Mountain Xpress 12.14.22

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Focus on spiritual values, peace and nonviolence

What makes you come alive and wake up in the morning, eager for the day ahead? I encourage local parents, teachers and the general public to consider what it takes to inspire wonder, awe, enthusiasm and courage to actively participate in changing our way of life. It seems to me that to achieve this, one has to examine one’s inner life — many call this the contemplative and active life.

Our local holiday parade modeled a glimmer of a coming together. A coalition of 15 local groups calling for positive changes in our society marched. I do not speak for this coalition, but I support the positive messages they displayed. These nonviolent group activists are usually described as “protest,” but their activities are directed at what is best in America.

For example, Ken Jones of the Reject Raytheon group suggests that “we can generate more jobs with investments in sustainable energy, education, health, infrastructure” [“New Plant Is Leading Us in Wrong Direction,” Nov. 30, Xpress]. I see this as a call not to merely criticize, but to actively work

at discovering what we really want. Promotion of the “arms race” is a reckless way to create jobs. This suggests that we pay more attention to more meaningful jobs, meaningful work and a living wage.

My temptation here is to back up Ken’s factual information with more facts pertaining to the now Disunited States of America. But I don’t think more information will change the hearts and minds of many Americans. So, this brings me back to schooling our children, supporting families and the workers of our country. Why do we teach reading, writing and arithmetic in our schools? Is it to become better consumers of material possessions and entertainment? If so, this implies the tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort more important than spiritual values.

Do yourself a favor: As you make your way through life and learn from your experiences, practice expanding your worldview by getting out of your comfort zone. Read, study, contemplate and, if inclined, pray. Pray, not to ask something from your God, but to remind yourself what really matters. Read not merely for information or entertainment, but for inspiration to contemplate on things that really matter and pass this down to our children. There is no liberal, conservative or even one religious or American way to eat, breathe, sleep and survive. We are all human; a miracle of life.

Focus on your own lives on spiritual values such as compassion, kindness and loving relationships, friendships and family life, etc. It will positively affect your second half of life, including

your retirement years. And it will be a gift to future generations.

I suggest to parents, home schoolers and teachers: Teach peace and nonviolence in school and give equal time to peacemakers. But educating our children is not a single issue. All of us can do the work of informing ourselves, even when family and work responsibilities limit our democratic participation. One resource that might help is Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life, by Peter Gray.

I offer a challenge from Maya Angelou. “I am convinced that most people do not grow up. We find parking spaces and honor our credit cards. We marry and dare to have children and call that growing up. I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are still innocent and shy.”

Ask yourself: “What is calling you to the heroic in you?”

(For information on our local coalition or resources, contact esacco189@ gmail.com.)

— Ed Sacco Asheville

Buncombe tax appraisal system may be as good as any other

It’s clear in the article “Tax Tuning: Buncombe Tries to Fix Its Property Tax Appraisal System” [Nov. 30, Xpress] and previously published articles, that Mr. Minicozzi from Urban3 has little

understanding of the mass appraisal process. The assessor is not equipped with adequate money or personnel to appraise each property so that the tax roll is perfect in Buncombe County.

A commercial tax article [“Deal or No Deal? A Closer Look at Buncombe’s Commercial Property Assessments,” Aug. 3, Xpress] had an example of an appeal that compared an apartment building to a hotel across the street. Not being a commercial person, I hesitated to write a letter on that one. However, commercial property valuations are primarily based on the income stream that is valued by a potential purchaser. Why the hearing officer allowed the complainant to compare land values and prevail is mind-boggling.

Even if there was a comparison, there is no justification on lowering an assessment based on comparing assessments. What you do to correct the discrepancy is raise the assessment that was too low the following year. Only the total number should be argued at an appeal, not how the assessor got to that number. In other words, you could have a dollar on the land or a dollar on the building, but only the total number of the assessment is to be argued.

Although not a perfect system, Buncombe County’s is probably as good as any other system used for mass appraisal. One could reassess every year to avoid large increases in an upward trending market, but that again would take more money and personnel for the assessor.

Any discrepancy on high-end versus low-end properties can potentially be corrected by additional building inspectors, code enforcement people and tightening the permit process to require specific permits. More and more potential buyers are having permit searches done in order to verify whether the work that has been done on a property they are purchasing is legal and compliant.

I should add that after spending 14 years assessing high-end properties and an additional 16 years as a special magistrate hearing thousands of appeals in six different counties, I have never had a planner testify to value.

— Joy Hearn Maggie Valley

Question your doctor about Medicare alignment

As a retired RN, a traditional Medicare consumer and member of HealthCare for All WNC, I contacted my local doctor about the practice working with an ACO REACH program.

A little history first. During Trump’s presidency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services started a DCE

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

(Direct Contracting Entity) pilot program. In it, Medicare automatically assigned beneficiaries to a DCE if their primary care physician or the physician practice joined a DCE. The only way beneficiaries could opt out was to find a different primary care doctor.

This year, CMS responded to criticism of DCEs with a name change: ACO REACH. ACO stands for Accountable Care Organization and REACH stands for Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health. These are great names that disguise their true intent, which is to privatize Medicare by 2030. I am entitled to the Medicare I receive because for the 50-plus years I worked, I have been paying into it.

By privatizing Medicare, the Congress and President Biden are stealing the money I (we) put aside for health care in our aging years!

Here is how it is happening:

• Instead of paying doctors and hospitals directly, Medicare will give third-party REACH middlemen a monthly payment to cover some or all of each senior’s medical expenses, allowing these entities to keep as profit what they don’t spend on care. This establishes a dangerous financial incentive to restrict and ration care.

• Under this program, up to 30 million seniors who actively chose traditional Medicare may be auto-

matically “aligned” with a REACH entity without their full knowledge or consent.

When I reached out to the Asheville practice, I was told they were independent and that it is not possible to change a beneficiary’s Medicare without their consent. Clearly, I was educating the billing person and will contact the board of directors, as I don’t know what the independent practice’s plans are.

I quit working with my orthopedic surgeon when his independent practice joined Mission/HCA. I hope that my primary provider’s practice doesn’t go in that direction.

I am hoping others in our community question their doctors. We really need a single-payer system. A transparent system where the patient chooses who they work with based upon their needs, not employer or insurance company decisions. Health care decisions belong between the patient and the doctor, not the insurance industry. The federal government would pay for the services through our taxes. Just like our taxes fund the fire department, libraries, roads, public schools and police departments. It will save us money and be equitable.

— Padma Dyvine Bat Cave

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

Fasts, feasts and fellowship

Local churches honor Ukrainian Christmas traditions

SPIRIT IN THE ISSUE

BY SARA MURPHY

This Christmas season, the Rev. Mikhail Tikhonov of the Christian Church of Hope in Emma says he’s been inspired by the 50 Ukrainian refugee families who’ve joined his congregation during the past year after fleeing the war.

“The basic meaning of Christmas is that Christ came to bring hope for humanity,” he tells Xpress. “So that is what we’re grounded in this year.”

Tikhonov estimates that 70% of the church’s 800 parishioners are Ukrainian or of Ukrainian heritage, though the congregation also includes other Slavic nationalities such as Russians, Belarusians and Moldovans. Overall, he says, the Pentecostal church’s Christmas ser-

vices are very similar to those of other evangelical congregations, especially the Baptist and Assemblies of God denominations. What he does consider different, however, is the prominence of two traditions: caroling and feasting.

“Slavic people, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas, they prepare big dinners,” Tikhonov says. “There is no television on: We just share life. We laugh, we cry, we sing carols together. It’s like what America used to be 30, 40, 50 years past.”

A Holy Supper feast also figures prominently in the practices of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Locally, that tradition is represented by the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke Ukrainian Catholic Mission, led by the Rev. Kevin Bezner at St. Barnabas Catholic Church in Arden.

Born a Roman Catholic, Bezner has a special appreciation for these traditions because they connect him to his own Ukrainian heritage, which he wasn’t even aware of until after he converted in 2007.

“Under church law, I should have been Ukrainian Catholic all along,” he says.

SONGS OF JOY

According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine, caroling is a tradition that reaches back to pre-Christian times. There are two types of carols: koliadky, sung at Christmas, and shchedrivky, which celebrate the new year. The wellknown “Carol of the Bells” is, in fact, Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych ’s adaptation of “Shchedryk,” a traditional Ukrainian New Year’s song.

Carols are a central part of the Christmas celebrations at the Christian Church of Hope, whether they’re being sung in church by one of the many choirs or by parishioners going house to house.

“On Christmas Day at 5 o’clock in the evening, they go carol at the homes of senior citizens in our church who live by themselves,” Tikhonov explains. It’s often a group of younger people, including members of the teen and young adult choirs. “They take the accordion and guitar, they wear the Christmas hats, and they just go walk the apartment complex and sing carols.”

SPREADING JOY: The children’s choir at the Christian Church of Hope sings English, Russian and Ukrainian Christmas carols throughout the holiday season. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Mikhail Tikhonov

Classic carols also feature in the church’s Christmas programs. They include the Ukrainian song “Nebo i Zemlia” (which translates as “Heaven and Earth”) as well as English carols such as “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful.”

Vasiliy Draka, a member of the Slavic Revival Fellowship Church off New Leicester Highway, also sees the caroling tradition as the most notable difference between the holiday services at these churches and those at other evangelical houses of worship. When he was a youth leader in the early 2000s, Draka recalls, he would compile a list of folks who wanted carolers to come to their house.

And though caroling has ancient roots in Ukraine, the freedom to sing Christmas songs has a more recent meaning for some older parishioners of both the Christian Church of Hope and the Slavic Revival Fellowship who experienced religious oppression during Soviet domination. In those days, adults could have jobs taken away and children could receive bad grades simply because of their beliefs, says Draka.

Tikhonov tells a similar story. “We have a couple older men who were persecuted for their religious beliefs. They got businesses snatched from them, houses raided. Always arrested and fined for gathering. People who have not experienced the other side don’t know what we have here, the religious freedom to gather, worship, pray and seek God,” he points out, adding, “It’s a huge blessing.”

But just as important as the carols, stresses Tikhonov, are the feasts. During the holiday season, multiple families will come together for large dinners that often last up to five hours. Those gatherings will have special significance for the congregation’s refugee families, many of whom are experiencing their first Christmas away from home, notes Tikhonov.

“A lot of families are financially struggling,” he notes, adding that he’s hoping to find sponsors both within and beyond his congregation to help these people have an abundant and joyful Christmas by pro-

“There is no television on: We just share life. We laugh, we cry, we sing together.”

— the Rev. Mikhail Tikhonov, Christian Church of Hope

viding gifts for children. Potential sponsors can email the church at info@christianchurchofhope.org.

HOLY FAST, HOLY FEAST

According to the College of the Holy Cross’ Catholics and Cultures initiative, the Catholic Church actually consists of 24 separate denominations. The Roman Catholic Church represents 98% of all Catholic believers, but there are also 23 different Eastern Catholic churches, including the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

“For those who are familiar with the Greek Orthodox Church or the Russian Orthodox Church, we’re very similar to both,” says Bezner. “To learn about our church and who we are and what we’re about, it’s the liturgy that’s most important.”

“Liturgy opens us up to the graces God provides,” parishioner Mary Ann (who asked that only her first name and that of her husband, Dave, be used) told Xpress via email. “We feel His presence and it makes us feel closer to Him.”

Bezner performs the Divine Liturgy, the celebration of the Eucharist known as Mass in the West, at St. Barnabas every Sunday. Usually, he recites the fifth century liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. The slightly longer fourth century liturgy of St. Basil is used on special days such as Nativity Eve — what Ukrainian Catholics call Christmas Eve.

The celebration of the Nativity, however, gears up much earlier. It starts with the fast of St. Philip that begins on Nov. 15. Bezner describes it as less intense than the Lenten fast, during which most participants avoid meat and dairy products, and sometimes other foods, for 40 days leading up to Easter.

The fasting during the run-up to Nativity Eve makes the Holy Supper particularly special. “It’s an evening of bounty and hope: The Christ child is about to be born. So there’s great celebration,” says Bezner.

The traditional Ukrainian Catholic Holy Supper calls for 12 meatless dishes, most of which carry symbolic meaning. The centerpiece is koloch, or Ukrainian Christmas bread. Slightly sweet, it is braided and usually shaped into a circle, which Bezner says represents eternity. A candle sits in the middle of the circle to complete the symbolism.

Luke Ukrainian Mission parishioner Ted Kutzlo, who was baptized at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Wheeling, W.Va., has fond childhood memories of these Holy Suppers.

“The table was set with hay scattered on it and brought to the table by the youngest children, representing the manger where Christ was born,” he remembers. Dishes included borscht, sauerkraut, pirohi (more often known by their Polish name, pierogi), salads and fish dishes.

“These are recipes that we usually only have on Christmas Eve,” Mary Ann explains. She grew up celebrating the Polish Wigilia, or vigil, supper, which is similar to the Holy Supper Dave experienced as a child.

After the meal, the head of the household traditionally leads the family in prayers and carols. Then the youngest children receive gifts before bedtime, while older children and adults attend the evening service known as vespers, followed by carol singing and then the Divine Liturgy at midnight. Sometimes, says Bezner, the Nativity Eve liturgy can begin in the late afternoon and continue well into the early morning hours of Nativity (Christmas) itself.

DIVINE LITURGY: Visiting deacon Michael Sudik leads the members of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke Ukrainian Catholic Mission in prayer. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Kevin Bezner

Only on Nativity does meat once again grace the table. Kutzlo’s memories of the festive meal include turkey and kielbasa, as well as rolls made with honey and poppy seeds.

PAST AND PRESENT

Ukrainian Catholics have told Bezner about other practices associated with the Holy Supper. They include giving farm animals or pets extra treats to commemorate the animals in Bethlehem that witnessed the birth of Christ, placing garlic at the corners of the table to ward off evil spirits, and leaving an empty seat in honor of those who have died and for any unexpected guests.

“Some may do more or less, depending on how traditional they are,” he notes. “I’ve spoken to some Ukrainians who don’t do any of this any longer as a result of Russian oppression” under the Soviet Union.

While Dave, Mary Ann and the Kutzlos all have Slavic backgrounds,

Bezner points out that his congregation also includes Asian and Latino parishioners. He’s led the mission since its founding in Canton in October 2019. It relocated to the more central location of St. Barnabas the following year.

St. Barnabas’ midnight Christmas Mass will mean that Bezner must move the Nativity Eve Divine Liturgy elsewhere, at 3 p.m. Christmas Day and that he and his parishioners will celebrate the Nativity in their home sanctuary with cries of “Khrystos Razhdajetsia! Slavite Yoho!” (“Christ is risen! Glorify Him!”)

Although the Christian Church of Hope and the Evangelist Luke Mission represent different religious denominations, they’re united in their fervent prayers for peace in Ukraine. And at the personal level, says Tikhonov, “There’s nothing else out there that will bring you peace other than the Word of God. We’re celebrating hope — that Christ came to save people.” X

THE JOY OF MUSIC: Svetlana Tikhonov, daughter of the Rev. Mikhail Tikhonov, plays harp for the congregation during the Christian Church of Hope’s Christmas season. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Mikhail Tikhonov

SPIRIT

performances of Bandana Klezmer, in which her husband, Marc Rudow, plays fiddle. The group grew out of a class at the Jewish Community Center 17 years ago and now regularly plays parties and cultural events.

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

Abby Lublin wants to talk about Jewish joy.

It may not seem like an especially joyful time for the executive director of Carolina Jews for Justice. Antisemitism has been front of mind for many Americans in recent weeks: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort with Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist media personality who has accused Jews of subverting American values. The nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate reported a 23% increase in the use of a slur against Jewish people on Twitter in the week following the social network’s purchase by Elon Musk. And Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West (who also dined at Mar-a-Lago with Trump and Fuentes), was suspended from Twitter for posting a swastika blended with a Star of David.

Lublin, however, is adamant about uniting the Jewish community through a sense of belonging, not shared trauma. “It is especially important for Jews to live in our joy, in our boldness and in our connection,” she explains. “In a state like North Carolina, we’re never in places where we’re the majority, and so Jews have to really find each other.”

The Jewish community has woven strong ties in Asheville. The city is home to two synagogues — Congregation Beth HaTephila and Beth Israel Synagogue — as well as a Jewish Community Center. And Lublin, who lives in Durham, says

Western North Carolina supports a robust local chapter of Carolina Jews for Justice, which is based out of Asheville and covers 17 counties.

