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KIDS ISSUE, PART 2
Who or what inspires local kids and teens? Find out in this week’s Kids Issue, Part 2, which is full of creative and engaging art, essays, poems and short fiction. Plus, check out our annual Summer Camp Guide, which includes information from 65 organizations hosting more than 200 camps. On this week’s cover is Cobi Pugh, pictured at last summer’s ARP Outdoor Camp.
PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson
MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder
EDITORS: Lisa Allen, Gina Smith
OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose
STAFF REPORTERS:
Lisa Allen, Thomas Calder, Brionna Dallara, Justin McGuire, Greg Parlier, Brooke Randle, Gina Smith
COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Braulio Pescador-Martinez
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Jon Elliston, Mindi Meltz Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Christopher Arbor, Edwin Arnaudin, Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Carmela Caruso, Cayla Clark, Tessa Fontaine, Mindi Meltz Friedwald, Carol Kaufman, Bill Kopp, Jessica Wakeman, Kay West, Clark Wilson, Jamie Zane
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Caleb Johnson, Cindy Kunst
ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson
LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Tina Gaafary, Caleb Johnson, Olivia Urban
MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Emily Baughman, Sara Brecht
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: Hinton Edgerton, Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick
WEB: Brandon Tilley
BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler
OFFICE MANAGER: Mark Murphy
ADMINISTRATION & BILLING: Hinton Edgerton, Lisa Watters
DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst, Kyle Ramser
DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Cass Kunst, Henry Mitchell, Courtney Israel Nash, Joey Nash, Carl & Debbie Schweiger, Gary Selnick, Noah Tanner, Mark Woodyard
BCS needs to radically change weather policy
[ Regarding “BCS Revises Academic Calendar After Weather Cancellations,” March 12, Xpress:]
Buncombe County needs to seriously reexamine its policies and procedures for “winter weather.” I put that in quotation marks because every other Buncombe County Schools (BCS) parent I know knows that what qualifies as “winter weather” in this county does not need to be particularly wintry and doesn’t even need to actually manifest as actual weather for there to be cancellations or delays.
The option to make an easy decision to go to remote learning only makes this worse. Remote learning is, especially for younger students, largely laughable. It’s not enough
Word of the week
cairn (n.) a heap of stones piled up as a memorial or as a landmark
Something about our Summer Camp Guide has us thinking about cairns and the fact that many campers will likely be building their fair share in the coming months. X
work with enough engagement. It is essentially busy work that gets qualified as “instruction time.” I believe that the intent is for more than that.
I don’t think anyone’s motivations are nefarious. But I watched my kids be set back during COVID-19 for months and months. Every single day of remote instruction that happens under cold, sunny skies, another punch line of a “weather day,” absolutely infuriates me. The impact on kids who have been displaced by Helene or who experience food insecurity only makes this worse.
The merest appearance of the possibility of theoretical danger or liability does not justify Buncombe County’s kids missing hours of real instruction. It needs to radically change.
— Anthony Rodriguez Swannanoa
Closing federal offices cuts access to resources
[Regarding “Speaking Out: Concerns About the Trump Administration Overwhelm Chuck Edwards’ Office Hours,” March 5, Xpress:]
We have to be concerned about the continued cuts to federal staffing and funding of critical services (Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, etc.). When you cut staff,
BACK IN THE DAY
‘To Lord’s Drug Store!’
I was born with cerebral palsy in 1960 and grew up on Beaverdam Knoll. My parents wanted me to experience life to the fullest, so one thing my daddy always did was take me for long walks pushing me down Beaverdam Road in my wheelchair that I named Black Beauty. Mostly we’d roll down to the candy store at the end of Beaverdam, where the road splits to go up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. But on the day I am writing about we did something a little crazy! Daddy handed me a stick and said, “Point the direction you want to go, Barb,” and I pointed toward town and called out, “To Lord’s Drug Store!” And off we went.
It was a very long walk. Daddy would move me off the road when cars came. When we arrived at Lord’s (an old brick building just a bit down from the corner of Gracelyn Road and Merrimon Avenue), he got me a delicious root beer float and himself a coffee from sweet Ms. Nora Bell, who worked at the soda fountain. He then called my mother from the pay phone to come pick us up for the return trip home. We both were pretty exhausted. That adventure lived on in our family stories for years.
— Barb Knight X
you reduce the ability to implement programs. When you close offices in rural Western North Carolina, you prohibit accessibility of resources to the people.
Closing Social Security offices and U.S. Department of Agriculture offices in WNC makes it impossible for our communities to access programs that are meant to be available to them, in some cases critical finan-
cial programs that are meant to be there to sustain them.
What happened to “I’m not going to touch Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security”? When you close offices, terminate staff and reduce funding … you touch it! You make it unavailable to the community that it was intended for.
Once again, empty promises to the working people.
— George H. Pettus Weaverville
Worried about DOGE tinkering with Social Security
[Regarding “Speaking Out: Concerns About the Trump Administration Overwhelm Chuck Edwards’ Office Hours,” March 5, Xpress:]
No. 1: I don’t want some kid perusing the Social Security records. The system is programmed in COBOL, and I think the system is at risk for accidental erasure or inappropriate changes.
No. 2: I am concerned that these DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) people might accuse people of getting the wrong amount of Social Security checks. What if they accidentally erased the work histories? I actually downloaded my work history from the Social Security site and saved a copy because I don’t trust these DOGEs.
No. 3: I’m sure part of my personal information is already out
CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON
BLACK BEAUTY: Barb Knight poses for a photo in her wheelchair, which she named Black Beauty. Also pictured is her father, John, and her sister, Carol, holding the family dog, Nicky. Photo courtesy of Knight
BACK IN THE DAY
The water of my youth
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Robert McGee, left, with family members Susan, middle, and Wendy. Photo courtesy of McGee
In 1974, my family moved from Dallas, Texas, to a farm in Marshall when I was 9. Our new home was an old cabin populated by wild critters, including a blacksnake that once shed its skin on my chest while I slept.
My sisters and I spent that first summer helping our father reclaim kudzu-choked land and digging a pond. The pond was fed by a spring from which I often drank handfuls of crisp water, thinking, “This is life!”
I came to know another vital body of water while attending school on Blannahassett Island. As I gazed out at the French Broad River day after day, my love for our region grew. This feeling strengthened even as I went away for college and for work overseas.
No matter where in the world I went, I always considered WNC to be my true home. I remember thinking, “One day I’ll live here in a patch of woods where I can see the river each day.”
Which is what I did.
A few years after our farm was sold, I bought land near the French Broad, largely because it included a stream fed by a spring. This is where I’ve often found myself during troubled times such as 9/11, COVID or the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. I love knowing that water from this stream enters the river that flows north to meet up with water that comes from the spring of my youth.
The water of who I was commingles with the water of who I am.
— Robert McGee X
there on the internet, but if they divulged my date of birth or Social Security number, then that would be devastating.
No. 4: I totally trust the people at my local Social Security office. I called them the other day to change my federal withholding, and they were able to do that over the phone. I had to wait about 10 minutes for a live person, but if they cut the staff too much, then wait times could escalate. This is especially burdensome for the elderly.
No. 5: Calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme was rude and uncalled for. I paid into the system for the 50 years that I worked, and it was mandatory. The government demanded the deductions from my paychecks, and they darned well better pay me.
— Alvena Ferreira Arden
Stressed out by Social Security cuts
[Regarding “Speaking Out: Concerns About the Trump Administration Overwhelm Chuck Edwards’ Office Hours,” March 5, Xpress:]
I have paid into the Social Security system for 35 years and now depend on that income.
I am appalled that it is now being considered a “Ponzi scheme,” and Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) is effectively dismantling it by eliminating 7,000 jobs and closing 47 offices. Will my benefits be delayed? How long will it take to get a new Social Security card? What if I need to apply for disability, Medicare or survivors benefits?
The stress caused by the uncertainty of not being able to rely on a program I’ve contributed to my entire working life is unconscionable.
— Linda Classon Arden
Save our neighborhood’s woods
[Regarding “Tree Defenders: Five Points Residents Rally to Preserve
Wooded Area Owned by UNCA,” Feb. 5, Xpress:]
My house shares a property line with the woods, on North Street. My tenant walks through the woods each day with his daughters to drop them at Hanger Hall.
As a previous Five Points resident and now a Montford resident, I have walked my dog through the woods countless times. Please protect the woods for the animals that live there and for the humans that enjoy them. Please preserve our ecosystem. Please sign the petition!
— Briana Winter
Asheville
Use habitat restoration to reverse destruction
We’re really good at destroying natural habitats to make room for construction projects of all kinds. How about reversing that when possible with habitat restoration?
For example, 90% of the parking lot at the outlet mall is not being used. Why not remove the asphalt and plant trees, establish natural water areas and vegetation for wildlife food (not pretty areas for human viewing — this would be for wildlife!)?
I’m sure there are other similar areas not restricted to parking lots, e.g., deserted buildings, ravaged land areas.
— Kim Masnick
Asheville
Let’s be ‘Asheville Smart’
I see signs saying, “Asheville Strong,” “This Strong,” “That Strong.” I would like instead to see signs that say, “Asheville Smart.” Maybe if we were “Asheville Smart,” we could create a more equitable and a more sustainable culture to replace the inequitable and unsustainable parts of our culture that got washed away.
—
Bob Thompson Asheville X
Editor’s Note
In this week’s paper we have a series of interviews, “Beyond the Dais,” with members of Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. In these talks, which are part of our Kids Issue series, participants discuss childhood memories as well as issues our area’s young people currently face.
In this week’s issue we also have the second in a two-part series called “Back in the Day.” These boxes feature stories from readers about growing up in Western North Carolina. X
CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN
BACK IN THE DAY
Strolling through downtown in the early 1960s
Many childhood memories are of wandering familiar lands and roads of Riceville and downtown sidewalks. My brothers and I were free to explore the three home acres and visit relatives nearby. We had to stay together and behave. Reports of any waywardness would fly home, even before us.
The woods offered adventures on a flight of fancy. We dug a spot in the pine needle carpet seeking gold. A circle of trees became an audience for the psalm just learned in Sunday school or Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “The Swing.” (“Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing/ever a child can do!”) Our own rope swing led us to reenactments of scenes from a Tarzan movie at the Starlite Drive-In.
Double features took us downtown for Saturday matinees at the Imperial Theatre on Patton Avenue. Admission was bottle caps and cheeseburger wrappers. Parents left children at the door while they shopped at local stores including Fain’s, Bon Marché, The Bootery and one of the three national “five-anddimes” downtown. Mother often went grocery shopping at the A&P on Lexington.
Other special stops were Pack Library on the square, the Asheville Art Museum in the magical stone building on Charlotte Street and Colburn Mineral Museum on Coxe Avenue where I discovered fossilized sharks’ teeth. That exhibit led me to a life of wandering beaches searching for a new black triangle to add to my fossil collection. Closer to home, I still enjoy a wander to the downtown library and any circle of trees.
— Deborah Austin X
FAMILY PHOTO: Deborah Austin, right, with her brothers Peter, seated, and Christopher in 1956.
Photo courtesy of Austin
VOTING STARTS APRIL 1ST
‘Listen to us now’
Constituents speak out at Rep. Chuck Edwards’ town hall
BY THOMAS CALDER
tcalder@mountainx.com
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards addressed a full house at the Ferguson Auditorium at A-B Tech during his March 13 town hall. Along with the 350-plus people inside the event space, an estimated 2,500 constituents gathered outside.
Edwards began the evening with a 30-minute update on post-Helene recovery efforts. The remaining hour was split answering submitted questions and public comment.
Constituents voiced concerns over federal cuts, shared their support for Ukraine, criticized Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), questioned the current trade wars with Canada and Mexico, and implored Edwards to be a check on presidential power.
In response, Edwards defended President Donald Trump’s policies
as well as recent cuts led by DOGE. “Like him or not, Elon Musk has brought a lot of really smart people” to the federal government, Edwards told the crowd. The congressman also spoke in support of Ukraine and stated that he believes President Trump supports the U.S. ally as well. Most of Edwards’ responses were interrupted by constituents booing. One audience member was escorted out by several officers after he stood up and declared, “I’m a veteran and you don’t give a f*ck about me.”
Statements shouted at the representative included: “Listen to us now,” “Are you afraid of Trump?” “You’re afraid of Musk,” “Tesla
chain saw massacre,” and “You are a coward.”
Some in the audience attempted to quiet the more outspoken members, imploring them to “Let him talk.”
After the town hall, Edwards held a brief press conference where he reiterated his support of President Trump. He also noted his plans to hold additional town halls.
As Edwards answered questions from local and national media outlets, community members protested outside, chanting, “Do your job” and “Save our democracy.”
Editor’s note: This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing. X
SUPPORT THE TROOPS: Vietnam veteran Chris Boehme, left, demands Rep. Chuck Edwards support veterans. Photo by Thomas Calder
STANDING WITH UKRAINE: Many who attended the town hall voiced their support for Ukraine. Rep. Edwards said he supported the U.S. ally. Photo by Greg Parlier
Council approves zoning code changes to accelerate projects
Asheville City Council approved several changes to the city zoningcodes at its March 11 meeting to make it easier, cheaper and faster to build regular and affordable housing along certain major thoroughfares.
In short, Council eliminated parking requirements for residential developments in certain areas; allowed larger buildings if they include residential units; streamlined the permitting process; and gave staff more authority in approving projects so they don’t have to come before Council.
But it wasn’t without conflict. Only removing the parking requirement passed, 7-0. The rest were 4-3 votes, with Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley and Council members Kim Roney and Sheneika Smith opposed.
Tensions arose when Council member Sage Turner introduced a last-minute amendment regarding the threshold for requiring Council approval that Mosley said she had never seen.
Essentially, Turner’s change requires all larger staff-approved projects along certain corridors to include affordable housing. Turner said she completed her proposal within minutes of the meeting.
But qualification for affordable units remained the same, staying within 60-80% of area median income (AMI), which is $50,000 per a family of two, per the city’s local homeownership calculator.
In an email to Xpress, Mosley said she voted against the code changes because “communities of color are not the primary recipients of housing at 80% AMI. Historically, setting AMIs at this level has excluded long-term Asheville residents, disproportionately impacting households of color.”
“While increasing housing supply is often seen as a solution, it does not necessarily serve the needs of current residents. In some cases, adding more housing can have the unintended consequence of driving up property values and rents, ultimately displacing communities of color rather than providing them with stable, affordable housing,” wrote Mosley. “I support increasing housing supply, but it must be done in a way that does not displace or cause harm to our residents. I didn’t support this proposal
IN FAVOR OF INFILL: Andrew Paul, lead organizer for Asheville for All, spoke in favor of zoning code changes that would make building larger housing projects on major thoroughfares, like Patton Avenue, easier and faster for developers.
because I don’t believe in trickle-down housing — building more doesn’t automatically mean our longtime residents will benefit.”
Roney said she wanted to support the changes but there were “a couple missing steps.” She wants the city to complete its affordable housing and missing middle housing plans before making zoning code changes. She also wants more assistance available to neighborhoods that are vulnerable to displacement.
The other 4-3 change was to increase building size and density limits, encouraging builders to build up, not out. The change allows projects that include housing to increase their size up to two to five times the ground-floor square footage.
VARIED PUBLIC COMMENT
Sixteen residents spoke during the public hearing for the amendments, with most supporting the changes.
“I want all of this stuff being proposed today. I think we should feel good about it,” said Andrew Paul , lead organizer of Asheville for All, a volunteer group that focuses on housing solutions. “We talk about these amendments like they’re a burden or something to mitigate, but they’re going to make our city more fun and more walkable.”
Ken Brame , a volunteer for Western North Carolina Sierra
Club, an environmental organization, spoke to the eco-friendly aspects of mixed-use developments within the city.
“Every time I’m out in Candler or Arden or Fletcher — any of those places — I see clear-cut forest going down for lower-density housing and apartment complexes going in, and I know that every one of those that goes in means more pollution, more carbon being burned, more traffic congestion coming into our city. The solution to that is infill development,” Brame said.
After the vote, speakers from legacy neighborhoods said they were disappointed that Council approved changes without offering long-requested protections to their neighborhoods.
“Please don’t change the transit commercial corridor zoning. Carve us out,” said Shaniqua Simuel , a member of the Shiloh Community. “Please ensure that new transplants have to go through City Council and that City Council remains abreast of our well-thought-out neighborhood plan approved by the city in 2010.”
COTTAGES AND FLAG LOTS
Votes regarding changes to cottage developments and flag lots were also split 4-3 along the same lines.
The changes exempt certain neighborhoods that staff based on
three maps: one of legacy neighborhood boundaries; another of areas most vulnerable to change as identified by the Middle Missing Housing Study; and a third combining the first two maps. The amendments were first proposed two years ago by Barry Bialik , CEO of Compact Cottages and former chair of the Asheville Affordable Housing Committee.
Bialik’s first amendment regarding cottage developments allows smaller, single-unit dwellings to be clustered around common open space.
The second amendment addresses flag lots, which allow two homes to share the same street frontage, with one home behind the other. The lot for the rear home is accessed via a narrow corridor extending to the street — the “pole” — which also serves as a shared driveway.
In other news:
• Council moved $200,000 in public art funds to ArtsAVL programs, of which $150,000 will go to artists and arts organizations in Asheville through the Arts Business Relief Grant and $50,000 to support programming and activation of the River Arts and Downtown Arts Districts through the Connection Campaign.
• The city has entered into a contract with Jarrett Walker & Associates to conduct a comprehensive operational analysis of the Asheville Rides Transit system. The $299,877 for the study comes from the Transit Operations Fund. The one-year study will evaluate service needs, ridership demand, demographic changes and growth over the next 10 years. The study will also explore new service delivery methods like microtransit similar to Uber or Lyft and environmental and financial sustainability recommendations. There will be opportunities for community engagement during the study.
• Downtown After 5 is moving from Lexington Avenue to Pack Square Park and going from monthly to bimonthly. Asheville Downtown Association Executive Director Hayden Plemmons said that the change to Pack Square allows more space and a permanent stage for the growing event.
Editor’s note: This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing.
— Brionna Dallara X
Photo by Brionna Dallara
Asheville City Board of Education sets guiding principles
The Asheville City Board of Education passed a set of loose guidelines for how it should govern, communicate and act at meetings in a 6-1 vote at its meeting March 10. Board member Pepi Acebo voted against what the district called “board norms.”
“The whole thing doesn’t feel good to me,” Acebo told his fellow board members during a work session March 3. “It’s something that seems like a constraint on individual board members speaking up.”
Board Chair Sarah Thornburg, who worked with Asheville City Schools Superintendent Maggie Fehrman to draft the document during the board’s January retreat, said the intent is not to silence board members but to let the superinten-
dent and her team do their job while better defining the role of the board.
The norms address three areas of board responsibilities. The governance norms encourage members to keep students at the forefront of decisions, trust the superintendent and conduct any business in public. The communications norms set Thornburg as spokesperson for the board and Fehrman for the district, suggesting any stakeholder and media inquiries should go through them. The meeting norms outline basic meeting ethics and encourage members to stay focused on the district’s stated mission and vision.
Acebo said his main concern was that the district was trying to discourage board members from interacting with staff, including principals, by
ACS students could get free meals next year
All students of Asheville City Schools (ACS) could eat for free next year, regardless of family household income.
Staff will submit an application next year to join the federal Community Eligibility Program, which reimburses the district for ensuring every student can eat breakfast and lunch free at school without having to fill out any paperwork.
The Asheville City Board of Education directed staff to apply for the program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, at its regular meeting March 10.
The move could cost ACS more in the short term, but eventually staff hopes the program will break even, said Heidi Kerns, chief financial officer for ACS. The key is high participa-
tion rates, which prompt more federal assistance, relieving — or even eliminating — the need for local support.
The meal program now runs a $500,000 deficit after the water outage after Tropical Storm Helene severely limited schools’ serving options, increased costs and lowered participation, she said. About one-third of ACS students eat lunch from the school, and 11% of students eat the schools’ breakfasts.
Like many districts, the ACS’s nutrition program has operated at a significant loss, but COVID-era federal assistance and then Helene-related assistance helped support the program.
According to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), 64 out of 115 school districts in the state operate at a deficit, Kerns added.
urging them to go through the superintendent with everything. He said it’s his responsibility as an elected board member to monitor and stay informed on what is happening in schools.
“I want to make sure, regardless of how we move forward with this, that we maintain an open door policy with staff and that we continue to be accessible to staff, to families, to parents and, of course, we work with the superintendent to resolve issues,” Acebo said.
Board Vice Chair Rebecca Strimer and board member Amy Ray said they didn’t view the norms that way.
Ray said she thought the norms “don’t preclude us from hearing from any stakeholders, but they ask us to respect the position of the adminis-
ACS shifted away from handling school meals in-house in 2023, hiring New York-based food service provider Chartwells to manage the program with the hope that its meals would boost student participation.
If the program helps increase participation by 10%, the district’s losses shrink to $40,000 a year, Kerns told the board at a Feb. 3 work session. With a 20% increase, losses are virtually eliminated, she added.
Under the program, ACS will receive $4.54 for every student that qualifies for free meals, and 53 cents for every meal for students who pay for meals. Districtwide, 44% of students qualify for free and reducedprice lunch. NCDPI told districts that they could not break even if at least 60% of its population qualified for a reduced rate, Kerns told the board.
trators in the buildings in our schools and in our central office.”
Acebo told Xpress by phone March 11 that he saw the guidance not as “norms” but as “aspirational” and wanted to be sure that the board doesn’t get sequestered from the rest of the district.
Board member Liza Kelly told Xpress by phone that while she shared Acebo’s concerns about the norms initially, she says the edits Fehrman made to the norms earlier in the process at members’ request provided the clarity Kelly needed to support them.
Editor’s note: This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing.
— Greg Parlier X
But ultimately, staff members believe the benefits outweigh the risks and are betting that enough students will switch to eating at school when the meals become free, thus justifying the change, Kerns noted.
Enrolling in the program will also eliminate the need for students to apply for free or reduced-price lunch and staff hours to manage applications. School officials also won’t have to harangue families when students don’t pay for meals that they eat, Kerns added.
Elementary school students pay $3.25 for lunch, while middle and high schoolers pay $3.50 at ACS schools. Breakfast costs $1.50 districtwide. Editor’s note: This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing.
NEW NORMS: The Asheville City Board of Education passed “board norms” at its meeting March 10. The board’s newest member, Pepi Acebo, far left, was the lone dissenting vote on the action. Photo courtesy of Asheville City Schools
BULLETIN BOARD
Dakota Lamar loves the Mountain For years, he has known where every purple box in town is, what time the papers come out and who delivers them. Every Tuesday, he directs his mom to his favorite pickup spots and collects his weekly stash of papers. Recently, he got the idea to ask about getting a box for Sandy Mush Community Center. His enthusiastic interest landed him a job delivering papers each week to this purple bin in his rural community. Thanks, Dakota! X
STAMP OF
LThe automotive programs at Enka, A.C. Reynolds and T.C. Roberson high schools all achieved accreditation from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) for maintenance and light repair in January, according to a Buncombe County Schools press release. “ASE certification for high school automotive courses is essential because it establishes a recognized standard of excellence that benefits both students and the industry,” said Michele Smith, Buncombe County Schools’ director of career and technical education. “It ensures that the curriculum, facilities and instruction meet the high standards required by the automotive field, equipping students with the skills needed for real-world success.” For more details, visit avl.mx/emd. X
m a t h i s m a r v e l o
Pastor Masco Settles of Mountaintop Church and Josiah Cox Lucy S. Herring Elementary work together as part of the Marvelous Math Club, a partnership between the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, UNC Asheville and Asheville City Schools. The program has received national recognition for its innovative approach to math education by the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corp. Since 2016, this collaboration at Pisgah View Apartments has grown from a small homework support program into a communi ty of “math leaders” and “math champions.” X
Author and illustrator recently celebrated the publication of her latest book, Monsters & Magic in the Blue Ridge Mountains illustrated picture book captures the magic, folklore and traditions of Appalachia, according to a press release. Inspired by her childhood experiences in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Green’s book is a love letter to Appalachian culture, including local legends, superstitions and naturebased wisdom passed down through generations. With richly detailed illustrations of regional botanicals, mythical creatures and moun tain landscapes, the book invites readers to explore the wonder of Appalachia and see it in a new, positive light. “Appalachian culture is often misunderstood or misrepresented,” says Green in the same press release. “This book is my way of honoring the heritage, wisdom, and beauty of the mountains that have shaped me and so many others. I hope it helps readers embrace the magic and uniqueness of this region.” Learn more about the book at avl.mx/em4. X
Pet
Week of the
Crush and Amora are the sweetest sibling duo with a whole lot of personality, says the staff at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. These two playful kittens are inseparable — chasing toys, wrestling with each other and then crashing in a cuddle puddle like pros. Go to avl.mx/ckd to see all of the available animals. X
In the spotlight
Spectrum chose Erwin High senior Judah Dayton as one of its Scholar Athletes of the Week on March 7, according to a press release from Buncombe County Schools. The honor comes with a $1,000 scholarship. He was nominated for the award by Erwin High counselors Elizabeth Wicker and Sarah Peterson. “Judah is an all-around great student at Erwin, involved in everything. He’s always willing to help and always has a smile on his face,” said Peterson in the press release. After graduation in June, Dayton hopes to attend either N.C. State University or Clemson University, where he intends to work toward a career as a civil engineer, planning and designing highways. For more details, visit avl.mx/eme. X
Third-grade students from Isaac Dickson Elementary visited the Asheville Art Museum in mid-February, taking the “‘Discovering Art in Asheville”’ guided tour, according to a press release from Asheville City Schools. The volunteer guide helped students engage with art through historical and local lenses and explore elements of design and visual representation. X
Photo by Steven Davis
Photo by Marta Alcala
Photo by Cindy Kunst
Precious cargo
BY GREG PARLIER
Bryan Newton has a full-time job managing facilities at Camp Cedar Cliff. Still, he gets up at 5 every morning to drive about 22 students to school at Charles C. Bell Elementary School. Like many in his position, Newton doesn’t do it for the money. He does it just to stay connected to the community.
