Mountain Xpress 02.05.25

FEATURES PAGE 26

SETTING THE PACE

For some, running in a group has always provided built-in motivation as well as a way to foster friendships. But in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, the act of running together has also taken on a deeper meaning for many in the local scene: rebuilding community.

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Keep an eye on county spending

In response to the information Mountain Xpress provided on the recent budget cuts approved by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, I have mixed emotions [“Commissioners Vote to Reduce School Funding Despite Pleas,” Jan. 29].

On one hand, Western North Carolina has seen unprecedented destruction and loss. Helene hit at the peak of our tourist season, resulting in significant income loss for the region, our businesses and our residents. Our residents have experienced unimaginable loss in every area of their lives. So, it is not surprising that revenue is significantly lower than budget projections.

Just as individuals must do if family income is suddenly and unexpectedly diminished, the county must look at cuts to balance the budget. Significant cuts unfortunately can’t come from small budgets. Hopefully, the new U.S. administration will live up to promises to provide more support to WNC, and funds may be returned.

On the other hand, I believe it is up to the taxpaying residents of the county to hold the commissioners and the county

manager accountable for every dollar they spend. Over the years, commissioners have doled out tax dollars for projects much less important than education. We, as citizens, need to watch the actions of the “tax-and-spend” commis-

In short, if it were possible, I’d sell “as is” and be done with the mess. I wish others the best of luck and hope that it works out better for those who are worse off than we are at this time.

As it has been said when President Trump said that nothing’s been done, he’s absolutely right.

We would like to thank the utility workers, road repairers, etc. They’ve worked hard to make it easier to travel and live here in this disaster.

— Brenda Newkirk Hendersonville

‘No permitting’ road repair promise is misguided

On a recent visit to Swannanoa, Donald Trump promised to issue an executive order “slashing all red tape and bureaucratic barriers and permits” to expedite road reconstruction.

sioners carefully and raise alarm when they spend our tax dollars on agendas that do not benefit those who work hard and pay their taxes. If we as taxpayers don’t watch and hold commissioners accountable, I would imagine we might see further cuts or increased property taxes.

— Gene Loflin Candler

Logging could be solution for downed trees

[Regarding “Team Timber: One Community’s Quest to Manage Its Downed Trees, Post-Helene,” Jan. 22, Xpress:]

Our property is off Bearwallow Road, and logging could be our solution. We have 5 acres, all with downed trees. Insurance claims are truly a joke, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — let’s not go there, as they feel every person should get $750 and all will be solved. We have estimates up to $50,000. I don’t know about others, but we do not have that kind of money.

Editor’s Note

In this week’s paper we have a series of interviews, “Beyond the Dais,” with participating members of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. In these talks, which are part of our Wellness series, members discuss the ways in which they maintain their physical and mental well-being. Unfortunately, not all elected officials were available to participate. X

While this may sound appealing at first, let’s consider what this entails: mainly, bypassing safety requirements and environmental regulations. If the roads are rapidly rebuilt without adhering to regulations, we accept the risk of shoddy construction and the possibility of unsafe, unstable roads that will likely require replacement within a few short years. These roads will also be much more susceptible to disaster if and when another storm hits. Additionally, ignoring environmental regulations puts people, wildlife and ecosystems at risk. Western North Carolina is the most biodiverse region in the entire country. Helene has already caused widespread ecological damage. We shouldn’t exacerbate this by skipping any necessary environmental assessments or environmental impact statements prior to construction. The resulting pollution from circumventing environmental regulations also puts human health and safety at risk. These impacts won’t just be localized to the sites of construction, as the runoff pollution in rivers and streams will affect other areas.

While we all want these roads rebuilt, it’s important to ensure that we build them safely and correctly. The last thing we need is more environmental damage, health risks and potential loss of life.

— Rob M. Campbell Asheville X

Word of the week

rucking (v.) the act of walking with weight on one’s back

Learn more about rucking and the local residents who participate in this type of physical activity on page 16. X

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

REFLECTIONS ON PAIN AND PRAYER

Editor’s note: As part of our special Wellness Issue series, Xpress asked readers how prayer or intention has helped them make it through periods of great physical pain. Here are those responses, among them contributions from Christian Scientists, who believe in the healing power of God and avoid conventional medical treatment:

GOD’S COMFORTING CARE

A song this week included the line “And he wrapped them up in the arms of God’s love and he showed them they were whole.”

Recognizing this as a part of contemplative prayer brings fruition to Jesus’ words, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

When experiencing physical pain, I turn to God fully through prayer, affirming the presence of that kingdom of love and the power of something greater than my ego or pain. Pain does much to distract us, but prayer that focuses on God’s comforting care enables me to overcome pain. It helps me recognize the allness of God, divine love, that enabled the biblical author to reveal that “there shall be no more pain.”

— Robbie Sweetser Asheville

FOCUSING MY PRAYER ON GOD

One evening as I was just sitting, my ankle began to hurt. Later that night, walking was difficult. As a student of Christian Science, I have learned to focus my prayer on God. As the Bible says, God created man (male and female) in his own image and likeness. I prayed to better understand that God could not be in pain, therefore as his image and likeness always embraced in his presence, I could not either. I went to bed with a calm, comforting trust in these ideas, and I slept peacefully. The next day, all pain was gone.

— Katie Osborn Asheville

FEELING A DEEP SENSE OF PEACE

A few years ago, I noticed some pain and a small growth on one of my breasts. I was afraid, but I knew from my experience practicing Christian Science that God could heal me. Through studying the Bible, I have learned that God’s power isn’t limited to some unreachable spiritual realm but is a concrete presence in my life here and now.

I awoke one night and noticed that the fear and pain were increasing in

direct proportion. Like a switch, the pain turned off immediately, and I felt a deep sense of peace and the presence of God. Soon I noticed that the lump had also disappeared. The healing has been permanent.

— Beth Johnson Asheville

GOD HAD OTHER PLANS FOR ITCHING RELIEF

For decades I have had an issue with itching. It started around 1987, when I began waking up in the morning with scratched-up arms, which sometimes bled. It escalated over time, and by 1990, while seeing a gastroenterologist for an unrelated reason, he took note of my arms, which by then looked like ground meat. (I had been wearing long sleeves to hide the ugliness.)

He did bloodwork, which indicated I had what was referred to at the time as primary biliary cirrhosis, an autoimmune disease of the liver. (Currently, the disease is referred to as primary biliary cholangitis to alleviate the illusion of this disease being related to alcoholism.) This led to me having a liver transplant at Mayo Clinic in Florida in 2007. I was told that my itching issue was due to liver failure and that the transplant would

relieve me of this issue. Unfortunately, although it took care of the disease, the chronic itching never ended. For decades, I have seen dermatologists who have prescribed creams and moisturizers, but the itching and skin damage have only escalated. Ice packs became my homemade method of relief. Since the itching was the worst at night, I spent many sleepless nights sitting up with ice packs being moved around to different itchy spots. (I read many books while doing this over the years.)

Prayer was always part of my method of handling this problem, but apparently God had other plans for me. Over the years, I’ve developed my own personal relaxation method to fall asleep before itching starts, but most recently it has been my chiropractor who has helped me. Reema Arsheed at Whole Body Chiropractic recommended a natural supplement, which has worked like nothing else I have ever tried in healing me. I take it daily and I am no longer itching as much at night. In February I will be going for my yearly checkup at Mayo Clinic, and I will be sharing this information with my doctor there. Thank you, Dr. Reema! — Joan Calder Marion X

Tree defenders

Five Points residents rally to preserve wooded area owned by UNCA

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

jmcguire@mountainx.com

A plot of forested land across the street from UNC Asheville’s Botanical Garden has long been a beloved spot for residents of the Five Points neighborhood. It’s where people walk their dogs, observe wildlife, have picnics, take their kids to play and get to know their neighbors.

“This neighborhood is one of the only neighborhoods around that doesn’t have a park,” says Elizabeth Pritchitt, who has lived in Five Points since 2007. “This forest is actually a reason a lot of people moved here. To me, it’s one of the best kept semisecrets of Asheville.”

So residents were curious on Jan. 13 when a miniexcavator began clearing tracks as wide as traffic lanes in the 45-acre urban forest, which is owned by UNCA. At first people figured the

university might be removing trees that were downed by Tropical Storm Helene.

But alarm bells went off throughout Five Points when news spread that one of the workers clearing the land told resident Alixandra Doddridge that UNCA planned to clear the woods and begin construction by summer. Neighborhood concerns “went from zero to 100 when I heard that,” Doddridge says.

UNCA says what Doddridge heard was not accurate. “No decisions regarding development have been made at this time,” the university said in Jan. 16 statement. “In keeping with our commitment to transparency and collaboration, as options are being finalized, UNC Asheville will host listening sessions to share information about potential plans and to gather input from the community.”

The university is assessing boundaries, topography, land composition

ASSESSING OPTIONS: A boring rig works in the urban forest near the Five Points neighborhood. UNC Asheville, which owns the land, is assessing boundaries and topography for possible development. Photo courtesy of Save the Woods

and utilities on the land, the statement said. In a Jan. 31 update, UNCA said it had completed the soil boring and sampling phase of the assessment. During that process, some trees were removed to allow equipment on to the property.

The updated statement continued: “The remaining assessment work is

now limited to land surveying to confirm the property’s boundaries, which is expected to continue for a few additional weeks. This work will necessitate the removal of small amounts of brush to ensure clear sight lines, with no removal of trees.”

The university did remove some trees on the northwestern edge of the prop-

erty, but that was related to Helenerelated recovery efforts, the updated statement said.

NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZES

Despite UNCA’s assurances, Five Points residents have rallied in support of preserving the wooded area, which is bordered by Weaver Boulevard, Dortch Avenue and Vivian Avenue and includes the university chancellor’s residence.

Doddridge started a Facebook page, Save the Woods, that has grown to more than 2,600 members. Neighbors have reached out to UNCA and elected officials. Some are researching the historic significance of the area while others are looking into legal options and assessing the possible environmental impacts of development. Several meetings organized by Save the Woods have drawn hundreds of people.

“I think everyone in the neighborhood quickly became invested,” Doddridge says. “We are all really passionate about that land for a lot of reasons.”

Save the Woods leaders argue that losing the forested area would be devastating in wake of Helene, which damaged or downed 40% of trees in Buncombe County, according to the N.C. Forest Service. Additionally, group members say, the woods are a habitat for owls and many other species.

In its Jan. 31 statement, UNCA said: “The University is also aware of concerns regarding the presence of owls on the property. The University has cooperated with contractors to evaluate this concern and ensure that any nests, if identified, are not disturbed.”

A petition urging UNCA to pause all development activities in the forest has garnered more than 6,800 signatures. The petition got a significant boost when popular folk band Rising Appalachia took to social media to urge people to sign it. Sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith, founders of the band, live part of the year in Asheville.

“Save the Woods believes that the value of the forest is much greater for the community at large and for UNCA students and staff and faculty if it’s kept intact as a forest,” Pritchitt says. “And some of us feel like we’re unrecognized stewards of the forest, or at least the [walking] trails. We keep the trails up.”

In its Jan. 16 statement, UNCA said: “As we move forward, the university remains dedicated to working with environmental experts who bring deep knowledge of sustainable and responsible land use. ... Any future development of university property will align with the best interests of the institution, the local and regional community, and the state of North Carolina, while respecting the natural environment that surrounds us.”

WORKING TOGETHER?

Doddridge says neighbors want to collaborate with UNCA officials to find the best use of the land for all stakeholders. For instance, she says, some people have suggested the land could be turned into a research forest similar to ones at UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University.

But, she says, the university did not respond when Save the Woods requested a meeting with Chancellor Kimberly van Noort. And the school has not sent representatives to any of the group’s meetings.

“It seems like they’re just not being transparent at all about what their plans are,” says Five Points resident Alli Marshall.

City Council member Bo Hess, who has attended Save the Woods meetings, says he supports the group’s efforts.

“A resounding theme when I went to the meetings, and when I speak to them, is that these woods are not just a vital green space,” he says. “These woods are an essential part of our recreational, cultural and ecological fabric. And also preserving them does align with what our city says is our commitment to sustainability, smart community-driven growth and environmental stewardship.”

Hess says he and other city officials reached out to van Noort and other UNCA leaders after they became aware of the concerns of Five Points residents. So far, he says, university officials have been responsive, but he didn’t want to get into details yet.

“Thoughtful dialogue is important,” Hess says. “We need to have UNCA and the board of trustees at the table, and we need to figure out a way to save the forest and that land for the betterment of our neighborhoods and our people.”

For instance, he says, it could make sense for the city to buy the land and donate it to the Asheville-Buncombe Community Land Trust.

“Before they get too gung ho about anything, they need to have that public forum [mentioned in UNCA’s statement],” Hess says. “I think the next steps are having that public meeting and making sure that there’s transparency, and also having the city leadership update the community as far as what’s going on.”

Doddridge and other Five Point residents are hoping history repeats itself in regard to preserving the woods. In 2004, UNCA proposed building a 300space freshman parking lot on 2.5 acres near the corner of Weaver Boulevard and Broadway. When hundreds of neighbors and students protested the move, the university scuttled the plans.

“They are moving fast. We have to move faster,” Doddridge wrote on the Facebook page. “They backed down last time they heard from the public, we can do it again! Flood their emails.” X

Water pressure

Upcoming forum looks at historic floods to help identify future solutions

BY CAROL KAUFMAN

ckaufman828@gmail.com

David Weintraub has a deep passion for local history. And with nearly 20 years of research into historic floods in Western North Carolina, he brings extensive knowledge to a topic of utmost relevance. In addition, as a director and filmmaker, he has over two decades of experience in developing, managing and promoting cultural programs, including concerts, festivals, forums, film screenings and colloquiums.

As the executive director of the Center for Cultural Preservation, Weintraub is offering locals the opportunity to attend an upcoming forum, “Historic Floods and Landslides — What Have We Learned.” The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 15, 2-4 p.m., at the Bo Thomas Auditorium on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College. Registration is free but preregistration is required. The gathering will be held in person as well as livestreamed.

According to Weintraub, many locals who experienced Tropical Storm Helene feel completely victimized by the extreme weather. He hopes the upcoming forum will help the WNC community understand that there are practical steps residents can take to build more resilient lives while avoiding areas most vulnerable to disasters.

Xpress recently caught up with Weintraub about the forum as well as his thoughts on Helene, how it compares to similar past storms and the lessons we can learn from the latest flood.

Xpress: What inspired you to host this forum?

Weintraub: A recurring theme in the oral histories I conducted with generational elders throughout the Southern Appalachians was how profoundly their ancestors were affected by the Great Flood of 1916. Thousands of landslides and the loss of topsoil forced many long-term residents to relocate from landslide- and flood-prone areas.

In 2016, to mark the hurricane’s 100th anniversary, I produced a film titled Come Hell or High Water, Remembering the Great Flood of 1916. The film serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting what could — and likely will — happen again, emphasizing the importance of understanding

our region’s unique topography and weather patterns.

As humans, we often suffer from a kind of collective amnesia about events more than a year old. This is especially true in the real estate industry, which has long marketed steep slopes and riverfront properties for their beautiful views — without disclosing that much of this land is essentially unbuildable. My hope is that this time, we’ll finally listen to what the land has been telling us for the past 108-plus years.

Tell me about the panelists and why you chose them

I selected panelists who could provide a comprehensive understanding of weather patterns, land vulnerabilities and best practices for land use in Western North Carolina. These experts are complemented by elders whose families experienced prior great floods, offering invaluable firsthand perspectives. Rick Wooten is a former senior geologist for North Carolina’s Geohazards and Engineering Geology Division who authored many of the landslide maps for WNC counties. Jim Fox is a resilience expert who was director of UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) for 15 years and a founding partner of FernLeaf, a private company that works with businesses and governments to help them limit their vulnerability and risk to hazards. Jen Bauer is co-owner of Appalachian Landslide Consultants, and Don Freeman is a seventh-generation elder and pastor from Gerton, N.C., whose family was deeply impacted by the Great Flood of

FAIR WARNING: “Nature gives us clear, unmistakable warnings, urging us not to repeat the mistakes of the past,” says David Weintraub, executive director of the Center for Cultural Preservation. Photo courtesy of Weintraub

1916. LuVerne Haydock is a descendant of a family from Chimney Rock, also affected by the 1916 flood.

How would you rate Tropical Storm Helene with past natural disasters of this kind in WNC?

I believe most people don’t realize that this storm was neither unprecedented nor unexpected. What I’ve learned from analyzing the data is that the rainfall from Tropical Storm Helene was comparable to that of 1916. In both cases — just as in 2004 with hurricanes Frances and Ivan, and Hurricane Fred in 2021 — there was a preceding weather event that saturated the ground.

The key difference between 1916 and 2024 is the substantial increase in population. Today, many more people live on slopes or near rivers that have repeatedly experienced major floods and landslides.

What are your thoughts about rebuilding vulnerable areas?

When I see those signs that say #WNCStrong, I can’t help but feel a wave of nausea. While I’m proud of how neighbors came together during Helene, going above and beyond to help each other recover, resilience as a community is one thing — standing against nature is another entirely. It’s an act of futility and often leads to unnecessary pain. Nature gives us clear, unmistakable warnings, urging us not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Why should people attend this event?

I hope people will join the event, whether in person or via livestream, to gain a deeper understanding of this place we love. This land will love us back if we treat it with care and choose to live in areas where it makes sense to live. Too often, I hear people say, “There’s nothing you can do — it’s just the weather.” But history tells a different story.

Living more self-reliant lives as a community means we can take control of our destiny. It means moving out of the most vulnerable areas and rebuilding in ways that align with nature’s wisdom. We don’t need to wait for another disaster to be a helping hand to one another — we can act now.

What do you hope attendees will take away from this event, and how can they apply this information to their lives?

You will gain a deeper understanding of the resources available to help our communities rebuild, as well as strategies for minimizing our impact on the ecosystem and waterways. This knowledge will better prepare us for when nature shows its more destructive side.

I also hope this event will empower us with the facts needed to demand that our policymakers strengthen land development regulations, ensuring we don’t allow construction in areas that are essentially unbuildable. To register, visit avl.mx/ehb.  X

Council updates flood code, housing goals

After delaying a vote to gather more public input regarding proposed modifications to Asheville’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and its application near floodplains, Asheville City Council unanimously approved those changes at its meeting Jan. 28.

City staff also presented modifications to the city’s affordable housing plan to reflect community feedback and the impact of Tropical Storm Helene.

“Hopefully the third time is a charm,” said Amy Deyton, assistant director of public works, as she presented proposed changes to the UDO for a final vote. Council approved the updates, 6-0, with Council member Sage Turner absent.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT?

Most of the changes clear up ambiguity in floodplain regulations to

ensure the city is in good standing with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and aligned with state building codes.

If the city falls out of good standing with the NFIP, it risks losing disaster relief administered by federal agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The changes address three areas.

The updated ordinance maintains the current 2-foot freeboard requirement, which mandates that buildings’ lowest floors are 2 feet above base flood elevation — the height anticipated during a flood, as determined by flood maps created by the NFIP and managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The city also maintains a one-year look-back rule, which is the period

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Asheville City Council members discussed how they plan to get back on track with the city’s affordable housing plan at the Jan. 28 meeting. Pictured, from left, are Council members Kim Roney and Sheneika Smith, Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley, Mayor Esther Manheimer and Council member Maggie Ullman. Photo by Brionna Dallara

used to determine damage. The clock starts when repairs begin. Both the freeboard and the look-back rules were adopted in 2009.

