS/ DELIVERY UBER DRIVERS WANTED Looking for adventurous Uber drivers in Asheville area wanting to increase drive time and have fun. Meeting: Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co, 77 Coxe Avenue, December 15 at 3pm

HUMAN SERVICES BECOME A FOSTER PARENT If you're not sure what is involved, have questions and want to become a foster parent we would love to speak with you. We provide all training and 24/7 on-call assistance. 828-575-9802 CLINICAL TECHNICIANS WANTED • The Foothills at Red Oak Recovery in Ellenboro, NC. Clinical Technicians are assigned to a 'shift' which consist of 7.5 consecutive days on shift followed by 6.5 days off. Employees will reside on the therapeutic property in provided housing during their shift. FullTime and Night Shifts Available with Benefits. To apply: visit www.RedOakRecovery. com/employment FAMILY AND PRIMARY THERAPIST WANTED The Foothills at Red Oak Recovery in Ellenboro, NC. Foothills at Red Oak Recovery serves 14-17-year-old adolescent males and their families.

Our facility sits on a 94-acre working horse farm in Ellenboro, NC to help promote growth, reflection, and healing for those experiencing the result of trauma, mental health issues, and substance abuse. Our dually-licensed clinical team and extensive range of therapies provides the support and education young teens need to put themselves back on the right

path. Full-Time Positions with Benefits Available To Apply: Visit www.RedOakRecovery. com/employment HELPMATE FULL-TIME SHELTER CASE MANAGER Helpmate, Inc., a domestic violence agency in Asheville, North Carolina, seeks a Shelter Case Manager (fulltime) to support survivors of domestic violence during evening and weekend hours, with awake overnight shifts as component of the position. Please do not apply if an overnight shift cannot be part of your schedule. The primary responsibilities of this position are to provide support, service coordination and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence in a shelter setting and on the Helpmate’s 24-hour crisis line. Strong communication, organizational, and time management skills are required.

The qualified candidate will have a bachelor’s degree or 2 years’ experience in the social work field. This position is a non-exempt hourly position.

Spanish fluency is desired and incentivized in pay. Diverse candidates encouraged to apply. Email resume and cover letter to HelpmateAsheville@ gmail.com with “Shelter Case Manager (full-time)” in the subject line. No phone inquiries, please. This posting closes on December 4th.

Helpmateonline.org PARAPROFESSIONAL Paraprofessional staff needed to provide services to individuals with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities all over the county (& nearby counties), in their home, the community, or at their job. 8283501111 michelle.kozma@ eastersealsucp.com easterseals.com/NCVA/ PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST NEEDED FOR RECOVERY COMMUNITY CENTER Sunrise Community needs a peer support specialist to help run a recovery community center. Must be NCPSS certified and possess better than average computer skills. Email spolston@sunriseinasheville. org

TEACHING/ EDUCATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ArtSpace Charter School in Swannanoa, NC seeks an Executive Director who will advance the school’s vision as a national benchmark in educational excellence through an integrated K-8 curriculum utilizing the visual and performing arts. • The ED will shape and strengthen ArtSpace’s culture of collaboration between staff, faculty, students, parents, board, and the surrounding community. For application requirements please visit http:// www.artspacecharter.org/ engage/employment/

INTERESTED IN WORKING AT A-B TECH? Full-Time, Part-Time and Adjunct Positions available. Come help people achieve their dreams!

Apply for open positions at https://abtcc.peopleadmin. com

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a FullTime position Learning Management System. For more details and to apply: https:// abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4977

RETAIL BOOKSTORE CO-OP SEEKS CO-OWNER Firestorm Books & Coffee, a feminist/queer/ anarchist bookstore, seeks a future co-owner with affinity with our collective model, leadership experience, and commitment to social movement. More at https:// firestorm.coop/jobs.html

SERVICES ENTERTAINMENT DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Call Now: 1-800-373-6508 (AAN CAN)

SANTA FOR HIRE Andrew WainwrightExperienced, real-bearded (and bellied) Santa with an authentic HoHo-Ho, available for private parties, corporate events, public events, photographs, commercials, TV, Film, and Santa’s Video Visits - 646982-7323 - awainwright5@ icloud.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT HANDY MAN HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993.

Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results.

Insured. References and estimates available. Stephen Houpis, (828) 280-2254.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

COUNSELING SERVICES

ANNOUNCEMENTS JACOB'S LADDER THRIFTSHOP NOW OPEN! Good quality used • Furniture • Household goods • Kitchen stuff and more! • Come in for great deals! Rear entrance of Red Oak Crossing. 1318C Jupiter Road, Weaverville.

(828) 519-9090.

LUNG CANCER? And Age 60+? You And Your Family May Be Entitled To Significant Cash Award. Call 844-8987142 for Information. No Risk. No Money Out Of Pocket. (AAN CAN) SUFFERING FROM AN ADDICTION? To Alcohol, Opiates, Prescription PainKillers or other Drugs? There is hope! Call today to speak with someone who cares. Call Now 1-855-266-8685 (AAN CAN)

ACROSS

GET TO THE ROOT OF YOUR PROBLEM Nell Corry, LCSW, NCGCll, Certified Primal Therapist. • Deep Feeling Therapy connects you with your inner child, uncovers the source. Heals depression, anxiety, addictions, trauma, PTSD, many other issues. • Call me for free confidential half-hour chat: 828-747-1813. nellcorrytherapy.com ncc.therapy@gmail.com facebook.com/ DeepFeelingTherapy

SPIRITUAL

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

OM: INVISIBLE FREE UNIVERSITY Ageless Wisdom Teachings given thru H.P. Blavatsky, Helena Roerich, Alice Bailey, & Benjamin Creme are freely available to all. Human evolution involves expansions in consciousness, self-initiated discipline, study, & service to humanity.