“I know all my students, all the parents on the route, and it’s a great way to be involved with your community and to give back,” he says.
Newton is one of around 225 bus drivers who report to duty each day, transporting thousands of students to Asheville City Schools (ACS) and Buncombe County Schools (BCS).
These high-stakes, low-paying jobs (drivers make between $18 and $23 an hour) often go unnoticed, says Jeremy Stowe , BCS’ director of transportation. And because shifts range from two to five hours split between the morning and afternoon, many drivers hold second and third jobs both in and outside the school system.
“When you’re a bus driver, you know you are carrying these students who are the most precious cargo,” says Danny Fusco, principal at Bell Elementary, who regularly fills in when a driver calls out sick. “You’re focused on the driving aspect and also watching the students and making sure that everybody is following the rules and everybody’s getting along. It’s a major responsibility.”
DEDICATED DRIVERS
Part of that responsibility also includes being prepared for unexpected delays.
on the bus’s tires and managed to get it unstuck.
More recently, landslides, downed trees and closed roads caused by Tropical Storm Helene have created additional hurdles for city and county bus routes. And while Newton notes his route has largely returned to normal after the storm, he still regularly hits a delay on Riceville Road because of slow-moving trucks picking up debris or an occasional road repair.
In addition to exterior factors, ACS driver Rick “Big Rick” Stevenson , who has been driving for 17 years, says he and fellow drivers must also manage their passengers. Unlike classrooms, which typically have around 25 students, buses can hold up to as many as 60 riders.
“Some days, it’s difficult. It drives your patience. You have to remember that you’re dealing with adolescents. They’re not processing the same way that you are,” he says. “It’s like a soap opera. You know, the little girls have these little episodes that go on between them, and one day they’re friends, one day they’re not.”
But ultimately, Stevenson loves driving the bus, calling the job “fun, challenging and rewarding.”
One of the best payoffs, several drivers say, is the trust and genuine respect they get from the kids.
“We are the first ones kids see in the morning, and we’re the last ones they see in the afternoon. Bus drivers get to know things about the kids. They confide in us. They trust us,” says Nae’em Akbar, driver with ACS.
Fusco remembers an incident years ago when a bus got stuck in the mud in a rural part of northern Buncombe County. He and Stowe, who was then a principal, put chains
“There’s nothing better than them getting off the bus at the school and saying, ‘I love you, Miss Gigi.’ You can have a bad day and get on the bus, and it’s better,” adds Gwen Goldthwaite, a transportation safety assistant who helps manage kids on exceptional children buses.
KID FRIENDLY: Bryan Newton says his favorite buses to drive are to field trips for Charles C. Bell Elementary in East Asheville. Photo by Greg Parlier
SAFETY FIRST
Amanda Rigsby, transportation director for ACS, says compliance from automobile drivers is the biggest issue bus drivers face when delivering kids to and from school. Too often, she notes, car drivers do not adhere to the flashing stop signs that pop out along the side of a yellow bus.
Ignoring these rules, adds Goldthwaite, risks everyone’s safety. When children step off the bus, she notes, they are like “little ferrets chasing aluminum foil. … If they see something, they may start to go for it. And if somebody’s running that stop arm, it’s very dangerous.”
Icy roads are another hazard. In the winter, the two districts’ transportation departments work together to ensure roads are safe to drive before making any decisions on whether or not to cancel school. Staff members drive roads early in the morning to determine if a big yellow bus can safely traverse every route, Rigsby and Stowe say.
“It’s a major responsibility,” Fusco notes. “We’re so fortunate to have drivers with experience … because things can happen in a split second.” For parents, this attention and concern does not go unnoticed.
Jeremy Stowe, director of transportation for Buncombe County Schools, helps the district make decisions on whether to open on cold winter days. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County Schools
On a recent Friday afternoon, Zubila Shafiq greeted her children as they disembarked from Newton’s bus. “Our day is dependent on the fact that he shows up to work to make sure our kids get home safely,” she says. “It’s hard to put into words, honestly, to know that they’re going to be fine and safe when they get home.”
For fellow parent Annaleis Chermisqui , Newton’s services are recognized each year with a Christmas gift. “And I’m picky about who I give Christmas gifts,” she says.
Q&A: BEYOND THE DAIS
The music, laughter and leaky diapers of Kim Roney’s youth
Xpress: Most people have at least one story their family and relatives can’t help but retell at reunions and/or holiday gatherings. What is the quintessential story from your childhood that you can’t seem to escape at these types of gatherings? Roney: I was a pretty goofy kid. The most inescapable tale: When I was a baby, disposable diapers didn’t have very good elastic, and my papa loved to make me laugh. I argue it’s not my fault he was so funny or that my notorious laughing fits were worth risking a known leak. How would you describe yourself as a teenager? And how do you think your former teenage self would have reacted to learning you ended up serving as an elected official?
I had tremendous responsibilities as a teen caring for my younger siblings. Music was my retreat, from practicing piano to late-night headphones. I had a pixie haircut just like my bestie with our ska-punk aesthetic. I’ve always been a helper. I probably would’ve reacted to hearing about my role today with shock — rooted in awareness of my poverty status — then asked how public service might be helpful. The young people in our community have been through a lot since COVID and Helene. What is your top concern for our area youths, and what influence do local officials have to address it?
Sense of belonging. My students and their peers have endured overlapping crises, and I’m continually grateful for the stories of empathy and care I hear as they navigate school and the world with the support of family, educators and community. At the same time, I hear there’s not a lot of local activities for teens and young adults, and that they notice how Asheville prioritizes tourism over the needs of the people who live here every day. Lack of a sense of belonging can ripple into crises in interpersonal relationships, education opportunities and mental health.
Three starting points for local officials to address sense of belonging for our youths:
• Expand the Strategic Partnership Fund with community partners to address the opportunity gap through mentorship, job training and violence interruption programming.
• Invest in public infrastructure, including scheduling beyond baseball at McCormick Field, getting Malvern Hills Pool open, following through on Southside input for the Walton Street Park & Pool.
• Continue youth programming through Parks & Rec, who have been innovative and successful in using city facilities for events like film screenings, dances and the holiday skate night that had over a thousand participants at the civic center.
FOR THE KIDS
For Newton, driving the bus is a privilege and a joy, especially on field trips. Recent outings include an elementary school trip to a llama farm and apple orchard in Henderson County as well as a journey to downtown Asheville for a theater production of The Nutcracker.
“There’s no better way to spend a day than taking a large group of students and teachers to a fun place, educational place, to learn some things and just be there all together. I love those days,” he says.
You can’t help but smile hanging out with these kids every day, he adds.
Last Christmas, the students on his bus erupted in song, attempting to harmonize on Christmas carols as he drove them to school.
As Fusco, Stowe and Rigsby all say, the driver’s role is to set the tone for the child’s whole day. After all, they are the first school employees to see the students in the morning and the last to see them in the afternoon.
“A good bus driver is going to love on these kids no matter the day, no matter the consequence, no matter the pressures. Your students will remember fully how that bus driver supported them, loved them and cared for them,” Fusco says. X
WONDER YEARS: As a child, Asheville City Council member Kim Roney says she was “pretty goofy.” Photo courtesy of Roney
A hopeful future for the next generation is why I serve. Many of my former students are adults (and voters) now, eager for Asheville to take better care of each other and our mountain home.
Lightning round: As a child, what was your favorite ...
• Book: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
• Album/band: The Music Machine
• TV show: “Reading Rainbow”
• Movie: Newsies
• Publication: Grandma’s TV Guide X
HEAD HONCHO:
Sidewalk superheroes
School crossing guards share their stories
BY BRIONNA DALLARA
bdallara@mountainx.com
For over 30 years, Robin Steele, 66, has donned her neon vest and carried her handheld “Stop” sign to ensure the safety of students crossing the intersection of Farview Road and Liberty Street on their way to Oakley Elementary School in East Asheville.
And her dedication has not gone unnoticed. On a recent visit to Steele’s home, a few blocks from the school, she shares handwritten cards students have given her over the years.
“You sit out on the bench throughout the weather,” one reads. “Your bright smile and cheery voice set many of my bad days good. I wish I got to school with enough time to spend getting to know you better.” The note is addressed to “The Wonderful And Amazing Crosswalk Lady!”
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Plumie “Ms. Pat” Hall, 84, has had an equally long tenure crossing students at Claxton Elementary School on Merrimon Avenue.
“I’ve had generations of kids that cross. I’ve had kids that come back who have finished college,” Hall says. “I have one guy who is gonna finish high school this year, and he comes every year back to see me.”
These relationships, say both Steele and Hall, are what keep them coming back to the job at the start of each school year, despite the unpredictable weather they often face and the distracted drivers they’re seeing more of these days.
MORNING AND AFTERNOON SHIFTS
Given the nature of the work — crossing guards average around 20 hours per week — both Steele and Hall have held additional jobs.
When Steele first began her role at Oakley, she also crossed students at Asheville High School in addition to two other positions on and off campus — all of which, she notes, she did without a driver’s license.
“I’m scared to drive,” she says. “People are crazy. People don’t care about you; they’re trying to get to where they got to go.”
In North Asheville, Hall currently works an additional cleaning job. She made it a point to secure a position within walking distance from Claxton, which allows her to manage her morning and afternoon shifts at the school with less stress.
In the afternoons she begins her crossings at 2:30 p.m. and remains on campus past dismissal, until 4:30 p.m., to make sure she can cross the students who have theater rehearsal.
Steele will also linger to make sure her regulars have proper assistance crossing the busy Fairview Road. “I sit there and wait and wonder where they are and sit there and wait a little longer to make sure they’re not coming [before I leave],” she says.
TRAFFIC TROUBLES
The major downside to their jobs, says Steele and Hall, is traffic.
“When I started, it was in the ’90s, so the cars respected the crossing
LOOK BOTH WAYS: Crossing guard Robin Steele has made sure students at Oakley Elementary School safely cross the street for over 30 years. Photo courtesy of Steele
guards and the kids,” Steele says. “Now, three cars will go through that red light.”
Two years ago, Steele says, she experienced her first accident on the job when a car rolled toward and bumped her in the crosswalk.
“ At first I thought it was my friend trying to bump me and scare me, but she kept coming. I was trying to push her car, but she kept coming. So I went around her car and said, ‘Lady, you hit me!’ She said, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see
you.’ I said, ‘How could you not see me with this big neon vest on?’ She was on her phone, she was texting,” Steele says.
Directing traffic off a bustling Merrimon Avenue, Hall has observed an uptick in the number of cars that will blow through the crosswalk.
“They should be more careful,” Hall says. “They see that sign up when you’re taking the kids across. It don’t take but a few minutes to go across. If they would just stop just long enough for them to get across safe, that wouldn’t take long. Why wouldn’t you want to stop?”
That’s why it’s so important for students to be careful, pay attention and wait for the crossing guard’s cue, Hall says.
JOYS OF THE JOB
The bright spot in both crossing guards day are the students.
“I just enjoy being there to help them across, making sure they’re getting across safely. And I just love the kids, they’re so excited,” Hall says. “Like when springtime comes and the flowers bloom, you have kids running [to me who] broke a flower off [for me]. It’s so sweet of them.”
Past students will also occasionally visit or stay in touch online. And in some instances, Steele notes, she is now crossing the children of previous students she assisted decades ago.
Back at Steele’s home, she looks over a few more of the cards she has received over the years.
“This one is from a mother,” Steele says with a smile, flipping through the stack.
“We all need caring and loving people like you around our kids and grandkids,” reads the card. “You are a ray of sunshine, a blessing to all of us.” X
The deep end
Asheville teen named to USA Paralympic National Swim Team
BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE
jmcguire@mountainx.com
For as long as Emma Roberts can remember, she has been a swimmer.
“I got involved with swimming when I was really, really little,” says Roberts, a 16-year-old junior at T.C. Roberson High School. “My mom was a swimmer in college, and she helped run a summer swimming league in my neighborhood. And so swimming has always been such an important part of my life.”
But it wasn’t until November that Roberts competed in her first meet in Para swimming, a modified version of swimming for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee. She was born with fibular hemimelia, a condition that resulted in a leg-length discrepancy and other issues with her right leg.
Just a few months after her Para swimming debut, Roberts got the news that she had been named to the USA Paralympic National Swim Team. “I was completely shocked,” she recalls. “It was a crazy feeling.”
Now she will compete in meets against Para swimmers from around the world and will have a chance to qualify for the World Para Swimming Championships in September in Singapore.
“Emma has been working really hard for the past couple of years to just continue improving and improving and improving,” says Kirk Hampleman, coach of the YMCA of Western North Carolina’s Piranhas Swim Team.
Xpress spoke with Roberts about her Para swimming journey, her experiences with fibular hemimelia and what’s ahead for her in 2025.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Xpress: How did you get involved with Para swimming?
Roberts: The Piranhas Swim Club is a YMCA swim club that I’ve been swimming with since I was in like second grade. My swim coach, his son was in Para swimming, so he knew a lot about it. He told me that he thought that I would probably qualify for Para swimming. So I went to a swim meet with him and his son in November called the Fred Lamback Paralympic Swimming Open [in Cumming, Ga.]. That was my first Para swimming meet ever. I didn’t get classified there. A Para swimming classification is basically how you determine what level of physical, visual or mental impair-
ment you are. I then went to [the U.S. Paralympics Swimming Nationals in Orlando, Fla.] in December, and at that swim meet I got classified. And that was also when I got my times to qualify for the national team.
When did you get the news that you had made the team?
When U.S. Para swimming released the national team on their Instagram [on Feb. 9] was the first time that I realized, like, “Oh, I’m actually on a national team with Paralympians and other really incredible athletes.” I was in class with one of my friends, and so when I heard the news, I turned around and I showed her, and we just got so excited. It was a crazy feeling, and then I sent an Instagram post to my family, and they were also superexcited for me.
What’s the next step for you?
I will be going to a swim meet in April, the Para Swimming World Series in Indianapolis. I’m going to be competing with Para swim athletes from all over the world, and I’m going to be trying to make times for the World Para Swimming Championships that will be happening in September in Singapore. Also, in June they’re doing Para Nationals in Boise, Idaho. That’s a big one that I’m focusing on, too.
When were you diagnosed with fibular hemimelia?
I had a leg-length discrepancy when I was born. My feet have always
looked a little different on my right side. We always knew that something was up, but we never knew exactly what until I went and saw a specialist in Columbus, Ohio, when I was 10, and he diagnosed me there. He was like, “Have you ever heard of fibular hemimelia? She definitely has it.” Fibular hemimelia is a condition that affects my right leg primarily. It affects a lot of different things in my right leg. I have a ball-and-socket joint in my ankle. I’m missing my ACL and my PCL in my right knee. I have a slight right leg discrepancy. It’s been corrected slightly since I was little. It
would have been a 4-inch discrepancy if I hadn’t had it corrected in eighth grade. It’s less than an inch now, so it’s not really measurable, which is incredible. I also have fused bones in my foot, and I just have a general muscle impairment in my right leg, it’s just weaker than my left leg. When did you start swimming?
For as long as I can remember. It was mostly just a form of therapy. It was a sport that I could do that was really low impact on my legs, and it was a great form of exercise. But once I got to high school, I really discovered the competitive aspect of it, and I started aiming at trying to get faster and to be better at the sport, rather than to just do it. I love my high school swim team. What events do you swim in?
The 50m and 100m freestyle are my best two events, and then I also swim in 100s in butterfly and backstroke, and I’m also pretty good at the 200 freestyle. I like to enter as many events as I can to get a good feeling for everything and set new [personal records] and improve overall. Do you plan to stay involved with Para swimming?
I do. I mean, Para swimming is something that I’ve discovered so recently, but I’ve already fallen in love with it. It’s such an incredible aspect of the sport for me. There are lots of Para athletes that have been competing for years and years, and I’m hoping that that could be me. Swimming around all of my friends is incredible, but swimming around different Para athletes has made me feel so confident in my body, and it’s just been such an incredible experience. I always feel so much more at ease at those swim meets than I do at normal swim meets. All the people in Para swimming are so kind and so thoughtful, and I’ve already made friendships that I know will last for a really long time in just four months. It’s such an amazing environment and it’s something that I want to continue for as long as I can. X
THE LIFE AQUATIC: Emma Roberts, who swam in her first Para swimming meet in November, has been named to the USA Paralympic National Swim Team. Photo courtesy of YMCA of Western North Carolina
Eastbound
BY EMILY KLINGER ANTOLIC
False spring No. 1 came and went like a mirage. The second time, we anticipated the cruel deception. But now, the long-awaited season of revival has arrived.
It feels different this year: There’s the eagerness to see the beautiful landscape show off and burst with color, but there’s also bittersweet nostalgia for last spring, before Tropical Storm Helene changed the whole terrain. With several parks, greenways and businesses still closed, parents might be wondering, “What’s open? And where can I take my kids to have fun?” For those looking to get outside Asheville, consider venturing eastbound on Interstate 40, where you’ll find plenty of activities within 20 minutes of downtown to keep kids and families entertained.
PARKS AND TRAILS
• Grovemont Park, 251 Stonewall Ave., Swannanoa, will soon transform into a spectacular sight thanks to volunteers who planted 10,000 donated tulip bulbs last December. The unexpected gift came when a company from the Netherlands — Dutch Grown — heard how Helene ravaged the Swannanoa community. The flower garden symbolizes the hope, joy and beauty that grows after a hard recovery. Tulips bloom in late March and early April, so grab a book at the Swannanoa Library next door; admire the spring colors and mountain backdrop; let the kids explore the playground and run through the park; and clear space on your camera roll for pictures.
• Montreat’s Robert Lake Park, 317 Texas Road, is another great option. Freshly mulched and largely unaffected by the storm, this park will delight the whole family. The drive is beautiful and worthwhile as the sprawling park has plenty to occupy an adventurous kid for the afternoon. There’s a variety of play structures, picnic tables and benches spread out across the forest setting. A shallow, rocky creek winds through the park and creates a series of small islands connected by wooden footbridges. Children love splashing in the cool waters, balancing on rocks and searching for gems and salamanders in the wide creek.
• Warren Wilson College has an extensive network of hiking trails long loved by trail runners, furry friends and young explorers. Much of the river section remains closed and unsafe to access, but parts of the wooded Berea Trail System have been cleared and are open. Park in the gravel lot across from Berea Baptist Church, 2578 Riceville Road, and enter the forest to start your hike. Mayapples, ferns and trillium grow across the forest floor, but don’t forget to look up at the trees for other springtime arrivals: Birds love this habitat.
• If your family prefers an easy walk, consider Lake Tomahawk Park, 401 Laurel Cir Drive, Black Mountain. A half-mile walking trail loops around the lake, which is teeming with waterfowl, trout and, occasionally, spiffy RC Sailboats racing around the water. The playground includes a jungle gym, a huge sandpit, swings and a rotating contraption that spins the kids until they’re silly. The park also has a community center.
PLAY TIME: Spring is here, and there are plenty of parks and some trails open in Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Montreat. Photo by Emily Klinger Antolic
EATS AND DRINKS
If you’re looking for places where kids can be engaged and adults can order some drinks or food, there’s plenty of venues open for business in east Buncombe.
• Peri Social House, 406 W. State St., Black Mountain, is part coffeehouse and bar, part event space and part boutique hotel. When you enter through the front of the artistically renovated 1936 Georgian Revival house, head to the back of the building where coffee and espresso drinks, an infallible wine selection, craft cocktails and juice boxes await. Then head outside to the cozy patio or through the garden to find a fully fenced-in kid area with a ball pit, toddler swings, ring-toss games and a giant rock sensory bin. Thursday through Sunday, the Abbiocco Pizzeria food truck serves up woodfired pizzas crafted by a chef whose impressive resume includes work at Michelin-starred restaurants.
• If you’re seeking a pastry and latte, head to Recess Coffee and Baked Goods, 107 Black Mountain Ave. Each month, the shop introduces a new menu of breakfast treats alongside plus staples such as the
scrumptious ham-and-cheese pretzel croissant. The interior of Recess is seasonally decorated with locally sourced foliage and flowers and will make you feel nostalgic for comingof-age summer camp movies from the ’70s. In the back hallway, there are shelves of toys and games that actually are from the ’70s and will keep kids of all ages entertained sans screens (unless you count the Etch A Sketch as a screen). The venue’s outside has generous seating and picnic tables. By summer, the owners hope to put a fence around the grassy area and install a playground for children.
• Also in Black Mountain, The Grange, 120 Broadway Ave., offers a family-friendly menu of American classics, local beers on tap and ample indoor and outdoor seating. On the side of the building there are mounds of dirt and ditches where kids can quarry.
LOOKING AHEAD
• Longtime favorite for runners, bird-watchers, fishers and parents teaching their kids to ride a bike, Swannanoa’s Charles D. Owen Park has no timeline to reopen as of yet. The damage done by Helene’s flooding will indisputably change how the whole park gets laid out. In a written statement to Xpress, Mac Stanley, program coordinator for Buncombe County Parks and Recreation writes: “Charles D. Owen Park in Swannanoa sustained significant damage during Tropical Storm Helene, with every facility in the park affected and many completely destroyed. Buncombe County Parks and Recreation is actively coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to clear debris and the Buncombe County Permits and Inspections Office to assess the storm’s impact on park structures.”
• Flooding also tore through Veterans Park in Black Mountain. The baseball fields there will have fencing installed this spring, but the playground won’t reopen until later. The Splash Pad in downtown Black Mountain will reopen in May and is an easy stroll from the weekend farmers market.
• From 3-5 p.m. on Tuesdays in March through May, Grovemont Park will host Buncombe County Parks and Recreation’s CORE (Community Outreach and Recreation Experiences). The events are free and the staff provide fun games and recreational activities for all ages. X
Maggie Ullman’s childhood obsessions with Pee-Wee Herman and the outdoors
Xpress: Most people have at least one story their family and relatives can’t help but retell at reunions and/or holiday gatherings. What is the quintessential story from your childhood that you can’t seem to escape at these types of gatherings?
Ullman: Four-year-old me was forever quoting Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. It was my favorite movie, and the big, burly trucker saying, “Tell ’em Large Marge sent ya,” had me in hysterics. I was Maggie, after all, so tying in the whole name thing was just so funny to me. That story gets told all the time by members of my family. I was the youngest of three girls, and I looked up to my sisters so much. Keeping up with them was serious business — even when I was being ridiculous. How would you describe yourself as a teenager? And how do you think your former teenage self would have reacted to learning you ended up serving as an elected official?
I was way more focused on activism, specifically the environment, than on my studies. Looking back, I’m superproud that my passion for the environment never left me. I think teenage Maggie would be gobsmacked if she met me now. She’d see that all of those ideals she had in her youth were capable of coming to fruition with fine-tuning and focus. She’d see that all of those hopes she had for a better world could, in fact, come true — even if they were in small doses. She’d also be shocked to know that I own a set of pearls, though; so maybe we shouldn’t tell her. The young people in our community have been through a lot since COVID and Helene. What is your top concern for our area youths, and what influence do local officials have to address it?
This is a tough one to answer from a governmental standpoint, as our Asheville City Schools don’t fall under city government. But as a mom and a human being, this is easy — mental health. I can’t imagine what all the changes in the world are doing to our young people. The anxiety, the stress, the worry — it must be so incredibly hard to keep all those thoughts and feelings as balanced as possible. I hope that my influence allows young people to know I’ll always be someone they can talk to; that I’ll always do right by them in ensuring they have the best resources at their disposal to be able to take on life’s many, many challenges.
Lightning round: As a child, what was your favorite ...
• Book: The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss
• Album: Paul Simon’s Graceland
• TV show: “The Simpsons”
• Movie: The Goonies
• Publication (magazine or newspaper): Highlights for Kids X
LARGE MARGE: As a child, Asheville City Council member Maggie Ullman says she was obsessed with quoting PeeWee’s Big Adventure. Photo courtesy of Ullman
MARCH. 19 - MARCH. 27 , 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
Feature, page 60
More info, page 64
WELLNESS
Balance, Agility, Strength, Stretch
This weekly class for adults focuses on flexibility, balance, stretching, and strength.
