OUR 27TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 27 NO. 32 MARCH 10-16, 2021
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C O NT E NT S
WELLNESS
OF ANTIQUES, UNIQUES & REPURPOSED RARITIES!
NEWS
36,000 SQ. FT.
NEWS
FEATURES 8 PANDEMIC MENTORING Taking care of kids in a Big way
10 COUNTY BEAT Proposed state COVID-19 tax relief worries Buncombe officials
28 THE RIGHT STUFF Emergency care for pint-size patients
PAGE 13 ANNUAL KIDS ISSUE PART 1 For 2021, we asked kids and teens to submit art and writing around the theme of “My Great Idea.” As you’ll see, students came up with a bounty of intriguing ideas — from amazing new gadgets to improving our society — expressed in art, essays, poems and short fiction. Check back next week for more creative work in Part 2, along with our annual guide to area summer camps. On the cover: Evergreen Community Charter School third grader Caleb Wilson depicts a complex mind at work.
Antique Vanity & Bench
GREEN
COVER ART Caleb Wilson 20 GREEN SCENE ROUNDUP WNC receives $100K toward electric vehicle charging stations; more
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32 RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Teaching kids to cook feeds culinary curiosity and builds confidence
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OPINION
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.
Our land is more than a backdrop for development It is no mystery to any member of the Asheville community who is paying attention that contentious development projects are becoming ever more frequent. We hear calls for public input and requests to communicate with our City Council, yet the projects continue. I believe the root cause of this lies in the outdated paradigm in city and architectural design that is informed by the metaphor of the machine. Let me elaborate. Development and design are currently viewed strictly through a business lens. Though one could argue that there is nothing wrong with this — people should aim to make profit in their endeavors —development is different from many businesses in that it requires vast space. In our context and through much of the world, this space takes the shape of land that is valuable for so many reasons besides its suitability to house a subdivision. We are watching the destruction of priceless farmland, historic neighborhoods, centuries-old trees, wetlands and forests. Our community is feeling the pain of watching the mountaintops be cleared for vacation homes, seeing the streams fill with sediment and looking on helplessly as rows of $600,000 houses dominate a landscape that not long ago was valuable mountain farmland. All this is to say: This attitude utterly neglects culture, ecology and sense of place, and in exchange, puts a high price on return per square foot. “At best, nature is seen as a picturesque backdrop to the dominant form, the piece of architecture itself,” says ecological designer Sim Van der Ryn in regard to the machine metaphor of design. We are watching a dominator mindset continue to wreak havoc in our communities both rural and urban. We ask why the developers don’t care. They’ve been taught architecture as though project sites were interchangeable background slides projected behind the main subject: the man-made structure. So ultimately, I’d argue, they don’t care. But I don’t think that they know they don’t care. They don’t understand what it is to care about. Try telling a developer looking at the dollar line on their contract that the quality of their grandchildren’s lives will depend more upon soil than concrete. Best of luck.
No bridge, no Bluffs!
C A RT O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N This is an epistemology that not only developers are indoctrinated into. Many of us across many walks of life and occupations play a role in the dominator-minded culture. We are like fish in water; it can hard to see that this surrounds us when we’ve never experienced an alte rnative. Yet, across cultures, backgrounds and the ever-growing urban-rural divide, much of our community acknowledges that this issue is plaguing our landscape. Those who have the fire to speak out inside them cannot be discouraged by this or that project being approved. We need to call these issues what they are and not move forward until we’ve addressed the root cause. — Noah Poulos Asheville
the Divide in Asheville?” Jan. 27, Xpress]. Hiding history only tempts us to repeat it. I also liked a suggestion in the Xpress a while back that we rename it as “Advance Asheville,” and that gave me an idea. I would love to see us hire some of our very talented local Black artists or sculptors to redesign the monument. The image that came to me is of people helping each other to climb up the structure, some standing on the shoulders of others and finally reaching its peak. Such an image could help remind us of where we’ve come from, how joint efforts have moved us forward and how much work we still need to do to heal. — Shealy Thompson Asheville
Thumbs-down on vaccine decision
Have you been to Richmond Hill? Most likely, you’ve visited the gem and heartbeat of our street: Richmond Hill Park. The view from the hill of the forested, multiuse public space looking toward distant mountains as you reach the street’s end is breathtaking. You may have visited the Western North Carolina Baptist Home or other nursing facilities in the community, or witnessed a National Guard contingent jogging up the street. More than this, we are a quiet and diverse multiracial community of public school teachers, mental health professionals, military veterans, artists, caregivers, families with children, retirees and dogs! Many of our tenderly renovated homes have gardens, solar panels and metal roofs. You will often see us out walking, alone, with children, with dogs, even bicycling and skateboarding with our beloved pets! We look after all of our neighbors, human and otherwise. You might see the local turkey flock trotting down the street, or a mother deer and fawn foraging in one of our yards. We take time to admire them, and we have a respectful truce with neighborhood bears. The Bluffs megadevelopment being proposed would obliterate much of the forest between our beloved park and resurgent neighborhood, and is completely “out of harmony” with our community and even what Asheville espouses itself to be. Imagine five years of logging trucks and heavy construction equipment chugging past our homes, followed by open racing season as thousands of renters with no investment in the community move into the first 1,500 apartments of what we’re told would only be Phase I of a much larger and more devastating plan.
[Regarding the letter, “Vaccine Allocation Dooms Buncombe’s Seniors,” Feb. 24, Xpress:] I ask: Who is more likely to die from COVID — schoolchildren or seniors? I disagree with the board’s decision. — Mari DeMauro Asheville
Could local Black artists ‘Advance Asheville’? I found Councilwoman Sandra Kilgore’s argument for repurposing the Vance Monument quite compelling [“Full Circle: Can Repurposing the Vance Monument Help Heal
ADVANCE ASHEVILLE: Shealy Thompson drew this image to suggest how the Vance Monument could be redesigned. MOUNTAINX.COM
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OPINION
CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN Though the Florida developer with no ties to our community has made vague promises to build a bridge from Riverside Drive to access the site, no easements or permits have been granted, yet he is already seeking approval to begin the seven five-story building con-
struction in what many are calling a reckless disregard for taxpaying citizens who have been here for as many as 60 years. Without the bridge, Richmond Hill will be torn apart — both figuratively and literally. Our community will bear the burden but not one
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benefit. If you love Asheville, protect it. — Deborah Kelly Asheville
Land conservation efforts have positive impact The presentation by Commissioner Terri Wells at the Feb. 16 Buncombe County Board of Commissioners briefing provides a timely reminder of the positive impact of ongoing land conservation initiatives. Since 2005, Buncombe County government and local conservation organizations have safeguarded over 8,000 acres of privately held farms and forests for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations through permanent conservation easements. By forsaking development rights to their properties, landowners have preserved mountain vistas, protected pastoral landscapes, set aside pristine woodlands, provided critical habitat for important animal and plant species, while improving soil, air and water quality. These private parcels complement already protected federal and municipal holdings and together constitute roughly 13% of the county’s area. The Biden administration has proposed a target of 30% green
space by 2030 as the benchmark for healthy communities. Buncombe County’s 2025 Strategic Plan and ongoing commitment to land conservation make this an attainable goal. By leveraging federal, state and private grants, county investment in land conservation is a proven win-win proposition. Permanently protected farms have helped preserve a portion of the county’s rich farming heritage, kept intact part of the rapidly vanishing agrarian landscape, maintained the viability of local food supply and created new opportunities for agritourism. Furthermore, land use planning that offers abundant outdoor space, values unobstructed views and facilitates recreational opportunities can be entirely compatible with residential, commercial and industrial development. In terms of quality of life, avoiding becoming indistinguishable from everywhere else has never been more attractive. Now is the time to ensure Buncombe’s bright tomorrow by leaving a land legacy of which we can be proud and our successors thankful. In this regard, we will be much obliged to county leadership for successfully navigating the way ahead. — D. Everett Big Sandy Mush
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NEWS
Pandemic mentoring Taking care of kids in a Big way
BY PAUL CLARK paulc@bbbswnc.org When she was little, Susan Kocher thought vacations would never arrive. Time seemed to slow down, and those pre-getaway days seemed to last forever. That’s how the current pandemic feels to kids, she says. And that’s definitely the case at times for Malia, her “Little Sister.” The two Polk County residents were matched by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina nearly three years ago. For “Bigs” like Kocher, supporting their “Littles” during this time of extended social separation, when kids desperately miss hanging out with friends, is critically important — and particularly difficult. “I can’t imagine being a kid and dealing with the pandemic on top of everything else, like worrying about your parents’ jobs,” notes Kocher. But it’s trying for the Bigs as well. “Being on the phone with an 8- or 9-year-old is hard,” Haywood County resident Anna Belle Lamar says about her Little Sister. “We have very short conversations, like, ‘What did you eat today that was good?’ and ‘What did you do today that made you happy?’”
BACK IN THE SADDLE: After a long pandemic-induced interruption, Little Sister Malia is riding horses once again with her friends. Photo courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina When the pandemic shut things down last spring, however, telephone calls and online chats were about all that Bigs and Littles in North Carolina had left. The 38-yearold Asheville-based nonprofit asked its matches in Buncombe, Burke,
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Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk and Swain counties to meet only online or in backyards, far apart and masked up. “It was quite an adjustment,” says Lucy Hollister, a Buncombe County Big Sister. She and Miley did a lot of texting and Facebook messaging, but after about a month their enthusiasm for their new virtual reality stalled, though they continued to stay in touch. Kocher and Malia were also having a hard time, in part because of how far they’d already come. Kocher, an avid horsewoman with a farm in Tryon, had introduced Malia to riding. After starting the girl out on Emma, a prized but gentle show horse, Kocher signed Malia up for riding lessons and saw her Little Sister’s self-confidence and attitude improve. That was especially true after Kocher helped Malia, who’d once despaired over her grades, build a lighthouse for a science project.
CRITICAL SUPPORT
With more than 235 affiliates around the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America serves kids ages 6-18. In WNC, the cutoff for new participants is age 15, though
once they’re in the program, they can continue through high school graduation. In a 2009 study conducted by Civic Enterprises on the organization’s behalf, 97% of the Littles surveyed nationwide said that working hard in school was “very important,” and 94% said the same about graduating from college. And in an online survey conducted by Harris Interactive that year, 90% of respondents who’d aged out of the program said their relationship with their Big had helped them make better choices in childhood, and 76% said their Big had helped them learn to distinguish right from wrong. Kocher, meanwhile, says she vividly remembers the day she and Malia brought the finished lighthouse to school. A counselor told Kocher, “I just want you to know that Malia never stops smiling now,” adding, “I could never get her to smile before.” That was gratifying news. But when the country started shutting down last spring, Kocher felt her primary responsibility toward Malia had shifted to helping keep her healthy. And that meant no more riding and visiting, a change that was difficult for both of them. Kocher, an actor, biopharmaceutical sales representative and generally community-minded person, saw her own busy life grind to a halt. Nonetheless, the eight-year cancer
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS: Big Sister Susan Kocher, an avid equestrian, is proud of the progress her Little Sister, Malia, has made. Photo courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina
“Being on the phone with an 8- or 9-year-old is hard.” — Waynesville resident Anna Belle Lamar table where they’ve carved jack-o’lanterns and done homework. Still, the young girl’s spirits have ebbed and flowed, her Big Sister reports. “It’s really hard for her not to see her friends, I think,” says Hollister. “She’s been telling me about her extended family reaching out, calling and Facebooking, so she’s getting a lot of interaction virtually. A lot of kids don’t love online learning, but she’s getting used to it.” Ultimately, being extra attentive to Miley’s well-being during the lockdown has made their relationship stronger, Hollister believes. “The pandemic has rocked everyone’s lives, but if it taught us anything, it’s how important our relationships are,” she points out. “I’m glad Miley and I have been able to establish that.” Malia and Kocher are also back in the saddle. Malia has returned to riding and is now a “barn rat” who hangs out with a “tribe” of kids at a nearby
horse farm soaking up the equestrian life, her Big Sister reports. She’s learned how to clip horses (i.e., trim their coats) and is teaching herself how to braid tails and manes. She created a recipe for a horse treat that Kocher thinks could challenge a national brand, and she rides for an Interscholastic Equestrian Association team affiliated with the A1 Equestrian horse farm in Campobello, S.C. “Malia’s overall confidence has just blossomed,” notes Kocher. “She’s a pretty optimistic girl now because of her outside activities. I said to Malia, ‘Your friends might be working at McDonald’s in high school, but you might be braiding horses.’ We always talk about hopes and dreams and how we’re doing to achieve our goals.” Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina is recruiting Bigs and Littles throughout the mountains. Learn more at bbbswnc.org. Paul Clark is the organization’s communications coordinator. X
CUTTING UP: Miley and Big Sister Lucy Hollister do much of their talking around the picnic table in Miley’s backyard. Photo courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina survivor refused to let the pandemic stop her — or Malia. “We’re going to find a way to get through this,” she told her Little. Every Saturday, Kocher fixed a hot breakfast to take to Malia and her extended family. They live with Malia’s grandmother, a health care worker who tends to patients in South Carolina on weekends. In between those weekly visits, Kocher and Malia would speak on the phone and visit via FaceTime. It was hard to get Malia to open up during those remote conversations, so Kocher would try to break the ice by sharing her own feelings. “I told her I felt like I could never get out of the house,” she recalls. “Just the boredom and the feeling that this is never going to end.” Malia confessed to being bored as well, so Kocher repeated what she’s always said, “that I was that person who was concerned about her well-being. I am your champion: I am the one that wants to make sure that you are always OK.” Those are the kinds of words a child really needs to hear, especially when her world has shut down, says Lamar, the director of a Waynesvillebased backpacking ministry.