“We’ve seen a steady flow of people who are Jewish who’ve come [here] because they see a vibrant Jewish community that they can be part of,” Rabbi Batsheva Meiri of Congregation Beth HaTephila tells Xpress. “And so Asheville becomes attractive to them.”

Meiri says membership at her congregation has grown by 10% each year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have this influx of people who have been transplanted here because of the pandemic, and we also have a lot of people [in Asheville already] who are excited to come back and be part of temple life,” she explains.

LOCAL LIFE

Much of the Jewish community in Asheville revolves around rites of passage similar to those of other faith traditions. Meiri cites “religious school, training for bar and bat mitzvahs, welcoming babies, helping people through times of grief and getting married,” as well as regular worship services, as the pillars of community life.

Cultural celebration, particularly around food and music, may be one of the most prominent aspects of Jewish life in Asheville. Deborah Miles, a member of Carolina Jews for Justice West, founder of the Center for Diversity Education at UNC Asheville and a member of Beth Israel, notes the joy she gets from

However, members of Asheville’s Jewish community also tell Xpress they’re united on social justice issues through the practice of tikkun olam, or “repair of the world.” Meiri says racial justice, voting rights and reproductive justice are the three topics most prominent on her congregation’s mind.

Assisting refugees has been important to Congregation Beth HaTephila as well. Members helped five Afghan evacuees who had settled in Asheville with their immigration hearings, Meiri explains. Her congregants have also raised money for displaced Ukrainians; in April, she delivered $56,000 donated from people in Asheville to the Jewish Community Center in Krakow, Poland, which was assisting those fleeing Ukraine’s war with Russia.

Miles says she has participated in local “get out the vote” efforts for years. “Because of [Jewish] history, we know just sitting there is not going to protect us,” she explains. She says making a personal connection to voters and having deeper conversations with them about the issues helps encourage them to vote. (Miles is the mother of state Rep. Caleb Rudow, a Democrat representing District 116.)

‘THE OLDEST CONSPIRACY THEORY’

Such engagement is particularly important now, Lublin suggests, given what she calls the mainstream-

SCHOOL OF HARD LOX: Mayor Esther Manheimer, a member of Congregation Beth HaTephila, says of one of her favorite events in Asheville’s Jewish community is the Hard Lox Jewish Food and Heritage Festival. Photo courtesy of the city of Asheville

ON THE GROUND: Rabbi Batsheva Meiri, center, of Congregation Beth HaTephila brought $56,000 from Asheville donors to Ukrainian refugees in Krakow, Poland. She assisted Polish Boy Scouts, pictured here, at the Jewish Community Center of Krakow with aiding the refugees. Photo courtesy of Meiri

ing of antisemitic beliefs in political discourse. She says lies about Jews are “the oldest conspiracy theory … frequently trotted out when it benefits those in power.”

Lublin points to white supremacists’ recent embrace of “The Great Replacement” — the conspiracy theory that white Christians of European descent are being replaced by people from the Middle East and Africa who have higher birth rates. In the U.S., some people with farright views believe that Jewish people are manipulating immigration to achieve that end; for example, at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., marchers chanted, “Jews will not replace us.”

Esther Manheimer , mayor of Asheville and a member of Congregation Beth HaTephila, echoes Lublin’s concerns. “I worry about Jews in America and antisemitism being a polarizing political issue,” Manheimer writes in an email to Xpress. “No form of subjugation should be politicized, yet it is.”

Manheimer continues that she “struggle[s] to imagine how to pull back from partisanship playing into preventing and responding to hate speech and actions, but that is what

we need to do as a nation, and leadership should be a role model in this effort.”

KEEPING WATCH

Much of that antisemitic rhetoric is taking place at the national level, but local law enforcement remains alert for worrying signs. Asheville Police Department Capt. Joseph Silberman, who is Jewish and has been on the force for 19 years, says in the past two years, police have investigated “a number of incidents” directed at the Jewish community.

Jewish institutions in Asheville take safety “very, very seriously,” Silberman says, explaining that they will contact APD with any concerns. The department has also provided those institutions with training on explosives awareness.

However, there have been “no specific threats, or what we would consider communicating threats, to a Jewish institution or place of worship,” he says. Among the incidents APD has looked into included damaged property — “minor vandalism that didn’t have a specific antisemitic connection but we still are sensitive

AN

to” — and harassing phone calls, Silberman explains.

Silberman also says there have been “prominent Jewish people that were threatened” on the internet by white supremacists, and in those cases APD has worked in partnership with the FBI. He declined to go

into more detail about that activity with Xpress

“You have to take all of these very seriously,” Silberman says. “But the reason it’s so sensitive is we can’t let one fall through the cracks, because we don’t know what it would lead to.”

Hate crimes are governed by federal statute, Silberman says, and North Carolina has legislation prohibiting “ethnic intimidation” due to race, color, religion or nationality. He says nearly all of the incidents related to the local Jewish community that have aroused concern haven’t met the criteria to be charged under those laws. Spray-painted vandalism at a temple, for example, might raise concern but not meet the threshold of ethnic intimidation.

Asked whether any local incidents have made him personally concerned, Silberman recalls one case of intimidation against a resident of Jewish descent. “I remember feeling personal discomfort to have that reminder that there are people like that out there,” Silberman says. “As far as we’ve come as a society — and it’s been leaps and bounds the past 50 years — there are still people like that out there, and being on guard is still necessary.”

X

INSTITUTION: Deborah Miles, a member of Carolina Jews for Justice West, is founder and former executive director of the UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education. Photo courtesy of Miles

Faithful Departures

Many Gen Zers in WNC explore new kinds of spirituality

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

jmcguire@mountainx.com

When Marc Mullinax began teaching at Mars Hill University two decades ago, the school’s Southern Baptist roots were still plain to see in the student body.

“I would say eight or nine people out of every 10 in my classes strongly identified as Christian,” says Mullinax, a professor of religion and philosophy. “We had a lot of people who would carry their Bibles around and talk about faith as quickly and as easily as the latest movie. It was just a topic of sharing.”

These days, conversations around faith are decidedly different. Many of today’s college students question the tenets of Western religion and exhibit deep interests in Hinduism and Buddhism, Mullinax says.

Some outwardly reject the faith traditions they grew up with.

“They’re very suspicious of a story that starts off with saying that something’s wrong and needs an intervention from God,” he explains. “They’re not tuned to that message.”

Mullinax’s experience is not surprising. About 34% of Generation Z members in the U.S. — those born from 1997-2012 — say they are religiously unaffiliated, according to a recent report from the Washington, D.C.-based Survey Center on American Life. About 18% identify as either atheist or agnostic.

Both figures represent significant increases from earlier generations. For example, fewer than one in 10 baby boomers identify as atheist or agnostic, according to the survey.

“Something’s really changing, and it’s not as simple as saying they’re less religious,” says Rob Field , director of the Center for Spiritual Wisdom in Brevard. “I distinguish spirituality from religion, and I would say as a whole, they are very spiritually minded.”

Field teaches an introductory world religions class at Brevard College, and each semester he surveys students about their beliefs. He found some of this year’s answers revealing.

“I was raised as a Christian, baptized in a church and used to go to one on Sundays with my family,” one student wrote. “But as I grew up, I noticed that I didn’t quite share some of those beliefs. Nowadays, I don’t see a problem going to church, but I don’t see myself as a Christian. I do have a personal faith and spirituality, meaning that I believe in something, but I don’t know exactly how to describe it.”

Added another: “I do think there is one all-powerful thing or ’god’ that holds us all together, but I just don’t hold myself to a religion.”

A DIFFERENT STATE OF MIND

Asheville’s William Bradley , 25, believes many people in his generation have been turned off Christianity by what they see as the politicization of the faith by rightwing leaders. As a result, he says, spiritually minded Gen Zers have

WALKING THE WALK: Mars Hill University student Matthew Pacheco says he would describe himself as a “follower of Jesus” rather than a Christian. Photo courtesy of Pacheco

become more open to non-Western ideas.

Bradley didn’t grow up with a specific religious tradition but became interested in Hinduism and Buddhism at an early age. He has incorporated aspects of both faiths, such as a belief in reincarnation, meditation and yoga, into his spiritual life.

“I believe that God is composed of the divine feminine and divine masculine, with the conjoining of both of those energies becoming one entity,” he explains. “I feel like some religions kind of leave out the feminine aspects of God.”

Although not a Christian, Bradley believes Jesus was a saint and that Christianity has worthwhile things to teach, especially about having faith in something bigger than oneself.

Many of the 56% of Gen Zers who identify as some type of Christian, as measured in the Survey Center on American Life’s poll, see value in other faiths.

“I believe that religion does not just help with beliefs but contributes to improvement of mental health problems,” says Haven Bounds , a sophomore at Mars Hill who is a practicing Southern Baptist. “I also believe that any religion makes peo-

SPIRIT IN THE ISSUE

ple reevaluate the importance and meaning in their life.”

Other young Christians are shifting their spiritual lives by leaving the churches of their upbringing. Mars Hill freshman Matthew Pacheco says he was raised Catholic in Florida but had a loose connection with the faith, only attending Mass on Christmas and Easter.

In high school, Pacheco says, he underwent a spiritual awakening and sought to follow Jesus more closely. And after moving to North Carolina for college, he tried many different churches to find the right community, eventually settling on the Brookstone Baptist Church in Weaverville.

Brookstone’s youth ministry, he continues, offered peers for his journey and good spiritual influences. “The college realm for Christians is definitely a hard, temptation-filled place,” Pacheco says.

OFF THE PATH

Micheal Woods has worked closely with younger Gen Zers in Asheville City Schools through his nonprofit CHOSEN program. He says many of those students see little value in religion.

“They’re under a mindset that everyone formulates their own good, that there are no absolutes,” explains Woods, who is also the executive director of the Christian nonprofit Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. “And so there’s no moral anchor there.”

The fault for that lies not with Gen Z itself, he contends, but rather with adults who have failed to set an example by living truly spiritual lives. Young people are able to see through folks who merely go to church and mouth platitudes, Woods says.

As one of Field’s Brevard College students puts it: “I grew up in a Christian setting and I just got burned on it and I still struggle to look at it in a positive light after having multiple experiences where followers haven’t been real followers.”

Such skepticism about faith is healthy, Woods says. But he thinks there still is value in trying to get young people interested in organized religion.

“We need to help them get on a path to find true answers without proselytizing,” he says. Without the grounding that a faith tradition can provide, Woods continues, young people are more likely to make rash decisions with lingering consequences, like commiting crimes or dropping out of school.

The Rev. David Eck , pastor of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Fairview, agrees that churches have to find different approaches to appeal to this generation.

“Back in my day, basically church was it on Sunday,” he says. “Even the mall was closed when I was young. So it was easy to do things like youth groups, because it was either that or stay at home.”

In Eck’s experience, young people are far more likely to be regular churchgoers if they have a one-onone relationship with their pastor. He admits that is easier to accomplish at Abiding Savior than at churches with larger congregations.

Eck also tries to get young people involved with communi ty service projects through local nonprofit groups such as Western Carolina Rescue Ministries and

KEEPING THE FAITH: Mars Hill student Haven Bounds grew up in a Southern Baptist household in Tennessee. “I am still a part of the Southern Baptist Christian faith and still attend services every Sunday,” she says. Photo courtesy of Bounds

was out of duty, but I think people in this generation have to have a reason for being there, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS?

Indeed, many Gen Zers say service is an important part of their spiritual life.

Mars Hill student Bounds says church membership has made her more active in the community than she otherwise would be. She has volunteered with food pantries and participated in community gardens and cleanups.

Similarly, Asheville native and UNC Chapel Hill student Andrew Lewis has been involved with the student group International Friends through his church. “There is a Christian outlook to it, but we welcomed people of all religions,” he says. “There were a lot of different faiths represented because it’s international students.”

Those types of community bonds form readily through religion. Sociologists view places of worship as “third places,” or settings where people establish personal relation-

ships outside of home and work. So what are the implications for community if current trends continue and fewer people fill the pews each Sunday?

“I do worry about just what that means for the overall social fabric of our society,” says the Center for Spiritual Wisdom’s Field. “Does that mean there won’t be things that replace it? I don’t jump to that conclusion.”

For all their drawbacks, Field points out, the internet and social media allow young people to create communities based around shared interests. And even as the popularity of their services wanes, churches will possibly be able to continue as community spaces by hosting programs such as 12-step meetings, soup kitchens or Englishas-second-language classes.

“Already our churches nationally are having to think outside the box,” he says. “Are we going to close our doors and say we’re done? Are we going to retool as a place where maybe we’re going to be able to meet some community needs, even if we don’t talk about God while we’re doing it?”  X

t Church of Asheville

December 24 @ 6:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

“When you involve them in caring

Asheville protects land at Mills River water plant

The bulk of Asheville’s water comes from the North Fork watershed, an undeveloped 22,000-acre forest in Black Mountain. But about 15% comes from another plant on the Mills River in Henderson County, a source that the city’s website describes as “less pristine.”

That water is about to get a little more pristine, thanks to a new collaboration between the city and the Mills River Partnership. Backed by a $400,000 grant from the N.C. Land and Water Fund, the nonprofit is restoring roughly 14 acres of riverside near the plant.

Maria Wise , the Mills River Partnership’s executive director, says her organization will stabilize the riverbanks and replace invasive plants such as Bradford pears and Oriental bittersweet with native species, including elderberry, silky willow and river birch. The land will then be placed under a permanent conservation easement, to be held by Hendersonville land trust Conserving Carolina.

“It is estimated that over 300 tons of sediment per year will be saved from entering the river. This makes water quality better for people and animals that rely on the river,” Wise says of the project’s impact. Work is expected to be completed by the spring.

City plans tree cuts at Municipal Golf Course

A proposal to remove 157 trees from the Municipal Golf Course has drawn substantial criticism from residents concerned about damage to the city’s tree canopy. Nearly 100 people wrote comments to Asheville’s Urban Forestry Commission opposing or seeking change to the plan, with many citing the zero-net loss canopy policy adopted by City Council in 2020.

“The previous golf course operator, Pope Golf, did a very poor job maintaining the course and its grass,” wrote East Asheville resident Nancy Casey in a letter that was copied by many commenters. “The new company, Commonwealth Golf Partners,

wants to look good fast with quick-fix solutions to regrow grass by cutting many more trees than necessary.”

Chris Corl oversees the course as the city’s director of Community and Regional Entertainment Facilities. He said the trees must be removed to improve turf conditions, citing a report compiled by the U.S. Golf Association in May. Final approval of the project, he continued, would rest with the city’s Development Services Department, which would ensure all work was conducted according to city policies.

At their Dec. 6 meeting, Urban Forestry Commission members did adopt four recommendations for Corl and Commonwealth Golf Partners to consider. Those nonbinding suggestions included an independent review of the course’s trees by a certified arborist and the creation of a detailed replanting plan.

A website on the course renovations notes that the city plans to buy trees for East Asheville residents to help address the loss of canopy. As of Dec. 2, 10 people had taken advantage of that offer and agreed to plant 21 trees; Corl told Xpress the program “has not been fully advertised as of yet” and will be promoted later this month.

Blue Ridge Parkway to allow gas pipeline

An underground natural gas pipeline that will cross the Blue Ridge Parkway in Buncombe County can proceed with construction following its Nov. 18 approval by National Park Service officials. Tracy Swartout , the parkway’s superintendent, recommended a Finding of No Significant Impact for the 12-inch pipeline to be installed at mile marker 393.3, just east of the French Broad River in Bent Creek.

The line was requested by Dominion Energy North Carolina as part of a larger project to reduce pressure on existing parts of its distribution network. The utility says the effort will increase the reliability of gas distribution to its customers.

During a 30-day public comment period earlier this year, the Park Service received 1,450 “pieces of correspondence” regarding the project, most opposed to or expressing concern about the work. ( Xpress also received two letters opposing the pipeline.) No changes were made as a result of those comments. More information and documents are available at avl.mx/c8l.