The third update pertained to properties with historic designation. Owners can seek an exemption from the elevation requirements by applying for a variance.

But one member of the public sought more leniency for historic buildings.

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“It seems to me we elected in 2009 to go with the more restricted route,” said Benjamin Mitchell, vice president of administration for the Biltmore Property Group (BPG), during general public comment. BPG owns several properties in Biltmore Village. “I would like you all to take into serious consideration our historic districts, to exempt them entirely when it comes to flood restrictions.”

Several Council members expressed empathy for property owners.

“It’s pretty heavy on my heart and it’s a really hard time for anyone going through this. The river did what it was going to do regardless of our past ordinance, and that feels like a truth too that’s very hard to hold at the same time,” said Council member Maggie Ullman.

Council member Bo Hess said business owners need more help from the state and federal governments.

“Concerns for our small businesses remain at the forefront of my mind,” Hess said. “I firmly believe that our state and federal partners need to step up and provide meaningful relief to our business owners that have been hit hardest by Helene.”

AFFORDABLE HOUSING UPDATE

While getting back on track with affordable housing efforts, the city is bumping up against a new state law that eliminates municipalities’ ability to downzone properties without written consent of all affected property owners.

The law, Senate Bill 382, included disaster relief for Helene as well as many provisions unrelated to recovery. The General Assembly overrode thenGov. Roy Cooper’s veto in December. The law prohibits local governments from downzoning or rezoning property to less intense use.

“Almost anything can be construed as downzoning, unfortunately,” said Stephanie Dahl, director of planning and urban design. “That makes it interesting for us to try to work with the community on some of the items they have been looking forward to. However, we are going to promote housing in the areas that need it the most.”

Before the storm, the city had conducted several studies aimed at increasing “middle housing” — structures like duplexes and townhomes that fall between single-family homes and large apartments.

To address the need, city staff proposes a zoning overlay that would allow more housing in commercial corridors and mixed-use districts, like downtown Asheville, Smokey Park Highway and Tunnel Road — all of which have both commercial and residential developments. The city would not change zoning in legacy neighborhoods.

Because of the complexity of recovery, the plan looks ahead only six months. Key strategies remain keeping people in their homes and making it easier to develop housing overall and providing incentives for building affordable housing.

Despite the storm, not all tasks related to housing were delayed, said Nikki Reid, director of economic and community development.

“In fact, the strategies of rental assistance and home repairs were reprioritized in response to Helene and are well underway,” Reid said.

Staff also continued to work on projects funded by the Housing Trust Fund (HTF), which provides low-interest loans to build affordable housing.

Staff will also use incoming FEMA data about home damage to develop an Unmet Needs Assessment to use in allocating $225 million in Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds that were announced Jan. 8.

For more information, visit avl.mx/eic. This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing.

— Brionna Dallara  X

TDA anticipates 33% drop in occupancy tax revenues for FY25

During the Jan. 29 meeting of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA), board members and Treasurer HP Patel and Jennifer Kass-Green, Explore Asheville vice president of culture and business affairs, presented the board’s projections for fiscal year 2025, which runs from July 2024 through June. The forecast for the second half of the fiscal year — JanuaryJune — showed a slow but steady recovery in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, which ground tourism to a halt last fall.

The projection for FY25 made in May pegged net occupancy tax reve-

nues at roughly $34.3 million. Instead, board members voted unanimously to cut that figure to $22.8 million — a drop of 33%. Comparatively, there was $20.5 million in occupancy taxes in FY20, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sharpest declines year-overyear came in October — a 74% plummet — and November, a 60% drop. Revenue is expected to inch back up to a 25% decrease expected in June compared to last June.

For more information, visit avl.mx/eib. This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing.

— Brooke Randle  X

Week of the Pet CAR CLEANUP

Dawn, at 3 years old and 62 pounds, is a sweetheart waiting for you at Blue Ridge Humane Society (BRHS) in Hendersonville. Friendly and smart, she’s looking for a forever home that can help her through a couple of health hiccups with the full support of BRHS. Go to website avl.mx/ehp or visit the adoption center at 88 Centipede Lane, Hendersonville, to find out more. X

Buncombe County will soon begin tagging abandoned vehicles, trailers, tanks and recreational vehicles located in public rights of way. If the vehicle is not removed within seven days of being tagged, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office will begin the towing process using a rotation-selected towing company. Owners are encouraged to work with their insurance companies to remove the vehicle before it is towed. For more information, visit avl.mx/ehs. X

Fish hatcheries up a creek

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is revisiting its Public Mountain Trout Waters stocking program in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, after extensive damage to Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in McDowell County. According to a recent press release, over 600,000 fish were lost at the hatchery. The commission anticipates the site to reopen by January 2026. The work to repair Armstrong State Fish Hatchery puts nearly $40 million in renovations on hold at the commission’s largest trout production facility, the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery in Pisgah National Forest. Setzer was damaged by Tropical Storm Fred in 2021. Regional Fishery Supervisor Doug Besler said in a media release that anglers will notice reduced stocking frequency and fewer locations this year. X

State holds line on home insurance

Asheville Performing Arts Academy (APAA) picked up a handful of awards and accolades at the 2025 Junior Theater Festival on Jan. 17-19 in Atlanta. The festival draws over 8,000 attendees from around the world. APPA students earned the Freddie G Award for Excellence in Acting. Individual awards were also received by Niah Hanson, Natalie Edgens, Sienna Hancock, Ava Walicki and Marta Rosal Upcoming shows by the academy include Beauty and the Beast Jr. through Sunday, Feb. 9, and The Lightning Thief, Friday, Feb. 21, through Sunday, Feb. 23. X

Pool options dry up

The N.C. Department of Insurance settled a dispute with insurance companies on proposed increases for homeowners insurance. The insurance companies originally requested homeowners’ rate increases that averaged 42.2% statewide. Instead, rates in Alleghany, Ashe, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Henderson, McDowell, Polk, Watauga and Yancey counties can increase up to 4.4% in 2025 and 4.5% in 2026 under the agreement. There will be no increases in Haywood, Madison, Swain and Transylvania counties. The agreement also prohibits the N.C. Rate Bureau from considering any increases again before June 1, 2027. X

The City of Asheville recently announced that the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Community Center pool will be the only available public swim site this summer. Asheville Parks and Recreation’s (APR) other pool at Recreation Park experienced major structural damage during Tropical Storm Helene. “As someone who began my career in the aquatics field, it breaks my heart that we are limited to one public pool within city limits this year,” D. Tyrell McGirt, APR director, said in a media release. The Grant Southside Center Pool will be open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; and noon-7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 per day. X

Photo

Strength in numbers

BY BRIONNA DALLARA

A few weeks after Tropical Storm Helene, personal trainer Eric Simpson and his client Monica Krider geared up in white Tyvek suits, rather than the typical workout apparel they normally wore when entering Reconstruct Personal Fitness Training.

Reconstruct had been one of four gyms located inside the Asheville Training Hub, situated on the bank of the Swannanoa River. The site, like many neighboring properties in East Asheville, was completely ravaged by floodwaters.

As Simpson and Krider sunk into the muddied floor, flashlights from their phones illuminated what salvageable equipment remained. There wasn’t much — only one workout bench and a couple of workout bars.

Krider had been training with Simpson twice a week since he launched the business in 2022. When the storm hit, she immediately volunteered to help him retrieve whatever equipment he could from the wreckage.

“I just wanted to take charge of helping something come back to normal,” Krider says.

IN GOLDILOCKS FASHION

Krider, a real estate agent, used her professional contacts to then help Simpson begin his search for a new location.

In Goldilocks fashion — substituting bowls of porridge for square footage — Simpson spent three weeks touring gym spaces around town. Throughout the process he a had a list of criteria that had to be met, including a centralized location for his clients who come

’YOU INVESTING IN YOU’

Then on Oct. 17, he found “the” spot on Tunnel Road, which used to be a dance studio, complete with a wall of mirrors — an ideal amenity for checking workout form.

Several clients pitched in to clean up the space and “reconstruct” Reconstruct.

“Each of us has had some skills that were helpful in getting his space ready for him to open,” says Hague, who tapped into his experience restoring homes to help outfit the new space.

Meanwhile, Krider painted the gym’s baseboards and Lawrence Hines broke down the piles of cardboard boxes that new equipment arrived in.

“Each time I put something together, I know it sounds kind of silly and small, but that would build my confidence that this is happening. This is taking place,” Simpson says.

By Nov. 4, the crew opened its new training space.

The gym’s purple accents — Simpson’s favorite color — were gifts from his clients, ranging from the grape-colored clock to a purple yoga mat.

The group effort, Simpson says, reaffirmed the symbiotic relationship he and his clients have developed over the previous three years.

from Asheville, Leicester, Candler, Black Mountain and Fairview.

“I would sometimes text clients, ‘How do you feel about a property being located here?’” Simpson says.

“The big thing is this is their gym, and this is really their place.”

On some site visits, Simpson was joined by Krider and fellow client Dan Hague for their immediate input.

“There are those people who are motivated, who do well because they want to be the best. Then there are those who do well for the fear of failure,” says Simpson, quoting an adage that stuck with him from his time in the military. For him, it was the fear of failure — both to himself and to the people he trained every week — that kept him pushing forward.

“It works both ways,” Simpson says. “We work hard in here, but we have good conversations. A lot of times there are personal conversations. And that feels good to know that they share, and I share, a good two-way communication.”

The gym’s motto — “You investing in you” — echoes this sentiment.

“It seemed like everybody wanted to get back to some sort of routine. And in a small kind of way, I think that’s what happened here,” Simpson says. X

NEW SPACE: Monica Krider trains in the new Reconstruct Personal Fitness Training facility with trainer Eric Simpson. Photo courtesy of Simpson

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Accepting New Patients

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EMPLOYERS ARE FACING A BRUTAL REALITY

Healthcare costs are increasing at an unsustainable rate.

It’s tough taking care of your employees these days, especially when it comes to rising healthcare costs. Double-digit premium increases, and no transparency.

There is another option that you may have heard about. It’s called the Group Medical Captive – a solution designed to help small to midsize businesses lower the cost of benefits while still providing high-quality care.

It’s a way for companies to pool together and offset risk so they can confidently self-insure like the Fortune 500s and save money, instead of being kept in the dark by the big insurance carriers.

Join us for lunch, February 28 th from 11:30am to 1:00pm to hear from some of the top independent, transparent administrators and pharmacy benefit managers from our area as they share how employers have made this change.

For more information or to register, contact Desiree Greene at dgreene@isa-avl.com.

Weighting around

BY TESSA FONTAINE

tgfontaine@gmail.com

From her Jeep in the Ultra Coffeebar parking lot, Angie Howard pulls out the goods. A backpack bearing 20 pounds of steel, a backpack open to however much you want to haul and a 20-pound weighted vest.

The vest looks bulletproof, a genre of clothing I’ve never actually seen up close, and it wows me. I choose the vest. She straps on one of the backpacks, and off we ruck.

I’d been messaging members of the Rucking Asheville Facebook group, asking if anyone would be willing to take me, a newbie, on a ruck. I struck gold when Angie offered. Angie, 44, is an emergency medical technician from Asheville, and she knows what she’s doing.

Rucking is the act of carrying a weighted backpack while walking. Pretty simple. The word comes from rucksack, U.S. Army lingo for backpack. Most serious ruckers make that backpack very heavy and that walking very difficult, for many miles or hours, over extreme terrain. The practice is directly drawn from Army Special Forces training.

I have never rucked. The closest I’ve come to Green Beret training is wearing a green beanie on a dog walk. And yet, I’m deeply compelled by the idea of huffing it around town or through the mountains with a weighted pack. It sounds like the kind of suffering I like in my exercise. And so, in the two days between when Angie agrees to take me on a ruck and when I meet her, I decide I need to train. I convince my almost-3-year-old to heave herself into the backpack we used to carry her around in when she was much smaller, and I tromp with her around the neighborhood. She sings at the top of her lungs, and I think, “OK, yeah, this might be fun.”

RUCKING THROUGH THE WRECKAGE

Angie and I walk up Depot Street in the River Arts District. There are construction crews, piles of debris along the river and a mix of businesses that are open and not. Tropical Storm Helene is where our conversation begins inevitably.

Angie was working her EMT shift when the storm hit. She was connecting emergency services and critical care transfers for Mission Hospital. “I was in charge of communication,” she

Series

Hiking with a heavy backpack can be rucking fun — and good for you

RUCK THIS: Local rucking enthusiast Angie Howard, left, led writer Tessa Fontaine, right, on her first ruck around the River Arts District in January. Photo courtesy of Fontaine

says. “But when someone told me that Asheville was an island with no way in or out, I just could not believe her. Me, in charge of communication, and I didn’t believe that communication.” We’re quiet for a moment, breathing hard, as a dump truck rumbles by.

Angie started rucking before she even knew what rucking was. Years ago, she was training to become a firefighter, and part of the training required carrying a 50-pound backpack, simulating what firefighters wear. “I liked it,” she says. “It was fun training.”

People ruck, she continues, for various reasons — to lose weight, to stay in shape, to train for something. “I’ve done a lot of virtual challenges, like ‘[ruck] 50 miles this month.’ And so I’ll just do a mile here and a mile there. Even at work,” she says. “I can just strap on my ruck and walk laps. You can do it anywhere.”

A few days earlier, I talked to another serious rucker, Ben Seidman. Ben, who is 35 and lives in Leicester, started rucking in 2008 after hearing about it through CrossFit. Quickly he began competing in events put on by major rucking company Go Ruck, which organizes races that are six, 12 or 24 hours long.

“You’re carrying a ruck the whole time — 25 or 30 pounds, plus anything you want to bring like food, water, layers of clothes,” he tells me.

And then, “You have challenges, along with the other people in the race. Like, you have to carry telephone poles or water jugs,” or once, a giant cooler taped closed which, at the end of the race, was revealed to be filled with their celebratory beers. “You’ve been carrying your own reward!” the race organizer told them.

“Being in a group who shares the same idea of fun, the camaraderie is unlike anything else,” Ben says. He did 10 Go Ruck events over a decade and loved it so much, he joined the military.

I have him repeat this to me, to be sure I have it right. And I do. In addition to running a chimney company called Flue Fighters, Ben is now an active member of the National Guard, because of rucking.

“It spoke to the masochistic part of my brain to pay for this kind of torture,” Ben says, laughing.

Then he gets more serious. “Rucking is more than physical. It’s mental,” he says. “When you do something hard and overcome it, then the next time something hard comes along, you think, ‘Hey, if I could do that, I can do this.’”

FITNESS FOR ANYONE

Angie and I leave the main business strip and begin walking uphill. The

rucking doesn’t yet feel hard, per se, but it is noticeably different walking up a hill. I think about the extra weight my legs are carrying, plus what the muscles in the rest of my body are likely doing to compensate for it. And I also notice that, unlike when I run, my knees aren’t screaming.

Dan Carmack, a physical therapist with Breakthrough Performance, tells me he’s seen many people turn to rucking in the last year. “I think of it as a training shift,” he says, “a way to get a low-level strength stimulus in an outdoor environment.” It can be especially useful for people new to training or sensitive to heavy weights. I ask if he sees a lot of rucking injuries, wondering if there’ll be juicy stories. “Not really,” he tells me. “Kind of the opposite, actually. People who are dealing with injuries from other activities take up rucking as something that won’t impact their training.”

This is especially true for people who are battling osteoporosis, Dan says. You need impact to develop bone, and the weighted pack can help.

“There’s also a very low barrier to entry. You can ruck with anything, a weighted vest or a few books in a backpack.”

His advice for newbies? Start gentle in distance, intensity and weight. If someone has a background in hiking, even just carrying what you’d normally use as a daypack, is a starting point.

Ben and Angie both agree, telling me it’s easy to get started and that there are lots of places to go. They ruck in Bent Creek, along the pathways in the River Arts District, on golf courses and trails, and even around their neighborhoods. All you need is somewhere to walk.

Angie ends up taking it mercifully easy on me for my first ruck. “This is mostly a men’s sport,” she says. “I don’t know many women who do this. Probably because it’s mostly connected to the Army and firefighters and cops and EMTs. But there are a few.”

I straighten my shoulders, narrow my eyes, looking as tough as I can.

The Rucking Asheville Facebook group isn’t very active these days. There doesn’t seem to be much of a rucking community around town right now. But I’ll tell you plain enough, there should be.

It’s good for you. It requires no special material. And, best of all, it’s fun.

And this Sunday morning, when I have some free time, I’m planning to fill my backpack with books like the writer nerd I am and head out on the trail. X

Boots on the ground

Check out these five great winter hikes in Western North Carolina

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

jmcguire@mountainx.com

Leaf season may get all the glory, but don’t count out winter when it comes to hiking in Western North Carolina.

When the temperatures drop, the trails are less crowded, the forests are calm, and there are fewer insects to swat away. Most importantly, the leafless trees create stunning panoramic views of mountains, vistas, waterfalls and more. If you’re lucky, you may even spot some icicles and snow-covered mountain tops as you explore local trails during the winter.

For our Wellness Issue, we asked folks in Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison and Transylvania counties to identify one great winter hike from their area. The results are a mix of easy, moderate and difficult trails. One hike is less than 2 miles, while another is more than 12. Some are hidden gems, others are familiar favorites.

But they all offer a way to get outside, get some exercise and experience the region’s natural beauty.

HAYWOOD COUNTY

Flat Laurel Creek Trail

How to get there: The trail follows an old railroad grade up from N.C. 215 to the end of the Black Balsam parking area. Directions via AllTrails: avl.mx/eh6

Length: 7.5 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

“The elevation gain is modest, making it an easy route with scenic views, including vistas to the west and a clear sight of Sam Knob. Along the way, you can enjoy two beautiful waterfalls: Split Falls and Wildcat Falls, perfect spots to pause and take in the natural beauty. In the winter, the trail transforms into a winter wonderland, with frozen waterfalls and ice-coated streams creating a serene, otherworldly atmosphere. The sight of ice clinging to rocks and branches, coupled with the quiet stillness of the forest, makes for a memorable winter experience that’s hard to beat.”

— Amie Newsome, social media and content manager, Visit Haywood/Haywood County Tourism Development Authority

HENDERSON COUNTY

Bell Trail

How to get there: Bell Park is in Saluda at 4360 Spartanburg Highway,

just south of the bridge over the Green River Gorge. Directions via AllTrails: avl.mx/eh7

Length: 1.8 miles

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

“This new Henderson County park offers 1.8 miles of walking trails and an observation deck next to a rushing waterfall. The Bell Trail is named in honor of local summer camp pioneers Frank “Chief” and Calla Bell, who headed Camp Mondamin and Camp Green Cove. Signage at the park celebrates it as a gateway to Henderson

County and offers information on Cherokee history, the Kingdom of the Happy Land, the Saluda Grade, the High Bridge, Lake Summit dam, the historic cypress flume and the Green River. If you would like to participate in a free guided hike, Hiking Henderson County is a program offered through the county Parks and Recreation office.

