Mountain Xpress 04.10.24

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Over 85% of Asheville Police Department officers live outside city limits. Lack of affordable housing, says Police Chief Mike Lamb, is a key factor. Despite the majority of his staff’s commute, Lamb says APD is committed to community-focused policing. But what does it mean for Asheville when local law enforcement is priced out of the city they serve?

Fossil fuels aren’t the only problem

I agree with Richard Boyum that driving our cars less and burning less gasoline will help to reduce CO2 emissions and alleviate climate change [“Take Responsibility for Carbon Footprint,” March 27, Xpress].

However, I have recently learned that there is another source of these emissions which most people are not aware of. That is animal agriculture and factory farming, the large-scale production of animals for food.

These practices not only produce more greenhouse gas emissions than burning fossil fuels, they are also harmful to the environment in numerous other ways, such as the destruction of forests and the poisoning of waterways.

It turns out that the best thing we can do for the Earth is to reduce our consumption of meat, at least factory-farmed meat — which is most of the meat in our grocery stores — or eliminate it from our diets completely. This may be hard to accept, but do some research and check it out.

— Susan A. Stone Black Mountain

Haw Creek rezoning foes likely don’t have a chance

I’ve participated in many rezoning battles and have learned the hard way that some rezonings are “pre-decided” behind the scenes.

An Asheville resident (although not in Haw Creek), I have followed the Haw Creek rezoning effort because of the precedent it will set for lower-density neighborhoods.

The way the city has handled this rezoning points to one that was “greenlighted” by officials before the proposal ever reached the neighborhood. Here’s my basis for that view:

First, city staff approved the Residential Expansion District as the “appropriate” conditional rezoning mechanism, a gross misapplication.

Section 7-8-42, Residential Expansion, of the Asheville Code of Ordinances on development states: “It is intended that proposals in this district … be located near employment centers, shopping facilities, roads and other urban infrastructure capable of handling the demand generated by higher-density residential development.”

None of this is present in Haw Creek.

This district’s “design standards” require: “When a proposed project is located adjacent to residentially zoned areas, it should be compatible

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

with the immediate neighborhood context in the following ways: building scale, setback and relative height of structures.”

This project fails to meet those standards by any reasonable measure.

Tellingly, no “street view” drawings/depictions were provided that would show the buildings as seen from ground level, something present in virtually all development plans.

The missing street view is likely intentional insofar as the planned 35 town houses to the west of New Haw Creek Road will loom 60 feet tall as seen from the road, due to a 20-foot elevation rise of the land and the 40-foot building height.

The single-family residences to the east will present the first row of eight 40-foot-tall houses with narrow side setbacks and result in the visual equivalent of a 430-foot by 40-foot monolith as viewed 200 feet from the road.

The proposed scattered mixes of mainly smallish-sized deciduous trees are grossly insufficient to be an effective visual buffer.

Second, this “precedent-setting” rezoning has moved rapidly, beginning on Jan. 10 and continuing with the recent 4-3 approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission on March 20. That approval denied the neighborhood’s reasonable request for more time for compromise. That approval sets the stage for a final vote by City Council on April 23.

Third, this 27-acre parcel contains significant flood plain area. While the developer designs for this, they are using outdated (and already mistrusted) 2010 national flood

insurance maps (from the Federal Emergency Management Agency) for baseline conditions.

Those knowledgeable understand the federal government is “dragging their feet” on facing the reality of increased flooding and with respect to flood insurance. Because of this, the nonprofit First Street Foundation has built on existing FEMA flood maps to indicate the larger flood areas that will result from the heavier rainfall events from climate change.

The First Street flood maps show that some of the proposed single-family houses will likely flood in coming years. Also, the new access road will be flooded with as much as 3 feet of water.

Additionally, all of the new houses, driveways and roads will add 8 acres of impervious area that heretofore was almost zero, which will certainly exacerbate downstream flooding in the community.

I do believe this parcel should receive some level of development. However, greater density development in the Haw Creek neighborhood must be respectfully designed, including leaving some old-growth tree areas, effective visual shielding and more realistic assessment of flooding impacts.

Almost assuredly, Council’s approval will be a mixed vote (just like the 4-3 commission vote), which is a common “behind-the-scenes” strategy to stage some “show of concern.”

I hope that I am wrong with this view. The developer should never have been allowed to submit a conditional rezoning for this land under the Residential Expansion District

and waste substantial time and energy of the Haw Creek neighborhood.

— Mike Rains Asheville

Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx. com.

Zoning can promote intergenerational benefits

[ Regarding “Panel Promotes Collaboration for Missing Middle Housing Reform,” April 3, Xpress:]

Zoning changes to encourage multifamily/multigenerational occupancy serve the economic and social needs of older and younger adult residents in particular.

Older residents may be living uncomfortably in houses that are too big or too expensive or too isolated for them to sustain. Younger adults may be seeking affordable housing with opportunities to exchange in-kind services to reduce rent payments or simply to be able to afford to live in stable, safe communities close to employment and schools.

Nontraditional housing arrangements, such as home sharing, co-housing, accessory dwelling units and other models, foster age-integrated communities with social, economic, health and safety benefits for all residents.

Age-integrated communities are more economically stable and socially viable than pockets of older and newer housing. Age integration builds social connection and increases citizen engagement, both of which improve individual health and perceived well-being.

— Meridith Miller Asheville

A history of embracing challenge

I very much enjoyed Tricia Chan’s article about “how tackling hard things benefits us all” [“In Defense of Challenge: How Tackling Hard Things Benefits Us All,” March 20, Xpress].

Her approach emulates that of another leader who challenged us — President John F. Kennedy. In a speech at Rice University over 60 years ago (Sept. 12, 1962), Kennedy succinctly stated the rationale for pursuing the Apollo program. “We choose to go the moon. We choose to go the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

I hope we continue to find, face and overcome challenges as individuals and as communities.

— Gary Lazich Weaverville

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

City Council should get priorities straight

I’m having problems digesting the news from the other day on not enough room for the homeless children here and asking/begging for foster parents.

So a few months ago, the city approved a downtown public loo that will cost more than $400,000. They have their priorities totally wrong. Our children are our/their first priority and not a public loo, which will probably not be used by the tourists but by the homeless folks who hang out in the area.

This is not the only problem with the City Council. The city should be doing preventive maintenance on their buildings to help with costly repairs. “Spend a little, save a lot” goes a long way. Not sure about this one, but I think they spend more on advertising about the area than actually doing something to help and maintain the area. Their priorities need to be looked at and need adjusting.

If you ruin our children’s lives now, then they are ruined for life and probably will be nonproductive when they get older, plus be a burden on our society.

Time for the Council to change its priorities and start to act smarter and actually help the city the smart way.

— Leonard Nickerson Swannanoa

It’s time to get money out of politics

The Foreign Agents Registration Act is a law that requires all foreign countries/agents engaged in influence-peddling our government to register with the Department of Justice. But many are unaware this law exists, since a majority of our representatives in Congress receive donations from several pro-Israel groups, including from one of the most influential pro-Israel lobby groups, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Turns out that AIPAC, which is not registered as a foreign agent with the DOJ, has been able to thwart FARA’s oversight by identifying itself as an “American organization lobbying for Americans.” In essence, this means that AIPAC can legally engage in lobbying and, in some cases, can donate directly to campaigns without any oversight from the DOJ.

And that influence hits close to home.

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis has received $270,656 and U.S. Sen. Ted Budd has received $159,035 from pro-Israel groups, according to opensecrets.org.

On Feb. 6, the House voted on the H.R. 7217 bill seeking $17.6 billion in more aid to Israel. While the vote was 250 in favor and 180 against, the House used a procedure that required two-thirds support, so it didn’t pass.

Congressman Chuck Edwards, R-11th District, is a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, one of the most influential committees because its job is to, along with the Senate, control the country’s purse strings. Edwards voted yes for the bill.

No surprise there, since Edwards has received over $33,000 during his first term from pro-Israel groups, including $10,000 from AIPAC. Despite the measure failing, Edwards promised that he was already planning on submitting a bill that only required a simple majority.

It is incumbent upon those in power to analyze carefully whether or not they are shaping policy that is in the best interests of the country. This may mean giving up unyielding support to any foreign country that wields such immense pressure and influence over U.S. policy as Israel does. A country that, along with U.S. support, is engaged in a plausible genocide.

Money talks. While some claim they support Israel on ideological grounds, money makes it more difficult to evaluate what is truly motivating one’s motives and actions. For the sake of our facade of a democracy, it is long past time to get money out of politics.

— Noreen Nickolas Burnsville

Beware of infected ticks

Tick-borne disease numbers are rising. Remember to take tweezers in a baggie in your pocket while hiking or just walking through one of our beautiful parks. If you see one attached, never touch it with your fingers; if you have a small, cut you can get Lyme disease.

If you have an oak tree in your yard, they are tick magnets, so spray your doormats. They attract squirrels and small critters that carry ticks.

Send the tick out to be tested; never let a doctor throw that tick out. This disease could cause you to be suicidal and have to go on disability because you can’t think. It gives you dyslexia, and your life slowly dies before your eyes. It breaks up marriages and destroys families.

I just read that Newsweek has an article out now describing this horror. See “The Quiet Epidemic” and please ask your representatives and senators to give North Carolina free tick testing, an accurate tick count and education in the schools.

Insurance does not cover chronic Lyme. It’s very expensive annually just to survive, and there is not an accurate Lyme test.

— Jan Dooley

High times in the ’70s

BY JERRY STERNBERG

Back in the ’70s, I lived in what was known as Seely’s Castle up on Town Mountain Road. This awesome architectural wonder, sitting right in the center of our community, featured huge rooms that were perfect for hosting charitable fundraisers. And of course everyone wanted to tour the castle, which helped boost attendance at those events.

In a previous installment in this series, I wrote about my trip to Israel immediately after the 1967 war and my momentary local celebrity afterward. At our annual party that year, one of my friends showed up, as a gag, dressed as Moshe Dyan, in full Israeli military garb and sporting the famous general’s iconic black eye patch. Needless to say, he was quite a sensation.

FROM ISRAEL TO ASHEVILLE

I mention this because it makes an interesting segue to the next recol-

lections. At that time, Yitzhak Rabin, another famous Israeli general in the Six-Day War, was serving as his country’s ambassador to the United States. And in around 1972, he came to Asheville to participate in an international conference at UNC Asheville.

The Jewish community never missed an opportunity to hold a fundraiser: Rabin was invited to speak, and we hosted it at the castle.

The day before, the Mossad (the Israeli secret service) scrutinized every nook and cranny and even crawled through the tunnels underneath the castle to eliminate any possibility of an assassin or a bomb on the premises. For the next 24 hours, we had armed agents guarding the gate and the driveway, and lookouts toting automatic weapons were posted on the roof.

The event went off without a hitch. The ambassador proved to be a rather soft-spoken, stoic personality, but he was absolutely astounded by the castle’s beauty and architecture.

After Rabin completed his presen-

tation, however, I had one more surprise for him. I handed him some notes written in Hebrew and asked him if he recognized the handwriting. He said that they were his notes and asked me where I’d gotten them.

I explained that I had been in Israel at the end of the ’67 war on a United Jewish Appeal mission and that he had made a presentation to our group on the battlefield. Afterward, Rabin had discarded the notes, and I picked them up and brought them home as a souvenir.

He went back to Israel, served two terms as prime minister and was well on the way to helping craft a Middle East peace plan when he was assassinated by a right-wing Jewish zealot in 1995.

A MEMORABLE VISIT

In the early ’70s, my oldest daughter, a social worker, moved to Israel to assist immigrants who had settled there after being driven out of Morocco because they were Jews.

In the course of her work, she became particularly engaged with a poor Moroccan family who were living in cramped quarters in a tiny house. There were five or six children, and one of the boys, whose name was Shmuel Siso, had just finished his army service and wanted to make a short visit to the U.S. before starting college. My daughter asked if he could stay with us at the castle for a few weeks, emphasizing that he was a very special young person. I agreed, and Shmuel came to visit.

He was a skinny little dark-skinned young man with an extremely engaging smile and a million-dollar personality. Siso, as we took to calling him, was amazed by the size of the castle,

JERRY

“Lookouts toting automatic weapons were posted on the roof.”

which had bedrooms that were bigger than the house he’d grown up in.

He immediately charmed our beloved housekeeper, “Miz Beulah,” who promptly took the visitor under her wing. I would guess that he had never seen or at least engaged with a Black person before, but they became great friends.

He had boundless energy and loved to help Miz Beulah with her housework while they watched soap operas on TV.

Shortly after he came to us, Siso asked me if I could help find him a job so that he could earn some money in order to extend his tour across the United States. I asked him if he had any skills, and he said that in the

STERNBERG

army, his specialty was explosives, so if someone needed something blown up, he was just the man for the job.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know any such person, but I did know a woman who ran a very popular restaurant on Tunnel Road, and she said she could use a dishwasher.

Siso jumped at the opportunity, and he quickly became a celebrity. His fellow workers loved him, but they couldn’t pronounce his name, so everyone just called him “Seesaw.”

The owner of the restaurant was delighted with Siso, took him out at every opportunity and proudly introduced him to all her customers. Among them were some influential politicians. They, too, were completely charmed by this unusual MoroccanJewish boy with such a winning personality. Siso eventually went back to Israel, finished college and law school, got involved in politics and became mayor of Kiryat Yam, the seaside town where he grew up. He distinguished himself as mayor and was appointed Israeli consul general to New York and Puerto Rico.

RETURNING THE FAVOR

In 2004, I was going to be in the New York area, and Siso invited me to be his guest at the embassy residence. It was all so impressive: His chauffeur-driven limousine picked me up at the airport, and we spent two days exploring New York.

It just so happened that on the Sunday I was there, there was a Puerto Rican celebration, and Siso was taking part in it in his official capacity. We walked several blocks in the parade, and he knew and was recognized by various celebrities and politicians. Perhaps the most memorable were the boxing promoter Don King in his eye-catching convertible, and Hillary Clinton, who graciously visited with me and had great praise for Asheville and Western North Carolina.

But I still shake my head in wonder, thinking about how this scrawny little Moroccan kid — whose life journey improbably brought him through Asheville and who briefly became “family” to me — wound up holding such an important position and affecting the lives of Israelis and Americans alike.

Asheville native Jerry Sternberg, a longtime observer of the local scene, can be reached at gospeljerry@aol. com. An anthology of his columns is available from Pisgah Legal Services for a donation of $25 or more. To order your copy, visit pisgahlegal.org/jerry, or send a check labeled “Jerry’s book” to: PLS, P.O. Box 2276, Asheville NC 28802. All proceeds support the nonprofit’s work. X

No News Is Bad News: Why We Need Local Journalism More Than Ever

Local news is in crisis nationwide — even as the need for reliable news has never been greater. Join our panel of local news leaders for a lively discussion of issues important to the local media scene, including a shrinking news industry, “fake news,” AI-generated stories, changing technologies, the challenges of covering local government and businesses, and much more.

PUBLIC FORUM AND PANEL DISCUSSION

Wednesday, April 17, 6:30-8 p.m. Ferguson Auditorium on the A-B Tech Campus (off of 340 Victoria Road) Free. Registration required. RSVP at avl.mx/dkp

Priced out Police officers struggle to afford Asheville addresses

BY BROOKE RANDLE

The days of living next to a local police officer, with his or her presence adding a layer of safety and community, are mostly over in Asheville.

Today, 86% of Asheville police officers live outside city limits, according to Asheville Police Department spokesperson Samantha Booth According to APD policy, officers are not required to reside within the city limits but must live within a 45-mile radius of 60 Court Plaza, the City Hall complex.

Booth says that officers live all around Buncombe County and beyond, including Hendersonville, Morganton and Flat Rock. Some commute from as far away as Etowa and Nebo, with the farthest APD officer living more than 30 miles away, she says.

Only 23 of 163 APD officers live within the city limits, and of those, only eight own a home while the other 15 rent an apartment.

While some officers may choose to live outside Asheville for several reasons, Asheville Police Chief Mike Lamb sees affordability within the city as a driving factor for many in the department.

“I believe it’s mainly just because of the cost of living within the city,” says Lamb. “It’s difficult for officers, given their salary and their rate of pay, to be able to afford a home in the city that they serve.”

Those calling for reform emphasize community-focused policing as a way for officers to build and sustain relationships within the neighborhoods they serve. But what does it mean for Asheville when local law enforcement is priced out of the city?

HOUSING CRUNCH: Only 23 of 163 Asheville Police Department officers live within the city limits, and of those, only eight own a home. While some officers may choose to live outside Asheville for a number of reasons, Asheville Police Chief Mike Lamb sees affordability as a driving factor for many officers. Photo courtesy of APD

COST-BURDENED

Chief Lamb, who has been with APD since 1998, says that when he first started at the department, he moonlighted as a courtesy officer at the Haw Creek Mews apartments in East Asheville, which allowed him to save money to eventually buy land and build a home.

“An apartment complex will contract with a police officer to do a variety of things, like nighttime checks, maybe even lock up a swimming pool or handle any nuisance complaints,” Lamb explains. “In doing those services, officers get a reduced rate of rent. That’s what I was able to take advantage of in 1998.”

While courtesy officer opportunities still exist, Asheville’s housing market has changed dramatically since the late ’90s. As of December, the median home sale price in Asheville was $455,250, representing a 7.9% increase from one year prior.

“There’s a lot of people who want to live here,” Lamb acknowledges. “People that want to move here in order to escape all the severe weather that’s happening [around the country] but also, Asheville is a nice town nestled in the mountains with a lot of attractions, and that’s keeping our housing rates up.”

Lamb says that Asheville’s housing market has been a barrier to replenishing APD’s force, which is

still down 35%-40% of its staff on any given day. He says that housing in Asheville has caused some officers to leave the department for more affordable cities within the state and made recruitment from other cities a challenge.

He recalls a recent experience in which a would-be APD officer who would have relocated from Greensboro rescinded her acceptance due to Asheville’s lack of affordable housing.

“She submitted her application, she was in the final stages of being hired. And then she started looking for apartments in Asheville to rent. And she just couldn’t find one that she could afford,” Lamb explains. “So she had to withdraw her application.”

BUDGET REALITIES

In 2023, Asheville City Council approved a 6% raise for sworn officers, bringing base pay for new hires to $47,461, or roughly $22.82 per hour, as well as extra compensation for holding an intermediate law enforcement certification, working night shifts or being on call. Asheville’s living wage, the amount that a single person working full time in Buncombe County needs to make to afford basic expenses, is currently $22.10 per hour, as calculated by Just Economics of Western North Carolina.

Fair-market rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Buncombe County in 2024 is $1,496 a month, compared with $1,298 just last year, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That soaks up 37% of a beginning officer’s gross pay.

Lamb says that last year’s salary increases were crucial for the department to continue recruiting officers and to increase morale. But at this year’s Asheville City Council retreat, Finance Director Tony McDowell warned that city expenses are projected to outpace revenues starting in fiscal year 2025, which will make boosting pay challenging.

Responding to an Xpress request for comment, Council member Kim Roney says that the city “absolutely” needs additional investments in officer pay in the upcoming fiscal year.

“What the high number of officers living outside of Asheville tells me is that our entry-level staff and officers, especially those with fami-

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS: While a majority of Asheville police officers live outside the city limits, Asheville Police Department Chief Mike Lamb, second from left, maintains that the department is committed to community policing through ongoing events and outreach efforts, such as Coffee With A Cop.

lies, can’t afford to live in Buncombe County, much less in city limits,” Roney writes in a March 22 email. “I continue to press the city to ensure living wages in every department — including first responders — so we can recruit and retain the best staff and so they can afford to live in the communities they serve.”

Council member Sage Turner adds that nearly half of Buncombe County residents are “cost-burdened,” meaning that they pay more than 30% of their income on housing.

“Housing inventory, topography, transportation options and wages have not kept up with the demand in Asheville. We need to get more creative with housing programs and types if we want more officers to live in the city,” Turner tells Xpress. “We need to continue to target our wage goals. The department also has granular needs, like increased overtime pay for certain shifts.”

Both Turner and Roney are up for reelection this fall. Mayor Esther Maheimer and Council members Sheneika Smith, Antanette Mosley, Maggie Ullman and Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding officer pay and housing ahead of press time.

Meanwhile, City Manager Debra Campbell gave a general statement regarding officer pay and Asheville’s affordability concerns and noted that the city is working to identify barriers to adding missing middle housing, among other housing initiatives.

Honor Moor, who co-chairs the Asheville Coalition for Public Safety,

an APD advocacy group that helped push for pay raises for police last year, says that the group plans to again lobby for higher wages during this year’s budget season.

“We’re going to continue to advocate for raising entry-level salaries to reflect an equitable salary that is seen in other cities our size,” says Moor. “I see this to be a long-term challenge for the City of Asheville. If they don’t prioritize a significant increase for entry-level workers, we’re not going to be able to cultivate and get our staffing levels up where they should be.”

“I would definitely like to see another increase just to keep us competitive,” adds Lamb. “But we also know that we’re one department in a whole city and that [Council members] have to consider all the salary and benefits for all city employees.”

Council will hear a presentation of the city manager’s proposed budget at the regular Council meeting Tuesday, May 14. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 28, with the vote on the final budget adoption expected Tuesday, June 11.

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

Meanwhile, some local business owners are taking it upon themselves to be a part of APD’s housing solutions.

Anthony Coggiola and his wife, Sherrye, own the downtown restaurant Mayfels and The Cantina in

Photo courtesy of APD

Biltmore Village. Coggiola says that some of the most underpaid professions — police officers, firefighters and teachers — are among the most important to any community.

“When you look at first responders, when you look at school nurses, when you look at fire or police, they’re committed to a life of service. They’re not going to get wealthy money-wise from that work. Their passion is to serve,” Coggiola maintains. “So, why shouldn’t we, as the business community, try to see what we can do to ease their burden and allow them to live in the neighborhoods that they serve?”

Coggiola says he has been working with eight local investors and developers who have expressed interest in creating privately funded workforce housing for not only police officers and other first responders but also teachers, service industry workers and other vital professionals who often struggle to live within the city.

The Coggiolas remodeled homes in Asheville and offered them to some of their restaurant managers at a reduced rate.

“[Managers] have to come in frequently — sometimes the truck gets delivered

late, or different things come up — and they’ve got to drive downtown. So we see this as an advantage. And so not only do they get a salary, but part of their package is a housing option,” he explains.

“We know it’s a good investment when we lower that gateway of entry to housing. So, we’re already putting our money where our mouth is.”

Coggiola says the same method could be used to create workforce housing that could potentially impact “hundreds” of workers without any financial investment from local governments.

“Maybe the return on that investment isn’t outrageously great. But we have to have safer communities,” Coggiola says. “So, are we willing to sacrifice a little bit of our return on investment, to do housing for these critical folks that make our community safer and more secure? And that answer to me is ‘Absolutely, yes.’”