WE (3/19, 26), 10am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd
Therapeutic Recreation Adult Morning Movement
Wednesday mornings are all about active games, physical activities, and sports adapted to accommodate all skill levels.
WE (3/19, 26), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
5x5 Strength
Alternating exercises and stretches designed to improve physical performance, enhance range of motion, and reduce muscle fatigue.
WE (3/19, 26), 10:15am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
Thrive 55+ Exercise
Party
Every Wednesday, active adults will come together for chair exercise, balance challenges, and strength training.
WE (3/19, 26), 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 (3/19), 11:15am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd
Gentle Tai Chi for Balance
This class works on improving our balance through exercises that help you to think with your feet while strengthening your balance muscles.
WE (3/19, 26), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Tai Chi Fan
This class includes partner work showing the martial application of the fans when they are used as a weapon and Flying Rainbow Double Fan form.
WE (3/19, 26), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Tai Chi For Beginners Yang 10 & 24
In the Beginner Tai Chi class, the focus is on the Yang 10 and 24 forms as well as Qigong exercises for health.
TH (3/20, 27), MO (3/24), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Intro to the Fitness Center
Learn how to use equipment and machines in the fitness
Parkbreezy, Pheel, TF Marz & Alex Unger (edm, bass, hip-hop)
Eulogy • Sat., March 22 • 8 p.m.
All:Lo collective hosts an evening of electronic dance music performances by unique producers and DJs.
I saw Denver-based DJ Pheel perform in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve. His fast style of hip-hop and bass music mixing is a mind-blowing.
— Braulio Pescador-Martinez X
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
LAND OF THE SKY GEM SHOW: The MAGMA Land of The Sky Gem Show returns to the Land of Sky Shrine Club in Swannanoa on Friday, March 21, and will run through Sunday, March 23. Presented by the Mountain Area Gem & Mineral Association, the gem show begins at 9 a.m. Friday and will feature more than 35 indoor and outdoor vendors promising the finest gems, minerals, fossils, artifacts and jewelry in the Southeast. Photo courtesy of Rick Jacquot
center to jump start a regular wellness routine.
TH (3/20), 1pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Lounge Yoga & Sound Bath Extravaganza Corduroy Lounge has teamed with 2 skilled healers to present its first yoga and sound bath event.
Intermediate Tai Chi Yang 24 This is the Tai Chi that most people envision when they think of Tai Chi. Slow, gentle movements that promote good health.
A great class for those who have studied Yang 37 or would like a form
that is a little bit more involved than Yang 10 or 24.
SA (3/22), 8:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Free Community Yoga (Level 2)
This class is designed to nourish your body, mind, and spirit by further developing your balance, coordination, flexibility, and cardiovascular health.
SA (3/22), 9am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
Himalayan Sound Bath Meditation
Imagine the soothing tones of Himalayan singing bowls washing over you, calming your mind, and rejuvenating your spirit.
SA (3/22), SU (3/23), 11am, Somatic Sounds, 157 S Lexington Ave
The Art of Yoga Series
This yoga session will feature a deep dive into one artwork drawing connections between the imagery and our yoga practice.
SA (3/22), 10am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Free Community Qi
Gong
Qi Gong improves balance and coordination, enhances physical and emotional energy, and promotes an experience of well-being.
SA (3/22), 11:30am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
Restorative Yoga & Hot Stones w/Live Violin
Experience the gentle
and nurturing practice of restorative yoga that eases tension with the accompaniment of a violin.
SA (3/22), 4pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd
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 (3/23), 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 (3/23), 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 (3/23), noon, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd
Tai Chi Open Clinic
All are welcome in this new curriculum course, regardless of the style of internal martial arts you practice, your skill development or age level.
SU (3/23), 7pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
QiGong w/Allen Horowitz
The movements help improve circulation relaxation and balance. For more information contact allenhavatar@ gmail.com
TH (3/27), 6pm, Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Rd, Fairview
SUPPORT GROUPS
Spill the Beans: Social Group
Come socialize with friends, tell stories and share memories. Staff will have fun and engaging questions and prompts to start off conversation.
WE (3/19), 2pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd
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.
Workout at your own pace in a fun atmosphere in this weekly class for active adults working on overall fitness and strength.
MO (3/24), 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 (3/24), 5:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd
Medical Qigong
A moving meditation and an internal martial art for calming the mind and strengthening the body and spirit.
TU (3/25), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Nia Dance
A sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts, and healing arts.
TU (3/25), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Zumba Gold & Silverobics
Calorie-burning, fun, low-impact class that incorporates dance and fitness for older adults each week.
TU (3/25), 12pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd
Drumming for Exercise
Jam to some tunes while getting a great, low-impact arm and core workout. No need to be a pro drummer.
TU (3/25), 1:30pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd
Free Community Integrated Restorative Yoga Integrated Restorative Yoga will offer both traditional yoga poses as well as guided meditation to help you relax deeply, release stress, and increase resilience.
TU (3/25), 5:45pm, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
Community Yoga & Mindfulness
Free monthly event with Inspired Change Yoga that will lead you into a morning of breathwork, meditation and yoga. Bring your own mat.
WE (3/26), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
A safe, supportive, inclusive, and non-judgmental space to share, listen and grow together. Whether you’re exploring sobriety, new to recovery, or have been on this path for a while, you are welcome here.
TH (3/20, 27), 6:30pm, American Legion Post, 851 Haywood Rd
Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group
A free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. For more information contact (828) 367-7660. SA (3/22), 2pm, First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St Creative Check-in
This 1-hr set-upyour-week session is designed for just about anyone who wants a supportive group to help them keep account of their dreams and goals, and how they play out in the week. MO (3/24), 10am, Corduroy Lounge, 444 Haywood Rd, Ste 103 NAMI Connection
Trained peer facilitators guide you in learning how to empower yourself in a place that offers respect, understanding, encouragement, and hope.
TU (3/25), 6pm, NAMIWNC, 356 Biltmore Ave
DANCE
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 (3/19, 26), 8pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd
Bachata Dance Lesson & Social
Live DJ Bachata nights with some Cha Cha, Cumbia, Merengue and Salsa added to the mix.
The class design introduces easy-to-follow Zumba choreography that focuses on balance, range of motion, and coordination.
FR (3/21), 10am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
Intro to Line Dance
A true beginners course for those who are new to line dance taught by Liz Atkinson.
MO (3/24), 10:30am, 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 (3/24), 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 (3/26), 5:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain
March Square Dance
This dance is free and open to all, both on campus and within the community. It’s a great way to unwind and be a part of an Appalachian
tradition.
TH (3/27), 7pm, Mars Hill University, College St, Mars Hill
ART
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
Emerging Artists Exhibition
This annual exhibit showcases the work of award-winning artist and instructor Bob Travers alongside the inspiring creations of his students. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through March 28. Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain
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.
Explore the latest WCU Fine Art Museum exhibition featuring artwork by WCU's talented undergraduate students. This event will also include a talk from the juror, awards presented by the juror, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and beverages.
TH (3/20), 5pm, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee
57th Annual Juried
Undergraduate Exhibition
This exhibition is a great opportunity for WCU undergraduate students to share their artwork with a larger public and to enhance their skills in presenting artwork in a professional gallery setting. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through March, 21.
WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee
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
Asheville Strong: Celebrating Art & Community After Hurricane Helene
An exhibition of artwork by artists who live and work in the Helene-affected Appalachia region. This special, non-juried exhibition celebrates the strength and diversity of our regional arts community. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through May. 5, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Let's Paint!
Painting class for beginner to intermediate painters. Use you choice of media such as acrylic, oil or watercolor.
MO (3/24), 1pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd
Mountain Songs
This poignant exhibition features local artists Nick Colquitt and Natalie Ray. It celebrates the resilience of the Appalachian community and the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through March 30.
Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave
Painting w/Diamonds
Experience the joy of crafting beautiful, sparkling masterpieces with a new craft hobby that's a mix between paint by numbers and cross stitch.
TU (3/25), 6pm, nTempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Tattoo/Flash Exhibition
This exhibition showcases the cultural significance of tattoos, highlighting their ability to bridge tradition and innovation, personal expression, and visual storytelling. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through April 23. Blue Spiral 1, 38 Biltmore Ave
Heather Hietala: Explorations
This exhibit invites viewers into a world of vessels, paddles, and forms that symbolize life’s journeys, transitions, and relationships. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 8:30am. Exhibition through April, 18. John M. Crawford Jr. Gallery, 360 Asheville School Rd
Open Art Studio
Bring your favorite medium and work in a collaborative environment to improve your individual talent. Whether it’s paint, pencils, pastel, paper mache or whatever inspires you.
TH (3/27), 1pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd
COMMUNITY MUSIC
Yvonnick Prene & Geoffrey Keezer in Concert
Harmonica virtuoso
Yvonnick Prené and acclaimed pianist Geoffrey Keezer join forces to reinterpret the timeless elegance of Jobim’s music.
WE (3/19), 7pm, Mars Landing Galleries, 37 Library St, Mars Hill
Ensemble Galilei Concert
Each musician brings a world of experience, technical mastery, and a deep love of collaborative music making. FR (3/21), 7pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 West State St, Black Mountain
Twelve Wild Geese
An afternoon of music and storytelling featuring Ensemble Galilei, who brings their virtuosity and passion as well as David Novak, a master storyteller.
SA (3/22), 2pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 West State St, Black Mountain
Singing for Catharsis: Eostre & Spring Equinox Songs
In pagan Anglo-Saxon traditions, a deity associated with the spring is Eostre. At this event, you'll chant songs to the dawn goddess and the awakening land, as well as enjoy ritual to usher in the spring.
SU (3/23), 2pm, The Well, 3 Louisiana Ave
The Imaginarium: Performance w/Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Toybox Theatre & Dancing on Air Crew
Participants from the rhyme writing workshops will have a chance to rock their rhyme at a live Secret Agent 23 Skidoo show.
SU (3/23), 2:30pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd
Beer & Hymns Benefiting MusicWorks Black Mountain Presbyterian Church presents a benefit for MusicWorks with choir performances.
MO (3/24), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
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.
WE (3/19), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Magical Resistance Workshop
A one-hour class that will provide attendees with some ideas and magical techniques for supporting a fair and free election to help ensure every vote is counted and prevent election interference.
FR (3/21), 6pm,House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
SCORE: Sales Fundamentals
In this class, you will learn an ethical, relationship-based, model of sales. Learn the many ways sales helps your business survive and grow.
SA (3/22), 9am, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler
Sketching For Those Who Think They Cannot Draw
This workshop will introduce the basics of using the sketchbook to explore and express our creative side. Absolutely no artistic experience or drawing ability is necessary.
SA (3/22), 11am, Trackside Studios, 375 Depot St
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 (3/25), 10am, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd
Thrive 55+ Exercise
Party
Every Wednesday, active adults will come together for chair exercise, balance challenges, and strength training.
WE (3/26), 11am, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St . Gardens 101
An easy introductory class for beginning gardeners, including kids. Learn what plants grow best and discover ideas for making a garden in small areas.
WE (3/26), 6pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
WNC Farm Succession School
Learn more about common challenges that farmers and landowners face when transitioning the farm to the next generation — and strategies to overcome these.
TH (3/27), 9am, WNC Regional Livestock Center, 474 Stock Dr, Canton
Access to Capital
Whether you’re a start-up or interested in growing your business, this workshop is here to guide you through the process to secure a business loan. Register at avl.mx/emx.
TH (3/27), 11am, Online
LITERARY
Asheville StorySLAM: Beef
Prepare a five-minute story about bad blood.
TH (3/20), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
Cozy Chapters Bookworm Club
Gather fellow bookworms for a weekly book club. Enjoy hot
chocolate, delicious snacks, and engaging conversation about latest reads.
TH (3/20, 27), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Author Signing w/Lin Stepp
Blue Ridge Books welcomes back Lin Stepp with a signing of her newest novel, The Red Mill Bookstore FR (3/21), 2pm, Blue Ridge Books, 428 Hazelwood Ave, Waynesville
Spring Book Club: Poetry & Potluck
This free spring gathering explores The Way Forward by Yung Pueblo, a collection of poetry that offers insight and hope. There will also be a casual potluck of small bites.
SU (3/23), 11:30am, West Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd
Writers at Home w/ Asheville City Schools
Student Writers
This month features reading and conversation with Asheville City Schools student writers, hosted by Tony Robles. SU (3/23), 5pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St
The infamously bad dance moves of Commissioner Parker Sloan’s youth
Xpress: Most people have at least one story their family and relatives can’t help but retell at reunions and/or holiday gatherings. What is the quintessential story from your childhood that you can’t seem to escape at these types of gatherings?
Sloan: I grew up in a large Catholic family on my mom’s side, and I was the youngest grandchild. So I went to a lot of weddings growing up and ALWAYS got made fun for my not-great dancing skills. I’m not sure much has changed. How would you describe yourself as a teenager? And how do you think your former teenage self would have reacted to learning you ended up serving as an elected official?
As a teenager, I bounced around with different interests like youth group or Boy Scouts, but I was lucky to have classical guitar as an elective at my high school and loved it. So eventually I was convinced I’d be a professional musician one day, and that ended up being the reason I went to college. Growing up, my dad was a union organizer, and his father used to be a lobbyist who (for a period) worked at the state level to bust unions — so that Thanksgiving table, let’s say, involved a lot of debates. That led me to believe that I should at least have an opinion about things, but I never thought I would run for office.
The young people in our community have been through a lot since COVID and Helene. What is your top concern for our area youths, and what influence do local officials have to address it?
Our kids locally have been through a tremendous amount between COVID and Helene. My kids have really only experienced Helene, which was traumatic. I can’t imagine them having gone through both. I remain concerned with the mental health of our kids and how that impacts behavior — both in home and in class learning.
At the highest level, my concern is that we have spent the last 20 years defunding public schools for senseless culture war reasons and with it the ability of our kids to learn reading, writing, science and math. Which, lest we forget, is the entire basis of a modern economy. Our future quite literally depends on reversing course.
JAMMIN’: A young Parker Sloan plays bass guitar. Photo courtesy of Sloan
I couldn’t possibly overstate the importance of every person in Buncombe County and North Carolina understanding that local governments do not have the taxation tools at our disposal to address this issue adequately. One thing we must do locally, no matter how hard things get — and it looks like Washington is trying to make everything harder for everyone but billionaires — is advocate for the tremendous job our Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools are doing. Our teachers and principals are doing extraordinary things in the classroom right now, and I think parents should enthusiastically send their kids to public school.
Lightning round: As a child, what was your favorite ...
• Book: The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Album: Magazine by Jump, Little Children
• TV show: “The Daily Show”
• Movie: The Shawshank Redemption
• Publication (magazine or newspaper): Rolling Stone X
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Feminists Against Liberation: A Conversation w/Sophie Lewis
Sophie Lewis offers an unflinching look of their new book, Enemy Feminisms: Terfs, Policewomen, and Girlbosses Against Liberation.
SU (3/23), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd
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 (3/24), 6:30pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200
Rediscovering You: Exploring Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation
Christa McCrorie will guide participants through key themes and exercises from her workbook Rediscovering You, offering insights into the journey of self-discovery and identity exploration.
WE (3/26), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd
Meter & Melody: Poetry Night
An open mic for poetry, hosted by Dill.
WE (3/26), 7pm, Static Age Loft, 116 N Lexington Ave Book Talk & Signing w/Kate O'Donnell
An inspiring talk with Kate O'Donnell, followed by a book signing to celebrate the release of her latest work,"Everyday Ayurveda for Women's Health: Traditional Wisdom, Recipes, and Remedies for Optimal Wellness, Hormone Balance, and Living Radiantly."
TH (3/27), 6pm, The Ayurvedic Institute, 62 Orange St
THEATER & FILM
The Lehman Trilogy
This epic theatrical event charts the humble beginnings, outrageous successes and devastating failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees.
WE (3/19, 26), TH (3/20, 27), FR (3/21), SA (3/22), 7pm, SU (3/23), 2pm, N Carolina Stage Co., 15 Stage Ln
The Best of Enemies
In this 2019 drama film, based on a true story, civil rights activist Ann Atwater faces off against C.P. Ellis, Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, in 1971 Durham, North Carolina over the issue of school integration.
TH (3/20), 6pm, Jackson County Public Library, 310 Keener St, Sylva
Koresh Dance Co. Presents: Student Series
Inspire your future generation of creative thinkers with a show unlike anything they’ve seen before: a truly unique, intra-active theatrical dance work where reality and fiction intertwine.
FR (3/21), 10am, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave
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.
Immerse yourself in the space where reality and fiction intertwine in Masquerade, an intra-active, contemporary, operatic dance performance set to electronic symphonic music.
FR (3/21), SA (3/22), 8pm, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave
Aaron Posner: Life Sucks
A group of old friends, ex-lovers, estranged in-laws and lifelong enemies gather to grapple with life's thorniest questions, and each other.
TH (3/20), FR (3/21), 7:30pm, SA (3/22), SU (3/23), 3pm Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville
An Unexpected Song
A captivating musical revue celebrating the iconic and rarely performed works of Andrew Lloyd Webber, featuring a powerhouse cast in an intimate cabaret setting.
FR (3/21), SA (3/22), 7:30pm, SU (3/23), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville
Sirenum: A Lesbian Folk Opera
This new musical blends folklore and sci-fi and features a young spacefarer who seeks answers on a mythical planet, facing an ominous guardian and discovering what the fates have in store.
FR (3/21), 9pm, Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St
Silent Films & Loud Music
A showcase of silent films produced by local femme and LGBTQ+ filmmakers, accompanied by live bands. Presented by Fierce Flix.
TH (3/27), 7pm, Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St
MEETINGS & PROGRAMS
Welcome to the Agents Helping Agents Club
Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, this club is the perfect place to connect with like-minded individuals in the industry.
WE (3/19), 9:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Lunch & Learn: Bite Balance
This event will cover the connection between nutrition and colorectal cancer prevention, led by our resident dietitian, Kathryn Darsillo.
WE (3/19), noon, Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center, 75 Leroy George Dr, Clyde Homelessness Series: The City of Asheville Invites You to Attend The City of Asheville's Community and Economic Development department invites you to attend an upcoming 3-part community education series on understanding homelessness.
WE (3/19), 4pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Reiki Circle w/Valerie Holbert & Danielle Sangita
This will be a beautiful Reiki offering with Valerie Holbert and Danielle Sangita. Be sure to RSVP as space is limited.
WE (3/19), 6pm, Be Well Black Mountain, 10 E Market St, Black Mountain
Script Reading for Confidence, Voiceover, or Screen
Stephanie Morgan, owner of Corduroy, will direct and coach 2-3 readers as they each work thru one short script, allowing for class feedback.
WE (3/19, 26), 6:30pm,Corduroy Lounge, 444 Haywood Rd, Ste 103
Treks Hiking Club for Adults 50+
Senior Treks is a low-impact hiking club offering leisurely-paced hikes for active adults 50 or better. Bring lunch, water, good walking shoes, and dress for the weather.
WE (3/19), 9:30pm, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd
Soul Tending: The Art of Spiritual Self-Care w/Renee Trudeau
Acclaimed author and retreat leader Renée Trudeau leads an embodied spiritual experience exploring ways to connect with the Divine in everyday life.
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.
TH (3/20), 3:30pm, Richmond Hill Park, 300 Richmond Hill Dr
Celebrate Black History: Soul Food Supper
Come hungry for the annual Soul Food Supper co-sponsored by East End Valley St Neighborhood and Stephens-Lee Alumni associations. Please call (828) 350-2058 for more information and register in advance.
TH (3/20), 6pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
A Course in Miracles w/Patricia Dobberke Patricia will introduce a system of thinking to help with suffering and living the good (God) life.
FR (3/21), 1pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way
Reconnecting Through Hard Times & Listening Circle
A free two-hour interactive event, blending connection with practical tools to navigate hard times.
The goal of this program is to teach girls and boys fundamentals of volleyball including bumping, setting, spiking, blocking, and other techniques.
FR (3/21), 5:30pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Chinese Tea and Tai Chi Foundations
Settle your Qi with Chinese tea while learning the fundamentals of Tai Chi to improve your health. Beginner friendly so all levels are welcome.
SA (3/22), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Find Your Familiar: Black Cat Adoption Event
A black cat adoption event that will feature black kittens galore of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Find your loyal guardians, energy protectors, healers, and the truest of
companions.
SA (3/22), noon, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Stories of the Land: Cherokee History & Its Cultural Legacy in WNC
Shannon Swimmer, Director of the WCU Cherokee Center, will discuss Cherokee history, current issues facing the Cherokee, and genealogy issues involving Native Americans. Register at avl.mx/9ey.
SA (3/22), 3pm, Online, obcgs.com
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 (3/23), 2pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Family Open Gym
Weekly time in the gym reserved for all ages to shoot hoops and play other active games as a family.
SU (3/23), 4pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
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 (3/24), TU (3/25), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Random Acts of Flowers: Floral Arrangements for Those Needing a Smile
Random Acts of Flowers improves the emotional health and well-being of individuals in healthcare facilities by delivering recycled flowers, encouragement, and personal moments of kindness.
MO (3/24), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Walking the Great Lakes of WNC
Bring walking shoes and friends to see the lakes of western North Carolina. This program is for any individual who is looking to get a good workout in while enjoying the scenery.
MO (3/24), TU (3/25), 10am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd
Connecting Conversations
Explore conversations built around curiosity, understanding, and openness to develop stronger connections, to be heard, and to empathize with different viewpoints.
MO (3/24), 12:45pm, Peri Social House, 406 W State St, Black Mountain
Black Men Monday
Featuring a local group that has stepped up in the community to advocate for and mentor students through academic intervention.
MO (3/24), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Compassionate Action & Engaged Buddhism
John Orr will lead a meditation and a discussion on Buddhist teachings that are applied to social and environmental issues.
MO (3/24), 6:30pm, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Alive After 55+
A program for active older adults to socialize, play board games and puzzles, create in group art activities, and more.
TU (3/25), 10am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd
Diabetes Prevention & Management Program
Learn how nourishing foods, mindful exercise, stress management, and restful sleep all play a vital role in balancing your blood sugar and supporting overall health.
TU (3/25), 4pm, Bounty
& Soul Education, Warehouse & Volunteer Hub, 1038 Old Hwy 70 W, Black Mountain
Magnum Opus: A Creative Consciousness
Exercise
A creative consciousness exercise centered on imaginational and poetic reasoning. Comprised of seven states, the Opus will symbolically move you.
TU (3/25), 6:30pm, Corduroy Lounge, 444 Haywood Rd, Ste 103
IBN Biz Lunch
All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts.
WE (3/26), 11:30am, Yao, 153 Smoky Park Hwy
RSAA Lunch N' Learn Series w/Guest
Speaker
March's guest speaker, Shaniqua Simuel, founder and owner of Change Your Palate.
In memory of one of our community leaders, Robert Simmons.
WE (3/26), 12:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Tarot Community Circle
Each week we will cover different topics, so every class will provide new information. Please bring a deck based on the system of the Rider Waite Smith tarot or a copy of the Rider Waite Smith Tarot.
WE (3/26), 6pm, 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.
Instructor Freya Bairdsen wants to empower women, girls, and all marginalized
genders with practical self defense skills, so they can take on their next adventure with confidence.
TH (3/27), 5:30pm, All Bodies Movement and Wellness, 211 Merrimon Ave
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 (3/19), 10:30am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Outdoor Field Bingo Bring a lawn chair and friends to play bingo outdoors for prizes.
TH (3/20), 1pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton S Bid Whist Make bids, call trumps, and win tricks. Every Saturday for fun competition with the community.
SA (3/22), 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Weekly Sunday Scrabble! Weekly scrabble play where you’ll be paired with players of your skill level. All scrabble gear provided.
SU (3/23), 1:30pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
Mario Kart Tournament
A single elimination Mario Kart 8 tournament where players vie for top 3. Make sure to register ahead of time, and bring your own controller.
SU (3/23), 3pm, The Event Center at Highland Brewing, 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200
Indoor Walking for Wellness Club Weather doesn’t matter when you have a community gym. Let us
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
crank up the tunes to get you motivated.
TU (3/25), 9:15am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS
Family Story Time
A fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
WE (3/19, 26), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
Suessville Creations
Toddlers listen to whimsical stories by Dr Seuss and create fun and imaginative crafts inspired by the book on an adventure filled with creativity, laughter, and magic.
WE (3/19, 26), 5pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Tiny Tykes Wednesday Play Dates
Open play for toddlers to explore bikes, balls, inflatables, climbing structures, and more fun.
WE (3/19, 26), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
Kung Fu For Children
Designed to begin with the foundations of these styles while also teaching application and self awareness.
WE (3/19, 26), 3pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Baby Storytime
A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.
TH (3/20, 27), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
Baby Storytime
A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.