— Cory Blackwell, recreation program supervisor, Henderson County Parks and Recreation

FLAT LAUREL CREEK TRAIL: Photo courtesy of Haywood County Tourism Development Authority

BELL TRAIL: Photo courtesy of Henderson County Parks and Recreation

JACKSON COUNTY

Pinnacle Trail

How to get there: Pinnacle Park is at the end of Fisher Creek Road in Sylva. Directions via AllTrails: avl.mx/eh8

Length: 7.6 miles

Difficulty: Moderate to difficult

“If you’re up for a challenge, you’ve got to check out Pinnacle Park. It’s a 7-mile, round-trip hike that climbs over 3,000 feet, so it’s definitely a workout, but the views at the top are so worth it. Once you reach the summit, you’ll be rewarded with insane panoramic views of Sylva, Scotts Creek Valley and the surrounding mountains. The trail itself is beautiful

too — think streams, boulders and some seriously peaceful vibes. It follows an old logging road most of the way, with a mix of grassy ridges and a gorgeous 270-degree view at the end.”

Nick Breedlove, executive director, Jackson County Tourism Development Authority

MADISON COUNTY

Big Bald

How to get there: The hike to Big Bald begins at the Sams Gap parking lot, just north of Mars Hill off Interstate 26. Directions via AllTrails: avl.mx/eh9

Length: 12 miles

Difficulty: Moderate to difficult

“Big Bald on the Appalachian Trail is a must-visit destination for outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and natural beauty. The hike to the summit of Big Bald is moderate in difficulty, though it’s best suited for those with some experience on mountain trails. The trail ascends steadily through lush forests and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. Once at the summit, you’ll be rewarded with 360-degree views of

the Appalachian Mountains and the surrounding valleys. On a clear day, you can see for miles, making it the perfect day hike to relax, take photos and immerse yourself in nature. For less seasoned hikers, there is a scenic turn-around spot about 2 miles into the hike at Street Gap.”

— Bill Downey, tourism director, Madison County

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY

Rainbow Falls Trail

How to get there: From the Gorges State Park Visitor Center, continue for 0.8 miles down Grassy Ridge Road. Trailhead parking will be on the right. Directions via AllTrails: avl.mx/eha

Length: 3.5 miles

Difficulty: Difficult

“To see what Brevard’s winter beauty is all about, lace up your boots and take a hike to Rainbow Falls in Nantahala National Forest. This blood-pumping trek is sure to work up a sweat. Trust us, you won’t stay cold for long. When the sun sits just right in the sky, Rainbow Falls creates a lovely rainbow at its base from the great mist caused by its cascade, hence the name. We recommend timing the hike so that you get to the fall in the early afternoon — that’s your best chance at catching a glimpse of the rainbow. While you’re on the trail, take the short excursion to see Turtleback Falls, which is just 0.25 more miles up the trail.”

— Mark Johnson, account executive, Explore Brevard/ Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority X

PINNACLE TRAIL: Photo courtesy of Jackson County Tourism Development Authority

BIG BALD: Photo courtesy of Madison County

RAINBOW FALLS TRAIL: Photo courtesy of Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority

Breathe in, breathe out

BY CLARK WILSON

clarkjenkwilson@gmail.com

Did your New Year’s resolution to run or work out leave you a bit more out of breath than you expected?

Xpress recently sat down with Sean Simonds, clinic director for Movement for Life Physical Therapy, to discuss the benefits of VO2 max testing, as well as the organization’s 10-year anniversary and Simonds’ own tips for maintaining one’s wellness goals in 2025.

Xpress: What is the basic science behind VO2 max testing? What is being measured, and why is it a useful metric for people seeking to better understand their own fitness?

Simonds: A VO2 max test measures how efficiently your body can take in and utilize oxygen. So from a general population standpoint, your VO2 max results are correlated to longevity: the higher your VO2 max is, the longer you are predicted to live. This is because in order to have a high VO2 max, you have to be able to move relatively quickly, have good balance and strength, and have some muscle mass. Knowing their VO2 max often gives clients motivation or some direction for

what to focus on from a performance standpoint. The test results provide a variety of data points like heart rate zones and ventilatory threshold [the point beyond which your muscles are demanding more oxygen than they’re receiving and you feel the burn of lactic acid build up], which allows you to design very specific training programs, especially for high-performance runners or professional athletes. And with every test, we provide an education session to interpret the results and offer sample routines

What sorts of clients typically request VO2 max testing?

In Asheville, it’s predominantly our trail runners as well as a ton of cyclists, though we even had some local professional Rollerblade racers. Movement for Life is basically the only clinic west of Charlotte offering testing, so we have a relatively wide reach. In the physical therapy world, we are so often reactive because people don’t come to us until they have a problem. Considering its correlation with overall health and longevity, VO2 max testing is one of those ways where we can show people, “Hey, proactivity is cheaper and feels better

Q&A: BEYOND THE DAIS

Wandering the woods with Commissioner Terri Wells

Xpress: What is your go-to exercise? And, if applicable, where in Buncombe County do you like to do it?

Wells: I love hiking our mountains and meeting friends for a walk on our greenways or at the Botanical Gardens, and I am definitely looking forward to when our new Pisgah View State Park and future Deaverview Mountain County Park open to the public. On days when you need to mentally unwind, is there a spot in our city that you gravitate to?

GET OUTSIDE: Commissioner Terri Wells says that hiking with her husband, Glenn Ratcliff, is one of her favorite ways to unwind. Photo courtesy of Wells

Wandering through the woods on our family farm with [my husband] Glenn and [our dog] Lucy is pure joy; it has always been my happy place. What song gets you most energized (whether it’s for a workout session or a board meeting)?

If I am outside in nature, I am already energized. But when I am inside and need to get energized to clean the house or some other chore, my go-to is Prince. X

The science and benefits of VO2 max testing

than waiting until you’re rushing in for some urgent problem.”

Is it recommended that a person do a series of VO2 max tests over time? And what recommendations do you make for those seeking to improve their performance?

There have been a number of people that want to do it more frequently. But if you look at the research, it’s best to test about once a year. A number of factors have to change to see changes in a VO2 max result. Some of the really intense folks will do it every six months because they want to see if their training programs are working. Or if they’re ramping up for an event, they want to come in and make sure they’re on track. But generally speaking, it’s great to test once a year to see if you’re either maintaining or if your new program has been effective.

What other wellness services does Movement for Life offer?

Our staff includes five physical therapists and two personal trainers. One of our therapists is a board specialist in geriatrics and does an over-60 weightlifting class. We also offer a fitness class for people with Parkinson’s disease. And then we have some software that allows us to work with clients remotely as well.

Asheville and the surrounding mountains have long been a haven for wellness and physical recreation. What brought you and your business, Movement for Life, to the area?

When starting Movement for Life, I needed a place that was growing and active and, for myself, a place I could easily get lost in the woods with the dogs. Also, my wife is a professor, so she needed a university. So Asheville just ticked about every single box. It’s been great. As an Army brat, this is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place by a mile.

After 10 years in business, what has been your greatest success with Movement for Life so far, and what have been the challenges?

I have gone from just me to now having a whole team. I recognize people all over town, which is supercool. Whenever I have clients that come back to see me, it’s the ultimate compliment; it means that you’ve made some positive influence on the community. Our Parkinson’s program is huge, and it’s been absolutely fantastic working with that population. I’m the physical therapist for the Asheville City Soccer Club, the semipro team in town, and that’s been a great way to interact with the community.

EXPERT ADVICE: What exactly is VO2 max testing? Who needs it? And what are the benefits? Xpress catches up with Sean Simonds, clinic director for Movement for Life Physical Therapy, to find out. Photo courtesy of Movement for Life Physical Therapy

As for the challenges, we’ve had plenty. We went through COVID, we had all the pipes burst two years ago during a winter freeze, and then, of course, a hurricane was not something I was prepared for personally or businesswise. And insurance is always a pain in the butt to work with. They’re always looking for reasons to not pay.

The new year brings a lot of renewed focus on wellness and fitness. What is your personal approach regarding health and physical fitness?

I always prefer to keep things really simple. It’s just like diet planning — if you make it really complicated and have all these rules about what you can or can’t do, nobody sticks with it. I do about half an hour of weightlifting and half an hour of cardio every day, but I’m always trying to keep it kind of variable. I do everything from free weights to machines to cardio equipment to running around in the woods. I’m also always trying to find people to be active with. For instance, I have friends that I go running with, and also a couple of our staff get together once or twice a week after work, and we’ll work out together. We’re very proactive-minded, and our office has all kinds of equipment like kettlebells, dumbbells, plates, cardio equipment, rowing machines, treadmills — the whole nine yards. When I started out, it was practically just a couple of mismatched dumbbells, but now we look like a real PT office, so that’s really great. X

Golden Agers

BY CAROL KAUFMAN

At 74, Octavia Caldwell could easily be called Asheville’s queen of bling. A North Carolina native with a passion for all things bold, colorful and glittery, she starts her day by dressing in clothes and accessories that spark joy — just as her mother used to do.

“Mama had a flair for bling,” Caldwell says with a grin, her vividly painted lips showing off her bold style. “I have a black-and-white photo of her from 1931, at age 18, living in Canton and dressed to the nines — side hat, gloves, a large brooch, and pumps. Even at 95, when she passed, she was still all about her bling.”

Caldwell’s love for dangling earrings, rhinestones, boots and bold, vibrant colors is undeniable. But four mornings a week, she swaps her signature bling for yoga pants, a T-shirt, and sneakers to pursue another passion: exercise.

“On those mornings,” she says, “I’m out the door by 6:35 a.m.. to make it to the 7 a.m. HIIT (HighIntensity Interval Training) class at my gym. It’s an essential part of my weekly routine.”

Caldwell’s love for exercise dates back to her days at Pisgah High School in Canton, where she played basketball and marched in the band. However, it wasn’t until after the birth of her second child that she embraced fitness with greater dedication.

“After gaining 85 pounds during that pregnancy, I was determined to find a way to shed the extra weight,” she says.

That determination led her to embrace all things aerobic — Zumba, African dance and brisk walking became part of her daily routine. Within a year and a half, she returned to a healthy weight and has proudly kept it off ever since.

To keep her brain sharp, Caldwell enjoys puzzles and word games, and, of course, gets plenty of exercise, which she knows is a major brain booster. Additionally, to share her experience with others, she volunteers with AARP, participating in health-related events like Brain Fit. Her background in nursing further deepened her commitment to healthy aging.

“For the 44 years that my husband, Roland, had his medical practice on Charlotte Street, I worked as his nurse and saw our fair share of unhealthy patients, mostly due to their lifestyle choices. I believe that’s a choice we all get to make.”

For four of those 44 years, all four family members lived in a three-bedroom apartment above the medical office.

“Our commute to work couldn’t have been easier,” Caldwell laughs. “Our two kids would work with us during their college breaks. It was truly a family affair.”

With the days of apartment living long behind them and their grown children settled elsewhere, Caldwell and her husband have called the same house atop Town Mountain home for the past 45 years — and they have no plans of leaving.

“This is pretty much our forever home,” Caldwell smiles, dressed in a black sequined top and red oversized sunglasses. “With a comfy deck, views of the city and great neighbors, we figure we’ve got it really good here.” X

FOREVER VIEW: Octavia Caldwell is shown on the deck of her Town Mountain home. Photo by Carol Kaufman Series

FEB. 5 - FEB. 13 , 2025

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

 Online-only events

 More info, page 33

 More info, page 40

WELLNESS

Balance, Agility, Strength, Stretch

This weekly class for adults focuses on flexibility, balance, stretching, and strength. Bring your own exercise mat.

WE (2/5, 12), 10am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Thrive 55+ Exercise Party

Every Wednesday, active adults will come together for chair exercise, balance challenges, and strength training.

WE (2/5, 12), 11am, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St

Qigong

Gentle form of exercise composed of movement, posture, breathing, and meditation used to promote health and spirituality.

WE (2/5, 12), 11:15am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Qi Gong for Overall Health & Wellness

Learn how to relax your mind and body through slow intentional movements.

FR (2/7), 9am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Friday Fitness

Friday Fitness focuses on strengthening, stretching, and aerobics every Friday.

FR (2/7), 10am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Tai Chi for Adults

Improve your movement and flexibility with relaxation techniques each week. Intended for participants ages 40 and over.

FR (2/7), 1:30pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Candlelight Restorative Yoga & Reiki

This candlelit yoga and reiki session will help you find your inner calm and balance.

SA (2/8), 6:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Himalayan Sound Bath Meditation

Imagine the soothing tones of Himalayan singing bowls washing over you, calming your mind, and rejuvenating

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

each week.

TU (2/11), noon, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Training w/Tre

This four-week bodyweight workout focuses on developing strength, flexibility, and endurance without the need for equipment.

TU (2/11), 1pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Breathwork, Movement & Meditation

your spirit.

SA (2/8), SU (2/9), 11am, Somatic Sounds, 157 S Lexington Ave

Wild Souls Authentic Movement w/Renee

Trudeau

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

SU (2/9), 9:30am, Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard

Sunday Morning Meditation Group

Gathering for a combination of silent sitting and walking meditation, facilitated by Worth Bodie.

SU (2/9), 10am, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Prenatal & Postpartum

Yoga

A rejuvenating and relaxing yoga session designed specifically for pregnant and postpartum folks.

SU (2/9), noon, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Queer Yoga

This class is donation-based and centered towards creating an affirming and inclusive space for all queer folks.

SU (2/9), 1:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Strength & Exercise

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

MO (2/10), 9:15am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Prenatal Yoga

Paulina, a yoga teacher and certified birth doula, will guide you through gentle poses and breathing exercises to help you connect with your changing body.

MO (2/10), 5:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Zumba Gold & Silverobics

Calorie-burning, fun, low-impact class that incorporates dance and fitness for older adults

Special evening practice combining Restorative Yoga, Somatic Breathwork, and Meditation, designed to promote deep relaxation and nervous system balance.

TU (2/11), 6:30pm, Old Fort Yoga, 45 Catawba Ave, Old Fort Free Tai Chi for Beginners

Improve your balance, fitness, and flexibility without putting stress on the joints.

WE (2/12), 9am, Marshall Public Library, 1335 N Main St, Marshall

Therapeutic Recreation Adult Morning Movement

Wednesday mornings are all about active games, physical activities, and sports adapted to accommodate all skill levels.

WE (2/12), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Community Yoga & Mindfulness

Free monthly event with Inspired Change Yoga that will lead you into a morning of breathwork, meditation and yoga.

WE (2/12), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Tai Chi Chih Move towards better health and more happiness with mindful, moving meditation.

WE (2/12), noon, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Kitten Yoga Bring your yoga mat and recharge your energy while being assaulted by adorable, adoptable kittens.

WE (2/12), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

SUPPORT GROUPS

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

TH (2/6, 13), 4:30pm, Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 1 Kenilworth Knolls Unit 4

Maternal Mental Health Support Group for Mommas w/Sistas Caring 4 Sistas

Sistas Caring 4 Sistas invites you to an afternoon of mental health

THE DRUMMERS OF JAPAN: Wortham Center for the Performing Arts hosts performances from Yamato: The Drummers of Japan on Wednesday, Feb. 12, and Thursday, Feb. 13, starting at 7 p.m both nights. This high-energy ride through centuries of Japanese tradition will feature heart-thumping rhythms from more than 40 taiko drums. Photo courtesy of Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

support.

MO (2/10), 3pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Infant Feeding Support Group

Learn helpful approaches to feeding from a local International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and other mothers.

TU (2/11), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Psych Salon: Healing Adult ADHD

A weekly salon-style group discussion aimed at understanding, developing, and supporting your ADD/ADHD mind in your life and creative work, with insights from Gabor Maté’s book Scattered Minds.

TH (2/13), 10am, Corduroy Lounge, 444 Haywood Rd Ste 103

DANCE

Zumba Gold

A weekly interval-style dance fitness party that combines low- and high-intensity moves. Burn calories as you move to the rhythm.

WE (2/5), noon, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez

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

WE (2/5, 12), 8pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd

Tap Dance: Advanced Fun and active twice-weekly class for advanced students. Students provide their

own tap shoes.

TH (2/6, 13), 11:45am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Line Dancing Groove in for this fun weekly drop-in class. Try it once and you’ll be hooked.

TH (2/6), noon, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Bachata Dance Lesson and Social

Live DJ Bachata nights with some Cha Cha, Cumbia, Merengue and Salsa added to the mix.

TH (2/6, 13), 8:30pm, Urban Orchard Cider Co. S Slope, 24 Buxton Ave

Line Dance: Beginner

Some familiarity with line dance steps is helpful, but not necessary in this weekly class.

MO (2/10), noon, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Monday Night Contra Dance

A welcoming environment for anyone who would like to contra dance. Lessons start at 7 p.m. and a social dance starts at 7:30 p.m.

MO (2/10), 7:30pm, A-B Tech, Genevieve Circle

Open-Level Adult Dance

Each class will feature a full-body warm-up, specific skill practice, and a dance combination to your favorite music.

WE (2/12), 5:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain February Square Dance

This dance is free and open to all, both on campus and within the community.

TH (2/13), 7pm, Mars Hill University, College St, Mars Hill

Greetings from Asheville: Tourism & Transformation in the Postcard Age

This exhibition explores how the land, the people, and the built environment of Asheville and its surrounding environs were interpreted through early 20th century vintage postcards. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through May. 30, 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

How We Heal: Opening Reception

Asheville Gallery of Art proudly presents a new opening reception with three new artists for its February special exhibit: Cynthia Brody, Marion Vidal and Kathleen Stern, How We Heal. FR (2/7), 5am, Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave

2025 School of Art & Design Faculty Biennial

This exhibition provides students and the community an opportunity to view recent work created by distinguished faculty members whose primary research output is studio-based. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through May, 2.

WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Torn Exhibition: Opening Reception Meet the featured artists, Robert Brinkmeyer, Kathleen O’Conner, and Teri Withem, and explore their captivating work that transforms fragments, remnants,

and discarded materials into compelling art.

FR (2/7), 5pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

American Made Paintings & Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection

The exhibition beautifully illustrates distinctive styles and thought-provoking art explored by American artists over the past two centuries with more than 100 works of art by renowned American artists. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Monday and Tuesday. Exhibition through Feb. 10, 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Anti Form: Robert Morris’s Earth Projects

The suite of lithographic drawings by Robert Morris presents a series of ideas for ten works of art shaped out of earth, atmospheric conditions, and built environments. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through May 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Forces of Nature: Ceramics from the Hayes Collection Forces of Nature is drawn from the collection of Andrew and Hathia Hayes, demonstrating the different approaches to ceramics in Western North Carolina.Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through March, 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

How We Heal

This special exhibition will feature three new artists: Cynthia Brody,

Marlon Vidal and Kathleen Stern. How We Heal is a tribute to the inhabitants of WNC, who have been so resilient in the long recovery post-Helene. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through Feb. 28. Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave

Look Up Asheville:

A Photographic Exploration of Asheville Architecture

The exhibition features vivid photographs by local photographer Michael Oppenheim. The photographs will be showcased on canvas as gallery wraps and traditional archival photographic prints. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 8:30am. Exhibition through February, 28. John M. Crawford Jr. Gallery, 360 Asheville School Rd Torn Exhibition This exhibition features the captivating exploration of art created through processes of addition and subtraction, where fragments and remnants take on new life. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through Feb. 28. Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain Black History Through the Eyes of Art Celebrate as we take a look at Black history through the eyes of local artists and how they acknowledge and celebrate the past. WE (2/12), 6:30pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

ART

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Bronwyn Cronin & Jazzville (jazz)

Experience an evening of unforgettable world-class jazz with Bronwyn Cronin and her band, Jazzville.

