Mountain Xpress 09.06.17

Asheville’s Innovators Help us identify people who think outside the box for positive local change

In These Categories: Government • Nonprofits • Education • Health Community • Environment • Arts • Business Food • Housing Or any way innovation is being used Email us your nominations at

dhesse@mountainx.com with: Name of person • Name of their organization or business The person’s role • Nominee’s contact information Statement about how the person is using innovation locally

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Please send nominations by Friday, Sept. 29 2

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C O NT E NT S

PAGE 42 GO INDIGO In honor of its original color ball fundraiser, the 2002 Blue Ball, the Asheville Area Arts Council reinstates the multiparty event and calls on the talents of many local entertainers.

On the cover: Abby Allen, top, and Alan Malpass of Asheville Aerial Arts, who will be performing at the Indigo Ball.

COVER PHOTO Cindy Kunst COVER DESIGN Norn Cutson

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10 PERFORMANCE ANXIETY Nonprofits not making grade still get funding

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24 WAR OF WORDS Mission Health and BCBSNC continue to battle over contract

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29 POWER PLAY Duke sparks debate with request for 15 percent rate hike

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33 HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE Edible education takes root in WNC schools

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44 HONORING TRADITION, CELEBRATING CHANGE Carolina Mountain Literary Festival takes over Burnsville

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46 LIVE TAKE Floating Action debuts a new album

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5 LETTERS 5 CARTOON: MOLTON 7 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 8 COMMENTARY 16 ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES 18 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 20 CONSCIOUS PARTY 24 WELLNESS 29 GREEN SCENE 32 FARM & GARDEN 33 FOOD 38 SMALL BITES 40 CAROLINA BEER GUY 42 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 48 SMART BETS 52 CLUBLAND 59 MOVIES 60 SCREEN SCENE 61 CLASSIFIEDS 62 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 63 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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Asheville restaurant owners aren’t willing to pay for good staff I am writing to you now in response to reading an article you recently posted about the Asheville restaurant labor crisis [“Falling Short: What’s Causing Asheville’s Restaurant Labor Crisis?”

Aug. 23, Xpress]. I am a former culinary professional, and the article you published really came across as a gross misrepresentation of the real issues surrounding these restaurants’ current staffing problems. ...

I have worked at some of the most popular restaurants in Asheville. … I have seen what the people you interviewed in the article were talking about, but from the eyes of the employee, there are major problems that were not even spoken of. ...

A couple of people state that the starting wage is $10 [an hour]. The problem here is the term “starting.” That starting $10 is all most cooks will ever get, meaning it is not a starting wage, it is the standard wage. Also, the numbers claiming that the average cooks’ wage in Asheville is $12-15 an hour are not accurate. Nine-$12 would be a much more accurate number. ...

The point being: No one is willing to pay for good staff. As the article is written, one individual talks about how they have

not had problem with turnover before, and that their Atlanta stores do not see the same issue because they have a high population of immigrants. This is stating that they do not have a problem replacing employees in Atlanta who want a raise because they have a large disposable and more desperate work pool. ...

The people interviewed speak about how housing prices are driving people away; this would not be as big of an issue if they actually paid people enough money to live beyond low-income housing. Also, no one spoke about how not only is the service industry grossly underpaid, but they are also incredibly overworked.

Many people end up working 60 hours or more easily a week and then get punished or reprimanded for putting in too many overtime hours. The problem is that often this amount of work is required to keep a restaurant running properly, and it is also the only way for a lot of employees to get their wages up to a livable level.

Many times, most of these restaurants only hire full-time staff and refuse to hire on part-time help, which would help spread hours around and prevent overtime ...

It is a very hard-knock life in the food industry that leads many to drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness and even suicide. The stress put on people for fear of losing a job over $10 [an hour] when they actually find one is not fair. ...

I really want you to understand what the struggle really is here, and it lies solely

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OPINION

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on the business owners themselves not making a proper business plan that involves planning out proper employee wages, staffing and scheduling. Less than 1 percent of the industry offers any form of benefits, and paid time off is never offered. ...

The simple idea that cooking is fun and you get to be artistic with food is a lie once the grind of a line cook sets in. My final thought also is that they kept mentioning that there were not enough qualified workers in this town.

A-B Tech has an outstanding culinary program with close to 100 students. ... The problem is that this industry puts very little value on formal education in cooking and baking. It can get you an interview and definitely an edge on skill tests, but it won’t make you any more money. ...

If they were actually good to people, they would find the workforce they so desperately need right now, but until they realize this, they will just keep digging themselves deeper into the [rut] they have found themselves in. ...

— Anthony Horger

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

Follow this link for more information and online surveys: http://coablog.ashevillenc.gov/2017/08/ asheville-asking-for-input

public notice In January 2018, ART will begin new service including: 1 additional daily trip on Route 170, Sunday/Holiday Service on all routes, and 8 additional hours of evening service on select routes. City Staff request your feedback via surveys and public meetings.

September 11, 2017 between 5 – 7pm at Pack Memorial Library’s Lord Auditorium 67 Haywood St

Interpreter assistance needed?

Necesita un interprete en español? Contacte: Нуждаетесь в услугах переводчика? Обращайтесь Contact us at: iride@ashevillenc.gov (828) 259-5943 www.ridetheart.com

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Back-of-house employees are just as important It’s both bizarre and sweet respite to read about an issue that is at the forefront of my life these days [“Falling Short: What’s Causing Asheville’s Restaurant Labor Crisis?” Aug. 23, Xpress]. I’m new to Asheville, but I’ve jumped into the deep end of the city’s restaurant and hospitality labor crisis since I moved here in April 2017.

For the past five months, I’ve been at A-B Tech developing a course for GED-seeking and ESL students who are interested in working in the hotel and restaurant industry in Asheville.

My goal is to prepare my students for entry-level or mid-level positions in the industry and to help them reach their academic goals. On top of all of this, I’m also a waitress at a local independent restaurant because, let’s be real, I need to pay my bills, and the struggling restaurant industry still pays better than education.

As I was developing the course, I met with and interviewed countless hotel administrators, restaurant managers and professionals in North Carolina’s workforce development groups (i.e., Green Opportunities and Goodwill that offer courses and support for people who want to work in restaurants and hotels). The consensus, according to leadership: People lack a solid work ethic. I can’t tell you how many times I heard, “If you teach them the soft skills (show up, wear the appropriate attire and treat each other with respect), we can do the rest.” My task quickly went from teaching knife skills and units of measurement to teaching students how to be more professional, have a positive attitude, and how to show up and keep showing up.

In my own restaurant, we seemingly grapple with the same issues. We can’t keep a dishwasher longer than a month. It seems inevitable that one day they’ll just stop showing up, and the hunt for a back-of-house employee begins again. Most of them seem unprepared for such a demanding job, or they don’t care to show up regularly, which ultimately supports the poorwork ethic opinion.

No doubt, the problem is vastly complicated, without even mentioning the prevalence of drugs and inflated egos that inevitably seep into kitchens, or the lack of migrant workers who are willing to succumb to low wages and long hours. But, I just can’t accept that work ethic is the only issue at hand.

I had my students read and discuss your article in class. We tried to identify, for ourselves, what the central issue

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might be. The consensus according to my students: There needs to be equal treatment of front-of-house employees and back-of-house employees. I quite agree with them. You can’t tell me that good service isn’t just as important as eating off of clean dishes. Once we acknowledge that those back-of-house “dish-pit” employees are just as important (if not more) than the young and sprightly servers in the front of house, we can begin to change the climate and move the industry and the hardworking people of Asheville forward.

As chef Michel Baudouin once explained to me, “We must recognize that we are one team, the front of house is the offense and the back of house is the defense, and everyone has a valuable role to play in the game.”

Once we accept that each person is crucial to our success, we can respect each other as equals and work better together. Interestingly enough, chef Baudouin’s dishwasher is one of his most loyal long-term employees, working for him for almost 15 years.

— Vanessa Gonzalez Nieto

Asheville

Coming ‘round the mountain (in a big truck) It’s all very nice that Leicester Highway is being widened, but in the meantime, out beyond there, just about anyone who has driven on Sandy Mush Creek Road has probably been nearly forced off the road at least once by a big truck coming around a bend — and the people who live on the road, probably multiple times, as I have been.

Is it going to take someone being killed before we can get some relief from this problem?

— Darlene Wright Leicester Editor’s note: In a subsequent email, Wright said she’d like the N.C. Department of Transportation to install a berm for that road so trucks and cars can avoid collisions. When contacted by Xpress, DOT Division 13 maintenance engineer Mark T. Gibbs suggested that the reader call law enforcement to report reckless-driving issues. Regarding road improvements, he responded: “While the reader mentions a berm, we believe she means an island to separate the opposing traffic flow (i.e., a median).

Adding a median to a secondary twolane facility is not a common practice or standard for NCDOT. If it is determined that improvements are needed, then we would add width to the travel

lanes and possibly widen and pave the shoulders in order for vehicles to maintain lane integrity.

“A secondary road would only qualify for improvements with high traffic volumes, narrow lane widths and high truck-traffic percentages. If we determine improvements should be considered, then the project would be submitted for ranking and would compete with other recommended projects across the state, region and our division. Sandy Mush Creek Road has low traffic volumes (i.e., an average of just over 300 vehicles per day), low truck volumes and lane widths capable of supporting the current traffic volumes.

Although the road may not qualify for a significant widening improvement now, we do agree that it could be widened at strategic locations the next time it is resurfaced.”

City needs Kapoor’s constructive voice I am writing in support of Vijay Kapoor, candidate for Asheville City Council. I worked with Mr. Kapoor on neighborhood issues during the three years I chaired Asheville’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee.

His efforts to promote “responsible development” in South Asheville contributed to the formation of the Sweeten Creek Association of Neighborhoods, which now actively participates in the planning of land-use development and roadway improvements.

This was a giant step forward as NAC had struggled to engage South Asheville neighborhoods. We now regularly see activity of a positive nature emerging from South Asheville, including the submission of a SCAN unified development plan for consideration in Asheville’s 2017 comprehensive planning process.

Mr. Kapoor lives in a community with an active neighborhood association, and he understands the value of that organization. He will bring muchneeded budget experience to the City Council. He demands transparency in decision-making, and he is committed to giving the average citizen a “place in the discussion.”

I have found him to be a person of high integrity, a willing listener, a thoughtful decision-maker and an inclusive leader. Asheville needs this constructive voice in city government.

I ask voters to join me in supporting Vijay Kapoor for City Council.

— Elaine Poovey

Asheville Editor’s note: Poovey tells Xpress that she is working in Kapoor’s election campaign.

C A RT O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N

Let’s move forward with Williams I moved to Asheville 2 1/2 years ago. I love the mountains, mild weather, artsiness. I moved from the Chicago area and was unaware of the dark history of how AfricanAmericans have been treated in Asheville over the years. Upon learning more about Asheville’s history, I also became aware of the injustices that still exist. These include housing, education and job inequities.

So meeting Dee Williams was a relief. She says it how it is. She understands what has occurred and what kinds of economic and social steps can help Asheville move forward versus being static or moving backward. She will help build a positive Asheville for all of us! I endorse Dee Williams to help Asheville move forward!

— Sarah Skinner

Asheville

Repurposing the Vance Monument While everyone is focused on the Vance Monument, no one is talking about the even more obnoxious monstrosity directly across the street. The former BB&T building is going to be the most visible monument to commercialism and greed in this town. Why weren’t the developers forced to remove a few floors to make the building more appropriate to human scale?

In that vein, here is my idea for the Vance Monument: Have a local sculptor create a giant hand at the base; fingers folded to create the impression that the obelisk is a raised middle finger. And be sure it is oriented in the direction of City Council. This will be a historic reminder of how they have sold out this city to corporate, and apparently, their own greed.

— Ron Greenberg

Weaverville

YOU NEWS SECTION

EDITORIAL CARTOONS X

D I STR ACTED BOYF RI E N D M E M E CAPTI O N S B Y X P RE S S E DI T ORI A L S TA F F

CORRECTION In our Aug. 30 article “Call to Action: WNC Hunger-relief Organizations Celebrate Progress and Promote Awareness in September” we misstated the amount of MANNA FoodBank’s 2015 capital campaign. It was $3 million.

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OPINION

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.

Kingdom at war Editor’s note: This look at Asheville during World War II is the seventh in a series of articles offering a virtual tour of the riverfront as it has evolved over time. The previous installments were “The Birth of Asheville’s Industrial Riverfront,” “The Ballad of Old King Coal,” “Insurrection in the Kingdom,” “Ragtime and Ruin,” “Hard Times and Cheap Thrills” and “Cataclysmic Change.”

And the trains came. Like steely steeds clacking their iron hooves almost in military cadence, and their shrill whistles blowing constantly like bugles sounding the charge, they pulled the war wagons to and from the battle.

It seemed that the whole world was at war, and the tiny river kingdom of Asheville was neither exempt from the traumatic effects nor absent in playing an important integral part in its prosecution.

While the kingdom did not suffer the terrible effects of direct battle,

the war effort had a traumatic effect on almost every man, woman and child. The absence of family members and the tragedies that befell their love ones who were wounded — or worse, had perished — was lost on no one.

The populace found that many commodities that had been taken for granted were all of a sudden in short supply. Many of these products depended on water transportation to bring them to our shores, and enemy submarines wreaked havoc with our supply lines.

Prince Petroleum had marched to war and taken all his products with him to power the war machines, making for huge gasoline shortages for the modern chariots.

Old King Coal’s soul became merry again because coal was still cheap and readily available right here on our own shores and was used in immense quantities to power out trains and factories.

The Gospel According to Jerry

JERRY STERNBERG Metals, rubber, textiles and many food items were made scarce as everything was being diverted to the war effort.

Gas, meat, butter, tires, sugar, coffee, shoes and many things depending on metal were in short supply and even rationed in order to make sure our troops on the fighting front had all the necessities to fight the war.

The river kingdom was the front line for recycling.

My father, who was in the hide and metal business on Depot Street, volunteered for the military and was turned down because it was necessary to for him to serve on the home front to keep essential industries going.

He opened many recycling businesses in order to make as great a contribution as possible. He bought and recycled rubber inner tubes; he operated a vulcanizing plant that refurbished old tires. He built a rendering plant for animal offal that produced grease from animal fat. This product was used to produce glycerin, which in turn went into highexplosive bombs and shells.

Because of government-imposed ceiling prices on many of these products, there wasn’t much profit in recycling, but he was determined to make as big an impact as he could to support the front line.

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He also opened a sewing room and bought used and discarded Army clothes, repaired them and sold them in the civilian market, as it was hard to get good clothes in these times — especially wool shirts, pants and overcoats.

As we know, World War II was a watershed moment for women who entered the workforce to replace the men who had gone off to the war. They were hired to do what (up until the war) were considered men’s jobs.

My father recognized the potential of women workers when he visited a textile recycling plant that was one of the few places that African-American women in the South could get a factory job sorting rags and textiles.

He began to hire these women and was able to get high school graduates who were fast learners.

They liked factory work because the only other jobs available were as maids, nannies or service workers, which paid less money and quite often required them to be out of the home at night and away from their children.

As many other manufacturers found out, women made better assembly-line workers than men as they could maintain a longer attention span and were more meticulous. And very few smoked, so it wasn’t necessary for them to take frequent smoking breaks.

Sorting scrap metal was a highly skilled job, and the workers would have to be able to identify more than 100 different metals and alloys.

Putting just a 1-pound piece of the wrong metal in a 500-pound barrel could contaminate the whole barrel unless it was caught prior to the melting process. The employees’ diligence resulted in his company producing one of the best scrapmetal packages in the industry.

In time, these women eventually operated bailers, forklifts and metal shears, and did other heavy work that would have been unthinkable before the war. Eventually, they were promoted to scale operators and inventory clerks. In later years, African-American women supervised both black and white men and women with great success and acceptance. This was unheard of in the Jim Crow South until that time.

He was also very innovative. In the nearby kingdom of Waynesville, there was a plant called Dayton Rubber Co., which was producing life rafts for our ships at sea.

My father bought the scrap cuttings from the company, which were beige, yellow and green for camouflage purposes, and manufactured aviator helmets, which had originally been made out of leather and were very popular with kids. Today they are known as “Snoopy helmets.”

He also made children’s waterproof book bags from the same material.

The river kingdom bustled with manufacturers such as the Owen family, whose company produced Army blankets; Hans Rees Tannery; Asheville Cotton Mill; Dave Steel Co., which fabricated steel for the many military installations nearby; and National Casket Co., which, sadly, was running around the clock.

Many local companies played a critical part in keeping our war effort going and supporting our country during these most trying times. Those included textile recyclers owned by the Slosman, Ness and Gradman families; Asheville Waste Paper, run by the McMahans;

and auto salvage yards and scrap yards run by folks including the Harrisons, Bells and Longs.

The auction chant was still heard annually in the tobacco palaces in the fall, allowing Prince Tobacco and the seductress Nicotine also to play a part in the war effort. Their patriotic benevolence consisted of providing as many cigarettes as possible due to the shortage of labor for manufacturing to all these brave young servicemen, quite often for free, while civilians were reduced to rolling their own. As it turned out, they were truly a fifth column, and their efforts over time caused more illness and death for the “greatest generation” than the war itself.

The seers who tried to plan the river kingdom failed again, but this time their crystal ball was clouded with gun smoke.

Next time: “Thank God it is over” and the aftermath.

Asheville native Jerry Sternberg, a longtime observer of the local scene, can be reached at gospeljerry@aol.com. X

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NEWS

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

Nonprofits not making grade still get county funding

BY DAN HESSE dhesse@mountainx.com In exchange for the $15,000 Buncombe County allocated to support Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s low-income home repair program last year, the nonprofit pledged to complete 40 repair projects. By the end of the fiscal year on June 30, the organization had exceeded that goal, completing 42 repair contracts.

That’s how it’s supposed to work: Based on a nonprofit’s focus and mission, county staff sets specific annual targets for its performance. Funding recipients submit quarterly reports to help the county ensure that the organizations stay on track to deliver the results they promised. And, at least in principle, falling short of the annual goal is likely to result in future grants going to another recipient.

But are the performance measures succeeding in holding all the funded organizations accountable for achieving their stated goals? Data show that $116,000 is currently directed to nonprofits that are failing to meet objectives. And seven of the nonprofits that didn’t meet their goals for the fiscal year that ended on June 30 also missed their targets in the previous fiscal year. Five of those have not met their performance goals for two consecutive years but nonetheless received funding in both the previous and current fiscal year.

In all, $1.3 million was awarded to 36 nonprofits for 63 programs for the fiscal year that began on July 1. Of those programs 52, or 83 percent, met their prearranged metrics. However, 9 percent of the $1.3 million is going to organizations that haven’t met their goals.

At the same time, 23 other nonprofits competed unsuccessfully for the same funding, meaning that some groups with substandard performance relative to their goals beat out organizations that were not awarded county grants.

QUARTER PAST DUE Buncombe County’s community grant program helps support nonprofits’ and some municipalities’ efforts to provide valuable services not otherwise offered. County guidelines state that when an organization gets county dollars, it must meet agreedupon performance standards or face 10

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HOMEWORK: Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s Affordable Home Repair program helps low-income residents stay in homes that they own but struggle to maintain. Photo courtesy of Habitat the potential of being cut off. “Nonprofit agencies will be funded only through a performance contract that is monitored and evaluated by the contracting department throughout the year and only renewed if the performance criteria have been achieved,” reads the resolution that established the policy.

That resolution, Guidelines for the Funding of Nonprofit Agencies, is a nonbinding set of management practices adopted in 2008.

Since the annual reporting schedule mirrors the county’s fiscal calendar, however, the end-of-year reports that tell commissioners whether an organization met its benchmarks aren’t available until after grant funding for the next year has already been approved.

“That’s an issue and one of the things we can look at,” says Rachael Nygaard, the county’s director of strategic partnerships. “Is there a creative way around it? Because it does create a fundamental disconnect making a decision based on performance but not all performance information is in. We need to look at it and see if there is a better way to do it.”

In fact, commissioners are slated to look at the way community grant funding is being approached; that analysis

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could mean an overhaul, minor tweaks or no change to the current policy.

Xpress reached out to Commission Chair Brownie Newman for his thoughts but did not hear back from him before our deadline.

“Things are out on the table for discussion and potential changes. We know what we want to get out of the process… . We want it to be transparent, accountable, impactful in the community, aligned with county priorities,” says Nygaard.

SIGN THE DOTTED LINE Xpress spoke to two nonprofits for this article: Habitat for Humanity, which achieved its goals last year, and Asheville Museum of Science, which didn’t.

“We take our contract with donors seriously, and if we said we would use their gift to build 14 homes and repair 48 homes, we do all we can to make that happen,” says Andy Barnett, executive director of Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Last fiscal year, the nonprofit received $87,500 for home repair and homeownership assistance programs. In exchange for the money, Habitat agreed to complete 40 home repairs and close

on 14 new homes; the organization exceeded the first and met the second of those goals. The nonprofit is getting a combined $85,000 for both programs in the current fiscal year.

The Asheville Museum of Science didn’t fare as well relative to the goals the county set for its performance.

“As with funding from any source, we want to meet the goals set forth in the original request. The museum is certainly aware of our goals and our actual numbers for the generous Buncombe County funding,” says Alison Gooding, the institution’s development director.

Last fiscal year, AMOS received $75,000 and agreed to host 42,321 visitors and 6,390 Buncombe County students. The museum ended up achieving 68 percent of its overall visitation goal and 70 percent of its goal for students. County commissioners granted the organization $13,800 for the current fiscal year.

The museum’s move into a new space at 43 Patton Ave. in the Wells Fargo building downtown left it closed for about four months last year. “If the museum would have been open from August through November 2016, AMOS would have been much closer to, or even over, the projected numbers,” explains Gooding. “Reliable funding is always a concern with nonprofits, and the museum is not free of that concern. The aim is to prove that AMOS is a positive addition to Buncombe County that merits future support. We are confident that we can prove the value but have minimal control in how future funding decisions will be made.”

METRIC OR MILLSTONE? Do the organizations feel the benchmarks are fair targets? “They are realistic; we make sure of that when we apply,” Habitat’s Barnett says.

“However, each year we aspire to build and repair more homes than we did the year before. We take our aspirational goals and associated increases in building costs, and tailor our request to accomplish more,” he notes.

Gooding agrees, noting that accountability metrics can also evolve.

“We would be open to considering other objectives but appreciate having a baseline from which we can report back on subsequent years,” she says.

“Other data that AMOS will be gathering will support the value of having a family-friendly, science education

ON TARGET: Above is a sample of Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s performance analysis. It met all four goals for the past fiscal year. Graphic courtesy of Buncombe County destination and resource in Asheville and WNC.” So what does the county do when it sees an organization falling behind its goals? “Organizations are great to keep us informed when things are changing,” explains Nygaard. “If they submit a quarterly report with a number lagging what they anticipated, there is almost always some kind of note explaining.

And often we reach out and have a conversation, so we keep in touch as the year goes on and not just wait three more months.”

For those meeting goals on a yearto-year basis, there’s a tendency to ask for the same level of funding, or an increase, for the following year. “It’s tempting to make a pitch here for more funding so that our metrics are even better,” says Barnett. “However, we recognize that Buncombe County funds many worthy causes in our area and partners with Asheville Habitat in many ways. We would advocate for more funding, in general, for home repair... . It is critical to keep local families in homes they already own, but cannot afford to keep up.”

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE To find out what recourse the county might have if nonprofits fail to meet their targets, Xpress asked whether clawback measures similar to those attached to Buncombe County’s economic development incentives could be implemented for community grant funding.

In the case of economic development incentives, a business must agree to create a certain number of jobs or invest a set amount of money in the county. If an

incentive recipient fails to meet those goals, some or all of the money won’t be disbursed. For example, the county docks a percentage of the incentive amount if job creation numbers don’t meet benchmarks.

With regard to the feasibility of instituting similar provisions for nonprofit funding recipients, “I think it’s a structure that makes sense and would like to see what [the commissioners’] thoughts are on it,” says Nygaard.

“Right now there aren’t clawback measures, or other penalties or incentives that are fiscal... . The community looks to us to use the funding in an accountable way that’s going to make the most impact possible. Is there a way to be more strict with those outcomes?

I think that is something that we would look at,” she notes.

Nygaard sees the potential for protecting investments, but she stresses the intent of the community grant funding is different from economic development programs. “Any change in funding to community organizations doing community work has an impact, so it’s something we need to think about carefully,” noting changes would need to be “sensitive to the needs of the organization and the people they serve.”

And while commissioners will ultimately drive any potential changes to the community grant money distribution, Nygaard sees an environment ready to explore change: “This particular board and manager have been excited to delve more deeply into issues than maybe they have in the past.” X

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B U N C O M B E B E AT

NEWS

County looks at audit protocols in wake of Fed probe

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SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

An Aug. 29 special meeting of Buncombe County’s Audit Committee was front-loaded with a disclaimer from Buncombe County Attorney Michael Frue. “I just want to be clear: There’s been some news in the paper lately. There’s not going to be any discussions about any investigation the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced a few weeks ago,” said Frue, referencing the ongoing FBI investigation into former County Manager Wanda Greene. The county’s Audit Committee is tasked with internal and external audit logistics and procedures.

New County Manager Mandy Stone is looking to put her stamp on the organization and possibly distance herself from previous standard operating procedures. Stone told the committee she has different managerial philosophies from her predecessor. “What’s most different is I’m very much a systems manager. ...

The county manager should not control every decision and make those [decisions] in isolation,” she said. “It really should be about the manager’s ability to pull expertise from across the organization and use that balance. That’s one of the primary differences I bring.

“We do a lot of positive things ... but I don’t think we’ve made it easy for people to see what it looks from a fiscal standpoint,” explained Stone, who referenced new transparency tools county staff is looking to debut.

Those web-based efforts will, in theory, allow citizens to have access to real-time financial information.

“When we get a request for information, we need to give complete and accurate information. Transparency builds accountability,” she said, adding “We have to get better at admitting when we might not have made the best decision.”

To that end, Stone is looking to give the county’s internal auditor, Terri Orange, more freedom. “The internal auditor should be able to go to whoever is appropriate without going through layers of bureaucracy,” explained Stone, noting the position will have direct access to key administrative personnel.

The Audit Committee also heard from the county’s chief finance officer, Tim Flora, about changes in the Tax Department. “There are inher-

MOUNTAINX.COM

BUNC OMBE BE AT HQ To read all of Mountain Xpress’ coverage of city and county news, visit Buncombe Beat online at avl. mx/3b5. There you’ll find detailed recaps of government meetings the day after they happen, along with previews, in-depth stories and key information to help you stay on top of the latest city and county news. X

AUDIT ACTION: New Buncombe County Manager Mandy Stone wants to give the county’s internal auditor more access and autonomy. One measure floated would have the internal auditor serve at the pleasure of the Audit Committee rather than county staff. Photo by Dan Hesse ent conflicts and risks being in the financial department. As we grow, we need to split responsibilities, split budget from finance; split internal audit from finance,” he said. “We need to better define the role of internal auditor and how it integrates with the organization.”

The county appointed an interim tax director in the wake of Gary Roberts’ retirement in July but also put a freeze on that position. County staff explained the long-term goal is to create two positions that would keep collections and assessments compartmentalized, a best practice recommended by the UNC School of Government.

“Having two roles separated can prevent potential conflicts. The assessor needs to not worry about the billing side. When one person does both, it can influence both sides

of the equation,” added Dustin Clark, the county’s business intelligence analyst. Ultimately, the Board of Commissioners will need to approve the change.

Orange also laid out proposed changes to the Audit Committee, including a provision for the internal auditor to serve at the pleasure of the committee. “So I can’t be appointed or removed without committee approval. I will have a supervisor on-site, but I am also under the protection of Audit Committee,” explained Orange.

The other change would have county management extracted from the Audit Committee in favor of a second county commissioner.

“The management team is responsible for designing and implementing the system of internal control that the Audit Committee is to oversee. Therefore, it makes sense to remove management from the body charged with oversight of management,” Orange told Xpress.

The Audit Committee is slated to reconvene in the coming weeks to vote on the changes.

Meanwhile, in regard to the Greene investigation, the FBI has not stated what Greene is being investigated for or identified the “others” that are part of the probe. As of Monday, Sept.

4, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told Xpress, via email: “There’s no additional information I can provide regarding the ongoing federal investigation.”

— Dan Hesse X

NEWS BRIEFS

by Max Hunt | mhunt@mountainx.com ASHEVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETS SEPT. 12 Asheville City Council holds its next formal meeting Tuesday, Sept.

12, beginning at 5 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall. The meeting agenda includes a hearing on an ordinance to allow temporary gravel lots in Asheville’s central business district, the rezoning of 421 Airport Road and limited obligation bonds and comments on special obligation bonds.

The following City Council meeting, originally scheduled for Sept. 26, has been postponed until Oct. 3. A full meeting agenda will be posted on Thursday, Sept. 7 on the city’s website.

Meeting agenda & more info: http://avl. mx/3xb CITY SEEKS INPUT ON ART EVENING SERVICE EXPANSIONS A s h e v i l l e ’ s Transportation Department is calling for public input on expanding ART bus route services on weekends and holidays in 2018. The city will add eight additional hours of evening service to selected bus routes due to an increase in funding in the 2017-18 budget.

An online survey is available in English (http://avl.mx/42k) and Spanish (http://avl. mx/42l) on the Open City Hall Asheville webpage.

In addition, the city will also host a series of drop-in meetings: one on Monday, Sept.

11, at Pack Library, with another meeting scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Edington Center on Livingston

Street.

Surveys will also be circulated on ART buses and will be available Oct. 17 at the ART bus station downtown.

Changes to service will be announced by November and implemented beginning in January.

More info: EMathes@ ashevillenc.gov or 828232-4522 ASHEVILLE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS PLAN CANDIDATE FORUM The Asheville chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America will host a candidate forum Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the West Asheville Public Library. The event is open to the public, and all local candidates have been invited to participate.

Each candidate will have three minutes to make an opening statement, followed by an hour of moderated questions, two-minute closing statements for each candidate and a 30-minute Q&A with the audience.

