Mountain Xpress 12.23.20

OUR 27TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 27 NO. 21 DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

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C O NT E NT S

NEWS

NEWS

FEATURES 8 TRENDS IN MOTION 2020 accelerates WNC’s issues

14 A WILD RIDE Dramatic year in politics creates few shifts in power

STARTS ON PAGE 6 THE END OF 2020 Who isn’t looking forward to the end of 2020? But before we turn out the lights (and bar the door) on the year that’s coming to a close, local observers reflect on how it was and what it meant.

COVER PHOTO Getty Images COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

FEATURES

3 LETTERS 3 CARTOON: MOLTON 22 COVID CONVERSATIONS Checking back in with a COVID-19 survivor, a pair of new moms and more

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CARTOON: IRENE OLDS

4 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 6 COMMENTARY

GREEN

8 NEWS 26 RUGGED TRAILS Reflections on 2020 from WNC’s environmental movement

18 BUNCOMBE BEAT 20 ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES 22 COVID CONVERSATIONS 24 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

FOOD

26 GREEN SCENE 28 FOUR BY FIVE Five Asheville restaurateurs on the state of their industry

28 FOOD 32 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 35 CLUBLAND

A&E

36 MOVIES 32 CREATIVE UNDERTAKINGS Local arts figures reflect on a tumultuous year

38 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 39 CLASSIFIEDS 39 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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STAFF PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose ASSISTANT EDITOR: Daniel Walton STAFF REPORTERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Laura Hackett, Molly Horak, Daniel Walton COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Madeline Forwerck MOVIE SECTION HOSTS: Edwin Arnaudin, Bruce Steele CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Barrett, Leslie Boyd, Bill Kopp, Cindy Kunst, Alli Marshall, Gina Smith, Kay West ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Olivia Urban MEMBERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR: Laura Hackett MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, David Furr, Tiffany Wagner OPERATIONS MANAGER: Able Allen INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES & WEB: Bowman Kelley BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler-Tanner ADMINISTRATION, BILLING, HR: Able Allen DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Gary Alston, Tracy Houston, Henry Mitchell, Tiffany Narron, Kelley Quigley, Angelo Santa Maria, Carl & Debbie Schweiger

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OPINION

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

CARTO ON BY R A ND Y MOL T O N

Put brakes on changes to Asheville Primary School The families, staff and supportive community of Asheville Primary School feel that the decision to sell the building at 441 Haywood Road and redistribute the programs currently housed there to other spaces is shortsighted and is being made hastily without a long-term plan for what is best for the community. Stakeholders’ requests for an open dialogue with district leadership and Board of Education members have been denied.

These drastic decisions that impact the entire Asheville community should not be made during a pandemic, under new leadership and without stakeholder involvement. Transparency is needed on what the actual costs and repairs are, and about why this agenda is being rammed through right now.

We request that all decisions regarding the selling of the building be put off for a minimum of two years. The district has already invested hundreds of thousands into renovations and should continue to renovate the space instead of sacrificing a long-term asset for a short-term gain. During that time, both programs should be able to keep full occupancy of the building.

The community of West Asheville would be greatly altered if the school were sold to a private buyer. The school currently serves the needs of our community by offering free and affordable high-quality preschool options to some of most vulnerable families. We request that the pre-

school and Montessori programs remain intact and continue to benefit from shared space and collaboration between the exceptional educators of both programs.

We request that we preserve the seven highly effective, five-star preschool classrooms on the Asheville Primary campus while continuing to branch out with additional satellite classrooms at other ACS elementary schools or other community locations that best serve Asheville’s 3and 4-year-olds.

We request that the Montessori program be expanded to fourth and potentially fifth grade for the 202122 school year. Keeping our current third graders in the school as fourth graders will allow the district to collect data on students who have benefited from Montessori learning since kindergarten. This data will be essential for the district to see the benefits of public Montessori when making decisions regarding the future of the program.

We request open enrollment in APS Montessori, not limited to just siblings of current APS students, so we can obtain accurate longitudinal data on a fully functioning public Montessori school. Public Montessori schools across the U.S. have shown positive outcomes in closing the opportunity gap, especially for students of low-income backgrounds. We request that the district fully commit to Asheville Primary Montessori as a pre-K to fifth grade school instead of downgrading it to a program and limiting

enrollment and therefore limiting the ability for accurate longitudinal data.

There has been significant investment in this building over the past five years, including a new playground, a new parking lot, a new media center, new gym roof, cafeteria updates and mold abatement and office renovations. Yes, the building has issues, but the staff of both programs love the space, the natural light, the safe outdoor access and more. Selling this property to a developer would change the very fabric of Haywood Road in West Asheville.

What happens in a few years postCOVID when ACS is again bursting at the seams and this building has been sold? We all know property within Asheville City limits is not inexpensive or easy to come by.

— Stacy Claude Co-lead Asheville Primary School Parent Teacher Collective Asheville Editor’s note: Xpress contacted Asheville City Schools and received a response from Executive Director of Communications AshleyMichelle Thublin with a reply from Superintendent Gene Freeman: “No official decision has been made as to whether or not the Asheville City Board of Education will sell the building and/or property of Asheville Primary. We will be hosting more meetings in the future regarding this topic. Please visit the district’s website at www.ashevillecityschools. net for additional information on Asheville Primary’s Five Year Needs Assessment as well as to review copies

of all communications that have been shared with staff and families since discussions began in late August.”

Thublin also provided the following information: “The district has: • Made a commitment to the Montessori Program through at least the 2026-27 school year.

• Shared that our intent is to maintain our current number of pre-K classrooms.

• Has been communicating with Asheville Primary families about the district’s inability to continue to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for yearly, costly quick fixes and temporary Band-Aids since late August via written communications and three virtual town halls.”

Take my place in line?

The vaccines are coming. Looks like first jabs, per N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (Phase 1a), go to health care and nursing home workers, medics, police and firefighters, and rightly so. Second wave (1b): “Adults at highest risk of severe illness and those at highest risk for exposure.” Third (Phase 2) box begins with “Adults.”

I am 71 and in good health, retired and living alone. I am not at great risk from this virus. I was wondering if there is any movement afoot to let

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C AR T O O N B Y IRE N E O L D S MOUNTAINX.COM

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OPINION

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

C AR T O O N B Y B R E N T B R O W N folks like me to allow someone younger and working, or looking for work, to take our place in line?

For progressives, the down-ballot returns from Nov. 3 are alarming.

Our side has not drawn in the numbers of young voters we expected.

It may be that many younger voters and nonvoters do not connect with the agenda promoted by what they view as a financially comfortable, soft liberal-Dem establishment. Yet here we have a vaccine policy that rewards seniors while those at risk in our retail, restaurant and service sectors are told they have to wait. To them, yet another example of “greedy

geezers,” ensconced in mountaintop luxury, drawing Social Security, expecting to live to the age of 110, then floating away on a fluffy bed of kale, lofted to Valhalla by Angel Cats.

Time to recognize the odds they are up against and let them take our place in line. Encourage them to join us in building the bulwark we will need to survive the ecological, demographic and economic tsunami headed our way. We might work together to restructure an economy that can sustain their future retirement. To this end, tribal elders might tactfully point out that our planet really doesn’t need another app or Instagram influencer.

Perhaps guide them toward welding and CNC lathe mastery?

— Larry Abbott Asheville

Cigarette ads — really?

I haven’t read a copy of Mountain Xpress since the pandemic started back in March because the local store I used to get it at no longer carried it.

Today I happened to find a copy in my local library.

Imagine my shock and utter dismay to find two full-page ads for cigarettes. I can’t remember how many years or perhaps decades it’s been since I’ve seen a print ad for ciga4

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rettes. I actually thought it was illegal to promote these now well-known hazardous products. Guess I’m more out of the loop than I thought.

I’m guessing ad revenues are down, but are they this bad that you have to resort to accepting ads for cigarettes?

This is 2020, not the 1950s, and we all know cigarettes are hazardous to health and a scourge that ultimately kills. I can’t wrap my mind around why Xpress would even consider giving space to promote such life-defying products.

I find it incongruous that Xpress’ community-minded, health and wellness articles are supported by advertising products that are inimical to a long and healthy life. Just makes no sense.

I’m disappointed in you, Mountain Xpress, and know you can do better.

Please do so and get out of the cigarette advertising business. At this point I’m disinclined to ever read your paper again.

— Joan Engelhardt Black Mountain Editor’s response: We’re glad you picked up a free copy of Xpress, and we’re sorry to disappoint you.

However, advertising still brings in more than 90% of our revenue, though we are grateful for reader support and encouraged by the growth of that income stream this year. We’ve still

had to cut costs by laying off staff, reducing the issue size and operating on a much smaller budget this year.

Meanwhile, tobacco ads are indeed legal and do contain disclaimers and warnings. Also, advertisements in Xpress do not indicate an endorsement of the product or service. We would also note that — as a community newspaper whose job it is to reflect the Asheville area and present different points of view — it’s unlikely that everyone will agree with or support everything in Xpress. With that in mind, we hope you’ll continue reading the articles you find useful and patronize the businesses you like. X

See you next year As a way to celebrate reaching the end of a difficult year in the newspaper business — and give some time off to our staffers — Mountain Xpress will close its offices Tuesday-Friday, Dec. 22-25. Consequently, there will be no Dec. 30 issue this year. We look forward to bringing our readers all the news, events and features you enjoy with the first issue of 2021 on Jan. 6. Happy holidays! X

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OPINION

Fired up

R IN REVIEW YEA

In 2020, readers sounded off about politics, COVID-19, race and more What issues did Xpress readers feel passionate enough about to write letters to the editor or commentaries during a year that promises to go down in history? A review of the 313 opinion pieces we published in 2020 through mid-December reveals that politics and government led the list of topics, followed by COVID-19 and race.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

At the beginning of the year, readers extolled the virtues of local candidates running in the primary election.

Supporters of Terri Wells, District 1 candidate for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, proved to be a notably dedicated bunch, penning 19 letters throughout the year, the most for any candidate. Letters promoting Wells surpassed even the perennial favorite topic of the environment, which had a depressed year comparatively, sparking only a baker’s dozen of published opinion pieces.

Though Wells won the numbers game (and a seat on the board), the liveliest Xpress political letters were sparked by the most hotly contested race in the region — the District 11 congressional contest between Republican political newcomer Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Morris “Moe” Davis, a retired Air Force colonel and onetime chief prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay. With the backdrop of local and national news coverage about issues including Cawthorn’s trip to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest retreat and his treatment of women — along with his speaking turn at the Republican National Convention —

HEAD TO HEAD: The race for the District 11 congressional seat pitting Madison Cawthorn, left, and Moe Davis sparked lively opinions in 2020. Photos courtesy of the candidates readers penned a bevy of critical letters, including the Sept. 16 “We Don’t Need Cawthorn’s Nonsense.” In the letter, John H. Fisher of Hendersonville wrote, “So now the Republicans are stuck with Cawthorn, a 25-year-old, giggly, hormonal, poorly educated, inexperienced young man.”

But that point of view was countered on the Xpress website by commenter Christy Fryar Ingle, who replied, “We aren’t ‘stuck’ with anyone. We CHOSE him. And we don’t need your blessing or approval. Here’s how these things work: You vote. I vote. Other people vote.

Whoever gets the most votes EARNS their place in Congress. The VOTERS decide. You don’t decide what we need.

You get one vote like everyone else.”

In the end, more WNC voters ultimately did choose Cawthorn. He received 54.5% of the vote to Davis’ 42.3% and will take his seat in Congress in January.

COVID-19: MASKS AND MORE

An Aug. 5 commentary by Aiden Carson straddled the topical lines of government, politics and COVID-19 as voters considered how they would participate in the November election.

In “What’s Your Plan? Now’s the Time to Start Thinking About How You’ll Vote,” Carson, a member of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County, detailed the options for voting by mail or in person. “But whatever you decide, please don’t let anything stop you from voting!” she wrote.

Throughout the year, readers shared their thoughts on preventing transmission of the virus, the attitudes of others in the community, the government’s 6

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handling of the pandemic and the economic fallout from those measures.

An April 14 letter, “A Plea From the Owners of an Asheville Restaurant,” published on the Xpress website, struck a nerve, garnering more than 46,000 views, the most for any letter in 2020. In it, Jeff and Stephanie Barcelona of Bonfire BBQ in West Asheville eloquently laid out the effects of the governor’s mandatory closure of sit-down service at restaurants and bars on March 17, the logistics of trying to keep their business afloat amid the pandemic and their dwindling resources.

“And right now, we are watching all of our hard work, sacrifices and resources slip right through our hands, helpless to do anything about it,” they wrote.

Multiple letter writers took on the topic of government restrictions and mask wearing as the pandemic wore on. In a June 10 letter, Asheville reader Gardner Hathaway wrote: “Those who are elderly or with compromised immune systems should certainly take precautions. But for people to live in fear, isolation and under lockdown because the ‘experts’ order us to is no way to live in the land of the free.”

But others felt differently. In a July 1 letter, reader Chuck Fink of Weaverville expressed frustration that a grocery store manager said he couldn’t enforce a mask mandate for customers. “Freedom must be accompanied by responsibility if we are to be truly free,” he offered.

By November, however, with Buncombe County announcing local plans to enforce the face covering mandate and commercial capacity limits, a writer offered encouragement rather than admonishment. “So please join me in putting on a jacket and a mask and going outside to support our local businesses and community at a safe

distance!” wrote Mary Ellen M. Kustin of Hendersonville.

RACE: PROTESTS AND THE VANCE MONUMENT

The country’s collective horror over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May rippled through the Asheville area and the Opinion pages.

While only four letters about race were published January-April, the topic became top of mind for readers after the tragedy, which prompted protests, calls to defund the police and local government action to reevaluate having the Vance Monument dominate downtown.

In one of 45 letters and commentaries related to race published in 2020, reader Avram Friedman of Sylva referenced the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Ga. Wrote Friedman: “It’s time to stand against those who take the law into their own hands through acts of racial hatred, intimidation and domestic terrorism.”

Several letters took on the Asheville Police Department’s response to the protests this summer, including one from an Asheville father (whose name was withheld upon request). “As a community, we deserve better, and as a community, we can reimagine what public safety looks

like,” he wrote. “In this vision, Black and brown people are not targeted and attacked. In this vision, people are provided the support they need, not punitive punishment. This vision is rooted in compassion instead of racism. We can do better, and our voices will be heard.”

And discussion percolated throughout the year about what to do with the Vance Monument, built to honor Zebulon Vance, North Carolina’s governor during the Civil War. Readers offered multiple ideas, including suggestions about how it could be renamed to honor other people. Others took on the idea of renaming itself, including Asheville reader John Ross in an Aug. 19 letter: “While they are at it, why not change the name of the city? After all, the city’s namesake is slaveholding Samuel Ashe.”

But local leaders seem undeterred from their intent to reimagine what deserves to be honored in the public arena. Both City Council and the Board of Commissioners voted in December to accept the recommendation of the Vance Monument Task Force to remove the obelisk.

Readers, we can expect the discussion to continue in 2021.

— Opinion editor Tracy Rose X

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NEWS

Trends in motion

2020 accelerates WNC’s issues

BY DANIEL WALTON

Mountain Xpress was no exception: In March, advertising sales declined by 55% in a matter of weeks, and the paper laid off seven employees in an effort to cut costs.