TH (3/20, 27), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
Toddler & Me Time Out
This open gym time allows toddlers and caregivers to make memories and new friends through structures and unstructured activities.
FR (3/21), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Spring Storytime
Families with young children can enjoy Spring-themed picture
book readings in the Vance house. Try out some fun crafts like making paper butterflies and lavender sachets in the visitor center as well.
SA (3/22), 10am, Vance Birthplace, 911 Reems Creek Rd, Weaverville
Kids Yoga & Art Pop Up: Blooming Flowers 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 (3/22), 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 (3/22), 1pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Toddler Discovery Time
This open gym time allows toddlers and caregivers to make memories and new friends through structures and unstructured
activities. This weeks features diggin’ for dinos.
TU (3/25), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
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.
TH (3/27), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
LOCAL MARKETS
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 (3/19, 26), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville
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 (3/19, 26), 3pm, AB Tech, 24 Fernihurst Dr Swannanoa Farmers Market
This market is all about community, connection, and supporting local vendors. Browse fresh eggs, handcrafted artwork, embroidered clothing, fiber goods, sweet treats, delicious eats, and more.
SA (3/22), 8am, 216 Whitson Ave, 216 Whitson Ave, Swannanoa
Project Linus: Rummage Sale
The proceeds from the sale will be used to support the local chapter of Project Linus. The chapter donates handmade blankets to children in crisis situations providing a sense of security and warmth to each child.
SA (3/22), 8:30am, First Congregational UCC of Hendersonville, 1735 5th Ave W, Hendersonville
Asheville City Market
Featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December 21.
SA (3/22), 10am, 52 N Market St
Black Mountain Tailgate Spring Market Weekly tailgate farmer's market, held every Saturday through April 12.
SA (3/22), 10am, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
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 (3/22), 10am, UNC Asheville, Lot P34, 275 Edgewood Rd
Spring Awakening Pop Up Market
Celebrate revival, community, and the awakening of flowers with the artists of Luna Gallery along and the local women makers too.
SA (3/22), 1pm, Radview, 20 Artful Way Junk-O-Rama Vintage Market
Browse vintage clothing vendors, local crafters, antiques and more.
SU (3/23), 12pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd
Magical Market
Stock up on magical supplies, browse the market of local vendors, pet some panthers in the cat lounge, and finish your day off with an intuitive reading.
SU (3/23), 12pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Blazing Star Flowers
CSA Pick-Up
Get farm fresh flowers and support local agriculture at the same time. Enjoy them yourself or give as a cheerful gift.
This gem show will feature 35 indoor and outdoor vendors with everything from affordable treasures to the finest gems, minerals, fossils, artifacts and jewelry in the Southeast.
FR (3/21), SA (3/22) , SU (3/23), 10am, 39 Spring Cove Rd, 39 Spring Cove Rd, Swannanoa
WNC Build & Remodel Expo
A one-stop destination for inspiration, advice, and practical tools to rebuild, remodel, or refresh your home. Learn practical tips and innovative ideas from professionals, discover the latest offerings from vendors and visit the Makers Market.
SA (3/22), 10am, WNC Ag Center’s Davis Event Center, 765 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher
Rec & Roll Spring Kickoff
Featuring a day filled with games, crafts, and even a bounce house. Bring a picnic and enjoy the day with family and friends.
SA (3/22), 1pm, Jake Rusher Park, 160 Sycamore Dr, Arden South Slope Lager Fest
A small beer festival featuring 10 of the best lager making breweries in North Carolina.
SA (3/22), 2pm, Hi-Wire Brewing, 197 Hilliard Ave
Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
The iconic Asheville Fringe Arts Festival returns for its 23rd year to present experimental, unusual and out-of-the-box art. More than 50 performances, including dance, theater, puppetry, music and more will take place March 16 through 23. Visit avl.mx/em8 for the full schedule of events. See p64 SU (3/23), Multiple Locations, Citywide
2nd Annual WNC Brain Injury Awareness Forum
Learn about leading-edge therapies such as Low-Level Laser Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and Peptide Therapy. Also, hear more about progressive rehabilitation strategies, craniosacral therapy, advanced laboratory testing, and more.
Worksite volunteers perform energy-saving upgrades in groups for clients in and around Buncombe County. You will also learn helpful energy-saving measures like changing lightbulbs, weatherstripping doors, and insulating water heaters.
WE (3/19, 26), TH (3/20, 27), FR (3/21), TU (3/35), 11am, Buncombe County
Voodoo-It-For-Charity: Spirit Night for FernLeaf Charter School
A spirit night fundraiser for FernLeaf Community Charter, featuring activities such as family trivia. WE (3/19), 4pm, Voodoo Brewing Co., 3578 Sweeten Creek, Arden
Low-Cost Community Cat Neuter Clinic
You must schedule and pay for your appointment prior to showing up.
TH (3/20), 8am, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Swannanoa Valley Museum Supper & A Story Fundraiser
On the first day of Spring, history comes alive at a special gala dinner to benefit the Swannanoa Valley Museum hosted by Hell or High Water, Black Mountain’s newest restaurant.
TH (3/20), 7pm, Hell or High Water, 128 Broadway St, Black Mountain
Kiss Country Guitar Jam
A benefit show for Valley Strong Disaster Relief featuring performances from various local artists.
TH (3/20), 8pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave
The Music Circuit Presents: The Great Rebuild Showcase
A concert benefiting Western NC rebuilding efforts. It features performances by FOE Big Sav, Lilah Price, Moody Bridge, Granny's Mason Jar and more. Donations are strongly encouraged, TH (3/20), 8pm, The Odd, 1045 Haywood Rd Mercy in the Mountains: Ashes & Arrows w/Abby Bryant
A benefit show for Habitat for Humanity and LEAF Global Arts, featuring two local powerhouse bands.
See p60 FR (3/21), 8pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave Bowl For Kids' Sake Haywood County Money raised by bowlers, sponsors, and supporters funds the agency’s work to boost Littles chances of success by matching them with vetted and professional mentors from Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC.
SA (3/22), 11am, Tarheel Lanes, 3275 Asheville Hwy, Hendersonville Stronger Together: A WNC Benefit Market & Community Celebration
A community celebration featuring local artists, musicians, businesses, and more. Proceeds will benefit ongoing disaster relief efforts.
SA (3/22), noon, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd, Ste 10 Stronger Together: Benefit, Market & Community Celebration
A full-day benefit event celebrating Asheville’s creative community while raising funds for artists impacted by Hurricane Helene. It will feature art, live music, community spirit, demonstrations, raffles and more.
SA (3/22), noon, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd, Ste 10 Hope for Horses Presents: The Barrel Room Saloon Grab your cowboy hat and dust off your boots for this fundraiser and gala that will benefit Hope for Horses. The night will feature food, drinks, music and line dancing, a silent action, a photo booth and more.
SA (3/22), 4pm, Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center, 75 Leroy George Dr, Clyde
Kids Issue2025
Who or what inspires you?
Welcome back for Part 2 of this year’s Kids Issue, our annual feature showcasing the creative talents of local K-12 students. This year, we asked kids and teens to submit art and writing around the theme of “Who or what inspires you?” We received more than 400 entries from students around the region who attend area public, charter, private, parochial and home schools. These young artists and writers were inspired by engineering, books, teachers, snails, scooters and more. Though space limitations prevent us from sharing all the work we received, we hope you enjoy the engaging collection of colorful art, poems, essays and short fiction on the following pages. And be sure to check out our summer camp guide, starting on page 29.
— Xpress Staff X
Simone Biles
“I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.”
— Simone Biles
My great inspiration is Simone Biles. She has faced many challenges and frustrations, but she has grit! I’m a gymnast, too, and our coaches tell us a lot about grit: It’s getting through tough experiences with persistence and coming out on the other side stronger than you were.
It’s essential to have a passion in your life, especially when you’re an adolescent. You’ve got to have some-
thing that gets you out of bed in the morning, that keeps you striving for greatness! For me, that’s gymnastics. Gymnastics is my community, drive and strength. School can be rough, but gymnastics will always be my haven.
During Helene, our gym flooded, and we had to rebuild. Now we are working hard to regain our skills and equipment. This setback has similarities to Simone Biles’ experience in 2020 on vault. She had to give up the Olympics, ask for help, and regain lost skills.
I’m inspired by how my coaches and teammates demonstrate persistence every day. We do lots of drills, and routines to improve.
HELENE’S HELPERS: “My painting is about the helpers that I have seen around Black Mountain,” writes ArtSpace Charter School fourth grader Mabel Hada. “After Hurricane Helene, there was so much to clean up. Like in my neighborhood, there were so many trees down, but by helping one another we pulled through.”
Sometimes it can be frustrating; sometimes I cry, but I won’t give up. We lift each other up and work through the hard times. Simone is a shining example of what we try to do at practice every day.
I keep pursuing gymnastics because it makes me feel like there is always power to be gained through hard work. It takes grit, devotion, and support to go far. I think my inspiration, Simone Biles, the GOAT, would agree.
“Being a gymnast means having the STRENGTH to hold on, and the COURAGE to let go.”
– Soleil Priscilla Poppenberg, seventh grade, The Franklin School of Innovation
People are more important than things
I was sad, nervous and scared during Hurricane Helene. I thought about all of the animals outside and I was afraid for them. I felt a little better when I heard that people were volunteering to take animals in during the storm. I also feel sad for people who lost their homes during the hurricane. I know someone who lost their entire house. But anytime I see them, they still smile and they still are nice. They are thankful to God that they are alive. People are more important than things. You can replace things but not people. I am inspired by
people who still smile after losing their house.
– Valerie Falk, third grade, Fairview Elementary School
Open your eyes
Most people are inspired by their family, and don’t get me wrong, I am, but there’s something much stronger and deeper about what I’m doing. What inspires me is ...
The Beatles! Specifically the song “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Most people don’t realize that the song directly says “Living is easy with your eyes closed.” This quote exemplifies that you don’t live your life in laughter and fun instead you stuff all your feelings into a glass jar screw on the lid and throw it out the window until it shatters. It also describes that when you live your life with your eyes closed, you don’t get any experiences and you won’t grow.
The Beatles are so empathetic and relatable in their songs, they encourage people to live your life the way you’re supposed to while you still can. I think it’s so important to do so and I think people should at least get the privilege to live.
– Josephine Tressler, sixth grade, The Learning Community School
SUMMER CAMP GUIDE
Spring has just arrived, but summer is right around the corner. And this year, campers will have plenty of opportunities to explore the outdoors, take the stage for theater productions, work in STEAM labs or try their hands at a new craft. With over 200 camp listings representing more than 60 organizations, your family is sure to find the perfect fit to keep your child active and engaged.
— Xpress Staff X
SPRING CAMPS
PUSH SKATE CAMP — SPRING BREAK SESSION
m v r
Ages 5-15 • All gender
April 14-17
$160/session
Asheville Skatepark, 50 N. Cherry St., Asheville • avl.mx/elt
SUMMER CAMPS
ADVENTURE CENTER OF ASHEVILLE — ADVENTURE CAMP EXPLORATION PROGRAM
Pro Traditional Archery, Survival Skills and Self Defence. Twelfth year of our woodsy camp on clean
creek. Get the skills you need to survive and thrive! Get empowered while having fun. 138 Davis Creek Road, Candler 828-318-9518 • avl.mx/de0
ARTEMIS ARCHERY — ARCHERY SURVIVAL TEEN CAMP
m p r
Ages 12-15
July 21-25
$360/session
• All gender
Pro Traditional Archery, Survival Skills and Self Defence. Twelfth year of our woodsy camp on clean creek. Get the skills you need to survive and thrive! Get empowered while having fun.
138 Davis Creek Road, Candler
828-318-9518 • avl.mx/de0
ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM - SUMMER ART CAMP
r
Rising grades K-2
• All gender
June 16-20, July 21-25
$150/session (financial aid available)
2 S. Pack Square, Asheville 828-253-3227 • avl.mx/eky
ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM - SUMMER ART CAMP v r
Rising grades 6-8
• All gender
July 14-18, August 4-8
$150/session (financial aid available)
2 S. Pack Square, Asheville 828-253-3227 • avl.mx/eky
The ones
It is not the ones with clean white hands
Or pristine pressed smiles
It is not the ones with calm assurances
With speeches of strength and success
Offered to those who are weak and weary
It is the ones so broken that most wonder why they are here
Those people with so many of their own cuts
That it is a miracle they are willing to lend you a bandage
I think they are the ones who do the most
The ones with two hands and a mission
The ones who give without gain
The people who walk right into the rubble
To help wash away all that the flood has brought in
To scrub, and scrub, and scrub, at the pain and dirt and misery
To scour away the heartbreak and the hopelessness
I want to be like that one day
I want to reach out both tired, broken arms
To try and grab all the hurt and sorrow,
If only to fix it piece by piece
Yes, that’s who I want to be.
– Ruby Leis, ninth grade, A.C. Reynolds High School
Inspirational engineering
Engineering inspires me because almost everything that moves by a hinge, a lever, or a motor was made by
LOST LANGUAGE: “This art piece was inspired by many tribes around the U.S., including my own tribe,” writes Amani Wachacha, an 11th grader at Asheville School. “A unique part of the Indigenous culture is our language; it’s our own way to express our differences among the different tribes. However, over the years, tribes are forgetting their language. English is the main language in the U.S., and therefore tribes no longer communicate between themselves. In my drawing, Sequoia created the Cherokee syllabary; he is showing the young girl the language. Unfortunately, the young girl refuses to learn the language and shows him the English version.”
an engineer. Engineering can be fun, or it can be boring. I wonder who was the first engineer?
Mark Rober is an engineer I watch on YouTube. He uses the word STEAM instead of STEM because he adds ART! I want to be an engineer when I grow up!
– Naomi Kubota, second grade, Rainbow Community School
School has changed me
I look up to my teachers. Especially my ELA teacher. I have ADHD and dyslexia. That makes it hard for me to learn because I learn in a different way. In 2020, COVID started to spread, and it was not safe to go to school, so I didn’t have kindergarten in-person. That also made it hard for me to learn. Then my school, Asheville Primary, shut down. There were many options, but I chose ArtSpace, which is the school I am currently at. My parents decided I should have a tutor. The tutor is wonderful. My ELA Teacher helps me and she has so many funny stories. When I look at Ms. Sheila, I don’t see a teacher, I see a friend. When times are rough, she is always there for me.
– Jessa Hager, fourth grade, ArtSpace Charter School
The sway of books
Books, one small word that can be love or hate can be in awe or in fear an escape from the world or
ASHEVILLE ART
MUSEUM - SUMMER ART CAMP v r
Rising grades 9-12
• All gender
July 7-11
$150/session (financial aid available)
2 S. Pack Square, Asheville 828-253-3227 • avl.mx/eky
ASHEVILLE ART
MUSEUM - SUMMER ART CAMP
r
Rising grades 3-5 • All gender
June 23-27, Aug. 11-15
$150/session (financial aid available)
2 S. Pack Square, Asheville 828-253-3227 • avl.mx/eky
ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY
THEATRE — SUMMER MUSICAL 1: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
r
Ages 10-18
• All gender
June 16-28
$600/session
35 E. Walnut St., Asheville 828-254-1320 • avl.mx/ddt
ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE — SUMMER STAGES 1: ADVENTURE
r
Ages 4-14 • All gender
July 7-11
$300/session
35 E. Walnut St., Asheville 828-254-1320 • avl.mx/ddt
ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE — SUMMER STAGES 2: MAGIC v r
Ages 4-14 • All gender
July 14-18
$300/session
35 E. Walnut St., Asheville 828-254-1320 • avl.mx/ddt
ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE — SUMMER STAGES 3: WILD v r
Ages 4-14 • All gender
July 21-25
$300/session
35 E. Walnut St., Asheville 828-254-1320 • avl.mx/ddt
IN THE SKY: Hanger Hall sixth grader Lila Peniston says: “I’m inspired by clouds because they make different shapes and sizes.”
an escape to a world
So many things that books can be Some might have a flimsy paperback or a durable hardcover New or old. Small or large Books can be the disagreement that causes arguments or the or the only thing that they can agree on Books tell so many types of stories none exactly the exact same Fantasy, where the reader can be anywhere and anybody.
Fiction where it is like the real world but better with more drama. Nonfiction where the reader is transported back to real life events and can be in someone’s memories. Mystery books are also loved because the reader can use their brain and attempt and solve the puzzle before the characters do.
Romance is good for people who like tension in books. Horror is also commonly loved because it lets the reader be terrified and adrenaline filled while knowing that nothing is able to happen to them.
Another thing to love about books is the smell.
Some smell fresh and chemically while others have the smell of earth and vanilla which is made from volatile compounds andy why the book is slowly decomposing. Books really are amazing.
– Addie Ingram, eighth grade,
The Learning Community School
Who inspires me
My dog Buddy inspires me because he fell off a cliff and broke a femur bone. But he is better. He had his last checkup and he is all better.
Now he can run and jump. We also took him on that same hike where he fell, but we did not make it to the cliff. But Buddy did great on the hike, and that is why he inspires me.
– Sailor Kelley, second grade, Rainbow Community School
My board
It was a hot day in South Florida and there I was standing at the edge of the beach staring out into the endless ocean. My dad, not far behind, comes up to me with our paddle boards. “You ready?” he asks.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I say with a hint of nervousness.
I’ve been out on these paddle boards a thousand times for as long as I remember, but this time was different. I was going on my own paddleboard. This scared me. There are some strong currents north of our beach and huge speed boats. Though an onshore wind should keep us close to shore.
We set our paddleboards in the water and push off.
SPACE MAN: “I got inspired by the first American in space, Alan Shepard, and I also really really love space,” writes Eliza Hooper, a fourth grader at Oakley Elementary School. “Space is my favorite thing in the world besides my family and friends. Learning about it in third grade inspired me.”
I wobble on my board but I catch myself right before the tip of my paddle hits the surface of my board. Black Tip Reef sharks swim underneath me and the occasional manatee surfaces in the distance. “You’re doing great, just remember to keep your legs bent!” he yells at me from behind.
The salty air seeps in through my bathing suit as my paddleboard gently glides over the crystal clear water. My fears drift away just like me, my board, and dad are drifting over an endless ocean of opportunities.
I will always look up to my dad. Where in these kinds of moments he shows me whole new worlds I may not have discovered by myself, and I think in some ways these new worlds shape who I am. A strong young girl who seeks the outdoors and adventures. Thank you, dad.
– Anneli Schiefloe, fifth grade,
The Learning Community School
CONTINUES ON PAGE 34
We look forward to continuing to grow and change with the community. What won’t change is our commitment to promoting community dialogue and encouraging citizen activism
$380/session
10 Ridgelawn Road, Asheville
828-252-6244 • avl.mx/bb2
ASHEVILLE MUSIC SCHOOL — SONG CIRCLE VOICE CAMP v r
ASHEVILLE PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY –FROM WIZARD (OF OZ) TO WICKED
v r
Grades 1-3 & 4-6
• All gender
July 7-11
$350-$375/session
55 Shiloh Road, Suite 4, Asheville
828-253-4000 • avl.mx/elv
ASHEVILLE PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY –
FROM WIZARD (OF OZ) TO WICKED v r
Grades 1-3, 4-6 & 7-12 • All gender
June 23-27, Aug. 11-15
$350-$375/session
55 Shiloh Road, Suite 4, Asheville
828-253-4000 • avl.mx/elv
ASHEVILLE
PERFORMING ARTS
ACADEMY – LION KING v r
Grades 1-3 & 4-10
• All gender
June 30 - July 3, Aug. 4-8
$350-$375/session
55 Shiloh Road, Suite 4, Asheville 828-253-4000 • avl.mx/elv
ASHEVILLE SUN
SOO MARTIAL ARTS — DINOSAUR m p v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender June 16 - June 20; July 28 - August 1
$375/session
Give your child a summer of excitement and growth! Our themed-based camps combine martial arts, crafts, team-building games, outdoor exploration, and thrilling field trips! Voted “Best of WNC!” We foster respect, perseverance, leadership, and FUN in every camper. Join our amazing adventure! Multiple week discount available, see the summer camp section of our website for more information!
800 Fairview Road, Suite D2, Asheville 828-505-4309 • avl.mx/det
ASHEVILLE SUN SOO MARTIAL ARTS — GO WILD m p v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender June 23 - June 27
$375/session
Give your child a summer of excitement and growth!
Our themed-based camps combine martial arts, crafts, team-building games, outdoor exploration, and thrilling field trips! Voted “Best of WNC!” We foster respect, perseverance, leadership, and FUN in every camper. Join our amazing adventure! Multiple week discount available, see the summer camp section of our website for more information!
800 Fairview Road, Suite D2, Asheville 828-505-4309 • avl.mx/det
ASHEVILLE SUN SOO MARTIAL ARTS — KICKOFF TO SUMMER m p v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender June 11 - June 13
$225/session
Give your child a summer of excitement and growth! Our themed-based camps combine martial arts, crafts, team-building games, outdoor exploration, and thrilling field trips! Voted “Best of WNC!” We foster respect, perseverance, leadership, and FUN in every camper. Join our amazing adventure! Multiple week discount available, see the summer camp section of our website for more information! 800 Fairview Road, Suite D2, Asheville 828-505-4309 • avl.mx/det
ASHEVILLE SUN SOO
MARTIAL ARTS — PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
m p v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender August 4 - August 8
$225/session
Give your child a summer of excitement and growth! Our themed-based camps combine martial arts, crafts, team-building games, outdoor exploration, and thrilling field trips! Voted “Best of WNC!” We foster respect, perseverance, leadership, and FUN in every camper. Join our amazing adventure! Multiple week discount available, see the summer camp section of our website for more information!
800 Fairview Road, Suite D2, Asheville
828-505-4309 • avl.mx/det
ASHEVILLE SUN SOO MARTIAL ARTS — SUPER HEROES
m p v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender July 7 - July 11
$225/session
Give your child a summer of excitement and growth!
Our themed-based camps combine martial arts, crafts, team-building games, outdoor exploration, and thrilling field trips! Voted “Best of WNC!” We foster respect, perseverance, leadership, and FUN in every camper. Join our amazing adventure!
Multiple week discount available, see the summer camp section of our website for more information!
800 Fairview Road, Suite D2, Asheville 828-505-4309 • avl.mx/det
ASHEVILLE SUN SOO MARTIAL ARTS — SUPER SCIENCE
m p v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender
July 21 - July 25
$225/session
Give your child a summer of excitement and growth! Our themed-based camps combine martial arts, crafts, team-building games, outdoor exploration, and thrilling field trips! Voted “Best of WNC!” We foster respect, perseverance, leadership, and FUN in every camper. Join our amazing adventure! Multiple week discount available, see the summer camp section of our website for more information!
800 Fairview Road, Suite D2, Asheville 828-505-4309 • avl.mx/det
ASHEVILLE SUN
SOO MARTIAL ARTS — THE ARTS m p v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender July 14 - July 18
$225/session
Give your child a summer of excitement and growth! Our themed-based camps combine martial arts, crafts, team-building games, outdoor exploration, and thrilling field trips! Voted “Best of WNC!” We foster respect, perseverance, leadership, and FUN in every camper. Join our amazing adventure! Multiple week discount available, see the summer camp section of our website for more information!
800 Fairview Road, Suite D2, Asheville 828-505-4309 • avl.mx/det
ASHEVILLE SUN
SOO MARTIAL ARTS — WATER WEEK
m p v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender
August 11 - August 15
$225/session
Give your child a summer of excitement and growth! Our themed-based camps
combine martial arts, crafts, team-building games, outdoor exploration, and thrilling field trips! Voted “Best of WNC!” We foster respect, perseverance, leadership, and FUN in every camper. Join our amazing adventure! Multiple week discount available, see the summer camp section of our website for more information! 800 Fairview Road, Suite D2, Asheville 828-505-4309 • avl.mx/det
BALLET CONSERVATORY OF ASHEVILLE — ALICE IN WONDERLAND DANCE WORKSHOP
v r
Ages 5-10 • All gender July 14-18
$195/session
6 E. Chestnut St., Asheville 828-255-5777 • avl.mx/el2
BALLET CONSERVATORY OF ASHEVILLE — BEAUTY & THE BEAST DANCE WORKSHOP
v r
Ages 5-10 • All gender July 28- Aug. 1
$195/session
6 E. Chestnut St., Asheville 828-255-5777 • avl.mx/el2
BALLET CONSERVATORY OF ASHEVILLE — BROADWAY DANCE WORKSHOP
v r
Ages 5-10 • All gender June 9-13
$195/session
6 E. Chestnut St., Asheville 828-255-5777 • avl.mx/el2
BALLET CONSERVATORY OF ASHEVILLE — MARY POPPINS DANCE WORKSHOP v r
Ages 5-10 • All gender Aug. 4-8
$195/session
6 E. Chestnut St., Asheville 828-255-5777 • avl.mx/el2
BALLET CONSERVATORY OF ASHEVILLE — PETITE BALLET SUMMER INTENSIVE v r
Ages 8-13 • All gender July 14-18, July 21-25
$280/session
6 E. Chestnut St., Asheville 828-255-5777 • avl.mx/el2
Wonder
I wonder why wonder inspires me?
