Motown Explosion fires up Black Mtn.
Drum circle moves inside for winter
— See Review, Pg. B1
I-26 Connector issue kicks up
— See Story, Pg. A4
— See Story, Pg. A9
ILLE V E H AS ASHEVILLEʼS GREATEST NEWSPAPER
December 2015
Vol. 12, No. 1
An Independent Newspaper Serving Greater Asheville www.ashevilledailyplanet.com FREE
Tree-raising at Biltmore Estate
Workers at the Biltmore Estate carried in, set up and decorated the large 35-foot Christmas tree in front of hundreds of spectators on Nov. 4 during the annual Biltmore treeraising ceremony in Asheville.
From Staff Reports
Photos courtesy of the Biltmore Company
Fawn Juan
Duke Energy drops plan for 45-mi. line, substation
SKYLAND — Duke Energy officials announced Nov. 4 that the utility is dropping plans to build a 45-mile high-voltage transmission line that would have run from its Lake Julian plant in Skyland, near Asheville, to a substation in Campobello, S.C., just north of Spartanburg. Duke Energy officials said the change-of-plans to reconfigure the plant — first announced in May — will mean that the line and the substation are no longer needed. As a result, Duke will build two smaller natural gas plants to replace its one coal plant that the utility plans to shut down by 2020. A third gasfired plant might be needed by 2023 or so, if conservation efforts fail to lower electricity demand sufficiently, the officials said. Previously, Duke had planned to build one gas-fired generator to replace its coal-burning turbines. Under the new plan, the two gas plants will provide a backup source of power in case one goes down. A number of residents, as well as environmental groups, had opposed the transmission line, based on environmental and aesthetic concerns. Duke had planned to use the transmission line to pull backup power from elsewhere, if problems arose at the Lake Julian generating plant, company officials said. The change was hailed by environmental leaders — and likely was a relief to thousands of people in Buncombe, Henderson and Polk counties in North Carolina and in Upstate South Carolina who worried the power lines would mar mountain scenery and lower property values. See DUKE, Page A7
The Advice Goddess Amy Alkon
Q: I’m a 31-year-old single guy with a problematic pattern.
Women I ask out seem to love how I’m open and very complimentary from the start, but then, suddenly, they get cold feet. It seems that once women know they’re desired, they’re done with you. My guy friends tell me I should “play it cool,” but then I’m not being authentic. — True Man Want to know the answer?
See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A6
Buncombe TDA OKs $3.9M in grants for tourism projects From Staff Reports
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority awarded six projects about $3.9 million in grants on Oct. 29. The funding was approved unanimously by the TDA board. Eighty percent of the grants went to the City of Asheville for greenways, soccer fields and the Western North Carolina Nature Center. Meanwhile, a project that includes Beaucatcher Greenway, the west bank of the French Broad River Greenway and a crosswalk and river access at Amboy Road Park, received about $1.7 million in grant funding.
“This is exciting,” Stephanie Monson Dahl, director of Asheville’s Riverfront Redevelopment Office, told local news media. “This is funding the community’s plans and is funding for making this a better place. “These projects won’t only be helpful to visitors to Asheville,” Monson Dahl added. “They also improve the quality of life for everyone who lives in Asheville.” The funding for Riverfront development nearly matches last year’s total, when those projects were awarded $1.8 million in tourism grants. See TOURISM PROJECTS, Page A8
A2 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Young, Haynes, Mayfield win seats 3 new faces seeking change to join 4 holdovers on City Council
From Staff Reports Keith Young, the first African-American elected to an Asheville City Council seat since 2009, led the voting on Nov. 3. He also has been an outspoken proponent of a new downtown park on city-owned land across from the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the U.S. Cellular Center. Also winning council seats in the field that was narrowed to six candidates in a primary were Brian Haynes, who finished second; and Julie Mayfield. They will be sworn into office on Dec. 1. Young and Haynes have voiced some of the biggest concerns about fast-paced development in Asheville, while Mayfield is a regional environmental leader. Young is the deputy clerk of Buncombe County Superior Court. Haynes is assistant manager for Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Young snared 6,315 votes, followed by Hayes, with 6,271, and Mayfield with 6,114. Failing to make the cut were financial advisor Rich Lee, 5,376 votes; Vice Mayor Marc Hunt (the election’s only incumbent), 5,178; and Lindsey Simerly, LGBT advocacy group campaign manager, 4,765. “All glory and honor be to my Lord and sav-
Vote shows 70% back new park, short-term rentals, Bothwell says
From Staff Reports Following Asheville’s Nov. 3 councilmanic elections, Councilman Cecil Bothwell on Nov. 14 sent the Daily Planet an email headed, “YES WE DID!” that included subheads of “We the people just won a round” and “Won: Voters go to St. Lawrence Green.” He said that “70 percent of voters supported candidates who support a green civic space opposite the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the Civic Center in downtown Asheville.” Bothwell added that, “the next step, slated for a January vote by City Council, will be to suspend efforts to sell the (city-owned and vacant) Haywood Street property and engage the Asheville Design Center to begin planning” for a park. What’s more, the councilman said, “Thanks to the recent election, it appears that sanity will soon raise its head in council consideration of HomeStay and ShortTerm Rental regulations. “Election winners Keith Young and Brian haynes have expressed support for permitting city residents to rent out their properties short-term, and Mayor Esther Manheimer has indicated she is ready to include accessory dwelling units as legal short-term rentals.”
Mayfield gives back donation from hotelier
From Staff Reports Councilwoman-elect Julie Mayfield notified local news media on Nov. 11 that she has given back a campaign donation of $500 from prominent hotelier John McKibbon. The Florida-based hotelier is involved with several major Asheville projects, including the already completed Aloft, along with the AC Hotel at College and Broadway streets, and the revamp of the BB&T Building in an “upper-upscale” hotel and condominium complex. Mayfield said she wanted to “dispel any perception that I am beholden to anyone but the residents of this city.” A vote is set Dec.1 — the day she and the other two election-winners will be sworn in — on approval of McKibbon’s latest hotel project.
ior Jesus Christ,” Young told reporters after he had clinched a seat as the top vote-getter. “I’m just ecstatic and happy that money in elections isn’t everything and people speak out.” Young, an organizer of the black youth empowerment group HoodTalk, spent the least money of any winning primary candidate. Haynes, who campaigned against rising costs of living and booming growth, attributed his win to a large number of volunteers and other supporters. “Right now, I’m ecstatic,” Haynes said. “I’m extremely happy for Keith. I was pulling hard for Keith. I’m looking forward to serving with him and Julie.” Mayfield also thanked “a great team of volunteers and supporters” and residents who made her the top vote-getter in the primary. “I would attribute it to the voters in Asheville who shared my vision for building a great future for Asheville that includes protecting our downtown, making Asheville more bikeable, walkable and transit-accessible, and expanding economic opportunities for everyone,” she said. Mayfield, co-director of MountainTrue, an Asheville environmental advocacy nonprofit, said that, in her view, the most important issue facing Asheville is growth and “whether we’re
Keith Young Brian Haynes Julie Mayfield growing in a way that benefits people who live “We have to make sure that plan reflects the here, as well as people who come here.” Asheville we want 10 and 20 years from now,” “There is a strong sentiment out there that Mafield said. “I really do think that is the most we’re catering too much to tourists and not important issue, and we have to get it right.” enough to people who live here,” Mayfield Hunt said he had “absolutely no regrets,” said. “I’ll make sure to focus on the people starting from how he campaigned four and a who live here.” half years ago and running through his one term Mayfield noted that the city has a request for on council. The vice mayor said he believed proposals out for a firm to conduct a compreresidents are looking for new voices to help adhensive planning process. dress economic disparities in the city.
Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 - A3
A4 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Beat to go on for city’s drum circle (indoor for winter)
From Staff Reports
The Asheville Drum Circle, a fixture of downtown life during the warm months, will have a winter home for the first door, rather than end with the advent of cold weather. Pritchard Park, the usual home of the drum circle, becomes too cold for comfort when the temperature drops. As a result, the drum circle is moving to New Mountain music venue until the weather warms up, probably in April, Billy
The Asheville Drum Circle has become a warm-weather tradition downtown. Zanski, a drum circle organizer and owner of Skinny Beats Drum Shop and Gallery. Even though it is inside, the drum circle format will remain unchanged. Drumming starts around 6 p.m., and ends when everyone leaves, usually around 9 p.m. Drummers, dancers and audience members can drop in and out at will.
N.C. appeals court declines rehearing of city water ruling From Staff Reports The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently declined to reconsider its Oct. 6 decision that would uphold a state law to end city control of its water system, leaving the case for the Supreme Court to rule on it, if it chooses. A representative of the city filed the request for a rehearing on Nov. 9, and the Court of Appeals turned it down the next day without explanation. The city had 15 days after the Court of Ap-
peal’s Nov. 10 action to ask the Supreme Court to review the Oct. 6 decision. City Council already has agreed to ask for the review. While the Court of Appeals decision not to agree to a rehearing closes off an avenue for the city to block the transfer, it does not necessarily hurt its chances of winning at the Supreme Court. At issue is the constitutionality of a 2013 law passed by the General Assembly that would transfer the water system to the Metropolitan Sewerage District.
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A6 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Obamacare reporting rules outlined By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
Reporting rules for the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) were reviewed with the Council of Independent Business Owners on Nov. 6 at Chick-fil-A restaurant in North Asheville. About 55 people attended. On a separate matter, the CIBO received an update on the North Carolina Education Lottery from its executive director, Alice Garland. A question-and-answer session followed each presentation. The Obamacare address was made by Scott Hughes, CPA and vice president of assurance services for Johnson Price & Sprinkle; and Mary Williams, CPA and vice president of healthcare services for Johnson Price & Sprinkle. Hughes began by noting that “this thing (Obamacare) was first approved in March 2012. It was intended to provide insurance for those who did not currently have it.... It created a level playing field ... ended pre-existing conditions.... It was genderneutral.” Whether or not one agrees that it achieved any or all of the aforementioned objectives,”
Hughes noted that “11.4 million fewer uninsureds exist since before its implementation.... What we’re finding out, too, is a lot of those folks are sicker” than the average person enrolled with a health care policy before the advent of Obamacare. “We’ll talk briefly about the individual mandate.... The individual mandate requires that individuals and members of their family have coverage — or you pay a penalty. “There’s a premium tax credit, which reduces the amount of the premiums that was paid. If you weren’t qualified, you get to pay it back. “If you’re $1 over the income threshhold, you have to pay it all back. “It applies not only to those who are working, but to everyone in the family. “If you got the subsidy, you received the form.... and from that, calculated whether you owe anything back.” Next, Williams addressed the “large employer mandate,” which is applicable to large employers. Beginning Jan. 1, 2015, she said, applicable large employers who fail to offer minimum essential health care coverage at an affordable cost to substantially all of its full-time employees, or that employee risk having to pay a penalty. Under the act, large employers are
Advice Goddess
Continued from Page A1 A; Gushing over a woman right out of the gate — “Wow…you have skin!” — tends to give a man all the rough-hewn sex appeal of a Care Bear. The problem here comes out of what evolutionary psychologists David Buss and David Schmitt explain as men’s and women’s conflicting sexual strategies. For an ancestral woman, there was the possibility of high back-end costs from any sex act (children to dig grubs for and drag around). So, women evolved to be the commitment-seekers of our species, and men, the commitment-free sex seekers. Men still had a good chance of passing on their genes, even if they chose to “fun and run.” (Of course, this worked better in the days before state-ordered child support.) Though it’s the tail end of 2015, evolutionary psychologists Leda Cosmides and John Tooby explain that “our modern skulls house a stone age mind” with “stone age priorities.” So, women expect to work to get a man to commit just as men expect to work to get a woman into bed. And just as women get devalued by men for being sexually “easy,” men get devalued by women if they seem emotionally “easy” — like by immediately throwing around compliments like glitter at a gay pride parade. This sort of thing doesn’t say you find the woman beautiful or whatever; it says you find it a miracle that she went out with you at all. Try something new — keeping a lid on the word drool. In other words, shut up and listen. Ask a woman about herself — where she’s been, what she thinks, what matters to her — and engage with what she’s saying. That’s the sincere way to compliment a woman — showing that you’re interested in her as a human being instead of slobbering all over her like a dog that’s been left home all day. The safe time to compliment a woman on her hotitude is after you’ve slept together. Women are often insecure about their bodies, and post-sex compliments will be appreciated (instead of depreciating you). All in all, keep in mind that the dating realm is like many other endeavors. Too much enthusiasm too soon typically makes you seem desperate… for something…anything… anybody. Picture yourself wandering into a bank and having a bunch of execs dash over: “We’d like to make YOU the president of Wells
Fargo!” And you’re like, “Umm…I was just coming in to get quarters for the laundromat.”