Xpress reached out to several community figures who have spent 2020 in the thick of these trends to understand more about how they’ve shaped WNC.

dwalton@mountainx.com What does a virus do? The answer depends on how one chooses to look.

Consider the effects of COVID-19 on a single infected person. At the immediately visible level, the body appears slowed down: fatigued, aching, congested. But under a microscopic lens, that body has been kicked into overdrive. Infected cells busily replicate the coronavirus’s genetic material, while the immune system rushes to destroy the invader.

A similar bifurcation emerges from how Western North Carolina as a whole has experienced the pandemic. The most obvious signs of infection — stay-at-home orders, canceled concerts, shuttered bars — have hampered physical flow. Yet COVID19 has also accelerated many social trends, reshaping the body politic behind those closed doors.

Perhaps most worrying to the region’s long-term health is the increased inequality being driven by the coronavirus. Living wages were already a concern for much of WNC’s working class before 2020, but pandemic restrictions have kept many in low-paid jobs from earning a wage at all. Their hardship has shown through unprecedented demand at MANNA FoodBank, which has increased its food purchasing by 600% this year.

According to Opportunity Insights, a nonprofit research project based at Harvard University, employment among Buncombe County residents making less than $27,000 annually remained nearly 29% below January levels as of Oct. 15, the most recent date for which data is available.

Meanwhile, employment among those making $60,000 or more per year had completely recovered from the start of the pandemic.

For those still fortunate enough to have work, the region’s already challenging housing market has become even more formidable. Demand for

DR. DAVID ELLIS 8

KARA IRANI

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R IN REVIEW YEA

HOW HAS COVID-19 CHANGED THE WAY YOU DO YOUR JOB? “At the start of the pandemic, Explore Asheville paused all traditional paid advertising — such as TV, radio and print ads — shifting to a plan that employed limited digital media, such as Facebook. The emphasis is on safety and the shared responsibility of visitors and residents to following public health protocols to ensure a safe and healthy experience.”

— Vic Isley, president and CEO, Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau

ORANGE AID: MANNA FoodBank volunteers portion fresh produce to include in food boxes for distribution across 16 WNC counties. Photo courtesy of MANNA FoodBank homes in Buncombe, as quantified by the Realtor.com Market Hotness Index, is higher now than it was a year ago, a trend partly driven by remote workers from urban areas relocating to the mountains. Keith Miller, the county’s tax assessor, recently characterized residential sales as “just crazy.”

Some of those homes are likely getting repurposed as lucrative shortterm vacation rentals. Tourists worried about mingling with strangers in hotels have sought the perceived safety of Airbnb and other private rental platforms. Local STR revenues, already on the rise, have shot into the stratosphere: In October, the latest month with available data, STR

ROBIN MERRELL MOUNTAINX.COM

JACKIE KIGER

sales were up more than 75% yearover-year, or roughly $6.6 million.

As also occurred throughout the country, WNC saw cultural life move increasingly online — where conversations too often fall victim to the algorithmic distortion of social media.

Conservative and liberal communities continued their polarization into opposing tribes as the presidential election season wore on; basic facts about the coronavirus and measures to prevent its spread were caught in that political vortex.

Simultaneously, a loss of revenue due to COVID-19 closures slammed local media, reducing the flow of trusted information that might counter misleading online discourse.

VIC ISLEY

TERRY VAN DUYN

“More than anything, COVID19 has made it more difficult for reporters to dedicate their time and resources to in-depth coverage. The pandemic raised important conversations about working conditions for those in health care, food processing and long-term care facilities, but the constant deluge of information has made investigating employers incredibly challenging. Reporters are pressed more than ever for breaking the latest need-to-know information at a time when newsrooms are facing furloughs and layoffs. There are numerous COVID-related stories that merit further inspection, [public information] requests and follow-ups.

That unshaken focus costs a reporter precious time and resources that were already scarce before the pandemic.

We’re all doing the best we can to cover our bases.”

— Cass Herrington, “Morning Edition” host and news reporter, Blue Ridge Public Radio

CORINNE DUNCAN CASS HERRINGTON

“As a result of COVID-19, I find that my mornings are consumed with data: the latest state, county and local cases; our COVID patient census; [intensive care unit] capacity; [personal protective equipment] supplies; and a multitude of other data points that must factor into how we operate as a health care system. This hasn’t really surprised me, but it is definitely a daily routine that I don’t see going away anytime soon.”

— Dr. David Ellis, chief medical officer, Pardee UNC Health Care

HOW CAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BEST RESPOND TO INCREASED POLARIZATION?

“Listen and assume good intention.

Most people want the same things for their children but feel that politicians just don’t hear them.”

— Sen. Terry Van Duyn, D-Buncombe “By being honest and welcoming. I reject the idea that there are two sets of people in America. Polarization comes from fear. I encourage my team to be patient and reassuring even in the face of anger and I strive for that myself. I know it makes a difference.”

— Corinne Duncan, director of elections, Buncombe County

WHAT REPERCUSSIONS HAS INCREASED INEQUALITY HAD ON YOUR WORK?

“We have been doing a lot of work this year to stop evictions but we expect to see a significant increase in both evictions and home foreclosures in 2021. It’s going to be a long road back to stable living for a great many people, and the need for free civil legal aid will continue to be great,

if not continue to increase, in the coming year.”

— Jackie Kiger, chief operations officer, Pisgah Legal Services “Pisgah Legal Services has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking our services during the pandemic. PLS responded by increasing programming to respond to needs around unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, financial assistance and eviction prevention.

PLS increased staff, including bilingual staff, to respond to the increased demand. We also increased our advocacy to make sure that government resources were accessed by WNC counties and cities to benefit the people living here.

“I think mid-2021 we will be safe from the pandemic, but that we will experience the economic and social effects for many more years to come.

WNC may need to reinvent itself into a place with much less reliance on service-sector employment.”

— Robin Merrell, managing attorney, Pisgah Legal Services “I think one story that has been overlooked is the pressure on working parents, working mothers especially, to quit their jobs in order to provide child care and distance learning support. At MANNA, we have seen a huge spike in the number of families with children who are needing support for the first time ever; many of these are families that have one parent who has either lost their income or been forced to quit a job in order to accommodate for the needs of their family.”

— Kara Irani, director of marketing and communications, MANNA FoodBank X

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N EWS

Racial reckoning

Residents reflect on local efforts to address systemic racism in 2020

R IN REVIEW YEA

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com In March, Sasha Mitchell, former chair of the city’s African American Heritage Commission, spoke with me for “Uprooted: Urban Renewal in Asheville,” which examines the city urban renewal projects and the ongoing impact decisions from the 1950s through the 1980s have had on communities of color.

At the time, Mitchell avoided the word “reparations,” concerned the concept might lead some readers to quickly turn the page without ever engaging in the difficult conversation about systemic racism. Instead, she alluded to the idea, suggesting city officials “shift toward acknowledging that government policies targeting our nation’s Black population resulted in losses of wealth and capital that have never been calculated.”

Two months later, in response to the police killing of George Floyd, thousands of local protesters joined the millions who marched in the United States and around the world to demand racial justice. What Mitchell had feared many white Americans would not consider in the winter could not be ignored by the spring.

In response, Asheville City Council made international headlines in July when it unanimously adopted a resolution supporting reparations for the city’s Black community, while also formally apologizing for the city government’s participation in the enslavement of Black people and recognizing inequalities in housing, education, urban development and health care.

Meanwhile, the urban landscape continued to change. Two Confederate monuments came down in the summer, including the Robert E. Lee Dixie Highway, Col. John Connally marker at Pack Square. Shortly thereafter, a group of local artists painted a commissioned “Black Lives Matter” mural on the arc-shaped street adjacent to where the plaque previously stood.

SASHA MITCHELL 10

ROB THOMAS

SIGNS OF THE TIME: The Justice for George Floyd protest on May 29 was one of several held in downtown Asheville this year. Photo by Molly Horak And earlier this month, Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted to remove the Vance Monument, following recommendations from the joint city-county Vance Monument Task Force.

Considering the changes 2020 has wrought, Mitchell now says she is optimistic about the future. Though plans to remove the Vance Monument still lack a timeline or budget, she believes the city and county are headed in the right direction.

More importantly, Mitchell continues, “the city is continuing discussion on how to bring about necessary criminal justice reform, while supporting law enforcement, as well as continuing to consider how they will address reparations.”

“These are both complicated issues,” she says, adding that further solutions can only come about through a deep immersion into the region’s history and a thorough review of available data con-

SHAUNDA SANDFORD

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

JOSEPH FOX

MOUNTAINX.COM

JACKIE KIGER

cerning racial disparities. “I’m hopeful we will see that work continue.”

With 2021 on the horizon, Xpress spoke with several additional community leaders to discuss how residents and local officials responded to this year’s call for racial justice and what actions offer hope moving forward.

WHAT DID ASHEVILLE GET RIGHT? “If I had to pick one, I would have to say our local reparations resolutions.

If done properly with the massive community involvement, it could truly be revolutionary.”

— Rob Thomas, community liaison, Racial Justice Coalition “CHOSEN is a group of predominantly black community leaders committed to ensuring every child knows, ‘They are LOVED’ and ‘They are CHOSEN.’ Their goal is to engage and build relationships with children and families of

TERRY VAN DUYN

LONDON NEWTON

color by providing culturally relevant activities in nurturing environments that build community, foster growth and increase self-esteem. Whether it’s pushing in to support students in Positive Opportunities Develop Success (PODS) with remote learning or brainstorming ways to reduce violence across Buncombe County, CHOSEN members are true advocates committed to supporting children and families of color on the journey from surviving to thriving by actively addressing racial inequities head-on.”

— Shaunda Sandford, chair, Asheville City Board of Education

WHAT TOPICS RELATED TO RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY WERE IGNORED OR UNDERREPORTED IN 2020?

“We still have not fully discussed the roots of discrimination from the beginning of enslavement to the creation of the narrative related to white suprem-

HERBERT BLAKE ROBIN MERRELL

CORINNE DUNCAN

acy and the impact of Jim Crow practices to systemic and institutional racism. We are only at the starting point of having open discussions, but we still have individuals that want to deny history and embrace a false narrative.”

— Joseph Fox, vice chair, The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County “In August, the Buncombe County commissioners approved a resolution declaring racism a public health and safety crisis. This was an important step in identifying that the health inequities that exist right here in our community are a direct result of systemic racism.

Yet, there is so much more that needs to be explored and actions that need to be taken in order to address racism as a public health crisis and improve the health outcomes for Black, Indigenous and people of color throughout WNC.” — Jackie Kiger, chief operations officer, Pisgah Legal Services “I believe the activism following George Floyd’s death showed us that racial equality is a profoundly and broadly held WNC value.

Unfortunately, there were politicians that mocked our aspirations, using them to scare and divide us so they didn’t have to address issues like health care and unemployment. Their failure is making life more difficult for so many in WNC.” — Sen. Terry Van Duyn, D-Buncombe “The interconnection between white supremacy, capitalism and racism was missing from the conversation this year; they all depend on the other to exist and have to be torn down together.”

— London Newton, UNC Asheville junior and Student Government Association President “Asheville City Schools spearheaded the expansion of internet infrastructure beyond its current school buildings and into five of Asheville Housing Authority’s family developments.

Upon the project’s completion, all 1,039 apartments across the Southside Community, Deaverview Apartments, Hillcrest Apartments, Klondyke Homes and Pisgah View Apartments will have internet access at no cost to residents.”

— Shaunda Sandford “I think some of the positive aspects, such as how all races came together to protest and advocate against racism were underreported. Our society put a lot of energy toward producing the changes coming down the pipeline.”

— Rob Thomas

WHAT GIVES YOU HOPE MOVING FORWARD?

“Citizens are talking to each other about racial injustices now. As difficult as it may be for some, that’s a very good thing. Plus, there appears to be less denial that racial injustices exist in light of some of the disturbing events we have witnessed in 2020.”

— Herbert Blake, chief deputy, Buncombe County Sheriff ’s Office “It was powerful to see people of all ages and races showing up and saying, ‘We’re not going to take it anymore.’

Real change can be slow and difficult, but we reached a tipping point this year, and people are not going to allow our leaders to regress. I see much more accountability for policing practices, removing Confederate monuments and focusing on equity. I’m personally challenged to examine my own privilege, beliefs and behaviors.

Organizationally, PLS is focusing on equity and examining our practices, both internally and externally.”

— Robin Merrell, managing attorney, Pisgah Legal Services “Buncombe County government began talking. I know it’s simple, but sharing our experiences is how we build our values, and it’s obvious that inclusiveness is important to the new administration.”

— Corinne Duncan, director of elections, Buncombe County “The hope is that we all will embrace the first step of acknowledging and learning about the true history of how people of a darker hue have always been treated, the roots of white supremacy and the impact that system biases have had on every aspect of life before we can start implementing real systemic changes that will lead to equity.”

— Joseph Fox “Seeing people’s participation in mutual aid networks like Asheville for Justice and Asheville Survival Program gives me hope that we are moving toward a future with decentralized mutual aid instead of charity and the hierarchy that comes with it.”

— London Newton “All of the education that this nation received about institutional, systemic and structural racism gives me hope.

We have been speaking for centuries, and now people are finally hearing.”

— Rob Thomas X

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Creative community

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A look at what we accomplished

BY VIRGINIA DAFFRON vdaffron@mountainx.com “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”

— Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein Sewing has been one of my favorite hobbies for decades, so the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States in March held a silver lining for me: Staying home and sewing masks felt like a perfect creative response to the new reality.

Soon enough, masks in hand, the simplicity of those early days faded.

With nearly every aspect of life in Western North Carolina in flux, many of us struggled to adapt. Community members expressed frustration over shifting guidance from public officials, the choices of fellow residents regarding masks and social distancing, decisions about school and business closures and so much more. In an already charged environment, protests demanding racial justice and the 2020 general election combined to create a perfect storm of social-media-amplified blame, finger-pointing and polarization.

CORINNE DUNCAN

FLETCHER TOVE

Amid the noise, it’s all too easy to forget the astonishing feats of adaptation we’ve pulled off as individuals and as a community. Remember those awkward early business meetings when the urge to shake hands was almost impossible to resist? Remember the first few days after you got serious about wearing a mask yet kept forgetting to put one in your bag or car? For most of us, those and many other new habits have become the norm.

We’ve also learned to help ourselves. Local efforts to support those who are struggling range from mutual aid groups like Pandemic of Love (showcased on our cover of Oct. 7) and the Facebook group Asheville Survival Program to the Asheville Strong initiatives and government-led programs like the One Buncombe fund.

Individuals of all ages and walks of life have committed to small acts of kindness, including Mary Wells Letson’s flower giveaways (Xpress, July 22) and Madelyn Schmidt’s care bags (Xpress, Nov. 4).

It’s time to celebrate the creativity of our community’s response to the pandemic, even as we acknowledge the pain, uncertainty and loss that surely still lie ahead. Here, community mem-

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“Buncombe County government was proactive in establishing our emergency operations center and fostering unprecedented levels of collaboration between county and city governments, public health, fire departments, law enforcement, emergency management, school systems and other community partners.”

— Fletcher Tove, emergency preparedness director, Buncombe County “Asheville for Justice is a mutual aid network that was started this summer during the protests that has provided

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bers weigh in on successes that fill them with pride as they look back on 2020.

