HCA takes over Mission Health
Buddy K Big Band revs up Blk. Mtn
See STORY, Pg. A6
— See REVIEW, Pg. B1
Holocaust survivor recaps anti-Semitism — See STORY, Pg. A5
Walter Ziffer
LLE I V HE AS ASHEVILLEʼS GREATEST NEWSPAPER
March 2019
Vol. 15, No. 04
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‘Muslim Mafia’ author says U.S. faces big Islamic threat
Biltmore House exhibit revisits the Gilded Age
By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
SKYLAND — Chris Gaubatz, undercover agent in the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas and author of the book “Muslim Mafia” (telling of that experience), described on Feb. 12 the threat to this nation’s future posed by jihadis workng slyly to impose Islam’s Sharia law throughout the United States — and those in the U.S. government who cooperate with them. His talk, which drew about 60 people to the Skyland Fire Department, was hosted by the Asheville Tea Party. On the following night, about 55 people were scheduled to hear him at a repeat of the address in Hendersonville. Afterward, he fielded questions and ended the session with a book-signing. His book was available for sale at the meeting. ATP Chair Jane Bilello, who introduced Gaubatz, began the meeting by noting that “we are the Asheville Tea Party and we also are a state and federal PAC (political action committee).” She said the ATP has “almost 1,500 subscribers on our newsletter list.” Next, Bilello thanked the Buncombe Chris Gaubatz County Republican Women’s Club for the snacks and refreshments served before the meeting. Bilello triggered applause when she added, “We were one of the 100 tea parties across the country that stood firm” — and won — in a dispute with the IRS over their tax-exempt status. “The ‘looney tunes’ (radical leftists) were running after us,” during the (Brett) Kavanaugh proceedings,” which she attended. “It was just awful to see how they behaved.” Next, she noted, “We actually had a conference call recently with President (Donald) Trump,” regarding his support for the wall along the United States’ border with Mexico. Speaking in general terms, Bilello quoted Edmund Burke’s famous saying, “The only thing evil needs to succeed is for good men and women to do nothing.” See “MUSLIM MAFIA” AUTHOR, Page A8
A new exhibition, “A Vanderbilt House Party: Guests, Grandeur & Galas,” is being offered through May 27 at the Biltmore House in Asheville. To that end, the colorized version of a photograph (above) from the Vanderbilt archives depicts afternoon tea on the Loggia of Biltmore House with the Vanderbilts, in September 1900.
Special photo courtesy of THE BILTMORE COMPANY
From left are Edith Vanderbilt, Madame Rambaud (Edith Vanderbilt’s former chaperone), Lila Vanderbilt Webb (George Vanderbilt’s sister), Mary Webb (Lila Webb’s sister-in-law), Isabella Stewart Gardner, unidentified man, and George Vanderbilt.
A complete story on the exhibit appears on Page B5
America’s next top (plastic) remodel?
Q: I’m seeing so many women on Instagram who’ve had themselves made over to be super hot through cosmetic surgery and injectable fillers. They all have the same face — with big, luscious lips and huge doll-like eyes. In every shot, they’re in full makeup — crazy eyeliner, tons of contouring. Do guys actually like this plastic Barbie look? Are guys cool with cosmetic surgery in general? -- Curious Want to know the answer? See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A14
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New Asheville city manager says she plans to ‘collaborate’
Debra Campbell
Asheville’s new City Manager Debra Campbell shared her goals and aspirations for the city — and said her job is to “collaborate” rather than to be “a mover and a shaker” — during a Feb. 1 meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners at UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center. About 60 people attended. Also making presentations were state Sen. Chuck Edwards, R-Hendersonville, with a state legislative update; and UNCA’s new Chancellor Nancy J. Cable, who unveiled her vision for the university. Prior to the speeches, CIBO chief Buzzy Cannaday, who served as moderator, recognized the elected
guests — or their representatives — who were present, including Edwards, Asheville Mayor Ether Manheimer, Buncombe County commissioners Amanda Edwards and Al Whitesides, Black Mountain Alderman Larry Harris, Robin Ramsey representing U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-Winston-Salem; and former Buncombe County Republican Party chairman Henry Mitchell, representing U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Highlands. Manheimer, who frequently addresses CIBO, introduced Campbell, who, she said, was hired as Asheville’s city manager in December 2018. Previously, Campbell was an assistant city manager for Charlotte.
She has more than 30 years experience in government work, Manheimer said of Campbell. “She hails from Chattanooga, Tenn.” Prior to leaving Charlotte, Campbell recently was “ranked one of the 50 most influential women in Mecklenburg County. You can see why she was an attractive candidate to us.” The CIBO members and guests applauded enthusiastically as Campbell smiled out at them and then said, “Thank you all for inviting me. What I’d like to say is, thank you, (city) council, thank you, community, for the warm welcome you have provided for me.” See NEW CITY MANAGER, Page A9
A2 - March 2019 - Asheville Daily Planet
APD beating victim arrested on drug charges
From Staff Reports
Johnnie Rush, who nearly a year ago made headlines around the world as the subject of a severe beating by an Asheville police officer, was arrested again recently by the city’s police. The Asheville Citizen Times reported that Rush, 34, was arrested Jan. 28 evening “after police say they found marijuana and cocaine in his Eagle Street apartment.” Rush was charged with felony and misdemeanor drug possession and with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, the ACT stated, “having allegedly found a ‘clear straw with white residue,’ according to a warrant.” Johnnie Rush In what the ACT described as “a scant search warrant probable cause affidavit,” police wrote “that they’d found drugs ‘in plain view in the apartment bathroom.’ They applied for the warrant to search a book bag that they said was in ‘a kitchen cupboard not normally where such items are kept.’” The next morning, Asheville Police Department spokeswoman Christina Hallingse told the ACT that officers were called “about a civil disturbance at Rush’s home at about 5:30 p.m. Jan. 28,” the newspaper reported. “After officers said they saw drugs in the home, ‘he was arrested without incident,’ Hallingse said. “The search warrant for the bag listed items seized as two handguns, a switchblade and a small amount of ammunition. “Rush said he and his girlfriend were letting a woman they knew through a friend stay at their apartment because she didn’t have a place to live. Rush and his girlfriend each have a child living with them from a previous relationship,” the ACT reported. “He said the woman began to disrupt their lives, so after two to three weeks he asked her to leave, but she argued and called the police.”
New Buncombe county manager named From Staff Reports
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Feb. 5 to hire Avril Pinder as its new county manager. Pinder, who will be the first African-American to hold the county’s highest job, officially begins her duties on March 4. The commissioners said there were more than 50 applicants for county manager. “Pinder, who was deputy county manager of New Hanover County, will be the fourth person to serve in the position in less than two years,” Asheville’s WLOS-TV News 13 reported. “The county’s last two managers, Wanda Greene and Mandy Stone, pleaded
guilty to federal corruption charges.” Regarding the hiring, News 13 quoted Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara as saying, “This is a critical time in our community and we have known from the start that whoever got this position would face a very interesting set of challenges.” Also, News 13 reported that Commissioner Al Whitesides aadded, “When I looked at the applications and looked at the qualifications, she stuck out to me from beginning to end.” Some commissioners said Pinder’s more than 20 years in local government “make her the right person for the job, but others said they were not too happy with the way the search process ended,” News 13 noted.
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A4 — March 2019 - Asheville Daily Planet
County to cease honoring ICE detainers, sheriff says
From Staff Reports Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller announced during a Feb. 26 press conference that he is making a major change in his office’s relationship with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as simply “ICE.” Specifically, Miller said his office no longer will honor ICE detainers, which are holds placed on inmates who federal immigration officials suspect are in the country illegally. The sheriff’s announcement came weeks after ICE detained more than 200 people in a statewide operation, tafte which ICE vowed a “more visible presence” in North Carolina. Following is the statement Miller read at the press conference: “Effective immediately, it is the policy of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and the Buncombe County Detention Center that ICE detainers will not be honored. “The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office will continue our policy of not participating or assisting in ICE raids and our deputies will not gather information based on any individual’s immigration status or ask about their citizenship.T he Sheriff’s Office has been operating without a 287G agreement in place for many years and Buncombe County has a low crime-rate and a good quality of life. The policy directive announced today is a continuation of that. “The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and the Detention Center WILL honor criminal warrants that have been signed by a judicial official. I understand that I will be attacked for this policy directive, maybe even by ICE. However, a detainer request is not a valid warrant. Again, if ICE, the FBI, the DHS or any law enforcement agency provides a valid criminal warrant that person will be handed over to that agency.”
Miller added, “The Sheriff’s Office will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, however, we do not make or enforce immigration laws, that is not part of our law enforcement duties. “It is vital that members of our immigrant community can call the Sheriff’s Office without fear when they are in need of assistance from law enforcement. Our deputies are expected to treat everyone with dignity and respect regardless of the color of their skin or the language that they speak,” the sheriff concluded.
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Holocaust survivor recaps history of anti-Semitism The first story in a two-part series By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
Weaverville resident and Holocaust survivor Walter Ziffer addressed “Anti-Semitism” on Jan. 31 at the UNC Asheville Highsmith Center’s Grotto — and drew a standingroom-only crowd of around 165 people. He spoke about 45 minutes each on the topics of anti-Semitism and his experiences as a Holocaust survivor. he also fielded questions from the audience for about 15 minutes. His talk came on the heels of a Jan. 24 speech at UNCA by Tamika D. Mallory hat sparked controversy. Mallory was the keynote speaker at a program capping the university’s Martin Luther King Jr. Week, which featured a number of activities honoring King accomplishments as a civil rights leader. Mallory, a New York City-based activist and co-organizer of the Woman’s March, has been accused of anti-Semitism as a result of her association with — and praise for — Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who is a declared black nationalist and Walter Ziffer an anti-Semite. Farrakhan, among other assertions, has referred to Jews as “termites.” Mallory at one point recently posted on social media that Farrakhan was the “GOAT,” an acronym for “greatest of all time.” Locally, when it was revealed that Mallory would be the featured speaker, UNCA caught flak from Jewish activists and others, who contended that it was an insult to King’s legacy, which abhorred antiSemitism, for the university to sponsor the week’s keynote speaker at a celebration to honor the ideas and work of King, who was strongly anti-Semitic. Some of the protesters opposing Mallory’s appearance said that, to add insult to injury, her talk was held in Lipinsky Auditorium, which named in honor of philanthropist Solomon Lipinsky, who was a prominent Jewish businessman and community leader in Asheville. From the 1890s to 1978, nearly 90 years, the Bon Marché became the longest running department store in Asheville’s history. In response, Mallory has said she is not anti-Semitic, but she has not publically denounced Farrakhan for his open, frequent and long-standing anti-Semitism. Prior to his address, Ziffer was introduced by UNCA’s Cori Anderson, interim director of the university’s events and conferences office. She noted that “Dr. Ziffer is from Czechoslovakia,” where he was born in 1927. “He endured life as a teenager in seven different Nazi concentration camps... He was liberated (by the Soviet Union Army) at the age of 18, weighing 75 pounds.” Later, Ziffer “immigrated in 1945 to Nashville, Tenn.,” and later earned a number of college degrees. He has taught philosophy and religion at UNCA, Mars Hill University and other shcools, she said. Ziffer, who is in his 90s, began his ad-
dress by thanking UNCA’s new chancellor, Nancy J. Cable, for inviting him to give his talk. “She asked me to talk about anti-Semitism — and some about my experiences. Because of time, I won’t be able to do much of the latter.... “The timing for the talk is good because this university celebrated two weeks ago the birthday of Martin Luther King (Jr.),” whom he termed a great prophet for freedom.” Ziffer then noted that, in his address, he was only speaking “for myself — and not the university, global Judaism” or any other entty. “We remember Martin Luther Kng and his work and his overview of social justice. For white people, he helped liberate them against the curse of abominable treatment of blacks. “This I can confirm with all Jews that we stand uniquivocally with Dr. Martin Luther King on his efforts” to improve conditions for African-Americans and other disadvantaged people.. Next, Ziffer pointed out that “Merriam Webster dictionary defines ‘anti-Semitism’ as hostility against Jews and Judaism...” He said the term “anti-Semitism was “coined in 1879 by Wilhelm Marr, a German agitator. “Some would have it as the conflict between the Jews and Jesus advocates… but I’m sure that’s incorrect,” Ziffer said. Anti-Semitism appears to have arisen “from a rivalry of traditional Jews and nascent Judeo-Christianity — Judaism’s spiritual offspring that chose to go off in a different direction.” Ziffer said some scholars believe “the origin of anti-Semitism (occurred) in the 7th century in Asia Minor (and nearby areas)” with “a group called ‘the Church Fathers.” There were “300 or 400 of them,” Ziffer said, adding that “they wrote and taught actively against Jews.” Especially among 20 or 25 of them, their language (toward Jews) was just abominable.” Next, Ziffer said anti-Semitism was fueled by “the formal teaching in both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism…. Milito Sardis, in the 2nd century... He (Sardis) accuses the Jews of ‘deicide’ (the murder of God)” by holding them responsible for ‘the crucifixion of Jesus, the incarnate God.” With a wry laugh, Ziffer said that “some people here in Asheville” have been known to call some Jews ‘Christ-killers.’” What’s more, Ziffer said that during the 5th century the term “sermons” arose — and some Christian leaders “referred to the synagogue is a ‘whorehouse’ — and that insults went down from there. In 1543, he said, Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation, wrote that “the synagogues should be set on fire and covered over with dirt” and that “they (the Jews) should be deprived of their prayer books,” Luther also wrote of Jews, “Let us drive them out of our country for all time, so away with them,” according to Ziffer. After a pause, the retired professor said, “In other interpretations (of Luther’s invective), Martin Luther meant (remove Jews) “for good.” Ironically, just when Ziffer made the last comment, the lights at UNCA blinked off — and then back on — rapidly. Ziffer joked about whether there was any cosmic coincidence with the momentary power outage, while the crowd laughed, albeit sounding more nervous than amused. See HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR, Page A13
Asheville Daily Planet — March 2019 - A5
Heritage Life Skills VIII Weekend Hands-On Classes
To register, visit www.CarolinaReadiness.com
April 12-14 Folkmoot Center
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Come and join us for a weekend of learning!