I wonder how the horizon goes
I wonder what water is in the clouds
I wonder when the trees stop growing I wonder the colors of the sky
I wonder what the water reflects I wonder who’s seeing the same thing as me
I wonder how many stars go unseen I wonder what eyes see the wonders of mine
I wonder who wonders like me
– Allie Vanderploeg, seventh grade, Polk County Middle School
Caetlynn
If you were to take one look at my sister Caetlynn and me, you would immediately know that we are related. We have the same eyes and hair, both play soccer and like the same music. Despite the things we have in common, we are our own people in other ways. I’m 15, and she’s 12. I love school and reading, but she hates both things. But these factors make her who she is, and why she’s the person who inspires me the most.
After an incredibly tough school year, we found out that she has dyslexia and dyscalculia, meaning without the proper strategies, school would be challenging. When Caetlynn got this information, she had the human reaction, which was to think that something was wrong with her. But, she still showed up every day at school with a smile, trying her very
best, no matter what. When she started tutoring, she worked as hard as she could, putting aside the fact that she felt different. As I watched her process all these new difficulties and emotions, I saw a beautiful side of her. It was a side that was struggling, but never giving up. It was a side that was self-doubting, but always resilient. It was a side of feeling like an outsider, but never letting that stop her.
Two years later, she’s doing much better. She’s healing her relationship with school, reading more, and finally realizing how smart she is. She has a level of resilience and perseverance that most adults, and me, can only dream of, and she applies it every day. I hope one day she will look back on this time in her life, and realize how amazing she is. I hope one day she will realize how much she truly inspires me.
– Isabella Toothman, ninth grade, A.C. Reynolds High School
My parents inspire me
My parents inspire me both my Mom and Dad
They are always kind and willing to help They help me and other people do things
They helped unload Uhaul trucks after hurricane Helene
They always want to help in any way they can
They listen before they speak
They encourage other people’s ideas too They always do their best when they are doing something
When they do these things it makes me want to do it too
– Will Weaver, fourth grade, Weaverville Elementary School
A writer to-be
THE STORM: Ivy Shea, a first grader at Weaverville Primary School, has a rare genetic difference called Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome. Her uniqueness results from a denovo mutation in chromosome 11. Ivy is also diagnosed with autism. “Ivy began this drawing on the floor of our dining room when our power went out during the first days of Hurricane Helene,” writes her mother, Sara. “She worked on it for several weeks thereafter. Ivy would like to donate this piece to the Asheville or Weaverville community, because all the love and support from our local Asheville community inspires Ivy to keep creating artwork.
Contact Sara Shea at sarashea79@ gmail.com if interested in displaying the drawing at your local business or nonprofit.
My grandmother on the maternal side especially inspires me. Unfortunately, she died three weeks before I was born. I wish I could have known her. My mom says that she knew me even if she couldn’t quite see me yet. I’m glad to think about that. I also know that she really wanted me to be a girl. I don’t judge on that, but I’m really glad I was!
Her name was Jane Gentry. My parents gave me my middle name, Jane, after her first name. She was a poet, known widely through Versailles, Ky., where she grew up. She has published a couple of poetry books as well, full of free-verse poems. The books are perfectly crafted, all the vastly different masterpieces fit together perfectly in her volume.
The lengthy but so dear foreword covers the first five pages or so. It runs through an account of her life right
Hanger Hall seventh grader Sofia Buraglia finds inspiration in scenic beauty.
BALLET CONSERVATORY OF ASHEVILLE — SLEEPING BEAUTY DANCE WORKSHOP
v r
Ages 5-10 • All gender
June 9-13
$195/session
6 E. Chestnut St., Asheville 828-255-5777 • avl.mx/el2
BALLET CONSERVATORY OF ASHEVILLE — SUMMER INTENSIVE v r
Ages 10-20 • All gender
June 16 - July 11
$1,800/session
6 E. Chestnut St., Asheville 828-255-5777 • avl.mx/el2
BALLET CONSERVATORY OF ASHEVILLE — SUMMER NUTCRACKER DANCE WORKSHOP
v r
Ages 5-10 • All gender
July 21-25
$195/session
6 E. Chestnut St., Asheville 828-255-5777 • avl.mx/el2
BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS — ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DANCE, SING, & PLAY v r
Ages 6-9
• All gender
July 7-11, July 14-8, July 28-Aug. 1, Aug. 11-15
$175/session
225 W. State St., Black Mountain
828-669-0930 • avl.mx/xmasjbc
BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS — PRESCHOOL DANCE, SING & PLAY v r
Ages 3-5 • All gender
July 7-11, July 14-18, July 28-Aug. 1, Aug. 11-15
$175/session
225 W. State St., Black Mountain
828-669-0930 • avl.mx/xmasjbc
CAMP CEDAR CLIFF m p u t
Rising grades 2-10
• All gender
June 8 - Aug. 1 (weekly sessions)
$775-$3,000/session
5 Porters Cover Road, Asheville
661-619-2111 • avl.mx/el8
CAMP CEDAR CLIFFJUNGLE IN THE CITY m u r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender
June 9 - August 8 (weekly sessions)
$465/session
5 Porters Cover Road, Asheville
661-619-2111 • avl.mx/el8
CAMP GRIEREQUESTRIAN CAMP p v t
Rising grades 2-12
• All gender
June 8 - Aug. 1 (1 & 2 week sessions)
$1,275/session
985 Camp Grier Road, Old Fort
828-678-1424 • avl.mx/b9u
CAMP GRIERLEADERSHIP & COUNSELOR TRAINING
m p v t
Rising grades 1012 • All gender
June 15-20
$1,050/session
985 Camp Grier Road, Old Fort
828-678-1424 • avl.mx/b9u
CAMP GRIER
- MOUNTAIN BIKE CAMP
m p v t
Rising grades 2-12
• All gender
June 8 - Aug. 1 (1 & 2 week sessions)
$1,275/session
985 Camp Grier Road, Old Fort
828-678-1424 • avl.mx/b9u
CAMP GRIERTRADITIONAL CAMP
p v u t
Rising grades 2-12
• All gender
June 8 - Aug 1 (1 & 2 week sessions)
$1,175/session
985 Camp Grier Road, Old Fort
828-678-1424 • avl.mx/b9u
CAMP HENRY — FAMILY CAMP
m p v u t
All ages • All gender
June 6-8
$255/session
25 Wormy Chestnut Lane, Canton
828-646-0095 • avl.mx/ddh
CAMP HENRY — MINI CAMP
m p v u t
Rising grades 1-3
• All gender
July 9-12
$355/session
25 Wormy Chestnut Lane, Canton 828-646-0095 • avl.mx/ddh
CAMP HENRY — OUTDOOR SCHOOL
m p u t
Rising grades 6-12
• All gender
June 22 - Aug. 2 (weekly sessions)
$765/session
25 Wormy Chestnut Lane, Canton 828-646-0095 • avl.mx/ddh
CAMP HENRY — TRADITIONAL CAMP ELEMENTARY
m p v u t
Rising grades 3-12
• All gender
June 15 - Aug. 2 (weekly sessions)
then, little bits from here and there. But I never start at the beginning. I always flip to the third page, where I can run my finger down the ivory sheet and touch my name, near the bottom. That paragraph about me is precious, the special dedication she gave to me in those few printed words on that precious page.
She inspires me because she had the courage to be a writer and free her emotions and feelings, to first compact and then express her thoughts and bring them as far through the region as possible, share her words with the world around her.
Someday I hope I can share my work with even family and friends without flinching back or shaking my head, no, I won’t share it. One day, I want to be like her. But I want to write stories. I want to dream, I want to imagine. I want to share, create, a story of my own, a world of my own, for more people to enjoy.
– Uma Gopalan, sixth grade, The Learning Community School
My teacher inspires me
My teacher inspires me. She tells me the right thing to do. She always helps me when I need help and with learning more things in school. She is very smart and beautiful. I love her very much. I like having her as my teacher.
She inspires me to be a teacher when I grow up.
– Alexis Curry, third grade, Johnston Elementary School
Blank spaces
Blank paper may seem as if it wouldn’t ever inspire anyone. Yet it does. It inspires me! It inspires me all the time! Whenever I look at blank paper, I somehow feel as if it’s calling me: “Cecilia … come and draw or write …” If it had a face, it would look longingly into my eyes. Blank paper also inspires me because paper is powerful. It carries words that could change the world! It holds stories, letters, reminders, and even feelings! It can be strange too. Strange colors, odd shapes, it’s magical.
– Cecilia Cramer, fourth grade, The Learning Community School
Inspiration in hardship
Businesses looted, shots fired. Shattered glass aligns the ground. Yet police officers manage to help, Without thinking twice.
SECURITY BLANKET: “I created Security Blanket as an homage to my childhood, where I was fortunate to be unconditionally loved and supported by those around me,” writes Virginia Phillips, an 11th grader at Asheville School. “These positive experiences have inspired me to be my best self and not to take my relationships for granted.” Spring is here, and Xpress has launched its monthly gardening feature based on reader questions. Please send all gardening inquiries to gardening@mountainx.com
Trying their best to keep peace. Helicopters fly through the sky, Day and night.
The search for the dead, Never ends.
I can’t imagine what it’s like for the rescue teams, Doing God’s work to relieve family members. No power to see, no internet to call out, no water to drink. Energy teams with thousands of trucks, Risking their lives to bring back normalcy.
Water tanks from different states line the streets,
$705/session
25 Wormy Chestnut Lane, Canton 828-646-0095 • avl.mx/ddh
CAMP TEKOA –DAY CAMP p u r
Ages 6-11 (Kindergarten graduate)
• All gender
June 2 - July 28 (weekly sessions)
$425/session 211 Thomas Road, Hendersonville 828-692-6516 • avl.mx/ela
CAMP TEKOA –ELEMENTARY QUEST p u t
Ages 9-10
• All gender
June 1 - Aug. 2 (weekly sessions)
$850/session 211 Thomas Road, Hendersonville 828-692-6516 • avl.mx/ela
CAMP TEKOA –HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL ADVENTURE CAMPS p u t
Ages 12-17
• All gender June 1 - July 27 (weekly sessions)
$995/session
211 Thomas Road, Hendersonville 828-692-6516 • avl.mx/ela
CAMP TEKOA –OVERNIGHT p u t
Ages 7-17
• All gender June 1 - July 27 (weekly sessions)
$825/session 211 Thomas Road, Hendersonville 828-692-6516 • avl.mx/ela
CORYLACE COVE –CRAFT CAMP: BARK AND COPPER p v r
Ages 6-10 • All gender
June 23-27
$350/session Bark baskets and masks, coppersmithing and nature connection. 1311 Hamburg Road, Mars Hill
561-542-1469 • avl.mx/em2
CORYLACE COVE – CRAFT GUILD: METALSMITHING p v r
Ages 11-16 • All gender June 30 - July 3
$425/session Blacksmithing and copper jewelry making. 1311 Hamburg Road, Mars Hill 561-542-1469 • avl.mx/em2
CORYLACE COVE – WILD ONES FOREST CAMP
p v r
Ages 6-10 • All gender June 16-20
$350/session Fire making/safety, plant ID, tracking and ecology. 1311 Hamburg Road, Mars Hill 561-542-1469 • avl.mx/em2
CORYLACE COVE –WOOD GNOMES CAMP p v r
Ages 3-5 • All gender
June 16-20
$275/session
Imaginative play outdoors, earthskills, stories and games. 1311 Hamburg Road, Mars Hill 561-542-1469 • avl.mx/em2
DIVINE EQUINE - FAITHBASED HORSE CAMP
m p v u r
Ages 8-13 • All gender July 21-25, Aug. 4-8
$425/session
Small group preferred (4-6 kids) Candler 828-707-7187 • EVERGREEN SUMMER ADVENTURE
m p v r
Rising grades K-8 • All gender June 23 - Aug. 1 (weekly sessions)
$300/session 50 Bell Road, Asheville 828-298-2173 • avl.mx/elb FIERCE FLIX
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Ages 8-16 • All Gender June 23-27 (sliding scale)
701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa • avl.mx/elc
FIRED UP! CREATIVE LOUNGE — ART ADVENTURES SUMMER CAMP
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Ages 6-12 • All gender June 16-20, Jule 3227, July 14-18
$225/session
26 Wall St., Asheville 828-253-8181 • avl.mx/4q3
FIREFLY VALLEY DESIGN – POTTERY BIPOC WEEK v r
Ages 5-16 • All gender June 23-27
$500/session
25 Central Ave. W, Asheville 828-989-5259 • avl.mx/eld
FIREFLY VALLEY DESIGN – POTTERY CAMP v r
Ages 5-16 • All Gender
June 9-20, July 7Aug. 1, Aug. 11-15 (weekly sessions)
$500/session
25 Central Ave. W, Asheville 828-989-5259 • avl.mx/eld
FIREFLY VALLEY DESIGN – POTTERY CAMP
SPANISH/ENGLISH DUAL LANGUAGE WEEK
v r
Ages 5-16 • All gender Aug. 4-8
$500/session
25 Central Ave. W, Asheville 828-989-5259 • avl.mx/eld
FIREFLY VALLEY DESIGN – POTTERY HELPER PROGRAM (APPLICATION REQUIRED)
v r
Ages 11-18 • All gender
All summer
$300/session
25 Central Ave. W, Asheville 828-989-5259 • avl.mx/eld
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE — ACTING CAMP
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Rising grades 3-5 • All gender June 16-20
$205/session
1855 Little River Road, Flat Rock
828-693-0403 • avl.mx/de1
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE — ACTING CAMP
v r
Rising grades 6-8 • All gender July 14-18
$260/session
1855 Little River Road, Flat Rock
828-693-0403 • avl.mx/de1
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE — ACTING CAMP v r
KIDS ISSUE
Long lines of cars come to follow. Bringing only the containers they have, So they can give their family water.
– Bentley Ford, eighth grade, Asheville Catholic School
My heroes
My heroes are the rescue workers and my neighbors. The rescue workers saved many lives. Many of them got hurt and some even died. A North Carolina deputy died while working at a jail. A K-9 dog named Scotty died while saving someone from rushing water. Two firefighters died when, sadly, a tree fell on their firetruck. I mourn those people and I am forever grateful to them. My neighbor cut down trees, so police and ambulances could get through. My mom’s friend also gave us food and water. I hope my neighbor who got hurt is okay. My mom’s co-workers brought us to Charlotte and we met lots of other evacuees. Thank you everyone who helped.
– Walton Goldman, fifth grade, Isaac Dickson Elementary School
The best dad
My dad inspires me because he makes Airstreams. I want to be just like him. He helped a lot after the hurricane. He went from house to house, it was all day long.
STORM DAMAGE: Owen High School 12th grader Harper Downing created this Helene-inspired image.
He is so so brave, once he held a snake!
He is also so good at camping. And he is great at mountain biking. He is the best dad.
– Jasper Herlocker, second grade, Rainbow Community School
The wilderness
The wilderness is what inspires me! I like to hang out with my friends, the trees!
CONTINUES ON PAGE 40
EMMETT: “My cousin Emmett inspires me by making beautiful jewelry and art,” says Coraline Woodson, a fourth grader at Mountain View Academy. “He is an amazing artist, he loves rocks and makes jewelry with them. He showed me how to make jewelry. He has inspired me to be a better artist.”
Rising grades K-2 • All gender
July 28-Aug. 1
$205/session
1855 Little River Road, Flat Rock
828-693-0403 • avl.mx/de1
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE — CONSERVATORY MUSICAL THEATRE CAMP v r
Rising grades 9-12
• All gender
June 9-13
$260/session
1855 Little River Road, Flat Rock
828-693-0403 • avl.mx/de1
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE — MUSICAL MANIA CAMP
r
Rising grades 6-8 • All gender
June 23-27
$260/session
1855 Little River Road, Flat Rock
828-693-0403 • avl.mx/de1
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE — MUSICAL MANIA CAMP v r
Rising grades K-2 • All gender
July 7-11
$205/session
1855 Little River Road, Flat Rock
828-693-0403 • avl.mx/de1
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE — MUSICAL THEATRE CAMP v r
Rising grades 3-5 • All gender
July 21-25
$205/session
1855 Little River Road, Flat Rock
828-693-0403 • avl.mx/de1
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — ARCHERY RANGE
m p r
Ages 7-8
• All gender
June 9-13; July 14-18
$395/session
Learn to use bow & arrow, participate in mock hunts, and learn to move silently with natural camouflage. 315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — BLACKSMITHING p v r
Ages 12-16 • All gender
June 2-6; June 9-13; June 30 - July 4; July 14-18
$465/session
This next level teen class uses traditional anvil and forge techniques to craft a variety
of useful handmade items.
315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — BRAMBLEHURST SCHOOL OF BUSHCRAFT & WIZARDRY p r
Ages 9-12 • All gender
June 2-6; June 16-20
$395/session
Campers attend our outdoor academy learning a variety survival skills and playing fun magical games.
315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — CRAFTY CRITTERS p v r
Ages 7-8 • All gender
June 16-20; June 30July 4; August 4-8
$395/session
Campers will work on a variety of fun craft projects from gathered & natural materials.
315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — FOREST NINJA m p r
Ages 9-12 • All gender
June 9-13; June 30 - July 4; July 28 - August 1
$395/session
Develop your forest awareness, move silently, with stalking & marital arts navigating a variety of fun challenges.
315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — KNIFE MAKING p v r
Ages 12-16 • All gender
July 7-11; August 11-15
$465/session
Craft a useful functional tool that can serve for generations using blacksmithing and metal shop techniques.
315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville
828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — LEGEND OF THE GNOMES p v r
Ages 6-7 • All gender
June 9-13; July 14-18
$395/session
Campers will create a gnome village in the forest building huts, foraging, cooking and sharing fantasy adventures.
315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — MYSTERIOUS ANIMALS OF THE FOREST p r
Ages 6-7
• All gender June 16-20; July 2125; August 11-15
$395/session
Campers will search for and track animals, while playing fun animal-themed games and crafting an animal persona.
315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville
828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR
WILDERNESS
PROGRAMS — NATURE’S KITCHEN: FIRECRAFT & COOKING p r
Ages 7-8
• All gender
June 23-27; July 1418; August 11-15
$395/session
This camp is focused on the fire making & safety, gathering wild edibles, water purification, and crafting meals.
315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR
WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — POTTERY p v r
Ages 10-13
• All gender
June 23-27; July 21-25; August 4-8
$465/session
Learn the ancient art of shaping clay in this all levels class addressing throwing, hand-building, and surface decoration.
315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — RUN WILD! — REIMAGINING SPORTS
m p r
Ages 9-13 • All gender
June 23-27; July 14-18; July 21-25; August 4-8
$395/session
An inclusive and gender/ age neutral camp that reimagines sports with athletic games including Gaga Ball. 315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
FOREST FLOOR WILDERNESS PROGRAMS — SECRETS OF THE JEDI
m p r
Ages 9-12 • All gender June 30 - July 4; July 7-11; August 11-15
$395/session
Students will learn to deepen their connection with the natural world at our fabled training center for physical skills and self-confidence. 315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville 828-338-9787 • avl.mx/b9x
GIRL SCOUTS
CAROLINAS PEAKS TO PIEDMONT - KEYAUWEE PROGRAM CENTER p t
Rising grades 2-12 • Girls
June 15 - July 4, July 13Aug. 1 (weekly sessions)
$650/session Sophia 800-672-2148 • avl.mx/el9
GREEN RIVER PRESERVE - LEADERSHIP IN TRAINING
p vq t
Ages 17-18 • All gender
June 22 - July 24
$5600/session
301 Green River Road, Cedar Mountain 828-698-8828 • avl.mx/ele
GREEN RIVER PRESERVE – ROOKIE CAMP p v t
Rising grades 1-5 • All gender
June 8-12
$1500/session
301 Green River Road, Cedar Mountain 828-698-8828 • avl.mx/ele
GREEN RIVER PRESERVE – SESSION 2 p v t
Rising grades 2-6 • All gender
June 15-20
$1900/session
301 Green River Road, Cedar Mountain 828-698-8828 • avl.mx/ele
GREEN RIVER PRESERVE – SESSION 5 p v t
Rising grades 2-8 • All gender
July 27 -Aug. 7
$4350/session
301 Green River Road, Cedar Mountain 828-698-8828 • avl.mx/ele
GROW ABROAD PROGRAM ASHEVILLE q✈ r
Ages 9-17 • All gender July 26 - Aug. 9
$0/session International student hosting program! Intercultural learning crafted to foster deep meaningful connections and spark curiosity in languages and cultures! Asheville 828-989-7021 • avl.mx/elf
NEIGHBORS: Zola Brown, a fourth grader at Oakley Elementary School, writes: “I’m inspired by our neighbors who helped us get through the storm by coming together for dinners, chopping wood, playing with us, and sharing resources and information. I’m happy we have neighbors who are our friends.”
I love animals big or small. No matter what, I love them all. Plants and animals all unique. Something in all of them makes them sweet.
– Raina Biddle, third grade, Friends-Montessori School
Unstoppable snails
Many people are inspired by other people who do great things, but I
am inspired by a simple snail. Now it may sound weird to be inspired by snails, but think about how hard they try to get as far as they can, each day giving it their absolute best effort. But the best thing about them is not how hard they try, or how cool they look. The best thing about them is that they never give up. Think about somebody picking them up and walking in the opposite direction for about 3 minutes and putting them down. They probably just set them back years of work, but do they
give up? No! I’m inspired by them because they never give up, always keep going, moving toward their goal. If you think about it, everybody wants to be like a snail. And that’s why I am very inspired by snails.
– Liam Wood, sixth grade, The Learning Community School
Inspirational words
I love Dav Pilkey’s books. They inspire me to read. His books are very funny and engaging. Also, when I read his books, I enjoy reading. Sometimes reading is hard for me, but his books help me. He inspires me to write my own book.
– Wren Mason-Washburn, second grade, Rainbow Community School
Appreciate the Earth
Well, have you ever been in your car, driving in the forest, and you look out your window?
But do you really admire the beauty of the forest.
Or, outside late one night next to a fire.
Do you look up and hear the fire crackling and see the twinkling stars?
When the sun is setting do you notice how the clouds are cotton candy pink?
What inspires me to live, is that Earth is so beautiful.
But nobody stops to see it.
– Eloise LaStella, fourth grade, Fairview Elementary School
Scooter star
I love to ride my scooter. Someone that inspires me is Spanner 9. He
RED HERITAGE: Aileen Wu, an 11th grader at Asheville School, writes: “The 12 zodiacs, Buddhist scriptures, poetry, traditional calligraphy and Chinese paper-cutting all compiled together and create — the phoenix, the symbol of prosperity and inheritance, baths in the auspicious, eternal red, rebirthing in the fire that transcends time and space. I want to tell the history of my beloved motherland, the story of the forgotten, the red heritage that stretches back through millennia.”
inspires me because he’s really good at scootering. Also, he’s a really good YouTuber. That is why he inspires me.
– Robert Chappelear, second grade, Johnston Elementary School
Cleaning up
After the destructive storm Hurricane Helene almost everyone
HANGER HALL — FASHION WEEK: CUSTOM CLOTHING AND UPCYCLING CAMP v r
Ages 6-10 • All gender July 21-25, July 28 - Aug. 1
Camp Henry is located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains on mile-long Lake Logan in Canton, North
Camp Henry offers:
• Week-long sessions for grades 3-12
• 3-night mini camp for grades 1-3
• Weekend family camp for all ages • Leadership programs for grades 9-12 • Outdoor adventure programs for grades 6-12
in Asheville helped clean up. My dad was one of those many people that helped clean up at the Red Cross Medical Center. He helped clean up all of the apartments that had no water so could not flush toilets. And a lot of citizens of Asheville helped clean up things like: The roads, people’s roofs when damage and so much more. And most of all right before Thanksgiving, the celebration of being together, Asheville was almost back to what it was before the Hurricane. And a lot of our family members helped out out to, either if it was Grandparents, to Aunt’s and Uncle’s. My grandparents helped out with me and my sister for 2 weeks. They helped me do my school work, and hang out my family more than I usually do. This is the story of “Hurricane Helene after Clean Up” and I hope this helps you notice that even if you are going through something rough you and your city can do so much to make it better.
– Mamie Savage, fifth grade, Asheville Catholic School
My sister
The person who inspires me the most is my sister. She’s always been there to help me with some math equations or just questions in general that I don’t understand. Without her I feel like my life would
FREEDOM: “Freedom inspires me,” writes Talia Beasley, a sixth grader at Hanger Hall.“This is a painting of fish in a bag not getting their proper freedom. The reason I painted this picture is to state that everyone deserves their freedom. Not just humans or popular animals but little, underestimated fish.”