“Just having another person that is not related to you say that you’re loved and that you’re awesome, that’s great,” she explains. And while Lamar is quick to add that her own Little also hears that a lot at home, “Being connected to more adults is a good thing. Someone is telling you that you’re really smart, that you can do this, you’re a joy to be around.” And though, like a lot of preteens, Lamar’s Little Sister tends to dismiss that kind of talk, Lamar remains unfazed, saying, “She hears it — and I believe it.”
HOPES AND DREAMS
In mid-September, after North Carolina began to open up again, the WNC chapter gave matches the option of resuming excursions, provided that both the Big and the Little’s parents or guardians signed a waiver requiring both parties to be masked and socially distanced at all times. Nonetheless, Miley’s father hasn’t felt comfortable about his daughter and Hollister riding in the same car. So most of their visits have been in Miley’s backyard, at the big picnic MOUNTAINX.COM
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BUNCOMBE BEAT
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Proposed state COVID-19 tax relief worries Buncombe officials
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THE LION’S SHARE: Nearly two-thirds of Buncombe County’s budgeted general fund receipts for fiscal year 2020-21 come from property taxes — a revenue source that could be hit by a proposed state COVID-19 business relief effort. Graphic courtesy of Buncombe County The N.C. General Assembly is looking for new ways to help businesses that have been hindered by COVID-19. But in doing so, Buncombe County officials suggested during a March 2 meeting of the Board of Commissioners, state legislators might hurt the county’s ability to serve residents. Tim Love, Buncombe’s director of economic development and governmental relations, explained that the county was particularly worried about House Bill 119. The legislation, filed on Feb. 19 by a bipartisan group including Western North Carolina Reps. Mike Clampitt, R-Swain; Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe; and Tim Moffitt, R-Henderson, would allow businesses that saw their revenues decrease by at least 25% during the pandemic to seek lower property valuations, thereby reducing their property tax burden. As is the case for counties throughout North Carolina, property taxes represent the bulk of Buncombe’s general fund revenue. For the current fiscal year, the county budgeted property tax receipts of more than $212.2 million, or about 62% of its entire general fund. While Love hesitated to provide a specific figure for HB119’s impact, he called the potential loss of revenue due to lower business property valuations “substantial.” Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman, a Democrat, echoed those concerns. Should the bill pass, he said, hotels and other businesses with high exposure to the
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pandemic could receive millions of dollars in tax breaks — funds that would no longer be available to support core county services. “We would end up basically having to raise taxes on everyone else to fund these rebates to businesses that we understand have had a tough year, but many of which have had a great decade ahead of this year,” Newman said. He added that many firms had already received substantial support from federal efforts such as the Paycheck Protection Program and local initiatives like the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund. Although the board did not pass a formal resolution opposing the bill, Newman said he and other commissioners would speak with the local General Assembly delegation on the matter in the coming weeks. Love noted that the Henderson County Board of Commissioners had passed such a resolution on March 1 and that the N.C. Association of County Commissioners also stood against the bill.
IN OTHER NEWS
At a briefing of the board earlier on March 2, Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara proposed that the county adopt a nondiscrimination ordinance. The measure, which would be the first of its kind in Western
North Carolina, would authorize civil penalties of $500 per day for discrimination against people based on race, sexual identity, gender expression and other criteria. Beach-Ferrara, Buncombe’s first openly LGBTQ commission member, said the ordinance would apply both in matters of employment and “public accommodations” such as restaurants, hotels and homeless shelters. She noted that the county had not previously been allowed to pass such a measure due to state law but that the relevant statute expired in December. LGBTQ children especially, BeachFerrara continued, need to hear that they are valued and belong in the community. “That may not be a message they’re getting at home or at school or in other parts of their lives, but I think it’s a message we can make sure they’re getting as they grow up in Buncombe County,” she said. Commissioners are expected to discuss the ordinance at their meeting of Tuesday, March 16, with a final vote on Tuesday, April 6. The move came the day before Beach-Ferrara announced that she would seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives District 11 in 2022. That seat, which represents most of WNC, is currently held by Republican Madison Cawthorn.
— Daniel Walton X
Richmond Hill residents hunker down for fight over proposed development The battle lines have been drawn: Richmond Hill residents, eager to preserve their quiet neighborhood from traffic and construction, will do just about anything to block plans to build nearly 1,400 residential units overlooking the French Broad River. And Florida-based developer John Holdsworth and his team appear equally committed to seeing their project approved and constructed. Tensions were high as the two sides met on March 1, the first time the controversial Bluffs at River Bend project appeared before the Woodfin Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Developers asked officials to approve a conditional use permit that would allow the project to exceed the town’s standard 35-foot maximum building height. Taller buildings would maximize open space and minimize the development’s footprint, said attorney Derek Allen, who represents Holdsworth. That translates into seven five-story residential buildings on the 82-acre property. Early site plans had also included a hotel, retail and office space, which have since been removed from consideration. Richmond Hill residents have fought the development for months, launching a Facebook group and a GoFundMe page that’s raised more than $15,000 to cover legal costs. Major concerns include increased traffic volume and stormwater runoff into the French Broad River, said John Noor, the attorney representing several Richmond Hill stakeholders. Unlike Asheville and Buncombe County, the town of Woodfin does not have a steep-slope building ordinance; neighbors worry construc-
GETTING CRAFTY: Richmond Hill resident Katie Clay-Wakefield and her family placed colorful signs throughout their yard to protest the Bluffs at River Bend mixed-use development. The proposal will return before the town of Woodfin’s Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment on Monday, April 5. Photo by Clay-Wakefield. tion will wash sediment and other pollutants into the river or nearby Richmond Hill Park. Galen Wilcox, a Richmond Hill resident whose land directly abuts the proposed development, said
he commissioned a traffic study to quantify the impact on neighborhood roads. In his testimony before the board, he said the traffic engineer estimated more than 10,000 vehicles would enter and leave the Bluffs
each day. “That’s way too much for Richmond Hill Drive to even imagine,” he said. A bridge across the French Broad has been discussed as a traffic mitigation measure but has yet to be formally proposed, reviewed or approved by state and federal agencies. On Feb. 23, 11 Richmond Hill residents called into Asheville City Council’s meeting to ask the city to get involved in the legal fight. The city declined to seek standing before the Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment, but Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said it’s possible the developer would need a permit to access the property via city-maintained streets. But Allen argued that the question at hand only concerns the height of the proposed buildings, not the project’s impact on nearby homes and businesses. The parcels in question are currently zoned as Mountain Village, he explained, meaning multifamily housing under 35 feet in height is allowed by right. Holdsworth told the board he plans to follow the 17-unit-per-acre density requirements allowed under current zoning rules, bringing the total number of units to 1,394. The board did not reach a conclusion about the height variance, instead deciding to continue the discussion to Monday, April 5. If the permit is approved, the developers will still need to submit a master plan to the town before getting the green light to begin construction. “We’re here about whether it’s three stories or five stories,” Allen reminded the board at the close of the meeting. “By the time we roll back to the next hearing, we may be back to three stories and moot the entire thing.”
— Molly Horak X
HARM REDUCTION 101
Virtual Event March 25 • 4–5:30pm Tanasia Boyd (Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness) will teach teens about the philosophy of harm reduction, where they can get Naloxone and Naloxone administration.
Aaron Medina (Students Against Destructive Decisions) will discuss how making destructive choices might be a means of celebration or cooping, and then coming up with alternatives.
FRE E
Please email substancefreeyouthbc@gmail.com to register
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR MARCH 10-19, 2021 For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, ext. 137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, ext. 320.
In-Person Events = Shaded All other events are virtual MUSIC BMC Museum + Arts Center: Perspectives Performance by jazz musician William Parker and discussion on Universal Tonality, a new book on his life and music. WE (3/10), 7pm, Free, avl.mx/92v
Thursday Night Live: Alex Travers In-gallery classical violin performance. TH (3/11), 6pm, Included with admission, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Pan Harmonia: For the Year Passing Flute, piano and poetry. SA (3/13), 4pm, Free, avl.mx/93e
Zelda: A Life Put Into Music Music and video clips on Zelda Fitzgerald's life, plus a trivia contest. SA (3/13), 7pm, $10, avl.mx/93w
LITERARY Malaprop's Author Discussion Featuring Sarah C. Patten, author The Measure of Gold. WE (3/10), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92q AARP NC: Fostering Racial Justice Book Club Introductory meeting on When All God's Children Get Together with author Ann Miller Woodford. TH (3/11), 1pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/93p
Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance: Reader Meet Writer Featuring Gina Wilkinson, author of When the Apricots Bloom. TH (3/11), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/prvs Firestorm Author Discussion Featuring Dr. Maggie M. Werner, author of Stripped: Reading the Erotic Body. MO (3/15), 3:30pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/prvq Malaprop's Author Discussion Featuring Justine Cowan, author of The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames. MO (3/15), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/947
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Online Event= q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Anesthesia (psychedelic rock), 5pm THE 2ND ACT Open Mic w/ Letters to Abigail, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia Night, 6:30pm ISIS MUSIC HALL q Darden Smith (folk), 7pm, avl.mx/prvf THE GREY EAGLE q Travis Book Happy Hour w/ Nicki Bluhm (bluegrass), 7pm, avl.mx/92z CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE General Trivia Night w/ Bingeable, 7pm
THURSDAY, MARCH 11 OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Josh Dunkin (solo acoustic), 6pm SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Howie Johnson & Bill Mattocks (rock, blues), 6pm
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ISA’S FRENCH BISTRO James Hammel (solo acoustic), 5pm
FRIDAY, MARCH 12 TURGUA BREWING CO. Mr Jimmy (blues), 4pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST The Luv Boat (reggae), 5pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Chris Jamison Duo (folk), 6pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS New Girl Trivia Night, 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL Kristy Cox (Australian bluegrass), 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Blue Ridge Pistols (rock), 7pm
SATURDAY, MARCH 13 BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Gary Lockaby (pop, jazz), 2pm MILLS RIVER BREWING Put on the Green for Erin (Irish folk), 2pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Roots & Dore (mountain blues), 3pm WEHRLOOM HONEY MEADERY Music & Mead w/ Phantom Pantone DJ Collective, 4pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Boogitherapi Trio Dance Party, 4pm
MARCH 10-16, 2021
BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah’s Daydream (jazz), 5pm
GUIDON BREWING Jack Byron (stories and songs), 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL Slim Gambill & Friends (jazz, rock), 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. ALR Trio (blues, rock), 7pm
SUNDAY, MARCH 14 TRISKELION BREWING CO. Virginia & The Slims (blues, swing), 11am ISIS MUSIC HALL q South for Winter (Americana, folk), 7pm, avl.mx/93t
MONDAY, MARCH 15 OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. House of SYNth, 6:30pm
TUESDAY, MARCH 16 ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Early Tuesday Jam w/ The Trilateral Omission, 5pm THE PAPER MILL LOUNGE Comedy Night w/ Gregg McGaha, 7pm
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17 CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE St. Patrick's Day Party w/ Mike Martin & the Beautiful Mess, 5pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Anesthesia (psychedelic rock), 5pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST St. Patty's Shindig w/ Matt Waters & the Recipe, 6pm THE 2ND ACT Open Mic w/ Letters to Abigail, 6pm THE GREENHOUSE MOTO CAFE ALR Trio (blues, rock), 6pm THE PAPER MILL LOUNGE St. Patty's Day Social, 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia Night, 6:30pm
THURSDAY, MARCH 18 OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Kid Billy (solo multi-instrumentalist), 6:30pm
UNCA Visiting Writer Series Featuring CJ Hauser, author of Family of Origin and The From-Away. TU (3/16), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/89c