The hurt and confused locker
Q: I was dating a sociopathic compulsive liar for three months. I had a gut feeling that he was lying about his work, education, and finances, but I had no real proof. This allowed him to manipulate me and convince me that I was crazy, insecure, and paranoid. Finally, through Internet searches and contact with his exwife, I got proof together and confronted him. Though I dumped him, I’ve become super-edgy and suspicious that everyone’s lying to me. I even accused a co-worker of stealing my phone. I think the stress this guy put me through probably caused PTSD. How does one move on after dating a sociopath? See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A18
Published monthly by Star Fleet Communications Inc. JOHN NORTH Publisher Phone: (828) 252-6565 • Fax: (828) 252-6567 Mailing address: P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490 Website: www.ashevilledailyplanet.com E-mail the following departments:
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defined as those having more than 100 full-time equivalent employees (in 2015). That number goes down to 50 full-time equivalents in 2016 and thereafter — and “you must pay health care or pay penalty,” she noted. “Who is a full-time employees?” Williams asked, rhetorically, and then answered herself. “It’s an average of at least 30 hours of service per week or 130-plus hours of service per month. “Who is a full-time equivalent employee?” she asked, then providing the following list: • Combination of part-time employees • Aggregate hours of service of those not full-time • Not more than 120 hours per employee • Divide by 120 She said seasonal workers are “only applicable if (one has) plus-50 full-employees and FTE status exceeded for no more than....” The “no coverage penalty” under the large employer mandate would involve failing to offer full-time employees (and their dependents after 2015), the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential coverage
for any calendar month, and ....”if even one-full-time employee, $2,000; and 100 employees , so you’ll have a $200,000 penalty to the government. In 2015, you can exempt out the first 80 employees. So you pay just on 20 employees — $40,000.” However, she added, “There is a little wiggle room.” A second large employer mandate penalty involves the unaffordable coverage penalty, she said. “They (full-time workers) cannot be expected to pay more than 9.56 percent of their household income for healthcare. (This penalty is $3,000 per employee).... This is a calculation that no business ever has had to make,” Williams noted. “Now is the time to start getting the fulltime equivalent info together. We’ve never had to do this before.” During the Q&A that followed, CIBO member Mac Swicegood asked, “If I’m going to hire an employee, I need to call my accountant before I hire someone, right?” “Well, there’s a lot of information required,” Hughes replied. “So if you’re over 50 full-time employees, this applies.”
U.S. Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee to Headline 23rd Annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner
United States Presidential candidate and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will be the keynote speaker at this year’s annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner. The 23rd annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner is one of the largest and longest-running political dinners in North Carolina. Governor Huckabee will be honored, along with many other state and local elected officials. Congressman Taylor is the longest serving Republican U.S. Representative in Western North Carolina history, representing the 11th District from 1991 to 2007. The 23rd annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, December 19 at the Expo Center at the Crown Plaza Resort in Asheville. Guests are also invited to attend a separate, private reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Mt. Mitchell Suite, where they will get an opportunity to meet and speak with Gov. Huckabee, as well as have their picture made. Mike Huckabee was the 44th Governor of Arkansas and one of the longest serving Governors in that state’s history. He was only the fourth Republican elected to statewide office since Reconstruction. Huckabee left a legacy of tax cuts, job creation, education reforms, and a nationally heralded health initiative. His administration fought long-standing corruption resulting in numerous indictments and convictions of powerful legislators and other elected officials including Democrat Governor Jim Guy Tucker whom Huckabee replaced after Tucker pled guilty to felony corruption charges. Gov. Huckabee is also a minister, bestselling author and Fox News Channel commentator. In 2005, Time Magazine named him one of the five best governors in America. Tickets for the 23rd annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner are $ 60 per person. Tickets for the private reception to meet Gov. Huckabee are $150 per person and include admission to the dinner as well. Checks should be made out to “Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner” and mailed to: Charles Taylor, P.O. Box 7587, Asheville, NC 28802. For more information please contact Trish Smothers at (828) 243-2187 or tasmothers@yahoo.com. The Charles Taylor family has been hosting these dinners for more than two decades to give Western North Carolina residents an opportunity to hear from leading Presidential, Gubernatorial, Congressional and local candidates. Past speakers have included Vice-President Richard Cheney, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Republican Presidential nominee Bob Dole and many other nationally known Republicans.
Duke Energy
Continued from Page A1 Strong opposition was expressed toward a perplexing array of possible routes. To that end, Lloyd Yates, Duke’s president for the Carolina region, said the company had been swayed by the more than 9,000 comments it had received since it proposed building the line earlier this year. “Let me thank everyone who’s been involved in this process for their input and most of all for their patience,” Yates said at a Nov. 4 news conference at the plant on Lake Julian. “The process worked.” Duke was “surprised by the volume and intensity” of opposition to the transmission line plans announced earlier this year, Robert Sipes, general manager for the company’s western region, said. A single, larger gas unit would have provided power needs in Duke’s Asheville-based western region for 20 to 30 years into the
future, he said. “The original solution that we provided was what we believed to be the best technical solution,” Sipes said. But as opposition grew, “it became clear that... the best technical solution was not the best practical solution, all things considered.” Duke also said it would install a less-efficient gas-fired generator as soon as 2023, at the Skyland plant on Long Shoals Road. However, company officials said they hope to delay the need for the third generator by getting people in the Asheville-based western region to embrace steps to make their homes and businesses more energy-efficient and to draw less electricity from the grid during peak demand. The third unit would operate only when power demand peaks on especially cold or hot days, possibly 10 percent or less of the time, Glen Snider, the company’s director of integrated resource planning for the Carolinas, said.
Duke agrees to try to move site near school From Staff Reports
Following a Nov. 17 vote by Asheville City Council, Duke Energy will not pursue construction of three proposed substations until 2017 — and will strive to relocate one much-criticized site near a school, according to Mayor Esther Manheimer. Council’s vote, which was unanimous, was to postpone new city restrictions, including requirements for buffering, screening and setbacks on electrical or other substations. Council will consider adoption of the new rules on Aug. 23. The city’s vote for the delay constituted
its part of a deal for Duke to delay and change substation construction in places such as a site near the new Dickson Elementary School, Manheimer noted. (The Dickson substation site had triggered much opposition from parents of students and nearby residents over safety concerns.) Duke had announced plans to build a substation near the school on Hill Street, as well as one on Hilliard Avenue, and one on Biltmore Avenue at the old Matthews Ford property. However, the utility now has stated in writing that it would delay seeking permits until 2017, and would look to relocate the Hill Street site if the city puts off enacting new restrictions, the mayor said.
Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 - A7
Duke Energy changes solve a big problem, Apodaca tells group
By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
An enthusiastic report on the process and progress for changes to Duke Energy’s Lake Julian Power Plant was presented to the Council of Independent Business Owners on Nov. 12 at Chick-fil-A restaurant in North Asheville. “For once, we have a problem that’s taken care of.... The hottest political issue I’ve seen in my tenure was the transmission lines through Henderson County,” state Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Hendersonville, said in opening the presentation. “One of the things that really created the problem was their (Duke’s) transparency efforts,” Apodaca added. “They were nice enough to mail a letter to 95 percent of the people of Henderson County, telling them there’d be the lines,” prompting much response from them “and the other 5 percent. “The beautiful thing about it is the process worked.... We are growing. We need stable, consistent power. “So I want to thank Duke for listening and being open in the process,” Apodaca said. “Someone asked me if I had Duke on my speed dial — and I said I don’t know if I did, but they certainly had me on their speed dial.” He praised Duke for its plans of having the two generators at the Lake Julian plant that “are high-efficiency and that will work well, and the possibility of having a third one in 2023, if we don’t get the energy
conservatition measures in.” Apodaca concluded by noting, “The wonderful thing is Western North Carolina is going to have a good, reliable source of energy and we’re not going to have to depend on South Carolina for that.” Next, Robert Sipes, general manager of Duke Energy’s Western Zone, began by thanking Apodaca for his efforts in helping the utility to reach a workable solution. “In this role, I’m the general manager of Duke’s Western Zone. But that’s not the only thing I’m responsible for. The reason I’m here today is because I’m also in charge of our modernization program. “I love this place (Western North Carolina). There’s no place I’d rather be than in WNC... I found out that I was coming back (to the area) and, within a week of coming back, I realized we were in a really intense situation that the senator (Apodaca) alluded to. I thought to myself, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ “The thing I’m most proud of is, we listened (to the community) — and we took (appropriate) action,” Sipes said. “We fulfilled our commitment to the area to provide safe, reliable service. Apodaca added, “The reason we were able to increase the supply of natural gas to the Lake Julian plant (is) we were able to run a line to Canton for the Evergreen plant.... and then to the rest of the Western North Carolina region... We are growing, as a region — a lot of it is on the I-26 corridor, but also out west.”
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A8 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Connect Buncombe unveils trail, greenway brand
From Staff Reports
The nonprofit Friends of Connect Buncombe unveiled the first countywide trail and greenway brand on Nov. 5 during a celebration at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Asheville. The soiree drew an eclectic mix of local elected officials, business-owners, civic leaders, cyclists, runners — and residents who are outdoors enthusiasts. In 2012, Buncombe County adoped a comprehensive Greenways and Trails Master Plan to guide regional greenway development in the county. The new branding introduced Nov. 5 — the result of a broad-based input effort over the summer — is billed as aiming to create a new identity connecting existing greenways across the city and county with those planned for the future, as a way to promote tourism, diverse and safe transportation options, and connect the community, heritage
and natural beauty of the county. “This new brand system powerfully connects our past to our future and we are grateful for the leadership and support of Friends of Connect Buncombe in catalyzing our efforts,” David Gantt, chairman of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, told the gathering. He added that, after schools and housing, one of the most consistent requests from constituents and business prospects seeking to relocate in Asheville is greenways and parks. Gantt said he going to ask the community to support a bond to help build greenways, and point to other cities who have recently voted for such bonds, including Chapel Hill, in which 78 percent of voters passed a $5
million bond for greenways on Nov. 3. He also noted that last year, the small town of Wake Forest — on support of 66 percent of the voters — passed a bond for $4.6 million for greenways. Meanwhile, Brownie Newman, a Buncombe commissioner and vice president of development for FLS Energy, said the effort to expand the greenways will have to be a publicprivate partnership. (Newman also was on the new branding steering committee.) This past summer, Friends of Connect Buncombe partnered with other greenway advocacy groups and selected Arnett Muldrow and Associates to carry out the new branding development with geographic and thematic input meetings and research into the history of the county. The costs were
covered by donations from members and sponsors and by in-kind services provided by Arnett Muldrow. “People came in from every part of Buncombe County to participate, from neighborhoods, businesses, builders, the environmental community really was engaged,” Newman said. He noted he at first was skeptical of the idea, but now is excited about the vision. “Greenways are so important to make Buncome County a healthy community for our future. We spend our days staring at computer screens at work, and at home with our kids. I love Pisgah National Forest and the Smokies, but we shouldn’t have to drive an hour when we want to go outside and go for a run or ride a bike,” he noted. “Greenways are also important to job creation. There are few things that will add to the quality of life better than a greenway system,” Newman said.
a portion of the room tax revenues paid by overnight visitors in Buncombe lodging ac-
commodations. Since its inception in 2001, the grant
program has awarded more than $21 million in grants for 27 projects.