THEREFORE I AM: Tegan Haley, a Franklin School of Innovation eighth grader, finds inspiration in pop superstar Billie Eilish.
be more pressuring. My sister and I have many similar interests, for example, we both like ponies and horses. She’s older than me and I really trust and look up to her. But yeah, my sister is just a great person I can’t live without.
– Nina Baggott, fifth grade, Charles C. Bell Elementary School
Jude and Natalie
My siblings, Jude and Natalie, inspire me every day to be a better person and a better big sister. Jude has always been my brother, but Natalie became my sibling when our moms started dating. Having them in my life has shown me how important it is to be a positive role model.
Jude is really creative and has a way of making everything fun. Whether it’s a project or a simple conversation, he always brings laughter and imagination. Natalie, on the other hand, is amazing at everything she tries. She’s confident, stylish, and full of curiosity. Both of them have a lot of energy, and they want to spend time with me, which isn’t always something I have the energy for, but it’s a nice thought.
Natalie especially looks up to me and often copies what I do. This has made me more aware of my actions and words. I’ve been trying to be less impulsive, more positive, and aware about setting a good example. Jude’s creativity and kindness encourages me to explore new ideas and to put more effort into things. They both inspire me to try new
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PARKWAY PLAYHOUSE — ENCHANTED FOREST CAMP v r
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PARKWAY PLAYHOUSE — MUSICAL THEATRE INTENSIVE CAMP v r
Ages 12-18 • All gender
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Garden Camp
things, take risks, and be a better version of myself.
Being their big sister is never that easy, but it’s the most rewarding role I have. They remind me that my words and actions can make a difference in someone else’s life. Because of Jude and Natalie, I’ve grown into a more thoughtful, patient, and active person. They don’t just look up to me, I look up to them too.
– Delilah Vanderpool, seventh grade,
The Franklin School of Innovation
My Aunt, my inspiration, my hero
My aunt inspires me. The second she heard about Hurricane Helene she went to her app store and bought an app that showed a picture by a satellite from the day after the storm. She was going crazy trying to find our house. My aunt wanted to make sure we were safe and our house wasn’t under water. She was trying to call us but we couldn’t pick up because there was no Wi-Fi, internet, power, and, most importantly, water. This incredible woman didn’t stop there, she got on the next flight to Asheville, North Carolina to get to us. While she was here, she ordered tons of stuff to help us. This lady sent us camping showers, water, and so much more. We didn’t use most of it. Tons of family members like my grandparents, cousins and so many more offered us a place to stay. We said
MAN: Jovie Lee, a fifth grader at Asheville Catholic School, finds inspiration in acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
no, but all this proved how much we are loved. I love my aunt so much!
– Savannah Fox, sixth grade, The Learning Community School Grandpa is always there
My grandpa has always inspired me to be kind and the best version of myself. He holds me when I cry and helps when I’m in need. One time I broke a hot glue gun and he was
CONTINUES ON PAGE 46
BUTTERFLIES: Hanger Hall sixth grader Caylee Logan writes: “What inspires me is when my cousin comes to visit – she’s a grown-up. We always go mushroom hunting, and the butterflies mean the time goes by fast. And then poof! Gone. So, why not enjoy it now?”
MUSIC
PLAYGROUND
STAGE — SUMMER MUSICAL CAMP
v r
Rising grades 1-6 • All gender
June 16-27, June 30July 11, July 14-25
$575 for sessions 2; $600 for sessions 1 & 3
Playground Stage Summer Camp is the young performer’s chance to experience all aspects of putting on a show! Every student has a chance to set design, costume design, and act in a musical with help from professional Teaching Artists! Each day includes theatre related crafts, acting, singing, and dancing lessons, as well as many behind the scenes activities. On the last day of camp the students will perform a play for friends and family in an outdoor performance complete with set, costumes, and props. The perfect camp for aspiring young performers and theatre novices! Each camp session performs a different musical.
Avery’s Creek Community Center, 899 Glenn Bridge Road SE, Asheville 828-537-5050 • avl.mx/de6
1220 Bee Tree Road, Swannanoa 828-686-3080 thelearningcommunity.org/camps
THE LEARNING COMMUNITY — ART WITH MS. ANNA p r
Rising grades 6-9
• All gender
July 14-18, 21-25
$375/session
1220 Bee Tree Road, Swannanoa 828-686-3080 thelearningcommunity.org/camps
THE LEARNING COMMUNITY — NATURE CAMP p r
Rising grades K-4
• All gender
June 9 - Aug 1
$325/session 1220 Bee Tree Road, Swannanoa 828-686-3080 thelearningcommunity.org/camps
THE LEARNING COMMUNITY — SUMMER ACADEMY p r
Rising grades 1-9
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July 7-11, July 28 - Aug 1
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THE LITTLE GYM — SUPER QUEST CAMPS m r
Ages 3-9 • All gender June 2-Aug. 22 (ongoing) From $50 per half day to $712 for 20 full-day sessions 10 Crispin Court, Suite 104, Asheville 828-747-2239 • avl.mx/dd1
THE MUSIC ACADEMY – BLUEGRASS & ROOTS CAMP v r
Ages 8-15 • All gender
July 14-18
$250/session
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THE MUSIC ACADEMY – OPENING ACT ROCK CAMP v r
Rising grades 4-6 • All gender
June 16-20, Aug. 4-8
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THE MUSIC ACADEMY – ROCK ACADEMY DAY CAMP v r
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THE NEW CLASSICAL ACADEMY –COOKING CAMP v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender June 9-13 , June 23-27
$300/session
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THE NEW CLASSICAL ACADEMY – SECRET AGENT SPY v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender July 7-11
$300/session
671 Sand Hill Rd., Asheville 828-225-1993 • avl.mx/ely
THE NEW CLASSICAL ACADEMY – WORLD OF WIZADRY v r
Rising grades K-5 • All gender June 16-20
$300/session
671 Sand Hill Rd., Asheville 828-225-1993 • avl.mx/ely
THE NORTH CAROLINA ARBORETUM –DISCOVERY CAMP
p v r t
Rising grades K-8 • All gender
June 9 - Aug. 22 (weekly sessions
$383/session
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THE NORTH CAROLINA ARBORETUM –EXPLORECORPS HIGH SCHOOL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
p v r
Rising grades 9-12 • All gender June 9 - Aug. 22 (weekly sessions)
Fun Worksho p s!
Camps, Festivals, Schools, Clubs
Clown, juggling, movement, and mime! These unique experiences build skills, develop discipline, and provide life long memories. Mix and match different lessons or focus on just one. All ages, half and full days
OUTDOOR THEATER CAMP: July 7 - 11
SURVIVAL CAMP: July 14 - 18
FARM TO TABLE CAMP: July 21 - 25
Transportation available from Weaverville and Marshall! Scan this QR code or visit our website for more information and to register! www.madisoncclc.org
EARLY MORNING TRAIN: “I am inspired by my dad’s love for travel and trains,” says ArtSpace Charter School fourth grader River Goins. “This moment is when my family went to my mom’s hometown, on day two a train passed. Still in our PJs, me; my sister and my dad rushed out to see it pass.”
there in a split second to fix it. One day I want to grow up just like him.
He always reminds me to do things when I forget and he is always prepared. He is one person I feel like I can’t live without. And even when he is gone, I know he will never truly be gone. His memory will still be with me, still holding my heart in hard times. He has inspired me to do good in the world.
When I’m older I want him to continue to be proud of me, but I know he will be, no matter what I do, I want to work in animal rescue, because I want to give the support he gave to me through all my life to others in need. Thank you so much to my Grandpa for all that he has done for me and for all the wisdom and inspiration he always gives me. I love you Grandpa — thank you for everything.
– Robin Kehoe, fifth grade,
Isaac Dickson Elementary School
Water world
Scuba diving really inspires me! When I saw my first coral reef, I wanted to protect it. I know the damage that plastic can do. I want to explore shipwrecks to see if I can discover any new underwater sealife. I also have a dream to find ways to live underwater. I would also like to be able to help find ways to filter water easily who are facing water shortages in other countries.
– Xaivi Halasz, third grade, The Learning Community School
Howling at the moon
Wolves inspire me because they are very wise creatures. They have lived here before any of us. They even gave us our favorite gift … dogs! Wolves inspire me personally because their main goal is to try to keep their family strong and survive. They also have rankings in the pack. Another reason why I love wolves is because once I went to Montana, there was a wolf sanctuary called Howlers Inn. I befriended a wolf
SUNSET IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH A FLOWER FIELD: “It inspires me because it’s always growing,” writes Aaliyah Preiser, a Hanger Hall seventh grader.
For more information, contact us or visit our website! gamershaunt@gmail.com 828.251.1500 gamershaunt.com/summer-camp
pack there. There was a wolf named Shio; he was a friend. The pack showed me how wolves are smart and they have survived since the Ice Age. I find that amazing!
– Chloe Sylvester, fourth grade, The Learning Community School
Inspiring to the end
The thing that inspired me most in 2024 was the way my three greataunts helped out with my grandma in the last few weeks of her life. My great-aunts came all the way from their homes in different states to help my grandma, “Nanni,” and live with her. They are so kind to help with her and watch over her making her dinner, helping her in so many ways, but most importantly loving her with all their heart. Whenever my grandma needed something they would rush to help doing anything and everything possible. My grandma always wanted to look nice and appear well, so they always made sure her hair was brushed and she had on lip gloss and was wearing her favorite colors. My great aunts cared so much for their sister they almost never left her side. During those last couple of weeks my three great aunts, Annie, Marikaye, and Barbara, were so caring and loving. I know my grandma appreciated it so much, and was very thankful to have such awesome sisters. They make me want to be like them. That is what inspired me most in 2024.
– Alex Lordi, sixth grade, Asheville Catholic School
ANGELIC CAMPBELL: Asheville School 12th grader Shelby Hippen writes: “I was inspired by the romantic era of Renaissance art and also the idea of sisterhood. I am constantly inspired by my sister and the other women around me and the life and joy that comes with that type of bond.”
Samaritan’s Purse
For the theme of who or what inspires you this year, I chose Samaritan’s Purse. Over the past few months, I’ve seen a whole lot of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers helping my community. Many people were impacted by the hurri-
cane, some even losing their entire homes. It inspires me to see the volunteers take time off their jobs to help people they don’t even know, and that’s just amazing to see people be so generous like that. It makes me want to volunteer more, because our community has so, so much trash and debris to pick up, along with the rest of Western North Carolina.
Q: What is Samaritan’s Purse even about and what do they do?
A: Samaritan’s Purse is a locally based nonprofit humanitarian aid organization that helps communities around the world after natural disasters or during wars. They help get a start on rebuilding their houses and lives. They also give out needed items after natural disasters or during wars like food, water (if you lost it), clothes of any sizes, toiletries and blankets if the cold season is coming up. If you needed just yard clean up from debris, they could do that as well. What I mean by debris is trash, trees, and mud. There are plenty of other organizations but in this one I saw a lot of them helping.
– Delia Shirey, fourth grade, ArtSpace Charter School
AT
LIBRARY: Elizabeth Kirby, a seventh grader at The Franklin School of Innovation, is inspired by reading.
XP LEAGUE OF ASHEVILLE –MINECRAFT REDSTONE ENGINEERING YOUTH ESPORTS CAMP v r
Ages 7-17
• All gender
July 7-11, Aug. 4-8
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YMCA OF WNC — BUNCOMBE PRE-K DISCOVERY DAY CAMP p v r
Ages 4-5
• All gender
June-August (weekly)
$275/session
Licensed childcare for preschoolers in Buncombe County. Hours 8:30 AM4:30 PM. Ends 8/8/25.
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YMCA OF WNC — CAMP KIDDOS
p v r
Ages 3-5 • All gender
June-August (weekly)
Financial assistance
available
This half-day enrichment program introduces children ages 3-5 to structured camp through arts, crafts, song, outdoor play, and water safety. Kids experience new things and make friends in a safe and secure setting that prepares them for school. 40 N. Merrimon Ave., Asheville
828-505-3990 • avl.mx/dea
YMCA OF WNC — CAMP WATIA
p t
Ages 5-18 • All gender June-August (weekly)
$795/session
Co-ed overnight camp in Bryson City 5030 Watia Road, Bryson City 828-209-9600 • avl.mx/em3
YMCA OF WNC — CAMPERS IN LEADERSHIP TRAINING (YSC) p v✈ r
Ages 12-15 • All gender
June-August (weekly)
$400/session
Tween/teens will learn leadership, basic job skills and
bond with peers in a fun camp environment. All campers will complete a phone Interview after registration. 40 N. Merrimon Ave., Asheville 828-505-3990 • avl.mx/deb
YMCA OF WNC — DISCOVERY DAY CAMP
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Ages 6-12 • All gender
June-August (weekly)
$275/session
Licensed childcare for rising first through rising sixth graders in Buncombe County. Includes theme-based weeks and elementary-age field trips.
Hours 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM.
40 N. Merrimon Ave., Asheville 828-505-3990 • avl.mx/de9
YMCA OF WNC — HALF DAY CAMPS
p r
Ages 3-12 • All gender June-August (weekly)
Financial assistance available
Majority of our camps are for ages 3-12, there are a few options available up to age 14. We have variety of days
and times available for camps.
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YMCA OF WNC — MCDOWELL DISCOVERY DAY CAMP
p v✈ r
Ages 6-12 • All gender June-August (weekly)
$195/session
Licensed childcare for rising first through rising sixth graders in McDowell County. Includes theme-based weeks and elementary-age field trips.
Hours 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM.
40 N. Merrimon Ave., Asheville 828-505-3990 • avl.mx/de9
YMCA OF WNC — MCDOWELL PRE-K DISCOVERY DAY CAMP
p v r
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Licensed childcare for preschoolers in McDowell County. Hours
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM.
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YMCA OF WNC — SPORTS CAMPS HALF DAYS
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Financial assistance available
Our half-day sports camps teach children game fundamentals, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Our camps are perfect for the aspiring athlete who enjoys a variety of sports and recreational games. Our qualified staff work hard to ensure fast-paced, nonstop fun for every camper.
40 N. Merrimon Ave., Asheville
828-505-3990 • avl.mx/de9
YMCA OF WNC — TEEN ADVENTURE CAMP p r
Ages 12-15 • All gender June-August (weekly)
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Our action-packed adventure camp offers teens the chance to discover the
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YMCA OF WNC — TWEEN ADVENTURE CAMP - ENKA
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INSPIRATIONS: Rainbow Community School fifth grader Abby Jo Dontchos is inspired by actors, nature, art, gymnastics and more
VOTING STARTS APRIL 1ST
A word inspires me
The word inspiration, I find inspiring Inspiration inspires me to have a good education so I can have the reputation that I want.
It gives my imagination translation to write and type stories and the dedication to finish them.
I have a fixation on inspiration, as it is motivation for cooperation for this sensation of inspiration
It allows me to pass through my limitation and navigation for this world
But I do get frustration from this inspiration, as others don’t find admiration for passing their limitation as the temptation is not grand enough
But as this generation finds inspiration, to pass their limitation they get an affirmation as
inspiration sets its fascination upon them
As more and more people I see pass their limitations, I feel an ovation that is a suffocation that sends a sensation of adoration
Finally, this will send tribulation to all who pass their limitations, and give these people a consolation that all will enjoy as their dedication to inspiration as they will get justification for all their work – Jonah Surrett, seventh grade, Francine Delany New School for Children
My grandmother who never stops
I am inspired by GG (that’s what we call my grandma) because about
a year ago she was brought to my house for dinner and she did something that amazed and inspired me. Before she got there me and my brother walked to the leaf covered trampoline and we started jumping. About ten minutes after she got there my grandma came outside with my dad and asked if she could get on, My dad said, “You can but be very careful!”She carefully got on and even started jumping and said, “I like doing this!” I was shocked that she wanted to keep jumping! She was eighty five at that time. When I am that old I hope I can be as good as she is now. I love that she keeps trying to do things like that at her age.
– Sidney Moreadith, fifth grade, The Learning Community School
Striking ideas
I have no hero
No grand inspiration
No one to trail behind Planting my feet in their steps While they strut through life
The only things
That I ever call inspiring
Are the topics I write about
And those are always
Striking ideas
That I don’t fully comprehend myself
I suppose
That instead of putting all of my faith Into one person or idea
I discern qualities
That I appreciate
From everyone
I hope that one day
It will be beneficial
That I refuse to instill The entirety of my belief In one so-called hero – Elle Keener, seventh grade, The Learning Community School
The golden light of hope
I stare out the window and see golden lights glowing from houses like stars from the sky. I remember when we weren’t able to turn on those lights. I remember the days when no light came at all, except the lights from our hearts. Somehow, we made it. Somehow, we pushed through the darkness. Together. We all contributed something. Some gave information. Some gave water, which was as valuable as gold. Some just gave the gift of listening, or giving a hug, or huddling together around a flickering fire, golden and orange against the deep blue sky.
MOM IN FLOWERS: “My mom inspires me to help people that need help,” writes Echo Kochka, a fourth grader at ArtSpace Charter School.
Some did not make it. Even now, their loved ones mourn for them. Some lost. So much. Homes, shops, furniture, special objects. But we kept one thing — hope. We held on to it through the violent winds that ripped out trees from their roots and destroyed houses. Through the rain that came down in showers. That flooded whole neighborhoods, and washed away houses and cars. Still, we had it. A sliver of golden light. A warm hand. Comforting words. Brute determination. We rebuilt
CONTINUES ON PAGE 52
CALL OF DUTY: Franklin School of Innovation sixth grader Calissa Stratton is inspired by Simon “Ghost” Riley, a character in the Call of
Duty video game series.
SAWAKO: “Drawing inspires me,” says Polly Crutchfield, a seventh grader at Hanger Hall.
those homes, those roads, and our hearts. Together.
– Lucy Kelly, sixth grade, French Broad River Academy
Heavenly inspiration
Dear Jesus, you are my inspiration. You are strong, and inspire me to keep going.
Sometimes I think you don’t love me because I don’t get the life I want right now.
I realize now that just because I’m doing everything “right” doesn’t
mean I will get everything passed down to me.
You inspire me because you teach me lessons that I might not understand.
You teach me how to understand them.
You performed miracles and were humble, and understanding, and still forgive everyone who has ever wronged you.
You helped people who understood who they were meant to be.
You help me understand my purpose in life.
You faced hardship like every person on earth and showed your strength.
“Local news sources are important to a vibrant community. It’s as simple as that.”
– Charles Robinson
You were a real person. I know now you love me Jesus, and I love you.
– Brooke Raymer, seventh grade, Asheville Catholic School
Igniting my inspiration
When I heard the prompt for this year’s Mountain Xpress Kids
Issue, my mind instantaneously went to a very common inspiration idea, my parents. I thought I had some good brainstorming done, but then I focused in, and thought about the what , and not just who inspires you.
Then, I thought hard and came up with the idea of the power of knowledge. I chose this topic because I didn’t want the ordinary topic of family members, or celebrities. I wanted a topic that stood out, that was thinking outside the box. Because, to me when I think about knowledge, and, or how we got it, it inspires me because knowledge is such a big concept, and I can’t imagine how much trial and error and frustration that it took to have the technology and knowledge we have now, and what knowledge gives us, to where I think about, how did we find knowledge or come up with it? When did the knowledge vine wrap itself around Homo Sapiens? To me, it’s crazy to think about.
– Beachler Hensley, sixth grade, The Learning Community School
The fox and the raven
What inspires you?
The tempest of frosty air
The ebb and flow of water
The fire that dances in eyes
The constant, reliable, durable dirt beneath your feet
What inspires you?
Laughter that is so joyous you weep tears of moon stone
Pain that is so great you weep tears of blood red rubies
Love that is so strong you would assassinate the hurt
Sadness that is so bad you succumb to the night
What inspires you?
The onyx raven on barbed wire fence
The crimson fox in the bleck gray winter
The silky white cat in green grace
The azure butterfly soring far above
What inspires you?
Do I?
My heart of flame
And tongue of poison
BALL DON’T LIE: Addison McNeal, a seventh grader at The Franklin School of Innovation, is inspired by basketball.
Can I be the muse of your eye?
Can I turn the pain into beauties?
Is the strawberry hair pretty in your eyes?
Are the ocean eyes meaning full in your eyes?
Could the constellation of freckles be more than dirt?
Do the words in your mouth get morphed and spit out
Same as mine?
Do I inspire you?
Could I be the fox to your raven?
– Sophia Kayce, eighth grade, The Learning Community School
June 9, June 16, June 23, July 7, July 14, July 21, July 28
Give your child a summer outside learning, playing, and creating!
Rising K-4th. $ 325 / week ADVENTURE DAY CAMP
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From fishing, to rafting, to hiking, every day is a new adventure on campus or in the Asheville area.
Rising 5th-9th. $ 425 - $ 475/ week
TWO WEEKS: July 7 – 11 and July 28 – Aug 1
Join us for two weeks of learning and fun! Our Summer Academy reinforces writing and reading skills through structured literacy lessons designed to both review and reinforce skills as well get a jump start on the school year. Morning academics and afternoon art classes, swimming, and woods play!
Rising 1st – 7th graders
• $1,100 for two weeks
• $ 600 for a single week
Preventive
Care
BY TROY JACKSON
troyjackson@authentichealth.com
As a family doctor, my parent patients will ask me about strategies to cultivate healthier habits around screen time for their children. For better or for worse, screens have become deeply interwoven into the fabric of our lives. All of us use screens for a variety of reasons: education, entertainment, family connection, boredom and connecting with friends. For younger children, video chats are a great way to connect with long-distance relatives. For the older children, much of what they learn is now found online in a video, article or application. But I am also a parent to two young kids and know firsthand that screens are very effective ways to give me time to complete other tasks or to simply give me a break in the day. But what are screens doing to our children? Are they helpful or harmful? Is there a healthy line we must draw to protect them? What is a parent to do?
HEALTHY SCREEN HABITS
A screen is any device that displays images or text, such as televisions, video games, computers, cellphones, tablets and e-readers. Screens can be actively used (watching, playing, scrolling) or passively used (a TV playing in the background or the child observing a parent using a screen). When it comes to healthy screen habits, we must look at the two ways children interact with screens: the number of hours devoted to a screen
per day and how they are engaging with technology.
It’s without question that inappropriate screen use can harm our children. Screen time has been linked to obesity, insomnia, anxiety, depression and poor emotional regulation. Even having background TV noise can diminish the quality and quantity of parent-child verbal communication. In teenagers, media multitasking has a negative impact on executive functioning, especially when it comes to memory, focus and the ability to switch between tasks.
However, screens can also be beneficial. Studies show that age-appropriate television shows can help children with language development and imaginative growth, especially for those growing up impoverished or with other socioeconomic disadvantages. Watching television as a family can increase social connectedness and foster richer engagement with the content. Lastly, the internet can provide an outlet for teenagers to explore their interests and broaden their understanding of the world around them.
BY THE NUMBERS
So how can we best think about screens and our children? Let’s break it down by age.
• Children under 2 years old
I recommend avoiding screen use for children under 2. At this age, children are unable to comprehend what they are watching, so there is little to no “educational” or entertainment value.
Raising healthy kids in the technological age
TIME MANAGEMENT: In his latest column, Dr. Troy Jackson shares tips for how parents can better manage their children’s screen time. Photo courtesy of Jackson; design by Scott Southwick
Secondly, screen time takes away from opportunities for language development, physical play and parent-child bonding.
• Children 2-5 years old
At this age, children are more able to understand what is being shown on a screen and can better follow simple plot lines. I recommend limiting screen use to age-appropriate content for less than one hour per day. In our home, we use screen time to more efficiently cook dinner, clean the house or simply to provide everyone a break during the day. Family movie night is also a great way to promote family bonding.
• Children 6-11 years old
For this age, video games start popping into the mix, and you may see more online use with school curriculum. This is a great age to start teaching your chil-
dren how to self-regulate their own screen use, developing family rhythms around screen time and learning what content is considered “good” or “bad.” Parents may want to consider implementing screen timers, parental controls and limiting when and where screens can be used.
• Children 12-18 years old Honestly, this is the age group I worry about most. According to 2023 data from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 50% of teenagers spend more than four hours in front of a screen for nonschoolwork use, with most of this time being spent on YouTube and TikTok. Thanks to the internet, teenagers are exposed to way more than their brains can reliably handle: unlimited information, virtual bullying, pornography, violence and a world without boundaries. It is precisely these things that contribute to plummeting rates of self-esteem and confidence in our kids as well as rising rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, homicidal thoughts and inappropriate beauty standards.
WHAT IS LOST TO SCREEN TIME
What is lost in these four-plus hours online? Physical activity, real social interaction, experiential learning and boredom tolerance. These real-world activities are crucial at this stage for physical and mental health; for learning how to handle challenge, success and failure; for avoiding loneliness; and for nurturing creativity, problem-solving, attention and self-confidence. In his book The Anxious Generation, Jonathon Haidt writes that two big
mistakes we’ve made as parents have been “overprotecting children in the real world (where they need to learn from vast amounts of direct experience) and underprotecting them online (where they are particularly vulnerable during puberty).”