Community kudos

• UNC Asheville was recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the Top 50 Green Colleges in the United States, marking

the college’s highest ranking to date. Contributing to the school’s placement were its bike-share program and free campus shuttles, emphasis on local food procurement and sustainable building practices. UNCA also earned a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly University award from the League of American Bicyclists. • Asheville-based EcoForesters honored three Western North Carolina residents for their work in forest stewardship and education at the nonprofit’s Nov. 17 gala. Author and conservationist Doug Tallamy received the Root Cause award, outgoing state Rep. John Ager earned a Lifetime Achievement award and

DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE: Volunteers with the Mills River Partnership plant live stakes of native species to help restore the banks of the Mills River near a city of Asheville water facility. Photo courtesy of Maria Wise

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Retiring state Rep. John Ager received a Lifetime Achievement award from nonprofit EcoForesters for his commitment to conservation. Photo by Pat Barcas, courtesy of EcoForesters

Tuckaseegee landowner Mark Yeager took the EcoForester of the Year award.

• Oakley resident Michael Stratton was named a Neighborhood Volunteer of the Year by the city of Asheville. Stratton led the creation of the Fairview Road Resilience Garden and has organized several Open Streets events in the neighborhood.

Following the money

• The Pigeon River Fund awarded nearly $198,000 in grants to support water quality in Buncombe, Haywood and Madison counties. Seven projects received funds, with the largest grant being $45,000 to the Haywood Waterways Association for program and administrative costs. More information is available at avl.mx/c8n.

• The Whittier-based nonprofit Center for Native Health received a $105,000 grant from the global Rights and Resources Initiative to support the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ conservation efforts. Activities to be supported with the funding, according to a CNH press release, include “the development of strategies related to the recognition of Cherokee place names” and engagement of young people “in culturally relevant ecological practices.”

• The N.C. Arboretum Society received $50,000 from the Environmental Enhancement Grant program, administered by the state Department of Justice and Attorney General Josh Stein The funds will support cleanup of the Oconaluftee River with accompanying Cherokee cultural celebration and education.

Good to know

• The Dogwood Health Trust released a new study, conducted by Research Triangle-based RTI Innovation Advisors, regarding WNC’s opportunities for growth in agriculture and food technology. The report, available at avl.mx/c8k, notes the promotion of climate resiliency, value-added products and closed-loop supply chains as three key areas to explore in the coming years.

• Blue Ridge Parkway staff will be conducting maintenance activities throughout the winter, including drainage cleaning and tree work, that will require

occasional weekday road closures from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Parkway visitors can check the locations and planned dates for this work online at avl.mx/7tw.

• MADE X MTNS, an initiative led by Asheville nonprofit Mountain BizWorks, has released a WNC Outdoor Gift Guide for the holiday season. The website features locally made outdoor gear, apparel, food, beverages and experiences, with discounts available on many products. More information is available at avl.mx/c8i.

• The Guion Farm Access Area in DuPont State Recreational Forest will be closed for the next several months as crews work to expand the parking lot and build a new restroom facility. Upon completion of the project, tentatively scheduled for this summer, the parking area’s capacity will be nearly doubled and include designated spaces for equestrians and school buses. Updates on the work are available at avl.mx/c8g.

• Conserving Carolina encourages bird lovers to participate in the N.C. Bird Atlas, a statewide effort that aims to determine the distribution and abundance of bird species. More information is available by contacting Pam Torlina at Pam@ ConservingCarolina.org.

Save the date

• The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has been stocking surplus trout in WNC’s small ponds throughout December. The final local stocking will take place at Tomahawk Lake on Friday, Dec. 16; a basic state fishing license is required to harvest trout. More information is available at avl.mx/c8f.

• North Carolina’s Year of the Trail kicks off Sunday, Jan. 1. Local groups, including the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, encourage residents to spend the day outdoors and advocate for more trails in the community. More information is available at GreatTrailsNC.com.

• The city of Asheville’s Urban Forestry Commission holds its annual retreat Friday, Jan. 13, 9 a.m.-noon. No further information or agenda details were available as of press time, but more will be posted closer to the meeting at avl.mx/c8o. — Daniel Walton X

JAM ON: The Brothers Osborne, featured, were among this year’s performers at Warren Haynes Presents Christmas Jam. Look closely and spot Haynes watching the group perform from the wing of the stage. All proceeds from the sold-out event benefited Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and BeLoved Asheville. Photo by Andy Hall

Buncombe lags on goals for resident well-being

Buncombe County is falling short when it comes to resident well-being. A quarterly update on the county’s strategic plan, shared with the Board of Commissioners during a Dec. 5 briefing, showed that three of the plan’s four primary goals in that area are not on track with county targets.

Progress is lacking on increasing public transportation use, expanding recreational assets and eliminating substance abuse deaths. (Buncombe is meeting its targets for enhancing public safety and reducing the jail population.) For the first two of those goals, explained county staffers, the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic — staffing issues, rising costs and shifting travel patterns — have hampered work.

With substance abuse deaths, the problem is more complex. Despite grant funding and increased support programs, Buncombe saw more such deaths in 2021 than in 2020, when the strategic plan was adopted.

According to Stoney Blevins, head of Buncombe County Health and Human Services, the county served over 2,100 people through its syringe exchange program this year, recorded 450 overdose reversals through its naloxone program and has seen measurable success in keeping families together as parents go through recovery programs. Despite that progress, he acknowledged, 118 residents died of drug overdoses in 2021.

“The challenge is that the game changed,” said Blevins. “We’re playing a lot better, but the foe got bigger. So, while we’re doing good, we are still not accomplishing our goal.”

Blevins cited fentanyl as the biggest factor in the increasing deaths, noting that the potent synthetic drug is now showing up in substances other than opioids. He said the county has also

seen an increase in alcohol abuse and suicidal ideation across society as people recover from the pandemic.

Commissioner Jasmine BeachFerrara asked whether increasing county funding could help move the needle on reducing substance abuse deaths. “Or is it staff’s sense that these are truly complex problems where the county is just one actor among many — we are doing really innovative interventions, but we are just not able to keep pace?” she continued.

Rafael Baptista, Buncombe’s performance management director, said

there was truth to both answers. Some of the county’s challenges would remain no matter how well-resourced the program was, he said, but the board had boosted much-needed funds in some areas that were historically lacking.

Baptista was hopeful that, as work proceeds, the county would see more movement toward its goals. On substance abuse, he added, “I’m not sure. That’s a really challenging one.”

Commissioners consider additional renter protections

An analysis of fair housing in Buncombe County opened a discussion about protecting tenants from discrimination based on their use of housing vouchers.

Fair housing rights in the county, which are meant to ensure all people have equal access to the housing of their choice, are currently based on seven federally protected classes: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status and disability. One of several recommendations made by the Land of Sky Regional Council would add source of income and previous eviction history to that list of protected classes.

Mary Roderick, a

with Land of Sky, said Buncombe was among the top three counties in the state in terms of fair housing complaints per capita, according to data gathered by the nonprofit Legal Aid of North Carolina. From 2000-19, the county recorded a total of 87.3 complaints per 100,000 people, compared with a state average of 37.9 complaints per 100,000.

The city of Charlotte, Roderick continued, recently adopted a policy for developments receiving public subsidies that prevents those developments from refusing tenants based on their use of housing choice vouchers or other rental assistance. The Human Relations Commission of Asheville has developed a similar recommendation for the city, although it has not been taken up by City Council for consideration.

“There might be many reasons why people chose not to do it,” said board Chair Brownie Newman, about adding renter protections based on source of income. “It’s not all nefarious. It is a complex bureaucracy the way we create a lot of stuff in our country, especially around affordable housing.”

“It’s not a straightforward or simple thing,” agreed Roderick. “But it is worth looking at.”

regional planner

IN THE RED: Buncombe County’s number of opioid deaths increased from 2020 to 2021, despite additional grant funding and county support for programs to address the issue. Graphic courtesy of Buncombe County

SOLSTICE CANDLE LIGHTING SERVICE

Wednesday, December 21st @ 7pm

On this longest night of the year, we acknowledge the seven attributes of God that are true in the many traditions and faiths that celebrate this time of year. Join us for our tradition of candle-lighting that honors the Light in and as all of us.

BLESSING WHAT WAS, MAKING ROOM FOR THE NEW: A Holiday Meditation Experience

Sunday, December 25th @ 11:00am

Honoring all paths, we invite you to join us for a special interfaith morning of singing, meditation and reflection on the gifts of the Presence. CELEBRATION SERVICES  every Sunday @ 11am

By day, Patrick Hanaway and his wife, Lisa Lichtig, are physicians at their integrative and functional medicine practice, Family to Family, in Weaverville. By night, the couple are stewards of a different type of healing practice: They are fire keepers with Sacred Fire Asheville, the local chapter of an international nonprofit.

Since 2002, Hanaway says guests of all faiths and religious backgrounds have attended the nonprofit’s multiple monthly events to experience “the transformational energy of fire [and] its healing presence.” He says humans all have fear, courage, gratitude, grief and humor, and yet “we get caught up in our separateness instead of our sameness.”

Men’s fires take place the third Thursday of every month, and women’s fires occur on the new moon. Additionally, a community fire is held on the second Saturday of each month. Alcohol and drugs are prohibited at the events, which range in size from a handful of participants to 150 people. No matter the turnout, Hanaway says he cherishes the opportunity to “slow down, connect with people and open my heart.”

Hanaway spoke with Xpress about why fire is sacred to him, the importance of fire throughout the history of humankind and what it means to be a fire keeper.

This interview has been lightly edited.

What is your personal connection to fire? Why is fire sacred to you?

I have been involved in Tibetan Buddhism and other kinds of spiritual teachings. One of the things that emerged [across teachings] is how do we connect with each other in community as “common heart” [a connection for healing insight]? In just about every major tradition and for Indigenous peoples around the world, we’ve connected around fire to have light, warmth and connection.

As I began to spend more time around the fire and deepen my understanding and become a fire keeper, what I found was that it’s a context where people of all different views, perspectives, livelihoods and economic backgrounds — a diversity of people — can come together and be with each other and open their hearts.

Where were you first exposed to Sacred Fire?

An emergence of this international organization Sacred Fire occurred about 20 years ago. But my connections to it were older than that — 25, 30 years ago. Working with Indigenous elders, I began to spend time around fire pujas and began to make offerings and connect with fire. The first interactions were with Tibetan elders working with fire ceremonies here in the United States and in Nepal and India.

What is attending a sacred fire like?

We meet by the fire shortly after sundown. We spend time — sometimes multiple hours — allowing people to express themselves. We talk until there’s nothing left to be said. We want to create the space for people to open their hearts. We find it has a healing quality to it. It’s actually something that’s quite unusual in our culture at this point in time.

You and your wife, Lisa, are fire keepers for Sacred Fire Asheville. What does it mean to be a fire keeper?

The fire keeper is the one that opens and holds the space. That means we create a context to allow for people to be able to be together and to be vulnerable and share together in a space of safety. They know they will not be hurt or attacked; they know they can express what’s on their heart. They know other people aren’t going to try and fix them and change them.

Tell me about making offerings during the fire.

At the beginning we make offerings to the fire. The offerings are made in the tradition of the Wixárika people. That’s what they call themselves; the word in Spanish is Huichol. We’re gifted with their approach. It’s a way to consecrate and open the space and be open with each other. Offerings are optional; people don’t have to do that. But offerings are made to the fire and connection to [north, south, east and west] in the center. That opens the space for songs, poems, stories, jokes and heartfelt expression of what’s going on.

What do you think it is about fire that brings people together?

One of the first stories that we hear in most Native cultures is how fire arrived. Fire gave us the opportunity to light the darkness and warm the cold and cook our food. But it also created the opportunity to gather

LET THERE BE LIGHT: “In just about every major tradition and for Indigenous peoples around the world, we’ve connected around fire in order to have light, warmth and connection,” says Sacred Fire Asheville fire keeper Patrick Hanaway. Photo courtesy of Hanaway

and connect, which then allowed us to step back and reflect and coordinate our plans and actions. As we did this, it allowed people to come together in new ways — not just

for themselves but for each other to build shelter and clothing and make crops. This was really a huge shift in evolution.

Can people bring technology to the fires, like to play music or take photos?

[laughs] No technology allowed! Turn it off! If you want to connect on your technology, stay away, because we’re focused on connecting with each other. We ask people to turn off their technology. There’s occasionally someone who is on call for something urgent, and they’ll kindly ask “Can I keep my phone on silent in case I get paged?” Of course, we’re open to that. We’re not trying to act in restrictive ways, but in ways that help us connect with each other.

Who can attend a fire at Sacred Fire Asheville?

Everyone is welcome. We’d love to have kids come. It’s definitely family-friendly. We had a fire awhile back where there was a 3-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy. One woman brought her mother, who is 91. To watch the 91-year-old grandma play with the 3- and 4-year-olds was so beautiful. It’s really just about being humans and connecting with each other. That warms my heart.

— Jessica Wakeman X

George Bernard Shaw

N.C. Arboretum’s 2022 Winter Lights

SPIRIT IN THE ISSUE

Winter Lights continues at the N.C. Arboretum through Saturday, Dec. 31. The holiday celebration, with a theme of “Forest and Garden Enchantment,” features over a million lights throughout the arboretum’s displays, live music each night and an educational animatronic display of woodland creatures.

In the spirit of the season, Xpress’s managing editor Thomas Calder visited and photographed scenes from the annual event. Highlights are included here.

For more information about Winter Lights, visit avl.mx/c8p.

WELLNESS

Old School Line Dancing

Featuring instructor-led dances with video backup.

TH (12/15), 6:15pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Zumba Gold for Adults 50+ This free class helps work on mobility while moving to the beat to burn off calories. Every Wednesday and Friday.

WE (12/14, 21), FR (12/16), 11am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Men’s Cancer Support Group

Safely meet in a large conference room and stay socially distant while wearing masks.

RSVP: Will at (412)9130272 or acwein123@ gmail.com.

WE (12/21), 6pm, Woodfin YMCA, 40 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 101

Still, Dark & Quiet: A Deep Rest Retreat A circle of women for an evening of deep rest, poetry and reflection.

WE (12/21), 6:30pm, visit avl.mx/c96

ART

Explorations in Heritage & Nature: Paintings by Lelia Canter

A unique and colorful collection of over 25 years of work that illustrate Cherokee, Celtic, Appalachian, and various cultural legends. Meet the artist and exhibit sale Dec. 15, 4-6pm. Open daily 8am, closed Sunday.

Zuma Coffee, 7 N Main St, Marshall

Winter Magic Annual group exhibition with over 20 local artists participating. Gallery open daily 11am. Exhibit through Jan. 31.

Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave

North Carolina Works by Martin Pasco Paintings from Barnardsville-based artist. Open daily 11am. Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave

Place and Wonder Featuring five American artists whose work explores the things we know and cannot entirely know about a place - real, imagined, or remembered..

Exhibit through Jan. 8, 2023. Gallery open 10am (11am Sunday), closed Monday.

Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste 144

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Advent Recitals

Musicians will include Karen Pommerich, viola, Lelia Lattimore, harp, and James Taulbee, organ. Each recital will be followed by a meal ($5 suggested donation for lunch).

WE (12/14), 12pm, Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church St Dance Night in Fines Creek

Traditional country and rock from Running Wolfe and the Renegades, with clogging, line dancing, two-step, swing and mountain dancing. One hundred percent of proceeds go to FCCA in supporting scholarships, community needs, and MANNA FoodBank.

SA (12/17), 6pm, Fines Creek Community Center, 190 Fines Creek Rd, Clyde

Family Folk Dance

A dance leader will teach each dance, drawing from the American folk tradition, as well as a few international dances. With a live band. All ages welcome.

SU (12/18), 3pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Mountain Music Jam

Celebrate old-time and bluegrass heritage with other musicians at the intermediate level. Singers and listeners welcome.

MO (12/19), 6:30pm, Jewish Community Center, 236 Charlotte St

LITERARY

Plays Well with Others

A literary reading series featuring work by UNC-A students, faculty members, and community members.

SU (12/18), 4pm, Ginger's Revenge, 829 Riverside

Dark

City Poets Society: Poetry Night

The monthly event, for poets and listeners. Followed by a second reading at 8pm, called Postlude. See p40-41

TU (12/20), 6pm, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St 8 pm, BAD Craft, 128 Cherry St

THEATER & FILM

A Southern Appalachian Christmas

A holiday tale of love, hope and cheer about Sara, who is back home for Christmas for the first time since moving to NYC six years ago. Various dates and times through Dec. 18.

Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, 44 College St, Mars Hill

Caroling by Gaslight

A darkly comedic retelling of the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Various dates

and times through Dec. 17.

The Magnetic Theatre, 375 Depot St

Holiday Double Cheer: Five Carols for Christmas & Jinglejacks

Two unique holiday musicals make their North Carolina premiere. Various dates and times through Dec. 18.