Tourism projects Continued from Page A1
Meanwhile, $1.1 million was awarded for resurfacing of the soccer fields at the city-owned John H. Lewis complex. The Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association submitted the grant application on behalf of the fields. That award also enables City of Asheville officials to use another $900,000 from the City Improvements Program for work on the fields. The WNC Nature Center, which received a $313,000 grant to upgrade its gateway, will be able to develop a permanent butterfly exhibit, among other improvements. The Friends of the WNC Nature Center submitted the application for those funds. The Asheville Museum of Science, formerly the Colburn Earth Science Museum, was granted $400,000 for its planned move to a larger space in downtown’s Wells Fargo building. The Collider climate-science center, which applied for $350,000, received only $150,000 in grant funding. That funding will cover technology enhancements for midweek conference and business meetings. The Collider also received $150,000 last year. Riverglass Public Glass Studio & School was granted $200,000 in grant funding for a River Arts District project, which will include classes, demonstrations, exhibitions and glass artist studio space. Authority board members turned down a grant request from the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, which sought to pay for a conference facility. Sixteen candidates submitted applications by the June deadline in an application process that began in January. Seven advanced to the next stage. The applications’ review criteria included evaluating whether the projects met the legislative mandate of creating overnight visits. The reviewers visited the site of each project to evaluate economic impact, feasibility and financial strength. Applicants gave presentations during a two-day review. As of October, the fund totaled about $3.2 million. TDA board members will vote in February to approve awarding $700,000 for the French Broad River Greenway, according to Stephanie Pace Brown, executive director of the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Construction on that greenway is expected to start in May. Tourism grant money is generated from
Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 - A9
I-26 Connector plans draw hundreds to debate
From Staff Reports
A public meeting on state plans for the Interestate 26 Connector, which would be the Asheville area’s largest highway project in a generation, drew more than 400 people on Nov. 16 to downtown’s Reinaissance Asheville Hotel. Among the public comments voiced were that it would be too big, that getting it built will take too long and that the dozens of maps — as much as 20 feet long with so many lines and colors — were bewildering. In its current form, I-26 takes a sharp turn as it merges into Interstate 240 at Patton Avenue, causing a disruption in the interstate by requiring drivers headed north to cross four lanes of often-bumper-to-bumper traffic to access “future I-26” via a winding ramp. For the next 16 miles, the roadway is not yet up to current interestate standards, the latter of which, in itself, is yet another project. The new connector would involve building a crossing over the French Broad River a short distance north to the Bowen Bridge, widening Interstate 240 in West Asheville and reworking the I-26/I-40/I-240 interchange on the west
side of the city. The project has been under discussion since the late 1980s and is estimated to cost from $591.7 million to $785.4 million. Funding to build the French Broad crossing and the westside interchange has again entered into the state Department of Transportation’s long-range plan, but it would be at least 10 years before I-240 would be widened in West Asheville — and current plans call for eight lanes — if funding levels remain as they are now. Concerned residents have until Dec. 16 to submit their comments to the DOT by telephone, mail, email or online. The state agency then will take that feedback into account in choosing its preferred design on where and how the road will be built — a decision due next spring. A number of DOT employees and consultants explained the project to those attending for two-and-a-half hours on the afternoon of Nov. 16. That evening, a formal and lengthy public hearing followed. Besides infrastructure improvements planned during the second half of this decade for areas east of the French Broad
River and west of downtown, even bigger road projects are set to begin in southern Buncombe County around 2020. City government recently began acquiring right-of-way for a project to rework a 2.2-mile section of Riverside greenway path, landscaping and parking. Work from the Lyman Street/Amboy Road intersection north to a point near Riverside Cemetery is scheduled to begin in 2017 and be completed in 2019 or 2020. A $174 million project to widen Interstate 26 from four lanes to eight in southern Buncombe County is to begin in 2020. The project will stretch from Interstate 40 to the Henderson County line. Future projects will be even larger. Work to reconfigure the I-26/I-40/I-240 interchange on the west side of town and widen a short section of I-40 is to begin in 2021 and the state Department of Transportation’s tentative start date for a new crossing of the French Broad River north of Bowen Bridge is 2023. The agency also plans to widen U.S. 19-23 from Broadway Street north through Woodfin, beginning in 2022.
Duo triumphs in arguing blacks disenfranchised From Staff Reports
Pierre Lamont Griffin II
Alexandra King
Titianna Diz
22-year-old man charged in deaths of 2 young women From Staff Reports
A man connected to the disappearance of two Asheville women whose bodies were found in the French Broad River was charged Nov. 9 with killing both of them. Pierre Lamont Griffin II fatally shot Titianna Diz, 20, and Alexandra King, 22, in a secluded area near the River Arts District after the three traveled there in King’s car, according to the Asheville Police Department. The bodies of Diz and King were found in early November near a train trestle on Emma Road. The young women were last seen Oct. 27 leaving their Canterbury Heights apartment in Northwest Asheville. Griffin, 22, already was under arrest in a separate Oct. 27 killing when he was charged
by Asheville police on Nov. 9 with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of destroying a body or remains concealing an unnatural death, and one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to warrant documents filed by the APD. Police did not give a motive in the killings of Diz and King. However, the APD said that King and Diz left their apartment in King’s 1988 Volkswagen Jetta about 9:15 the night of Oct. 27 and drove to Deaverview Apartments to pick up Griffin. The three then went directly to the secluded area near the French Broad River, where King and Diz were shot and killed. The women’s bodies — and their car — were later recovered from the river.
Bothwell withdraws from county commissioners’ race
From Staff Reports
Asheville City Councilman Cecil Bothwell announced on Nov. 19 that he has decided to pull out of the race for the District 1 seat on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Three months ago, Bothwell announced his intent to run for the seat in a district that covers the center of the county, including a large swath of Asheville. However, the race for that seat — to date — looms as a major primary battle among three high-profile Democrats, including civil rights activist Isaac Coleman, pro-gay marriage minister Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and Bothwell’s fellow councilman Gordon Smith. As of
the Daily Planet’s Nov. 25 press deadline, no Republicans had stepped up to seek the seat. Two Bothwell-backed candidates — Keith Young and Brian Haynes — were elected Nov. 3 to City Council, a development that, Bothwell said, prompted his decision to stay in city government. His current four-year term will end in 2017. The addition of Young and Haynes to council, coupled with Bothwell, could result in a three-vote bloc on key issues faced by the seven-member council. As for the commissioners race, Bothwell told the Asheville Citizen-Times on Nov. 24, “Frankly, I think they’re all good people. But I go a long way with Jasmine.”
The resolution “Asheville has disenfranchised its African-American population” was discussed during a 90-minute debate Nov. 13 in the auditorium at Asheville High School. After the debate, the judges voted 5-0 in favor of the “pro” speakers. The auditorium, with a capacity of 1,800 to 2,000 seats, appeared to be mostly full. The pro resolution speakers included Dr. Dwight Mullen, a political science professor at UNC Asheville, and Dr. Darin Waters, a history professor at UNCA. The con speakers included Dr. Carl Mumpower, a practicing psychologist in Asheville; and Isaac Herrin, a Bryson City native and chair of the Western Carolina University College Republicans for 2015. Serving as moderator was John Boyle, a reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times since 1995, who serves as “Answer Man” for the newspaper. The event was the first in a series of the Asheville High/SILSA Speech and Debate Series honoring the legacy of Wilma Dykeman. Dykeman (1920-2006) was billed in an event brochure as “the mountain South’s great humanist of the 20th century.” Welcoming the crowd was Pam Baldwin, superintendent of Asheville City Schools, who said, “I’m very excited to be here. I’m excited to see the turnout and to welcome everyone to the debate.” She also said, “I believe that teaching by doing and learning by doing is the best way.” Baldwin thanked everyone for attending the debate. Mullen started by noting that Asheville is acting as an agent of the state, citing voter suppression laws, reduced numbers of vote sites and reduced times for voting. He also said that “once” one could could register much more easily than now. Both Mullen and Waters also spoke of the criminal justice system and business ownership, making the case that blacks had been less enfranchised in these areas as well. They contended it is a question of sharing power, with one person having one vote, but asked what explanation can one use for registration being unequal. It is not just enjoying the right to vote, but enjoying the full measure of one’s citizenship, they contended. In response, Mumpower said there has
been a rejection of the true message of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and a rejection of the faith that has anchored the African-American population through the years. In a reference to the power to vote, Mumpower argued that he disagreed that blacks have been disenfrachised. “We just had a black mayor (Terry Bellamy) and we also just elected an inexperienced black man (Keith Young) for City Council.” Mullen and Waters said that Americans must take into consideration the history of the Jim Crow laws, as well as the history of racism. They wondered how one could say that blacks have not been disenfranchised. Mumpower replied that there has been no more history of disenfranchisement for the blacks than that experienced by many other peoples down through history, referring to Native Americans, the Jews and other minorities. He added “‘til the 1960s, we made progress” in civil rights. “Then came the war on poverty. Since then, black Americans have struggled to keep moving forward.” Mumpower also said that “we’ve lost our moral compass.” As an example, he cited the 10 Commandments being taken out of the schools. “And until we return to those ideas of the great document, the Bible, we’ll continue to experience entitlement and selfish concerns governing society. We would be served best by going back to Solomon’s wisdom for our guide.” What’s more, Mumpower said that, if one looked back before the 1960s, when African-Americans were “very heavily” involved in the church, they were continuing to move upward in society. Meanwhile, Herrin indicated that the speakers on the other side of the debate are so stuck in a vacuum of political correctness that they do not realize it themselves. Mullen and Waters wondered how the church could save blacks from the inequalities and how that is going to change government. The pro side stated that its opponents talk about respnsibility, but there is not much talk about opportunity. The pro side added that, in the end, it is like the Good Samaritan, finding someone on the road, down and beaten, “and saying, ‘What was your responsibility in this?’”
The Daily Planet: It’s all you really need!
A10 — December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
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A12 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Sports Commentary
America’s new team: Carolina Panthers
Tank Spencer is the host of a weekly sports talk show, “The Sports Tank,” on Asheville’s News Radio WWNC (570AM) that airs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Spencer also serves as WWNC’s news anchor, reporter and afternoon producer. This column features posts from his blog.
Tank Spencer
Asheville to host 2016 BSC tourney From Staff Reports The Big South Conference announced in early November that it will hold its annual basketball tournament in Asheville during March 2016. Specifically, the league’s women’s tournament will be held March 10-13 at Kimmel Arena on the campus of UNC Asheville. That will follow the Southern Conference men’s and women’s tournaments, which will be held March 3-7 at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville.
The BSC’s men’s and women’s tournaments were originally scheduled to be hosted by Coastal Carolina. However, after that school announced it was leaving the Sun Belt Conference beginning in 2016, the league took away any championships Coastal Carolina would host before departing to the Sun Belt Conference. The Asheville bid was made primarily by UNCA — and with the full support of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission.
The following was posted Nov. 4:
The Carolina Panthers are 7-0, but there are still doubters. The number is falling week-by-week, success-after-success, but they (the doubters) still exist. Years ago, former Raiders coach/owner Al Davis made the phrase “Just Win, Baby” famous. No team personifies that slogan like this Panthers team. If you can’t fall in love with this Panthers squad, you’re probably a statistician or some Skip Bayless-esque ratings whore who wants to be “that guy.” There comes a moment when everyone should be able to sit back and enjoy what this team is doing... JUST WINNING! You have to love the blue-collar attitude this team has ... to fight and scrape for every win. The defense is dominant, even when they are not. The offense gets just enough when it absolutely has to. The 2015 Panthers aren’t flashy, they don’t have gaudy stats, and the only things they accumulate on a regular basis are bumps and bruises. It’s nasty football, but glorious. If you love the idea of hard work, dedication and achieving the American dream, you have to love the 2015 Panthers.