“Election Services took the pandemic seriously from the beginning. We rented larger locations; worked tirelessly to support absentee-by-mail voting; implemented safety measures immediately both internally and at voting locations; and we got the word out that voting would be safe. No cases of COVID-19 were traced back to voting in Buncombe County, and that’s saying something for the largest event of the year!”

— Corinne Duncan, director of elections, Buncombe County

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rent support, clothes and meals for unhoused folx. Groups like Asheville Survival Program also stepped up to meet unmet needs as usual, providing funds, clothing, harm reduction work and services needed to folx.”

— London Newton, UNC Asheville junior and Student Government Association president “MANNA FoodBank has moved into even higher gear due to the impacts of the pandemic and the huge and sustained need for food. As an organization, we’ve taken major steps in every aspect of our operations to continue operating safely, all while distributing record amounts of food each month to record numbers of people who are struggling.

“The pandemic has shown that, for the most part, local government plays a far larger role in our immediate day-today lives than our federal government.

I’m hoping that our newly elected officials work hard to prioritize the well-being and quality of life for those who call our wonderful town home and to build a successful economic vision that respects and protects the natural majesty of where we live while helping to lift all boats.”

— Kara Irani, director of marketing and communications, MANNA FoodBank “Pisgah Legal Services expanded our services for people who needed advice and representation with unemployment insurance benefits. A combination of staff and volunteer attorneys worked

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on over 300 cases in 2020 — compared to four cases during 2019. Additionally, for the first time, PLS obtained funding to offer financial assistance to clients struggling to pay rent and utilities. To date, we have assisted more than 200 families with financial assistance. We increased staff resources to help with the dramatic increase in client calls, as many as 1,800 a week now.”

— Robin Merrell, managing attorney, Pisgah Legal Services “Our infectious diseases team not only helped guide our COVID response but the response of countless other health care professionals and organizations throughout our region. Our materials management team and their early attempts to keep our health care workers supplied with appropriate personal protective equipment resulted in our not facing a dire situation or shortage. And our emergency preparedness team and their early commitment to the development of a highly communicable respiratory diseases plan ensured preparedness for various infectious diseases. That includes all matters related to COVID-19, such as use of critical care and pediatric beds, and all necessary supplies and treatments for an influx of COVID-19 cases.”

— Dr. David Ellis, chief medical officer, Pardee UNC Health Care “In May, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority created a $5 million Buncombe Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund. The fund was a source for grants that supported the sustainability of nearly 400 small businesses and 4,800 jobs for area residents.

“The only COVID relief initiative of its kind in the state, the fund was made possible when the N.C. General Assembly authorized this one-time change in the use of revenue from occupancy tax collections designated

for tourism product development. It was the result of an extraordinary collaboration involving numerous individuals and organizations, most especially the Asheville Buncombe Hotel Association, with Sen. Chuck Edwards introducing the bill with support from the local delegation.

“Thanks to these collective, monumental efforts, with the nonprofit Mountain BizWorks administering the fund, small Buncombe County-based businesses from restaurants, retail, attractions and arts, to breweries, bakeries and event and wellness businesses — the vast majority with fewer than 25 employees — received an infusion of cash to pay for rent, salaries and much needed resources like personal protective equipment and supplies.”

— Vic Isley, president and CEO, Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of having real relationships with people. When there are true bonds between people, you do not have to be physically in the same room to enjoy and appreciate each other.”

— Joseph Fox, vice chair, The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County “In a year fraught with disconnection, suffering and grief, I found deep satisfaction weeding and digging my hands in the earth. My garden is a daily reminder of our reliance on the soil we share and our responsibility for future generations. As Lin-Manuel Miranda shouted at the end of Hamilton, ‘What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.’ I’m hopeful about what will grow forth in the new year.”

— Cass Herrington, “Morning Edition” host and news reporter, Blue Ridge Public Radio X

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A wild ride

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Dramatic year in politics creates few shifts in power

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This year’s campaigning, shouting, marching, speechifying, social media posting, criticizing, commenting, complaining and (finally) voting made some changes to the balance of political power in Asheville and North Carolina.

Despite all the drama, however, many things stayed about the same.

Asheville City Council gained four new members over the course of the year — one chosen by Council after the resignation of member Vijay Kapoor, three by voters in the general election — and is now an all-female body for the first time in history. But early indications are that Council’s most liberal members will still be in the minority and the new faces won’t bring about dramatic changes in policy.

Buncombe County voted a little more strongly against President Donald Trump in 2020 than it did four years ago — his share of the county’s vote fell from 40.1% in 2016 to 38.6% this year — but Trump’s grip on conservative voters in the state’s rural and some suburban counties was tight enough to win North Carolina again despite losing the national contest.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper won a second term comfortably as Republicans retained majorities in the state House and Senate. As was true before the election, the GOP won’t have enough votes to override Cooper’s vetoes, but Cooper probably doesn’t have enough power to bend Republicans legislators to his will either.

Democrats mounted a much more serious challenge in Western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District than in years past, and a court-mandated shift in the district’s boundaries gave them a better shot at victory. But while Democrat Moe Davis ran ahead of his party’s other recent nominees for the seat, Republican Madison Cawthorn’s win with 54.5% of the vote means the end result was not so different: WNC’s MOUNTAINX.COM

MAKING A STAND: Veterans Against Madison Cawthorn protesters line up on Long Shoals Road to show their support for Moe Davis. Photo by Laura Hackett representative in the U.S. House may again be among that body’s most conservative members.

Here’s a further look at some of the factors that determined the course of the year in politics.

CITY AND COUNTRY

The presidential race was close overall in North Carolina, with Trump getting 49.9% of the state’s votes to Democrat Joe Biden’s 48.6%. The story was much different at the county level.

The state’s 10 largest counties collectively gave Trump only 38% of their votes; in the remaining 90 counties, he got 60.2%.

“We used to talk about there being three North Carolinas:” mountains, piedmont and coastal plain, says Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University. “I think the new cleavage is urban-rural.”

The only mountain counties Biden won were Buncombe and Watauga, home to Appalachian State University.

Trump’s vote topped 70% in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties in the western tip of the state, as well as in Avery, McDowell, Mitchell and a few other counties to the east and north of Buncombe.

One curiosity was Trump’s decline in Henderson County, a Republican

stronghold. He still won the county handily with 58.6% of the vote, but that share was down from his 61.6% in 2016.

Cooper says Democratic-leaning voters priced out of Buncombe’s expensive housing are gradually moving into Henderson County and possibly Transylvania County as well.

BLACK LIVES MATTER MATTERS

Following what many regard as a disappointing year for Democrats, a national debate has broken out over whether moves to redirect funding from police departments and promote left-wing policy proposals like universal health coverage hurt the party’s candidates. That debate is happening in North Carolina, too.

Carrboro-based Democratic political consultant and blogger Thomas Mills and John Hood, board chair at the conservative John Locke Foundation in Raleigh, both say the defunding movement and its accompanying summer protests dragged on Democratic candidates in North Carolina.

Mills says the issue brought Republican voters to the polls. “They didn’t turn out just to support Donald Trump, they turned out to oppose Democrats. … We are kind of a center-right state, and the activism scares as many people as it excites.”

And Hood says many North Carolina voters worried Democrats would take changes to policing too far. “There is a significant constituency for criminal justice reform. The constituency for defunding the police is far, far smaller,” he says. “When Democrats failed to distance themselves from ‘Defund the police,’ they usually got clobbered in competitive races.”

Two local progressive activists reject that analysis, saying many centrist Democrats faired poorly. “When you look across the country — and North Carolina is really no exception — the Democratic candidates that were running on progressive platforms like Medicare for All and a Green New Deal, they won their elections,” says Jenny Andry, co-chair of the Asheville chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

The Democratic Party in North Carolina pushed its candidates away from progressive positions, argues Victoria Estes, an organizer with Sunrise Movement Asheville, a youth-oriented climate justice organization. That approach, she says, reduced enthusiasm and hurt Democratic candidates. Advocates of a more centrist approach counter that candidates who ran on the most progressive agendas typically represented safe Democratic districts, while centrists ran in more competitive districts.

But Mills says even though the protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd hurt North Carolina Democrats at the ballot box, they put the question of police reform on the agendas of public officials across the country. “We’re spending more time looking at police budgets than at any time in our history,” he says.

Floyd’s death was “clear evidence of a pattern that’s been going on for a long, long time. The issues behind that … need to be addressed,” Mills adds.

MIXED ASHEVILLE MESSAGE

It’s a little difficult to say just what message voters sent Asheville City Council, but this year’s vote probably doesn’t represent a mandate for radical policy shifts. The city’s electorate is undoubtedly liberal, although a switch from holding Council elections in odd-numbered years to even-numbered years increased turnout and likely diluted the influence of more liberal activists. But one of Council’s leading proponents of steps to address racial issues and advance progressive causes, Keith Young, lost his seat, while one of the candidates least supportive of cuts to the police, Sandra Kilgore, was the top vote-getter Nov. 3.

On the other hand, the candidate most aligned with police critics, Kim Roney, also won a seat, coming in third.

Both the Sunrise Movement and DSA urged supporters to vote for Roney and no other Council candidate.

“We considered her the only true progressive candidate,” says Andry of Roney. “By getting her 100% of our vote instead of 33% of our vote, we were hoping to boost her chances of getting elected, and I think it worked.”

Young led all candidates in the 2015 race for Council, but local voters seem to sour on City Council members more quickly than on other politicians. Some progressives felt that Young’s votes sometimes did not reflect his rhetoric.

Questions over his commitment to the city after he bought a house in Arden — and in 2018 ran for a U.S. House seat representing Charlotte — may have also hurt his candidacy.

MAPS AND MIGRATION

One elected body where significant change did occur was the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. The 2020 general election left Democrats with a 6-1 majority over Republicans on the board, up from a previous 4-3 split.

Democrats’ momentum had been building as new residents of the county likely leaned Democratic and Trump turned off many moderates. After the GOP-controlled General Assembly imposed district voting on commissioner races in 2011, Republicans easily took two District 3 seats on the board, representing western and southern parts Buncombe, in 2012. The GOP won one of the District 2 seats representing eastern Buncombe that year and fell only 19 votes short of winning both, which would have given the party majority control.

But in 2018, Democrat Amanda Edwards handily won a District 2 seat, while Republican Commissioner Robert Pressley only narrowly retained his District 3 job.

A state Supreme Court decision that struck down some legislative district lines — coterminous with commissioner district lines in Buncombe — as partisan gerrymanders accelerated Democrats’ gains. The old lines had concentrated many of the county’s Democratic voters in a district centered on Asheville, leaving the other two districts competitive for Republicans.

The lines used in 2020 more evenly spread Asheville voters among all three districts.

The result? No GOP commissioner candidate got more than 42.2% of the vote in this year’s general election. X MOUNTAINX.COM

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N EWS

News of the news

Major milestones, unprecedented challenges for local media outlets in 2020

BY JON ELLISTON jonelliston@gmail.com To call 2020 a news-heavy year is barely to do it justice: The last 12 months brought an avalanche of news, from the scourge of the pandemic to the racial justice uprising to highstakes political contests. Ashevillearea news publications were buffeted — and in some cases, enlivened — by all these forces and more. Here’s a quick recap of key developments in 2020’s local media landscape.

• This year saw the retirement of two lions of local broadcasting. In May, WLOS TV’s Darcel Grimes completed 39 years with the station as a reporter and anchor, and in November, WLOS sports director Stan Pamfilis stepped down after 40 years on the air.

• Newspapers, like many other local businesses, took a revenue beating from the pandemic and made painful steps to cut costs. The Asheville Citizen Times instituted weeklong furloughs for most of its staff beginning in March, and Mountain Xpress laid off seven employees. At the same time, Xpress launched a

R IN REVIEW YEA

community support drive that has brought in donations from 1,193 readers to date.

• C arolina Public Press, the Asheville-based journalism nonprofit, expanded its statewide network of contributors and established an “emergency news team” to collaborate with local news outlets struggling to keep up with COVID-19 developments.

• 2 020’s new heavy-hitter was Asheville Watchdog, a nonprofit online news outlet started by veteran journalists that shares its content with other publications.

Check out its investigative work at avlwatchdog.org.

• A shvegas.com, one of the city’s most venerable online news and culture websites, celebrated 15 years in operation. The site and its founder/editor, Jason Sandford, marked the occasion with an extensive redesign.

• Blue Ridge Public Radio, the network of NPR stations in WNC, ramped up its local programming this year. Two of its long-running programs, “The Waters & Harvey Show” and “Going Deep: Sport in the 21st Century,” doubled in length to a full hour per episode, and a new in-depth interview show, “The Porch,” was added to the mix. X

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BUNCOMBE BEAT

BCTDA records best-ever monthly room sales “An accurate statement is we are in good shape,” remarked Don Warn, fiscal agent for the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, during a Dec. 16 presentation to the BCTDA board. For October, at least, that may be an understatement.

According to the BCTDA’s most recent financial documents, the county logged $53 million in room sales for October, the latest month for which data is available.

The figure represents a 6% increase over the $50 million in sales for the same month in 2019 — and an all-time monthly record.

“On the balance sheet, I think we’re in a good position,” Warn continued, regarding the occupancy tax revenue on those room sales managed by the BCTDA. “We have plenty of fund balance, plenty of cash sitting in the bank.”

In the authority’s operating fund, which by law must be spent on tourism promotion, those undesignated cash reserves totaled $11.7 million through Nov. 30. As noted by BCTDA board Chair Himanshu

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DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

Karvir, part of that strength comes from unusually low expenses in 2020.

Due to COVID-19, Karvir pointed out, the BCTDA has paused paid advertising through channels other than social media and search engines. From July 1 through Nov. 30, its marketing spend has totaled about $1.36 million, less than half the money deployed over the same period last year.

Over $2.25 million in undesignated cash reserves has also built up in the authority’s Tourism Product Development Fund, which represents the 25% of occupancy tax revenues required by state law to be invested in community projects. New awards from that fund have been frozen since 2019, when the BCTDA embarked on a long-term planning process for use of the money. Initially scheduled to conclude in April, that process has been delayed indefinitely as the authority continues to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this year, the BCTDA and N.C. General Assembly collaborated to pass

MOUNTAINX.COM

PEAKS AND VALLEYS: October 2020, the rightmost point on the green line, marked the highest-ever monthly lodging sales in Buncombe County, driven largely by a 75% year-over-year increase in vacation rental room sales. Graphic courtesy of the BCTDA emergency legislation authorizing $5 million from the TPDF to be allocated as grants to local tourism-dependent businesses. Board member Andrew Celwyn asked if a similar measure might be enacted when the state legislature goes back into session in January.

While Karvir, as well as board members John McKibbon and Kathleen Mosher, expressed openness to that idea, the chair added that passing the previous legislation had required “a Herculean

effort.” He said hospitality industry leaders, not the BCTDA board, had led the push for the emergency measure and would likely need to do so again.

“I just hope that we don’t take a look back on this time and say, ‘Boy, we wish we could have done more,’ and have that $2 million sitting there until the spring or the summer,” Celwyn replied.

— Daniel Walton X

FEA T U RE S

Ad-ventures in survival

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Team keeps selling in pandemic

BY MOLLY HORAK mhorak@mountainx.com Their offices may overlook Wall Street and Battery Park Avenue, but the Xpress advertising team has a unique window into Asheville’s small-business community. As a platform founded to uplift local business, the publication provides a space to promote and highlight Asheville’s entrepreneurs, says Susan Hutchinson, advertising manager. At the same time, ad sales give Xpress financial support to continue publishing each week.

Advertising representatives Sara Brecht, David Furr and Tiffany Wagner have their fingers on the pulse of the local economy. This year, they were some of the first to hear about pandemic-related closures, and they were the first to celebrate when business owners announced new opportunities to grow and adapt.

After nine months of local economic turmoil, the team reflects on the year’s ups and downs: AS THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT SMALL BUSINESSES, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN HEARING FROM BUSINESS OWNERS AND EMPLOYEES? Tiffany: I hear a lot of people saying that they’re doing their best to support local business or their neighbors. And they feel like people are doing that for them, too. So it’s a really tough time, but I feel like it’s also bringing out the best in people, because they’re thinking outside the box of ways to support and love each other. So many businesses have closed temporarily or permanently, but I’m still hearing stories of growth. You get these little glimmers of hope.

Sara: There are a lot of people that are just kind of stunned and can’t make

a choice. And there are some people who are just like, “I’ll do my best. I’ll do what I can.”

David: I hear a lot of frustration from local business owners because the guidelines that have been set forth by the state haven’t made a ton of sense to many. For instance, why are breweries open but bars closed? What does “essential” actually mean? It’s just frustration with the mandates, because after reading the fine print, they at times make no sense and favor large corporations.

HAS THAT SHIFTED OVER TIME? Tiff: Early on, it was more shock.

Nobody knew it was going to last this long. So it was, “All right, well, it’s just gonna be a rough couple of weeks, no big deal.” And now I think the gravity has fully sunk in where we are now.

HOW HAS YOUR MIX OF BUSINESSES AND CLIENTS CHANGED? David: We switched gears and became creative with who we target as potential long-term advertising clients.

Instead of only leaning on relationships Xpress has had for years with local businesses, we’ve gone out and forged new contacts with clients that aren’t as familiar with us and the process.

Tiff: Clubs, bars, music venues: They just came to a screeching halt. And then that’s sort of when we realized we had to shift who we were pitching to. We started going after the larger corporations — the grocery stores, the hospitals, health care, places like that, that weren’t necessarily like paycheck-to-paycheck kind of places.

Sara: There are a number that are doing their best staying with it, but restaurants are having a hard time.

STRONGER TOGETHER: 2020 brought a number of challenges for the Xpress advertising team. From left to right, David Furr, Tiffany Wagner, Sara Brecht and Susan Hutchinson leaned on each other throughout the good and the bad. Photo

by Cindy Kunst

WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THIS WORK? HAS THIS YEAR SHIFTED THAT SENSE OF PURPOSE?

Sara: I’ve been in sales for a long time, and sales can be a cold, horrible world. It’s much warmer here. I’ve got the ability to work with the community, get to know it really well and connect with community members. These days I don’t get to see smiles like I used to, so that’s a downer. But overall, the mission is still there. Nothing has changed, other than how we navigate everybody’s budget.

David: I’ve always felt that building relationships and meeting new people is exciting. I worked for many largescale publications in New York that sold to large corporations and huge ad agencies. The fact that we sell advertising to local businesses is what drew me to my position at Xpress — I’ve never felt like I was selling advertising to a client that didn’t make sense for their business. I just take it day by day and know that these kinds of things are a part of living.

WHAT WAS THE COMMUNITY REACTION TO SOME OF YOUR BIGGER PROJECTS, LIKE BEST OF WNC, GIVE!LOCAL AND GO LOCAL?

Tiff: When we kicked off Best Of, we did field some calls where peo-

“We’ve been with our clients through weddings and deaths, divorces and children being born, people in their family dying and our clients dying. We’ve been through it all and we’re friends with these people now. And we celebrate them and mourn with them as friends. During COVID, it’s just been a little more.”

— Susan Hutchinson, advertising manager MOUNTAINX.COM

ple were upset: “How could you be pitching businesses against each other right now? Isn’t [now] the time that we should really be coming together and supporting each other?” Essentially, we kept that project on track because we wanted to bring something great to the community, something that you’ve heard of and can get excited about to keep that sense of community still intact. And I think once we explained why we were going to push forward with this, people understood.

And donations to Give!Local have been record high this year, in the middle of all of this. It gives a glimmer of hope that we are going to get through this. We might get knocked down and kicked around, but we’ll be OK.

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELVES MOTIVATED AND UPBEAT WHEN CLIENTS ARE CONSTANTLY SAYING NO?

Sara: We have thick skin. We’re OK with the nos.

Tiff: There’s a comfort in knowing that we’re in it together. If we get a call that’s really sad, or somebody is really angry, we’re able to share that with each other. The first few days were rough. Some of the calls that came in, I remember breaking down and just sobbing uncontrollably because it was so hard.

David: We lean on each other as a team. If one of us is having a down week revenue-wise, we try to pick them up with our own numbers by making those extra calls. We have a lot of support in this community, which is such a blessing. X DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

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ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

FEA T U RE S

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Who from our city’s past?

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Local historians reflect on 2020 As part of the Year in Review issue, Xpress reached out to local historians and asked them the following question: Who from Asheville’s past would have been best suited to manage the many challenges and tragedies our community faced in 2020? Responses, as seen below, ranged from medical experts to community organizers.

PERSEVERANCE

INNOVATION

“Throughout her life, Elizabeth Hemphill exhibited resiliency, experiencing many of the same losses — of money, food, resources, and loved ones — that our communities have faced in 2020. From 1847-1909, Elizabeth farmed the former Vance plantation. Due to financial struggles in 1852, she faced the loss of her home at public auction. Although she raised the winning bid of $1,300, it took everything she had. But her ultimate trial was enduring the Civil War. Like other mountain residents, Elizabeth encountered food shortages exacerbated by raiding parties of soldiers and deserters. The scarcity of salt, a crucial food preservative, also kept families from building up winter stores of meat and produce. As a single mother of four children, Elizabeth persevered, keeping her family intact during the war and holding on to their home in the Reems Creek Valley.”

“Edith Vanderbilt was a strong, compassionate woman who took over the management of the Biltmore Estate after becoming a widow. Down to earth, community-minded and a socially progressive thinker, Edith also had a head for business, becoming the first female president of the N.C. State Fair and the N.C. Agricultural Society. Initiatives she sponsored included literacy and educational programs and the promotion of crafts, which would enable women to support themselves (Biltmore Estate Industries). In today’s community, I think Edith’s tenacity would provide strong leadership, set goals and offer genuine empathy for those suffering from the effects of the pandemic and economic downturn.

Her ties to both the rural sector and urban populations could further their unification.

She would help create policies to increase racial justice and decrease police brutality.”

— Kimberly Floyd, site manager of Vance Birthplace

— Sharon Fahrer, owner of History-at-Hand X

PAST MEETS PRESENT: As a difficult year comes to an end, local historians reflect on past figures who might have helped address our present-day challenges. Images courtesy of Buncombe County government and the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library; collage by Scott Southwick

COMMUNITY LEADER

“A leader from our past who stands out as one who could have met the challenges we’ve faced this past year is E. W. Pearson. His work establishing his Agricultural Fair brought him knowledge around food security. His business knowledge could be applied to aid the struggles of our local businesses. And his experience with living through segregation would have provided him with skills to share in local mutual aid and self-reliance. Like many African Americans who returned from military service, Mr. Pearson assumed a leadership role in the community and was known and respected throughout Asheville and beyond. I’m sure he would have encouraged mask wearing as a public duty!”

— Sasha Mitchell, community historian “I still believe in E.W. Pearson’s blueprint. Not only did he try to address the significant challenges of his time, he also created opportunities for people to 20

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

celebrate and come together. He created opportunities through civic engagement, entrepreneurship and community development, all while ensuring that the youth were engaged and involved.”

— DeWayne Barton, CEO of Hood Huggers International

IN AGREEMENT: Both community historian Sasha Mitchell, left, and DeWayne Barton, CEO of Hood Huggers International, right, agree that E.W. Pearson, center, a veteran of the Spanish-American War, local entrepreneur and community organizer, would have been a welcome voice in addressing 2020’s calls for racial justice.

Photo credits, from left, courtesy of Mitchell; courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library; by Thomas Calder

SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR!

“Dr. Louis McCormick, Asheville’s first bacteriologist and public health advocate, would be an asset to Asheville in 2020. Dr. McCormick (of McCormick Field fame) was a pioneer in his time who led a prolific public education campaign that helped to slow the spread of tuberculosis in the city. Dr. McCormick believed the common housefly carried the disease and, with the help of Asheville Citizen cartoonist Billy Bourne, encouraged the public to ‘Swat That Fly!’ to prevent the spread.”

— Katherine Cutshall, collections manager at the North Carolina Room, Pack Memorial Library

MOUNTAINX.COM

SWAT THAT FLY: Katherine Cutshall, right, collections manager for the North Carolina Room at Pack Memorial Library, believes Dr. Louis McCormick would have been a valuable asset were he alive today. Photo of McCormick courtesy of the North Carolina Room; photo of Cutshall by Thomas Calder

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

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COVID CONVERSATIONS

FEA T U RE S

Revisiting a nightmare

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Gloria Pincu still coping with her loss In July, Xpress spoke with Gloria Pincu about her experience recovering from COVID-19, as well as her grief over the loss of her husband, Daniel, who died of the virus on April 27.

Today, Pincu is back to hiking some of her favorite trails, including Bent Creek. Though the 80-yearold resident says she has physically recovered from COVID-19, emotionally she is still struggling with the events from spring.

“I am anxious,” she says, adding that she has trouble concentrating and often feels lonely.

Since her recovery, the only person she sees on a regular basis is her daughter, Elise Delfield. Pincu says she also finds solace in her phone conversations with members of her fellow congregants at the Jewish Secular Congregation of Asheville.

With COVID cases on the rise, Pincu echoes medical experts, encouraging people to “wear a mask, wash hands and social distance.”

— Thomas Calder X

HARROWING EXPERIENCE: In the spring, Gloria Pincu and her husband, Daniel, tested positive for COVID-19.

Both were hospitalized; tragically, only Gloria survived. Photo courtesy of Rachel Pincu-Singer

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DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM

Southern hospitality Roy Parvin revisits readers’ reactions to his summer reflection

In August, Roy Parvin penned a first-person account detailing his decision to relocate with his wife from Sonoma County, Calif., to Asheville amid COVID-19. Aspects of the article — including the fact that the Parvins paid over half a million dollars for their home, sight unseen — struck some readers as tone deaf during a year plagued by racial unrest, economic turmoil and death.

The online response, writes Parvin in an email exchange with Xpress, “was a bit surprising.”

However, Parvin says he hasn’t dwelled on the comments. “People like what you have to say or they don’t,” he notes. “The personal attacks against me were regrettable, however.”

Overall, Parvin views the move to Asheville in a positive light. “The food is spectacular,” he writes, adding that he is particularly thankful for the city’s many gluten-free options — something he says wasn’t as readily available back in California. “That’s a form of Southern hospitality I’d not expected.”

With COVID numbers on the rise, the Parvins continue to practice social distancing. But with three dogs, “We’ve had a number of really nice

SETTLING IN: Roy Parvin relocated to Asheville in May during the first wave of COVID-19. Photo by Nye’ Lyn Tho across-the-lawn conversations with our new neighbors,” he writes. “We can’t wait to get to know all of them.

Hurry up, vaccine!”

— Thomas Calder X

Keep the faith

R IN REVIEW YEA

Bundle of joy

The Rev. L.C. Ray reflects on COVID-19

Welcoming a new life in 2020

REUNITED: In October, the Rev. L.C. Ray welcomed congregants back inside the WNC Baptist Fellowship Church in downtown Asheville. The 81-year-old pastor says safety guidelines are in place. The photo, taken this spring, shows Ray delivering a virtual sermon. Photo by Thomas Calder

JOYOUS OCCASION: Ruth Pike-Elliot, right, and her wife, Bren, celebrated the birth of their son, Ollie, in June. Photo courtesy of Pike-Elliot

In April, when Xpress first spoke with the Rev. L.C. Ray, the 81-yearold pastor was still working out the kinks for his virtual Sunday sermons.

Today, the WNC Baptist Fellowship Church leader has reunited with his congregation for in-person services.

Seating is limited to 50 people; meanwhile, masks, gloves and hand sanitizer are provided to all who attend. As in April, sermons are also available through Facebook Live.

Though Ray prides himself on his faith and optimism, he says the country’s divided response to the

pandemic has challenged his sense of hope over the last nine months.

“We’re not on the same page,” he laments. “So many people of faith are denouncing the safety recommendations. You hear it on the television and on the radio. That’s not good.”

However, the pastor still believes the future can be bright. “We’re all going through so much,” he says.

“And not only in America, but across the world. But I feel that 2021 — if we’re faithful — will be a better year.”

— Thomas Calder X

When we last spoke with Ruth Pike-Elliot in May, she was weeks away from delivering her first child.

Quarantining at home, she and her wife, Bren, partook in virtual baby showers and telehealth appointments.

Seven months later, the couple and their infant son, Ollie, continue to follow guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It was sad to break a long-standing tradition of having family out in the waiting room to hold the baby the very next day,” Pike-Elliot says.

Relatives finally had the chance to meet Ollie in person following a twoweek quarantine.

MOUNTAINX.COM

Since that time, the Pike-Elliots have entertained relatives and friends on their front porch. Guests eager to hold the baby have been required to wash their hands and wear masks.

“It’s a strange feeling to be so vigilant with sanitation,” Pike-Elliot says. “It makes it hard to relax into the support and friendship of guests.”

Still, Pike-Elliot remains optimistic about the new year. “2020 is coming to a welcome close,” she says. “I’m so grateful to be a mother and I am hopeful we can create a new trajectory including being able to share this bundle of joy more freely in 2021.”

— Thomas Calder X

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

23

COMMUNITY CALENDAR DEC. 23-JAN. 8, 2020 For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar.

For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, ext.

137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, ext. 320.

Holiday Events = ❄ In-Person Events = Shaded All other events are virtual

ART Open Hearts Art Center: Holiday Showcase Featuring works by member artists.

WE (12/23), 7pm, Free, avl.mx/8t1 Asheville Art Museum: Art "Travels" Tour of the Columbus

Museum.

TH (1/7), 7pm, Registration required, $20, avl.mx/8t2 Slow Art Friday: Humans Interacting Discussion led by master docent Doris Potash at Asheville Art Museum.

FR (1/8), 12pm,

EMPOWERING THE LEADER IN EACH BOY

Journeymen supports adolescent boys on their paths to becoming men of integrity. Our cost-free program is now enrolling young men 12-17.

Mentees participate in bi-weekly mentoring groups and a semi-annual Rites of Passage Adventure Weekend facilitated by men in the community.

journeymenasheville@gmail.com (706) 949-3202

Registration required, $10, avl.mx/8t3

MUSIC Sofia Jernberg, Experimental Composer & Vocalist Performance presented

by Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center.

WE (12/23), On-demand, Free, avl.mx/8tn

❄

A Swannanoa Solstice Folk music and dance featuring Robin Bullock, David Holt, Ellie Grace and more.

Virtual access available through 12/31: avl.mx/8se.

SU (12/20), 2pm, $35$45, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave Jeremy Wolf Quartet Jazz education concert presented by Quentin E. Baxter and Tryon Fine Arts Center.

SU (12/27), 4pm, $15, tryonarts.org

THEATER

❄

Hendersonville Community Theatre: A Christmas Carol Radio Play

Audio adaptation of the classic novella, created

by Anthony E. Palermo.