Hendersonville Theatre, 229 South Washington St, Hendersonville

A Christmas Story Adapted from the classic 1983 film. Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm, through Dec. 18. Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Elf The Musical

A production of holiday cheer, with a photo booth and a hot chocolate and cider bar in the lobby. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:30pm,

through Dec. 18. SA (12/17), 7:30pm, Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E Walnut St Santa Claus Conquers the Martians A parody of the low-budget 1964 film, by local playwright and director Rodney Smith. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm, through Dec. 23. Christmas Eve matinee at 2:30pm. Attic Salt Theatre, The Mills at Riverside, 2002 Riverside Dr

The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley Featuring a cast of Asheville actors, this story takes place downstairs in the servants quarters of Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley estate, two years after the events of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm, through Dec. 18. BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St

The Room: Special Screening with Local Author Adam Rosen Rosen, who is launching the release of his book You Are Tearing Me Apart, Lisa! The Year’s Work on The Room, the Worst Movie Ever Made, will introduce his book and lead a Q and A following the movie.

WE (12/14), 7pm, $10, Grail Moviehouse, 17 Foundy St

A Christmas Carol In this Theatre for Young Audiences production, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by ghosts through a frightful night and wakes up a kinder soul with joy in his heart. Featuring local professional actors and Mars Hill University students. SA (12/17), 5pm, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, 44 College St, Mars Hill

A Christmas Memory Truman Capote’s classic short story, performed as a one-man show by

actor and theologian E.R. Haire, Jr. Seating is limited, rsvp required: www.stjohnflatrock.org. SA (12/17), 7:30pm, The Episcopal Church of Saint John in the Wilderness, 1905 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock

A.R. Gurney's Ancestral Voices: a Reader's Theater Performance This bittersweet story takes place in the 40's, following a family through decades of war and social upheaval. Directed by Janice Vertucci Schreiber. SU (12/18), 7pm, Lake Louise Community Center, Weaverville

The Nutcracker: Magic of Christmas Ballet An international cast, featuring stars of Ukraine ballet. TU (12/20), 3pm & 7pm, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at Harrah's Cherokee CenterAsheville, 87 Haywood St

WINTER IS COMING: Swannanoa Winterfest will take place Saturday, Dec. 17, 3-8 p.m. at Grovemont Square in Swannanoa. The annual community event, which is modeled after traditional European holiday markets, will feature artisans, vendors, caroling and a visit from Olaf the Snowman. Photo courtesy of Swannanoa Winterfest

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Authentic Relating Games

Exercises that create a safe way to go beyond small talk, explore your edges, and experience personal belonging and growth.

TH (12/15), 6:30pm, $22, The Auricle Room, 68 Kentucky Dr

Swannanoa Valley Museum Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Black Mountain Museum staff will lead attendees through State Street, Cherry Street and Black Mountain Ave, relaying the history of several buildings and discussing topics including the building of the Swannanoa Tunnel and the disastrous downtown fire of 1912.

SA (12/17), 1pm, Free$10, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 W State St, Black Mountain Scrabble Club

All gear provided, just bring your vocabulary. Every Sunday.

SU (12/18), 12:15pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

T-Group: Sensitivity Training

A relational meditation practice. Contact levichettle@gmail.com.

TU (12/20), 6:30pm, Candler Communication Cooperative, 17 Old US 19-23, Candler

Sovereignty: A Women’s Mastermind Group

For leaders, teachers, healers, creatives and small business owners.

Led by author/speaker Renee Trudeau.

WE (12/21), 6:30pm, visit avl.mx/c96

LOCAL MARKETS

RAD Farmers Market Winter Season

Providing year-round access to fresh local foods, with 25-30 vendors selling a variety of local wares. Handicap parking available in the Smoky Park lot, free public parking available along Riverside Dr. Also accessible by foot, bike, or rollerblade via the Wilma Dykeman Greenway.

WE (12/14, 21), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

Weaverville Tailgate Market

Seasonal produce, meats, cheeses, breads and local artists.

WE (12/14), 3pm, Weaverville Tailgate Market, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville Mercado comunitario de Sherwood Este mercado al aire libre sin costo es para nuestra comunidad

LatinX.

WE (12/14), 4pm, Sherwood, 21 Sherwood Park Dr, Swannanoa

Asheville City Market

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

SA (12/17), 9am, 52 N Market St

North Asheville Tailgate Market/The Holiday Bazaar

The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC. Over 60 rotating vendors.

SA (12/17), 10am, North Asheville Tailgate Market, 3300 University Heights

Plants and Pints

With two local vendors, Taylor Stokes and Kirsten Hatch.

SU (12/18), 1pm, Green Man Brewery, 27 Buxton Ave

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Divine Intervention: The Game Show

to MANNA FoodBank.

SU (12/18), 6pm, DSSOLVR, 63 N Lexington Ave

HOLIDAY EVENTS

MCAC Member Holiday Art Sale

Locally made gifts and items from 25 artist’s booths, with paintings, jewelry, woodworking, body products, glass, baskets, fabric, and more. Daily 10am,

closed Sunday. Through Dec. 23.

The Arts Center, 90 South Main St Marshall Winterfest Village

With live performances, concessions, shopping, dining, carousel rides, visits with Santa, and a closing parade each evening. Thursdays through Fridays through Dec. 31. $5-10, Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring

Miracle on 1st Avenue Pop-Up Bar

A nightly Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar offering seasonal drinks in a festive setting. Through Jan. 1.

The Poe House, 105 First Ave, Hendersonville Jingle Bell Toddler Party

Jingle bells, reindeer magic and a snowball toss with inflatables, toys, activity tables and light refreshments. WE (12/14), 10am,

$5, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Visit the Grove Street crafting club's winter wonderland showcase built for the community. Monday through Friday, 10am, through Jan. 6. Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Holiday Tree Trimming with Santa Decorate an ornament to hang on Daddy

Mac's tree, or to take home. Special appearance by Santa Claus. WE (12/14), 5pm, Daddy Mac's Down Home Dive, 161 Biltmore Ave

Santa Paws

Santa will be taking pictures with pets, kids, families, friends, and anyone interested, in order to raise money for the pets in need in Buncombe County. Presented by Four Seasons Plumbing and Asheville

Humane Society.

WE (12/14), 6pm, Highland Brewing Company, 12 Old Charlotte Hwy Holiday Market hosted by River Aesthetics

Local vendors from all female-owned businesses. Food, drink, art, crafts, and raffles. TH (12/15), 12pm, The Galaxy Room, 175 Biltmore Ave

Christmas Tours at Historic Johnson Farm

Take a guided or self-guided tour of the historic farm.

FUNdraiser

for Blue Ridge Pride

An hour-long Family Feud-style guessing game with a drag queen host, audience participation, side-commentary, prizes, and drag performances.

See p39

TH (12/15), 7pm, $10-15, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St

Grateful

Bread Winter Coat Drive

Bring lightly used and recently cleaned jackets, coats, and related winter apparel to the HCCA Box Office during business hours or during active event times. Through Dec. 22.

Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville, 87 Haywood St

Wake Up Your Night with Drag Brunch

All profits are donated to over 15 local non-profits including BeLoved Asheville, Blue Ridge Pride, Healing Solutions Counseling, Loving Food Resources, Open Hearts Arts, Make a Wish Foundation, OUR Voice, Youth OUTright, and others.

See p39

SA (12/17), 7pm, $25, Biscuit Head South, 1994 Hendersonville Rd

An Acoustic Holiday A benefit for BeLoved Asheville, featuring Abby Bryant, DAtrian Jonson, Melissa McKinney and more local acts.

SU (12/18), 5pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd

Holly Jolly Industry Smackdown: Chili Contest

You are the judge for the best local chili. With music by DJ Lil Meow Meow. All donations go

Various dates and times through Dec. 16.

Historic Johnson Farm, 3346 Haywood Rd, Hendersonville

All That Glitters

A nationally-celebrated collection of Space Age aluminum Christmas trees and vintage ornaments. Open Thursday through Saturday, noon to 4pm. Through Jan. 14.

Transylvania Heritage Museum, 189 W Main St, Brevard

Holiday Cookie Exchange

Bring your homemade holiday cookies to share with others while enjoying hot chocolate. TH (12/15), 1pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Winter Wonder Walk

A live action immersive story walk on an outdoor trail with live characters, lights, music, and blustery guest Jack Frost. With a holiday markets, play area, concessions and the Glow Trail. Every ticket purchased donates four meals to MANNA FoodBank. Various dates and times through Dec. 18. Free-$18, Adventure Center of Asheville, 85 Expo Dr

Indigenous Holiday Pop-Up Market

Featuring handmade and unique items from Cherokee artists.

FR (12/16), 10am, Museum of the Cherokee Indian, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee Holiday Bingo

With plenty of festive prizes. Light refreshments and drinks provided.

FR (12/16), 6pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St

Santa Visits Bold Rock

Featuring Appalachian Santa, with cookies, hot cocoa, a workshop for kids, and family photos with the man himself.

FR (12/16), 6pm, Bold Rock Mills River, 72 School House Rd, Mills River

Sylva Holiday Concert & Fireworks

Holiday-themed concert by rockers Terri Lynn Queen and Scott Baker, followed by fireworks.

FR (12/16), 6:30pm, Downtown Sylva Festivus Music, Christmas shows and movies and specialty cocktails.

FR (12/16), 7pm, Bold Rock Asheville, 39 N Lexington Ave

Festivus for the Rest of Us Holiday Market

A three day event each day showcasing different regional shops, foods, and music.

FR (12/16), 6pm, SA (12/17 & SU 12/18), Haiku I Do, 26 Sweeten Creek Rd

Photos with The Grinch Donate a new, unwrapped toy to Western North Carolina Toys for Tots and get a photo with the Dr Seuss icon. In the food court.

SA (12/17), 10am, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd

Holiday Junk-O-Rama

Antiques and vintage clothing for sale at a bar and wedding chapel.

SA (12/17), 11am, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Photos with Santa Visitors receive one 4” by 6” photo and digital download of a single image (while supplies last). In the food court.

SA (12/17), 12pm, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd

Swannanoa Winterfest Modeled on the traditional European holiday markets, this community event will feature a variety of artisans and vendors selling holiday-themed items, musical entertainment, caroling, and holiday lights. See p40-41 SA (12/17), 3pm, Grovemont Square, 101 W Charleston Ave, Swannanoa

Holiday Record Swap Shop multiple vendors selling vinyl at this annual event.

SU (12/18), 11am, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Beers and Cheers Holiday Market & Social Small, local and women-owned vendors, with a photo booth, chair massages and holiday tunes.

SU (12/18), 12pm, Mills River Brewing, Mills River

Holiday Arts & Crafts Show

Featuring works by local Whole Foods employees. Upstairs in the tap room.

SU (12/18), 12pm, Whole Foods Market, 4 S Tunnel Rd

Pet Photos with Santa Visitors receive one free 4” by 6” photo and digital download of a single image (while supplies last). Located in the food court.

SU (12/18), 2pm, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd

Sip & Shop

Featuring local craft, vintage, artisan, and maker vendors - with drinks and snacks by The Rhu.

SU (12/18), 2pm, The Rhu, 10 South Lexington Ave

Christmastime in Brevard

A holiday family tradition with the Brevard Philharmonic, featuring the Transylvania Choral Society.

SU (12/18), 3pm, Porter Center, Brevard College, 1 Brevard College Dr, Brevard Live Drive Through Nativity Drive through five scences depicting events that led up to the Nativity. Audio transcription available via phone.

SU (12/18), 6pm, Church of Jesus Christ, 91 Monticello, Weaverville

A

West Asheville Holiday Market

Twenty two new vendors and 25 returning vendors with local produce, meats, cheeses, artists and more.

TU (12/20), 718 Haywood Rd

Lake Julian Festival of Lights

Watch the lights twinkle over the lake while you drive through and listen to your own favorite music. Every evening 6pm, through Dec. 23. Lake Julian Park, 37 Lake Julian Rd, Arden

Misfit Toys Christmas Craft Night with Wifey Make “misfit” toys and ornaments at this pop-up event.

TU (12/20), Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Deck The Trees: Let Heaven and Nature Sing

Swannanoa Solstice

The 2022 line-up of the 20 year local holiday folk music tradition welcomes back Robin Bullock, Josh Goforth, Zoe & Cloyd, Phil Jamison, E.J. Jones, and host Doug Orr. New to the celebration this season are storyteller Becky Stone and writer and singer Gina Cornejo.

SU (12/18), 2pm, Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave

Winter Lights

An open-air, walkthrough light show in the gardens, featuring live performances, a model train, educational exhibits and food and beverages available for purchase. The Arboretum's largest annual fundraiser. Visit ncarboretum.org for more info on tickets and pricing. Every evening 6pm, through Dec. 31.

NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way

Sippin' Santa Pop-Up Tropical Christmas-themed bar daily through Jan. 1.

The Montford Rooftop Bar, 199 Haywood St

Show & Tell Holiday Pop Up Shop Shop over 100 vendors with housewares, handmade jewelry, ceramics, apparel, vintage clothes, floral wreaths, ornaments, dog treats, candles and more. Daily through Dec. 24.

Center for Craft, 67 Broadway

Decorated Christmas trees at the Monte Vista Hotel and in stores and businesses throughout Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley area, to help raise funds for the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry Fuel Fund. Daily through Jan. 2.

Monte Vista Hotel & Various Locations, 308 W State St, Black Mountain Hanukkah Candle Lighting

The half hour of warmth and light will be accompanied by a singalong led by Penny White. Outdoors in the front courtyard.

WE (12/21), ish Community Center, 236 Charlotte St

Miracle at the Golden Pineapple Kitschy holiday decor, whimsical cocktails, and the nostalgic energy of a fun office holiday. Nightly through Jan. 1. The Golden Pineapple, 503 Haywood Rd

Tryon Resort Holiday Ice Skating Ice skating, festive light displays, eating, and shopping. With skate rentals available by the hour, various times through Feb. 14, 2023. Visit avl.mx/c73

S Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring

Tryon Drive-Thru Christmas Light Show Featuring a two-mile display that dances along to the music in your car. Open nightly 6-10pm, tickets sold per vehicle. Through Jan. 1.

Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring

Q&A: Justin Shytle on harm reduction, naloxone and recovery

Justin Shytle moved to Asheville when he was 7 years old and remembers a childhood attending Bele Chere and skating around the former Vance Monument.

But at 14, their childhood came to an abrupt end when they discovered their father dead from an overdose. The experience “opened the door for my IV drug use and mental health issues,” says Shytle, who uses they/them pronouns. They had previously experimented with smoking marijuana, drinking, taking pills and hallucinogens. But “after my dad’s death, I went right to shooting pain pills and heroin,” they explain.

Then “in high school, getting high was a cool thing, and I wanted to be cool,” Shytle continues. “So I took it to the limit and used as much as I could.” They primarily took heroin and benzodiazepines (a class of anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax), and “had a year’s streak with meth,” they explain. After being flagged for potential abuse of their Xanax prescription, Shytle began buying pills off the street.

During their teen years, Shytle underwent juvenile probation and was placed in psychiatric wards and in-patient treatment. But they continued to use drugs to excess, resulting in 11 overdoses. Their first experience being administered Narcan to reverse an overdose occurred at age 17.

In March 2020, after 12 years of misusing substances, Shytle pursued recovery through a combination of medication-assisted treatment, harm reduction strategies and the support of a peer support specialist.

Shytle subsequently trained as a peer support specialist and earned their certification in June 2021. Today, they are the harm reduction community educator for Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, a recovery nonprofit that works in partnership with the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services to educate the community about harm reduction. Employing individuals such as Shytle is part of

N.C.’s Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan.

Shytle spoke with Xpress about distributing naloxone, the concept of “tough love” and why they believe “meeting someone where they’re at” is crucial for substance misuse recovery.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Your job at Sunrise is teaching people about harm reduction, like how to reverse opioid overdoses with naloxone. How do you get naloxone out into the community?

[Sunrise employees] always have some to hand out to make sure people have it. We’ve been doing training at different housing authorities, trying to pass as much out as possible and to train folks on how to use it. I do trainings for businesses, treatment centers, solo, whatever. As long as you’re wanting to be educated, I’m going be there.

Is it hard to convince people to get trained on how to administer naloxone or to carry it?