Faith Notes Send us your faith notes
Please submit items to the Faith Notes by noon on the third Wednesday of each month, via email, at spirituality@ashevilledailyplanet.com, or fax to 252-6567, or mail c/o The Daily Planet, P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490. Submissions will be accepted and printed at the discretion of the editor, space permitting. To place an ad for a faith event, call 252-6565.
Thursday, Dec. 3
FORUM, 6:30 p.m., Congregation Beth Israel, 229 Murdock Ave., Asheville. A forum will address race and police practices. It will begin with a screening of the documentary, “Ferguson: A Report From Occupied Territory,” co-sponsored by Carolina Jews for Justice/West, Congregation Beth Israel and Congregation Beth HaTephila. A feature will be a panel discussion moderated by Rabbi Justin Goldstein of Congregation Beth Israel. Panelists will include Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper, Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan, Community Resource Specialist of Green Opportunities Sheneika Smith and Student Development Director of Green Opportunities Joseph T. Hackett. A question-and-answer period will follow. Light refreshments will be served.
Sunday, Dec. 6
WORKSHOP, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. A workshop, “Opening More Fully To Our Spiritual Energies Workshop,” will be presented by the Rev. Dorothy Ann Jackson, an ordained Unity minister. She will offer her experiential workshop on opening more fully to the spiritual energies available to us. We are living in a time
when great shifts are taking place in our third dimension, seeking to help individuals move higher in consciousness. “Learn ways to receive these uplifting energies and how to ground them,” Unity noted. A love offering will be accepted.
Friday, Dec. 11
Social Justice Movie, Sandburg Hall, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. Social Justice Movie Night will feature a film to be announced. Afterward, a discussion will be held. Admission is free.
Sunday, Dec.13
COFFEEHOUSE CONCERT, 7-9 p.m., sanctuary, Sandburg Hall, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The Mountain Spirit Coffeehouse concert series will feature Brother Sun, a traveling trio of veteran songwriters. The group is billed as “three rich voices blending on a well-crafted foundation of guitar, slide guitar, piano, ukulele, and bouzouki.” Doors open at 6 p.m., with the program starting at 7 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students.
Thursday, Dec. 24
INTERGENERATIONAL CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE, 4-5 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The UUCA will hold its annual intergenerational Christmas Eve service. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, 6-7 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. The annual Christmas Eve candlelight service will be held. CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE, 9-10 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The UUCA will hold its annual candlelight Christmas Eve service.
Remember the neediest!
Covenant Reformed
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 281 Edgewood Rd. • Asheville, N.C. 28804
828-253-6578
www.covenantreformed.net Wednesday— 7 p.m. Prayer/Bible Study Sunday— 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 11 a.m. Worship • 6 p.m. Worship
Celebration Services 11 AM Sunday
Unity Church of Asheville An Informal Spiritual Center of Practical Christianity for Everyday Living.
Bookstore Meeting Rooms
130 Shelburne Road West Asheville 252-5010 www.unityofasheville.com
Advertise your church on this page
@ $10 per month
If interested, e-mail us at
advertising@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com ... or call 252-6565. Unity of the Blue Center Ridge Unity
A Church Family for ONE and ALL Come as you are! Sunday Services Sunday Services 9:15 a.m. & 11 a.m. 10:00 a.m 9:30am & 11:00am Serving WNC for 60 years
891-8700 / 684-3798
2041 Old Fanning Bridge Rd. Mills River 28759 Rev. Chad O’Shea Rev. Darlene Strickland
www.unitync.net www.unityblueridgenc.org
Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 - A13
Mission heart program rated among the top 50 in nation
From Staff Reports
Mission Health has one of the nation’s top 50 cardiovascular hospitals, according to rankings by Truven Health Analytics, a leading authority on clinical quality. Mission Hospital’s heart program is one of two in the Carolinas to receive this recognition, according to a news release. This marks the 10th time the hospital has been named a top 50 cardiovascular hospital by THA. With about 10,700 employees and 2,000 volunteers, Mission Health is the largest private employer in North Carolina
west of Charlotte. Mission also employs more than 1,000 physicians is certified in more than 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Mission Health has what it calls seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health. “This national recognition continues to validate our commitment to provide the highest-possible quality of care to patients in Western North Carolina,” said Jill Hoggard Green, chief operating officer of Mission Health and president of Mission Hospital and Mission Medical Associates. “This recognition reflects the dedication and skill of our
cardiologists and expert caregivers who care for some of our most critically ill patients and their families.” The study is conducted as an annual objective, quantitative review of hospitals that achieved superior clinical outcomes in heart care. Mission also recently earned the American College of Cardiology’s NCDRACTION Registry-GWTG Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2015. The national award recognizes commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart-attack patients, Mission officials noted.
A14 — December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
The Daily Planet’s Opinion
Let’s turn the beat around
W
e congratulate the winners of the three seats up for grabs on Asheville City Council — and look forward to the new ideas and energy they will bring with them. Winning in the Nov. 3 general election were top vote-getter Keith Young, deputy clerk of Buncombe County Superior Court and the first African-American to serve on council since 2009; followed by Brian Haynes, assistant manager for Habitat for Humanity; and Julie Mayfield, executive director of MountainTrue (an environmental group). Not making the cut were (in order) Vice Mayor Marc Hunt, the lone incumbent in the race; financial advisor Rich Lee and LGBT advocacy group campaign manager Lindsey Simerly. The saddest aspect of the election was that, while the turnout was
much better than the 12.8 percent who voted in the October primary, only one in six of the city’s 67,125 registered voters cast ballots in the general election. On the bright side, those who felt strongly enough to cast votes deserve credit — and to have their choices leading the city. Based on many interviews by the local news media, the voters’ top concern appears to be the city’s pace of growth is focused too much on tourism, which is leaving many workers in that field lagging financially and struggling to find decent housing on service-industry wages. Lastly, we are ecstatic that the two top vote-getters, Young and Haynes, favor making the city-owned land across from the U.S. Cellular Center and the Basilica of St. Lawrence, a public park, which would be a big step in a new direction for Asheville.
Important author’s struggles can help his readers CHAPEL HILL — An important author’s struggles can help his readers You can’t go home again. This is what Thomas Wolfe learned after his thinly disguised autobiographical novel cast some of his family and neighbors in Asheville in unflattering roles. It is always dangerous for a successful writer to base fictional characters on real family or neighbors. Like most of us, these people cannot be expected to appreciate unflattering portrayals or the publication of their carefully guarded secrets. Even more risky is what Henderson native David Payne has done in his new memoir, “Barefoot to Avalon: A Brother’s Story.” Payne, who now lives in Hillsborough, has written five highly praised novels, including “Confessions of a Taoist on Wall Street” and “Back to Wando Passo.” Payne’s younger brother, George A., died in an automobile accident. That tragedy and Payne’s feeling that he was responsible pushed him to write about his brother’s bipolar condition and their strained relationship. The resulting “Barefoot to Avalon” became a memoir of Payne’s family and with it a poignant chronicle of mental illness, infidelity, failed marriages, suicide, abuse, addiction, and alcoholism, one that must have been painful to write and can also be painful for the brave reader who follows Payne’s struggle to understand his family and himself. For such a brave reader, there are great rewards. The New York Times reviewer, Carmela Ciuraru, writes, “This is a brave book with beautiful sentences on every page. Mr. Payne writes with the intensity and urgency of a man trying to save his own life.” The story opens in November 2000 in rural Vermont on a farm Payne bought with proceeds from his successful books. With George A.’s help, he has emptied the contents of his house and packed them into two cars and a trailer in order to transport them back to North Carolina, where Payne’s wife and their two young children have already moved. George A. is named for their grandfather, George A. Rose, a successful Henderson businessman, whom both brothers adore. They called him “Pa.” Growing up, both brothers were athletic and good-looking. The natural competition
D.G. Martin with each other, though sometimes vigorous, was healthy. But when George was in prep school, he began to experience bipolar-I disorder episodes. He recovered and became a successful stockbroker with an ideal family. But the episodes returned and destroyed his career and his marriage. Out of work and living with their mother, George A. welcomed the chance to help his brother move. Heading back to North Carolina, George A. lost control of his car and trailer on the mountain roads of Virginia. The resulting crash took his life. David Payne covered himself with guilt. Back in North Carolina his writing career stumbled. His marriage began to fall apart. He found himself verbally abusing his children the way his father had treated his children. He was quickly becoming addicted to the drug of his choice, vodka. To address his personal chaos, Payne got positive help from regular group therapy and by writing this book. And, he says, from stopping drinking “stone cold” nine years ago. Good for him, you say, and then ask, why should I want to read about his personal experiences? There are several reasons: 1. It is good reading, a compelling personal narrative by a gifted writer. 2. Payne’s family’s struggles can help us see our own family’s challenges from a new perspective. 3. Most of us have family or friends who have been touched by mental illness or addiction to drugs or alcohol. Reading about how others have been impacted can help. 4. The chance to get to know intimately an accomplished, important author is always for me a valued gift. Or you can just take my word for it. • D.G. Martin hosts “North Carolina Bookwatch,” which airs at 9:30 p.m. Fridays and at 5 p.m. Sundays on UNC-TV.
Letters to the Editor
Demand smarter, greener plans for transportation
It’s said that trying to cure traffic jams by building bigger roads is like trying to cure obesity by buying bigger pants. Thanks to the endless feedback loop highway experts call “induced demand,” all that NCDOT’s bloated, insensitive expansion of the I-26 Connector in Asheville will accomplish – after bulldozing some 200 existing homes and businesses in its proposed paths – is to incite future calls for yet more lanes by fueling yet more of the uncontrolled, car-dependent sprawl development in south Buncombe and north Henderson counties that studies show is the cause of increased traffic on I-26. Raleigh’s plan to pave paradise would devastate West Asheville – among other neighborhoods – by turning parkside Amboy Road into a 4-lane throughway, widening I-240 to an Atlanta-scale 10-lane freeway, and dumping high-speed traffic onto a 5-laned Haywood Road overpass that no bicyclist or pedestrian will dare cross to reach NCDOT’s skimpy, poorly
designed greenway alongside I-240, which it insists Asheville must pay for. Demand smarter, greener transportation plans by emailing comments to Drew Joyner at djoyner@ncdot.gov through Dec. 16. Steve Rasmussen Asheville EDITOR’S NOTE: Rasmussen is a member of the I-26 ConnectUs Project, bit.ly/I-26connectus.
U.S. Middle East policy misses mark under Obama
In 2001, 12 men from Saudi Arabia attacked America. In response, we sent half a million military forces into Afghanistan. Two years later, we sent even more into Iraq — destabilizing the entire balance of power in the Middle East. The ensuing “Arab Spring” bought radical Islamists into power across the region. We supported (and helped) regime change across the Arab states — from Libya to Yemen; from Egypt to Somalia. Always on the side of “reformers” to liberalize the region. See LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Page A15
The Candid Conservative
Not so fabulous fads
“Fads are the kiss of death. When the fad goes away, you go with it..” — Conway Twitty
A
Brutalizing our police
s regards angry attitudes toward law enforcement officers, may I suggest we’ve seen this fad before? Towards the end of our misguided adventure in Vietnam, things got especially nasty for returning vets. People really did spit, curse and toss out the ‘”baby-killer” accusation. I got my taste in San Francisco’s airport. Insulting bewildered returnees was a fun fad for hippy chicks looking to validate their liberation credentials and for tie-dyed longhairs looking to impress hippy chicks. It was so miserable I swapped my uniform for civvies and later reversed things in the plane’s restroom. At 19, I knew more about bad guys in Vietnam than bad guys back home. Today’s America has a much different attitude toward returning troops. It took a decade or so, but most caught on to the folly of blaming our soldiers, marines, sailors and airman for military adventurism hatched by opportunistic politicians. This generation of veterans is similarly misused, but there’s usually a warmer, timely and well-earned reception back home. Learning late is better than not learning at all. It’s not too late to learn and avoid duplicating the Vietnam model against those who protect us on the home front. To universally indict law enforcement officers for inner-city ills and mishaps while giving politicians, the judiciary and social mischief makers a pass is repeating our Vietnam folly. Police officers go into harm’s way on a daily basis. Most are far better men and women than the criminals and ne’er-dowells they are sworn to contain – and criminals are sometimes the least of their worries. Politicized administrators, unprincipled politicians, capricious judges, and a fickle public are added pressures. Importantly, their tour in harm’s way doesn’t end in a year – and they don’t get to jump into a restroom to dump their uniform.