ART Aurora Studio & Gallery: The Shadow & the Sunlight Talk by Evie Lindemann on the relationship between trauma, art and health. WE (3/10), 7pm, $10, avl.mx/92h Aurora Studio & Gallery: Painting Workshop Zelda Fitzgerald-inspired class using watercolor and gouache to paint art deco floral arrangements, led by Annie Gustely. TH (3/11), 7pm, $10, avl.mx/92j Slow Art Friday: Discovering Rural Landscapes Discussion led by touring docent Megan Pyle at Asheville Art Museum. FR (3/12), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92k Black Mountain College: Matière Workshop Led by Fritz Horstman, education director at the Albers Foundation. SA (3/13), 1pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/93v Jackson Arts Market Live demonstrations by local artists. SA (3/13), 1pm, 533 W Main St, Sylva Asheville Art Museum: Artful Trivia Questions on French and American art from the 19th and 20th centuries. TH (3/18), 7pm, Registration required, $10, avl.mx/940
UNCA: The Ecstasy Project Talk on ritual and storytelling in Euripides’ Bacchae. TH (3/18), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/946 The Magnetic Theatre: Playing With Our Food Series of short comedy plays, including Three Women and an Onion, The Last Beans in the Box and Cookies for Bethany. TH (3/18), 7:30pm, $23, avl.mx/93z Bardo Arts Center: Picture Character Documentary on the history and social politics of emoticons directed by Martha Shane and Ian Cheney. SU-WE (3/14-3/17), On-demand, Free, avl.mx/93s Beer City Sisters: Time of the Month! Weekly variety show. SU (3/14), 7pm, Free, beercitysisters.org
ANIMALS Friends of the WNC Nature Center: Critter Trivia Night Mammal-themed questions. TH (3/11), 7pm, Registration required, $5, avl.mx/91o
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY Goodwill Career Quest: HIPAA & the Importance of Privacy Webinar on the health care industry. TH (3/11), 10am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/8wq
MAGMA: Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show Indoor and outdoor vendor fair. FR (3/19), 9am, Camp Stephens, 263 Clayton Rd, Arden
SCORE: Advanced Internet Marketing Webinar on digital advertising, blogging, SEO and social media marketing. WE (3/17), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/prvn
Slow Art Friday: Weaving Women Discussion on fiber art led by touring docent Barbara Heller at Asheville Art Museum. FR (3/19), 12pm, Registration required, $10, avl.mx/941
The Collider: Color of Science Featuring Dr. Gregory Triplett, engineering professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. FR (3/19), 5pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/90f
THEATER & FILM Wandering with Magnetic: something i cared about Walking performance directed by Jason Phillips. Tickets: avl.mx/8zu. Ongoing (thru 3/14), 11am-5pm, $23, Reed Creek Greenway, 24 Magnolia Ave Aurora Studio & Gallery: Up Close with Zelda Fitzgerald Staged interview on the creative life of Zelda Fitzgerald. FR (3/12), 7pm, $10, avl.mx/92L
CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS Crafting Resilience: Public Health & Collective Memory Panel discussion hosted by UNCA. TH (3/11), 5pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/prvo Our VOICE Break the Silence Speaker Series Featuring Chanel Miller, author of the memoir Know My Name. TH (3/11), 7pm, $10 - $25, avl.mx/92w
Leadership Asheville Winter Buzz Breakfast Features Maria R. Jackson on equity in creative placemaking. TH (3/18), 8:30am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/93y Asheville Friends of Astrology Monthly meeting. FR (3/19), 7pm, fb.com/ ashevilleastrology
FOOD & BEER Ciao Asheville: Guided Wine Tasting Led by Giampaolo Tabarrini of Tabbarini Winery. TH (3/11), 5:30pm, Free, avl.mx/prvh
CIVICS & ACTIVISM Buncombe County Board of Adjustment Special meeting. WE (3/10), 12pm, avl.mx/prvm Asheville Sustainability Advisory Committee Regular meeting. WE (3/10), 3:30pm, Free, avl.mx/948 Asheville Historic Resources Commission Regular meeting. WE (3/10), 4pm, avl.mx/7ud Asheville African American Heritage Commission Regular meeting. TH (3/11), 11:30am, avl.mx/949 Asheville Riverfront Redevelopment Commission Regular meeting. TH (3/11), 4pm, avl.mx/8ub
FARM & GARDEN ASAP CSA Fair Annual gathering of farmers with info on community supported agriculture programs. WE (3/10), 4pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/91z Malaprop’s Book Launch w/ NC Arboretum & UNC Press Danesha Seth Carley and Anne M. Spafford present Pollinator Gardening for the South: Creating Sustainable Habitats. TH (3/11), 6:30pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/prvr NC Co-op Extension: Gardening in the Mountains Workshop on landscaping with native plants to conserve wildlife. TH (3/18), 6pm, Registration required, $10, avl.mx/93n
HCC Agribusiness Webinar: Farmland Transition Tips, tools and resources for family farmers. FR (3/19), 9am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/93m
ECO & OUTDOORS WNC Historical Association: LitCafe Featuring Danny Bernstein, author of DuPont Forest: A History. TH (3/11), 6pm, Registration required, $5, avl.mx/8zz HRI: River Loop Trail Hike Six-mile hemlock conservation hike in Pisgah National Forest. Register: avl.mx/93x. SU (3/14), 10am, Free, 50 Black Mountain Campground Rd, Burnsville HRI: Green River Green Love Hike Four-mile hemlock conservation hike to Bradley Falls. Register: avl.mx/942. WE (3/17), 10am, Free, Little Bradley Trail, Saluda HRI: Hemlock Management Workshop How to protect hemlocks from woolly adelgid. FR (3/19), 9am, Registration required, $10, Sycamore Flats Recreational Area, 489 Pisgah Hwy, Pisgah Forest
WELLNESS Council on Aging: Introduction to Medicare How to avoid penalties and save money. WE (3/10), 2pm, Registration required, Free, coabc.org Steady Collective Syringe Access Outreach Free naloxone, syringes and educational material on harm reduction. TU (3/16), 2pm, Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Rd
VOLUNTEERING American Red Cross Blood Drives Register with code AshevilleOutlets: redcrossblood. org/give. FR & SA (3/12 & 3/19), 11am-3pm, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd
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KIDS ISSUE
2021
Kids Issue
We are proud to present Part 1 of this year’s Kids Issue, our annual celebration of local K-12 students’ creativity. This school year has been challenging for everyone, and we want to offer a big thank-you and pat on the back to everyone who participated. For 2021, we asked kids and teens to submit art and writing around the theme of “My Great Idea.” We received 288 entries from students at 31 public, charter, private, parochial and home schools in Western North Carolina. As you’ll see on the following pages, students came up with a bounty of intriguing ideas — from amazing new gadgets to improving our society — expressed in art, essays, poems and short fiction. And be sure to check back next week for more creative work in Part 2, along with our annual guide to area summer camps. Enjoy! — Xpress Staff X
Go simple Have you ever thought about how technology is affecting us? In a bad way? Well, I have, and it’s really sad. I know this might sound weird since I’m only 11, but I remember the days when toys were less technology-based. Take Legos, for example. Some of the newer sets are partially machine controlled, like set 10273 (Haunted House). It’s OK, but I think it’s funner and healthier for kids to play just with the set (I still love Legos, though). People always talk about great new technology, but I think that it’s time to take a step back. Technology is a helpful and an important part of our current lives, but it only make our lives better to a certain extent. I think it’s still really fun to play with wooden blocks and water guns and toy cars and costumes and … I think you get the point. I’m not against machinery or anything. Some tech stuff is pretty cool, like movies and TV, etc., but this stuff shouldn’t consume everything. It’s fun to play Avengers or Star Wars, but it’s not fun to have an action figure that makes noises and is AI controlled so you can’t even play the game anymore and has a screen in the back so you can watch the game in 3D! Is that truly better than a creative fun game with your best friends laughing and having a good time? Think about some other stuff that’s worse when technology-based, like virtual school. COVID-19 is making it hard not to be on tech, so to solve this, I suggest limited screen time and buying toys
instead of tech so kids can have more toys, not more video games. Technology is a great privilege, but ask yourself: Do you really want to connect everything to it? There’s other fun stuff to do. I bet hundreds of kindergartners will soon all be on tablets in a paved world, without special experiences with their friends. Tech is amazing but must be handled with responsibility. Technology is a gift but also a burden. — Ethan Fizette, fifth grade, Francine Delany New School for Children
The Virus Sucker Upper Are you tired of the coronavirus? Well, it’s obvious you are, but how would you get it away? You just buy the Virus Sucker Upper. Its size is the size of a vacuum. It’s like a leaf blower, but it sucks in instead of out. Its suck is as powerful as a tiny black hole the size of your tape roll. And the suck has a shield that makes it only suck in viruses. If you want to suck a virus out of you, then you’ll just have to turn the suck all the way, then stand in front of it. Then you’ll be feeling better in a jiffy. Also, your hopeless feeling will go away with the virus. It sends the virus into space by putting it into a contraption that sends it into space faster than a rocket. We made it out of a strong force of energy and, of course, a leaf blower, but reversed it. There you go — the Virus Sucker Upper. — Evy Peniston, fourth grade, Odyssey Community School
‘THERE IS ALWAYS LIGHT’: Montford North Star Academy seventh grader Miles Streeck writes in an artist’s statement, “It was my idea to take the influential figure into a watercolor artwork, and I’m happy with how it turned out.”
Earth cleanup duty My great idea is to have a corporation like the NCSC for the environment. What I mean by this is I think
it would be good to have a system like jury duty, but for picking up trash and cleaning up our local towns.
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SUMMER CAMPS Nature Sister’s Day Camp Girls ages 8-11 Connection. Earth Skills. Community.
Growing Goddess & Moon Mystics: Rites of Passage Overnight Camp Young Women ages 11-18 Ritual. Transformation. Sisterhood.
Moon Daughters Retreat Young Women ages 8-11 A Mother/Daughter Retreat
Details & Registration at www.EarthPathEducation.com MOUNTAINX.COM
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KIDS ISSUE
You would be randomly picked to spend a day cleaning certain areas in your town or county. If you were picked, you would be sent a letter with a location to go to. At that location, there would be the other workers picked for that day and the supplies needed to complete the tasks that you would be doing. If there weren’t any areas with ample amounts of trash, you would go around town and see how you can help local businesses, plant trees/ plants or make things neater by tidying up. In the letter that you receive that would summon you to this duty, your plan for the day would be in it. You would know whether you were planting things, picking up trash or any other duties around town so you could dress accordingly. I think that this would be fair because it’s for a good cause, would reduce pollution, keep our cities and counties clean, and everyone would have to do it, so there is no upper hand. People don’t like jury duty, but it is something that has to be done, and I feel that we should prioritize the cleanliness of our Earth, so this is something that needs to be done, too. This idea could be accomplished if the corporation was set up, the gov-
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ernment passed it and enough people agreed on it. — Kylie Lewis, eighth grade, Polk County Middle School
Storm bunkers You might be thinking we live in such a mountainous area that we will never have to use a storm bunker, but that’s where you’re wrong. There are some downsides to living in a mountainous area. We can get hit by mudslides, forest fires and flooding. I propose that every town in Buncombe County construct 50 storm bunkers that would hold 20 people in each. Each town would need to find an elevated place in the middle of town and put a giant concrete slab in the ground. They would be elevated on a hill to withstand flooding. The bunkers would be bolted to a giant slab of concrete to withstand a mudslide, and the concrete could withstand heat from a forest fire. The reason I wrote this is that a lot of people don’t think that we can get storms here, but we can. — Turiiya Maietta, seventh grade, Evergreen Community Charter School
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FRIENDS WITH THE PAST: Harper Mitchell, a sixth grader at Francine Delany New School for Children, writes, “I made this drawing because I’ve always wanted to become friends with someone from the past. … Also, I want to see historical things happening, like Martin Luther King Jr.’s marches. It would be a way to feel sympathy for people in other situations. My invention is about seeing other people’s way of thinking.”
A great idea for a leader
Outer space time machine
Listen to this reader, If you want to be a leader. Your example is important. You got to be aware, For your kindness and your care, Because people will follow a fair person. A leader listens to others, Gives help to another, And makes a very good deed. You can listen to your friends, Because that’s a good blend, Of respect and showing a lead.
An invention that humans have thought of but never created is the time machine. Humans have thought of time machines to be chambers or watches that take you to a specific time and place. My great idea would be a space vessel that you would use to travel to another time and place, as long as the time was the future. My idea for how it would work is the space vessel would be close to a black hole, but not close enough to get sucked in because the black hole’s gravity would slow down time and then, when you came back to Earth, it would be the future. It
— James Partridge, fourth grade, ArtSpace Charter School
RiverLink's annual Voices of the River Art & Poetry Contest is back! The theme this year is "How has the river helped you during this time of isolation? " Entries can include 2D and 3D works of art, poems, creative writings, and video compositions. Submissions will be judged by local artists and community members, and winners will receive fun prizes donated by local businesses.
Submission deadline is April 22, 2021. For more info visit: https://riverlink.org/work/voices-of-the-river/ Email: anna@riverlink.org 14
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KIDS ISSUE
where children love to learn
Day Camp weeks: June 14, June 21, June 28, July 5 Creek exploration, outdoor games, outdoor skill building, nature studies, and crafts for rising K-5 and 6th-9th graders. $300 / week.