As parents, we must guide our teenagers through this time carefully and intentionally. Some of this will require uncomfortable limitations: delaying smart phones and personal computers for as long as possible; limiting screens in bedrooms; and using stronger parental control settings and timers. But this age group also deserves honest conversations from parents about healthy internet use, its potential dangers and the importance of fostering a life in the real world.
Lastly, we parents are not off the hook. Our own screen use directly impacts how our children will relate to screens. What are we communicating to our children when it seems like the screen is more important than they are? What is so enticing on a screen that distracts you from watching their silly dance or talking to them about their day? In a way, we are our children’s first influencers. Therefore, we must first address our relationship with screen time and screen use before expecting our kids to do the same. This will mean following the same rules we are setting for our children.
Whether we like it or not, we are in the age of technology, and it will likely only increase. Part of our job as parents (and doctors) is to help teach our children healthy habits around screens, defining what is gained and lost with increasing screen time, dedicating ample time to nonscreen activities and setting rules in place that protect our children’s minds. If you have a specific medical topic you’d like for me to explore or a question about health you’ve always wondered about, please write to me directly at troyjackson@authentichealth.com with the subject line “MountainX Health Question.” X
Sheneika Smith on youthful pranks
Xpress: Most people have at least one story their family and relatives can’t help but retell at reunions and/or holiday gatherings. What is the quintessential story from your childhood that you can’t seem to escape at these types of gatherings?
Smith: I grew up as a church kid — not just a Sunday morning church kid, but a Monday through Sunday, revival, Bible study, choir rehearsal and shut-in kind of church kid. Church was like a second home, and when you spend that much time in one place, you either find ways to stay engaged or ways to entertain yourself. I leaned into the latter.
One of the funniest things I used to do — something that still gets brought up whenever childhood stories resurface — happened during offering time. In Black churches, we don’t pass the offering plate down the pews like some churches do. No, we walk to the offering plate, usually in a musical procession, set to the rhythm of the organ, drums and a choir.
So, being the mischievous kid I was, I decided to add a little comic relief to the moment. I would put my shoes on the wrong feet — a subtle but effective detail — then march down the aisle to the offering plate like everything was completely normal. Most of the adults didn’t notice, but the young people? They saw it every time and thought it was the funniest thing ever.
Trying to contain their snickers, shaking shoulders, and stifled laughs made it even funnier. The adults would turn around, confused, scanning the room trying to find the source of the disruption, while the kids were falling apart in the pews. Meanwhile, I’d be back in my seat, straight-faced, acting like I had nothing to do with it.
Even now, whenever childhood stories come up, someone will say, “Remember when you used to switch your shoes and march to the offering plate like nothing was wrong?” And honestly? I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything. Hilarious!
How would you describe yourself as a teenager? And how do you think your former teenage self would have reacted to learning you ended up serving as an elected official?
SECOND HOME: As a child, Asheville City Council member Sheneika Smith says the church was like a second home for her.
“And when you spend that much time in one place, you either find ways to stay engaged or ways to entertain yourself,” she says. “I leaned into the latter.”
Photo courtesy of Smith
As a teenager, I was the adventurous, outspoken middle child of three girls — the one who pushed boundaries, tested limits and always had something to say. I wasn’t a rule breaker, but I was definitely a rule tester, questioning expectations and challenging both my parents and my teachers with a mix of boldness, curiosity and sarcasm. I found my greatest sense of belonging outside the house — not because I didn’t love my family but because I was drawn to the community and people around me. Whether it was with friends, in creative spaces, or out exploring, I thrived on freedom, expression and movement.
If I told my teenage self that one day I’d be an elected official, it would be an absolute shock. I was always artsy, free-spirited and uninterested in rigid structures, so the idea of holding a formal position in government would have felt completely out of character. But when I really think about it, maybe it makes perfect sense.
The young people in our community have been through a lot since COVID and Helene. What is your top concern for our area youths, and what influence do local officials have to address it?
Our youths have endured more than their share of disruption, uncertainty and fear in recent years. COVID forced them into isolation, disconnecting them from the social and educational experiences that shape identity, confidence and emotional well-being. Then, just as the world was finding its footing, Hurricane Helene brought another wave of displacement, loss and instability. I know firsthand how suffocating it can feel to be confined to home, church and school, with little room for freedom, exploration and self-discovery. But our young people weren’t just confined — they were sheltering in place while surrounded by the fear of death, suffering and uncertainty. The emotional toll of that is crazy!
Because of this, my greatest concern for our youths is their mental health, happiness and their ability to recover socially and academically. They have lost formative time. Many are grappling with anxiety, grief and social setbacks that have reshaped their sense of safety and confidence in the world.
Recovery, in this context, must mean more than just catching up in school and repairing buildings and infrastructure — it must mean social and emotional healing. It means creating safe spaces where young people can reconnect without the weight of fear and trauma. It means ensuring they have access to mental health resources, community programs and mentorship opportunities that restore their sense of hope and belonging.
Lightning round: As a child, what was your favorite ...
• Book: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
• Album: You Brought the Sunshine by The Clark Sisters
• TV show: “The Cosby Show”
• Movie: Lean On Me
• Publication (magazine or newspaper): Ebony magazine X
Susan Cohen, MD • Leigh Dodson, MD • Eleanor Martin, MD • Calvin Tomkins, MD Peter Leimena, MD • Dr. Kristina Beardsley • Amanda Mojave, LCMHC
ARTS & CULTURE
The long and winding road
Local arts leaders share post-Helene highs and lows
BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN
“As of an hour ago, I think we’re still employed.”
Nervous laughter from Ashevillearea arts leaders and elected officials greeted these words by Michael Orlove, director of state, regional and local partnerships for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), at the Feb. 24 Buncombe County Arts Recovery Update event hosted by ArtsAVL at the Diana Wortham Theatre.
Responding to a question regarding the impact of recent Trump administration executive orders and mass federal worker layoffs on the NEA, Orlove and his colleague Eleanor Billington were upfront that they didn’t know how to answer that query. But they stressed that they would continue to work for artists and arts groups across the county.
“We are a grant-making agency. Our job is to get money out to all of you,” Orlove said. “The answer to this question has already changed multiple times today, and I think it’s going to change multiple times. I can only speak for myself, but I think I speak for Eleanor that we are really proud to be public servants and love the work.”
This commitment to the arts was echoed by peers from the N.C. Arts Council and Arts NC who were in attendance, as well as ArtsAVL Executive Director Katie Cornell, whose introductory report focused on the region’s rebuilding efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.
After sharing some troubling statistics — tourism was down 70%
during peak season and charitable giving statewide is down 53% to the lowest figures in a decade — Cornell shifted to more positive reports. Among them were 1,500 Emergency Relief Grants awarded in November and an e-commerce partnership with Explore Asheville that allowed would-be tourists and other arts lovers to support local creatives during a time when visiting the Asheville area wasn’t possible or practical.
As state and federal partners extolled the dedication of the ArtsAVL staff in fighting for Asheville-area artists during this difficult time, the message that a long road to true recovery awaits remained at the event’s forefront.
In order to better gauge the arts industry’s current status on an organizational level, Xpress checked in with other major local arts groups to learn about their recent success stories and continuing challenges as 2025 rolls into its second quarter.
WEAVING SUPPORT
Similar feelings of post-Helene progress and fatigue are evident at the Center for Craft, where Executive Director Stephanie Moore and her team have been working hard to make up for lost time and resources. In Moore’s words, “[We] are worn
thin and are all doing our best to keep up the pace while still recovering ourselves.”
The organization’s most pressing challenge, Moore says, is figuring out what is needed to rebuild the city’s cultural infrastructure. “The devastation has severely impacted artists’ livelihoods, yet they have not been fully recognized or engaged as key stakeholders in shaping the next steps,” she explains. “This extends beyond artists to designers, architects and other creative professionals — individuals whose innovation and visionary thinking can help us build back better. Now is the time to ensure these voices are included and valued as essential contributors.”
She adds that artists and creatives should not be seen solely as producers of goods that drive the economy, but as healers and problem-solvers who can lead community-based projects to help people process the trauma of Helene. Furthermore, she notes, the arts community thrives on in-person collaboration, education and nonprofit support, yet many cultural organizations have faced significant disruptions and financial strains.
“Nonprofits have largely been excluded from local recovery funding, with only an initial grant from Explore Asheville and recent eligibility for a state and local arts council grant,” Moore says. “Without
sustained investment, these organizations — many of which provide essential space, resources and programs for artists — will struggle to recover.”
The coming year will be a crucial period, she continues, for finding ways to ensure the long-term resilience of Western North Carolina’s cultural sector. “By recognizing and supporting artists and cultural nonprofits as integral to recovery, we can ensure that creativity survives and plays a leading role in shaping a stronger, more connected community moving forward,” Moore adds.
Doing its part in the immediate wake of Helene, the center relaunched its Craft Futures Fund, which was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its post-Helene revival raised $1,545,650 — including $435,150 from 293 individual contributors, 81% of whom were new supporters. These essential funds provided rapid relief to 820 craft artists in Western North Carolina. It was followed in February by the naming of the WNC Craft Futures Cohort. Each of this program’s 40 artists will receive $15,000 and join a six-month cohort experience that supports rebuilding through a peerto-peer network. They will also participate in a group exhibition called WNC Craft Futures: From Here that will open in April, as well as help the center plan where money from an anticipated Phase 3 of the Craft Futures Fund will be directed.
In addition, the center recently launched its Alumni Network, an online platform fostering mentorship, resource sharing and collaboration among grant recipients across the country. Seeing artists connect in this manner gives Moore and her colleagues tremendous optimism, as does witnessing the craft community come together in the wake of a huge disruption like Helene.
“Western North Carolina has long been a hub for craft, and the continued practice in the region fuels our belief that this field will only become stronger in the years ahead,” she says.
’AGILITY AND SWIFTNESS’
Asheville Theater Alliance’s (ATA) official launch in late August may have been inopportune timing in some ways. But it meant the organization was ready to serve its members and the theater community at large when Helene hit less than a month later.
The nonprofit was conceived by Attic Salt Theatre Company artistic director Jeff Catanese and started operating on a grassroots scale in 2015. His goal was to provide a cen-
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: The fledgling Asheville Theater Alliance board of directors leaped into action in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. Pictured, from left, are Rose Pillmore, Jeff Catanese, Rodney Smith, Melon Wedick and Mara Breindel. Photo courtesy of ATA
tral place for theaters to come together, share knowledge and resources, and combine to create a more consistent patronage.
With local theater companies still struggling financially from the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry was dealt another blow from Helene. Yet when work was disrupted by the storm, the ATA stepped in with a relief fund and improv comedy fundraiser event to help the organizations that were immediately affected. The donations provided income for many ATA members who had work canceled due to damages from the storm.
“Our agility and swiftness were things to be proud of and showcased how we aim to help the theater community — although we hope to never have to go through that kind of disaster again to demonstrate it,” Catanese says.
These results have made him and his fellow board of directors members optimistic about the rest of 2025, during which the ATA is focusing on increased diversity in its membership. Though Catanese says area productions are increasingly showcasing performers of color, equity efforts haven’t translated to comparable numbers among ATA’s ranks. In turn,
“Without
— Stephanie Moore, Center for Craft
the organization is offering scholarship memberships to performers and theater creatives of color and will be increasing its outreach to nonwhite communities throughout the year.
Additional offerings have included a March 14 “mix and mingle” event at Attic Salt’s Woodfin space, where members could receive free headshots. And ATA leadership is in the early stages of planning a 2026 regional audition opportunity for individual members and organizations to help local actors land work. But Catanese stresses that one need not be a paid ATA member to make a difference.
“Anyone can help ATA by engaging with our website,” he says. “Even if you’re not a theater professional, we have a volunteer membership tier for those who want to help our membership directly, and we welcome all theater patrons to check in with our comprehensive calendar of shows, classes and events. We’re
here to help the community, so all the community has to do to help in return is to love local theater.”
PATIENCE, GRASSHOPPER
The ATA’s and Center for Craft’s pragmatic optimism was also at the forefront of Cornell’s Arts Recovery Update. Before sharing news about upcoming grant opportunities for local arts businesses, an update to the 2016 music industry study and the long-in-the-works countywide cultural plan, she showed a pair of slides that urged caution and realistic mindsets for approaching post-Helene life.
The first slide featured the recovery continuum and four phases of activity from the Federal Emergency Management Agency: preparedness (ongoing); short-term (days); intermediate (week-months); and longterm (months-years). And the second
was one familiar to many residents who scrolled social media last fall: the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s “Phases of Disaster,” which charts the inherent emotional peaks and valleys of working through a tragedy.
“This is natural after a disaster, and we’re going to be here for a while,” Cornell says. “But what I want you all to understand is there’s a lot of good things happening for arts recovery. We’ve done a lot of good stuff already, and there’s a lot of really good stuff coming.”
Jeff Bell, executive director of the N.C. Arts Council, stressed that his state agency, ArtsAVL and the NEA are “dedicated for the long term” — and that rebuilding will indeed take time. Informing that perspective are ongoing conversations with leaders from the New Orleans arts community, who have made significant gains since Hurricane Katrina, yet continue to struggle.
“They’re still in recovery 20 years later,” Cornell says. “This is a marathon that we’re going to be going through. We’re going to have highs and lows, and it’s going to take a while. So, we need to be careful and pace ourselves.”
WITH CAYLA CLARK
BY CAYLA CLARK
caylaclark73@gmail.com
Dear readers,
There’s so much to catch you up on! First and foremost — surprise! I’m now “with child.” Meaning, yes, I accidentally got knocked up during Helene. I’m now hurtling headfirst into the whirlwind of impending parenthood — equal parts terrified and excited, often within the same breath.
Naturally, I figured if there was ever a time to tap into the collective wisdom (and comic relief) of Asheville’s funniest parents, this is it.
Gracing the pages of Mountain Xpress this month is none other than Ryan Cox — lovingly dubbed Asheville’s Comedy Papa. (OK, no one’s actually called him that yet, but I think it’s time we start.) Ryan has perfected the art of turning the beautiful chaos of parenthood into relatable, sidesplitting gold on stages all over Western North Carolina.
Next up is the sweet, sharp, and hilarious Erin Terry — a powerhouse mom to a 4-year-old who somehow still finds time to produce her brilliant, female-focused Eyes Up Here comedy shows around town.
And finally, the one and only Becca Steinhoff — supermom, stand-up comedian and proud owner of both an endless supply of wisdom and an endless supply of poopy diapers and spit-up rags (because parenting is nothing if not glamorous).
I’m going to be frank, here. My partner is also a comedian, and we made the decision to see the pregnancy through because we were both in desperate need of new material. So far, it’s proved to be the right choice. Our prodigal son isn’t due until the end of July, but being pregnant has shaped my comedy in that it’s literally all I ever think about.
Thus, all of my material — sketch comedy and stand-up — revolves around my newly developing or temporarily stunted bodily functions, my growing bump and the intense hormonal mood swings I experience on a daily basis. I’m sure people are sick of hearing about it, but there is SO MUCH to talk about. I could write
The
benefits (as
well as the
horrible realities) of raising a child in Asheville
PARENTING ADVICE: As “Best Medicine” co-host Cayla Clark, top left, prepares for motherhood, she turns to three local comedians for questionable parenting advice. Also pictured, clockwise from top right, Ryan Cox, Erin Terry and Becca Steinhoff. Photo of Clark by Don Rex Bishop; all other photos courtesy of the comedians
a 45-minute set on the constipation alone. Of course, if I did, I would be exiled.
Cayla: I’m curious, how has parenthood inspired or shaped your comedy?
Becca: Given that my 11-month-old son, Jacob, is my primary audience these days, I would have to say it’s really forced me to hone my timing and finally embrace act-outs more.
He’s not yet amused with a good turn of phrase. He’ll laugh at a word spoken in a silly voice but not the double entendre that took me a week to figure out. It’s frustrating, I’m not gonna lie. He is just not my target demographic, and I can’t work like this.
Also, having only one crowd member really puts a damper on the contagious nature of laughter. He’s more focused on his teeth coming in, which makes it really hard to get my laughs per minute. I get it, he’s a near-toddler, but I’ve worked hard for years to be
here, and I’m now getting less rapt attention than a board book that oinks.
Ryan: I didn’t start stand-up until after my first kid was born. I was reading her books out loud one night, trying to make animal sounds to get a laugh, when I realized I needed to up my voice game.
Becca: So yours was a tough crowd too; that’s good to know.
Ryan: Oh, the toughest. This led to a tangential addiction to pursuing my voice onstage away from my family a few nights a week. It’s nice to let the devil out somewhere. At The Odd, I can be a different kind of nutcase and balance out the daytime career dad guy.
Erin: By day: daytime career dad guy. By night: a local comedian performing for four drunk people in the back of a very loud bar. He is … Captain Existential Crisis.
Ryan: Yes, or Captain Bedtime Bits. I have found that with kids you have less time to do what you want, which can help you spend your time more wisely. I love stand-up so much and I probably wouldn’t prioritize it the same way if I didn’t have the pressure of balancing comedy hours with family.
Erin: I truly hate to say this, but being a parent doesn’t help my comedy at all. My comedy career has always reflected my own personal shortcomings and bad decisions. But being a mama to my 4-year-old has been the most fulfilling adventure I’ve ever dreamed of. It turns out it’s hard to make jokes about how happy I am. Kidding aside, parenthood keeps me from hitting as many open mics as I used to, but that’s OK. I consider that a WIN.
Becca: Same, girl, same. Erin: I had my baby right at the tail end of the pandemic, right when the vaccines were becoming available, which means I was never really in public while I was pregnant. I never got to smack away anybody’s hands who dared to try and touch my belly. I was really hoping for that as comedy material. Sigh.
Cayla: Speaking of being pregnant in public (and Erin, I’m truly sorry you were robbed of that magical experience), let me just say — Asheville
is a wild place to be with child. I cannot walk down the street without someone earnestly asking me, “So, what are you planning to do with your placenta?” What are you talking about? I’m going to let the doctor throw it in the trash. (Just kidding, I’ve obviously been peer-pressured into either encapsulating it or grinding it up with some locally foraged herbs to make artisanal, small-batch placenta sausage.)
I’ve also been gifted mountains of (completely unsolicited) advice — everything from where to find the most ethereal coochie doula in the WNC area to why free birthing in a moonlit forest is the only “aligned” choice. In what ways is raising children in Asheville a unique experience? In what ways is it challenging?
Becca: I don’t find Hurricane Helene funny, but humor as a defense mechanism is a hard habit to break. In that regard, baby’s first natural disaster was not the worst at only 6 months old. Peekaboo got a lot easier as the sun would set, dictating when we could no longer peek nor boo. He had just started solids a mere two days before Helene. I was able to go from “I’m going to steam carrots!” to “This puree is shelf-stable for six months, and it’s free!” without guilt or shame, so that was nice.
He will have an incredible story he only remembers through osmosis. A story where his home and family survived, his mom chose not to evacuate and took care of him without water, power and internet for three weeks. “The internet was mostly for mama, but still it seemed important,” he will muse.
Ryan: I’ve never raised a kid anywhere besides Asheville, but these kids seem to get more validation than I did. Maybe that’s just a sign of the times? I don’t resent them for it, because they know the planet’s going to die tomorrow, so they’re already riddled with fear and anxiety. All the environmental awareness is a lot for a kid to process. Sometimes I worry my kids will never earn money or move out because Asheville tells them to follow their dreams every day.
Cayla: Ugh, so true. I grew up in a place where I was allowed to follow my dreams, too, and I studied playwriting in college, and now I’m poor. Erin: Raising my 4-year-old in Asheville has its pros and cons, though I don’t regret moving him here from Raleigh when he was just over a year old. We get lots of time outside (pro), but there aren’t as many indoor experiences when it’s raining or cold or a hurricane has aimed its path right at the mountains (con). Honestly, Asheville is a fine place to
have a toddler, but it’s way harder to make mom-friends because many folks on the playgrounds don’t even live here.
Cayla: I want to be your momfriend, Erin. It’ll be fun. We can bring our kids to the playgrounds and yell at outsiders to go back to where they came from. It’ll be really cute and local.
Cayla: Something I’ve been thinking about a lot is, as Ryan mentioned earlier, the inevitable and quickly approaching death of planet Earth. I know that having a kid right now isn’t exactly brilliant, but I do think an extra set of hands (no matter how tiny) will be quite useful as we board up windows, stash canned beans in our makeshift bunker and train our house cats to shuck corn. When the apocalypse finally takes full effect (experts are predicting we will be in full apocalypse mode by 2032), how will having children be beneficial?
Becca: Experts are predicting 2032, but my money is on next week. My son doesn’t know it yet, but he is going to be very useful in the apocalypse. Wood cutting, farming, churning butter. I think I’ll try and get him into archery for when we’re hunter-gathering again. Like you said, Cayla, I’ve been looking for an extra pair of strong hands for a while, so I figured, why not just grow my own? Of course, he can have his own interests — as long as they align with off-grid survival. Maybe he’ll want to be a paramedic or a cook or the guy who reads maps when it’s time to flee. As long as it’s useful, I support him.
Erin: Honestly, I don’t think having kids will be beneficial at all. By then, I’ll be eating my own hat and sending heartfelt congratulations to all my childless friends who clearly made the right call. Meanwhile, I’ll be apologizing to my son, saying, “I’m so sorry. I really thought humanity had more in it.” And then we’ll just quietly lie down like the old couple on the Titanic — except probably in an abandoned Whole Foods.
Ryan: Wait, hold up … is 2032 a real statistic? Feck. I guess I should stop contributing to my 401(k) (which, to be clear, is NOT from comedy — I do have a secret day job I never talk about). Honestly, I just decided I’m done teaching my kids about delayed gratification. “You want 14 cookies for breakfast? Sure, buddy. The world’s on fire. Go nuts.” “You aren’t in the mood to clean your room? Word, don’t clean it. Rooms are dumb anyways. Soon, we’ll all be living in Cayla’s makeshift bunker eating cold canned beans with sticks anyway.” X
hands-on
Week-Long camps in Asheville: Haw Creek Commons 315 Old Haw Creek Rd 9:00am - 2:00pm | Ages 9 to 14 limited spots available
In response to the widespread devastation visited upon Western North Carolina by Tropical Storm Helene, many individuals, organizations and government agencies have risen to the challenge, providing critical aid in the form of supplies, logistics, volunteers, emotional support, cash and more. Inevitably, as the news cycle turns its focus to other matters, the continuing crisis in WNC threatens to fade from the wider public’s consciousness.
A new concert series initiative, Mercy in the Mountains, aims to keep the area’s ongoing need in the spotlight, raising funds for WNC nonprofits, supporting local musicians and entertaining audiences. The effort kicked off with a Jan. 24 show at The Mule. The next event is a Friday, March 21, concert at The Grey Eagle headlined by Ashes & Arrows.
’GREATER PURPOSE’
A brand-new nonprofit, Mercy in the Mountains is a wholly grassroots effort launched in the days and weeks after Helene by retired educator Bob Walters. “I’m the only member of Mercy in the Mountains,” he says with a laugh, while emphasizing that he has received a great deal of help from fellow residents of the region. “I have not been going it alone, not by any means.”
From the start, Walters’ plan was to organize concerts in multiple local venues, featuring artists in many genres. The organization established a goal to raise at least
Concert initiative supports Helene victims and WNC musicians
$20,000 to help “those who have lost homes, property, business and jobs,” Walters says.
The first Mercy in the Mountains event was an acoustic night featuring Asheville-based musician and author David LaMotte as headliner with several other local acts on the bill, including the duo Melissa & McKinney, Owen Walsh and Jon Edwards Melissa McKinney is a resident artist with LEAF Global Arts. During her set with her daughter, McKinney, she spoke about the Helene disaster, its effect on the community and the work being done in the storm’s aftermath.
“It was clear that everyone was there for a greater purpose,” Walters says. The capacity attendance helped make the event a solid start; Walters says that The Mule show grossed about $2,200.
Thanks to the connections Walter has forged within the WNC community, expenses for Mercy in the Mountains events are being held to a minimum. The organization is paying some of the performers to help support them in the face of disaster-related income loss. Some artists are donating all or part of their customary fees to the cause. Walters estimates that after expenses, 70%-80% of ticket sales revenue will find its way directly to the designated charities.
Walters readily admits that he has little fundraising experience. But as
a musician, sometime band leader and retired private school teacher, he knows a good bit about organizing. “We are doing what we know,” he wrote in a recent appeal on social media, “pulling together musicians, promoters, agents, venues and volunteers to provide music concerts.”
Setting up a nonprofit takes time, effort and expense, so he has intentionally partnered with experienced organizations to help keep things in order. With an eye toward getting funds together quickly, Walters is collaborating with LEAF for fiscal matters. “I don’t want to handle any money,” he says with a chuckle. “When the money comes in, it goes right into the programs.”