Carl Mumpower Resistance is the quickest and easiest path to developing a personal identity. Witness events in Ferguson, Mo., for a front-row seat to immaturity seeking a fast track to meaning. With all due respect for those believing good things come out of “F--- the Police” chants and banners, you might want to rethink that path to personal enlightenment. In times past we used the term “Peace Officers” to accurately describe the mission of law enforcement. It’s as relevant today as when lone Texas Rangers rode a beat covering thousands of square miles. Whether your foot is on a gas pedal or concrete, when you pass a peace officer, give some thought to waving or your own version of “Thank you for your service.” While you’re at it you might pay closer attention to the failed policies and false social agendas at the root of today’s antipolice movement. It’s a Vietnam redo – same nonsense, different day, with a new generation of the misguided….
Tattoos and Hula-Hoops
Speaking of mischief, may I take the opportunity to state the obvious; tattoos have reached the irrational phase of popularity. When the Wall Street Journal takes less time than perusing a girlfriend’s tats – it’s time to rethink the fad. Thankfully, the next stage after “irrational” is “ethereal.” Hopefully, this out-ofcontrol social phenomenon is following the trajectory of the hula-hoop and the chia-pet. Unfortunately, though the fad may die, tattoos don’t. Even when you spend mega-bucks trying to kill them, you’re left with damaged skin and a tattoo ghost. That’s the deal with tattoos – it’s the gift that keeps on giving. In fact, per some of Egypt’s 5,000 year old mummies, tattoos are so permanent they follow you into eternity. See CANDID CONSERVATIVE, Page A18
Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 — A15
Commentary
Most politically group? Far-right Republicans
“I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct.” — Donald Trump
I
confess this particular national problem hasn’t made my Top 50. But I’m not without opinions. I’m in favor of political correctness, and I’m also against it. Let’s start with some history – at the beginning, in the 1930s. The Socialist Party of America pinballed its way from identity crisis to identity crisis for decades. Their presidential candidate
Letters
Continued from Page A14
All of the secular leaders were toppled. Most were horrible dictators, to be sure. But in their place came ideological leaders — theocratic fanatics. Again, unintended consequences. Because of horrifyingly ignorant (or corrupt?) politicians we have the messy situation today. The Islamic world never invaded America. Their struggles were internal; in and among their own tribes. Only America (and her allies) were dumb enough to poke holes into the bees nest and continue to swat the bees coming out. NOW the nest is a wreck. There is NO stable home for the “bees”.... Many Islamic people. fleeing the region after 13 years of constant warfare, will spread all over the world. And who do they blame for their plight? America - rightfully or wrongfully — and the West. They view Israel as America’s outpost in the region. We, as a nation, need leaders who have strong powers of logic and reason. Game show hosts and smooth-talkers will not cut it. Many intellectuals were warning of these “unintended consequences” — myself included. At THIS point... I must admit, there are precious few workable fixes floating around in the Intellectual community. Our hearts are aching... Steven Chase Boone, N.C., and Miami Beach, Fla.
Clinton needs to be vetted in the Democratic process
“Shhhh! We don’t want to hurt her chances in the general election!” Does anyone really believe that Republicans would have any qualms about raising issues concerning Hillary Clinton’s history or her character during the campaign if she were to win the Democratic nomination? There are real weaknesses in her candidacy and they need to be raised during the Democratic primary vetting process. See LETTERS, Page A18
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Lee Ballard did get 6 percent of the vote in 1912, but then it was faction against faction through the 1920s. But American Socialists never accepted the radical ideas of the Communist International. In 1936, they backed FDR. Meanwhile, the Communist Party USA was in lockstep with Stalin, including support for his bloody purges – and they called for an armed struggle to establish an American Soviet state. Socialists criticized the Communists’ slavish, unthinking obedience to Moscow. They called American Communists “politically correct.” <comment> The Socialists used “politically correct” as a put-down. I agree with that principle. When somebody parrots an ideological line without testing its validity, they deserve disrespect. Groups of all kinds tend to have ideologies, belief systems, creeds that they want their followers to adopt completely. They like political correctness. In the world of politics, no group is as politically correct as conservative Republicans. There are conservative articles of faith, and millions of conservatives
! d e r a p e r P e B
embrace them unconditionally. Why else would anybody be against environmental regulations that give us and our children a cleaner world? Why else would non-rich people favor huge tax cuts for rich people when the cuts mean poorer public schools? In my experience, liberal-leaning people are far more open-minded, more questioning of liberal doctrines than are conservatives. <resume history> In the ‘60s and ‘70s, America changed. The civil rights movement, in particular, made us aware that we were using words that were no longer appropriate. We also stopped having black-face minstrel shows and the like. As I recall, this change was spontaneous. I don’t remember its being called “political correctness.” <comment> I’m in favor of this, too. Avoiding these words signaled that we had grown as a people. <resume history> But quite soon, inappropriate speech and attitudes became officially taboo on college campuses and in publishing guidelines. This was true political correctness. In 1972, Stanford University even switched their mascot from Indians to the Cardinal, their school color. <comment> I don’t buy into legislated political correctness. It has certainly helped us discard words and attitudes that needed to go, but I like the 1990 Newsweek cover: “THOUGHT POLICE – There’s a ‘politically correct’ way to talk about race, sex and ideas. Is this the new Enlighten-
ment – or the new McCarthyism?” I tilt away from censorship. <resume history> Now we come to how the phrase “political correctness” has become part of Republican jargon. Sometimes they use it correctly, but sometimes, oh boy, it’s nothing more than a clumsy club to bash Democrats with: Ted Cruz: “This is a president and administration that has turned a hard heart to the persecution and suffering of Christians abroad….And this bizarre, politically correct doublespeak is simply not befitting a commander-in-chief….” Rush Limbaugh: “We’re led to believe everybody opposes it and disagrees with political correctness, but yet everybody’s scared to death of it. So who is it? Well, it’s the power structure wherever you happen to be.” Comment on New York Times article: “Trump has started attacking the whole religion of political correctness to the cheers of the masses. Without that weapon, the left is simply powerless.” <comment> Anybody who’s watched the GOP debates has seen every single candidate take positions completely in line with the current passions of the Republican base, even if they previously held other views. What shall we call this phony devotion to the new Republican orthodoxy? Right: political correctness. • Lee Ballard lives in Mars Hill.
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A16 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Commentary
A bracing cup of Jesus
Starbucks brews up a storm over ‘Christian’ coffee decor
Jeff Messer is the host of a daily radio talk show on Asheville’s WPEK (880AM, The Revolution) that airs from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. This column features posts from his daily blog. • The following was posted on Nov. 9: f there’s one thing you can count on to come in the season of good cheer, peace on earth and good will toward man, it is the hostile “Christians” that are deadset on being made war upon by everyone else. Ah, yes. ‘Tis the season of the annual right-wing declaration of “The War on Christmas!” This year’s over-the-top focus? Starbucks. Yes, the coffee people of Christmases past. Wait. No. They’ve never been synonymous with Christmas. Have they? I mean they actually use the term “Christmas” on their “Christmas Blend,” which surely makes the Christian Warriors happy, right? Not “Holiday Blend.” You know, “Holiday?” The evil anti-Christian term used to make baby Jesus weep every year. So, why did Starbucks get singled out for Christian hate this year? God only knows. And he isn’t talking. Sure, a good deal of it is whipped up by useless right-wing clap-trappers like the not-so good folk over on Breitbart’s website. They are the worst of the self-serving web idiots who troll for this type of thing, and help to fan the flames that they help ignite. Happily, there are some saner minds out there, namely people who are actually in the “Christ” business, and they are calling for people focusing on putting Christ back in “Christian” first. I wholeheartedly applaud this notion. How about so-called “Christians” get Christianity right before they tackle other things, like, oh, say, Christmas, which is a cobbled together form of a number of pagan religions, with a fat old socialist
I
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Jeff Messer with flying deer giving a ton of free stuff to people? I mean, come on! How “Christian” is Christmas anyway? Seriously? So, here’s a modest notion for all Christians: if you are so offended by a coffee cup, you must be insane over the poor, the sick, the hungry and all of the actual things Christ mentioned in the red letters of instruction for what you should be doing with your life, founded on your love of Him. So, how about Christians work on being Christian? What a novel concept! The following was posted on Nov. 2:
Anonymous ‘outs’ the 1st round of KKK members including Thom Tillis of NC
Hacktivists Anonymous have begun to release the names of members of the KKK as they have promised and teased for some time now. Among the list of names were expected politicians from the Deep South. I
mean, naturally, right? In an unsurprising, yet slightly unexpected bit of detail among the first release of names, was the one name at number one: Thom Tillis, Freshman Senator from North Carolina. At least we’re No. 1 at something these days, right? All morning, as the release of names rolled out, I’ve been seeing his eerie rictus grin, and that blank Willy Talk puppet glaze of his eyes that we’ve all come to loath. Yet, thus far, no mainstream media are daring to carry this story on their airwaves. So much for “liberal media bias.” We just have to get it from online sources, for now, I guess. This is sad news, no doubt. But great news, so far as getting the truth out there for all the world to see. This does add some fuel to the Moral Monday fires, so far as outrage over voting rights issues and health care issues that
Tillis helped to oversee in his time as North Carolina speaker of the House. And, it offers more than a little evidence that would indicate that perhaps there is a racial aspect to the right wing rule in North Carolina. Of course, we knew this all along, but now have some concrete verification on the matter. Question is: will it make people rethink the way they vote, and whom they support? Probably not. Sadly. Regardless, Tillis and the others who have been fingered in their racist ties, should pay a heavy price for it. Mind you, I’m sure such affiliation in the South has made it easier for many of those on the list to get elected, since membership to the KKK no doubt endears them to many voters who are only voting Republican. • EDITOR’S NOTE: Tillis immediately disavowed any connection to the KKK.
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Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 — A17
Commentary
Left can’t help but engage in virtue posturing Pete Kaliner is the host of a daily radio talk show on Asheville’s WWNC (570AM) that airs from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. This column features posts from his daily blog. • The following was posted on Nov. 17: he attacks in France have the left in full virtue posturing Mode. The moral preening would be laughable if not ghoulish in its craven politicization and hypocrisy. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, a popular virtue posture for leftists was to suggest that sympathy-expressing people were actually racists because they did not recognize every previous slaughter perpetrated by ISIS. There were Facebook posts and social media memes from holier-than-thou pious progressives standing on the victims’ corpses to make points about media attention and those evil, racist-y Republicans. Here’s a perfect example:
T
Sally Kohn @sallykohn Day before Paris attacks, 43 people killed by suicide bombs in Beirut. But little media coverage, b/c doesn’t advance white fear narrative. Of course, the CNN contributor never mentioned Beirut in any of HER previous tweets, mind you. Her point was that YOU didn’t mention it
Pete Kaliner any of YOUR tweets, you Racist McRacist. There was a slaughter in Baghdad the other day, too, and leftists demand to know why YOU didn’t express empathy for those victims. Again, pay no attention to the fact that these same leftists did not express sympathy, either. This is not relevant to Virtue Posturing. All that matters is YOUR behavior. It’s why a leftist like North Carolina Democratic operative Thomas Mills can tweet this: Thomas Mills @tmillsNC UnChristian. Yet, never labels fellow progressives as “UnChristian” for supporting abortion. Indeed, many of Virtue Posturing Progressives express constant anxiety and fear of a Christian theocratic state being implemented by those evil and racist-y TEA-thuglicans. By the way, I am still waiting to hear back on whether Mr. Mills is a Christian himself. Thomas Mills @tmillsNC I’m not the one claiming to be the good Christian. He is.