DSA members will vote to endorse at the conclusion of the forum.

Endorsements will be announced the following day.

More info: facebook.com/AVLDSA or avldsa.org WNC RESIDENTS RALLY FOR RECOVERY SEPT. 9 Western North Carolina residents are invited to join the third annual Western Regional Recovery Rally on Saturday, Sept.

9, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Nancy Weldon Open-Air Gym at Lake Junaluska. The event is

geared toward supporting addiction and mental health recovery and treatment in WNC. The rally is free to the public and will feature a free lunch, speakers, an awards ceremony and children’s activities. Numerous regional nonprofits and health care organizations will be on hand with information on treatment resources and services.

The event is part of the nationwide National Recovery Month.

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WEAVERVILLE ARVATO PROPERTY SOLD The former Arvato plant at 108 Monticello Road in Weaverville has been sold to Dr. Frank King of King Holdings IV, LLC, according to real estate broker Whitney Commercial Real Estate Services.

The 416,550-squarefoot plant on 33.5 acres at the intersection of Interstate 26 and U.S. 25N/70W fetched $8.1 million.

Bertelsmann SE & Co., the previous property owner, closed production at the plant in 2016, following a consolidation move. King Holdings IV plans to lease space in the facility to local industries and service companies.

Interested parties can contact Donna Logan of Cornerstone Real Estate Consultants Inc. at 828-779-2222 X

MOUNTAINX.COM

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

13

FEAT U RES

by Lyss Hunt

alyssadecaulp@gmail.com

Get to know Guastavino

New exhibit in Black Mountain highlights architectural genius

Many are lured to Buncombe County by its rich cultural history, epitomized by the Biltmore Estate, an architectural wonder built for the family of George W. Vanderbilt from 1889-1895. Upon entering the vast mansion, visitors encounter magnificent vaulted tiled hall ceilings. What they may not realize, however, is the designer of those ceilings and others on the estate is also responsible for iconic vaulted tile ceilings and arches in libraries, train stations and restaurants across the country. Most also don’t know that the artist’s body lies in the Basilica of St. Lawrence in downtown Asheville.

Rafael Guastavino was born in Valencia, Spain, and studied architectural engineering in Barcelona alongside more well-known contemporaries like Antoni Gaudí.

It was Guastavino, however, who modernized the classic Spanish architectural technique of using lightweight, glazed tiles to create self-supporting arches.

FROM THE OLD WORLD TO THE NEW Guastavino was awarded the title of master builder in his home country, but despite his early success there, in 1881 he immigrated with his son, also named Rafael, to New York City to join the emerging industrial development field in the United States. During the Gilded Age, architecture was at a crossroads in America. The rapid industrialization of the country’s urban areas led to many developments in building, with an emphasis on steel and concrete production, yet many still craved the traditional grandeur of the Old World.

Defying contemporary convention, Guastavino’s designs also surpassed common practices in many ways. In addition to their beauty, his arches were more cost-effective than other means of arch building. Embedding thin glazed tiles in mortar eliminated the need for scaffolding. Workers could rest upon the work they had already completed, even though many of the resulting vaults and arches were a mere 2 inches thick. In addition, his works were impervious to rot and mold and were fireproof — a huge advantage, as large-scale fires had

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SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

DOOR TO THE PAST: The entrance to the wine cellar, one of the few structures remaining from the original Rhododendron estate and the only one made using Guastavino’s trademark tiling. Photo by Lyss Hunt devastated many urban areas in the 19th century.

The fact that his designs could offer protection against fire helped Guastavino land his first large commission in the United States. The McKim Building of the Boston Public Library, which was completed in 1895, was intended to hold many rare books and personal papers. The appeal of a fireproof construction outweighed the risk of hiring a relatively unknown designer, and so Guastavino began to make his name in America by designing the vaulted ceilings of the marquee library.

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A TASTE OF SPAIN IN WNC A commission to design decorative tile vaulting at the Biltmore Estate led Guastavino to purchase land in present-day Black Mountain, where in 1895 he built his personal estate, Rhododendron. In addition to a sprawling house that was known to locals as the Spanish Castle, Guastavino constructed multiple kilns for producing his tiles, as well as a large cellar to hold the wine and cider his property produced.

By the time he settled into Rhododendron with Rafael Jr. and his second wife, Francesca, Guastavino had become one of the nation’s most renowned architectural engineers. His

company, the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Co., received commissions for such notable projects as Grand Central Terminal in New York City and St. Paul’s Chapel at Columbia University.

Guastavino’s notoriety was such that other architectural firms would prepare incomplete plans, with blank spaces simply marked “Guastavino here,” connoting great confidence in his work, notes Anne Chesky Smith, director of the Swannanoa Valley Museum in Black Mountain.

The museum is currently hosting Palaces for the People: Guastavino and America’s Great Public Spaces, a traveling exhibit about his work and later life.

The designer’s estate in Black Mountain did not feature the glazed tiles for which he had become so famous, but was constructed entirely of wood from the property. In the mid-20th century, the house was demolished after being severely damaged by fire. Only the estate’s wine cellar, one of the few surviving structures on the original estate, used Guastavino’s trademark tile.

The ruins of the Rhododendron estate stand today on the grounds of Christmount, a conference center owned by the Disciples of Christ. Helen Johnson, retired director of Christmount, gave Xpress a guided tour of the grounds and ruins.

A 60-foot-tall chimney looms over the collapsed dome of one of two kilns, in which Guastavino used local red clay to manufacture tiles for projects around the country. The architect also purchased land in the middle of the state, which he mined for white clay.

This discovery surprised Chesky Smith when she was working on the exhibit. “It didn’t really occur to me that he would need different kinds of clay for different bricks, but of course,” she says.

Guastavino also made his mark in Western North Carolina by helping design the Basilica of St. Lawrence in downtown Asheville, often said to be the largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America, with no wood or steel beams supporting the span. Construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1909. When Guastavino died in 1908, his body was interred in the crypt beneath the dome. His son completed the work after his father’s death.

LEGACY OF VISIONARY DESIGN The exhibit at the Swannanoa Valley Museum presents many details about Guastavino’s life and work. “It’s certainly the largest exhibit we’ve had,” says Chesky Smith.

Originally designed for the Boston Public Library and funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Palaces for the People outlines the contributions Guastavino made to American architectural design.

After the original exhibit in Boston closed in January 2014, curators donated the 10-foot-tall panels to Christmount, where their prohibitive size relegated the displays to a climate-controlled storage shed. Thanks to fundraising and ingenuity on the part of several locals, notably the novelist David Madden, the Swannanoa Valley Museum acquired the digital rights to the panels and had them reprinted at a more manageable 8 1/2 feet tall.

For prospective visitors or Guastavino enthusiasts who can’t make it to Black Mountain before December, the exhibit will be traveling, although the next location is

yet to be determined. Other sites in North Carolina have expressed interest, as have museums in Barcelona, Spain. In addition, Christmount holds Guastavino’s original plans for a chapel intended for the property, but never built. Eventually, the center hope to construct the chapel atop a large basement, which could permanently house the exhibit in a dedicated Guastavino museum.

As Chesky Smith points out, though, “We have a lot of stuff that came from his estate that will not travel with it and that wasn’t in the original exhibit.” These items include a carved fountain, the bell from Guastavino’s home tower and his parlor set, as well as assorted curios and examples of decorative tiles made at the property during design experiments carried out by the father and son.

The Swannanoa Valley Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and the exhibit runs until Saturday, Dec. 2. Admission is by donation, and guided introductions for groups can be arranged by calling ahead to schedule. Christmount is open during daylight hours, although to obtain a paper copy of the walking tour guide, visitors must stop by the

office, which is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. The Basilica of St. Lawrence can be visited 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays for self-guided tours. For more information, visit saintlawrencebasilica.org. X

Guastavino in Black Mountain WHAT Palaces for the People: Guastavino and America’s Great Public Spaces, a traveling exhibit on architect Rafael Guastavino WHEN Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., through Dec. 2 WHERE Swannanoa Valley Museum, 223 W. State St., Black Mountain DETAILS avl.mx/42m, 828-669-9566

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Mondays select bottles half price Live Music Friday & Saturday nights Biltmore Station/2 Hendersonville Rd just steps from Biltmore Village 828-222-6555 • virgolausa.com

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F E AT UR E S

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Streetcars’ farewell

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This week marks the 83rd anniversary of Asheville’s final trolley ride. On Thursday, Sept. 6, 1934, an advertisement on Page 8 of The Asheville Citizen announced the following: “Come along with the crowd and take your last trolley ride! You probably will miss the thrill of your first ride but that will be replaced by the jolly good fellowship of your fellow passengers. There will be ample room … candy, soda pop, newspapers, and what-not … all in the hands of fellows you know. Don’t be late — the first car leaves Government and Haywood streets promptly at 4 o’clock!! When the last car returns, electric trolleys will be history in Asheville and Western North Carolina.”

After 45 years of service, the final seven streetcars departed from Pritchard Park that day, headed toward West Asheville.

The 45-minute round trip, farewell tour included 500 passengers. Veteran employees and owners were among those riding the trolleys, including seven of the Carolina Power and Light company’s oldest motormen: John R. Drake, R.L. Williams, J.A. Bell, A. Whisnant, E.N. Engle, P.C. Stroupe and M.R. Winters.

The Asheville Citizen provided pre- and post-coverage of the historic event. On Wednesday, Sept. 5, the newspaper ran a statement offered by Charles S. Walters, vice president of the Carolina Power and Light. In it Walters said:

MOUNTAINX.COM

“Operation of the last streetcar in the city of Asheville is more than the mere ending of trolley service. It is a significant event for many reasons. It is significant because it means that another form of transportation has outlived its usefulness. It is significant because Asheville was the second city in the country to have electric cars. And it is significant because it means that a new means of mass transportation must be provided for our citizens.

“Only those of more mature years are able to really appreciate the part our electric trolley lines have played in the development of Asheville. They made it possible for the city to spread out and for the people to enjoy suburban life. They furnished recreation in the days when Sunday strolls and trolley rides were popular pastimes for the masses. And they gave Asheville the impetus that moved it from a struggling village to a young city.”

Buses would replace the street cars. On Sept. 16, 1934, the Sunday edition of the Asheville Citizen-Times noted that the new mode of transportation shaved off an average of 2 ½ to 5 minutes per ride, compared to the former trolleys. The price for each bus was $4,000, with operating costs that averaged about 16 cents a mile.

In the same article, the history of Asheville’s trolley system is relayed.

According to the account, the first trolley test run occurred on Feb. 1, 1889. It featured three cars. Contractor, E.D. Davidson and

engineer John H. Barnard are credited for the cars’ debut. The article goes on to note a publicity stunt carried out by Davidson that day: “When the foot of the South Main street (now Biltmore Avenue) hill was reached, [Davidson] hitched six horses to one of the cars. The other two went up the hill on the power in triumph, while the six horses labored and struggled with theirs.”

On Sept. 7, 1934, the day after the final rides, The Asheville Citizen recapped the event. During the farewell tour, the Asheville Rotary Club hosted a fundraiser inside the seven streetcars, raising money for children with disabilities.

While no fares were imposed on riders for the final trip, donations were accepted. The organization raised $144.71.

That day’s newspaper went on to report that “a quartet, led by H. Grady Reagan, chairman of the board of county commissioners, sang ‘The Last Round-Up,’ from the second story window of a building on College street … overlooking the cars.” Later on in the article, the crowd’s ambivalence was addressed: “Although the general motif was gay, there was an undercurrent of sadness among many of the passengers at the passing of the familiar streetcars which had served the city so long.” X

DOUBLE TAKE: Top, Asbury Whisnant, left, and Henry Thompson in front of Car No. 18 at Asheville’s Southern Railway Depot, circa 1905.

Below, the depot site today. Top photo from the collection of Richard and Elaine Whisnant; image enhancement

by Evan Whisnant. Historical and location research and bottom photo by Will McLeod

by Liz Carey

lizcarey@charter.net

Mongolia by horseback For five days, horsewoman Marianne Williams was living her dream of riding in what’s billed as the longest and most dangerous horse race in the world.

That dream ended abruptly with a shattered collarbone and a flight back home. But for the Tryon adventurist, just participating in the Mongol Derby was a highlight of an extraordinarily exciting life.

In August, Williams rode in the 1,000-kilometer race across Mongolia on the backs of semitamed Mongolian horses. The Mongol Derby pits upward of 40 riders from across the globe against one another and the elements.

The course changes every year, but it always mimics the trails postal carriers took for Genghis Khan in the early 13th century. And just as in those days, the riders risk exposure to the weather, wild dogs, bandits and shaky footing.

Over the course of as many as 10 days, riders gallop across deserts, plains and the Mongolian hills, enduring weather that ranges from blistering heat on shifting sands to the freezing cold of the mountains. Horses are switched out every 40 kilometers. Nights are spent in native horse traders’ tents or in the homes of Mongolians along the route.

Days are spent racing across the countryside with only 11 pounds of supplies, including their saddles.

The dangers along the way are not to be taken lightly, event organizers say.

“Your chances of being seriously injured or dying as a result of taking part are high. Individuals who have taken part in the past have been permanently disfigured, seriously disabled or lost their life,” states the website for The Adventurists, the organization that runs the Mongol Derby.

From Aug. 9-14, Williams was among those embracing those risks.

On her last day, her horse stepped into a marmot hole. It wasn’t the first time she had been thrown from a horse, but it was the last in this race.

“My final throw was completely unexpected. Seventy-five miles down that day, and I was walking my horse in for his vet check,” Williams wrote in an email. “I was almost to the station. I was told that he fell in a large hole that had been lightly covered by dirt. He panicked and bucked wildly and off I went.”

Williams says she was knocked unconscious and shattered her clavicle. She was immediately taken to the event’s emergency medical care facility

Tryon woman rides into adventure The Adventurists. The 2017 Mongol Derby was jointly won by 29-year-old Ed Fernon, an Olympic pentathlete from Sydney, Australia, and 51-yearold Barry Armitage, a former professional sailor turned adventurer from South Africa. “They crossed the finish line together in stinking hot conditions and have covered the 1,000 kilometers in seven days, riding 12 hours a day — and in some of the worst conditions the race has ever seen,” Ampairee says.

The race benefited Cool Earth, an organization that works alongside indigenous people to halt rainforest destruction.

For the 54-year-old Williams, the goal of life is not to slow down and take things easy. It’s to “‘not go gentle into that good night,’ but to slide sideways into [my] grave laughing like hell — while clutching on last cold beer in [my] weatherworn hand,” she says. X

AT THE RACE’S END: Riders at the Mongol Derby’s “finish camp,” after completing the 1,000-kilometer race. Photo courtesy of Julian Herbert and the Mongol Derby and then to a hospital two hours away.

“I was X-rayed and bathed with having warm water poured over my bruised and broken body,” she says. “The water

had to be heated on a stove, as the entire city block was out of hot water. I had the entire emergency room to myself for two days. The nurses brought me local menus to order from, so I had a filet mignon, salad and a glass of red wine.”

DRAGGED AWAY FROM WILD HORSES

LIVING BOLDLY: Marianne Williams is no stranger to danger or horses, but a shattered collarbone took the Tryon resident out of the race in Mongolia. Photo courtesy of Williams

Despite being a veteran horsewoman, Williams found the Mongolian horses to be a big challenge.

“You can’t prepare for the unforeseen,” she says. “I did the best that I could, but when you put yourself on 27 semiwild horses, in the middle of the Mongolian steppe, and attempt to navigate with one hand and control the horse with the other, while riding across marmot-infested land at breakneck speeds ... well, there’s a bit of a variable in there somewhere.”

Although the race ended with a party on Aug. 19, Williams wasn’t among those celebrating. She was flown home immediately, via Russia, for surgery.

Of the 42 riders in the race, only 36 finished. Five others, in addition to Williams, were forced out due to illness or injury.

The winners of the race, however, traveled the course in record time, says Liz Ampairee, spokeswoman for MOUNTAINX.COM

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 6 - 14, 2017

Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • TH (9/14), 6-9pm - “Successful Sales on Amazon,” class.

Registration required.

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CALENDAR GUIDELINES For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 251-1333, ext. 137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 251-1333, ext. 320.

BENEFITS AAAC ANNUAL COLOR BALL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • SA (9/9), 6pm Proceeds from this indigo themed art ball at five locations across Asheville with local food, performances and silent auction benefit the Asheville Area Arts Council. $75.

Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. ASHEVILLE MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE 226 Fairway Drive • SA (9/9), 7:30am Proceeds from this golf tournament and awards lunch benefit Groce United Methodist Church local missional outreach programs.

Registration: 828-2987647 or 828-299-3993. $60/$240 for a team of four.

BOTANICAL GARDENS J.W. Weaver Blvd., 828-252-5190 • SA (9/9), 9am-3pm Proceeds from this fall plant, rummage and bake sale benefit the Botanical Gardens.

Free to attend.

CAMP TON-AWANDAH 300 W Ton A Wondah Road, Hendersonville, 828-692-4251, camptonawandah.com • SU (9/10), 2:30pm - Proceeds from

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HATCHWORKS 45 S. French Broad • TH (9/7), 6-7:30pm Hatch Asheville “Pitch Party” open-mic night for entrepreneurs.

Free.

• WE (9/13), noon1pm - “Ideation and Validating an Idea,” workshop. Free.

the “Camp for all Barbecue Ball,” event with archery, crafts, paddling, canoeing, fishing, rock climbing, dinner, live music and silent auction benefit Camplify camp-based and experiential learning programs for students in need.

Registration: barbequeball.com. $75/$100 per couple/$125 per family of four.

FEASTING FOR FEAST feastasheville.com • WE (9/13), 6-8:30pm - Proceeds from this fundraiser with local food and drinks, live music, raffles and auctions benefit FEAST programming in Asheville area schools. $50. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St. Asheville THE JOSEPH INITIATIVE josephcommunitycenter.org • TH (9/14), 6-8pm - Proceeds from this fundraising event featuring presentations, short films and a documentary film screening about local musician, John Trufant, benefit The Joseph Initiative. $5. Held at the Fine Arts Theatre, 36 Biltmore Ave. MOUNTAIN CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER mtncac.org • FR (9/8), 7pm Proceeds from this mystical poetry and music concert with

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS

WINE AND DAHLIAS: Bullington Gardens, a horticultural education center and public gardens, is hosting two plant-oriented events in the coming weeks. First up, on Friday, Sept.

8, and Saturday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., is the annual fall plant sale featuring sales of fall-blooming perennials, mums, asters, shrubs, native plants, used gardening tools and yard art. Then, on Friday, Sept. 22, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the center hosts its annual Wine & Dahlias event featuring wine, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction in the dahlia garden. The garden features over 600 dahlia plants now in full bloom. The plant sale is free to attend, and general tickets for the Wine & Dahlias event are $30 and are available through Monday, Sept. 18.

For more information or reservations, visit bullingtongardens.org or call 828-698-6104. Photo courtesy of Bullington Gardens (p. 32) Mary White and Richard Shulman benefit the Mountain Child Advocacy Center. $10.

Held at Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River MOUNTAINS BRANCH LIBRARY 828-287-6392, mountainsbranchlibrary. org • TH (9/14), 11am Proceeds from this author luncheon featuring Mary Ann Claud benefit the Mountains Branch Library. Registration required: 828-287-6392. $25. Held at Lake Lure Inn and Spa, 2771 Memorial Highway Lake Lure

MOUNTAINX.COM

OPEN HEARTS ART CENTER 217 Coxe Ave. • TH (9/14), 6-9pm Proceeds from “Opening Night at Open Hearts” grand opening reception with live music by Pink Mercury, raffle and silent auction benefit Open Hearts Art Center. $30/$25 advance.

THE COLLIDER 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 Asheville, thecollider.org/ • SA (9/9), 6-9pm Proceeds from this reception and documentary premier of Memory of Fish benefit the Dr. Thomas R. Karl Internship Program with The Collider. Presentation

by producer and director Jennifer Galvin regarding marriage of film, science and the music behind this project. $30.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 828-398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • WE (9/6), 11am-1pm “Managing Your Business’ Finances,” seminar.

Registration required.

Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • WE (9/6), 3-6pm - “Divi for the Small Business

Owner,” seminar.

Registration required.

Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • SA (9/9), 9am-noon “Using Google to Engage the Holiday Shopper,” workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • TU (9/12), 6-9pm “Increasing Cash Flow in Your Business,” workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • WE (9/13), 11am1pm - “People are Your Business,” seminar.

Registration required.

EMPYREAN ARTS CLASSES (PD.) BEGINNING POLE weekly on Tuesdays 5:15pm, Wednesdays 5:30pm, and Thursdays 11:00am. POLE SPINS & COMBOS weekly on Sundays 5:45pm.

INTERMEDIATE POLE weekly on Mondays 3:45pm and Wednesdays 6:45pm. FLEXIBILITYCONTORTION weekly on Tuesdays 8:00pm, Thursdays 1:00pm, and Saturdays 2:30pm.

BREAK DANCE weekly on Fridays 6:00pm. FLOOR THEORY weekly on Wednesdays 8:00pm.

For details & sign up go to empyreanarts. org or call/text us at 828.782.3321.

ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL’S 4TH ANNUAL HARVEST CONFERENCE (PD.) 9/8-9/9 at Warren Wilson College. 20+ classes on fall & winter growing, fermentation, homesteading & self reliance. Friday, pre-conference, all-day, workshops. $45 by 8/6, $50 after.

organicgrowersschool. org.

UFOS AND THEIR SPIRITUAL MISSION (PD.) UFO sightings worldwide; crop circles; the emergence of Maitreya, the World Teacher and the Masters of Wisdom; people’s voice calling for justice and freedom; growing environmental movement.

How are these events related? Free talk and video presentation. • Saturday, September 16, 2pm, Asheville Friends Meeting. 227 Edgewood Rd, 2pm.

Free. 828-398-0609.

PEOPLES PARK ASHEVILLE facebook.com/ peoplesparkavll • TUESDAYS, 9am - “Keep Asheville in Stitches,” gathering of people who crochet, cross-stitch, knit and otherwise puncture the status quo. Free. Held at 68 Haywood St. ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 36 Montford Ave., 828-258-6101, ashevillechamber.org • TH (9/7), 4-6pm “Planning Well,” moderated panel discussion about planning for your future from college tuition for children to retirement planning.

Hosted by McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. Registration: ahauch@ mwblawyers.com or 828-254-8800. Free.

ASHEVILLE CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS aiaasheville.org/ • TH (9/7), 7pm “Architectural Design Awards,” outdoor awards event with reception followed by a video awards presentation. Residential and commercial categories will be recognized as well as “Citizen Architect” awards.

$20. Held at City County Plaza, 101 College St., Asheville ASHEVILLE CHESS CLUB 828-779-0319, vincentvanjoe@gmail. com • WEDNESDAYS, 6:30pm - Sets provided.

All ages and skill levels welcome. Beginners lessons available. Free.

Held at North Asheville Recreation Center, 37 E. Larchmont Road ASHEVILLE NEWCOMERS CLUB ashevillenewcomersclub. com • 2nd MONDAYS, 9:30am - Monthly meeting for women new to Asheville. Free to attend.

ASHEVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION ashevillenc.gov/parks • SA (9/9), 8am-1pm Montford community yard sale with over 45 vendors. Free to attend.

Held at Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Drive.

ASHEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT 828-259-5881, ashevillenc.gov/ Departments/Police • Through TH (9/7) - Open registration for the Asheville Police Department’s Fall Citizens Police Academy. Registration: bit.ly/2uVozmf. Free.

ASHEVILLE ROTARY CLUB rotaryasheville.org • THURSDAYS, noon1:30pm - General meeting. Free. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St. ASHEVILLE TAROT CIRCLE meetup.com/ Asheville-Tarot-Circle/ • 2nd SUNDAYS, noon - General meeting.

Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TU (9/12), 6:30pm - Adult coloring club.

Free. Held at EnkaCandler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • WEDNESDAYS (9/6) & (9/13) - Spanish conversation group.

Registration required.

Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. DISABILITY PARTNERS - ASHEVILLE OFFICE 108 New Leicester Highway, 828-298-1977, disabilitypartners.org • FR (9/8), 2-5pm “What Would You Do....The Many Faces of Disability,” interac-

tive session on how to respectfully interact with people with all types of disabilities. Potluck taco dinner at 3:30pm. Bring an ingredient to share.

Free.

FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115 • WEDNESDAYS, 6pm - “What’s Up with Whiteness” discussion group. Free to attend.

HAYWOOD STREET CONGREGATION

DANCE POLE FITNESS AND DANCE CLASSES AT DANCECLUB ASHEVILLE (PD.) Pole Dance, Burlesque, Jazz/Funk, Flashmobs!

Drop in for a class or sign up for a series:• Monday: 5:15-Adv. Beg. Spin Pole, 6:30Sexy Chair Series, 6:30-Stretchy Flexy, 7:30-Adv. Beg. Pole• Tuesday: 12PM-Pole

$10, 5:30-Pole, 6:30Jazz/Funk Series, 7:30Pole• Wednesday: 5:30Pole, 6:30-Pole Tricks, 7:30-Pole• Thursday: 5:30-Jazz/Funk Series, 6:30-Exotic Poleography, 7:30-Beg. Spin Pole• Friday: 11-Open Pole, 12-Floor Play• Saturday: 1:30-Intro/ Beg. Pole $15Visit the website to learn more: DanceclubAsheville.com 828-275-8628 - Right down the street from UNCA - 9 Old Burnsville Hill Rd., #3

297 Haywood St., 828246-4250 • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS - Workshop to teach how to make sleeping mats for the homeless out of plastic shopping bags. Information: 828707-7203 or cappyt@att. net. Free.

LAKE LOUISE PARK Doan Road, Weaverville • MO (9/11), noon Patriots Day observance with performance by the Reuter Center Singers and participation from the Mars Hill VFW Post 5483. Free.

LAUREL CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD OF AMERICA 828-686-8298, egacarolinas.org • TH (9/7), 9:30am-noon - General meeting and presentation by Sharon Huffstetler regarding antique samplers.

Free. Held at Cummings United Methodist Church, 3 Banner Farm Road, Horse Shoe LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828774-3000, facebook.com/Leicester.

Community.Center • 2nd TUESDAYS, 7pm - Public board meeting.

Free.

OLLI AT UNCA 828-251-6140, olliasheville.com • WE (9/13), 4:30-6pm “Women in STEM,” presentation highlighting women in STEM fields.

Free. Held at UNCAsheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road TARHEEL PIECEMAKERS QUILT CLUB tarheelpiecemakers. wordpress.com/ • WE (9/13), 9:30am General meeting and “Fold’n Stitch Wreath” presentation by Sharron Johnson. Free. Held at Balfour United Methodist Church, 2567 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville

MOUNTAINX.COM

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

19

Buying, Selling or Investing in Real Estate?

(828) 210-1697

www.TheMattAndMollyTeam.com

C O N S C I O U S PA R T Y

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

The Memory of Fish

MR. SALMON: Dick Goin shares one of his picket signs in this still from The Memory of Fish. The Collider screens Dr. Jennifer Galvin’s documentary on Sept. 9 as part of a benefit for its Thomas R. Karl Internship Program. Photo courtesy of reelblue, llc WHAT: A documentary screening to benefit The Collider WHEN: Saturday, Sept., 9, 6-9:30 p.m.

WHERE: The Collider, 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 WHY: The similarities between a fisherman who became an advocate for Washington state’s Elwha River and the efforts of an Asheville climate innovation center are clear on an environmental activism level. Documentarian Dr. Jennifer Galvin, whose latest film centers on the work of the unlikely salmon enthusiast, sees even more connections.

“The Collider tackles the big and daunting issue of climate change. People think, ’How can I make a difference? How can I possibly make this better?’ But as audiences will see in The Memory of Fish, it’s all about persistence,” Galvin says. “I saw that in Dick Goin, the subject of the film. His persistence is inspiring. I think others will be inspired, too.”

A scientist with degrees in epidemiology and public health from Harvard and Yale, Galvin spent six years developing the film, which screens at The Collider on Saturday, Sept. 9. The evening begins with a catered reception from Whole Foods Greenlife, Oskar Blues Brewery and Metro Wines, after which the onehour documentary will be shown on The Collider’s trio of jumbo screens. Galvin 20

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

will be in attendance and participate in a post-screening discussion.

Proceeds from the event benefit The Collider’s Thomas R. Karl Internship Program, which was established to develop the next generation of climate solution leaders and created in honor of Karl upon his retirement as director of NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Local entrepreneurs have already seen the program’s immense potential firsthand, including Jeff Hicks, CEO of The Collider-housed FernLeaf Interactive, which delivers community resilience solutions.

“I benefited greatly from the internship I had in college — and I have always wanted to pay it forward — but as a smallbusiness owner, that desire kept getting delayed,” Hicks says. “The Collider’s internship program gives me the support I need in order to offer an internship. I now have the great pleasure of mentoring and working with William Jackson, an exceptionally bright and motivated UNC Asheville student who served our country in the Navy.”

The Memory of Fish screens at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, at The Collider. Tickets are $30 per person, $10 for students with a valid campus ID or free with a one-year Friends of The Collider membership and available online at www.thecollider.org X

C OMMU N IT Y CA L EN D AR

2 STEP DANCE WITH TEXAS T & THE TUMBLEWEEDS (PD.) At Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Friday, September 8, 6pm-9pm. Wear your dancing shoes! $6. Kids under 5 free. Dinner and drinks available. hickorynutgapfarm.com DO YOU WANT TO DANCE? (PD.) Ballroom, Country and Social Dance Instructions, Dance Workshops and Social Dance Events in Asheville. Certified instructor. Contact Richard for information: 828-333-0715, naturalrichard@mac.com • www.DanceForLife. net EXPERIENCE ECSTATIC DANCE! (PD.) Dance waves hosted

by Asheville Movement Collective. Fun and personal/community transformation. • Fridays, 7pm, Terpsicorps Studios, 1501 Patton Avenue. • Sundays, 8:30am and 10:30am, JCC, 236 Charlotte Street. Sliding scale fee.