TH (2/6), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Joyful Sound Gospel

Trio

An evening featuring Kevin Mundy, Anna Mabry and Drew Mabry for an inspiring evening of gospel song. Free to the public but a freewill offering will be taken.

FR (2/7), 7pm, First Baptist Church of Weaverville, 63 N Main St, Weaverville

Reggie Harris

Songwriter and lecturer

Reggie Harris brings wisdom and positive vibes through original music and storytelling.

SA (2/8), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Carolina Celtic Presents: Brian Dooley

Asheville-based guitarist and bagpiper performs traditional music from the Renaissance to the present.

MO (2/10), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Irish Session

White Horse hosts a traditional Irish-style session every second and fourth Wednesday.

WE (2/12), 5pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Men in Harmony: Open Singing Jam

Men's a capella ensemble hosts an open jam session to scout for new talented members as well as share an evening of music. For more information contact Jim Gordon at (828) 545-2262.

WE (2/12), 6:45pm, St. Matthias Church, 1 Dundee St

Hub New Music & Yaz Lancaster

A dynamic program including compositions by Angélica Negrón, Elijah Daniel Smith, Nico Muhly, Tyshawn Sorey, Andrew Norman, and a new commissioned work by Yaz Lancaster.

WE (2/12), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Qigong

Gentle form of exercise composed of movement, posture, breathing, and meditation used to promote health and spirituality

WE (2/5, 12), 11:15am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Change Your Palate Cooking Demo

This free lunchtime food demonstration is open to all but tailored towards those with type 2 diabetes or hypertension and/or their caretakers.

TH (2/6), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

One-Pot Meals

Learn to make fuss-free dinners in a pot or a pan. This class is a great way to have fun while meeting your neighbors and enjoying a tasty meal.

TH (2/6, 13), 5:30pm, N Carolina Cooperative Extension-Madison County Center, 258 Carolina Ln, Marshall Craft & Connect

Get crafty and acquire new skills while connecting with peers. Advance registration required.

TH (2/6), 7pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Valentine’s Burlesque Class

In this two-hour workshop, you will learn some classically glamorous moves and enjoy something swanky to sip on. Come as your sexy self, no dance experience is needed.

FR (2/7), 7pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Find Your Inner Warrior: Yoga Workshop

Explore simple yet potent practices to cultivate the courage, resilience, empowerment, confidence and more.

SA (2/8), 12:30pm, Asheville Community

Beginning Cherokee Language

Learn a new language in the new year with beginner Cherokee lessons on the Qualla Boundary. This offering is free of charge and open to all.

MO (2/10), 5pm, Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee

The Foxy Chef: A Night of Vegan Cooking Chefs will take us on a culinary journey, explaining health benefits of nature’s herbs and spices. This class is open for anyone and everyone.

MO (2/10), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Asheville-Buncombe

Senior Games Clinics

Enhance skills and discover new passions through APR’s free clinics, available to all interested participants in this year’s Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games.

TU (2/11), 10am, West Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave

Sticky Situations: Make Your Own Slime

A hands-on workshop to learn the secrets of master slime making.

From classic stretchy slime to glow in the dark, experiment with different ingredients and techniques to create unique slimes.

TU (2/11), 5:30pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Crafting

A variety of cooking and crafts, available at two different times. Advance registration required. Open to individuals ages 17+ with disabilities.

TU (2/11), 10am and 11am, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

Jewelry Making w/ Laurie

Make a bracelet, necklace or earrings for yourself or as a gift. Contact Laurie with any questions at (510) 305-5111.

WE (2/12), noon, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

LITERARY

Book Signing w/Brenda Larson

Local author Brenda Larson will be hosting a meet and greet and book signing for her debut novel, Beach Blast. SA (2/8), 1pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St, Sylva Flooded Poetry

Each poet will be able to share 2-3 poems, and occasionally we will have local celebrity poets close out our night with a featured reading. MO (2/10), 6:30pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200

Books on the Boundary: The Truth According to Ember

Author Danica Nava (Chickasaw Nation) leads a discussion of our winter read, Native rom-com The Truth According to Ember. WE (2/12), 5:30pm, Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee

THEATER & FILM

Jeeves Saves the Day Prepare yourself for another priceless predicament calling upon the redoubtable Jeeves to save the day. See p33 WE (2/5, 12), TH (2/6, 13), FR (2/7), SA (2/8), 7:30pm, North Carolina Stage Co., 15 Stage Ln Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

A progressive white couple’s proud liberal sensibilities are tested when their daughter brings her black fiance home to meet them in this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film. See p33 TH (2/6), FR (2/7), 7:30pm, SA (2/8), SU 2/9), 3pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville

Foreign Film Fridays

Every Friday visitors can enjoy a cozy movie night in the gallery featuring some amazing foreign films curated by film-buff Carlos Steward. FR (2/7), 7pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200

The Play That Goes Wrong

This play-within-a-play features actors battling collapsing sets, missed cues, broken props, their own lines, the audience, and each other on opening night of, The Murder at Haversham Manor. See p33 FR (2/7), TH (2/12), 7:30pm, SA (2/8), SU (2/9), 2:30pm, Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St

Reasonably Priced Babies Improv Show

RPB is a formidable improv comedy group consisting of Tom Chalmers, Mondy Carter, Karen Stobbe, Kim Richardson and Josh Batenhorst. SA (2/8), 7pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 West State St, Black Mountain

Golden Era Movie Magic

An afternoon of beloved classic films. Grab some popcorn and get ready for a trip down memory lane.

TU (2/11), 12:45pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

YAMATO: The Drummers of Japan

Take a thrilling, high-energy ride through centuries of Japanese tradition, where heart-thumping rhythms explode from a dizzying display of more than 40 Taiko drums.

WE (2/12), 7pm, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

Ballet Hispánico

Experience the passion and artistry of Ballet Hispánico as they bring 50 years of vibrant Latino culture to life on stage.

WE (2/12), 7:30pm, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Matters of the Heart: Poetry, Prose & Everything in Between

An evening of original stories, poetry and a play by local WNC artists.

TH (2/13), 7pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville

Once Upon a Murder: An Enchanted Realm Mystery

This interactive murder mystery takes you to the Enchanted Realm, a land where harmony reigned for centuries, until Queen Black seized control of the Silver Tree Forest. Costumes are encouraged.

TH (2/13), 7pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Good Grief w/Chaplain

Judith Loniak

An evening of sharing, release and loving support to help process grief with others and create a new normal.

WE (2/5), 7pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

IBN Biz Lunch: Hendersonville

All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts.

TH (2/6), 11:30am, Thai Spice, 220 S King St, Hendersonville

EveryDay Strong

A program that equips caring adults with training and tools to support the mental health and wellness of children aged 8 to 18.

TH (2/6), 1:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Empowerment Collective Presents: Therese

Gopaul-Robinson & Esmée Dorf

This program features professional Speaker and leading Imposter Syndrome expert Therese Gopaul-Robinson, along with Esmée Dorf, the CEO of an Asheville-based multimillion dollar direct-to-consume company.

TH (2/6), 6pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr

The Philosophy of Making Your Bag

Introducing you to a knock-down, drag out, modern philosophical

debate about the value of getting rich and then giving it away.

TH (2/6), 6pm, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa

A Course in Miracles w/ Patricia Dobberke

A system of thinking to help with suffering and living the good (God) life. Patricia has chosen to facilitate a group because of the need for support in the journey of self in reality.

FR (2/7), 1pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Conversations w/Cats Mix and mingle with cat lovers from all walks of life and twelve adoptable housepanthers. All proceeds from this event will be donated to Binx's Home for Black Cats.

FR (2/7), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Voices of Impact

This one-of-a-kind event brings together visionary speakers to explore the profound connections between leadership, community, and the planet through powerful stories, innovative ideas, and inspirational perspectives. See p40 FR (2/7), 6pm, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

Life Stories for 2025

This program helps share your vision for the future by sharing your dreams and aspirations, receive encouragement and support from others, manifest your vision for the year ahead and more.

FR (2/7), 7pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Belay Clinics

This hour long clinic covers the basics of knot tying, gear checks, and belaying using the PBUS technique.

SU (2/9), 1pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Coloring w/Cats: Teens & Adults

Set time for yourself and cuddle with the panthers, meet other cat-lovers, and color a beautiful picture of a cat from our adult coloring books.

SU (2/9), 2pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Serenity Sound Bath

A one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience.

SU (2/9), 1pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Metta Meditation: An Evening of Loving Kindness

Metta meditation is a simple method of consciously cultivating unconditional friendship, compassion and love for self and other.

SU (2/9), 2:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Open Gym Climb Climbers must attend and pass an APR climbing course or belay clinic to belay. Any participants who attend a belay clinic the day of open climb receive free entry to open climb on the day of the clinic.

SU (2/9), 2:30pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Connecting Conversations

Explore conversations built around curiosity, understanding, and openness to develop stronger connections, to be heard, and to empathize with different viewpoints.

SU (2/9), 3:45pm, Peri Social House, 406 W State St, Black Mountain Family Open Gym Weekly time in the gym reserved for all ages to shoot hoops and play other active games as a family.

SU (2/9), 4pm, Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St Alive After 55+

A program for active older adults to socialize, play board games and puzzles, create in group art activities, and more.

MO (2/10), TU (2/11), 10am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh R

Youth Mental Health First Aid For Adults Program designed to teach adults how to help an adolescent who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.

MO (2/10), TU (2/11), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Black Men Monday

A local group that has stepped up in the community to advocate for and mentor students through academic intervention. Kids, ages 7 and up, are welcome to join.

MO (2/10), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Beginner Climbing: Ages 5-7

A three-week instructional climbing class designed for beginners. Adults belay their own children.

MO (2/10), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Compassion Series: Introduction To The Power Of Love

This evening will engage in the exploration of our own Loving Awareness that is beyond concepts and conditions.

MO (2/10), 6:30pm, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

IBN Biz Lunch: Candler

The meeting will consist of introductions by every guest, a discussion of future networking opportunities in the area, a roundtable business needs and solutions segment and more.

TU (2/11), 11:30am, Elena's Mexican Grill, 101 Westridge Market Place, Candler

Lunch & Learn Series w/ Rev. Michele Laub, RScP

This Lunch & Learn series was specifically designed for those of us who want to continue to expand our spirituality and are not comfortable driving in the dark.

TU (2/11), noon, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way Veterans Creative Retreat

The mission of the retreat is to provide a safe space for veterans to explore various artistic mediums, socialize with peers, and find calm and comfort in creating. Free to all Veterans, their spouses, partners and

Q&A: BEYOND THE DAIS

Running the trails with Commissioner Drew Ball

Xpress: What is your go-to exercise? And, if applicable, where in Buncombe County do you like to do it?

Ball: With so many great trails in our region, I enjoy mountain biking and trail running. I mostly run a section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near my home that I help care for as a section maintainer with the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC). I’m just one of hundreds of CMC volunteers, and it’s inspiring that so many miles of trails in our area are maintained by volunteers from great groups like CMC and Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA).

On days when you need to mentally unwind, is there a spot in our city that you gravitate to?

Alongside the French Broad River. Prior to the storm, I would have said the French Broad River Park, but the importance of our public parks to our physical and mental health is exactly why we have to be committed to getting our parks and public lands restored as quickly as possible. What song gets you most energized (whether it’s for a workout session or a board meeting)?

“All Along the Watchtower,” the Jimi Hendrix version — but it was written by Bob Dylan. Years ago, I saw Steve Earle and his band cover it at The Orange Peel, and they absolutely crushed it. X

adult children.

TU (2/11), 5:30pm, Givens Gerber Park, 40 Gerber Rd

Full Moon Circle

Facilitated by Sierra Hollister, author of Moon

Path Yoga, these circles are held at each new moon and full moon and are open to all who wish to join.

TU (2/11), 7pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Jam Sessions

Bring homemade or store bought jams, jellies, and marmalades to share and taste a variety of flavors, learn new recipes, and connect with jam lovers.

WE (2/12), 9:30am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Low-Cost Community

Cat Neuter Clinic

Male cat neuters every other Thursday. You must schedule and pay for your appointment prior to showing up.

TH (2/13), 8am, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

NSA-WNC Meeting

Professional keynote speakers, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and consultants who cover a broad range of topics, skills, & knowledge.

TH (2/13), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

IBN Biz Lunch: Brevard/ Pisgah Forest Network and have lunch with new and old friends while you promote your business products and services.

TH (2/13), 11:30am, Hawg Wild Smokehouse & Taproom, 91 Pisgah Hwy, Pisgah Forest

MAN’S BEST FRIEND: Drew Ball takes a winter run with his dog, Maybelle. Photo by Meaghan Collins

Free Sober Disc Golf

This is a great opportunity to get outside and get some exercise. It's also a fun time to meet others in recovery, build community and create connection. No experience is necessary.

TH (2/13), 3:30pm, Richmond Hill Park, 300 Richmond Hill Dr

GAMES & CLUBS

Grant Southside Center

Walking Club

Walk inside in the gym or outside, if the weather is nice, with themed music each week.

WE (2/5, 12), 10:30am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St Bid Whist

Make bids, call trumps, and win tricks. Every Saturday for fun competition with the community.

SA (2/8), 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston S

Community Bingo

Prizes awarded to winners of each game. Recurs the third Saturday of each month.

SA (2/8), 1pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Weekly Sunday Scrabble Weekly scrabble play where you’ll be paired with players of your skill level. All scrabble gear provided.

SU (2/9), 1:30pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Ultimate Bid Whist & Spades

Bring a partner or come solo for a fun evening of competitive bid whist and spades every Tuesday.

TU (2/11), 6pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

Tot Time

Take an Express Tour of the galleries, then go on an adventure with art, music, or storytelling in the Museum’s interactive Art PLAYce. For children ages 0-5 years old and their families or caregiver.

WE (2/5), 11:30am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Black Cat Tales: Story Time w/Cats

A special after-school workshop where families with children age 7 and under can relax and foster a love of reading while also socializing with the cats in the lounge.

WE (2/5), TH (2/6, 13), FR (2/7), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Intergenerational LEGO Club

Flex your Lego building skills and make some

friends while you’re at it. Please leave your personal Legos at home because we’ve got plenty. Open to all ages 5 and up.

TH (2/6), 4pm, East Asheville Public Library, 3 Avon Rd

Kids Night In Let your child work off extra energy with a fun-filled night of themed games, crafts, special activities, and a light dinner.

FR (2/7), 6pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Parents Night Out Drop your little ones off at Burton Street Community Center for art projects, science experiments, games, and more.

FR (2/7), 6pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St Kid Hop Hooray! Open floor dance party for kids featuring DJ Oso Rey. Free admission for kids under 2.

SA (2/8), 10am, Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave

Kids Yoga & Art Pop Up: Let Love In Children will learn tools for self-regulation, build social-emotional skills, and practice a variety of breath-work and mindfulness techniques to use throughout their daily life.

SA (2/8), noon, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Coloring w/Cats: Kiddie Edition

An artistic session with coloring books and markers for children ages 13 and under to relax by coloring as they pet cats to reduce stress and anxiety.

SA (2/8), 1pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd Kids Quiet Play Session Some benefits, especially useful for children, include mental clarity for distracted youngsters as well as immune boosting, respiratory relief and relief from skin conditions.

SU (2/9), 10am, Asheville Salt Cave, 16 N Liberty St

Kiddie Cat Etiquette Bring your kiddos for a fun and educating workshop where your kids will learn the fundamentals of cat behavior.

SU (2/9), 1pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Little Climbers

A mix of fun games and activities for little adventurers with a focus on building toddlers’ motor skills and balance, climbing and playing on and off the indoor climbing wall.

TU (2/11), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Toddler Discovery Time

This open gym time allows toddlers and caregivers to make mem-

ories and new friends through structures and unstructured activities.

TU (2/11), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

World of Games

Grab a controller and best your opponent to play games like Fortnite, Warzone, Madden, and 2K. Board and card games available.

TU (2/11), 6pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

The Family Music Class

A play-based interactive music and movement program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and their grownups.

WE (2/12), 9:30am, Whole Body Chiropractic, 390 S. French Broad Ave

Tiny Tykes Wednesday Play Dates

Open play for toddlers to explore bikes, balls, inflatables, climbing structures, and more fun.

WE (2/12), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

LOCAL MARKETS

River Arts District

Farmers Market

Weekly market featuring local fruits, vegetables,

meats, bread, honey, eggs, pastries, flowers, crafts and more. SNAP and disaster SNAP are accepted.

WE (2/5, 12), 3pm, AB Tech, 24 Fernihurst Dr

Weaverville Winter Tailgate Market

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

WE (2/5, 12), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville

Friday Night Sip & Shop

Sip, shop and stroll through the different shops found within the Grove Arcade, every Friday.

FR (2/7), 4pm, Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave

Art After Dark Market

An art market with accessibly priced works created by WNC artist. Stop in to support our local art scene.

FR (2/7), 7pm, rEvolve Buy+Sell+Trade, 697 Haywood Rd

Asheville City Market

Featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese,

bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December 21.

SA (2/8), 10am, 52 N Market St

North Asheville Tailgate Market

The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC, since 1980. Over 60 rotating vendors providing a full range of local, sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, plants and unique crafts.

SA (2/8), 10am, UNC Asheville, Lot P34, 275 Edgewood Rd

Valentine Market

White Horse hosts a variety of local artisan goods, handmade gifts, and more.

SA (2/8), 11am, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Shakedown on Wall Street

Third Room presents a takeover of Wall Street featuring various local vendors, artists, and musicians.

SA (2/8), 1pm, Third Room, 46 Wall St

MPRC Pantry

The pantry is available to anyone with needs. Some items available include non-perishable foods, diapers, baby wipes, paper goods,

feminine hygiene products and more.

TU (2/11), 3pm, Mills River Presbyterian Church, 10 Presbyterian Church Rd, Mills River

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

You Had Me At MEOW: Speed-dating for Cat-lovers

An inclusive speed-dating event where you can mix and mingle with single cat lovers from all walks of life. All proceeds from this event will be donated to Binx's Home for Black Cats.

TH (2/6), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

A Valentine's Day Celebration

While Marquee works toward reopening, Grove Arcade is honored to host this talented community and share a day of love, art, music and stunning entertainment.

SA (2/8), 11am, Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave

Cupid's Canine Quest

Bring your furry friend and take on Cupid’s Quest as you explore Jake Rusher Park in search of treats. Dogs must be on a leash at

all times.

SA (2/8), 11am, Jake Rusher Park, 160 Sycamore Dr, Arden 6th Annual Cupid is Stupid Car Smashing

Take a swing at heartbreak and let out your frustrations at this Ultimate Valentine's Day event and post-Helene therapy. There will also be a vendor market, drink specials and Hex Your Ex will be there as well.

SA (2/8), noon, Hi-Wire Brewing - Biltmore Village, 2A Huntsman Place

Fuzzy Rainbows Fest: First Saturday

An all-day Billy Strings pre-show party featuring live music and art vendors. These back-to-back Saturday events will take place on both floors.

SA (2/8), noon, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave

Tanger Asheville Lunar Year Celebration

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with a festive day of culture, community and fun. Attendees will have the opportunity to enter to win our $200 gift card giveaway. Asheville School’s Asian Student Union will also teach shoppers how to write their names in

Chinese characters.

SA (2/8), noon, Tanger Outlets Asheville, 800 Brevard Rd

Bike Love '25

Whether you ride or just love a great party, Bike Love '25 is where music, community, and high-energy vibes come together. Bring your crew, hit the dance floor, and celebrate. SA (2/8), 7pm, Eulogy, 10 Buxton Ave

Love Thyself Valentine's Day Ball

A Valentine's ball where people can dress fancy or play dress-up with wedding dresses for photos. Beverages and snacks will provided with DJ Savvy G bringing the tunes. This event will also benefit Helpmate.

SA (2/8), 8pm, rEvolve Buy+Sell+Trade, 697 Haywood Rd

Stout Week Kickoff

Brunch

A brunch-style event of rich, bold stouts that’ll make your taste buds do a touchdown dance. There will also be food truck options, prizes and giveaways. SU (2/9), 11am, Hi-Wire Brewing Event Center, 2B Huntsman Place

Pixe Wars: Weekly Retro Game Tournament

The perfect chance to

show off your gaming skills every week. It's free to play and the weekly winner takes home a Hi-Wire gift card.

MO (2/10), 7pm, Hi-Wire Brewing, 197 Hilliard Ave

Wine to Water & New Belgium: Asheville Recovery Celebration

An evening of that celebrates hurricane recovery in Asheville and all of those who made it possible.

TU (2/11), 5pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St

Galentine's Day

Enjoy live music by Hot Bread Selectors, get some permanent jewelry from Sparked with Love, and indulge in Girl Dinner specials like dirty martinis, Caesar salads, French fries, and more.

TH (2/13), 6pm, District 42, 7 Patton Ave

You Had Me At MEOW: Speed-dating for Queer Cat-lovers

A queer inclusive speed-dating event where you can mix and mingle with single cat lovers from all walks of life. All proceeds from this event will be donated to Binx's Home for Black Cats.

TH (2/13), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Furr-Ever Valentine

Photo Event

Come in with your beloved pet to get the sweetest family portrait taken. All of the proceeds of this donation-based event will benefit Asheville Humane Society.

SA (2/8), 2:30pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr

Oakley Community Closet

A cost-free opportunity to shop clothes, shoes, and toys. Donations for Oakley Community Closet happily accepted at Murphy-Oakley Community Center throughout the week.

WE (2/12), 1pm, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

Share the Love

This free community event aims to raise funds to support Root Cause Farm's goal of growing fresh, organic produce in 2025 and distributing it at no cost to neighbors in need.

TH (2/13), 4pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd

Magical Offerings

Setting the pace

BY BROOKE RANDLE

Sometimes rebuilding a community starts with lacing up your shoes.

That was the approach that scores of residents took during the Oct. 27 Runners Gotta Run event.

Organized by the 828 Endurance Community, a collective relief effort for outdoor and endurance businesses in Western North Carolina, the gathering drew roughly 75 people from around the community to bask in the healing and camaraderie that group running offers.

Savanna Waites, manager of Jus’ Running, a locally owned running and walking store on Merrimon Avenue, was among the participants. “[We] all came together and just wanted to run together after going through something so devastating [as Tropical Storm Helene],” remembers Waites.

For some, running in a group has always provided built-in motivation as well as a way to foster friendships. But in the wake of Helene, Waites and others point out, the act of running has also taken on a deeper meaning: strengthening community.

DETOURS AHEAD

Like most things in the days after the storm, the WNC running community ground to a halt. Trails and greenways along the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers were washed away, while power lines, trees and other debris filled neighborhood streets.

Carrie Baris , who works as the director of the Hellbender 100 race and serves as president of the Run 828 Foundation, says that Bent Creek was among the impacted areas and was closed for several weeks, forcing the N.C. Mountain Trail Runners to pause its activities. That’s when Baris and others began coordinating with local officials to inform local runners of which places were safe and which remained off-limits.

“People were coming to the [group] leaders asking, ‘What is open? Can we go here? Could we go there?’ So those of us who lead quickly became kind of experts at finding that information and disseminating it,” she explains.

While Bent Creek and its trail system is now reopened, some running groups have had to completely alter their routes. Mark Driscoll , who helped start Weekly Wedge

Run decades ago, says the group gathering returned to its original starting point at the Wedge Studios, due to damage at the brewery’s Foundry Street location. New routes for their Thursday evening runs are being mapped and tested as cleanup along the River Arts District progresses.

“ Don Kerrigan is one of the regulars who has been pretty committed to trying to figure out a new route, which has been ever-changing because of construction,” Driscoll says. “We’re still keeping off some sections because even though the river is open for running, there still might be some construction or clearing going on. So we’re paying attention to what’s open and what’s safe and what’s runnable, and that has led to several different routes.”

STANDING STRONG

For trail runner Brandon Thrower , the mountains in WNC are a runner’s paradise, offering a perfect blend of rugged terrain, breathtaking vistas and seemingly endless winding paths.

Thrower founded Tanawha Adventures, which holds races on WNC mountains. He says the effects of Helene have been felt far and wide. “Every single race course that

Team mindset

Running has long been hailed as an exercise with numerous health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, weight management and increased bone density. It also can act as a stress-reducer and mood booster. Numerous studies have found that running reduces post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma-related symptoms, according to the National Library of Medicine.

“Wellness is made up of multiple pieces — there’s the mental health aspect, and then also the physical health aspect. And so with running, I think that there is a way to work on yourself mentally and physically, and that leads to an overall healthier lifestyle,” explains Savanna Waites , manager of Jus’ Running.

Group running also has additional benefits, adds Carrie Baris, president of the Run 828 Foundation, an area nonprofit that supports various running events and groups throughout Western North Carolina. Its running group, N.C.

we had had some sort of damage to it,” Thrower says.

The largest impacts, he continues, occurred in Old Fort, east of Asheville. The damage there, Thrower notes, went well beyond the town’s trail systems — roughly 50 homes were damaged or lost in the storm.

Thrower, in partnership with 600-acre Camp Grier, staged the Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival in December to raise money for flood victims. It sold out in three days with 400 participants, including trail runners and mountain bikers.

“Our goal was to raise about $1 million from the event alone, and that’s what we did. We ended up hitting $1 million,” says Thrower. “We’ve already distributed about $500,000 to communities, so it’s been a huge impact.”

Thrower also sends about 10% of profits from every Tanawha Adventures race toward conservation efforts in WNC.

“That conservation piece is more needed than ever. These trails are what draw people here and are an asset to the people who live here. And that’s not something that we want to lose,” Thrower says. “We have all this damage now and it might take a while, but we’re going to get it back.” X

Mountain Trail Runners, meets Monday nights at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest in South Asheville. Anywhere between 25 and 50 people show up for any given run.

Group runners tend to push each other to run farther or faster than those who run alone, according to a study from Kansas State University. Weekly running events also encourage accountability and motivate members to attend. Baris notes that the physical challenges that runners experience together can lead to bonding and rapport among participants.

“Within a group of athletes, you certainly do see a shared kind of passion that leads to a lot of conversation you might not have in other situations. If you’re running next to someone, there is an ability to just share things you otherwise might not talk about,” Baris explains. “The further you’re going — say, an ultramarathon — with that pain and suffering comes clarity and the ability to open up to people they might not in other situations.”  X

Hunger pangs

BY CARMELA CARUSO

carmela.caruso@yahoo.com

Though much of Western North Carolina was without water, power and cell service in the days after Tropical Storm Helene, staff at many area nonprofits and restaurants were hard at work finding ways to get food out to the community.

In the midst of the disaster, the need was clear and urgent. But food insecurity was at crisis levels in WNC even before Helene, say local hunger-fighting organizations. In the months following the storm’s destruction, widespread economic hardship has exacerbated an already pressing issue.

Xpress talked with four local groups to find out how they’re continuing to feed a community in need.

STARTING OVER

While Helene raged, Claire Neal, CEO of MANNA FoodBank, WNC’s primary food distribution organization, frantically monitored security cameras at the nonprofit’s Swannanoa River Road facility. On the morning of Sept. 27, with the river filling the building, MANNA’s server went down, then the power went out, cutting off video access. By the following day, the only way to get to the building was by boat.

MANNA’s warehouse was destroyed with damage totaling $28 million. But like other nonprofits in the region addressing food insecurity, the organization’s team mobilized into action immediately to feed a devastated community.

MANNA quickly set up a temporary distribution station at the WNC Farmers Market, which served over 8,000 families in the first two weeks after the storm. Micah Chrisman, director

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Months after Helene, WNC’s food insecurity crisis persists

MOVEABLE FEAST: After its Swannanoa River Road headquarters was destroyed by Tropical Storm Helene, MANNA FoodBank pivoted immediately to a temporary site at the WNC Farmers Market in order to help meet the area’s overwhelming need for food during the disaster. Photo courtesy of MANNA

of marketing and communications, saw people from all walks of life come through the distribution site — families with children, senior citizens, people whose only belongings were packed into their cars.

MANNA’s board of directors had raised concerns about flooding as early as 2018, and, fortuitously, leadership had secured a new warehouse in Mills River just days before the storm. The plan had been to transition to the new location by 2026, but Helene hastened the move. By mid-October, MANNA had relocated, filling the 84,000-square-foot space to capacity thanks to generous donations that poured in from all over the country. While the organization doesn’t yet have a poststorm count of people served, Chrisman notes that in December 2023, with operations functioning normally, MANNA distributed 1.7 million pounds of food across 16 counties. This past

December, despite having just lost its entire headquarters, it distributed nearly 1.2 million pounds from its new site while also collecting, storing and distributing nonfood items, including clothing, heaters and camping gear.

“We had limited storage and no food racking available, so we were only able to utilize floor space for pallets of food donations,” Chrisman explains. “We also had fewer refrigerated units, so we weren’t able to take as much produce and milk as we normally do.”

MANNA also coordinated the distribution of countless pounds of food in the first weeks of the crisis that went untallied because they were sent directly to its 220 partner agencies.

FEEDING THE PEOPLE

A surplus of donations and volunteers was common among WNC groups addressing food needs in the weeks after Helene — a good problem to have, according to Shelly Baker, communications and outreach coordinator for Asheville Poverty Initiative (API). The nonprofit runs 12 Baskets Café, an inclusive site offering free, sit-down meals in West Asheville.

The program rescues high-quality food from grocery stores, caterers, restaurants and institutional dining rooms — items that would otherwise be sent to landfills. The poststorm surge in donations meant the café’s refrigerators were full at a time when need was skyrocketing. Since the storm, 12 Baskets has expanded to serve meals six days a week, up from two days per week in 2023.

The dining room accommodates 155 people a day in the winter and more during warm weather with outdoor seating. The program also supplies free groceries to about 65-75 people a day. “Even during Hurricane Helene we were here with no power, serving people,” says Baker. “Storm or no storm, we will be here serving food — hot food if the power doesn’t go out.” Equal Plates Project (EPP) was also committed to feeding the community in the wake of the storm. The Asheville-based nonprofit had serendipitously opened a second kitchen two weeks before Tropical Storm Helene hit, allowing it to scale up production at a time when more residents than ever were in need.

Executive Director Madi Holtzman says that on the Sunday after Helene, despite the communication blackout, her whole team just showed up to one of the kitchens, even though they typically don’t work on Sundays.

“I think we all just felt this instinct to, first of all, see if our fridges were still powered, and then they were,” she says. “So we were all just kind of like, ‘All right, let’s get the food we already have prepared out this afternoon.’”

The brainchild of Gaining Ground Farm’s Aaron Grier, EPP emerged in April 2020 when restaurants were forced to close due to COVID-19, leaving many local farmers with no market for their crops. The nonprofit dedicates 50%-70% of its food budget to buying ingredients from local farmers, says Holtzman. It employs local professional chefs to prepare nutritious meals, which are distribut-

ed across Buncombe County through community-based organizations.

After Helene, EPP’s food distribution mushroomed from about 1,000 meals a week to 1,000 meals a day. Holtzman attributes the growth in need to a number of intersecting factors, including displacement due to storm damage and a spike in unemployment.

In December, Buncombe County reported that over 9,200 homes were damaged in the storm, with almost 1,000 of those claiming major damage or destruction. According to the N.C. Department of Commerce, unemployment in Buncombe County spiked to 10.4% in October before dropping to 7.2% in November, compared with 2.6% for the same period in 2023. November unemployment rates for surrounding counties vary from 4% to nearly 9%.

FROM RESTAURANT TO RELIEF AGENCY

While the EPP team was convening downtown after the storm, so too were the chefs at Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ. They showed up the afternoon after Helene passed, setting up generators to keep the restaurant refrigerators running.

Just before the cellphone outage, Bear’s co-owner Cheryl Antoncic Suess says her business partner and co-founder Jamie McDonald texted with news that international nonprofit World Central Kitchen (WCK) was trying to get supplies into Asheville. McDonald had previously helped distribute meals with WCK during crises in Florida and Morocco and to Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

Before the end of the next day, WCK had landed a helicopter in the KellerWilliams parking lot behind Bear’s downtown location. A few days later, the team had water tanks set up, and the restaurant was pumping out food.

Bear’s distributed 35,000 to 40,000 meals a day during October with the help of an army of volunteers. Antoncic drove across WNC, stopping at fire departments, community centers, churches and residences to find out where food was most needed. With box trucks rented by WCK and volunteers’ personal vehicles, Bear’s distributed prepared food directly to some of the hardest-hit areas of the region, including Burnsville, Swannanoa and Black Mountain.

As of early January, with the financial investment of WCK, Bear’s was still cooking and delivering over 4,000 free meals a day to sites across the region, including to individuals living in hotels through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Transitional Sheltering Assistance program.

Though Bear’s small outpost at Sweeten Creek Brewing has reopened fully, the downtown location is still operating on limited hours and with an abbreviated menu. Though WCK had originally planned to leave WNC in mid-December, it’s now committed to partnering with Bear’s on food relief efforts through the winter.

Antoncic is hopeful that in spring tourists will return, and Bear’s downtown location can resume regular hours. But for now, community outreach by Bear’s staff shows that food insecurity remains strong enough to continue producing 4,000 community meals per day.

“I don’t think that number is going down anytime soon, especially in the winter,” says Antoncic. “The disaster and the emergency are not over.”

SHINING A LIGHT

Though EPP received an outpouring of support after the storm, Holtzman says volunteer numbers have dropped in the months since, despite the “heightened needs” of local communities experiencing severe economic pressures. “The truth is, there was rampant food insecurity and need for support even prehurricane,” she says. “But I think that the hurricane, kind of like COVID, shined a light on the scale of need.”

MANNA’s Chrisman says demand for the nonprofit’s services has risen steadily since the pandemic. “Our numbers have only increased every month, year over year,” he says. “That definitely speaks to some systemic issues with our economic solutions and everything that is going on in our communities.”

Baker at AIP believes WNC’s post-Helene weeks without running water, electricity and internet helped increase understanding about the daily struggles people in poverty face on an ongoing basis. It also underscored how much can be done when the community rallies together.

“Poverty was a disaster, if you will, before we had the natural disaster of Helene,” she says. “There’s no reason that we shouldn’t always be there for our neighbors.”

Chrisman acknowledges that now, months after the storm has passed and much outside aid has moved on, survivors may experience a sense of disillusionment or hopelessness over loss of support — part of a postdisaster behavioral cycle researched by the National Center for PTSD.

“At MANNA, our goal is to make sure folks understand that even when everybody else is feeling that low point, we have to help be that caring resource,” he says. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re there for you.”

For a list of MANNA’s partner food distribution organizations, visit avl.mx/eho. X

Hiking the great outdoors with Commissioner Parker Sloan

Xpress: What is your go-to exercise? And, if applicable, where in Buncombe County do you like to do it?

Sloan: Every few years the medical community seems to change its mind on what is best for an individual’s exercise routine. This year it appears to be weightlifting, so to keep my head on straight these days I like to go to the YMCA and lift weights.

On days when you need to mentally unwind, is there a spot in our city that you gravitate to?

Series

BEYOND BUNCOMBE: Commissioner Parker Sloan and his wife, Maia, pose alongside the South Toe River in Yancey County. Photo courtesy of Sloan

Hiking is the best mental health medicine. Asheville’s Masters Park, Rattlesnake Lodge Trail and anywhere near the South Toe River (sorry I know it’s in Yancey!) are my favorites. What song gets you most energized (whether it’s for a workout session or a board meeting)?

For working out I’m always listening to podcasts. Particularly podcasts about the clean energy transition. It’s both necessary for the survival of our species this century and also the largest economic development opportunity in the history of mankind, so it really gets the blood flowing. When it comes to music, I am a big fan of Vulfpeck, Hiss Golden Messenger and Justin Townes Earle. X

What we do in the shadows

Andrew K. Clark’s new horror novel honors Appalachian ancestors

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

Andrew K. Clark’s debut novel, Where Dark Things Grow, takes place in a fictionalized version of the Asheville area during the Great Depression. But after the recent destruction caused by Tropical Storm Helene, it’s tough not to picture these familiar mountain locations in modern times and wonder how they fared.

Published a few weeks before the natural disaster struck, the book itself may prompt such reflections in more direct ways as well.

“As someone pointed out to me, weather plays prominently in the novel, too, although it’s more of a winter storm that the characters are dealing with,” Clark says. “Nature’s always a foil in literature.”

Set in fictionalized hollers and other rural patches of land outside the “big city” of Altamont (which was also Thomas Wolfe’s literary name for Asheville), the dark tale of 15-year-old Leo coming of age in supernatural circumstances effectively blends horror, magical realism and folklore to provide plenty of escapism from poststorm stress. Yet it simultaneously serves as a tribute to the types of folks most severely impacted by Helene — those who live just beyond urban centers and lack the financial security of the city’s major players.

“I wanted to tell a story that I haven’t heard,” Clark says. “I hear about the glory days of Asheville [in the 1920s]. I hear about that gilded age. There’s so much written about the Vanderbilts — and perhaps right-

PORCH PERSPECTIVE: Andrew K. Clark had numerous local author events for his debut novel postponed by the effects of Tropical Storm Helene. While he’s thankful some were rescheduled for January, he notes that his misfortunes “felt very small in comparison to the art studios being washed out in the River Arts District.” Author photo by Parker J Pfister

fully so. But the working-class people here, there’s not as much being told.”

WULVER FOLKLORE

Clark’s family is one such bunch. His ancestors came to the Barnardsville area in 1739 and migrated to Woodfin and areas around Alexander. While he’s yet to pinpoint another writer in his lineage, Clark notes that he comes from a long line of storytellers who had a significant impact on Where Dark Things Grow, particularly their tendency to mix folklore with religion.

“My grandmother would tell you a story about Jesus, but then she would also tell you, ‘Don’t sleep with your head facing the door because that’s how ”they“ carry you out,” he recalls. “She believed there were creatures in the woods, and you shouldn’t go too far in the woods.”

Clark’s grandparents were both teenagers in the Great Depression, and he sought to capture their voices in the novel. The author says his grandfather was the epitome of the adage, “You can’t ask an Appalachian man a question without getting a story,” and felt it was important to document that communication style in a work of fiction.

Primarily a poet — his collection Jesus in the Trailer was published in 2019 — Clark began Where Dark Things Grow as a short story about his grandparents and some of the things they experienced and talked about during the Great Depression. The goal of the project was for his children to have an informative yet entertaining record of the way their ancestors spoke.

“My grandparents had this rich way of speaking that’s very informed by their time period,” Clark says. “It’s a little bit diminished with my father’s generation; further with me and then much further with my kids, where they’re learning how to use

jargon and learning their jokes from TikTok instead of from Papaw on the front porch.”

But as Clark kept writing, the story continued to grow until he realized he had enough material for a novel. With plenty of Appalachian folklore to choose from, he committed early on to only feature elements from his culture rather than cherrypick from Indigenous traditions. Enchanted by the wulvers from Scottish stories, he took the core concept of these horsesized wolves that can walk on their hind legs and put his own spin on them.

“When you read some of the wulver folklore, you hear about the wulvers being very benevolent and putting fish in your window and doing things like that if your family’s hungry,” Clark says. “It’s a horror novel, so I use them a little bit differently.”

As Leo and his friends cross paths with a wulver and other dark forces in the search for the teen protagonist’s missing father, Clark grounds Where Dark Things Grow in details sourced from his grandparents. Though he regrets not recording his elders talking, their way of speaking and many of their stories stuck with him. And in cases where his memory proved rusty, he consulted his father, uncle and other family members to help flesh things out.

ON THE RISE

One particular detail that’s stuck with Clark involved his grandfather’s recollections of precipitation. Clark says his relative “grew up very, very poor” with noticeable gaps in the roof of his family’s home, forcing those inside to maneuver to new spots when water fell in.

“My grandfather would say, ‘I hated the rain, but I loved the snow.’ And so the kids would lay on the floor, six people in this one-room house, and lines of snow would go across their bodies through those cracks,” Clark says. “And then the snow would sizzle when it hit the wood stove, so that was something that made its way into the novel.”

Fans won’t have to wait long for a sequel. Set in the same location in the 1980s and featuring several of the same characters, now in their 70s, Where Dark Things Rise is slated for a September 2025 release. Beyond that, Clark is amassing material for a second poetry collection, and he’s also begun work on a third novel.

“It’s totally different,” he says before reconsidering. “Because it’s me, it’ll contain magical realism and horror for sure, but a different set of characters, different world.”

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

Playbill picks

February local theater highlights

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

If you’re a fan of local theater, Western North Carolina offers plenty of options. Below are some highlights of productions hitting stages across the region.

ARE YOU BEING SERVED?

The Masters golf tournament may have trademarked the catchphrase “A tradition unlike any other,” but N.C. Stage Company could accurately use that branding for its annual Jeeves productions. Playwright Margaret Raether’s stage adaptations of P.G. Wodehouse’s stories regularly pack the house, and the return of Jeeves Saves the Day looks to continue that tradition. The show opened Jan. 22 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 16.

Featuring director Angie FlynnMcIver and the full cast from N.C. Stage’s 2020 production, the romp follows wealthy bachelor Bertie Wooster (Scott Treadway) as he navigates an accidental marriage engagement with additional complications arising from his bumbling cousin Egbert (Charlie Flynn-McIver), intimidating Aunt Agatha (Callan White), potential future father-in-law Sir Roderick Glossop (John Hall) and enchanting jazz singer Maisie Dawson (Maria Buchanan). As usual, only Bertie’s faithful butler Jeeves (Peter Thomasson) can get his employer out of this latest mess.

“Jeeves Saves the Day is one of our most popular productions of all time and was the final show seen on our stage before COVID closures,” says Buchanan, who also serves as the theater company’s marketing and communications director.

“We are simply chuffed to bring it back to N.C. Stage five years later. We always want to offer something warm and comforting to our audience during these cold, dark winter months, so we love revisiting the smart hilarity of these Wodehousean characters during this time.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/ehh.

KNOCK KNOCK

Made famous by director Stanley Kramer’s 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Houghton, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is

arguably even more potent in its subsequent stage form.

Adapted by Todd Kreidler from the Oscar-winning screenplay by William Rose, this romantic dramedy — about a white San Francisco-based couple whose long-held progressive values are tested when their daughter makes a surprise visit home with her Black widower fiancé — graces the Hendersonville Theater stage Thursday, Feb. 6, through Sunday, Feb. 16.

Rixa Clark and Elijah York play the blessing-seeking young couple, with Pamela Flasch and Doug Sparks as the young woman’s shocked parents.

“We’re so excited to bring Kreidler’s witty and sharp adaptation of this classic American story to the stage,” says Victoria Lamberth, Hendersonville Theater’s managing artistic director, who also directs the show. “This play hits home in a way that feels just as powerful now as it did back in 1967, especially in a country that’s still so divided.”

She continues, “Again, we are grappling with seismic cultural and political shifts. Working with such an amazing group of actors has been a real privilege. Together, we hope to offer audiences an experience that is not only captivating and thought-provoking but also strikingly relevant to the challenges and divisions we face in today’s world.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/ehi.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

Haywood Arts Regional Theater in Waynesville kicks off February with a remounting of the company’s popular 2018 staging of Women & War, which runs Friday-Sunday, Feb. 7-9.

Written by Jack Hilton Cunningham, this readers theater production blends fiction and history via correspondence and monologues to spotlight the struggles U.S. women have endured through various military conflicts. Under the direction of Julie Kinter — who also designed the show’s sound and projections — housewives, factory workers, new brides, nurses, mothers, widows and soldiers from World War I through the war in Afghanistan share their stories of triumph and heartbreak.

“At HART, we are committed to telling stories that matter, and Women & War is a powerful reminder of the strength and courage women have

GRAB BAG: Local theaters essentially have something for everyone throughout February. Photo by iStock

shown throughout history,” Kinter says. “We are thrilled to share this moving production with our audiences and hope it inspires meaningful reflection.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/ehg.

PLEASE EXCUSE THE MESS

A poster child for Murphy’s Law, seemingly all mistakes indeed occur in the hilarious The Play That Goes Wrong at Asheville Community Theatre. The show opens Thursday, Feb. 6, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 23. Kristi DeVille directs this production of the hit comedy by the writing team of Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, in which audiences eavesdrop on opening night of Cornley University Drama Society’s staging of the fictitious 1920s-set whodunnit The Murder at Haversham Manor. From a wobbly set to a corpse that can’t sit still to creative line-recall methods, obstacles are rampant. Yet this committed ensemble — embodied at ACT by a pair of casts that alternate performances — perseveres and does whatever is necessary to finish the show.

“Directing The Play That Goes Wrong has been an absolute blast,” DeVille says. “With two separate casts, the excitement and humor is doubled, and I definitely recommend catching both versions. With everything that has happened in WNC and around the globe, it’s refreshing to relax and enjoy a performance where chaos reigns, yet the actors persist and triumph.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/ehf.

A MOVING MUSICAL

Following its annual Valentine’s Day Cabaret, Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 14-16, HART pivots to the musical The Story of My Life. The show opens Friday, Feb. 21, and runs through Sunday, March 2. Featuring music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and book by Brian Hill, the intimate work centers on the lifelong bond between childhood friends Thomas (played by Eric Martinez) and Alvin (Mark Jones), exploring how the stories we share and those we keep secret define our lives. Kelly Jackson serves as the show’s musical director and performs live piano accompaniment.

“The Story of My Life is a look into our own personal histories to revisit the nostalgia of childhood, the metamorphosis of growing up and to reflect on our past in a new and sometimes harsher light,” says Doug Savitt, the show’s director. “But overall it’s about acknowledging truths, appreciating the memories of years gone by and then letting go to make space for the future.”

Candice Dickinson, HART’s artistic director, calls this production “a testament to what happens when the perfect team comes together.” She adds that the staging has been in the works for three years and that “the blend of talent, passion and creativity behind this show is inspiring.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/ehg. X

WEEKLY DEALS & EVENTS

Monday:

$3 Rotating Beer

Wing Tuesday: 6 wings, any side, and any beer for $12.50

Burger Wednesday: Classic or Special Burger, any side, and any beer for $14.00

Momentary bliss

BY THOMAS CALDER

Sun - Tues: 11am - 10pm Wed - Sat: 11am - 11pm www.hillmanbeer.com tcalder@mountainx.com

Trivia Thursdays: 7-9 PM 25 Sweeten Creek Rd.

In today’s online world, breaking news alerts ping our cellphones every couple of minutes, and social media often demands (and drains) our time, focus and energy.

“With all of this information, we often lose sight of what’s immediately around us,” says Dr. Troy Jackson, a local physician. “We lose our inner voice. We lose the perspective of the good and meaningful aspects of our lives. And we lose ourselves in the mix.”

Mindfulness, continues Jackson, “has been extensively studied in the scientific literature and has been shown to dramatically reduce depression and anxiety, can help alleviate stress by reducing cortisol levels and improve our sleep quality. There is even data that regular mindfulness can improve blood pressure, reduce chronic pain and decrease risk of dementia later in life.”

Denying yourself these opportunities, Jackson adds, could also result in future remorse. “It’s a major regret in my older patients — missing out

on the simple joys in life because they were constantly in the rat race of work, schedules and reaching the next rung on whatever ladder they’re climbing,” he says.

When it comes to mindfulness and being present, poets are among the most practiced. With this in mind, Xpress reached out to several local poets for this year’s Wellness Issues to gauge their thoughts on what writing has taught them about slowing down and observing the world around them.

ON HUMILITY

“Humanity starts with observation. To do something good — whether for yourself or for another — you must first observe something that could be improved or corrected, recognize it and then act. Observation is also the starting point of a poem. Poems are what escape from the long maze of a writer’s mind, but it’s an observation, something about the world around us — a kind gesture you witness on the street, an idiosyncrasy that endears you to a friend, a wish for something to be different in our

world — that first enters that maze and is later transformed into art. I do think the act of creating poetry, and all art, is a grasp toward humanity: By observing the details of the world, of others, we can honor them and spend time with them in our own way. We can shed assumptions and prejudices and build anew. We can learn gratitude and put it into practice by offering our time and willingness to truly see someone and the world around them. By observing, we become not just better artists and writers but more humble and complete humans.”

— Brandon Amico, author of Disappearing, Inc.

ON MOMENTARY BLISS

“For me, the practice of observation is a form of meditation — a means of mediating my emotional and sensory experiences of the world. Instead of being subsumed in the muck of consciousness — which is to say, of the self — we can try to notice what we are thinking and feeling (and seeing and hearing and smelling and touching and tasting),

TAKE YOUR TIME: Local poets share their wellness tips for slowing down and paying attention to the world around you. Pictured, from left, are Whitney Waters, Brit Washburn, Emily Paige Wilson, Brandon Amico, Clint Bowman and Mackenzie Kozak. Photo by Thomas Calder

and that can create a blissful pause in which thought and reactivity are momentarily suspended — a split second of nirvana, of pain relief, of love — before the self reasserts itself. Transcribing these observations onto the page can be the beginning of a poem, which can, in turn, extend these moments — this bliss — and act as a balm and a salve against the incessant and excessive stimulation of our senses and our psyches without awareness and without gratitude, which is to my mind the antithesis of wellness and a thankless way to live.”

— Brit Washburn, author of Notwithstanding and Homing In: Attempts on a Life of Poetry and Purpose

ON GRATITUDE AND PERSPECTIVE

“I think most writers, including myself, are constantly trying to view the world from different perspectives. So, when it comes to observing the smaller parts of life, it’s inevitable that you’ll end up feeling small yourself. I think viewing the world this way does create a sense of empathy but also an immense amount of gratitude for life. If I were a worm, I sure as hell would be thankful for every moment I wasn’t in the beak of a bird.”

— Clint Bowman, author of Pretty Sh*t and If Lost

ON BEING FULLY ALIVE

“Observing has taught me to notice what I’m noticing, which then opens a whole new world that’s expansive and filled with mystery — exactly what a poet needs to create. I now guide students in my courses into becoming active participants in their lives by paying attention to their observations. It’s a door to mindfulness and deep listening that anyone can tap into and discover what’s present, what state one is in and what to do about it, what feelings and perceptions are emerging or fading. This kind of observing inevitably makes one a better human who’s fully alive to life in all its manifestations.”

— Mildred Barya, author of multiple poetry collections, including her latest, The Animals of My Earth School

ON BRIEF MEDITATIONS

“Every morning when I bring my compost into the bin at work, I observe the decaying bouquets and squash blossoms to see what emerges — an image I can myself compost into a poem; a brief meditation on

what it means to be a body that will one day also decompose. It’s a moment in which I observe in quiet and express gratitude for having been well-fed the day before. And it has led to lines in poems, including this one from my manuscript-in-progress about Marie Lafarge, a 19th-century French woman accused of poisoning her husband’s fruitcake with arsenic. Here the compost appears in a piece about the funeral of Marie’s mother:

From the kitchen, a cousin cries. Laments how much I look like Mama. This is untrue, and therefore unkind. I resemble her only in how crops resemble the compost from which they grow.”

— Emily Paige Wilson, author of Four Months Past Florence

ON EMBRACING CURIOSITY

“The act of noticing is integral to what it means to be a poet — noticing the mundane, the beautiful and paying attention to the mundane so much so that you see beauty in it. Poetry teaches me to see the world differently, to approach every being and every experience with curiosity. The mindset becomes what does this particular snowfall actually look like, smell like, feel like? — not what do I think snow looks like, based on my past experiences of snow. It’s a mode of being radically present in the world, and this way of being helps me find delight in the most unexpected places and moments.”

— Whitney Waters, an English instructor at Western Carolina University who is currently working on her first full-length manuscript

ON CONNECTION

“For me, being a reader and writer of poetry insists upon a different pace to living — it brings a gentleness to sight, to thought. I can look at the veins of a leaf and know this is a meaningful use of my time, because I am giving attention to nature, to beauty, and I am learning something about what it is to exist in relation to other living beings, objects, weather, hue. I think observation makes way for noticing connection, it situates me toward connection, which can lead to gratitude, empathy and tenderness, all of which we desperately need more of in this world.”

— Mackenzie Kozak, author of the forthcoming collection, no swaddle X

Xpress announces its 2025 poetry contest in celebration of April as National Poetry Month.

Are you a poet living in Western North Carolina? If so, consider submitting an original, previously unpublished work. This year’s theme is on life in Western North Carolina after Tropical Storm Helene. What are the visuals from the storm’s immediate aftermath that stick with you? What acts of kindness left an impression? How did you get through it? How has the ongoing recovery process impacted you or your loved ones? What gives you hope for our region? Of course, these questions are just suggestions. Your poem might address an entirely separate aspect of the storm. Trust your instinct and submit your most polished work. All poems should be no longer than one typed page in a 12-point font. (Any poems that go beyond the page count will be disqualified.) Again, only previously unpublished poems will be considered. No A.I. generated poems are allowed. And while we love to hear from our younger poets, we ask children under 18 to submit their work to our annual Kids Issues.

The contest is currently open for submissions and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12. Email your poem in the body of the message to tcalder@mountainx.com Embedded links or attached documents will not be read. The subject line should read “Xpress 2025 Poetry Contest.” Include the author’s name and contact information in the email. Only one submission per person. There is no cost to enter. A winning poem will be determined by local poet Michal Dechane, author of the collection The Long Invisible. The winner will be published online and in print in our April 30 issue. The contest is not open to Xpress employees or their families, or freelance contributors. What’s your story? Contact Thomas Calder at

‘Just dirty enough’

Sipping on history at Green Man Brewing’s hidden gem

BY CHRISTOPHER ARBOR

yearinbeerasheville@gmail.com

On Jan. 1, Christopher Arbor and his friends launched a quest to visit one Asheville brewery each week for all of 2025 in the order that they opened. Their most recent stop was Dirty Jack’s on the South Slope. For their previous visit, see avl.mx/eia. Somehow, I’ve lived in Asheville for more than a quarter-century but had never visited Green Man Brewing’s Dirty Jack’s taproom until my friends and I wandered in on a recent chilly Wednesday evening. Dirty Jack’s is a wee bit different from the brewery’s downtown birthplace, Jack of the Wood. Jack of the Wood captures a sort of romanticized view of Ireland — almost Middle Earth — where every seat feels as if it’s tucked into an intimate corner. Dirty Jack’s is more of an Irish soccer bar with concrete floors, metal chairs, dart boards, an air hockey table and large televisions for the games.

You can almost hear the echoes of raucous cheers bouncing off the walls. As its website says, “Just dirty enough to feel like home!”

But the intimate space — our crew of 13 nearly filled it — definitely does have its charm. For example, the bar is a beautiful piece of what looked to me like raw maple, and the walls were covered in traditional Green Man faces interspersed with witticisms like “I’m so miserable without you, it’s like having you here” and “Indecision may or may not be my problem.”

According to Asheville Brewers Alliance records, Dirty Jack’s opened in 2005. Back then, it was both a brewery and taproom, and customers could watch the brewing process while they enjoyed a pint. A bartender informed me that in 2016, brewing moved to the building next door, an old photo studio. The beer is then piped over to the next building, the three-story Green Mansion, for bottling and packaging.

As one of the oldest breweries in Asheville, the company distinguishes itself with its simple, traditional flagship ales — the IPA, ESB and porter — which are brewed from just water, malt, yeast and hops. All three are smooth and balanced with nuanced flavors. When we were in,

Dirty Jack’s also had some other traditional ales (blonde, white and Berliner weiss) and lagers (helles, Marzen, black lager) on tap.

While Green Man may be most famous for its mastery of traditional ales, the brewers also branch out into more innovative styles. For example, while the brewery’s main IPA is considered a British IPA due to its milder hops and more malt-forward flavor, Dirty Jack’s had five other IPAs on tap for us to enjoy that day (hazy, cold, imperial, session and American).

Usually, food is available at the brewery via Green Man Eats; however, the bartender informed us it’s closed for the winter. So I looked up Pie.Zaa, a pizza place just down the road. At first, I balked at the price — $50 for a pizza?!?! But then I saw the size of it. It’s about the dimen-

sions of a tectonic plate. A single pizza fed the 13 of us just fine. For our next stop, we’re heading to Thirsty Monk Brewery at Biltmore Park, since the downtown location is temporarily closed. We meet around 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Here’s our schedule for this month:

• Feb. 5 – Wedge Brewing either on Payne’s Way or downtown (weather depending)

• Feb. 12 – Oyster House Brewing on Haywood Road

• Feb. 19 – Wicked Weed on Biltmore Avenue

• Feb. 26 – Burial Beer on Collier Avenue

Join us if you’d like. You can email me in advance at YearInBeerAsheville@gmail.com or just show up.  X

A SLICE OF THE ACTION: Year in Beer participant Wesley Miller shows off the gang’s giant Pie.Zaa pizza during a recent meetup at Green Man Brewing’s Dirty Jack’s taproom. Photo by Christopher Arbor

Off the Shelf

An epic novel set during the construction of the Panama Canal

BY THOMAS CALDER

Welcome to “Off the Shelf,” a new monthly feature on literature. Unlike our regular book coverage, which spotlights Western North Carolina authors, “Off the Shelf” gives local readers the chance to recommend any title — regardless of the author’s connection to the area. I’ll be launching the feature, but be on the lookout next month for our first community-based book recommendation.

Now let us begin.

Cristina Henríquez’s 2024 work of literary fiction, The Great Divide, has everything I’ve been looking for in a book — a historic setting (the construction of the Panama Canal), a large cast of characters (Panamanians, emigrants, youths, aging fishermen, a soothsayer) and a slow but steady intertwining of storylines told through rotating perspectives. What binds all the characters, it seems, is a shared longing for purpose and connection.

One of my favorite experiences in reading this book is the way — on multiple occasions — Henríquez brings readers back to a previous scene, often several chapters later. In each instance, she’s coming at the moment from a new perspective, closing a loop you did not realize you were circling until that very instant. The experience is close to magical. Her characters are both stubborn and generous; the setting is rich and detailed. There is also plenty of humor throughout, as well as heartbreak and moments of shock.

A final note: Throughout The Great Divide, Henríquez takes occasional, brief detours, wherein she looks to the future, revealing the fates of some of the novel’s secondary characters. These glimpses create a powerful effect, reminding readers that while her book may be focused on a specific cast of characters, there are so many other stories out there — stories that time simply will never allow us to fully know but that are equally as epic as the ones we happen upon.

One of my favorite lines from the novel comes when the character Francisco, a native fisherman opposed to the canal’s construction, is reflecting on his marriage: “It was possible, Francisco would think later, that every human being only gets a certain allotment of joy and theirs had come in a windfall, the entirety of it used up across those nine glorious months.” X

BY GINA SMITH

Welcome to “A La Carte,” one of a few recurring short features we’re rolling out this month. In this space, we’ll ask folks around Western North Carolina — not just chefs, but also artists, government officials, business owners and more — to share a restaurant dish or other local food item that’s topping their current list of palate-pleasing favorites.

I’ll get the ball rolling by sharing a recent experience at a new-to-me restaurant that delighted my inner child. While I’ve been fortunate to indulge in some dreamy dishes in the past few weeks — roasted oysters at The Market Place’s Shell or High Water pop-up, ramen at Shanghai Dumpling House and The Rhu salad at The Rhu, to name just a few — it was the no-frills meat-free burger and fries at Romeo’s Vegan Burgers that tapped into my well of childhood fast-food nostalgia and gave me all the comfort-food feels.

Though I can’t claim to be a full-fledged vegetarian these days, I was for much of my adult life, and I still dislike the taste of many meats, including ground beef. But I absolutely love burgers — just not with actual meat in them. (I know, beef lovers, I know. Trust me, I acknowledge your dismay and have heard all your arguments, but I like what I like.)

While running errands in North Asheville on a recent Saturday, I decided to investigate Romeo’s, which opened in June at 640 Merrimon Ave. I ordered a Mexico Romeo burger (an Impossible vegan patty, plant-based cheese, jalapenos, pico de gallo, lettuce and chipotle mayo) with fries and unsweet tea, and it kind of rocked

I hardly ever eat fast food, so the guilty (but meatless!) deliciousness of the whole thing was totally unexpected and, honestly, sort of thrilling. With the pico and other stuff on the burger, eating it was, unsurprisingly, a multinapkin, roll-up-your-sleeves affair. But its umami-stuffed drippiness made it all the more satisfying and scrumptious, especially when paired with the salty, supercrispy seasoned fries. It was like a messy fast-food flashback from my prevegetarian 1970s and ’80s childhood.

Romeo’s also has tots and dairy-free milkshakes, so despite the quiet upstairs space and lack of car-side service and drive-thru, I was getting Sonic vibes but without the animal products. X

Photo by Thomas Calder, design by Scott Southwick

Photo by Caleb Johnson, design by Scott Southwick

Tastee Diner’s forward pass to Hail Mary

Kelly Gable takes over iconic Asheville dining institution

BY KAY WEST

If there was ever a course of study better suited to the task of preserving an iconic 80-year-old West Asheville dining institution while also transitioning to a fresh concept, it’s wildlife conservation. And Kelly Gable is on it.

On Jan. 29, the former Tastee Diner general manager and Maryland native — who studied wildlife conservation at the University of Maryland — unveiled the historic Haywood Road restaurant’s script flip to Hail Mary, a bar and restaurant she hopes will be welcomed by Tastee’s loyal clientele, West Asheville neighbors and visitors.

With Hail Mary, Gable is not only intent on keeping the business but also retaining Tastee Diner staff out of work for nearly four months after Tropical Storm Helene. She recog-

nizes the restaurant’s long history in Asheville — the original Tastee Diner opened in 1946 — and is well aware of the controversy and pushback Asheville chef Steven Goff endured when he bought Tastee and shifted its concept in 2022.

“A lot of the changes he made rubbed a lot of locals the wrong way, and that’s unfortunate,” Gable says. “Steven is an amazing chef and did really interesting things.”

She adds, “That being said, I never knew old Tastee, so I didn’t know people’s emotional connection to what it was. What I saw was good food, still diner food, but it’s post-COVID, so $5 plates don’t exist anymore.”

Gable spent much of her pre-Asheville professional life in Nashville, Tenn., with the bulk of her time there as bar manager at Josephine, a busy, chef-driven restaurant in the city’s 12 South neighborhood.

She hung out after hours at Dino’s, a popular East Nashville dive bar, eventually segueing from customer to general manager.

Seeking a quieter life more conducive to her commitment to sobriety, she moved to Asheville on Jan. 1, 2023. When someone at Tastee saw Dino’s on Gable’s social media profile, she was recruited to join the team, and in April 2023, Goff promoted her to general manager of Tastee.

In 2024, says Gable, Goff and his wife, Sam, began thinking of selling Tastee and moving to the coast at the end of 2025, but Helene altered the timeline. A few weeks after the storm shuttered the restaurant, when she proposed a game plan for reopening, “They said, ‘Well, we think this is a sign we should not wait until the end of next year.’”

Gable went home, cried, considered options and called her aunt for advice. The aunt proposed that she buy Tastee. “I laughed and told her I didn’t have the money,” she says. “She told me she had always wanted to invest in a restaurant, and I seemed like a good bet.”

As the transition of ownership began, Gable pondered ideas for her business model. Drawing on her 18 months of hands-on experience at Tastee — she knew breakfast traffic there was typically just trickle-down business from the three popular breakfast joints nearby — Sunny Point, Biscuit Head and Early Girl.

“I felt like we needed to go in a lunch/dinner direction, but keep a couple of breakfast sandwiches,” she says. “I kind of took my inspiration for what we are doing from a

BURGER QUEEN: Kelly Gable, former general manager of Tastee Diner, has opened Hail Mary in the historic Tastee Diner building in West Asheville. Photo courtesy of Gable

couple places I really like — Turkey and The Wolf in New Orleans, Cobra Burger in Richmond (Va.) and Red Headed Stranger in Nashville. They are chef-forward, have supersmall menus, keep things simple and do what they do really well.”

Mallory Foster, executive pastry chef for Rhubarb, created the open ing menu, then turned the kitch en over to chef Chris Cox (Mother and Mother Ocean Seafood), and cooks Laney Bracey, Liz Deluca and Caleb Knight.Guests will find a burger and sandwiches, some vegan options and small plates, plus a full bar with house cocktails.

The name change came after Gable did a deep dive into Facebook groups and comment boards and realized that keeping Tastee was a hard no. “I thought about the hurricane and how this is our hail Mary to preserve history, this sense of place and save this small business,” she says.

As for the praying mantis logo, Gable laughs. “Entomology was my field in college. I am obsessed with bugs. Between the praying mantis and the Hail Mary, I hope it works.” Hail Mary is at 575 Haywood Road. Hours are noon-10 p.m. every day except Tuesday. For more information, visit avl.mx/ehj. X

Asheville restaurants are set to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Friday, Feb. 14. Here are a few options:

• Quench!: Chef Sam Etheridge will offer the wine-paired Aphrodite Dinner featuring five love-themed courses. Seatings are at 5 and 7 p.m. $150 per person. 60 N. Merrimon. avl.mx/ehy

• Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse: Hot pot prepared tableside is just one of the items on Ukiah’s special tasting menu, available Friday-Sunday, Feb. 14-16. $95 per person. 121 Biltmore Ave. avl.mx/ei0

• Hemingway’s Cuba: Candlelight and Latin music set the mood for a prix fixe Cuban Valentine’s Day menu. $70 per person. Cambria Hotel, 15 Page Ave. avl.mx/ei1

Cocktail specials and “Girl Dinner” snacks — french fries, hummus, caesar salad and more — are at the heart of the Thursday, Feb. 13, 6-10 p.m., Galentine’s Day event at District 42 in the Kimpton Hotel Arras. Hot Bread Selectors will supply the live music, and Sparked with Love will be on hand selling permanent jewelry. Reservations are not required. Kimpton Hotel Arras, 7 Patton Ave. avl.mx/ei4 X

Bargello: Choices on the four-course prix fixe menu include lobster risotto, stuffed tenderloin, citrus pavlova and more. $99 per person. Kimpton Hotel Arras, 7 Patton Ave. avl.mx/ei2

Capella on 9: The rooftop restaurant’s Picture Perfect Valentine dinner event runs 5-10 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12. The prix fixe couples package includes a threecourse meal from chef Rakim Gaines, craft cocktails and a session with photographer Tia Nicole. $125 per couple. AC Hotel, 10 Broadway. avl.mx/ei3 X

Community bites

Celebrate your Galentines Asheville Truffle Experience

The Asheville Truffle Experience makes its annual appearance Friday-Sunday, Feb. 7-9, offering locals a chance to sample and learn about the prized, edible, underground fungus. Events include a welcome party at The Market Place with truffle dishes from James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef semifinalist William Dissen, a truffle farm excursion along with a truffle dog demonstration at Warren Wilson College, and a cooking demonstration and luncheon with chef Susi Gott Séguret. Prices vary. For event times, menus, tickets and more, visit avl.mx/ei5. X

Let them eat cake

Friends of the Enka-Candler Library will host the Love Your Library Chocolate Cake Contest fundraiser for the library on Sunday, Feb. 9, at Griff’s Kitchen & Bar, 1390 Sandhill Road. At 2 p.m., attendees can enter their home-baked chocolate cake for $5. After the judging, at 4 p.m., the community is invited in to sample the cakes for To learn more, email enkalibraryfol@gmail.com.

Newfound Community Brunch

The Utopian Seed Project nonprofit invites residents of Sandy Mush, Leicester and beyond to a free community brunch, Sunday, Feb. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Newfound Community Center, 3 Morgan Branch Road, Leicester. Menu highlights include hoecakes with cinnamon stewed apples and biscuits with sausage gravy — all prepared by chefs from local ingredients. The family-friendly event is part of efforts to launch the Leicester Food Coalition, aimed at promoting rural food sovereignty. avl.mx/ei8

Share the Love

Root Cause Farm, a community food-growing nonprofit in Fairview, will host Share the Love from 4-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Road. The free event features live music from flute looper Rob Irie, a mind-reading show and stories of hope and resilience from community members. The fundraiser will support the farm in expanding to meet increased need after Tropical Storm Helene. avl.mx/ei7

Kids eat free at Bear’s Smokehouse

Through Friday, Feb. 28, kids ages 12 and younger get a free children’s meal with the purchase of an adult entrée (minimum of $15) when dining at Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ’s Coxe Avenue and Sweeten Creek Road locations. avl.mx/8pn X

Photo of Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse by Angelina Bruno

Photo courtesy of District42

Photo by Susi Gott Séguret

by Kay West

Voices of Impact A Legacy Worth Noting

Voices of Impact invites the curious minds and visionaries of Asheville to engage in an evening of storytelling, ideas and connection on Friday, Feb. 7. The 6-9 p.m. event at Diana Wortham Theatre will feature six speakers sharing information, initiatives and inspiration with the goal of recharging the Asheville community with hope and energy. Holly McCann will speak on how regenerative ecosystems can transform communities. Emi Kubota will explore the Japanese concept of “ikigai” — or “living worth” — and how it creates economies of kindness. Tony Morris will demonstrate ways for leaders and teams to make the greatest positive difference for the greatest number of people. Jennifer Germaine will discuss how amplifying one’s voice and visibility can bring about meaningful impact. Keresey Pearl will highlight how through film how the power of storytelling can drive change. And Heidi Zellie will offer a perspective-shifting dialogue about the transformative capabilities of water. The experi-

ence will be accompanied by live music. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Regenerating Asheville, an organization that works with grassroots initiatives to restore ecosystems and build economic and ecological resilience. Tickets are $30. avl.mx/ehl X

The Southern Highland Craft Guild was founded nearly a century ago as a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the crafts and makers of the Southern Appalachian Highlands. On Feb. 1, the organization debuted a new show, A Legacy Worth Noting, at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in East Asheville showcasing the work of lifetime members and those who have received the guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award, its highest honor. Both traditional and contemporary crafts are highlighted in the show through a diverse range of mediums, including pottery, wood, metal, fiber and jewelry. The 46 participating artists represent a range of work spanning seven decades. Among them are twin sisters Cynthia and Edwina Bringle, a ceramic artist and fiber artist, respectively, who have been instrumental in shaping the craft community at Penland School of Crafts. Also on display are some of the more than 140 quilts sewn over

three decades by Connie Brown and functional pottery by Douglas Dacey, whose work is inspired by items found in nature, such as leaves, rocks and water. The show is open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Wednesday, April 30. All pieces are for sale both on-site and online. avl.mx/ehm  X

Photo of Jennifer Germaine by Red Angle Photography

Photo of ceramics by Cynthia Bringle courtesy Southern Highlands Craft Guild

Tainted Love Comedy Show Joy Oladokun

Combine the horrible possibilities of a blind date with the deep anxiety inherent to Valentine’s Day, and it’s guaranteed to sink the love boat. Unless it’s an evening with Asheville’s favorite lovesick couple, Cayla Clark and Ryan Gordon of Blind Date Asheville, who will overshare their romantic misadventures, cringiest moments and inappropriate PDA on Friday, Feb. 14, at The Montford Rooftop Bar. Their Tainted Love Comedy Show, a sweet-and-sour treat of standup comedy and audience interaction, isn’t for the faint of heart. But the bar’s V-Day selection of retro cocktails can help loosen you up and set that love bug free. A special Valentine’s menu will satisfy hungry hearts. Because love means never having to say you’re sorry, two shows are scheduled to accommodate those who forgot to make plans for The Big Night — 6 p.m. for early birds and 9 p.m. for night owls — with a portion of ticket sales going to Asheville Poverty Initiative. Clark and Gordon are the creators, producers and stars of the Instagram smash hit BlindDateAVL

(avl.mx/ehq), and Clark contributes monthly to Xpress’ Best Medicine comedy column. Tickets are $25. avl.mx/ehr X

The first cut on Joy Oladokun’s new album Observations from a Crowded Room is “Letter from a Blackbird,” and on Jan. 16, the singer/songwriter/musician kicked off her Blackbird Tour in Minneapolis. She lands at The Orange Peel on Wednesday, Feb. 12, with a unique production that will see Oladokun open for Oladokun. “The opening set is just Joy, herself, doing an acoustic set rather than a separate opening act,” says The Orange Peel operating partner Liz Whalen Tallent “She decided to add that for Asheville, and I think it will be very, very special.” The rest of the show will feature the artist with her full band. Central to the special night is Oladokun’s decision to donate 100% of the event’s proceeds to the N.C. Community Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund (avl.mx/ei9) to support long-term recovery for Western North Carolina communities affected by Tropical Storm Helene. The album — her third since her 2020 critical breakthrough In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings) — was written, produced and largely performed by Oladokun alone. Her

Asheville audience can look forward to hearing much of the 15-track collection, which merges pop-folk, electronic and psychedelic sounds. Oladokun, who describes herself as a “proud queer Black person and daughter of Nigerian immigrants,” has collaborated with artists including Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Jason Isbell and Noah Kahan. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show. avl.mx/ehz  X

Photo courtesy of Blind Date Asheville

Photo by Rachel Deeb Photography

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

FLEETWOOD'S

PSK Karaoke, 8pm

GRANGE BY FOOTHILLS Trivia Night, 6pm

HI-WIRE BREWING -

BILTMORE VILLAGE

Free Weekly Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Hear Here w/Ed Jurdi & Matt Smith (Americana, folk, rock), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING

CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/ Finklestein 3, 6pm

PULP

Dirtybird w/Reggie Headen and the Nighttime Moon (multi-genre), 7:30pm

SOUTHERN

APPALACHIAN

BREWERY

Jazz Night, 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Drake Milligan (country), 8pm

VOODOO BREWING

CO.

Music Bingo Thursdays, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Straight Ahead Wednesdays w/The Bill Bares Trio & Bill Evans (jazz), 7:30pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL Grateful Dub w/Roots of Creation (reggae, tribute band), 10pm

CROW & QUILL

Matadragones (Latin, Americana), 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm

EULOGY

4.

Ghostkid, Hawk, & Crucifiction (post-hardcore, alt-metal), 7pm

FLOOD GALLERY

True Home Open Mic, 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Vaden Landers (country, folk, Americana), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LEVELLER BREWING

CO.

Open Old Time Jam, 6pm

LOOKOUT BREWING

CO.

Music Bingo w/DJ Spence, 6pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Musical Happy Hour, 5pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

WEST

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Nino, 9pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Janx Spirit Half Century w/The Discs, John Kirby & The New Seniors (rock), 9pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

Auto-Tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

David Collins & Shaeffer Mallory w/Yoni Bologna & Khandroma (experimental, post-rock, noise), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE Henhouse Prowlers (bluegrass), 8pm

THE ONE STOP

Saylor Brothers (jamgrass), 10pm

VOWL Karaoke Night, 8pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7

27 CLUB

Assimilation (darkwave, doom-metal), 10pm

CLUBLAND

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Johnny Mullenax (funk, country, bluegrass), 11pm

CATAWBA BREWING

CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

Comedy at Catawba: Will Abeles, 7pm

CORK & KEG

All Crawfish Go To Heaven (blues), 5pm

CROW & QUILL

DJ Dr. Filth (soul, R&B, jazz), 9pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Meschiya Lake & The Moodswingers (blues, jazz), 8pm

EULOGY

John Mailander's Forecast (bluegrass, jazz), 11:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Monster Wave, Bombay Gasoline, & DG and the Big Sky (horror-punk, electro-rock, alt-country), 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Love Bubble (folk-rock, sunshine-pop), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

• Billy Strings Welcome Party w/Shady Grove String Band (bluegrass), 4pm

• The Well Drinkers (newgrass, Americana), 9pm

LOOKOUT BREWING

CO.

Friday Night Music Series, 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING

CO.

Random Animals (indiesoul, funk), 8pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING

• Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars, 4pm

• Andrew Wakefield & Friends (bluegrass), 11pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

The Stolen Faces: Billy Strings After Party (tribute-band), 11pm

ORANGE PEEL

Blind Date Live, 6:30pm

BILLY STRINGS AFTERPARTY: On Friday, Feb. 7, Andrew Wakefield & Friends play a late bluegrass set at One World Brewing, starting at 11 p.m. This is an unofficial afterparty following the Billy Strings show at Harrah’s Cherokee Center –Asheville. Photo courtesy of Kristen Eisenbraun

SHAKEY'S

• Big Blue Jams Band (multiple genres), 9pm

• Total Gold w/DJ Abu Disarray, 9pm

THE BURGER BAR Burger Bar Comedy, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE Carsie Blanton (rock, folk, jazz), 8pm

THE ONE STOP

Happy Landing w/ Winyah (folk, indie-rock), 10pm

THE STATION BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Mr Jimmy (blues), 5pm

THE WHITE RABBIT AT WATER STREET

Regional Drum & Bass Night w/DLX, FloDaFunk & Krumbz, 8pm

THIRD ROOM

The Tonight Show w/ Suns of Stars (bluegrass), 11:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Summer in the Winter Beach Bash w/The Get Right Band (indie-rock, psych-pop), 8pm

WICKED WEED WEST

Kate Bryant (acoustic), 5:30pm

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8

27 CLUB

The Coursing, Blackwater Drowning, Fear Illusion, & Two Stroke Smoke (metal, punk, trap), 8pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Arkansauce (bluegrass, country, funk), 10pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE

Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5pm

CORK & KEG

Soul Blue (soul, blues R&B), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Meschiya Lake and The Mood Swingers (jazz), 8:30pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Tanner Burch (country), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S

On the Block, Queens City Rejects & Codapen (punk), 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Lyric (pop, rock, funk), 5pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

• Andrew Wakefield & Friends (bluegrass), 10pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING

CO.

Pink Beds (indie-funk, dream-pop), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

• Rossdafareye (funk, psychedelic), 3pm

• Hoto Mozambique (southern-rock, psychedelic), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

WEST

The Stolen Faces: Billy Strings Pre Show (tribute-band), 4pm

ORANGE PEEL

Town Mountain (bluegrass, Americana, country), 11:45pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Suns of Stars (bluegrass), 2pm

SHAKEY'S Underground Enigma (house, edm), 10pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Doom Scroll w/Sister

Wife Sex Strike & Lurky Skunk (folk-punk, thrashgrass), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Tommy Prine w/Conrad Moore (acoustic),

6:30pm

• Dylan Leblanc & David Ramirez (Americana, alt-country, folk), 9:30pm

THE MAIN EVENT

The Main Event Comedy Night, 7pm

THE ODD

Party Foul Drag, 8pm

THE ONE STOP Airshow (rock, funk, psychedelic), 10pm

THIRD ROOM

Late Show w/Larry Keel & The Future Grass Band (bluegrass), 11:30pm

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9

DSSOLVR

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Sunday Jazz Jam, 2:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Mana Meter (multigenre), 2pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• The Bluegrass Boys, 12pm

• Traditional Irish Music Session, 3:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Sundays w/Songs

From The Road Band (bluegrass), 2pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE Open Mic w/Mike Andersen, 6:30pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Country Brunch w/ Jackomo, 11am

• Secret Agent 23 Skidoo: The Imaginarium Showcase (hip-hop), 2:30pm

THE MULE

Served by Sev: Crush, 1pm

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10

27 CLUB

27 Club Karaoke, 10pm

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

Musicians in the Round: Monday Open Mic, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Music Mashup, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic Downtown, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Mashup Mondays w/ JLloyd, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Sludge Inc. (punk, stoner-rock, alt-metal), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Jerry's Dead (tribute-band), 7pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11

EULOGY

Live Music Bingo, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S Turntable Tuesdays, 9pm

LOBSTER TRAP

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

LOOKOUT BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

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

ORANGE PEEL

Highly Suspect w/ James and the Cold Gun & Family Dinner (blues-rock, alternative), 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

The Clearwater Swimmers, Laney Barnett, Sam Cope, & Sophia Corinne (indie-rock, folk), 8pm

THIRD ROOM Open Decks, 8pm

VOODOO BREWING CO.

Trivia Tuesday w/ Principal Mike, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

White Horse's Legendary Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12

EULOGY

Early James (country, blues, folk), 7pm

GRANGE BY FOOTHILLS Trivia Night, 6pm

HI-WIRE BREWINGBILTMORE VILLAGE

Free Weekly Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Hear Here w/Jay Brown & Matt Smith (Americana, folk, rock), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

ORANGE PEEL

Joy Oladokun (folk, alt-country, R&B), 8pm

SOUTHERN

APPALACHIAN

BREWERY

Jazz Night, 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Golden Folk Sessions (acoustic), 7pm

THE ONE STOP Watkins (indie-folk, alt-rock), 10pm

VOODOO BREWING CO.

Music Bingo Thursdays, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Melissa McKinney's Bad Ass Blues Jam, 7:30pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

Mike Kenton & Jim Tanner (jazz), 5pm

CROW & QUILL

Matadragones (Latin, Americana), 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm

EULOGY

Fashion Bath, Powder Horns, & Porcelain Parrot (indie-rock), 8pm

FLOOD GALLERY

True Home Open Mic, 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Heavenly Vipers (jazz, country, rock), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA

YIKES: Dating Disaster Comedy w/Sarah Love, 7pm

LOOKOUT BREWING CO.

Music Bingo w/DJ Spence, 6pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

Synth Night w/Sumsun (electronic, dance), 7pm

ORANGE PEEL

Tim Heidecker (Americana, alt-country, pop-rock), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

The Log Noggins (southern-rock, progressive), 6:30pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Nino, 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA

BREWING CO.

The Cleverlys (bluegrass, comedy), 6pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

Auto-Tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm

VOWL

Karaoke Night, 8pm

2/7

FRI LACTONES, 9pm

Psychedelic Rock

HOURS: Noon to Midnight

2/8 SAT VINYL NIGHT, 9pm

2/13 THUR DJANGO JAZZ JAM, 7pm Hot Club Jazz

MON Ping-Pong Tournament, 6pm

TUE

OPEN JAM: 7:30pm

Signup / 8pm Show

WED

OPEN MIC NIGHT: 8pm Signup / 8:30pm Show

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The world’s largest mirror isn’t an actual mirror. It’s Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni salt flat, a vast area that’s almost perfectly flat. After a rain, a thin layer of calm water transforms the surface into a perfect reflector that can be used to calibrate observation satellites. In these conditions, it may be almost impossible to tell where the earth begins and the sky ends. I foresee metaphorically similar developments for you during the coming weeks. Boundaries between different aspects of your world — professional and personal, spiritual and practical — might blur in interesting ways. A temporary dissolution of the usual limits may offer you surprising insights and unexpected opportunities for realignment. Be alert for helpful clues about how to adjust the way you see things.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): From day to day, glaciers appear static. But they are actually slow-moving rivers of ice that have tremendous creative power. They can make or reshape valleys, moving tons of dirt and rock. They pulverize, grind, and topple trees, hills, and even mountains. New lakes may emerge in the course of their activity. I invite you to imagine yourself as a glacier in the coming months, Taurus. Exult in your steady transformative power. Notice and keep track of your slow but sure progress. Trust that your persistence will ultimately accomplish wonders and marvels.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In recent weeks, have you stirred up any dynamic fantasies about exotic sanctuaries or faraway places or mercurial wild cards? Have you delivered enticing messages to inspiring beauties or brave freedom-fighters or vibrant networkers? Have you been monitoring the activities of longshots or future helpers or unification adepts who might be useful to you sooner than you imagine? Finally, Gemini, have you noticed I’m suggesting that everything important will arise in threes — except when they come in twos, in which case you should hunt for the missing third? PS: When the wild things call to you, respond promptly.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Archaeologists found two 43,000-year-old flutes in Germany. Constructed of mammoth ivory and bird bone, they still produce clear notes with perfect pitch. They were located in a cave that contains ancient examples of figurative art. Some genius way back then regarded art and music as a pleasurable pairing! I propose we make these instruments your power symbols for the coming weeks, Cancerian. May they inspire you to resuscitate the value of your past accomplishments. May you call on the help of melodies and memories that still resonate — and that can inspire your future adventures! Your words of power are regeneration, revival, and reanimation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It’s your unbirthday season, Leo — the holiday that’s halfway between your last birthday and your next. During this interlude, you could benefit from clarifying what you don’t want, don’t believe, and don’t like. You may generate good fortune for yourself by going on a quest to discover rich potentials and stirring possibilities that are as-yet hidden or unexpressed. I hope you will be bold enough to scan the frontiers for sources of beauty and truth that you have been missing. During your unbirthday season, you will be wise to gather the rest of the information you will need to make a smart gamble or daring change.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Austrian playwright Elfriede Jelinek won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004, and Romanian-German author Herta Müller earned it in 2009. But garnering the world’s most prestigious award for writers did not provide a big boost to their book sales. In some markets, their famous works are now out of print. In 2025, I hope you Virgos do in your own spheres what they only half-accomplished in theirs. I would love for you to gather more appreciation and attention while simultaneously raising your income.

BREZSNY

According to my reading of the astrological omens, this is a reasonable expectation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): By day, Libra-born Forrest Bess (1911–1977) worked as a commercial fisherman in Texas. By night, he created visionary paintings inspired by symbols that appeared to him in states between sleeping and waking. Other influences in his art came from alchemy, the psychological philosophy of Carl Jung, and Indigenous Australian rituals. His life was living proof that mystical exploration and mundane work could coexist. I’m hoping he might serve you as an inspirational role model. You are in a phase when you have the power to blend and synergize seemingly opposing aspects of your world. You would be wise to meditate on how to find common ground between practical necessity and spiritual aspiration. Are there ways you can unite the desires of your head and heart? Of your need for safety and your longing for adventure? Of your craving for beauty and your fondness for usefulness?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, arranged for himself to be buried after death with an army of 8,000 soldiers made from terracotta, which is a clay ceramic. Joining the gang below the earth’s surface were 770 horses and 130 chariots. For over 2,000 years, this assemblage was lost and forgotten. But in 1974, farmers digging a new well found it accidentally. In this spirit, I am predicting that sometime in the next five months, you will make interesting discoveries while looking for something other than what you find. They won’t be as spectacular as the terracotta army, but I bet they will be fun and life changing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Author Zora Neale Hurston said, “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” I will adjust that counsel for your use, Sagittarius. According to my astrological analysis, the first half of 2025 will ask questions, and the second half will answer them. For best results, I invite you to gather and polish your best questions in the next five months, carefully defining and refining them. When July begins, tell life you are ready to receive replies to your carefully wrought inquiries.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Hemoglobin is an iron-bearing protein that’s crucial to most life. It enables the transportation of oxygen in the blood. But one species, the icefish of the Antarctic seas, lacks hemoglobin. They evolved other ways to obtain and circulate enough oxygen in the frozen depths, including larger hearts and blood vessels. The system they’ve developed works well. So they are examples of how to adjust to an apparent problem in ways that lead to fine evolutionary innovations. I suspect you’re now in the midst of your own personal version of a comparable adaptation. Keep up the good work!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Born under the sign of Aquarius, Clyde Tombaugh discovered the heavenly body known as Pluto in 1930. This was years before he earned advanced degrees in astronomy. His early education was primarily self-directed. The telescopes he used to learn the sky were built from tractor parts and old car components from his father’s farm. During the coming months, I surmise there will be elements of your life resembling Tombaugh’s story. Your intuition and instincts will bring you insights that may seem unearned or premature. (They’re not!) You will garner breakthroughs that seem to be arriving from the future.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): One of the world’s deepest caves is Veryovkina in the nation of Georgia. At its lowest, it’s 7,257 feet down. There are creatures living there that are found nowhere else on earth. I propose we make it your symbolic power spot for now. In my astrological opinion, you will be wise to dive further into the unknown depths than you have in quite some time.

MARKETPLACE

Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds

RENTALS

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENT

First floor of house in quiet, safe, private neighborhood East of Asheville. 1b/1b, one person only. Shared washer/ dryer. $975/month for rent, $75 for utilities + Wi-Fi. Pets considered. (828) 545-0043

EMPLOYMENT

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES

MANUFACTURING

HOUSING EXPERIENCE

Looking for someone with manufacturing housing experience. All aspects of finishing, drywall, siding and framing. Pay based on experience. Text only will call back. 828-412-2062

SALES/ MARKETING

SENIOR SALES ASSOCIATE

Work for a local company that has covered the local scene for 30 years! Mountain Xpress newspaper is a supportive, team-oriented environment serving local readers and businesses. We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic advertising sales representative. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present our company with confidence. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, and self motivation. Experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful. The position’s responsibilities include account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies. If you

are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent media organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@ mountainx.com. This is a noncommissioned position. There is potential for a performance-based annual bonus Salary $22 per hour.

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT

ONTRACK WNC IS HIRING AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR! OnTrack WNC is on the hunt for a dynamic and team-oriented community leader to step into the role of Executive Director! To apply, head over to our website: ontrackwnc. org/were-hiring/ emilyr@ ontrackwnc.org

HOME IMPROVEMENT

GENERAL SERVICES

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UNCLAIMED / RECEIVED

FIREARMS The following is a list of unclaimed firearms currently in the possession of the Asheville Police Department: GRY/BLK, BRYCO ARMS, 48, .380; GREEN, STEN, MKII, 9mm; BLK/BRO, REMINGTON, 870; SIL/BLK, S&W PISTOL, 6906, 9MM; BLK, GLOCK, 23, .40; GRY, JIMENEZ, J.A. NINE, 9MM; SIL, HCA PISTOL, HCA, .32; BLK, LUGER, AP9, 9MM; BLK, HIGHPOINT, 4095 RIFLE, .40; GRY/BLK, SKS, 762X39, 7.62; BRO, REVELATION, 300F, 12 GA; BLK, ANDERSON, AM-15, 223; BLK/ WHI, GPR (REVOLVER), GERSTENBERGER, .22; BLK,

RUGER, LCP, .380; TAN/ BLK, CANIK, TP9SA, 9MM; BLK, BERETTA, APX, 9MM; BLK, S&W, S&W MP 45, .45; BLK/BRO, HATFIELD 20 GA SHOTGUN, HATFIELD, .20; BLK/BRO, MOSSBERG SHOTGUN, MOSSBERG, .12; PLE, SCCY, CPX-1, 9MM; BLK/BRO, MOSSBERG SHOTGUN, MOSSBERG, .12; BLK/BRO, HATFIELD 20 GA SHOTGUN, HATFIELD, .20; UNKNOWN, STERLING PISTOL, 22; BLK/SIL, SMITH & WESSON, 9 SHIELD, 9MM; SIL/BLK, JENNINGS, J22, .22; BLK, SMITH & WESSON, S&W, .40; BLK/SIL, HI-POINT, CF380, .380; SIL/ BLK, AMT, BACKUP, 9MM; BLK, SMITH & WESSON, SHIELD, 9MM; SIL/BRO, SENTINEL, MKI, .22; BLK, SMITH & WESSON, S&W, .380; SIL, RAVEN, MP-25, .25; BLK, HI-POINT, C9, 9MM; BLK, HI-POINT, S&W, .40; BLK, RUGER REVOLV, LCR, .38; BRO, TAURUS, G2C, 9MM; BLK, KELTEC, P3AT, .380; SIL/BLK, S&W PISTOL, SD, 9MM; BLK, GLOCK, 22, .40; BLK, GLOCK, 43, 9MM; BLK/BRO, BERSA, 383-A, .380; BLK, HIPOINT RIFLE, HIPOINT, 9MM; BLK, REMINGTON, 870, 12 GA; BLK, GLOCK, 43, 9MM; UNK, HERITAGE, ROUGH, .22; BLK, SMITH & WESSON M&P, M&P 15-22, UNK; UNK, GSS-SHOTGUN, STEVENS 94H, SINGLE; UNK, GSP 12 GA SHOTGUN, MAVERICK 88, 12GA; BLUE, STEVENS, STEVENS 320, 12 GA; UNK, LLAMA, PARABELLUM, 9MM; BLK, TAURUS, G2C, 9MM; BLK, GLOCK, 26, 9MM; BLK/ TAN, GLOCK, 42, .380; BLK, TAURUS, PT738, .380; BLK, SPRINGFIELD, SA XD, 9MM; BLK/GRY, RUGER REVOLV, LCR, .38; COM/BRO, DAVIS INDUSTRIES, P-32, .32.

Anyone with a legitimate claim or interest in this property must contact the Asheville Police Department

within 30 days from the date of this publication. Any items not claimed within 30 days will be disposed of in accordance with all applicable laws. For further information, or to file a claim, contact the Asheville Police Department Property and Evidence Section at 828-232-4576

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edited by Will Shortz

ACROSS

1 Rapscallion

6 Certain tankful

9 Kind of game that’s a pitcher’s dream

14 Micronesian island that was the setting for a season of “Survivor”

15 Tuna type

16 Airport near the intersection of I-90 and I-294

17 Cove

18 On the ___

19 Christopher who directed “Oppenheimer”

20 Slangy suffix with “most”

21 “OK ... tell me”

24 N.B.A.

1-pointers: Abbr.

25 Exclamation from Homer

26 Hero of “The Matrix”

27 “A work of ___ that isn’t based on feeling isn’t ___ at all”: Cézanne

28 “Look at Me, I’m Sandra ___” (“Grease” song)

29 Dickens’s “The Mystery of ___ Drood”

31 Chinese greeting

33 Tool for a pineapple

35 1990s sitcom featuring a bookstore

38 You can count on them

39 Rating for junk bonds

42 Candymaker Wonka

43 Chauvinist or racist

44 In the style of

45 Start of Caesar’s boast

46 Actress Hatcher

47 Deposit, as an egg

48 Patrick Stewart and Elton John, for two

49 Singer on “Give Peace a Chance”

51 “Golden Girls” actress Arthur

52 Sheds, with “off”

56 Stylish tote for an executive

60 Worshiping rows

61 Cousin of a croc

63 The Emerald Isle

64 “___ have to do”

65 Like the breeds Shetland and merino

66 TALK LIKE THIS!

67 Like a yenta

68 Props for closeup magicians

69 Arrogant sort

DOWN

1 Worked for the C.I.A., perhaps

2 Playground retort

3 Super-trendy

4 West who said “Men are my life, diamonds are my career”

5 Set down on paper

6 Cider unit

7 Starbuck’s higher-up?

8 Ape or monkey

9 In the dark about something nefarious

10 “Well, lookee there!”

11 Place to see J.F.K.

12 Hopping mad

13 Past, present or future

22 Flowery necklace

23 Multisport race, in short

30 In a prim and proper way

32 Singer with the #1 albums “As I Am” and “Girl on Fire”

33 What you might call a tipsy friend 34 Last words?

36 Symbols of wisdom 37 12/31

39 Part of U.C.L.A.: Abbr.

40 Material used to make the object “illustrated” here, in a seasonal song

41 Coral island

50 “Yikes!”

51 Puts to sleep, say

52 Take a turn with the object illustrated by the central black squares in this puzzle (leading to one of the four circled results) 53 Oscar-winning Jared

Symbols of wisdom

“Très

Singer Guthrie

Chocolate money won or lost in this puzzle’s

___-tac-toe