TH (12/10), On-demand, avl.mx/8s7

❄

Centre Stage: Merry & Bright Christmas variety show.

SU (12/20), On-demand, $25, avl.mx/8sd

❄

Asheville Community Theatre Rewind: Snowbound 2016 Pre-recorded holiday performance.

WE-TH (12/23-24),On-demand, Free, avl.mx/8te

CIVICS & ACTIVISM Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Asheville Chapter Monthly meeting.

MO (1/4), 6pm, Registration required, Free, momsdemandaction.org Asheville City Board of Education Regular meeting.

MO (1/4), 6:30pm, avl.mx/8th Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Regular meeting.

TU (1/5), 5pm, avl.mx/8td

ANYTHING GOES, EVERYTHING SHOWS: Flood Gallery Fine Arts Center’s 15th annual mail art exhibit is now on view. Using the U.S. Postal Service as a medium, the uncensored collection of paintings, illustrations and collage art pays tribute to postal workers. It remains on display through Sunday, Jan. 31. avl.mx/8tp. Image courtesy of the gallery Asheville Planning & Zoning Commission Regular meeting.

WE (1/6), 5pm, avl.mx/8ti Asheville Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Regular meeting.

TH (1/7), 9:30am, avl.mx/8tj

Asheville Civil Service Board Regular meeting.

TH (1/7), 2:30pm, avl.mx/8tk Asheville Greenway Committee Regular meeting.

TH (1/7), 3:30pm, avl.mx/8tL Asheville Downtown Commission

Regular meeting.

FR (1/8), 8:30am, avl.mx/8tm

ANIMALS

❄

Holiday Pet Food & Supply Drive WE (12/23), 7:30am-6pm, Animal Hospital of North Asheville, 1 Beaverdam Rd

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY Explore Asheville: One-on-One Wednesday 30-minute Q&A sessions on marketing, promotion and group sales initiatives.

WE (12/23), 9am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/8tc Mountain BizWorks Orientation Info on lending and learning opportunities for business owners.

WE (1/6), 10am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/8ta NCWorks Guidance Job search assistance, skill assessment and resume workshop.

Register: avl.mx/8tf.

FR (1/8), 10am, Free, Jackson County Public Library, 310 Keener St, Sylva

FOOD & BEVERAGE Swannanoa Curbside Drive-Thru Free heat-and-serve meals for those in need.

SA (12/26), 11am-12pm, Free, Swannanoa UMC, 216 Whitson Ave, Swannanoa

❄

Metro Wines: Midnight in France Presentation of four French wines and food pairings by Jean Philippe Bourgeois.

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DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM

TH (12/31), 5pm, avl.mx/8t7

SPIRITUALITY Jewish Power Hour Hosted by Rabbi Susskind.

TH (12/24), 6pm, Free, chabadasheville.org

WELLNESS Adult Eating Disorder Support Group Hosted by Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders.

WE (12/23), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/82e Caregiver Support Group Hosted by Alzheimer’s Association of WNC. SA (12/26), 10am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/8t6

❄

New Year’s Day 5K Run FR (1/1), 9am, Free, Hendersonville Family YMCA, 810 6 Ave W, Hendersonville MemoryCare: Caregiver College Six-module series for caregivers of people with memory disorders.

Meets Thursdays through 2/11.

TH (1/7), 2pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/8t5

VOLUNTEERING Blood Connection Blood Drive Register: avl.mx/7oy.

MO (12/28), 2pm, Hillman Beer, 25 Sweeten Creek Rd Conserving Carolina: Volunteer Info Session Orientation on trail maintenance and invasive plant management programs.

TU (1/5), 8am, Registration required, avl.mx/8tg

Happy Holidays from

‘Tis the season for giving Just one week remains in the 2020 Give!Local campaign to raise funds and awareness for local nonprofits. Already the effort has raised more money, from more individual donors, than any of the previous five annual drives. But 2020 is a year of tremendous need. Please help us rise to the moment and get much-needed resources to organizations directly serving our community. Go to givelocalguide.org to learn more and to donate.

The first 500 donors of $25 or more through Give!Local will receive a voucher book packed with coupons for free goods and services from local stores. Here are the great offers you’ll find in the regular voucher book:

2020 2021 Voucher Book

Voucher Book

2020 2021

• Free dessert with your meal from Copper Crown • Kiddie scoop of ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream • Franny’s Grammy (hemp flower pre-roll) or a CBD chocolate bar from Franny’s Farmacy • Two-topping slice of pizza from Barley’s Taproom • Order of chips and salsa from The Cantina @ Historic Biltmore Village • Free bookmark or pen at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe • Pint glass from Oklawaha Brewing Co. in Hendersonville • $10 off any purchase of $50 or more at Mast General Store • Cup of coffee from Zuma Coffee in Marshall • One-topping personal pizza from Grata Pizzeria • Pint glass from Upcountry Brewing Co. • Cup of coffee with any purchase from Baked Pie Co. • BOGO espresso drinks from High Five Coffee • Cheese pizza slice from Mellow Mushroom • Order of bean or queso dip with your meal at Chupacabra Latin Cafe • Classified ad from Mountain Xpress With a gift of $400 or more, you’ll get even more rewards that fit in an envelope, and donors of $1,500 or more will get a whole basket of goodies. A few rewards are still left; claim yours before they run out.

Give!Local 2021 is on the way, and local nonprofits can apply now The application period for Give!Local 2020 is now open, and interested nonprofits may apply online at avl.mx/8p4.

Mountain Xpress will select a balanced group of nonprofits, with regard to organizations’ missions, sizes and services to different parts of the community. The selected group will include current and past Give!Local partners and welcome new nonprofits.

Each year, Xpress endeavors to raise awareness and funding for worthy local nonprofits and reward donors with the help of goods and services from local businesses.

If your business would like to be included in rewarding donors, please contact us at givelocal@mountainx.com or give us a call at 828-251-1333.

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

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GREEN SCENE

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Rugged trails

Reflections on 2020 from WNC’s environmental movement

BY DANIEL WALTON dwalton@mountainx.com For many environmental organizations across Western North Carolina, COVID-19 fell like a lightning-struck tree across the path to progress.

Local climate justice protests were canceled in deference to social distancing guidelines. Fundraisers and other events moved online to mixed results. Public land closures created a backlog of trail maintenance.

But like an intrepid hiker, WNC’s activists and organizers have bushwhacked new trails for action in the world of the pandemic. Xpress reached out to representatives from six area environmental nonprofits to learn more about how they continued to strive for a better planet in 2020.

Respondents include Cari Barcas, community engagement director for the Green Built Alliance; Adam Colette, program director for Dogwood Alliance; Victoria Estes, coordinator for Sunrise Movement Asheville; Sara Landry, executive director for Friends of DuPont Forest; Steffi Rausch, Asheville lead organizer for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby; and Kieran Roe, executive director of Conserving Carolina.

HOW HAS WNC’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OUTDOORS CHANGED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC? Barcas: One of the silver linings of the pandemic has been the opportunity for people to restore their con-

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nection with nature. For too long, so many of us have felt chained to indoor responsibilities at home or at work.

It was a literal breath of fresh air as the outdoors emerged as a refuge and safe place, and we learned we could take shelter in nature. This past year has offered a striking reminder that our individual health is inextricably intertwined with the well-being of our surrounding environment.

Colette: I think the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how our fast-paced,

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hectic lives are out of sync with the natural world. As folks slowed down (aka quarantined), I think people began to have greater appreciation for the biodiversity in their backyards.

Estes: The pandemic has been an excuse for a lot of businesses to use more single-use plastic, and it has been an opportunity for the local government to push through shady deals like the one made with Raytheon (Pratt & Whitney) that will only further damage the environment.

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WWW.FRANNYSFARMACY.COM DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

IN THE WEEDS: Six local environmental leaders shared their challenges and joys from 2020 with Xpress. Featured, clockwise from top left, Cari Barcas, Adam Colette, Victoria Estes, Kieran Roe, Steffi Rausch and Sara Landry. Photos courtesy of those pictured

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Roe: Our parks, trails and public lands are being loved and used by more folks than ever before.

Conserving Carolina’s trailhead parking areas are overflowing. I think there has been a rebirth of interest in nature and the outdoors.

experienced speakers who can work from the comfort of their own homes.

Barcas: As an anti-racist organization, we are committed to increasing our efforts toward inclusion, equity and justice by working tirelessly to build healthier homes for all of our neighbors. We continue to invest heavily in our Energy Savers Network program, which directly addresses the energy inequities that disproportionately burden people of color by offering free efficiency upgrades to low-income homes in Buncombe County. We are also in the process of curating a class for 2021 that will explore the ties between racial justice, civil rights and green building.

Colette: If we’re going to truly address systemic racism and cultures of white supremacy, we have to address power structures and resource allocation within our own organizations. Dogwood Alliance is working deeply in both these areas by funneling and connecting resources to the most impacted communities (over $175,000 in 2020) while directly incorporating their voices in strategic decision-making at every level of the organization.

Rausch: CCL has reached out to the [Asheville-based] Racial Justice Coalition to discuss how we can partner with them on educating the public about environmental justice issues being a social justice issue and how we need a federal climate policy that prevents climate and economic impacts to the most vulnerable of society.

Roe: We’ve been ramping up our internal and external work on equity, diversity and inclusion. We want to continue to become more inclusive

WHAT DISRUPTION DUE TO COVID-19 HAS BEEN MOST CHALLENGING FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

Colette: I’m most worried about our ability to celebrate, in person, the 25th anniversary of Dogwood Alliance in 2021. Our supporters and members have such an authentic, community feel, something you just don’t get with “virtual” celebrations.

Estes: 2020 was supposed to be a big year for the climate justice movement, but with everything else going on, it got put on hold. And the pandemic made the perfect excuse for President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler to roll back on EPA regulations for corporations.

Landry: This year was our 20th anniversary. We had several events planned throughout the year to celebrate the Friends of the Falls [the community group that first rallied public support for the DuPont State Recreational Forest] and we had to move them all online. We are still hopeful that we will be able to celebrate our 21st birthday together.

Rausch: COVID-19 definitely put a delay on people having the time to focus on anything but COVID, even though climate is the next big-wave impact we will see to our economy.

At the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, we were concerned with the decrease in volunteers getting active during this time. But moving to virtual meetings and presentations has enabled us to meet more easily and bring in more

HOW HAS YOUR ORGANIZATION RESPONDED TO THE YEAR’S CONVERSATIONS AROUND RACIAL JUSTICE?

and create opportunities for everyone, of all backgrounds, to connect and get inspired by nature.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU THE GREATEST JOY IN 2020?

Colette: Honestly, just the multitude of ways our community showed its inspiring creativity and fiery passion. It gives me hope that we can and will tackle the enormous challenges ahead. Oh, and the Marco Polo app — that brought me great joy.

Estes: Seeing my community organize for peace and justice, namely, watching the Asheville Survival Program kick off and provide thousands of families in our community with the things they need to survive.

Landry: Nature put on quite a show this year. From the blue ghost fireflies in May to the amazing colors in fall to the quiet of winter, nature brought me joy every time I went to the forest.

Roe: Opening up new trails in the Hickory Nut Gorge, adding new land to DuPont State Forest and making exciting progress in the creation of the Ecusta Trail — the 19-mile railtrail that will run from Hendersonville to Brevard. X

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CHEERS TO THE ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES!

Happy New Year!

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FOOD

Four by five

R IN REVIEW YEA

Five Asheville restaurateurs answer four questions on the state of their industry

BY KAY WEST kwest@mountainx.com As one of the hospitality industry’s most profoundly challenging and turbulent years draws to a quiet close in a month normally marked by crowded tables and festive celebrations, Xpress asked five restaurateurs to reflect on the past 12 months and look forward to 2021.

Responding to four questions about the state of their industry are chef Katie Button, owner of Cúrate and La Bodega by Cúrate; chef Michel Baudouin, owner of Bouchon and RendezVous; Susannah Gebhart, owner and founder of OWL Bakery and co-operator of Session Café at Citizen Vinyl; Charlie Hodge, owner of Sovereign Remedies and The Getaway; and chef Meherwan Irani, owner of Chai Pani, Nani’s Rotisserie Chicken and Spicewalla and co-owner of Buxton Hall Barbecue.

WHAT SURPRISED OR IMPRESSED YOU MOST ABOUT THE LOCAL FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19?

Button: Their tenacity. The ability of everyone to pivot their businesses and pivot again, to shut down, open back up, change, adjust; it has been painful and costly, to say the least.

The tenacity that people have had to fight, hold on — that is what small business and the restaurant industry is all about. You have to drag us away broken and bleeding before we throw in the towel. ... I wish it didn’t have to come to that, however.

Baudouin: In times like these, you realize who is who, and my main management team along with some other employees stepped to the plate, and overnight we reinvented ourselves and our business format. Just as impressive has been our clientele, who have been unbelievably supportive and generous.

Gebhart: Admittedly, I was so focused on navigating my own ship, I did not keep up well with how others in the industry were responding, especially in the heat of the first two months, when we were all in shock and trying to recalibrate. I did distinctly 28

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM

LOOKING BACK: Five Asheville restaurateurs answer four questions on the state of their industry. Featured, starting top left, Katie Button, Michel Baudouin and Susannah Gebhart; bottom left, Charlie Hodge and Meherwan Irani. Photos by or courtesy of, starting top left, Thomas Calder, Baudouin and Cindy Kunst; bottom left, Chelsea Lane and Tom Robison notice the places that had a “feed the people” attitude really stepped up and pivoted quickly. I was so impressed with their swiftness and dedication to making it work.

Hodge: I am not surprised but I am always impressed with the activism and the generosity shown in our local food and beverage industry. Even when faced with a vanishing livelihood, I felt everyone was asking how they could support each other.

Irani: How we all came together, emotionally and in logistical support of each other. There was an immediate sense, being in Asheville, that I am not alone. There was an immediate reaching out to each other that came very naturally. Nobody was holding their cards close to the chest; we were all honest and open with each other.

The No. 1 response was, “We’re all struggling.” But we asked each other, “What can I do to help you? Can you do this to help me? Let’s get our collective brains and resources together,” even if that was just for the pure feeling of not being alone.

WHICH RESTAURANT CLOSING HIT YOU THE HARDEST AND WHY? Button: Rezaz. On a call with our elected officials demanding aid for the restaurant industry, I heard [co-owner and chef] Laura Smith tell the story of the closure of Rezaz, a restaurant that had been in this community for more than 20 years. Her story was raw, it was real and felt like a premonition.

You could see yourself in her story; you could see every other restaurant in this country in her story. It is absolutely devastating what is happening to independent restaurants right now.

Individually, we are small, but even though collectively we are enormous and represent 11 million jobs, it is very hard to get our elected officials to see and hear us.

Baudouin: Over Easy, because it was the restaurant where my daughter and I met most often for late breakfast or lunch. Their quality and creativity were always consistent and so good.

They have said that they may come back in the future, and I hope they do.

Gebhart: I was very saddened when I learned that The Mothlight venue was closing. It was such a hub for West Asheville and, especially, one that was accessible and safe. However, I’m excited the space will be reinhabited by a collaborative project called Different Wrld [avl.mx/8sw]. I was also surprised and sad to hear that Waterbird closed. They were another great spot, off the tourist path, that did everything thoughtfully and skillfully.