LEARNING MEME: Third grader Matthew Saquicelqa of Sand Hill-Venable Elementary School explains in an artist’s statement: “Being on the computer all day is hard and gives me headaches. It takes away from time I would spend with my friends. Maybe grown-ups don’t know what virtual learning has been like for students.” would be the future because Earth’s time would be faster, so even though it would be at the same time, because less stuff is happening at the black hole as it is on Earth, making it the future when you come back. The longer you stayed near the black hole the further in the future you would go. There would also be a tracker that would be connected to the ship’s driving system and would not let you go farther than a safe destination. An obstacle that humans would have to overcome is the fact that we have to get to a black hole.Well, as far as I know, the closest black hole isn’t close at all, and in human technology, getting to the closest black hole would take a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very long time. This means that we would have to either have to create faster ships or make the space between Earth and a black hole shorter. Time machines would make our lives better because it gives us other inventions created in the future. — Elias Stolte, third grade, Oakley Elementary School
The color The sun is shining, the wind chimes chiming. You can smell the fresh ocean breeze flowing through
the air. The path to the beach is covered in pine needles. The water comes up higher, and you move your toes in the sand. A girl is playing with her golden retriever in the water. You hop in the water, and it makes a splash. Underneath the tide, you open your eyes. It’s blurry, but you see a small fish swimming beside you. You are tossed around underneath the water and come up for air. On the way back, you step on a shell full of color. It’s beautiful. You pick up the shell and start walking again. You walk through the city, taking the long way around. You stop at a restaurant because you’re hungry. You start to walk in, but the waiter stops you. He points to a sign. It reads, “Whites Only.” He shrugs his shoulders and gestures for me to walk away. I step away and head home again. Once I’m home, I look at the shell I got from the beach. I clutch it and then throw it to the ground. It’s colored. Just like me. I wish there was something I could do to fix this. This town. This country. This world. This life. There is. I grab poster boards and race to the art room. I write and write and write until my hands could fall off. The sun falls as I write, but when I wake up, it’s bright. I announce a march. People come. We take the poster boards and we march. We walk and
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Summer Academy: July 12-23 An educational program for students ages 6-12 who struggle with dyslexia or other language-based learning differences or students who have fallen behind due to virtual learning. Morning word study/reading lessons and math lessons are hands-on and multisensory. Afternoon choice: (1) art studio or (2) outdoor ed activities creekside and in the forest. $900 for the 2-week session.
SMART Camp: Science, Math, Art, and Reading Today! Week of June 28 Hands-on academic lessons with afternoon adventures in engineering and art for rising grades 3rd-9th. $300/week.
thelearningcommunity.org MOUNTAINX.COM
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828.686.3080
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Join Black Mountain Recreation & Parks this Spring & Summer!
KIDS ISSUE
Sign up today for Spring Youth Disc Golf League Ages: 9-17 • $25 • Deadline: March 24 Spring Ascension Series: All Ages • Hikes & Bike Rides: Free Outdoor Rock Climbing: $12 Deadline: March 22 River Cleanups All Ages • Free! May 26: Veterans Park June 2: Flat Creek Greenway June 9: Riverwalk Park
Don’t forget to mark your calendars! May 22 Hooked on Lake Tomahawk Kids fishing day June-July Black Mountain Summer Camp! Registration opening later this spring June 17- August 12 Park Rhythms Concert Series Thursday evenings in Black Mountain
Asheville PEAK Academy • A tuition-free public school open to all students, offering: • Extended school day • High-quality, engaging instruction that challenges and motivates each student to reach their full potential • Free breakfast and lunch • Free transportation
Currently Enrolling Grades Kindergarten-2nd
Apply Today:
ashevillepeakacademy.org For more information, call us at (828) 276-2095 16
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WILD ELEPHANTS: Claire Brunner, a fifth grader at Asheville Waldorf School, writes: “My big idea is that elephants live wild, free and protected. There are many threats facing them, and it’s our job to make sure they don’t go extinct. My friends and I have started a club called ‘Save Our Big Friends,’ and our goal is to raise money and awareness about their plight.” walk. Just how when I write. We march for freedom, for justice, for this crazy life. We stop and stand on top of the junkyard cars. We shout for those who cannot, we shout with those who can. We shout for liberty and life. I hope that black or white, we can come together to make color. The officers come. They shout and wrap caution tape around our march. They shout more and more and more. A girl screams. Only about 10 years old. She screams again, and the white officers stop. She climbs up on top of the car with me and starts yelling. How she would give her heart for her mom, for her baby brother, her father who was taken away from her. She screams so loud. Her voice so powerful. She would rather die than live a life like this. Like this. The officer pulls out his gun. He takes aim and shoots. The girl falls. There’s blood. People rush to help her. The officers pulled out their guns once again. I shout at the officers. Then I heard a pew! Everything went blurry. I am falling. Falling down a deep hole. Falling onto the hard earth. Falling into a bed. Falling down, down, down. ...My eyes flutter open. My mom is standing next to me. I’m at her home. I fall into a deep slumber again. I’m falling again in my dream, then I land and start yelling. Signs close in on me. No Colored. Whites Only. Colors Not Allowed. No Blacks. Whites Only. Over and over again. The sun color shines into my room, and I blink open my eyes. My mom tells me the news. Signs were taken down, offi-
cers arrested. Funerals happened. Our world may never be safe. But maybe it will. If black. If white. Can come together to make color. — Koa Conley, fifth grade, Mountain Sun Community School
A place, a haiku A world I dream of A place where you can be you Where we understand — M. Melvin, eighth grade, Asheville Catholic School
Tess’ great idea Are you getting tired of walking from building to building? What if it’s raining? You don’t have any cold or warm air. Well, if so, this is for you. My great idea is the STSE. The STSE stands for side to side elevator. Gets you places faster with a generator that takes you there at hyperspeed! Go to a different place faster than you can blink, so you are always on time. You can stay warm on cold days and cold on warm days. It has comfy seats and internal warm settings. It can hold many people and things at the same time. Press a button and say where you want to go, and it will take you there. The STSE can take you anywhere, even if it’s across the world! It does not interfere with traffic because it just goes over it. The STSE is very safe, with child- and
KIDS ISSUE
DEEP CONNECTION: Asheville Middle School seventh grader Elise Carson writes that the drawing is based on “a deep connection between nature and the human beings, illustrating how they can live together in harmony.” pet-proof safety features and toys for them and pretty views! — Tess Johannson, fourth grade, Odyssey Community School
Save the elephants! Imagine a world where elephants don’t roam freely in areas of Africa, India and Southeast Asia, where baby elephants don’t play in the mud, and where children don’t even know what an elephant looks like because they are extinct. Elephants play a critical role in their ecosystems and are among the smartest and most caring animals on earth. At current rates of habitat loss and poaching, elephants could disappear from the wild within 20 years, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Elephants help one another, grieve their dead and do as much as they can to protect each other. They never leave a member of their herd behind. Elephants are the landscape engineers and gardeners where they
live. In the dry season, elephants use their tusks to dig for water, which also helps other animals. Elephants plant many seeds with their dung and provide food for beetles, field mice, honey badgers and more. It is very important to protect elephants to save ecosystems. A century ago, 10 million elephants lived in Africa, and 100,000 elephants roamed in Asia. But in the past hundred years, their numbers have declined drastically. African elephants are dying out mostly due to the illegal ivory trade and poaching. Both Asian and African elephants are being crowded out of their habitat by humans. Asian elephants have lost 80% of their natural habitats as human development increases. There are fewer than 400,000 wild African elephants and 30,000 Asian elephants alive today. They can’t win this fight on their own. Ways to help save wild elephants include refusing to buy ivory and supporting a permanent ivory ban.
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KIDS ISSUE
WILD AND FREE: Hall Fletcher Elementary School fourth grader Molly Steele drew this colorful work depicting the joys of getting out in nature. Only buy certified fair trade coffee and Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. You can also boycott the circus and adopt an elephant or donate to a conservation organization like The Elephant Crisis Fund and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. — Eva Infanzon, seventh grade, Hickory Nut Forest Homeschool
Protect Asheville’s trees
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MARCH 10-16, 2021
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As a community, we have seen our natural environment rapidly decline. It is now time to come together to preserve and protect our natural spaces by planting trees to replace those lost. After living in Asheville for 10 years, I have noticed how much it has changed since I was younger. As a young girl living in Asheville, I love to be outside and in nature. In the last couple of years, I have seen more than ever, buildings and hotels being built in these places that once were
undeveloped land with plant and animal biodiversity. North Carolina’s population has increased at a high rate. There has been a growth in population and industry, with an increase of both residential and industrial development. This is a major cause of the land loss that has occurred in North Carolina, as well as the whole United States. One of the biggest problems for plant and animal biodiversity is the tree loss within Asheville and all of North Carolina. The local nonprofit environmental organization Asheville GreenWorks works to solve this problem. One of the things it has done is establish the Tree Canopy Protection Ordinance amendments for Asheville. What it is creating is a policy to restore trees that were cut down. For every tree that is cut down, you must plant enough trees to fill the amount of canopy lost. There are so many ways that you can help to protect trees in Asheville. From supporting the Tree Canopy
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Summer Clay Camps at Odyssey ClayWorks
Sessions 9am-12pm and 2-5pm • Ages 6-14 • $235 each camp • $25 discount for siblings enrolled in the same camp
odysseyclayworks@gmail.com • 828-285-0210 • 236 Clingman Ave, Asheville NC MOUNTAINX.COM
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KIDS ISSUE
Protection Ordinance to planting a tree, we could do so much to protect and repair our environment. — Sebla Miracle, seventh grade, Evergreen Community Charter School
Facial recognition doggie door
Now offering
The Amazing Race in July camps
a great alternative to too much screen time
mini golf • virtual reality arts & crafts outdoor games & more!
Call (828) 676-1746 for more info or to register today! M-F, 8am-5:30pm • July 19-August 13 Weekly: $180 Full time, $110 part time
My great idea is facial recognition doggie doors. My family has four dogs, and we can’t get a doggie door because raccoons and other animals could get in, so I thought of the facial recognition doggie door. The facial recognition doggie door would have its own app you could use on your phone or tablet so you could add pictures of which animals could use your doggie door. On the app, you could also lock and unlock the dog door. You could also add pets like cats, rats or even foxes to the app. There would be a camera that updated to let new pets in when you added new photos to the app.
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— Ivy Harvell-Lackemacher, fifth grade, Francine Delany New School for Children
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LOVE IS LOVE: Ninth grader Tilley Coursey of Charles D. Owen High School notes: “I chose to make this piece to bring attention to what people in the LGBTQ+ community face every day and how having an open mind and being kind to others can open hearts and unite communities all over.”
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Make the world a better place I grew up among people who believed in me. People who supported me and loved me for my differences. Now, there are people who need our love and support. Who may feel like they need permission to be themselves. Which they don’t. There are people who judge these people because of differences they can’t control. These people were born for a reason. The same reason all of us were born. To be ourselves. There are people in the world who would say this matter is a waste of time, but I disagree. This matter is worth my time and others’ time because I believe that every person who believes that this community could be a better place is helping to do just that. To make this community become less racist, less unjust and less discriminatory.
When you say all lives matter, who are you including? I am telling you now that every person in this community, in this world can help make it a better place, even if you don’t think you can. So tell your friends, family, siblings, anyone, what I have said. Remember you are important, and you do matter. Because in the eyes of Mother Nature, we are all special. We are all loved. So a shoutout to all the people who work hard, devote their lives and give their lives up unfairly to make this world a better place. Remember this is my great idea, so shout it out to the world for me. — Ruth Boyd, fifth grade, Ira B. Jones Elementary School
Tobor the robot I’m designing a robot called Tobor. He will know how to clean, cook, translate and even dance! He
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is designed to be 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. He will be solar powered and can translate French, Spanish and English. You can train him to do many things. When you get him, you would first have to select your language. Then you would have the option to name him. Tobor will have a small touch screen on his torso. You would have the option to choose a color scheme for the touch screen. The first thing that you would train Tobor to do is clean up trash. He would go outside (with your supervision) and pick up trash. He will already know how to dance The Robot, The Chicken Dance and The Macarena. Tobor will have an on/off button on his “back,” so you can turn him off whenever. Tobor has two parts of his “mouth.” One part is for trash and one for recycling. You might have a tissue and need to throw it away, but have no trash can! Well, you can use Tobor’s “mouth”! It works the same way with the recycling. Tobor will learn how to help cook. Some examples are: stirring batter in a bowl, cutting tofu and taking ingredients out of the pan-
Magnetic levitation plasma rail train
THE SNACK GETTER: Drawing inspiration from engineer and cartoonist Rube Goldberg, Franklin School of Innovation seventh grader Ruby Seiler imagines this creative project. try. It would be a big help to have a robot in the kitchen. Tobor will not use the stove because I don’t know how well you can trust a robot to “remember” to turn the stove/ oven off.
Finally, the best part is that Tobor will know how to help people make friends (if they need it), because everyone needs friends. — Ava Dendy, fifth grade, Isaac Dickson Elementary School
My idea is for a train that runs on a plasma line with magnets supporting it to help it stand up and go straight. The plasma runs under the train, and on the train there will be little oxygen tanks that fuel the plasma. The hotter the plasma burns, the faster the train goes, and the faster the train goes, the more green energy the train makes to power the plasma rail. (Green energy is energy made from wind or solar. Unlike coal or fossil fuels.) Now, with the magnets. They are positioned at a slant facing upward toward the train, where there are magnets on the train in opposition. Therefore, they are repelling each other, thus keeping the train upright. The design of the train is a thin, pointed shape for it to acquire the best speed. There are also flaps on the side of the train that pop out when the train needs to stop to grab air. These flaps have little wind turbines to make more renewable
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A BETTER ROBOT: First grader Cedar S. of Rainbow Community School explains the idea behind this artwork: “This is a robot that can do your chores for you. It even cuts down your weeds for you. You don’t even have to control — it is autopilot!” energy, which also helps to power the train. — Eli Masters, sixth grade, The Franklin School of Innovation
to save wildlife by taking them to animal hospitals. Riding bikes to do this would also not make pollution. — Obi Tullock, fourth grade, ArtSpace Charter School
Racing for wildlife My great idea is about bicycles and wildlife. I would start a bicycle racing team, and they could donate money they win at races like the Tour de France to wildlife centers. I would ask Lance Armstrong to sponsor the team. The U.S. Forest Service could also sponsor the team. I would choose the fastest riders to be on my team, and I would win races for my team, too. Our uniforms would be blue and have pictures of foxes and wolves. The racers could also give money to other people on bicycles, who could ride around and look for injured animals that need to be rescued. They could pull animal carriages behind their bikes
A trash solution Have you ever had tons of trash but don’t want to send it to a landfill? Then I have a solution for you. Try TDL (Trash Dissolving Liquid). My trash dissolving liquid will prevent trash pollution from getting out of hand. It will prevent trash from killing the Earth’s animals. For example, trash can go into the ocean, and it can kill fish, octopuses, turtles and many more animals. It can also kill animals that roam on land. With more landfills, come more homeless people. With more landfills, the homeless population will go up because of less space for homes for people in need.
A FOGGY DAY: Owen High School ninth grader Clare Walker-Hanning depicts a problem common to these times — and a lighthearted solution.
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KIDS ISSUE
SIMPLE MACHINES, COMPLEX MINDS: Evergreen Community Charter School third grader Zoey Fruge shows the mind at work. There is a way to fix this. Here is what you do. Pour the liquid into a vat (vat size varies based on piece of trash), then let it soak in the liquid for 24 hours. After this is done, take the top off the vat. The effects of my trash dissolving liquid is that with less garbage, there does not have to be as many landfills, which means fewer homeless people. Also, trash won’t kill animals if there is no trash to kill them. Trash can’t get out of hand with no extra trash. Based on all of what I discussed, you can help the earth and planet! — Jude Fisher-Tranese, fourth grade, Odyssey Community School
A skateboarding innovation I am sure we have all experienced having way too many things to carry. You have your phone, your skateboard, your ball, your food,
your drink. I find that the hardest things to carry are the bigger things. What if you could halve the length of something big like a skateboard to make it less cumbersome and easier to carry? I plan to make carrying a skateboard easier by making a foldable skateboard. My product would make life easier for people of all ages who skateboard. My board would be just as good as a regular skateboard, but it would be easier to take on the go. It would be half the size when carrying, but just as strong and reliable. I would create my idea by getting a skateboard and some good strong hinges. I would cut the skateboard in half then screw in the hinges to be able to fold it. It would come with a little plastic piece to fit in the space where the skateboard was cut in half. Skateboarding is something people can do to make ourselves happy, meet new people and
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SUPER PIPE: Hall Fletcher Elementary School third grader Alexander Steere imagines how one of the pipes in the Super Mario Bros. video game could work in real life. express creativity. Anyone can try it with friends, create cool-looking boards and learn new tricks. But skateboarding is also a useful skill. Skateboarding is also a way to get around. Whether you are going to work, school or to run errands or meet friends, riding a skateboard is an efficient mode of transportation.
My collapsible board would make having a skateboard with you all day easier to handle and use. You would take out of your bag, unfold the board, lock the hinges and be on your way to your next destination. In conclusion, my product would make people who use their skateboard to get around in life a lot
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ART IS POWER: Frank Lester, a 12th grade student at Franklin School of Innovation, offers up this idea. easier. It is less cumbersome than a normal skateboard and can be put into a backpack to take with you wherever you go. My product would change the world of skateboarding. — James Purtill, eighth grade, Polk County Middle School
AT MISSION HOSPITAL DESIGNED JUST FOR KIDS
missionhealth.org/PediatricER 24
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The Fun Maker I have a way to get you off your screen and occupied that is stylish and helpful! This is a type of flooring that can sense a person on a screen. You set a timer on it for how long you want the limit to be on your screen, and if it’s one minute away from the end of the timer, it turns red as a warning. And if you ignore it for the last one minute, you drop through the tile into an underground fun world! You have no phone because it took your phone, and there is everything you love down there — Barbies, race cars, stuffed animals, books,
bean bags, arts and crafts, and so much more! Then, when you have played or read or hung out for as long as you were on your screen, a button will show up, and when you are ready, you press it and then an elevator will come out of the wall and take you back up into your house. I hope you like The Fun Maker! I hope that it is all your most amazing dreams combined, and if not, then thank you so much for your honesty. I will always appreciate that! Thanks! — Holland McDermott, third grade, Evergreen Community Charter School
Preserving nature A lot of us (including me) want to preserve nature. That’s why my idea is to create more national parks and forests when possible. This will help
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Nurturing The Whole Person Through The Art of Living Woodson Branch Nature School is located in beautiful Madison County. We are a predominately outdoor P-8th grade school!
Artist: Trevor Woods Artist: Aurora Schomber
URGENT CARE
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These pictures are from our “Art of Storytelling” unit! The middle school arts students conducted an oral history with a member of their community or family and then created these incredible mixed media portraits of their subject. After creating the portrait of their subject, they incorporated a variety of textures and materials to tell the story about what they learned from the interview!
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KIDS ISSUE
animals and wildlife thrive, while still giving humans enough space. What this will also do is help scientists study wildlife. They can study the real wildlife. How plants actually grow, animals’ real instincts. Not human-grown plants. Not animals in captivity. The real stuff. This will also help people receive a better education. With new knowledge of the wild, more people could be taught about it, and so more people could get interested in preserving wildlife, and around and around. — Arlo Mousalli, fifth grade, Mountain Sun Community School
Unbreakable glass My great idea is unbreakable glass. Even if you dropped a hammer on this glass, the glass would not break! Unbreakable glass would make our lives better. One way it could make our lives better is that we would not need to buy more glass. Unbreakable glass also makes our lives better by keeping us safe. Any possible thief trying to break in your home would be foiled by this glass! Unbreakable glass would not shatter
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during any type of storm and hurt us. If you got into a car crash or accident, this glass would not break. I bet you are wondering how to make unbreakable glass. You would need to take sand and get it so hot that it melts, but you need to put it in a special oven that can get super hot. That type of oven is called a furnace or a kiln. You put the sand in the kiln, and when it gets hot enough, it will melt or turn into a liquid. Once it starts to cool, it will turn into glass. Then make five large pieces of glass and melt them together, which would make it unbreakable glass. So that is my great idea! — Kamaile Carlson, third grade, Oakley Elementary School
Mystery Pad My big idea is a Mystery Pad. It can help you with your mysteries. It knows everything on the internet. Every time it solves a mystery, it gets even smarter. You can train it to get better. — Amelie Milling, first grade, Odyssey Community School X
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WELLNESS
The right stuff
Emergency care for pint-size patients BY LESLIE BOYD leslie.boyd@gmail.com When 5-year-old Jerrez Bowman started having trouble breathing, his mother, Ratisha Shivers, feared he might have COVID-19. Then she worried that even if he didn’t have the virus that has killed a half-million Americans in the last year, bringing him to the emergency room might expose him to it. The Asheville resident was in luck, she says, because Mission Health recently opened an emergency department specifically for pediatric patients. Jerrez, who has a seizure disorder, had previously been to a pediatric emergency room at Wake Forest Baptist Health in WinstonSalem. “I remember wishing we had one here,” says Shivers. “We have been to regular emergency
rooms, and it definitely was not the same experience.” During some of those visits, she remembers, they found themselves waiting near an adult who was having a mental health crisis or someone detoxifying from an addiction. “It was scary for him. I had to focus on shielding him.” This time, though, Shivers and her son were immediately escorted to an examination room where a nurse was already waiting to greet them.
SPECIAL NEEDS, SPECIAL TRAINING
Pediatric emergency medicine became a recognized specialty in the 1980s. As academic programs were developed, specialized emergency care for children gradually became more common in hospitals. For Mission, which already had
KID-FRIENDLY: When Jerrez Bowman, 5, recently had difficulty breathing, his mom, Ratisha Shivers, center, was relieved to find that Mission Hospital had opened an emergency department specifically for pediatric patients. Dr. Ansley Miller, medical director of inpatient pediatric services at Mission Children’s Hospital, says it’s a much less stressful environment for children than the adult ED. Photo courtesy of Mission Health a children’s hospital, creating a designated treatment area seemed to be the logical next step, says Dr. Tyler Jones, head of the new pediatric emergency department. He trained in emergency medicine at UNC Chapel Hill and then did a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at WakeMed in Raleigh before coming to Mission three years ago. As any parent who’s had to wait a half-hour in the emergency room while someone locates a pediatric blood pressure cuff can attest, having a department where appropriately scaled equipment and people who specialize in using it are readily available is a relief. Doctors who aren’t trained in how to communicate with children are more likely to miss key clues — and less likely to be able to quickly start an IV in a pint-size arm. “This is a culmination of years of my life,” says Jones. “I had my first shift and I felt like a real pediatric emergency doctor again.” Although Mission has had a separate children’s waiting area since the North Tower opened in 2019, Jones believes having dedicated treatment rooms can help lessen
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children’s trauma over needing to go to the hospital in the first place. The new unit has 12 such rooms, so patients don’t usually have to wait for one to become available. “That was a big advantage,” says Shivers. “The doctor was there soon after, and even the discharge was really fast.” Afterward, her son asked how they could be done already when it was still daylight outside.
REGIONAL RESOURCE
Specialized pediatric emergency departments, notes Jones, are usually found either in free-standing children’s hospitals or in bigger cities, but the arrangement works here because of the large region Mission serves. A 2013 article in the journal Health Affairs cites problems with some pediatric emergency departments in hospitals that aren’t big enough to support them, but Jones doesn’t see that as an issue at Mission. “It’s a regional system, and all of our locations treat children,” he points out. “What we learn here can be put to use across the system. We will be
“It’s a much less traumatic experience for most children.” — Dr. Ansley Miller, Mission Children’s Hospital As far as Jones is concerned, “Are there any disadvantages? Not for the children.” Having this new resource available, he concludes, “can only benefit them.” X
a regional resource, not just for our network but for all care providers.” Dr. Ansley Miller, medical director of inpatient pediatric services at Mission Children’s Hospital, believes the specialized environment is more calming for young patients, who may not fully understand what’s happening and why when they’re brought into a unit that primarily serves adults. “It’s a much less traumatic experience for most children,” she reports. Jones, meanwhile, notes that having the right size equipment on hand will shorten the amount of time children have to spend in the unit, reducing their potential exposure to pathogens while helping doctors make more accurate diagnoses. “When it comes to medicine, children are not just ‘little adults,’ they are unique!” declares a September 2020 article on the Ochsner Health blog written by a physician at the large Louisiana hospital. Medications may affect children differently, notes Jones, and their symptoms may not mirror those of an adult with the same condition. Meanwhile, having a designated pediatric emergency department will also open up more beds for adults, who won’t be competing with children for them, says Miller.
MORE INFO The Ochsner Health article offers the following advice for parents before heading to a pediatric emergency department: • Bring along a list of prescription and other medications your child is taking, as well as their medical history and a list of known allergies. • If possible, leave siblings at home or in the care of a trusted friend or family member, so you can focus on the sick child and won’t have to worry about how long it takes to get treatment. • T o help relieve stress, try to bring along a toy or blanket that your child will find comforting. • After a trip to the emergency department, notify your pediatrician, who may want to schedule a follow-up visit. X
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GREEN ROUNDUP by Daniel Walton | dwalton@mountainx.com
WNC receives $100K toward electric vehicle charging stations North Carolina has started to spend the $92 million it will receive as part of a federal settlement with German automaker Volkswagen over an emissions cheating scandal, and Western North Carolina is in line for a chunk of that change. Eight electric vehicle charging stations in the region will get a total of $100,000 in the first round of a new program administered by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. The DEQ program partially defrays the cost of installing Level 2 charging infrastructure, which can recharge electric vehicles up to seven times as quickly as a standard 120-volt outlet. “The primary goal is to increase use of [zero emissions vehicles] in place of gas-powered cars to mitigate nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions in the state,” wrote
WIDE BEAR-TH: The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission urges mountain residents to give bears plenty of space as the bruins stir from their winter hibernation. Photo by Ken Taylor, courtesy of NCWRC the DEQ in a statement announcing the awards. In Buncombe County, funded charging stations will be located at Lake Louise Park in Weaverville, Lake Tomahawk Park in Black Mountain and the Black Mountain Library. Other projects will be funded in Henderson, Rutherford and Transylvania counties; the full list is available at avl.mx/938.
Wildlife officials urge caution around bear dens WNC’s black bears are stirring out of hibernation, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is warning residents to give the bruins a wide berth. Commission staffers note that bear dens can be located “in rock cavities, brush piles, tree cavities, excavations under fallen trees, ground nests, under decks and in crawl spaces,” including spaces close to human activity. The best next step after finding a bear den is to leave it alone, says Colleen Olfenbuttel, the NCWRC’s black bear and furbearer biologist. If the den is located near an occupied area such as a deck or shed, call the NC Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 or contact District 9 wildlife management biologist Justin McVey at 828-273-7980 for further guidance. 30
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The same approach applies to encounters with unaccompanied bear cubs. In most cases, the cub is waiting for its mother’s return and should not be approached. Residents should call McVey or the wildlife helpline if they suspect that a bear cub has been orphaned.