MONETARY HUGS
LEAF Global Arts is one of two sponsor-beneficiaries for Mercy in the Mountains. That organization’s Local Artists Relief Fund was established to provide direct support to WNC teaching artists cut off from performing gigs by Helene-related venue closures. On its website, LEAF emphasizes that the program “is not a granting process,” instead describing it as “a big hug” to artists in the form of monetary gifts for community engagement events. The Dan Lucas Memorial Fund is currently matching all donations to LEAF Global Arts’ Local Artists Relief Fund.
The other organization benefiting from Mercy in the Mountains events is the Asheville Regional Coalition for Home Repair (ARCHR) project, which helps low-income homeowners in Buncombe and Madison counties with storm-related damage repairs. Led by Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, ARCHR’s other partners include the Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust, Community Action Opportunities, Mountain Housing Opportunities and PODER Emma.
Building on the success of Mercy in the Mountains’ inaugural event, the second show on March 21 will feature Ashes & Arrows as headliners for an evening of music at The Grey Eagle. The Asheville-based country rock band advanced to the semifinals on “America’s Got Talent” in 2024 and released its debut fulllength album, Chapter One (The Long Road North), in October. Asheville roots artist Abby Bryant will open the show.
Walters says Mercy in the Mountains will continue its work as long as the need exists. “These initiatives are not going to run out of needing money,” he says. “Over 1,300 people are still displaced or ‘roofless.’”
He has already scheduled a third event. Billed as One. Mic, the Monday, June 2, show on Highland Brewing’s Meadow stage will take the form of a traditional bluegrass fest; the artist lineup will be announced soon.
Two more shows are also in development. While Walters prefers not to share details until they’re confirmed, he says that he hopes to stage additional Mercy in the Mountains events focusing on DJ/electronica and world music.
The Helene disaster affected almost everyone in WNC in some way, but some were impacted far worse than others, Walters points out. “I’m sitting here in my warm house,” he says. “Compared to what a lot of people lost, I’m fine. But people have to understand that [the effects of this disaster] are going to be with us for a long time. So we’re going to keep this thing going.” X
WHAT
Mercy in the Mountains presents Ashes & Arrows with Abby Bryant
WHERE
The Grey Eagle, avl.mx/ekr
WHEN Friday, March 21, 8 p.m. $30.75
PLAYING FOR RELIEF: Asheville country rockers Ashes and Arrows made it to the semifinals on “America’s Got Talent.” The band will play a March 21 hometown show at The Grey Eagle in support of local storm relief efforts. Photo courtesy of Rockwood Booking
Beer and circus
CLOWNING AROUND: Participation in the weekly Year in Beer meetups has risen steadily since the series started on Jan. 1. Pictured is the recent gathering at Hi-Wire Brewing’s South Slope taproom. Photo courtesy of Christopher Arbor
BY CHRISTOPHER ARBOR
On Jan. 1, Christopher Arbor and his friends pledged to visit one Asheville brewery each week for all of 2025 in the order that they opened, then share the experience with Mountain Xpress readers. To read about their recent visit to Burial Beer Co., visit avl.mx/eml.
Ever made rock candy? All you do is boil a heck of a lot of sugar in water, maybe add some food coloring, put a stick in the solution and let it sit for about a week. The sugar will crystalize on the stick, and you’ll have a mighty unhealthy snack. Voila. But without the stick, all you’ll have is a syrupy mess. Rock candy, dear reader, is the most excellent metaphor I can imagine for this yearlong brewery crawl. Bear with me.
For our last meetup, we drove down the hi-way, past the hi-rises to Hi-Wire Brewing’s original location on the South Slope. I was immediately smitten with the taproom’s industrial vibe and circus theme. Before Adam Charnack and Chris Frosaker launched Hi-Wire in 2013, it was Craggie Brewing Co. (Read about Craggie at avl.mx/emk.) Before that, it was a mechanic’s garage, as evidenced by the high ceiling, concrete floor and bay doors.
The circus theme shows up in beers with names such as Bed of Nails Brown Ale and Strong Man Coffee Milk Stout. Hi-Wire tends to dodge hi-falutin branding to embrace a sense of hi-flying fun and frivolity with the use of bright colors and whimsical names. I ordered a mighty fine dunkel from the bartender/ringmaster.
As noted, we met at the original location, but Hi-Wire opens new taprooms about as often as I open new browser tabs. There are four in Asheville, including the Tiki Easy cocktail bar and one at the River Arts District headquarters, which was flooded by Tropical Storm Helene.
Four others … wait … five … no, now six — Hi-Wire has 10 taprooms, including spots in Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio. There will probably be more by the time this article gets published. It’s like watching clowns piling out of a car.
Anyway, my compatriots arrived like a crowd shot from a cannon. Twenty of us. With all the new faces, I felt like a trapeze artist, somersaulting through the air from conversation to conversation — from music to current events to local history.
Our numbers have steadily risen over the course of this endeavor, and that’s what I really want to hi-light today.
On the surface, it’s simple, right? Drink a beer. Any of us could do that in the comfort of our own homes, any night of the week. But those showing up to Year in Beer meetups say they’re interested in this journey not because they’re thirsty for beer, but because they’re hungry for community.
Many folks in our crew don’t even drink, or they show up even when taking a break from alcohol for Dry January, Free February or Miserable March. (Admittedly, I made up that last one.)
It’s as if we’re a syrupy solution, just waiting for a stick so we can become rock candy. There it is. There’s the metaphor. Thanks for bearing with me.
Our yearlong brewery crawl is one stick, but the pages of Mountain Xpress are filled with events and ventures that bring people together, from running clubs and volunteer opportunities to film festivals and town halls. This paper is a choose-your-own-adventure book, and you’re the hero.
Join us on our next adventure. We gather at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. You can email me at yearinbeerasheville@ gmail.com or just show up.
• March 19 — Field trip to Pisgah Brewing Co. in Black Mountain
• March 26 — *Spring Break*
• April 2 — Twin Leaf Brewery on Coxe Avenue X
WHAT’S NEW IN FOOD
Tea time
Dobra’s downtown tearoom turns over a new leaf
BY KAY WEST
kswest55@comcast.net
Kevan Frazier has a lot on his plate. The Asheville native has been executive director of programs for Western Carolina University in Asheville for over 10 years. He owns Asheville by Foot Walking Tours and Well Played Board Game Café, and he spent much of 2024 campaigning for Asheville City Council. In the November election, he just missed finishing with enough votes to win one of three open spots, so he found himself with a little spare time. Frazier almost immediately filled those idle moments with the December purchase of the downtown Dobra Tea shop from Andrew Snavely, who opened that original location in 2010. (The West Asheville Dobra tearoom opened in 2016; the East Asheville shop opened in 2023.)
Frazier has been a tea drinker since he was young. “Somehow in all my late nights as a grad student, I never drank coffee,” he says. “I love the smell of it, but it’s not my drink. I’m not anti-coffee, I’m pro-tea.”
Asheville by Foot Walking Tours grew from the former history professor’s passion for taking his students on tours of downtown Asheville. It became a business in 2014 at the urging of a friend who worked at a downtown hotel.
Frazier opened Well Played Board Game Café after another friend told him about a growing trend of board game gathering spots. After extensive research into the business model and building a massive game library, he launched it on Wall Street in March 2017, closed it with COVID-19, then came back twice as big in 2022 in the former Chrysler dealership building on the South Slope.
Frazier says he’s always loved Dobra’s massive tea selection and peaceful vibe and has considered the downtown shop a “respite.” After all three local Dobra shops closed due to Tropical Storm Helene, he closely followed the Dobra newsletter for updates. Around the time Snavely reopened the East and West Asheville shops in early December, Frazier learned from the Dobra newsletter that he was seeking a buyer for the downtown location.
After considering it for a day or two, Frazier reached out to Snavely, and they arranged for a conversation over tea at the downtown Dobra. Frazier says he appreciated Snavely’s commitment to ensuring the Lexington Avenue shop would maintain the Dobra ethos and continue to operate in harmony with the other stores. A mutual agreement was reached, and after Snavely provided extensive training of Frazier’s
nine new employees, the downtown Dobra Tea reopened on Jan. 24.
The drinks menu remains the same, with over 120 hot teas, four dozen other tea-based beverages — including bubble tea — and hot chocolate. The shop’s small menu of savory snacks won’t change, but Frazier says he intends to expand the selection of sweets, all of them gluten-free.
He laughs when he notes that the biggest change is personal. Since Dobra Tea opened 15 years ago, it has served as a quiet, stress-free sanctuary for him. “I made the decision early on not to do work there,” he says. “But I’ve always found a way to do what I love, so I’m sure it will work out.”
Dobra Tea’s downtown location is at 78 N. Lexington Ave. It opens at 10 a.m. daily; closing time is 6 p.m. MondayThursday, 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday. For more information, visit avl.mx/cfk. X
A QUIET PLACE: New downtown Dobra owner Kevan Frazier says he’s long regarded the peaceful Lexington Avenue tearoom as a “respite.”
Photo by Caleb Johnson
Wine Walk AVL benefit for MANNA
An afternoon of sipping, strolling and supporting local businesses is the plan for the third annual Wine Walk AVL 2-5 p.m. Sunday, March 30. A fundraiser for MANNA FoodBank, the event features three downtown routes to choose from, each showcasing eight shops serving red and white wines paired with snacks. Regular tickets are $60. VIP tickets are $75 and offer a 1:30 p.m. start time, a shopping bag, two glasses of bubbly and additional snacks. Tickets must be purchased in advance of the event. Find route details and tickets at avl.mx/em9. X
Biscuits & bubbles
Spicewalla will host a biscuit brunch with Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit of Charleston, S.C. on Saturday, March 22, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. A highlight of Spicewalla’s Spring Cleaning Sale, which runs through Sunday, March 23, the event will serve free mimosas and Callie’s biscuits with spring seasonal jams from South Carolina-based Sakhar artisan food company.
Spicewalla is at 1 Page Ave., Suite 147. Learn more at avl.mx/a1o. X
a s te of Asheville
Asheville food lovers are already getting out their stretchy pants to prepare for Asheville Independent Restaurants’ (AIR) 2025 Taste of Asheville on Thursday, April 3. The long-running annual tasting event, held at the Mission Conference Center at A-B Tech, 16 Fernihurst Drive, features small bites and craft beverages from more than 50 of AIR’s 130 member businesses. This year’s Taste of Asheville celebrates the resilience of the local restaurant com- munity in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, AIR Executive Director Meghan Rogers said in a press release. “It’s an opportunity for us to come together, support one another and honor the spirit that makes our dining scene so special.” General admission begins at 6:30 p.m.; tickets are $80. VIP tickets are sold out. Buy tickets at avl.mx/asi. X
New
hours at Taqueria Rosita
In early March, chef Luis Martinez announced more opportunities to experience his menu of heir loom corn-focused dishes from his native Oaxaca, Mexico, with expanded days and hours at his restaurant, Taqueria Rosita. Located inside The Odd bar at 1045 Haywood Road, Taqueria Rosita is now open Thursday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m. and Sunday, noon-4 p.m. The two businesses also recently launched an Industry Night every Monday, 5-10 p.m., for local food and beverage workers. For details, visit avl.mx/emf. X
Fresh start for Sovereign Remedies
Sovereign Remedies turns a new page on Friday, March 21, 4-10 p.m., when the downtown gathering spot celebrates its post-Helene grand reopening with a refreshed concept and new ownership. Former staff members Michelle Nelson, Mitchell Walker, Margaret Walker, Essy Hatchett and Logan Hatchett bought the business under the LLC Chosen Kin from founder Charlie Hodge and took over the space on Feb. 1. After repainting and redesigning the upstairs loft to create a lounge area, they soft-opened the new Sovereign on March 6, according to operations manager Logan Hatchett. Rolling out on March 21, he says, is a new spring cocktail menu full of “fresh floral feels” featuring botanicals sourced from next-door business The Herbiary. The spring wine list will feature bubbly wines, dry rosés, crisp sancerres, chilled reds and approachable orange wines. The snack menu includes nuts, olives, curated meat and cheese boards, locally sourced pickles, housemade dips, bread and butter with sardines and caviar. Theme nights, rotating pop-ups with featured chefs and regular brunch pop-ups are in the future. A percentage of proceeds from monthly featured drinks will benefit local nonprofits — March’s drink is the French gimlet supporting BeLoved Asheville. For updates, visit avl.mx/emp. X
Photo from 2024 Taste of Asheville by Kara Dahlberg
Photo by Molly Milroy
Photo of Chosen Kin members courtesy of Sovereign Remedies
Photo of past Wine Walk AVL event by Julieta Fumberg
Photo of Luis Martinez courtesy of the chef
BETS
by Kay West | kswest55@comcast.net
Cyber Punk Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
Billed as Asheville’s original digital art gallery and immersive performance venue, Third Room debuted its latest exhibition, Cyber Punk, on March 15. The showcase of futuristic, dystopian and technology-driven art will remain on display through midMay. The exhibition features work by artists from Asheville and around the world, including Glass Crane, Papa Bear, Arkitekt, Daniel Liang, lazizcy, Picklefig, Piotr, Pratham and Sarper Baran. “In 2025, as
society grapples with the rise of AI, digital surveillance and the blending of human identity with technology, cyber punk feels more relevant than ever,” says Third Room’s art director, Whitney Wolf, in a press release.
“This exhibition challenges viewers to examine the intersection of technology and humanity in an era where the lines between reality and virtual experience continue to blur.” Gallery hours are noon-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Admission is free. avl.mx/emc X
A sign that life in Western North Carolina is slowly returning to normal? The delightfully abnormal Asheville Fringe Arts Festival is back for its 23rd year of experimental and unusual art. This year’s edition runs Wednesday-Sunday, March 19-23, at a variety of local venues and features more than 40 performances, including dance, theater, puppetry, music and several uncategorizable works. Returning acts such as Toybox, Edwin Salas Acosta, Skysail Theatre and Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre are joined by a range of newcomers, including Seattle-based pup-
petry artists Shadow Girls Cult and local drag performers Milo Mawile and Flamy Grant. “Asheville Fringe remains committed to cultivating an inclusive space for creative expression where everyone feels safe and valued,” organizers say in a press release. “We believe in the power of the arts as an agent of societal change, and we know that diversity of all kinds is crucial in that mission. As a queer-led organization, we will always work to amplify unique and vulnerable voices, while curating experiences that expand the minds and hearts of our audiences.” avl.mx/cge X
Image of Daniel Liang’s “Rhapsody in Blue” from the Cyber Punk exhibit courtesy of Third Room
Photo courtesy of Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
Petit Mondrian
Asheville Creative Arts’ 10 Year Anniversary Season kicks off Wednesday, April 2, at the Tina McGuire Theatre with Petit Mondrian Created, directed and with puppets by Edwin Salas Acosta, the dance theater piece for children ages 5 and younger and their caregivers explores the red, blue and yellow colors and abstract shapes of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. The 20-minute performance by local actors Ethan Schultz and Eddie Yoffee includes an original, multilingual lullaby. At the show’s conclusion, 10 minutes of free play invites young people to explore and interact with the space and artistic elements of the piece. The production continues ACA’s expansion into Theatre for the Very Young (i.e., birth to 5 years old) that began with Shell, its premiere baby theater performance in the 2022-23 season. Performances are at 10 a.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, April 2-4 and April 9-11; 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Jim Swayzee
Asheville-based singer-songwriter Jim Swayzee was all set to debut his new album, Dear Phantom, on Oct. 18 and celebrate with a record release show at One World West. But a few weeks prior, a little natural disaster called Tropical Storm Helene blew through and put those plans on hold. Five months later, the folk rocker is again ready to share his latest collection of tunes, which were recorded, mixed and mastered at West Asheville’s Drop of Sun Studios. The new date is Saturday, March 22, back at the West Asheville brewery/venue. Fellow local artist Thomas Kozak opens the show at 8 p.m., followed by Swayzee performing with a backing band. Tickets are $10. avl.mx/emb X
Ethan Schultz, left, and Eddie Yoffee star in Asheville Creative Arts’ “Petit Mondrain.” Photo by Stephan Pruitt Photography
Saturdays, April 5 and 12; and 3 p.m. Sundays, April 6 and 13. All shows are pay-what-you-wish; donations are collected at the end. avl.mx/cgs X
CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE ASHEVILLE • ATLiens: Best of Atlanta Comedy Showcase, 7pm • Comedy from the Future, 9pm CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING ASHEVILLE
David & Paul's Dance Party & Music jam, 7pm
CORK & KEG One Leg Up (gypsy-jazz), 8pm
CROW & QUILL Firecracker Jazz Band (swing, jazz), 8pm
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Fancy & the Friends in Low Places (country), 8pm
ELUVIUM BREWERY Frank Cassel Band (bluegrass), 6pm
EULOGY
Ska City w/Double Love & the Trouble (ska, rock, soul), 8pm
BRINGING LIGHT TO THE DARKNESS: On Saturday, March 22, Melissa McKinney and Datrian Johnson join forces to bring Campfire Sessions, an acoustic song share, to The Grey Eagle, starting at 8 p.m. Listeners can also expect special performances by JP Furnas, Jamie Hendrickson and Adama Dembele. Photo courtesy of Camilla Calnan
HIGHLAND BREWING
CO.
Chilltonic (multi-genre), 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
Canon Tyler & the Spare Parts (Americana, bluegrass), 9pm
LEAF GLOBAL ARTS
Jazz Jam, 6pm
LOOKOUT BREWING
CO.
Friday Night Music Series, 6pm
OKLAWAHA
BREWING CO.
The CircuitBreakers (rock), 8pm
ONE WORLD BREWING
Pat Sheridan (bluegrass, folk, Americana), 8pm
ONE WORLD
BREWING WEST
Frute (psych-rock), 9pm
SHAKEY'S
Big Blue Jams Band (multi-genre), 9pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Dunums, Space Grandma, & Manas (noise, art-rock, experimental), 9pm
THE GREY EAGLE East Nash Grass & Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (bluegrass), 8pm
THE ORANGE PEEL
The Slice of Life Comedy Standup
FREEWILL ASTROLOGY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Cheetahs are the fastest land animals. From standing still, they can be running at 70 mph three seconds later. But they can’t sustain that intensity. After a 20-second burst, they need to relax and recover. This approach serves them well, enabling them to prey on the small creatures they like to eat. I encourage you to be like a metaphorical cheetah in the coming weeks, Aries. Capitalize on the power of focused, energetic spurts. Aim for bursts of dedicated effort, followed by purposeful rest. You don’t need to pursue a relentless pace to succeed. Recognize when it’s right to push hard and when it’s time to recharge.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Inside a kaleidoscope, the colored shards of glass are in an ever-shifting chaotic jumble. But internal mirrors present pleasing symmetrical designs to the person gazing into the kaleidoscope. I see a similar phenomenon going on in your life. Some deep intelligence within you (your higher self?) is creating intriguing patterns out of an apparent mess of fragments. I foresee this continuing for several weeks. So don’t be quick to jump to conclusions about your complicated life. A hidden order is there, and you can see its beauty if you’re patient and poised.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Spiders spin their webs with meticulous care, crafting structures that are delicate, strong and useful. Their silk is five times more robust than steel of the same diameter. It’s waterproof, can stretch 140% of its length without splitting, and maintains its sturdiness at temperatures as low as -40 degrees. With that in mind, Gemini, I bid you to work on fortifying and expanding your own web in the coming weeks — by which I mean your network of connections and support. It’s an excellent time to deepen and refine your relationships with the resources and influences that help hold your world together.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Chichén Itzá was a large pre-Columbian city from around 600 to 1200 CE. It was built by Mayan people in what’s now Mexico. At the city center was a pyramid, the Temple of Kukulcán. During the equinoxes, and only on the equinoxes, sunlight fell on its steps in such a way as to suggest a snake descending the stairs. The mathematical, architectural and astronomical knowledge necessary to create this entertaining illusion was phenomenal. In that spirit, I am pleased to tell you that you are now capable of creating potent effects through careful planning. Your strategic thinking will be enhanced, especially in projects that require long-term vision. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for initiatives that coordinate multiple elements to generate fun and useful outcomes.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Fireflies produce very efficient light. Nearly all the energy expended in their internal chemical reactions is turned directly into their intense glow. By contrast, light bulbs are highly inefficient. In accordance with astrological omens, Leo, I urge you to be like a firefly in the coming weeks, not a light bulb. You will have dynamic power to convert your inner beauty into outer beauty. Be audacious! Be uninhibited! Shower the world with full doses of your radiant gifts.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Brazil nut trees grow in the Amazon — but only if they are in the vicinity of orchid bees, their sole pollinators. And orchid bees thrive in no other place except where there are lots of blooming orchids. So the Brazil nut tree has very specific requirements for its growth and well-being. You Virgos aren’t quite so picky about the influences that keep you fertile and flourishing — though sometimes I do worry about it. The good news is that in the coming months, you will be casting a wider net in quest of inspiration and support. I suspect you will gather most, maybe all, of the inspiration and support you need.
BY ROB BREZSNY
a new water well on his land in Ontario, hoping to compensate for a local drought. He noticed oil was seeping out of the hole he had scooped. Soon, he became the first person in North America to develop a commercial oil well. I suspect that you, too, may soon stumble upon valuable fuels or resources, Libra, and they may be different from what you imagined you were looking for. Be alert and open-minded for unexpected discoveries.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I’ve been through the U.S. education system and I can testify that our textbooks don’t give the French enough of the credit they deserve for helping our fledging nation gain independence from Great Britain. The 18th-century American Revolution would not have succeeded without extensive aid from France. So I’m a little late, but I am hereby showering France with praise and gratitude for its intervention. Now I encourage you, too, to compensate for your past lack of full appreciation for people and influences that have been essential to you becoming yourself. It’s a different kind of atonement: not apologizing for sins, but offering symbolic and even literal rewards to underestimated helpers and supporters.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): As I survey the astrological aspects, I am tempted to encourage you to be extra expansive about love. I am curious to see the scintillating intimacy you might cultivate. So, in the hope you’re as intrigued by the experimental possibilities as I am, I invite you to memorize the following words by author Maya Angelou and express them to a person with whom you want to play deeper and wilder: “You are my living poem, my symphony of the untold, my golden horizon stretched beyond what the eye can see. You rise in me like courage, fierce and unyielding, yet soft as a lullaby sung to a weary soul. You are my promise kept, my hope reborn, the infinite melody in the heart of silence. I hold you in the marrow of my joy, where you are home.”
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Four facts about a mountain goat as it navigates along steep and rocky terrain: 1. It’s strong and vigorous; 2. it’s determined and unflappable; 3. it’s precise and disciplined; 4. it calls on enormous stamina and resilience. According to my astrological analysis, you Capricorns will have maximum access to all these capacities during the coming weeks. You can use them to either ascend to seemingly impossible heights or descend to fantastically interesting depths. Trust in your power to persevere. Love the interesting journey as much as the satisfaction of reaching the goal of the journey.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The Swiss Army knife is a compact assemblage of tools. These may include a nail file, scissors, magnifying glass, screwdriver, pliers, blade, can opener and many others. Is there a better symbol for adaptability and preparedness? I urge you to make it your metaphorical power object during the coming weeks, Aquarius. Explore new frontiers of flexibility, please. Be ready to shift perspective and approach quickly and smoothly. Be as agile and multifaceted as you dare.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Coast redwoods are the tallest trees on the planet. If, Goddess forbid, lumber harvesters cut down one of these beauties, it can be used to build more than 20 houses. And yet each mature tree begins as a seed the size of a coat button. Its monumental growth is steady and slow, relying on robust roots and a symbiotic relationship with a fungus that enables it to absorb water from fog. I propose we make the redwood your power symbol for now, Pisces. Inspired by its process, I hope you implement the magic of persistent, incremental growth. Treasure the fact that a fertile possibility has the potential, with patience and nurturing, to ripen into a long-term asset. Trust that small efforts, fueled by collaboration, will lead to gratifying achievements.
MARKETPLACE
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Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to advertise@mountainx.com
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ACROSS
1 Mineral that shimmers
5 Bat around, as a kitten might
10 Composer Stravinsky
14 Like much graffiti: Abbr.
15 Belittle
16 Emperor named an enemy of the state in A.D. 68
17 Not admit
18 Aboveboard
19 Neighbor of Indonesia, on a Risk board
20 The
23 Knocked off
24 City that was a rival of ancient Sparta
25 Big mo. for eggnog sales
26 Cover story?
29 Lee who directed “Gemini Man”
30 Talks frankly
36 Screen play?
37 Singsong refrain
38 Heating pad target
39 Lead-in to -gram or -graph
40 Pep rally cry
41 Cousin of Inc.
43 Doll who debuted in swim trunks
44 Success against all odds
48 Either of two for Mozart’s Queen of the Night
49 “Take THAT!”
52 Flowing slowly
53 “Should that happen …”
57 Builders of 25,000+ miles of roads in South America
59 TV’s DeGeneres
60 With 63-Across, where some journalism is located ... or how to interpret the ends of 20-, 30- and 44-Across vis-à-vis the shaded squares
63 See 60-Across
65 Exhaustion from work
66 Without much hope
67 Green sauces
68 Features of coins which make them harder to counterfeit DOWN