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I am curious, however, why these same leftists — who are so quick to preen and lecture about who is not Christian — have not been demanding public expressions of sympathy for the 200 Syrian children ISIS slaughtered: If I were as mendacious as the left, I might suggest it’s because the kids were Christian. Or maybe because the left is racist. The following was posted on Nov. 16:
Get them up against the wall at Dartmouth
When I saw this story out of Dartmouth College, I couldn’t help but think of the old Pink Floyd song, “In the Flesh.” The flood of demonstrators self-consciously overstepped every boundary, opening the doors of study spaces with students reviewing for exams. Those who tried to close their doors were harassed further. One student abandoned the study room and ran out of the library. The protesters followed her out of the library, shouting obscenities the whole way. Students who refused to listen to or join their outbursts were shouted down. “Stand the f*** up!” “You filthy racist white piece of s***!” Men and women alike were pushed and shoved by the group. “If we can’t have it, shut it down!” they cried. Another woman was pinned to a wall
by protesters who unleashed their insults, shouting “filthy white b****!” in her face. The following was posted on Oct. 29:
Candy Crowley won the CNBC GOP debate
She wasn’t even there, but former CNN host Candy Crowley was the clear winner of the Republican Presidential debate last night on CNBC. Due to the utter dumpster fire of a performance by the moderators from CNBC, I think GOP voters will supplant Crowley for CNBC as the ultimate example of bias and dumbassery exhibited during a debate. The panel of TV personalities pretending to be policy wonks last night seemed more interested in tossing one-liners and positioning themselves as the least-knowledgeable people in the room. When Vanity Fair notices your bias and incompetence, you know it’s bad.
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A18—December 2015 — Asheville Daily Planet
Candid Conservative
Continued from Page A14 On top of the permanence issue is the addiction factor. Moderation seems to go out the window when people cross the line on “to ink or not to ink.” Do they put something in that stuff to make you want more? I have to confess I’ve come close. The 50th Anniversary of Daytona Bike Week was the closest. While scanning the insanity of the Iron Horse Saloon outdoor biker bar, I picked out this nifty fire-breathing dragon complete with RVN 1971-72 lettering. Just as I was ready to lay down my arm and the cash, the public address system proclaimed free beer prior to the lady mud-wrestling competition. I never made it back to the tattoo guy. Addictive behavior with lifetime implications is a scary thing. Imagine being stuck with some of your past stuff. Would you really want a daily repeat of that leopard skin undergarment thingy? How about the crazy hair colors or grunge look you worked so hard to perfect in high achool? Then there was that lesbian fling you had as a college freshman – been dying to seek her out as a Facebook friend? What would you say if I told you Jägermeister shots had been federally mandated as the only thing you can drink for the rest of your life? If you’re an adult, a tattoo infatuation can be foolhardy – if you’re a teen, it’s a disaster. Adolescent marriages have an 80 percent failure rate decisively revealing why tattoos should be discouraged among the young. What you like at 18 is seldom what you like at 30. Ink and spouses are equally hard to erase.
I hate to suggest such, but tattoos aren’t for the wearer any more than bikinis are for swimmers. Unless you do a lot of mirror time, it’s other people who’ll be checking out your body art – not you. It’s fair to say that we all need attention, but inking up your skin seems a bit less productive than learning a way to feed and house yourself or otherwise secure your place in a crazy world. We all need to matter. I get that and so do you. But for some of the same reasons it’s no longer cool to smoke Lucky Strikes in your peddle-pushers while twirling a HulaHoop to the beat of Sinatra’s “Rubber Tree Plant” – you’re going to get tired of today’s tattoo fad. And do you really need to visit a nursing home to see what happens to an aging human canvas? It is not my purpose to beat up on people with tattoos. If you have one, or ten or twenty, let it go and press on. Reconsider further enhancements. I am interested in raising the question for those who may not have taken the plunge. True identity and meaning do not come at the price of a little pain and ink. Tattoos are today’s version of my generation’s ‘a suit and tie makes the man’ and a big house, big car and big job make for a big life. That was all nonsense. So are your more current short-cuts. The business of living – real living – is never skin deep… Thanks for spending a few minutes with a candid conservative! • Carl Mumpower is a former member of Asheville City Council.
Letters to the editor
Continued from Page A2 There can be no double-standard about raising issues of character and history within the field of Democratic candidates. The Clinton campaign doesn’t seem concerned about harming Bernie Sanders’ chances in the General Election by smearing him with false allegations of misogyny, racism and being “soft” on gun control. In contrast, the myriad of legitimate issues raised about Hillary Clinton are based on her factual history and are well documented. These issues include her propensity to follow the advice of those who advocate premature military involvement in foreign lands; the influence of corporate political campaign contributions on her environmental, energy, social and economic agendas; her backward history on criminal justice issues including the death penalty, mandatory sentencing, the war on drugs and opposition to legalization of marijuana which disproportionately devastates the lives of millions of African-Americans and Hispanic people; If the Clinton camp is basing its hopes on the cooperative silence of her critics, what does that say about her chances in the general election? This candidate has a real problem and Democratic voters throughout the nation should take notice. Avram Friedman Dillsboro
U.S. Middle East policy misses mark under Obama
The book “Zealot” by author Reza Aslon proves that the historical Jesus of Nazareth — far from being a pacifist spouting love for thine enemy and cheek-turning — was, in actual fact, a radical and a revolutionary
and a zealot, and a bandit fighting in the mountains, and a Middle East terrorist who was crucified by the Romans for sedition and terrorism. The historical Jesus bore no resemblance to America’s Christians. Jesus was a radical! And a revolutionary! And a zealot! And a bandit fighting in the mountains! And a Middle East terrorist! Jesus bore a close resemblance to (Fidel) Castro and Ché (Guevara) and their Cuban army of banditos fighting in the mountains against Spanish imperialistos! And Jesus bore a resemblance to the 1960s’ student radicals and revolutionaries who waged armed revolutionary struggle against our Big Brother government in Washington. And Jesus bore a strong resemblance to our American Revolutionaries and Sons of Liberty during the American Revolution. Were Jesus here today, Jesus would be a member of the Resistance, waging resistance against American’s transformation from a constitutional republic — a free and open democratic society — into an Orwellian Big Brother police and surveillance state, and a technological dystopia. RICHARD D. POPE Hendersonville
Remember the neediest!
Advice Goddess Continued from Page A6 A: Tales from your PTSD support group: THEM: “I was held captive with a burlap bag over my head and beaten with electrical cords.” YOU: “I’m right there with you, bro. This dude I was dating told me his Ferrari was paid for, and it turned out to be leased!” YOU: “My boyfriend pretended he was buying a mansion, but he really lives with his parents.” THEM: “That’s terrible. Can you help me put on my prosthetic leg?” Sure, according to Pat Benatar, “love is a battlefield.” But spending three months fighting with a sociopathic boyfriend doesn’t leave you ducking for cover whenever a car backfires like a guy who did three tours of IED disposal in Iraq and came home with most of the parts he went in with. Ofer Zur, a psychologist who specializes in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, explains, “To meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, the stressor experienced must involve actual or threatened death or serious injury.” What you did experience is called “gaslighting,” a covert form of psychological bullying that leaves you doubting your perception of reality and, eventually, accepting the bully’s distorted, self-serving version. So, for example, when you question your partner on something -- like their work, education, or finances -- instead of doing the civilized, healthy-person thing and giving you an answer, they blast you for daring to insult them by asking. (People who are cheating will often do this.) Day after day, as they treat you like you’re nuts, blind, or dumb, your self-worth erodes and you feel less and less able to trust your judgment -- to the point where you start using all the red flags as carwash towels. The thing is, gaslighting isn’t like an alien spaceship with a giant vacuum hose, sucking in any person in its path. It’s the need for outside validation that makes a person susceptible, explains psychologist Robin Stern in “The Gaslight Effect.” Another risk factor is an overvaluing of romantic love -- seeing it as a magical eraser for life’s problems and a way to duck out of the grubby work of developing a self. Believing the unbelievable is the price of maintaining a relationship that seems “more intense, more glamorous, and more special.” This is basically selling yourself out for love -- though all you really have is a snake charmer and a snake, all in one basket, with a boyfriend face taped across the front. To your credit, you had a strong enough self that you eventually crawled up through the romantic cloud cover and did some late-night Internet snake-hunting. Though
you’ve given your reptile the boot (or perhaps upcycled him into a handbag), your fear of being scammed again has you going all Inspector Javert on every slightly shifty-eyed co-worker. Consider that you’re reacting to the romantic con job as if it happened randomly, like a roast chicken falling out of a private jet and cracking you on the head. To stop wildly flinging suspicion around, accept responsibility: Admit that you got duped because you wanted to believe more than you wanted to see. Granted, it isn’t always easy to identify the liars. (You can’t just keep an eye out for those telltale pants on fire.) Stern, however, offers good advice to avoid getting taken in by gaslighters and other pathologically inventive hustlers. Instead of debating them on whether a particular piece of information is right or wrong, focus on your feelings. Ask yourself: “Do I like being treated this way…talked to this way?” And though you don’t have PTSD, you might take a page out of Zur’s playbook -his notion that we heal from bad experiences by creating a narrative that gives them meaning for the future. You, for example, could use this experience as a giant Post-it note reminding you to take a relationship slowly, meet a person’s circle of friends, and see who they are over time -- instead of immediately declaring that you’ve found the love of the century. If you’re going to have a fairy-tale relationship, it shouldn’t be because little or nothing in it exists in real life • (c.) 2015, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (advicegoddess.com).
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A20 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
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Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015
Motown Explosion Show the nightmare unpolished yet sizzling ‘twas before Christmas .... Shelley Wright
By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
BLACK MOUNTAIN — The Motown Explosion Dinner Show proved to have some rough edges, but its best moments more than made up for them during a Nov. 14 show at White Horse music hall. About 100 people attended — and many danced — as well as listened — during much of the show. There also were a number of standing ovations. A soul food buffet was followed by the show, featuring vocalists Rhoda Weaver, Don Garner, Albert Booker and William Stafford. The four-piece Dave Holder Band included a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and drummer. The show opened with “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” followed by “Get Ready” and “Hold On, I’m Coming.” After “Mustang Sally” was performed, Weaver took the show up several notches with her riveting vocals on Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood.” Other songs performed included “Baby, I Need Your Loving,” which started rough vocally, but the group got into a groove and jammed on it for — perhaps — 10 minutes. Other songs included “(Sitting on) the Dock of the Bay,” “Midnight Hour” and a sublime version of The Temptations’ classic, “I Wish It Would Rain” on which Garner sang lead. It was — to that point — the best song of the concert. The group also performed The Temptations’ “My Girl.” Next, Motown Explosion sang James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good),” which
Rule #1: They always know you’re coming.
I
Special photo MIKE LYTLE
The Motown Explosion vocalists included (from left) Don Garner, Albert Booker, William Stafford and Rhoda Weaver at White Horse music hall. — understandably — was not up to par with set included “What a Wonderful World,” “Shaky Ground” and “Ain’t Too Proud to the version by the “Godfather of Soul.” Beg.” During “Shaky Ground,” on which Possibly the best performance of the night Weaver sang lead, she told an enthused featured Weaver singing lead and unleashing blond middle-aged male dancer, “Here’s her vocal pyrotechnics on Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools.” Also, the guitarist provided the missing Temptation right here,” prompting the dancer — and the mixedinteresting counterpoint on the soul classic race crowd — to laugh. with a psychedelic-tinged guitar break. See MOTOWN EXPLOSION, Page B9 Other memorable songs from the second
Russ Wilson’s Big Band Show heats up a cool autumn night By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
Special photo courtesy of SCOTT WOODY
Russ Wilson’s Big Band performs Nov. 15 at Isis Restaurant and Music Hall.