Information: ashevillemovementcollective.org STUDIO ZAHIYA, DOWNTOWN DANCE CLASSES (PD.) Monday 12pm Barre Wkt 4pm 5pm Bellydance Drills 6pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Bellydance Special Topics 7pm Contemporary 8pm Sassy Jazz Series • Tuesday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 12pm SculptBeats Wkt 4pm Kids Creative Movement 5pm Modern Movement 6pm Intro to Bellydance 7pm Bellydance 2 8pm Advanced Bellydance • Wednesday 5pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Bhangra Series 7pm Bollywood 8pm Ballet Series • Thursday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 12pm Sculptbeats Wkt 4pm Kids Hip Hop 5pm Teens Hip Hop 6pm Bellydance Drills 7pm Vixen 8pm West Coast Swing Series • Friday 9am Hip Hop Wkt Saturday 9:30am Hip Hop Wkt 10:45 Buti Yoga Wkt • Sunday 11am Yoga Wkt • $14 for 60 minute classes, Wkt $8. 90 1/2 N. Lexington Avenue. www.studiozahiya. com :: 828.242.7595

FOOD & BEER BARBECUE FEST AT HICKORY NUT GAP FARM (PD.) Saturday, September 9 from 11am-4pm.

Admission is $7. Kids under 4 free. Honky

by Abigail Griffin

Tonk band Sammy Guns will be playing from 11-3. hickorynutgapfarm.com

FESTIVALS GOOMBAY FESTIVAL ashevillegoombayfestival.org • FR (9/8), 6-9pm & SA (9/9), noon-9pm - Outdoor festival celebrating African & Caribbean heritage.

Event features speakers, spoken word, live music and dance performances and vendors.

Free to attend. Held at Pack Square Park, 121 College St. NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN STATE FAIR wncagcenter.org/p/ mountainstatefair.

• FR (9/8) through SU (9/17) - North Carolina Mountain State Fair. See website for more information. Held at WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS BLUE RIDGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S CLUB facebook.com/BRRWC • 2nd THURSDAYS, 6pm - General meeting.

Free to attend. Held at Gondolier Restaurant, 1360 Tunnel Road CITY OF ASHEVILLE 828-251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 5pm - Citizens-Police Advisory Committee meeting. Free. Meets in the 1st Floor Conference Room. Held at Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte St. • TH (9/7), 6-8pm - Boards and Commissions open house event to inform perspective members about the various boards and commissions opportunities.

Free. Held at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St. • TU (9/12), 5pm Asheville City Council public hearing. Free.

Held at Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza INDIVISIBLE COMMON GROUNDWNC Indivisible-sylva.com • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6:30-8pm -General meeting. Free. Held at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 286 Forest Hills Road, Sylva LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS 828-258-8223, abc.nc.lwvnet.org

• Through TU (10/3) Open registration for “We the People” sixweek constitution study taking place Tuesdays, (10/3) through (11/14), 7-8:30pm. Registration required: We.people.us@ gmail.com. Free. Held at YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave. WEST ASHEVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY 942 Haywood Road, 828-250-4750 • WE (9/13), 6:30-9pm - Asheville City Council candidate forum including Cecil Bothwell, Rich Lee, Kim Roney, Sheneika Smith and Dee Williams.

Hosted by Democratic Socialists of Asheville.

Free.

KIDS ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM 175 Biltmore Ave, 828253-3227 • 2nd TUESDAYS, 11am12:30pm - Homeschool program for grades 1-4.

Registration required: 253-3227 ext. 124. $4 per student.

ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 43 Patton Ave., 828-2547162, colburnmuseum.org • 2nd & 4th FRIDAYS, 9-9:45am - “Little Explorers Club,” guided activities and free play for preschoolers. $3.50 per child/Free for caregivers.

ASHEVILLE MUSIC SCHOOL 126 College St., 828-2526244, ashevillemusicschool.com • SA (9/9), noon-1:30pm “Guitar Effects,” hands-on workshop for ages 10 and up. Free.

• TU (9/12), 7-8:30pm Auditions for the Asheville Music School A Capella Club. Open to all voice types, male and female, in grades 9-12. Contact for full guidelines.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (9/6), 4-5pm - “Art After School,” art program for kids in grades K thru 5. Free. Held at East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Road • FR (9/8), 4pm - Teen cosplay club. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • MONDAYS, 10:30am - “Mother Goose Time,”

storytime for 4-18 month olds. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • MONDAYS, 10:30am - Spanish story time for children of all ages. Free.

Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 4-5pm - “After School Art Adventures,” guided art making for school age children with the Asheville Art Museum. Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester DANCING BEAR TOYS 518 Kenilworth Road, Asheville, 828-255-8697, dancingbeartoys.com • SA (9/9), noon “Empower Girls,” presentations and activities for

by Blue Ridge Taekwondo and Girls on the Run. For ages 5-10. Free to attend.

FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 828-687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • WEDNESDAYS, 10:30am - Family story time. Free.

HANDS ON! A CHILDREN’S GALLERY 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville, 828-6978333

• Through FR (9/8), 10am-4pm - “Make a Grandparents Day Card!” All ages activity.

Admission fees apply.

• WE (9/6) & WE (9/13), 11am-noon - “Nature Nuts,” family-friendly nature walk. Free. Held at Berkeley Park, 69 Balfour Road, Hendersonville • WE (9/6), 4-5pm - “Mad Scientists on Wheels,” science activities for grades K-2. Registration required: 828-890-1850. Free. Held at Mills River Library, 124 Town Center Drive Suite 1. Mills River • TU (9/12) through FR (9/15), 10am-4pm “NCPlayDaze!” Activities that celebrate the value of play for toddlers to grandparents. Admission fees apply.

• TH (9/14), 10am6pm - “Hands On! 10th Birthday!” Activities for all ages. Admission fees apply.

MALAPROP’S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-2546734, malaprops.com • WEDNESDAYS, 10am - Miss Malaprop’s Story Time for ages 3-9. Free to attend.

SWANNANOA VALLEY MUSEUM 223 W State St., Black Mountain, 828-669-9566,

history.swannanoavalleymuseum.org • 2nd & 4th SATURDAYS, 2-4pm - Historically oriented crafts and activities for children. Free to attend.

THOMAS WOLFE MEMORIAL 52 North Market St., 828253-8304, wolfememorial.com • Through SA (9/23) - “Telling Our Tales” student writing competition for grades 4-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Guidelines and information: wolfememorial. com/for-teachers/studentwriting-contest/.

OUTDOORS MOVIN’ ON UP AT CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK (PD.) Enjoy camping and hiking demonstrations, information from health professionals and kid’s activities Saturday, September 9, from 10am-2pm. For info, visit chimneyrockpark. com ASHEVILLE OUTLETS 800 Brevard Road, shopashevilleoutlets.com • WEDNESDAYS through (9/17), 7:30-9am - Healthy Hikers Walkers Club.

Free.

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY HIKES 828-298-5330, nps.gov • FR (9/8), 10am - Blue Ridge Parkway Hike of the Week: “Nature’s Road Trip,” 2-mile guided hike to the top of Little Bald Mountain. Free.

Meets at Pisgah Inn, MP 408.5 BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY RANGER PROGRAMS 828-295-3782, ggapio@gmail.com • SA (9/9), 7pm - “O Christmas Tree,” ranger presentation about evergreens along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Free. Held at Linville Falls Campground Amphitheater, MP 316 • TH (9/14) through SU (9/17) - 26th annual Overmountain Victory Celebration event with live battle enactments and encampments.

Visit website for full schedule: facebook.com/ OvermountainVictory Celebration. Held at MP 331 CHIMNEY ROCK PARK 1638 Chimney Rock Park Road, Chimney Rock, 828625-4688 • SA (9/9), 10am-2pm “Movin’ on Up,” health and wellness activities and information for all ages.

Activities include hikes, yoga classes, presenta-

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C OMMU N IT Y CA L EN D AR

tions and kids activities.

Admission fees apply/ Children free.

LAKE JAMES STATE PARK 6883 N.C. Highway 126, Nebo, 828-584-7728 • TH (9/7), 10am “Backpacking 101,” ranger presentation regarding how to prepare for backpacking trips. Free.

• SA (9/9), 9:45am “Autumn Boat Tour,” ranger led boat expedition. Registration required. Free.

• WE (9/13), 10am - “Lake James Hawkwatch,” ranger-led hawk watching event.

Free.

PISGAH ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE 1 PARI Drive, Rosman, 828-862-5554, pari.edu

by Abigail Griffin

• FR (9/8), 7pm - “Black Holes and Wormholes,” presentation, tour and celestial observations.

Registration required. $20/$15 students, seniors & military/$5 children.

PISGAH CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED pisgahchaptertu. org/New-Meetinginformation.html • 2nd THURSDAYS, 7pm - General meeting and presentations. Free to attend. Held at Ecusta Brewery, 36 E Main St., Brevard SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY 828-253-0095, appalachian.org • SA (9/9), 10am-3pm - “Mountains-to-Sea in a Day” guided, 3-mile hike along high elevation

ridge line to Snowball Mountain property in the Craggy Mountains.

Registration required.

Free. Meets at Craggy Gardens Visitor Center, Pisgah National Forest, MP 364, Blue Ridge Parkway

PARENTING BLACK MOUNTAIN COUNSELING CENTER 201 N. Ridgeway Ave., Black Mountain • THURSDAYS (9/7) until (10/12), 5:30-7pm “Parenting K-5 Children” six-session workshop regarding parenting with love and logic for parents with children aged 4-11.

Registration required: 828-669-9798. Free.

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com HOPE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2443 Spartanburg Highway, East Flat Rock • Through WE (9/27) Open registration for foster parent training class with the Henderson County Department of Social Services. Training begins on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 6-9pm.

Registration: 828-6946252 or families4kids@ hendersoncountydss.org.

PUBLIC LECTURES PEOPLES PARK ASHEVILLE facebook.com/ peoplesparkavl • MONDAYS, 6pm “Asheville Past in the Park,” lectures and discussions regarding local history. Free. Held at 68 Haywood St.

• WEDNESDAYS, 6pm - “Science in the Park” lectures and discussions regarding popular science, environmental and natural phenomena.. Free. Held at 68 Haywood St. PUBLIC LECTURES AT UNCA unca.edu • TU (9/12), 7pm Lecture by New York Times columnist David Brooks, a leading analyst of American culture and politics. Tickets required: events.unca.edu. Free.

Held at UNC Asheville Sherrill Center, 227 Campus Drive

SENIORS ASHEVILLE NEW FRIENDS (PD.) Offers active senior residents opportunities to make new friends and explore new interests.

Activities include hiking, golf, book clubs, diningout, special events, and more. Visit www.ashevillenewfriends.org JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF WNC, INC. 828-253-2900, jfswnc.org • WEDNESDAYS, 11am-2pm - The Hendersonville Elder Club for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths. Registration required: 828-253-2900. $30. Held at Agudas Israel Congregation, 505 Glasgow Lane Hendersonville

SPIRITUALITY ABOUT THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION® TECHNIQUE • FREE INTRODUCTORY TALK (PD.) Deep within everyone is a wellspring of peace, energy and happiness.

With proper instruction anyone can effortlessly transcend the busy or agitated mind and directly experience that rejuvenating inner source.

Learn how TM® is different from mindfulness, watching your breath, common mantra meditation and everything else.

NIH-sponsored research shows deep revitalizing rest, reduced stress and anxiety, improved brain functioning and heightened well-being.

Thursday, 6:30-7:30pm, Asheville TM Center, 165 E. Chestnut. 828254-4350. TM.org or MeditationAsheville.org ASHEVILLE INSIGHT MEDITATION (PD.) Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation.

Learn how to get a Mindfulness Meditation practice started.

1st & 3rd Mondays.

7pm – 8:30. Asheville Insight Meditation, 175 Weaverville Road, Suite H, ASHEVILLE, NC, (828) 808-4444, ashevillemeditation.com.

ASTRO-COUNSELING (PD.) Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions.

Readings also available.

Christy Gunther, MA, LPC. (828) 258-3229.

EXPERIENCE THE SACRED SOUND OF HU (PD.) In our fast-paced world, are you looking to find more inner peace?

Singing HU can lift you into a higher state of consciousness, so that you can discover, in your own way, who you are and why you’re here.

• Sunday, September 10, 2017, 11am, fellowship follows. Eckankar Center of Asheville, 797 Haywood Rd. (“Hops and Vines” building, lower level), Asheville NC 28806, 828-254-6775. (free event). www.eckankar-nc.org FAMILY MEDITATION (PD.) Children and adult(s) practice mindfulness meditation, discuss principles, and engage in fun games. The 3rd Saturday monthly. 10:30am – 11:30. Asheville Insight Meditation, 175 Weaverville Road, Asheville, 828-808-4444, ashevillemeditation.com.

OPEN HEART MEDITATION (PD.) Now at 70 Woodfin Place, Suite 212.

Tuesdays 7-8pm.

Experience the stillness and beauty of connecting to your heart and the Divine within you.

Suggested $5 donation.

OpenHeartMeditation. com SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER (PD.) Wednesdays, 10pmmidnight • Thursdays,

7-8:30pm and Sundays, 10-noon • Meditation and community. By donation. 60 N. Merrimon Ave., #113, (828) 2005120. asheville.shambhala.org WORLD SERVICE MEDITATION (PD.) Want to help the world, but don’t know where to start? Try Transmission Meditation. Group meditation that ‘steps down’ energies from the Masters of Wisdom for use by people working for a better world.

Combination of karma yoga and laya yoga. Nonsectarian. No fees. Free.

Wednesday. September 6, 7pm, Crystal Visions, 5426 Asheville Hwy. Information: 828-3980609.

CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 828-2580211 • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 2pm - Intentional meditation. Admission by donation.

• 3rd SATURDAYS, 7:30-9:30pm - “Dances of Universal Peace,” spiritual group dances that blend chanting, live music and movement.

No experience necessary.

Admission by donation.

FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828255-8115 • 2nd SUNDAYS, 2:30pm - Pagans for a Just Asheville, general meeting. Free to attend.

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-693-

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4890, gracelutherannc.com • 2nd FRIDAYS, 1-2pm - Non-denominational healing prayer group.

Free.

• SU (9/10), 11:30am Cross-generational and multi-cultural potluck lunch. Bring a dish to share. Free.

MARY WHITESIDES: GATHERING OF FRIENDS dolly3695@aol.com • FR (9/8), 7-9pm “Clarity,” non-duality gathering with Mary Whitesides including a silent sitting, talk and question and answer sesssion. Free. Held at Asheville Women’s Wellness & Education Center, 24 Arlington St. MILLS RIVER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10 Presbyterian Church Road, Mills River, 828891-7101 • SA (9/9), 10am - Ninth annual blessing of the pets, outdoor church service for family pets. Dogs must be on leashes and cats in crates. Free.

URBAN DHARMA 828-225-6422, udharmanc.com/ • THURSDAYS, 7:30-9pm - Open Sangha night.

Free. Held at Urban Dharma, 29 Page Ave.

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD ASHEVILLE WRITERS’ SOCIAL allimarshall@bellsouth.net • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6-7:30pm - N.C. Writer’s Network group meeting and networking. Free to attend. Held at Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave., #101 BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (9/6), 3pm - An American Tragedy Discussion Group: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

Free. Held at Weaverville Town Hall, 30 S. Main St., Weaverville • TH (9/7), 6:30pm - East Asheville Book Club: The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen. Free.

Held at East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Road • MO (9/11), 7pm - “Let’s Talk About It,” book discussion of Dance Hall Of the Dead. Registration: 838-250-4756. Free.

Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain • TU (9/12), 1pm - Book Discussion Group: The Round House by Louise Erdrich. Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester

• TU (9/12), 7pm - “An American Tragedy,” lecture by Nancy Lewis regarding The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Free. Held at Weaverville Town Hall, 30 S. Main St., Weaverville • TH (9/14), 5:30-7pm “Female Authors Writing America between the World Wars,” lecture by Susan Williams about Julia Peterkin and her novel Scarlet Sister Mary. Free. Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road • TH (9/14), 6pm Swannanoa Book Club: Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich. Free.

Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa CAROLINA MOUNTAINS LITERARY FESTIVAL 828-208-4731, cmlitfest.org • TH (9/7) through SA (9/9) - Literary festival with 25 author readings, concert, keynote presentation by James Reston, Jr., banquet and writing workshops. See website for full schedule, locations and cost.

FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828255-8115 • First THURSDAYS, 6pm - Political prisoners letter writing. Free to attend.

FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 828-687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • 2nd THURSDAYS, 10:30am - Book Club.

Free.

• 2nd THURSDAYS, 1:30pm - Writers’ Guild.

Free.

MALAPROP’S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828254-6734, malaprops.com • WE (9/6), 6pm - James Costa presents his book, Darwin’s Backyard. Free to attend.

• TH (9/7), 6pm - Young Adult Author Panel featuring FT Lukens, Carrie Peck and Beth Revis.

Free to attend.

• FR (9/8) & SA (9/9), 4-5pm - “Poetrio,” poetry reading event featuring local poets. Free to attend.

• SU (9/10), 3pm - Jason Whitley presents his graphic novel, Sea Urchins. Free to attend.

• MO (9/11), 6pm - Anu Vaidyanathan presents her book, Anywhere but Home: Adventures in Endurance, in conversation with Will Harlan.

Free to attend.

• TU (9/12), 6pm Heather Bell Adams presents her book, Maranatha Road, in conversation with Jeremy Jones. Free to attend.

• WE (9/13), 6pm - Brock Adams presents their book, Ember. Free to attend.

• WE (9/13), 6pm - Holly Goddard Jones presents her novel, The Salt Line.

Free to attend.

• TH (9/14), 6pm - Sharyn McCrumb presents her book, An Unquiet Grave.

Free to attend.

SPELLBOUND CHILDREN’S BOOKSHOP 640 Merrimon Ave., #204, 828-708-7570, spellboundchildrensbookshop.com • SU (9/10), 4-5pm ROYAL Book Club: The Haters by Jesse Andrews. For adult readers of young adult literature. Free to attend.

THOMAS WOLFE MEMORIAL 52 North Market St., 828-253-8304, wolfememorial.com • SA (9/9), 10am-noon Guided walking tour of the Riverside Cemetery with a focus on Thomas Wolfe’s novel, Altamont. $5.

VOLUNTEERING TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) Dedicate two hours a week to tutoring an immigrant who wants to learn English or with an English-speaking adult who has low literacy skills. Sign up for volunteer orientation on 9/27 (5:30 pm) or 9/28 (9:00 am) by emailing volunteers@litcouncil. com. www.litcouncil.com EAST COAST MIGRANT HEAD START 2 Sugarhill Drive, Hendersonville • TUESDAYS through (10/3), 5-7:30pm Volunteers needed to assist with watching children while Latino parents learn English.

Registration: leah.charbonneau@ dpi.nc.gov.

FOOTHILLS FOLK ART FESTIVAL facebook.com/ FoothillsFolkArtFestival • Through SA (10/7) Register to volunteer for the Foothills Folk Art Festival, held in downtown Newton on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Registration: foothillsfolkartfestival.com.

HENDERSON COUNTY BIG SWEEP action.mountaintrue. org/page/s/hendersoncounty-big-sweep • SA (9/9) - Volunteer for the Henderson County Big Sweep 2016. Register online.

Held at MountainTrue, 611 N. Church St., Hendersonville HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC 218 Patton Ave., 828-258-1695, homewardboundwnc.org • THURSDAYS, 11am - “Welcome Home Tour,” tours to find out how Homeward Bound is working to end homelessness and how the public can help.

Registration required: tours@homewardboundwnc.org. Free.

HORSE SENSE OF THE CAROLINAS 6919 Meadows Town Road, Marshall • SA (9/9), noon-1:30pm - Volunteer orientation, tour, demonstrations and introduction to therapeutic horsemanship. Free.

TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAM OF WNC 828-513-0498, tipofwnc.org • Through TH (9/28) Open registration for a ten-day training academy for those interested in volunteering as part of a team of volunteers who provide immediate emotional and practical support to survivors of traumatic events.

Academy takes place Thursday, Sept. 28 through Saturday, Oct. 7.

For information or registration: 828-513-0498.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AIDS PROJECT 828-252-7489, wncap.org • 2nd & 4th SATURDAYS, 10am-noon - Volunteer to deliver food boxes to homebound people living with HIV/AIDS. Registration: 828252-7489 ext.315 or wncapvolunteer@wncap. org.

For more volunteering opportunties visit mountainxc.com/ volunteering

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SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

23

WELLNESS

WAR OF WORDS

Mission Health and BCBSNC continue to battle over contract

BY NICK WILSON, VIRGINIA DAFFRON, MAX HUNT, SUSAN FOSTER wellness@mountainx.com As Mission Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina engage in a high profile, high stakes contract dispute that could result in local residents paying more for care at the region’s largest health service provider, many say they are losing patience with the wrangling.

“I think that these two megacorps should be ashamed of themselves for playing hardball with each other at the expense, mental and emotional, of their clients. This has caused a lot of unnecessary stress on people, including people who are ill,” Debbie Peterson of Asheville tells Xpress. “To threaten loss of insurance coverage, and that is pretty much what it is, should not be allowed and customers should not be used as pawns.”

Some even say they are considering moving to a different state to ensure they can receive care if the two parties don’t come to an agreement, while others, like local physician Daniel Hey, believe the very public battle is “brinksmanship” that will eventually be resolved.

“I pay top dollar for my high-deductible coverage,” says Elizabeth Gullum of Marshall, sounding a fatalistic note about the outcome of the dispute. “I guess now it’s just a matter of hoping I don’t get sick.”

OPENING SALVO The impasse between Mission Health and Blue Cross became public on July 5, when Mission declared its intent to terminate its network contract with the insurer by midnight Oct. 4 if Blue Cross does not agree to higher reimbursement rates for Mission services.

Mission Health operates six hospitals and a number of outpatient and surgery centers. The sixth-largest health system in the state, Mission employs over 10,000 workers, including over 1,000 physicians. It operates the region’s only Level II trauma center and long-term acute care hospital.

If Mission Health’s contract with Blue Cross ends, patients covered by insurance plans offered by Blue Cross

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SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

AT AN IMPASSE: As a public relations campaign rages on, Mission Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina seem to have reached a stalemate in their negotiations to renew the health system’s status as an in-network provider for those insured by Blue Cross. Photo

by Virginia Daffron will have to pay higher, out-of-network rates for care at all Mission facilities and practices starting Oct. 5. Emergency care, Mission Health points out, would continue to be provided at lower in-network rates for all customers even if the dispute is not resolved.

According to Rowena Buffett Timms, Mission’s senior vice president of government and community relations, about 70 percent of the health system’s patients are covered by Medicare or Medicaid, or are uninsured. About a quarter of Mission’s patients are covered by commercial insurance. Of those, about 70 percent get their insurance from Blue Cross.

Over the last 12 months, Buffett Timms says, nearly 130,000 Blue Cross customers received care from Mission.

Blue Cross is the only insurance carrier that offers individual coverage through the Health Insurance Exchange in Western North Carolina. While employers who provide health insurance to their workers could switch to a new insurer, for exchange customers covered under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, Blue Cross is the only option.

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BATTLE LINES Rising health care costs lie at the heart of the dispute.

“BCBSNC’s latest proposal imposes effective payment rate reductions to our health system at a time when modest annual increases are more important than they have ever been,” said Charles Ayscue, senior vice president, finance, and chief financial officer at Mission Health, in the July 5 announcement.

The terms of the automatic, zeroincrease renewal that would have gone into effect if Mission Health had not announced its intent to terminate its contract with Blue Cross, Mission claims, would “create an effective payment reduction of $296 million over five years for Mission Health System, creating a massive financial shortfall we cannot overcome.”

“Although we aren’t allowed to disclose BCBSNC’s specific offer due to a confidentiality provision, we would be happy to disclose all details if BCBSNC will agree to waive the confidentiality provision,” says Buffett Timms. “We can say categorically that we would be better

off accepting their automatic renewal with forever-zero rate increases rather than the last offer that they had on the table. I don’t know why they would say otherwise, but it seems as if they are disclosing only one portion of their prior offer.”

But the upshot, she continues, is that the “offer, when combined with other significant price reductions for certain services, leads to an all-in offer that we believe to be worse than the forever-zero automatic renewal. This really isn’t an opinion; it’s a math calculation.”

Meanwhile, costs — for drugs, medical equipment and supplies and, critically, labor — continue to rise, while payment rates from Medicare and Medicaid remain flat or are declining, Buffett Timms explains.

Melissa Biediger, communication specialist at BCBCNC, disputes Mission’s take on the contract negotiations. She claims it is inaccurate for Mission to claim that BCBSNC has forced a choice between a zero percent rate increase and a reduction in fees.

“That’s not true,” she says. “Blue Cross NC proposed a slowdown of their price increases. More than 40 other hospitals in the state have agreed to keep costs down for customers.”

She adds that Mission “has demanded rate increases that would contribute directly to higher premiums and outof-pocket costs for customers. Despite our reasonable proposal to slow the increase of medical costs, Mission Health refused to budge.”

Because of the confidentiality agreement in place between the parties, it is impossible for consumers to know what the terms of the negotiations have actually been to date.

COMPLICATED ARITHMETIC Biediger says the company’s customers “already pay more for care at Mission Health than many other health systems in the state.” She claims that “Mission Health is among the most expensive facilities in the area for common inpatient procedures.”

Buffett Timms counters this claim, citing the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ independently maintained data (avl. mx/426), “which shows Mission Hospital’s charges are on average 23 percent below its peer group average, 36 percent below the most expensive

DNA Blueprint Healing peer group hospitals, and 7 percent below the average of the other local hospitals in Western North Carolina.”

In order to provide some adjudication of these contradictory claims, Xpress conducted its own data analysis, using NCDHHS data, of a sample of nine common inpatient procedures: gall bladder removal (with and without complications), lower-extremity procedures, hip and femur procedures, Cesarean section (with and without complications), lower- extremity joint replacement and vaginal delivery (with and without complications).

Results indicated that Mission was actually four percent more expensive on average than local hospitals on these procedures but 14 percent cheaper on average than regional peer group hospitals. Comparisons to the most expensive hospitals were not made.

Although Xpress was not able to make a full comparison based on all procedures offered, our preliminary analysis suggests that Mission’s charges are not among the most expensive in the state.

Our sample data show charges approximately on par with those of other local hospitals and substantially cheaper than regional peer group hospitals.

GOING UP Explaining that he obtained health insurance coverage for the first time four years ago through the Affordable Care Act, 63-year-old Fairview resident John Stevenson says, “So I was very thankful for that, but I am shocked that my premium has basically doubled in the last three years. I pay over $1,100 a month for a $6,000 deductible, which just stuns me.”

Stevenson continues: “I feel like myself and anybody who is insured

by Blue Cross is getting caught in the middle and getting squeezed inappropriately and unfairly. We don’t have enough choices to begin with, and for them to not be able to come to some sort of agreement just seems ridiculous to me.”

A lack of price transparency complicates the problem, according to John Wingerter, director of insurance services at the Council on Aging of Buncombe County. “People are having less access and it’s just getting more expensive for insurance,” he says. “And unfortunately insurance distorts things because most folks have no idea as to the true costs of an office visit or a surgery or an ambulance run or whatever it is, because they have a copay, and they have no idea.”

Buffett Timms agrees that the confusing pricing situation created by the U.S. health care system “makes no sense at all to a normal person and really needs

to be addressed.” Because of the widely differing provisions of multiple versions of coverage plans offered by insurers, “it is literally not possible to provide a generic answer [about the price of a procedure] to everyone.” Furthermore, she continues, “because any given patient is in a specific stage of his or her deductible and copay requirements, the ‘real price’ to consumers could vary widely even with the exact same health plan and depending on the time of year.”

Any patient who requests an estimate of the actual cost of a service in advance, she says, can receive that information through Mission.

Still, says retiree Cassie Dillon of South Asheville, “This fight is an excellent example of why our health care system is a disaster. Health care should be treated as a common good supported by a single-payer system. None of us are capable of making a fully informed decision, so normal market forces do not apply.”

WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS Both sides of the debate seem committed to taking the fight to the court of public opinion. Ads from Blue Cross have appeared in local newspapers and on billboards, radio and television. The insurer is also placing sponsored ads in Google web searches.

A message from Mission Health CEO Ron Paulus posted on the health system’s blog on Aug. 9 asserts, “Mission’s resources must be used to benefit our community, not for advertising battles.

We will never match Blue Cross dollarfor-dollar or ad-for-ad, and we never should.” But the system isn’t taking the public relations assault lying down.

Mission repeated its talking points on social media, hosting a Facebook Live event with Paulus on Aug. 11, followed by weekly video updates. Mission Health has launched a website dedicated to providing information on the controversy at standwithmission.org and is engaged in social media campaigns using the hashtags #standwithmission and #missionstandswithyou. Mission has also placed print advertisements in local publications, including Xpress.

The information campaigns, however, can overwhelm consumers. “It’s really hard to know which slick PR firm to believe,” commented one viewer of the Facebook Live event.

“I work for the state and have already received a notice from BCBS stating that the contract will not be renewed come Oct. 5. Meanwhile I still see ads, billboards and social media communication from both parties requesting the other to continue to negotiate and playing the blame game. I don’t know

what to think,” says Asheville resident Tatiana Calder.

RIPPLE EFFECTS With the relationship between Mission Health and Blue Cross in limbo, other regional health care providers and services are preparing for a possible migration of BCBS patients from Mission to their facilities.

Park Ridge Health System, which oversees more than 30 locations in Henderson, Buncombe and Haywood counties, is already experiencing an uptick in customer service calls since Mission and Blue Cross Blue Shield began squaring off in July, according to Victoria Dunkle, communications director for Park Ridge.

“We’ve really been letting folks know that we’re here to help — that’s the overarching message,” says Dunkle. “The entire Park Ridge Health team and family don’t want to see our friends and neighbors going through this stress, fear and uncertainty surrounding their health care options. We’re ready to help anybody who comes to us seeking care.”