Classes (and more) being offered are: Canning Meat, Vegetables, Butter, and Jam Knot-Tying Practical Everyday Carry Wine Making 101 Colloidal Silver Bugging In — Urban Backyard First-Aid Pioneers Food Reloading Building an Effective Faraday Cage Convoy Planning for TEOTWAWKIT Hardening Your House Home Survival Plan
Kidnapping Prevention & Escape Off-Grid Energy Systems Survival Groups Tiny House Road Safety Vermiculture Getting Ready, Not Arrested Gun Laws for Preppers You Have 5 Minutes: Are You Ready to Evacuate? Breadmaking Cheesemaking Soapmaking Ham Radios Land Navigation Off-Grid Solar Systems
Some classes will be limited — sign up for classes early.
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Carolina Readiness Supply Inc. Will you be ready when the lights go out?
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A6- March 2019 - Asheville Daily Planet
After Mission purchase, HCA names new chief of its N.C. hospitals From Staff Reports
Greg Lowe
NASHEVILLE, Tenn. — After its Feb. 1 announcement that Nasheville-based, for-profit HCA Healthcare has finalized its purchase of Ashevillebased nonprofit Mission Health, HCA announced a change of leadership at Mission. Specifically, HCA on Feb. 21 named veteran hospital leader Greg Lowe to serve as president of its division,which will remain based in Asheville, that includes the six-hospital Mission Health network. Lowe formerly served as CEO of HCA’s Chippenham and Johnston-Willis hospitals, a two-campus system in Richmond, Va., and Lawnwood Regional
Medical Center and Heart Institute, a level II trauma center in Florida, according to an HCA press release. He effectively replaces Dr. Ron Paulus, Mission’s president and CEO, who told employees in an email in mid-February that he is transitioning to become a strategic adviser for HCA, reporting to Chuck Hall, president of HCA’s National Group. HCA also named employee veteran Terence van Arkel as CFO of the Nashville-based company’s North Carolina division. “Greg is a talented leader and system operator with experience expanding medical services to meet the healthcare needs of the community,” Hall said. “Greg and Terence head up an experienced, patient-focused North Carolina Division leadership team to support
the continued success of Mission Health. “We appreciate Dr. Paulus’ leadership of Mission Health and look forward to his continued contributions to HCA Healthcare in his new role,” Hall noted. Paulus had been Mission’s chief executive since 2010, during which time he was named one of the state’s most influential leaders by Business North Carolina magazine. Paulus oversaw massive facility upgrades such as the development of the new Mission Hospital for Advanced Medicine in Asheville; pushed to dissolve the Certificate of Public Advantage law, which had capped Mission’s profit margin and the number of doctors it could employ since 1995; and led negotiations with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina in 2017 and in its deal with HCA that was finalized in January.
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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.
Friday, March 1
GAITHER VOCAL BAND CONCERT, 7 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. The multi-Grammy Awardwinner Bill Gaither will host an evening of music, laughter and encouragement, featuring the talent of the Gaither Vocal Band. A press release noted that the group “will share timeless gospel classics, as well as refreshing, inspiring new favorites embraced by audiences of all ages and backgrounds.” For tickets, visit www.gaither.com of visit the TWA Box Office.
Sunday, March 3
SYMPHONIC BRASS BAND CONCERT, 3 p.m., First Baptist Church of Brevard, 94 Gaston St., Brevard. The Blue Ridge Symphonic Brass, conducted by Jamie Hafner, will present a free brass concert. It will open with the Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare by Richard Strauss, and include a brass version of the popular Irish Tune from County Derry, in a setting by Percy Grainger, Canzona per sonare No. 2 by Renaissance composer Giovanni Gabrieli, an antiphonal version of Franz Schubert’s Schlachtilied, and a light-hearted, jazzy selected titled “Another Cat: KRaken” by Chris Hazell.
Wednesday, March 6
“EPIDEMIC” PROGRAM, , 6:30 p.m., Brook-
Asheville Daily Planet — March 2019 - A7
stone Church, 90 Griffee Road, Weaverville. A program titled “Epidemic: The Invisible Crisis of Our Time” will be presented. Regarding the program, Brookstone noted, “When you think of ‘health crisis,’ your mind may go to diabetes, cancer, addiction or deadly viruses. The biggest epidemic we face, though, is becoming disconnected, lonely or isolated, even in a very connected road.” Further, the church stated that the program will offer “a night to talk about the health crisis we are all facing in one way or another. This evening is for all ages, with childcare provided for little ones.”
Thursday, March 7
SACRED ABUNDANCE CLASS, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. A class titled “The Art & Practice of Sacred Abundance” will be held on Thursdays from March 7 to April 18. Leading the class will be the Rev. Darlene Strickland. “Discover spiritual principles and practices that deeply transform your life to one of abundance and fulfillment,” a Unity promotion urged. “This class series incorporates foundational spiritual teachings, practical tools and ancient wisdom.” Registration is $20 for first-time participants and $5 for returning participants. “This class is based on the practice of tithing,” Unity noted.
Friday, March 8
SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVIE NIGHT, 7-9 p.m., 1 Sandburg Hall, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The UUCA will screen a yet-to-be-announced film. After the screening, a discussion will be held. All are welcome and admission is free.
Sunday, March 10
CHARLEY THWEATT CONCERT, 1:30-3 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. Singer-guitarist Charley Thweatt will perform his “Letting It Fly” concert. Earlier, at the 9:45 and 11:30 a.m. services, Thweatt will be the guest spaker and provide music. He has been performing music for 37 years and has recorded 18 CDs. Admission is free, but a love offering of $20 is suggested.
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A8 — March 2019 - Asheville Daily Planet
‘Muslim Mafia’ author
Continued from Page A1 Regarding Gaubatz, Bilello said, “He’s a real hero. He did put his life on the line for us....” Then she read from a statement a summary of his qualifications, jobs and accomplishments. “As the lead in one of the most dangerous undercover operations,” Bilello said of Gaubatz, she noted that he “revealed clear patterns of fraud, sedition and terrorism.” After Bilello finished her introduction with a flourish by saying, “So it is an absolute privelege and pleasure to introduce this incredible guy,” the meeting’s attendees applauded as Gaubatz began his presentation Beginning his talk 23 minutes into the meeting featuring him, Gaubatz said, “I’m really soft-spoken, which is great for undercover work, but not so good for public speaking. But I’ll try to speak up. “When I first began this, we were warning people that this was a bigger issue. “I was always puzzled by the fact that this was a political issue. From my perspective this was nothing new — the Muslim Brotherhood. “The president (George W. Bush) said the (9/11) attacks had nothing to do with Islam — even though the jihadis said the attacks had everything to do with Islam....” “What I hope to do tonight” is make it clear that “jihad is not our problem. It is a problem. We don’t know who we are as a nation. What our values are. What our law is based upon. And we certainly don’t know our enemy.... “If you call out a jihadi, you’re called an ‘Islamaphobe.’ “Forty-four percent of (the generation known as) Millenials prefer socialism over capitalism. How’d that happen?” Many in the audience laughed when he asserted, “When you go home tonight, compare the platforms of the Communist Party USA and the DNC (Democratic National Committee) — and tell me the difference.” He read a mix of excerpts from the CPU and the DNC — asking athe crowd which is which — and then playfully added “the AOC,” a playful-but-serious reference to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY. Gaubatz said there “is a complete and catastrophic failure to root out Marxists in this country. We have an existentialist crisis on our hands right now. Are we going the way of Venezuela or the way of the Founders” of the U.S.? “With that good news, I’m going to talk about jihadists. So… How did I get involved in this? Never in a million years did I think I’d be sitting in front of a bunch of U.S. senators, testifying about jihadis,” but that is what happened to him. Gaubatz said previously had been working on check cashing fraud and other more prosaic law enforcement tasks. “I had the good fortune of being raised by a patriot,” he said in reference to his father, David “Then, 9/11 occurred and the Air Force was asking for agents to come out of retirement… to become a U.S. State Department-trained …. Arabic linguist.” Gaubatz said that is when his father “put his life on the line... My father was part of the group that helped the Marines come in and save the Muslim family.” At that, the meeting’s attendees applauded. “These Muslims had put their lives on the line and were protected by the military till they came to United States.... “We are not doing any Muslims any favors by not speaking the truth about Muslims. “I will always speak truthfully about what Islam is. Because you have a lot of people who self-identify as Islam and don’t know about Sharia” law. (After Gaubatz’s talk, the Daily Planet checked the website Britannica.com, which stated, “Sharia, the fundamental religious concept of Islam, namely its law, systematized during the 2nd and 3rd centuries of the Muslim era (8th–9th centuries CE). (“Total and unqualified submission to the will of Allah (God) is the fundamental tenet of Islam: Islamic law is therefore the expression of Allah’s command for Muslim society and, in application, constitutes a system of duties that are incumbent upon a Muslim by virtue
of his religious belief. Known as the Sharīʿah (literally, “the path leading to the watering place”), the law constitutes a divinely ordained path of conduct that guides Muslims toward a practical expression of religious conviction in this world and the goal of divine favour in the world to come.”) In his talk at Skyland, Gaubatz said, “So my father goes into a war… even though he never had been trained on any jihadi” background. “Some of the enemy were in suits lecturing at the Pentagon. He wanted to know why that was. “All of these groups are saying the same thing — that Muslims are forming a jihadi state under Sharia” law, he said his father
Above is a picture of the cover of the book “Muslim Mafia.” learned, adding that his father also wondered, “How is it that all of these groups are getting their Muslim wrong? “My father needed someone he could trust for a project — a six-month undercover operation ... to pose as a Muslim convert” at a mosque in Northern Virginia. That was to be his son. Next, Gaubatz asserted, “Abdurahman Alamoudi — this should be the most important name known by Americans. No other Islamic leader than Abdurahman Alamoudi visited the White House in the 1990s more” often. “In 2003, he had a bag with tons of money — and it was revealed he was an Al Qaeda financier. “In many respects both sides of the political aisle (Republicans and Democrats) failed,” Gaubatz said, but he did make one exception — current U.S. President Donald J. Trump. (Upon his praise of Trump, many of the program’s attendees applauded.) “We failed to address…. The Muslim Brotherhood’s ‘bread-and-butter’ in the United States… Anybody been reading jihadi writings from the ‘80s and ‘90s? If you did read these books,” one would notice that the authors stressed “all of these groups’ one goal — to establish a jihadi state under Sharia” in the U.S. Gaubatz added, “That’s what happens if you don’t understand your enemies... Again, the more you hear me, the worse it gets... Their sole purpose was to restore the caliphate. They started in Cairo, Egypt. They actually achieved their goal in Egypt for a very short time.” He reiterated that the jihadis “seek to establish Allah’s law of the land ,which is, again, (to impose) Sharia” throughout the U.S. “If that’s all you knew about the Muslim Brotherhood, should anybody who’s a member have security clearance or be advising us?” he asked, rhetorically. “Because I have law enforcement training, facts and evidence are sort of important.... In 2001, the largest Muslim charity foundation operating in the United States was funneling huge amounts of funds to the Muslim Brotherhood “The process of settlement... their work in America ... is a sort of grand jihad — transforming (this nation) through their hands by our hands. “I want to be very clear. Do I fear the Muslim Brotherhood will take over the country tomorrow? No! “Do I fear they will wield influence on us? Yes!”