Learn more: wikiquotes.org

TRAVEL TRAVEL CHEAP FLIGHTS! Book Your Flight Today on United, Delta, American, Air France, Air Canada. We have the best rates. Call today to learn more 1-855-231-1523 (AAN CAN)

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT BODYWORK

T H E N E W Y OR K TI M ES CR OSSWOR D PU ZZLE

The Christ (AKA: World Teacher, Bodhisattva, Maitreya Buddha, Iman Mahdi, et al) will soon speak to everyone.

Is inspiring people to see need to rebuild world into great place for everyone & to see God in everyone. Learn more: share-international.org

FOR MUSICIANS MUSICAL SERVICES NOW ACCEPTING STUDENTS IN JAZZ PIANO, COMPOSITION, AND IMPROVISATION (ALL INSTRUMENTS).

Michael Jefry Stevens, “WNC Best Composer 2016” and “Steinway Artist”, now accepting students in jazz piano, composition, and improvisation (all instruments). 35 years experience. M.A. from Queens College (NYC). Over 90 cds released. 9179161363. michaeljefrystevens.com

1 Discuss, as an issue 8 Internet nuisance … or a hint to four answers in this puzzle 15 Birthstone for most Leos 16 Noted piranha habitat 17 Shade of green 18 Rambles 19 Classic strategy in the boxing ring 20 — 22 What inmates do until they’re released 23 Your: Fr. 24 It’s off the beaten path 27 “How cool!”

28 Hedonistic 29 — 32 Ankle-related 35 Burgundy or claret 38 Secret DC headquarters 39 Crateful from Florida 40 Like many chicken cutlets 41 Most welcoming

AUTOS FOR SALE

TRANSFORMATIONAL MASSAGE THERAPY For $60.00 I provide, at your home, a strictly therapeutic, 1.5-2 hour massage [deep Swedish with Deep Tissue work and Reiki]. • Relieve psychological and physiological stress and tension. • Inspires deep Peace and Well-Being.

• Experience a deeply innerconnected, trance like state • Sleep deeper. • Increase calmness and mental focus. I Love Sharing my Art of Transformational Massage Therapy! Book an appointment and feel empowered now!

Frank Solomon Connelly, LMBT#10886. • Since 2003. • (828) 707-2983. Creator_of_ Joy@hotmail.com

1994 TOYOTA TACOMA DLX 4-Wheel-Drive, 104,000 miles, 3.0L V6 engine, runs very well. $2.100! More information at: 252-692-0388

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 Launched a tech start-up?

9 ___ pro nobis 10 One of a famous seafaring trio 11 Loosened, as laces 12 “The Star-Spangled Banner,” basically 13 Zoning unit 14 Fashion mag suggestions, in two senses 21 ___ Xing 24 “How tragic” 25 “Eureka!”

26 Ancient relative of a flute 27 It’s black and white and wet all over 29 Tiny bits of work 30 Bygone Nair rival 31 Some N.F.L. DOWN highlights Not together 32 Reid of “American Pie” R&B trio Bell Biv ___ 33 “Do you have two fives for ___?”

Releases, as new music 34 Misguided Crop in a paddy 36 Sped Author LeShan 37 Perch for a bouncing baby Lawn order 38 Original airer of “The Got ready to sing Office” the national anthem

No. 1024

42 Like seven teams in the N.H.L. 43 — 45 French word on some wedding announcements 46 Better than expected 49 Unruly head of hair 52 Labor 54 Where you may be going nowhere fast 55 — 56 More bananas 58 Fictional African kingdom in “Coming to America” 61 Bubble gum brand 62 Stretchy 63 Epic quest 64 Gander

PUZZLE BY MICHAEL PALEOS

44 It may be found between “here” and “there” 46 Mujer’s boys 47 Jambalayas 48 Ring around a watch face

the

humor issue!

AUTOMOTIVE

INTUITIVE MASSAGE THERAPY Beth Huntzinger, LMBT #10819 located in downtown Asheville providing experienced massage for pain, tension. Energy healing helps issues such as anxiety, insomnia, depression and digestive disorders $60/hr Call 828-2797042 ashevillehealer.com

edited by Will Shortz

49 Bowlful next to a restaurant cash register 50 “Golden” song 51 Finish second at the track 52 Warty creature 53 Like mud

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

Putting the ‘bunk’ back in bucombe!

Paul Caron

Furniture Magician • Cabinet Refacing

ADULT ADULT FEELING WHACKED? Let Kaye's revive you back! Incall/ outcall: 280-8182.

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55 Pioneer in commercial spaceflight 56 Bit of news in the W.S.J. 57 Squeeze (out) 59 Teléfono greeting 60 China’s ___ Zedong

Coming Jan. 2nd contact us today! 828-251-1333 x 320 advertise@mountainx.com

• Furniture Repair • Seat Caning Cartoon by Brent Brown

• Antique Restoration • Custom Furniture & Cabinetry (828) 669-4625

MOUNTAINX.COM

• Black Mountain

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