Hodge: Every person that has had to close their doors this year breaks my heart. I know with every closing there is someone that cares greatly about this town, about the wonderful people that they have employed and in creating a special moment for whoever walked through their door. We have lost so much already. I can only hope that our community will rally around the people living in our community who are up to take on those spaces in the future with the same love and commitment.

Irani: Every time I hear of a restaurant closing — even before the pandemic — a huge wave of empathy would wash through me because a restaurateur knows what that restaurateur went through to open their place and how hard they fought to keep it open. I would say in the pandemic the one that hit me the hardest was Rezaz when they closed. The owners are young and had not that long ago taken it over from Reza [Setayesh], and in them, I saw me and Molly [Irani] 11 years ago opening Chai Pani. To have something so unexpected and out of your control pull the rug out from under them really hit me hard.

WHAT DISH OR PERSONAL FOOD EXPERIENCE BROUGHT YOU THE GREATEST JOY IN 2020?

Button: Going to one of J Chong’s pop-up events at Cecilia’s. J worked for me for many years. She did her internship at Cúrate when she was a student at Johnson & Wales, then came back to work for us as soon as she moved to Asheville permanently.

Seeing J step out and spread her wings and fly with a concept that she has been dreaming and talking about for years was one of the greatest joys of 2020. Sitting down in my kitchen with my family to eat her delicious food put a smile on all of our faces.

Baudouin: When I get the blues, a roasted chicken and mashed potatoes is the cure. The best meals are the ones you share with loved ones and friends.

Gebhart: My food life this summer was kind of a blur of toast and Taco Billy. However, we did establish a ritual of cracking a bottle of bubbles

at the end of everyone’s shift after we completed our bake for Friday pickup orders. Toasting to whatever crazy the week had delivered felt like such a celebration. “Getting by” was a feat of magnitude!

Hodge: I love the addition of Jettie Rae’s in our town. From the food to the great staff and in the entire way they have handled this year, it has become one of my new favorites.

Irani: Never before have I so appreciated the ingenuity and creativity of Asheville chefs as they pivoted from amazing in-house dining experiences to takeaway dining experiences.

The one that blew me away the most was from Brian Canipelli (Cucina 24).

Molly and I had planned to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary April 29 and invited folks from all over the world to come to Asheville for the anniversary and a reunion. Of course, that went out the window. The consolation prize was I called Brian and said,“Hey, this is our anniversary, and I completely trust you to put together something for me and Molly.”

He knew the story and created this incredible meal, and there was something extra special that came through in every bite. It was memorable, not just because of the food, but because of what it represented.

the forefront when opening Session, too, has been tremendously helpful in establishing an entity that we know we are building to last and bring enduring quality to Asheville.

Hodge: It is the same thing that has helped me maintain hope through this year. It is in how so many people have shown up to give each other a hand: the people that organized to get food out when people were instantly jobless, the professionals that donated hours and hours of their time on Zoom calls to help us small-business owners make sense of how to move forward, and people like Jane Anderson of AIR that has been the champion for our local restaurants, keeping us informed and being our voice while we try and hold it all together.

Irani: To open a restaurant at any time is such a risky endeavor, so fraught with so many things that could go wrong. You have to come in completely naïve or the world’s greatest optimist, and I’m an eternal optimist. The thing the pandemic changed about us as humans is it added the word “distance” to the word “social.”

The reason I have hope is because I am certain the distance will eventually go away, but the social never will. X

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WHAT GIVES YOU HOPE FOR 2021?

Button: That I am hearing a lot of people say that they need to focus on themselves and their family, to prioritize happiness in life and seek happiness now versus seeing it as some future end goal that you never get to. If that can somehow be a takeaway from 2020, it will be life changing.

Baudouin: That the vaccine is a true solution, but that in the meantime, people wear their masks to protect themselves and others so we can get through this until then. I am a very positive person, and the glass is always half-plus full. I have to admit, as the year went on, that has been challenged at times, but I prefer to believe we will make it.

Gebhart: As perilous as this year felt at times, the truth is that I was incredibly relieved to hit the pause button.

Running a food business is arduous, and while I’m deeply weary after this year, I’m grateful that something so momentous forced us to reprioritize the reasons we do what we do and how we do them. At a certain point, we started focusing less on surviving and more on making lasting, beneficial change. Sustainability and a healthy workplace became the most important goal. And to have this perspective at MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

29

F OOD

Good neighbors Cellarest Beer Project enhances West Asheville brewing scene

Motorists and pedestrians have long had good reason to avert their eyes when passing by 395 Haywood Road. Though situated next to the clean blue walls of West Asheville Lounge & Kitchen, and catty-corner from the shabby chic exteriors of The Admiral, the rugged grounds didn’t exactly encourage sustained attention during the McKnight Tire era, nor in its vacated aftermath once the business closed in August 2019.

But for the better part of 2020, heads have been turning while passing that same lot, attracted by the beautification of the property as Cellarest Beer Project takes shape. The brewery is the realization of co-founder and director of fermentation Mark Goodwin’s long-held dream to have his own craft beer establishment and has a targeted opening date of February 2021.

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DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

The vision for Cellarest has its roots in Goodwin’s days as a brewer at Cascade Brewing in Portland, Ore. During his off hours, he frequented Apex, a bar with a large outdoor patio, beer garden tables and minimal indoor seating. The atmosphere got him envisioning his own similar venue for a farmhouse-inspired brewery, and he began working on business plans.

In 2016, after a decade in Portland, Goodwin was hired as the head blender for Burial Beer Co., whose co-owner Doug Reiser — in his side work as an attorney — actually handled the trademark for the brewery Goodwin was going to start in Portland. As such, Goodwin says the Burial owners knew his “wheels were turning” from the get-go and have been immensely supportive of his small-business goals.

The Asheville version of that dream gained traction during a summer 2018 camping trip with a small group of friends, including Charlottebased Harrison Fahrer, with whom Goodwin had stayed close since their days at Appalachian State University.

On their way out of Pisgah National Forest, they stopped at Ecusta Brewing and began formulating a plan that would bring in Fahrer as general manager. In yet another fortuitous turn, the visit was also where they met Ecusta co-founder Bill Zimmer, who soon became their business partner in Cellarest. Thus began the search for viable real estate, which yielded contenders on Charlotte Street and in Candler before the unlikely former automotive garage emerged.

“When I saw this property, at first I thought, ‘There’s no way this is going to work. This is a garbage dump.’

The before and after pictures are going to be pretty amazing,” Goodwin says. “But I saw the benefit of having probably one of the largest patios on Haywood.”

The original goal was to open at the start of summer 2020, but that timeline was delayed by the lease not being signed until February, at which point all the equipment was ordered and Fahrer moved to Asheville. A month later, the COVID-19 pandemic threw the entire craft beverage industry into disarray — a mixed blessing for the Cellarest team.

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RESPECT YOSEF: Cellarest Beer Project co-founders Mark Goodwin, left, and Harrison Fahrer have been friends since their days at Appalachian State University. Photo by Edwin Arnaudin “People kept saying to me, ‘Aren’t you glad you didn’t open in June?’

I’m personally like, ‘No. I would have loved it. Let’s open — let’s just do this.’ But we didn’t have to deal with that constant changing of what’s allowed,” Goodwin says.

Adds Fahrer, “We’ve been able to design the space with COVID in mind, and we’re confident that when we open, people will have a better handle on things.”

Aiming to be a hub for the surrounding neighborhoods, Cellarest will operate with a 4-barrel system, on which Goodwin will make regionally influenced, small-batch beers, incorporating seasonal, locally grown ingredients whenever possible. He’ll also use three different types of wood for fermentation, lagering and aging, and pour the beer from European-style serving tanks that utilize a liner and compressed air for dispensing instead of CO2, thereby encouraging fresher beer served at its proper temperature.

Goodwin plans to offer a variety of styles, including new takes on sours that earned him acclaim at Burial, with a focus on medium/low-ABV “table” ales and lagers to encourage longer visits. Unless otherwise noted, every Cellarest creation will have less than 20 parts per million of gluten — the international threshold for beer to be considered “gluten-free.”

Cans and growler fills will be available for to-go service, and visitors will get to enjoy draft pours in the spacious outdoor setting, amid an original mural by local artist Gus Cutty and eventually a small stage for local bands to perform and a drop-down projection screen for film showings.

Cellarest is also partnering with the WALK for food delivery and will have scannable codes on each table that will connect to the restaurant’s online ordering system.

To help foster a true neighborhood vibe, Goodwin and Fahrer are hoping that customers who live nearby will walk or bike to Cellarest whenever possible. They’re also are working with Asheville on Bikes Executive Director Mike Sule to potentially lower the speed limit at the Haywood Avenue/Michigan Avenue intersection and are exploring closing off the single block that runs between Cellarest and the WALK to further reduce the presence of automobiles — all to enhance the overall experience and encourage Goodwin’s humble core mission.

“I want people to just have fun and drink beer, honestly,” he says. “I feel like beer’s gotten a little out of hand in some places. It’s not meant to be that way. People want simplicity.” cellarestbeer.com

— Edwin Arnaudin X

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DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Creative undertakings

R IN REVIEW YEA

Local arts figures reflect on a tumultuous year

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

NC Stage’s livestreamed production of Blood Done Sign My Name, in front of a Zoom audience that was visible to [adapter/performer Mike Wiley]. Most of all, I’d like to give a huge shoutout to all the arts organizations who’ve publicly committed to and have actively started to reevaluate their equity and diversity practices.

earnaudin@mountainx.com

Xpress asked Stephanie Hickling Beckman, managing artistic director for Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective; Danielle Dror, Victory Lap Publicity founder; Sekou Coleman, executive director for Asheville Writers in the Schools & Community; and Taino/Cherokee musician Bruce “Akitchitay” Carlino to reflect on the year that was.

Coleman: This year has certainly taught many people the significance of self-reliance and innovation. I think the result will be a stronger local arts scene with deeper connections to supporters and new audiences. I also think that the year has the potential to change public perception of how and where arts experiences can take place.

HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED TO PERSEVERE AND STAY OPTIMISTIC DURING THIS STRANGE YEAR?

Coleman: I was already in the process of making some adjustments in my life that significantly helped my perseverance and remaining optimistic. In addition to regular exercise and mindfulness practices, maintaining a healthy diet and a sustainable work/ play balance allowed me to keep things in perspective and stay motivated to get done what needed to get done.

Carlino: I used the time to hone my musical skills and stay on the creative mindset. When there is time to fill, it’s good to be productive. I made several music videos to promote my music.

WHAT CANCELED/POSTPONED LOCAL ARTS EXPERIENCE DID YOU MOST MISS IN 2020?

Dror: Every time that an event date passes, I mourn what “would have been.” Some of my staple Asheville-area experiences that I hope to return to next

DO YOU THINK THE ARTS SCENE WILL REBOUND IN 2021?

REFLECTING POOL: Clockwise from top left, Stephanie Hickling Beckman, Danielle Dror, Sekou Coleman and Bruce “Akitchitay” Carlino helped keep the Asheville arts scene active in a challenging year. Photo of Hickling Beckman by Jen Lepkowski, photo of Coleman by Renato Rotolo. Photos of Dror and Carlino courtesy of the artists year are Cold Mountain Music Festival, LEAF, Connect Beyond Festival, Downtown After 5 and the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam (and Jam by Day). Each of these events have a very special place in my heart, and while I’m glad to see all the creative ways that event organizers have adapted virtually, nothing beats the camaraderie of celebrating together and in person.

Hickling Beckman: As cheesy as it may sound, I really missed the holiday parade and all the Nutcracker performances at Diana Wortham Theatre.

WHICH AREA ARTISTS AND/ OR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS DO YOU THINK WERE THE MOST INNOVATIVE THIS YEAR?

Carlino: Musicians will always find a way to share their magic. Innovation 32

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU FEEL THE EVENTS OF 2020 WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE ASHEVILLE-AREA ARTS SCENE?

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shined with Zoom performances and YouTube videos.

Dror: I have to give a huge tip of the hat to IamAVL this year. They’ve been our resident livestreaming and audio/ video masters since long before the pandemic, but the way they managed to expand this year to support nearly every music establishment and event is not only impressive, but a huge reason why a lot of our beloved venues managed to stay afloat.

Hickling Beckman: The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts produced several really cool and creative projects this year, from outdoor dance performances and rooftop concerts to courtyard performances and a guided dance tour of their facility. The Magnetic Theatre has kept it going all year, with virtual and (safely) live programming. I was superimpressed with

Dror: I have all the faith in the world that we’ll be able to recover, but it’s going to take time, and a serious commitment from our industry power players and respective municipalities to support this cause. I have a feeling that 2021 is going to be the year of “working out the kinks,” but it will be well worth it if we end up with a stronger, more sustainable industry than when we started. We’re all a little shellshocked, but as artists and creative entrepreneurs, we’re masters of trial and error, and I’m certain that we have what it takes to get through this. If anything, this year has shown us exactly what isn’t working in our industry, so now we know what areas to focus on as we make the path toward recovery.

Hickling Beckman: Because we are still working and growing and creating, and being forced to concentrate more on telling stories than showing them when audiences are ready for a show, we’ll hit the stage running and stronger than ever. It’s important to remember that theaters didn’t bounce back immediately after the global flu pandemic of 1918 because people were afraid. But just like the 1918 pandemic, this one will end, and people will get back to living. People who loved the arts before will still love the arts, and along with a few converts, they’ll eventually want to see live performances and go to art museums once again.

We’ll be ready. X

Thankful

Author Denise Kiernan examines the history and benefits of gratitude Both as a reader and a writer, New York Times bestselling author Denise Kiernan is fascinated by the overlap of historical events and personalities.

In her latest work of narrative nonfiction, We Gather Together: A Nation Divided, a President in Turmoil, and a Historic Campaign to Embrace Gratitude and Grace, the Asheville-based writer explores the connection between President Abraham Lincoln and the lesser-known Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book — one of the most widely read magazines in the country during the 19th century.

As a central focus in the book, Kiernan brings to light one of Hale’s lifelong obsessions: to implement Thanksgiving as a national holiday. After decades of promulgating the idea — both in print and in private missives to multiple U.S. presidents — Hale’s unyielding quest finds an unlikely ally in Lincoln, who recognizes the need for gratitude even amid the country’s darkest days of the Civil War. Along with chronicling Hale’s relentless pursuit, Kiernan offers readers a philosophical, psychological and historical overview of the human relationship to thanksgiving — from the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus to modern-day neuroscience research on the matter.

Furthermore, she provides readers with an amusing look at how the Thanksgiving holiday has evolved over the centuries.

“It is a timeless, ageless, global concept,” Kiernan says. “And a very natural human impulse — to show thanks.”

UNDEREXPOSED Still, the heart of We Gather Together resides in the little-known story of Hale — a tenacious woman whose husband died only weeks after the couple’s fifth child was born, forcing the 34-year-old widow to reimagine her life’s plans.

In 1828, at the age of 40, the former teacher-turned-milliner-turned-author became the editor of Ladies’ Magazine in Boston, which she would later co-own.

By 1837, the publication merged with The Lady’s Book, eventually becoming Godey’s Lady’s Book.

During her career, Hale published works by several iconic writers, including Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

And while these names live on, Hale’s own literary and cultural contributions receive little attention from scholars.

Several outraged governors defied the president’s declaration and maintained the holiday’s previously scheduled date, resulting in two Thanksgivings held across the country.