Coggiola says he’s been in talks with both city and county leaders, as well as APD. While the proposal is “no longer in its infancy,” he and others are still working out the details.

“We have investors in the real estate community, and they’re looking at it really hard. We’ve demonstrated through some of the things that we’ve tested it

out,” he explains. “What what we need is a groundswell of support to say, ‘This is the direction that we want to go now.’”

COMMUNITY MINDSET

Council members Turner and Roney say officers living within the city that they serve are important in building and maintaining relationships and vital to the city’s stated goal of reimaging public safety.

“Commuting long distances means increased cost of transportation and more time away from family, but it also means Asheville’s less likely to have the accountability of relationships by being in community — going to the grocery store together and our kids learning at school together,” Roney says.

“It would be wonderful to have more officers living in and owning homes in the city,” adds Turner. “Officers that reside in the community they serve know their neighbors, their grocery clerks and parking lots, their partner services, teachers, bus drivers, etc. Their kids go to school together, play sports, and build community.”

Chief Lamb echoes that sentiment, saying, “When we have stronger rela-

tionships within the community, we have stronger trust between the community and police.”

But he also emphasizes that community policing is a mindset more than a geographical location. APD officers have ample opportunities to interact with the public through community events and outreach efforts. One such event is Coffee with a Cop, in which community members have the opportunity to meet Asheville’s law enforcement, share concerns and get to know officers on a first-name basis.

Despite Asheville’s affordability issues, Lamb says recruiting is getting better, particularly in attracting candidates from other police departments. He says that from 2017 to May 2023, the department only had two lateral hires. But since May, the department has had five lateral transfers, with three more that are being finalized.

Lamb says that is a sign that officers feel that working for APD is worth making the drive.

“We have a great internal culture, and we’re also starting to see a strong supportive culture within the community as well,” he says. X

Sustaining community

A conversation with local candidate Jennifer Horton

Editor’s note: As part of Xpress’ monthlong Sustainability Series, we reached out to all candidates running for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners as well as Asheville City Council. These conversations will appear throughout our four April issues.

Jennifer Horton, a lifelong resident of Buncombe County, is a registered nurse who manages residential family and elder care homes across the community. Horton, a Democrat, is running against fellow first-time candidate Paul Benjamin for the open District 1 seat.

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Commissioners vote on policies related to property taxes, zoning, education and more.

Xpress: What misconceptions do community members have about the role of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners?

Horton: While it’s understandable that some may perceive the role of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners as merely administrative, the truth is far more impactful. Commissioners are tasked with making critical decisions that directly influence our daily lives in profound ways. These decisions encompass vital aspects of community welfare, ranging from allocating funds for essential services like law enforcement, infrastructure development and supporting vulnerable populations to overseeing county employees. In essence, the Board of Commissioners plays a pivotal role in shaping the socioeconomic landscape of our county, ensur-

ing the well-being and thriving of all residents.

What can local leaders do to promote thoughtful community dialogue about complex and difficult topics such as the opioid crisis, crime, housing and health care?

Local leaders play a crucial role in fostering open and constructive dialogue within communities, especially when addressing challenging issues such as the opioid crisis, crime, housing and health care. They can facilitate discussions through community meetings, forums and town halls, providing a platform for residents to voice their concerns and share their experiences.

To ensure productive conversations, it’s essential for local leaders to provide accurate information and expertise on the topics being discussed. They can invite professionals, advocates and community leaders to these meetings to offer insights and guidance. By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, communities can gain a deeper understanding of the issues at hand and explore potential solutions collaboratively.

By fostering an environment of open communication and mutual respect, local leaders can empower residents to play an active role in finding solutions to pressing issues. Together, we can work toward creating safer, healthier and more resilient communities.

What can the city and county do to help small businesses thrive?

The city and county can undertake various initiatives to create an environment conducive to their success.

Firstly, simplifying bureaucratic processes and reducing red tape can streamline the process of obtaining permits and licenses, making it easier for entrepreneurs to navigate regulatory requirements. Aspiring business owners can access information and guidance more efficiently by offering online portals or dedicated assistance centers.

Providing affordable workspace options, such as shared coworking spaces or business incubators, can significantly lower overhead costs for startups and small businesses. These spaces not only offer affordable rent but also foster a collaborative environment where entrepreneurs can network, share ideas and access resources.

Financial assistance programs, grants or low-interest loans can further incentivize entrepreneurship and provide much-needed capital for business development

and expansion. Additionally, mentorship programs connecting experienced business owners with newcomers can offer valuable guidance and support, helping them navigate challenges and avoid common pitfalls.

In your opinion, is it sustainable to operate two school districts?

Why or why not?

Combining the school districts has the potential to streamline administrative processes, reduce redundancy and save costs. It also allows for a more equitable distribution of resources, ensuring that every school has access to the necessary funding, staff and materials to provide a quality education. Shared services, such as transportation and maintenance, can be more efficiently managed, optimizing resources across the entire district.

Moreover, a unified district offers increased flexibility in staffing and program offerings, enabling schools to adapt more readily to changing educational needs and trends. Collaboration among teachers and administrators is also enhanced within a single district, fostering the sharing of best practices and resources to benefit all students.

While these efficiencies could improve student support, it’s essential to carefully consider the potential impacts on students and families. Any decision regarding school district consolidation must prioritize the student’s well-being and academic success above all else.

To learn more about Horton, visit avl.mx/dj7.

— Xpress Staff X

JENNIFER HORTON

Overcrowded

BY ANDREW R. JONES AN ASHEVILLE WATCHDOG REPORT

Buncombe

County seeks to join

N.C. Attorney General’s HCA lawsuit bark@avlwatchdog.org

Buncombe County has proposed to join N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein’s lawsuit against HCA Healthcare and Mission Health, seeking millions of dollars in damages for what it describes as excessive wait times and extra work for its emergency services crews when they transport patients to the hospital.

Buncombe filed a motion to intervene in Stein’s case April 3, alleging that, in effect, the hospital has relied on EMS to provide care because it has inadequately staffed its emergency department, leading to overcrowding. It seeks more than $3 million in damages from HCA and Mission.

“We owe it to the taxpayers to try to recoup that money, anything we could do to send a message to HCA to comply with their asset purchase agreement,” County Attorney Michael Frue told Asheville Watchdog. “They need to comply with that. And not only that, they need to bring their services up to standard as is set out in the AG’s complaint and our complaint. They owe it to the community to provide the best service possible and not to cut corners.”

In its filing in Buncombe County Superior Court and N.C. Business Court, the county cited Stein’s statement in his December lawsuit that “HCA has co-opted paramedics as employees of its own but stuck the taxpayers with the bill.”

Mission Health spokesperson Nancy Lindell responded to the county’s action, saying, “We’ve received the motion, and we will

OVERCROWDING: Buncombe County filed a motion to intervene in N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein’s case, alleging that, in effect, Mission Hospital has relied on EMS to provide care because the hospital has inadequately staffed its emergency department, leading to overcrowding. Photo by Jennifer Castillo

continue to defend the lawsuit vigorously.”

“The safety of our community members is a priority, and it is important that we ensure that our Buncombe County EMS will be able to provide their services effectively and not have extended wait times at the HCA emergency department,” said Buncombe County Commissioner Terri Wells . “We must hold HCA accountable.”

Commissioners were briefed on the possibility of joining Stein’s lawsuit before he filed it in December, Frue said.

“Defendants (HCA and affiliated entities managing Mission) intentionally understaffed the Mission ER so that Buncombe County’s EMS crews often experienced excessive wait times to transfer patients to the Mission ER, requiring EMS personnel to attend to emergency room patients long after arriving at the Mission ER,” Buncombe’s intervention complaint states. “Defendants continued to shirk their responsibility to emergency care patients at the expense of the County.”

EMS workers not only have spent hours with patients waiting to be

admitted, according to the complaint, but they also have performed housekeeping duties, carried out orderly services and continued to treat patients — things they would not have had to do absent significant delays and a crowded emergency department.

“Overcrowding exists because the management of HCA refuses to staff and equip the Mission ER adequately,” Buncombe’s complaint states. “Overcrowding is enhanced by management admission policies which ensure the emergency department

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Citing data from its own emergency medical services records, the county said EMS crews’ average wait time at the Mission ER increased from approximately 9 minutes and 41 seconds in the first quarter of 2020 to 17 minutes and 41 seconds in the third quarter of 2023. HCA purchased Mission in 2019.

“Concurrently, ‘90th percentile times’ — the time in which 90% of EMS-to-ER patient transfers occur — increased from approximately 16 minutes to over 32 minutes,” Buncombe’s complaint states. “These 90th percentile times far exceed the 20-minute national standard reported by the National Emergency Medical Services Information System.”

The Citizen Times first reported these extensive wait times in a July 2023 investigation. In 2018, 4.4% of “wall times” — periods in which an EMS crew stands against a hospital wall with a patient who is waiting to be admitted — “exceeded 20 minutes for Buncombe County that year a total of four patients waited on the wall for more than an hour,” the Citizen Times reported. “In the second quarter of 2023, 24% of wall times exceeded 20 minutes in the county. During that time, 104 patients waited on the wall for more than an hour.”

Buncombe alleged in its motion that these “substantial increases” in EMS wait times happened even though the county and EMS employees have been demanding better emergency department conditions since 2019. EMS crews over the years have spent hours waiting to return to their vehicles because rooms were not available at Mission or because rooms were not clean yet, according to the county’s complaint.

According to Buncombe’s complaint, the county previously demanded HCA reimburse it for “expenses and damages incurred as a result of its actions.”

Buncombe did not “receive the courtesy of a reply,” the complaint states.

Stein, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, investigated Mission Hospital throughout 2023 and announced Dec. 14 that his office was suing HCA and the hospital’s management, contending they had violated the asset purchase agreement regarding cancer care and emergency services at Mission Hospital. That agreement was signed when Nashville-based HCA bought Mission Health for $1.5 billion. HCA countered in February that it never committed to providing qual-

ity health care and that the asset purchase agreement — the legal document governing the sale — is “silent as to the quantity or quality of services required” at Mission.

Stein’s office declined to comment.

On April 1, Stein moved to file an amended complaint, a new version of his lawsuit containing arguments based on events that occurred at Mission since December, including immediate jeopardy sanctions levied by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services against HCA and Mission after a recent investigation found numerous deficiencies in care and HCA’s management of the hospital.

In February, The Watchdog was the first to report on CMS’ findings, contained in a 384-page agency report, that detailed significant delays and lapses of care in the emergency department and other areas. The report detailed how some patients had to wait with EMS for hours until receiving treatment.

“In July 2023, EMS waited over two hours with a patient who needed an appendectomy,” Stein’s proposed amended complaint states. “In October 2023, EMS waited almost two hours to hand off a patient presenting with stroke symptoms. Even then, EMS handed off the patient to the ICU; the emergency department never accepted the patient.”

The July 2023 incident — involving a 41-year-old woman referred to by CMS as Patient #12 — was detailed in the 384-page report made public in February. Her experience was one of at least 15 recounted in the report, which showed exactly what incidents violated federal standards of care.

Stein’s amended complaint also cites the death of a 66-year-old man who came into the emergency department with chest pain, did not get immediate treatment and died hours later, a case detailed in CMS’ report. CMS found that the hospital had violated the federal Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act by delaying triage and medical screening for the man.

Many nurses interviewed in the CMS report said lack of staff was to blame for these and other incidents.

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County.

Andrew R. Jones is a Watchdog investigative reporter. Email arjones@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service, go to avlwatchdog.org/donate.

Lunch & Learn

KNOWLEDGE IS ON THE MENU

TUESDAY, APRIL 30TH FROM 11-1 PM

Rethinking retirement has never been easier. Come enjoy a presentation about Givens Gerber Park: a more affordable rental retirement option (55+) and enjoy lunch on us. Monthly fees are all-inclusive based on income. RSVP required.

Artist credit: Jennifer Sharkey

Sustaining community

A conversation with local candidate Paul Benjamin

Editor’s note: As part of Xpress’ monthlong Sustainability Series, we reached out to all candidates running for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners as well as Asheville City Council. These conversations will appear throughout our four April issues.

Paul Benjamin has many titles: life coach, international consultant, preacher, mentor and author. Come November, the Republican is hoping to add commissioner to the list. Benjamin is running against fellow first-time candidate Jennifer Horton for the open District 1 seat.

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Commissioners vote on policies related to property taxes, zoning, education and more.

Xpress: What misconceptions do community members have about the role of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners?

Benjamin: Most people say they don’t know the role or function of county commissioners. Some believe their responsibility is to raise taxes and establish ordinances to govern the county.

What can local leaders do to promote thoughtful community dialogue about complex and difficult topics such as the opioid crisis, crime, housing and health care?

Leaders should facilitate and collaborate with practitioners in the community on practical solutions to address these pressing issues in our community. Some key deterrents that hinder a comprehensive solution are who will control the money, which organization will be the fiscal agent and the methodology to mitigate the problems.

What can the city and county do to help small businesses thrive?

The government needs to reduce the taxes and burdensome regulations on families who operate businesses to support their families. Since the police department was defunded, criminals have no fear of being imprisoned for their crimes, vandalism of businesses and terrorizing paying customers. People fear patronizing local businesses because of concerns

BENJAMIN

about being carjacked or accosted while enjoying a meal. Local merchants and the tourist industry are impacted financially. [Editor’s note:

In 2020, City Council cut Asheville Police funding by $770,000. That same year, Buncombe County increased its funding for the Sheriff’s Office by 3.5%.

Following its 2020 decision, the city has increased funding for APD, including a 6% raise for sworn officers in its 2023-24 budget.]

In your opinion, is it sustainable to operate two school districts?

Why or why not?

With the post-COVID exodus of parents withdrawing their children from the public school system after being disillusioned with the sexually explicit curriculum and violence on campus, a wise person sees what is coming and makes preparations for it. It would be wise to carefully explore the options and feasibility of consolidating certain districts to stop wasting taxpayers’ money.

To learn more about Benjamin, visit avl.mx/dj6.

PAUL

Champions

BY LAURA HACKETT BLUE RIDGE PUBLIC RADIO

When the Cherokee Lady Braves clinched the 1A state title for high school women’s basketball, it was bigger than the team.

“We felt like we were bringing something that the whole nation had fought for,” Lady Braves coach Ann Gardner said, referring to the Eastern Band of Cherokee. “These girls don’t just play for themselves. They play for all of those that are around them and all those that have come before them … for their love of their nation, the love for their tribe, the love for their elders.”

The championship game was a larger-than-life community affair. The team represents the only high school on the Qualla Boundary, the home of the federally recognized tribe of the Eastern Band of Cherokee.

For junior forward Kyla Moore, their bond transcends what you’d see on a typical sports team.

“Just going back to the Trail of Tears … we are one. We were united as one. We do everything together. We travel together. We support one another. We’re just always there,” she said. “And there’s not really, you know, like any other way to describe it except we’re going to be there for one another.”

Hundreds of Cherokee residents piled into buses to pack the stands in Winston-Salem on game day, hoping for the first championship win since the Lady Braves took home the title in 1996. Those who couldn’t make the trip watched a livestream of the game at the local movie theater or at one of the several local restaurants screening it.

Professional athletes cheered the Lady Braves along. Former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis sent the squad a video pep talk, and retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal celebrated the team’s state title in an Instagram post.

The Lady Braves’ victory was resounding. The team handled the East Columbus Gators 74-32 in the March 15 contest at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem. The game, like several Lady Braves’ contests this season, ended with a running clock, something that only happens if a team leads by 40 or more points.

The Lady Braves returned to the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina after the win to a hero’s

Cherokee Lady Braves basketball team wins state title

welcome. Cheering crowds formed a parade through the center of town with banners and signs while players carried trophies and medals around their necks.

Weeks later, the glow of victory persists. Handmade signs and posters cheering on the team remain hung up around town — at local businesses and in the street.

Moore said that her favorite Mexican restaurant got a new paint job to match the Lady Braves’ team colors of gold and maroon.

“It’s pretty cool,” Moore said. “It just reminds us that, oh, we actually accomplished this.”

For many of the players, this year’s title is a culmination of more than a decade of teamwork.

“This is a very special group of young ladies,” Gardner said. “They have played together since they were in peewees, the majority of them, and they have adopted their style of play from a very young age and have been able to foster that through their high school days.”

The Lady Braves got a special boost from the 1996 championship team, with two former players, Peaches Squirrell and Caroline Hyatt, offering coaching support.

“[Hyatt] told us in the locker room that we were one of the elite Lady

Braves, and it’s just crazy that there’s only two teams in this whole world that have won a state championship as a Lady Brave,” freshman point guard Daisee Fourkiller-Raby said.

Now, Fourkiller-Raby and her teammates see their roles as inspiration for future Lady Braves.

“A lot of these girls grew up looking at the older Lady Braves, and now they’re the ones being looked up to,” Gardner said.

Cherokee isn’t the only place the team is making a permanent mark.

Coach Gardner promised her players she would get a tattoo — her first

Feeling like you paid too much in taxes this year?

— if they won the state championship. One of the players is designing the tattoo image, Gardner said.

“It’s a picture of all of the girls and their championship holding their posters and all that,” Gardner explained. “It’s really, really magnificent; it’s some fantastic work, but I said it was a little large for this go-around.”

A tattoo is a big commitment, Gardner acknowledged, but she said she’s proud to do it.

“These girls have touched my life. And I would wear it proudly, for sure,” she said. X

SLAM DUNK: The Lady Braves won a state championship for the first time since 1996. Photo courtesy of Ann Gardner

Sustaining community

A conversation with local candidate Terri Wells

Editor’s note: As part of Xpress’ monthlong Sustainability Series, we reached out to all candidates running for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners as well as Asheville City Council. These conversations will appear throughout our four April issues.

Commissioner Terri Wells is seeking reelection in 2024, representing the newly drawn District 2. Wells is a ninth-generation Western North Carolina farmer with experience in public education. On her campaign website, she touts her accomplishments in connecting rural communities with high-speed broadband internet, conserving natural resources and championing public schools. Wells, a Democrat, will be running against unaffiliated candidate Bruce O’Connell

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Commissioners vote on policies related to property taxes, zoning, education and more.

Xpress: What misconceptions do community members have about the role of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners?

Wells: Plenty! Thanks for asking. The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is a separate enti-

ty from the Asheville City Council and other local municipalities. Our ordinances impact the unincorporated areas of the county. We do not manage water, sewer or roads. We do, however, prioritize working with our partners to ensure that we are planning for our future infrastructure needs. We set the property tax rate and approve the annual budget that prioritizes county services. More than 70% of our general fund budget goes to our schools, public safety, and health and human services. The decisions we make not only impact the daily lives of our community members but the overall direction that our county will take over the next decade. With my leadership, we are on track to conserve more than 20% of our land, specifically prioritizing our working-family farms to ensure we have a healthy, local food supply.

What can local leaders do to promote thoughtful community dialogue about complex and difficult topics such as the opioid crisis, crime, housing and health care?

It’s pretty simple. Leaders need to listen more and talk less. Leaders need to meet with and listen to community members in order to understand the different views about the issues of our community. This is what I have been doing for four

years. I seek community discussion by offering community events across the county, with recent events in Candler, Leicester and Swannanoa. I welcome everyone, especially those who may have a different opinion because I want to understand where they are coming from as well. I encourage everyone to remember that we all come to these conversations from our different backgrounds, and we can all learn and contribute to these important discussions about

the issues that impact our daily lives. No one has all the answers, but by being willing to listen and learn, we can work together toward solutions that will build a stronger Buncombe for everyone.

What can the city and county do to help small businesses thrive?

Infrastructure, education and opportunity are key for our small businesses. I have heard from small businesses across the county that they need broadband, and I will continue my work to ensure that everyone in our county has access to high-quality, high-speed broadband internet. With my leadership, residents and businesses are being connected to fiber internet in Reems Creek, Ox Creek, North Buncombe, Leicester, Sandy Mush and Fairview. In Enka-Candler, I am advocating for funding from our state legislature so MSD can extend the sewer, which will provide more opportunity for small business development. Business owners have told me that they need help hiring, and they need our schools to be providing great career support, especially in the trades. I will continue to support career tech in our schools, as well as support programs that provide business training and incubation so that we continue to develop our homegrown talent.

In your opinion, is it sustainable to operate two school districts?

Why or why not?

The N.C. General Assembly has mandated that this issue be studied, and I think it is important that we have a thorough assessment and understanding of the impacts of operating two school districts. As a former high school teacher, I understand how these big decisions can impact students, parents, teachers and staff. We need to listen to parents and staff to make a well-informed decision to help families in our school districts get the best education possible for our children. Once we review the findings and recommendations from the report and listen to our community, then we can make an informed decision as to what will be the best way to proceed for our community in the long term. A strong public school system is the backbone of our community.

To learn more about Wells, visit avl.mx/db6.

TERRI WELLS

WNC Career Expo coming April 17

Unemployment in the Asheville metro area has remained flat over the past year at 3.1%, according to February numbers from the N.C. Department of Commerce. That puts Asheville’s unemployment below the national average of 3.9% over the same period.

Over the past year, Asheville saw growth among its construction jobs, professional services, hospitality and health care industries. At the same time, the city saw a reduction in the transportation and manufacturing fields.

More than 80 local employers in advanced manufacturing, health care, hospitality and more will have the opportunity to connect with career seekers Wednesday, April 17, during the WNC Career Expo.

Hosted by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, the event will be held at the Davis Event Center at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center at 761 Boylston Highway in Fletcher from 11a.m.-4p.m.

Employers will have the opportunity to interview candidates and make employment offers on the spot, and employment experts from NCWorks Career Centers will also offer free interview and resume preparation and support. A student-focused career path exploration will also be available. The career expo is free and open to all job seekers, and registration is not required. Interested employers may register before Friday, April 12, at avl.mx/76f.

Made by Mountains awards 6 grants

The Made by Mountains partnership announced its second round of grant recipients in its Building Outdoor Communities Program. The six grantees awarded include projects that demonstrate their high impact, connectivity, regional potential and sustainability benefit to enhance outdoor community and economic development.

The grants have been made possible through $250,000 in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Dogwood Health Trust. This funding is part of the three-year Accelerating Outdoors Grant awarded to the Made by Mountains partnership.

The second round of grantees and projects includes: Watauga County — Arts in the Outdoors Strategic Master

NOW HIRING: More than 80 local employers in advanced manufacturing, health care, hospitality and more will have the opportunity to connect with career seekers Wednesday, April 17, during the WNC Career Expo. Photo courtesy of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Plan; Madison County — Bailey Mountain Preserve – Otis Duck Greenway Connector Feasibility Study; and Cherokee County — Valley River Heritage Trail Greenway/ Blueway Master Plan. View the full list of recipients at avl.mx/dds.