Repeatedly during his talk, Gaubatz verbally slammed then-President George W. Bush for, upon awaking after 9/11 bombings, “failing to see a clear picture of what was happening” and, out of political correctness, going easy on Muslims and even including some in his inner circle of advisers. “I’m a conservative,” Gaubatz noted. “Many of the (conservative establishment leaders talk a great game, but then do things like this — the Paul Ryans, the Bushes, the John McCains.... Trump actually is doing what he said he would do. “If it’s true that jihad and killing in the name of Allah, then we can nip that one in the bud. What if it’s not true? Why do we have a 1,400year problem? “Rather than buying (the book) ‘Islam for Dummies’ at Barnes & Noble (bookstore), you’d be better off going to your local mosque and buying a copy of ‘Reliance of the Traveler on Islamic Law.’” He added, “I did a fake conversion. I’m a Christian — not a Muslim.... “When President Obama gives his Cairo speech, where’s he giving it? Alazar When the pope speaks in Cairo, where’s he giving it? Alazar.” What’s more, Gaubatz said, “What are we told by (poitically correct) groups — that jihad means, ‘inner struggle,’ right? “So if you’re a college student and you don’t feel like studying, that’s ‘jihad,’ right?” he quipped, as the program attendees laughed. More seriously, he asked, “Who came here tonight, itching to read Sharia?” No hands were raised by audience members, but there was some laughter at the very notion of his question. “‘Jihad’ means the war against non-Muslima, signifying the war to establish Islam. “What does the word “Islam” mean? It means ‘submission.’ A Muslim is one who submits. How does a Muslim submit to Allah? By following Islam’s divine law — Sharia. Whatever Mohammed said, did, behaved ... is (considered by Muslims) good behavior for all time. “So, as a perfect example, Mohammed begins teaching this new religion in 610 (A.D.) in Mecca. He got about 121 followers in his years of teaching. Then he moves from Mecca to Medina in 622 (A.D.). That’s when” the Islam movement blossomed. “Anything that happened in Medina overruled whatever happened in Mecca.” Regarding the term “Dar al-Islam,” he said it means “all lands under Islam.” And “all lands not under Islam ... is called ‘the house of war’.... No Islamic scholar disagrees on what I just said.” Gaubatz then reiterated, as he did throghout his talk several times that “‘jihad’ means warfare against non-Muslims.” He added, “Islam has always defined itself as a way of life. So when they have a legal definition, there is the definition in The Koran and the Sunan,” another sacred text of Islam. “Fighting is prescribed for you,” he said, noting that Islam holy books include such phrases as: “Slay them where you find them.” He said the term“sahih” signifies situations “where the majority of Muslim scholars agree on what Mohammed said.” on a certain matter. Islam teaches that “to fight in the path of Allah is better than the whole world and everything in it,” Gaubatz said, also noting that there are references to “the spoils of battle, including sex slaves.” After another pause, he asked, “Does any of this sound like ‘inner struggle?’” His question was greeted by laughter from the audeince. “What President Bush said as commander in chief — that this had nothing to do with Islam” is a travesty, Gaubatz said. “For me, it’s not significant what President Bush said. It was significant who was standing with him... In 1993, the FBI was surveilling attendees of a meeting, all of whom were Hamas members,” including Nihad Awad and Omar Omachman, the two co-founders of CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations). In 1994, CAIR was created. “Just to be clear, I gained weight for the purpose of the project.” At that point, an ATP member jokingly interjected, “When are you going to lose it?” The playful question triggered laughter,
including from Gaubatz, who appears to be lean and muscular. Gaubatz said, “That is awesome” to the jokester. Returning to his subject, Gaubatz said “CAIR is the largest Muslim civil rights organization in America. CAIR didn’t take five minutes to ‘vet’ their civil rights attorney. But they don’t care about civil rights because they’re Hamas. They closed down their offices, their bank accounts, threatened the Muslims that gave them money and then started shredding documents.” At the time, Gaubatz was working undercover as an intern for CAIR, and he noted the irony of his situation that, “as a (U.S.) citizen, I can’t shred documents, so they went into the trunk of my car” and were used as evidence against CAIR. “Later on (in the aforementioned Senate hearings), my Dad walked up on stage” to lambast CAIR “for their role in defrauding Muslims... So CAIR is not just any old Muslim civil rights organization.” For example, he noted that CAIR’s Ibrahim Hooper was called by usually astut conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly (formerly of Fox News) “a standup guy.” With a wry laugh, Gaubatz said, “People are dead because we don’t want to offend people” by tying the 9/11 attacks to jihadis. “This is why we have a program on countering violent extremism,” where in CAIR/Florida trains FBI agents on Islam and Muslims.” He reiterated, “It all starts with President Bush, the commander in chief, saying it had nothing to do with Islam. It starts there... There was a mountain of evidence to convict CAIR. It was adjudicated in the fall of 2009.... But elections matter and we had a new attorney general, Eric Holder. So none of these people ever have been prosecuted. “So again I raise this question… Should any of these people be working at (or) advising us in any capacity?” he asked. “No,” the crowd loudly answered back. “Yet, they have!” Gaubatz asserted. “I have no problem when President Trump says most of the media — and the DNC — are working for the ‘other guys.’ So when I talk somewhere and CAIR phones in (to the local news media) and says this guy (Gaubatz) is an ‘Islamaphobe’ ... Most media don’t care (whether that label is true — and instead just report it as news), which is why President Trump was elected in the first place.... So as bad as this is, I just want to encourage everyone. We can still do this. I wouldn’t be doing this otherwise. Therefore, they will remain on the unindicted co-conspirator list to this day.... “Democratic presidential hopefuls (Sen.) “Kamala Harris an — I’m 90 percent sure — (Sen.) Cory Booker wrote CAIR and congrartuled them on their recent fundraiser effort... A Muslim Brotherhood leader in the United States is getting an award from the FBI leader (James Comey)— the same man who went after our president (Trump). The Communist Party USA and DNC platforms are no different. “The next six years if we don’t get this right, the Left never will let what happened in 2016 to happen again. If we don’t get this right, we will lose our country. We have to know who we are or we’re going to lose this country. President Trump has done far and away than anyone else, but he’s been busy fighting the swamp. Muslim Public Affairs Council, which works with Hollywood producers, screenwriters, etc, make ssure nothing offensive to Muslims is included” in today’s films. “They want the U.S. government to use other terminology….” In much of the news media, “the narrative was that President Trump doesn’t care about journalists. When the media lies — and they lie on a regular basis” — rarely are corrections run later when the truth emerges. “So,”, among many U.S. citizens, “what they (the media) don’t say matters as much.” Gaubatz added that “President Trump shifted our Middle East policy — he began to work with our best strategic ally — the Saudis.” However, hee also asserted, “Understand, the Saudis are no friend of Americans.” “President Trump has shifted that strategy (in the Middle East) — and the media are losing their minds over this,” Gaubatz said.
Edwards says N.C.’s education spending sure to be increased
Speaking first at the Feb. 1 meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners at UNC Asheville, state Sen. Chuck Edwards, R-Hendersonville, prompted laughter from the crowd when he good-naturedly quipped, “I’m maybe the warmup act for the next two esteemed guests.” The others addressing CIBO were new Asheville City Manager Debra Campbell (separate story starts on Page A1) and new UNCA Chancellor Nancy J. Cable (separate story appears to the right on this page). Continuing in a light vein, Edwards triggered further laughter when he said, “For the next legislative session, I don’t have a crystal ball, but there are two things I can say with great certainty,” in reference to what he termed the legislature’s “two key responsibilities: No. 1: Pass the budget and No. 2: Adjourn.” Turning serious, he asserted, “In reality, the budget is the single biggest thing we do. It’s largely a statement of what our priorities are. “Here are some things I’m pretty sure will happen... We expect the governor’s budget to be presented to the legislature by March 1. We expect the spending in that to be more than we’d consider fiscally responsible. Edwards noted that, “the Senate’s take on the budget … is the growth in spending (2.5 to 4 percent) should not exceed the growth in population... We are off to a really good start in terms of the (current) budget.We’re running a $188 million-plus surplus.” He then prompted further laughter when he quipped, “Hope everyone here pays your taxes so we’ll know on April1 15 what we’ll have to spend... One thing I know is we want to spend on education.” Edwards added, “The other thing is a continued push for Medicaid expansion by the governor,” Roy Cooper, a Democrat. “I know there’ll be a push back from the Senate. “With that Medicaid expansion, about 80 percent of the new enrollees would be single able-bodied adults between 18 and 65. “We also know Medicaid in its current form is not a good plan — in personal responsibility and proactive health care. “But what Carolina Cares would allow us to do would be to form our own plan for those who sincerely need our help... In this biennium, we’re spending $985 million outside of Medicaid to help these people. So don’t let
anyone say North Carolina doesn’t care.” Further, Edwards Chuck Edwards asserted “Another thing is a movement to continue to see ABC law modernization — changes to North Carolina’s antiquated ABC laws… I think you’ll see us pass some legislation that should help us ease the burden there. I also think there’ll be a (change) to broaden sales.... “I chair the Senate commerce and insurance committee — and that’s the committee that deals with ABC laws. “Also, we’ll take a really hard look” at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina “to help us continue building the economy in North Carolina. “Another thing will be continuing to fund school construction. Municipal and local governments are certainly supplementing the operating and capital needs of schools. State government is handling capital needs. “Henderson County and Buncombe County, the districts I represent, have done a tremendous job in meeting the needs for facilities. We are in far, far better shape. But in general in the state, we’ve not done a good job — not only in not keeping up the facilities in schools and colleges. Even at UNCA, despite the good job done by officials here, there are significant capital needs... “Now that we understand the problems ... What is the solution? As you know, the speaker of the House (Tim Moore, a Republican) has presented a $2 million bond plan. Most of us are saying no, but we’ve put forward the North Carolina Futures Act. “The difference is, we will raise about $2 billion and we won’t bear the expense of an additional $1 million in interest. Now, the devil is in the details, particularly when I’m standing in a Tier 3 county like this. The real downside of that, being in a highwealth county, we typically are the last ones to be looked at on a high-needs basis.” Nonethless, Edwards said, “I can almost guarantee you that there will be some form of school construction enacted in this session. See EDWARDS, Page A13
New city manager
Continued from Page A1 Campbell added, “It’s been quite a challenge to leave Charlotte for Asheville. But I can tell you I haven’t regretted it one bit. “I think this community is on the precipice for community-building. You’ve got all the ingredients to which a community aspires. You have natural beauty... We also have dedicated activists. “So coming here was a tough decision, but I don’t regret coming here. I’ve been here about two months. “I also hope you’ll be patient with me. I didn’t come to this community to be a ‘mover or a shaker,’ but to assimilate. “I’m going to collaborate. “I hope officials and leaders will see that I’m eager to work with you. “I want to be the best partner I can be.” She noted that UNCA Chancellor Nancy Cable’s brother, (who she did not name) “and I — in Charlotte — were very good friends.” Further, Campbell asserted, “I want to make sure we’ve got the right staff and that we’re positioning ourselves to provide exemplary service to our community.... “Affordable housing is one of the most
significant challenges we have in this community. We can’t attract talent if that talent can’t afford to live in our community... There are lots of things we’re going to have to do.... “If we’re going to be a premier city, all of our citizens — including minorities — need to be prepared to lead our future workforce..... “Finally, I see lots of need for capital infrastructure…. In order to do that, we’re going to need revenue. We can’t afford to have the enormous needs paid for on the dime of the property tax.” During a question-and-answer session that followed, an unidentified man asked, “When you addressed the development services advisory board … could you elaborate on that?” “Let’s say predictability means early on in the development process, (if) we can” review details, it could accellerate the process, Campbell answered. “We’re hoping we can develop more detailed plans to define expectations. “We talked about affordable housing — and affordable housing is key. We hope we can encourage City Council (to be) much upstream in the process. Not having things decided so far back in the process” is a problem, Campbell said.
— By JOHN NORTH, Daily Planet
Asheville Daily Planet — March 2019 - A9
New UNCA chancellor touts the liberals arts; unveils school’s vision By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
Nancy J. Cable, the recently named eighth chancellor of UNC Asheville, shared her vision for the university during a Feb. 1 address to the Council of Independennt Business Owners at UNCA’s Sherrill Center. Cable was introduced by John Pierce, the university’s vice chancellor for administration and finance. After reviewing Cable’s numerous accomplishments and university administrative jobs, he paused and then noted with a broad smile, “She has the designation of signing Steph Curry’s application at Davidson (University).” Curry went on to excel in basketball at Davidson and later entered the pros, where he remains a standouta six-time NBA All-Star with the Golden State Warriors., In concluding his introduction of Cable, Pierce asserted, “She brings a wonderful, wonNancy J. Cable derful background to UNC Asheville!” In reference to Pierce’s review of the many university jobs she has held, Cable prompted laughter when she wryly quipped, “Every time I hear something like that, it sounds like I can’t hold a job.” More seriously, she added, “In my mind, I’ve landed in the very best spot in the very best job. “I’m very glad Deb Campbell (Ashevlle’s new city manager, who addressed CIBO earlier in the meeting) and the mayor (Ether Manheimer) and I will be able to work together. “Today, is a red-letter day for all of us, as Mission Health has been sold” to HCA Healthcare, a for-profit corporation based in Nashville, Tenn. (Mission previously was an Asheville-based nonprofit.) “You know we are the designated liberal arts and sciences institution of the UNC System. “The liberal arts has its roots way back in the Renaissance....” On a lighter note, Cable triggered laughter from the CIBO audience when she said, “Some people say to me, “If you have the liberal arts here, where are the conservative arts?’ That’s a legitimate question.” Turning more serious, Cable said, “There were seven courses in liberal arts: (1) moral philosophy, to teach you how to have the character to advance new ideas (2) the early forms of astronomy and chemistry (3) advanced Christianity and (4) classic languages. “What was the purpose?” the chancellor asked, rhetorically. “At that time, only the most learned could take those courses. “But we (through a liberal arts education) are proud that we continue to advance the life of the mind. But it’s also about their (liberal arts students’ and graduates’) ability to collaborate with others, to communicate and to be able to work on projects that are problem-solving. “But it doesn’t mean we forget the workforce,” Cable said. To that end, she asserted, “Last year, we had 20 students apply for medical school — and all 20 students were admitted to their first-choice medical school. (applause) Cable noted that Michael S. Roth, in his book, “Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters,” wrote of “liberal learning’s purpose” at length, noting that a liberal arts education teaches students that, “by challenging the forces of conformity, it promises
to shape” the world in a different way. Also, a liberal arts education, through “the free inquiry (process), helps us think for ourselves, and helps us become better acquainted with our own hopes and desires,” she said. “When liberal education works, it never ends.” Cable then asked, rhetorically, “But you might say to me this is a very technological world. What does it mean to be liberally educated in such a technological world?” She cited a high-tech company chief, who predicted that, in five years, “all technology platforms will not be coding language that anyone cares about. ... “In fact, it’s the softer more intellectual skills (gleaned from a liberal arts education) that will prevail. These are the things that will really sustain us,” she said, quoting the high-tech company chief. Given the challenge to the value of getting a liberal arts education at this point in American history, Cable said she feels “the thrill of being at an institution” like UNCA. “We are the home of the Journal of Undergraduate Research for the United States,” she said, with a note of pride. “Forty percent of our students (at UNCA) hold a job while they’re going to school here. “So when you go to our games, you may not see as many students as at UVa (the University of Virginia) or Davidson (both of which are where she has served in various administrative posts) because many of our students are economic drivers. “Finally, a couple things about being a chancellor in today’s world... Parents want to know the value proposition in today’s world. We have to hold up the successes of our recent alumni. “Another challenge is the omnipresence of social devices. We want so much for our students to lay those devices down. And they do so in the classrooms. We really want you to know that’s a problem for us. “We’re always struggling for additional sources of revenue. At some point in the future, I think you’ll be hearing from us about our fundraising efforts.” Pausing, Cable then said, “We are so grateful for you” to allow her to address CIBO. “We are UNCA — And that’s why I have the best job in the house.” In a question-and-answer session afterward, an unidentified man asked, “I’d like to mention the (UNCA) Steam Studio, which arguably” played a key role in the development of the River Arts District. “I hope this fusion of the city’s riverfront continues to grow.” In response, Cable said, “If anything, we’d like to increase the fluidity with Asheville and Buncombe in our interactions.” Amanda Edwards, a new member of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, told the chancellor, “I’m a graudate of this university — I’m very proud to say that. “When I was here, the vast majority (of students) didn’t want to be doctors and lawyers. How do you plan to encourage more to be teachers and administrators?” “It’s never been the majority (of UNCA graduates) going on to graduate school,” Cable replied. “The majority go into professional jobs. “We work with them (UNCA students) on career planning from the time they were admitted. The salient question is ‘Not what you want to be when you grow up?’ but ‘;What problem do you want to solve?’” Cable added, “I hope they (UNCA’s graduates) will go on to be teachers….”
