— See REVIEW, Pg. B1
Winner a surprise in Dems’ primary
UNCA appoints new chancellor
‘Bubblegum Pop’ show really pops Nancy J. Cable
See STORY, Pg. A7
Quentin Miller
— See STORY, Pg. A2
LLE I V HE AS ASHEVILLEʼS GREATEST NEWSPAPER
June 2018
Vol. 14, No. 7
An Independent Newspaper Serving Greater Asheville www.ashevilledailyplanet.com FREE
Chihuly sculptures sparkle at Biltmore
Mission chief claims merger would protect area health care By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
Special photos courtesy of The Biltmore COMPANY
The Chihuly at Biltmore glass art exhibit, which runs until Oct. 7, reportedly has drawn many extra visitors to Asheville’s Biltmore Estate. The show by world-renowned American artist Dale Chihuly is the first art exhibition in Biltmore’s historic gardens and the first garden exhibition of Chihuly’s works in North Carolina. Above is an “Italian Garden Overview” and to the left is “Sole d’Oro” in front of the Biltmore House.
Cloud none
The Advice Goddess
Q: I’m in love with Amy Alkon my male best friend and unfortunately, I’m pretty sure he’s never been attracted to me. This is very painful, and trying to stop thinking about him so much isn’t working. To be fair, he isn’t emotionally available right now, as he’s still mourning his divorce (a little too long for it to be healthy, I think). I’m thinking that if I stay close and stay available, he may pick me once he becomes emotionally ready again. Is that crazy? I really want a relationship and am willing to wait for him. — Tormented Want to know the answer? See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A14
The proposed acquisition of Ashevillebased nonprofit Mission Health by forprofit HCA Healthcare of Nashville would be beneficial to ensuring high-quality health care to the local community, now and in the future, Mission Health President and CEO Ron Paulus said during a presentation to the Council of Independent Business Owners on May 4. About 50 people attended CIBO’s early-morning breakfast meeting in UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center. In a 30-minute presentation and question-and-answer session, Paulus began by saying, “Thanks for the opportunity to share what I consider overwhelmingly good news for the community.” Paulus added that he would “leave plenty of time for questions” after his presentation. “Each year, the (Mission) board and I consider the question: ‘Are we better off doing our work alone, or should we consider a partner?’ “We’ve reduced hospital mortality by about half... We’ve been named one of the top health care systems in six of the
last seven years.” Further, Paulus said Mission Health, has “doubled in size” in recent years. “As we all know as nonprofit leaders, my job is not to keep my job. We are here solely for the community. The question is what helps us achieve those
Ron Paulus goals.... “All of that was framed in the context of the mission of Mission Hospital.” To that end, Paulus said the hospital’s board “has an extraordinary ability” to look at local health care service “versus (being) ego-driven.” He added, “We were doing an excellent job in healing sick people... That’s different from improving the health of the people of the region.” Speaking generally, Paulus pointed out that “30 percent of health is determined by the DNA when you’re born. Number one, is behavioral and lifestyle choices….” See MISSION, Page A12
U.S. economy should keep sailing along, 2 economists say at Crystal Ball forum
From Staff Reports
The U.S. economy is humming now and for the foreseeable future, two noted economists said during the 34th Annual Economic Crystal Ball forum on May 3 at UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium. The presentation by Asheville-based ParsecFinancial and the university has, for most of its duration, featured short speeches by David Berson, senior vice president and chief economist of Nationwide Insurance; and James Smith, chief economist at Parsec. “The U.S. Economy Keeps Sailing Along” was this year’s topic. Berson began by saying his predictions from last year
panned out rather well. The country has, as predicted, seen tax cuts and regulatory changes enacted that are expected to be good for the economy. Job growth was positive, Berson said, but a strong economy requires growth in production as well. Because productivity is now slow, with a growth rate around 2 percent, it can be assumed the bulk of wage increases will be financed through increases in pricing, which offset any advantage of a larger paycheck, he noted. The recent tax cuts are supposed to incentivize more investment in capital, like more reliable and higher-tech machinery, which should boost production by making it more efficient, Berson said. See CRYSTAL BALL, Page A13