Catalyst Sports welcomes Emily Moscoe

Catalyst Sports, a nonprofit that supports people with physical disabilities in adventure sports, welcomed Emily Moscoe as a full-time adaptive climbing director. An occupational therapist and experienced climber, Moscow says that she began volunteering with Catalyst in July 2021.

Worthington joins Urban3

Urban3, an Asheville-based land use economics and geoanalytics consultant agency, announced that Heather Worthington has joined the team as a principal and will be responsible for guiding the company’s client outreach and acquisition

strategies, staff professional development and day-to-day operations. Worthington led the development of the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan and worked as deputy county manager for Ramsey County, Minn., where she oversaw the redevelopment of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant.

Wiedrich named president, CEO of FIND

The board of directors and search committee of FIND Outdoors, a Pisgah Forest-based outdoor recreation nonprofit, selected Stacey Wiedrich to serve as the president and CEO starting Jan. 29. Before joining FIND Outdoor, Wiedrich was the interim executive director for Pisgah Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association and the development director for Bicycle Colorado.

SkillSet receives $499,860 grant

The

SkillSet program at the University of North Carolina, which

was founded in 2018 and aims to address the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, arts and math fields, received a $499,860 grant from the Dogwood Health Trust last month. The grant, which will be distributed over five years, will allow Skillset to expand off-site by adding a cargo van and hiring a bilingual full-time employee to expand programming to migrant and Englishlearning communities. Students will be employed to help develop curriculum and teach classes. More information at avl.mx/dcq.

Working Wheels receives $50,000 grant

Working Wheels, an Ashevillebased nonprofit that provides affordable transportation options to working families in Western North Carolina, received a $50,000 grant from the State of North Carolina.

Republican Sen. Warren Daniel, who represents Buncombe, Burke and McDowell counties, advocated including the grant in the state budget. The grant will be used to increase services, which include repairing and selling donated cars for $500 to

working families and offering deeply discounted vehicle repairs. The nonprofit’s goal is to serve more than 400 households in 2024. For more information or to make a donation, visit avl.mx/dcs.

STEM grant to help Indigenous students

UNC Asheville and Western Carolina University will share a $220,000 grant from the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership to support indigenous students pursuing degrees and careers in the science, technology, engineering and math, known as STEM, fields over the next four years.

The partnership is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and is part of a joint award with Purdue University and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, which addresses the underrepresentation of Native American students in STEM fields by creating pathways for undergraduate Indigenous students to mentoring, research opportunities, community and funding.

Hazel, Tudico to lead Moxy Asheville

McKibbon Hospitality, a Tampa, Fla.-based hotel management group, has named Dexter Hazel and Jamie Tudico to lead the opening of Moxy Asheville, a hotel featuring 115 guest rooms and suites that is expected to open this summer. The new hotel will contain a signature cocktail bar and will be connected to the existing Aloft Asheville Downtown. Hazel will serve as dual general manager, while Tudico will work as the market director of sales.

New train ride through the Smokies in May

The Watauga Valley Railroad Museum, a nonprofit educational organization located in Jonesborough, Tenn., is adding a Spring Blossom train excursion on Saturday, May 24, to its available train rides. The excursion through the Great Smoky Mountains will take place Saturday, May 4, and include educational information about the region’s railroad history. More information at avl.mx/deq.

Executive director search

Civic infrastructure nonprofit Thrive Asheville launched an executive director search after Casey Gilbert, who was hired for the position in October, and the Thrive board “mutually agreed she was not a fit for the executive director position” following a 90-day review. Rachel Zink is serving as interim director while consultant Greg Walker Wilson leads the search effort.

Music City Asheville to close after 35 years

After 35 years of independent ownership, owner Jerry Lyda of Music City Asheville announced that he is retiring and will close the store Monday, April 29. Located at 1408 Patton Ave. Suite C in Asheville, Lyda says that it will offer sales on musical equipment all month. More information at avl.mx/dk0.

WNC foundation hands out grants

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, a nonprofit organization that builds capital for charitable causes in 18 counties totaling $82,117. Among the grantees and projects are: $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau for a beautification project along public sidewalks beside the organization’s building in Cashiers; $10,000 to Safelight, a nonprofit for survivors of interpersonal violence, sexual assault and child abuse, to beautify the area surrounding two buildings it owns in downtown Hendersonville; and $10,000 to Rutherford County Visual Artists Guild to assist in creating an original mural that will be painted on the exterior wall of the guild’s building in downtown Rutherfordton. A full list of grantees and projects is available at avl.mx/djy.

Zelda Dearest named finalist in HD Awards

Boutique hotel Zelda Dearest has been named a finalist in the 20th annual HD Awards from Hospitality Design magazine, which celebrates the best in design around the world.

Zelda Dearest is one of five finalists in the HD Awards’ new Small Hotel (50 rooms and fewer) category. Winners will be announced during an award

ceremony on Tuesday, April 30, at the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas during the HD Expo and Conference.

Opened in October, the 20-room hotel encompasses three early 20th-century mansions in Asheville’s South Slope neighborhood and celebrates the life and aesthetic of writer

Zelda Fitzgerald

UNCA names new provost

The UNC Asheville board of trustees executive and governance committee unanimously approved Yvonne Villanueva-Russell as provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs effective Monday, July 1. The decision follows a nationwide search that began in December.

Villanueva-Russell graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Western Illinois University, where she also earned her master’s degree. She then completed her Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Villanueva-Russell will succeed Herman Holt, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and former dean of graduate and social programs, who has served as interim provost since January 2023.

15 companies join ScaleUp WNC

Mountain BizWorks selected 15 Western North Carolina-based companies for the 12th cohort of the ScaleUp program, which offers the companies intensive growth-management training, connects them to mentors and helps with access to capital. The companies include a range of businesses, including fitness, outdoors, food, creative sectors and more. Two-thirds of this cohort’s participants are women-owned; onethird are owned by entrepreneurs of color; and one-third are owned by rural entrepreneurs. A full list of companies in the cohort can be found at avl.mx/djz.

Mothership Tattoo Co. now open

Mothership Tattoo Co., at 1269 Tunnel Road, Suite C, Asheville, is open. The shop features four artists, including owner Mason Turbyfill, who specializes in full-color, neotraditional tattoos; Darian Michels, who specializes in black and gray and color realism; and apprentices Wendy

Harmon and Toby Cox. The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday noon7 p.m.

Adlib Clothing celebrates milestone

Downtown Asheville boutique Adlib Clothing will celebrate its 35th year in business with an “Anniversoiree,” 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at the store at 23 Haywood St. It is free and open to the public and will feature live music by local musicians Mr. Jimmy and Paul McIntire. Small bites and beverages will be offered, as well as the chance to win door prizes. More information at avl.mx/dk1.

Diabetes golf fundraiser

Mountain Credit Union, which has seven branch offices throughout Western North Carolina, announced its Tee it Up for Diabetes golf tournament fundraiser scheduled for Wednesday, May 29, at Springdale Resort in Canton. The tournament will raise funds to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For sponsorship or player registration, visit avl.mx/dk2.

Sanctuary of Stuff celebrates 20 years

Sanctuary of Stuff, an artisan clothing and gift shop at 440 Weaverville Highway, Asheville, is celebrating 20 years in business. The store, which houses more than 150 area local artists and vendors, is offering various customer appreciation promotions.

“I am incredibly grateful to our loyal customers who have been integral to our success and longevity,” says owner Sharie Johnson.

— Brooke Randle  X

Sustaining community

A conversation with local candidate Bruce O’Connell

Editor’s note: As part of Xpress’ monthlong Sustainability Series, we reached out to all candidates running for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners as well as Asheville City Council. These conversations will appear throughout our four April issues.

Bruce O’Connell, owner of the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway, previously ran for office in April 2022. At that time, he and a handful of other Republican hopefuls were attempting to dislodge then-incumbent Madison Cawthorn for the U.S. House of Representatives District 11 seat. Rep. Chuck Edwards won the primary and went on to win the November race.

O’Connell is currently running as an unaffiliated candidate for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 2 open seat. He’ll be facing Commissioner Terri Wells.

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month.

Commissioners vote on policies related to property taxes, zoning, education and more.

Xpress: What misconceptions do community members have about the role of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners?

O’Connell: A common misconception about the Board of Commissioners is that their powers are more extensive than they actually are, particularly regarding state and federal mandates. The board’s primary roles involve setting local policies, managing the county budget and making decisions on land use and local services. As a 44-plus-year resident of the county, I understand that the power of the board is limited (as it should be) and it is not infallible. The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners can only do what the law and the statutes permit. The commission can establish direction and set a vision for the county. Then by using its power to budget, it can influence the future direction of the county.

What can local leaders do to promote thoughtful community dialogue about complex and difficult topics such as the opioid crisis, crime, housing and health care?

As an unaffiliated commissioner, I believe partisan politics should be kept out of discussions regarding the welfare of our community. The discussion of challenges and issues that we face should not be distracted by partisanship. I would suggest creating inclusive forums and task forces that bring together diverse community voices, experts and affected stakeholders. Thoughtful community dialogue requires a calm, measured and commonsense approach. I would emphasize collaboration over confrontation. Finally, I would not be

shy about asking questions. I would continue asking questions until satisfactory answers are obtained.

What can the city and county do to help small businesses thrive?

The city and the county have a profound impact on small businesses and their ability to succeed or fail, especially in today’s challenging business climate. I have run a small business in this area for over four decades and understand the challenges that overregulation can have on small businesses’s ability to thrive. Burdensome taxation, overregulation and bureaucratic red tape can hinder any business from succeeding. Equally important, city and county governments must make infrastructure a priority. Water, sewer, power and internet must be reliable and affordable. Law enforcement, fire protection and emergency medical services must be top-notch. The city and county must

be more responsive and timelier when dealing with the business community. Customer service is not only what small businesses provide to customers but also what government provides to small businesses.

In your opinion, is it sustainable to operate two school districts? Why or why not?

The topic of a merger has been going on since the early 1960s. Yes, it is sustainable to operate two school districts, provided there is efficient management, equitable funding and collaboration between the districts to ensure all students receive a high-quality education, regardless of their district. Separate districts may also allow for more localized and responsive education policies that better meet the diverse needs of students.

The reality, however, is that operating two school districts within a single county presents challenges in terms of resource allocation and consistency in educational standards. In short, to merge or not to merge is a complex topic requiring answers to questions such as:

What happens to the city school tax?

How are the buses allocated? Would county salaries and city school salaries be equitable (presently they are not)? Why is the public school student population declining and where? Why is there an achievement gap between students? Could city schools become a district within Buncombe County? There are many questions to be asked and answered. But one thing is for certain: The expense of yet another study is not the answer.

To learn more about O’Connell, visit avl.mx/djn. — Xpress Staff X

BRUCE O’CONNELL

Planning Board updates proposed STR rules ahead of public hearing

After several work sessions and two listening sessions where the public weighed in, the nine-member Buncombe County Planning Board finalized proposed changes to Buncombe County’s short-term rentals ordinance during a work session April 1.

The proposed changes, which would rein in STRs, will be considered at a public hearing Monday, April 22, at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium starting at 5:30 p.m. Afterward, Planning Board members will vote. If approved, the recommendations would then come before the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, the governing body that ultimately decides what changes, if any, to make to the county’s law.

The proposed regulations, which were introduced in December as part of the Buncombe 2043 Comprehensive Plan, would ban new whole-house short-term rentals in the unincorporated parts of Buncombe County unless they were located within five commercial zones or in the county’s residential openuse zone. Existing short-term rentals would not be affected by the changes but would require a county permit.

Updates and changes

After receiving feedback from residents, the board updated its recommendations to allow residents who live in open-use districts to operate one or two STRs if the property is at least 2 acres and includes a primary residence. Grouped STRs of three-10 in open-use districts would also be allowed under a special permit.

The board also reversed a previous recommendation that limited the size of STRs to 4,000 square feet after several board members expressed concern that the restriction could shut out families or people who rent STRs for weddings and other events. The new maximum size for STRs is 8,000 square feet. However, the board kept a recommendation that STRs shall not be used for events such as weddings, parties or family reunions with more than 10 visitors in addition to the rental’s occupants without an additional permit.

Board members also settled on grandfathering existing STRs as long as they are used as a rental at least once every year, even if the property changes ownership. Otherwise, the permit lapses. The proposed regula-

tions would require that STR operators or their managers live within 50 miles of the STR and be on call to address complaints from neighbors. Short-term rentals would be prohibited in all mobile home parks and within attached dwelling units, such as duplexes, townhomes or multifamily units. Travel trailers, recreational vehicles, sheds, vehicles and tents would also be banned from shortterm rental use. However, planning staff explained that these structures would be considered when the board discusses homestay rules.

Unanswered questions

Despite progress on the proposed amendments, several board members said there are still many unresolved issues.

Board Chair Nancy Waldrop said that she had several concerns, including the lack of information or direction on homestays, the need to protect quality of life for neighbors and whether the county had the staff to enforce the proposed regulations.

“Perhaps most importantly, we need to know whatever amendments we do recommend can be enforced,

whether it be by fines and or denial of permits to STR owners who refuse to comply,” Waldrop said. “We need to know there will be planning staff able to do this. To make amendments that either can’t be enforced or won’t be for whatever the reason is a waste of everyone’s time.”

Other board members expressed concern over the quick pace at which the board is creating regulations and questioned why the controversial issue of STR regulations was the first for the Planning Board to address in its six-module plan for updating the county’s Unified Development Ordinance.

“I do find myself a little sympathetic to people who want to pump the brakes on this a little bit,” said board member Ken Kahn. “I know Brevard is a town with different issues, but it took a couple of years to figure out what they want them to do. And the planning director will remember that I asked, ‘Why are we doing this one first?’ way back then. And I’m still not sure why that is, except I think the commissioners have encouraged us to treat this one first. But that’s still a question in my mind.”

— Brooke Randle  X

HOME STRETCH: The proposed changes to the short-term rentals ordinance will be considered at a public hearing Monday, April 22, at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium, starting at 5:30 p.m. If approved, the recommended changes would then come before the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Screen capture courtesy of Buncombe County

County advances affordable housing development on Coxe Avenue

There may be an affordable housing development coming to the heart of downtown in the next three years.

The county Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 on April 2 to invite private developers to partner on a $59.1 million complex for 200 affordable units at 50 and 52 Coxe Ave., directly across from the Asheville Redefines Transit bus station and Rabbit Rabbit music venue. Commissioners Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and Parker Sloan were absent.

The complex will include 5,900 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, a playground, lawn area, pedestrian plaza and parking deck, according to a presentation from the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative.

“These will be really cool places for people to live,” said commission Chair Brownie Newman. “I think people will be very eager to live there just because this is such an interesting location. There just hasn’t been much other development in our community in recent years that is going to be like this.”

As proposed, the project will include 42 units for residents making 30% or less of area median income,

119 units for those at 50-60% of AMI and 26 for those making up to 80% AMI, according to the presentation.

The project will be largely paid for through the Low Income Housing

Tax Credit program, a federal subsidy program for developers building rental housing for lower-income households. DFI projects the county will still have to find between $9.8

and $16.1 million from private or public funds, depending on what tax credit a private partner can obtain for the project, said Sarah Odio, associate director of the DFI.

Presented with two options, commissioners selected the 200-unit complex based on feedback they received from residents who participated in three community engagement sessions held earlier this year.

The alternative option would have created 130 affordable units and 2,200 square feet of potential commercial space. It would have also left a smaller funding gap of between $4.2 million and $10.4 million.

Because of the nature of the project, it would have cost the county slightly less per unit to construct the smaller development, but commissioners felt the need for affordable housing downtown was too great to limit the units in the project.

“Good, developable land is one of our most scarce resources. So being able to really efficiently utilize it, and make an important step toward [our 2030 goal of 1,850 affordable units] with such a small amount of property would be really, really valuable,” Newman said.

Among other differences, the larger project will require closing Sawyer Street between Coxe Avenue and Ravenscroft Drive, which wasn’t necessary with the smaller project.

While commissioners said that wasn’t ideal, it was worth maximizing the number of units, and they hoped the plan’s design would increase pedestrian traffic in the area.

The project is slated to include about one parking spot for every two units, Odio said.

To comply with the tax credit program, the development will lock in affordability for 30 years.

The complex will replace the Buncombe County Election Services warehouse, Bureau of Identification and two parking lots. Buncombe County spokesperson Lillian Govus said a new storage facility is in the works to replace the warehouse, and the ID bureau will soon move to a county building at 35 Woodfin St.

The next steps include finding a private developer and ensuring the final design complies with federal and City of Asheville rules. At the earliest, construction couldn’t begin until 2026, Odio said.

More funding for Deaverview

The county is one step closer to acquiring a picturesque 342-acre West Asheville tract as a county

COOL RESIDENCES: Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman, far right, applauded the county’s efforts to build as many affordable apartments as possible on county land centrally located in downtown Asheville. Photo by Greg Parlier

COUNTY LAND: A 200-unit affordable housing complex may soon replace the Buncombe County Election Services warehouse, Bureau of Identification and two parking lots in downtown Asheville. Screenshot courtesy of Buncombe County

park. Commissioners voted 5-0 to direct staff to pursue about $4.4 million in grant funding to make up the rest of the funding gap for Deaverview Mountain.

The land meets all the requirements of the federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant, which the county will apply for through the N.C. Land and Water Conservation Fund with the support of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

The land, in private hands for decades, was acquired by an anonymous conservationist in March 2023 with the intention of selling the land to SAHC, which then had three years to obtain federal and state grants to repay the buyer before turning it over to Buncombe County as a park or preserve.

If Buncombe receives the ORLP grant, it will match the roughly $4.4 million SAHC already received in land and water grant funding last October.

The county will find out if it received the grant award in November.

Several people who spoke during public comment urged the county to apply for the grant, excited to potentially have a county park so close to the city and the bus line.

“I hear from people all over the community how excited they are for this park, talking about this specific project and being able to conserve this mountain to have recreational access,” said Commissioner Terri Wells.

Short-term rental incentives delayed

Despite several residents coming to speak out against the county’s proposed changes to its short-term rental rules, commissioners removed an agenda item addressing proposed incentives for property owners to turn short-term rentals into longterm rentals.

Newman said staff members who had been working on the proposal could not be at the meeting, and commissioners would take up the matter at a later date.

On a related topic, the Planning Board will hold a public hearing on proposed restrictions to future short-term rentals Monday, April 22, at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium starting at 5:30 p.m. If approved, changes will come before the full Board of Commissioners for final approval.

— Greg Parlier X

Legislative agenda

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners agreed on its legislative agenda for the N.C. General Assembly’s short session, which starts Wednesday, April 10, in Raleigh.

“I think your goals are actionable, they’re viable, they’re strong. They, if achieved, are meaningful to the people who live in Buncombe County. So I really have to congratulate you on being so thoughtful about this,” said Whitney Campbell Christensen , lobbyist with Buncombe’s hired firm, Ward and Smith. Commissioner Terri Wells asked that the agenda include a request for the state to reimburse the county for the $300,000 state-mandated school district consolidation feasibility study. Christensen said she is optimistic it will happen as both state senators who represent Buncombe — Julie Mayfield and Warren Daniel — have publicly agreed that Buncombe should be repaid.

FUNDING PRIORITIES

• State funding for education, including K-12 and community college employees and related capital needs.

• State funding for water quality, flood resiliency and stormwater mitigation projects in the French Broad River basin.

• State funding for water and sewer projects to extend service toward Canton.

• State funding for repairs and improvements to McCormick Field.

POLICY PRIORITIES

• State funding support for early childhood education and pre - K programs, including simplifying or modifying the subsidy formula.

• Oppose any proposals that would limit local governments’ ability to regulate short-term rentals or online marketplaces.

• Seek a General Assembly study of property tax relief and related exemptions for permanent residents of North Carolina.

• Evaluate methods to modernize guidelines for how the state occupancy tax — collected from overnight stays to fund the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority — is used to meet tourism and infrastructure needs.

• State investment in broadband and additional flexibility for local governments’ investment in broadband infrastructure.

How Buncombe conducts property reappraisals

While your 2024 news feed might be largely consumed by the presidential election, there’s another monumental task happening behind the scenes in county government this year: the reappraisal of all of Buncombe County’s property for tax purposes.

The county derives 62% of its more than $400 million budget from property taxes, which relies on the accurate assessment of thousands of properties, a process that happens every four years in Buncombe County. State law requires counties to perform reappraisals at least once every eight years.

As the value of real estate in Buncombe County has soared, the process has been under a microscope as critics argue that appraisals have resulted in higher-valued properties getting underassessed and lower-valued properties getting overassessed.

Outside of a reappraisal year, property can only be reassessed when changes are made to the property, which the Tax Assessor’s Office learns of when a permit is issued or property owners self-report. The county is not allowed to change assessed values of homes based only on its sale unless that sale reveals that a physical change was made to the home. This allows assessors to ensure they are not giving homes that sell more attention than those that don’t.

Development consulting firm Urban3, led by Joe Minicozzi, presented a pro bono analysis of assessment inequities to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in 2021. As a result, the county established an ad hoc tax reappraisal committee in September of that year to evaluate the process and identify potential inequities.

Urban3’s analysis showed that the county’s most expensive homes had been assessed at about 78.3% of their sale price on average, while the least expensive homes were assessed at about 84.5% of their price in 2021. Those findings echoed a 2019 University of Chicago study of Buncombe County, part of a nationwide project conducted by the university’s Harris School of Public Policy, that showed similar issues across the country.

On behalf of the committee, the county commissioned Syneva Economics — a Waynesville-based consulting firm that specializes in regional economic analysis of localized data, but not property tax assessments specifically — to perform its

own sales ratio study. Syneva found virtually no difference in assessment between homes of different prices. Urban3 disputed Syneva’s methods. The committee’s recommendations to commissioners didn’t include changes to specifically address racial and economic inequities.

Instead, committee members focused on expanding access to the valuation appeals process for lower-income communities, boosting staff levels in the Tax Assessor’s Office, increasing levels of compliance around reporting property improvements and launching a public education campaign on the appraisal and appeals process geared toward residents of lower-income neighborhoods.

Buncombe Tax Assessor Keith Miller says significant changes have been made in response to those recommendations, and residents will see improved accuracy in the reappraisal that will be concluded at the end of this year.

“Our experience with the committee has been very beneficial to our department, and I believe those benefits will transfer to our residents and property owners with more accurate assessments. With each change that we have been able to make, whether it’s staffing, technology, internal processes … it has been because of the recommendations of the committee,” Miller says.

This year, two assessor positions were added, including a real estate data review specialist and a luxury homes specialist. That means a total of 12 assessors — two commercial and 10 residential — will review Buncombe’s land, structures and improvements using a variety of methods to reflect fair market value as closely as possible as of Jan. 1, 2025.

The process

With about 132,000 properties and so few assessors, it’s impossible to make an in-person site visit to evaluate every property in the county.

Throughout the year, county appraisers will use technology, including aerial and street-level photography and other software to review the accuracy of every property’s characteristics, including square footage, bedroom and bathroom count, condition of the structure and exterior walls. Additionally, many sites will be visited in person, usually prompted by permits and new construction, property transfers, internal data audits and phone calls from residents requesting a review, Miller says.

“We also set aside parcels and neighborhoods that may have had no visits or a low number of visits in the last few years to visit this year. Reappraisal years will see a major uptick in site visits,” he adds.

To determine property values, assessors group “uniform or similar properties together to ensure fair and equitable property values,” according to the assessor’s website. Assessors take a property’s location, age, type of construction, replacement cost, zoning and depreciation into consideration when setting values.

The overarching goal, Miller says, is equity across the entire county.

Essentially, any two homes that sell for the same price in Buncombe County should be paying the same amount in taxes.

Because of a rapidly changing market and property cards that aren’t updated in a timely manner by owners, that often doesn’t happen the farther the county gets from a reappraisal year. In the last reappraisal year, 2021, the ratio of assessed value in Buncombe County to market value — or price at which a property sold — was 99%. That number slipped to 86% in 2022 and 73% in 2023, according to county data. This year, property is being assessed at only 67% of real market value based on sales data.

For example, one home in The Ramble Biltmore Forest assessed at about $3.5 million sold for about $7 million in December, as reported by the Citizen Times.

Minicozzi has said that those slipping sales ratios represent tax money left on the table that the county should be able to use for additional services, and one way to fix that is through more frequent reappraisals. The reappraisal committee did not make that recommendation, and Miller says that other adjustments within his department will help those numbers without having to increase reappraisals.

By state law, if a jurisdiction’s sales ratio dips below 85%, it has to conduct a reappraisal within three years. Since Buncombe was already scheduled for one within two years of its ratio slipping below 85%, no such mandate was necessary.

The goal for tax assessors is for assessed value to match real market value. Miller wholly attributes the slip in sales ratios over time to the rapidly increasing value of properties in WNC, as well as underreported property changes by property owners.

Changes made

Many of the changes in Miller’s office have been to increase staffing levels.

Since the Reappraisal Committee disbanded, Miller has added several experienced appraisers, dedicated an appraiser to luxury homes, added a dedicated reappraisal analyst, created a data analytics team and promoted an analyst to assistant director, he says. Temporary staff will be added this year to help with the workload, he says.

“We certainly have a few more team members to distribute our work than we did in 2021 and also have more technological-savvy and data-oriented team members than we ever have before,” Miller says.

Miller also brought more technology on board.

“In addition to our aerial imagery and street-level photography projects, we are implementing new technologies via vendors. One product detects changes in buildings and checks to make sure that our data is correct, and another is a machine-learning subscription that takes the appraiser out of the equation and predicts the value of all single-family home residential properties.”

In addition to in-house additions, Miller has been bouncing all over the county to town councils, committees, neighborhood associations and homeowners associations for the past year to teach residents how the system works. As of Feb. 20, Miller and his staff have made 70 appearances at community centers, festivals and community markets at the request of property owner associations, civic and professional groups, he says. He plans to continue to hold public meetings this year and next, and says anyone can request someone from his office to visit that community.

Miller also sought an independent contractor to conduct an ongoing equity study to review processes, data and the assessed values of all the county’s residential properties. Keene Mass Appraisal Consulting will work with the Tax Assessor’s Office to provide regular updates of its findings to county commissioners, he says.

Miller’s office has also been redesigning its webpage, www.buncombe-

county.org/myvaluebc, to incorporate suggestions from the committee to simplify messaging and break it down into plain language.

All in all, reappraisals are a big lift, Miller acknowledges.

“On top of the additional time and work activities related to reappraisal, not including the time we will spend performing public outreach, our department must keep up with the typical daily workload that our real estate and construction industry demands of us.”

To pull it off, Miller says participation from all property owners is vital. The county sent out 80,000 postcards and has received more than 23,000 back, as of Feb. 20. There is no requirement to fill them out.

“For our team to produce accurate and fair assessments to our residents and property owners, we must have participation from our community. We do not know everything about every property in the county, and it is the responsibility of all North Carolina residents to review their record cards and report any improvements to their property or problems that they may have with our data. Please review your property online at tax.buncombecounty.org, on the MyValueBC app, or by returning the postcard that you will be receiving in the mail this spring. Your participation is key to accurate assessments across the community.”

— Greg Parlier  X

APPRAISAL UPDATES: The Buncombe County Tax Assessor’s Office has made several changes since an ad-hoc committee made recommendations in 2021 on how it could make more equitable assessments. Photo by Frances O’Connor

Impacts and implications

Joshua Arnold on climate studies, agriculture and bee hotels

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

jwakeman@mountainx.com

Warren Wilson College’s environmental studies department will begin offering a master’s degree in applied climate studies in summer 2025. The program will draw on the college’s natural sciences and social sciences programs to prepare students for mitigating the effects of climate change. Students will attend two summertime intensives, and the rest of the coursework is online.

“Most scientific fields are grappling with impacts and implications of climate change in a very siloed way,” says Joshua Arnold, chair of the environmental studies department. The goal for Warren Wilson College has been to “break out of that silo and start thinking about climate issues from a more interdisciplinary perspective.”

Arnold spoke with Xpress about the scope of climate studies, hopefulness and despair about the environment he sees among young people, and how students at Warren Wilson are trying to save bees through healthier habitats.

This interview has been condensed for length and lightly edited for clarity.

Xpress: Climate studies is an emerging field in academia and a new program for Warren Wilson College. What’s the difference between environmental studies and climate studies? It seems like there’s a lot of overlap.

Arnold: Environmental studies is the typical degree pathway — the bucket of social, ecological and economic studies of environmental

issues. That’s where a confluence of issues has been looked at by lots of programs, lots of folks and a lot of different institutions over time. Climate studies is a natural progression of that [since] the ’80s and ’90s, when we were grappling with environmental issues and people’s awareness of

VOTE NOW!

our impacts on the planet were really starting to be discussed.

That narrative has changed quite a bit. We understand our impact on our ecosystems and our environment.

Now we’re trying to think about that from this whole new standpoint of how climate change is going to be [addressed]. … We’re looking at it from a more global perspective. It’s going to impact everything in different ways, so now we need to shift our focus and start incorporating new paths of study and reframing the way that we’ve traditionally thought about these environmental issues.

What unique opportunities does learning about climate studies from professors based in Western North Carolina offer?

We have a really rich environment here. Small farmers have woven together this absolutely incredible food system over decades here in Western North Carolina. [It’s] kind of a nexus of the localized food system, a very interconnected food system

here. We have a really interesting opportunity to investigate climate impacts on agricultural systems in Western North Carolina in the Southern Appalachian region.

Do you find that your undergraduates studying environment and climate science are optimistic about the future? Or do you witness more despair and hopelessness?

Both. Folks self-selected to [study these topics] and how they want to grapple with this kind of existential crisis. I think we see students that are interested in trying to work on solutions. They want to be out where the rubber meets the road, fixing things. They want to get out there and impact their world in a way that’s going to make it a better place. Fear and concern of what these impacts will bring to them, to their potential families and children over the coming decades, are a lot of what drives those folks to study environmental issues or environmental science or agriculture. … It’s certainly

APPLES TO APPLES: Warren Wilson College student Jo Chatkupt, left, listens to Warren Wilson College agroecology professor Joshua Arnold explain apple tree pruning during an Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture class. Photo by Pete Erb

one of the things that’s driven me in my work to engage with what looks like sometimes a really unsolvable and wicked problem and then push through that boundary and say, “All right, what is my little piece that I can work on?”

Your primary area of research is agroecology. What exactly do you study?

Simply, it’s the study of agricultural systems from an ecologist’s perspective — oftentimes with the focus of changing or implementing practices that will make the system more resilient or function more effectively. But also there’s a whole other aspect to agroecology that’s socially driven as well. People are also part of that ecology, so [agroecology tries] to take a more holistic perspective on our trade system or farm labor.

My particular specialization is ecological pest management — trying to think about ways that we can build agroecosystems to where we incentivize beneficial insects to be there and reduce our pest pressures.

What drew you to the pest management angle?

I love insects. [laughs] That’s part of it! It’s one of those fields of study that once you go into it and keep peeling off these layers [you find] these incredible interactions, really unique things, just fantastical stuff that we don’t really recognize in our day-to-day lives. … Ecological pest management was something that I found my way to, but I also ended up finding a lot of folks that were also doing that work. That seemed like a really natural pathway to go into and I started working on that to help farmers run their farms with less labor and less application of pesticides.

On the subject of insects, I noticed that you are Warren Wilson’s entomology crew adviser. [Warren Wilson students participate in various part-time, “work crews” on campus, which contributes to their

tuition.] What does the entomology crew do?

We’ve focused on a couple different things. The one thing that we’ve really been interested in is cavity-nesting bees — I don’t know if you’ve seen those bee hotels that people are [making]?

No, but I’m Googling “bee hotels” right now. Wow, these are cool!

One of the issues with bee hotels is they maybe aren’t being implemented in a way that’s really incredibly effective, and we don’t really have a lot of research on them. The idea is that you’re building an overwintering habitat for cavity-nesting bees. Cavity-nesting bees provide a lot of pollination services to crops in this area. We’ve disturbed habitat so much that a lot of their overwintering sites, like native vegetation and soils, have been disturbed. We’ve really impacted their populations. So folks have started to utilize these bee hotels as a simulated habitat for them.

But from observations what I’ve seen is that they’re actually not that great for bees, because a lot of the predators or parasitoids will go into that hotel and start attacking the resources cavity-nesting bees are putting in there — pollen and their larva.

I’m looking at all the different bee hotels you can buy online. Wow, Williams-Sonoma sells a $25 “pollination palace.” But there are some really cheap ones on Amazon.

Especially the ones that come from Amazon, those materials [are treated] with insecticides. Essentially, people are assembling bee hotels with materials that have been treated with insecticides. That’s obviously not a good thing.

Oh, no.

We’re starting to do some research on the ecology of cavity-nesting bee hotels … with the goal of eventually moving toward a bee hotel that’s more beneficial than what we’re seeing being sold on the market. X

Dancing days

The forgotten history of the Kenilworth Hippodrome joancope@hotmail.com

BY JOAN COPE

It’s likely that the people perusing the Antique Tobacco Barn near Biltmore Village don’t realize that it is on the site of what was an enormous dance hall, the Kenilworth Hippodrome.

The Hippodrome opened on the banks of the Swannanoa River in 1923. Its 5,000-square-foot hardwood dance floor had room for 200 couples, seating for over 1,000 spectators, parking, a special ventilation system and advanced lighting that could flood the entire building. It was a dance palace indeed. It was advertised as the “biggest, coolest, brightest floor in the state!”

At the time, the local paper called it the Temple of Terpsichore, referring to the Greek muse of dance and chorus.

It all started when J.M. Chiles of the Kenilworth Development Co. announced in 1923 plans to build the Kenilworth Riding Academy (later called the Hippodrome) that could house a one-ring circus and a riding academy to serve the nearby Kenilworth Inn, as well as other pageants and carnivals. It was envisioned as a fairground for Asheville. He also planned parking for 75 automobiles for inn guests and hired well-known equestrian Alfred Eades to design the building.

Local newspapers said the 95-by-195-foot building would cost $25,000 to $30,000. Details included “restrooms for ladies,” an office for management, showers for riders, “including an attractive room for businessmen desiring to have riding habits at hand.”

Jan Garber, a popular band leader of the time, oversaw the floor design that could accommodate the size of crowds that had attended

EPIC GALA: A six-day fundraiser for the Biltmore hospital hosted by Cornelia Vanderbilt at the Kenilworth Hippodrome was the social event of 1923. Image courtesy of the Biltmore Collection

his recent performances. The floor was installed in pieces so it could be removed for other events.

Based on advertisements at the time, orchestras from around the country played there. One dance featured dueling orchestras, one at each end of the Hippodrome. Dances included the Confetti Dance and the College Dance, the latter billed as the last dance before college men had to return to campus at the end of the summer.

The Hippodrome held movie-star look-alike dances called The Movie Ball, Halloween dances with contests for “appropriate costumes” and exhibitions of professional dancers.

Cornelia Vanderbilt staged a sixday “Watch Y’r Step” benefit for a new hospital in Biltmore, while other benefits were held for vaudeville players, widows and orphans and for “an invalid” named Nell Lipe who,

with the help of friends, was raising money for a “new rolling chair.”

Ads for dances in 1924 often noted there was a 20-cent “War Tax” in addition to the admission fee. The venue hosted sporting events with boxing featured prominently. There was an indoor track meet called the Winter Relay Carnival in 1924 as well as archery events and dog shows.

NEW OWNERS

The Kenilworth Hippodrome Amusement Co., consisting of local investors, took a controlling interest of the Hippodrome in November 1924. The company planned to renovate the Hippodrome so it would be open year-round for entertainment, including events in connection with the movies being shown at the Asheville Imperial Theater. For example, a ball was planned in con-

junction with the movie “Peter Pan.” Harry Houdini is one of the big-name performers who appeared under the new ownership.

Part of the Hippodrome was divided into 18 stalls with different dining themes, including Chinese, Egyptian, Turkish and Japanese rooms. In 1925, a movie production company was founded to try to make Asheville a Hollywood of the South. Newspapers reported in March that the Hippodrome was going to be converted into a movie production studio. But instead, it became the home of a cavalry division of the National Guard, and then a tobacco warehouse. There was a brief renaissance as a dance hall for square dancing and clogging during World War II, but it burned down in 1947 and was later rebuilt into what became the Antique Tobacco Barn we know today. X

Hippodrome/Antique Tobacco Barn timeline

Jan. 15, 1923

J.M. Chiles of the Kenilworth Development Co. announces plans to build a large structure on Swannanoa Road. It would allow for a one-ring circus to give its entire performance under the roof without raising tents. It will also include a riding academy and house horses for the Kenilworth Inn.

July 26, 1923

Kenilworth Hippodrome & Riding Academy opens.

Aug. 3, 1923

Jan Garber and his Original Garber-Davis Orchestra perform. Spectators pay 55 cents for admission; dancers $2.20.

Aug. 15, 1923

A horse show includes over 100 horses in 10 classes.Aug. 28, 1923 Labor Day features 50 rounds of boxing, including Jack Dillon vs. Chick Branch and others

Sept. 9, 1923

Moonlight waltzes under special electrical lighting that cast rays of light over the dancing hall similar to the moonlight. As reported, an enlarged dance floor and a new specially designed sounding board carried music to all parts of the big Hippodrome “with splendid effect.”

October 1925

The Halloween dance is the last dance held at the Hippodrome.

1926

Hippodrome becomes home to Troop F 109th Cavalry of the N.C. National Guard.1937

The Hippodrome Land Co. sells the Hippodrome to Asheville’s Troop K of the National Guard. A year later, the cavalry moves to a larger armory.

1941-45

Jerry Ollinger opens Jerry’s Plantation, a new dance hall for square dances and clogging.

1945

Fred Cockfield and Ray Haney purchase the property and turn it into a tobacco warehouse known as Planters Tobacco Warehouse.

1947

The warehouse burns but is rebuilt as a tobacco warehouse.

1999

Owner James Ramsey, after renting out space for antique vendors between tobacco seasons, decides to go full time with antiques.

2004

Floods submerge the building under 6 feet of water.

APRIL 10 - APRIL 18, 2024

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

 Online-only events

 Feature, page 40-41

 More info, page 44

 More info, page 47

 More info, page 48-49

WELLNESS

Community Yoga & Mindfulness

An hour of free yoga, meditation, & mindfulness with local yoga instructor Carrie Myers.

WE (4/10), 11:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Free Zumba Gold Fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. Free, but donations for the instructor are

appreciated. For more information please call (828) 350-2058.

WE (4/10, 17), noon, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Tai Chi for Balance

A gentle Tai Chi exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life. All ages are welcome.

WE (4/10, 17), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Morning Movement

Active games, physical activities, and sports for individuals with disabilities ages 17 and over.

Advanced registration at avlrec.com required.

WE (4/10, 17), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Tai Chi Fan

This class helps build balance and whole body awareness. All ages and ability levels welcome. Fans will be provided.

WE (4/10, 17), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Nia Dance Fitness

A sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.

TH (4/11, 18), 9:30am, TU (4/16), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Hiking Club

This session will depart from Murphy-Oakley Community Center for Moore Cove Falls.

Advance registration is required.

TH (4/11), 9am, Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

Healthy Brain, Healthy Body & Healthy You

This program focuses on key factors of exercise, diet, cognitive activity and social engagement.

Registration required.

TH (4/11, 17), 1pm, Haywood County Library-Canton, 11 Pennsylvania Ave, Canton Dharma Talk w/Paul Linn

Meditation followed by a dharma talk on Buddhist principles applied to daily life. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

TH (4/11), 6:30pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Tai Chi for Beginners

A class for anyone interested in Tai Chi and building balance, whole body awareness and other health benefits.

COMMUNITY CLEANUP: Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa hosts the Swannanoa Sweep Community Cleanup on Saturday, April 13, starting at 9 a.m. Participants are asked to meet at the east end of the Swannanoa Ingles parking lot to gather supplies and form cleanup crews. Photo courtesy of Swannanoa Sweep Community Cleanup

TH (4/11, 18), MO (4/15), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Weekly Zumba Classes

Free in-person Zumba classes. No registration required.

TH (4/11, 18), TU (4/16) 6:30pm, St James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black Mountain

Qigong for Health

A part of traditional Chinese medicine that involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind and spirit.

FR (4/12), TU (4/16), 9am, SA (4/13), 11am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Yoga for Everyone

A free-in person yoga class for all ages and abilities that is led by alternating teachers. Bring your own mat and water bottle.

SA (4/13), 9:30am, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Yoga in the Park Yoga class alongside the French Broad River, based on Hatha & Vinyasa traditions and led by certified yoga instructors. All experience levels welcome.

SA (4/13), SU (4/14), 11am, 220 Amboy Rd

Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group

Free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges.

SA (4/13), 2pm, 1316

Ste C Parkwood Rd

Wild Souls Authentic Movement w/Renee Trudeau

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

SU (4/14), 9:30am, Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard

Sunday Morning Meditation Group

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

SU (4/14), 10am, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Spring Flow w/Jamie Knox

Prepare your body for warmer weather with a yoga practice designed to release toxins and heaviness left over from winter. Walk ins welcome. No need to pre-register, but bring a mat.

SU (4/14), 10:30am, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd

Barre Fusion

A high energy low impact practice that shapes, sculpts, and tones the body like a dancer. No experience necessary, open to all levels.

MO (4/15), 10am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Qi Gong for a Healthy Back

Find ease of movement and improve overall well-being with the ancient art of Qigong.

TU (4/16), 10am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Kitten Yoga

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

WE (4/17), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

ART

Focus Gallery Exhibit: Art of Detailing

The Southern Highland Craft Guild opens its first focus gallery exhibition of 2024 with Art of Detailing, featuring both traditional and contemporary craft by five members of the Guild. Open daily, 10am. Exhibition through May 20, 2024.

Folk Art Center, 382 Blue Ridge Pkwy

Asheville’s Naturalist: Watercolors by Sallie Middleton

This exhibition features a selection of botanical and wildlife prints by renowned watercolor artist Sallie Middleton. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through June 10.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Mandala Madness III

A third biannual showcase of Mandala artwork that features collections of hypnotizing, meditative and geometric pieces. Open daily, noon. Exhibition through May 5. Foundation Studios, 27 Foundy St

Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts Exhibition

Featured in this exhibit are Arrowmont’s nationally and internationally recognized practicing artists and university workshop instructors. Open daily, 10am.

Exhibition through May 1, 2024.

Folk Art Center, 382 Blue Ridge Pkwy

Daily Craft Demonstrations

Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths, daily. These free and educational opportunities are open to the public. Open daily, 10am. Demonstrations through Dec. 31.

Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy

Public Tour: Discovering Art in Asheville

A volunteer educator led tour of the Museum's Collection through the featured exhibition, Intersections in American Art. TH (4/11), 6pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Spark of the Eagle

Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson

This exhibition celebrates the legacy of Lambert Wilson, a passionate collector of contemporary Native American art. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through June 28, 2024. Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection

Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through April 15, 2024. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Art in Montford Park Participants receive a canvas, acrylic paints, brushes, and all necessary materials to go from vision to masterpiece. Advanced registration is

required.

FR (4/12), 5pm, Montford Park, 345 Montford Ave

Thistle & Pearl Art Show Opening

This exhibition features art from the whole Thistle and Pearl Tattoo crew including BB June, Bill Smiles, Reina Lynn, Doe Bull, Ash Grey and more. Free entry and refreshments will provided by New Belgium Brewing.

FR (4/12), 7pm, Push

Skate Shop & Gallery, 25 Patton Ave

Agony & Ecstasy: Images of Conscience by Janette Hopper

These linoleum prints show the agony and ecstasy of human life. The love, sorrow, conflict, beauty, enjoyment of nature, contemplation of what is, was and could be and political commentary. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 11am and Sunday, 1 pm. Exhibition through May 31.

Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Rd, Black Mountain

Thistle & Pearl Art Show

This exhibition features art from the whole Thistle and Pearl Tattoo crew including BB June, Bill Smiles, Reina Lynn, Doe Bull, Ash Grey and more. Gallery open Monday through Sunday, noon. Exhibition through May 19.

Push Skate Shop & Gallery, 25 Patton Ave

Chris Jehly: The Soil's Gaze

An exhibition of plein-air watercolor paintings by Chris Jehly, unveils the artist’s serendipitous moments painting outdoors where nothing ever stands completely still. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through April 14.

Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste 144

Counter/Balance: Gifts of John & Robyn Horn

A presentation of important examples of

contemporary American craft, including woodworking, metalsmithing, fiber and pottery by renowned American artists. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through July. 29, 2024.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Julieta Fumberg: Of Chaos & Peace, Beauty in Both Fumberg's most recent exhibit portrays darkness to see the light and the contrast of things. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through May 5.

Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St

The New Salon: A Contemporary View

A modern take on the prestigious tradition of the Parisian Salon with the diversity and innovation of today’s art world. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Aug. 19.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Making Changes Exhibition

This exhibition echoes the sentiment that growth is universal, whether planned or spontaneous, material or spiritual. Red House Studios invite all mediums to contribute to a collective exploration of the unawakened and unknown. Open daily, 10am. Exhibition through May 13.

Red House Gallery & Studios, 101 Cherry St, Black Mountain

Please Bug Me

An exhibition that celebrates the importance and beauty of insects while educating the community about what each of us can do to protect bug populations. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through April 26.

Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Stellar Picks: A Community Choice Exhibition

This exhibition is for everyone who has a favorite piece of art in the WCU Fine Art Museum collection or would like to discover one.

Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through June 28, 2024

WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Vera B. Williams: Stories

This retrospective will showcase the complete range of award-winning author and illustrator Vera B. It will highlight her time at Black Mountain College, her political activism, in addition to her work as an author and illustrator.

Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through May. 11, 2024.

Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Third Thursday Open Studio Social Third Thursdays are opportunities for artists to network, share ideas, and create together with extended gallery hours.

TH (4/18), 5pm, Foundation Studios, 27 Foundy St

Public Tour: Discovering

Art in Asheville

A volunteer educator led tour of the Museum's Collection through the featured exhibition

Intersections in American Art.

TH (4/18), 6pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Singing For Catharsis Saro Lynch-Thomason teaches easy-to-learn songs that have provided people with spiritual experiences for thousands of years.

TH (4/11), 6:30pm, The Well, 3 Louisiana Greater Purpose Gospel Trio

Presented by the Weaverville Music Study Club with an offering received to fund the 2024 Handel’s Messiah presentation.

FR (4/12), 7pm, First Baptist Church of Weaverville, 63 N Main St, Weaverville

Marya Stark

A multi-media concert performance, film screening event, vocal workshop, and live show

with Marya Stark. FR (4/12), 7pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd

Candlelight: Vivaldi’s

Four Seasons & More

Discover the music of Vivaldi and more under the gentle glow of candlelight.

SA (4/13), 6:30pm, Asheville Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway St

Elements in Space: A Concert w/Tempus

Featuring 16 singers of Tempus that explore thrilling contemporary compositions and classic choral sounds.

SA (4/13), 7pm, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Christopher Paul Stelling w/Alma Russ Atlanta-based songwriter Christopher Paul Stelling will showcase their intricate finger-style guitar and road tested vocal delivery.

SA (4/13), 7:30pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd

Larry & Joe

Two virtuosic multi-instrumentalists fuse their respective Venezuelan and Appalachian folk traditions.

SA (4/13), 7:30pm, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill University, 100 Athletic St, Mars Hill

Sal Landers Party Rx

Sal brings her inimitable brand of groovy, Laurel Canyon-esque rock’n roll to the stage with an infectious energy.

SA (4/13), 7:30pm Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Lizzy & the Triggermen

Exuding all the oldschool glamour of jazz, swing and blues, this captivatingly modern, chart-topping band churns out killer dance songs.

SA (4/13), 8pm, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

Superwoman Sundays: Kathryn O’Shea

Each week will highlight a powerful female artists who will perform for an hour before opening the stage for collaboration and open mic.

SU (4/14), 2pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd

Blue Ridge Symphonic Brass

A program of brilliant works for brass and a special selection for organ and brass. This concert is free and open to the public with donations accepted.

SU (4/14), 3pm, Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church, 249 East Main St, Brevard

Vote for Us

Asheville Jazz Orchestra Combo

An exciting night of straight-ahead jazz where listeners will be treated to tunes by jazz greats from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis. SU (4/14), 7:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain Cowboy Junkies

An evening of folk, blues and rock in a way that you have not heard before with Toronto-based band,

formed in 1985.

MO (4/15), 7:30pm, Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave

Fancy Marie & the Gentleman Album Release

The official album release party for Separate As We Seem Ben Balmer will open the night and there will be a honky-tonk dance after-party with Normoe and the Rodeo.

TU (4/16), 7pm, Jack Of The Wood Pub, 95 Patton Ave

The Songwriter Sessions w/Roger Brown, Annie Wenz & Charlie Wilkinson

An evening of original songs in a natural acoustic listening room. This week features popular local musicians Roger Brown, Annie Wenz and Charlie Wilkinson.

WE (4/17), 7pm, The Brandy Bar, 504 7th Ave E, Hendersonville

Ben Balmer

Asheville-based troubadour begins a yearlong residency with AGB, bringing special guests and showcasing his wide range of vocals.

WE (4/17), 7:30pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Trailblazing Women of Country: A Tribute to Patsy, Loretta & Dolly

Featuring Miko Marks and Nashville-based singer, Kristina Train, supported by a 5-member-all-female band to entertain and inspire audiences during this pivotal moment in our nation's history.

TH (4/18), 7:30pm, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

The Silver Doors Album Release Show

A stacked bill of psych in celebration of The Silver Doors genre-bending brand new album with support from local rippers Rugg and the lush shoegaze of Cincinnati's In The Pines.

TH (4/18), 8pm, Eulogy, 10 Buxton Ave, Asheville

LITERARY

Black Cat Tales: Story

Time w/Cats

Families with children age 7 & under are invited to relax in the cat lounge and listen to a cat-centric book surrounded by the resident panthers. WE (4/10, 17), TH (4/11, 18), FR (4/12), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Pigeon Community Conversations w/ Storytellers Series

This curated series will showcase award-winning storytellers from Western North Carolina’s African American, Latinx, and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian communities. Adama Dembele, storyteller from Ivory Coast, West Africa will start off the series. See p40-41 TH (4/11), 6pm, Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, 450 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Sarah Dean: Midnight Post & the Postbox Clock

Author Sarah Dean will be presenting and signing her new book, The Midnight Post and the Postbox Clock. SA (4/13), 1pm, Blue Ridge Books, 428 Hazelwood Ave, Waynesville

Wordplay

The Weaverville Poets Collective will host a poetry showcase to celebrate National Poetry Month. 11 poets will read from their recent work. See p49 SU (4/14), 7:30pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville

God & Liberation

We'll be reading books by Black, Womanist, Mujerista, Latino, Palestinian, Indigenous, LGBQIA+, and disabled authors to deconstruct what we've been taught about who God is and build something new. MO (4/15), 7pm, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 10 N Liberty St

Tom Maxwell w/Mark Capon Maxwell's book, A Really Strange and Wonderful Time, is the first biography of the thriving and influential rock scene in Chapel Hill, which gave the world artists like Ben Folds Five, Superchunk, and Squirrel Nut Zippers. WE (4/17), 7pm, Citizen Vinyl, 14 O Henry Ave

Asheville Storyslam: Green

Prepare a five-minute tale involving verdant fields, blades of grass, tree-huggers or leprechauns.

TH (4/18), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

THEATER & FILM

Ivy Rowe from the Lee Smith Novel Fair & Tender Ladies

A theatrical exhilaration featuring this off-Broadway, Edinburgh Fringe-approved hit, which follows a spunky mountain woman on a journey through life livin’ on love.

TH (4/11), FR (4/12), 7pm, Tina McGuire Theatre, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

Black in Asheville: Film Screening

A must-see documentary that shows the black history and cultural heritage of the Black community in Asheville. Food trucks available. See p49

TH (4/11), 6pm, Black Wall St AVL, 8 River Arts Pl

The Last Ecstatic Days

A courageous end-of-life story which overflows with compassion, showing you how to live mindfully while embracing what lies beyond. A conversation follows screening.

FR (4/12), 7pm, Weaving Rainbows, 62 Wall St, Matilda the Musical

This Tony Award-winning musical weaves the story of Matilda, a young girl with a sharp wit, unbounded imagination, and psychokinetic powers. See p44 FR (4/12), 7:30pm, SA (4/13), SU (4/14), 2:30pm, Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E Walnut St

Scuttlebutt

A team of super talented improvisors creating made-up-on-the-spot comedy inspired by storytelling and audience suggestions. See p49

FR (4/12), 9:30pm, LaZoom Room, 76 Biltmore Ave

Constellations

A romantic drama that explores the ideas of the multiverse as two unlikely lovers find their futures together.

FR (4/12), SA (4/13), 7:30pm, SU (4/14), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Fast & Loose: Femme/ Queer Intro to Comedy Workshop

A workshop for anyone wanting to try out stand up comedy or looking for advice to get their act to the next level. Open to all femme and non-binary identifying people and all comedy levels.

SU (4/14), 1pm, Catawba Brewing Co. S Slope Asheville, 32 Banks Ave

Wise Words Open Mic

Welcoming beginners and fellow artists to a creative space to express ourselves poetically.

TU (4/16), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

The Psychology of Serial Killers

Dr. Rachel Toles, a renowned Clinical Psychologist and criminal expert, explores the terrifying minds of the world’s most infamous serial killers in her show.

WE (4/17), 8pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Walk Through History:

100 Years of Historic Grovemont

See how it was planned, developed, and visit some of the exteriors of the original houses.

WE (4/10), 9:30am,

Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 W State St, Black Mountain

The Great Bird Adventure at Carolina Avian Research and Education

An expertly guided educational tour that gently leads you through five magnificent exhibits, showcasing rare and endangered birds from every continent of the world.

WE (4/10, 17), FR (4/12), SA (4/13), MO (4/15), 10am, Carolina Avian Research and Education, 109 Olivia Trace Dr, Fletcher

Lil’ Picasso’s Toddler

Art

Help little ones embrace their imagination and creativity to develop problem solving, refine motor skills, and creatively to express emotions.

WE (4/10, 17), 1:30pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Eightfold Path Study Group

A group will gather to study the Eightfold Path Program. Kris Kramer will host the group as a fellow participant and student.

WE (4/10, 17), 3pm, Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St, Black Mountain

Crafting with Cricut Workshop

Make a new craft each month using your Cricut. For more information, call 828-350-2058 or email kkennedy@ ashevillenc.gov.

WE (4/10), 6pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Golden Hour: Supper Club

This monthly women in business supper club is an opportunity for great minds to eat, drink and gather.

WE (4/10), 6pm, The Radical, 95 Roberts St

Oasis Presentation: Strategies & Tools to Navigate Aging & Health Care

Learn how to arrange home health care, access health or safety equipment or choose a long-term care facility.

WE (4/10), 6pm, Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville

Toddler Craftin' Through the Season

Make toddler-friendly crafts designed for spring days. Light snacks provided. Advance registration required.

WE (4/10), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Swing Asheville: Lesson & Dance

An evening of swing lessons and a dance social with music provided by DJ Hi-Fly. The lesson is appropriate for dancers with no dance background.

WE (4/10), TU (4/16), 7pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Brew & Taste With Local Roasts Coffee Experience

Learn coffee brewing theory and techniques with professional brewers, then enjoy a tasting session.

TH (4/11), 9:30am, Coffee Curious Workshops, 45 S French Broad Av

National Speakers Association of WNC Meeting (NSA-WNC)

A meeting hosted by ACNC featuring professional keynote speakers, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and consultants who cover a broad range of topics, skills, & knowledge.

TH (4/11), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Healthy Brain, Healthy Body, Healthy You

This program focuses on key factors of exercise, diet, cognitive activity and social engagement. Registration required.

TH (4/11, 18), 1pm,

Haywood County Library-Canton, 11 Pennsylvania Ave, Canton

Art Park

Adults ages 50+ are called to join Asheville Parks & Recreation in Carrier Park to create art inspired by nature and our community.

TH (4/11), 2pm, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd

Understanding Homelessness Learning Series

A 3-part community education series on understanding homelessness. Presented by Debbie Alford, Homeless Strategy Specialist, Training and Development staff with the Homeless Strategy Division.

TH (4/11, 18), 4:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Green Drinks: Hendersonville Water and Sewer Update

An informative session led by Hendersonville Utilities Director Adam Steurer, who will present a summary of the town's utility history, operations, project updates, and initiatives.

TH (4/11), 5:30pm, Trailside Brewing Co, 873 Lennox Park Dr, Hendersonville

WNC Past & Present: 100 Years of Grovemont-on-Swannanoa

Learn about the history, how it has developed, and what the neighborhood consists of today.

TH (4/11), 6pm, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 W State St, Black Mountain Carolina Shag Dance Class Dance Classes led by Karen Workman and Roger Carr.

TH (4/11), 6:30pm, Tyron Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave, Tryon Women's Intention Circle

Exploration of fellow women’s experiences through themes, archetypes, meditative tools, and lived experiences led by Rachael and

Emily Grace.

TH (4/11), 6:30pm, Alchemy Yoga & Reiki, 900 Hendersonville Rd, Ste 101

Pride Sports Asheville: Dodgeball

A free open-play dodgeball event for participants over the age of 21. All skill levels are welcome.

TH (4/11), 7pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Bingo on Grove Street

A fun and friendly game of bingo in the community.

FR (4/12), 10:30am, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St Asheville-Buncombe

Continuum of Care Meeting

A joint committee of Asheville City Council and Buncombe County Commission representing various focus areas or agencies related to homelessness.

FR (4/12), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Parent's Night Out: XP League Asheville

Enjoy a relaxing night out and let the kid's game. Pizza dinner is included, registration is required.

FR (4/12), 5pm, XP League Asheville, 15 Loop Rd, Arden Skate Jam Clinics

Bring your own skates or rent a pair as instructors spread the love of roller skating to beginners.

FR (4/12), 5pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd, Asheville Tarot w/Cats

An hour workshop that will be held in the cat lounge and will show how to incorporate a one- and three-card pull for daily guidance.

FR (4/12), 5:30pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Southside Family Game Night Classic and contemporary board and card

Vote For Us!!

games provided, but feel free to bring your own. Bring your family, friends or just yourself.

FR (4/12), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285

Livingston St

Grow Your Creative & Entrepreneurial Qualities to Grow Your Business

This 3 hour, fast paced, highly interactive workshop will focus on 3 core areas of growth: Your personal growth, your very best story and your social capital.

SA (4/13), 9am, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler

Bid Whist

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

SA (4/13), 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

Coloring w/Cats: Kiddie Edition

A relaxing artistic session with coloring books and markers while you pet cats.

SA (4/13), 1:30pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Popcorn Creation Bar

Start with freshly-made traditional popcorn and then make every kernel a work of art. Craft your own popcorn delicacy with an array of gourmet toppings and seasonings.

SA (4/13), SU (4/14), 11am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Kiddie Cat Etiquette

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

SU (4/14), 1pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Weekly Sunday Scrabble

Weekly scrabble play. All scrabble gear provided.

SU (4/14), 1:30pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Adult Recess

An afternoon of parachute games, dodgeball, and lots of activities that made childhood fun and relieve yourself of the stress of being an adult.

For ages 20 to 50.

SU (4/14), 2pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Coloring w/Cats

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

SU (4/14), 2pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Parent & Child Workshop: Substance Use & Abuse  Parents and students in 5th-12th grades come together for this interactive workshop to gain shared language and understanding about youth drug and alcohol use.

SU (4/14), 2pm, St James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black Mountain

Free Line Dancing Lessons

Free line dancing lessons with the Asheville Country Western Dancers.

SU (4/14), 4pm, Shakey's, 38 N French Broad Ave

Women's Sovereignty Circle

A donation based group for women that explores topics such as boundaries, discernment, feminine power, identifying needs and desires, and more.

MO (4/15), 10:30am, The Well, 3 Louisiana Ave

Kids & Teens Kung Fu Learn fighting skills as well as conflict resolution and mindfulness. First class is free to see if it's a good fit for you.

MO (4/15), TU (4/16), TH (4/18), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Black Men Monday

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

MO (4/15), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Sketchbook Club

A bi-monthly gathering for sharing inspiration and collaborating on drawings while developing a consistent sketchbook.

MO (4/15), 6pm, Foundation Studios, 27 Foundy St

Community Drum Class

w/Larry McDowell

Hone your hand drum skills with an experienced local drummer and instructor. All skill levels welcome.

MO (4/15), 7pm, The Well, 3 Louisiana

Embodying the Biology of Belief

Participants will be engaged in various somatic activities to create a more peaceful and nurturing environment through the deepening of one’s connection to self, community, and the cosmos.

MO (4/15), 7pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Treks Hiking Club for Adults 50 & Over

A low-impact hiking club offering leisurely-paced hikes for active adults.

No hiking experience is required, but the hike covers over three miles on uneven terrain.

TU (4/16), 9:30am, Asheville Recreation Park, 65 Gashes Creek Rd

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Crafting & Cooking

A variety of cooking and crafts for individuals with disabilities ages 17 and over each week.

Advance registration at

avlrec.com is required.

TU (4/16), 10am, free, Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

WNC Bigfoot Tracking

101

Learn more about tracking these elusive creatures through foot/track casting, animal signs, and more. Advance registration required.

TU (4/16), 5pm, Richmond Hill Park, 300 Richmond Hill Dr

Tango Tuesdays

No partner is required and drop ins are always allowed. No experience needed for the beginners class.

TU (4/16), 6pm, Urban Orchard Cider Co. S Slope, 24 Buxton Ave

The Century of Humiliation & China's Foreign Policy w/Dr. Jim Lenburg Dr. Lenburg will discuss how China has made aggressive efforts to reassert its authority in East and Southeast Asia as well as to alter the norms of the American-led world order.

TU (4/16), 7pm, OLLI/ Reuter Center, UNCA, 300 Campus View Rd

Bird Walk w/Mills River Partnership

Come listen to and watch birds while learning some identification techniques. Sign up via acmillsriverpartnership@ gmail.com to learn more.

WE (4/17), 8:30am, Hendersonville Water Treatment, 4139 Haywood Rd, Mills River

Innerdance: Altered States of Consciousness w/Soundscapes & Energy Work

A music-based, meditative, healing journey. It involves the use of special soundscapes that mimic circadian rhythms and enable people to move effortlessly between different brain wave states.

WE (4/17), 11am, The Horse Shoe Farm, 155 Horse Shoe Farm Rd, Hendersonville

Intro to DJ Workshop w/Mike Martinez

A special Intro to DJ workshop for interested youth with Mike Martinez. This workshop is free and open to the public.

WE (4/17), 6pm, LEAF Global Arts, 19 Eagle St

A Cautious NonTechnical Introduction to AI & Its Impact on Your Small Business

Learn how Large Language Models (like ChatGPT) work and how they don’t. Learn how they get people into trouble so you will have a better chance to avoid that. And learn a few basic ways they can be used, after all, to help you with your small business.

TH (4/18), 11am, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler Bingo-nasium

Bring your friends for a night of bingo in the gym.

TH (4/18), 2pm, Asheville Parks and Recreation, 70 Court Plaza

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

TH (4/18), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Breakthrough Breathwork

Use the power of breathwork to activate the power of 3 so you can access deeper wisdom, heighten creativity and connect to your most authentic self.

TH (4/18), 6:30pm, Alchemy Yoga & Reiki, 900 Hendersonville, Ste 101

LOCAL MARKETS

Bounty & Soul Latino Wednesday Market

Providing equitable access to nutritious, culturally relevant food through weekly community markets. Enjoy Latinx staples and help create a healthy experience of community connection.

WE (4/10, 17), 3:30pm, Swannanoa United Methodist Church, 216 Whitson Ave, Swannanoa

RAD Farmers Market

Providing year-round access to fresh local foods from over 30 local vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, pastured meats, cheeses, raw honey, and more. Located right on the Greenway, the market is safely accessible by bike, foot, or rollerblade. See p47

WE (4/10, 17), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

Friday Market

Produce to the People provides equitable access to food through weekly community markets. There will be cooking demos and kids activities, foods from local farms, fresh produce and other healthy staples.

FR (4/12), 205 NC-9, 205 North Carolina 9, Black Mountain

North Asheville

Tailgate Market

The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC, since 1980. Over 60 rotating vendors providing a full range of local, sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, plants and unique crafts. See p47

SA (4/13), 8am, 3300 University Heights

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Women’s Health

Awareness Conference

2024

This event will provide free health screenings, health education sessions, healthy living sessions and health resources.

SA (4/13), 8am, MAHEC, 121 Hendersonville Rd

Maker Faire Asheville 2024

An all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. See p48

SA (4/13), 10am, A-B Tech Mission Health Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Dr

Pete's Thing

A badminton tournament with door prizes, a tie-dye station, taqueria food truck and live music from The Pond Brothers and The Paper Crowns.

SA (4/13), 1pm, The Outpost, 521 Amboy Rd

Truck City AVL Mountain families are invited to an up-close look at big trucks, small trucks, transit buses, construction vehicles, and more. Kids and adults can explore, touch, and ask questions about their favorite trucks.

SA (4/13), 1pm, Tanger Outlets Asheville, 800 Brevard Rd

You Had Me At MEOW: Speed Dating for Cat Lovers Mix & mingle with single cat lovers from all walks of life and twelve adoptable cats.  All proceeds from this event will be donated to Binx's Home for

Black Cats.

SA (4/13), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Festy at the Westy

The Osprey Orchestra will be hosting a festival with live music, beer, vendors, flow and visual arts. Osprey Orchestra is a WNC four piece band displaying sounds of folk, blue grass, and reggae in a jam/improv style.

SU (4/14), 6pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd

WNC Career Expo Employers from across the region will be present with opportunities for job seekers throughout WNC. The Expo will also offer free services to job seekers in need of career readiness or career search support. WE (4/17), 11am, WNC Ag Center’s Davis Event Center, 765 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher

Bicycle Day Eve: Grateful Dead Dance Party w/Pearl Psychedelic Institute

First annual Grateful Dead dance party to commemorate  Dr Albert Hofmann's famous bicycle ride home from his lab in 1943 after he became the first human to intentionally ingest LSD. TH (4/18), 7pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Beers that Build Release Event w/Beer & Loathing

Acoustic duo plays originals and covers at this special beer release event. Benefit for Asheville GreenWorks. Featuring live music from acoustic duo Beer

& Loathing.

TH (4/11), 5pm, Wicked Weed Brewing, 91 Biltmore Ave

Swannanoa Sweep Community Cleanup

Meet in the east end of the Swannanoa Ingles parking lot to gather supplies and form cleanup crews. Safety vests, gloves and bags will provided. For more info, contact Maureen Dillow at (828) 713-8836 or mdillow2@ bellsouth.net.

SA (4/13), 9am, Ingles Swannanoa Parking Lot, 2299 US-70, Swannanoa

AVL Clothing Swap

This clothing swap is a fundraiser for reproductive justice. Bring good, clean conditioned adult clothing and shoes. Please, no bras, underwear, kid's clothing, or accessories

SA (4/13), 1pm, The Regeneration Station, 26 Glendale Ave

Paws for a Purpose

Blue Ridge Humane Society is encouraging businesses throughout the community to offer fundraising opportunities and fun activities, all supporting BRHS. Possible fundraisers include donating a

percentage of sales, hosting a pet supply donation Dr, or even hosting a pint night or yappy hour.

SU (4/14), Multiple locations in Henderson County, 1214 Greenville Hwy, Hendersonville

Queer Kids Radical

Reading: A Fierce Fundraiser & Silent Art Auction

A queer children's book reading with a silent art auction to support a community of queer youth as they explore the world of film. It's free to attend, and all profits will go directly to the camp.

SU (4/14), 2pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

Wash N Lube

Come and show your support for Dupont State Forest while showing your bike some love. If you’re not a cyclist but still love Dupont, come and support the forest while enjoying live music from Travis Book Band.

SU (4/14), 4pm, Cedar Mountain Outpost, 8431Greenville Hwy, Brevard

Seeking a forever home

Veterans Healing Farm searches for new site in Henderson County

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

In January, the Veterans Healing Farm, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the mental health of veterans and their families, received notice that it must find a new location by Thursday, Aug. 15. But according to its operations director, Air Force veteran Megan Landreth, the move is an opportunity for the farm to find its “forever home.”

The current 1.77-acre property in Hendersonville has worked well since the Veterans Healing Farm was founded by John and Nicole Mahshie in 2013. The farm has since grown to four staff members and 300 volunteers. But, Landreth explains, “This is a space that we’ve inherited, and we’ve outgrown it.” It has sparse room for parking and only two portable toilets serving as restrooms, and it relies on well water. “We need indoor space and multiple classroom spaces. Our newsletter will go out this weekend, and before the end of the week, we’ll have workshops that are full for May. We need a bigger area.”

The Veterans Healing Farm is seeking to raise $5 million to purchase a new location and expand its offerings year-round, says Marine Corps veteran and Executive Director Alan Yeck. Farm leaders plan to create an endowment with $3 million of the funding raised to ease future pressure on donations. He says the farm has raised half a million so far; a local veteran is currently offering a $50,000 match on donations through Saturday, June 1.

HEALING AT THE FARM

The Mahshies founded the Veterans Healing Farm to provide a community focused on the emotional well-being of veterans, in particular addressing the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder. “We look at the organization as a national nonpharmaceutical intervention model,” explains Yeck, who joined the staff in 2021.

Agritherapy, which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes as providing benefits in both vocational training and behavioral health care, is among the primary programs at the Veterans Healing Farm. “Being together with hands in the soil — outside, growing — is the healing part,” says Yeck. “We’re not a production farm; it’s the process that’s important.”

guests at the Charles George Veterans Affairs Medical Center, among others. “We give everything away — all the produce we grow,” he says. The farm has donated an estimated 70,000 pounds of produce in the past 10 years, Yeck says.

Beekeeping is another beloved program with its own team of volunteers, led by a Coast Guard veteran. Last year it produced 8 gallons of honey. “Beekeepers keep what they want, but otherwise we give the honey back to the veteran community,” Yeck says.

Volunteers can also tend an herb garden of 68 medicinal plants, led by herbalist Rebecca Vann. The herbs focus on the relief of common health concerns for veterans: sleep quality, anxiety and inflammation. “With Rebecca’s direction, [volunteers] process different teas and tinctures and salves and balms,” Yeck says. “We always say that if we can get a veteran taking one less pill from Pfizer by using a medicinal plant, then it’s a victory.”

In addition to its hands-in-the-dirt activities, the Veterans Healing Farm hosts numerous workshops. In 2023, it hosted 49 workshops serving 500 people. Many classes happen on the building’s front porch, as the indoor area is limited. (Its main office space is a cargo-style Conex container.)

All the workshops have a mental health focus, whether they address artistic pursuits like painting or more direct mental health topics like grief management or suicide prevention. (The main building’s small stage is named for U.S. Marine Cpl. Joshua Alexander McArdle, a 2002 T.C. Roberson High School graduate and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran who died from suicide in 2013.) The suicide prevention workshops are available to all. “While the veteran community is disproportionately affected by suicides, it’s a crisis in the nation, and so we open [these workshops] up to anybody who wants to come,” Yeck says.

He stresses that no one is required to know anything about agriculture to volunteer at the farm. “When they come, they can say, ‘I want to learn about bees’ or ‘I want to learn about organic farming,’” he explains. “They’ll be taught. They’ll be mentored.”

Organic produce — including cucumbers, peppers, kale, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, strawberries and blackberries — is grown in the main garden, as well as in vertical structures for those with limited mobility. One team, called the “tomato squad,” is dedicated to growing the plentiful fruit and is overseen by local tomato expert Craig LeHoullier. The farm donates its bounty to residents of domestic violence and homeless shelters and to patients and

Canine therapy with Appalachian Dog Training’s therapy dogs, guitar lessons, and crafting classes, such as leather cuff making and knife forging, take place at the main building. Veterans can also participate in offsite activities, like hikes, kayaking trips, equine therapy and a book club at a local coffee shop. Landreth also organizes outings for veterans, like Asheville Tourists baseball games.

The farm’s nine beehives will be transported to the new location, wherever that is. If a new space isn’t found by the mid-August deadline, the farm’s beekeeping team may take home hives to foster, says Landreth. “Foster bees!” she says with a laugh.

The farm plans to do one more planting and one harvest before its August move.

HOUSE HUNTERS: The Veterans Healing Farm is seeking to raise $5 million to purchase a new location in Henderson County and expand its offerings year-round, says Marine Corps veteran and Executive Director Alan Yeck, left, pictured with Air Force veteran and Operations Manager Megan Landreth.

Photo by Jessica Wakeman

The Veterans Healing Farm is tucked into a quiet valley in Horse Shoe along the Ecusta Trail. It’s a part of Hendersonville with more cows and horses than residential developments and highways. The staff’s wish is to find a similarly idyllic location in Henderson County — although ideally one connected to a septic system and electric grid. The Veterans Healing Farm relied on solar panels and a generator for backup until Duke Energy extended local power lines to the property pro bono last year.

The farm seeks 12-15 acres of property. Four acres will be dedicated to farming, including a greenhouse and a hydroponics cultivation system, which grows plants year-round by placing them in nutrient-rich water instead of dirt.

Some of the land will be used for parking. Farm events, such as the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, can draw hundreds of cars. At the current space, neighbors let the farm use their property for overflow parking.

The wish list for a new location includes indoor plumbing, a full kitchen, private space for visiting

therapists and, most importantly, more indoor classroom space. Those facilities would allow the nonprofit to serve veterans year-round, rather than only in the warmer months.

Up until now, the Veterans Healing Farm has relied on local businesses, as well as a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Hendersonville, which have been generous about sharing their space in the colder months.

Remaining in Henderson County is a priority. Yeck notes that Asheville has the Charles George VA and the Veterans Restoration Quarters transitional housing and emergency shelter within the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry. But there are fewer resources for veterans in Henderson County.

Licensed clinical social worker and Marine Corps veteran Kevin Rumley agrees that resiliency support for veterans in rural areas is crucial. “Veterans in rural areas may face challenges accessing care due to geographic distance and limited transportation options,” Rumley says. “And rural communities often have limited mental health infrastructure, exacerbating the issue.”

Rumley says rural areas provide “unique stressors related to their

transition from military to civilian life,” such as social isolation and lack of employment opportunities.

Adds Marine Corps veteran Daniel Conway, “When it comes to mental health, it is so important to provide help in a timely manner. … Expecting anyone to travel hours away for services is setting them up for failure.”

Conway also appreciates that the Veterans Healing Farm incorporates veterans’ families. “Many times, the family are kind of forgotten about, but they sacrifice and endure so much as well. Having an environment for both the veteran and their family to heal is so important.”

HOME IS OUT THERE

The staff is optimistic about finding a dream property. Community response to the news of the farm’s move has been “tremendous,” Yeck says, noting the offices of U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and U.S. Reps. Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Jennifer Balkcom (NC-117) and Eric Ager (NC-114) have all contacted them asking how to help. Yeck and Landreth have toured multiple

properties in Henderson, Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties, but none have been quite the right fit.

The staff continues to look at properties and raise funds. “I don’t go by a Coke machine without checking for change for the farm,” Yeck jokes. Although the farm has relied on grant writers in the past, there is less focus on grant-seeking at the moment because some grant application periods had already closed for the year, he explains.

“What I believe is that people that can write six- and seven-figure checks want to help — they just don’t want to be used,” Yeck says. “I’m trying to get through those barriers and provide our 990 [IRS form], provide financials, provide our plans, invite them in. … Come and see the farm. Meet the veterans.”

“We’ll give any information,” Landreth says. “Whatever they need to know about what we’re here for and what we do.”

Yeck strongly believes “angels” will appear to help the Veterans Healing Farm find a new home and expand. “We need little angels and we need big angels,” he says. “They’re out there. We know they are.” X

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

Many readers outside of Waynesville may not be aware of the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center. But if things this year go as Evan Hatch and his colleagues hope, the nonprofit’s name will be far more widely known and synonymous with bridging gaps, building community and sustaining connections across Western North Carolina.

Hatch, a new board of directors member, is getting the word out about the group’s upcoming programming, namely the inaugural Pigeon Community Conversations with Storytellers Series. The monthly events run April-August and launchThursday, April 11, 6-7 p.m., with Adama Dembele, a 33rd-generation musician and storyteller from Ivory Coast, West Africa, who’s been a culture keeper with Lake Eden Arts Festival for over a decade.

Hatch calls Dembele “an excellent musical storyteller” and sees the artist’s multifaceted approach as a solid kickoff to a series with ambitious goals and a second year already planned.

TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

Hatch has a background in arts administration and collaborated with the PCMDC in his previous role as executive director of Folkmoot USA. Located in the former Pigeon Street School, which served as an African American elementary school from 1957-63, the PCMDC began as the Pigeon Community Development Club in 2001. It became a standalone nonprofit organization in 2009.

“It’s a pretty special organization serving underrepresented communities in WNC,” says Hatch, who accepted the nonprofit’s invitation to become a board member in November. “We’re known for our summer student programs and after-school programs, our food bank work with MANNA and our food-centric fundraiser events.”

When he joined the board, there was a request that PCMDC start facing the larger community through programming. Looking for inspiration, the board gravitated toward a pair of 2023 offerings that proved particularly impactful.

Last summer, PCMDC hosted an event featuring PCMDC program director Latausha “Tausha” Forney in dialogue with award-winning comics writer Andrew Aydin, who splits his time between Hendersonville and Washington, D.C. The former digital director and policy adviser to the late Congressman John Lewis, Aydin co-authored the civil rights leader’s three-part graphic novel series March.

“He’s a National Book Awardwinning graphic novel writer, and he came and talked about comic books, and we’re like, ‘Man, this is killer,’” Hatch says. He adds that by speaking on an art form largely associated with teen and tween readers, Aydin helped show young people that “there was value in their storytelling.”

The second milestone program took place in September with David Joy. The Jackson County-based writer spoke with Forney about his latest novel, Those We Thought We Knew. Hatch says the author’s ability to bring meaning to Black and white experiences through his storytelling made a big impact on attendees.

“It was a successful event, so we thought, ‘Let’s bring in representatives of the diverse, underserved communities who use storytelling in some way or another as a way of explaining their culture or communicating it,’” Hatch says. “I knew that we could have this big thing and revisit it every year. And we could count anything from musical storytellers to rappers to spoken-word poets to children’s story authors to painters. There’s a lot of different ways of telling stories.”

STORIED GUESTS

The inaugural edition of Conversations with Storytellers Series primarily features artists with previous ties to the PCMDC or individuals Hatch knew through his connections with LEAF Co-Executive Director and founder Jennifer Pickering. In addition to Dembele, Pickering linked Hatch with Marsha Almodovar, an Asheville-based mixed-media painter who uses her art to highlight social justice issues. Almodovar will be the star of the Thursday, July 11, installment.

Two months prior, on Thursday, May 9, WNC native Ann Miller Woodford will discuss her recent work in a long-running project that

valid and that it’s all pretty darn cool if you come into it with an open mind.”

Having showcased her gifts while in conversation with Joy and Aydin for their events, Forney will lead the series.

“She is a great interviewer, ” Hatch says. “She’s well known in the community and just has this real good gut for asking the right questions to the right people — and being well informed because she’s so well prepared.”

He adds that the conversations are casual and will allow for audience participation. Looking ahead, the 2025 edition will expand to a six-person series, with a lineup announcement slated for early December.

“The idea is to start humbly ... and get people excited about it so they can help to grow it,” Hatch says.

FLY ON

In addition to the Conversations with Storytellers Series, the nonprofit has other significant happenings occurring this year.

involves chronicling the history and culture of African Americans in the far western counties of North Carolina.

“She is an oral historian and is collecting the stories of Black people in Waynesville,” Hatch explains.

Thursday, June 13, brings Asheville’s DeWayne Barton to town. The poet, spoken-word performer and visual artist uses numerous forms of creative storytelling, yet is perhaps best known for his Hood Huggers International Tours, which teach participants about historically significant places and events in Asheville’s Black community.

The series concludes Thursday, Aug. 8, with author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, whom Hatch says has a strong connection with Waynesville through local bookstore Blue Ridge Books. Her 2020 debut novel, Even As We Breathe, made Clapsaddle the first enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to publish a novel.

“People think about storytelling as a traditional art form. What a lot of folks don’t know is that traditions change as people change, so with influences of new people or additions of new technology, the capacity for storytelling is going to change,” Hatch says. “But still, there will be a need to communicate personal stories through whatever medium is out there. We just want to say that it’s all

Through funding from the Waynesville Public Art Commission, PCMDC will install a permanent mural on its street-facing wall. The artwork will be created by muralist Kristy McCarthy from New York City with ample assistance from the local community.

“[McCarthy] is going to come down, she’s going to do interviews, she’s going to plan out with the Pigeon Center some of the imagery that she wants to use in this mural,” Hatch says. “There will be a public arts day where people come out and work on this mural — actually work on the art that will be put onto the wall. And then it should be dedicated in June.”

The PCMDC is also producing its second volume of Lift Every Voice, a community oral history project of African American personal experience narratives in Haywood County, slated for publication in the winter. Plans are also in place for a community cookbook featuring favorite recipes from local residents. But for now, the nonprofit’s focus is firmly on the Conversations with Storytellers Series.

“We welcome everyone to come out. These are all family programs, appropriate for everybody. And I think when you walk through the doors of Pigeon, a new audience will be surprised at some of the amazing stuff that’s happened there and the energy that’s in that building,” Hatch says. “Over the next couple of years, we’ve got even more projects that are coming up. And I just want to see it as this cultural powerhouse, and I think everybody should do everything they can to support it.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/dia. X

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: Asheville-based artists Marsha Almodovar, left, and Adama Dembele are among the featured artists in the inaugural Pigeon Community Conversations with Storytellers Series. Almodovar photo by Stephan Pruitt; Dembele photo courtesy of LEAF Global Arts

CONVERSATION STARTER: Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center program director Latausha “Tausha” Forney, left, facilitates a discussion with author David Joy last September at the nonprofit’s Waynesville home.

Photo by by Kasey Steffan

April Stone: Botswana Agate April Herb: Peppercorn

4/12: Reader: Krysta 12-7

Merry Meet & Greet 5-7

4/14: Reader: Andrea 12-5

Mercy Fund Animal Adoption 12-3

4/17: Reader: Jessica 12-5

Magical Book Club 6-7

4/19: Reader: Krysta 12-7

SUN enters Taurus

Beginner’s Tarot, Pt. 1 4-5

(828) 424-7868

ashevillepagansupply.store

640 Merrimon Ave. #207

Mon.- Sat. 10-8pm • Sun. 12-6pm

Moon Bride and Weird Mountain release new albums

NAME GAME: Moon

Carly Kotula has gone through many name changes in recent years, so she understands if people are unsure what to call her.

For years, Kotula has recorded and performed under her maiden name, Taich. The decision, she says, was primarily a tribute to her father, Tom. But in September, when her dad watched Kotula perform at a sparsely attended show, he offered a stunning suggestion. “He was like, ‘I feel like more people might be able to latch onto your music if you had a more memorable name,’” Kotula recalls. “He said, ‘I don’t like our last name — I’ve never liked our last name.’ And I was like, ‘Really?’ Because I felt like if I changed my name, subconsciously I thought I would hurt my dad’s feelings or something.”

Her father’s surprise disclosure freed her to “take the plunge.” Over the course of a weekend, she workshopped different options and eventually chose Moon Bride.

On Feb. 9, Kotula released her latest album, Insomnie, under the new moniker. Within the first minute of the collection’s opening track — “Why Are You Sleeping?” — listeners experience the appropriateness of the name. Though Kotula’s work as Carly Taich frequently featured a full-band sound, the added sonic layers evident throughout her first Moon Bride album often feel otherworldly and transport one to the cosmos.

“That’s the kind of music I like to listen to,” Kotula says, citing the big, ambitious sounds of St. Vincent, Kate Bush and California rockers Half Alive as influences. “I like a lot of different genres, but I’m really into a lot of sound and a lot of unique noises and experimental music. There’s so much you can do to pull meaning out of the song beyond just the acoustic guitar and the lyrics and the way you sing it.”

She feels that every element that’s added to a song enhances its meaning, yet she’s careful about not wanting to overproduce anything. “I also wanted it to be a little bit more accessible,”

Kotula says. “It’s obviously not dance music, but I wanted it to sort of move in that direction just a little bit.”

Augmenting her latest batch of lyrically rich songs are lush string arrangements written by Georgiabased composer Phil Hodges and performed by Matt Combs, who directs the fiddle program at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. She also recruited fellow Ashevillebased singer-songwriter and voiceover artist Stephanie Morgan to duet on “Knocking on Exits.”

“When I wrote that song, as it started coming together, it felt very apparent to me that it needed her voice on it,”

Kotula says. “Like, I didn’t really think, ‘Oh, this needs a person — who should it be?’ It was like, ‘This needs Stephanie on it.’ She has that grit and gravitas to her voice, and I felt like it could add a little bit of power to it.”

Kotula hopes that the switch to Moon Bride and the artistic growth evident on Insomnie encourages her to “continue moving upward” in her career and will lead to more opportunities and collaborations.

Bride, left, and Weird Mountain are making the most of their recent moniker changes. Moon Bride photo by Pat Kotula; Weird Mountain photo by Lawson Alderson

And, ironically, the move ultimately honors her father after all, giving her the “more memorable name” that he believes could take her to the next level.

“I think Moon Bride will be a little bit more accessible than Carly Taich,” she says. “One other thing about Carly Taich is just that people really struggle to remember it and pronounce it. You can’t get Moon Bride wrong, right? So hopefully people will remember it and share it a little bit more.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/dib.

IN THEM HILLS

Like Moon Bride, local rockers Weird Mountain are adjusting to a recent name change as well. Formerly known as Hex Traffic, the group rebranded in February, embracing the name of its EP, title track and the blend of wild forest visuals that the moniker inspires.

The band’s roots, however, are wholly digital. Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Mike Katilius met guitarist Adam Hallock on Craigslist, via a post seeking a fellow musician with a shared love of shoegaze and electronic music.

“I’ve lived in a bunch of different cities, and when I didn’t happen to have any friends or know people, I just used resources like that,” says Katilius, who was in the original Phosphorescent lineup during his days in Athens, Ga.

Hallock answered the call, and the new friends quickly bonded over their shared influences. Bassist Danny Harrell and drummer Marc Horne soon joined them, but the more the quartet found its own distinct sound, the further they got from the genres that first brought Katilius and Hallock together.

“That’s what’s interesting about this,” Katilius says. “You have ideas and collaborative partners where your respective filters sort of take in your

influences and spit out something else. And hopefully, it’s something engaging and original. We think it is, but getting it in front of a lot of people’s ears to have them weigh in on what they think is a different story.”

Those who tune in to Weird Mountain’s four-track, self-titled EP will hear imagery-rich songwriting, driving rhythms and clean guitar tones that still retain plenty of personality. Tracked at Drop of Sun recording studios in West Asheville, the advanced layering of dual guitars on opening track “Sky So Blue” and the interplay of guitar and synths on the title track are especially impressive.

Bands such as Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr. and Wilco are among the group’s long list of key influences. Meanwhile, the opening of “Count My Lucky Stars” resembles a sped-up version of Oasis’ “Fade In-Out.” But Katilius says peers of the chart-topping rock group play a larger role in Weird Mountain’s sound.

“[Hallock and I] were definitely both really into a lot of British ’90s shoegaze stuff,” he says. “And we both love The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Swervedriver and The Verve. I was a teenager in the early ’90s, so all that stuff definitely seeped in.”

Cultivating and sharing this distinct blend of influences, however, is currently a challenge. Katilius and his family were living in Hendersonville until June, when his day job took him to the West Coast.

“The whole band is still in Asheville except for me, and I’m out in Portland, Ore. So, we’re trying to figure out how to manage that in a remote way,” he says. “It’s obviously challenging, as you might imagine, but we’re still continuing to chart a path forward.”

While Katilius works on getting back to Western North Carolina full time, he and Hallock share recorded snippets and ideas for new songs on a near daily basis and are plotting short runs of shows in the Southeast and out West.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/dic. X

Playbill picks

April local theater highlights

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

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

HOLLYWOOD TELL-ALL!

I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers is the latest one-person show to grace area stages. It runs Friday, April 19-Sunday, April 28, at Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Directed by Julie Kinter, this production of Academy Awardnominated screenwriter John Logan’s play stars Lyn Donley as legendary talent agent Sue Mengers — a role originated by Bette Midler

Set in 1981 Beverly Hills, the show explores Mengers’ life, career and the tabloid-ready secrets of the celebrities she represented.

“I’ll Eat You Last is all about the glamour, the gossip and the gritty truth behind the closed doors of showbiz,” says Candice Dickinson, HART’s artistic director. “Lyn Donley is sure to bring all the fire and captivating attitude of Sue Mengers to life on our stage. I can’t wait to share it with audiences.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/djh.

DAHL-IGHTFUL

Roald Dahl is having a moment — but did he ever truly stop having one? The acclaimed British author has enjoyed a recent revival on the big screen with the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel,

Wonka. Meanwhile, in March, Wes Anderson’s short film adaption of Dahl’s 1977 work, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar , earned an Oscar.

That hot streak continues with Matilda: The Musical, which opens Friday, April 12, at Asheville Community Theatre and runs through Sunday, May 5. The Tony Award-winning story of self-discovery follows a psychokinetic young girl raised by shallow parents and instructed by a cruel school headmistress. Actors Ainsley McClure and Josephine Valentina Monastero share the top bill as Matilda, alternating nights.

“I am so honored to be bringing Matilda: The Musical to the ACT mainstage and highlighting the incredible wealth of local talent we’re so fortunate to have,” says

Zoe Zelonky, the show’s director and choreographer. “This production is more than just a performance; it’s a heartfelt celebration of families coming together, creating art that resonates deeply with each of us. Matilda’s story is special to everybody involved, embodying the spirit of community and the transformative power of storytelling.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/djf.

MARSHALL LAW

Over at N.C. Stage Company, the month closes out with another one-person show: Thurgood, which runs Friday, April 26-Sunday, May 19.

Written by George Stevens Jr. and starring Atlanta-based actor K.P. Powell as Thurgood Marshall, the production chronicles the iconic lawyer’s inspirational journey from spearheading Brown v. Board of Education to becoming the first African American appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Everyone can learn from hearing Justice Marshall’s story. His wisdom echoes forward as we deal with the trials and tribulations of today,” says director Philip Kershaw. “The history books we read in school can tend to flatten and simplify who some of these folks were in real life. I think our audience will have a great time getting to know Thurgood the person in this surprisingly funny play.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/djg. X

APRIL POWERS: Springtime brings powerful performances to area stages. Photo by iStock

Fact and fiction

Debut novel revisits unsolved political assassination

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

For decades, Steve Berg’s job was to do anything but write fiction.

After five years as a reporter with The News & Observer in Raleigh, he was hired by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. For 30 years, he worked as a feature writer, political correspondent and editorialist in the Twin Cities and Washington, D.C. Getting the facts right on each assignment was of the utmost importance and inventing anything was out of the question. But as retirement loomed, the prospect of becoming a novelist grew increasingly appealing.

“I like to read fiction and I thought, ‘Is this really hard, or is it easy?’” Berg says. “And I found out pretty quickly that it was really hard for me to make stuff up.”

Now based primarily in Asheville — he and his wife, Dixie, keep a condo in Minneapolis and visit during the summer — Berg persevered in his quest to become an author. His debut work, Lost Colony: The Hennepin Island Murders, was published in October.

‘MINNESOTA NICE’

The novel begins in 1986 with a dramatized telling of a real event: the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme — a crime that remains unsolved. The tale then jumps ahead 30 years to Minneapolis and the grisly murder of an activist priest on the altar of a Swedish American church. Reporter Span Lokken is assigned the story and joins forces with Maggie Lindberg, assistant to the murdered priest, to investigate. Together, they discover a link between the two bloody acts. Berg says anchoring Lost Colony on a historical event helped bridge his journalism past with his fiction future. Creating a protagonist who was a reporter also helped further stoke his imagination.

“I couldn’t imagine trying to write something about characters that I didn’t know anything about. So that’s why I wrote about journalists,” Berg says. “And the same thing goes for the setting. I couldn’t imagine myself

writing about Louisiana, for example, because I’ve never lived there.”

Though much of the story takes place on the fictional Hennepin Island, which Berg set in the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and St. Paul, the place is influenced by the author’s history with the Twin Cities.

“It’s kind of an exotic place — ‘exotic’ meaning there’s a lot of water, there’s a lot of fog, and there’s a lot of moody, kind of gnarly stuff going on that you wouldn’t expect,” he says. “There’s a phrase called ‘Minnesota nice,’ where everybody’s supposed to be chirpy and like Betty White. When actually, there are many dark places in people’s hearts.”

Despite writing about a journalist, Berg stresses that he’s nothing like Span Lokken. The author describes his protagonist as “on this long, slowglide path to retirement,” doing just enough not to get fired yet constantly at odds with his editors. For Berg, it was the opposite.

“I was a pretty happy journalist. I came to work every day, I got in the elevator, and the walls didn’t close in on me,” he says. “I tried not to hang around with the people who are always conjecturing about how horrible their job was. Because it’s not a horrible job.”

In figuring out what type of story to tell, Berg tapped into his Scandinavian heritage and his love of Nordic noir novels. He did research to see if anyone had written something similar to Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series (e.g., The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) but set in the U.S. His search came up empty.

“But I’m mostly a fan of film noir. I just love to watch those old black-and-white movies,” he says. “The mood [of Lost Colony is more similar to] movies like The Maltese Falcon. Or the Coen Brothers — they’re both from Minneapolis and they mix bizarre humor with crime novels all the time. They’re probably more of an inspiration than the Stieg Larsson-type stuff.”

THE LONG GAME

However, even with these helpful guideposts, Berg struggled with the writing process.

“In 2014, I remember I took a trip to the California coast to a little town that I like out there, and I thought, ‘Well, this is going to be a great place to write a book,’” Berg says. “I did start it out there, but it took me forever. I would start and stop, and I kind of relied on my son [Alex Rollins Berg], who’s a screenwriter in New York [City]. He kept me going and encouraged me a lot. He gave me some plot ideas and kept me going.”

Berg also struggled with keeping a schedule.

“Successful fiction writers, novelists especially, are very disciplined. They get up in the morning, they sit down, they write whether they’re in the mood or not,” he says. “I can never do that. I’m not disciplined at all. So it’s been taking a long time to do stuff, as opposed to when I was in the newspaper business and you have deadlines — and you have to do it today.”

But when Berg dedicated himself to extended blocks of writing, he

found what he calls “moments when your fingers are saying things that you didn’t know you knew.” Tapping into unexplored regions of his imagination proved especially fruitful in crafting back-and-forth dialogue between Span and police captain Larry Bender — banter often reminiscent of the hard-boiled detective stories the author loves.

The final product has earned strong reviews, and numerous readers have asked Berg if he’ll write a sequel to Lost Colony. He says he has an idea for a follow-up but has been working on some Asheville-set stories and is in no hurry to return to Hennepin Island.

The same goes for resuming his work as a journalist. He’s friends with multiple Asheville Watchdog writers but turned down their offer to do some occasional reporting for them.

“It was tempting,” Berg says. “But I am happy being, No. 1, retired, and No. 2, focusing on fiction,” Berg says. To learn more, visit avl.mx/dj0. X

FAMILY BUSINESS: Career journalist Steve Berg turned to his screenwriter son for help with his debut novel. Author photo courtesy of Berg

What’s new in food

In Jennifer King’s home state of Oklahoma, Native American fry bread and the “Indian tacos” made from it are common dishes. But after she and her husband, Terry, moved to the Asheville area two years ago, they quickly realized that not only are such staples hard to find in Western North Carolina, but many people they met had never even heard of them.

As a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, King felt inspired to share those food traditions with her new community, and Native Nummies food truck was born. Fully permitted in late March, the mobile kitchen is collaborating with womanand Native American-owned 7 Clans Brewing and will be on regular rotation in its parking lot on Sweeten Creek Road starting in late April.

“[7 Clans] believed that since they served Native American beers and we served Native American cuisine, our partnership would offer the Asheville community the opportunity to experience Native American culture in a way that could not be found anywhere else,” says Jennifer.

Fry bread, she explains, was created by the Navajo people after they were forcibly removed from their homelands in the 1860s by the federal government and provided only meager rations of flour, lard, salt and sugar. Native Nummies’ intentionally streamlined menu highlights this heritage of resilience and creativity, offering only fry bread tacos with seasoned ground beef, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, cheese and sour cream (vegan option also available), plus sweet fry bread options with sugar and cinnamon or honey.

“Fry bread is so much more than just food but represents the strength, perseverance and ultimate survival of the Native American people,” says Jennifer. Guests interested in learning more about the history of fry bread can read about it on a plaque on the Native Nummies trailer.

In addition to upcoming regular dates at 7 Clans, the Kings will serve fry bread on Saturday, May 11, at The Whole Bloomin’ Thing spring festival in Waynesville and at White Squirrel Weekend in Brevard, Friday, May 24-Sunday, May 26.

Also recently opened and anchored in partnership with a local brewery is Yalla, a food truck specializing in vegetarian Middle Eastern street food. Open Thursday-Sunday at Catawba Brewing Co. on the South Slope, Yalla is owned by Nathan Phillips

Food trucks debut with Native American, Middle Eastern fare

GETTING ROLLING: New mobile concepts Native Nummies, left, and Yalla are partnering with local breweries to offer their unique flavors — Native American fry bread and Middle Eastern street food, respectively — to Asheville. Photos courtesy of Native Nummies and Yalla

and chef Nir Asaf, who is already known in Asheville for his catering.

One of the highlights of Yalla’s entirely vegetarian menu (dishes can be made vegan on request) is its hummus made with chickpeas and tahini from Israel. Yalla also offers Middle Eastern pita specialties, such as sabich — a pita filled with tahini, eggs, salad and caramelized eggplant — and Greek- and Turkishstyle bourekas, which are savory, stuffed puff pastries. Sweet options include baklava and a pita stuffed with Nutella and caramelized banana.

Along with food, Yalla focuses on bringing people together by hosting Sunday brunch gatherings, known in Arabic as haflas, with DJ dance music and collaborations with local event producers, artists and musicians. “The excitement lies not only in creating nourishing food but also in fostering a sense of belonging,” says Phillips.

When not at Catawba, Yalla can also be found at occasional area events. Look for details to be announced on Instagram.

7 Clans Brewing is at 66 Sweeten Creek Road. For updates on Native Nummies, visit avl.mx/djo. Catawba Brewing Co. is at 32 Banks Ave. For updates on Yalla, find it on Instagram and at avl.mx/dji.

A food hall for Fletcher

Later this month, HenDough Chicken and Donuts and KO Restaurant Group owners Sarah and

Paul Klaassen, along with business partner Michael Olbrantz, plan to open Auction House Food & Drink Hall in a historic building in Fletcher. They have completely renovated the two-story former auction house at 29 Fanning Bridge Road and added a large deck and an outdoor seating and recreation area with a stage.

Guests will be able to choose from five counter-service dining concepts, ranging from KO Burger, with retro smash burgers, soft-serve ice cream and fries, to tacos and tortas at Mercado Cantina. Fish Camp will feature lobster rolls, fried seafood and peel-and-eat shrimp, while Blue Collar Bourbon Social will offer bourbon and cocktails with a menu of Southern-inspired small plates, such as fried pimento cheese. Wine, frosé and mimosas will be available at the AH Wine Bar. The owners plan to schedule regular activities such as trivia nights, live music, holiday markets, kids events and more.

KO Restaurant Group, which owns four restaurants in Gather Greenville food hall in Greenville, S.C., has been working on this project for three years. “We really love the flexibility and variety that food halls offer. There’s something for everyone,” says Klaassen. “When we were approached about doing something in this building, we knew it would be the perfect place for a food hall. Fletcher is incredibly underserved and experiencing a lot of residential growth.”

Auction House Food & Drink Hall is slated to open in mid to late April and

will be open daily for lunch and dinner. Look for updates at avl.mx/djl.

Showdown features WNC chefs

This year marks the eighth season for the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association Chef Showdown, the state’s largest culinary and cocktail competition, highlighting North Carolina agricultural products. The contest kicked off its first preliminary round on March 24 at A-B Tech with seven Ashevillearea chefs among the 53 chefs and 11 pastry chefs participating.

Local participants are Cheyenne Cristina, Leo’s Italian Social in Asheville; Santiago Guzzetti, Ilda in Sylva; Paul Taylor, Jargon in Asheville; Terri Terrell, The Utopian Seed Project in Asheville; Whitney King, Restoration Hotel in Asheville; Santiago Vargas, Mikasa Criolla in Asheville and Jill Wasilewski, Ivory Road in Arden.

A-B Tech chef instructors Chris Bugher and Stephen Hertz helped facilitate the preliminary round, with members of the A-B Tech student culinary team assisting with setup.

The 26 chefs and eight pastry chefs selected to move ahead to the regional semifinals will be announced after the completion of the last state preliminary culinary round on Monday, June 10, at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh.

Meanwhile, Asheville bar professional Jon Burritt of Chemist Spirits will be among the competitors on Friday, April 19, in Winston-Salem in one of two statewide preliminary mixology rounds. Organizer Heidi Billotto notes that Burritt previously competed in the 2019 event, earning the title NCRLA Mixologist of the Year with Chemist receiving the Distillery of the Year title.

The NCRLA Grand Finale will take place Monday, Aug. 26, at Bay 7 at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham. Winners will join the N.C. Department of Agriculture’s 2024-25 Got to Be NC team of culinary and beverage ambassadors.

For more on the 2024 NCRLA Chef Showdown, visit avl.mx/djj.

A long-awaited cookbook release

Seven years ago, Asheville chef William Dissen, 2024 James Beard Awards Outstanding Restaurant semifinalist and owner of landmark downtown farm-to-table eatery The Market Place, started working on his first cookbook. This spring, the chef is finally able to savor the completion of his passion project with the publication of Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted in the New South.

“It’s organized by the seasons and is an authentic showcase of modern Appalachian recipes, global flavors and fresh local ingredients,” says Dissen in a press release. “To celebrate the book launch the same year we’ve been nominated for a James Beard Award and in The Market Place’s 45th year in business is like a dream come true.”

Thoughtful Cooking was named by Food & Wine magazine as one of the Best Food and Drink Books of Spring 2024 and is on Amazon’s list of Editor’s Picks: Best Cookbooks, Food & Wine. Signed copies of Thoughtful Cooking are available at Malaprop’s Bookstore/ Café, 55 Haywood St., and at Barnes & Noble at the Asheville Mall, 3 S. Tunnel Road. For more information about The Market Place, visit avl.mx/dbu.

Tailgate markets and food access programs

As local farmers markets reopen after winter or transition to spring and summer hours, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project has announced that nine Buncombe County markets will participate this season in the organization’s Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables and Farm Fresh Produce Prescription

programs for increasing access to healthy, local foods. Both programs expand access to fresh produce to more people in the community who might not otherwise be able to afford them. Opening dates and locations for the participating markets are:

• Asheville City Market: 9 a.m.noon, Saturdays, North Market Street (between Woodfin and Walnut streets).

• Black Mountain Tailgate Market: 9 a.m.-noon, Saturdays starting May 4, 130 Montreat Road.

• East Asheville Tailgate Market: 3-6 p.m., Fridays, 954 Tunnel Road.

• Enka-Candler Farmer’s Market: 3:30-6:30 p.m., Thursdays starting April 18, 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler.

• North Asheville Tailgate Market: 8 a.m.-noon, Saturdays, UNC Asheville, Lot P34.

• River Arts District Farmers Market: 3-6 p.m., Wednesdays, 350 Riverside Drive.

• Southside Community Farmers Market: Noon-3 p.m., first Sundays of the month starting May 5, 133 Livingston St.

• Weaverville Tailgate Market: 3-6 p.m., Wednesdays, 60 Lakeshore Drive.

• West Asheville Tailgate Market: 3:30-6:30 p.m., Tuesdays, 718 Haywood Road.

Learn more about these programs at avl.mx/5uh.

Comedy, cuisine and cannabis

Saturday, April 20 — aka 420, the unofficial cannabis holiday — is quickly approaching, and local artist Kitty Savage and Slice of Life

Comedy plan to celebrate with Canna Comic Cuisine dinner and dessert comedy shows at The Green Room downtown. The two separate events will be hosted by Hilliary Begley and will feature local comedians Cayla Clark, Miranda Allison and Cody Hughes Katherine and Griffin Riffe, a local married pastry chef and chef team, will serve vegetarian and vegan hemp-infused dishes.

“[I]wanted to introduce a new concept for cannabis lovers to try infused recipes, make new friends and have experiences that uplift our local culture and economy,” says Savage.

The dinner menu will feature gluten-free fettuccine Alfredo with black truffle or vegan bucatini and cashew milk cream sauce. Dessert will be a choice of hemp-infused Stay Glazed doughnut or flourless chocolate minitorte with fresh berries and infused Madagascar vanilla.

The dinner show will be 7:30-9 p.m., and the dessert show will be 9:30-11 p.m. Tickets are $42 and include a canned, nonalcoholic, cannabis-infused drink along with the show and food.

The Green Room is at 51 College St. 1A. For additional details and tickets, visit avl.mx/djk.

Farewell to Melting Pot Social

The Asheville outpost of Floridabased fondue restaurant Melting Pot Social permanently closed on March 31. Launched in July 2021 at 74 Patton Ave. in the heart of downtown, the restaurant announced on its website: “The first-of-its-kind location opened in the height of the pandemic and has closed indefinitely due to economic market conditions not returning to pre-pandemic levels.”

Along with thanking the Asheville community, the message notes that the space is available for lease.

For more information, visit avl.mx/djm.

— Gina Smith  X

food. music. beer. community. and maybe a train or two .

Monday, 4/8 at 9pm march madness

ncaa championship game

15 screens of excitement!

Bar opens at 8 PM with $3 drafts and $4 well drinks. Join us every Wednesday for a wild night of open bluegrass jamming.

Wednesday, 4/10 at 7pm live music with Dan's Jam

Thursday, 4/11 at 7pm live music with moonshine state

Multi-genre acoustic medleys from multi-instrumentalist/ vocalist Elizabeth McCorvey & vocalist Raphael Graves

Friday, 4/12 at 6pm live music with illegal milk

A wide range of music from ghostly western to 80s rock

Saturday, 4/13 at 7pm live music with little fur

Featuring Andrew Poirier, Shane O’Brien & Joe Marino

Details, food menus and more at railyardblkmtn.com

indoor & outdoor space!

live music + 15 screens + full bar + in-house bbq + ice cream sammies + fun for the family open til 11 pm | kitchen closes 10 pm on fri and sat

*vegan and gluten-free options!*

Around Town

Annual Maker Faire hosts innovators of all ages

Asheville’s fourth annual Maker Faire, a fusion of science fair and show-and-tell for all ages, will take place Saturday, April 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center.

The Maker Faire began in the Bay Area in 2006 and spread to cities all over the world, landing in Asheville for the first time in 2019. The volunteer-run event is a venue for scientists, inventors, crafters and other innovators to network and share their handicrafts with the community.

Guests might see robots roaming, learn to solder (join metals together), make clay pots or learn how to juggle, says Christa Flores, co-founder, volunteer and producer of Maker Faire Asheville. “Not only is Maker Faire a place for makers to find community, it is a space and time to inspire others to become makers, to network, find the right tools and make the world just a bit better by doing so. Maybe you will learn a new skill, but most importantly, you will see the possible world of making through a diverse array of maker role models.”

Flores says although makers can sell their inventions, that is not the main purpose of the event. “Maker Faire is about coming together, getting inspired and finding ‘your people.’”

Over 40 makers will have interactive booths. Flores says this will be the largest number of exhibitors yet. Each year brings new makers and makers who return with new projects, including young innovators from local schools.

Guests at this year’s event will have the opportunity to climb inside a 7-foot-tall musical geodesic dome and trigger musical sounds by touching parts of the dome’s structure. Another new addition is a wind tube device exhibited by the Peaks to Piedmont Girl Scouts troop, designed to create and test flying objects. Others include a DIY hardware-hacking and rapid prototyping space, 3D printers and one of Flores’ favorites — a lifesize, 3D-printed, talking R2D2 from Star Wars

“Each fair is the result of hardworking volunteers who love the DIY and maker culture, as well as celebrating together as makers,” Flores says.

The event is free to exhibit at and attend.

The Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center is at 16 Fernihurst Drive. Learn more about this year’s lineup of makers at avl.mx/djq.

Embroidery workshop

Artist Harper Leich will offer a workshop on the basics of embroidery Tuesday, April 16, 9 a.m.- 1:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 21, 1-5 p.m., at her studio in The Canopy at Art Garden AVL.

Individuals should bring their own clothing items, made of nonstretchy materials such as denim or linen, for a creative makeover. Items other than clothing are acceptable, as long as both the front and back are accessible and flat. The class will teach technique and two simple stitches, then assist students in creating and embroidering a design.

The Canopy at Art Garden is at 191 Lyman St. #320. The class fee is $65. To register visit avl.mx/djr.

Stand-up show

The Slice of Life Comedy professional and open mic comedy show will continue at Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co. on Sunday, April 14, 6:30-9 pm.

The show’s host, Hilliary Begley, has a history of being voted Asheville’s Favorite Comic in Mountain Xpress and debuted in the Netflix original “Dumplin’” as Aunt Lucy. Begley will be joined by professional comics Derek Boskovich, James Rocco and Jordan Smith.

The show is for ages 18 and older. Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co. is at 675 Merrimon Ave. Tickets are available at avl.mx/djs.

StorySLAM winner

Local award-winning storyteller Connie Regan-Blake won the Moth StorySLAM on March 21 at The Grey Eagle. She has been making her living as a storyteller for 53 years, traveling to six continents to share thousands of stories ranging from mountain tales to stories based on personal experience.

The Moth StorySLAM is a monthly storytelling event hosted by The Moth, a nonprofit group dedicated to the art of storytelling throughout the nation. Participants prepare a five-minute story around a theme, and if their name is pulled at random, they share.

Regan-Blake told a story of parachuting while backpacking in New Zealand with a stranger, whom she decided to trust on a whim, for the story theme “Dazzled.”

INNOVATION FOR ALL: Guests engage with interactive booths at the Maker Faire, a science and craft event for all ages. Pictured is the Community Foothills Workshop, a public hackerspace and makerspace, from last year’s event. Photo courtesy of Maker Faire

“The real challenge for me was bringing it down to five minutes,” says Blake. “I wasn’t positive I was going to put [in] my name, and I thought, ‘You know, I think I will do that.’ And I’m so glad I did. It was just lots of fun.”

She is also working to gather material for the Connie-Regan Blake collection at the Library of Congress, which she says is a documentation of her entire journey as a storyteller, “right alongside this whole performance/storytelling birth that was happening in the United States.”

Regan-Blake also teaches storytelling workshops.

Learn more at avl.mx/djt.

Fiddler in the library

Phil Jamison, a nationally known dance caller, old-time musician and flatfoot dancer, will present Black Fiddlers of America on Tuesday, April 16, 6-7:30 p.m., at Pack Memorial Library.

Since the early 1970s, Jamison has been participating in music and dance events across the U.S. In 2017, he was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame, and in 2022 into America’s Clogging Hall of Fame. In addition to performing, Jamison taught traditional music and dance at Warren Wilson College for nearly 30 years, serving as coordinator of the Old-Time Music and Dance Week at the Swannanoa Gathering.

The program is part of the One Book, One Buncombe community-

wide read and presented by Special Collections at Pack Library.

Pack Memorial Library is at 67 Haywood St. Learn more at avl.mx/dju.

Documentary honors Black history

The film documentary Black in Asheville, recounting Asheville’s Black history, will be shown at the Black Wall Street Event Center on Thursday, April 11, 6-8 p.m.

Bringing together Asheville historians and residents, the film transports viewers back to the antebellum period to show what life was like for slaves in Asheville. It then documents the conditions of slaves during the Civil War and their transition to the postbellum period of Reconstruction, Jim Crow and Black Code Laws.

The film also explores the establishment of churches and schools and their vital role in the development of Black life and addresses what further progress a nonsegregated Asheville might make.

Admission is free.

Black Wall Street Event Center is at 8 River Arts Place. Learn more at avl.mx/djv.

Poetry showcase comes to Weaverville

The Weaverville Poets Collective will celebrate National Poetry

Month with a poetry showcase at the Weaverville Community Center on Sunday, April 14, 7:30 p.m.

Eight of the presenting poets are from WordPlay, and three are from Weaverville Writers Network, another writing group at the center.

WordPlay began a year ago as a free class at the Weaverville Community Center. The poets involved in the class have met every month to share work, receive feedback, write prompts and learn more about the various forms of poetry. The poets now offer monthly workshops at the Weaverville Public Library and an open mic at Blue Mountain Pizza, and they recently published their first chapbook.

“Our mission is to build community through poetry,” says founder Mel Kelley in a press release. “We are excited to be getting out into the neighborhood and bringing poetry to the people.”

The poetry showcase is free.

The Weaverville Community Center is at 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville. For more information contact Kelley at soulspeakavl@gmail.com.

New improv comedy show

Scuttlebutt, a monthly improvisational comedy show, will premier at the LaZoom Room on Friday, April 12, 9:30 p.m.

Scuttlebutt pokes fun at workplace life, inspired by guest story-

tellers and audience suggestions. April’s guest storyteller will be actor Delina Hensley.

The show is from Double Dip Productions, which also produces Blind Date Live!, Appa-laffin’ Mountain Revue, The Hometown Show, and Joe Carroll’s one-man show Quality Service.

Scuttlebutt is for ages 18 and older. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the door.

The LaZoom Room is at 76 Biltmore Ave. For tickets, visit: avl.mx/djw. For information on Double Dip Productions events, visit avl.mx/djx.

Reading series continues

The Punch Bucket Lit monthly reading series continues at rEvolve used clothing store, with authors Mindi Meltz and Brit Washburn presenting on Thursday, April 18, 7 p.m.

Meltz has published several novels, including ForeWord Reviews Fantasy Book of the Year finalist Lonely in the Heart of the World and the literary-fantasy trilogy After Ever After. She also creates “Animal Wisdom” knowledge card decks and is a freelance editor for Xpress Washburn is the author of essay collection Homing In: Attempts on a Life of Poetry and Purpose, the poetry collection Notwithstanding, and the forthcoming poetry collection What is Given. She is also this year’s judge for Xpress’ annual poetry contest. rEvolve is at 697 Haywood Road. For more information on Punch Bucket Lit readings, visit avl.mx/cnu.

— Brionna Dallara X

MOVIE REVIEWS

THE FIRST OMEN: After the toothless, borderline incompetent Immaculate, nun horror is back on the menu thanks to director Arkasha Stevenson’s well-made, suspenseful and thoroughly freaky film. Grade: B-plus

— Edwin Arnaudin

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Stand-Up Comedy

Open Mic, 8pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO.

Trivia Trivia!, 6:30pm

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA

Trivia Night w/ PartyGrampa, 7pm

CITIZEN VINYL

Citizen Swing w/Connor Law & Patrick Lopez (jazz), 6pm

EDA'S HIDEAWAY

Jeremy Rilko (bluegrass), 8pm

EULOGY

Daikaiju w/Rocky Mtn

Roller & Cam Girl (surf rock, punk, rock'n'roll), 7pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6:30pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

BIG TOP Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Music w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm

PULP

Julia Sanders Band (indie, folk, Americana), 8pm

SHAKEY'S Sexy Service Industry Night, 10pm

ONE WORLD, TWO BANDS: On Saturday, April 13, Asheville-based Americana folk-rock band Doss Church & the Unholy Noise will perform alongside The Tallboys at One World West, starting at 4 p.m.

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE DRAFTSMAN

BAR + LOUNGE Trivia Nights, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Shake a Leg (rock, folk, blues), 5:30pm

• Pony Bradshaw w/ Rachel Baiman (country, rock, folk), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Bill Altman (blues), 7pm

THE ODD Lovely Little Girls, Dot Com Bubble, Okapi & Free Doom (rock, electronic-punk, jazz), 9pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK

MOUNTAIN Dan's Jam (bluegrass), 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE Trivia, 6:30pm

THURSDAY, APRIL 11

27 CLUB

81' Jam, Skyway 61, Beard Cult, Hex Wizard (rock, psychedelia), 9pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR

Singer Songwriter Showcase w/Peter Tart, Patrick French, & Donny Brazile, 7:30pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

DJ Brownie (trance, electronic), 11pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE

Mike Kenton & Jim Tanner (jazz), 5:30pm

CROW & QUILL Drayton & The Dreamboats (vintage-jazz, rock'n'roll), 8pm

EDA'S HIDEAWAY Karaoke, 8pm

EULOGY

The Sadies (indie, Americana), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S 4thHorse, Drowning

Leo & Caged Affair (alt-rock), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

BIG TOP Survey Says, 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA

Comedy Roast of James Harrod & Allison Shelnut, 7:30pm

LOOKOUT BREWING CO. Music Bingo Thursdays, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Wes Ganey (acoustic), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Jangling Sparrow (altcountry, folk, rock), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Petah Iah & The Mind Renewing Band (reggae, roots, latin), 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES Karaoke Night, 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Django & Jenga Jazz Jam, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Wyatt Espalin (folk, bluegrass), 5:30pm

• AJ Lee & Blue Summit w/81 Drifters (bluegrass, folk, country), 8pm

THE ODD 20 Watt Tombstone, Mean Green & Shadowcloak (psych, blues), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL The Disco Biscuits (trance, funk, jamtronica), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Moonshine State (Americana), 7pm

Photo of Doss Church & the Unholy Noise courtesy of the artists

THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN

Mr Jimmy (blues), 6:30pm

FRIDAY, APRIL 12

27 CLUB Sacrilege (gothic dance party), 10pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

P*rn Star Karaoke, 10pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Consider the Source w/ the Beekeepers (progrock, jazz), 10pm

CATAWBA BREWING

CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

• Comedy at Catawba: Cy Amundson (early show), 7pm

• Comedy at Catawba: Cy Amundson (late show), 9pm

CITIZEN VINYL

The Shoaldiggers & Color Machine (swampgrass), 7pm

CORK & KEG

Meschiya Lake (jazz, blues), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Sparrow & Her Wingmen (jazz, swing), 8pm

EULOGY

At Your Funeral: Emo Night w/DJ Sellout, 9pm

FLEETWOOD'S Hex Wizard, Starseer & Safety Coffin (rock'n'roll), 8pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Ben Phantom (pop, jazz, bluegrass), 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Boat Command (jazz, hip-hop, electronic), 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Peggy Ratusz (blues), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Jackson Grimm & The Bull Moose Party (Appalachian, folkpop), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Open Mic w/Hamza, 8pm

LINWOOD CRUMP SHILOH COMMUNITY CENTER

Trivia & Game Show Fun, 6pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

Wayne Buckner (country, Southern-rock, Americana), 6pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

Imij of Soul (Jimi Hendrix Tribute), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

The Freeway Jubilee (Southern-rock, funk, psychedelic), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Circuitbreakers (rock), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

Elise Testone w/Kanika Moore, Bob Lanzetti, Adam Chase, Stephen Washington & John Ray (psych, soul), 7pm

SHILOH & GAINES

No Games w/Thommy Knoles, Eli Kahn & Logan Jayne (funk, soul), 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Dad Jazz, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Bluestreak (rock, blues, funk), 5:30pm

• Willi Carlisle (folk), 9pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

The Pubsters (rock'n'roll, funk, blues), 7pm

THE ODD

Time Cappello w/ Codapen, 8:30pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Sold Out: City Morgue w/Four Five (rock, rap), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Illegal Milk (rock, western), 7pm

THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN Vaden Landers (country), 6pm

WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT

The Hill Climbers (Appalachian, bluegrass), 7pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

27 CLUB

Systematic Devestation, Failure 2 Conform, Tombstone Hwy & Fury 8 (punk, metal, doom), 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY In Plain Sight (edm, house), 9pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL High Fade (funk, disco), 10pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 6pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Heart Collectors, 8pm

CATAWBA BREWING COMPANY SOUTH

SLOPE ASHEVILLE

• Hair of the Dog Comedy Brunch, 1pm

• Comedy at Catawba: Cy Amundson, 7pm

Secret Saturday Late Nite Comedy Showcase, 9pm

CORK & KEG

Soul Blues Rocks (soul, blues, R&B), 8pm

CROW & QUILL Firecracker Jazz Band, 8pm

EDA'S HIDEAWAY

Hearts Gone South (country), 8pm

EULOGY

Bailen w/Cece Coakley (indie-pop), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Tristan Smith & Dogwood (experimental, new wave, punk), 9pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Scottish Sessions, 4pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

The Dirty French Broads w/The Shoaldiggers (Appalachian, Americana, bluegrass), 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Jackson Grimm (folk, pop, Appalachian), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch w/ Rachael Davis, R.O Shapiro & Zak Bunce, 12pm

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

The 81 Drifters (bluegrass, folk, Americana), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Karaoke, 9pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

• Dave Desmelik (alt-country, folk, Americana), 2pm

• Kayla McKinney (country, honky-tonk), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Pushing Daisies (funk, prog-metal), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Doss Church & the Unholy Noise w/The Tallboys (Americana, folk-rock, country), 4pm

• Black Sea Beat Society (Balkan, Turkish, folk), 9pm

SALVAGE STATION

Los Straitjackets (rock), 8pm

SHAKEY'S

• Friday Late Nights w/ DJ Ek Balam, 12am

• Boot Scoot & Boogie, 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Jones Cove (multigenre), 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Lexi Weege & JJ Slater Band (rock, jazz, blues), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: The Squealers (blues, punk, rock), 5:30pm

• Allah-Las (surf-rock, folk), 9pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Virginia & The Slims (blues, swing), 7pm

THE ODD

Party Foul Drag: Saturday Night Tease, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Madison Cunningham & Juana Molina (folk), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Little Fur (multi-genre), 7pm

THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN Live Music Saturday Nights, 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE

Cumbia & Latin Social w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 9pm WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT DJ Rexx Step, 7pm

SUNDAY, APRIL 14

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO.

Slice of Life Comedy, 6:30pm

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE Monster Comedy Jam, 6:30pm

CLUB ELEVEN ON GROVE

Parental Advisory Drag Brunch, 12pm

EDA'S HIDEAWAY

Stevie Tombstone w/ Ashley Heath (country, blues), 7:30pm

EULOGY

Brunch is Dead w/ Phantom Pantone & Mmmezzzzz, 12pm

FLEETWOOD'S

• Junk-O-Rama, 11am

• Best Ever Karaoke w/ Chelsea, 6pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Jazz Sunday's, 2pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Drayton & The Dreamboats (swing, rock'n'roll, honky-tonk), 2pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch w/ Bluegrass Brunch Boys, 12pm

• Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Nikki Talley & Jason Sharp (bluegrass), 3pm

RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO.

Drinkin' N Thinkin' Trivia, 5:30pm

S&W MARKET

Mr Jimmy (blues), 1pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Cosmic Appalachian Soul Sundays, 7pm

THE DRAFTSMAN BAR + LOUNGE Karaoke Nights w/ Lyric, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Country Brunch w/Laurel Lee & the Escapees, 11am

• Live Dead & Brothers (Grateful Dead & Allman Brothers tribute), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Flipturn w/The Stews (indie), 8pm

THE OUTPOST

Outpost: Dirty Dead ( Grateful Dead tribute), 4pm

MONDAY, APRIL 15

27 CLUB Karaoke Monday, 9pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

CaroMia, Rahm, Iannuci & Jaze Uries (dreampop, soul, R&B), 8pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

RAD BEER GARDEN

Hot Mic w/Taylor Knighton, 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

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

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Takes All Kinds Open Mic Nights, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Open Mic Night, 7:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Mashup Mondays w/ JLloyd, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Sona Jobarteh (Afropop), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm

THE RIVER ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO.

Trivia w/Billy, 7pm

TUESDAY, APRIL 16

27 CLUB

Smile More: DJ Night, 9pm

ARCHETYPE BREWING

Trivia Tuesday, 6:30pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

Themed Trivia w/Not Rocket Science Trivia, 7pm

LOOKOUT BREWING CO.

Team Trivia Tuesday's, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

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

SHAKEY'S 3rd Bootys w/DJ Ek Balam, 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES Open Mic, 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Tuesday Night Open Jam, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Robyn Hitchcock (altrock, folk, psych), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

The Lads (rock, blues), 6pm

THE ORANGE PEEL STRFKR w/Ruth Radelet & Happy Sad Face (alt-indie, electronic), 8pm

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

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

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO.

Trivia Trivia!, 6:30pm

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA

Trivia Night w/ PartyGrampa, 7pm

EDA'S HIDEAWAY

Tin Roof Echo (folk), 8pm

EULOGY

Wolves in the Taproom: Black Metal Night, 7pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6:30pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

BIG TOP Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Music w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm

SHAKEY'S Sexy Service Industry Night, 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE DRAFTSMAN

BAR + LOUNGE Trivia Nights, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Patio: The Mallett Brothers Band (rock'n'roll, Americana, country), 5:30pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Cinnamon Gem (Indierock, Americana, R&B), 7pm

THE MONTE VISTA HOTEL

Music Wednesdays, 5pm

THE ODD

Flummox, Bad Ties & Roamck (alt-rock, grunge, indie), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Dan's Jam (bluegrass), 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE

Trivia, 6:30pm

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

27 CLUB

Dark Hand, Split in Two & Awful Prophet (metal, deathcore), 9pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR

MGBs (acoustic), 7:30pm

CROW & QUILL

Momma Molasses (country, swing, folk), 8pm

EDA'S HIDEAWAY

Karaoke, 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Drook, Convalescent & Feeling Format (indie, pop, emo), 9pm

SUN: Cosmic Appalachian Soul Sundays, 7pm MON: Ping-Pong Tournament, 6pm

TUE: Open Jam w/ house band the Lactones, 8pm WED: Poetry Open Mic AVL, 8:30pm/8pm signup

4/12 FRI DAD JAZZ, 9pm

4/13 SAT LEXI WEEGIE & JJ SLATER BAND, 9pm Blues / Soul / Folk

4/19 FRI COREY BOWERS BAND, 7pm Rock / Blues / Americana

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

BIG TOP

Survey Says, 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA

Modelface Comedy

Presents: Gilbert Lawand, 7:30pm

LOOKOUT BREWING CO.

Music Bingo Thursdays, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Kid Billy (Americana, blues, indie-folk), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Blase (indie), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Andrew Scotchie (rock'n'roll, blues, Americana), 6pm

SHAKEY'S Comedy Showcase w/ Hilliary Begley, 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES Karaoke Night, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE Outpost: Summer Like The Season (indie-rock), 7:30pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Vince Junior Band (blues, Appalachian-soul), 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Sold Out: The Driver Era (alt-indie, pop-rock, electronic), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN

Jack Miller & Paul McIntire (folk-pop), 7pm

THE RIVER ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO.

Acoustic Blues w/ Peggy Ratusz & Kelly Jones, 6pm

THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN Mr Jimmy (blues), 6:30pm

URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE

Bachata Thursdays, 8:30pm

WICKED WEED BREWING

Andy Ferrell (folk, blues, bluegrass), 5pm

MARKETPLACE FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Now is a favorable time to make initial inquiries, ask for free samples and enjoy window shopping. But it’s not an opportune time to seal final decisions or sign binding contracts. Have fun haggling and exploring, even as you avoid making permanent promises. Follow the inklings of your heart more than the speculations of your head, but refrain from pledging your heart until lots of evidence is available. You are in a prime position to attract and consider an array of possibilities, and for best results you should remain noncommittal for the foreseeable future.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Betty Bender said, “Anything I’ve ever done that ultimately was worthwhile initially scared me to death.” Painter Georgia O’Keeffe confessed she always harbored chronic anxiety — yet that never stopped her from doing what she loved.

Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Anyone who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” I hope these testimonials inspire you to bolster your grit, Taurus. In the coming days, you may not have any more or less fear than usual. But you will be able to summon extra courage and willpower as you render the fear at least semi-irrelevant.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Richard the Lionheart (1157–1199) was a medieval king of England. How did he get his nickname? Scholars say it was because of his skill as a military leader. But legend tells an additional story. As a young man, Richard was imprisoned by an enemy who arranged for a hungry lion to be brought into his cell. As the beast opened its maw to maul the future king, Richard thrust his arm down its throat and tore out its heart, killing it. What does this tale have to do with you, Gemini? I predict you will soon encounter a test that’s less extreme than Richard’s but equally solvable by bursts of creative ingenuity. Though there will be no physical danger, you will be wise to call on similar boldness. Drawing on the element of surprise may also serve you well.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Will the adventures heading your way be unusual, amusing, and even unprecedented? I bet they will have at least some of those elements. You could encounter plot twists you’ve never witnessed or imagined. You may be inspired to dream up creative adjustments unlike any you’ve tried. These would be very positive developments. They suggest you’re becoming more comfortable with expressing your authentic self and less susceptible to the influence of people’s expectations. Every one of us is a unique genius in some ways, and you’re getting closer to inhabiting the fullness of yours.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): At least for now, help may not be available from the usual sources. Is the doctor sick? Does mommy need mothering? Is the therapist feeling depressed? My advice is to not worry anout the deficiencies, but rather shift your attention to skillful surrogates and substitutes. They may give you what you need— and even more. I’m reminded of The Crystal Cave, a novel about the Arthurian legend. The king, Ambrosius Aurelianus, advises the magician Merlin, “Take power where it is offered.” In other words: not where you think or wish power would be, but from sources that are unexpected or outside your customary parameters.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The rest of the story is not yet ready to emerge, but it will be soon. Be patient just a while longer. When full disclosure arrives, you will no longer have to guess about hidden agendas and simmering subtexts. Adventures in the underworld will move above ground. Missing links will finally appear, and perplexing ambiguities will be clarified. Here’s how you can expedite these developments: Make sure you are thoroughly receptive to knowing the rest of the story. Assert your strong desire to dissolve ignorance.

ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the coming weeks, you can ask for and receive more blessings than usual. So please be aggressive and imaginative about asking! Here are suggestions about what gifts to seek out: 1. vigorous support as you transform two oppositional forces into complementary influences; 2. extra money, time, and spaciousness as you convert a drawback into an asset; 3. kindness and understanding as you ripen an unripe aspect of yourself; 4. inspiration and advice as you make new connections that will serve your future goals.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Read the two help-wanted ads below. Meditate on which appeals to you more, and treat this choice as a metaphor for a personal decision you face. 1. “Pedestrian, predictable organization seeks humdrum people with low-grade ambitions for tasks that perform marginally useful services. Interested in exploring mild passions and learning more about the art of spiritual bypassing?” 2. “Our high-octane conclave values the arts of playing while you work and working while you play. Are you ready and able to provide your creative input? Are you interested in exploring the privilege and responsibility of forever reinventing yourself? We love restless seekers who are never bored.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): What is a gourmet bargain? What is a discount marvel? How about an inspiring breakthrough that incurs no debt? Themes like those are weaving their way into your destiny. So be alert for the likelihood that cheap thrills will be superior to the expensive kind. Search for elegance and beauty in earthy locations that aren’t sleek and polished. Be receptive to the possibility that splendor and awe may be available to you at a low cost. Now may be one of those rare times when imperfect things are more sublime than the so-called perfect stuff.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in,” wrote novelist Graham Greene. For me, it was three days near the end of third grade when I wrote a fairy tale about the unruly adventures of a fictional kid named Polly. Her wildness was infused with kindness. Her rebellions were assertive but friendly. For the first time, as I told Polly’s story, I realized I wanted to be an unconventional writer when I grew up. What about you, Capricorn? When you were young, was there a comparable opening to your future? If so, now is a good phase to revisit it, commune with your memories of it, and invite it to inspire the next stage of its evolution in you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Even when you are your regular, ordinary self, you have a knack and fondness for irregularity and originality. And these days, your affinity for what’s unprecedented and uncommon is even higher than usual. I am happy about that. I am cheering you on. So please enjoy yourself profoundly as you experiment with nonstandard approaches. Be as idiosyncratic as you dare! Even downright weird! But also try to avoid direct conflicts with the Guardians of How Things Have Always Been Done. Don’t allow Change Haters to interfere with your fun or obstruct the enhancements you want to instigate. Be a slippery innovator. Be an irrepressible instigator.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Below are truths

I hope you will ripen and deepen in the coming months. 1. Negative feelings are not necessarily truer and more profound than positive ones. 2. Cynical opinions are not automatically more intelligent or well-founded than optimistic opinions. 3. Criticizing and berating yourself is not a more robust sign of self-awareness than praising and appreciating yourself. 4. Any paranoia you feel may be a stunted emotion resulting from psychic skills you have neglected to develop. 5. Agitation and anxiety can almost always be converted into creative energy.

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RENTALS

HOMES FOR RENT

NEW DUPLEX UNIT FOR RENT New fully furnished private 1500 sq. ft. 1 bedroom unit in West Burnsville. Easy access to I-26. 45 minutes to Asheville. $1500 long or short term. Utilities included. 2 person maximum. Discount for seniors. Call or text Red at (954) 496-9000

EMPLOYMENT

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES

TLC SCHOOL FACILITIES AND LAND MANAGER

Maintenance, development of facilities, land. Bachelor's in environmental science, resource/facilities management, or related field. 2 years experience. Knowledge of landscaping, horticulture, sustainable practices. Chainsaw training, engine repair, trail construction, ability to lift 50#. thelearningcommunity.org

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KINDERGARTEN/FIRST

GRADE ASSISTANT

TEACHER Qualifications: 2 years of experience in elementary classroom, conversational Spanish skills, willing to drive a 14-passenger van daily (to/ from downtown Asheville), bonus coaching middle school XC, flag football, and/or basketball teams! thelearningcommunity.org

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS

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24/7 LOCKSMITH We are there when you need us for home & car lockouts. We'll get you back up and running quickly! Also, key reproductions, lock installs and repairs, vehicle fobs. Call us for your home, commercial and auto locksmith needs! 1-833-2371233. (AAN CAN)

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NEED NEW WINDOWS?

Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energy efficient windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & FREE quote today. 1-877-248-9944. You will be asked for the zip code of the property when connecting. (AAN CAN)

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Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster. Call 1-855-402-7109 (AAN CAN)

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STOP OVERPAYING FOR AUTO INSURANCE A recent survey says that most Americans are overpaying for their car insurance. Let us show you how much you can save. Call now for a no obligation quote: 1-866-472-8309

WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! Call 24/7: 1-888-2902264 Have zip code of service location ready when you call! (AAN CAN)

YOU MAY QUALIFY For disability benefits if you have are between 52-63 years old and under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now! 1-877-247-6750. (AAN CAN)

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

SUMMER LEARN TO ROW CAMPS FOR KIDS AGES

11 THRU 18 Asheville Youth Rowing Association is offering summer learn to row camps for kids ages 11 thru 18. There are three different weekly camps available: June 17 thru 21 from 9 am to noon each day July 15 thru 18 from 9 am to noon each day August 12 thru 16 from 9 am to noon each day. All camps are held at the Asheville Youth Rowing boathouse in Lake Julian Park. To register go to ashevilleyouthrowing.com

FOR MUSICIANS

MUSICAL SERVICES

MUSIC FOR YOUR SPECIAL EVENT Local experienced musician available for your celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries, wedding rehearsal dinners, or any special event. Playing pop, rock, R&B, Motown, and classic vocal jazz. dancnshoes7@gmail. com

TOP CASH PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. 877-589-0747. (AAN CAN)

SALES PROFESSIONAL

Work for a local company that has covered the local scene for 30 years! This is a full-time position with benefits in a supportive, team-oriented environment in a community-service, locally-owned business. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present our company with confidence. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and inperson meetings), detailed record-keeping, and self motivation. 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. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent media organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit with Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@mountainx.com

Do you have an extra car that needs a new home?

Your donated car can open the doors to independence, increased income, and higher education for a hardworking member of our community. Vehicles of all types and conditions are welcomed and appreciated!

The donation is tax-deductible. The process is simple. The impact is real.