A lot of folks will act like you’re assuming that they participate in

SPREADING THE WORD: Justin Shytle, who handles safe syringe program container pickup for Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, has trained local restaurants and bars on how to administer naloxone. Photo by Jessica Wakeman

activities where Narcan would have to be used. I mean, my grandma had to Narcan someone!

You just never know when you’re going to come across [someone overdosing]: out on a drive, bus stops, the grocery store, bathrooms in the grocery store, parks — everywhere. I always got high in parking lots, so I could have easily been somebody overdosing in the car.

Safe syringe use is another tenet of harm reduction. There are a lot of people who believe that supplying clean needles to people enables their drug use or that people who are using substances need to get some “tough love.” What are your thoughts on that?

That whole “tough love” thing is out of the question. It’s all about just loving and meeting someone where they’re at. I don’t try to push anything on that person. If they want to go use drugs, I just want to make sure they’re safe. We’ll give them clean syringes to help reduce any hepatitis C or HIV.

“Meeting someone where they’re at” can feel like a tall order. Like, I have a sibling who has struggled with substance use most of their life. And it’s really hard to watch a loved one make choices that hurt themselves and those around them. You just want to force them to stop, you know?

I’ll speak personally. People would want to throw detox on me, or treatment, or religion, and push and push and push. I just wasn’t feeling it. When that person

would do that, I wouldn’t want to be around them anymore because I knew what their agenda was. With us at Sunrise, when we go meet someone, we’re not going to drown them with stuff that they should be doing. If they one day want to try something different, we’re there to guide them with experience.

Was there one event in your life that led you to pursue recovery, or was it a series of events?

A series. The legal system, treatment centers — a lot of it was forced. I wasn’t ready to get in recovery during those times. Eventually, I got sick of the suffering, like being sick and tired all the time.

You’ve been in recovery for 31 months. What’s being in recovery like?

It’s a lot of work on yourself. The drugs are a problem, but you are the problem, too. There are different kinds of recovery setups — some use the 12 steps and a higher power, medication-assisted treatment.

I imagine it’s difficult for some people to accept what you just said — “ you are the problem, too.”

Somewhat. A lot of recovery deals with mental health or trauma. Anything that you’re not comfortable with or OK with can lead you to using substances.

One last question: Do you have the most tattoos of anybody associated with the health department?

Yeah, I would say so!

— Jessica Wakeman X

Hidden figures

‘Barrier Breakers: The Pilgrimage’ spotlights historic Black churches

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

In January 2020, in preparation for Black History Month, Archdeacon Brenda Gilbert raised a question.

“We were having a conversation about pilgrimages — they always come up,” Gilbert says. “Everybody was trying to maybe get money together to go to Selma [Ala.]. And I said, ‘What about here? Has [a pilgrimage] ever been done here?’”

At the time, Gilbert — whose position involves serving as the liaison between the bishop and the deacons in the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina — had no way of knowing her inquiry would morph into the multiyear, multimedia undertaking “Barrier Breakers: The Pilgrimage.”

The project began with a video series and officially debuted in its multifaceted form in October. At its core, “Barrier Breakers: The Pilgrimage” invites people to learn about the area’s historically Black episcopal churches — virtually or in person — through audio recordings, archival photographs and text, thereby preserving a past full of remarkable hardships and triumphs.

A PROMISING START

When Bishop José McLoughlin of the Episcopal Diocese of WNC appointed Gilbert to spearhead the project, she figured it would be a oneyear undertaking. She and Virginia Taylor , then the communications director for the diocese, did

what they could to research current and former Black congregations. The pair also drove to churches to interview congregants.

“It was layer upon layer,” Gilbert recalls.

A former military brat, Gilbert put to use her childhood talent for making friends fast. “I suggested that we not just do these interviews for different parishioners from Black parishes, but that we get to know them,” she explains. “How can we come to the table and not know who we’re sharing it with?”

The initial result was “Barrier Breakers,” a collection of short video interviews with five people of color in

Lodge in Black Mountain, NC

SPIRIT IN THE ISSUE

(St. Matthias), Morganton (St. Stephen’s), Lincolnton (St. Cyprian’s), Rutherfordton (St. Gabriel’s), Tyron (Good Shepherd), Murphy (St. Barnabas) and Franklin (St. Cyprian’s). Selecting the congregations to spotlight was a simple yet painful process, notes Gilbert, in that it was initially limited to the handful of structures still standing. It then evolved to include churches that have been demolished but maintain connections to newer parishes.

“We learned there were two St. Cyprian’s, and [the one in Lincolnton] is gone,” Gilbert explains. “We had the hardest time even finding where it used to be. It was so sad.”

She and Taylor had a similar difficulty pinpointing the former site of St. Barnabas. Gilbert says no historical marker or signifier of any kind sits on the spot — just “standing water from where they bulldozed it for a highway.”

the diocese. Launched in February 2021, the project was well received within and outside the church for its amplification of marginalized voices, as well as its role of filling gaps in the diocese’s overall history.

In turn, “Barrier Breakers” also fit with McLoughlin’s ongoing mission to build Beloved Community. The concept stems from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who described it as “a realistic vision of an achievable society, one in which problems and conflict exist but are resolved peacefully and without bitterness, a goal that can be accomplished through courage and determination, and through education and training, if enough people are willing to make the necessary commitment.”

ON THE TRAIL OF HISTORY

In August 2021, “Barrier Breakers” resumed as a monthly series, spotlighting the story of a different person of color in the diocese with each installment. But throughout the video project, Gilbert and Taylor were working on turning the interviews into something even more ambitious.

Building on the stories shared in the videos, the duo sought to present fuller chronicles of historically Black churches in Asheville

These church closures, continues Gilbert, were not solely impacted by urban renewal. “It was difficult to keep young people enthusiastic about going to an Episcopal church with mostly adults when their friends from school were going to Baptist or AME churches that had many more young people in attendance with thriving youth programs,” she explains.

Together, Gilbert and Taylor pored through numerous church documents, down to notes from vestry meetings — whose squint-worthy text eventually forced Gilbert to get a stronger prescription for her glasses. They also had help from Gordon Hamilton, whose genealogical research uncovered a wealth of history about Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Tryon, as well as Jim Abbott, former rector of St. Matthias Episcopal Church in Asheville and the author of the 2011 book Unfinished Journey: A Brief Racial History of the Diocese of Western North Carolina

But further involvement from the church members remained paramount. The team invited each parish to come up with its own prayer and sought to meet with church elders and record their stories. Though many shared an initial reticence to publicly share their experiences, their concerns lessened once the congregants sat down to speak with Gilbert and Taylor.

“They were so happy to be able to tell their stories,” Gilbert says. “It made me sad how grateful they were that people wanted to spotlight and highlight their parishes. They’re used to kind of being in survival

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: Archdeacon Brenda Gilbert, center, stands with Bernadette Moore, left, and Jeanne Fleming, members of St. Mary’s St. Stephen’s in Morganton. Photo by Virginia Taylor

Happy Holidays

Staff

mode, and they’re worth so much more than that.”

Nevertheless, many of the stories are painful ones. Gilbert reveals that multiple interviewees cried while recounting their churches’ pasts and asked that certain anecdotes be stricken from the record. She adds that many still live in the same neighborhoods where racism was prevalent and noted that they were concerned that their stories could have consequences today.

PILGRIMS: UNITE

With the audio and research acquired, Taylor wrote the majority of the seven scripts, and Gilbert narrated each episode. Taylor also folded in choral music and a range of sound effects.

“She did it all, and she learned as she went along with a lot of it,” Gilbert says. “She was staying up late at night trying to figure it out, and she did an excellent job.”

Taylor’s work was so effective that when she sent Gilbert a rough cut of the first completed chapter, which focuses on St. Stephen’s in Morganton, Gilbert was brought to tears. She compares the experience to carrying a child for nine months and then finally getting to see the baby.

The two set — and met — a deadline of July 1, 2022, to have “The Pilgrimage” ready for the diocese’s 100th anniversary, the official celebration for which took place in November at its annual convention at Asheville’s Trinity Episcopal Church. The completed website, which Taylor also built, provides guidance on how to begin the pilgrimage. Though Gilbert recommends going to the churches in person and listening to the corresponding chapter on headphones to maximize the experience, she notes that the breadth of the diocese and the distance between the featured locations will likely result in a healthy number of virtual pilgrims. Also, considering the wealth of photos, informative captions and additional resources to continue the journey, the “Barrier Breakers” project is far from over.

“‘The Pilgrimage,’ we try to emphasize, is just the beginning. We put in resources for people to carry on for themselves because [the initial set of church histories] had to come to an end sometime,” Gilbert says. “We could have kept on going. As we kept digging, we found out about more mission churches that never made it into a parish. It’s just a lot, and knowing the clock was ticking,

we had to stop somewhere, but there was so much more.”

CHAPEL ON THE HILL

The next planned chapter for “Barrier Breakers: The Pilgrimage” is set for Saturday, Feb. 25, with an in-person pilgrimage event at each featured church. Participants from the series and other knowledgeable parishioners will be present to share stories and answer questions.

At St. Matthias, Diane and Bill Mance plan to attend. Active members of the church since they moved to Asheville from McDowell County in 2001, the Mances were original members of the diocesan Commission to Dismantle Racism and were interviewed in the “Barrier Breakers” video series. In conjunction with “The Pilgrimage” component, they see the spotlight on the church as a matter of great importance.

“I think it certainly was appropriate and probably a long time coming,” Bill says. “There are people in Asheville who don’t know that the church exists — [including] Episcopalians in Asheville who couldn’t tell you where the church is. And around the diocese, the same

is very true. And so, this is helping people know where St. Matthias is and get to see a little bit about it.”

St. Matthias began after emancipation as Freedman’s Church, a Black congregation within downtown’s Trinity Church that worshipped at a separate time from the all-white congregation. In the early 1870s, the rapidly growing Black congregation moved to the newly built, two-story Trinity Chapel on the hillside next to the future St. Matthias — on the slope that currently overlooks White

Labs Brewing Co. The framed building also housed a day school on the first floor, the first in Asheville to provide formal education lessons to Black children and adults.

In 1894, the congregation had outgrown the hillside space, prompting the construction of the current St. Matthias church by former slave James Vester Miller. The brick artisan and contractor was also responsible for numerous structures around Asheville that still stand today.

“Everybody talks about the acoustics,” Diane says. “For a man who was born at the time that he was born and was able to build something like this, that says a lot about the craftsmanship. And a lot of whites didn’t even know how to do it.”

For decades, St. Matthias’ parishioners included prominent Black professionals, such as education advocate Isaac Dickson. But as church attendance across denominations dwindled in the 1990s and St. Matthias nearly closed due to poor finances, church leaders decided to integrate the congregation, and organist Ron Lamb became its first white member. The shift saved St. Matthias, and it continues to attract a robust group of Black and white attendees each Sunday.

All of the above and more details are chronicled in “The Pilgrimage” chapter on St. Matthias, and though the Mances have yet to see an uptick in visitors directly related to the “Barrier Breakers” project, they’re thankful for local activist DeWayne Barton including St. Matthias on his Hood Huggers tours. These combined efforts bode well for the future as they teach today’s Western North Carolinians about the historical site’s past.

“This [church] has been going strong all this time,” Bill says. “You see the ‘150 Years’ banner there? It’s not planning on fading away any time soon.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/c89. X

COMMUNITY CORNERSTONES: Diane, right, and Bill Mance stand in the sanctuary of St. Matthias Episcopal Church, where they’ve been active members since 2001. Photo by Edwin Arnaudin

‘To find the utterance’

Poet Mackenzie Kozak reflects on poetry’s gift of greater self-awareness

BY THOMAS CALDER

tcalder@mountainx.com

Local poet Mackenzie Kozak knows her experimental approach to poetry — focusing more on image than linear narration — isn’t always the most accessible. But she takes comfort in the words of fellow poet David Biespiel, who was also Kozak’s former professor at Wake Forest University.

“He talks about how ‘successful poets are in the pursuit of finding the utterance that is most theirs,’” Kozak explains.

“I have been in enough poetry workshops to know that my style as a writer is not always what is most popular,” she continues. “But I am

trying to find the utterance that is most mine.”

An associate editor at Orison Books and Asheville Poetry Review, Kozak recently spoke with Xpress about her approach to poetry, its function as a form of interrogation and the importance of hearing language read aloud.

Along with the conversation is her poem “evening at sandy mush bald.”

Xpress: What inspired this particular piece?

Kozak: I set out to write a love poem, which is something a little bit different for me — to write from a place of gratitude rather than pain. And I was writing this soon after my husband and I had visited the Cabins at Sandy Mush Bald, which are these lovely, rustic cabins about 40 minutes from Asheville. There’s a

evening at sandy mush bald for t.k.

you tell me the climb to the cabin is steeper than you remember, but you remember the dusk-filled range, hardly visible when we reach it, all the blood to my foot, and remember how ink is always your own, the door lunging open, and no heat until something is fed. how this time differs from another frigid mountain years before when you saw slipknots as you held me, to keep a seam from splitting in the draining sun. now you are speaking, and the words travel across a bridge of breath appearing in smoke. now you are tender with me, braving the wind to gather wood. it is hard to imagine a life next to the life of some other. sometimes you are describing a campground you loved as a child, and i see you again as if seeing the grayson ponies appear out of air, assembled delight. and remember the morning was sharp with frost, you were gathered around me, and you rose to heat the stove, the wind settling slightly over the hills, and i wanted to tell you what startles me about hearing your sounds in sleep, slight hums, you are gold, and our lamps that bless us, we are making our way down the slope, i don’t have to tell you this is it.

3-mile hike up to the cabins, and we got a late start that winter afternoon, so we arrived at the top when it was getting dark. The only heat source in the cabin is a wood stove, and I was feeling immense gratitude for my partner, who kept the cabin warm.

I think poets and readers alike can appreciate and recognize how painful experiences can command more of our attention than our joyous moments sometimes do. Within your own writing, what is it about darkness that more readily appeals to you?

Kozak: I think darkness or suffering feels like more of a reflective space for me where I want to interrogate it and sit with the energy that goes toward naming it. And I appreciate the way darkness has a rawness or depth to it, a feeling of getting to the wound of something.

In my poetry, I tend toward image rather than narrative — though this poem is a bit of an exception. And so translating my suffering into image helps me look at it in a different way or make discoveries about myself. When I’m feeling joyful, I notice I want to be present in the world and be in community, or I want to be attentive in a way that is active rather than meditative.

What ultimately determines your approach to a given poem? Did you set out to write “evening at sandy mush bald” with a more narrative shape, or was it more by chance?

This poem was intentionally narrative because I wanted to write about love without ambiguity. It was sort of an exercise for myself. Usually, I am drawn toward image because it allows the reader to make their own connections or to respond emotionally without feeling like I led them there. That’s the kind of experience I appreciate most as a reader: to have an active part in interpreting what a poem means for me, and to walk away with an emotion rather than an understanding of exactly what took place.

But I also realize there is benefit to narrative writing. There’s a lyric by musician Joanna Newsom that says, “Never get so attached to a poem/ You forget truth that lacks lyricism,” and I think that’s what I was doing with this poem — trying to write in a way that was true rather than obscure or lyrical.

NEW PERSPECTIVE: “To me, [poetry is] more about the act of moving someone from one space into another space, to startle them out of their regular way of seeing the world,” says poet Mackenzie Kozak. “I think that is ultimately what builds awareness about ourselves and our environment.” Photo by K.M. Fuller

Yes! I think it’s great that you bring up the importance of emotional understanding. I worry sometimes that readers who are less exposed to poetry avoid it because they believe there’s some hidden message the poet is intentionally obscuring, and it frustrates them. Your thoughts?

I understand that perspective, and I think it’s a common experience for many: the feeling of “not knowing the secret code” to a poem. I think I see a benefit to multiple kinds of experiences with poetry. I believe there is space for poetry that feels more straightforward and clear, and poetry that takes effort to sit with and parse through.

Personally, I’m not as interested in poetry that requires one specific reaction or response from the reader — that’s why I care most about writing in a way that lends itself to an emotional response, and this emotional response can look different for different people. To me, it’s more about the act of moving someone from one space into another space, to startle them out of their regular way of seeing the world. I think that is ultimately what builds awareness about ourselves and our environment.

Given Asheville’s strong literary scene, it’s not all that difficult to find a poetry reading in town. Can you speak to the two ways poetry is most often experienced: either by reading it alone on the page or

listening to it at a public event. And how, if at all, do the two ways influence your thoughts and approach within your own writing?

I am usually taking pauses to read my poems out loud while I am writing them. I think a great deal about sound, and sometimes I’m drawn to word choices because of sound before I consider meaning or intention. But I appreciate being both a reader and a listener — sometimes I crave the experience of the writer’s voice, or reading the words aloud with my own voice, and sometimes I enjoy the silence of my own mind as it takes in the poem.

Is there a local poet whose recent or forthcoming collection has you particularly excited and why?

Diamond Forde’s Mother Body is a stunning meditation on mothering, origin and survival. I’m also looking forward to Testament, a forthcoming collection from Luke Hankins, and unalone, a forthcoming collection from Jessica Jacobs

Lastly, who are the four poets on your Mount Rushmore?

Lucie Brock-Broido, Naomi Shihab Nye, Joanna Klink and Robert Hass. X

BY MORGAN BOST

We’ve reached the end of a long and harrowing year, dear readers. Seems just yesterday we were scrubbing groceries and hoarding toilet paper in preparation for two weeks of stay-at-home.

Now here we are, entering (*checks notes*) our THIRD! pandemic holiday season. While many have adopted the “new normal,” others look to the new year for promises of more precedented times.

And while things may never fully go back to the “old normal” (whatever that was), this holiday season “Best Medicine” is hoping to conjure nostalgia by capturing the true spirit of Asheville. Joining me this month are fellow local standups Cameron Davis, Larry Griffin and Christian Lee. Together, we’ll be discussing gifts, booze and New Year’s resolutions.

Morgan Bost: What is the one holiday gift Asheville desperately needs and why?

Comedians contemplate what the holiday spirit means to Asheville SPIRIT IN THE ISSUE

So for this holiday season, I think everyone in Asheville could use a watch — preferably one with an alarm. Not a smartwatch, just something to remind people about whatever it is they’ve committed to.

Maybe it’s the Catholic school guilt instilled in me, but I like arriving at the time I agreed to.

Bost: Given that I’ve already exhausted my allocated gift budget on myself this year (to be fair, I have been especially good), I would like to see Asheville receive the gift that keeps on giving: affordable housing. If you’re an avid reader of the column (which I’m sure most of you are), you know that lack of affordable housing is a topic that surfaces quite often in “Best Medicine.” While I had hoped this hard-hitting coverage would have resolved the issue, alas it still remains.

Cameron Davis: Is it just me, or is Mercury in retrograde ALL THE FREAKIN’ TIME!?! I don’t know if it’s because I grew up with the original Star Wars trilogy ingrained in my brain or what, but have we developed the technology to blow up planets yet? Because if we have, I think for the sake of Asheville and all its astrology fans, the greatest holiday gift of all would be to take that little bugger out of the sky. (Hey, Pentagon — if you’re reading this and there is some bunker in the Nevada desert with a space laser that can blow up planets, help us out!)

Once it’s gone, how could you be having a bad day? Mercury doesn’t exist anymore, silly! It can no longer … retrograte you? You might just be having a bad day because that happens to everyone ALL THE FREAKIN’ TIME!

Let’s celebrate the holidays this year with the gift of taking that celestial scapegoat out of the picture.

Larry Griffin: Sometimes it’s hard to get the right gift for a person.

That’s when you know it’s time to hit up the gift card rack. For Asheville, I’d load up some cash for one of downtown’s many shops filled with dreamcatchers, crystals and Tarot cards — maybe some gourmet chocolate or edibles to top it off.

For the touristy component of Asheville, I’d buy socks — the go-to gift for when you don’t know what to get someone but need to appear polite.

Christian Lee: Being the only punctual person at an event shouldn’t be the counterculture statement all my other hobbies were meant to be. I know 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time is a soft 8:30 p.m. in Asheville time, but I’m punctual if only for the right to complain.

But maybe the magic of the holiday season can help bolster efforts! Replace mall Santas with City Council members this year so parents can slide in affordable housing among their children’s wishlist of skateboards and video games. A long shot perhaps, but it never hurts to hold out hope for some kind of holiday miracle that could one day be adapted into a delightful holiday film.

(I’m looking at you, Lindsay Lohan.)

Bost: What spirit — talking drinks here — best represents Asheville and why?

Davis: I moved here from Chicago and an interesting thing about that city is they have a spirit that is in itself a litmus test for the newcomer. It was called Malört. I shudder just thinking about the astringent herbal liquor that everyone pretended to like and forced me to drink.

With this in mind, I think Asheville needs its own especially disgusting spirit to test a newbie’s resolve.

Here is the recipe for our new signature spirit. It starts with the freshest rainwater collected in puddles at the Carrier Park dog enclosure, then poured through your 3-year-old Brita filter. For our herbal note, snag some fresh sprigs of kudzu, preferably tendrils that have creeped onto

HOLIDAY HUMOR: Local comic Morgan Bost, top left, returns for her latest conversion with fellow comedians, clockwise from top right, Christian Lee, Cameron Davis and Larry Griffin. Photo of Bost by Cindy Kunst; all other images courtesy of Bost

the concrete of the I-240 underpass. Finally, steep ingredients in grain alcohol for about six months. When done, filter contents through a basket woven from hippy dreads to take out any impurities.

Voila! Now we have the spirit Ashevilleans can pretend to like and dare visitors to imbibe.

Griffin: I think Asheville should have a moonshine renaissance. In a city with plenty of $15 cocktails featuring 12 ingredients each, moonshine represents a different side — even if its lure and mythology now only exists in our minds rather than in our modern times. But we are a mountain community at heart — and humanity in general is not as far from our mountaineer forebears as we like to think.

So let’s start passing around some red plastic party cups full of homemade moonshine more often at every dive bar we visit.

Lee: After much consideration and imbibing — not to mention an online “What spirit are you?” quiz — I’ve narrowed it down to whiskey.

According to the quiz, whiskey best represents Asheville’s “hard work and self-care” traits, as well as the city’s “boring maturity but knows what it likes” personality.

In my opinion, the spirit also encapsulates Asheville’s love of rustic classics and fearless partying.

But if I could select the beverage that best captures Asheville’s aspirations, I’d say hard kombucha. It’s vibe soft, party hard spirit is the current contender for the town’s official motto.

Bost: The true spirit of Asheville can be found in the 15% ABV craft beer clutched in the right hand of a new parent, a small child cradled in the other. On any given Saturday, you can find such parents across Asheville hoping to have their Cake Porter Stout and drink it too. Due to those pesky open container laws, though, parents are discouraged

from drinking at the playground. Luckily, most breweries now bring the playground to them! With sprawling outdoor areas, an abundance of free baby sitters and floor food for both Fido and baby, breweries really are the perfect place for families!

shortage of folks getting their workouts in.

So, let’s make a resolution to stay inside and eat junk food while binging half a dozen new prestigious TV shows you read about on Twitter. Or you could stay inside and catch up on sleep, or read that book you promised yourself you’d read — before turning YouTube back on. If you cut out exercise and health, the possibilities are endless. Celebrate sloth!

Bost: In 2023, I think the community should resolve to soften our stance toward tourists. I get it, tourists have a reputation for both driving poorly on our roads and driving up the cost of living. But perhaps we as a community simply need to step in and show them the proper ways of conducting themselves.

Davis: The New Year’s resolution I think we should all take on in 2023 is to use designated crosswalks like a New Yorker.

Hear me out. I don’t know how many times I’ve stood at a designated crosswalk with a clearly visible sign that says “State Law: Yield to Pedestrians.” But instead of crossing with confidence, I politely wait until all the cars have passed, look both ways like my mama told me to and then skitter across the street.

I think we should all take on the arrogant street crossing style of a big city. Because you know what else is technically against the law besides not yielding to a pedestrian? Vehicular manslaughter.

I’m talking about a sense of entitlement. Pride even! I’m talking about walking into that designated pedestrian crosswalk like you own it, looking into the eyes of an approaching driver and silently communicating in your grittiest Clint Eastwood look, “Go ahead, punk ... make my day.”

Griffin: Most of the time people will say they want to get healthy for the new year by going to the gym and all of that. But every incline in Asheville is so steep that we can get fairly decent cardio workouts just walking around downtown for an afternoon. And besides, we already have an abundance of health-conscious residents. I see people walking and jogging and biking everywhere; and the hiking trails never have a

Lee: We should get rid of anti-unhoused architecture, for one (but really for all). We should be pursuing community, not chasing it out. That’s a lot of snack money spent, and for what? So people can’t nap on benches? The way housing is going, I think we’re all better off just napping in public between our three jobs.

We should make shelter inescapable by adding little roofs and padding on public structures. Guerrilla-hospitality, that’s my New Year’s resolution.

To be clear, my agenda is to destigmatize naps for all, regardless of background. As a former sleepy teen turned drowsy adult, our needs are scarcely met. And I’m tired of napping during fire drills at work.

That’s why I’m advocating that locals adopt a tourist in 2023. If you see someone looking lost and meandering next year, ask where they’re from and if they’d like to be taken under the wing of a local (a term legally granted only to those that have lived here no less than 500 years). Teach them that it is possible to go above 35 mph on I-26, and that tipping less than 20% results in a cacophony of manic bird calls. (We should all normalize cawing at bad tips, by the way.)

Is it our responsibility as locals to manage tourists? Certainly not. But what’s actually stopping us from adopting entire bachelorette parties in order to show them that it is possible to enjoy the Pubcycle without “woo-ing” past a funeral procession? (A very real thing I’ve witnessed). Come 2023, it’s worth a shot. X

Bost: In the spirit of New Year’s, what is one resolution our community should collectively agree to pursue in 2023?

Forging ahead

Karis Roberts named new Asheville Brewers Alliance executive director

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

Over the last year, less news has issued from the Asheville Brewers Alliance than usual. But the decrease in public communication doesn’t mean that the support group for Western North Carolina’s craft brewing industry has been idle.

On Dec. 7, at the ABA’s annual holiday party, Karis Roberts was announced as the group’s new executive director. The Wilmington native is a graduate of UNC Asheville and worked as an early education teacher before shifting her focus to modeling and photography.

“When I’m not being creative, I’m serving you drinks as a bartender at a few places around town, including Wedge Brewing Co., Rabbit Rabbit and The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage,” Roberts says.

As a self-described “lifelong educator and learner,” Roberts says she’ll strive to make sure the ABA’s core membership feels supported. She notes that cohesion, communication, conflict resolution and community will be her driving forces, and she’s optimistic about additional progress within the local scene.

“Serving as the face and community liaison for the ABA comes with opportunities for growth, change and ingenuity,” she says. “There aren’t many Black women in the beer industry. And after living in Asheville for 15 years, I have seen how lack of visibility can become harmful and also how diversification can bring about change and new perspectives.”

FIRM FOUNDATION

Roberts takes over for Leah Rainis , who stepped down as executive director — which had been a full-time position — in March. Rainis started work in January 2020 and was instrumental in helping local beer businesses navigate the challenges of statewide restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, pivot to delivery and to-go

services and eventually reopen indoor spaces with significant precautions that met safety standards. She remained on in an advisory role to assist the ABA board and executive committeewith the transition, and now works as project manager for Wedge Brewing.

Though Roberts’ role will start as a part-time position, there is potential for it to grow, says Katie Smith , marketing administrator for Highland Brewing Co. and vice president of the ABA’s board of directors. At its core, Smith notes, the position is about “being the face of Western North Carolina beer, talking to our members and [doing programming].”

Plans are already in motion to bring back health and wellness classes that focus on proper lifting and other brewing techniques to help prevent injuries. And Smith says that ABA members have requested additional offerings that focus on mental health — a need that’s risen in tandem with the challenges of the pandemic. She notes that smaller breweries with only a handful of employees have difficulty providing health insurance for their staff and that finding

ways to help local breweries of all sizes will be key for Roberts.

“When we were looking at candidates, we wanted someone who knows the beer scene, has worked in beer in some capacity and has seen different levels of it,” she says. “And [someone who is] great talking to people and can talk to the bartender and talk to the owner and understand the different problems from different stages.”

NEW LEADERSHIP

Roberts will work alongside an enthusiastic board and executive committee that’s been putting in extra hours during the search for a new executive director. In addition to Smith’s June election as vice president, Aaron Wilson from French Broad River Brewing

became the group’s new president. Such support will be critical as breweries continue to figure out best practices in a world where COVID-19 remains a factor.

“You have to get your message out differently, make sure that everybody’s comfortable coming out and try to offer outside and virtual options,” Smith says. “If we have educational experiences, we can video them and have them on websites or a YouTube channel. So, even if you’re a brewer who’s brewing during that seminar and can’t go, or you don’t feel comfortable, you can have this other opportunity to watch and get this information.”

Reflecting on 2022, Smith feels that the ABA’s biggest accomplishment was simply “forging ahead” and supporting WNC breweries any way it could. And in addition to the relief of having a new executive director take on responsibilities that ABA officers have been carrying, she’s excited about multiple new breweries that are currently in the planning stages — all of which points to a positive new year for the group and the industry overall.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/9zo. X

SEASON’S GREETINGS: Karis Roberts was recently named the new executive director of the Asheville Brewers Alliance. Photo by Brenden Almand

What’s new in food

Crust Never Sleeps bakery opens on Sardis Road

Asheville City Market’s Saturday shoppers first met baker Jonathan Price when he snagged a spot in October 2016. Because the market had multiple bread options, he was only permitted to sell his now signature sourdough, everything-flavored pretzels and bagels. When a bread baker dropped out the following spring, Price was permitted to expand his offerings to include loaves of three different types of his crusty breads.

Since that time, Price’s business has continued to grow. In November 2021, his partner, Dawn Alexander, began adding her baked goods — cookies, croissants, coffee cake and what she calls “mom tarts” — to his table. (The market subsequently approved Alexander to run her own table, dubbed The Crumbly Baker). More recently, on Dec. 9, the couple celebrated the launch of Crust Never Sleeps bakery at 24 Sardis Road.

“I started baking bread as a hobby and am totally self-trained,” Price reveals.

Alexander, on the other hand, is a fifth-generation baker. “My family has butter in their veins,” she says with a laugh.

Before the store’s launch, both Price and Alexander baked all their goods inside their certified home kitchen. The cozy arrangement is what drove Alexander to start looking for a brick-and-mortar.

“For me, it was always kind of the goal,” she explains. “Seeing Jonathan work as hard as he was in that little space, I thought it would be really beneficial to have an actual bakery with more room.”

While scrolling through Craigslist for a piece of equipment, she happened upon a listing for a bakery. The couple immediately made an appointment to visit the site and were taken by its size and setup — if not the pink color scheme.

As they settle into their newly refurbished space, Alexander will expand her pastry offerings to add eclairs, cream puffs and cheesecakes. Price, meanwhile, intends to return babka and bialys to his growing repertoire of breads. The business also brews and bags Pennycup Coffee.

For the time being, Price will also be at the City Market on Saturday

mornings. He assures that one thing won’t change. “I have customers who have been coming for the pretzels since my first day. They’ll always be on the menu.”

Crust Never Sleeps Bakery is at 24 Sardis Road. Suite D. Hours are Wednesday-Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information, visit avl.mx/c87.

Home team

Four days after John Tressler and Mike Reppert — owners of Blackbird restaurant, Zella’s Deli and Imperial Bar — opened their coffee shop/pub Shiloh & Gaines, the main room filled with people cheering on the U.S. men’s soccer team in their match against Iran.

“I got a couple of direct messages on our new Instagram asking if we were open and would we have the game on,” Tressler says. “People just started showing up, walking or driving over.”

Once there, they had their choice of a full coffee program or an adult beverage from the bar. “This is meant to be the kind of neighborhood place Mike and I grew up going to, like the delis that inspired Zella’s,” Tressler explains. “We’re open early morning to late night every day. We want it to feel like home.”

That home feeling includes a pool table, dart boards, jukebox, stage, board games and plenty of reading material. Tressler, Reppert and fellow Shiloh & Gaines partner Brenden Wyand plan to also have live music on weekends, karaoke, dart tournaments and free pool nights. Meanwhile, a working vintage cigarette machine (with no smokes) commands its own corner.

Though bar snacks and pre-packaged sandwiches from Zella’s will be available inside, food trucks will provide the pub grub, notably Ed Gaines (yes, the street is named for his family) and his Bun It hot dog truck.