A10 — March 2019 — Asheville Daily Planet
The Daily Planet’s Opinion
Riding a bus to Salisbury to catch a train? Not a test
C
ould anything be more absurd than the report that Gaston County GOP Rep. John Torbett, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said in mid-February that he will give serious consideration to a request for two years of funding — of up to $890,000 — for an Asheville-to-Salisbury bus run by Amtrak? Under the proposal, passengers would catch an Amtrak Thruway bus from Asheville to Salisbury, where there are connecting trains to Washington and New York. With a bus connection, passengers would buy one ticket to cover bus and train travel. Torbett told reporters he is waiting to see if Gov. Roy Cooper includes the bus money in his proposed budget. Sadly, passenger rail service ended 43 years ago in Asheville. The last passenger train reportedly left the Paris of the South on Aug. 8, 1975. If enough interest is shown by support of the bus line/passenger rail connection, then officials will consider spending to upgrade to passenger rail standards the tracks between Asheville and Salisbury. Regarding the proposal, postings on social media responded mostly negatively, including, “Yay? A bus to Salisbury! How depressing....” Another wrote, “I’d always imagined a train ride to the coast would be popular (both directions)... “ Yet another posting stated, “Hell, the city already had/spent the federal money for a station.... Wonder whose pocket that went into?” Yet another wrote, “One thing I have not seen mentioned is, will this theoretical bus to Salisbury have any stops along the way? If it does have stops, like a Greyhound does, then it would be more like a four-hour trip. I can see no reason why someone wouldn’t already be taking the Greyhound to Spartanburg (S.C.), as that would be much quicker of a bus trip.” Another writer posted, “If it’s just a direct bus ride to Salisbury with no stops in between, it still will be roughly the same amount of time as it takes to ride a Greyhound to Spartanburg.” As for Spartanburg, it should be pointed out that the South Carolina city is closer (70 miles) to Asheville than Salisbury (130.4 miles), but reportedly significantly more costly track work would have to be done to connect reconnect Asheville with Spartanburg, than to reconnect Asheville with Salisbury. Also, someone posted, “Seems like a novel idea on the surface, but it doesn’t really make sense (time-wise) to add a new bus line ... except, of course, if it’s an Amtrak bus, then they get the money for the ride and Greyhound doesn’t. It sounds like Amtrak would basically be subsidizing these bus trips just to get more riders on their trains.” Regarding the possibility of a return of rail passenger service to the Asheville area, another write posted, “That would be amazing, but just getting the land / right-of-way to put the rails on would be so incredibly expensive here... And then it wouldn’t be all that useful until they could run a train at least every hour. People won’t use public transit unless it’s convenient to their schedule.” Perhaps most darkly, a witty writer posted, “We will be dead before this happens. Should have been born in Europe.” From our perspective, passenger rail service would be a major asset to Asheville, drawing even more tourists and generating more business and employment. However, we think the $890,000 subsidy of a bus line would be a waste of money and a non-test, as it is hard to imagine many people with the time and desire to ride a bus to Salisbury in order to catch a passenger train to some destination to the north.
Letters to the Editor
Trump encouraged to finish wall along southern border
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r. Trump, build that wall! I spent 35 years defending this country, sometimes behind fences and walls to protect our people and assets. Walls and fences work! I recently saw a video that hit this subject hard and factually. It was produced by Turning Point USA a non-profit organization founded by Charlie Kirk. Here are some facts from Charlie: There are 44,000 illegal immigrants in our federal prisons. An illegal immigrant is twice as likely to commit a crime than a natural-born citizen in Arizona. Thousands of children are being sex-trafficked across our borders every year. Ninety-eight percent of heroin in America comes across the southern border. The cost of illegal immigration is $115 billion/year. ($5.7B for the wall is small in comparison) Charlie rode along the border with Art Del Cueto, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council. He stated, “Women come across the border when they are menstruating, they are less likely to be raped. Children have sexual relations through the fence. We put plywood up, they cut holes so they can sexually interact. These are not innocent children.” If walls don’t work, why has former President Obama built a 10-foot wall around his mansion in Washington, D.C.? Ric Hunter Burnsville
New ‘Democratic Socialists’ about premature with plans
I believe that the new “Democratic Socialist” members of the U.S. Congress have their hearts in the right place, but not their heads. Like them, I, too, believe that our federal government should do more and spend more to help make the lives of our citizens better just like our traditional allies do. However, there has never been a truly “socialist” economy in the history of the
world which was ever able to produce enough wealth to meet the survival needs of its citizens. So, it is foolish to call yourself a socialist. You are just giving conservatives a new insult and put-down to call you. A lot has been said about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal to tax the INCOME of those earning over $10 million/ year by 70 percent. The problem with this is that we need to start seriously taxing WEALTH because that’s where we can get enough revenue to pass a Canadian-style national health insurance program to cover and greatly help 99 percent of Americans. If we would tax the net-wealth and networth of all individuals with a net-worth of $10 million and over by 10 percent, we would raise MANY times more revenue than what Ocasio-Cortez proposes. USA Today newspaper endorsed the passage of a “National Wealth Tax” on July 31, 2018. It is possible that we might have a much more equal and a truly “socialist” society one day, but that day is at least 1,000-2.000 years away. We will all have to evolve and transform spiritually, emotionally, and mentally into much more loving, caring, empathetic, compassionate, giving, and altruistic human beings before we are ready for that. Right now, we are simpy too individualistic, too materialistic, too selfish, too self-centered, too self-absorbed, too “full of oursselves,” and too much into believing that we are “all that” for it to work. Because, as philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin has observed, humankind is presently at the spiritual, emotional, and mental level of a 12-year-old child. Sometimes I think that it is more like a 7-year-old child. And, I include myself in that because every day I fall short of being the kind of human being that I can be and should be. And I also make mistakes every day of my life. So, I am not judging anyone else here. Stewart B. Epstein Rochester, N.Y. • EDITOR’S NOTE: Epstein, a retired professor of sociology and social work, taught at West Virginia University, Slippery Rock University, and Fort Hays State University.
See LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Page A12
Are we harboring horrors like slavery?
W
hat will Americans yet unborn think of today’s Americans? These distant generations will judge us, you know, just as surely as we judge those who lived before us. In a New Yorker magazine article on Frederick Douglass, the writer includes two sentences that stop your eyes and engage your mind: “We need to be charitable about the moral failings of our ancestors – not as an act of charity to them but as an act of charity to ourselves. Our own unconscious assumptions and cultural habits are doubtless just as impregnated with bias as theirs were. We should be kind to them, as we ask the future to be kind to us.” Do unto those in the past as we would have those in the future do unto us. We can’t help scowling at slavery. So are we shocked that our descendants might scowl at us? Our Founding Fathers owned slaves. John Locke, the guiding philosopher of American liberties, was a major investor in the slave-trading Royal Africa Company. And yes, my Irish immigrant ancestors in
Lee Ballard South Georgia, who had very little, nevertheless owned a few slaves. Free blacks owned slaves. Priests owned slaves. Some people today will find it hard to understand all this. I don’t. Growing up in the segregated South, I never once questioned Jim Crow. I never asked why our yard man took his lunch at the kitchen counter and not at the kitchen table. When I told somebody that Hank Aaron was making $100,000, he said, “I’d call him Boy.” But in defense, our indifference reached an end. We questioned our customs. The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ended school segregation in 1954, and our Congress ended Jim Crow 10 years later. Now here we are, living in a middle ground between past and future. The past is plain to see. The present – what we’ll be judged on – is not. After all, we inherited our forefathers’ “unconscious assump-
tions.” I’m a political critic, but as I sit here now, the future is a fog. What will those people many years hence say about the values of my time? Are we harboring a horror like slavery? I think they will know of us. I think they will celebrate the changes we’ve made in American culture for the better. We’ve learned about good parenting. Girls can aspire to any career they choose. It’s not unusual when minorities succeed in every field of endeavor. We don’t litter. We stop friends from driving drunk. We don’t tolerate sexual harassment. So all the more, they will wonder how the heck the American people allowed what their history will call the Great Plutocracy – that era of greed disguised as the “American Dream,” that almost…almost…bled out America’s greatness. Their history books will tell of 18th century slavery and robber barons and then use similar condemnations of the runaway power taken by the rich and corporations in the 21st century. They will liken us to Rome near its fall, when upper classes built new villas and ridiculed patriotism. A quote from our current president will be
used in lessons on fairness and equity – his comment to his wealthy friends at Mar-aLago after the 2017 tax overhaul: “You all just got a lot richer.” And amazingly, they’ll say, the people shrugged. A poem will survive into that future time, called…“2020”: “Our basics of democracy were hollowed out by greed. The richest few and business were hidden hands of power. They turned the Founders’ Congress into slavish, grubbing whores. Their agents viled our sacred halls with stinking flows of cash. With bedrock crumbling under them, the voters did more harm. They chose as president a man well known for nothing good. Sweet Liberty stood weeping, but her torch still burned on high. And just in time her children cast the vote that saved our land. Hist’ry knows their choice that year as Precious Guardian!” • Lee Ballard , who lives in Mars Hill, has a website at Mountainsnail.com.
Asheville Daily Planet — March 2019 - A11 A better way
Commentary
The Candid Conservative: Is America going crazy?
“Looks like what drives me crazy don’t have no effect on you – but I’m gonna keep on at it, till it drives you crazy, too.” — Langston Hughes
Carl Mumpower
The Problem
D
on’t look now, but America is getting nuttier by the minute. We’ve always had our silly phases, but today we’re arguably struggling with more lost souls than any time in history. Sorry to disappoint, but it’s got next-tonothing to do with our current commanderin-chief or failure to surrender to the left’s “socialism will scratch your itch” fantasies. America’s extended stay in crazy town tracks to a simple cause – the greatest of all determinants of the human condition – personal choice. More and more people are making a conscious choice to pursue destructive life scripts. It’s not going to end well.
Identity confusion
In a complex and hyper-stimulated world, it’s easy to understand why people suffer confusion on who they are or should be. It’s easy to lose both in the bustle of a social firestorm that’s strong on distraction and low on character. In the ‘70s, my profession was trained up on a diagnosis called an “Identity Disorder.” It was commonly applied to those struggling to jell their sense of self and was helpful in clarifying the uncertainty associated with navigating a complex world. With time we regrettably discarded the reference – today we’d be handing it out like candy. With a fragile sense of how we fit into the world, it’s reasonable to seek ways to prop ourselves up. There’s a natural temptation to reach first for instinctive identity builders. Most of them work and require no training. Without exception, they easily become toxic. The five instinctive paths to personal identity can be counted on one hand – resistance, control, anger, selfishness and distraction. If these behaviors sound familiar, it’s because they’re skill sets commonly associated with two-year olds. It is not a good thing that they’ve fast become the life scripts for a growing percentage of adults. If you have an interest in preserving your sanity – or that of your culture and loved ones – the following may be of value.
Resistance
Nothing defines a two-year-old better than their instinctive capacity to resist. “Tommy, put on your shoes.” “No.” “Tommy, stop feeding the dog your supper.”
“No.” “Tommy stop hitting your dog.” “No!” Resistance is the more common ways children begin to separate their identity from their mother’s. Nothing wrong with that – unless it becomes a habit. In a permissive culture, we frequently place our children at risk by teaching them resistance as a long-term life script. It doesn’t work well in the real world and thus we are usually forced to eventually try something else. Wisdom is not always applied to that transition.
Control
Ever noticed how children who can’t change their own diaper want to rule the universe? This desire for control is an instinctive attempt to feel safer in a scary world. It’s natural to imagine that the more one can control their environment, the more one is likely to survive the challenges of that environment. The problem is that external control is helpful only to the extent it supports learning how to control ourselves. Self-control is doable – mastering the universe is not. Those who get stuck believing that external control is the answer to insecurities are doomed to fail. We must then press on to a more meaningful growth path or retreat deeper into baser instincts.
Anger
No one needs to be taught how to get mad. It’s in our DNA as a natural defense. It makes us feel stronger whenever something comes along that makes us feel weaker. The problem is that anger is a power emotion designed – like adrenalin – to be triggered sparingly. Without caution, the temptation to run from powerless emotions like hurt, fear, loneliness, and sadness to the power emotion of anger can become habitual. The more one goes there the more one will want to go there. Angry people become addicted to a drug they can self-produce. But there’s a problem – every ounce of anger we carry comes packaged with a matching ounce of depression. Angry people tend to become depressed people and are thereby forced to seek other ways to prop up their identity. Seeing a pattern?
Selfishness
Remember little Tommy? Everything was
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about him – what he wanted, expected or demanded. Teaching a child to believe they are the center of the universe is a terrible thing to do. Once that instinctive selfishness button is unleashed and rewarded, it’s hard to turn it off. Being selfish provides a temporary sense of safety and satisfaction – sort of like a big bowl of ice cream. All too soon that comfort wears off and we need a new fix – an even bigger bowl of ice cream. The darkest place in the universe is inside ourselves. The more time we spend there, the more miserable we become. Selfish people increasingly become selfabsorbed empty people desperate for comfort. They find it – temporarily – in the next word.
Distraction
One of the reasons little Tommy’s spend so much time being booger bears is that they get a hidden reward for their mischief – temporary distraction from internal fears, worries, and insecurities. A certain measure of distraction is normal. Kids play is a form of distraction, but it helps to hone life skills. Problems occur when distraction moves from being a piece of life to the goal of life. We live in the Golden Era of Distraction. Technology has created a world where we can evade reality, relationships and responsibility with unchallenged infidelity. Unfortunately, all distractions eventually become boring and leave us feeling empty. When humans fail to grow in abilities, wisdom and skills – we grow miserable – and eventually run out of distractions.
Today’s America
You’ve just been exposed to a shortcourse on why so many Americans are growing crazier. Too many of us have become dependent on childlike instinctive sources of identity development that are temporary, destructive and addictive. You may have noticed that each of these behaviors is playing a central role in today’s political landscape. Though the thus aligned are doomed to failure, the question astute culturists have to ask is how many of us are going down with them – and what can we do to resist the slide? Here are a few suggestions.
The antithesis to an instinct is a skill. The former comes naturally – the latter has to be learned. There are five antidotes to instinctive approaches to identity development that create a constructive foundation for identity development. Those wishing to avoid slaughtering themselves or their culture can find hope in love, morality, productivity, learning and gratitude. Love explains itself. When we seek to uplift our fellows, we naturally leave inner darkness and become a source of support, value and problem-solving to the world. That’s really all that love is, but that’s a lot and it’s a great foundation for personal identity. Morality finds us with an ethical compass that can guide us to good places in a not so good world. In contrast, running on instinct gets us lost. For many, a better path to developing and retaining a moral compass is found in the pursuit of faith. Having a positive relationship with God provides an inimitable source of personal identity. Speaking of responsibility, that word is intertwined with another personal identity superfood – productivity. Being productive is one of the greatest sources of personal power and meaning. Those finding ways to make the world a better place have a fasttrack to self-worth. Want another positive path to a good identity? Get busy learning stuff. Education and the wisdom are two of the few things, once acquired, that can never be stolen. Last on our top five positive paths to identity development is a soft but extraordinarily powerful word – gratitude. The grateful are also naturally more positive, optimistic, generous, considerate and other good things that help expand one’s sense of self. It’s not possible to have an angry, negative, selfish or otherwise miserable countenance and be grateful at the same time. Gratitude is a widely discounted magic elixir. In a hard world we are all faced with a clear challenge – rely on the simple, deceptive and short-lived successes of instincts or the more complex, demanding and effective challenges of learned life skills. It’s a choice few people make consciously – so instincts tend to win. America is busy reaping the fury of that error. We’re debatably already at a tipping point. Choice – not color, age, gender, advantage, or luck – will determine the ending point…. • Carl Mumpower, a psychologist and former elected official, is chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party. He can be reached at drmumpower@aol.com.
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March 2019 - Asheville Daily Planet
The real BBQ crisis
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HAPEL HILL — North Carolina’s most important emergency is not the next federal government shutdown. Nor is it a fake national emergency on the nation’s Southern border. Our state’s real emergency is a real threat to its dominant position in the world of barbecue. Forget for a moment about our family spat about whether it is Eastern- or Lexingtonstyle barbecue that is better. We can fight cheerfully among ourselves about that question forever. But, according to barbecue expert John Shelton Reed, there is not much difference between the two, especially if it is real barbecue. Real barbecue, he says, must be cooked and smoked over real wood coals. Otherwise, Reed says, it is not real. It is rather, using the French word for false or fake, “faux ‘cue.” The immediate challenge to our favorite food comes Steven Colbert from CBS’s “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert. He is a South Carolina native who usually makes his living coming up with new ways to make fun of President Donald Trump. In January, however, he resurrected his barbecue war against us. Making a joke about the good news that a missing three-year-old Craven County boy had been found, he said the bad news was that the boy was now condemned to a lifetime of eating North Carolina barbecue. He has called our barbecue “a sauceless, vinegar-based meat product” and compared the vinegar to toilet cleaner. Back in 2004 Colbert grossly chewed a plug of tobacco. When he spit it out, he said he was adding it to “my chaw juice or, as they call it in North Carolina, barbecue sauce.” He held up a plate, which he said was “as close as we can get to North Carolina barbecue, it’s just shredded cardboard soaked in vinegar.” Responding for North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted, “Those are fighting words. Vinegar and tomato have their place -- y’all have a mustard problem.” An unsigned comment from BH Media in the Winston Salem Journal cleverly summed up Colbert’s situation with North Carolinians: “You’ve pulled North Carolinians in, Colbert. You may have stepped in some pit.” But Colbert says he is ready for our attacks. “I welcome your vinegar-stained letters, you poor flavor-deprived bastards.” If you want to send him a vinegar-stained electronic message, you can write him at http://www.fastnote.com/stephen-colbert Or you could write him a thank you note. Tell him we appreciate the attention. Even his crazy nonsense helps spread the word. And we welcome the competition. If folks from South Carolina and other states driving home on I-95, I-85, or I-40 stop at some of our classic barbecue eateries and sample the product, I think they will forget about the Colbert craziness. But there is a problem. We are losing some of our best barbecue places. In January, the massive Bill’s Barbecue near I-95 in Wilson closed after more than 55 years in business. Its founder, Bill Ellis, retired in 2015 and died in 2017. Even when Bill’s 850 seats were full, visiting its bountiful buffet was like a warm family meal. But
D.G. Martin keeping it going proved to be too much for his widow. A few weeks earlier, Allen & Son, near I-40 and I-85 north of Chapel Hill, shut its doors. For many years, owner Keith Allen worked early and late to chop the hickory wood and manage the slow-cooked fire that brings pork shoulders to perfect eating condition. Southern Living praised Allen & Son and made it one of its “Top Picks” in southern barbecue joints. Colbert’s sassy comments might annoy us, but the loss of these classic barbecue institutions and the threatened loss of other treasured restaurants is our real crisis. ****** Note: If you have a favorite barbecue restaurant that you could not do without, write me a note explaining and describing why. In a few weeks I will share all comments with those who write and with Mr. Colbert. Send your comments to nceateries@yahoo.com • D.G. Martin hosts “North Carolina Bookwatch,” which airs at 11 a.m. Sundays and at 5 p.m. Thursdays on UNC-TV. The program also airs on the North Carolina Channel at 8 p.m. Tuesdays and at other times. To view prior programs: http://video.unctv.org/show/ nc-bookwatch/episodes/
Letters
Continued from Page A10
Russiagate can save the galaxy
I
love Russiagate’s awesome potential to save the galaxy from human overpopulation. Alan Ditmore Leicester
Presidential hopefuls leave voter ‘Stuck in the Middle’
In the 1970s a pop singing group, Stealers Wheel, had a hit record titled “Stuck In The Middle With You.” It was also known as “Stuck In The Middle.” As an Independent voter, I am looking at the slate of presidential candidates for the 2020 election and all I see are crazies to the Left of The band Stealers Wheel me and crazies to the Right of me and I’m wondering which loser I might be forced to vote for. Perhaps they can come up with a Middle Of the Road party to represent us because I really don’t want to be Stuck In The Middle with the current crop of radicals from both sides of the aisle. What to do, what to do??!! Herb Stark Mooresville
It’s about we Americans, not our ungodly Congress Many in the House and Senate need to realize this is ABOUT AMERICA, NOT
ABOUT THEM, and their morally corrupt political parties. They are paid high wages to work for America in a fair, sensible, and godly way. That is not what we are getting for our money now! The safety of America should be the most important thing to our legislators. Is there any common sense left in city mayors and state governors? What has happened to the education systems across America that turns out such irresponsible leaders? These leaders cannot take care of their own, yet most offer sanctuary to illegals, even if they are known criminals. By doing so, they are encouraging the world to migrate to America, against our immigration laws. Any one who encourages others to break our laws is, or should be consider a criminal themselves. Those who claim it is immoral to use barriers to stop illegals from entering our country happen to be the most immoral people around. The most recent example is the ungodly state of New York, which passed a new Bill, and their proud governor (Andrew Cuomo) signed into law, allowing that state to legally murder babies “UP TO THE DUE DATE.” Unless they REPENT and TURN BACK TO GOD, America WILL GET SICKER THAN THAT! The guilt rests on unbelievers, and on believers too. On believers, because we failed to stand on God’s Word. That Word of God tells us that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for INSTRUCTION in righteousness.” Yet we remained silent! A murderous heart requires REPENTANCE, or Hell will be the judgment. Saying the Wall/or Barrier is immoral does not cancel the horrible immoralities you support. Manuel Ybarra Jr. Coalgate, Okla.
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Holocaust survivor Continued from Page A5 Next, Ziffer noted that in the book “Mein Kamf,” Adolf Hitler writes a description “of a typical Jew.... ‘Waiting for an unsuspecting girl whom he defiles.’” Hitler wrote that a Jew “lowers the racial level by the continuous poisoning of individuals” through breeding with non-Jews. “A provisional option is …. the coming, final solution to the Jewish problem.” Ziffer said that Joseph Goebbels, who served as Hitler’s minister for public enlightenment and propaganda, wrote in his diary on Mach 27, 1942 regarding his thoughts on “the evacuation eastward,” stating, “the procedure is a pretty barbaric one… On the whole, about 60 percent of them (the Jews) will have to be liquidated. While 40 percent can be used for forced labor.” At that point, Ziffer declared, “That’s all I can say about anti-Semitism... The rest of my talk is about anti-Semitism as a experienced it.” In speaking of the country in which he was born, Ziffer said, “Now Czechoslovakia was one of the most democratic countries in Europe before World War II... Anti-Semitism was existent in (what is now) the Czech Republic when we lived there.... “One day after school I walked home with a boy serious about his Judaism… In a tunnel-like portion (of their path homeward), we passed some of our peers,who shouted ‘filthy little Jews.’ “They threw rocks at us, at the time. And Jacob Katz (the boy) started running in one direction and I started running in the other. “When I got home, my Mom’s response was to take me into her arms. She said, ‘Voltie, forget it. They were no good street urchins.’” “But,” Ziffer said, “the question is where did these street urchins learn to hate Jewish children? Parents, teachers and preachers. Very sad. But that was how it was.” He then reiteraed, “Czechoslovakia was a very democratic country, but anti-Semitism existed.” Next, he noted, “Poland invaded Czechoslovakia… Then the Germans invaded Poland .... We were forced to attend Polish schools. We were Jews and we were Czechs — and we couldn’t speak Polish,” at first. “Suddenly, everything was empty, and it was the Polish Army retreating from the border. Everyone rushed east toward Russia” in Poland Right behind those in retreat, Ziffer recalled, “the German Army came driving in, without a shot being fired, going east toward Poland. “The war against Poland lasted only two weeks. It was called the Blitzkrieg — the lightning war. Then the ‘SS’ came in — they were the occupation troops that stayed in our town.” With a smile, Ziffer noted that, “at age 12, I lived a good life. My father was a highly educated man. He saw transmitting his wisdom to his children” as a key
responsibility. “My Mom was a fantastic woman. She would have given the shirt off her back to a poor person who needed it. My sister was my protector and she was a tough woman.... “That first night after the German occupation occurred ... I woke up early on Sept. 2 (1942). Something in the air made me very nervous. I went to look for my hero, my father. I saw him looking over the balcony. He was smoking and looking very pale. I asked what was going on. He laid his — usually warm — ice-cold hands on my head. He said, ‘Listen, Waltie... Waltie, I think they are burning our synagogue.’ Eventually, Ziffer noted, “I said to my father, ‘Look the sun is coming up.’ He said, ‘Yes, the sun is coming up, but our sun is setting.’” Ziffer added, “We could see the synagogue. It was smashed. I was not terribly struck to see the synagogue burned down” because “I wasn’t terrible excited about going to religion classes.... “Standing by the ruined synagogue, nobody said anything to us,” even though Ziffer noted that his father was “a wellknown lawyer and head of the Jewish community.... I heard snide remarks,” such as “they had it coming.” Then, “we were evicted from our apartment. We were allowed two suitcases to carry out. We had beautiful oil paintings, a library of some 2,000 books,” but “in one day or so, we were reduced to poverty. Think about it... To lose everything you own, just like that.... “Then with Gustapo (taking charge), the Jews were to be identified with a white arm band…. Then a few months later, a new edict we had to sew on the front left of your jacket a yellow patch saying ‘Jew.’ “We were soon tripped up and spat upon by Nazi youths. We were forced to do forced-labor. “When my Mom went to the market to shop for food, many of the farmers suddently did not want to be seen with Jews” However, Ziffer noted with pride, “My mom was popular with some of the farmers — and she always brought home food” to the family. “We had two more evictions. We eventually ended up in a ghetto… an abandoned entertainment complex” where “nothing was working... All of this for about 1,000 Jewish men, women and children. It was atrocious living. But I fell in love with a girl (Livia) with golden hair. We played ping-pong with improvised boards. Our family lived in the dance hall on the stage. “My father was lucky enough to find a factory about an hour’s train travel from our town, where he was willing to work in a defense factory,” Ziffer said. • EDITOR’S NOTE: This remainder of this story will continue in April’s edition.
Continued from Page A9 “Also, we’ll be looking at seven boards and commissions ruled unconstitutional by North Carolina. We have to figure out a way to restructure those boards and commissions, giving the state say-so on how those funds are spent. I’d say ‘Don’t panic.’ I have folks — mostly ‘environmental folks’ — coming out in panic... You may see some playdough, so don’t let it panic you.” As CIBO’s chief and moderator Buzzy Cannady stood up and hovered nearby, Edwards triggered yet more laughter when he halfjoked, “I see I’m about to get ‘the hook.’” Turning serious again, Edwards ended his 20-minute legislative update by noting, “You’re going to see some more work on hur-
ricane relief.” During a question-and-answer session afterward, a man asked, “You mentioned Tier 1, 2 and 3. Can you go into a little more detail on how all of that’s relevant to the distribution of education funds?” “Sure,” Edwards replied. “Tier 1 would be the more impoverished areas. The Tier 3, presumably, would be the most economically viable counties. “I want to revamp that tier system. It’s not fair to any of the counties I represent. All three counties I represent — Buncombe, Henderson and Transylvania — are Tier 3. But they’re not comparable to Mecklenburg or Wake,” which also are ranked Tier 3, but are exponentially larger, Edwards said.
Edwards
Asheville Daily Planet — March 2019 — A13
A14 - March 2019 - Asheville Daily Planet
Advice Goddess
Continued from Page A1 A: If only these women of Instagram were honest in their photo credits: “Hair by Luigi. Makeup by Annabelle. Face by Dow Corning.” Countless men insist that they prefer “the natural look” — no makeup (let alone surgical re-mod) — yet they never go “Wow... gorgeous!” when you sashay toward them with a face full of unconcealed pimples. Helpfully, zoologist John R. Krebs and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins explain that “living organisms” can easily be tricked by crude fakes — fakes that bear only the itsy-bitsiest resemblance to the organisms’ real life stimuli. They give the example of what I call “Popsicle birdie” — how “a black-headed gull will show its normal aggressive response to a stuffed gull’s head mounted on a stick, with no body.” And then there’s the male stickleback fish, which gets red on the underside when in mating mode and will attack any other red-bellied male that enters its territory. In fact, mail also seems to be a problem — which is to say, a researcher’s male sticklebacks were observed attacking the side of their aquarium when a red mail van passed by the window of the lab. Well, guess what, fellow humans: We shouldn’t be too quick to feel superior to our friends with beaks, gills and tails. Krebs and Dawkins note that a man can get “sexually aroused” by a mere photo of a naked woman. Of course, he knows it isn’t an actual woman, but the photo “has enough visual stimuli in common with the real thing to have a similar effect on his physiology.” Though it’s unlikely that women getting their faces remade in Klonedashian-esque ways are versed in anthropology, the enhancements they’re having done align with the female facial features that anthropologists like Douglas Jones have found are attractive to men across cultures. These are “neotenous” features — meaning somewhat babylike ones — like big eyes, full lips, a small jaw and chin, and clear skin. These features are basically evolution’s billboard, advertising a highly desirable interior — meaning that they are cues to health and fertility. (Of course, men just think HAWWWT.) However, though men evolved to prioritize looks in a woman, it’s obviously not all they value — especially when they’re hoping to get into a relationship. So these cosmetically and surgically redeveloped features may catch a man’s eye — but then, mentally, he may take a step back: “Oh, wait — she’s gotten all this work done.” And beyond how we all tend to feel threatened and even angered by fakery, many men see a woman’s extensive re-mod as a red flag, reflecting less-than-healthy psychology — an empty interior hidden behind a fancy paint job and a new, um, deck. Also, consider that women who get their faces and bodies remade often seem to go by the reality TV standard, which seems to stem from stripper standards — exaggerated in-your-face sexuality. Research by Cari Goetz that I cited in a recent column finds that women with an overtly sexual look are generally not seen as long-term mating material by men. Though that research explored what women wore — scanty attire — it’s possible that women who wear a pile of makeup, with an overtly sexual look, would trigger the same reaction in men: basically, thumbs-up for a hookup or regular sex sessions — not so much on introducing Mom to a woman who looks as if her work uniform is sequin nipple tassels. However, there’s a counterpoint to all of this. Consider that it’s now possible, through medical innovation, to survive many diseases and conditions that were usually fatal. We don’t expect people with diseases
to do what’s “natural” — suffer terribly and die. Maybe we’re a little too harsh on women who jump ahead in the beauty hierarchy through cosmetic procedures. (After all, we don’t knock men for using Rogaine, those little blue pills, or deodorant.) Additionally, maybe stigmatizing any sort of line-jumping stops discussion of the need for restraint in beauty-upgrading. As I see it, the most successful “work” is the sort we don’t notice — women who look like themselves, only, uh, “better rested” or something. Ultimately, if a woman invites a man to meet her closest relatives, he isn’t at a loss for whether she’s asking him to a family reunion or to hit the aisle in Home Depot where they sell that expandable foam insulation stuff that people spray into their walls.
Bad stare day
Do men fall in love at first sight more than women do? My male friend says it’s mostly men who’ll see a woman from across a room or subway platform and fall for her. Yeah, I know that happens. Don’t women do this, too? Like, a lot? — Wondering Dude A guy’s claim of “love at first sight” plays better with the ladies than “I wanted to spend eternity with your boobs.” Research by psychologists Andrew Galperin and Martie Haselton finds that men, far more often than women, report experiencing “love at first sight.” However, they conceded that “some men might be reporting some episodes of sheer sexual desire as ‘love at first sight.’” (Ya think?) This sex difference in love at first sight aligns with the different pressures ancestral men and women had to contend with to survive and pass on their genes. Because women alone get pregnant from sex, female emotions evolved to push women to take the slow route in mating — to assess a man over time for his level of commitment and character — lest a woman end up with a baby daddy who’s all “Beep, beep! — I’m outta here” like the Roadrunner. Men, on the other hand, have an evolved sexual business model of volume and variety (kind of like Walmart). However, because ancestral men could bolt right after sex and still have a chance of leaving surviving descendants, it was in men’s evolutionary interest to hook up with an endless parade of hot-erellas. As I often mention, female features we think of as beautiful — like youth, clear skin, an hourglass figure, and pillowy lips —are actually cues of health and fertility. So, not surprisingly, male mating imperatives evolved to be visually motivated — “Do you look like the woman for me?” — in a way female ones did not. Ultimately, though evolved male mating psychology is pushing you — even today — to be eyeball-driven, understanding its origins can help you be mindful to take a step back and put in the time to explore a woman’s character. This may help keep you from jumping into a relationship with some woman who turns out to be an extremely hot sociopath. As you might cry to your friends, “I’m so confused; she seemed so genuinely interested in me — wanting to know where I bank, the name of my first pet, and the last four of my Social.” • (c.) 2019, 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). Weekly radio show: blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon
NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON MARCH 28 REGARDING THE PROPOSAL TO WIDEN AMBOY ROAD/MEADOW ROAD (S.R. 3556) FROM I-240 TO N.C. 81/BILTMORE AVENUE (S.R. 3214) WITH A NEW BRIDGE OVER THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER IN ASHEVILLE, BUNCOMBE COUNTY STIP Project No. U-4739 The N.C. Department of Transportation proposes to widen Amboy Road/Meadow Road (S.R. 3556) to multi-lanes between I-240 and N.C. 81/Biltmore Avenue (S.R. 3214) with a new bridge over the French Broad River in Asheville, Buncombe County. A public meeting will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, March 28 at DoubleTree by Hilton – Asheville-Biltmore, 115 Hendersonville Road. The purpose of this meeting is to inform the public of the project and gather input on the proposed design. As information becomes available, it may be viewed online at the NCDOT public meeting webpage: https://www.ncdot.gov/news/public-meetings. The public may attend at any time during the public meeting hours, as no formal presentation will be made. NCDOT representatives will be available to answer questions and receive comments. The comments and information received will be taken into consideration as work on the project develops. The opportunity to submit written comments will be provided at the meeting or can be done via phone, email, or mail by April 11, 2019. For additional information, please contact Beverly Robinson, NCDOT Project Management Team Lead for Division 13 at 1582 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1582, 919-707-6041 or brobinson@ncdot.gov. NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Matthew LeShure, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598, at 919-707-6087 or maleshure@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that arrangements can be made. Persons who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494. Aquellas personas no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800-481-6494.
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A16 — March 2019 - Asheville Daily Planet
Entertainment
Special Section PULLOUT
& Calendar of Events
B1
Asheville Daily Planet — March 2019
At ‘70s disco dance party, it was ‘burn, baby, burn!’
Rock ‘n’ roll & Rachmaninoff to be paired at Amadeus fest From Staff Reports he Asheville Symphony recently announced the event lineup for the 2019 Asheville Amadeus festival, a 10-day multi-genre Mozart-inspired event designed for all tastes and ages. The festival will begin March 15 and end — with a bang — on March 24, spanning multiple Asheville venues. The event will feature collaborations with local favorites like Burial Beer Co. and joins forces with all-star musicians such as Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes, a Grammy Awardwinning vocalist, songwriter, producer and “revered guitarist,” an event press release stated. “For Asheville Amadeus 2019, we’re pairing rock ’n’ roll with Rachmaninoff,” Asheville Symphony Executive Director David Whitehill said. “And there’s no better way to celebrate than with rock guitarist Warren Haynes and Warren Haynes Rach pianist Garrick Ohlsson.” First held in 2015, organizers said the Asheville Amadeus has since become a much-anticipated biennial event — expanding in 2017 from a weeklong festival to “a grand 10-day celebration.” In 2019, the Asheville Symphony is continuing this tradition, with a festival that includes more than 30 public and private events. “Amadeus 2019 will begin in a style that appears to be fit for Asheville audiences — with two nights of brews and bands,” a press release said. “On March 15, festival-goers should prepare to imbibe at Burial’s South Slope taproom for the release of The Righteous and Barbaric Souls Imperial Stout. “With notes of apricot and scores of chocolate, the new Amadeus-inspired brew is an ode to all things lavish and profound — especially when paired with music, art and tasty treats from local chefs.” See AMADEUS FEST, Page B7
T
Daily Planet Staff Photos
A 1970s Disco Dance Party, held Jan. 19 at Ambrose West nightclub in West Asheville, drew a standing-room-only crowd — and some eye-popping attire and wigs. The turnout numbered mostly self-styled hipsters in their 20s, along with others ranging into their 60s. The DJ duo, dubbed White Chocolate, included Jaze Uries (top left) and Heidi Renee Dubuisson-Rowell (bottom center). The disco ball (above right) is from the quintessential disco film “Saturday Night Fever” — and was not present at the Ambrose West soirée.
Buddy K Big Band ends show with swing’s ‘national anthem’ By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
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Daily Planet Staff Photo
The Buddy K Big Band, a traditional 18-piece big band playing classic swing and jazz, performs on Feb. 9 at White Horse nightclub in Black Mountain. In the center, playing bongo drums, is band leader and male vocalist Tom Donnelly. To his right is the band’s female vocalist, Karen Connor of Asheville.
LACK MOUNTAIN — The Buddy K Big Band finished its Feb. 9 show with Frank Sinatra’s dazzling 1940 version (with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, of course) of “I’ll Be Seeing You” at White Horse nightclub in Black Mountain, triggering applause and cries for an encore from the small-but-fired-up crowd. “Gee, okay,” a smiling band leader Tom Donnelly said. “If you want one more, we’re going to play the ‘national anthem’ of big band music — so get up and dance!” The 18-piece band then launched into the most-recognizable swing-era song around the world and arguably America’s most popular big band hit — the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s 1939 smash, “In the Mood.” (The hey-day of swing music was between 1935 and 1946.) Several couples danced to the song — and when it was over, the crowd again applauded with gusto, but the house lights immediately were turned up, as a smiling Donnelly and the band waved goodnight. A small crowd of 40 or so people attended the concert, which featured two 45-minute sets and a 30-minute intermission. The show opened with Count Basie’s rousing “Straight Ahead.” See BUDDY K BIG BAND, Page B7
B2 — March 2019 - Asheville Daily Planet
Life is short. Dance in the right shoes!
Dance shoes, Accessories & Solutions for Beginner, Social & Professional Dancers Amy Barnes — 828.450.3756 Kitty Williams — 828.778.2785 Jason Barnes — 828.450-4063 Photo courtesy of x Donated photo
The musical “American Girl Live,” which among other things is billed as demonstrating “girl power,” will be performed at 7 p.m. March 5 at Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Greeneville, Tenn.
Calendar
of
Events
Send us your calendar items
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.
Friday, March 1
“FOOTLOOSE” MUSICAL, 7:30 p.m., Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St., downtown Asheville. The ACT will perform a musical version of the 1984 film “Footloose” through March 3. Regarding the show, the ACT noted, “When teenager Ren McCormack moves from Chicago to a small town, he isn’t prepared for the stifling local laws, including a ban on dancing and rock music instituted by the local preacher. As he struggles to fit in, he encourages his classmates to defy the local pastor and call for a rock ’n’ roll prom. With an energetic Top 40 score amplified with dynamic new songs, ‘Footloose’ celebrates the wisdom of opening minds and listening to the voices of young people.” Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Additional Thursday performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 and 28. For tickets, visit www. ashevilletheatre.org or call 254-1320. “RED” DRAMA, 7:30 p.m., Feichter Studio at HART, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville. HART will present “Red,” which will run March 1-3. “Red” is about painter Mark Rothko. In his New York studio in 1958/59, Rothko has been commissioned to paint a group of murals for the expensive and exclusive Four Seasons Restaurant. He gives orders to his assistant, Ken, as he mixes the paints, makes the frames and paints the canvases. Ken, however, brashly questions Rothko’s theories of art and his acceding to work on such a commercial project. The resulting decision by Rothko became one of the art world’s major events of the time. The show also will be performed at 7:30 p.m. March 2 and at 2 p.m. March 3. Patrons can also make reservations for opening night (March 1) to dine on the stage before the show. HART’s chef, Christy Bishop, is serving up soups and panini on the HART Main Stage. The play contains adult language, HARt noted.. Seating for the Studio is general admission, but reservations are strongly recommended as productions regularly sell out. There is also no late seating as the intimate nature of the Studio makes it impossible to seat latecomers without disrupting the performance. To make reservation for the show and café, call the HART Box Office at 456 6322 or visit online at www.harttheatre.org. BALLROOM DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS, 7:30 p.m.-midnight, Grand Ballroom, The Omni Grove Park Inn, North Asheville. Big-time competitive ballroom-style dancing will take the stage during the 32nd annual Heritage Classic Dancesport Championships. The two biggest events are sched-
uled 7:30 p.m.-midnight on both March 1 and 2. The Heritage has been described by th Asheville Citizen Times as “a sort of live version of the long-running Fox TV series ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’ Top Dancesport performers show their skills in competition... Elevated seating provides great views of the dance floor.” For tickets, which start at $50. visit www.theheritageclassic.com.
Saturday, March 2
“MOSTLY MOZART” CONCERT, 3-4 p.m., Biltmore United Methodist Church, 376 Hendersonville Road, Asheville. The Blue Ridge Orchestra Chamber Symphony, led by Milton Crotts, will present “Mostly Mozart,” beginning at 3 p.m. March 2-3. The afternoon chamber concert will showcase talented local musicians performing works by Mozart and one of the composers he most admired. Tickets, which are $15 for general admission, $10 for Friends of the BRO and $5 for students, are available online at www.blueridgeorchestra.org) and at the door. “MY BIG FAT ITALIAN WEDDING MURDER!” PERFORMANCE, 6 p.m., The Center for Art & Inspiration, 125 S. Main St., downtown Hendersonville. The Center for Art & Inspiration, which has located in the former Flat Rock Playhouse venue, will present a performance of “My Big Fat Italian Wedding Murder.” The show also will be performed at 4 p.m. March 3. The CAI noted that the show is not appropriate for children under 13. For tickets with table seating, which are $59 each, call 697-8547 or visit http://www.thecenterai.com. TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND CONCERT, 8 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. The Tedeschi Trucks Band will perform in concert. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 3
FILM SCREENING/PANEL DISCUSSION, 4-6 p.m., Grail Moviehouse, 45 S. French Broad Ave., downtown Asheville. A free screening of “The Bail Trap: American Ransom” will be followed by a panel discussion. The program is being hosted by the local ACLU chapter and the local Racial Justice Coalition.
Tuesday, March 5
“AMERICAN GIRL LIVE” MUSICAL, 7 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. The musical “Amerian Girl Live” will be performed. Regarding the show, NPAC noted, “Experience American Girl in an all-new musical. ‘American Girl Live’ is a premiere stage production, featuring alloriginal songs and unforgettable experiences. Come along to sleepover camp with some new friends for an exciting summer away from home. As bold tales of bravery and friendship come to life, iconic American Girl characters lend a hand through story and song. Join your favorite American Girl characters and the campers as they follow their hearts, share their dreams and learn the power of friendship.” For tickets, which range from $25 to $75, visit npacgreeneville.ticketforce.com or call (423) 638-1679.
See CALENDAR, Page B3
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Calendar of Events Continued from Page B2
Friday, March 8
“ACTION MOVIE: THE PLAY” PRODUCTION,, 7:30 p.m., Magnetic Theatre, 375 Depot Street (in the River Arts District), Asheville. The stage production of “Action Movie: The Play” will be performed through March 31. (The show will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Sundays.) The show is billed by the MT as featuring “a diabolical villian (who) threatens the world in this riotous send up of action movies. Filled with stage combat, stunts and the mother-of-all-car-chases (live on stage), the critically acclaimed, award-winning, over-thetop, not-to-be-missed, blockbuster theatre event makes its Asheville debut.” For tickets, which are $20 (plus $2 fee) for adults and $10 for students with valid identification, visit www.themagnetictheatre.com or call the box office at 239-9250.
Saturday, March 9
REPUBLICAN SPEAKER, 9 a.m., Ryan’s restaurant, 1000 Brevard Road, West Asheville. Mark Delk will give a speech titled “The Party of Redemption” during a meeting of the Buncombe County Republican Men’s Club. Breakfast — at 8:30 a.m. — will precede Delk’s address. Among his other positions, Delk serves as president of North Carolina’s Electoral College. For King & Country CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Road, Franklin. The Australian duo King & Country will perform in concert. The duo features “soaring melodies, driving rhythms, theatrical instrumentation and personal themes,” the SMPCA noted. The duo has performed on numerous network television shows, including “The View,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Today Show,” “The Tonight Show,” “FOX and Friends” and have songs featured on the Emmys, the Super Bowl, Sunday Night Football, U.S. Open and more. For tickets, which are $25, $35, $45 and $75 (VIP), visit www.greatmountainmusic.com. DWIGHT YOAKAM CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Resort. Dwight Yoakam will perform in concert. For tickets, which start at $82, visit Ticketmaster.com.
Sunday, March 10
CELTIC TALES/MUSIC SERIES, 3 p.m., The Center for Art & Inspiration, 125 S. Main St., downtown Hendersonville. The 2nd Sundays @ the Center series will feature Bobbie Pell with Celtic tales and music. “SLEEPING BEAUTY,” BALLET FILM SCREENING, 3 p.m., Bardo Arts Center, Western Carolina University, Cullowee. The BAC Sunday Cinema Series will feature a screening of “Sleeping Beauty” ballet. Single tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (ages 65 and older) and $5 for WCU students and faculty. To reserve tickets, call 227-ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.
Tuesday, March 12
NEEDTOBREATH CONCERT, 7 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. NEEDTOBREATHE will perform in concert in its Acoustic Live Tour. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, March 13
“SILENT SKY” STAGE PRODUCTION, 7:30 p.m., N.C. Stage Co., 15 Stage Lane, downtown Asheville. The N.C. Stage Co. production of Lauren Gunderson’s “Silent Sky” will be performed through April 7. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. Special matinees at 2 p.m. For tickets, visit ncstage.org or call 239-0263.
Wednesday, March 14
BOOK DISCUSSION/READINGS, 5:30-7 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site, downtown Asheville. Dan Clare, an English teacher at A.C. Reynolds High School; and Ana Clare, a member of the Thomas Wolfe Memroial advisory board; will lead a discussion of “Circus at Dawn.” Refreshment will be served from 5:30 to 5:45 p.m. Admission is free. ME TOO MOVEMENT’S FOUNDER SPEECH, 6 p.m., Renaissance Asheville Hotel, downtown Asheville. Me Too Movement founder Tarana
Asheville Daily Planet - March 2019 - B3
Burke will be the keynote speaker at the Symmetry Financial, AdventHealth and Native Kitchen Break the Silence Speaker Series, which is the largest fundraising event of the year for OUR VOICE, Buncombe County’s rape crisis and prevent center. An event promotion noted that Burke’s movement, which was founded more than 10 years ago, “has inspired survivors of sexual violence from all over the world to find pathways to healing. Burke, who was named a 2017 TIME Magazine Person of the Year for her role in breaking the silence around sexual violence, said, ‘We need to start having honest conversations about sexual assault and sexual violence in our communities, in our workplace and as a country as a whole. Me Too supports survivors — absolutely — it tells them that they are not alone, and that healing is possible — but it also demands that we talk about it. I’m thrilled to be traveling to Asheville to continue this conversation.’ Burke first used the phrase ‘Me Too’ in 2006, while working with young black women and girls from low-wealth communities for whom she developed a culturally informed curriculum to discuss sexual violence. The #metoo social media hashtag campaign has generated more than 13 million Facebook posts and tweets, emerging as a rallying cry for people everywhere who have survived sexual assault and sexual harrassment.” BEN RECTOR MAGIC SHOW, 8 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. Ben Rector — Magic: The Tour will perform. The opener will be Josie Dunne. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 15
“THE JUNGLE BOOK” STAGE PRODUCTION, 7 p.m., Leiman Mainstage, Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Greenville Hwy., Flat Rock. The FRP will perform “The Jungle Book” from March 15 to 30. (Fridays shows are at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.) Regarding the production, the FRP noted, “A boy finds home and family in the jungle. Rudyard Kipling’s journey of adventure and courage. The struggle of good versus evil. A test of friendship and loyalty. Who survives ‘The law of the jungle?’ For tickets, which are $28 for adults, visit www.flatrockplayhouse.org. “DISNEY’s The Jungle BOOK LIVE” MUSICAL, 7 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Road, Franklin. The Overlook Theatre will perform “Disney’s The Jungle Book Live!” at 7 p.m. March 15-16. Regarding the show, the SMCPA noted, “Adapted from Disney’s beloved animated film and the works of Rudyard Kipling, this musical for the entire family will have the jungle jumpin’ with a jazzy beat! Specially adapted from the classic Disney animated film, ‘Disney’s The Jungle Book Live’ features a host of colorful characters and your favorite songs from the movie, including ‘The Bare Necessitie’ and ‘I Wanna Be Like You.’ Banished by the ferocious tiger, Shere Khan, a human boy named Mowgli and his panther friend, Bagheera, are on the run in the deepest parts of the jungle. On their journey, the pair meet a sinister snake named Kaa, a herd of elephants and a giant bear named Baloo, who teaches them the swingin’ musical rhythms of the jungle. After surviving a dangerous encounter with a band of monkeys led by King Louie, Mowgli and Bagheera are forced to run for their lives. When Shere Khan returns, our heroes must rally their fellow animals into battle and restore peace throughout the jungle.” The show is a live, one-act stage production. For tickets, which are $12, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com. BANJO PERFORMANCE, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, downtown Asheville. We Banjo 3 will perform in concert.
See CALENDAR, Page B6
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B4 — March 2019 — Asheville Daily Planet
Asheville Daily Planet — March 2019 — B5
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Biltmore House exhibit offers a trip back to the Gilded Age By MALLORY FLYNN
I
The Biltmore Company
f you’ve ever wondered what it would have been like to be a guest of the Vanderbilts during their years living in Biltmore House in Asheville at the turn of the 19th century, your chance has arrived. Through May 27, Biltmore House is serving as the scene of a festive celebration hosted by the Vanderbilts in a new exhibition, “A Vanderbilt House Party: Guests, Grandeur & Galas.” For many years, Biltmore’s curators have researched what it was like when the Vanderbilts entertained guests at Biltmore House. Using information gleaned from letters, photographs and documents in the Vanderbilt archives, the curatorial team has created an experience that will put today’s visitors into the action of the time when George and Edith Vanderbilt extended their boundless hospitality to family and friends. Clothing vignettes in Biltmore House, paired with storytelling in a new audio-guided tour (free with all online ticket purchases) that uses innovative 360-degree sound techniques, will draw listeners into the preparations for a celebration in Biltmore House. The narration is based on those who lived and worked in Biltmore House, and features a butler recounting the leisurely days and glamorous evenings the Vanderbilts’ guests enjoyed. Visitors will listen in on staff as they work to prepare a grand multi-course dinner; as an opera singer rehearses before her evening
performance; and as servants set an elaborate table in the Banquet Hall with family china, silver, and crystal. The new clothing vignettes are based on the Vanderbilts’ actual wardrobes and were specially reproduced for this exhibition. Oscar-winning costume designer John Bright created the items with inspiration from archival photographs and portraits in Biltmore’s collection. Biltmore has partnered with Bright and his London-based company Cosprop for all of its costume exhibitions, including “Dressing Downton,” which featured Bright’s creations for the wildly popular series “Downton Abbey.” Tasked with bringing vivid color to scenes previously only seen in century-old black-andwhite photos, Bright worked with the estate’s curators to research fashion magazines of the era and studied the photography in great detail. Each piece is being displayed in locations of Biltmore House, where it was originally worn, paired with the photograph from the Vanderbilt archives that inspired it. A Vanderbilt House Party is included in Biltmore daytime admission; the premium audio-guided exhibition tour is free with online ticket purchases or can be purchased onsite for an additional fee. For more information about the new exhibit at Biltmore, or to purchase tickets, visit www. biltmore.com.
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B6 — March 2019 — Asheville Daily Planet
Calendar
Continued from Page B3
Saturday, March 16
MERCYME CONCERT, 7 p.m., U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. MercyMe will perform in concert. Doors will open at 6 p.m.. COMEDY CLASSIC NIGHT, 7:30 p.m., Grand Ballroom, Omni Resorts The Grove Park Inn, North Asheville. Comedy Classic, a one-night event, will feature Keith Alberstadt, Zoltan Kaszas and emcee Kristin Lindner. For tickets, call (800) 438-5800.
Friday, March 19
TAKACS STRING QUARTET CONCERT, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, downtown Asheville. The Takacs String Quartet will perform, along with pianist Garrick Ohlsson. For tickets, visit ashevillechambermusic.org.
Thursday, March 21
PARSONS LECTURE,, 7 p.m., Lipinsky Auditorium, UNC Asheville. Ronald D. Taylor will give the annual Parsons Lecture. He will examine mathematical structures found in games, card tricks and origami — and look at how mathematics can be applied to them for enjoyment. Taylor is a professor of mathematics at Berry College. He has researched graph theory, number theory and recreational mathematics. He received the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished Cllege of University Teaching of Mathematics in 2018 from the Mathematical Association of America. UNCA’s annual Parsons Lecture is intended to bring to Asheville a national renowned mathematician able to communicate mathematical concepts with a general audience.
Friday, March 22
“TAP DOGS” SHOW,, 7:30 p.m., Peace Concert Hall, The Peace Center, downtown Greenville, S.C. The 75-minute award-winning show “Tap Dogs” will be performed. “The global dance sensation has appeared in more than 330 cities and 37 countries, where 12 million people have been dazzled by the energy and imagination of these unique performers,” a press release noted. CONCERT, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, downtown Asheville. Sebastion Lepine and the ESCA Quartet will perform in concert. They will “deliver an awe-inspiring performance that breathes new life into classical music.”
Saturday, March 23
FOREIGNER CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Resort. The band Foreigner will perform in concert. For tickets, which start at $82, visit Ticketmaster.com. COMEDY SHOW, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, downtown Asheville. Jen Kober’s Homegrown Comedy Show will be performed.
Sunday, March 24
ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT, 8 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, downtown Asheville. The ASO will perform “Masterworks 6: Rachmaninoff” under its new conductor Darco Butorac, and featuring pianist Garrick Ohlsson. For tickets, visit ashevillesymphonyorchestra.org.
Wednesday, March 27
CLIMATOLOGIST SPEECH, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m., Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road, North Asheville. Climatologist Derek “Deke” Arndt of NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville will discuss his work analyzing the world’s weather patterns during the Leadership Asheville Forum’s Critical Issues luncheon series. What’s more, LAF noted in a press release, Arndt will tell “us what his team is learning about our changing climate.” Food service will begin at 11:45 a.m., with the program beginning at 12:15 p.m. Tickets (including the meal) are $25 for LAF members and $30 for nonmembers. Reservations are required by, March 22 by contacting Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu, or by calling 250-2353.
Thursday, March 28
PIANO DUEL, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, downtown Asheville. Piana Battle will be performed.
Saturday, March 30
BALLET PERFORMANCE, 7 p.m., Bo Thomas
Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College, East Flat Rock. The Hendersonville Ballet will present its latest production, “Ballet to Broadway.” The music will range from Broadway classics like “West Side Story” to new Broadway-inspired movie tunes. For tickets, visit hendersonvilleballet.org or call 684-2118.
Monday, April 1
BILL NYE PROGRAM, 7 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. A program titled “A Conversation With Bill Nye — EXTREME Weather” will be presented. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Now open!
Thursday, April 4
“IN THE MOOD” SHOW, 7:30 p.m., Bo Thomas Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College, East Flat Rock. The show “In The Mood” will be presented by The Center for Art & Inspiration.
Friday, April 5
BILLY RAY CYRUS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Road, Franklin. Country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $38 to $55, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call (866) 273-4615.
Saturday, April 6
ASHEVILLE ORCHID FESTIVAL, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., North Carolina Arboretum, West Asheville. The Asheville Orchid Festival will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 6-7. The event will feature “incredible orchid exhibits, fabulous plants for sale, educational programs and lectures. Admission is $5 for adults — and free for those ages 12 and under.
Wednesday, April 10
BOOK DISCUSSION/READINGS, 5:30-7 p.m., Thoms Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site, downtown Asheville. Ellen Brown, author of “John Apperson’s Lake George,” will discuss “The Hollyhock Savers.” Refreshment will be served from 5:30 to 5:45 p.m. Admission is free.
Saturday, April 13
FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE SHOW, 7:30 p.m., The Foundation Performing Arts Center, Isothermal Community College, Spindale. Rumours, billed as “the country’s premier Fleetwood Mac tribute band,” will perform in concert. The band is touted for its blend of “perfect harmonies, precise instrumentation and a visually engaging stage show.” For tickets, visit www.FoundationShows.org.
Thursday, April 25
ACTIVIST SPEAKER, 7 p.m., Kimmell Arena, UNC Asheville. Bryan Stevenson, billed by UNCA as a “national leader and attorney” as well as “founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and its National Memorial to Honor Victims of Lynching,” will speak. Seating is free at the unticketed event on a first-come, first-served basis.
Friday, April 26
Open 11 a.m. -10 p.m. daily
YING QUARTET CONCERT, 8 p.m.,Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 1 Edwin Place, North Asheville. The Ying Quartet will perform, along with cellist Zuill Bailey. For tickets, visit ashevillechambermusic.org.
Saturday, April 27
TRAVIS TRITT AND THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Resort. Travis Tritt and the Marshall Tucker Band will perform in concert. For tickets, which start at $210, visit Ticketmaster.com.
Saturday, May 3
TOME IMPALA CONCERT, 8 p.m., U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville Tome Impala, whose real name is Kevin Parker, will perform in concert. His is billed as “the almost-legendary messianic figure and creative soul who has developed the particular sonice universe of psychedelic pop cultivated with guitar pedals, delays, revers and liquid explosions of color. There’s no one like him in the current music scene.” AARON LEWIS CONCERT, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Resort. Aaron Lewis will perform in concert at the resort as part of his “The State I’m in Tour.” For tickets, which start at $36, visit Ticketmaster.com.
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Buddy K Big Band
Continued from Page B1 The choice of a Basie song to begin the show was a harbinger of what was to come — as the Buddy K Big Band played a number of Basie classics during the concert. As one horn player told the Daily Planet afterward, “Basie swings like no other band.” Other first-set songs included “Mack the Knife,” ““Quincy and the Count,” “L-OV-E,” “When I Fall in Love,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “My Favorite Things,” “Orange-Colored Sky,” “My Romance,” “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “The Look of Love” and “Almost Like Being in Love.” The set closed with “Hay Burner.” The “big-band jump version” of 1972’s “My Favorite Things,” as introduced by Donnelly, stood out as one of its most riveting performances of the first set — perhaps of the night. The song originally was sung by actress Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music.” Donnelly triggered laughter from the audiene while introducing “My Favorite Things” saying, “We’re going to give you some cowbell on the next one.” The second set opened with “What’s New,” followed by “The Best Is Yet to Come,” “Queen Bee,” “Skylark,” “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” “Shiny Stockings,” “Fever,” “Cute,” “At Last,” “Night Train” and “You’re Nobody Until Somebody Loves You.” The White Horse show was held on a night following a stormy day in early February, so Donnelly told the sparse audience early in the concert, “Well, I guess the weather kept a few of you away.” Despite its size rivaling that of that crowd, the band members performed as true professionals, seemingly giving it their all. In a brief interview with the Daily Planet during intermission, Donnelly proudly noted that the Buddy K Big Band is “the classic size of a big band,” with 18 members, including five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, pianist, bassist, drummer, a female vocalist and a male vocalist. Donnelly also explained that the band was founded in Hendersonville in 1983 by the late Bill Shipp of Hendersonville. Since Shipp’s nickname was “Buddy K,” that is what he named his band. Part way through the show, Donnelly introduced Dr. Jerry Hyman, a band member, whom, he noted, at one time “starred with (the band) Blood, Sweat and Tears.” He said Hyman, though, is “much more than just a rock star,” triggering laughter from the crowd. Further research afterward by the Daily Planet revealed that Hyman toured for more than 250 days a year — from Woodstock to the Iron Curtain to Caesar’s Palace — as a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears. He performed with the iconic band from 1968-1972. When Hyman joined in 1968, the band, according to a web story by Gina Carbone, “was more underground than commercial, but Hyman knew who they were.” Indeed, during his years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he was saw the group rack up success after success with the new lead singer, Canadian David Clayton-Thomas. Carbone also reported, “Blood, Sweat & Tears’ second album sold 10 million copies worldwide and launched three gold singles, ‘Spinning Wheel’, ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’ and ‘And When I Die.’ The album was nominated for Grammy Awards in 10 categories and won an unprecedented five, including, Song of the Year for ‘Spinning Wheel.’ It also won Album of the Year and Best Male Performance by a Male Vocalist for David’s rendition of Billie Holiday’s ‘God Bless The Child,’ which became a contemporary classic.” In his role as the featured male singer,
The Buddy K Big Band performed a number of songs, featuring Frank Sinatra’s songs, or Count Basie classics. Above are the musical greats Sinatra (left) and Basie, who performed together on the 1962 album, “Sinatra-Basie: A Historic Musical First.” The picture is from the album cover Donnelly — especially — excelled on Sinatra and Joe Williams’ songs — and it was evident to all how much he especially admired Sinatra’s vocal skills. Donelly’s highlight in covering Sinatra was his ability to duplicate Ol’ Blue Eyes’ phrasing. Among his stunning Sinatra covers was to “The Lady Is a Tramp.” Donnelly also sounded terrific covering vocals by Williams, who also was considered an extraordinary singer, rivaling Sinatra. Arguably, his best Williams’ cover of the night was to Williams’ version of Count Basie’s “Every Day I Have the Blues.” Besides Donnelly’s musical skills and band leadership, a perhaps-underlookedbut-important strength he offers is his skill as the band’s jovial master of ceremonies, playing well to the audience and showing both knowledge of the music and its original performers, with a sharp sense of humor. As for the band’s featured female singer, Karen Connor, among her many vocal highlights were her cover of the George and Ira Gershwin song, “Love Is Here to Stay” and of Peggy Lee’s mega-hit “Fever.” While her singing shows much promise, Conner is more than a bit stiff on stage and would benefit from putting more emphasis on bringing her showmanship and stagecraft up to the same high level as her promising vocals. Indeed, the Buddy K Big Band, mainly based in Hendersonville (but including a number of Asheville members, too) most notably needs to step it up — big time — in showmanship. Rather than mostly just sitting or standing and performing the lively, spirited swing songs, it would add immensely to the entertainment value of its shows if — at times — the horn section would sway back and forth together, if the drummer would toss his sticks up into the air and catch them, if the bassman would twirl around his bass, if the keyboardist would do a piano roll and sweep an arm dramatically into the air, and if the vocalists swayed rhythmically to the music in a carefully choreographed way. And when the various horn-players performed solos during songs, it would be more fun — for all — if they hammed it up and shifted around, rather than standing and performing so rigidly. However, given that the Buddy K Band has been a success since its founding more than 35 years ago, it may be asking a bit much for it to add lively choreography to make its musically spot-on shows even more fun and entertaining. Then again, that may be the missing ingredient to take its shows to the next level.
Asheville Daily Planet - March 2019 - B7
Amadeus fest
Continued from Page B1 The next evening, March 16, Asheville Amadeu swill jam on stage with Warren Haynes in a symphonic rock performance, “Warren Haynes Presents: Dreams & Songs – A Symphonic Journey,” which is “sure to blow audiences away,” a press release said. “Born and raised in Asheville, Warren Haynes is recognized as one of the finest guitar players in the world and part of three of the greatest rock groups in history — The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule and The Dead,” a release noted. For this special Amadeus performance, Haynes will be joined by Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band, Dead & Co., The Aquarium Rescue Unit), John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood, Phil Lesh & Friends), Jeff Sipe (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Leftover Salmon) and the Asheville Symphony Orchestra for a symphonic take on his classic, career-spanning material. Rich Daniels, the musical director of The City Lights Orchestra in Chicago, will conduct. Over the course of the week, Amadeus will shift into high gear with performances ranging from “Ballet with Bach and Rach” with the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville to a rowdy evening of racy drinking songs at The Funkatorium with Asheville Choral Society featuring Tempus. On March 19 and 20, LaZoom will rev its purple bus’s engine for an Amadeus-only musical history tour of Asheville, hosted by local musician Andrew Fletcher. Other events include a fashion show with the Asheville Symphonettes, a progressive chamber concert walking tour with Pan Harmonia, a special screening of “Shine” at Grail Moviehouse, a flight night of Austrian
wines at Burial Beer Co.’s new Forestry Camp Restaurant and Bar, a candid chat with music professionals and a series of interactive musical experiences for children. On March 23, all-star pianist Garrick Ohlsson will join the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra for the 2019 finale eve concert, featuring Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute and Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2. This concert will feature all five orchestras of the ASYO: the Youth Orchestra, Philharmonia, Prelude Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and the Percussion Ensemble. For the big finale, “Rach the night away” with Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 and a powerhouse performance of two masterful Rachmaninoff compositions: “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” and “Piano Concerto No. 2” — with expert Rachmaninoff interpreter Ohlsson on the piano. AJO Music Director Darko Butorac will join the orchestra on the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium’s giant stage, complete with a 32-foot stage extension that thrusts the symphony into the audience. “Doing two Rachmaninoff pieces is almost unheard of,” Whitehill said. “It’s absolute gluttony. It’s an embarrassment of musical riches — and a rare opportunity to see two of the most beloved, virtuosic, difficult concertos in one evening.” Tickets for festival events are on sale now, with event prices ranging from free to $93, depending on the event. Details and purchase instructions for individual events can be found at www. ashevilleamadeus.org. For more information, visit the Asheville Symphony offices, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.4 p.m., or call 254-7046.
Dances at Olive or Twist
121 West Barnwell St., Downtown Hendersonville
• Tuesdays —Shag and Swing • Wednesdays — Ballroom and Country Lesson at 6:30 p.m. • Dancing 7-9 p.m. Requests are always welcome. $5 per person • Food and drinks available at the bar
Dances at the Asheville Ballroom 291 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville
Back Room at the Ballroom — Sat., Saturday, January 12 March 9 Admission $10 — Sat., March 23 Ballroom, Latin & More Dance
Lesson 7 p.m. at • Dancing from 8 tofrom 10:30 Admission $10 at • Lesson 7 p.m. • Dancing 8 top.m.. 10:30 p.m.
B8 — March 2019 - Asheville Daily Planet