Asheville residents can adopt a storm drain April showers bring May flowers, but they can also bring clogs to the approximately 10,000 storm
drain inlets throughout the city of Asheville. That’s why, starting in April, Asheville-based nonprofit RiverLink is launching an Adopta-Storm Drain pilot project in the central Asheville watershed, supported through a $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina’s Pigeon River Fund. Residents from downtown to the River Arts District can sign up to regularly check one of their neighborhood storm drains, keeping it clear of debris to reduce stormwater runoff pollution. RiverLink aims to recruit at least 100 volunteers, who will have the chance to win prizes for their efforts. “After months of isolation due to COVID-19, I believe we are all ready to get outside and do something,” said Renee Fortner, RiverLink’s watershed resources manager, in a press release announcing the program. “Being a part of the Adopt-a-Storm Drain program will offer a safe opportunity to do something positive for our community and environment.” Prospective volunteers can email waterresources@riverlink. org or call828-252-8474 x114 for more information.
Save the date
• RiverLink and the town of Black Mountain are offering a free virtual workshop to teach live staking for streambank restoration. Registration, open only to Black Mountain residents, includes 20 silky dogwood, elderberry and silky willow live stakes, which must be picked up 3-5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 12, at 304 Black Mountain Ave. More information is available at avl.mx/928.
WATER YOU DOING? Asheville-based nonprofit RiverLink aims to have 100 storm drains adopted by city residents, who will regularly check them for debris and keep them clean, in the next year. Photo courtesy of RiverLink
ISO Warehouse Space
• T he N.C. Utilities Commission will hold a virtual public hearing on Duke Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines the company’s long-range plans for generating electricity, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 16. The city of Asheville is formally intervening in the process to ask for the utility’s support in meeting city climate emergency and renewable energy commitments. More information and registration for comment available at avl.mx/92a. • MountainTrue has announced its schedule for guided adventures in 2021. Upcoming options include an exploration of headwater streams near Tryon on Friday, April 9, and a wildflower amble near Robbinsville on Saturday, April 17. More information and registration available at avl.mx/929. • The Outdoor Economy Conference announced plans to return for an in-person event Tuesday-Friday, Oct. 12-15. Online attendance options will also be available.
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News to use
• T he Pigeon River Fund is accepting applications for projects that improve water quality in Buncombe, Haywood and Madison counties through Monday, March 15. Nonprofit organizations and public agencies can qualify for up to $35,000 in support. For more information, contact Tara Scholtz at 828-3679913 or visit cfwnc.org. • B arnardsville-based permaculture school Wild Abundance has made its online Holistic Garden Planning class available for free through Monday, March 15. More information and registration available at avl.mx/93c. • T he Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project published Full Share, a guide to 60 community supported agriculture farms in WNC and surrounding areas. The free document is available online at avl.mx/936. • The Fire Manager’s Guide to Blue Ridge Ecozones is now available online at avl.mx/937. Written by Adam Warwick, stewardship manager for The Nature Conservancy of North Carolina, the book outlines how proper burning can improve animal and plant habitats in the region.
Community kudos • T he Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy complet-
BOXING DAY: Wicked Weed Brewing, along with other brands in Anheuser-Busch’s craft beer portfolio, is working to keep the masks and gloves worn by employees out of the landfill. Photo courtesy of Brewers Collective ed a 26-acre conservation easement in the Hickory Nut Gap area. The land, which includes forested hillsides around the historic Sherrill’s Inn, joins roughly 1,500 acres the nonprofit has protected in the region. • W icked Weed Brewing partnered with recycling service TerraCycle to divert employee personal protective equipment, including single-use face masks and gloves, from the landfill. The move is part of a broader push by Anheuser-Busch’s craft beer brands to reduce their environmental impacts. • T he N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services installed bipolar ionization technology, designed to filter coronavirus particles and other contaminants from heating and cooling systems, in several buildings at the WNC Agricultural Center. The equipment will provide greater safety for attendees at the Mountain State Fair, scheduled for Friday-Sunday, Sept. 10-19. X
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FOOD
ARTS & CULTURE
Recipe for success
Teaching kids to cook feeds culinary curiosity and builds confidence BY KAY WEST kwest@mountainx.com Many decades and several generations ago, the Easy Bake Oven — introduced by Kenner Products in 1963 — was the boomer gateway to the magical transformation of raw ingredients into something edible. Then along came celebrity chefs and the Food Network, and today kids would scoff at such child’s play. “We always ask kids who come to classes with us if they watch any cooking shows,” says Liisa Andreassen, owner of Cottage Cooking Asheville with her husband, John Godts. “Many of them do, and by far the most popular is ‘The Great British Baking Show.’ They have very sophisticated tastes!” Sophisticated taste is one thing; developing skills to participate in family meal planning is another. Several Asheville cooking instructors who offer cooking classes and camps for children, as well as local chefs who spend time in the kitchen with their own kids, say childhood is a great time to lay a strong foundation for culinary competence.
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Young children have an inherent desire to emulate their parents, says chef Ofri Hirsch, owner of Asheville Mountain Kitchen. “When your children are little, they want to do what you’re doing,” she says. “People have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen this year, and their children want to be there with them. When people inquire about a children’s class,
ON A ROLL: Ofri Hirsch teaches cooking classes to adults and children at Asheville Mountain Kitchen. One of her most eager students is her 8-year-old son, Jonathan. Photo courtesy Ofri Hirsch it’s usually baking, so that’s often where people start at home.” Baking is the perfect place for kids to begin cultivating kitchen knowledge, says chef Brian Ross. Owner of The Asheville Kitchen, which offers summer cooking camps and private workshops for children in addition to adult classes, Ross spent several years working in the kitchen of a two-star Michelin chef. “The old-school training method, no matter what area you wanted to end up in, started you in pastry,” he says. “[Learning pastry] taught you to have a respect for measurement and be precise,” Ross continues. “The first thing many kids want to make is chocolate chip cookies. The recipe is on the bag, everyone loves them, and it
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requires simple techniques like creaming butter and sugar.” Mom and Cúrate chef Katie Button agrees that teaching kids to make things they already love to eat is a good starting point. “Like most kids, my daughter is a pasta freak,” she says of 6-year-old Gisela, older sister of 2-year-old Lalo. “It was fun to teach her how to salt and add oil to the water. She likes to stir things like Cream of Wheat while it simmers on the stove and season vegetables on a sheet pan. Even Lalo can pick basil leaves off the stem. When kids help make a meal, they’re more likely to try new things.” Hirsch, whose son, Jonathan, is 8, suggests starting by defining jobs, bearing in mind that kids enjoy tactile experiences. “One of the first jobs I gave Jonathan was kneading dough,” she says. “Then we rolled it out, and he put toppings on. Give small children little projects and go slowly.” Rather than starting with knives, vegetable peelers are easy to use and provide satisfying results. And before putting a knife in a child’s hand, begin with safety instructions. “Start with a small knife that fits well into a child’s hands and show them how to hold it and use it so fingers are out of the way,” Hirsch advises. Ross suggests that adults who are a bit rusty themselves on knife skills should bone up on safety strategies via online tutorials.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Also in the basic skills section of teaching kids to cook is preparation, which includes reading recipes all the way through before beginning and having all ingredients and utensils at hand. “We talk about mise en place in my classes,” says Ross. “I could say, ‘Have your stuff ready,’ but using proper terms is part of learning to cook.” So is hygiene — like hand-washing — and cleanliness. “Kids will make a mess,” acknowledges Godts, who has hosted students as young as 3 with their parents or a grandparent at Cottage Kitchen, though the range of 8- to 14-years-old is more typical. “Accept that and be patient, but encourage them to develop good habits. This is when you teach them how and why to clean as they go.” Timing is another factor to keep in mind when planning cooking adventures with kids. “Do it when you have relaxed time,” Hirsch says. “Not at dinner time when everyone is hungry.” Relatively simple and kid-friendly dinner dishes to start with include meatballs, sheet-pan meals, stuffed baked potatoes and baked pastas, say the chefs. Or they suggest expanding culinary horizons with enchiladas, burritos, sushi, Spanish croquetas and Indian pakoras. Weekends are made for breakfast, and kids are particularly attuned to that repertoire — French toast, pancakes and avocado toast are fun to make. Eggs, though, are not quite as simple as the self-contained protein package seems. “I do a two-hour class for adults just on eggs and how they behave under different techniques and heat,” says Ross. “The second day of culinary school is about cooking eggs. It’s a key foundational thing.” A solid foundation, these pros believe, builds confidence in the kitchen. And confidence combined with children’s natural curiosity can lead them to try new things. Ross says his now 17-year-old son started baking a couple of years ago, and just before COVID-19 hit, he began looking at vegetarian and vegan eating. “Being at home gave him more time in the kitchen. I helped him modify recipes, but he cooks his own stuff,” he says. Hirsch may have a rising Food Network star in her home kitchen. “My son can cook anything,” she says proudly. “I don’t let him do it unsupervised, but he is so sure of himself he is now making YouTube cooking videos. And I’ve improved my moviemaking skills. It’s fun for us both.” X
MUSIC
Get Bach
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo takes on Bach and folk tales on new album
Butorac emphasizes what he calls the eternal character of Bach’s music, “as if it is the key to unlocking the deepest mysteries of the universe.” And he believes that The Beat Bach Symphonies marks the first time that many of its folk tales have been set to music. “This is a completely unique and original way to approach music education for a symphony orchestra,” he says.
BY BILL KOPP bill@musoscribe.com Grammy-winning “kid-hop” musician Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is both prolific and adventurous. Since debuting with the 2008 album, Easy, the Asheville- and New York City-based artist has carved out a unique niche on the musical landscape, combining pop and hip-hop into a youth-oriented mix. Like 2017’s Mozartistic, Skidoo’s latest project is in part a collaboration with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. But The Beat Bach Symphonies takes things to a new level. Calling the new release “more than an album,” Skidoo says that Beat Bach Symphonies is “meant to be a teaching tool for elementary school kids.” And he readily admits that his latest project is a “strange collaboration.” While using analog synthesizers to render classical works is a well-established pursuit (one that began with Wendy Carlos’ groundbreaking Switched-On Bach LP in 1968), folding hip-hop and centuries-old folk tales into the mix truly takes music somewhere it hasn’t gone before. Initially, Skidoo considered using the works of the Brothers Grimm, until he discovered that many of tales are rife with misogyny and classism. And when he read Wilhelm Grimm’s preface to the tales’ first edition, he was horrified to find this passage: “Even the Negroes in Western Africa entertain their children with stories.” Skidoo was incredulous: “I was like, wait, ‘even’?” So he decided to draw on other traditions, ones with more positive overtones. “I changed the direction of the project and decided to base the pieces on folk tales from the West African, Middle Eastern, Asian,
MUSICAL HYBRID: On his latest album, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo teams up with international musicians playing Indigenous instruments, plus synthesist Jamar Woods and the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. “The Beat Bach Symphonies” will be released April 2. Photo by Mike Belleme South American and First Nation North American cultures,” he says. The album features an array of international musicians playing the Bach works on instruments representing their cultures: koto, kora, Peruvian pan flute, oud and more. In addition, the project includes contributions from an Iranian American MC, a West African singer, Peruvian rappers and a Cherokee storyteller.
LOCAL VIBES
Along with this long list of global talent, Skidoo also called upon two of Western North Carolina’s leading musical forces, keyboardist-composer Jamar Woods and the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. The project quickly took on a strong Western North Carolina character. “Since Moog and the symphony are both
here in Asheville, it felt very local,” he says. As he began work on what would become The Beat Bach Symphonies, Skidoo collaborated with ASO Executive Director David Whitehill. Once Whitehill announced his departure from the symphony in March 2020, his successor, Darko Butorac, enthusiastically came on board for the project. “The hybridization of hip-hop and the orchestra is very smooth,” Butorac says. “Hip-hop is quite structured in its rhythmic foundation; it’s the improvisation and flowing of the lyrics above that foundation that gives the impression of freedom.” He says that the orchestra’s role is to become a part of that foundation, allowing Skidoo to “weave his magic above the sonic carpet.”
MUSIC FOR ALL
Meanwhile, Woods used an assortment of Moog synthesizers and Arturia “soft synths” for his part of the project. He admits that it was challenging to remain true to the spirit of Bach’s work while adapting it to a new context but believes that the results speak for themselves. “I hope that both classical music fans and hiphop fans will both appreciate the end product,” he says. And that comment underscores an important quality of The Beat Bach Symphonies, one it shares with much of Secret Agent 23 Skidoo’s work: its wide, generation-spanning appeal. “As a producer and arranger, I didn’t feel it was necessary to cater the music to youth,” Woods says. “This music can and should be for people of all ages.” And Woods feels right at home with this musical hybrid project. “I was a classical pianist long before I started working in hip-hop,” he explains. “The Beat Bach Symphonies gave me a chance to reconnect with music that I’ve loved from a very early age.” The Beat Bach Symphonies will be available to download from the ASO website on Friday, April 2, and is free to all Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools, as well as to all charter, private and home school kids in the area. Skidoo calls the album “our gift to the fantastic city that raised us.” To learn more, visit avl.mx/93h. X
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ARTS & C U L T U R E
LITERATURE
Light upon the shadows BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com
Stories are at the center of Story Medicine Worldwide — a local organization that, according to its website, uses an “Indigenous healing modality, blending ritual with the written word” toward community learning and healing. “By ‘story,’ we mean the things that have been forgotten, lost, become invisible,” explains its founder, Meta Commerse. “The things that people missed at key moments of their lives that they need to go back to so that they can retrieve that connective tissue.” The organization will observe its 10-year anniversary with a threeday virtual celebration featuring local and national speakers. On Friday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m., Commerse will kick off the series with a discussion about Story Medicine Worldwide’s history and evolution.