Speaking of dogs, the Shiloh & Gaines welcome mat is rolled out for

BAKED GOOD: Jonathan Price and Dawn Alexander celebrate the launch of their new brick-and-mortar business, Crust Never Sleeps, on Sardis Road. Photo courtesy of Crust Never Sleeps

canines. “We had a woman carry her basset hound in to watch the World Cup,” Tressler says with a laugh. “We love this neighborhood, and they’re loving us back.”

Shiloh & Gaines is at 700 Hendersonville Road. Visit avl.mx/c83 for more information.

Good as it gets

Charlie Hodge — owner of Sovereign Remedies, Asheville Beauty Academy and Getaway River Bar — knows the hospitality business. (Or Hodgepitality as he’s dubbed his parent company.) More recently, Hodge has added another venture to his growing portfolio. The Good Asheville Food truck (aka Good AF truck) has parked the rig and fired up the kitchen, operating Friday through Sunday, 1-7 p.m., at The Getaway.

The pan-Asian menu by executive chef David Van Tassel with contributions from chefs Sunil Patel and Jatuporn Namvised includes dishes like drunken broccoli, Good AF ramen, fried dumplings and charred carrot and butternut miso PEI mussels.

Brian Ortiz, Hodgepitality media manager, says future locations and ongoing schedule for the Good AF truck will be flexible and updated on social media sites.

Getaway River Bar is at 790 Riverside Drive. For more information, visit avl.mx/c85.

AIR it out

Just in time for stuffing stockings, Asheville Independent Restaurant Association has opened sales of its 2023 AIR Passport. The pocket-sized booklet is crammed with freebies, discounts and BOGOs from dozens of Asheville’s most popular and beloved eateries. Passports can be used all year, and proceeds from sales benefit AIR’s ongoing efforts to promote and support locally owned independent restaurants.

Passports are $65 each and can be purchased at The Asheville Shop, 36 Montford Ave., or AIR’s website at avl.mx/c82.

Sip ‘n’ swap

On Thursday, Dec. 15, Asheville Parks and Recreation is hosting a Holiday Cookie Exchange with free hot cocoa at the Grove Street Community Center from 2-4 p.m. Bring your homemade treats to show off and share.

Grove Street Community Center is at 36 Grove St. For more information, visit avl.mx/c7x.

Box sweet

Chestnut restaurant’s annual Cookies for a Cause is underway throughout December. A $12 gift box features six treats from pastry chef Mallory Foster’s cookie collection — chocolate chip, molasses, gingerbread snowflake, red velvet, chai coffee sugar and double chocolate peppermint. Orders are only available at Chestnut; a portion of all sales go to Our VOICE, a local nonprofit that serves survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking.

Chestnut is at 48 Biltmore Ave.

Bubble up

Just in time to stock the New Year’s Eve bar, Bottle Riot is hosting its Holiday Champagne Extravaganza on Monday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m. Six Champagnes will be paired with bubble-friendly bites from caviar to fried chicken. Guests will be offered special retail pricing on bottles to buy.

Bottle Riot is at 37 Payne’s Way #9. Tickets are $125 per person. For more information, visit avl.mx/c86.

Dressed to thrill

Asheville Drag Brunch has a pair of year-end events to close out 2022.

On Thursday, Dec. 15, ADB will present Divine Intervention — The Game Show at New Belgium Brewing Co. The 18 and older “Family Feud”-style guessing game will include audience participation, tacky prizes and drag performances. Doors open at 7 p.m. New Belgium brews will be available for purchase during the 90-minute show. Standing tickets are $10 each and $15 for a seat with profits going to Blue Ridge Pride.

The queens are back at it Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. at Biscuit Head South. Producer/performer Divine Holeburn says Night Brunch will present the largest cast of the year, including queens Alexis Black and Diamond Sanchez . Ticket prices range from $25-$40 each, and all include a full breakfast plate, one adult beverage and a soda. A cash bar will be open to buy another round. Profits from these Asheville Drag fundraisers will benefit Sunrise Community for Recovery & Wellness.

New Belgium Brewing Co. is at 21 Craven St. For more information,

visit avl.mx/c7u. Biscuit Head South is at 1994 Hendersonville Road. To purchase tickets avl.mx/xmasjbk.

Twice as nice

Take a break from the holiday shopping frenzy and slip into the Asheville Beauty Academy on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2-4 p.m. for a sushi-making class and sake tasting. Chef Nandar Kaung, owner of two Mr. Sushi restaurants, will demonstrate two styles of sushi-making, both paired with a sake flight. Attendees will prepare their own sushi roll and enjoy it with a glass of wine. Bamboo mats and recipes to take home are included in the class cost of $55 per person.

Asheville Beauty Academy is at 28 Broadway. To reserve a place in the class, visit avl.mx/c7v.

Going once, twice…

Donated! Thanks to a successful live and virtual auction conducted by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley, nonprofit organization

Bounty & Soul has over $4,000 in its coffer to help fight food insecurity in Black Mountain and procure more healthy produce for the nonprofit’s clients as the need increases during the winter.

Farm to able

Registration is open for Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s 2023 Business of Farming Conference, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11, at the A-B Tech Conference Center in Asheville. The annual conference brings together professional farmers from across the Southeast to network and share resources to grow their farms business. Marketing, business planning and financial management are among the topics covered before and after the popular lunchtime Grower-Buyer Meeting with chefs, grocers and distributors. Individual registration is $75 by Jan. 15; $115 for two farm partners. A limited number of scholarships are available.

For more information, visit avl.mx/c7w.

— Kay West X

Around Town

Asheville author recounts journey from fundamentalism to Buddhism

By the age of 18, Pamela McConnell had had enough of the fundamentalist religion she grew up with. The disconnect between the words and actions of those who professed a love for Jesus was simply too much.

“For the next decade and a half, I was somewhat agnostic but longed for a spiritual life that spoke to the highest truth, not just the dogma of tradition,” she says. That journey eventually led her to Buddhism, an experience she recounts in a new self-published memoir, The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist McConnell, who attends Asheville’s Je Tsongkhapa Kadampa Buddhist Center, writes about pilgrimages to India and Nepal as well as a trek in the Himalayas. And she explains how the teachings of meditation master Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche have affected her life.

But she also takes readers to darker places, detailing her multiple divorces and experiences with child abuse, statutory rape, drug addiction and spousal violence.

“I felt a strong need to be brutally honest,” she explains. “I pretended I was only writing my truth for myself, right up until the day I published. I didn’t share my writing with family or friends until it was finished.”

Now retired and in her 60s, McConnell says she was motivated to tell her story due to concern about the eroding of women’s rights and the loss of religious freedom in today’s toxic political environment.

“I felt the strong desire to stand up and be counted,” she says. “It was time finally, once and for all, to throw off the yoke of repression.”

For more information or to purchase the book, visit avl.mx/c88.

Dream weavers

In 2012, Lena Eastes spent time in the Mexican city of Oaxaca, where she met and became friends with a Zapotec family who practiced traditional weaving. Building such relationships and seeing firsthand the importance of art to Indigenous communities had a profound effect on her thinking.

“It’s very important that these languages and these life ways and these art ways continue,” she says.

Eastes and co-owner Ernesto Borges opened Weaving Rainbows

on Wall Street last month. The Native art gallery features carvings, weavings and other handmade goods from around the Americas, including Guatemala, Mexico and Peru.

Weaving Rainbows also will serve as an event center, educational center and concert venue. For instance, it recently hosted a medicine man from Peru who taught attendees how to understand the storytelling on weavings.

“We decided we can work together to create a space where there’s a cultural celebration aspect within the wisdom keepers of the earth and all the people that possess the knowledge and the connection to the earth,” says Borges, a native of Venezuela and a member of the Caquetio tribe. “We want to have a place where we can share with people different cultures and how important it is to give value to these arts and crafts that are sometimes forgotten.”

Eastes says the gallery is taking an approach she calls “beyond fair trade,” which includes paying Native artists more than they are asking for their works.

“We’re wanting to create more value around the art so that these people and these communities are supported,” she says.

Weaving Rainbows, 62 Wall St., is open Mondays-Thursdays, noon-5 p.m., and Fridays-Saturdays, noon-8 p.m. For more information, go to avl.mx/c8b.

Two is better than one

The Dark City Poets Society’s Poetry Night series kicks off its winter season with a new format Tuesday, Dec. 20, 6-7:30 p.m., in the education room at the Black Mountain Public Library. Immediately after the new poetry event, a second reading, called Postlude, will take place at BAD Craft from 8-9 p.m.

Poets will have three to five minutes to share their poetry at both events, which are free and open to all ages.

In past years, Poetry Night was held 6-7:30 p.m. at either BAD Craft or The Lowdown in Black Mountain. The new format moves it into a bigger indoor space at the library, while also including a more intimate reading at the Postlude, says Clint Bowman, a writer who helped launch the Dark City Poets Society in January 2020.

“Poetry Night has seen tremendous growth over the past year in the number of readers and listeners attending each event,” he explains. “What started out as three to five readers sharing to a group of 15 people has grown to over 20 readers sharing to an audience of approximately 75 or more. This new winter format will help us ensure that everyone interested will continue to have the opportunity to participate.”

Poetry Night and Postlude will be held on the third Tuesday of each month through April 18. Poets interested in sharing may sign up 15 minutes before either reading.

“I hope every poet sees Poetry Night as a safe space to share their creative work and be a part of a supportive community,” Bowman says. “I hope every reader and listener feel inspired to explore more poetry and hopefully write some of their own.”

The Black Mountain Public Library is at 105 N. Dougherty St. BAD Craft is at 128 Cherry St., Black Mountain. For more information, go to avl.mx/c8a.

Isis to close

After a decade in business, Isis Music Hall and Kitchen 743 will close at the end of the year.

Scott Woody and his family opened the West Asheville venue in 2012 inside a 1930s-era movie theater at 743 Haywood Road. In a Facebook post last month, the family said it was moving on to new ventures and thanked the community for its support.

“[We] hope to find someone that will continue to bring a unique musical experience to West Asheville and use

our space to its fullest potential,” the post declared. “Our hearts are still very much a part of this building and what we’ve put into it, as well as the musical community around us, and we look forward to what’s to come for Isis Music Hall.”

Later on, we’ll conspire

The inaugural Swannanoa Winterfest, modeled after traditional European holiday markets, will debut Saturday, Dec. 17, 3-8 p.m. at Grovemont Square, 101 W. Charleston Ave., Swannanoa.

The event will feature artisans and vendors selling holiday-themed items under tents decorated with lights, food, holiday treats, hot drinks, music and caroling. Kids activities will include a visit from Olaf, the snowman from Frozen

Festivalgoers are encouraged to bring nonperishables or monetary donations to support the Healthy Food & Fund Drive sponsored by local nonprofit Bounty & Soul.

For more information, go to avl.mx/c8h.

Clapsaddle appointed

Award-winning author and educator Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle has joined the board of directors of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee.

An enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Clapsaddle holds degrees from Yale University and the College of William & Mary. Her 2020 debut novel, Even as We Breathe, was a finalist for the Weatherford Award and was named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020. In 2021, it received the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award.

The museum board includes three seats that are appointed at the recommendation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council. Two seats are reserved for the museum’s recommendation and are subject to approval by the council. Clapsaddle was recommended by the museum’s nominating committee, and the appointment was approved unanimously by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council.

Call for directors

The Montford Park Players, North Carolina’s longest-running Shakespeare troupe, is seeking directors for the 2023 season, which begins with a production of Peter Pan on Friday, May 19.

Other shows include Twelfth Night (beginning Friday, June 23), Treasure Island (Friday, July 28), The Tempest (Friday, Sept. 1) and Alice in Murderland (Friday, Oct. 6).

Applications for directors will be accepted through Sunday, Dec. 31. To download an application, visit avl.mx/c8d.

Call for artists

Artists of all ages and mediums, including painting, photography and poetry, are invited to contribute to a June exhibition in Weizenblatt Gallery at Mars Hill University.

The show will celebrate and support the work of Friends of Bailey Mountain, which has worked to preserve public access to the mountain at 889 Forest St. in Mars Hill.

Submissions will be accepted through Sunday, April 30. To submit a work, go to avl.mx/c8c.

— Justin McGuire X

MOVIE REVIEWS

Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include:

THE INSPECTION: Writer/director Elegance Bratton transforms his experiences as a gay homeless Black man going through Marines boot camp into hard-nosed, inspirational cinema. Grade: B-plus — Edwin Arnaudin

EMPIRE OF LIGHT: Writer/ director Sam Mendes crafts a beautifully shot love letter to the movies (and movie theaters). Grade: B-plus — Edwin Arnaudin

FINDING A PATH: “I finally got to tell my story in my own way,” Pamela McConnell says of her new book, The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist. Author photo courtesy of McConnell

CLUBLAND

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER

14

185 KING STREET

Trivia and Karaoke Night, 7pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY

• Ashevillians: A Local Comedy Showcase, 7pm

• Aquanet Goth Party w/Ash Black, 9pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Survey Says, 7pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Trivia Night, 6pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE Open Mic Night, 7pm

GRATEFUL ORGANIC DINER Open Mic, 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Wednesdays w/Matt Smith (Americana, singer-songwriter), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam Session, 6pm

OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/DJ Ek Balam & DJ Franco Nino, 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm

RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO.

Open Acoustic Jam, 5:30pm

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

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY

Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic Hosted by Kid Billy, 8pm

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

THE GREY EAGLE Secret Shame w/Cave Grave (post-punk, death rock, shoegaze), 8pm

THE ODD Caustic Casanova, Rougarou and Smoke (heavy psych), 9pm

THE SOCIAL Wednesday Night Karaoke w/LYRIC, 9pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Traditional Irish Music Session, 7pm

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15

185 KING STREET

Congdon & Co. ft Raphael Morales (covers), 7pm

27 CLUB

Weirdo Rippers (post punk, new wave), 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 9pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

MGB (covers, singer-songwriter), 7:30pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Couch (pop, jazz, funk), 6pm

BOTTLE RIOT

Alt Thursday w/Selector B (90s throwbacks), 7pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE Open Mic Night, 7pm

DIFFERENT WRLD Don't Tell Comedy: West Asheville, 6pm

FLEETWOOD'S Socialist Anxiety, Blank State & I and the Lad (indie), 8pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND Mr Jimmy (blues), 10pm

HOMEPLACE BEER CO. Andy Ferrell (Southern roots), 6:30pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

• Wyatt Easterling and Louisa Branscomb w/ Jeanette and Johnny Williams & Allen Shadd (Americana, bluegrass), 7pm

• Bluegrass w/the Darren Nicholson Band, 8:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam hosted by Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Color Machine Music (singer-songwriter), 6pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING Spalding McIntosh (blues, rock, country), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Andrew Wakefield (folk, rock, bluegrass), 7pm

OLE SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Niño, 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Mama & The Ruckus w/Melissa McKinney (blues, soul), 8pm

RENDEZVOUS Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm

SHAKEDOWN LOUNGE Poetry Open Mic Hendo, 7:30pm

THE BARRELHOUSE Trivia w/Po' Folk, 8pm

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

THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Press Play (disco, funk and lo-fi house), 9pm

THE ODD VVitchparty (rap, burlesque & wrestling), 8pm

THE POE HOUSE Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Thursday Night Karaoke, 8:30pm

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

185 KING STREET

Random Animals (indiesoul), 8pm

27 CLUB

Crash Test Radio (rock), 9:30pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

Mr Jimmy's Big City Chicago Blues, 7:30pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Jeremy Short (space funk), 9pm

BIG PILLOW BREWING Paul Edelman (folk), 5pm

BOTANIST & BARREL

TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP

Jesse Harman Bluegrass, 5:30pm

CEDAR MOUNTAIN

CANTEEN

Jazz w/Jason DeCristofaro, 2pm

CORK & KEG

The Barsters (acoustic, old time, bluegrass), 8pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

Muy Mucho Late Night Dancing w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 9pm

DRY FALLS BREWING CO.

Skies of Avalon (progressive rock, classic rock), 7pm

FEED & SEED Have Yourself a Jazzy Blue Ridge Christmas, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S West Asheville Neighborhood/ROND Christmas Party, 8pm FROG LEVEL BREWERY Ashley Heath (Americana, country, blues), 6pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

• AVL Underground Comedy: Blaire Postman, 7:30pm

• AVL Underground Comedy: The Improv Hour, 10pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

• Thunderstruck Retirement Party w/ Axeville, noon

• Reedy River String Band, 7pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Drag Music Bingo w/ Divine the Bearded Lady, 7:30pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

• Alien Music Club presents Tom Waits: The Early Years, 7pm

• A Celtic Celebration w/The Reel Sisters and Friends, 8:30pm

CHRISTMAS ON A GREYHOUND BUS: Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters will perform their third Holiday Spectacular show at The Grey Eagle on Friday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. The tradition began after their 2019 EP release and will include new songs from their latest studio album, The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea. Photo courtesy of The Grey Eagle

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

The Well Drinkers (bluegrass), 9pm

MAD CO. BREW

HOUSE

Andy Ferrell (Southern roots), 6:30pm

MEADOWLARK MOTEL

Friday Night Karaoke, 7pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING

The Pond Brothers (bluegrass, world), 7pm

NOBLE CIDER & MEAD TAPROOM AND PRODUCTION

FACILITY

Crispmas Comedy: Live in Leicester Holiday Edition, 8pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Fancy and the Gentlemen (alt country, honky tonk), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION Neighbor (alt/indie), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters: A Holiday Spectacular III (Americana, holiday), 8pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Short Stop (soul, Latin, dance), 9pm

THE ODD Menu, Dear Kavalier, Cardboard Box Colony, Fairview (alt, pop, rock), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Chris Distefano (comedy), 6:30pm

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17

185 KING STREET

• Laura Blackley &

The Wild Flowers (Appalachian blues & soul), 12:30pm

• Unpaid Bill & the Bad Czechs (acoustic blues, ragtime, hokum), 8pm

305 LOUNGE & EATERY

Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 1pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY

Beauty Parlor Comedy: Jourdain Fisher, 7pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR 40 20 10s (Americana, outlaw country), 7:30pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL Govinda & Subsqwad, w/Morphonic, 9pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

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

BIG PILLOW BREWING

Andrew Wakefield (folk, rock, bluegrass), 5:30pm

BLUE GHOST BREWING CO. Sunlight Drive (acoustic duo), 6pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE

• Bluegrass Brunch, 10am

• Derian Mills (singer-songwriter), 8pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER

Bold Rock Christmas Jam w/Gin Mill Pickers & The High Tides, 7pm

BURIAL BEER CO.

FORESTRY CAMP TAPROOM

Altar of Brunch w/ Shane Parish (guitarist), 1pm

DIFFERENT WRLD Crisco Country Disco, 9pm

FLEETWOOD'S Combat Naps, Frances Eliza, Usually, Dyed in Wool (indie), 8pm

FROG LEVEL

BREWERY

The Live Wires (jazz, blues, standards), 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

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

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

The Blushin' Roulettes (modern old-time), 7pm

HOMEPLACE BEER CO.

John Emil (blues), 6:30pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

• Amici Music presents Four Hand Holiday, 7pm

• Nick Shoulders w/ The Lostines (country), 8:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

• The Jackson Grimm Band (Americana, folk), 9pm

LITTLE JUMBO Saturday Night Vinyl Dance Party, 10pm

MAD CO. BREW

HOUSE

Chris Caruso's 6th Annual Christmas Jam (holiday), 6pm

MILLS RIVER

BREWING

• Stephen Evans (folk rock), 2pm

• Nick Mac & The Noise Trio (blues rock), 7pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

• Ugly Holiday Sweater Bash, 2pm

• Resonant Rogues (Appalachian old-time, New Orleans jazz), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Whitney Mongé (singer/ songwriter), 8pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

Adam Knight's Buried Alive (Phish tribute), 9pm

SALVAGE STATION

Same As It Ever Was: A Talking Heads Tribute, 8pm

Clubland Listings

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THE GETAWAY RIVER

BAR

• Homo for the Holidays, 4pm

• Paint: A Drag Cabaret presents Sleigh Belles, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Holiday Liquor & Dance Party ft DJ Marley Carroll, 8pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Nex Millen (classic hip hop, funk, R&B), 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Toubab Krewe (funk), 8pm

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18

185 KING STREET

Open Electric Jam w/ the King Street House Band ft Howie Johnson, 5pm

27 CLUB

Possessed Bodies Exotic Dance Troupe: The Devil that Stole Christmas, 9pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY

Life's A Drag Brunch w/ Ida Carolina, noon

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR

Mark's House Jam and Beggar's Banquet, 3pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Comedy Show, 6:30pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Bluegrass Brunch, 10am

BOTTLE RIOT

Soul Sunday w/Selector Chrissy Zebby, 3pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

BIG TOP

Urban Combat Wrestling: Seasons Beatings 2, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Sunday Funkday w/ Pocket Tonic, 2pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Mr Jimmy Duo (blues), 1pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743

• Happy Holidays from Love Bubble (holiday jazz, rock, 60's pop), 6pm

• Russ Wilson presents Have Yourself a Swingin’ Little Christmas!, 7:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch, noon

Jack Of The Wood Pub

• Traditional Irish Jam, 4pm

LITTLE JUMBO Casey Driessen's Sunday Experiment (folk, world, jazz), 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Last Full Measure (folk, blues), 4pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST An Acoustic Holiday, 5pm

THE FOUNDRY HOTEL Daniel Shearin (singer songwriter), 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Burlesque Brunch, noon

•

J Roddy Walston's 2nd Annual Christmas to the Bone, 6pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Chico Feo (international dance), 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL - PULP 40 Boyz, 8pm

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19

27 CLUB

Monday Night Karaoke hosted by Ganymede, 9:30pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Old Time Jam, 5:30pm

HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB

Taylor Martin's Open Mic, 6:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm

NOBLE CIDER DOWNTOWN Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Mashup Mondays (funk, soul, jazz), 8pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR

Open Mic Night hosted by Jehd, 7pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Short Stop (soul, Latin, dance), 9pm

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

THE SOCIAL Line Dance Mondays w/ DJ Razor, 9pm

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20

185 KING STREET

Tuesday Casual Collaborations ft KC Jones & Daniel Coolik: A Melancholy Christmasc, 6:30pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

The John Henrys (jazz, swing), 8pm

ARCHETYPE BREWING

Trivia Tuesdays, 6:30pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10:30pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER

CIDER Bingo, 6pm BOTTLE RIOT Turntable Tuesday w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 7pm

LITTLE JUMBO Jay Sanders, Zack Page & Alan Hall (jazz), 7pm

OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday: Queer Dance Party, 10pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Early Tuesday Jam (funk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

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

SOVEREIGN KAVA Weekly Open Jam hosted by Chris Cooper & Friends, 8pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Mad Mike: Music for the People, 9pm

THE SOCIAL Travers Freeway Open Jam Tuesdays, 7pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Tuesday Night Trivia, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Open Mic Night, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY

Beauty Parlor Comedy: Stephen Taylor, 7pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

Classical Guitar Christmas Special, 7:30pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER Trivia Night, 6pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE Open Mic Night, 7pm

GRATEFUL ORGANIC DINER Open Mic, 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Wednesdays w/Matt Smith (Americana, singer-songwriter), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam Session, 6pm

OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/DJ Ek Balam & DJ Franco Nino, 10pm

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

RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Open Acoustic Jam, 5:30pm

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY

Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING

Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic Hosted by Kid Billy, 8pm

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

THE SOCIAL Wednesday Night Karaoke w/LYRIC, 9pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY

Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 9pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

Blue Ridge Jazzway Christmas Special, 7:30pm

BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Trivia Night, 7pm

BOTTLE RIOT Alt Thursday w/ Selector B (90s), 7pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE Open Mic Night, 7pm

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

FROG LEVEL BREWERY Kind, Clean Gentlemen (rock duo), 5:30pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

Mr Jimmy (blues), 10pm

GINGER'S REVENGE SOUTH SLOPE LOUNGE

Christmas Disco Party w/DJ Kevin "Corndog" O'Brien, 6pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Making Spirits Bright Holiday Jazz & Blues, 8:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam hosted by Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Henderson County Rangers Christmas Show, 7pm

OLE SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Niño, 10pm

RENDEZVOUS Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm

THE BARRELHOUSE Trivia w/Po' Folk, 8pm

THE FOUNDRY HOTEL

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

THE POE HOUSE Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Thursday Night Karaoke, 8:30pm

MARKETPLACE FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries painter

Vincent van Gogh was renowned for translating his sublime and unruly passions into colors and shapes on canvas. It was a demanding task. He careened between torment and ecstasy. “I put my heart and soul into my work,” he said, “and I have lost my mind in the process.” That’s sad! But I have good news for you, Aries. In the coming months, you will have the potential to reach unprecedented new depths of zest as you put your heart and soul into your work and play. And hallelujah, you won’t lose your mind in the process! In fact, I suspect you will become more mentally healthy than you’ve been in a long time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “The soul is silent,” writes Taurus poet Louise Glück. “If it speaks at all, it speaks in dreams.” I don’t agree with her in general, and I especially don’t agree with her in regard to your life in the coming weeks. I believe your soul will be singing, telling jokes, whispering in the dark and flinging out unexpected observations. Your soul will be extra alive and alert and awake, tempting you to dance in the grocery store and fling out random praise and fantasize about having your own podcast. Don’t underestimate how vivacious your soul might be, Taurus. Give it permission to be as fun and funny as it yearns to be.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The coming weeks will be an excellent time to expand your understanding about the nature of stress. Here are three study aids: 1. High stress levels are not healthy for your mind and body, but low to moderate stress can be good for you. 2. Low to moderate stress is even better for you if it involves dilemmas that you can ultimately solve. 3. There is a thing called “eustress,” which means beneficial stress. It arises from a challenge that evokes your vigor, resilience, and willpower. As you deal with it, you feel hopeful and hardy. It’s meaningful and interesting. I bring these ideas to your attention, dear Gemini, because you are primed to enjoy a rousing upgrade in your relationship with stress.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Long before he launched his illustrious career, Cancerian inventor Buckminster Fuller was accepted to enroll at Harvard University. Studying at such a prestigious educational institution was a high honor and set him up for a bright future. Alas, he was expelled for partying too hard. Soon he was working at odd jobs. His fortunes dwindled, and he grew depressed. But at age 32, he had a pivotal mystical experience. He seemed to be immersed in a globe of white light hovering above the ground. A disembodied voice spoke, telling him he “belonged to the universe” and that he would fulfill his life purpose if he applied himself to serving “the highest advantage of others.” How would you like a Buckminster Fuller-style intervention, Cancerian? It’s available if you want it and ask for it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo-born Judith Love Cohen was an electrical engineer who worked on NASA’s Apollo Space Program. She was also the mother of the famous actor Jack Black. When she was nine months pregnant with Jack, on the day she went into labor, she performed a heroic service. On their way to the moon, the three astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft had encountered a major systems failure. In the midst of her birth process, Judith Love Cohen carried out advanced troubleshooting that helped save their lives and bring their vehicle safely back to Earth. I don’t expect you to achieve such a monumental feat in the coming days, Leo. But I suspect you will be extra intrepid and even epic in your efforts. And your ability to magically multitask will be at a peak.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): When you’re at the height of your powers, you provide the people in your life with high-quality help and support. And I believe you could perform this role even stronger in 2023. Here are some of the best benefits you can offer: 1. Assist your allies in extracting

bright ideas from confusing mishmashes. 2. Help them cull fertile seeds from decaying dross. 3. As they wander through messy abysses, aid them in finding where the redemption is. 4. Cheer on their successes with wit and charm.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A blogger named Daydreamydyke explains the art of bestowing soulful gifts. Don’t give people you care for generic consumer goods, she tells us. Instead, say to them, “I picked up this cool rock I found on the ground that reminded me of you,” or “I bought you this necklace for 50 cents at a yard sale because I thought you’d like it,” or “I’ve had this odd little treasure since childhood, but I feel like it could be of use to you or give you comfort, so I want you to have it.” That’s the spirit I hope you will adopt during the holiday season, Libra — as well as for all of 2023, which will be the year you could become a virtuoso gift-giver.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1957, engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes invented three-dimensional plastic wallpaper. No one bought the stuff, though. A few years later, they rebranded it as Bubble Wrap and marketed it as material to protect packages during shipment. Success! Its new use has been popular ever since. I suspect you are in a phase comparable to the time between when their plastic wallpaper flopped and before they dreamed up Bubble Wrap. Have faith in the possibility of there being a second act, Scorpio. Be alert for new applications of possibilities that didn’t quite make a splash the first time around.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I applaud your expansive curiosity. I admire your yearning to learn more and more about our mysterious world as you add to your understanding of how the game of life works. Your greed for interesting experiences is good greed! It is one of your most beautiful qualities. But now and then, there come times when you need to scale down your quest for fresh, raw truths and work on integrating what you have already absorbed. The coming weeks will be one of those times.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Better than most, you have a rich potential to attune yourself to the cyclical patterns of life. It’s your birthright to become skilled at discerning natural rhythms at work in the human comedy. Even more fortunately, Capricorn, you can be deeply comforted by this awareness. Educated by it. Motivated by it. I hope that in 2023, you will develop your capacity to the next level. The cosmic flow will be on your side as you strive to feel the cosmic flow — and place yourself in closer and closer alignment with it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Anne, a character in a book by L. M. Montgomery, says she prefers the word “dusk” over “twilight” because it sounds so “velvety and shadowy.” She continues, “In daylight, I belong to the world . . . in the night to sleep and eternity. But in the dusk, I’m free from both and belong only to myself.” According to my astrological assessment, you Aquarians will go through a dusk-like phase in the coming weeks: a time when you will belong solely to yourself and any other creature you choose to join you in your velvety, shadowy emancipation.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): My Piscean friend Venus told me, “We Pisceans feel everything very intensely, but alas, we do not possess the survival skills of a Scorpio or the enough-is-enough, self-protective mechanism of the Cancerians. We are the water sign most susceptible to being engulfed and flooded and overwhelmed.” I think Venus is somewhat correct in her assessment. But I also believe you Fishes have a potent asset that you may not fully appreciate or call on enough. Your ability to tune into the very deepest levels of emotion potentially provides you with access to a divine power source beyond your personality. If you allow it to give you all of its gifts, it will keep you shielded and safe and supported.

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

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

BODYWORK

REFLEXOLOGY & REIKI

Senior Veteran offering reflexology sessions and 30-minute or 60-minute Reiki sessions. Sliding Scale Fee. Available Tues, Thurs, Fri & Sat. John D. Jones 828-233-5206

COUNSELING SERVICES

ASTRO-COUNSELING

Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services. Christy Gunther, MA, LCMHC. (828) 2583229

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES

GIFT OF HEALTH - 20% OFF 3 ACU-HEALING APPTS. ($66 VALUE) THRU 1/31/23 Soothe your mind and body, heal from within with Acupuncture, acu-massage, cupping, various hands-on revitalizing healing modalities. Ramsey Higgins, licensed Acupuncture Physician, West Asheville 828-773-2435 by appt. only.

ACROSS

___ Turismo (racing video game series) 5 Gives a once-over

Don’t take it seriously

Cry before “I did it again!”

RECOVERY SUPPORT FOR WOMEN Get FREE! Find true healing and happiness with the support you deserve: bodywork, coaching, and emotional support. Completely confidential, nonjudgmental, and empowering. Over 15 years of experience. medicinemamawellness.

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AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash!

NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689. (AAN CAN)

Saturn’s largest moon 16 Event at a convention center 17 1987 thriller featuring the same characters as TV’s “Californication”? 20 Drink suffix 21 Vex 22 Travolta film with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes 23 1992 comedy featuring the same characters as the film “Secretariat”? 27 With 26-Down, syrup source 29 Place for un chapeau

Tangy

“Jingle Bells” preposition

Key next to Q

See 56-Down

1990 action film featuring the same characters as the film “Collateral”?

“It’s too dark in here!”

Kimono accessory

Mont Blanc or Matterhorn

“Love Song” singer Bareilles

Siren

Tennis’s Rafael

2003 Marvel movie featuring the same characters as TV’s “Riverdale”?

They’re blowing in the wind

When Cannes hosts its festival du film

Pique

1952 musical featuring the same characters as TV’s “Stranger Things”?

Push-up targets, for short

Only state whose seal was designed by a woman (Emma Edwards Green, 1891)

Twit, to a Brit

Guitar bar

Dads

“Well, what do we have here?!” DOWN

One carrying amps and such

H.S. exam scored from 1 to 5

Bandmate of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison

Candy bar that snaps

“The Addams Family” cousin

Sully

Minor problem

Volkswagen offering