Kiernan believes that such events — in tandem with Hale’s own ceaseless efforts — remind readers that history is more than just names and dates. “It’s messy, weird and quirky,” Kiernan says.

“And aren’t we all?” denisekiernan.com

— Thomas Calder X

COME TOGETHER: In her latest book, Asheville-based author Denise Kiernan examines the nation’s embrace of Thanksgiving and the psychological and physical benefits that come with showing gratitude. Author photo by Mallory Cash “It’s easy not to know anything about her,” Kiernan says. “I consider her very underexposed. Not completely unknown, but very, very underexposed.”

Kiernan’s own introduction to the 19th-century editor came gradually over time, as she learned tidbits about Hale’s connections to eminent authors and her cultural influence through Godey’s Lady’s Book. But what struck Kiernan most — and ultimately inspired her to write We Gather Together — was the fact that only a few weeks before Lincoln delivered his historic 1863 Gettysburg Address, the president granted Hale’s long-sought wish, calling for a nationally recognized Thanksgiving Day holiday to be observed on the last Thursday of November.

“That’s when I decided those two addresses had to be tied together,” Kiernan says.

MESSY, WEIRD AND QUIRKY

One of the key points Kiernan stresses in her latest work is that throughout history, people have expressed gratitude even in the wake of tragedy. “We don’t have to look far to see this very dynamic in the story of the national holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States,” the author writes.

While Hale’s own quest to launch the holiday began shortly after the loss of her husband, Lincoln’s eventual declaration came as casualties continued to climb on both sides of the warring Union and Confederate armies.

“Some of the things I researched were really interesting, noting how important it could be to the resilience of the human spirit to be able to find something to say ‘thank you’ for, when things are hard,” Kiernan says. “And God knows, 2020 has made it pretty challenging for a lot of people.”

Along with these psychological insights, Kiernan’s exploration of the holiday’s shifting practices and traditions provides readers with moments of pure comedy and delight. For instance, in New York City near the turn of the 20th century, children regularly celebrated Thanksgiving by dressing up in tattered clothing and approaching unsuspecting passersby for money or treats, ultimately earning the holiday the nickname “Ragamuffin Day.” Decades later, in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt upset thousands, if not millions, of U.S. residents when he obliged merchants who’d urged him to move the Nov. 30 celebration up a week to extend the holiday shopping season.

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DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

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A&E

The ties that bind The origin stories of KISMET, Slow Packer and Carly Taich track like a single French braid. Mike Johnson and Jack Victor, the brothers who make up Slow Packer, were formerly part of Midnight Snack with KISMET trumpet player Katie Richter, and Taich also collaborated with them when she first moved from Boone to Asheville in 2015. Midnight Snack has since dissolved, but the three active projects are releasing new EPs within weeks of each other — all of which were serendipitously recorded at Johnson’s Cat’s Claw studio.

DELAYED SUCCESS

The process of releasing an album is a test of patience in practically any circumstance, but KISMET — composed of Richter, keyboardist Lilly-Anne Merat and guitarist Maddie Shuler, each of whom double as vocalists — has been sitting on its debut eponymous collection since spring 2019.

“We got the final copies in September of last year,” Richter says. “Lilly plays with a band called Third Nature, an electronic fusion band, and they were putting out their album that same fall, so we just decided to postpone KISMET until the spring — and then COVID happened.”

A year and a half later, the trio released the three-song EP on Dec. 11. The first and third songs, “Tell Me” and “Waves of Gold,” were written by Shuler and are a bit funkier than the track they flank.

“There’s a little more improvisation and play between the trumpet and guitar in both of Maddie’s tunes,” Richter says.

“The vocal arrangements and the choruses, for example, definitely have a little more presence and pop and attitude.”

The second track, “Shadow,” was written by Merat and is darker and sultrier.

New KISMET, Slow Packer and Carly Taich EPs share creative DNA

“It definitely has this sort of Latin groove and sort of Latin-inspired trumpet part that is pretty distinct,” Richter says.

Johnson (bass) and Victor (drums) both appear on the EP, which was mastered by Anthony Thogmartin of fellow local band Papadosio. kismetavl.bandcamp.com

THE SUITE LIFE

While KISMET’s EP was created prior to the COVID-19 fallout, Victor wrote This Life and the Next in the thick of the pandemic.

“I was writing a bunch of songs toward the early days of the quarantine phase, like May-June, and I hit this really good writing stride,” Victor says. “[I] was going through some stuff in my personal life that was kind of challenging for me and was getting a lot of relief from the songwriting, but I wasn’t sure if it was good or needed to be shown to anybody.”

He showed what he had to Johnson, who loved the songs and suggested they begin recording right away while it was still fresh.

“I had written the songs on the piano,” Victor says. “We tracked that first for the full piece, so we just had this one 17-minute track that was all five songs, and then ended up playing all the other parts to that initial take of the piano and the vocals.”

After adding Victor’s drums and Johnson’s bass, guitars and synthesizer, the result is a five-song “suite” with custom transitions implemented as a means of ushering in each subsequent track. Victor stresses that the tracks are intended to be listened to in order.

“The sound of it is piano-driven … [and there’s] a lot of synthesizer textures,” he explains. “These pieces are definitely

PROLIFIC PRODUCTION: In addition to their forthcoming Slow Packer album, Jack Victor, top left, and his brother Mike Johnson contributed to recent EPs by Carly Taich, right, and KISMET. Victor photo by Zack Kardon, Taich photo by Ariana Dixon, KISMET photo courtesy of the band more on the slower side. It’s emotional music, for sure. I guess people would bulk it into an indie-rock or an art-rock category. That’s kind of the general vibe of it.” slowpacker.bandcamp.com

SIX SIDES NOW

Taich’s new EP, It Tends to Glow, intentionally contains six songs. The album focuses on love, with each song lending a different perspective to create what she refers to as “a six-sided die.”

“This is a bit of a concept album, because every single song is what I call

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a ‘love song,’” Taich says. “It’s really my way of exploring what an actual love song is, because it’s ubiquitous. Love songs are everywhere, but what does it really look like to love someone in the purest sense?”

Opening song “Love Is” conveys a protective, innocent aspect of love.

“Tomatoes,” the third track, contains the lyric that ultimately became the EP’s title and focuses on the loss of love. The song tells the story of a person who loses someone very close and must learn to live without that person.

“I don’t want to say it’s my favorite, but it might be,” Taich says.

The singer/songwriter last released an album in 2017, and all of the same people who played on it also appear on It Tends to Glow: Johnson and Victor (who coproduced the album with Taich), their former Midnight Snack bandmate Zack Kardon and violinist Alex Travers. Despite the consistency in personnel, Taich says the new tracks vary from any of her previous work, the latter of which she describes as “really, really thick musically and kind of created for live performance.”

“This record, compared to earlier releases, is sonically more intimate and spacious,” Taich says. “It still has that same cinematic quality but with a more low-key, ’60s folk-pop approach.” carlytaich.bandcamp.com

— Jarrett Van Meter X 34

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

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ISIS MUSIC HALL The Richard Shulman Trio: Songs for the Seasons, 7pm

MONDAY, DECEMBER 28 HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Nerdy Talk Trivia, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Sunset & Soil (acoustic duo), 6pm

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29 OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Team Trivia Tuesday, 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL The Pressure’s Mountain Boys (bluegrass), 7pm BALSAM FALLS BREWING CO. Beer Brains Trivia, 8pm

SOUL SEARCHING: Asheville-based quartet Hustle Souls explored various genres, from roots to groove to ragtime, before embracing its signature brand of soul rock. But the group was to keen to draw on those old-time influences for its latest single, “Montana,” which mingles blues guitar and expressive vocals with vintage brass and keys. With the release of its EP, Daydream Motel, slated for February, the band plays a show at 185 King Street in Brevard Friday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. avl.mx/8tq. Photo courtesy of the band WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30 HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Woody Wood (folk, blues), 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Daniel Shearin (indie), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL The Lazybirds (American roots), 7pm THE PAPER MILL LOUNGE Karaoke X, 7pm TRISKELION BREWERY InterActive TriskaTrivia, 7pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic w/ Thomas Yon, 7pm

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL NYE w/ Dirty Dead (Grateful Dead tribute), 5pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Judaculla Blue (jam), 5pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5:30pm DRY FALLS BREWING CO. New Year's Eve w/ The Mug Band, 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL New Years Eve w/ The John Henrys (jazz, swing), 7pm WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT Phantom Pantone DJ Collective, 7pm ICONIC KITCHEN & DRINKS Dinner & Beats w/ Phantom Pantone DJ Collective, 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Gunslinging Parrots (Phish tribute), 8pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Q White Horse Live: New Year's Eve w/ The Riccardis (comedy cabaret), 9pm, avl.mx/8t9 OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. NYE w/ Blake Ellege & 40 Pound Sledge, 9:30pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6 HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Woody Wood (folk, blues), 6pm THE PAPER MILL LOUNGE Karaoke X, 7pm

THURSDAY, JANUARY 7

12/24 & 12/25: Closed 12/26 & 12/27: 11am-9:30pm 12/28-12/30: 11:30am-9:30pm N Y E & New Year ’s Day: 11am-9:30pm

Curbside Takeout & Delivery Available! #SmartRestart #AshevilleCares

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Izzi Hughes (solo acoustic), 6pm ICONIC KITCHEN & DRINKS Dinner & Beats w/ Phantom Pantone DJ Collective, 8pm

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com

We’re Open

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1 CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Break Up with 2020: A Smashing Event, 2pm

Thurs-Fri: 3-9 Saturday: 11:30-9 Sunday: 11:30-8

EL GALLO Dinner & Beats w/ Phantom Pantone DJ Collective, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Abbey Elmore Band (pop, rock), 8pm

828-350-0315 SMOKYPARK.COM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 2 BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 4pm EL GALLO Dinner & Beats w/ Phantom Pantone DJ Collective, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Kid Billy (solo multi-instrumentalist), 8pm

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3 HAZEL TWENTY Boutique Beats w/ Phantom Pantone DJ Collective , 12pm

fe r i n g f o w o N d i n i ng r o o d t ou o ut e k a t d an

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Human Ladder (solo acoustic), 4pm

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

35

MOVIE REVIEWS THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS

Hosted by the Asheville Movie Guys EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com HHHHH

= MAX RATING

H PICK OF THE WEEK H

Soul HHHHH DIRECTORS: Pete Docter and Kemp Powers PLAYERS: The voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Rachel House ANIMATED/ADVENTURE RATED PG Pete Docter is the one Pixar writer/ director whose movies cannot be summarized in a sentence. Monsters, Inc., Up and especially Inside Out don’t boil down to just a few words; rather they layer themes, story and adorable details into a rich, delicious confection in which every offbeat element balances and enhances every other. His latest, Soul, is no exception. The main character is Black jazz pianist Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who’s just about to get his big break as a performer after decades of teaching school to make ends meet.

Then he steps into an open manhole, and his real journey begins.

Docter also likes to pair his stuck-ina-rut protagonists with energetic opposites — e.g., monster Sully and toddler Boo; Up’s elderly Carl and scout Russell.

Thus, the disembodied but still frustrated Joe meets 22 (Tina Fey), a frisky, eternally young soul who’s avoided being born for centuries. Their adventures are both metaphysical and slapstick, thought-provoking and laugh-inducing in equal measure.

Any more description than that would ruin the wondrous discoveries that await, and there’s plenty to entertain viewers of all ages. Kids will identify with 22’s mischief as well as a long gag involving a sentient cat. Adults will find pulsing emotion and smart, open-ended considerations of 36

BRUCE STEELE bcsteele@gmail.com

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

mortality, destiny and artistic transfiguration. Mostly, though, Soul is just great storytelling — kinetic, unpredictable. involving and ultimately satisfying.

As if that weren’t enough, the film has some of Pixar’s most ambitious and eye-popping art direction and animation. As Joe and 22 travel through real and spiritual realms, the film draws on countless visual styles — sometimes several at once — in a jaw-dropping display of creative ambition and perfect control.

Just as its title packs a lot into four letters — music, faith, eternity, race, personality — the movie can be unpacked on so many levels that repeat viewings will be mandatory and post-screening discussions lively. The Docter is in — and he’s far out.

Available to stream starting Dec. 25 via Disney+ REVIEWED BY BRUCE STEELE BCSTEELE@GMAIL.COM

Greenland HS DIRECTOR: Ric Roman Waugh PLAYERS: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Scott Glenn ACTION/THRILLER RATED PG-13 This year seems ill-chosen for the release of entertainment revolving around a worldwide disaster, but here comes Greenland, about a giant, zillion-fragment comet crashing into Earth in flaming, plot-point-determined handfuls of killer chunks. It’s a movie that makes 1998’s Armageddon and Deep MOUNTAINX.COM

Impact look like documentaries, since Greenland’s rocks rain down on the Eastern U.S. at all times of the day and night, despite the presumed rotation of the planet away from the comet’s path for at least half the day.

The movie follows the Garrity family — gruff architect John (Gerard Butler), estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin, Deadpool) and adorable 7-yearold Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd, Doctor Sleep) — as they flee their (where else?)

Atlanta home in the hopes of catching a flight to Greenland, where underground bunkers will protect a select few. Along the way, they meet countless violent, horrible Americans, a few doomed nice people and some helpful Canadians. Scott Glenn eventually shows up as Allison’s crusty dad, evidently the only star the producers could afford other than Butler.

The always-underused Hope Davis also has a drive-by.

The screenplay is by low-profile-thriller specialist Chris Sparling (The Sea of Trees), whose dialogue is obvious but inoffensive and whose plotting is by turns baffling, absurd and creative. The special effects are competent if underwhelming. Ditto the direction by former stuntman Ric Roman Waugh (Snitch).

Of course, if you’re in the mood for a disaster movie and don’t mind Butler’s limited range, you may find Greenland to be reasonably diverting. It keeps things moving, burning and colliding, and a number of sequences earn some “How will they get out of this?” engagement. And, unlike most of 2020’s real disasters, there’s a promise of hope at the conclusion — well, except for the whole end-of-the-world part.

Available to rent via Amazon Video, iTunes and other streaming platforms REVIEWED BY BRUCE STEELE BCSTEELE@GMAIL.COM

The Midnight Sky HHHH

DIRECTOR: George Clooney PLAYERS: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo SCI-FI/DRAMA RATED PG-13 George Clooney has been on such a directorial cold streak lately with Monuments Men (2014) and Suburbicon (2017) that it wouldn’t take much to

Kristina Guckenberger

remind moviegoers of his former filmmaking prowess.

Thanks to a major assist from Netflix’s deep pockets, he’s made good on that second chance with The Midnight Sky, a flawed but entertaining sci-fi adventure, bolstered by slick special effects and a small but appealing cast.

Based on Lily Brooks-Dalton’s novel Good Morning, Midnight, and ably adapted by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant), the film stars a Lettermanbearded Clooney as the cumbersomely named Dr. Augustine Lofthouse, one of the last survivors of an ambiguous apocalyptic event that’s well on its way to eradicating all human life on Earth.

Alone at an arctic research station, he awaits his end from either the rapidly approaching toxic air or the terminal illness ravaging his body — only to find that young mute Iris (Caoilinn Springall, excellent in her debut film performance) stayed behind when her mother abandoned the base with the rest of the scientists.

While adjusting to his new responsibility, Augustine seemingly randomly performs a search for active space missions and sends a message to Aether, the lone remaining ship, whose crew is mystified why they haven’t received a message from NASA in over a week.