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Over the years, classes and workshops have explored topics on aging, family dynamics and finance. But the organization’s core mission is to address racial healing through self-reflection and storytelling. “Racism is not just an American story,” says Commerse. “It is a global story.” Joining Commerse will be three additional speakers: award-winning author and artist E. Patrick Johnson, who serves as the dean of Northwestern University’s School of Communication in Evanston, Ill.; Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, a Durham-based nonprofit that works to educate communities about systemic racism within the prison system; and Rob Thomas, community liaison for the Asheville Racial Justice Coalition. The two Saturday sessions — running 9:30 a.m.-noon and 2-4:30 p.m. — begin with Johnson, who will address sexual trauma, particularly as it relates to Black Southern LGBTQ community members. Blagrove’s afternoon session will discuss alternatives to state-sanctioned violence. Meanwhile, Thomas will close out the celebration with his Sunday, March 14, session from 2-4:30 p.m. “I will bring the audience back in time with me from childhood to present, to illuminate my journey of what lived experiences created the individual that you see today,” he says. All weekend events include virtual breakout rooms, allowing participants time to hear and share their own histories. “In our work, people are encouraged in a very accepting way to
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Story Medicine Worldwide celebrates 10-year anniversary
SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCS: On Friday, March 12, Story Medicine Worldwide will kick off a three-day celebration recognizing its 10-year anniversary. The local organization focuses on storytelling as a means of healing. Featured speakers are, clockwise from top left, Dawn Blagrove, E. Patrick Johnson, Meta Commerse and Rob Thomas. Photo credits/courtesy, clockwise from top left, Emily Baxter; Story Medicine Worldwide; Commerse; Tony Shivers/Still Smiling Photography explore their own stories, to shed light on the shadows,” says Commerse, who hopes participants leave the virtual series filled with a deeper sense of possibility. “We hope they take away a sense of the value of their stories, their experiences … individually and in community. ... We also hope that people
will find themselves expanded in certain ways, having experienced parts of themselves that may have been invisible or numbed for a long time.” The virtual series runs FridaySunday, March 12-14. Tickets are $49. To register, visit avl.mx/90z. X
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LITERATURE
Through the eyes of children
Local kids author explores world religions
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LEARNING TO BE BRAVE: “Part of what I want to do is increase everyone’s level of comfort and decrease everyone’s level of fear,” says children’s author Vicki Garlock. Photo courtesy of Garlock Local children’s author Vicki Garlock has a theory on teaching youths about interfaith literacy. “Kids don’t actually care about what other people believe,” she says. “They don’t care about dogma. A good way to educate kids is through traditions — holidays, rituals, food and stories.” Garlock’s 2020 award-winning book, We All Have Sacred Spaces, puts her theory into practice. Intended for children ages 4-10, the work is the first in a planned series, taking readers around the globe to learn about the sacred spaces of the world’s major religions — examining churches, temples, synagogues and mosques. Along with international travels that informed her book, Garlock conducted local research, visiting houses of worship throughout Asheville. “I tried looking at them through the eyes of children,” she explains. “So I’d ask myself, ‘What is really cool about this place? What are people doing with the objects in this space?’”
In addition to writing, Garlock is the founder of Faith Seeker Kids, an organization established in 2015 to provide resources to help families, teachers and faith-based educators share interfaith traditions. She is also the ordained minister of education and the nurture coordinator and curriculum specialist for Jubilee! Community Church. “All of my work is largely about reducing fear,” she says, as well as opening minds. Through We All Have Sacred Spaces, Garlock hopes youth and adult readers alike will find a deeper appreciation for all world religions. So far, the response has been promising. “The feedback I’ve gotten on the book is that what is interesting and fascinating to children is also really interesting and fascinating to adults,” she says. To learn more about We All Have Sacred Space, visit avl.mx/90l.
— Thomas Calder X
ROUNDUP
Around town
For a 15th consecutive year, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W. State St., is hosting its Emerging Artists exhibit, led by nationally recognized wildlife artist Bob Travers. Works by the renowned instructor and 16 students will be on display at the center’s upper gallery through Friday, March 26. In a press release, Travers notes the challenges he and his pupils faced throughout the early days of COVID-19. “It’s hard to create art during a pandemic,” he says. “We were out for six months, and many of us lost the passion to create. For me, when you don’t have anything to work toward, you go into a sort of limbo. There is such a sense of community we’ve created here in this little studio, there is so much camaraderie, and that was just gone. It was very difficult.” With the class back together, Travers says he’s excited for the latest exhibit, noting that many of his students are working on larger pieces than they have in years past. Emerging Artists is free to attend. Hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The show can also be viewed online by visiting avl.mx/4rv.
Free creative workshops for kids
Throughout the spring, the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts will offer free virtual education programs for groups, individuals and classrooms (K-12). Black Box Dance Theatre is leading online courses in dance; the Aquila Theatre Co. is hosting Shakespeare workshops; and musician Shana Tucker will offer sessions on music, art and storytelling. To learn more and to register for a free course, contact Jared McEntire, Wortham Center’s community engagement director, at jared@worthamarts.org.
Crafting Resilience The Center for Craft is partnering with UNC Asheville for a new virtual series, Crafting Resilience. On Thursday, March 11, at 5 p.m. local artists and health experts will participate in the inaugural event — a roundtable discussion about ways critical and creative practices of craft and public art can better serve communities of color. Artists DeWayne Barton, Aaron McIntosh and -S-A-N-T-I-A-G-OX will be joined by Ameena Batada, associate professor of health and well-
Emerging Artists exhibit returns to Black Mountain Center for the Arts, plus free kids workshops, virtual fundraisers and more
Flat Rock Playhouse receives $20,000 grant
SHOW TIME: Students prepare for the upcoming annual Emerging Artists exhibit at Black Mountain Center for the Arts. Photo courtesy of BMCA ness at UNC Asheville, and Patricia Eunji Kim, associate director of public programs at Monument Lab. The event is free to attend. Register at avl.mx/922.
Craft Your Commerce The Center for Craft is also partnering with Mountain BizWorks for the entrepreneurial program Craft Your Commerce. The series offers five virtual workshops that provide sales strategies for artists, makers and creative businesses. The series will also help creatives develop diverse revenue streams. Workshops include a “pay what you wish” option. Classes begin Monday, March 15, and run through Monday, April 12. To register, visit avl.mx/926.
Full steam ahead
Father-and-son writers Bob and Jacob Morgan Plott will celebrate the release of their new book, Smoky Mountain Railways, on Monday, March 15. The work examines the history of Western North Carolina railroads, which were initially built by enslaved people and later by incarcerated laborers. “The history of this line is a story like no other,” the book reads. “It is a tale filled with tragedy, heroism, brains, blood, sweat, tears, nitroglycerin and humor.” To order a copy, visit avl.mx/923.
Break the Silence Our VOICE, a local nonprofit supporting survivors of rape, sexual assault and human trafficking, is hosting its annual fundraiser, Break the Silence, on Thursday, March 11, at 7 p.m. The livestreamed event will feature a
performance by local musician Jane Kramer, followed by a talk by author Chanel Miller. The evening will also include a silent auction of East Fork pottery. General admission is $25; student tickets are $10. To purchase, visit avl.mx/prvl.
Upcoming lecture series on racial justice and Black history On Thursday, March 11, historian and author Ann Miller Woodford will host a virtual lecture on race relations and racial disparities in Western North Carolina. The talk is the first of four that Woodford, author of the 2015 book When All God’s Children Get Together: A Celebration of the Lives and Music of African American People in Far Western North Carolina, will deliver. Additional Thursday sessions will be held March 25, April 8 and April 15. Each hourlong presentation begins at 1 p.m. All events are free to attend. Register at avl.mx/924.
For the Year Passing Pan Harmonia, a local nonprofit arts program, is hosting a free virtual performance, For the Year Passing, on Saturday, March 13, at 4 p.m. The concert will feature the music of Philip Glass and William Grant Still, with poetry by Kristin Flyntz. Performers include Kate Steinbeck on flute, John Crawley on piano and Lucia Abell reciting the evening’s poetry. For access to the event, visit avl.mx/93e.
Flat Rock Playhouse was recently awarded a $20,000 grant by the Community Foundation of Henderson County for its youth initiative, Playhouse Jr. Production. Created in 2019, the production develops mini-musicals as a way to educate schoolchildren. The latest grant will go toward creating a show spotlighting required North Carolina history for fourth grade students across the state. “Not only are young people exposed to ... compelling context, but they also get to experience professional, live theater — often for the first time,” says Jan King, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for Henderson County Public Schools, in a press release. For additional information, visit avl.mx/921.
— Thomas Calder X
MOVIE LISTINGS Bruce Steele’s and Edwin Arnaudin’s latest critiques of new films available to view via local theaters and popular streaming services include: BOSS LEVEL: Director Joe Carnahan breathes new life into the time-loop sub-genre with this action/comedy, and finally gives Frank Grillo (Warrior) a lead part worthy of his talents. Grade: A-minus. Not rated COMING 2 AMERICA: Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall rekindle the magic of their 1988 comedy classic in this rare sequel that’s nearly as funny as the original. Grade: B-plus. Rated PG-13 MY SALINGER YEAR: Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver elevate this delightful 1995-set biopic about an aspiring writer who processes the Catcher in the Rye author’s fan mail. Grade: B-plus. Rated R
Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com patreon.com/ashevillemovies
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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Artist Richard Kehl tells this traditional Jewish story: God said to Abraham, “But for me, you would not be here.” Abraham answered, “I know that Lord, but were I not here there would be no one to think about you.” I’m bringing this tale to your attention, dear Aries, because I think the coming weeks will be a favorable time to summon a comparable cheekiness with authorities, including even the Divine Wow Herself. So I invite you to consider the possibility of being sassy, saucy and bold. Risk being an articulate maverick with a point of view that the honchos and experts should entertain. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Spiritual author Ernest Holmes wrote, “True imagination is not fanciful daydreaming. it is fire from heaven.” Unfortunately, however, many people do indeed regard imagination as mostly just a source of fanciful daydreaming. And it is also true that when our imaginations are lazy and out of control, when they conjure delusional fears and worries, they can be debilitating. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because I believe the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to harness the highest powers of your imagination — to channel the fire from heaven — as you visualize all the wonderful and interesting things you want to do with your life in the next nine months. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I’m always waiting for a door to open in a wall without doors,” wrote Gemini author Fernando Pessoa. Huh? Pessoa was consistently eccentric in his many writings, and I find this particular statement especially odd. I’m going to alter it so it makes more sense and fits your current needs. Here’s your motto for the coming weeks: “I’m always ready to figure out how to make a new door in a wall without doors and call on all necessary help to make it.” CANCER (June 21-July 22): You can’t drive to the Kamchatka Peninsula. It’s a 104,000-square-mile area with a sub-Arctic climate in the far east of Russia. No roads connect it to the rest of the world. Its major city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, is surrounded by volcanoes. If you want to travel there, you must arrive by plane or ship. And yet PetropavlovskKamchatsky has long had a thriving tourist industry. More so before the pandemic, but even now, outsiders have come to paraglide, hunt for bears and marvel at the scenery. In this horoscope, I am making an outlandish metaphorical comparison of you to the Kamchatka Peninsula. Like that land, people sometimes find it a challenge to reach you. And yet when they do, you can be quite welcoming. Is this a problem? Maybe, maybe not. What do you think? Now is a good time to re-evaluate. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Biting midges, also known as no-see-ums, are blood-sucking flies that spread various diseases. Yuck, right? Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we used science to kill off all biting midges everywhere? Well, there would be a disappointing trade-off if we did. The creepy bugs are the primary pollinators for several crops grown in the topics, including cacao. So if we got rid of the no-see-ums, there’d probably be no more chocolate. I’m guessing that you may be dealing with a comparable dilemma, Leo: an influence that has both a downside and an upside. The central question is: Can you be all you want to be without it in your life? Or not? Now is a good time to ponder the best way to shape your future relationship. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to my analysis of your imminent astrological potentials, you already are or will soon be floating and whirling and churning along on an ocean of emotion. In other words, you will be experiencing more feelings and stronger feelings than you have in quite some time. This doesn’t have to be a problem as long as you do the following: 1. Be proud and appreciative about being able to feel so much. 2. Since only a small percentage of your feelings need to be translated into practical actions, don’t take them too seriously. 3. Enjoy the ride!
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Poet Wendell Berry says “it’s the immemorial feelings” he likes best: “hunger and thirst and their satisfaction; work-weariness and earned rest; the falling again from loneliness to love.” Notice that he doesn’t merely love the gratification that comes from quenching his hunger and thirst. The hunger and thirst are themselves essential components of his joy. Work-weariness and loneliness are not simply inconvenient discomforts that he’d rather live without. He celebrates them, as well. I think his way of thinking is especially worthy of your imitation in the next three weeks. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Famous and influential science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick relied on amphetamines to fuel his first 43 novels. Beginning with A Scanner Darkly, his 44th, he did without his favorite drug. It wasn’t his best book but it was far from his worst. It sold well and was made into a movie featuring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr. and two other celebrity actors. Inspired by Dick’s success without relying on his dependency — and in accordance with current astrological omens — I’m inviting you to try doing without one of your addictions or compulsions or obsessions as you work on your labor of love. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Ninety percent of all apples in the world are descended from a forest of apple trees in southeast Kazakhstan. Most of us have tasted just a few types of apples, but there’s a much wider assortment of flavors in that natural wonderland. You know how wine is described as having taste notes and aromas? The apple flavor of Kazakhstan’s apples may be tinged with hints of roses, strawberries, anise, pineapples, coconuts, lemon peels, pears, potatoes or popcorn. Can you imagine traveling to that forest and exploring a far more complex and nuanced relationship with a commonplace food? During the coming weeks, I invite you to experiment with arousing metaphorically similar experiences. In what old familiar persons, places or things could you find a surprising wealth of previously unexplored depth and variety? CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Author Andrew Tilin testified that he sometimes had the feeling that his life was in pieces — but then realized that most of the pieces were good and interesting. So his sense of being a mess of unassembled puzzle parts gave way to a deeper contentment — an understanding that the jumble was just fine the way it was. I recommend you cultivate and enjoy an experience like that in the coming weeks, Capricorn. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Indian poet Meena Alexander (1951–2018) was bon under the sign of Aquarius. She became famous after she moved to the US at age 29, but was raised in India and the Sudan. In her poem “Where Do You Come From?,” she wrote, “Mama beat me when I was a child for stealing honey from a honey pot.” I’m sorry to hear she was treated so badly for enjoying herself. She wasn’t committing a crime! The honey belonged to her family, and her family had plenty of money to buy more honey. This vignette is my way of advising you, in accordance with astrological omens, to carry out your personal version of “stealing the honey from the honeypot,” dear Aquarius. Take what’s rightfully yours. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The bad news is that the narrow buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea is laced with landmines. Anyone who walks there is at risk for getting blown up. The good news is that because people avoid the place, it has become an unprecedented nature preserve — a wildlife refuge where endangered species like the red-crowned crane and Korean fox can thrive. In the coming weeks and months, I’d love to see you engage in a comparable project, Pisces: finding a benevolent use for a previously taboo or wasted part of your life.
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REAL ESTATE & RENTALS | ROOMMATES | JOBS | SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | MIND, BODY, SPIRIT MUSICIANS’ SERVICES | PETS | AUTOMOTIVE | XCHANGE | ADULT RENTALS APARTMENTS FOR RENT APARTMENT FOR RENT Unfurnished One bd apartment in west Asheville. Rent includes electric and heat. Also free internet. $875 per month. Nice. Full kitchen. And garden space if desired. Air conditioner. 828-778-5520 • smaphet@ gmail.com
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MOUNTAIN XPRESS IS LOOKING TO ADD A NEW MEMBER TO OUR SALES TEAM. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present confidently, while working within a structure. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, and working well in a team environment. While no outside sales experience is required, experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful. The position largely entails account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies, and working to meet or exceed sales goals. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent, community-minded organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: advertise@mountainx.com JOB OPPORTUNITY FOR MINORITY AND/ OR WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES . Minority Participating Commercial Contractor seeking to offer Minority and/or Women owned eligible Businesses, Vendors, Subcontractors, or individuals’ economic opportunities of job training, employment, and contracting work to promote local economic development and individual self-sufficiency. We will provide economical units to allow for minority participation as well as provide assistance for bonding and insurance for Minority and/or Women owned Businesses. Also, quick payment policies to help minority suppliers and contractors participate will be available. We are committed to satisfy our goal to provide equal opportunities and help these persons/ businesses have chances to gain growth in their industry and throughout this entire housing project. If you are a Minority and/ or Women Owned Business or Resident in the County area and seeking work please contact us at 828548-3675, email to ad949@
bidsec3.com, or via fax at 828-548-3682 to become part of our HUD-assisted project and help promote quality housing and community development in this area. Plans are available at: https://parker.box.com/v/ Jasper-Section-3. OPEN HEARTS: ACCEPTING RESUMES FOR DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS PT available for Day Program, may increase to FT. Reliable, minimum 1 year experiences, good references. Ability to LEAD ACTIVITIES based in PERFORMING and/or VISUAL ARTS !! And must be able to celebrate differences! Send resume to: sonia@ openheartsartcenter.org • NO CALLS.
ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE EARTH EQUITY ADVISORS IS HIRING: FT CLIENT SERVICE ASSOCIATE We are seeking a Client Service Associate who is driven to create exceptional client experiences while setting the tone for our firm's relationship with our clients. For more details and directions on how to apply, please visit https:// www.earthequityadvisors. com/careers/. FINANCE MANAGER, UNITED WAY OF ASHEVILLE AND BUNCOMBE COUNTY The Finance Manager Leads all day to day accounting operations, with functional responsibility for accounting, accounts payable, and grants administration. Learn more at https://www. unitedwayabc.org/employment-opportunities .
HR & RECRUITMENT COORDINATOR Home Instead is seeking an HR & Recruitment Coordinator to join us in our mission to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. The HR & Recruitment Coordinator is expected to perform a variety of duties for the recruitment, hiring, and retention of CAREGivers. Call our office at 828-274-4406 or email your resume to nicole. farrell@homeinstead.com.
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MOUNTAIN XPRESS DELIVERY Mountain Xpress is seeking an energetic, reliable, independent contractor for part-time weekly newspaper delivery. The contractor must have a safe driving record, a reliable vehicle with proper insurance and registration, and be able to lift 50 lbs. without strain. Distribution of papers is on Tuesday afternoons and typically lasts about 7-8 hours per week. Occasional Wednesday morning delivery is
is sometimes needed or an option. E-mail distro@ mountainx.com. No phone calls or walk-ins please. Central Downtown Asheville route.
HUMAN SERVICES WANTED: EXPERIENCED LICENSED MH THERAPISTS WHO WANT TO GIVE BACK. ALL SOULS COUNSELING CENTER (ASCC) is looking for mental health therapists who have a master’s degree and 5 years of outpatient clinical experience. ASCC serves people who are uninsured or underinsured. Therapists are paid $35 per session and work part time, from 2 to 20 hours per week. Office space is provided, though currently we are working from home via phone or video. There is no additional overhead. If you are a successful therapist looking for a way to give back to your community, here is an opportunity to help people who have nowhere else to turn. We are, also, interested in finding a Spanish speaking therapist. Client fees are on a sliding scale. No one is denied services for inability to pay. Go to allsoulscounseling.org for further information and application details.
PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR- NORTH BUNCOMBE MIDDLE SCHOOL Experienced in building and sustaining strong school-community partnerships? Passionate about supporting student achievement and promoting family and community engagement? Committed to centering equity? Spanish-speaking required. Learn more: https:// unitedwayabc.org/employment-opportunities . COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR: ASHEVILLE HIGH/ SILSA Experienced in building and sustaining strong school-community partnerships? Passionate about supporting student achievement and promoting family and community engagement? Committed to centering equity? Learn more and apply: https:// unitedwayabc.org/employment-opportunities.
COMPUTER/ TECHNICAL BLUE RIDGE PUBLIC RADIO - OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Blue Ridge Public Radio is looking for a full-time Operations Coordinator to help oversee daily, technical operations related to radio traffic, automation, content management and studio production. Information at: www.bpr. org/careers.
XCHANGE WANTED BUYING OLD PAPER MONEY Asheville, WNC, ETN over 10 years. Fair, open, and responsive.
Buying currency, bonds, maps, documents, etc. Email papermoneybuy@ gmail.com, or call/text 865-207-8994. Member SPMC, NCNA, SCNA, TNA.
SERVICES AUDIO/VIDEO HUGHESNET SATELLITE INTERNET Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844416-7147 (AAN CAN)
CAREGIVERS COMPANION • CAREGIVER • LIVE-IN Alzheimer's experienced • Heart failure and bed sore care • Hospice reference letter • Nonsmoker, with cat, seeks live-in position • References • Arnold, (828) 273-2922.
LENDING A WYNNING HAND HOME CARE Looking for dedicated in home care? We can assist with ADL's, light housekeeping, medications, driving to appointments. Get in contact with me to discuss how we can be of assistance. 828-243-7699 • lendingawynninghandhomecare21@gmail.com.
FINANCIAL AUTO INSURANCE STARTING AT $49/ MONTH! Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save! Call: 855-569-1909. (AAN CAN)
HOME 4G LTE HOME INTERNET NOW AVAILABLE! Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as $109.99/ mo! 1-888-519-0171 (AAN CAN) BATHROOM RENOVATIONS EASY, ONE DAY updates! We specialize in safe bathing. Beautiful new walk-in showers with no slip flooring. Also, grab bars and seated showers available. Call for a free in-home consultation: 844242-1100. (AAN CAN)
HOME IMPROVEMENT HANDY MAN HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993. Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results. Insured. References and estimates available. Stephen Houpis, (828) 280-2254.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN) DO YOU OWE OVER $10K TO THE IRS OR STATE IN BACK TAXES? Our firm works to reduce the tax bill or zero it out completely FAST. Let us help! Call 855955-0702. (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm PST) DONATE YOUR CAR TO KIDS Your donation helps fund the search for missing children. Accepting Trucks, Motorcycles & RV’s , too! Fast Free Pickup – Running or Not - 24 Hour Response - Maximum Tax Donation – Call 877-266-0681 (AAN CAN) HEARING AIDS!! Buy one/ get one FREE! High-quality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Nearly invisible! 45-day money back guarantee! 1-833-585-1117 (AAN CAN)
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLAY CLASSES & WORKSHOPS FOR ALL AGES Come experience the love of clay! We are offering an amazing line-up of classes and workshops this Spring! Whatever your skill level
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5 Airport queue 9 Bookend letters of “Google Maps,” appropriately is- we have a class! odysseyclayworks@gmail.com • www.odysseyclayworks. com • 828-285-0210.
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT COUNSELING SERVICES ASTRO-COUNSELING Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services. Christy Gunther, MA, LCMHC. (828) 258-3229.
AUTOMOTIVE AUTOS FOR SALE MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE & NISSAN SENTRA Two cars, each ~160000 miles: '05 Mini Cooper S Convertible - perfect parkway cruiser, manual sports car- $5,800 AND '06 Nissan Sentra - efficient daily driver $2,600. 828-342-4116 or able.l.allen@gmail.com .
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689 (AAN CAN)
12 Oscar ___, star of “Inside Llewyn Davis” 14 Unit of courage?
edited by Will Shortz 15 Face card in a French deck 16 Principle of the type of activism practiced by 35-Across 18 Zoom, for one 19 Congressional district represented by 35-Across from 1987 to 2020 21 Live (together) 23 Outlaw 24 Starter course? 25 Heartless 27 Popular cryptocurrency 29 Do something 30 The “O” of A.O.C. 34 Years abroad 35 Civil rights icon who led a historic march from Selma to Montgomery on 3/7/1965 37 Japan’s largest lake, located NE of Kyoto 40 Like much avantgarde music 41 ___ Tomé and Príncipe
No. 0203
44 Flower that shares its name with a sea creature 46 Natural ability 48 Trickster 49 Sharp or flat, say 52 Those in favor 53 Group including 35-Across that protested the segregation of public buses 57 ___ card 58 Oxymoronic coinage of 35-Across 61 Impossible N.B.A. game outcome 62 Some succulents 63 Seat at a counter, maybe 64 Took a load off 65 Teri of “Tootsie” 66 “My mistake!”
DOWN 1 Balloon popper, perhaps 2 Grp. that brought Stephen Colbert to Baghdad
puzzle by Yacob Yonas 3 Do quickly, as an assignment 4 “Help!” 5 Signal as a conductor might 6 Actress ___ Deavere Smith 7 Secretly includes on an email 8 Deem appropriate 9 Sue who wrote the so-called “alphabet series” 10 Destiny’s Child or the Supremes 11 Sucks up, in a way 13 A.F.L.-___ 14 One of the sisters in Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” 17 Mercury or Venus, e.g. 20 Ancient Andeans 21 Classic TV brand 22 Elf’s foe in “The Lord of the Rings” 26 Can, in Canterbury 27 Common reply to “Cómo estás?” 28 Only state with a two-vowel postal code
31 Jackie of “Rush Hour” 32 Starting stake 33 ___-mo replay 35 Foxx of “Soul” 36 Sort 37 Butter and margarine, nutritionally speaking 38 Sluggishness 39 “No need to introduce us” 41 Utters a sound, informally 42 Nail, as a test 43 Green-lights
45 Pie in the face, e.g. 47 Popular Japanese manga series 49 #1 at McDonalds, maybe 50 Suits 51 First sitting prez to fly in an airplane 54 “Return of the Jedi” dancer 55 Secure, as a ship 56 Dawn goddess 59 Chop or crop 60 Chicago trains
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE B A B E
A G E D
R E U P
I O N S
J A N E F O N D A
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T W E R E
R E L A X
A C A R S C E A T H N S T O P S T L U M O N E R T H L M I P E R P A T A S F A O W T H S E A W D S
C O C O N S E C
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T I S R N H O N T E Y I A S P R C H S O O N W E A T E R E R I C E N O O E T F S U R F A N E U E Y
T U M M Y A C H E
A M P S
B E T O
S H E D
H E R S
G U A R D
I N C U R
E K E B Y
The
Sustainability
Series
CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2021
Exploring the landscape of sustainability in WNC in all four April issues of Mountain Xpress Contact us today! 828-251-1333 x1 advertise@mountainx.com MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 10-16, 2021
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