Biediger of Blue Cross comments on Park Ridge’s offer to help take up the

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MISSION SAYS: Citing state data, Mission Health claims that its charges are lower than those of other state hospitals, including local, peer-group and the most expensive hospitals. slack: “We are grateful to Park Ridge for offering support and assistance to Blue Cross NC customers seeking in-network care during this time. Park Ridge Health’s combined network of more than 250 medical providers includes more than 35 primary care providers and nearly 100 specialists representing more than 30 specialties.”

Dunkle refers any patients curious to know more about Park Ridge’s services to visit parkridgehealth.org/answers or call 855-PRH-LIFE for more information. “We accept all insurances, including Medicaid,” Dunkle notes. “We combine primary and specialty care, as well as hospital services, from prenatal to end-of-life stages.”

For services that Park Ridge doesn’t offer within its own network, the organization has an extensive network of providers across the region and state that patients can be connected to, according to Dunkle. “If we can’t meet their need, we will make sure that we do the best to make sure every patient reaches his or her whole-person care,” she notes. “We’re in that journey with them for health and wellness, and that’s what it’s all about, at the end of the day.”

Retired educator Tery Higgins lives in the city of Asheville and is insured by Blue Cross. Her home, she points out, is just a few miles away from Mission Hospital. But if her insurer and her hospital can’t come to terms, she says, “I will travel down the road and use Park Ridge

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Hospital. I have had a few surgeries there and I was very pleased with the facility and the staff.”

Still, finding new doctors who aren’t affiliated with Mission would be “a major pain,” Higgins says.

Other health care providers, such as UNC Health Care’s Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, are hopeful that Mission and BCBS will resolve their differences before it becomes as issue for other regional providers. “We, like most, want to see these two partners sit down and sort this out in a fair and reasonable manner for the folks of Western North Carolina,” says James M. Kirby, II, president and CEO of Pardee UNC Health Care. “[Patients] will want to remain close to their existing primary care providers and family doctors. I am confident Mission and BCBS want that as well.”

While Kirby doubts that Pardee will see more than a temporary spike in the number of patients coming from Mission to Pardee as the deadline approaches, he adds that “Pardee is always here to help our patients and our community.”

PICK YOUR PROVIDER For local emergency service providers, the Mission/Blue Cross dispute, while worth watching, should have lit-

Timeline of a controversy July 5: Mission announced its intent to terminate its contract with BCBSNC “if ongoing negotiations failed to reach an agreement” and established a deadline for new contracts to be in place by midnight on Oct. 4.

July 6: BCBSNC responded with an official statement, claiming “The cancellation is happening because Mission Health has demanded rate increases that we can’t in good conscience ask our customers to pay.”

July 23: Mission Health board members released an op-ed reinforcing their position and pleading their case for public support. The statement explains how they approached BCBSNC six months prior to “request a modest, mid-single digit reimbursement increase,” but were “flatly refused” and pressured to accept a “forever zero” contract because BCBSNC “can’t afford an increase despite dramatically raising premiums to its own customers during each of the last four years.”

July 25: Mission and BCBSNC representatives presented their respective sides of the story at a special meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Tensions ran high, and

some of the commissioners told the companies that the dispute needs to end.

Aug. 10: Mission offered a glimpse of hope by announcing that it would maintain in-network rates for individuals purchasing coverage through the exchange in WNC, but BCBSNC quickly rejected the offer.

Aug. 17: Mission announced that it would discount charges to patients when BCBSNC checks are sent directly to them, provided that patients send the explanation of benefits and checks to Mission within 10 days.

It also noted a state consumer protection law which provides that fully insured patients cannot be penalized when a participating provider is not available without an unreasonable delay. This law is especially important for services which only Mission provides in the area, such as heart surgery as well as pediatric and high-risk maternity services.

Aug. 18: BCBSNC removed all Mission Health providers from its online directory, despite the fact that such providers remain in network through midnight on Oct. 4. X

WELLN ESS CA LEN DA R XPRESS’ COMPARISON OF CHARGES

LOWER OR HIGHER: When Mountain Xpress compared average charges for nine common procedures, it found that Mission Health’s charges are higher than local hospitals but lower than regional peer group hospitals. tle effect on the ability to provide ambulance service to those in need, says William Payne, EMS operations supervisor for Buncombe County. “Most of everything we do is a 911 emergency call, anyhow, so we could still take them to Mission, and Blue Cross would still cover it; it’d just be a higher copay for the patient,” he says.

While EMS officials have informally discussed potential impacts on their service if Mission and the insurer can’t come to an agreement, Payne says no official policy has been put in place yet. For those needing nonemergency transportation, Payne notes that Buncombe County EMS already offers the option to be transported to several Buncombe County health care facilities, including Mission, The Charles George VA Medical Center and Park Ridge.

“Theoretically, just as we’re operating right now, if someone determined that they did want to go to an alternative destination besides Mission, it would be Park Ridge or the VA,” says Payne.

However, transportation fees for ambulance services could be higher if EMS has to travel farther to take a patient to another hospital, says Jerry Vehaun, emergency services director for Buncombe County. “There may be a little additional charge for mileage, but if the patient has been going to Park Ridge or other facility, they are expecting the cost.”

Currently, adds Payne, Buncombe County’s ambulance service charges approximately $8.75 a mile.

A NATIONAL TREND While many local residents see the fissure between Mission Health and Blue Cross as a singularly disruptive event, similar contract disputes have occurred in a number of communities around the country — between health care systems and Blue Cross Blue Shield as well as other insurers.

On July 7, for example, Children’s Minnesota and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota reached a contract agreement after Children’s terminated its previous contract with the insurer at midnight on July 4, in a dispute similar to the one that’s playing out in Asheville now.

Industry observer Molly Gamble, who is editor-in-chief of Becker’s Hospital Review, says such feuds are becoming more common and much more public than in the past. Her publication tracked 35 contract disputes that were active across the country in the first half of 2017.

“If you don’t know the rates the payer is paying and what the hospital system is asking for,” Gamble says, “it’s pretty difficult to make a judgment on the merits of the arguments of the two sides.” Since contracts almost always require confidentiality, however, information that could yield a definitive conclusion about which party’s claims are stronger simply isn’t available to the public.

Asked to comment on Mission Health’s claims that 70 percent of the system’s care goes to Medicare, Medicaid or uninsured patients, Gamble says, “That is high. That’s almost like a safety-net-level hospital in a large urban area.” Given that statistic, she says it isn’t surprising that the system needs an increase in reimbursement rates for patients with commercial coverage to cover its costs.

Looking back over the past several years, Gamble has seen a number of instances in which systems and insurers have reached a deal after a contract termination deadline has passed. While patients may experience inconvenience and disruption in the short term, most disputes end with the parties coming to some kind of agreement.

“I can’t with confidence detail any incidents where a contract dispute wasn’t eventually resolved,” Gamble says, which may come as reassuring news to local residents worried about the potential impact of a permanent split.

With additional reporting by David Floyd X

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• Donation suggested.

Sessions last 40 minutes.

At Skinny Beats Sound Shop, 4 Eagle Street. www.skinnybeatsdrums. com PEOPLES PARK ASHEVILLE facebook.com/ peoplesparkavl • MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS, 9am - Outdoor yoga class.

Admission by donation.

Held at 68 Haywood St. ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY YOGA CENTER 8 Brookdale Road, ashevillecommunityyoga. com • SU (9/10), 12:30-2:30pm - “Yoga and Your Dosha,” workshop. $20.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (9/6), 3-4pm “Know the 10 Signs of Alzheimers,” interactive workshop presented by the Alzheimer’s Association. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • WE (9/6), 6pm - “The Nature of True Health: The Five Essentials,” overview of the five axes of wellness presented by Merrimon Chiropractic. Free. Held

at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • TU (9/12), 6pm - “How to Stop Fear From Limiting Your Potential,” workshop with Laurie Roper. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • WE (9/13), 6pm - “The Brain: Fundamentals for Function,” presentation about the brain-body connection. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. CHARLES GEORGE V.A. MEDICAL CENTER 1100 Tunnel Road • FR (9/8), 9am-noon Services and information for homeless veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless. Held at Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave. Free.

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-6934890, gracelutherannc.com • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 9am Walking exercise class.

Free.

LAKE JUNALUSKA OPEN AIR GYM 91 North Lakeshore Drive Lake Junaluska, 800-2224930 • SA (9/9), 10am-2pm “Rally for Recovery,” family-friendly rally for healthy communities and support recovery from addiction and mental health challenges. Event includes information tables, activities for children, presentations and a “walk for recovery.” Free.

LAND OF SKY REGIONAL COUNCIL 828-251-6622, landofsky.org • Through TH (9/28) Open registration for “Living Healthy with Chronic Pain” six-week series focused on managing pain, getting restful sleep, reducing stress, managing medications, combat fatigue and depression and eating to decrease inflammation.

Takes place MONDAYS (10/2) through (11/6), 1pm. Registration: stephanie@landofsky.org or 828-251-7438. Free. Held at Woodfin YMCA, 40 North Merrimon Ave., Suite 101 OR at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville, 2021 Kanuga Road, Hendersonville NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS 828-505-7353, namiwnc.org, namiwc2015@gmail.com • Through MO (10/2) Open registration for the “NAMI Basics” class to learn the fundamentals of caring for you, your family or a child or adolescent with behavioral health issues. Takes place THURSDAYS (10/12) through (11/16), 6-8:30pm.

Registration: mariannejolson@gmail.com or 901-517-4731. Free. Held at NAMI Offices, 356 Biltmore Ave. PARDEE CANCER CENTER 805 6th Ave. West, Hendersonville • Through TH (9/14) Open registration for free prostate cancer screenings. Registration: 828698-7317. Free.

SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St. • THURSDAYS, 8am - “Golden Joy Yoga,” slow moving, alignment focused class for all levels. $9.

THE MEDITATION CENTER 894 E. Main St., Sylva, 828356-1105, meditate-wnc.org • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 6-8pm - “Inner Guidance from an Open Heart,” class with meditation and discussion. $10.

URBAN DHARMA 29 Page Ave, 828-2256422, udharmanc.com • TUESDAYS, 7:30-8:30pm - Guided, non-religious walking and sitting meditation. Free to attend.

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70 Woodfin Pl., Ste 21 Asheville, NC 28801 MOUNTAINX.COM

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SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

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GREEN SCENE

POWER PLAY

Duke sparks debate with request for rate hike

BY CAROLYN MORRISROE cmorrisroe@mountainx.com As society’s preference for energy sources shifts from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives, utility companies endeavor to cover the costs of an evolving business model. That effort could mean higher electric bills for Duke Energy customers in Western North Carolina.

On June 1, Duke Energy Progress filed a request with the N.C. Utilities Commission to raise rates an average of 14.9 percent, to take effect Jan. 1. Residential customers would see an average increase of 16.7 percent, and commercial and industrial rates would go up an average of 13.5 percent. A typical 1,000-kilowatt monthly residential bill would increase from $104.68 to $122.48.

If approved, the plan would affect DEP’s 1.3 million electric customers in the Asheville area and central and eastern North Carolina, and it would increase the company’s revenues by $477.5 million a year.

Separately, on Aug. 25, Duke Energy Carolinas, which serves central and far Western North Carolina, also asked the Utilities Commission for an overall average rate increase across all customer groups of 13.6 percent.

WHAT THE RATE HIKE BUYS The Utilities Commission summarizes the major components of Duke Energy Progress’ rate request as follows: $253 million to offset money already spent for new natural gas plants in Asheville and Wilmington, $129 million for ongoing ash basin closure costs, $66 million per year for five years for recovering past ash basin closure costs, and $29 million for tax rate changes and costs related to renewable energy, storms, nuclear development and a computer system.

Achieving a full understanding of how the revenue from the requested rate increase will be allocated is complicated, since some of the costs Duke outlines are ongoing, some are for past investments and some will recur for only a few years, after which that revenue could go toward new expenses.

Duke spokesperson Jeff Brooks says the rate hike would pay for needed upgrades. “Recent work to modernize power plants, generate cleaner

RISING RATES: Residential customers in the region could see their utility bills go up 16.7 percent if a request by Duke Energy Progress wins approval. Members of the public can voice their opinions on the proposal at a Sept. 27 hearing at the Buncombe County Courthouse. Photo by Virginia Daffron

“I cannot stress enough how devastating this would be to retirees on a fixed income. I beg you not to let them have so very much all at once.” — Daniel Krause, Penrose electricity, responsibly manage coal ash and respond to major storms like Hurricane Matthew and other severe weather incidents have made it necessary for Duke Energy to seek a change to customer bills to pay for these important investments,” he says.

Brooks says it’s reasonable for Duke to pass along such costs to customers. “The operation of power plants, including the retirement of the plant and compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements, are part of the normal operations of an energy company and are costs typically paid for by customers,” he says.

Locally, Duke launched a Western Carolinas Modernization Project last year, which includes building two natural gasfueled electric generating units at Lake Julian south of Asheville to replace its existing coal plant, which will be retired by 2020. Duke estimates that project will cost $890 million.

The proposed rate increase includes costs associated with the construction of the Asheville plant and the excavation and closure of ash basins there. The company is currently preparing the site; Brooks expects the new plant to be in service by the end of 2019.

costs of the 2014 Dan River coal ash spill onto utility users. “Duke Energy customers will never pay for the company’s response to the 2014 coal ash release at the Dan River Steam Station, or for any coal ash-related fines or penalties the company incurs,” Brooks says. “We take responsibility for our actions in those matters, and those costs will be borne by Duke Energy shareholders.”

The company does hope to get help from customers in ongoing management of coal ash at other sites around the state, however. Federal regulations now require Duke to excavate and safely dispose of coal ash or to cap coal ash basins in place. According to the Environmental

Protection Agency, coal ash contains contaminants such as mercury, cadmium and arsenic, which can pollute waterways, groundwater and the air.

Duke Energy Progress intends to utilize the surge in revenue flow to clean up ash at the coal-fired power plants that Duke has operated in North Carolina for decades.

David Fountain, Duke’s North Carolina president, compares the situation to car owners getting the tires changed on their vehicle. “You might take your car to a shop to get it done.

You don’t have to do the work. That’s what the experts are for. But when you pay your bill, there is a charge for the safe disposal of those tires,” he states in testimony with Duke’s application for the rate increase. “The shop is required to properly manage its waste to protect the environment, and the customer shares in those costs as part of their service.”

In Asheville, $18.8 million is slated to fund decommissioning of coal and combustion turbines. The rate request includes about $106 million spent from 2015 to 2016 for compliance with state and federal requirements to effect the safe closure of ash basins at the Asheville plant. Brooks expects the total cost to close basins at the Asheville plant to come to about $422 million.

BEARING THE BURDEN Not everyone buys Duke’s argument, however. Dave Rogers, a representative of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign based in Raleigh, says his organization doesn’t think Duke

FALL MUMS

COAL ASH: WHO PAYS? Duke asserts that the proposed rate increase is not an attempt to foist the

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G REEN SC E N E has handled coal ash prudently. He points to the practice of placing coal ash in unlined pits, which he says creates a danger of contaminants leaking into waterways.

“We don’t think it’s fair that customers bear the entire burden of that,” Rogers says. “Duke shareholders have been profiting off of that for decades, so we only think it’s fair for some of their shareholders to share some of the burden of those costs, if not all.”

Brooks maintains that the company’s shareholders do play an important role. “As a regulated utility, we typically make investments on behalf of our customers before seeking to recover those expenses through customer rates,” he says. “Those investments are made often with no guarantee of recovery. Shareholders provide much of this investment to ensure that the energy system remains reliable.”

Among the hundreds of letters received by the N.C. Utilities Commission from consumers, a common refrain is that the cost of coal ash cleanup should not come from their checkbooks. “I fail to see how it’s my responsibility to pay for the byproduct of coal when I pay for renewable wind energy credits to be added to Duke’s power grid,” writes Asheville resident Erin Meadows. “This rate increase is unethical and should be opposed at every turn.”

Michelle McAlpin of Asheville asks the commission not to let Duke pass on its own “careless practices” to customers. “Duke Energy’s stockholders and officers need to pay for this cleanup. It happened on their watch due to their greed,” she writes in a letter.

Brad Rouse, an energy industry consultant and executive director of Asheville-based Energy Savers Network, believes the Utilities Commision should look at whether Duke knowingly and irresponsibly put coal ash in unlined pits to save money.

“If Duke made a mistake in that, then the shareholders should pay. But in general, in my opinion, the ratepayers should pay because it’s part of the cost of using that dirty fuel,” he says.

NC WARN, a nonprofit focused on cleaner energy alternatives, maintains that customers should not have to pay for expenses arising from corporate wrongdoing, says Executive Director Jim Warren. “We staked out a legal position months before they filed for the rate case and we filed a position with the regulators, pointing out that state law explicitly prohibits a utility from recovering from customers’ expenses that they incur based on negligent or unlawful actions,” he says.

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SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

“Why should the customers of Duke carry this burden while the CEO of Duke gets a 27 percent raise to $13.8 million per year? Disgusting to say the least.

Do you have no conscience? It is time for the good people of North Carolina to stand up against this obvious corporate greed.” — Donald Weiner, Asheville INESCAPABLE BASE RATE

HARDEST HIT

Another aspect of the proposed rate increase with which some take issue is a hike in the basic customer charge from $11.13 to $19.50 for most residential customers, a jump of 75 percent. The last time Duke raised the base portion of rates was in 2013, when it initiated a 5.5 percent increase, which Brooks says was the first base rate increase in 25 years.

Brooks explains this is a fixed charge that covers the cost of maintaining customers’ meters and providing billing and customer service. “Even with the proposed increase, the basic facilities charge would not fully cover the cost the utility incurs in providing service to the customer,” he says.

Rogers says this increase will disproportionately impact low-income customers, who already spend a significant percentage of their income on electricity, and it will discourage energy efficiency measures. “If you can’t actually save that much money by investing in energy efficiency in your home, you’re much less likely to do it,” he says. “We think that Duke should be doing more to encourage people to invest in renewable energy, not less.”

A June report from the Energy Innovation Task Force, a partnership that involves Duke, the city of Asheville, Buncombe County and local businesses and nonprofits, shows that several ZIP codes in Buncombe County have a higher percentage of low-income households than the rest of Duke Energy Progress and North Carolina as a whole. This could mean the impact would be more significant here than in other regions also covered by the rate increase.

Many consumers wrote to the N.C. Utilities Commission pleading for it to respect the hardship of higher rates on people with low or fixed incomes. “As a Duke customer for almost 20 years, there is no way my wife and I could afford this kind of rate increase as we’re on [Social Security] and it would almost destroy our life along with many other neighbors who live in this senior living community,” writes John Killeen of Hendersonville.

Hendersonville resident Belinda Wray asks the commission to reject Duke’s proposal, saying she already cannot afford to run air conditioning in her house in the summer or to heat it above 64 degrees in the winter. “In just under a year I will retire,” she writes. “At that time I certainly will not be able to afford an additional $20/month to send Duke for minimal power and to clean up their coal ash mess.”

Duke maintains in its application that it has committed considerable resources to mitigating the customer impacts of the costs. “The company has donated millions of dollars to assist low-income customers with their electric bills, facilitated customer access and awareness of agencies and programs that can help them pay their bills or manage their ability to maintain electric service, and implemented programs to give customers a variety of payment options,” the application states.

Duke points to its Energy Neighbor Fund as an example of an assistance program for DEP customers in need, helping lowincome individuals and families cover home energy bills.

Rouse says he understands why Duke is looking to increase revenues through raising the base customer charge. “More

Where would the $477 million go?

• $253 million: Construction of Asheville Combined Cycle Plant and Sutton Blackstart Combustion Turbine facility near Wilmington, plus four solar sites • $129 million: Ongoing ash basin closure compliance costs • $66 million (per year for five years): Recover ash basin closure compliance costs incurred since Jan.1, 2015, to comply with recently adopted federal and state rules regarding the handling of coal ash and closure of coal ash basins • $29 million: Recover costs related to tax rate changes, purchased power costs related to obligations to purchase renewable energy (required by federal law), storm-related costs, nuclear development costs and an updated customer information system

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and more of their costs are not reflected in the amount of energy that’s consumed,” he says. “For example, the more people that adopt solar and selfconsume, then the utility cost doesn’t go down very much and yet the revenue goes down quite a bit.”

One argument holds that utility customers should always have been paying more in order to account for the detrimental environmental effects of burning fossil fuels. “The problem is that the true cost of the energy that we use is not reflected in the rates that we pay,” Rouse says. “Utility rates don’t provide enough incentive to conserve or use alternative energy.”

PUBLIC INTEREST, PRIVATE PROFIT Duke posits in its rate request that the additional revenue will make the company a more attractive investment, which it believes is better for everyone in the long run. “The opportunity for the company’s investors to earn a fair and reasonable return on equity will help ensure access to capital markets on reasonable terms,” the application states.

Complicating the issue is the distinction between Duke Energy, the publicly traded holding company, and its subsidiary, Duke Energy Progress, which is regulated. “So you have part of the corporation that’s a public utility, supposed to act in the public interest, and another part of the corporation that isn’t quite bound in that same way,” Rouse says.

Instead of viewing Duke as an “evil corporation,” Rouse says, people should consider the company’s balancing act in providing for both shareholders and customers. “They’re given a certain ability to make a steady, consistent profit on the assets that they employ, and in return for that they are required to act as a public utility, which means that they are required to act in our best interests,” he says.

Duke Energy is seen by many investment analysts as a predictable stock, because an increasing percentage of its business is in the regulated market, where government regulators exert a level of control. Duke’s profitability has remained steady over the past few years, and the company said in its 2016 financial report that it expects to grow adjusted diluted earnings per share between 4 and 6 percent through 2021.

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE The N.C. Utilities Commission scheduled five hearings to gather input from Duke Energy Progress custom-

“They are not floundering financially, but many people impacted by this proposal are.”— Patricia Cunningham-Woolf, Asheville ers in September and October. A hearing in Asheville is slated to take place Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. at the Buncombe County Courthouse.

Community Roots, an Asheville-based nonprofit, plans to host a “No Rate Hike for Dirty Energy” rally at the Vance Monument from 5-7 p.m. prior to the hearing before heading to the courthouse to participate.

A final evidentiary hearing is planned for Monday, Nov. 20, at which the commission can hear expert witness testimony from Duke Energy Progress, public staff and any other parties to the proceeding.

Brooks explains that Duke must demonstrate to the NCUC why the rate increase is needed. “The public staff (who represents the customer) and other interested stakeholders audit our filings and vet the company’s request” prior to the hearings, he says. Duke expects a decision from the commission around the first of the year, he adds.

The result of the public hearings and discussion among Duke and the NCUC will be a lower increase than proposed, Rouse predicts. “I think what happens in the end is Duke throws a bunch of stuff up to see what they get and there’s a lot of talk back and forth in the commission and the commission doesn’t want politically to raise rates 15 percent, so they come up with a little smaller number and they disallow certain things,” he says.

Rogers points out that it’s problematic that much of the negotiating process involves only discussions among commission members, staff and Duke Energy. More emphasis should be given to the comments of regular folks, he says. “We think it’s really critical that the Utilities Commission take input from customers who are going to be the ones to bear the brunt of this and really take into account the comments delivered at the public hearing,” he says.

The commission has already received hundreds of letters from consumers and organizations raising concerns about the rate hike.

Comments can be emailed to the N.C. Utilities Commission at statements@ncuc.net and to public staff at legal1@psncuc.nc.gov.

A FUTURE OF RISING RATES? The Sierra Club holds that this rate increase could be a harbinger of Duke’s practices in the future. “I don’t think

Duke should be able to shift the costs of coal ash cleanup onto their customers, so we hope the outcome is that they won’t be able to do that,” Rogers says. “This is only a portion of the coal ash cleanup, but in a lot of ways it’s the most important one, because whether or not they’re able to recover those costs sets a precedent for the future.”

Higher utility rates may simply be the new reality, as climate change fuels more frequent storms requiring costly repairs, says Rouse. He points out that in 20 years Eastern North Carolina has experienced two “1,000-year flood events” — hurricanes Floyd and Matthew — both of which caused widespread damage to the Duke infrastructure. “We better just get prepared, because of our inaction on climate change in this country, that we’re going to have to pay for it in what we pay,” he says. “People need to understand that we’re already seeing the pocketbook impact of our inaction on climate.”

Additional reporting by Molly Horak X

Be heard

BY EMAIL Comments on the proposed Duke Energy Progress rate increase can be emailed to the N.C. Utilities Commission at statements@ncuc.net and to public staff at legal1@psncuc.nc.gov.

IN PERSON • A hearing to collect testimony from customers of Duke Energy Progress is scheduled in Asheville on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. at Buncombe County Courthouse, Courtroom 1A, 60 Court Plaza.

• A “No Rate Hike for Dirty Energy” rally is being organized

by Community Roots to take place at the Vance Monument in downtown Asheville from 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 27 prior to the hearing. See avl.mx/41v.

• An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 20, at 1 p.m. to hear expert witness testimony from Duke Energy Progress, the public staff, NCUC and any other parties to the proceeding. That hearing will be held in Commission Hearing Room 2115, Dobbs Building, 430 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh.

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FARM & GARDEN

G REEN SC E N E

SANCTUARY GARDENS

West Asheville event showcases peaceful spaces A guide with a map and descriptions of the featured gardens will be available at the school from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.; the stroll runs until 4 p.m. Information will also be available on WAGS’ seed money grants for communityoriented gardening projects. The deadline for its next grant cycle is Jan. 31. X

BY MAGGIE CRAMER mcramerwrites@gmail.com When organizers started the West Asheville Garden Stroll in 2009, they sought to feature gardens that would inspire, not intimidate.

They wanted to highlight “gardens that the average person would say, ‘Hey, I can do something like that,’ that represented the funky, artistic, not-so-formal West Asheville style,” says WAGS’ principal cultivator, Scott Miller.

The ninth annual stroll, which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9, promises to continue in that same vein. The selection of 15 gardens shows off innovative approaches to infrastructure, such as terracing walls, raised beds and walkways, chicken coops and edible landscaping.

One garden even features a small chapel, while the Hall Fletcher Elementary School garden (the only one revealed before the big day) offers a meditative path to help students relieve stress.

These garden assets sparked the 2017 theme, “sanctuary” — a nod both to the current political climate of cities across the globe declaring themselves sanctuaries for refugees and to the power of gardens to soothe the soul.

“All gardens are sanctuaries for the people who work and play in them,” says Miller. “Whether it’s a

ECO ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS ashevillegreendrinks.com • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - Eco-presentations, discussions and community connection. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE defenders.org • TH (9/14), 5:30-7pm “Return of the Raptors,” event focused on raptors and their southward migration through WNC with presenter Jen Knight, Education Director and Senior Naturalist with Balsam Mountain Trust.

Event includes several live raptors. Registration:

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southeastoffice@defenders. org. Free. Held at Asheville Museum of Science, 43 Patton Ave. NATIONAL DRIVE ELECTRIC WEEK driveelectricweek.org • SU (9/10), noon-4pm - Electric car show in celebration of National Drive Electric Week. Owners, dealers and advocates on hand to answer questions. Free to attend. Held at Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Road WCQS 73 Broadway, wcqs.org • SA (9/9), 6-8:30pm Asheville Science Tavern: “Aquatic Insects: Not just fish food,” presentation by entomologist Dave Penrose about aquatic insects in streams in our

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

Strolling along WHAT Ninth Annual West Asheville Garden Stroll WHEN Saturday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., with a kickoff ceremony at 10:30 a.m.

BOTANICAL TRANQUILITY: This year’s West Asheville Garden Stroll features the idea of sanctuary in all its many forms. Photo by Christopher Carrie hammock under a tree or a space to watch birds and butterflies, a garden can provide a place to get away from the craziness of our days.”

The event kicks off at Hall Fletcher at 10:30 a.m. with a special talk

area. Bring your own refreshments. Free.

WNC SIERRA CLUB 828-251-8289, wenoca.org • WE (9/6), 7-9pm “Electric Vehicles: Local Movement, Global Impact,” presentation by Pana Columbus and Dave Erb. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

FARM & GARDEN FOREST FARMING: A TWO DAY INTENSIVE (PD.) SAT 9/30-SUN 10/1.

For farmers and forest landowners to develop new income streams and promote forest health and diversity. For novices

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and experienced forest farmers alike! Choose from 17 classes & field demos over the course of the weekend. Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa, NC 28778. $100 per person, includes lunch and dinner on Saturday, and lunch on Sunday. Registration required: organicgrowersschool.org MUSHROOMS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: HANDS-ON FORAGING (PD.) Saturdays, 9/2, 9/9, 9/16, 10am-1:30pm - Explore local forests in search of edible, medicinal and regional mushrooms with fungi forager Mateo Ryall. $30 per class. Info: herbandroots.com, livinroots@gmail.com, HerbRoots@facebook. com, or 413-636-4401.

by Sunil Patel of Patchwork Urban Farms — a local community agriculture project working toward a resilient food and farming economy — and a performance by the stiltwalking troupe The Faerie Kin.

BULLINGTON GARDENS 95 Upper Red Oak Trail Hendersonville, 828-6986104, bullingtongardens. org • FR (9/8) & SA (9/9), 9am4pm - Fall plant sale. Free to attend.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TU (9/12), 6:30pm “Gardening in a Changing Climate,” presentation by author and gardener Peter Loewer. Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa HAIKU BAMBOO BAMBOO NURSERY/ FARM 20 Tuttle Road, Hendersonville

• 2nd & 4th SUNDAYS, 1:30-3pm - “Bamboo Walking Tours,” through bamboo forest to learn about bamboo plants.

Registration: 685-3053. $25/$23 seniors/$15 ages 13-18/Free under 13.

LIVING WEB FARMS 176 Kimzey Road, Mills River, 828-505-1660, livingwebfarms.org • SU (9/10), 1:30-7pm “Root Crop Production,” intensive workshop to learn best varieties, planting times, expected harvest schedules, nutritional requirements and disease and insect protection for a diversity of root vegetable crops. $15.

ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL 828-552-4979, organicgrowersschool.org

WHERE Kickoff held and maps and information available at Hall Fletcher Elementary School, 60 Ridgelawn Road. Gardens are all located in the East/West Asheville neighborhood bounded by Wellington Street, State Street, Riverview Drive and Haywood Road DETAILS The stroll is free, rain or shine, and all ages are welcome.

Learn more at www.westashevillegardens.com.

• SA (9/9), 9am-5pm Harvest Conference, event featuring a focus on fall and winter growing, food preservation and storage, fermentation, homesteading and self reliance and cooking from scratch.

More than 20 classes and pre-conference workshops. $50/$70 pre-conference workshops. Held at Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY LIBRARY 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard, 828-884-3151 • TH (9/7), 6:30pm “Protecting Your Home from Wildfires,” presentation by Transylvania County Ranger Frank Rogers. Free.

WEAVERVILLE GARDEN CLUB relax@innonmain.com • TU (9/12), 7pm - “The Magical World of Moss Gardening,” presentation by author Annie Martin.

Free. Held at Weaverville Town Hall, 30 S. Main St., Weaverville WEST ASHEVILLE GARDEN STROLL westashevillegardens.com, scott.millerswoodworks@ gmail.com • SA (9/9), 11am-4pm Ninth annual, self-guided, rain or shine tour of 15 West Asheville gardens.

Maps available at Hall Fletcher Elementary.

Free. Held at Hall Fletcher Elementary, 60 Ridgelawn Ave.

FOOD

HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE WNC edible education programs cultivate relationships between students and food

West Asheville's newest restaurant

featuring handcrafted: pizzas burgers wings nachos

Try our delicious spinach patty!

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: Evergreen Community Charter School students Nora Oakes, left, and Kai’ana Ghassabian, right, chop potatoes from the school’s garden with teacher Marin Leroy. In lieu of formal funding for a cooking program, Leroy created a kitchen space in a science classroom with the help of donations, grants, parent volunteers and community partners. Photo by Cindy Kunst

BY DANA SCHLANGER draeschlanger@gmail.com Edible education, which seeks to make nutrition, cooking and gardening fundamentals accessible to students, is a budding element within schools nationwide. But food-related studies generally fall outside the normal curriculum, often forcing these programs to rely on donations, grants, volunteers and the vagaries of fundraising efforts.

For this reason, most schools in the Asheville area aren’t able to take learning into the kitchen or garden unless classes are facilitated by outside organizations or launched by teaching staff.

According to Janette Broda, the school nutrition director for Asheville City Schools, every school district is required to offer at least a nutrition program. And in schools where cooking or gardening education isn’t an option, school cafeterias present

events like “Try-it Tuesdays,” where students can sample foods that may be new to them, such as radishes, sweet potato sticks, smoothies or traditional Cherokee foods.

Asheville Primary School and Preschool in West Asheville takes a predominantly garden-centered approach to edible education. Each classroom plants and cares for its own garden bed, and teachers then incorporate the harvest into their lesson plans through activities like taste-testing.

Polly Bolding, the school’s enrollment and engagement coordinator, says students can use the knowledge and experience they glean from such instruction to critically approach their own and society’s relationships with and attitudes toward food — in both culinary and agricultural forms. Bolding has spent several years deepening and expanding the school’s gardening program.

Last year, Bolding’s students grew a bountiful diversity of crops, includ-

ing pumpkins, watermelons, tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, greens and squash, , along with a pollinator garden filled with flowers. “Our preschool classrooms loved harvesting the carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes and washing them and eating them for a snack,” says Bolding. “I’ve definitely seen children taking an interest in the natural world as a whole. It really creates an enthusiasm for healthy foods and an understanding of where food comes from.”

At Evergreen Community Charter School, an expeditionary learning school in East Asheville, environmental education coordinator Marin Leroy works to bring this same enthusiasm and connection to the natural world to her students through her cooking and gardening program, Field to Feast. Leroy, who serves on the board of directors of local food education nonprofit FEAST, says she established the program in an effort to incorporate culinary concepts into all

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HARVEST DAY: In fall 2016, Vance Elementary students harvested corn they planted the previous year as part of a series of FEAST classes focused on Native American traditions. The students processed the corn and made tortillas from scratch for a taco party. The Roots Foundation also helped manage the corn patch. Photo by Jordan Diamond aspects of the curriculum. “So when our third-graders are studying about body systems, I’m teaching them about specific foods that can support and nurture the body systems that they are learning about,” she explains.

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But figuring out how to implement cooking and gardening courses can be extremely challenging for schools.

Both APS and Evergreen’s programs are grant-supported. “There’s no funding within the school budget for school gardening or cooking,” says Bolding. “So it’s up to each school to figure out how to fund that — typically through their parents or through grants.”

At Evergreen, where the Field to Feast classes are taught as enrichments — similar to art or physical education — Leroy cobbled together a learning kitchen in a science classroom. She enlisted parents to donate cooking equipment, and she taps them as volunteers to help with maintaining the gardens and supervising the cooking classes.

“In recent decades it seems that garden and kitchen classes have been categorized as extracurricular experiences, taught after school or in summer camp or not at all in the public schools,” she says. “These classes are rich with academic content as well as opportunities to learn important life skills, express creativity and build

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self-confidence. But finding funding to support these classes and programs is a challenge.”

Schools that want vibrant edible education programs, she continues, must seek grassroots funding and support from partner organizations and from local foundations and grants.

“Schools that have edible education programs have administrators and teachers who are passionate. They are including food and garden education in their schools because they see the positive effects on their students and families, but at this time there is not formal state or district funding for these programs.”

Several local businesses and organizations have stepped up to partner with Asheville-area schools in this capacity. Mother Earth Produce supplies FEAST with all of the fresh vegetables and fruits used in its cooking classes. And Sow True Seed, which gives away 50 free seed packets annually to any school that’s cultivating a garden, is primarily responsible for what’s growing at Bolding’s school.

“Usually, we plant all 50 packets,” says Bolding.

Both APS and Evergreen partner with FEAST, which works in schools with the mission of getting all kids to eat fruits and vegetables every day through easy, hands-on gardening and kitchen education projects.

FEAST, which stands for Fresh, Easy, Affordable, Sustainable and Tasty, is the only formal cooking education resource that APS has access to.

This is the case for other Asheville schools as well, including Vance Elementary School and Francine Delaney New School for Children.

“We work in schools … that have high percentage[s] of kids on free and reduced lunch, so [we’re] working with kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to have this kind of edible education,” says FEAST co-founder Cathy Cleary.

Cleary goes on to explain that it costs about $100 per student per year for FEAST programming. “To start a new program is a big deal,” she says.

“If there are 500 students that we need to serve at a school, we need $50,000.”

But she notes that if a school can come up with part of that money, fundraising and in-kind donations can round out the amount needed to kickstart a program. This is where community partnerships are key. “The easier part is finding donations for plants and seeds and materials and donated labor for specific projects,” says Bolding.

“What’s tricky is finding a way to fund any people to coordinate the garden or maintain the garden or to do the actual garden education or nutrition classes with the kids.”

IN THE KITCHEN While many Asheville primary and elementary school programs focus on gardening and nutrition, Asheville High School shifts the spotlight to food preparation with an intensive, two-year culinary program.

The course starts with an introductory-level culinary class, which program director Brian Stout says is similar to a ServSafe sanitation program. Next, students can then take Culinary 1, which introduces basic concepts like making salads, stocks and soups, hot cooking techniques and baking. The program wraps up with Culinary 2, a yearlong class that allows students to create dishes and focus on areas of interest.

Asheville High’s culinary education program is classified as Career Technical Education, or CTE, so unlike edible education efforts at many other schools, it receives federal funding. But community partnerships are key to Stout’s program, too. Ingles provides 100 percent of the ingredients used in the cooking classes, and Stout works closely with the A-B Tech culinary program. Stout also says he tries to keep tabs on area restaurants that may have jobs available for working-age students.

Students who complete the program, he says, possess not only basic culinary knowledge but have also cultivated discipline and a work ethic. “You see them come in the intro course and they have that lost look in their eyes like, ’Oh my goodness, what’s going on?’” he says with a chuckle. “And then you see them start to grow through Intro, and then in level one they really start to build on the skills that we’ve talked about through the intro course. And then by the time they make it through level two for that full year, they’re mainly working independently. So

you just see a lot of growth from the time they walk in to the time they end with the program, which is, you know, kind of rewarding. More than most things.” X

Feasting for FEAST

Feasting for FEAST is the FEAST organization’s biggest annual fundraiser. More than 20 Asheville restaurants and brewers will provide food, beer, cider and wine for this year’s event. The evening also features a silent auction and music from local swing jazz band the House Hoppers.

WHEN 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13 (VIP entry at 5:30 p.m.)

WHERE Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St. HOW MUCH

General admission $50, same-day tickets $60, VIP tickets $100, teachers with valid ID $40 DETAILS For more information and to buy tickets, visit feastasheville.com.

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12 Culvern Street, Asheville, NC 28804 MOUNTAINX.COM

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FOOD

by Jonathan Ammons

jonathanammons@gmail.com

Swerving through paradise Beginning with an 1876 adventure novel, Asheville gained the nickname Land of the Sky. In recent years, a new moniker has taken hold, encompassing both the lively spirit of the mountain city and a burgeoning industry: Beer City USA. Asheville first earned the title in 2009, and its hopping brewery scene has even picked up since then. But with this intoxicating growth sprouted sobering realities.

Along with more breweries came more drunken drivers — at least initially. But while beer is booming, incidents of driving while intoxicated have actually decreased over the past several years. In 2011, Buncombe County reached a peak percentage of fatal crashes on its highways involving alcohol at 36 percent.

To curb the deadly trend, in 2013 the Asheville Police Department and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office founded a joint DWI Task Force. Its members are trained to identify different types of substance abuse and thereby more accurately assess a person suspected of driving while impaired. They also run roadblocks and respond to collisions where drugs and alcohol are suspected to have been involved.

“It started because we found that we were having a lot of fatal collisions with impaired drivers,” says Sgt. Ann Fowler, who has been in charge of the task force since 2014. “We were also seeing the effects of impaired driving, not only with fatals, but with serious injuries and property damage. Our numbers were starting to go up as far as arrests and violations, and our patrol was short-manned.”

In recent years, however, Buncombe County’s DWI arrest rate has dropped significantly, from 2,170 in 2007 to 1,489 in 2015. And while Fowler says the police force would love to take full credit, she notes myriad factors contributing to the safer streets.

“We push education on alcohol impairment, and by society’s standards, it is not acceptable anymore,” she says. “And now there are more opportunities for people to get a ride: There’s Uber, you’ve got taxis, we’ve got our transit sys-

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SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

DRIVING FORCE: In 2011, fatal alcohol-related driving accidents peaked in Buncombe County, spurring the Asheville Police Department and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office to form the Asheville-Buncombe DWI Task Force. Pictured, from left, are task force members Deputy Ronnie Davis, Sr., Officer Matthew Craig, Sr., Officer Hunter Welborn and Sgt. Ann Fowler. Photo by Cindy Kunst tem, and our community has become very walkable.” Now with ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber, one can conceivably hitch a ride home for the cost of a pint.

Another possible explanation for a declining DWI rate could be that a beer-loving city lays off the hard stuff and drinks more moderately than a liquor-guzzling bastion of decadence.

“For us, it is really about quality, not quantity,” says Kendra Penland of the Asheville Brewers Alliance, which represents 56 breweries in Western North Carolina.

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The ABA partners with Alcohol Law Enforcement and the Alcoholic Beverage Control commission to help educate bartenders and servers about responsible serving. It also works with Sobriety Court, which is credited with assisting in the dramatic decrease of habitual impaired driver arrests — from 46 in 2007 to 16 in 2015.

“Craft beer is an artisanal product, so it’s not about how much you can drink, it’s about how local the ingredients are and how special that particular beer is. It’s not about how much we can sell to people,” Penland

The rise and fall of DWIs in Beer City says. “Obviously, our businesses want to be successful, but if they were in it for the money, you’d see a very different craft beer community than we actually have.”

Fowler says the county is also seeing a shift in the type of intoxicants involved in DWIs. She estimates that last year more than 30 percent of DWI arrests were related to drug impairment, not alcohol. Several years ago, drugs made up only 15-20 percent of DWIs. “Our drug impairment is starting to pick up in the last two years,” she says. “It has always been an issue, but we are starting to see a spike in the heroin trend.

Our officers are becoming more educated on impairment outside of the alcohol impairment and being able to recognize it, so we are starting to get more arrests.”

Asheville City Council member Brian Haynes says some aspects of the DWI enforcement program rub him the wrong way. “I find it troubling that we have a massive promotion campaign to promote Asheville as Beer City USA, yet at the same time we have a substantial DWI Task Force whose job is to find and punish offenders,” he says. “If we are going to encourage and profit from consumption of alcoholic beverages, then we should do all we can to ensure folks get home safely without being charged with a DWI.” Haynes thinks the city should partner with local breweries, distilleries, restaurants and bars to find ways to prevent DWIs rather than sending people into the criminal justice system. “These charges cause both a personal and financial hardship that lingers for years,” he says. X

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FOOD

SMALL BITES

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Goombay Festival celebrates diversity in the mountains For the last 36 years, the Goombay Festival has sought to highlight African and Caribbean heritage in Western North Carolina. “It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase what we bring to the table as a community in Asheville,” says Aisha Adams, the festival’s coordinator. This year’s event will continue this mission, with food vendors, dancers, musicians and speakers coming together for the two-day festival at Pack Square Park on Friday, Sept. 8, and Saturday, Sept 9.

Chef Ramona Young launched her catering business, Kente Kitchen, at the festival in 2014. Since then, she has continued to offer her menu of Liberian, Nigerian and Ghanaian dishes each year at the celebration. When it comes to African foods, Young says, “There are a lot of flavors we aren’t accustomed to [in the U.S.]. We use a lot of heat. But it’s not about the heat level. It’s about the flavor of the pepper that is utilized in African cooking.”

This year, Young will stay behind the scenes, coordinating Goombay’s food vendors with an eye toward highlighting WNC’s diverse culinary talents. “We are nothing like the ordinary,” she says of participants at this year’s event. “We are unique, original and different. I think everyone needs to come and experience Asheville on that level.”

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COMING BACK FOR MORE: Green Opportunities will participate again at this year’s Goombay Festival. The organization is bringing its new Southside Soul food truck to the event. Pictured, from left, are Jammie Wright, Shakur Shabazz, Kierra Byers, Christine Carter, Guy Stivender and Royetta Davidson.

At press time, Smoky Mountain Corn Roasters, Delia’s Tea Time, Gripps Grills, MacDaddy’s Organic Lemonade, Miss P’s Cateringz and Delicious Dogz and Green Opportunities were among the participating food vendors. Along with African fare, guests can anticipate Jamaican, vegan, soul food and classic festival funnel cake options.

“African and Caribbean food is always flavorful,” says Adams. “We have a lot of bold tastes, as we are a bold people.”

Mayor Esther Manheimer will offer remarks at the event, as will Carmen Ramos-Kennedy, president of the local chapter of the NAACP. Other highlights will

include spoken word performances and drum sessions, as well as live jazz and reggae bands “I hope that people will walk away with a sense of excitement for everything that we have to offer in the community and a better understanding of who is in the community and what their talents are,” says Adams. “[Goombay Festival] is really an opportunity to find out who and what is happening right here in Asheville.”

Goombay Festival runs 6-9 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 8, and noon-9 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 9, at Pack Square Park. Admission is free. Visit ashevillegoombayfestival.com for details.

HARVEST MOON FLOWER DINNER Lady Luck Flower Farm will host a Harvest Moon Flower Dinner on Saturday, Sept. 9. The evening’s menu, prepared by Ashley Cort of OWL Bakery, will feature Blackthorn Farm lamb and heirloom vegetable pie (vegetarian and vegan options available), harvest salad with wild berry vinaigrette, cultured buttermilk cucumber salad and heritage apple crumble with spiced crème fraiche. There will be a bonfire and flowers will be available for guests to pick and take home. The event will also include beer from Burial Beer Co. A portion of ticket sales will benefit the Center for Participatory Change, a local organization that works to heal communities and transform systems of oppression.

Harvest Moon Flower Dinner runs 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at Lady Luck Flower Farm, 55 Lanzi Ledge Road, Leicester. Tickets are $80 and are available at avl.mx/429.

To learn more about the Center for Participatory Change, visit cpcwnc.org.

GRILL & CHILL 101 Catawba Brewing will host a Sunday cookout on Sunday, Sept.

10, with The American Pig, a local boutique charcuterie business. The event will feature three rounds of bites and beers, along with tips and tricks for grilling. Courses will include grilled cheese with Black Dome Stout and pancetta marmalade paired with ENO Pilsner, beer bratwurst cooked with Catawba Festbier paired with Astral Bootie Beer Session IPA, and pork chops with Brown Bear Brown Ale pan sauce paired with Brown Bear Ale. Grill & Chill 101 runs 2-4 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 10, at Catawba Brewing Co.’s South Slope Tasting Room and Brewery, 32 Banks Ave. Tickets are $30 and are available at avl.mx/420.

OLIVETTE FARM-TOTABLE DINNER Olivette Riverside Community and Farm will host a farm-to-table dinner on Sunday, Sept. 10, to benefit Asheville GreenWorks, an organization that engages with the community through grassroots environmental projects. The meal will include craft cocktails and five food

courses created by Over Easy Café with dessert prepared by 50/Fifty: Art of Dessert. Jessie Langlais will provide musical entertainment for the evening. For every five tickets sold, one free meal will be included for an Asheville GreenWorks employee.

Olivette Farm to Table Dinner runs 5-8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 10, 31 White Rose Lane. Tickets are $75 each, plus tax and service charges. For tickets, visit avl.mx/41z.

South Asheville’s New home for comfort food and craft cocktails

CONES WITH A CAUSE The Hop Ice Cream Café will host Cones with a Cause and Multiple Sclerosis Art Show on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The event will benefit the MS Community of WNC Awareness Group and the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The exhibit will feature artwork created by those affected by the disease.

Cones with a Cause and the Multiple Sclerosis Art Show runs 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, at The Hop Ice Cream Café, 640 Merrion Ave. For details on sharing artwork at the event, contact Leslie Klein Newman at mscommunitywnc@gmail.com.

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TASTE OF SPAIN AT LA GUINGUETTE La Guinguette will host a fivecourse wine dinner on Thursday, Sept. 14, highlighting the food and wine of Spain. The evening begins with a Champagne reception and hors d’oeuvres followed by a dinner menu featuring gazpacho; cod fritters with piquillo pepper sauce; fabada, a Spanish bean stew with chorizo; San Jacobos, chicken stuffed with ham and cheese; and churros con chocolate. Wines will be paired with each course. This is the first of a series of dinners to be hosted the second Tuesday of each month spotlighting the cuisine of different countries.

Taste of Spain begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, at La Guinguette, 105 Richardson Blvd., Black Mountain. Tickets are $65 per person plus tax and gratuity. Visit laguinguettecreperie.com for details and tickets. X

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CAROLINA BEER GUY

E T H I O P I A N R E S TAU R A N T

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Asheville-area breweries juggle multiple locations

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As the craft beer scene continues to boom in Asheville, several local breweries have expanded by adding second, third and even fourth locations to reach more customers, make different beers or increase production.

The region’s three nationally distributed craft brands — New Belgium Brewing Co. in West Asheville, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Mills River and Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard — all started in Western states and expanded by building new breweries in Western North Carolina to serve markets in the East.

But it’s not just the big brewers who’ve added new facilities. Asheville Brewing Co. started on the north side of town and expanded to the South Slope along Coxe Avenue, while Hi-Wire Brewing and Burial Beer Co. began on the South Slope and tacked on second locations near Biltmore Village.

Elsewhere, Wedge Brewing Co. has two locations along the French Broad River. Wicked Weed Brewing has its

original spot on Biltmore Avenue and the Funkatorium barrel brewery on the South Slope, a production brewery in Enka and a sour beer site in Enka.

Green Man began with a small brewery on Buxton Avenue on the South Slope, then built a big production brewery with another tasting room next door. And Catawba Brewing began in Morganton, then expanded into Asheville with a South Slope brewery and a tasting room in Biltmore Village before recently opening a fourth location in Charlotte.

Many local breweries have kept up with demand by expanding with additional equipment. But in some cases, the original brewing locations did not have enough space to go that route. Such was the case with Asheville Brewing, which dates back to 1998 and its flagship location at the former Merrimon Twin Cinemas. A second location opened downtown in 2005 in a former car showroom, giv-

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Make reservations at reserve.com Historic Biltmore Village 828.277.1510 rezaz.com

ing the company a pair of venues with their own distinct personalities.

“Our original location is more like a neighborhood pub,” says Asheville Brewing President Mike Rangel.

“It’s kid-friendly with the movie theater and game room. Our downtown location is much more breweryfocused. It also has a full bar and a big patio. And being on the South Slope, it catches more tourists.”

All of the company’s brewing and canning is done downtown, where its original brewing system was moved and is now used for small-batch and experimental beers. Asheville Brewing also operates a third takeout and delivery venue on Hendersonville Road in South Asheville. The storefront location offers pizza and other foods as well as canned and bottled beer and growler sales, but no brewing is done within its walls.

Likewise, a longtime player in the Western North Carolina brewing scene, Catawba Brewing expanded its brand into Charlotte with a brewery and tasting room in May. The company first opened in 1999 in Glen Alpine, then moved to Morganton in 2006 and expanded again with its South Slope brewery in 2015.

“In 1999, we were crazy [to open a brewery],” says Catawba co-owner Billy Pyatt. “No one knew what kind of support we would get.” He adds that by moving to Morganton, Catawba could produce more beer and introduce them to new customers. Nearly a decade later, opening a brewery in Asheville made sense because it had become the brewery’s biggest market. “Even though we were making beer in Morganton, we started selling beer [in Asheville] in the early days,” he says.

In expanding to Charlotte, Pyatt says the city’s size was its foremost attractive quality, but Catawba chose to wait until the beer culture there had further developed before making the move. “We believe the wait was worth it,” he says.

TWICE AS NICE: Multiple Asheville area breweries have added locations. Pictured are Hi-Wire Brewing owners Adam Charnack, left, and Chris Frosaker at their Big Top production brewery near Biltmore Village. Photo courtesy Hi-Wire Brewing A lack of space was also one of the deciding factors in Hi-Wire adding a second location. Co-owner Chris Frosaker says the brewery’s original Hillard Avenue spot “ran out room” to brew within a couple of years after opening in 2013. The production brewery known as the Big Top came online in 2015, allowing the original brewery to be used for sour and pilot test beers. “The taprooms have similar vibes,” says Frosaker, who notes that the offerings at each are nearly identical. “Both locations are pretty laid-back. We want our customers to see the brewing equipment while they’re hanging out.”

Fellow South Slope mainstay Burial Beer has been brewing and serving

ales and lagers since 2013 at its original building on Collier Avenue. Its second location near Biltmore Village is in a former Civilian Conservation Corps forestry camp that was used during the Great Depression. Though the new brewery is turning out beer, co-owner Jessica Reiser says the tasting room is not yet open and can’t currently accommodate visitors. She hopes to have the space ready “sometime in early winter” and adds that the second location was always part of the company’s plan. (“We wanted to start small,” she says.) As for the new brewery’s atmosphere, Reiser says it will have its own personality, but for now, she and the rest of the Burial crew are keeping the details under wraps. X

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A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T

THE BEST KIND OF BLUES

AAAC’s Indigo Ball celebrates local creativity

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com If you’re in downtown Asheville on Saturday, Sept. 9, and see people dashing down the sidewalks in blue outfits and other formal attire, don’t be alarmed. These costumed folks are out reveling in the name of the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Indigo Color Ball, a sight unseen for two years — and in many ways, even longer.

In 2016, the AAAC was occupied with moving into its 15,000-squarefoot studio in The Refinery Creator Space on Coxe Avenue and settling in after a staff restructuring. Instead of adding the mammoth responsibilities of planning a color ball to that equation, AAAC Executive Director Stefanie Gerber Darr says the staff put its efforts into readying the building, whose grand opening last September drew about 700 attendees.

“Our focus was just in a different spot last year,” Gerber Darr says.

“So, we decided, ‘All right, we’re a year in now, and everything is going great, and everyone knows about The Refinery now, and we do need to do an annual fundraiser because the grand opening was really just a celebration of the building.’ So, as a small nonprofit, we definitely wanted to bring back our color ball.” ’A BEAUTIFUL LABOR OF LOVE’ In looking for a collaborator to help relaunch the event in full force, AAAC board President Gar Ragland turned to contracted event planner Kelly Denson. The two had previously worked together on Music Video Asheville, which Denson calls a “huge endeavor” and one that encouraged Ragland to loop her in for orchestrating the color ball’s return to a five-party night. “But I don’t know that anything could have prepared me for an event of this magnitude,” Denson says. “It’s a beautiful, beautiful labor of love.”

Over the course of two to three meetings, Denson and the AAAC representatives decided on indigo, a shade that had yet to be used for naming past balls. Mindful of the event’s hiatus, what sealed the choice was a recognition of its his-

42

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

MOOD INDIGO: Abby Allen, left, and Alan Malpass of Asheville Aerial Arts prepare for the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Indigo Ball — the organization’s multi-party fundraiser that features a wealth of local talent. The color ball launched in 2002 and was produced in less lavish iterations over the years. The Sept. 9 event returns to its original form. Photo by Cindy Kunst tory — specifically the original Blue Ball, founded by Rick Ramsey 15 years ago.

In early 2002, Ramsey was just starting his tenure on the arts council board. One night, he and his friend Adrienne Kort (then the AAAC’s development director) went out and brainstormed ideas of how to make a good fundraiser for the arts council, which he says needed the money.

Looking for something fun that hadn’t been seen in Asheville, they came up with the idea for multiple parties and got to work.

“Back then, there was a lot of vacant space, or people didn’t mind you using their space as much, so that was easy to come about. And the restaurants weren’t as busy, so the food fell into place, and we got sponsorships,” Ramsey says. “We just sort of decided to call it the Blue Ball, which worked in our advantage because it put the name on the street because everybody sort of made fun of it a little bit, sort of as a jest, but for us, it worked. It was a success from right at the beginning.”

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Ramsey was involved in the next four color balls, chairing them before transitioning to fundraising and then removing himself from behind-thescenes involvement. (“Everybody needs to have a change of direction,” he says.) Ramsey attended a few color balls after leaving his leadership roles and is excited to have been coaxed out of “retirement” by his friend Letitia McKibbon.

“There’s this wonderful frenzy about it, and there’s nothing like it as you’re trying to get from one party to the other,” Ramsey says.

“Sometimes you don’t want to leave that one party, but you sort of want to see the others. That was back from what Adrienne and I thought it would be. We wanted that frenzy.

You wanted that hustle and bustle on the street.”

ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES “Indigo was kind of an homage to the fact that we’re going back to this,

old-style,” Denson says. “These used to be the most incredible parties in Asheville, and we really want to emphasize the fact that they’re going to be as awesome, if not more awesome, than they once were.”

The five-party approach hadn’t been used since 2008, after which two-party evenings became the norm. To resuscitate the big night, the organizers handpicked what Denson calls “movers and shakers in the community [who are] really well-connected, and people who are known for giving back to their community.” Granted a budget for local entertainment and decor, the hosts were free to choose their events’ themes and recruit food, drink and other donations to achieve their visions. All of the locations were also donated for the evening, and 70 volunteers have given their time for the cause.

As the party’s details started trickling in, Gerber Darr says she was “floored” by the hosts’ ideas and how each event fit the personalities

of each planner while still reflecting the color’s many possibilities.

Denson was also impressed: “I’m stoked about the creativity that’s going into it and how they all ended up being so very different. We’re hitting different spectrums, different groups of people — I think there’s a party that will speak to everyone.”

Those who purchased a nowsold-out, all-access Patron ticket will begin the evening at The Refinery Creator Space at 6 p.m.

Titled “Out of the Blue,” the prepre-party is hosted by local artist Joseph Pearson, under whose guidance the space will be transformed into a celestial facsimile. A star-clad hallway leads to the event space, featuring hors d’oeuvres by Jargon Restaurant, music by the Justin Ray Trio, an interactive performance

by Asheville Contemporary Dance and body painting courtesy of Ren Allen. Patrons then have the luxury of checking out all three pre-parties from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., though attendees with regular tickets must choose one.

Heather Smith, Michael Parker, and Jean-Paul and Angela Lausell host “Tokyo Twilight” at the RISC Networks building. Sake by Ben’s Tune Up and Asian bites from Margeaux’s Catering are the featured refreshments, along with Absolut cocktails and beer from Hi-Wire Brewing. Backed by selections from DJ Phantom Pantone, Asheville Aerial Arts will stage various performances, and Asheville Darkroom will show off its projection art. Allen will also make her way over from The Refinery to live paint models.

Lexington Glassworks is the site for “Under the Sea,” hosted by Lauri Nichols and Chris Bubenik.

Live music comes courtesy of steel pan player Jonathan Scales, while seafood from chef Anthony Cerrato of Strada Italiano and The Social Lounge will be paired with Blue Lagoons — the event’s signature cocktail — and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. beer.

and the party’s signature cocktail, Andalusian Passion. Flamenco band The Juan Benevides Quartet will provide music while roving groups of Latin dancers move through the room.

Denson credits the party’s popularity to locals’ intrigue with the new hotel space, which they’ll get to see even before its grand opening. She also views the party’s popularity as recognition of Ramsey’s role as the color ball’s founder.

While AAAC supporters who missed out on getting a Patron ticket won’t get to experience quite the energy that Ramsey described, Gerber Darr has good news for all who will converge at The Orange Peel at 9:30 p.m. for the night’s final party. The Indigo Ball itself will incorporate aspects from all of the pre-parties, giving non-Patrons a taste of the events they were unable to attend in full.

Those elements will combine with desserts from Marijane Bowman and French Broad Chocolates, whiskey cocktails and beer from the three participating local breweries. Entertainment ranges from aerialists suspended from the ceiling to live painting by Lara Nguyen and Kimi Legermain and stage performances by Nimbus, DJ M.P.Pride, an acro yoga duo and a collaborative performance by Stephanie Morgan and Marley Carroll.

The event’s return is especially important to the AAAC as it’s one of the rare occasions where proceeds goes toward unrestricted funds.

Many of the grants the organization receives support specific programs (such as exhibitions or arts and wellness), but funds raised by the color ball go directly to hard-to-fund areas, namely everyday operations and paying staff. “It gives us a safety net,” says Gerber Darr, “so that we can offer the programs, services and resources we do at a top-notch quality and to the best of our ability.” X

HOT TICKET But it’s tickets to Flamenco Nights at the AC Hotel that have sold — and, in fact, sold out — at the fastest clip. Hosted by Ramsey, McKibbon and Kathleen Hutchinson, the Spanish-themed party begins with street-level music by guitarist Tim Doyle. Moving upstairs, guests can snack on sweet and savory tapas by Capella on 9, beer from Oskar Blues

WHAT Indigo Ball WHERE Various locations WHEN Saturday, Sept. 9. $75 avl.mx/423

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by Thomas Calder

tcalder@mountainx.com

Honoring tradition, celebrating change Carolina Mountain Literary Festival takes over Burnsville For the past 11 years, the Carolina Mountain Literary Festival in Burnsville has launched its three-day gathering with either a film or live concert. That may seem like an unconventional start to an event that celebrates the written word, but that’s kind of the point, says Kathy Weisfeld, the festival’s chair. The opening act brings in a broader audience, she says. And when those book enthusiasts realize there are other happenings, Weisfeld adds, they often come back for more.

This year’s festival, which runs from Thursday, Sept. 7, through Saturday, Sept. 9, features a diverse and extensive list of participants, including local, national and international authors.

These writers range from awardwinning poets and first-time novelists to historians and cookbook authors.

Throughout the three-day event, writers will share their works and advice in a series of free readings, discussions and Q&As. There will also be five workshops, a Friday night banquet and a Saturday night keynote by James Reston Jr., all of which require advanced registration and cost between $20 and $45.

Sticking with tradition, the festival will commence its 12th annual celebration with a kickoff concert featuring Bruce Greene, Shelby Stephenson and a dozen other musicians. The performance, held at Burnsville Town Center, will showcase an eclectic mix of blues, ballads, Tin Pan Alley, country, rock and gospel. According to the event’s website, the intention behind this blend is to highlight the wide range of

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FULL HOUSE: The Carolina Mountain Literary Festival in Burnsville will host more than 25 writers, including, clockwise from top left, journalist and food writer Bridgette A. Lacy, memoirist Jeremy B. Jones, fiction writer and National Endowment for the Arts fellow Lucy Corin and poet and nonfiction writer J. Drew Lanham. Photos courtesy of the Carolina Mountain Literary Festival

MOUNTAINX.COM

influence that has contributed to the American musical landscape.

The concert’s nod to the country’s evolving soundtrack also exemplifies the festival’s theme, “Old Ways, New Ways: Change and Tradition.” Weisfeld says this year’s concept was inspired by recent and ongoing events. “The world is changing rapidly in many ways,” she says. “We thought [the theme] would be a good way to celebrate what we want to hold onto, as well as look at what the future brings and how the world has changed.”

Intimate locations, including churches and senior centers, galleries and yarn stores, will host the various events. In Weisfeld’s opinion, this is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the threeday festival. “By having it in smaller venues around the Burnsville square, there’s always time for questions and discussion,” she says. “I think that’s what really makes the festival special. ... Even though there are 30 authors and sometimes hundreds of attendees, there’s a chance to really talk together between the authors and the people who come.”

Jeremy B. Jones, author of the 2014 Appalachian Book of the Year, Bearwallow: A Personal History of a Mountain Homeland, is a returning participant. He echoes Weisfeld’s point, noting the festival’s unique layout.

According to Jones, the setup encourages writers and readers to intermingle throughout the day, during and after events.

In addition to reading from his award-winning memoir, Jones, an associate professor of English at Western

Carolina University, will lead a free discussion about the writing process. He says the festival emphasizes the supportive nature of the writing community in Western North Carolina. It also highlights the plethora of talent in the area.

“Going to a festival like this and talking to other people in this region about writing kind of constantly reminds me how rich a literary tradition we have in this pretty small space, in the scope of the country,” he says.

Other local and regional writers participating in the event include Ronni Lundy (author of Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes), Frances Ruthe Figart, (Seasons of Letting Go: Most of What I Know About Truly Living I Learned

by Helping Someone Die), Marjorie Hudson (Searching for Virginia Dare), Mark Essig (Lesser Beasts: A Snoutto-Tail History of the Humble Pig) and recent Asheville transplant Lucy Corin, author of One Hundred Apocalypses and Other Apocalypses.

Corin, who is currently a National Endowment for the Arts fellow, splits her time between teaching at the University of California Davis and her home in the mountains of WNC. Originally from Orange County, just outside Durham and Chapel Hill, Corin says Asheville was always viewed as “the magical, mythic place” of her youth. “So, when I felt like

I was at a place in my life where I could step back a little from my professional ambitions and focus more on my writing and try and build roots in a community, this is where I decided to place myself for the long term,” she says. Along with a reading, Corin will hold a workshop on the revision process.

One of the Carolina Mountain Literary Festival’s main missions is to introduce readers to writers and books they might not otherwise come across. Weisfeld says the importance of reading a diverse set of authors is simple but important: “[It] opens our point of view to new ideas, things that we may not have thought about before, or ways of thinking about things that are new to us. We need writers to do that.” X

WHAT Carolina Mountain Literary Festival WHERE Throughout downtown Burnsville cmlitfest.org WHEN Thursday, Sept. 7-Saturday, Sept. 9 See website for full schedule

STOP the music!

There’s still time to JOIN THE DANCE!

Warren Wilson College series celebrates women authors Author Natalie Baszile will return to her alma mater Tuesday, Sept. 12, as the first of three women authors to be featured in Warren Wilson College’s Harwood-Cole Memorial Lecture Series. Baszile earned her MFA from the school in 2007. Her first novel, Queen Sugar, was published by Penguin in 2014 and has since been adapted as a television show on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

The reading series will take place in both the fall and spring semesters, as a lead-up to Lynn Morton’s inauguration in mid-April. Morton, the college’s first female president, views the program as an opportunity to emphasize and celebrate women writers. It is also an opportunity to showcase Warren Wilson’s cultural profile. “We’re hoping the community will come out and be part of the events,” Morton says. “And, as president, I want to connect very intentionally with the Asheville and Black Mountain communities, and Swannanoa Valley.”

Confirmed readings include:

Classes available in: ROYAL WELCOME: Natalie Baszile, a 2007 graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, penned the novel Queen Sugar. “As an African-American author, [race is] central to the work,” she says. “I think I am positioned to be able to talk about these issues in a way that celebrates black life but that can also be welcoming to all people.” Photo by Bennington • Tuesday, Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. — Natalie Baszile, author of Queen Sugar, • Sunday, Nov. 12, 3 p.m. — Elizabeth Kostova, author of The Historian and The Shadow Land The third and final writer was unconfirmed at press time. Readings will be held at 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa, and are free. More information at warren-wilson.edu X

• • • •

Ballet • Contemporary Creative Movement Hip Hop • Improvisation Jazz • Pointe • Tap

We have programs for Dancers from PreSchool (Age 2) to Senior Citizens.

“Loves music, loves to dance!” We have been blessed to watch the transformation from a shy little girl afraid of everyone, to this confident, outgoing performer. Our daughter has learned what commitment means by participating in Idea Factory’s Dance Machine, and what it means to the people she gets to perform for in the outreach programs. She tells everyone she knows and meets about dancing, and encourages them to try. It is great to be a part of this “Dance Family!”– Robin C.

Information/Registration: www.ideafactoryinc.org

(828) 277-4010 • 3726 Sweeten Creek Road, Arden, NC 28704 MOUNTAINX.COM

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by Daniel Walton

danielwwalton@live.com

LIVE TAKE

Floating Action debuts a new album

EVERY EXQUISITE THING: Though Floating Action shows are few and few between, a booking cancellation led to a live performance in celebration of the band’s latest release, Is It Exquisite? While Seth Kauffman, far left, recorded the album as a solo project, he’ll be joined onstage by, from left, Evan Martin, Drew Heller and Michael Libramento. Photo by Sandlin Gaither Black Mountain songwriter Seth Kauffman, the creative force behind indie-pop project Floating Action, doesn’t exactly say that he was tricked into playing his upcoming date at The Mothlight on Friday, Sept. 8. But he does say that the performance was originally a favor to Spaceface, a band led by his friend Jake Ingalls of The Flaming Lips. “I don’t even try to book shows in Asheville anymore, but he got me to do it,” Kauffman explains. “And then, a couple of weeks later, he had to bail on the show! Still, I’m thankful that it forced me to do a Floating Action gig.”

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Kauffman is no stranger to performing live — he regularly plays bass for the touring band of My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James — but when it comes to fronting his own shows, he’s often reluctant to take the stage. “I just don’t need to be in front of people. It doesn’t make me want to rip my clothes off or scream until I get the attention,” he says. Instead, Kauffman feels most at home in the studio, where he arranges and tracks all of the instruments on Floating Action’s dreamy, intricately constructed tunes.

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Friday’s show marks the digital release of Is It Exquisite?, the latest album to result from those efforts. Kaufmann recorded the entire collection of songs over just two weeks, during a rare lull between touring with James and studio work for artists such as Ray LaMontagne and Asheville’s Angel Olsen. “I have this dumb thing that I was brought up with of putting other people first,” he says with a self-deprecating laugh, “so I don’t usually have a concentrated time where I can actually work on my own stuff.”

Despite its short turnaround, Is It Exquisite? shows no signs of being a rush job. Each song creates a unique and carefully layered soundscape, all strung together by Kauffman’s reverb-laden voice. In opener “Don’t Desert Me,” for example, the melody meanders above dub-inspired drums and bass, a style cribbed from a teenage mission trip he took to Kingston, Jamaica. The warbling synth and booming kick of “My Blood Is Bright” recall the psychedelia of Animal Collective, while the warm choral harmonies of “The Silent One” draw from the baroque folk of Fleet Foxes.

Kauffman says he was most surprised by the last song on the album, “Controlled Burn,” an 11-minute instrumental more than twice the length of any other track in the set. “On every

album, I try to get weird things to happen,” he says. “All of the instruments are kind of backing off of each other, conversing with each other — it was just one of those spur-of-the-moment jams with one take of everything, but when I listened to it, I couldn’t wait to hear each next little bit.” The result sounds like sheets of guitar and bass riffs billowing from the clothesline of a constant drum machine loop.

As a performing act, Floating Action expands from a solo project into a fourpiece band featuring local artists Evan Martin, Michael Libramento and Drew Heller. Kauffman admits that he struggles with the inevitable differences that arise between the album and live interpretations of his songs. “When I make albums with me playing everything, there’s a kind of weird chemistry that can’t really be duplicated,” he says.

“I’m not saying it’s good; I’m just saying it’s different.” Kauffman is often also disappointed by modern sound systems and their low-bass rumble, which he feels can mask the nuances buried throughout his music.

Nevertheless, Kauffman does enjoy the interactions with other musicians that happen onstage. He says his live shows draw more from the aesthetic of the Grateful Dead than that of Guns N’ Roses: “The Grateful Dead just kind of stood there,” he points out, “but they were playing together.” Improvisation and spontaneity rub against Kauffman’s deliberate songwriting to yield more elastic versions of Floating Action material in performance.

Kauffman plans to continue working on new Floating Action songs whenever he finds the time between touring and recording (as well as caring for his 1 1/2-year-old daughter). But despite his busy schedule, he says that Black Mountain is the ideal town for his creativity. “I travel a lot in big cities all around the country, and it gets to you how people have to exist. You have to carry yourself with all this pretension,” he says. “I think Black Mountain is cool because it’s off of the beaten path — nobody cares at all.” X

WHAT Floating Action with Les Amis WHERE The Mothlight 701 Haywood Road themothlight.com WHEN Friday, Sept. 8, 9:30 p.m. $10 advance/$12 day of show

T H E AT E R R E V I E W

by Jeff Messer | upstge@yahoo.com

‘Unnecessary Farce’ at HART

OPEN-AND-SHUT CASE: Two cops, three criminals, eight doors. HART presents a madcap romp in its latest production, Unnecessary Farce. Photo by John Highsmith If you need a good laugh, or two, or 200, Paul Slade Smith’s comedy Unnecessary Farce, onstage at Haywood Arts Regional Theatre through Saturday, Sept. 9, is a remedy for those end-of-summer blues.

The key to a good farce is a director who can guide the actors through an often-frenetic show, in this case with many doors being slammed as others are being opened. There’s a precision required that could make or break a show like this. Julie Kinter, as director, makes perfect use of her seven actors who barrel between two motel rooms through the communicating doors, closets, bathrooms and outer portals.

In a show like this, if one entrance is too slow or too fast, the comical nearmisses misalign, and the whole thing falls apart. No such fears here — everyone is on their game in this show.

We begin with two police officers in one room. They’re providing surveillance over a meeting with the potentially corrupt mayor and a new accountant, who has uncovered millions in misplaced funds. Chase Wells’ Officer Sheridan has had an overnight romantic encounter with the accountant, Ms. Brown (played by Sarah Lipham), that creates sexual tension.

Anna Denson plays Officer Dwyer, Sheridan’s partner.

Wells is great as the somewhat bumbling cop, teamed with Denson’s neurotic Dwyer. Denson really shines with some impressive physical comedy moments, as well as a breathless monologue in the second act that garners well-earned applause. Lipham is hys-

terical in the role of the sexually ravenous accountant who spends a lot of the show getting undressed, then getting caught in compromising positions.

David Spivy’s Mayor Meekly is a lot of fun to watch. He tends to pop up just in time to catch people in dicey situations before excusing himself in a befuddled manner. Dan Dutterer is the Mayor’s overzealous security man, who gets entangled in all sides of the situation as it spins out of control.

Late in the proceedings, Mayor Meekly’s wife (played by Holly Cope) arrives to add one more person to the chaos, which has ramped up considerably thanks to Scottish assassin Todd. Todd kills his victims only after donning full Scottish regalia and playing his favorite song on the bagpipes.

David Krarup is a scene-stealer as Todd, whose brogue gets so comically thick when he’s angry that it becomes a stream of mumbo-jumbo.

Yet, somehow Dwyer can understand and translate.

There’s much ado about the Scottish Mafia, which is really behind the missing money from town hall, and Todd’s relationship to it all. In the midst of it, there’s plenty of romping on the motel beds, hiding in the closets and mistaken identities. Will Sheridan and Dwyer save the day and crack the case, or will they be banished from the police force for bungling things? And will Sheridan and Brown ever get to consummate their relationship?

All in all, there’s not much to this show from a plot standpoint — but there’s not supposed to be. This pro-

duction is designed to make audiences howl with laughter, and it more than delivers, including a curtain call with all seven actors racing in and out of doors, chasing each other wildly until the all emerge for a well-earned bow. X

WHAT Unnecessary Farce WHERE HART 250 Pigeon St. Waynesville harttheatre.org WHEN Through Saturday, Sept. 9 Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. $12-$25

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A&E

by Edwin Arnaudin | Send your arts news to ae@mountainx.com

Heather Bell Adams

The Crowin’ Hen

The latest in a long line of attorneys-turned-fiction writers, Hendersonville native Heather Bell Adams moved to the North Carolina Triangle to attend Duke University and Duke University School of Law. Outside of her day job at her Raleigh legal practice, which focuses on financial services litigation, she’s had short fiction published in a number of literary journals. Now comes her debut novel, Maranatha Road, about a mother in a small Southern town wrestling with the loss of her son and the appearance of a young woman claiming to be carrying his child. Adams reads from her book in a free event at Malaprop’s on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m. She’ll be in conversation with Jeremy Jones, associate professor of English at Western Carolina University. malaprops.com. Author photo courtesy of Adams

In addition to being lead singer and bass player for the Asheville bluegrass band Buncombe Turnpike since 1997, Tom Godleski is a respected local playwright.

Inspired by the old mountain saying “A whistlin’ girl and a crowin’ hen will never come to any good end,” Godleski crafted a music-filled comedy about Granny, a superstitious woman who encounters various colorful characters while trying to get a certain noisy female bird off her farm. Back at The Folk Art Center, where The Crowin’ Hen made its debut in May 2015, the play will be performed on Friday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 9, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 10, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available online at buncombeturnpike.com. avl.mx/41y.

Photo courtesy of Godleski

Paa Kow

Asheville Printmakers present GRAIN What does the word “grain” mean to you? Presented with that question, members of Asheville Printmakers responded with works that explore the word’s many definitions and forms. Interpretations range from grain’s presence in wood and paper, as a food and plant as well as a concept and texture. The artists’ creations — all of which measure 12 inches by 12 inches — showcase a variety of print processes and will be on display at the Asheville BookWorks Gallery. Most will be available for purchase beginning at the opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m. The “GRAIN” exhibition runs through Wednesday, Nov. 1. ashevillebookworks.com. “Rye on Sandpaper” by Carol Lawrence

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At an age when most children are occupied with learning how to count and tie their shoes, Paa Kow was busy playing music with his family’s concert band. From those early days in the small village of Enyan Denkyira near Cape Coast in Ghana, the drummer has continued to explore the instrument’s potential and now tours the world from his home base in Denver. Specializing in danceable jams with lyrics in English and his native Fante, Paa Kow has a new album out in mid-October called Cookpot, which derives its title from the drummer’s opinion that making music is comparable to preparing food. Paa Kow plays a free show at The Altamont Theatre on Monday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m. thealtamonttheatre.com. Photo by Elliot Sif

by Abigail Griffin

A&E CA LEN DA R

PENNY & SPARROW: Diana Wortham Theatre hosts the Texas-born moody, acoustic folk duo Penny and Sparrow, who are touring in support of their new album, Wendigo.

The new album, which arrives a year and a half after Let a Lover Drown You, was created in a makeshift recording studio in the living room of the duo’s Florence, Ala., home.

The show, which takes place Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. with $30 tickets, opens with the folk duo Lowland Hum. For tickets and information, visit dwtheatre.com. Photo of Penny and Sparrow by Daniel N. Johnson courtesy of All Eyes Media (p. 50) ART

photos and videos together. Organized

APPALACHIAN ART FARM 22 Morris St., Sylva, appalchianartfarm.org • SA (9/9), 1-4pm “Handbuilding,” open clay studio session with master potter Kevin NcNiff. Cost includes clay, bisque firing and instruction. $30/$25 members.

by Authentic Asheville.

CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 828-754-2486, caldwellarts.com • SA (9/9), 9am-4pm 32nd annual Sculpture Celebration. Awards presented at 3:30pm.

Free. Held at Broyhill Walking Park, 945 Lakewood Circle, Lenoir

11am-5pm - “Second

COTTON MILL STUDIOS 122 Riverside Drive, 828-252-9122 • SU (9/10), 6:30pm “Asheville Instameet,” meeting of local Instagrammers to take

Free.

ODYSSEY COOPERATIVE ART GALLERY 238 Clingman Ave., 828-285-9700, facebook.com/ odysseycoopgallery • 2nd SATURDAYS, Saturday Celebration,”

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS THE AUTUMN PLAYERS 828-686-1380, www,ashevilletheatre. org, caroldec25@gmail. com • TU (9/12), 10:30am2:30pm - Open auditions for Living Together, comedy.

Contact for full guidelines. Held at Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St.

event with food, music and artist demonstrations. Free to attend.

ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS BURIAL BEER CO. 40 Collier Ave., 828475-2739, burialbeer. com • WE (9/13), 8-11pm - Local arts and crafts market. Free to attend.

MUSIC AFRICAN DRUM LESSONS AT SKINNY BEATS DRUM SHOP (PD.) Sundays 2pm, Wednesdays 6pm.

Billy Zanski teaches a fun approach to connecting with your inner rhythm. Drop-ins welcome. Drums provided. $15/class. (828) 768-2826. skinnybeatsdrums.com

ASHEVILLE MUSIC SCHOOL 126 College St., 828252-6244, ashevillemusicschool.com • TH (9/7), 6-7pm “Music Theory 101,” class for adults and children over 14. Free.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty. org/governing/depts/ library • TH (9/7), 6:30pm Jazz Hour: Up Jumped Three, concert. Free.

Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. CITY OF ASHEVILLE 828-251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • FRIDAYS, 6-10pm - Asheville outdoor drum circle. Free. Held at Pritchard Park, 4 College St. CITY OF MORGANTON MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM 401 South College St. Morganton, commaonline.org

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• TH (9/14), 7pm - The Moore Brothers Band concert. $10/$8 seniors & youth.

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 18 Biltmore Ave., dwtheatre.com • TU (9/12), 8pm Penny & Sparrow, concert. $30/$25 advance.

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE 2661 Highway 225, Flat Rock, 828-693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • WE (9/6) through SA (9/9) - “Heart and Soul Tribute to the King,” concert featuring Donny Edwards as Elvis. Wed., Thurs. & Sat.: 2pm. Thurs.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 8pm. $15-$33.

HONEYFOLK ACOUSTIC JAM jam@honeyfolk.org • SUNDAYS 5pm Acoustic music jam for all genres. Free. Held in a private home, contact for location.

by Abigail Griffin

MACON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 149 Siler Farm Road, Franklin • TH (9/7), 7pm Marshall Ballew concert, American folk music. Free.

MUSIC AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu. edu • TH (9/7), 7pm - OldTime and Bluegrass Series: Jake Blount concert followed by 8pm open jam. Free.

Held at Hf Robinson Administration Building, Cullowhee • TH (9/7), 7:30pm “The Who’s, Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry,” concert by The HillBenders. $25.

Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee PUBSING 828-254-1114 • 2nd SUNDAYS, 6-8pm - Gospel jam and sing-along.

Optional snack time at 5:30pm. Free to attend. Held at French Broad Brewery, 101 Fairview Road SUMMER TRACKS CONCERT SERIES 828-290-4316, summertracks.com • FR (9/8), 7pm - The Paper Crowns, outdoor bluegrass/folk concert.

Free. Held at Rogers Park, 55 W. Howard St., Tryon

THEATER ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 35 E. Walnut St., 828254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (9/10) & TH (9/7) - The Producers, musical.

Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm.

Sun.: 2:30pm. Thurs.: 7:30pm. $15-$30/$100 opening night.

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE 2661 Highway 225, Flat Rock, 828-693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org

• THURSDAY through SUNDAY (9/7) until (9/24) - You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Thurs., Fri. & Sat.: 7pm. Thurs., Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. SA (9/9): 8pm. $12.50-$25.

MAGNETIC 375 375 Depot St., themagnetictheatre.org • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS (9/14) until (10/7) - Better Strangers, drama.

7:30pm. $10-16.

MONTFORD PARK PLAYERS 828-254-5146, montfordparkplayers.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS (9/8) until (9/23) - The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged). Free. Held at Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St. THEATER AT MARS HILL mhu.edu • TH (9/7) through SU (9/10) - Ruthless!

The Musical. $15/$12 seniors & students.

Thurs.-Sat.: 7:30pm.

Sun.: 2:30pm. Held in Owen Theatre Held at Mars Hill University, 265 Cascade St., Mars Hill

CRAFT WEEK

PULLOUT SECTION

COMING Soon!

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SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

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GALLERY DIRECTORY ART AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY mhu.edu • Through FR (9/22) - Fluent: 25 Years of Painting, Drawings, and Album Covers, exhibition of the art of Daniel Nevins. Held at Mars Hill University, Weizenblatt Gallery, 79 Cascade St., Mars Hill

Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave.

Sept. 8, 5-7pm. Held at

ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART 82 Patton Ave., 828-2515796, ashevillegallery-of-art. com • Through SA (9/30) Radiant Fall, paintings of Judy Rentner.

Gallery, 310 W. State St.,

ART AT UNCA art.unca.edu • Through SA (9/9) - The Holocaust-Era GrossBreesen Farm for Jewish Youth, multimedia exhibition. Reception: Saturday, Sept. 9, 3-5pm. Held at UNC Asheville - Ramsey Library, 1 University Heights • Through FR (9/22) Exhibition of the work of Adam Cable. Held at UNC Asheville - Owen Hall, 1 University Heights • Through FR (9/22) UNC Asheville faculty art exhibition. Held at UNC Asheville - Owen Hall, 1 University Heights

GROVEWOOD GALLERY 111 Grovewood Road, 828-253-7651, grovewood.com• Through SU (9/17) Exhibition of work from and bene

THE ASHEVILLE SCHOOL

ART AT WCU 828-227-2787, bardoartscenter.wcu.edu • Through FR (12/8) - Return from Exile: Contemporary Southeastern Indian Art, exhibition. Reception: Friday, Nov. 10, 5-7pm.

Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (9/22) - Man and Nature: Pathway to Renewal, exhibition curated by Joseph Pearson.

GROVEWOOD GALLERY 111 Grovewood Road, 828-253-7651, grovewood.com • Through SU (9/17) Exhibition of work from and benefit for Arts For Life.

JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 310 Keener St., Sylva, 828-586-2016, fontanalib.org/sylva/ • Through SA (9/30) - Exhibition of works by Jan Boyer.

Reception: Thursday, Sept. 7, 6-8pm.

MORA CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY 9 Walnut St., 828-5752294, moracollection.com • Through SA (9/30) - Exhibition of jewelry by Erica Stankwytch Bailey. Reception: Friday, Sept. 8, 5-8pm.

ODYSSEY COOPERATIVE ART GALLERY 238 Clingman Ave., 828285-9700, facebook.com/ odysseycoopgallery

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Red House Studios and Black Mountain SWELL SALON 9 W. Walnut St., Unit 2 • Through SA (9/30) Exhibition of the art of Tessa Lang.

360 Asheville School Road, 828-254-6345, ashevilleschool.org • TH (9/14) through TU (10/31) - Parallel Play, exhibition of the work of Julie Armbruster. Reception: Thursday, Sept. 14, 5-7pm.

TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL

EXPLORING CONNECTIVITY: Marc Ouellette’s charged and timely paintings exploring a society grappling with connectivity opens Friday, Sept. 8, from 6-8 p.m. at Revolve at Ramp South Studios. “The excesses and disconnect in American culture both fascinate and concern me” says Ouellette. “This is part of the human drama in which we currently find ourselves. I intend my paintings to visually and emotionally engage the viewer and perhaps to raise questions about who we are and where we are going as Americans.” The show runs until Saturday, Sept. 30. For more information, visit revolveavl.org. Lax, painting by Marc Ouellette, courtesy of Revolve.

• Through SA (9/30) Exhibition featuring the ceramic art of MaryJane Findley and Dot Burnworth.

PINK DOG CREATIVE 348 Depot St., pinkdog-creative.com • Through SA (9/30) Impossible Interior Babel, exhibition of paintings by Jeremy Phillips.

REVOLVE AT RAMP SOUTH 821 Riverside Drive, #179, revolveavl.org • Through SA (9/30) - PORTRAI T, new paintings by Marc Ouellette. Reception: Friday, Sept. 8, 6-8pm.

RURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM AT MARS HILL 100 Athletic St., Mars Hill, 828-689-1304

• Through SU (3/4) - The Civil War In the Southern Highlands: A Human Perspective, multi-media exhibition showing original letters and newly-discovered documents.

SWANNANOA VALLEY FINE ARTS LEAGUE 828-669-0351, svfalarts.org • FR (9/8) through TU (11/7) - Images and Words, group exhibition. Reception: Friday,

349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 828-884-2787, tcarts.org • Through FR (9/15) Through the Needle’s Eye 2017, The Embroiderers’ Guild of America national touring exhibition.

WOOLWORTH WALK 25 Haywood St., 828-2549234 • Through FR (9/29) Exhibition of paintings by Karen Keil Brown.

ZAPOW! 150 Coxe Ave., Suite 101, 828-575-2024, zapow.net • Through SA (9/30) Tentacles & Intoxication, group exhibition.

Contact the galleries for admission hours and fees

COMING SOON advertise@mountainx.com MOUNTAINX.COM

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

51

CLUBLAND

TAVERN Downtown on the Park Eclectic Menu • Over 30 Taps • Patio 15 TV’s • Sports Room • 110” Projector Event Space • Shuffleboard Open 7 Days 11am - Late Night

h ave F O O We o n ov eT BA L L s ! r 15 TV’

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk), 8:00PM

THU. 9/7

550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke, 8:00PM

Hope Griffin

(acoustic rock, folk)

BARLEY’S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown’s Team Trivia, 8:30PM

FRI. 9/8

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 The Sweet Lillies, 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time session, 5:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

DJ MoTo

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open mic w/ Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM

SAT. 9/9

BURGER BAR Double Trouble Karaoke w/ Dee and Quinn, All Day

MG ROAD Salsa Night w/ DJ Mexicano Isaac, 7:00PM

( dance hits, pop)

Flashback

( classic rock)

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com 52

ISLAND TONES: Roots songstress Alynda Segarra, better known by her stage moniker Hurray For The Riff Raff, is returning to her roots on the group’s latest album, The Navigator. The New Orleans-based musician has infused her acclaimed dust-from-theroad vocals and melodies with a touch of traditional Caribbean plena and son montuno rhythms to tell the story of the album’s street-wise protagonist, Navita Milagros Negrón. Get a little Caribbean flavor when Hurray For The Riff Raff dances into the Orange Peel for a 9 p.m. show on Friday, Sept. 8. Photo courtesy of Shore Fire Media

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

CORK & KEG 3 Cool Cats (vintage rock ‘n’ roll, dance), 7:30PM

ODDITORIUM Party Foul: A Tasteful Queer Troupe (drag show), 9:00PM

CREPE BOURREE Gypsy Duets, 7:00PM

OLE SHAKEY’S Sexy Tunes w/ DJ’s Zeus & Franco, 10:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Classic Country Vinyl w/ DJ David Wayne Gay, 10:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Brown Bag Songwriting Competition: Week 1, 5:30PM Evil Note Lab, 10:00PM

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Hurricane Harvey Relief Concert w/ Amanda Anne Platt, The Honeycutters & more, 6:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING In Flight, 9:00PM

ORANGE PEEL The Mountain Goats w/ The Hot At Nights, 7:00PM

Historic Live Music Venue Located At

185 CLINGMAN AVE • ASHEVILLE

FRI SUN

THE MOTHLIGHT Beach Slang w/ *repeat repeat (punk, rock, indie), 9:00PM TIMO’S HOUSE Psychedelic Wednesday, 8:00PM TRESSA’S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES JJ Kitchen All Star Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

FRI

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Indivisible Asheville, 5:30PM Fish Feel To Asheville, 7:00PM

MON

SALVAGE STATION RnB Wednesday Jam Night w/ Ryan RnB Barber & friends, 8:00PM

THU

POUR TAPROOM Music Bingo, 7:00PM

SAT

POST 25 Albi & The Lifters (American swing, French chanson), 7:00PM

THU

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY MoonFish 2, 6:00PM

BIG SANDY AND HIS 9/07 FLY-RITE BOYS 9/08 BLUE DRAGONS TAQUERIA OPEN AT 11AM DAILY RECORDS + 9/09 SIRIUS.B (ALBUM RELEASE SHOW) HARVEST THEGREYEAGLE.COM An Evening With

this week only

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

w/ Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands

9/10

Friday • Sept. 8th Parkway Pale Release

LAST WALTZ TRIBUTE SHOW COMING SOON FEATURING GRITS AND SOUL

9/11 SHABAZZ PALACES 9/14 AMERICAN AQUARIUM 9/15 DELTA RAE w/ Porter Ray

w/ Curtis McMurtry

w/ Liz Longley

9/16: Rockin Fur The Cats! 2:00pm

9/16: Of Montreal w/ Showtime Goma And Nancy Feast 8:00pm 9/17: Gaelynn Lea w/ Jenny Parrott 9/18: Electric Guest w/ TOMI

12-10pm, Part of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Find Your Pint fundraiser

Saturday• Sept. 15th Sign of the Times New England IPA 12-10pm Brewery-only can release featuring art by Julie Armbruster

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE An evening w/ David Feder (acoustic flamenco-fusion), 8:00PM

eVery week Mondays: $3 year-round and seasonal beers + game night!

BARLEY’S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club (live jazz), 9:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Bluegrass Jam w/ The Big Deal Band, 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Chris Jamison (Americana, alt-country), 7:00PM

extended hours Monday-Thursday 3-9pm Friday-Saturday 12-10pm Sunday 12-6pm

BURGER BAR Burger Bar Boogaloo!, All Day TRIVIA! w/ Ol’Gilly, 7:00PM BYWATER Well Lit Strangers, 6:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/ Pam Jones, 8:00PM CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Reggae Thursdays w/ Station Underground (reggae, rock, jam), 8:00PM

12 Old Charlotte Hwy. Suite 200 Asheville, NC 28803 828-299-3370

DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM

highlandbrewing.com

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Flawless and Raw (soul, jam), 9:00PM

THIS WEEK AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

THIS WEEK AT THE ONE STOP:

THU 9/7 10pm Armadilla w/ Upland Drive [Indie Rock/Folk/Funk] FRI 9/8 10pm After Funk [Progressive Soul/Funk] SAT 9/9 10pm Snozzberries (members of Hail Cassius Neptune and In Flight) UPCOMING SHOWS - ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL:

CABINET

with Taylor Martin

FRI 9/8 – 9 pm –

adv.

$10

PSYLO JOE SAT 9/9 9 pm – adv. $8

9/12 9/15 9/16 9/22

Tuesday Night Funk Jam 10-year Anniversary Sol Seet & Treehouse! w/ Zach Fowler & Budda Love Jonathan Scales Birthday Bash Big Sam’s Funky Nation w/ Victor Wainwright and The Train

Tickets available at ashevillemusichall.com @avlmusichall MOUNTAINX.COM

@onestopasheville SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

53

C LUBLAND FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Billy Litz (soul, roots), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform “Eclectic Country” (jam), 7:00PM

9/06: TRIVIA! 7PM 9/08: FIND YOUR PINT NIGHT W/ MUSIC BY TESSIA 6-8 PM 9/10: FLOW YOGA + CIDER 12:30

Official GOOMBAY After Parties!

Reggae Friday, 9/8 ● 10pm Saturday Salsa, 9/9 ● 10pm

39 S. Market St.

●

COMING SOON: 9/23: RESONANT ROGUES 7-9 PM

theblockoffbiltmore.com

LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT NO COVER CHARGE MONDAY

THURSDAY

65¢ WINGS

NFL TICKET

FRIDAY

TUESDAY

Where The Blue Ridge Mountains Meet the Celtic Isles

MONDAYS Quizzo – Brainy Trivia • 7:30pm Open Mic Night • 9pm WEDNESDAYS Asheville’s Original Old Time Mountain Music Jam • 5pm

SEPTEMBER 8

FLASH BACK

MOUNTAIN SHAG

SATURDAY

WEDNESDAY

SEPTEMBER 9

KARAOKE W/ DJ DO IT

MARC KELLER

FULL MENU — 15 TAPS OPEN WEEKDAYS 4 PM OPEN FOR LUNCH, FRI-SUN NOON Located Next to Clarion Inn — 550 Airport Road Fletcher — 550tavern.com — www.facebook.com/550TavernGrille

THURSDAYS The Clydes • 7pm Bluegrass Jam • 9:30pm Bourbon Specials

SAT MAGGIE VALLEY 9/9 9BAND PM / $5 HONKY TONK JAM

TUE LEAD BY TOM PITTMAN 9/12 TEXAS TWO-STEP & WALTZ 9 PM / NO COVER

THE MODERN FRI STRANGERS 9/15 ASHEVILLE’S OWN JANGLEPOP BAND 9 PM / $5

FRI THE CARMONAS 9/22 9PM / $5 IRISH SUNDAYS Irish Food and Drink Specials Traditional Irish Music Session • 3-9pm

MOUNTAINX.COM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 An evening w/ Andrew McKnight, 7:00PM Laid Back Thursday w/ Ram Mandelkorn Trio, 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Clydes pre-jam, 7:00PM Bluegrass Open Jam Session, 9:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Heavy Night w/ DJ Butch, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones, 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Narcos w/ Cloud City Caskets & Morbids (punk), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch’s Totally Rad Trivia Night, 7:00PM Armadilla w/ Upland Drive (indie rock, funk), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Sarah Tucker (singer-songwriter), 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Folkadelic (folk), 6:00PM PULP Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM PACK’S TAVERN Hope Griffin (acoustic rock, folk), 8:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Grandpa’s Cough Medicine (outlaw bluegrass), 8:00PM POUR TAPROOM Ghost Pipe Trio, 5:00PM Tunes at the Taps, 7:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE The Get Right Band (funk), 7:30PM SALVAGE STATION Eleanor Underhill & Friends (Americana), 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Eric Congdon & Izzi Hughes, 7:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Carolinabound, 7:00PM SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Vinyl Night, 6:30PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Cocktails & Creations, 7:00PM Lazybirds (American roots, Ragtime), 8:30PM THE FAIRVIEW TAVERN Live Band Karaoke & Open Jam w/ Old School, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT The Moth: True Stories Told Live (“Schooled” theme), 7:00PM TIMO’S HOUSE Thumpin’ Thursday w/ DJ Drew, 8:00PM

CRAFT BEER, SPIRITS & QUALITY PUB FARE SINCE 1997

TOWN PUMP Dr. Paul, 9:00PM

252.5445 • jackofthewood.com

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY East Side Social Ride, 6:00PM Roots & friends open jam (blues, rock, roots), 7:00PM

OPEN MON-THURS AT 3 • FRI-SUN AT NOON

95 PATTON at COXE • Downtown Asheville 54

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN An evening w/ Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys (rockabilly), 8:00PM

TRADE & LORE COFFEE HOUSE Zach Winters w/ Whym, 7:00PM

TRESSA’S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, dance), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Anya Hinkle (bluegrass), 7:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Rough & Tumble, 7:30PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ unplugged w/ Ashley Heath, 8:00PM

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Lyric (acoustic soul), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Flashback (80s, 90s & now), 9:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Big Dawg Slingshots (Western swing), 9:00PM

UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Mason Vai (bluegrass), 8:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Rotating rpm rock ‘n’ soul DJ, 10:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Roy Book Binder & Doug MacLeod (acoustic blues), 8:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Calico Moon, 6:30PM MOE’S ORIGINAL BBQ WOODFIN Linda Mitchell , 6:30PM NATIVE KITCHEN & SOCIAL PUB Momma Molasses, 7:30PM NOBLE KAVA The Build, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM Junior Astronomers w/ Laser Background, Space Heater & Brucemont (rock, experimental), 9:00PM

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ electric w/ DJ Capt EZ, 8:00PM

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The Sufi Brothers w/ Woody Wood (Americana), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Mark Keller (acoustic), 9:00PM

ALTAMONT THEATRE Reasonably Priced Babies, 8:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Friday w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:30PM After Funk (funk, rock), 10:00PM

ALTAMONT THEATRE McQueen w/ Jason Daniello (mixed-media comedy), 8:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Cabinet w/ Taylor Martin (bluegrass), 9:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING An evening w/ the Dirty Dead, 9:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Hurray for the Riff Raff w/ Xenia Rubinos, 9:00PM

BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Jason Moore & Mike Holstein (jazz), 7:30PM

BURGER BAR Burger Bar Bike Night, All Day

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Sweet Sweet (indie Americana), 6:00PM

CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/DJ Abu Disarray, 9:00PM CORK & KEG Vayden Landers & The Do Rights (country, blues), 8:30PM DOUBLE CROWN Rock & Soul Obscurities w/ DJ Greg Cartwright, 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Station Underground (reggae), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Shaun Peace Band (reggae), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Loose Leaves (alternative, folk, hip hop), 8:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN The Whiskey Charmers (Americana), 6:00PM Blue Dragons (psychedelic, funk, rock), 9:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Your Only Option (live podcast), 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY The Horse You Rode In On (funk, fusion), 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Isis lawn series w/ Jack & Zack and friends, 6:30PM An evening w/ Lilly Hiatt, 7:00PM An evening w/ Window Cat & Indigo De Souza, 9:00PM

PACK’S TAVERN DJ Moto (dance hits, pop), 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Hail Cassius Neptune, 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION RiverLink RiverMusic w/ Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, Darrin Bradbury & Ouroboros Boys, 5:00PM Atlas Road Crew, 10:30PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Eric Congdon Birthday Bash, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Unite! Open Mic Night, 7:30PM Official GOOMBAY Festival After Party w/ DJ Roy & Leg Cash, 10:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Psylo Joe (psychedelic rock), 9:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Ben Phan (singer-songwriter), 7:00PM BURGER BAR AshevilleFM DJ Night, All Day CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/The Groove Arcade, 9:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE SUG, 7:00PM CORK & KEG Big Dawg Slingshots (Western swing), 8:30PM CURRAHEE BREWING TAPROOM Yoga in the Taproom, 11:00AM Black Mountain City Limits, 7:30PM DOUBLE CROWN Soul Motion Dance Party w/ Dj Dr. Filth, 10:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Floating Action w/ Les Amis (alternative, indie), 9:30PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Gruda Tree Trio (soul, jam), 10:00PM

THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL SOL Vibes, 9:00PM

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Ten Cent Poetry (acoustic, pop), 6:00PM

TIGER MOUNTAIN Friday Nite Mash Up w/ Nex Millen, BBoy Evan & DJ Rocdaspot, 10:00PM

FROG LEVEL BREWERY Bend & Brew, 11:00AM

TIMO’S HOUSE Hip Hop Dance Party w/ MP Pride, 8:00PM

GOOD STUFF Mitch Littler, 8:30PM

TOWN PUMP Jackdaw’s 7, 9:00PM

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Sirius.B w/ Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands (folk, rock, world music), 9:00PM

TRESSA’S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES The Duane Simpson Duo (live music), 7:00PM The Jordan Okrend Experience (dance, live music), 10:00PM

HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Yoga for Working Bodies, 12:00PM Dance Party w/ DJ Kutzu, 10:00PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

55

C LUBLAND HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY PMA (reggae), 7:00PM

9/6 North Carolina’s First Cider Bar Family Owned & Operated Seasonal, craft-made hard ciders and tasting-room delights from local farmers & artisans.

k #1 Best Place to Drin Cider in U.S.A.

wed

w/ *repeat repeat

9/7

thu

9/8

fri

9/9

sat

floating action

w/ les amis

protomartyr

w/ melkbelly

9/10 sun kevin morby w/ shannon lay

(828)744-5151

Yoga at the Mothlight

Tuesdays and Thursdays- 11:30am

www.urbanorchardcider.com

Details for all shows can be found at

themothlight.com

Free Live Music MON - 9/4 • 6:30PM OLD TIME JAM

TUES - 9/5 • 6:30PM OPEN MIC

THURS - 9/7 • 6:30PM ANYA HINKLE BLUEGRASS DINNER SHOW

FRI - 9/8 • 8PM MASON VIA RHYTHM & BLUESGRASS

SUN - 9/10 • 11:30AM OPEN DAILY 11:30AM UNTIL MIDNIGHT 1042 HAYWOOD RD. ASHEVILLE, NC 28806

828.575.2400 UPCOUNTRYBREWING.COM

56

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

LAZY DIAMOND Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio, 6:30PM

the moth: true stories told live (theme: schooled)

-Food & Wine Magazine

210 Haywood Road, West Asheville, NC 28806

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Maggie Valley Band (Americana), 9:00PM

beach slang

YOGA ON THE PATIO

COMING SOON wed 9/06 5-9PM–all You can eat snow crab legs 6:30-9PM–Music on the Patio (free) 7:00PM–the sweet lillies

thu 9/07

7-9PM–Music on the Patio (free)

7:00PM–andrew Mcknight fri 9/08 6:30-9PM: isis lawn series w/

jack and zack (Midnight snack) & friends 7:00PM–lillY hiatt 9:00PM– window cat

with indigo de souza tue 9/12 7:30PM–tuesdaY bluegrass sessions wed 9/13

5-9PM–all You can eat snow crab legs 6:30-9PM–Music on the Patio (free) 7PM & 9PM– bill frisell feat.

Petra haden, hank roberts, & luke bergMan: two shows one night thu 9/14 7-9PM–Music on the Patio (free)

7PM–the novel ideas fri 9/15 6:30-9PM: isis lawn series w/ secret b-sides trio

7PM: steven Pelland and rYan guerra sat 9/16 7PM–tret fure 9PM– tribute: a celebration of the allMan brothers band sun 9/17

7:30PM–aPril verch band

TUE 9/19 7:30PM–tuesdaY bluegrass sessions wed 9/20 5-9PM–all You can eat snow crab legs 6:30-9PM–Music on the Patio (free)

7PM– dYlan earl and his reasons whY

8:30PM– Phoebe hunt and

the gatherers with dori freeMan ISISASHEVILLE.COM DINNER MENU TIL 9:30PM LATE NIGHT MENU TIL 12AM

TUES-SUN 5PM-until 743 HAYWOOD RD 828-575-2737

MG ROAD Late Night Dance Parties w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10:00PM NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Grateful Ball w/ The Travelin’ McCourys & the Jeff Austin Band (Grateful Dead tribute), 5:00PM Amphitheater After Hours w/ The Magic Beans, 11:00PM NOBLE KAVA Dorion/Keller, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM The Spiral w/ Jason Herring & Tides (rock), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY’S Saturday Night Fever, 10:00PM OLIVE OR TWIST 42nd Street Band (jazz), 7:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Snozzberries (funk fusion), 10:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY The Menders (rock), 6:00PM PACK’S TAVERN Flashback (classic rock), 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Dennis “Chlawa” Berndt & friends (roots, reggae, ska), 8:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Eddie Swann (singer-songwriter), 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION Everyone Loves Asheville w/ Steve Kimock, John Kadlecik & Everyone Orchestra, 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Yoga w/ Cats with Blue Ridge Humane Society, 10:00AM Michael Jefry Stevens Jazz Trio, 8:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Pierce Edens, 5:00PM Lyric, 8:00PM SPRING CREEK TAVERN Chicken Coop Willaye Trio (Appalachian roots), 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE 2umbao Salsa Lesson, 9:30PM Latin Rhythms & Saturday Salsa Dance w/ DJ Malinall, 10:30PM THE MOTHLIGHT Protomartyr w/ Melkbelly (post-punk, rock), 9:30PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL 30 & Up Night w/ DJ Twan, 10:00PM TIMO’S HOUSE Gourmet Collective w/ ABSTRKT & YUKI, 8:00PM TOWN PUMP The Ointment Appointment w/ Marc Higgins & the Chainsaw Bears, 9:00PM TRESSA’S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES The King Zeros (delta blues), 7:30PM Ruby Mayfield & The Friendship Train (dance), 10:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Andy Buckner (country), 8:00PM

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ live w/ The Jordan Okrend Experience, 8:00PM

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 185 KING STREET Sunday Sessions Open Jam, 4:30PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Ben Colvin Quartet (jazz), 7:00PM

TIMO’S HOUSE BYOVinyl: Open Decks , 8:00PM WICKED WEED Summer Concert Series w/ Rob Parks Band, 4:00PM

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 185 KING STREET

ARCHETYPE BREWING Patrick Dodd & Josh Singleton, 3:00PM

Open Mic Night, 7:00PM

BARLEY’S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA JustUs Duo, 7:30PM

Siamese Jazz Club (R&B, soul, jazz), 8:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Sunday Jazz Brunch, 11:00AM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Larry Dolamore, 7:00PM BURGER BAR Push Presents: Skate Cinema, All Day BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Shag and Swing Dancing, 2:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open Mic Night (music, poetry, comedy), 5:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Last Waltz tribute show w/ Grits & Soul, 8:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS A Taste of Soul Brunch, 12:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Dennis “Chalwa” Berndt, 1:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Celtic Jam Session, 3:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Pabst Sabbath w/ DJ Chubberbird, 10:00PM LUELLA’S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Gypsy Jazz Brunch w/ Leo Johnson, 1:00PM MG ROAD Nice Guys Comedy w/ Grayson Morris, 8:00PM NATIVE KITCHEN & SOCIAL PUB Posey Quartet, 12:00PM ODDITORIUM Queer Dance Party, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass Brunch, 10:30AM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Mitch Hayes (rock), 6:00PM PACK’S TAVERN ASF Unplugged (acoustic hits), 4:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Sunday Paper Crowns Jam, 6:00PM SALVAGE STATION Jerry Pranksters w/ Everyones’s Dead & Steve Kimock, 5:00PM Open Mic Night w/ The Wet Doorknobs, 7:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Gospel Brunch w/ Redneck Mimosa, 12:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Awesome Foundation Pitch Party, 6:00PM Sunday Island Vibes w/ DJ Roy & Leg Cash (roots, reggae), 10:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Kevin Morby w/ Shannon Lay, 9:00PM

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Do you know someone who works hard doing good for not much money?

That deserving person may be eligible for the Mountain Xpress Julian Award, a $1,000 cash prize that will be given this fall at the kickoff of Mountain Xpress’ Give!Local campaign for local nonprofits. But hurry, we have extended the deadline to nominate to Sept. 11.

CLU B LA N D ALTAMONT THEATRE An evening w/ Paa Kow (Afrofusion, world), 7:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Andy Ferrell, 7:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM

BURGER BAR Booze Bap, All Day DOUBLE CROWN Country Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Songwriter’s “open mic”, 7:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Shabazz Palaces w/ Porter Ray, 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Game Night, 4:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo Trivia Night, 7:00PM Open mic, 9:30PM

MG ROAD The Living Room (live music), 8:30PM ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque w/ Deb Au Nare, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY’S Honky Tonk Karaoke, 9:00PM

• be doing exceptional, creative work in the nonprofit sector,

• earn no more than $35,000 a year.

2017

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POUR TAPROOM Low Light Mondays w/ Matt Townsend , 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Porch Magazine’s 5:3:1 (five stories, three songs, one action), 6:30PM Michael & Garry’s Middle Mondays Dance Party (dance lesson @ 7:30 p.m.), 7:30PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Ghost Pipe Trio, 9:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Heavy Metal Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown, 6:30PM MG ROAD Keep It Classic Tuesdays w/ Sam Thompson, 5:00PM

ARCHETYPE BREWING Michael Corwin, 7:00PM

ODDITORIUM Open Mic Comedy Night w/ Tom Peters, 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:30PM

OLE SHAKEY’S Booty Tuesday, 10:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesday, 10:00PM

BEN’S TUNE-UP Rhoda Weaver and the Soul mates (oldies, rock, blues), 5:00PM Rhoda Weaver, 5:30PM Lyric, 8:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Bleachers w/ Tangerine, 8:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Crystal Fountains (bluegrass), 6:00PM POUR TAPROOM Jack’s Comedy Hour, 8:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Patrick Fitzsimons, 7:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco & Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM

BURGER BAR Old Time Blues & Jug Band Jam, All Day

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Dinner in the Garden, 6:00PM

BURIAL BEER CO. Tues. Rock w/ Impossible Vacation & Shadow Show, 7:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Penny & Sparrow w/ Lowland Hum, 8:00PM

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Mountain Music Mondays (open jam), 6:00PM

UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Old Time Music Open Jam, 6:30PM

• work at least 30 hours/week for a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood or Madison counties,

550 TAVERN & GRILLE Shag Night w/ Mountain Shag Club, 6:00PM

BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Trivia, 7:30PM

LOBSTER TRAP Bobby Miller & friends, 6:30PM

The Julian Award is part of the Give!Local project, an end-of-year web-based donation drive that will funnel funds to 41 selected Asheville-area nonprofits.

Nominations for the Julian Award are now being accepted. Nominations should be made at avl.mx/41d.

To qualify for the Julian Award, nominees must:

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

DOUBLE CROWN Country Western & Cajun Rarities w/ DJ Brody Hunt, 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Old time-y night, 6:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown’s Team Trivia, 6:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tuesday bluegrass sessions w/ Rob Parks & friends, 7:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Cajun/Creole jam w/ Trent Van Blaricom & Joy Moser, 7:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Swing Asheville & Jazzn-Justice Tuesday w/ Community Swing Jam (dance lessons @ 7 p.m. & 8 p.m.), 7:00PM Swing Asheville’s Late-night Vintage Blues Dance, 11:00PM TIMO’S HOUSE Ableton Masterclass 12 Olympians, 8:00PM TRESSA’S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Tuesday Jazz & Funk Jam (jazz, funk), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Open Mic w/ Chris O’Neill, 6:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish sessions & open mic, 6:30PM

CRAFT WEEK

PULLOUT SECTION COMING Soon!

ADVERTISE@MOUNTAINX.COM

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS

BY SCOTT DOUGLAS, FRANCIS X FRIEL & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH = H PICK OF THE WEEK H

Incomparable auteur Alejandro Jodorowsky returns to his surrealist autobiography with Endless Poetry

Endless Poetry HHHHH DIRECTOR: Alejandro Jodorowsky PLAYERS: Adan Jodorowsky, Pamela Flores, Brontis Jodorowsky, Lenadro Taub, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Jeremias Herskovits, Julia Avedano, Bastian Bodenhofer, Carolyn Carson, Adonis AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL FANTASY RATED NR THE STORY: Alejandro Jodorowsky continues his surrealist autobiographical fantasy by recounting his late adolescence and early adulthood in Chile, a period in which he devoted his life to becoming an artist.

THE LOWDOWN: A profoundly affecting examination of family and artistry from one of the great masters of modern cinema.

Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of the most divisive and compelling artists working in the modern cinema, and one of the best. With Endless Poetry, the 88-year-old auteur has delivered one of his most heartfelt and touching films — and while the subject is autobiographical, egoism is never the objective.

Rather, Jodorowsky utilizes the emotional reality of his recollections as a lens

through which to examine the function of art as both a transgressive and healing tool, a fitting avenue for the artist’s prodigious talents.

It’s no secret that I’m a Jodorowsky fanatic, so it should come as no surprise that I loved his latest film. What may be more surprising to those unfamiliar with Jodo’s late-period output is just how much the agent provocateur has mellowed in accordance with his advancing age. Don’t get me wrong, the bizarre surrealist tendencies are still present, but what’s absent is the palpable rage underlying films like El Topo or The Holy Mountain. Gone is the Gurdjieffian drive toward spiritual warfare, replaced by a wistful, Felliniesque sense of melancholic nostalgia — and this hard-earned perspective renders the work far more personal and approachable than the better-known installments in the Jodorowsky canon.

Endless Poetry is the second in a proposed five film narrative autobiography of Jodorowsky, following 2013’s The Dance of Reality, and picks up literally where that film left off. Young Alejandro (Jeremias Herskovitz) is leaving the isolated Chilean mountain town of Tocopilla for the debauched urban

hellscape of Santiago, where his parents (Brontis Jodorowsky, Pamela Flores) sell underwear to the thieving masses and Alejandro must step over corpses on his way to work. Poetry could accurately be termed the “coming-of-age” chapter in this portrait of the artist as a young man, with Jodorowsky’s son Brontis reprising his role as Alejandro’s bellicose father Jaime alongside his brother, Adan Jodorowsky, as 20something Alejandro. The central narrative arc follows Alejandro’s defiance of his father’s aspirations of a medical career for his son, instead taking up the pen and becoming a poet — but such a summary would be far too reductive to do this film justice.

To call this cycle of films mere biography would be to do a disservice to the director’s true vision, an impossible fantasy world that rivals the surrealism of a Bunuel or Lynch — and surpasses both in the sincerity of its emotional content. Jodorowsky’s casting of his sons in pivotal roles is a masterstroke, and while the director has consistently found parts for his sons throughout his oeuvre, the impact of their roles as their own progenitors is remarkable, closing a psychological loop opened for Brontis when his father put him through hell on the set of El Topo. At its core, Poetry is about the process of dismantling inherited psychological complexes, and Jodorowsky is clearly working through some multigenerational conflicts, and as director himself appears onscreen to counsel his younger counterpart, he’s also communicating a universal truth to the audience: We are all more than the sum of our familial influences, and both nature and nurture can be overcome by creative self-determination if the will is there.

The multifarious depth of Poetry far exceeds what can be covered in a 500word review, but it should suffice to say that Jodorowsky’s most recent work is essential viewing. As a visual stylist, the director is in peak form, and as a narrative artist, Jodorowsky has created an intimate work of nuanced beauty and unaffected grace. While lesser filmmakers would have floundered in the face of similarly advancing age or absurd budgetary constraints, Jodorowsky transmutes these limitations into virtues. It’s a rare opportunity to witness the work of a master in full bloom, and while I would never presume to suggest that everyone

M A X R AT I N G Xpress is shifting some of its movie coverage to online-only as we expand other print sections of the newspaper.

Virtually all upcoming movies will still be reviewed online by Xpress film critics Scott Douglas, Francis X. Friel and Justin Souther, with two or three of the most noteworthy appearing in print. You can find online reviews at mountainx.com/movies/reviews. This week, they include: I DO ... UNTIL I DON’T

S

ENDLESS POETRY (PICK OF THE WEEK)

HHHHH

CITY OF GHOSTS TULIP FEVER

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T H E ATE R I N F O R M ATI O N ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. (254-1281) ASHEVILLEBREWING.COM/MOVIES CARMIKE CINEMA 10 (298-4452) CARMIKE.COM CAROLINA CINEMAS (274-9500) CAROLINACINEMAS.COM CO-ED CINEMA BREVARD (883-2200) COEDCINEMA.COM EPIC OF HENDERSONVILLE (693-1146) EPICTHEATRES.COM FINE ARTS THEATRE (232-1536) FINEARTSTHEATRE.COM FLATROCK CINEMA (697-2463) FLATROCKCINEMA.COM GRAIL MOVIEHOUSE (239-9392) GRAILMOVIEHOUSE.COM REGAL BILTMORE GRANDE STADIUM 15 (684-1298) REGMOVIES.COM

will love Endless Poetry as much as I did, I will go on record as saying that I think everyone should see it. Spanish with English subtitles. Not Rated. Opens Friday at Grail Moviehouse.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

City of Ghosts HHHHS DIRECTOR: Matthew Heinemann PLAYERS: DOCUMENTARY RATED R THE STORY: The civilian journalists of Raqqa is Being Silently Slaughtered risk their lives to expose the grotesque violence being perpetrated against the Syrian populace at the hands of ISIS. THE LOWDOWN: An oppressively bleak but undeniably powerful portrait of the men struggling valiantly to undermine ISIS’ stranglehold on the Middle East.

With the staggering complexity of conflict currently confronting the world, it can be far too easy to disassociate and dehumanize the suffering taking place at the individual level. In 60

SEPTEMBER 6 - 12, 2017

City of Ghosts, documentarian Matthew Heinemann has probably gone about as far as anyone can toward crafting an empathetic connection with the Syrian people whose lives are so far removed from the average American experience that they can be more comprehensibly relegated to statistics than to human stories — and as such, he’s accomplished a sociological and geopolitical feat of tremendous import.

The film follows the civilian journalists of Raqqa is Being Silently Slaughtered, an online news outlet that effectively smuggles content out of the capital city of ISIS’ purported caliphate. Much of the running time is spent with the website’s founders and operators functioning in exile, first in Turkey and then in Germany, as they move between safe houses, avoiding the persistent threat of death at the hands of the extremists their work exposes. The danger is palpable, and its impact on the film’s subjects is real. Early in the film, a callous photographer chastises the RBSS team for refusing to smile during an awards ceremony photo op in New York, oblivious to the fact that these men have very little to smile about — they come from a world in which one of their own repeatedly watches a video of his father’s execution to bolster his resolve, after all.

Ghosts aptly dissects the growing media war waged by ISIS, with its increasingly sophisticated film production on full display — it’s particularly gruesome footage, and Heinemann doesn’t shy away from using it to full effect. But while the film is primarily focused on the battle of ideas taking place on the internet, it also foregrounds the growing anti-immigrant sentiment taking root in Europe, as the RBSS refugees narrowly escape assassination in Turkey only to be confronted by militaristic right-wing nationalists in Berlin.

This central paradox — that the people forced to flee their homeland for nobly fighting against the perversion and exploitation of their religion are then confronted with the ignorance and intolerance of Islamophobia — is part of what makes Ghosts such a frustratingly bleak film.

And it’s hard to imagine that this story could be told in any other way, as the ongoing struggle in Syria shows no signs of abating. But the story isn’t quite hopeless, as the very fact that RBSS exists, and a dedicated group of Syrian civilians persists in efforts to combat incomprehensible violence by waging a war of ideas rather than taking up arms, suggests that all is not yet lost. Ghosts may not be a fun watch, but it is a critically important one. Arabic, German and English with English subtitles. Rated R for disturbing violent content, and for some language.

Now Playing at Grail Moviehouse.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

MOUNTAINX.COM

by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

A BIRD IN HAND: The Fairview Library screens the short film The Wood Thrush Connection on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Photo courtesy of Climate Listening Project • The West Asheville Library’s Female Authors Lecture and Film Series continues Thursday, Sept. 7, at 5:30 p.m. with a screening of Cheating the Stillness: The World of Julia Peterkin. Free. avl.mx/37m • Asheville School of Film students premiere their short films on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. at Asheville Pizza & Brewing. The shorts (some of whose content is comparable to a PG-13 film) were written, filmed and edited under the guidance of instructor Brad Hoover and star local actors. Free. ashevillebrewing.com • On Saturday, Sept. 9, at 4 p.m.

Asheville Interfaith presents a screening of Sacred at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium. Directed by Academy Award winner Thomas Lennon (Best Documentary Short for 2006’s The Blood of Yingzhou District) and shot around the world by 40 filmmaking teams, the 2016 documentary explores spirituality across cultures and religions. The screening will be followed by a discussion. Free, but donations are accepted to offset screening costs. ashevilleinterfaith.org

FILM ASHEVILLE INTERFAITH ashevilleinterfaith.org • SA (9/9), 7pm- Sacred, documentary film viewing followed by informal discussion with local faith leaders. Free. Held at AB Tech, Ferguson Auditorium, 340 Victoria Road BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TH (9/7), 5:30pm Cheating the Stillness: The World of Julia Peterkin,

documentary film screening. Free. Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road • TU (9/12), 7pm Documentary Film with Audubon North Carolina: The Wood Thrush Connection. Free. Held at Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview FILM AT UNCA 828-251-6585, unca.edu • WE (9/6), 6pm - The Indigenous Film Festival: Guatemala, 500 Years: Life in Resistance, documentary film screening. Free. Held at UNC

• The Groovy Movie Club’s latest selection, The Big Sick, will be shown Sunday, Sept. 10, at 2 p.m. at a private residence in Dellwood. Michael Showalter’s 2017 dramedy stars Kumail Nanjiani in a fictionalized telling of how the up-and-coming comedian met his wife, Emily Gordon, (played in the film

by Zoe Kazan) and nearly lost her due to a rare medical condition. RSVP to johnbuckleyx@gmail.com or text or call 6468602 for directions. A healthy potluck will precede the screening at 1:30 pm., and a discussion will follow the film. Free.

• Grail Moviehouse’s and the Asheville Jewish Community Center’s monthly Israeli Film Series — designed to allow viewers to use film as their window into the minds and culture of Israel — continues Sunday, Sept. 10, at 3 p.m. with Past Life. Avi Nesher’s 2016 fact-based drama follows two sisters — a brash tabloid journalist and an ambitions, introverted classical music composer — across 1977 Europe as they attempt to solve a mystery that’s haunted their family since World War II. A discussion will follow the film. Tickets are $7 and available online or at the Grail box office. grailmoviehouse.com • On Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m., the Fairview Library screens The Wood Thrush Connection. Produced by the Climate Listening Project, the short film follows one of the titular bird’s migration from North Carolina to Belize and loops in conservation efforts to protect wood thrushes by Forsyth Audubon and the Belize Audubon Society. Kim Brand, a Forsyth member and Audubon North Carolina staff member featured in the film, will be in attendance to answer questions. Complimentary refreshments will be provided. Free. avl.mx/425 X

Asheville, Humanities Lecture Hall, One University Heights GROOVY MOVIE CLUB 828-646-8602, johnbuckleyX@gmail.com • SU (9/10), 2pm - The Big Sick, film screening.

Potluck lunch at 1:15pm.

Free. Register for location.

Held in a private home.

JUST ECONOMICS WNC 828-505-7466, justeconomicswnc.org/ • WE (9/6), 7-9pm - Faces of Poverty, documentary film screening. Program to address the economic

challenges of living in poverty in Buncombe County. Co-sponsored

by Carolina Jews for Justice/West. Free. Held at Congregation Beth Ha Tephila, 43 N. Liberty St. TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY LIBRARY 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard, 828-884-3151 • TH (9/14), 7pm - A Great American Tapestry: The Many Strands of Mountain Music, documentary screening. Creekside Crawfish perform at 6:30pm. Free.

MARKETPLACE STA RTI NG F RI DAY

Endless Poetry

See Scott Douglas’ review online

Home Again

Romantic comedy from writer/director Hallie Meyers-Shyer (produced by her mother, Nancy Meyers), starring Reese Witherspoon as a newly single mother whose life is upended when she lets three young men move in with her.

Also starring Lake Bell, Michael Sheen and Candice Bergen. No early reviews.

(PG-13)

It Highly anticipated Stephen King adaptation directed by Andy Muschietti. According to the studio: “When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries.” No early reviews. (R)

SP E CI AL SCREENI NGS

Au Revoir Les Enfants HHHHS

DIRECTOR: Louis Malle PLAYERS: Stanislas Carré de Malberg, Francine Racette, Gaspard Manesse, Philippe Morier-Genoud, Raphael Fejtö DRAMA Rated PG Writer/ director Louis Malle is perhaps best known for his strangely experimental My Dinner with Andre — and that’s a shame, because he was a tremendously talented narrative filmmaker who didn’t need gimmicks to make a great movie, even if that’s all the casual moviegoing populace remembers about him. Potentially his most personal film, Malle’s Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987) is a beautiful portrait of childhood friendships, and a heart wrenching tragedy rooted in bigotry and ignorance. Based on a true story from Malle’s early life, the film details a burgeoning friendship between two young boys at a French boarding school — with the added complication that it’s 1944 and one of them is Jewish. Malle avoids easy heartstring tugging, capably crafting complex characters that are engagingly honest and believably flawed in this remarkably moving masterpiece. The Hendersonville Film Society will show Au Revoir Les Enfants on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

His Girl Friday HHHHH

DIRECTOR: Howard Hawks PLAYERS: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Ernest Truex, John Qualen SCREWBALL COMEDY Rated NR If you’ve never seen His Girl Friday (1940), this is definitely one of the greats from the “golden age” of movies — and it’s a film that still holds the record for the fastest dialogue in the history of movies. That crackling, witty banter is delivered by people who know exactly how to do it, especially Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, who were never better than they are here. And, if you’re familiar with either performer in their prime, you’ll know what a statement that is. The film is Howard Hawks’ “switcheroo” version of the Ben Hecht-Charles MacArthur play The Front Page. Hawks’ inspiration (supposedly born of reading the first draft of the screenplay aloud with his girlfriend) was to change the character of ace reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) from a man to a woman. (It wasn’t much of a stretch because the relationship between the two leads was always a kind of romance.) That, in turn, led to making her boss, managing editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant), her ex-husband. This greatly upped the stakes of Walter’s desire to keep his best reporter from getting married and quitting. Charles Lederer’s screenplay seamlessly adds a backstory (about 25 minutes of original material) good enough to match the original play, setting up the central action and establish the couple’s comedically volatile romance. The results are comedy gold. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke originally published on May 31, 2016. The Asheville Film Society will screen His Girl Friday on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

The Last Metro HHHS

DIRECTOR: François Truffaut PLAYERS: Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Heinz Bennent, Jean Poiret, Andréa Ferréol, Sabine Haudepin, and Maurice Risch DRAMA Rated PG Late-period Truffaut is decidedly hit-or-miss, and The Last Metro (1980) sits squarely on the fence in my estimation. This story of a theater troupe in Nazi-occupied France is unobjectionable enough, but that may be part of its problem — there’s nothing to object to, but there’s also nothing to truly applaud either. The cast is uniformly great, with Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu ably leading the way, but the film’s meandering evocation of influences ranging from To Be or Not To Be to Les Enfants du Paradis leaves the narrative lacking a strong central through line. While this sort of aimless homageism was revolutionary in Truffaut’s early films, here it feels lazy rather than transgressive.

It’s certainly not a bad film, and Truffaut completists may well argue its virtues more effectively than I, but I doubt any would place The Last Metro among the director’s greatest accomplishments. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present The Last Metro on Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m. at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 2160 U.S. 70, Swannanoa.

REA L ESTATE | REN TA L S | R O O M M ATES | SER VI C ES JOB S | A N N OU N CEM ENTS | M I ND, BO DY, SPI R I T CL A SSES & WORKSH OPS | M USI C I ANS’ SER VI C ES PETS | A U TOMOT I VE | X C HANG E | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 x111 tnavaille@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds REAL ESTATE HOMES FOR SALE 10 MINUTES TO ASHEVILLE • COOL HOUSE! 3BR, 2BA overlooking fishing pond on 2+ acres with Vacation Cabin (producing $1400/month rental income). $365,000. Call (828) 380-6095.

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES TEMP TO PERM HIRING OPPORTUNITIES Apply today!

The Greer Group has great opportunities in the Arden area with an international company.

1st and 2nd shifts available for light assembly, mechanical and customer service positions. Drug test and background check required. Call (828) 4072025 today or send resume to Asheville@thegreergroup.com

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE SECLUDED MOUNTAIN HOME WITH STUNNING VIEWS, FOR SALE BY OWNER Secluded mountain home, 4000 ft. up, with stunning views, on 12.5 beautiful acres in Blue Ridge Mountains in Clyde, NC, 18 miles West of Asheville. 3BR, 3BA 2-car garage, single-family, private hiking trails, fish pond, far from traffic noise, with large, stainless-steel hot tub. For more information or to arrange a visit, go to the house website at www.homeforsalenearashevillenc. com or call (828) 771-6316. For sale by owner, listed at $880,000.

Beauty. Nature. Solitude. Just some of the features of this rustic, one-of-a-kind property. No brokers or realtors please, except for buyer agents. https:// homeforsalenearashevillenc. com/

RENTALS CONDOS/ TOWNHOMES FOR RENT NORTH ASHEVILLE TOWNHOUSES 1BR: $745 • 2BR: $895 • 3BR: $945 • 1 mile from downtown. • Hardwoood floors. • (no pets policy). (828) 252-4334.

SHORT-TERM RENTALS 15 MINUTES TO ASHEVILLE Guest house, vacation/short term rental in beautiful country setting. • Complete with everything including cable and internet. • $150/day (2-day minimum), $650/ week, $1500/month. Weaverville area. • No pets please. (828) 6589145. mhcinc58@yahoo.com

WANTED TO RENT SMALL APARTMENT WORK EXCHANGE Professional pianist seeks apartment in exchange for work and cash. Experienced in yard and landscaping. John: (404) 740-6903.

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL AMBASSADOR - CALL CENTER AGENT Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is hiring! Looking for energetic teammates in our Asheville, NC contact center. Full and part-time opportunities available.

Excellent benefits. Next orientation September 11, 2017. Apply@: https://www.bhtp.com/careers TROLLEY TOUR GUIDES If you are a "people person," love Asheville, have a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and clean driving record you could be a great Tour Guide, Full-Time and seasonal part-time positions available. Training provided. Contact us today! 828-251-8687.

Info@GrayLineAsheville.com; www.GrayLineAsheville.com

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT / RECEPTIONIST Mountain Xpress needs an energetic, multitalented front office person to handle a variety of tasks ranging from greeting visitors and answering phones to data-entry, light editing of listings, organizational admin and collections work. Skills needed are a friendly, professional demeanor, attention to detail, strong verbal and written communication skills, broad computer literacy, ability to selforganize and multitask under pressure. Depending on talents, the position may include some editorial, design, sales or distribution tasks. The position is full time and comes with modest benefits.

Send cover letter and resume to employment@mountainx.com MUSIC MINISTRY ASSISTANT The Music Ministry Assistant is responsible for providing administrative support for the Music Ministry of the First Baptist Church of Asheville as well as targeted support for the Academy for the Arts at First Baptist (AFTA). Duties include: providing overall administrative support for the music ministry, purchasing and processing music, managing multiple databases for choirs and ensembles, tracking budgets and invoicing for the music ministry and AFTA, reproducing and distributing worship and concert bulletins, supporting marketing and communications for the music ministry, and coordinating and supporting music ministry volunteers. dblackmon@fbca.net www.fbca.net

DRIVERS/DELIVERY

WEEKLY DELIVERY DRIVER Mountain Xpress is seeking an energetic contract delivery driver with a reliable large capacity vehicle. This large West Asheville route begins delivery Tuesday afternoons & may be completed Wednesday mornings. Emails only please to jtallman@mountainx. com.

Physical Therapy Assistant Program position. This is a full time position with benefits. For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4403

HUMAN SERVICES HELPMATE SHELTER CASE MANAGER Helpmate, Inc., a domestic violence agency in Asheville, North Carolina, seeks a Shelter Case Manager to support survivors of domestic violence during evening, overnight and weekend hours. The primary responsibilities of this position are to provide support, service coordination and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence in a shelter setting and on the hotline. Strong communication, organizational, and time management skills are required.

The qualified candidate will have a bachelor’s degree or 2 years’ experience in the social work field.

This position is a non-exempt hourly position. Spanish fluency is desired and incentivized in pay.

Diverse candidates encouraged to apply. Email resume and cover letter to HelpmateAsheville@gmail. com with “Shelter Case Manager” in the subject line. No phone inquiries, please. helpmateonline.org JOIN THE LITERACY COUNCIL TEAM THROUGH AMERICORPS! Make a difference in your community by giving a year of service. In return, receive a living stipend, educational award, health insurance reimbursements, and more. Details: http:// litcouncil.com/join-literacy-councilteam-201718/

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PAID IN ADVANCE! Make $1000/week mailing brochures from home! No experience required. Helping home workers since 2001! Genuine opportunity. Start immediately! www.

MailingPros.net (AAN CAN)

JOBS WANTED FUNDRAISER/ EVENT PLANNER Available for work. Strong Interpersonal and public speaking skills. Previous experience: Nonprofit founder, educator, support group facilitator. Highly organized, detail oriented, high degree of personal and professional integrity. shackelton61@ gmail.com

XCHANGE MEDICAL SUPPLIES OXYGEN • ANYTIME • ANYWHERE No tanks to refill. No deliveries. The All-New Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved! Free info kit: 877-6732864 (AAN CAN).

SERVICES ENTERTAINMENT DISH NETWORK-SATELLITE TELEVISION SERVICES Now over 190 channels for only $49.99/ month! HBO-Free for one year, Free Installation, Free Streaming, Free HD. Add Internet for $14.95 a month. 1-800-373-6508. (AAN CAN)

HOME IMPROVEMENT POLICE CORPORAL A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Police Corporal position. This is a full-time position with benefits.

For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ hr/postings/4358

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR WILDERNESS RECOVERY PROGRAM Four Circles Recovery Center, a wilderness substance abuse recovery program for young adults, is seeking a full time Clinical Director. License, experience and recovery knowledge required. Apply online at www. fourcirclesrecovery.com/careers.

TEACHING/ EDUCATION

MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE

GENERAL SERVICES DRIVEWAY SEAL COATING Parking Lots • Striping • Interior/ exterior Painting • Powerwashing • Deck staining. Top quality work • Low prices • Free estimate • Over 30+ years experience. Call Mark: (828) 299-0447.

HANDY MAN HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993.

Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results. $1 million liability insurance. References and estimates available. Stephen Houpis, (828) 280-2254.

HEATING & COOLING MAYBERRY HEATING AND COOLING Oil and Gas Furnaces • Heat Pumps and AC • • Radiant Floor Heating • • Solar Hot Water • Sales • Service • Installation. • Visa • MC • Discover. Call (828) 658-9145.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CHAIRPERSON • PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSISTANT PROGRAM A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Chairperson,

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM SITE DIRECTOR Come be part of changing young lives! Apply now for immediate openings at www. ymcawnc.org/careers. Contact hcarrier@ymcawnc.org for more information.

MOUNTAINX.COM

ANNOUNCEMENTS MAKE THE CALL TO START GETTING CLEAN TODAY Free 24/7 Helpline for alcohol & drug addiction treatment. Get help! It is time to take your life back! Call Now: 855-732-4139. (AAN CAN)

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): You’re half-intoxicated by your puzzling adventures — and half-bewildered, as well. Sometimes you’re spinning out fancy moves, sweet tricks and surprising gambits. On other occasions you’re stumbling and bumbling and mumbling. Are you really going to keep up this rhythm? I hope so, because your persistence in navigating through the challenging fun could generate big rewards. Like what, for example? Like the redemptive transformation of a mess into an asset.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Free your mind and your ass will follow,” sings funk pioneer George Clinton in his song “Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts.”

And what’s the best way to free your mind? Clinton advises you to “Be careful of the thought-seeds you plant in the garden of your mind.” That’s because the ideas you obsess on will eventually grow into the experiences you attract into your life. “Good thoughts bring forth good fruit,” he croons, while “Bullshit thoughts rot your meat.” Any questions, Taurus?

According to my astrological analysis, this is the best possible counsel for you to receive right now.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): James Loewen wrote a book called *Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong.* He said, for instance, that during the Europeans’ invasion and conquest of the continent, it wasn’t true that Native Americans scalped white settlers. In fact, it was mostly the other way around: whites scalped Indians. Here’s another example: The famous blind and deaf person, Helen Keller, was not a sentimental spokesperson for sweetness and light, but rather a radical feminist and socialist who advocated revolution. I invite you to apply Loewen’s investigative approach to your personal past, Gemini. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to uncover hidden, incomplete and distorted versions of your history, and correct them.

Hiring for Part Time and Full Time Hospitality and Food & Beverage Positions Please bring your resume.

We will also have applications available on site for your to complete.

Questions?

Please email: careers@fircgroup.com 828.252.0218

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): Roger Hodge writes books now, but when he worked for *Harper’s* magazine, he had an unusual specialty. He gathered heaps of quirky facts, and assembled several at a time into long sentences that had a nutty poetic grace. Here’s an example: “British cattle have regional accents, elephants mourn their dead, nicotine sobers drunk rats, scientists have concluded that teenagers are physically incapable of being considerate, and clinical trials of an ’orgasmatron’ are underway in North Carolina.” I’m offering Hodge as a worthy role model for you in the coming weeks, Cancerian.

Be curious, miscellaneous and free-flowing. Let your mind wander luxuriantly as you make unexpected connections. Capitalize on the potential blessings that appear through zesty twists and tangy turns.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In Japan you can buy a brand of candy that’s called The Great Buddha’s Nose Snot.

Each piece consists of a rice puff that resembles the Buddha’s nose filled with bits of brown sugar that symbolize the snot. The candy-making company assures customers that eating this treat brings them good luck. I invite you to be equally earthy and irreverent about your own spiritual values in the coming days.

You’re in prime position to humanize your relationship with divine influences . . . to develop a more visceral passion for your holiest ideals . . . to translate your noblest aspirations into practical, enjoyable actions.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Will a routine trip to carry out an errand take you on a detour to the suburbs of the promised land? Will you worry you’re turning into a monster, only to find the freakishness is just a phase that you had to pass through on your way to unveiling some of your dormant beauty? Will a provocative figure from the past lead you on a productive wild-goose chase into the future? These are some of the possible storylines I’ll be monitoring as I follow your progress in the coming weeks.

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let’s meet in the woods after midnight and tell each other stories about our origins, revealing the secrets we almost forgot we had. Let’s sing the songs that electrified our emotions all those years ago when we first fell in love with our lives. Starlight will glow on our ancient faces. The fragrance of loam will seep into our voices like rainwater feeding the trees’ roots. We’ll feel the earth turning on its axis, and sense the rumble of future memories coming to greet us. We’ll join hands, gaze into the dreams in each other’s eyes and dive as deep as we need to go to find hidden treasures.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I don’t usually recommend giving gifts with strings attached. On the contrary, I advise you to offer your blessings without having any expectations at all. Generosity often works best when the recipients are free to use it any way they see fit. In the coming weeks, however, I’m making an exception to my rule. According to my reading of the omens, now is a time to be specific and forceful about the way you’d like your gifts to be used. As an example of how *not* to proceed, consider the venture capitalist who donated $25,000 to the University of Colorado. All he got in return was a rest room in a campus building named after him. If you give away $25,000, Scorpio, make sure you at least get a whole building named after you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Now that you’re getting a taste of what life would be like if you ruled the world, I’ll recommend a manual. It’s called *How To Start Your Own Country,* by Erwin Strauss. (Get a free peek here: tinyurl.com/YouSovereign.) You could study it for tips on how to obtain national sovereignty, how to recruit new citizens and how to avoid paying taxes to yourself. (P.S.: You can make dramatic strides toward being the boss of yourself and your destiny even without forming your own nation.)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): There was a time when not even the most ambitious explorers climbed mountains. In the western world, the first time it happened was in 1492, when a Frenchman named Antoine de Ville ascended to the top of Mont Aiguille, using ladders, ropes and other props. I see you as having a kinship with de Ville in the coming weeks, Capricorn. I’d love to see you embark on a big adventure that would involve you trying on the role of a pioneer. This feat wouldn’t necessarily require strenuous training and physical courage. It might be more about daring creativity and moral courage.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Science fiction proposes that there are alternate worlds alongside the visible one — hidden, yes, but perhaps accessible with the right knowledge or luck. In recent years, maverick physicists have given the idea more credibility, theorizing that parallel universes exist right next to ours. Even if these hypothetical places aren’t literally real, they serve as an excellent metaphor. Most of us are so thoroughly embedded in our own chosen niche that we are oblivious to the realities that other people inhabit. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Aquarius, because it’s a favorable time to tap into those alternate, parallel, secret, unknown or unofficial realms. Wake up to the rich sources that have been so close to you, but so far away.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’m always in favor of you cultivating a robust relationship with your primal longings. But I’ll be rooting extra hard for you to do that during the next eleven months. I hope you will dig deep to identify your primal longings, and I hope you will revere them as the wellspring of your life energy, and I hope you will figure out all the tricks and strategies you will need to fulfill them. Here’s a hint about how to achieve the best results as you do this noble work: Define your primal longings with as much precision as you can, so that you will never pursue passing fancies that bear just a superficial resemblance to the real things.

NOTICE OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY The following is a list of unclaimed and confiscated property at the Asheville Police Department: electronic equipment; cameras; clothing; lawn and garden equipment; personal items; tools; weapons (including firearms): jewelry: automotive items; building supplies; bikes and other miscellaneous items. Anyone with a legitimate claim or interest in this property has 30 days from the date of this publication to make a claim.

Unclaimed items will be disposed of according to statutory law.

For further information, or to file a claim, contact the Asheville Police Department Property and Evidence Section, 828-232-4576.

NOTICE OF DISPOSITION The following is a list of unclaimed and confiscated property at the Asheville Police Department tagged for disposition: audio and video equipment; cameras; clothing; lawn and garden equipment; personal items; tools; weapons (including firearms): jewelry: automotive items; building supplies; bikes and other miscellaneous. All items will be disposed of 30 days from date of posting. Items to be auctioned will be displayed on www.propertyroom.com.

PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Call us first. Living expenses, housing, medical, and continued support afterwards.

Choose adoptive family of your choice. Call 24/7. 877-362-2401.

(AAN CAN)

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT BODYWORK

LOCAL INDEPENDENT MASSAGE CENTER OFFERING EXCELLENT BODYWORK 947 Haywood Road,West Asheville.

Experience the best bodywork in Asheville at our beautiful massage center for very reasonable rates.

Integrative,Deep Tissue,Prenatal, Couples,Reflexology,Aromathera py,Reiki.$60-70/ hr.Complimentary fine tea lounge.

Free lot parking, handicap accessible. (828)552-3003 ebbandflowavl@charter.net - ebbandflowavl.com

COUNSELING SERVICES

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLASSES

COLLEGE LEVEL COMMUNITY ART COURSES IN ASHEVILLE START OCTOBER 4. Image & Text 10-week class at Rainbow Community School. IntermediateAdvanced Painting 8-week class at Jewish Community Center. Fees $200 to $275. Contact Glenn Hirsch 415.987.1226. glennhirsch@earthlink.net. www.glennhirsch.com

FOR MUSICIANS MUSICAL SERVICES ACOUSTIC GUITAR BUILDING CLASS Build your own acoustic guitar in our shop in Black Mountain. No experience necessary, all tools and instruction will be provided. Currently have openings for Monday and Tuesday evenings from 5-8pm. Call Ken for information 828-228-7440.

INSTRUMENT REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS Does your instrument need some love? Experienced luthier can repair anything with strings. Come visit us in Black Mountain. www. baileyacousticshop.com.

828228-7440.

NOW ACCEPTING STUDENTS IN JAZZ PIANO, COMPOSITION, AND IMPROVISATION (ALL INSTRUMENTS). Michael Jefry Stevens, “WNC Best Composer 2016” and “Steinway Artist”, now accepting students in jazz piano, composition, and improvisation (all instruments).

35 years experience. M.A. from Queens College (NYC). Over 90 cds released. 917-916-1363. michaeljefrystevens.com

T H E N E W Y OR K TI M ES CR OSSWOR D PU ZZLE

ACROSS

1 Support … or impede 7 Go on with … or postpone 15 Pique, as curiosity 16 Like nosebleed-section seats, usually 17 “No hard feelings, man, right?”

18 Introduced, as a new product 19 Backyard pond dweller 20 Part of a slalom path 22 Ice cream thickeners 23 Go to battle alongside … or struggle against 27 One way to read or think 30 Sneaky little snickers 31 Subdue with a stun gun 35 Chuck of “Walker, Texas Ranger” 37 Competitor of Acer and HP 39 Big ___, Calif.

40 Offer for consideration … or remove from consideration 42 Withstand … or deteriorate 44 Bay Area airport code 45 Work well together 47 “And how!”

edited by Will Shortz

8 Wine: Prefix 9 ___ system (car option that may speak to you) 10 Give medication to 11 “Count me as a maybe” 12 The Big Easy, by another nickname 13 Manual reader 14 Some postings at 44-Across, for short 21 “Zip it!”

23 Garments in summer storage, perhaps 24 “Double talk” is one 25 “That was close!”

26 Many Club Med locales 27 Fidgeting in one’s seat, say 28 Natural bath sponge 29 Welles who narrated an “invasion” DOWN 32 Pale with fright 1 Neocon, e.g.

33 Like Elvis’s blue shoes 2 Nabisco’s answer to 34 Pickoff throw into the Hydrox outfield, e.g.

3 Sets of points, in math 36 “Well, sor-r-ry!”

4 Simon & Garfunkel, 38 Sitcom track sound e.g.

5 “For the Boys” support 41 Pre-1917 despot grp.

43 Bring forward, with “out” 6 Co-owner of the 46 Fading star Pequod 49 Like the novels 7 Like Parmesan on “Frankenstein” and baked chicken, typically “Dracula”

No. 0802

48 Bright side, in Chinese philosophy 50 Word from a hat tipper, perhaps 52 Dead duck 53 Watchful care … or careless mistake 56 Muscular Japanese dog 59 “Push-up” garment 60 “Spy vs. Spy” magazine 63 Place to apply eye makeup 66 Request to be excused 69 Factor in a restaurant review 70 Before, to a bard 71 Give approval to … or express disapproval of 72 Quit … or agree to keep going

51 Orbiter until 2001 54 Employee at a fine restaurant 55 Wii user, e.g.

56 “Regrettably …”

57 ___ Sutra

P A W S

PETS PET SERVICES ASHEVILLE PET SITTERS Dependable, loving care while you're away. Reasonable rates.

Call Sandy (828) 215-7232.

Owned & operated by:

AUTOMOTIVE AUTOS FOR SALE 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA 2000 Toyota Tundra SR5 in very good condition, 150k miles, 4WD, engine 8Cyl, automatic. $1500.

Call: 9196277242

RETREATS SHOJI SPA & LODGE * 7 DAYS A WEEK Day & Night passes, cold plunge, sauna, hot tubs, lodging, 8 minutes from town, bring a friend or two, stay the day or all evening, escape & renew! Best massages in Asheville 828-2990999.

2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Z71 in very good condition, 150k miles, 4WD, 5.3 engine 8Cyl, automatic. $2100. Call: 828-2789182

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES WE'LL FIX IT AUTOMOTIVE • Honda and Acura repair. Half price repair and service. ASE and factory trained. Located in the Weaverville area, off exit 15. Please call (828) 275-6063 for appointment. www.wellfixitautomotive.com

ADULT ADULT FEELING WHACKED? Let Kaye's revive you back! Incall/outcall: 280-8182.

64 Suffix in many pasta names 65 Cpl. or sgt.

67 “___ you nuts?”

68 “Most decidedly so!”

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

WHITEWATER RECORDING Mixing • Mastering • Recording. (828) 684-8284 www. whitewaterrecording.com

A C H E

N E S T S A V I R I N I R A G I L O T S G E T A X I L I M A T E

S W A M P I T C H

Guest Services Representative POSITIVE HYPNOSIS | EFT | NLP Michelle Payton, M.A., D.C.H., Author | 828-681-1728 | www.

MichellePayton.com | Michelle’s Mind Over Matter Solutions include: Hypnosis, Self-Hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Technique, Neuro- Linguistic Programming, Acupressure Hypnosis, Past Life Regression. Find Michelle’s books, educational audio and videos, sessions and workshops on her website.

PUZZLE BY BRUCE HAIGHT

58 Card catalog ID 60 Skirt once often worn with go-go boots 61 Bug-eyed 62 In a blue funk

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Paul Caron

Room Attendant Room Attendant (Housekeeper)

Furniture Magician

Laundry Attendant Pillar Kitchen Server Room Inspector ($7.25/hr + tips) Overnight Security

• Cabinet Refacing • Furniture Repair • Seat Caning • Antique Restoration • Custom Furniture & Cabinetry (828) 669-4625

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• Black Mountain

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