Russell Wilson’s Big Band heated up the night Nov. 15 in the Sunday Showcase at Isis Restaurant and Music Hall in West Asheville. More than 60 people attended the three-hour show, which celebrated Wilson’s birthday, started with a bang with Wilson singing “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart” and “Louisiana Fairytale.” In jest, Wilson said the concert actually was his 49th birthday celebration. He then quipped that, “technically, my birthday” was Nov. 9, “but, as you can see, I take the entire month to celebrate.” The crowd laughed, heartily. The band then launched into Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek” with Wilson singing, followed by a duet with him and Wendy Jones on Duke Ellington’s “In a Mellow Tone.” Jones sang a moving solo of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.” Later, Wilson performed a lively — and somewhat wild — rendition of George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm.” See BIG BAND, Page B9
t was the week before Christmas and I was ready for a romantic getaway. But when my boyfriend Miles showed up at my door, he was different. Not quite himself. I shrugged it off and grabbed my bags and we headed out. We were on our way to a mountaintop retreat in a small town. When we checked in, we saw a full-page newspaper article hanging beside the office window, boasting the hotel’s haunted history. Fine. I wasn’t here for ghosts. I was here for romance. Even a paranormal investigator deserved a night off, right? I brought lacy bits not meters. The hotel was decked out with beautiful Christmas lights and decorations which we admired as we walked to our room. We didn’t pass a single person. We went out in search of food. The whole town was quiet. I don’t even recall any other customers in the restaurant. Weird. Our waiter was feeling chatty and started telling us about a haunted hotel. Our hotel! We never mentioned where we were staying and we certainly didn’t ask any questions about it. We paid for our food and left. When we got back to the hotel, we again climbed the three flights of stairs passing no one. After dinner, we walked outside to smoke under the porte cochere. At some point, we realized we were the only guests. We stood outside in the freezing cold, barely speaking to one another, when I turned and noticed for the first time that blood was dripping down the column. It had gathered in a thick, dark puddle all over the ground. Miles was facing me the whole time and he hadn’t said a word about it. “Do you see that?” I asked him. “No. I don’t see anything.” “You really don’t see that?” I asked, my voice rising a bit. “I already told you no!” He was hateful and that was very uncharacteristic. I looked back at the column. The blood looked like it was dripping from up high and streaking the column as it pooled thickly next to my feet. I didn’t think to reach out and touch it. Or to grab a tissue and dab at the blood for a sample. Nor did I grab my cellphone to snap a picture. I just silently acknowledged it and put out my cigarette. We walked back inside. The Christmas decorations didn’t look nearly so cheery anymore. Our room had a Jacuzzi, so we grabbed a bottle of champagne and a couple of glasses and climbed in. We stayed in there a long time, so long that the room was steamy, but we could still plainly see each other in the light from the bathroom. It was around midnight when Miles swore that my face kept morphing into that of a cat! Most people would have packed up and left by then. But not me. I don’t scare easily and I am a Paranormal Investigator, so it’s only natural that I’d stick around to see what else happened. Besides, we weren’t ourselves. See WRIGHT, Page B9
B2 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
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Steven Curtis Chapman will perform at 8 p.m. Dec. 4 at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville.
Calendar
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Please submit items to the Calendar of Events by noon on the third Wednesday of each month, via e-mail, at calendar@ashevilledailyplanet. com, or fax to 252-6567, or mail c/o The Daily Planet, P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 288148490. Submissions will be accepted and printed at the discretion of the editor, space permitting. To place an ad for an event, call 252-6565.
Tuesday, Dec. 1
WORLD AIDS DAY CELEBRATION, 7-9 p.m., Renaissance Hotel, 31 Woodfin St., downtown Asheville. World AIDs Day will be celebrated in Asheville, with an evening of music and poetry focused on remembering the past, celebrating successes and hope for the future. The AIDS Memorial Quilt also is on display at the hotel. WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL LECTURE, 7:30 p.m., UNC Asheville. “DEAS (ISIS) and PKK – The Regional Struggle for Hegemony: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar” will be addressed by Ali Demirdas, a member of the international studies faculty at the College of Charleston and a Ph.D. candidate at University of South Carolina. Admission to World Affairs Council presentations at UNCA is $10 for the public — and free to members of the WAC and UNCA students.
Thursday, Dec. 3
CREATION CARE ALLIANCE MEETING, 5:30-7 p.m., First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St., downtown Asheville. The Creation Care Alliance will hold a general meeting. FORUM, 6:30 p.m., Congregation Beth Israel, 229 Murdock Ave., Asheville. A forum will address race and police practices. It will begin with a screening of the documentary, “Ferguson: A Report From Occupied Territory,” co-sponsored by Carolina Jews for Justice/West, Congregation Beth Israel and Congregation Beth HaTephila. A feature will be a panel discussion moderated by Rabbi Justin Goldstein of Congregation Beth Israel. Panelists will include Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper, Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan, Community Resource Specialist of Green Opportunities Sheneika Smith and Student Development Director of Green Opportunities Joseph T. Hackett. A question-and-answer period will follow. Light refreshments will be served.
Friday, Dec. 4
FLUTE FANDANGO, 7 p.m., upstairs lounge, Isis Restaurant and Music Hall, 743 Haywood Rd., Asheville. A fun program of Latin-influenced music, featuring flutist Lea Kibler, will be presented by AmicMusic in an intimate cabaret setting. CHRISTMAS PAGEANT, 7:30 p.m., Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St., Asheville. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Dec. 4-19; and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 6-20. For tickets, which are $22,
visit www.ashevilletheatre.org, or call 254-1320. CHRISTMAS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Moore Auditorium. Mars Hill University will hold its annual Christmas Concert, featuring its Department of Music. Featured ensembles will include the College Wind Symphony, College Choir, and Women’s Ensemble. Repertoire will include the Britten Ceremony of Carols, The Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols (featuring soloist and recent graduate Dalton Woody), as well as many audience favorites of the holiday season. Admission is free.
See CALENDAR, Page B3
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Calendar of Events Continued from Page B2
Friday, Dec. 4
CONCERT, 8 p.m., U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. Steven Curtis Chapman will perform in concert. Chapman, a Grammy Award-winner, is a Christian music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, author and social activist.
Saturday, Dec. 5
Citizens Climate Lobby, 12:30-3 p.m., Kairos West Community Center, 742 Haywood Rd., Asheville. Citizens Climate Lobby, which advocates for a carbon fee and dividend, will meet. The group seeks to impose a fee — that would be refunded to individuals and families — on fossil fuels at point of entry. FLUTE FANDANGO, 2 p.m., White Horse music hall, Black Mountain. A fun program of Latininfluenced music, featuring flutist Lea Kibler, will be presented by AmicMusic. FUNDRAISER FOR BIBLIOWORKS, 7-9:30 p.m., 67 Biltmore Avenue (across from the French Broad Food Co-op), downtown Asheville. A fundraiser for Biblioworks will be held, with all proceeds going to libraries and literary programs in Bolivia. Music wil be provided by Cecil Bothwell, along wth food, beer, cider and a silent auction. Admission is $15 at the door and $12 advance. DAILEY & VINCENT CHRISTMAS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. James Dailey and Darrin Vincent will celebrate the sounds of the Christmas season, bluegrassstyle. For tickets, which are $18 and $23, visit www. GreatMountainMusic.com, or call 524-1598. FLUTE FANDANGO, 7:30 p.m., The Nightingale Lofe, 52 Broadway St. (next to Mellow Mushroom), downtown Asheville. A fun program of Latininfluenced music, featuring flutist Lea Kibler, will be presented by AmicMusic.
Sunday, Dec. 6
FLUTE FANDANGO, 2 p.m., First Congregation
Church, 20 Oak St., downtown Asheville. A fun program of Latin-influenced music, featuring flutist Lea Kibler, will be presented by AmicMusic in an intimate cabaret setting. RALEIGH RINGERS CONCERT, 4 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. The Raleigh Ringers, an internationally acclaimed concert handbell choir based in Raleigh, will be perform in concert. For tickets, which are $17, visit www.GreatMountainMusic.com, or call 524-1598. PILGRIMAGE FOR PARIS CLIMATE TALKS, 2 p.m., pavilion, Carrier Park, Amboy Road, Asheville. People’s Pilgrimage for the Paris Climate Talks will hold a 2-mile walk, starting at the Carrier Park pavilion and ending at French Broad River Park, with stops along the way for music, poetry and prayer. Attendees are being asked to show either bring banners and signs or show up at 1 p.m. to make signs. Some materials will be provided. CANDLELIGHT VIGIL/FUNDRAISER, 6-8 pm at Jubilee on Wall St in Asheville. Hadaya Toys will host a luminous candlelight vigil and fundraiser will be held to benefit Syrian refugee children. Hosts will be award-winning filmmaker and teacher Jennifer MacDonald and artist, photographer and entrepreneur Vanessa Bell. Hadaya Toys is a grass-roots organization dedicated to supporting the overlooked needs of refugee children through creativity and play. They spread joy — one toy at a time — by providing books, toys and art supplies to the child refugee population suffering from the devastation of war. The candlelight evening will feature Middle Eastern music by world supergroup Free Planet Radio (River Guerguerian, Chris Rosser and Grammy Award winner Eliot Wadopian) and other musical guests. Habibi baklava and other treats will be available to enjoy along with a spoken word and film presentation about the Syrian refugee crisis and Hadaya’s first “joy delivery: this summer to four refugee camps on the border of Lebanon and Syria. The community event is to specifically raise funds for the children of the BEITI orphanage in Southern Turkey, who have lost one or both parents in the war. Tickets, which are $10, will be available at the door or in advance at Malaprop’s Bookstore/ Café.
Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 - B3
“The Three Redneck Tenors Christmas Spec-tac-yule” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
Tuesday, Dec. 8
LIBERTARIAN MEETING, 7 p.m., Oakleaf Furniture, 130 Miller St., downtown Waynesville. The Haywood County Libertarian Party meets on the second Tuesday of the month. Open discussion and debate are encouraged with all perspectives and persuasions welcomed.
Thursday, Dec. 10
JUST ECONOMICS ANNUAL GALA, 6-9 p.m., Jubilee!, Wall Street, downtown Asheville. Just Economics will hold its annual celebration. Food and entertainment will be provided. Just Economics is currently focused on living wage jobs, accessible transportation, and affordable housing. Admission is free. “HOME FOR CHRISTMAS” CABARET, 7:30 p.m., HART Theatre, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville.
The musical “Home for Christmas: A Holiday Cabaret” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10-12 and at 3 p.m. Dec. 13, for its final performance. For tickets — $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $7 for students — visit www.harttheatre.org.
Friday, Dec. 11
“IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE” RADIO PLAY, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin.”It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” by Joe Landry will be presented by The Overlook Theatre Co. at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 and 18. “This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast,” SMCPA noted. For tickets, which are $12, visit www.GreatMountainMusic.com, or call 524-1598.
See CALENDAR, Page B4
B4 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Calendar
Continued from Page B3
of
Events
Friday, Dec. 11
“THREE REDNECK TENORS” YULE SHOW, 7:30 p.m., John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee. “Three Redneck Tenors Christmas Spec-tac-yule” will be presented. “Wearing mullets on their heads and stomping their feet, these unique vocalists whoop and holler through holiday music, providing head-to-toe fun for the whole family,” WCU noted. For tickets, which are $21 for adults, $16 for WCU faculty and staff, and $7 for students and children, visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu, or call 227-2479. SACRED MUSIC FUNDRAISER, 7:30-9:30 p.m., One Center Yoga, 120 Coxe Avenue, Suite 3-B, downtown Asheville. One Center Yoga will host the Sacred Music Fundraiser for Light a Path. The event is titled “Divine Mother Invocation and Kirtan,” with Cat, Melanie, Amah and Stacy. Admission is by donation of a “gently used” or new yoga mat, or via a financial contribution. PENN & TELLER COMEDY SHOW, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Penn & Teller will perform their show of magic and entertainment. Their show is billed as “an edgy mix of magic and comedy that blends guns, knives, gorillas and fire.”
Saturday, Dec. 12
CHRISTMAS WITH THE LETTERMEN, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. The Lettermen will perform a concert of their hits, along with traditional Christmas favorites. The group, famous for its harmonies for around 50 years, has 18 gold albums and numerous top singles, including their first hit, “The Way You Look Tonight,” and “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” and “I Only Have Eyes for You.” For tickets, which are $23, $25 and $28, visit www.GreatMountainMusic. com, or call 524-1598.
Saturday, Dec. 19
ANNUAL HOLIDAY DINNER, 7 p.m., Expo Center, Crown Plaza Resort, 1 Resort Drive, Asheville. Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee will speak at former 11th District Rep. Charles Taylor’s annual holiday dinner. Taylor, a Brevard Republican, became co-chairman of Huckabee’s campaign in North Carolina earlier this fall. He served in the U.S. House from 1991 until 2007, shortly after losing the 2006 election to Democrat Heath Shuler. The dinner, in its 23rd year, usually draws hundreds of people and often features speakers of national prominence. Organizers say it is one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the state. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, a minister and an author, has been a commentator on Fox News. The dinner begins at 7 p.m., but a private reception that will afford an opportunity to meet Huckabee begins at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person for the dinner and $150 for the dinner and the reception. For more information, contact Trish Smothers at 243-2187 or email her at tasmothers@ yahoo.com.
Sunday, Dec. 20
ROCKAPELLA CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin.
LETTERS The Asheville Daily Planet invites Letters to the Editor of 200 words or less. Please include your name, mailing address, daytime telephone number and e-mail address. For more information, call (828) 252-6565. Send mail to: Letters, Asheville Daily Planet P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, NC 28814 Send e-mail to: letters@ashevilledailyplanet.com
Rockapella, billed as “an a cappella experience like no other,” is a progenitor of a full-band sound, featuring pure vocal talent and originality. For tickets, which are $20 and $25, visit www.GreatMountainMusic. com, or call 524-1598.
Sunday, Dec. 20
SWANNANOA SOLSTICE, 2 and 7 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, Pack Square, downtown Asheville. The introspective melodies of guitar and mandolin, the lively staccato of step dancers and world percussion, the ancestral resonance of Highland pipes and bouzouki, the tender intonations of harp and piano — are the sounds of A Swannanoa Solstice, the annual winter holiday celebration now in its 13th year. Award-winning recording artists Al Petteway, Amy White, and Robin Bullock are joined by the talents and voices of special guest musicians, storytellers, dancers, and host and founder of The Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College, Doug Orr, for a joyous and contemplative performance featuring seasonal Appalachian, Celtic, Scots-Irish, and world-influenced music.
Tuesday, Dec. 22
MANHEIMER STEAMROLLER CONCERT, 3 and 7:30 p.m., Peace Center, Greenville, S.C. Mannheim Steamroller will perform in concert. It is an American music group, founded by Chip Davis, that is known primarily for its series of Fresh Aire albums, which blend classical music and rock, and for its modern recordings of Christmas music. The group has sold 28 million albums in the U.S. alone.
Saturday, Jan. 9
GREGG ALLMAN CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Rocker Gregg Allman will perform in concert.
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Penn and Teller will perform at 9 p.m. Dec. 11 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in Cherokee.
Asheville Daily Planet â&#x20AC;&#x201D; December 2015 - B5
B6 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 — B7
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B8 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Community
1st black Miss Asheville crowned New shag club officers elected Kahlani Jackson (center) was crowned Miss Asheville 2016 in midNovember. She is the first AfricanAmerican to hold the title. After winning the contest, she said, “I will
never forget today.... It was a day of reflection. I’m so thankful because this is God’s doing. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that your apart of something bigger than you.”
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The Mountain Shag Club on Nov. 17 elected new officers, including (from left) Jeff Peterson, member at-large; Roger Hayes, member at-large; Linda Saylor, immed siate past president; Sherrie Howard, vice president; Colette Summit, member at-large; Debbie Peterson, president; Nancy Thompson, treasurer; Lee Galloway, secretary; and Carlton Debnam, member at-large. The officers will take charge Jan. 1 and serve until the end of 2016. The club is one of
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an association across the Southeast, dedicated to the preservation of Carolinas beach music and its accompanying dance, the shag, which is a derivation of the East Coast Swing but is danced in a slot.The club, which served Buncombe and Henderson Counties, holds a dance from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays at Scarlet’s Country Dance Club at 97 Underwood Rd. in Fletcher. A free lesson precedes each dance from 6:30 to 7. The club claims 144 members.
Wright
Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 - B9
Continued from Page B1 When I woke up the next morning, Miles was still sleeping. Light streamed through the window. I laid there for awhile and then I became aware of a woman speaking in my ear. The voice was soothing but the words were chilling. She was urging me to get up, go into the bathroom, take a razor blade and slit my wrists! “Come on. It’s so easy,” she coaxed. There’s never been a suicidal bone in my body and I wasn’t about to listen to that crazy bitch! We packed up and got on the road, both of us glad we didn’t get snowed in. We walked around the little town for a while, neither of us saying much, both lost in our thoughts. We both knew we weren’t ourselves. Other people were staring out of our eyes and using our bodies. How long would they stay? When we got home, the first thing I saw was my grey cat. She looked like she was in the middle of a huge stretch. Her eyes
were open and unblinking. The other cats scampered about, seemingly oblivious to the death in their midst. That was enough to break the spell. My eyes welled up and I reached out to my boyfriend and held on tight, tears falling silently. The spell broke for him, too. He was back to being himself again and just held me as the pain washed over me. I believe that she, too, was caught up in the series of unbelievable events that occurred that night and that she died because of it. Just because you don’t go looking for ghosts, doesn’t mean they don’t come looking for you. • Shelley Wright, an Asheville native, is a paranormal investigator. She works at Wright’s Coin Shop in Asheville and is a weekly participant in the “Speaking of Strange” radio show from 9 p.m. to midnight on most Saturdays on Asheville’s WWNC-AM (570).
Continued from Page B1 The group then performed some nonMotown songs, including Etta James’ “At Last,” which Weaver knocked out of the ballpark; and Sam Cook’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” on which keyboardist Amos Jackson sang lead. The group then went back to the Motown
Sound to conclude the concert with — among others — “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours,” “Ain’t That Peculiar” and the show’s rousing finale, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” As the show concluded, the crowd gave the group a standing ovation.
Motown Explosion
Special photo courtesy of SCOTT WOODY
A trumpet player hits a high note during Russ Wilson’s Big Band performance.
Big Band
Continued from Page B1 In a reference to Wilson and his big band, a jubilant Jones declared excitedly after completing a lively song, “They’re one group of amazing jazz cats!” The crowd laughed and applauded, appreciatively. Prior to the break between the two sets, Wilson noted that he will be offering “Russ Wilson’s History of Jazz” show, with a 12-month music series, beginning in January 2016. The show will provide live performances that present a chronological history of what he termed “the great and original American music.” All of the performances will be at Isis, except for one that he is planning to hold at Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville. The second set opened with “Basin Street
Blues,” and some of the other memorable songs included “16 Tons,” “Smoke Rings” and Don’t Pity Me.” From Boone, torch singer Maureen Renihan just about brought the house down with her highly emotional and breathy version of Marilyn Monroe’s “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.” The Sireens, a female vocal trio, captured the hearts of the crow with their renditions of “Home,” “Bei Mir Bis Du Schoen” and “Crazy People.” The Sireens, accompanied by guitarist Jon Corbin, are Shelley Friesland, Mary Ellen Davis and April Cope. Wilson’s nine-piece big band included Justin Ray and Ben Hovey, trumpets; Bob Gregory, trombone; Hank West, trumpet and tenor sax; Dean Mitchell, tenor sax; Zack Page, bass; Hank Bones, guitar; Nathan Hefner, piano; and Rick Dilling, drums.
B10 - December 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet
Style
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Special photo courtesy of Royal Peasantry Design
Amanda Swafford, who has lived in Asheville since her teenage years, models James Warrick wardrobe.
The Aesthetic Advisor
Dressing with the season.…
By AMANDA SWAFFORD
We grab for our fall wardrobe at the first whiff of a crisp breeze carrying the scent of turning leaves and cinnamon. Eager to don all of the cozy things, we pile on layers to be peeled off as necessary throughout the day. Well-loved knits, heavy silks, wool and leather are all the elements we use to create our textual palettes to create comfort in the mountains during the chilly months. As we integrate into colder seasons, the color and texture of our environment influence the palette with which we dress. We shift to browns, reds and orange, mimicking the changing leaves. As harshest winter bears down we tend to prefer black and grey with pops of color, like the darkened sky illuminated only by flashes of a future spring. Maintaining a silhouette is a challenge in a lumpy season and that’s okay. A soft thin cotton undershirt with a silk blouse on top, both under a nubby comfy sweater and a tailored leather overcoat still has “shape” but when we go for ultimate cozy, we go all the way with cable knit leggings under a sweater skirt and a blanket like poncho. The great thing about all the fabric combinations is that it creates the textural palette and you can dress in monochrome… all grey… all black…all browns and still be multidimensional. Be done wanting to show your shape and embrace the enveloping warmth. Wear a low-slung wide belt to create hips or a high thin belt to cinch in sweaters at the waist, if you want to create some type of contouring. A long bold necklace and a chunky
bracelet or cuff perfectly accessorize a bulky outfit and carry an oversized bag to diminish and balance the larger silhouette. No matter what… love the person underneath the fabric. Spring will come.
Gifting stylish loved ones.
Merry ChrismaKwanzaKahYule everyone! It’s the time of year we show our appreciation to loved ones by gifting, whether it is with food, good energy or something material. When shopping for someone who loves clothes, things can get a bit tricky though. Ideas of style, personal interpretation thereof and sizing all pose challenges to picking out a gift for your favorite fashionista. So I recommend accessories in lieu of a gift certificate to their favorite store or a not quite right clothing ensemble. Items like hats, ties, bags and jewelry are great ways to show them that you get their individual style and understand how they express their personality without making assumptions that could go wrong. Buying a complete and cohesive look built from several small auxiliary items is a fantastic “outfit” alternative for someone who has a penchant for self-adornment without the worry of if it will fit. Another good gift idea for a style minded person is a grouping of random art all in their favorite color, then you don’t have to worry about it going on their body at all! But have no fear, regardless, the effort of gifting is enough; it’s the thought that counts, right? • Swafford is aesthetic advisor at Royal Peasantry boutique in downtown Asheville.
Asheville Daily Planet — December 2015 — B11
Style
Iconic Meryl Streep costume on display at Biltmore Estate From Staff Reports
Special Photo Courtesy of Universal Studios Licensing LLC
Meryl Streep’s wedding costume from the film “Out of Africa” is on display at Biltmore Estate.
The famous wedding costume worn by Meryl Streep in the 1985 film "Out of Africa" has been on exhibition since Oct. 1 at the Inn on Biltmore Estate in Asheville. The will spend a few months as a preview of a larger exhibition of wedding costumes that will run from Feb. 12 to July 4. “Fashionable Romance: Wedding Gowns in Film” will feature 40 costumes arranged in Biltmore House. The exhibition will represent a range of historical styles — from 1645 to 1935 — as they were portrayed in films. Showcased in Biltmore House, award-winning costumes from iconic movies — including “Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Out of Africa,” “Howards End,” “The Duchess” and “Emma” — are paired with what are billed as “exquisite floral designs complementing each film’s era.” The exhibition will continue in Antler Hill Village with stories of Vanderbilt and Cecil weddings, along with the first-ever display of the wedding veil worn by Jacqueline Kennedy and other family members. A display or Vanderbilt keepsakes from family weddings will accompany the costumes.
Special Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Industries Inc.
The wedding attire of Emma Thompson and High Grant from the film “Sense and Sensibility,” a Jane Austen literary classic, will be on exhibit from Feb. 12 through July 4 at Biltmore Estate.
B12 - November 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet