Pet Sounds’ salute shows icon’s genius — See REVIEW, Pg. B1
Heroin addiction called county’s # 1 drug issue — See STORY, Pg. A2
Trouble with voodoo dolls? See COLUMN, Pg. B1
LLE I V HE AS ASHEVILLEʼS GREATEST NEWSPAPER
September 2016
Vol. 12, No. 10
An Independent Newspaper Serving Greater Asheville www.ashevilledailyplanet.com FREE
All along the catwalk....
Refugees threaten security, crowd told From Staff Reports
Special photos by MAX GANLY
Rachele Villanueva (left) strides down the runway during the recent four-night Asheville Fashion Week show at Crowne Plaza’s Event Center in West Asheville. Above, Emily Chaput creates an effervescent swirl during one of her trips down the runway in various outfits. Villanueva lives in Knoxville, while Chaput lives in Johnson City, Tenn. The event, which was held at Altamont Theatre in downtown Asheville on its first two nights before concluding at Crowne Plaza, featured between 100 and 200 models and showcased Asheville-area designers’ decidedly eco-friendly creations.
A related story appears on Page A13
Duck face the nation
Q: I’m a woman in my late 20s. Guys don’t have car crashes looking at me, but I am pretty and have a nice boyfriend. I have three drop-dead gorgeous girlfriends who are perpetually single, but not by choice. I realized that they all do two things: complain that things never work out with a guy and constantly post stunning selfies on Facebook. One takes a daily pic in her car, showing how hot she looks. When I mentioned this to my boyfriend, he said guys want a hot
The Advice Goddess Amy Alkon
girlfriend, but they don’t want one who does that. Please explain. — Wondering A: Sure, getting other people to like you starts with liking yourself — just not to the point where you’re dozing off in front of the mirror. See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A12
EAST FLAT ROCK — Refugees should be shown compassion, but only if security concerns are met first, 11th District U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows told a throng of more than 225 people during a town hall meeting Aug. 23 at Blue Ridge Community College. Most of the attendees appeared to agree with Meadows’ assessment, as he was greeted with a hail of applause when he said, “What really concerns me right now is... there are enemies that are trying to take advantage of our generosity as a country.” However, there appears to be a schism on concern about resettling refugees in the area, as mostly conservative Henderson County residents are raising worries, while more liberal Buncombe County seems to be more accepting of them. Regarding the effort to bring about 150 refugees to Asheville, David Gantt, chairman of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, said on Aug. 24 that he has heard some opposition to the effort. Yet, the number of critical comments has been far less than the “overwhelming support” he has heard for the idea, Gantt said. Meadows, who fielded questions read by a moderator for 75 minutes, left immediately afterward. The questions for Meadows were written and submitted in advance by members of the audience. The possibility that some refugees might come from Syria and commit acts of terrorism while in the United States was a major concern for Jackson County Republican Meadows — and to many audience members. Jackson is seeking re-election to a third term. See REFUGEES, Page A9
Affordable housing crisis? It must be fixed, panel says From Staff Reports Asheville’s affordable housing crisis could shackle economic growth and the city’s ability to retain workers, community leaders said during an Aug. 24 meeting at downtown Asheville’s Renaissance Asheville Hotel. Public, private and nonprofit representatives came together to grapple with Asheville’s affordable housing crisis and to discuss potential solutions during Leadership
Asheville’s “Finding Shelter: Asheville’s Housing Challenge” panel discussion. The Asheville Summer Buzz Breakfast series program, organized by UNC Asheville, featured speakers from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, the Asheville Housing Authority, First Citizens Bank and Dewey Property Advisors. See HOUSING, Page A9