Suddenly committed to updating these voyagers and encouraging them to return to the distant hospitable planet they’d just scouted, but unable to get the transmission through due to faulty equipment, Augustine sets off on snowmobile — with Iris in tow — to the nearest base while the astronauts travel perilously through uncharted territory after being knocked off course.

It’s a convenient convergence of time-sensitive issues, but it makes for pretty thrilling storytelling, especially on the spacecraft, where the formidable ensemble of Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir and Tiffany Boone (Amazon’s “Hunters”) are a joy to behold as colleagues invested in each other’s lives and their unified intergalactic quest.

Moving amid sleek sets, augmented by gorgeous special effects within the vessel and beyond its walls that smartly convey the wonder and terror of being in space, these explorers and their conflicts are so intriguing that it’s somewhat of a drag to return to The Augustine and Iris Show.

The interspersing of awkward flashbacks with young Augustine (Ethan

Peck, trying too hard to mimic Clooney) unwittingly proving that he loves his work more than girlfriend Jean (Sophie Rundle, Netflix’s “Peaky Blinders”) further increase that divide, but effectively demonstrate how committed he is to mankind’s survival beyond Earth.

In his exploration of whether Augustine achieves that goal for the Aether crew, Clooney recaptures the sophisticated balance of tension, humor and heart that define his best directorial work (Good Night, and Good Luck; The Ides of March), while also proving that he can manage a big budget and give a respectable performance of his own at the same time.

Few artists can handle that many responsibilities this well, and while The Midnight Sky is far from perfect, it’s just great to see Clooney make a good film again.

Available to stream starting Dec. 23 via Netflix REVIEWED BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN EARNAUDIN@MOUNTAINX.COM

News of the World HS DIRECTOR: Paul Greengrass PLAYERS: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Marvel, Ray McKinnon ACTION/DRAMA RATED PG-13 The most logical explanation for the confounding awfulness of News of the World is that Paul Greengrass must be contractually obligated to release a terrible film every 10 years.

After sending audiences scrambling for barf bags to combat the motion sickness caused his 2010 Matt Damonstarring, Iraq War thriller, Green Zone, the writer/director lulls viewers to sleep with his improbably dull adaptation of Paulette Jiles’ acclaimed 2016 novel.

The tale of Civil War veteran Capt.

Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) making a living by traveling around Texas, reading newspaper highlights to crowds of people too busy to do it themselves, is even more disappointing for failing to build on the rapport that Greengrass and Hanks established in Captain Phillips — the 21st-century high point for both director and star.

Despite the interesting concept, News of the World bogs itself down early by giving Jeff a tagalong in Johanna (Helena Zengel), a preteen German immigrant who’s spent the past few years as a captive of the Kiowa tribe. Her inability to communicate makes her a frustrating companion (for Kidd and viewers alike) and essentially turns the film into a series of monologues for Hanks, who appears unwilling to muster basic enthusiasm for his uninspired lines.

Tasked with bringing Johanna to relatives living on the other side of dangerous territory, Jeff leads them through a series of clichéd obstacles, during which their safety is never in question and the laughably bad writing makes it increasingly difficult to care about their “predicament.”

Stranger still is that, while the production design is impressive and the cinematography yields an occasional memorable vista, News of the World is bereft of the exciting, quick-edit docudrama style that has defined Greengrass’ best work.

Starts Dec. 25 at AMC River Hills 10 and the Carolina Cinemark REVIEWED BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN EARNAUDIN@MOUNTAINX.COM

Promising Young Woman HHHHS DIRECTOR: Emerald Fennell PLAYERS: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Laverne Cox COMEDY/THRILLER RATED R Remember this time last year when the trailer for Promising Young Woman played before practically every film?

Peppering theatrical audiences with a haunting, orchestral rendition of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and a woman’s wicked voice-over, detailing the revenge she reaps on men who’ve wronged her?

That’s just a taste of the stirring sensations oozing out of writer/direc-

tor Emerald Fennell’s fantastic feature debut. Finally released eight months after originally intended, the film stars Carey Mulligan as Cassandra “Cassie” Thomas, an on-the-brink barista who dropped out of medical school (at the top of her class) under “unusual circumstances.” Moonlighting as a vigilante for feminist justice in the dimly lit corners of clubs on the weekends, Cassie assumes her persona as the Pied Piper of bad behavior.

Her revenge missions are simple: Pretend to be too intoxicated to stand, wait for a self-proclaimed “nice guy” to “help” her get home, play along while he inevitably begins to take advantage of her, repeatedly communicate her inability to give consent — and then reveal her stone-cold sobriety just in time to call him out. What follows is a montage of typical but nonetheless triggering toxic masculine responses that make one thing abundantly clear: These men are trash.

Read the full review at mountainx. com/movies/reviews Starts Dec. 25 at AMC River Hills 10 and the Carolina Cinemark REVIEWED BY KRISTINA GUCKENBERGER KRISTINA.GUCKENBERGER@GMAIL.COM

AVAILABLE VIA FINEARTSTHEATRE.COM (FA) GRAILMOVIEHOUSE.COM (GM) 76 Days (NR) HHHHS (FA) Another Round (NR) HHHHS (GM) Born to Be (NR) HHHH (FA, GM) Coded Bias (NR) HHHS (GM) Collective (NR) HHHH (FA) Crock of Gold (NR) HHHHS (GM) Desert One (NR) HHHH (FA) The Donut King (NR) HHHH (FA) Dosed (NR) HHHH (FA) Driven to Abstraction (PG) HHS(FA) Ending Disease (NR) HHHH (GM) Fantastic Fungi (NR) HHHH (FA) Herb Alpert Is... (NR) HHS (FA) Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President (NR) HHHHH (FA) John Lewis: Good Trouble (PG) HHHH (FA) The Keeper (NR) HHS (FA) The Library That Dolly Built (NR) HHHHS (FA) Martin Eden (NR) HHH (FA) Mayor (NR) HHHH (GM) Meeting the Beatles in India (NR) HHS (FA) Monsoon (NR) HHHH (GM) Oliver Sacks: His Own Life (NR) HHHH (GM) Out Stealing Horses (NR) HHHHS (FA) RBG (NR) HHHH (FA) Three Summers (NR) HHS (GM) We Are Many (NR) HH (FA) Zappa (NR) HHHS (FA, GM) MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

37

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your capacity for pioneering feats and impressive accomplishments will be at a peak in 2021. So you could become the best human ever at balancing a ladder on your chin or typing with your nose or running long-distance while holding an egg on a spoon with your mouth. But I’d prefer it if you channeled your triumphal energy into more useful innovations and victories. How about making dramatic strides in fulfilling your most important goal? Or ascending to an unprecedented new level of inspiring people with your passionate idealism? Or setting a record for most illusions shed?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Ark Encounter is a fundamentalist Christian theme park in Kentucky.

Its main attraction is a giant replica of Noah’s Ark. Constructed mostly from spruce and pine trees, it’s one of the world’s largest wooden structures.

Even though I don’t believe that there was in fact such a boat in ancient times, I do admire how its builder, Ken Ham, has been so fiercely devoted to making his fantasies real. I encourage you to cultivate an equally zealous commitment to manifesting your own visions and dreams in 2021.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): From 1961 until 1989, a concrete barrier divided the city of Berlin. Communist East Berlin lay on the east side of the Berlin Wall and capitalist West Berlin on the west. It was an iconic symbol of the Cold War between the U.S. and Soviet Union. More than 100,000 people tried to escape from east to west, but just 5,000 succeeded. The standoff ended in 1989, during the peaceful revolutions that swept through Eastern Europe. In subsequent months, the Berlin Wall was slowly demolished.

Today, tiny fragments of the wall are marketed as medicines for asthma, headaches, narcolepsy and ulcers. Now I will propose that in 2021, you adopt the demolished Berlin Wall as your metaphor of power.

May it inspire you to be gleeful and forceful as you dismantle psychological obstacles and impediments.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The year 2021 will contain 525,600 minutes. But I suspect you might enjoy the subjective sensation of having far more than 525,600 minutes at your disposal. That’s because I think you’ll be living a fuller life than usual, with greater intensity and more focus. It may sometimes seem to you as if you are drawing greater riches out of the daily rhythm — accomplishing more, seeing further, diving down deeper to capitalize on the privilege of being here on planet earth. Be grateful for this blessing — which is also a big responsibility!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Our lives are filled with puzzles and enigmas and riddles. We all harbor aspects of ourselves that we don’t understand.

I hope that in 2021, you will be on a mission to learn more about these parts of yourself. One of your superpowers will be a capacity to uncover secrets and solve mysteries. Bonus: I suspect you’ll be able to make exceptional progress in getting to the root of confusing quandaries that have undermined you — and then fixing the problems so they no longer undermine you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): When actor Gene Wilder was 8 years old, his mother began to have heart-related health issues. The doctor who treated her suggested the boy could help his mother out if he would try to make her laugh. From then on, Wilder cultivated an ability to tell jokes and got interested in becoming an actor. Ultimately he appeared in 22 films and was nominated for two Oscars and two Golden Globe Awards. I foresee a comparable development in your life in 2021: A challenging situation will inspire you in ways that generate a major blessing.

38

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In my astrological opinion, love won’t be predictable in 2021. It won’t be easily definable or comparable to what you’re experienced before. But I also suspect that love will be delightfully enigmatic. It will be unexpectedly educational and fervently fertile and oddly comfortable. Your assignment, as I understand it, will be to shed your certainties about what love is and is not so that the wild, fresh challenges and opportunities of love can stream into your life in their wildest, freshest state.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Until 1893, Hawaii was a sovereign nation. In January of that year, a group of wealthy foreigners, mostly Americans, overthrew the existing government with the help of the U.S. military.

They established a fake temporary “republic” that excluded native Hawaiians from positions of power.

Their goal, which was to be annexed by the United States, was fulfilled in July 1898. I propose that you use this sad series of events as a motivational story in 2021. Make it your goal to resist all efforts to be colonized and occupied. Commit yourself passionately to preserving your sovereignty and independence.

Be a tower of power that can’t be owned.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In 2021, you may be smarter than you have ever been. Not necessarily wiser, too, although I have reason to hope that you will leverage your smartness to also deepen your wisdom. But as I was saying, your intelligence could very well soar beyond its previous heights. Your ability to speak articulately, stir up original thoughts and solve knotty riddles should be at a peak. Is there any potential downside to this outbreak of brilliance? Only one that I can imagine: It’s possible that your brain will be working with such dominant efficiency that it will drown out messages from your heart. And that would be a shame. In order to do what I referred to earlier — leverage your smartness to deepen your wisdom — you’ll need to be receptive to your heart’s messages CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The birds known as red knots breed every year in the Arctic regions. Then they fly south — way south — down to the southern edge of South America, more than 9,000 miles away.

A few months later they make the return trip to the far north. In 1995, ornithologists managed to put a monitoring band on one red knot’s leg, making it possible to periodically get a read on his adventures over the subsequent years. The bird’s nickname is Moonbird, because he has traveled so many miles in the course of his life that it’s equivalent to a jaunt to the moon. He’s known as “the toughest four ounces on the planet.” I nominate him to be your magical creature in 2021. I suspect you will have stamina, hardiness, persistence, and determination like his.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): An Aquarian park ranger named Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning seven times in the course of his 71 years on the planet. (That’s a world record.) None of the electrostatic surges killed him, although they did leave a few burns. After studying your astrological potentials for 2021, I’ve concluded that you may be the recipient, on a regular basis, of a much more pleasurable and rewarding kind of lightning strike: the metaphorical kind. I advise you to prepare yourself to be alert for more epiphanies than usual: exciting insights, inspiring revelations and useful ideas.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Coral reefs are in danger all over the world. These “rainforests of the sea” are being decimated by ocean acidification, toxic runoff from rivers, rising temperatures and careless tourists.

Why should we care? Because they’re beautiful!

And also because they’re hotbeds of biodiversity, providing homes for 25% of all marine species. They also furnish protection for shorelines from erosion and storm damage and are prime spots to harvest seafood. So I’m pleased people are finding ways to help reefs survive and recover. For example, a group in Thailand is having success using superglue to reattach broken-off pieces to the main reefs. I hope this vignette inspires you to engage in metaphorically similar restorative and rejuvenating activities, Pisces.

In 2021, you will have an enhanced power to heal.

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edited by Will Shortz

ACROSS 1 Go bad 4 ___ Coeur, Mo. 9 Hayes in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 14 “Well, looky here!”

15 Fuel carrier at sea 16 ___ toast 17 Betting game in which you could lose your shirt 19 One who’s constantly talking smack 20 Brooklyn basketball team 21 Shaped like grapes 23 Time away from the grind, for short 24 Film cast and crew celebration 27 Insolent manner 30 Secondary schools in France 31 Approach 33 Aid in making a pompadour 34 Almost twins … as suggested by this puzzle’s circled squares?

39 [head slap] 40 Smooth, in music 41 Like some writing of Anaïs Nin 45 Adkins, for Adele 49 Tickets for shorter lines, good seats, backstage access, etc.

51 Thespian 52 What might be taken to go?

53 The speed of sound 55 Lofty abode 57 Some old mobile devices 59 A.F.C. East athlete, for short 60 Disney princess with “a dreamy far-off look, and her nose stuck in a book” 61 One arguing in court: Abbr.

62 Bookish sorts 63 Twiddled one’s thumbs 64 Sch. with a campus in Shreveport

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PUZZLE BY AMANDA RAFKIN AND ROSS TRUDEAU

No. 1118

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DOWN 1 Platforms for speakers 2 Words following “Which thing?”

3 Sign in an apartment window 4 Signature feature of a Duracell battery 5 Total hoot 6 Fraternal group with a mammalian name 7 Peace sign shape 8 Slip-up 9 “OK by me” 10 Largest airport in the Pacific Northwest 11 Ziggy Stardust visà-vis David Bowie 12 Midge Maisel’s father on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” 13 Garage occupant 18 Dye for denim 22 Kilmer of “Top Gun” 24 Sneaky sorts 25 Peeved, with “off” 26 Fashion inits.

28 French article MOUNTAINX.COM

29 “What’s the big ___?”

32 Latvia’s capital 34 Doughnut shapes, mathematically 35 Burger King offering 36 “Old Town Road” rapper Lil ___ X 37 Stuck on 38 Lightweight rainwear 39 Patel of “Slumdog Millionaire” 42 Moved on the tarmac 43 Places to be marooned 44 Farm-share program, for short

46 Lacking a key, in music 47 “Woman With a Parasol” and “Impression, Sunrise” 48 1974 pop hit with Spanish lyrics 50 Like Robert Mueller beginning in 2013 53 Move around, with “about” 54 First company to be valued at $1 trillion 55 Raggedy ___ 56 Word before dropper or popper 58 Spearheaded

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

C A H N

O B O E

G A V E

O N E S

K I L O W A T T S

B E S E T

U L T R A

S W O R N

E D X L I T I Y F I E E X E D D I P E E E E D E R A N Y U P O N T I N E S E S P I T A T A N E D

F E L O N Y

L S D

G E R S M K I U S S T D O O U E R

P L I E S C O U R S

A T M O P O O R P I R A L A T R E S E E T S A F M O R I S H I N I C A H O O L O E B L E D S A V I B A T

DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

S E T I N

T R E N T

O A T H

E L O N

N A O H

G Y R E 39

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DEC. 23, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM