Mountain Xpress 12.20.2017

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SPIRITUALITY 2017 In this special issue, Xpress explores local approaches to spirituality — from the ways long-established congregations are responding to the changing role of religion in daily life to the little-known tale of pioneering turn-of-the-century forester Gifford Pinchot’s transcendent love.

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15 THE CHANGING FACES OF FAITH 20 LIGHTING THE WAY 23 UNDYING LOVE 24 28 32

MUSIC AS MEDICINE STEP BY STEP PAINTING A MORE UNDERSTANDING WORLD

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10 SEASON OF DISCONTENT Racial tensions mar WNC holiday events

24 MUSIC AS MEDICINE Local shamanic group taps into the sacred power of music

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55 THEATER REVIEW 47 THE BEST BOOKS YOU’VE NEVER READ Asheville’s nonwhite literary scene, past and present, Part 1

56 SMART BETS 60 CLUBLAND 66 MOVIES 68 SCREEN SCENE

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OPINION

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

STA F F PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR/WRITER: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR/WRITER: Gina Smith NEWS EDITOR/WRITER: Carolyn Morrisroe OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose WELLNESS EDITOR/WRITER: Susan Foster STAFF REPORTERS/WRITERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Virginia Daffron, David Floyd, Max Hunt, Carolyn Morrisroe CALENDAR EDITOR: Abigail Griffin

CARTOO N BY RAN D Y M O LT O N

Vegan picture doesn’t match experience I read with curiosity Larry Abbott’s letter to the editor “Has Outrage Addiction Taken Over Animal Rights Issue?” [Dec. 13, Xpress]. It was surprising he compared vegans and vegetarians with the abhorrent behavior of Trump and some of his supporters.

Being a vegan, I naturally know many vegans and vegetarians, and these people are peaceful [and] healthy, and love both animals and people. We are not threatening anyone with verbal or physical violence. That type of behavior belongs only to a small minority.

I do think it is helpful when we dialogue and educate people not only on the suffering of animals raised for consumption but also the tremendous health benefits of being vegan. If we are on “the far left,” you will need to also include the American Heart Association, which states “many studies show that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes and some forms of cancer” as well as the American Diabetes Association, which states “a vegetarian diet can help prevent and manage diabetes.”

On the contrary, a meatless diet is becoming more mainstream, and awareness around animal rights

is improving, thanks to education, compassion and the desire to live a healthy life in harmony with our animal friends. Please join us.

— Miriam Hard Asheville

Why I’m an animal rights activist With regard to Larry Abbott’s letter, “Has Outrage Addiction Overtaken Animal Rights Issue?” [Dec. 13, Xpress], let me plead guilty to an affliction of a different sort. I do not suffer from outrage addiction. Rather, out of an abundance of love and compassion for all living beings, I suffer from the heartache that accompanies a minuteby-minute awareness of human cruelty and the lengths to which some people will go to exploit and inflict suffering on other creatures.

I’m keenly aware of the emerging science on the emotions and intelligence of animals, including those who are “farmed” for people’s dining pleasure. Of the love a mother cow, pig, chicken, turkey, sheep or goat has for her young and the distinctive ways each species expresses that deep caring. What’s more, stories abound of a mother of one species adopting the orphaned babies of another species.

CLUBLAND EDITORS: Abigail Griffin, Max Hunt MOVIE REVIEWERS: Scott Douglas, Francis X. Friel, Justin Souther CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Jonathan Ammons, Liisa Andreassen, Kari Barrows, Leslie Boyd, Jacqui Castle, Scott Douglas, David Floyd, Tony Kiss, Bill Kopp, Cindy Kunst, Kate Lundquist, Monroe Spivey, Lauren Stepp, Daniel Walton ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Norn Cutson, Scott Southwick, Olivia Urban MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, Bryant Cooper, Niki Kordus, Tim Navaille, Brian Palmieri, Heather Taylor INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES & WEB: Bowman Kelley, DJ Taylor BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler-Tanner ADMINISTRATION, BILLING, HR: Able Allen, Lauren Andrews DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Jeff Tallman ASST. DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Denise Montgomery DISTRIBUTION: Gary Alston, Russell Badger, Frank D’Andrea, Jemima Cook Fliss, Adrian Hipps, Clyde Hipps, Jennifer Hipps, Joan Jordan, Laura Stinson, Brittney Turner-Daye, Thomas Young

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O PINION

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

I’m also keenly aware of the joy, curiosity and spirited playfulness many animals exhibit and their committed social relationships. Of their self-sacrificing behaviors and mourning deeply the loss of loved ones, including many times a loved human in their life.

Why are we prevented from going near factory farms? Not only to hide the extreme cruelty from our sight and stench from our nostrils. But also to obscure the cries of mother cows and their babies when torn from each oth-

ers’ sides. I also am afflicted with incredulity that so many people knowingly avert their eyes to the cruelty their eating habits and lifestyles inflict on other precious beings.

And yet, in this mix of “afflictions” is also optimism and joy in the awareness that the tide is rapidly turning worldwide — often led by the younger generations — in understanding animals and adjusting eating and living habits accordingly. For as Martin Luther King Jr. foresaw: “One day the absurdity of

the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them.”

— Cynthia Sampson

Asheville

Give the gift of reading (and choose WNC authors) According to Reading is Fundamental, the nation’s largest children literacy nonprofit, [there is] a direct connection between reading and setting our children on a path of growth and opportunity. We all want the best for our children and want them to grow up to be happy and healthy, build good relationships and find success in life.

Many studies have shown that students who read love learning and do well in school. Reading is also calming and promotes a sense of well-being and sets them up to better succeed in these areas. Reading improves concentration, vocabulary, language skills, imagination, creativity, listening skills, longer atten-

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tion spans and empathy to other people.

This year, give the gift of reading to children and young adults you know.

When you go to buy a book, select a book from a local author. Western North Carolina is fortunate to have talented authors who write for children and young adults. Buying a local author’s book is good for the local economy and good for our children.

Here is a selection of some local authors and books: … Pat Meece Davis (The Night the Dancing Stopped), Deanna K. Klingel (Cracks in the Ice, Spokes), Robert Beatty [the Serafina series] and Johanna M. Erlenbach of Flat Rock with The Whispered Promise and in 2018 …

Just Between Friends in the Mystery of the Dirty Hand Print.

To find their books, check out your local bookstore, go online to the author’s website or an online bookseller. This year, give the gift that keeping giving for a lifetime and supports our local economy and authors. [If you are] looking for a local bookstore and other local businesses for great gifts, go to 2017 Best of WNC award winners guide found at http://avl.mx/4g5.

— Gary Heisey

Hendersonville

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NEWS

SEASON OF DISCONTENT

Racial tensions mar WNC holiday events

mhunt@mountainx.com

POLARIZING HISTORIC SITE DRAWS GRAFFITI

The holiday season is generally a time of celebration for residents of Western North Carolina — a chance to come together and enjoy the arrival of winter, observe religious holy days and welcome a new year.

In 2017, however, the political and racial turmoil that has captured headlines for much of the year is making its presence felt this holiday season, as several recent incidents across WNC illustrate.

In Haywood County, attendees at the town of Canton’s Christmas parade on Dec. 7 were met with a new display that had nothing to do with the holidays. According to a resident who attended the parade and spoke on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, the parade route down Canton’s Main Street was speckled with recruitment flyers for Identity Evropa, a white supremacist group that has ramped up its activities in the region lately.

In March, Western Carolina University’s campus was peppered with the group’s recruitment flyers; on Aug. 21, incoming students at Appalachian State University in Boone were greeted by an Identity Evropa banner hung from a bridge above Rivers Street as they arrived on campus for the new semester. The Southern Poverty Law Center identifies Identity Evropa as a white nationalist group with an estimated several hundred members across the country.

At UNC Asheville, recruitment flyers for the group were found on campus earlier this fall.

Now, it appears the group has

Meanwhile, in Buncombe County, dawn rose on Dec. 9 to reveal more than a fresh blanket of snow at the Vance Birthplace State Historic Site near Weaverville. The side of a building was graffitied with the words, “Black Lives Matter,” according to a separate anonymous report to Xpress.

The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement regarding the incident: “Saturday, December 9, 2017 at approximately 9:55 a.m., the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office was contacted reporting vandalism at Vance Birthplace. Sheriff’s deputies went to the site and found ’Black Lives Matter’ painted in red on the original home place structure.”

The case remains under investigation, according to the sheriff’s department. Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to call the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office at 828-250-6670 or Asheville-Buncombe Crime Stoppers at 828-255-5050.

Sharon Smith, a member of the Asheville Black Lives Matter education committee, says no members of Asheville BLM were involved in the vandalism at the Vance Birthplace.

“We are more interested in policy change than making public spectacles,” she says.

The incident comes as the historic site was set to host a performance of “An Appalachian Christmas Carol,” developed in tandem with the Asheville-based American Myth Center. The program puts a spin on the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol by telling the

BY MAX HUNT

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VANCE VANDALISM: While much of Western North Carolina was preoccupied by a snowstorm and holiday festivities, several recent incidents indicate that the racial tensions that have enveloped much of the country during 2017 haven’t gone away. A building at the Vance Birthplace, above, was vandalized sometime over the weekend of Dec. 9 while the site was closed due to the winter weather. Photo special to Xpress expanded its efforts to small-town holiday parades.

According to Xpress’ source, the Canton Police Department has been alerted about the flyers. Flyers could still be found hanging along the parade route

MOUNTAINX.COM

in Canton several days after the parade.

The Canton Police Department did not respond to Xpress’ requests for comment. Efforts to reach a representative with Identity Evropa for comment were not successful.

PARADE PROBLEMS: Attendees at the Canton Christmas parade on Dec. 7 were greeted by a display of recruitment flyers for the white supremacist group Identity Evropa along the route..

Photo special to Xpress story through the eyes of Venus, an enslaved servant of the Vance family, and other enslaved persons who lived on the site, with Zebulon Vance in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. The

Crystals

Fossils

Vance Birthplace posted on the afternoon of Dec. 9 that performances of “An Appalachian Christmas Carol” were rescheduled to Friday-Saturday, Jan. 19-20, due to inclement weather.

Historic sites and monuments dedicated to Vance — who served part of his long political career as Confederate governor of North Carolina during the Civil War and espoused a white supremacist view of African-Americans throughout his life — and other Confederate officials have come under fire across the state this year. Protesters have called for the removal or recasting of Confederate monuments located on public property and universities. In several instances, protesters have defaced or attempted to remove various monuments.

“It’s sad anytime something like this happens at a historic site,” says Neel Lattimore, director of communications for the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, noting that his agency is working with the police to find those responsible for the graffiti.

“We should be able to express ourselves without damaging property,” Lattimore says. “We’re smarter and we’re better than this. Hopefully, we can put an end to this kind of behavior.” X

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B U N C O M B E B E AT

Board approves 296-apartment complex off Aiken Road After a tense back-and-forth between members of the board and residents in the audience, the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment approved the development of a 296-unit apartment complex off Aiken Road just south of Weaverville during its Dec. 13 meeting.

At its November meeting, board members requested that Hathaway Development LLC, the firm behind the project, bring the results of an ongoing traffic study to its December meeting. The results ultimately satisfied the members of the board, who approved the project unanimously on the condition that the developers maintain access to the existing homes on Country Oak Drive, which intersects Aiken.

“It was prudent to do the traffic study,” said board member Thomas Christ. “It wasn’t something that was required or critical, and it’s not something that we normally do. I’m pretty happy with the traffic study.”

PUSHING FOR TIME Discussion about the apartment complex began with a request to continue the issue until a future meeting. Meghann Burke, an attorney for Linda Tweed and Nancy Hyder, who live near the proposed project, wanted more time to review the traffic study submitted by Hathaway Development, which Burke had received that morning.

“We’ve not had sufficient time to examine the traffic impact study and to prepare a presentation of evidence,” Burke said. “The board saw fit to ask that they provide that information and thought that it was critical for the determination of the issues today. Having not had an opportunity to review that report or to retain our own expert to make an independent conclusion, we move to continue this matter today for another one to two months to afford us this opportunity.”

The board denied her request in a 4-1 vote, with board Chair George Lycan voting in the minority.

Wyatt Stevens, an attorney representing Hathaway Development, addressed the concerns expressed by Burke’s client. “Her concern is, ‘What’s going to happen during construction if I get cut off in terms of ambulances,’” Stevens said. “What they’re going to

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COMING DEVELOPMENT: Despite nearby residents’ concerns about increased traffic, the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment gave the green light to an apartment project north of Asheville. Image courtesy of Buncombe County do is create a new access that will come through the development and that will be to fire department standards. That will be constructed before Country Oak Drive is under construction at all, so that folks like Ms. Tweed will have unimpeded safe access to her property.”

TRAFFIC IMPACT Chris Day, senior project manager with Civil Design Concepts, says the N.C. Department of Transportation’s policy on street and driveway access requires a traffic study to be performed under a few different scenarios, one being a development that produces 3,000 vehicles per day.

Accounting for 332 multifamily dwelling units (the maximum housing density

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Hathaway Development could accrue for the 296-apartment development), the traffic study estimates that the development would produce a little more than 2,100 vehicles per day. Taking into account an adjacent development of 75 single-family dwelling units, residential development around Aiken Road would produce a total of about 2,800 vehicles per day.

The traffic study analyzed three intersections — the access onto Aiken Road as well as the intersections with Merrimon Avenue to the east and with New Stock Road to the west.

Traffic studies qualify delays at intersections by assigning them a level of service category — labeled “A” through “F” — that represents how stable the traffic flow conditions are. “A” represents the least impeded

traffic conditions, and “F” the most impeded traffic conditions.

Traffic traveling along Aiken Road to the intersections at New Stock Road and Merrimon Avenue are controlled by stop signs. “What the traffic study says is that the traffic movements that are going north to south in both of these intersections are really not impacted,” Day said. “The delay stays exactly the same. … What they did show is, as expected, the traffic delays increase as you came from our project from Aiken Road.”

Under existing traffic conditions, the study says, traffic turning left or right from Aiken onto Merrimon experiences 12- to 13-second delays during peak traffic hours, a delay that is classified as level of service “B.” Taking into account the extra traffic produced by the proposed residential development, the study says these delays would increase to 19 to 20 seconds, which would degrade the level of service from “B” to “C.” Westbound traffic turning left or right from Aiken onto New Stock Road would see a similar increase in the delay, shifting from about 14 seconds under existing conditions to about 18 seconds during the morning peak traffic hours and from about 16 seconds to about 24 seconds during peak traffic hours in the afternoon.

The study also took into account natural increase in traffic over time as a result of unrelated construction projects popping up in the area. Compared with this natural increase in traffic, eastbound traffic turning from Aiken Road to New Stock and Merrimon would still degrade from level of service “B” to level of service “C,” but the authors of the study argue that it is “not uncommon for stop-controlled approaches to experience greater delays during peak times of the day when traffic volumes are the heaviest.”

The traffic study concluded that the 296-apartment complex would not have a significant impact on traffic in the surrounding area.

BACKLASH During the board of adjustment meeting in November, a number of residents who lived close to the proposed Aiken Road development approached the microphone to speak against the project, expressing concern about how the added traffic would impact the safety of the roads. The Board of Adjustment meeting room was again full on Dec. 13.

Many of the board members expressed support for the development with the added context provided

by the traffic study, stating that the development met the criteria established by county ordinances. “I think there may be concerns in the county in general about these kinds of developments,” said board member Keith Levi. “But I think the way to handle is

through review by the elected officials and changes in the ordinances.”

The show of support by members of the board angered nearby residents at the meeting.

“Believe me, we hear this,” Lycan said. “We were living in the woods,

and we were great, and life was wonderful, and here you’re building buildings here in the dirt, and you’re cutting down trees — but it meets the bar of the ordinance.”

— David Floyd X

County receives clean opinion from external auditors

RUNNING THE NUMBERS: Representatives from Gould Killian CPA Group summarize the results of the Buncombe County audit during a meeting of the county audit committee on Dec. 12. Photo by David Floyd In the shadow of an ongoing federal investigation into former Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene, the county received good news this week: a clean audit for fiscal year 2017.

During a special meeting of the Buncombe County audit committee on Dec. 12, the firm in charge of the county’s external audit, the Gould Killian CPA Group, delivered a summary of its findings. It issued clean opinions and reported no material weaknesses in internal control and no material noncompliance with laws and regulations.

Buncombe County Controller Jennifer Durrett told Xpress a clean opinion means the auditor has sampled, assessed and tested county financial records and has found nothing that would result in a misstatement of the county’s financial situation.

During the meeting, county Finance Director Tim Flora said the county is pleased with the results of this year’s audit. “Always good to get another audit under the belt,” he said.

AUDIT AMID SCANDAL Xpress first reported in August that the FBI had opened an investigation into Greene, who retired from her position with the county on June 30. In September, the county audit committee unanimously approved a measure that gave the internal auditor more freedom by reporting to the committee rather than county management. At the time, new County Manager Mandy Stone said the changes were not related to the federal investigation into Greene.

(See “County Moves to Give Internal Auditor Autonomy,” Sept. 19, Xpress)

01/01/18

The issue of oversight of the county’s internal control mechanisms cropped up several times during the audit committee meeting on Tuesday.

Flora reported that after submitting the county’s comprehensive annual financial report to the state, he received a call from Sharon Edmundson, the director of the fiscal management section of the N.C. Department of the State Treasurer.

“She and I had a conversation, because one of the things that we did not put in financial statements was a note about the ongoing investigation into the former county manager,” Flora said. “It was not an oversight that we did not put a note in the financial statements. That was something that during the last several months we had back-and-forths with the auditors, and we all felt that because of the materiality and the actual impact on the financial statements themselves that there was no reason to put a note.”

Flora said Buncombe County will be seeking a debt issue in the spring, which means the county will have to go in front of the Local Government Commission, an arm of state treasurer’s office, to receive approval for its debt application. “Because of the sort of touchy nature of this, … Sharon felt that the state auditor and the state treasurer would push back if we didn’t have this note,” Flora said.

The county added a note that says that after Greene’s retirement, the county noticed some irregularities in spending. The note also mentions the federal investigation into Greene and states that the county is not aware of any material impact on its financial situation stemming from the investigation.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

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NEWS BRIEFS

N EWS EFFICACY OF AN INTERNAL AUDITOR In connection with the issue, some members of the audit committee were skeptical of the notion that the auditors did not find material weaknesses in internal control.

Tonya Marshall, an auditor with Gould Killian, said that taken together, the county’s system constituted a good overall form of internal control. “I’ve had personal experience auditing 10, 12 counties,” she said. “None of them had an internal auditor or an audit committee, so I think having an internal audit function is great, having an audit committee is great, but saying that a weakness in that structure would have risen to a material weakness, I think would be drastically overstating the impact of that, given that most of the counties in North Carolina don’t even have an internal auditor.”

County Commissioner Al Whitesides, one of two commissioners on the county audit committee, was still skeptical. “Sure, they don’t have an internal auditor, they don’t have what we have,” he said. “But

when I look at what we have and what we had in the past, we have a federal investigation going on. I mean, that in itself tells me something’s not right.”

Flora argued that having the internal auditor worked because the county got the internal auditor involved as soon as the county started noticing financial irregularities.

Whitesides countered by referring to reports that Greene authorized the use of public gift cards for personal purchases. “Why didn’t it work three years before? Why didn’t it work when all of this started with the gift cards?” he said.

“If we had the structure right, we should’ve caught it.”

Marshall maintained that no system of internal control is perfect.

“You can only get a reasonable assurance that whatever controls that you have in place are going to catch things,” Marshall said. “Two areas that are almost impossible to prevent are those management overrides of controls and collusion where you have more than one person involved.”

— David Floyd X

by Max Hunt | mhunt@mountainx.com REGISTRATION OPENS FOR 26TH ANNUAL FROSTBITE RUN Registration is open for those interested in participating in the 26th annual Frostbite Run in Fletcher on Sunday, Feb. 18. The oldest and largest footrace in Henderson County, the Frostbite Run features two distance events, a 10K and 5K course, in addition to a mile-long flat course. The runs start and finish at the Leila Patterson Fitness & Aquatics Center.

Individuals and families can register to compete by visiting avl. mx/4gi. Registration costs between $15 and $55, depending on the race and time of registration. Those who register before Dec. 31 will receive discounted fees, while those who register three or more family members will receive a 15 percent discount on the registration fees.

The event will also feature a Family Fun Day and Wellness Expo 1:304:30 p.m. at the Lelia Patterson Fitness & Aquatics Center, including games, vendor booths and live music. A portion of proceeds from the event will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.

More info and fees: avl. mx/4gi or email events@ idaph.net RIVERLINK SEEKS INPUT ON RHODODENDRON CREEK TRIBUTARY NAME Local environmental nonprofit RiverLink is calling for residents to vote on a name for a tributary of West Asheville’s Rhododendron Creek.

The latest naming opportunity in RiverLink’s Name That Creek series, the nonprofit has gathered several name suggestions from residents living along the creek; those names have been included in an online poll at avl.mx/4gj.

Residents are encouraged to vote for one of the selected names by Jan. 1.

The winning name will be forwarded to City Council

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and the U.S. Board of Geographical Names for approval and will be announced in the spring.

More info: waterresources@riverlink.org or 828-252-8474, ext. 14.

APD SGT. MILLER JOINS BUNCOMBE SHERIFF RACE Quentin Miller, a sergeant with the Asheville Police Department, has announced his candidacy to run for Buncombe County sheriff in 2018.

Miller has worked with APD since 1994. This is his first time seeking public office.

Miller graduated from Asheville High School in 1981 and served as a military policeman during his time in the U.S. Army.

He was also involved in APD’s original community policing unit, PACT, and has received the Officer of the Year Award and Overall Regional Award for his service work in the Asheville community.

Miller joins fellow contenders R. Daryl Fisher, Chris Winslow, Randy Smart, Shad Higgins, Rondell Lance and Tracey DeBruhl in the race to succeed Sheriff Van Duncan, who will retire in 2018 after three terms.

The primary election will take place May 8, with a runoff election scheduled for July 17, if needed.

More info: avl.mx/4gm BURR, TILLIS INTRODUCE BLUE RIDGE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA REAUTHORIZATION Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis have introduced S. 2225, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Reauthorization Act of 2017, to the U.S. Senate for approval.

The bill would continue the work initiated under the Blue Ridge Natural Heritage Area in 2003 to preserve and develop cultural aspects of Western North Carolina.

Spanning 25 counties in WNC, BRNHA includes

popular national parks like the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Over the past 15 years, BRNHA has generated over 154 grants totaling $2.1 million toward investment in cultural initiatives in the region, in addition to supporting more than 30,000 jobs and creating an economic impact of $2.39 billion each year.

The bill has been referred to the Senate’s Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for review.

More info: avl.mx/4gn COMMUNITY FOUNDATION PROVIDES WATER QUALITY GRANTS The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, through its Pigeon River Fund, recently awarded $347,005 to regional environmental groups to improve surface water quality, enhance wildlife habitats and expand public access to waterways in Buncombe, Haywood and Madison counties.

Grant recipients include Asheville GreenWorks, the Environmental Quality Institute, Haywood Waterways Association, the Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District, Maggie Valley Sanitary District, Mountain Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council, Southwestern NC Resource Conservation and Development Council, the Conservation Fund and the Richard L. Hoffman Foundation.

Established in 1996 through an agreement between Carolina Power & Light (Duke Energy) and the state of North Carolina, the Pigeon River Fund has distributed nearly $6.7 million in grants.

More info: 828-367-9913 or avl.mx/4go X

Presenting the

2017

Spirituality Issue The short days and fainter light of the weeks around the winter solstice inspire many to look inward and focus attention on matters of the spirit. Whether celebrating holiday faith traditions, reflecting on the year nearly past, planning for the future or evaluating our beliefs, it’s a perfect time to contemplate spirituality and faith.

Western North Carolina is fertile ground for many different faith traditions as well as nontraditional approaches to spirituality. In this special issue, you’ll read about how longestablished congregations are responding to evolving ideas about the role of religion in daily life and how youth ministers are reaching a younger generation. You’ll also learn about local devotees of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain who’ve created a version of a day on the 500-mile trail here in Asheville.

In our Wellness section, we explore how sacred music and sound can serve in a healing capacity. And in the Arts and Entertainment section, artists Racquel Wilkins and Bobby Wilkins III create portrait soul readings: intuitive artwork that seeks to look below the surface of its subject. On the lighter side, puzzlemaker Sarah Boddy returns with a locally inspired, spirituality-themed crossword puzzle. Be warned: It’s a tough one. You may need to recite the Serenity Prayer once or twice as you solve Boddy’s challenges.

And so, with warm wishes of the season, we present our annual Spirituality Issue. We hope you read it in peace and enlightenment!

Kwanzaa brings light to the season

by Able Allen

This time of year, religion almost seems to corner the market on celebrations of peace and unity, but Kwanzaa offers the opportunity to attune the spirit through a cultural holiday. Many think of Kwanzaa as entirely motivated by a particular religion, but it’s a modern concept honoring seven traditional principles of the Swahilispeaking regions of Africa, and it can include the practice of spirituality of any stripe. It begins on Dec. 26 and lasts seven days, each day in honor of a different concept — umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith).

One local celebration of the holiday will be held at Unity of the Blue Ridge.

At the community event, children will be lighting the candles of the kinara, each of which represents a principle of

aallen@mountainx.com

the week and will be accompanied by a spoken meditation. The event will also feature dancing to the drumbeats of The Wild Bodema, music by Richard Shulman and songs by Olympia and Jenna Jaffe.

While it’s motivated by African culture, says festivity organizer Rev. DeBorah Shelton Ogiste, anyone would enjoy the celebration regardless of their race, heritage, religion, gender or sexual preference because of the value it places on unity. “All people can live by these principles,” she says, “and if we concentrate on these principles, and these principles be our focus in life, and we can come together on that understanding — it does not matter who or what you are.”

WHAT: Kwanzaa celebration WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 26, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River X

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THE CHANGING FACES OF FAITH Asheville’s historic congregations strive to meet contemporary needs

BY MAX HUNT mhunt@mountainx.com Ask most folks what characteristics best define Asheville, and it’s a safe bet that religious devotion won’t be at the top of the list. Despite having been dubbed a “cesspool of sin” by the late state Sen. James Forrester, however, this city has been a hotbed of religious activity since day one.

From Church Street’s grand old houses of worship to the East End’s historic African-American churches, faith congregations have played a central role in Asheville’s growth and development. The city is home to more than 300 Christian churches, and myriad faith-based conference centers and religiously affiliated schools dot the surrounding landscape.

There are also three Jewish congregations, several Pagan groups, a Muslim mosque and a vibrant Buddhist community, just to name a few, and since they operate relatively close to one another, they sometimes intermingle in surprising, even humorous ways.

“One of my favorite elements of Jewish life in Asheville was Chabad House being situated between a tattoo parlor and a head shop” on Merrimon Avenue, says Rabbi Justin Goldstein of Congregation Beth Israel. “Only in Asheville would you see that. It’s so perfect.”

But while the city’s spiritual life may be diverse, shifting demographics and evolving notions of religion’s role in daily life have many historic congregations reconsidering the part they play in local culture — and how best to address a changing community’s concerns.

CITY ON A HILL Several local congregations can legitimately claim to be as old as

Asheville itself. First Presbyterian Church, for example, was founded in 1794, says the Rev. Patrick Johnson.

“As a downtown church in a historic building, our history is with us every day,” he says.

Nonetheless, Johnson maintains, First Presbyterian’s most attractive quality is its ability to grow with the times. “What compelled me to come here is their commitment to sharp theological thinking and deep engagement with the world, both of which are rooted in really dynamic worship,” he says.

Other local historic congregations share that commitment to community involvement. Built in 1896 at the behest of George Vanderbilt, the Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village was founded on the idea of providing a community space and resource, says the Rev. Todd Donatelli. “It wasn’t just a chapel for [Vanderbilt’s] daughter to get married, as some folks thought,” he emphasizes. The Episcopal church “understood from day one that it was not to be just a place for us to come and take care of our own needs, but a place of life for the whole community.”

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Asheville was nationally known as a center for the treatment of tuberculosis, which was rampant in the U.S. at the time. That mission was reflected in the original name of Congregation Beth Israel, which was founded in 1899. “The name of that very first congregation, because health was near and dear to our heart, was Bikur Cholim,” notes Alan Silverman, Beth Israel’s member engagement team coordinator.

“That’s a Jewish commandment that means ‘visiting the sick.’”

SANCTUARY For Asheville’s minority populations, these early centers of worship were also a place where parishioners could find shelter from racial

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KEEPING THE FAITH: Congregation Beth Israel’s Rabbi Justin Goldstein studies a Torah scroll with young CBI members. Despite its hedonistic present-day reputation, Asheville has a long legacy of strong faith communities. As the city’s demographics continue to change, historic congregations are looking for ways to remain relevant in the city’s cultural and spiritual life. Photo courtesy of Congregation Beth Israel and religious discrimination. “All of the social clubs in town were limited [to white Christians],” says Goldstein.

“Jewish communities would build their own facilities, so to speak, to be able to enjoy those kinds of gathering spaces.”

St. Matthias Episcopal Church, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, is widely acknowledged as Asheville’s first African-American congregation.

Founded late in 1865 as the Freedmen’s Church, it was set up to serve formerly enslaved people, says the Rev. Jerry Prickett, St. Matthias’ present-day rector. “That was the only black educational institution [in Asheville], including for adults” at the time, he notes.

St. Matthias continued to be a center of black life in the city for decades, attracting doctors, lawyers and celebrated figures such as mason James Vester Miller. Miller and Sons Construction built the Municipal Building, which houses the city’s police and fire departments, as well as St. Matthias’ 1894 brick building and other local African-American churches.

To this day, “It’s the only [local] Episcopal church with a significant black population at all,” Prickett points out.

But while Asheville might have displayed the same segregationist ten-

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dencies that were widespread at the time, the city also showed early signs of religious cooperation that were seldom found elsewhere in the South. On the eve of Beth Israel’s grand opening in 1916, for example, the newly built synagogue burned to the ground.

“Within a few hours of hearing about what had happened, there were half a dozen churches whose pastors, priests and ministers came forward and offered to open up their sanctuaries,” notes Silverman. “They said, ‘We’ll cover up the crosses, and you can use it however you need.’ That, in my mind, kind of started this collaboration between our congregation and the greater Asheville community.”

CHANGING TIDES Attendance at historic congregations held steady well into the 20th century. Beginning with the turbulent 1960s, however, evolving social views of the nature and purpose of religious worship posed a new set of challenges for the area’s historic churches.

“The American religious landscape has gone through various periods of expansion and retrenchment,” says Rodger Payne, who chairs UNC Asheville’s religious studies department. “You can really see what’s going on in the larger culture as you look at

what religious groups Americans are supporting, what ones are declining and which new ones are being brought along, discovered or rediscovered.”

According to the most recent edition of the Pew Research Center’s “America’s Changing Religious Landscape” studies, a quarter of adults now consider themselves “spiritual but not religious,” up 8 percentage points from 2012. A 2015 report, meanwhile, found that the number of Americans who identified as “unaffiliated” had risen from 16.1 percent of the population in 2007 to 22.8 percent in 2014.

There are myriad reasons for this shift, says Payne. “So-called millennials are sort of turned off by the current polarization of political and cultural life,” he notes. “They see these institutionalized religions taking sides in the culture wars, and they don’t really want to identify on one side or the other.”

Growing populations of Americans with roots in Asia, Africa and the Middle East have also introduced new forms of belief and worship into popular culture. “Literally, as Pew indicates by the title of this study, the landscape is changing,” says Payne.

The Spirituality Issue

TOGETHER IN CHRIST: St. Matthias Episcopal church member David Jones Jr., left, and the Rev. Jerry Prickett stand outside the historic church. Established after the Civil War as the first African-American congregation in Asheville, St. Matthias experienced drastic changes in its membership in the 1950s and 60s due to urban renewal projects instituted by city government in Asheville’s East End neighborhood. Photo by Leslie Boyd NOT YOUR MOTHER’S CHURCH This trend has not gone unnoticed by local religious leaders. “I think, particularly in the 1950s to ’70s, if you had a church and opened the doors, people showed up,” says Donatelli.

“It was so easy in a lot of ways that churches got into the habit of thinking they just had to be there.”

But though All Souls’ membership still numbers in the hundreds, how those folks engage with the church has changed significantly. “To be a regular church member even 20 years ago meant you were probably there three out of four Sundays of the month,” Donatelli points out. “Nowadays, people might be two Sundays a month as an average,” while others prefer to attend Wednesday services and other weekly activities in lieu of the traditional Sunday Mass.

Meanwhile, changes in the city’s demographics have had a dramatic effect on other local congregations.

St. Matthias, for example, underwent a dramatic shift as a result of urban renewal efforts and gentrification in the city’s East End over the last half-century.

“The population of AfricanAmericans began to move away from this area,” Prickett explains. “We have only two or three members who

still live in this neighborhood; others are either out toward North Asheville or Fletcher.”

Beth Israel’s congregation has actually grown in the last few decades, due in part to new converts to Judaism, says Silverman. “There’s a rabbi I knew once who had an interesting play on words when it came to that phenomenon: He said, ‘We are no longer the chosen people; we are the choosing people.’”

Like their Christian counterparts, however, the way Jewish congregants interact with the synagogue has shifted in recent years, notes Goldstein.

“It’s not just the absence of people but, in an energetic sense, a paradigm shift. This whole idea of being spiritual but not religious is really just a subtle way of saying that the institutions that exist at my disposal are not meeting my needs.”

EVOLUTION OF FAITH Faced with these changes, historic congregations of whatever denomination have embarked on a reexamination of the way they interact with their members and the wider Asheville community.

For some, that means introducing new programs to boost attendance. In response to declining membership in

the 1990s, for example, St. Matthias began holding organ concerts on the first and third Sundays of the month, says Prickett. “They were free, and the donations went to the church,” he says. “Up until the early 2000s, those Sundays filled the church, and it was able to rebuild the organ and do a lot to make things better here.”

Other faith organizations have adapted their buildings’ physical layout to fit contemporary aesthetics. “Historic churches carry generations of traditions and memories that are often built into the architecture of the building and sealed in the hearts of the people,” notes Johnson of First Presbyterian. “The deep question we must ask is what’s a treasure to keep and what should be changed for a new generation?”

In 2000, All Souls launched a massive renovation of the cathedral, which hadn’t been substantially upgraded since its construction. The changes raised a complex question of how to balance tradition with present-day parish-

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SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW: Finding a balance between tradition and the needs of present-day worshippers is of utmost importance to all historic congregations in Asheville. “The deep question we must ask is what’s a treasure to keep and what should be changed for a new generation?” says the Rev. Patrick Johnson of First Presbyterian, center. Photo by Bren Dendy, courtesy of First Presbyterian ioners’ needs. “Anthropologically, there’s reasons why liturgy has compelled people,” says Donatelli. “And yet, if we just keep tramping out 1800s-era hymns, that doesn’t always speak to people. We respect the old and understand it has meaning for us, while knowing it always has to evolve.”

Congregation Beth Israel, currently in the midst of its own renovation project, has taken the opportunity to reject the 19th-century European model of a synagogue in favor of a more traditional layout. “Visit most synagogues around the country and you’ll find pews, just like in a church, facing one direction,” notes Goldstein.

“That is not a historical Jewish model for a sanctuary; that’s a layout that was adopted in Germany from the Lutheran tradition. The idea was if you acted like them, then you would be treated like them.”

The new layout, he adds, will seat worshippers in a circle around the prayer leader during services; it will also give members more access to the rabbi’s office. “Part of our motivation in reimagining is what does a 21st-century sanctuary look like?” continues Goldstein. “I think there’s a big push away from the buildings, which is good, in my opinion. There

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is a sense in which real spiritual work happens in the world. I think part of the rejection has been these kind of austere buildings.”

BEING PRESENT Many congregations also grapple with how to meet younger members’ spiritual needs. Nazareth First Missionary Baptist’s Rev. Charles R. Mosley spoke to this challenge in an Oct. 23 Xpress article about his church’s 150th anniversary. “There are other groups with a different approach to praise and worship who are drawing our young people,” Mosley said. “See, young people, they go to churches where you can hardly identify it as a church. …

It’s more like they’re clubbing, but they call it worship. And that’s what attracts them.”

In the early 2000s, Beth Israel disaffiliated itself from the Conservative Judaism it had adhered to for decades.

“This idea of identifying through a particular denomination was no longer speaking to the needs of our community,” says Goldstein, particularly in regard to accepting interfaith families and same-sex partnerships.

“We felt like that was not our authentic self to exclude those

The Spirituality Issue groups,” adds Silverman. “What we have found so far is that if you de-emphasize the institution and emphasize the people — the hearts and the minds and the connections that call this institution home — that’s something that becomes very attractive. I think it has been one of the most liberating, positive decisions we’ve made in a long, long time.”

Other congregations have tried to bridge generational and societal gaps by reaching out to the wider Asheville community to learn about its needs and experiences.

All Souls, for example, is currently hosting a series of talks by community leaders on the struggles of the city’s marginalized populations. “We’re having people from health care, education, housing, mental health coming and talking about the history of our neighborhoods in Asheville, racial equity and the lack thereof,” Donatelli explains. “We’ve also been going out and interviewing leaders in the community to say, ‘What do you see that’s working well? Who’s working together? Where are the needs?’ — and then as a community listening to where the spirit might be inviting us to be engaged in those areas.”

In addition, All Souls has made its space available to a variety of religious and secular organizations as a meeting place. “Any night you come here, there are multiple groups — community groups, nonprofit groups,” says Donatelli. “One of the things I love is when I walk out at night and I see all kinds of people standing across the street [at the church], and I realize I have no idea who these people are. God speaks to all people in different ways, and we’re just simply called to be in relationship with one another.”

HELPING HANDS Giving back to the community, especially those struggling to meet their basic needs, is a central focus of every faith group interviewed for this article. Members of those congregations volunteer with countless local organizations and causes.

“At St. Matthias, a significant item in our budget is outreach,” says Prickett. “We have, in the past, volunteered at the women’s correctional facility in Swannanoa; we participate in Habitat for Humanity; we have people who volunteer at [Asheville Buncombe

MOVING TOWARD THE FUTURE: Due to urban renewal, members of Beth Israel, from left, Martin Belovin, Isadore Goldstein, Irvin Landau, Bernie Goldstein and Jerry Sternberg moved the Torah from its former synagogue at 121 Liberty St. in 1969 to begin worshipping in its current building on Murdock Avenue. Congregation Beth Israel is currently in the midst of another renovation project to implement a traditional synagogue layout at Murdock Avenue, while also meeting the needs of contemporary congregants. Photo via Pack Memorial Library’s North Carolina Room

future, but Goldstein believes that the changes in American religious belief are just beginning. “There’s a major shift right now, but at what stage we are in that shift is hard to know,” he points out. “What I think is pretty clear is that things will never be the same after.”

Donatelli, meanwhile, hopes that All Souls’ work will continue to give its members a greater sense of the place and culture they are part of.

“Whatever comes out of that, it’s deepening relationships,” he says, and ultimately, the goal is “that we just know each other across the community and have a sense of belonging to each other.”

For those still searching for the right fit to address their spiritual needs, Donatelli offers this advice: “Throw yourself into it. Look at stuff and listen to your body. If it’s energizing, then maybe that’s the spirit’s connection in you.

“It’s going to be different for everybody,” Donatelli stresses.

“The stuff I’m interested in may not be what you want: You have to find what feeds you best.” X

Community Christian Ministry] and a lot of other places.”

Donatelli sees his congregation’s work in the community as a reflection of Christianity’s most basic tenets.

“Jesus didn’t sit in his house of worship and wait for people to come to him,” he notes. “Hopefully, what faith communities are providing is the rhythms and practices of life that help us feel loved and, from that love, feel less anxious, so we’re not operating out of our fear but from a general trust. If faith communities aren’t doing that, then close the doors.”

People of different religions are also working to understand one another’s viewpoints and beliefs: Beth Israel hosts several Christian groups each year that come to learn about the Jewish roots of their faith, says Silverman. In addition, Beth Israel’s leadership periodically meets with local Islamic leaders and participates in interfaith conferences.

“We get a lot of people coming in who are searching for something,” he notes. “Whether they find it at our synagogue or Jubilee! or Beth HaTephila, it doesn’t matter to us. Success is when they land in the right place for them.”

SEARCHING FOR CONNECTION Only time will tell how Asheville’s historic congregations will fare in the

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by Liz Carey

N EWS

lizardc28@gmail.com

The Spirituality Issue

LIGHTING THE WAY

Local churches guide the next generation

In today’s world of FaceTime instead of face-to-face time, local youth ministers are reaching out to help their young churchgoers connect in meaningful ways.

A strong spiritual rudder can help young people navigate life’s problems long after they’ve sailed into adulthood, youth ministers say. In Asheville, some churches have changed the way their programs target young people, giving them not only a place to worship, but also a place to find community and learn life skills.

CHURCHES CREATE CONNECTION At Biltmore Church, youth minister Adam Hatton says the focus is on bringing the whole family into the church while giving kids a safe place to blow off steam.

Most Wednesday nights, the five Biltmore Church campuses in the

GROWTH THROUGH COMMUNITY: Area churches offer an array of programs to give youngsters a spiritual foundation in their lives. Photo by Cindy Kunst area host students from fifth to 12th grade for worship services centered on them.

At other times during the week at each campus, the students are assigned to small groups, with the goal of providing them a cohort with

whom they will walk through life, not just the rest of their school days, Hatton says. “We want students to own their own faith by the time they graduate from high school,” he says. “We want them to come here and see that being a Christian isn’t as uncool as some people make it out to be.”

Biltmore Church offers Connect Groups, where people can gather with folks in similar demographics, such as single mothers, young married adults and college-age people. “Christianity doesn’t happen in rows — it happens in circles,” Hatton says.

Hatton says more and more, students want to find their tribe, to be connected to something bigger than themselves. Members of Generation Z (those born starting in the mid-1990s) seek relationships much more than do Millennials, the generation that’s slightly older than that, he says.

“When I see 10th- and 11th-grade kids come together with one of their classmates whose parent is dying of cancer and they pray over him, ... I know Christ is here in them,” he says. “Christ calls us to rely on him, but he doesn’t call on us to do it alone.”

A TUNE FOR YOUTH: The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville bridges generations with special services. Photo by Cindy Kunst

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The Spirituality Issue Biltmore Church has more than 7,000 regular weekly attendees across five different locations and between 600 and 700 students involved in the youth ministry programs. While getting kids interested can be difficult, Hatton says, once they are involved with it, they stay involved.

But these missions, Hill says, are mainly focused around the Asheville area. “Some churches do mission trips, but I think there’s plenty of need right here. I have a group that goes to senior centers and another group that helps out at a food kitchen,” he says. “Kids can be a little self-absorbed, so I want to try to give them a sense of the bigger picture. It’s so important to give them a sense of the world and what’s out there outside of them.”

Hill says it’s not his job or desire to take the place of parents, but he tries to be there for the kids to lean on if they need him and to help guide them in their journey of faith.

PAINTING A BIGGER PICTURE At Crossroads Asheville, youth minister Eric Hill partners with parents to help the students grow into healthy adults.

On Wednesday nights, the 25-30 children in the nearly 700-member congregation come together for a service just for them. After hanging out or playing basketball, the students have their own worship session, led by Hill and accompanied by a youth band. “In my sermons, I try to focus on selfidentity, try to help them figure out who they are,” Hill says. “I try to stay away from politics and give them the building block of how to deal with things in the future.”

Kids in the youth ministry program also participate in missions.

TEACHABLE MOMENT

COMING FROM A PLACE OF WISDOM: Local churches believe that elders can share their experiences in meaningful ways with children and teens. Photo by Cindy Kunst

At the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, the youth program works to help kids see their own faith from a broader perspective. Kim Collins, the UU youth minister, says the church has about 500 members, of which 120 are children and youths. The

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First Presbyterian Church Asheville 828-253-1431 on Church Street fpcasheville.org

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Every Sunday: Worship 8:45 & 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Childcare begins 8:45 a.m.

Christmas Eve Worship Services Sunday, Dec. 24 ✦ 11:00 a.m. Lessons & Carols Worship Service, Sanctuary ✦ 5:00 p.m. Family Worship with Candlelight, Sanctuary ✦ (9:00 p.m. Prelude Music), 9:30 p.m. Candlelight Communion, Sanctuary

We are a vibrant, historic downtown congregation that welcomes all people– join us in mission!

The Cathedral of All Souls FAMILY FELLOWSHIP: A Wednesday night service at the Unitarian Universalist church in Asheville caters to whole families. Photo by Cindy Kunst

The Cathedral of All Souls is a collection of spiritual pilgrims who find their lives pushed by ancient and present worship, arts and creativity, and being present in the world. It is a community in which all are welcome, trust is present, and risks are taken.

The name “All Souls” recognizes that all human beings share universal desires, even though we come from varying paths of experience. All of us share a common desire to have fruitful relationships with ourselves, others, the world around us and the Sacred. This faith community also understands and values the inherent interconnectedness of these relationships.

All Souls is a community that is clear about its grounding in the Christian tradition while also understanding healthy spiritual paths include mystery, paradox and uncertainty. This is what we find in Jesus: one who was grounded in sacred tradition while growing through his relationship to all people. For 120 years, this has been a place of pilgrimage for and a community of all souls.

Located in Biltmore Village. Services at 7:45 a.m., 9 a.m., and 11:15 a.m. on Sundays, as well as noon and 5:45 p.m. on Wednesdays. Find more info at allsoulscathedral.org.

9 Swan St. Asheville, NC 28803 • 828-274-2681 mail@allsoulscathedral.org • allsoulscathedral.org 22

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youth ministry provides a variety of programming for kids in seventh grade and older.

Collins says the church offers classes to help young people learn about the diversity of the world around them, as well as where they fit into that picture. For seventhgraders, a class called Neighboring Faiths looks at the different religions of the world; eighth-graders get a class called Our Whole Lives, a comprehensive sexuality program.

“Our Whole Lives … focuses on healthy relationships and decisionmaking, but it also looks at bullying and internet use,” Collins says. “It is a really comprehensive course on how to navigate aspects of our lives.”

In ninth grade, the program becomes more intense, Collins says. During a yearlong program, teens and their parents commit to a program that supports the young people as they discover where they are in their own religious beliefs.

Students are linked with adult congregants who help them explore

their faith and come up with their own faith credo, which they will later recite before the congregation in a special service. In high school, the youth programs also focus on transitioning students into leadership roles within the church.

The Unitarian fellowship also has a Wednesday night service where families worship together, followed by special programs to bridge the generations. Members come together for a fellowship dinner before hearing a worship service, but afterward students leave to have their own activity. For example, on Dec. 6, after worship service, children went off to participate in a yoga program, while the adults participated in a program on human sexuality.

Collins says the programs are important in helping young people find their way in their own faith.

“We have people of all walks of life here, and we’re inclusive,”she says.

“There are many adults here to serve as role models.”X

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

The Spirituality Issue

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Undying love Gifford Pinchot and Laura Houghteling

TRANSCENDENT LOVE: In 1892, Laura Houghteling, left, and Gifford Pinchot became neighbors in West Asheville. The two would develop a bond that lasted long beyond Houghteling’s short life. Photos courtesy of The University of Alabama Press In the preface to her 2017 book, On Strawberry Hill: The Transcendent Love of Gifford Pinchot and Laura Houghteling, writer Paula Ivaska Robbins informs readers that her work is not a biography of Gifford Pinchot, American forester, politician and one-time manager of Biltmore’s forests.

Rather, Robbins writes, “This is a story about two people and the place where they fell in love. The place was West Asheville, North Carolina[.]”

Like many in the late 19th and early 20th century, Laura Houghteling came to the area due to illness. After being diagnosed with phthisis in the late 1880s, she arrived to the mountains of Western North Carolina to seek the medical attention of Dr. S. Westray Battle (See “More than a Citizen,” Sept. 26, Xpress).

During this same period, Pinchot came on as a member of the full-time staff at the Biltmore Estate. According to Robbins, George Vanderbilt hired the Yale graduate on Feb. 21, 1892, “to create a plan for managing the forest at Biltmore and to prepare an exhibit of this forest for the World’s Columbian Exposition that

would be held in Chicago, opening on May 1, 1893.”

In the early chapters of On Strawberry Hill, Robbins examines the budding relationship between Pinchot and Houghteling.

Both were born into wealthy and well-connected families. Houghteling was 28 when she and Pinchot, 26, became neighbors in West Asheville. Robbins suspects that Houghteling’s illness was the reason she had not wed. (Most women within Houghteling’s social class, Robbins notes, would have been married shortly after turning 18.) The writer points out that “[c]onsumption carried a social stigma of being a disease of the slums and lower classes, as well as being caused by a hereditary weakness or familial predisposition.”

Nevertheless, in December 1893, the couple discussed marriage. During this same period, Houghteling relocated to Washington, D.C., on account of her declining health. Shortly thereafter, on Feb. 9, 1894, the Asheville Daily Citizen informed its readers, “Dr. S. Westray Battle has received a telegram bearing the sad intelligence that Miss Laura Houghteling … died yesterday

at the house of Senator Stockbridge in Washington City.”

Death, however, would not end Pinchot and Houghteling’s relationship.

At the turn of the century, Robbins notes, spiritualism had a strong following. “A core belief of Spiritualism,” Robbins writes, “is that individuals survive the death of their body by ascending into a spirit existence.” This belief, she continues, was especially attractive to individuals who had recently lost a loved one. Pinchot was no exception: “For twenty years, Gifford secretly wrote about Laura and their ongoing relationship in his private diaries as if she were a living presence who never had left him. She spoke to him, traveled with him, read books with him, advised him, and inspired him.”

Code became standard practice for Pinchot when writing of Houghteling’s spiritual presence. Robbins explains: “On the surface, the coded entries appear to describe the weather or what kind of day he had. On days that he felt Laura was with him, he would write, ‘a bright day,’ or ‘a clear day.’ If he was having difficulty reaching her but knew that she was near, his usual entry was ‘not a clear day.’ Sometimes there were bleak days when he could not find Laura at all and the code described his pain: ‘a dull, dead day’; ‘a blind day’; ‘a lifeless, useless day’; ‘I’m going blind.’”

Char Miller, author of Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism and Seeking the Greatest Good: The Conservation Legacy of Gifford Pinchot, wrote the foreword to Robbins’ On Strawberry Hill. In it, he notes that Robbins’ work is “the first book-length exploration of Gifford and Laura’s fascinating love affair.”

He goes on to mention the eternal bond Pinchot and Houghteling made to each other prior to her death: “In a very material sense, Gifford kept his part of the bargain, a lived reality that he recorded almost daily in his diary, that gave shape to whenever he delivered a speech and felt Laura’s enveloping presence, and that he and his mother enacted whenever they visited spiritualists, mediums, and yogis in hopes of contacting his dearly departed.

This very personal quest also had a profound impact on his professional career, as Robbins nicely details. In so doing, she gives us a more fully realized Gifford Pinchot: an ardent champion of forestry and a crusading conservationist, his work advancing the public good was fueled in part by his abiding memory of a young woman and the energizing love they shared.” X

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W ELL NESS

by Jacqui Castle

jacquicastle@gmail.com

The Spirituality Issue

MUSIC AS MEDICINE “There aren’t many spiritual traditions that don’t have music,” says Jeff “Firewalker” Schmitt, a local musician and folk healer. “When people think of music in our culture, the first place they go is — ‘Well, I’ve got to learn chords, I’ve got to learn time signatures, I’ve got to memorize a song,’ but we’re suggesting a completely different approach. It’s an unlearning. It’s a completely different way to approach music.”

Schmitt, a practitioner of Peruvian shamanism, says he looks to indigenous spiritual traditions for an understanding of how music can serve in a healing capacity. “It’s said in tradition circles that for every moment, whether it’s a ceremony or a healing or an awakening, there is a song, there is a sound, there is a particular vibration that can be brought forth to be a catalyst in moving things forward,” he says.

Until three years ago, Schmitt was director of research for the Center for Integrative Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, and he has used his experience and knowledge as a scientist to further his work with music and sound healing.

“Some studies have shown that your DNA actually hums, and because it’s long and slender, it’s like a string,” says Schmitt. “So it’s believed that certain sacred songs used for healing and certain tones used for healing may actually activate things at the molecular level and create shifts that are reflected at the whole organism level.”

Schmitt currently collaborates with Caroline Padgett, a spiritual healer and massage therapist, and River Guerguerian, a local percussionist, studio musician and music director at the Odyssey Community School.

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Local shamanic group taps into the sacred power of music

GOOD VIBRATIONS: “At the essence, I really believe in the power of sound,” says percussionist River Guerguerian, one of the collaborators in the “Music as Medicine” sacred music retreat. Photo by Sandlin Gaither

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Together they host sound-healing workshops titled “Music as Medicine: An Immersion in the Art and Craft of Playing Sacred Music.” The event is organized through Eagle Condor Council, a spiritual community in the Andean shamanic tradition. Originally scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 8, the workshop was rescheduled due to weather and will be held FridaySunday, March 2-4, at Laughing Waters Retreat in Gerton.

Schmitt, Padgett and Guerguerian share an interest in helping people in the community experience the healing power of sound and music. Through their work, they address a question they say is important when striving to use music as a spiritual or personal healing mechanism: How does one go about producing sound that will enhance or catalyze transformation?

“We like to assume that things are static in nature when we look at our scale of the universe,” Schmitt explains, “but when you pull down into things microscopically, everything is moving unless you bring it to absolute zero, which is quite hard to do; everything has a particular resonant frequency. You know when you run your finger around the rim of a crystal glass ring? That’s a resonant frequency. Molecules in the body also have resonant frequencies.”

Guerguerian expands on this notion: “When you have an external stimulus, like say, a sound wave, it goes through you from your head to your toes. It could last a millisecond; it could last 10 seconds; it could last a few minutes. You have to find the keys that help people open up, and the instrument is a barometer. The initial reason I got into sound was

The Spirituality Issue the power of it, the transformative power of it, or the healing power of it, you could say.” He suggests that, instead of focusing on technique, one could instead view the instrument as an extension of self and an avenue for spiritual connection and renewal.

In their Music as Medicine workshops, Guerguerian, Schmitt and Padgett teach people to do just that. “Understanding that if you are going to use an instrument — whether it’s your voice, or a singing bowl, or a drum, or gong or anything — you have to know it as an extension of your physical body and an extension of the deeper level of your soul or spirit,” says Guerguerian.

Schmitt explains that if people teach sacred music or implement it with clients or patients, it is important to utilize sacred music-making in their own lives as well. “For us to honor the traditions that we represent, it has to start with personal healing and personal accountability, and that’s what we teach,” says Schmitt. He explains that sound healing can be a vital tool for those in the healing and meditative arts such as acupuncture, massage therapy, qi gong and yoga.

“We’re just trying to create a really coherent framework that’s very highquality that people can step into and participate in,” says Schmitt. Each sound-healing workshop concludes with a sacred music ceremony. “I like to bring people together, throw them into a room and see what happens.”

Participants do not need to have a specific religious orientation to benefit from sound healing practices, says Padgett: “You don’t have to believe anything specifically to tap into your own heart and your own song.” She explains that there is a meditative and spiritual aspect to sound healing, which involves a “deep listening to what is arising.”

Padgett stresses that whether you’re using an instrument such as

a Tibetan singing bowl or your own voice, it’s important to experience release and connection without focusing on the music being “good” or “right.” She explains that music can be used as an avenue first to confront and then let go of anxieties and fears or other buried feelings that may be ready to be released.

Padgett, who has worked with the healing arts for almost 20 years, says she has noticed that the demand for sacred musical expression is growing.

“What I’ve been watching is the waves in the collective across the board. Sound has been there clearly for all of time, but now so many people are adding sound to whatever they are doing,” says Padgett. “It feels like something that the collective energy is really ready for.” X

MORE INFO WHAT Music as Medicine sacred music-making retreat WHERE Laughing Waters Retreat Center 3963 Gerton Highway Gerton WHEN Friday, March 2, 6-10 p.m.

Saturday, March 3, all day starting at 9 a.m.

Christmas Eve Services Sunday, December 24 5 PM | A Night Like No Other – Service for all ages Calling all angels, shepherds, and wise women and men: This service is full of joy and wonder with carols, stories of the first Christmas, and all the children of Grace Covenant taking part! Kids, arrive a little early to pick out your costume.

9 PM | Candlelight Communion Service The 9:00 PM service will include Holy Communion as we gather to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord.

Trusting that God’s grace embraces and desires covenant with all people, Grace Covenant seeks to be an inclusive and hospitable place of spiritual growth. All persons are welcomed into this fellowship and membership regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, ethnic or racial identity, economic position, residency status, or political affiliation. We trust that God is always at work transforming each life and our life together, helping us to better follow Christ’s example of love and courageous welcome.

Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church 789 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville, NC 28804

828.254.3274 | www.gcpcusa.org

RITUAL PHOTOGRAPHY END OF THE YEAR SOIREE

12.28.17 2PM-12AM

Sunday, March 4, all day starting at 9 a.m.

COST $45-$300 depending on sessions attended http://avl.mx/4ej

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WELLNESS SHOJI SPA & LODGE • 7 DAYS A WEEK (PD.) Private Japanese-style outdoor hot tubs, cold plunge, sauna and lodging. 8 minutes from town. Bring a friend to escape and renew! Best massages in Asheville! 828-2990999. www.shojiretreats.com FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115 • 4th WEDNESDAYS, 5:30pm - Radical Reproduction, monthly discussion group. Free to attend.

RICEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT 2251 Riceville Road • THURSDAYS, 6pm Community workout for all ages and fitness levels. Bring yoga mat and water. Free.

SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St. • THURSDAYS, 2:303:30pm - "Slow Flow Yoga," yoga class adapted for all ages and abilities. Free.

URBAN DHARMA 77 Walnut St., 828-2256422, udharmanc.com/ • TUESDAYS, 7:308:30pm - Guided, nonreligious sitting and walking meditation.

Admission by donation.

SUPPORT GROUPS Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 27

Acupuncture Chinese Herbal Prescription learn more from our site walk in or schedule online

Our Team Brings 30+ Years experience in China to Asheville

ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS & DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES adultchildren.org • Visit mountainx.com/ support for full listings.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS • For a full list of meetings in WNC, call 2548539 or aancmco.org

• TUESDAYS 7:30pm - Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway

ANXIETY SUPPORT GROUP 828-231-2198, bjsmucker@gmail.com • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 7-8:30pm - Learning and sharing in a caring setting about dealing with one's own anxiety.

Held at NAMI Offices, 356 Biltmore Ave.

DEBTORS ANONYMOUS debtorsanonymous.org • MONDAYS, 7pm - Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St.

ASHEVILLE WOMEN FOR SOBRIETY 215-536-8026, womenforsobriety.org • THURSDAYS, 6:308pm – Held at YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave. ASPERGER'S TEENS UNITED facebook.com/groups/ AspergersTeensUnited • For teens (13-19) and their parents. Meets every 3 weeks. Contact for details.

BRAINSTORMER’S COLLECTIVE 828-254-0507, puffer61@gmail.com • 3rd THURSDAYS, 6-7:30pm - For brain injury survivors and supporters. Held at Kairos West Community Center, 604 Haywood Road BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP 828-213-2508 • 3rd THURSDAYS, 5:30pm - For breast cancer survivors, husbands, children and friends. Held at SECU Cancer Center, 21 Hospital Drive CODEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS 828-242-7127 • FRIDAYS, 5:30pm Held at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 556 S. Haywood Waynesville • SATURDAYS, 11:15am – Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St.

DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE 828-367-7660, depressionbipolarasheville.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7-9pm & SATURDAYS, 4-6pm – Held at 1316C Parkwood Road DIABETES SUPPORT 828-213-4700, laura.tolle@msj.org • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 3:30pm - In room 3-B. Held at Mission Health, 509 Biltmore Ave. EATING DISORDERS ANONYMOUS 561-706-3185, eatingdisordersanonymous.org • FRIDAYS, 4:30pm - Eating disorder support group. Held at 12-Step Recovery Club, 370 N. Louisiana Ave # G4 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ASHEVILLE 5 Oak St., 828-2524781, fbca.net • 3rd THURSDAYS, 6:30-8pm - Support group for families of children and adults with autism to meet, share and learn about autism. Childcare provided with registration: aupham@autismsociety-nc.org. Meet in classrooms 221 and 222.

FOOD ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 828-423-6191 828-242-2173 • SATURDAYS, 11amHeld at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway

FOUR SEASONS COMPASSION FOR LIFE 828-233-0948, fourseasonscfl.org • THURSDAYS, 12:30pm - Grief support group. Held at SECU Hospice House, 272 Maple St., Franklin • TUESDAYS, 3:304:30pm - Grief support group. Held at Four Seasons - Checkpoint, 373 Biltmore Ave. GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS 828-483-6175 • Held at Biltmore United Methodist Church, 378 Hendersonville Road GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • 2nd THURSDAYS, 1-3pm - Seeds of Hope chronic condition support group.

Registration required: 828-693-4890 ex. 304.

GRIEF PROCESSING SUPPORT GROUP 828-452-5039, haymed.org/locations/ the-homestead • 3rd THURSDAYS, 4-5:30pm Bereavement education and support group. Held at Homestead Hospice and Palliative Care, 127 Sunset Ridge Road, Clyde LIFE LIMITING ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUP 386-801-2606 • TUESDAYS, 6:30-8pm - For adults managing the challenges of life limiting illnesses.

Held at Secrets of a Duchess, 1439 Merrimon Ave. MINDFULNESS AND 12 STEP RECOVERY avl12step@gmail.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7:308:45pm - Mindfulness meditation practice and 12 step program.

Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club,

828-424-7415 / www.alternativeclinic.org 23 Broadway St, Downtown Asheville

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE at the Alternative Clinic

• Pregnancy Massages by DONA trained Doula • Sports & Deep Tissue massage for aches & pains • Deep Qi work to rebalance & reset energy flow • Relaxation & anti-stress massages to feel your best

$45 for 30 minute/$75 for 60 minute massage – we are a tip free establishment walk in, call or schedule online: 828-424-7415 www.alternativeclinic.org

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500 Hour Weekend Massage Certification

675 Hour Massage Certification Program

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE – APPLY ONLINE

AshevilleMassageSchool.org • 828-252-7377

22B New Leicester Highway NARANON nar-anon.org • WEDNESDAYS, 12:30pm - For relatives and friends concerned about the addiction or drug problem of a loved one. Held at First United Methodist Church of Hendersonville, 204 6th Ave. W., Hendersonville • MONDAYS, 7pm - For relatives and friends concerned about the addiction or drug problem of a loved one. Held at West Asheville Presbyterian Church, 690 Haywood Road OVERCOMERS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 828-665-9499 • WEDNESDAYS, noon-1pm - Held at First Christian Church of Candler, 470 Enka Lake Road, Candler OVERCOMERS RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP rchovey@ sos-mission.org • MONDAYS, 6pm - Christian 12-step program. Held at SOS Anglican Mission, 1944 Hendersonville Road OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS • Regional number: 277-1975. Visit mountainx.com/ support for full listings.

RECOVERING COUPLES ANONYMOUS recovering-couples. org • MONDAYS 6pm For couples where at least one member is recovering from addiction. Held at Foster Seventh Day Adventists Church, 375 Hendersonville Road REFUGE RECOVERY 828-225-6422, refugerecovery.org • WEDNESDAYS 5:30pm - Held at Heartwood Refuge and Retreat Center, 159 Osceola Road, Hendersonville • THURSDAYS, 7:30pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, 370 N Louisiana Ave. • FRIDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Held at Urban Dharma, 77 Walnut St. • TUESDAYS, 7:30pm & SATURDAYS, 6pm - Held at Asheville Insight Meditation, 175 Weaverville Road, Woodfin SANON 828-258-5117

• 12-step program for those affected by someone else's sexual behavior. Contact 828-258-5117 for a full list of meetings.

SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS saa-recovery.org/ Meetings/ UnitedStates • MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Ave. • SUNDAYS, 7pm Held at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. SMART RECOVERY 828-407-0460 • FRIDAYS,2pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, 370 N Louisiana Ave. • TUESDAYS, 6-7pm - Held at Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County, 24 Varsity St., Brevard • THURSDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Episcopal Church, 871 Merrimon Ave. SUNRISE PEER SUPPORT VOLUNTEER SERVICES facebook.com/ Sunriseinasheville • TUESDAYS through THURSDAYS, 1-3pm - Peer support services for mental health, substance abuse and wellness.

Held at Kairos West Community Center, 604 Haywood Road, Asheville SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE LOSS SUPPORT GROUP 828-254-5878, earthboundclayworks@ gmail.com • Last MONDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Peersupport group.

Free. Held at Care Partners Solace Center, 21 Belvedere Road T.H.E. CENTER FOR DISORDERED EATING 50 S. French Broad Ave. #250, 828-3374685, thecenternc. org • WEDNESDAYS, 6-7pm – Adult support group, ages 18+.

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G RE EN S CE N E

by Danny Bernstein

danny@hikertohiker.com

STEP BY STEP Asheville resident Dearing Davis, a licensed clinical social worker and ceramic artist, is taking a sabbatical year to think about her path going forward. In that spirit, she was recently inspired to walk the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile route through northwestern Spain.

As she walked, Davis, who’s in her 30s, stopped to pray in churches and open spaces in villages. She also connected with the folks who’d been walking the longest. “They seemed to be quiet, steady and not caught up with the practical details of where to stay, eat or do their wash,” she says. “They didn’t have that monkey mind.”

Davis is far from the only Western North Carolina resident to succumb to the Camino’s siren song.

And some have gone so far as to try to re-create some semblance of that experience right here in Asheville.

Before beginning their own Camino adventure last year, Isaiah

The Spirituality Issue

WNC residents find inspiration in pilgrimage

CAMINO IN THE BACKYARD: The WNC Chapter of the American Pilgrims on the Camino created a 16-mile route around Asheville and offers a guided walk along it every month. Photo courtesy of Danny Bernstein

Peace. Oneness. Unity.

Inspirational Celebrations & Soulful Transformation.

Holiday Concert, Dec. 21st - 7:00pm Tickets $10.00 Christmas Eve Morning Service 10:30am Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 6:00pm Kwanzaa Celebration, Dec. 26th 7:00pm including Wild Bodema New Year’s Eve Service & Burning Bowl Ceremony - 9:45am & 11:30am

Mostheller and Kim LaViolette designed an urban walk through Asheville and posted the route online. Others got involved, and it morphed into a 16-mile trek designed to give people a sense of what a typical day on the Camino is like. The idea is to show that walking 16 miles around town is not as hard as it might sound and is definitely less challenging than hiking that same distance in the woods.

But even when hard times inevitably arise, the Way will offer sustenance, Camino walkers believe.

Once on her trek through Spain, Davis came down with “the Camino crud,” a bad cold that’s all too familiar to pilgrims. “I stayed in a hotel alone, feeling sick and isolated.

When I started walking, I came upon a little spa, curated garden and food stall. The owner even had peanut butter as part of a gorgeous display of food and drink.” He made her red ginger tea with real ginger, which he peeled himself. “The Camino provides,” Davis says simply, echoing a sentiment shared by many of her fellow walkers.

HOLY ROAD

Rev. Darlene Strickland, Kat Williams, Richard Shulman, Rhoda Weaver 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Rd. Mills River. (near airport) UnityBlueRidgeNC.org 828-891-8700 28

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For more than a thousand years, pilgrims have been walking to

Santiago de Campostela, where the remains of St. James the Apostle are said to be buried. The relics were rediscovered and authenticated in the ninth century. Beginning in the 11th century, a cathedral was built over the site of the tomb, and in the Middle Ages, Santiago rivaled Rome and Jerusalem as a pilgrimage destination.

The Reformation and Age of Enlightenment saw a tremendous decrease in the number of people undertaking pilgrimages, but the practice never totally died. It picked up again after World War II, and more recently when celebrities such as Paulo Coelho (author of The Alchemist) and Shirley MacLaine walked the Camino and published accounts of their experiences. When the movie The Way was released in 2010, the Camino de Santiago went mainstream. The film follows four pilgrims on the Camino Frances, still the most popular route, which runs from St. Jean Pied de Port in southwest France across the Pyrenees and into Spain.

Medieval pilgrims came from all over Europe, however, and a network of Camino trails developed from as far away as Finland. They were identified by a scallop shell, still the symbol of a Camino walker.

The Spirituality Issue

IN SEARCH OF ACCEPTANCE: Asheville teacher Rebecca Gallo, seen here on the Camino in Conques, France, walked the path in order to examine her own faith. Photo courtesy of Gallo These days, there’s good infrastructure — including yellow arrow blazes, inexpensive albergues (hostels) and cafés — that attracts walkers from around the globe, including a sizable WNC contingent.

FOLLOW THE CALL Asheville native Tom Sanders, a local Camino pioneer, led four other hikers on the Camino Frances in 2007, including retired Grove Park

Inn executive Don Walton, who notes, “Tom could speak Spanish.”

Together, the men became the Five Amigos.

The next year, with one change of amigo, they covered a different trail in Europe. All told, Walton has walked seven Caminos, including routes in Germany, Switzerland, France and Portugal. On the Via Francigena, he walked from France to Rome.

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The Spirituality Issue

G RE EN S CE N E

Initially, the veteran hiker admits, part of the Camino’s appeal was that “I didn’t have to sleep on the ground, like on the Appalachian Trail. In Europe, we always sleep in a bed, have coffee at 10 a.m., beer at 3 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. My last pilgrimage is always the best!”

Some walkers aren’t even sure what prompts them to follow the call. “It was just something I had to do,” says Rebecca Gallo, who teaches eighth-grade math, science and world cultures at the Key School at Carolina Day. “When I got there, I realized I was walking it to find out if God would be OK with me if I decided to leave the Catholic Church in which I grew up.”

An answer wasn’t long in coming, she recalls. “By the third day, I knew it was fine for me to leave the Catholic Church. God and I were still good,” she says. “Eventually I found my way to the Center for Spiritual Living in Asheville.”

WALKING HOME In 2012, a group of experienced pilgrims, planners and dream-

THE FIVE AMIGOS: Asheville native Tom Sanders has led various groups on the Camino in Europe. Photo courtesy of Don Walton ers launched the WNC chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino.

APOC members meet up at the REI store once a month for presentations on the practical, spiritual, cultural and religious aspects of the pilgrimage route. Experienced walkers say the most frequently asked questions are: How much did your backpack weigh? How many miles a day did you cover?

Almost no one carries a fully loaded backpack, with tent, stove and heavy sleeping bag. Instead, the experience falls somewhere between day hiking and backpacking, AT-style. Here in WNC, hiking 10-12 miles on steep paths over 6,000-foot peaks makes for a strenuous, satisfying day. But Camino trails are typically a mix of rolling hills, small villages, footpaths, green verges and quiet roads, more like the Piedmont portion of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Camino trail guides assume that walkers will cover about 15-18 miles a day.

Inspired by Mostheller and LaViolette’s urban walk, the local APOC chapter adapted it to fashion the 16-mile Asheville Camino.

Greenways are the backbone of the trek, which begins at the Visitor Center on Montford Avenue, winds

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through the River Arts District and West Asheville, and follows greenways along the French Broad River and Hominy Creek. From Biltmore Avenue, it climbs up to Beaucatcher Mountain before ending at the Basilica of St. Lawrence — this is a Camino, after all. Along the way, the group stops for coffee and lunch.

They’re hoping to get city approval to blaze the route.

The WNC chapter offers one guided walk per month, and a second route is under development.

This fall, the chapter hosted Camino groups from Atlanta and Raleigh for weekends of hiking and social time. Members walked the route and dined in restaurants with a Spanish or Galician theme. In keeping with the Camino tradition, the out-oftowners stayed at the Sweet Peas Hostel on Rankin Avenue.

THE RIGHT PATH Asheville native Annie Erbsen walked the Camino 10 years ago at age 23. Erbsen says she did it because “it called to me, and I answered. I didn’t know why, because I’m not remotely religious: I come from three generations of nonpracticing Jews.”

The Spirituality Issue

THE CAMINO PROVIDES: Dearing Davis, an Asheville social worker, experienced the challenges and joys of walking the Camino in Spain. Photo courtesy of Davis Erbsen says like most young people who walk the Camino, when she started, she walked too fast and approached it like an athlete. “I injured myself, ending up with giant infected blisters on my right foot and a raging fever. I had to stop for a few days and met an Italian man, Gianluca [De Bacco], who helped me find a place to stay in town,” she says. “We forged an instant connection over coffee. We ended up getting married — and still are.”

But the Camino can also be a vehicle for those contemplating new directions later in life. Asheville attorney Frank Goldsmith says he used the walk “to help me make a decision on what I wanted to do professionally in the remaining years of my career. You’re free from all distractions: Your job is just to walk.”

As a Jewish man, he connected with the history and culture of Spain, where Jews had lived for centuries before being expelled in 1492. “After all, James was a Jewish visitor to Spain,” he says.

When Priscilla Richter committed to walk the Camino last year, she had no idea that she would end up officially converting to Catholicism at the Basilica of St. Lawrence just

two weeks before the start of her pilgrimage. After completing her walk, she came back to Black Mountain for about a year and is now spending a year at a Carmelite monastery in Erie, Pa., “where I live, work, play and pray with sisters who are very active in social justice efforts. I don’t think I’d be here if I hadn’t done the Camino.”

Danny Bernstein is an active member of the WNC chapter of APOC. She’s walked two Caminos and is planning her third trek next year. X

Camino curious The WNC chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino meets the first Monday of the month at REI Biltmore Park. Every Tuesday morning, the group holds an informal tertulia (social gathering) at Green Sage Westgate. Each month, there’s also an evening tertulia and a guided walk of the Asheville route. For details, visit ashevillecamino.org.

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A&E

by Alli Marshall

amarshall@mountainx.com

The Spirituality Issue

PAINTING A MORE UNDERSTANDING WORLD Soul portrait artists Racquel and Bobby Wilkins share their intuitive imagery It starts with a photo and a short questionnaire: name, children, pets, spouse, interests. “And then it’s simple — a meditative process beforehand to tap into the image, and then I’ll do a sketch before I start painting,” says Racquel Wilkins. But what she creates is not a typical commissioned likeness. Wilkins and her husband, Bobby Wilkins III, make portrait soul readings — intuitive artwork that seeks to look below the surface of its subject.

While living in New York, Racquel considered turning her love of drawing people into a children’s portrait business. Her sister put her in touch with a medium, who delivered a mes-

sage from Racquel’s guardian angel “about my ability to paint portraits that reflected the more multidimensional aspects of a person,” the artists says. “Their past lives, maybe talents they might have, or soul color.

Something that would relate to them that would show them themselves on a divine level.”

While she grappled with accepting her unconventional talent, Racquel organized a reading for Bobby as well — the two met while studying art at Purchase College — and that reading revealed Bobby had a similar ability: “He’s able to paint a person’s future potential,” says Racquel. “What they could be, what they could become,

Kairos West Community Center is a sacred space in a secular world, accessible to all and set apart for community building and the empowerment of emerging leadership through art, liturgy and social service.

Kairos, which in Greek means “an abundant moment,” is what we hope for all who walk into our community center, located in the heart of West Asheville at 610 Haywood Road, underneath Firestorm Books & Coffee. We host a number of community organizations and meetings each week, including 12 Baskets Cafe in partnership with Asheville Poverty Initiative.

With representation from multiple denominations and a central location, Kairos offers a neutral, open meeting ground and a place for collaboration across subcultural, socioeconomic and racial lines. We seek to provide a space for radical hospitality.

Kairos is always seeking volunteers, and anyone interested should contact our missioner, the Rev. Canon Milly Morrow at milly@allsoulscathedral.org.

Kairos West Community Center is a church-in-the-world mission of The Cathedral of All Souls and The Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina. Find more info at facebook.com/KairosWest.

610 Haywood Road Asheville, NC 28806 • (828) 772-1429 32

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TRUE COLORS: “People can think of it as a visual psychic reading, but I can’t guarantee what the messages will be,” artist Racquel Wilkins, left, with husband and fellow painter Bobby Wilkins III, explains. “The soul portraits aim to take people to a higher level where they can see that we’re all connected.” Photo by Cindy Kunst like a treasure map of their own goals and wishes.”

The couple decided to create a website to offer their unique portraits to people around the world.

Then, in 2012, with their second child on the way, the Wilkinses decided to relocate. “We loved being new parents [but] felt like New York wasn’t going to support our fam-

The Spirituality Issue ily’s energy,” Racquel remembers.

“We wanted to be around nature and be somewhere we felt free to be ourselves.”

The couple explored Asheville through YouTube videos and online research, and when they visited the city, “We knew this was definitely going to be our home,” says Racquel.

They settled here in 2012 and started looking into a studio in the River Arts District — an endeavor that has proved challenging. “We thought of [setting up] our gallery on Depot Street and were looking at some spaces there,” says Racquel. Currently, they’re still in process of finding the right place. While that public space comes together, the Wilkinses are converting the garage at their home into a working studio.

But the couple feel positive about building their business here: “I think it’s easier to find undiscovered opportunities in Asheville more than in New York,” says Racquel. “I feel like there’s a chance to expand anywhere, but in terms of getting into the art scene, I feel like Asheville would be a little easier now.”

In the meantime, the soul portrait process continues to unfold. It’s intui-

tively guided: “People can think of it as a visual psychic reading, but I can’t guarantee what the messages will be,” Racquel explains. “Art is for beauty and upliftment. … The soul portraits aim to take people to a higher level where they can see that we’re all connected.”

She continues, “By seeing the divine in themselves, they can also see it in others, and [that] will lead to a more loving and understanding world, one painting at a time.”

Racquel usually tries to include writing with her completed portrait.

“It’s not just an interpretation of the image; it kind of rounds out the portrait,” she says. “I like [the client] to be able to see the picture without reading everything … so I usually type it up and put it in the back of the painting, so they can see the painting and then read about any insights I’ve gotten.”

Bobby, meanwhile, gives readings on what his clients are trying to create in their lives. “Someone might be trying to accomplish a goal, like they might want to be in the Olympics, and he would be able to paint that for them,” says Racquel. “It would be affirming for

them to see an image of themselves in action, living out their dream.”

Racquel also wants to expand on the types of portraits offered, to include child soul readings, adult soul readings, married couple readings and portraits of loved ones who have passed away.

Perhaps surprisingly, Racquel has yet to have a soul portrait created for her, though she’s considering making one of herself.

But doing the work for others is what the artistic couple find most gratifying. It’s a method of “helping others in a deeper way than I would just by giving an aesthetically pleasing painting,” says Racquel.

All art is spiritual, coming from an unseen part of ourselves, she muses.

“But being able to paint a portrait that helps someone see themselves in a more multidimensional way is everything I want to do: I want to help other people and serve other people, and I love art.”

Learn more at portraitsoulreadings. com. X

Locally Owned, Sourced & Operated Special Holiday Orders: Breads, Pies, Cakes & Desserts Catering for Corporate & Social Gatherings Fresh Bread on Fridays & Saturdays Wedding Cakes & Desserts Breakfast on Saturdays & Sundays 1570 Patton Ave Asheville, NC 28806

(828) 785-1930

CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY Closed January 1-8 and reopening January 9 with winter hours: Tue. - Sat. 8-5, Sun. 8-3, Closed Mon.

www.northstarbakehouse.com

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DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

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GREETINGS from the

B A H A’ I S of WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA DISCOVER who we are & how we build unity, both locally and globally.

THE BAHA’I FAITH teaches the oneness of God, faith and humanity.

WE STRIVE for world peace through unity, fairness, love & respect.

WELCOME to our devotions, study groups and children’s classes in Asheville Buncombe County Henderson County WNCbahai.ORG

AshLSASec@gmail.com (828) 771-6414 BCLSASec@gmail.com (800) 22-UNITE HendersonCountyLSA@gmail.com Facebook.com/BahaisOfAsheville Bahai.US

Baha’u’llah (The Glory of God) founded the Baha’i Faith in 1844 A.D. His teachings have been translated into 800 languages.

We are one of 125,000 local Baha’i communities, located in 200 countries and territories, with 7.9 million Baha’is globally. [1] [1] nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/explore-traditions-religious-holidays/

We welcome you to join our international Baha’i family!

The Episcopal Church in Western North Carolina

Welcomes you…

NO EXCEPTIONS We invite everyone yearning for

Hope, Joy, Love & Peace to visit one of our communities of faith during this Holy season and all year long

www.diocesewnc.org 34

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The Spirituality Issue

PU ZZLE X PR ESS

PUZZLE XPRESS edited

by Sarah Boddy participatorydemocrossy@gmail.com edited by Sarah Boddy participatorydemocrossy@gmail.com RUMI’S FINANCIAL ADVICE

ACROSS

1. Krishna and Aruja, for example 5. Tightly “coil”ed multidimensional visionary?

10. Southern hip-hop style 14. Moonfish 15. “Asheville Build and Remodel” and “Ponies in the Smokies” 16. __-da-fe 17. One going slow between the Biltmore Village and Parkway exits 18. Deifications 20. Pass on the Dharma 22. Travel documents 23. One needing activity 24. Like a peak experience 26. What Rumi says to buy 30. “Last,” in Revelations and Greece 31. Wriggler prohibited

by Leviticus 32. Chance-y machine in Cherokee?

36. Rumi Carter’s twin 37. Observes Aseret Yemai Teshuva 41. Key cells in Mr. Williams’ class at Asheville High 42. Discovery Academy theme 44. Midweek church day, for short 45. Like Troy & Sons’ barrels 47. Risk in any major purchase 51. Target of Anarchist critique 54. Cartesian Cogito follower 55. Pertaining to one’s surrounding energy 56. Understanding 60. What Rumi says to sell 63. Hood Huggers, for example 64. “Da” follower, in Hawaii 65. Like a sighting of Grove Park’s Pink Lady

66. Hephaestus’ mountain 67. Shoji and Wake Foot Sanctuary 68. One on a neverending spiritual journey?

69. Over __ Cafe 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

DOWN

__ 25 Imitator Tenzin Gyatso, for one Event on The Green Combined forces Become invalid Greenworks’ “Adopt-a-___” 8. Noted biblical husband 9. Significant 44- across at Basilica St. Lawrence 10. Those studying with Master Paolillo 11. Local singersongwriter Erica 12. Mr. T vehicle 13. ____ Comitatus Act 19. Odds type 21. Like Ra’s barge 24. Spiritual conclusion 25. Fruit of selfflagellation 26. Gary Jackson, to city department heads

27.

28.

29.

33.

34.

35.

38.

Give off Wolf modifier Bulrushes Trickster god OWL asset Wu-___ Clan Three Graces Dairy assets 39. Jaunty 40. Choir assets 43. Reasons 46. 7-down, for example 48. One of seven in Dante 49. Zoroastrianism birthplace 50. Rubbed out 51. Fires in England 52. Biltmore festival star 53. Christmas Jam venue 56. Unpopular microorganism 57. 15 before 30-across (and the smallest of its kind?)

58. Sisters of Mercy residents 59. Vance’s uniform color 61. Solo scion’s chosen name 62. Burrito lead-in

SEE ANSWERS ON PG. 71

Give $20 or more and we’ll send you this...

A voucher book filled with great freebies and discounts from your favorite retailers around the area, in thanks for your contribution.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR DEC. 20 - 28, 2017

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.

=❄ ANIMALS FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828255-8115 • Fourth FRIDAYS, 6pm - Animal rights reading group. Free to attend. ❄ SARGE’S ANIMAL RESCUE FOUNDATION 828-246-9050, sargeanimals.org • Through SA (1/13) - Proceeds from this holiday pet photo contest benefit Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation.

Information: sargeanimals.org. $15 per entry.

BENEFITS THIS THURSDAY • 6TH ANNUAL HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER (PD.) December 21, 2017.

5pm-10pm, The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC. • Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit 5 Local Nonprofits. Admission is by donation. Join us for Santa, live music, kid's games, food/drinks, silent auction, photo booth and more! Town and Mountain Realty, 828-232-2879. www. townandmountain.com/ ashevillefundraiser ❄ DECK THE TREES BENEFIT 828-669-8870, themontevistahotel.net/ • FR (12/1) through SU (12/31), 10am9pm - Proceeds from donations at “80 Years of Christmas,” hand decorated Christmas tree exhibition benefit the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry.

WE (12/20), 6-8:30pm

- Awarding of prizes for trees. Free. Held at Monte Vista Hotel, 308 W. State St., Black Mountain ❄ GINGERBREAD HOUSES 800-438-5800 • Through TH (1/4) - Proceeds from parking fees from the 25th Annual Gingerbread Competition exhibition benefit local nonprofits: Children First/ Communities in Schools, United Way of AshevilleBuncombe, Meals on Wheels, Homeward Bound, Asheville Museum of Science, Asheville City Schools Foundation and The American Legion Post 70. Contact for schedule: 888-444-OMNI. Free to attend with $20 parking fee per car. Held at the Omni Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Ave. ❄ HENDERSONVILLE VISITOR CENTER 201 S. Main St., Hendersonville • Through (1/1) Proceeds from all-weather 45-minute outdoor ice skating sessions benefit the Henderson County America in Bloom Committee. General hours: 11am-7pm.

Special hours: SU (12/24), 11am-3pm. MO (12/25), noon-4pm. SU (12/31), 11am-5pm. MO (1/1), noon-4pm. $8/$5 children under 11.

MARSHALL DEPOT 282 South Main St., Marshall, 828-649-2332 • WE (12/20), 7pm Proceeds from this country/rock concert featuring Andy Buckner benefit

WINTER WONDERLAND: After a successful debut last year, holiday ice skating returns to the Hendersonville Visitor Center’s Winter Wonderland through New Year’s Day. This year, the all-temperature synthetic ice skating rink event also features a variety of activities, including marshmallow roasting, s’more making, visits with Santa Claus, games and carriage rides. Ice skating sessions are 45 minutes long and are $8 for adults and $5 for children younger than 11.

Prices include skate rental. Proceeds from the event benefit the Henderson County America in Bloom Committee. For a full schedule, visit visithendersonvillenc.org/home-for-the-holidays or call 800-828-4244. Photo courtesy of Amplified Media (p. 35) Madison County’s foster children. $10.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY FLETCHER AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION jim@ extraordinarycopywriter. com • 4th TUESDAYS, 11:30am1pm - Educational monthly meeting to bring local business leaders to present and discuss topics relevant and helpful to businesses today. Free.

Held at YMCA Mission Pardee Health Campus, 2775 Hendersonville Road, Arden • 4th THURSDAYS, 11:30-noon - General meeting. Free. Held at YMCA Mission Pardee Health Campus, 2775 Hendersonville Road, Arden FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Highway 70, Swannanoa, 828-273-3332, floodgallery.org/ • THURSDAYS, 11am-5pm - "Jelly at the Flood," free co-working and collaborative space event hosted by Ty Hallock. Free.

G&W INVESTMENT CLUB klcount@aol.com

• 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 11:45am - General meeting. Free to attend. Held at Black Forest Restaurant, 2155 Hendersonville Road, Arden CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS EMPYREAN ARTS CLASSES (PD.) Beginning Aerial Arts on Sundays 2:15pm, Mondays 6:30pm, Tuesdays 1:00pm.

Beginning Pole on Sundays 3:30pm, Mondays 5:15pm, Thursdays 8:00pm. Learn more about us at EmpyreanArts.org.

828.782.3321 FOURTH WAY SCHOOL (PD.) Know Thyself - Wisdom Through Action, a Fourth Way School in the tradition of Gurdjieff & Ouspensky teaching practical application of the Work.

720.218.9812 www. wisdomthroughaction.com HOLISTIC FINANCIAL PLANNING (PD.) January 8-9, 2018, 9:00am5:00pm Burnsville Town Center, 6 South Main Street, Burnsville, NC 28714. Learn how to make financial decisions that support farm & family values and build profit on your farm.

PURPLE CRAYON COMMUNITY ART STUDIO (PD.) Studio and classroom rentals. Open House: 2nd Saturday of Month, 2-4pm.

Upcoming workshops: • Let’s Make a T-Shirt Quilt!, 1/6; • Creating Children’s Picture Books, 1/20-1/21; Visualize Your Way to a More Satisfying Life, 1/27 (Free). www.purplecrayonavl.com VILLAGERS... (PD.) ...is an Urban Homestead Supply store offering quality tools, supplies and classes to support healthy lifestyle activities like gardening, food preservation, cooking, herbalism, and more. 278 Haywood Road. www.forvillagers.com BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • 4th TUESDAYS, 6-8pm "Sit-n-Stitch," informal, selfguided gathering for knitters and crocheters. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. HOMINY VALLEY RECREATION PARK 25 Twin Lakes Drive, Candler, 828-242-8998, hvrpsports.com • 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm Hominy Valley board meeting. Free.

LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828774-3000, facebook.com/ Leicester.Community.Center • 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm - The Leicester History Gathering, general meeting. Free.

MARINE CORPS LEAGUE ASHEVILLE 828-273-4948, mcl.asheville@gmail.com • Last TUESDAYS - For veterans of the Marines, FMF Corpsmen, and their families. Free. Held at American Legion Post #2, 851 Haywood Road TRANZMISSION PRISON PROJECT tranzmissionprisonproject. yolasite.com • Fourth THURSDAYS, 6-9pm - Monthly meeting to prepare packages of books and zines for mailing to prisons across the U.S. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road DANCE 6 WEEK COUNTRY TWO-STEP LEVEL 1-2 (PD.) Wednesdays starting January 10, 7-8pm, Asheville Ballroom with Richard and Sue Cicchetti.

Contact: 828-333-0715,

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

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

greenteasushi.com C e l e b r a t i n g 14 y e a r s !

Happy Holidays!

We will be open Christmas Day 12 Noon — 10pm!

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

T.C. Roberson alumni basketball game

From all of us at Green Tea! 2 Regent Park Blvd. | 828-252-8300 Like us on facebook.com/greenteasushi CLASS ACT: The Sizemore family has been an integral part of the T.C. Roberson community for decades. Proceeds from the high school’s inaugural alumni basketball games on Dec. 22 will help address current and future medical expenses the family will face as a result of Pam Sizemore’s courageous battle with ALS. Image courtesy of T.C. Roberson.

WHAT: Women’s and men’s basketball games to benefit the Sizemore family WHEN: Friday, Dec. 22, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

WHERE: T.C. Roberson High School, 250 Overlook Road WHY: Putting a twist on the traditional high school reunion and homecoming gatherings, a group of T.C. Roberson alumni have organized a pair of basketball games featuring former players.

On Friday, Dec. 22, in the school’s gym, there will be both a women’s game and one for men. The goal is to recognize all former players who attend, whether they step out on the floor to compete or not.

“Don’t think you are too old, too slow, too big or too little,” say the organizers on the games’ Facebook event page. “We want all to participate.”

All proceeds will support Rich and Pam Sizemore. Diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in January 2015, Pam was a teacher in the Buncombe County schools system for more than 30 years, primarily in the progressive education program.

She was the assistant director of the PEP Program at T.C. Roberson for eight years,

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coached volleyball at Cane Creek Middle School and was an assistant volleyball coach at T.C. Roberson for six years.

Rich also taught and coached at T.C. Roberson for more 30 years. The couple’s daughter, Kathryn, is currently a senior at Lenoir-Rhyne University, where she plays on the school volleyball team.

Although ALS has impacted her physically, organizers say Pam “hasn’t let it change her passion for life and her love for family and friends” and, “true to her positive and determined nature, she has continued to push through and not let this situation change her perspective on life.”

The organizers’ “hope is to raise funds to help address current and future medical expenses Pam and her family will face as a result of her courageous battle with ALS. It will also help provide an opportunity for Pam and her family to make as many memories as possible during this challenging time.”

The T.C. Roberson alumni basketball game takes place 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22, at the high school’s gymnasium. $10. tcrramsclub.membershiptoolkit.com X

C OMMU N IT Y CA L EN D AR

naturalrichard@mac. com. • $75, $65 Early Bird Special by January 3: www.DanceForLife.net 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: goo.gl/BYhQXE STUDIO ZAHIYA, DOWNTOWN DANCE CLASSES (PD.) Monday 12pm Barre Wkt 5pm Bellydance Drills 6pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Bellydance Special Topics 7pm Tribal Fusion Bellydance 8pm Lyrical 8pm Sassy Jazz • Tuesday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 4pm Kids Creative Movement 6pm Intro to Bellydance 7pm Bellydance 2 8pm Advanced Bellydance • Wednesday 5pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Bhangra Series 7pm Tap 1 8pm Tap 2 • Thursday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 4pm Kids Hip Hop 5pm Teens Hip Hop 6pm Bellydance Drills 7pm Hip Hop Choreography 8pm West Coast Swing • Friday 9am Hip Hop Wkt • Saturday 9:30am Hip Hop Wkt 10:45 Buti Yoga Wkt • $14 for 60 minute classes, Wkt $8. 90 1/2 N. Lexington Avenue. www.studiozahiya.com :: 828.242.7595 OLD FARMER'S BALL oldfarmersball.com • THURSDAYS, 8-11pm - Old Farmers Ball, contra dance. $7/$6 members/$1 Warren Wilson Community. Held in Bryson Gym Held at

by Abigail Griffin

Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa ECO FARM DREAMS (PD.) February 3, 2018, 10:00am - 4:00pm - Lenoir Rhyne 36 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC Farm Dreams a great entry-level workshop to attend if you are in the exploratory stages of starting a farm and seeking practical information on sustainable farming.

ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS ashevillegreendrinks.com • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 6pm - Informal networking focused on the science of sustainability.

Free to attend. Held at The BLOCK off biltmore, 39 South Market St. BREVARD COLLEGE 1 Brevard College Drive Brevard, 828-883-8292, brevard.edu • WE (12/20), 6:30-8pm - Lady Slipper Speaker Series: Presentation by The Collider's Executive Director Megan Robinson regarding Asheville as 'Climate City.' Free.

FARM & GARDEN

• SUNDAYS, 4pm Community meal. Free.

Held at Black Bear Coffee Co., 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville

Table, community meal.

Free.

LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828774-3000, facebook.com/ Leicester.Community.

Center • WEDNESDAYS, 11:30am-1pm - Welcome

❄ LAKE JULIAN FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS 828-684-0376, david. blynt@buncombecounty. org • Through TH (12/23), 6-9pm - Drive through holiday light festival. $10 per passenger

FESTIVALS

COME SEE US TODAY! Free alignment inspection with any service, just ask.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL

Mention Ad - Get 10% off labor!

FOR OUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS WE ARE NOW WORKING ON YOUR DOMESTIC VEHICLES! CHEVY • FORD • CHRYSLER

POLK COUNTY FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE BREAKFAST polkcountyfarms.org • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 7-8am - Monthly breakfast with presentations regarding agriculture.

Admission by donation.

Held at Green Creek Community Center, 25 Shields Road, Green Creek FOOD & BEER FAIRVIEW WELCOME TABLE fairviewwelcometable. com • THURSDAYS, 11:30am1pm - Community lunch. Admission by donation. Held at Fairview Christian Fellowship, 596 Old US Highway 74, Fairview FOOD NOT BOMBS HENDERSONVILLE foodnotbombshendersonville@gmail.com

We Treat You Like Family!

S, M E R R Y C H R IS T M A HAPPY HANUKKAH & HA PP Y NE W YE AR !

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

BRING YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR, AND YOUR ASIAN CAR—TOYOTA, LEXUS, HONDA, ACURA, SUBARU, NO EUROPEAN MODELS MOSTLY AUTOMOTIVE • 253 Biltmore Ave. 828-253-4981 MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

37

COM M U N I TY CA LEN DA R

Elegantly Simple Weddings For the couple looking for something more than City Hall, but not quite the Biltmore Estate, we have elegantly simple wedding packages suited uniquely for you. Whether you need services for an elopement, a pop-up wedding at your favorite waterfall, a full-service wedding venue, or any special event, we have different options for your perfect day.

Made just for you!

26 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28803 828.412.3939 | haikuido.com

vehicle/$20 for vans, motor coaches and buses/Discount for tickets purchased in advance.

Held at Lake Julian Park, 406 Overlook Road, Ext. Arden KIDS Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 40 BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • MONDAYS, 10:30am - "Mother Goose Time," storytime for 4-18 month olds. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • 4th TUESDAYS, 1pm - Homeschoolers' book club. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. 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, 828-697-8333 • TH (12/21), 2-5pm "Elves’ Workshop," orna-

ment making activities.

Admission fees apply.

• TU (12/26) through FR (12/29), 10am-4pm "Celebrate New Year’s," activities for children.

Admission fees apply. ❄ HENDERSONVILLE VISITOR CENTER 201 S. Main St., Hendersonville • Through SU (12/24), 2-6pm - Photographs with Santa Claus. Free/Bring your own camera.

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.

OUTDOORS CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK (PD.) Enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Lure, trails for all levels of hikers, an Animal Discovery Den and 404foot waterfall. Plan your

by Abigail Griffin

adventure at chimneyrockpark.com

www.ashevillemeditation. com.

ASHEVILLE NEW FRIENDS ashevillenewfriends.org • TU (12/26), 1pm - 3-mile guided hike in Black Mountain. Meet at the parking log on Honeycutt St., behind Town Square, Black Mountain

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.

SENIORS JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF WNC, INC. 2 Doctors Park, Suite E, 828-253-2900 • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 11am-2pm - The Asheville Elder Club Group Respite program for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths. Registration required: 828-253-2900. $30.

SPIRITUALITY 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,

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.) Thursdays, 7-8:30pm and Sundays, 10-noon • Meditation and community. By donation. 60 N. Merrimon Ave., #113,

Nature’s Vitamins & Herbs (formerly Nature’s Pharmacy)

Offering professional advice & great products since 1996

Professional advice on CBD oil & supplements!

Carrying 3 Top Brands: Charlotte’s Web, Palmetto Harmony & CV Sciences Available as: sublingual spray • sublingual solid extract • oral liquid oral capsules • liquid for vaping • chewing gum Owners:

Mike Rogers, PharmD Bill Cheek, B.S. Pharm Amber Myers, Owner

We stock great vitamin brands including:

Pure Encapsulations, Thorne Research, Barleans, and more!

The A Coffeecary coffee shop Now serving CBD coffee!

752 Biltmore Avenue • 828-251-0094 • www.naturesvitaminsandherbs.com 38

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

Voted Best Antique Shop in WNC! (828) 200-5120. asheville. shambhala.org ❄ ASBURY MEMORIAL UMC 171 Beaverdam Road, 828-253-0765 • SU (12/24), 5pm - Early 1800's Christmas Eve candlelight service.

Participants are welcome to wear period clothing.

Free.

CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 828-2580211 • 4th FRIDAYS, 10amnoon - Contemplative Companions, meditation.

Free.

• Last Tuesdays, 7-9pm - Aramaic, Hebrew and Egyptian vocal toning, breath work and meditation. Admission by donation. ❄ GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-6934890, gracelutherannc.com • SU (12/24), 9pm Christmas Eve service. Free.

• Fourth TUESDAYS, 10am - Volunteer to knit or crochet prayer shawls for community members in need. Free. ❄ MILLS RIVER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10 Presbyterian Church Road, Mills River, 828-891-7101

• SU (12/24), 5pm Candlelight Christmas Eve service. Free. ❄ MOTHER GROVE GODDESS TEMPLE mothergrove.org/ • WE (12/20), 7pm - "A Rose in Winter," Solstice celebration. Free/Food pantry donations accepted. Held at All Souls Cathedral, 9 Swan St. ❄ UNITY OF THE BLUE RIDGE 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River, 828891-8700 • TU (12/26), 7pm Lighting of the candles Kwanzaa celebration with live music by Wild Bodema, Richard Schulman and Olympia and Jenna Jaffe.

for Humanity, 33 Meadow Road

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES

NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS' NETWORK ncwriters.org • Through TU (1/30) Submissions accepted for the 2018 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize. See website for full guidelines.

buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (12/20), 4-5pm "Bags of Thanks," make candy bags for Meals on Wheels. Bring donations of bags and candy. Free.

Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St.

SPORTS BUNCOMBE COUNTY RECREATION SERVICES buncombecounty.org/ Governing/Depts/Parks/ • Through TU (1/16) - Open registration for winter adult league dodgeball.

Registration: dodgeball.buncomberecreation.org. $35.

VOLUNTEERING Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 40

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115 • 3rd THURSDAYS, 6:30pm - Queer Women's Book Club. Free to attend.

NEW DIMENSIONS TOASTMASTERS 828-329-4190 • THURSDAYS, noon1pm - General meeting.

Information: 828-3294190. Free to attend. Held at Asheville Area Habitat

TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) Spend two hours a week helping an immigrant who wants to learn English or a native English-speaking adult who wants to learn to read. Visit our website or call us to sign up for volunteer orientation. 828254-3442. volunteers@litcouncil.com. www.litcouncil.com

DISABILITY PARTNERS ASHEVILLE OFFICE 108 New Leicester Highway, 828-298-1977, disabilitypartners.org • Through WE (12/20) Donations of computers accepted. ❄ N.C. ARBORETUM WINTER LIGHTS 828-665-2492, ncwinterlights.com • Through (12/31) Volunteers needed to help with ticketing, wayfinding, crafts, model train, fire pits and more. Complete three shifts and receive two free tickets to the light festival. Registration: ncarboretum.org/ volunteer. Held at N.C. Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

With 70,000 square feet of shopping in a historic tobacco barn, we have the largest selection of antiques and collectables in North Carolina!

Asheville, NC • minutes from the Biltmore Estate 75 Swannanoa River Rd (Hwy 81, Asheville) 828-252-7291 • www.atbarn.com

Final Days to Shop and Save!

Shop

for the best price!

Save up to on jewelry

50%

Get 50% off Dec 20th to Dec 25th!

WEST: 1186 PATTON AVE • 828.254.8681 EAST: 736 TUNNEL RD • 828.299.4440 CHEROKEE: ACROSS FROM CASINO • 828.554.0431

www.AlansPawn.com MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

39

C O MM UNI TY CA LEN DA R

by Abigail Griffin

Be a last-minute donor — you could win $50 worth of Zappers pizza!

If so, you may be able to participate in an 8-week clinical research study of a generic investigational inhale asthma inhaler.

Magical Offerings 12/21: WINTER SOLSTICE / YULE

Each year, the final weeks of the Give!Local campaign are the most dramatic and include an uptick in donations. If you have been delaying until the Dec. 31 finale to make your charitable gift, now is the time to act.

Visit Give!Local has already exceeded previous years’ totals by more than 30 percent, and that number is expected to climb subgivelocalguide.org stantially in the campaign’s final days.

To boost the last round of giving, everyone who gives $20 or more between now and Dec. 31 will be entered to win one of three $50 gift certificates from Zappers Pizza.

Making the Give!Local platform work requires passionate, involved community members and businesses. Many thanks to: • Ingles for their generous contribution covering the printing of the Give!Local Guide, which explains the project, the nonprofits and the website.

Hurry!

• The Orange Peel for donating space for Give!Local’s kick-off party.

• Mountain Xpress for constructing and administering the project and its Give!Local online platform and for covering this year’s credit card fees. ends Dec 31 • Dozens of local businesses that contributed free or discounted items for prizes and incentives.

The biggest assist that Give!Local needs to make it a roaring success next year are matching grants to leverage the efforts of the participating nonprofits.

Give!Local also needs more incentives — dinners, tickets, goods and services — to reward donors for their good deeds. If you or your business would like to help make Give!Local 2018 a big success, let us know by emailing givelocal@mountainx.com.

To donate, go to givelocalguide.org

100% of your donations go to the nonprofits

SUN in Capricorn

Circular Round Presents: Yule!

6-8pm, Donations 12/22: Mercury Goes Direct!

Psychic: Andrea Allen 1-6pm 12/23: Scrying with Angie 12-6pm 12/24: Christmas Eve Runes Reader: Tree Higgins 12-6pm Tarot Reader: Bobbi Oshun 1-6pm 12/25: Merry Christmas!

Closed

Give!Local nonprofit events Dec. 20-28

MEMORY LOSS CAREGIVERS

Over 100 Herbs Available!

(828) 424-7868

December Stone: Lava Basalt December Herb: Sassafras

555 Merrimon Avenue Daily readers including Scrying, Runes, Tarot, & More! Walk-ins welcome!

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

• 4th TUESDAYS, 1-3pm – Held at Woodfin YMCA, 40 North Merrimon Ave., Suite 101 MY DADDY TAUGHT ME THAT mydaddytaughtmethat.org • MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS, 6-8pm - Men’s discussion group.

Free. Held at My Daddy Taught Me

KIDS ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 43 Patton Ave., 828-254-7162, 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.

That Meeting Place, 16-A Pisgah View Apartments

ashevilleravenandcrone.com

40

network@memorycare.org

• Ongoing drop-in group for female identified survivors of sexual violence.

OUR VOICE 35 Woodfin St., 828-252-0562, ourvoicenc.org

MOUNTAINX.COM

VOLUNTEERING HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC 218 Patton Ave., 828-258-1695, homewardboundwnc.org

The Collider Habitat for Humanity Wild for Life Helpmate Homeward Bound Our VOICE Children First/Communities in Schools

• 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.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AIDS PROJECT

$8,896 $6,110 $5,643 $5,260 $4,408 $4,357 $3,822

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy

$3,748

Asheville Poverty Initiative

$3,670 $2,945

Asheville City Schools Foundation Pisgah Legal Services Verner The Lord’s Acre Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC MountainTrue Just Economics The POP Project My Daddy Taught Me That Asheville Humane Society RiverLink Muddy Sneakers

This week the Community Calendar is highlighting events that are sponsored by nonprofits that are participating in the Give!Local campaign. The campaign is raising money for 30 worthy local nonprofits that make a big difference where we live. These events are wonderful examples of some of the great work that these nonprofits do within our communities!

SUPPORT GROUPS

Where the giving is going *

WNCAP Appalachian Wildlife Refuge Open Hearts Art Center The Council on Aging of Buncombe County Friends of the Smokies Asheville Museum of Science Friends2Ferals MemoryCare Friends of the WNC Nature Center

$2,520 $2,280 $2,155 $1,790 $1,787 $1,405 $1,385 $1,353 $1,313 $1,282 $1,195 $910 $815 $730 $645 $620 $520 $510 $505 $440

WNC Center for Honeybee Research

$410

EcoForesters

$400 $350 $349 $190

828-252-7489, wncap.org

Green Built Alliance

• 2nd & 4th SATURDAYS, 10am-

Asheville FM 103.3

noon - Volunteer to deliver food boxes to homebound people living

Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective

with HIV/AIDS. Registration: 828-

Mountain BizWorks

252-7489 ext.315 or

Ministry of Hope

wncapvolunteer@wncap.org.

* as of Dec. 17.

$185 $180

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

WHAT’S HOT

Delicious, Authentic, Farm-to-Table Ethiopian Cuisine!

LUNCH 11:30-3 DINNER 5-9, 9:30 FRI-SAT

WNC chefs predict local food trends for 2018 So, what’s likely to turn up on Asheville plates in the coming year? For many local chefs, the trends that matter often have more to do with the philosophy of food than the ingredients and focus on issues like food waste and transparency.

In the International District in downtown Asheville

48 COMMERCE STREET (Behind the Thirsty Monk)

828-707-6563 www.addissae.com

PHILOSOPHIES AND FLAVORS Scott Ostrander, executive chef at Red Stag Grill, says a trend that’s emerged over the past few years will continue to grow in 2018 — disclosure of food content and origin. “Guests are increasingly interested in the specific ingredient structure of a dish and where those ingredients are coming from,” he says. “We’ve always used as many local, farm-specific products as possible and will continue to expand our repertoire in this area.”

The Red Stag is also experimenting with more global fare. While Ostrander says he’s certainly not going to turn the Biltmore Village eatery into a sushi restaurant, he does plan to work with some rather unusual ingredients in the coming year, including European fallow deer, Himalayan yak and African Watusi beef sourced from DK Meats in Leicester. “Working with DK Meats — where we currently source our American bison — allows us to stay true to our local sourcing while showcasing some exotic international ingredients,” he explains.

Ostrander also will incorporate some flower power in the menu.

Although he notes that floral flavors are already used in the bar’s signature bar cocktails, he is now looking to highlight florals such as

“Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it’s very important that you do it.” -Gandhi

FARMTOHOMEMILK.COM

CONTINUES ON PAGE 42 BOLD MOVES: Chef Jesse Roque says her Hendersonville eatery, Never Blue, will amp up its Filipino offerings in 2018. “We’ve been incorporating Filipino flavors into our menus for years, so we’re going to get a little bolder with them now,” she says. Photo courtesy of Never Blue

BY LIISA ANDREASSEN LiisaS66@gmail.com From fried candy bars and cronuts to cereal-coated chicken fingers and basically anything with bacon, it’s fun to try the latest food trends. It’s also nice to see some go — Jell-O salad, for instance. (Sorry, Jell-O lovers, nothing personal.)

As 2017 draws to a close, media outlets and even supermarket chains like Whole Foods have been rolling out their predictions for what will be hot in the culinary world in 2018. Depending on what list you’re looking at, experts prognosticate on the popularity of everything from floral flavors to Middle Eastern cuisine to vegetarian proteins as well as practices like no-waste cooking and healing through food.

plant ‘tis the season for holiday lunch parties 165 merrimon avenue | 828.258.7500 | www.plantisfood.com MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

41

FOOD

Downtown & Taproom Cafe, Wine Room, Butcher Shop

Featuring a brand new taproom, extensive alcohol selection & salad bar

jasmine, lavender and fennel pollen in the restaurant’s savory and sweet preparations, too.

Curate and Nightbell executive chef and owner Katie Button says she will continue to shape her menus around creative ways to reduce food waste. “Cooking with scraps really gets the creative juices flowing,” says Button.

“It reduces our food cost and gets my staff excited about doing something that also has an effect on the environment.” She notes that one approach she plans to implement in 2018 is to brainstorm with the farmers she partners with to buy products from them that aren’t typically used and might go to waste.

Another priority, she says, is to study Western North Carolina heritage and food history. “We’ll continue to learn more about the wild foods that grow in our region and how foraged goods can have a place on our menus,” she says.

PAYING IT FORWARD

Check out other locations:

Biltmore & Black Mountain

www.hopeyandcompany.com

Chef Steven Goff has been helping Mike and Darlene Moore of the Blind Pig Supper Club execute their dinners since he worked as executive chef of the now-defunct Charlotte Street eatery King

James Public House. He also currently operates a sustainable meat food truck called Brinehaus Meat + Provisions out of Raleigh with his sights set on moving back to the Asheville area.

Like Button, Goff says using all parts of a plant or animal so as not to waste anything will continue to be his primary focus. “Root-to-flower cooking is something we’ve experimented with a lot, and this will continue to pick up steam in 2018,” he says. “When I make collards — which is a lot — I typically stay a batch ahead by making kimchi with all the stems which then make it into the next batch of collards, kind of like a continual fermented paying forward.”

Nate Allen, owner and chef at Knife and Fork in Spruce Pine, is another adherent to the waste-not-want-not food philosophy. “I’m kind of like the antitrend. In fact, our methods may be going so far back that we’re actually ahead of the curve,” he jokes. “I’m more focused on hyperlocality than ever. I want to use more wild foraged foods that are found throughout the year.”

Allen is also experimenting with preservation techniques. “For example, drying out fresh herbs in salt — it’s an old Japanese method of curing herbs, and it produces different characteristics in the flavor profile,” he explains.

“I want to use fewer tools and have a more soulful connection to the food we eat. I’m smitten with roasting whole animals over an open fire — that kind of thing — using the byproduct of one item to preserve another.”

A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT Jesse Roque, chef at Never Blue in Hendersonville, plans to bone up on vegetarian and vegan fare in 2018. “You’ll definitely see green jackfruit on the menu — it’s the new ‘Southern pork,’ ” she says.

She also believes Filipino cuisine, which was touted widely as a trend

in 2017, will gain traction in WNC as more locals gradually decide to embrace it. “We’ve been incorporating Filipino flavors into our menus for years, so we’re going to get a little bolder with them now,” she says.

She adds that tacos are still big and here to stay, but the flavor profiles that make people love them are wide open to interpretation.

So she’s exploring some out-of-thebox ideas in that arena to throw diners a few curve balls.

Elevated comfort food is also something that Roque will continue to bring her customers. “It’s something that’s never going away. If it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside and brings a smile to your face, you’ll eat it no matter what your doctor tells you,” she says. X

On-trend In November, Whole Foods released its top 10 food trend predictions for 2018, and several are in step with what WNC chefs plan to bring to the table in the new year: 1. Floral flavors 2. Superpowders such as matcha, cacao and turmeric 3. Functional mushrooms such as reishi, chaga and lion’s mane 4. More Middle Eastern flavors 5. Transparency in cuisine 6. High-tech, plant-based foods 7. Puffed and popped snacks 8. All kinds of tacos 9. Root-to-stem cooking 10. Bubbly beverages

Are you prepared for the holidays? We have the sweetest gifts!

Holiday specialties include: - Stöllen - Pfeffernüse

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DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

- Gingerbread - Yule Logs

- Cookie Boxes And more! Order yours today.

SMALL BITES

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

The Malvern opens in West Asheville In November, Desoto Lounge owners Lisa and Josh Gambrell launched their latest project, The Malvern, in the Patton Avenue building that once housed Ron’s Pool Hall. While the Desoto, which the pair opened in 2009, specializes in local craft-brewed beer, the new gastropub’s main focus is local and regional liquors and liqueurs.

“North Carolina has a great and growing distilling scene,” says Lisa. “Most are in Durham and Greensboro, but it’s growing rapidly in Western North Carolina, too.”

The bar’s cocktail menu reflects the state’s burgeoning industry with featured liquors and liqueurs including Conniption American Dry Gin (Durham), Emulsion American Gin (Greensboro), Sutler’s Gin (WinstonSalem), Krupnikas (Durham), Oak City Amaretto (Raleigh), Covington Gourmet Vodka (Snow Hill), Social House Vodka (Kinston), Tiny Cat Vodka (Greensboro), TOPO Vodka (Chapel Hill), Rúa Barrel Aged (Charlotte), Seventeen Twelve Bourbon (Conover), Turning Point Carolina Rye (Kings Mountain), Kill Devil Rum (Manteo) and Raleigh Rum Co. White Rum (Raleigh). Draft beer and wine are available as well.

Food, too, is in the mix with a succinct but eclectic menu designed by Lisa and executed by cooks Chuck Schreve and Tony Plichta. Choices range from snacks like poutine and smoked trout dip to heartier fare like falafel wraps, bahn mi and Peruvian beef kabobs. When it came to selecting the plates, Lisa concedes, the final decision was based on personal preference.

“I just kind of went with the things that I love,” she says. “Luckily, people seem to like it.”

Most patrons, notes Lisa, walk or bike from the nearby Malvern Hills community, which the Gambrells also call home. In fact, cycling has proved to be so popular among guests that a second bike rack is in the works. With its convenient location and higher-end drink and food options, Lisa says, The Malvern brings a downtown quality to the area.

“It’s everything I hoped to be doing for the neighborhood,” she says.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

to you and yours!

We hope to see you soon!

828.505.7531 1011 Tunnel Rd, Asheville NC 28805 Home Trust Bank Plaza

coppercrownavl.com

CHEERS: Desoto Lounge owners Josh and Lisa Gambrell recently opened their second bar, The Malvern, in West Asheville. Photo by Thomas Calder The Malvern is at 1478 Patton Ave. Hours are 5 p.m.-midnight, seven days a week. Drink prices are $5-$11. Plates are $4-$14. Lunch hours are expected after the new year. For more information, visit avl.mx/4eh.

ITALIAN NIGHTS AT ISIS MUSIC HALL The Italian Nights series returns to Isis Music Hall on Thursday, Dec. 21. According to a press release, the evening’s menu will offer “the tastes of Italy,” including fresh salads, pasta dishes, traditional stuffed meats, olives, Italian cheeses and desserts. Along with dinner, Italian Nights will feature a backdrop of vintage Fellini films, as well as a live performance by Mike Guggino of Steep Canon Rangers and Barrett Smith of the Shannon Whitworth Band.

“The music goes deep into the Italian culture with a little history and much passion,” Isis owner Scott Woody says in the same press release. “The evening is really romantic and beautiful, and we welcome friends and families to come enjoy.”

Italian Nights begins at 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 21, at Isis Music Hall, 743 Haywood Road. Tickets for the live performance are $10. Dinner and drinks are priced separately. For more information, visit isisasheville.com.

HOLE FOR THE HOLIDAYS Hole Doughnuts will host a late-hours holiday gathering on Friday, Dec. 22, featuring seasonal doughnut flavors, including pfeffernusse, pine and sugar, eggnog, spiked punch and vanilla. Hot cocoa and carolers will also be part of the event. The shop is open later than usual that day, says co-owner Hallee Hirsh, to allow customers to bring their families in to celebrate. “There is something festive about watching doughnuts get made the old-fashioned way,” she says.

Hole Doughnuts is at 168 Haywood Road. The holiday celebration runs 5-8 p.m. (while supplies last), Friday, Dec. 22. Visit hole-doughnuts.com for details..

CONTINUES ON PAGE 44 MOUNTAINX.COM

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F OOD DXE HOLIDAY POTLUCK DxE Asheville, a chapter of Direct Action Everywhere, works to organize and empower activism in the fight for animal rights. The organization will hold a vegan holiday potluck at The BLOCK Off Biltmore on Saturday, Dec. 23. The event announcement on Facebook asks attendees to bring a dish to share that’s free of meat, dairy, eggs and honey. Guests are also asked to bring their own plates and utensils. The party will feature a $2 raffle with prizes including teas, vegan food and wines as well as electronics. Proceeds from the raffle will go toward paying for an animal liberation billboard.

The DxE Holiday Potluck runs 5-7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 23, at The BLOCK Off Biltmore, 39 S. Market St. To RSVP and sign up to bring a dish, visit avl.mx/4ee.

CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER AT AMBROZIA BAR & BISTRO On Christmas Eve, Ambrozia Bar & Bistro owner and chef Samuel Etheridge will host a five-course dinner that he says will offer “an elegant tasting menu of modern versions of Christmas classics.” Menu highlights include: deviled eggs, made with North Carolina lump blue crab, Champagne sabayon, caviar and smoked paprika; lobster bisque; beef tenderloin; and flourless chocolate pavé, Godiva mousse and peppermint bark. Etheridge notes, “There will be choices for each course to please everyone’s palate.”

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Christmas Eve dinner runs 6-10 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 24, at Ambrozia Bar & Bistro, 1020 Merrimon Ave. The meal is $65 per person. For reservations, call 828-350-3033. For more information, visit avl.mx/4ea.

SILVERMOON CHOCOLATE EYES EXPANSION Silvermoon Chocolate, a family-owned, woman-led artisan chocolate kitchen, is looking to rebrand and expand. The Asheville-based company is running an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise money to help buy equipment and source bulk ingredients. According to the campaign page, “This will empower us to scale our business beyond ‘cottageindustry’ and expand our capacity to create more yummy, healthy chocolate for the world to fall in love with.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/4ei.

MIRACLE ON WALL STREET MG Road is one of over 50 locations around the world participating in Miracle, a Christmas pop-up bar concept that originated in New York City in 2014. The cocktail menu features holiday twists on classics, including the Christmopolitan, How The Gimlet Stole Christmas and Jingle Ball Nog. In addition to the popup, MG Road will host a Christmas caroling sing-a-long 7-9 p.m. Christmas Eve. Miracle on Wall Street runs through Sunday, Dec. 24, at MG Road, 19 Wall St. For details, visit mgroadlounge.com. X

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

45

BEER SCOUT

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

Their favorite things

Local beer industry notables reflect on 2017

Beer Scout asked representatives of Western North Carolina breweries to reflect on 2017. Here’s what they said: HILLMAN BEER TEAM Favorite new Asheville-area beer from 2017: A tough question, but our top two are from Homeplace Beer Co. and Zillicoah Beer Co. Homeplace is in Burnsville, started by local brewer John Silver. Their Golden Heart Lager is clean and classic, easy drinking. Zillicoah just opened and its Patersbier really caught our attention for being an unusual style with good body and Belgian flavors.

Favorite new beer from 2017 not made in Asheville: [That] would be from Currahee Brewing Co. in Franklin — the Frankenstark. Not totally sure if this was released in 2017, but we just discovered it at a festival. It is a Belgian[-style] Golden

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Zillicoah Beer Co. opened Oct. 20 on Riverside Drive and quickly won over fans, including fellow brewers. The Hillman Beer team singles out Zillicoah’s Patersbier as one of 2017’s top new local brews. Photo courtesy of Zillicoah Beer Co. Strong, so smooth with delicious aroma and flavor.

Favorite beer-related moment or local industry accomplishment from 2017: [It] would have to be us winning bronze at Great American Beer Festival for our Belgian[-style] Quad, Four Fat Baby. It was so exciting and overwhelming after only being open five months. The other exciting industry event in 2017 would be the first annual Bier de Femme festival that was in Shelby, N.C., organized by Pink Boots Society to celebrate women in beer. The second festival will be March 3, 2018, 1-6 p.m. at Raleigh Beer Garden.

L.A. MCCRAE, BLACK STAR LINE BREWING CO., FOUNDER AND CEO Favorite new Asheville-area beer from 2017: Rock of Love [IPA] and Dinde [Saison] by Sanctuary Brewing Co. We love mixing the two of these for a delicious, juicy brew. It’s refreshing, delicious, wellbalanced and easily approachable.

Favorite new beer from 2017 not made in Asheville: Flying V by Peabody Heights [Brewery] in Baltimore, Md. This is a super awesome IPA that is smooth, citrusy, complex and a really great mix of hops.

Favorite beer-related moment or local industry accomplishment from 2017: Kendra Penland, the director of the Asheville Brewers Alliance, taking

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a stance against ICE deportations and holding us industry folks accountable for our responsibility to be involved in creating a more inclusive community for all people.

TIM SCHALLER, WEDGE BREWING CO., OWNER Favorite new Asheville-area beer from 2017: Sierra Nevada [Brewing Co.], Hoptimum Triple IPA. Sierra Nevada continues to push the boundaries of hops-forward IPAs. Favorite new beer from 2017 not made in Asheville: Firestone Walker [Brewing Co.]’s Adversus, a huge unfiltered double IPA that was released in four-packs earlier this year. One of my all-time favorite breweries, brewmaster Matt Brynildson was on the [Sierra Nevada] Beer Camp bus with us. All I wish is that Asheville had access to Firestone Walker.

Favorite beer-related moment or local industry accomplishment from 2017: The gold medal from the [Great American Beer Festival]. We knew [Marzen] was a Gold Medal beer when we drank the first pint. [Wedge brewer Carl Melissas is] one of the best lager brewers in the country.

ZILLICOAH BEER CO. TEAM Favorite new Asheville-area beer from 2017: Culture Keepers Festbier

[Lager], collaboration between Burial Beer Co. and Creature Comforts [Brewing Co.]. Simply put, they crushed it for the style. Malty. Biscuity.

Just excellent.

Favorite new beer from 2017 not made in Asheville: Mutualism, collaboration between Jester King [Brewery] and Creature Comforts. This is actually a 2016 beer, but we got our hands on it mid-2017, and it blew us away. It’s a farmhouse lager, which is a direction we’ve talked about exploring for a while now, and it was just incredibly done. The Jester King and Creature Comforts teams blended their housemixed cultures to inoculate a base pilsner, and honestly, with those two breweries working together, not much more needs to be said.

Favorite beer-related moment or local industry accomplishment from 2017: Our soft opening on Oct. 20. [The date] marked a tangible realization of a 12-year dream for our co-founders [John Parks, Jeremy Chassner and Jonathan Chassner]. We didn’t quite know what to expect, but the beer community did not disappoint. People showed up in droves, and most importantly, we received overwhelming positive feedback about our beers, our space and our concept. Seeing people with our product in hand was everything to us and continues to be. X

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

THE BEST BOOKS YOU’VE NEVER READ Asheville’s nonwhite literary scene, past and present, Part 1

TIME WILL TELL: Darin Waters, a professor of history at UNC Asheville, says that Asheville’s largely white literary story might have been a much different one had the city been home to a historically black college or university. An author himself, Waters has written on a number of historical topics and recently co-published the article “The Appalachian Urban Folk Photography of Isaiah Rice.” Photo courtesy of Waters

BY ALLI MARSHALL amarshall@mountainx.com The Asheville literary scene is spoken of with a kind of hallowed wonder.

Native son Thomas Wolfe, short story writer O. Henry, and biographer and poet Carl Sandburg are quickly mentioned. But dig a little deeper, and one thing quickly becomes apparent: The list of luminaries is predominantly male and all white.

So where were the writers of color when F. Scott Fitzgerald was holed up with a borrowed typewriter in the Grove Park Inn? Or when Robert Creeley, Fielding Dawson, Jonathan Williams and others joined the Black Mountain School of poets launched by writer and educator Charles Olson?

A search of local library shelves and history organizations gives the impression that Western North Carolina only birthed white writers. But anyone called to put pen to paper (or finger to key-

“Big 5” trade book publishers (Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House and Simon and Schuster).

The fact that mainstream publishing is nearly a monopoly is a hurdle for most contemporary writers. But, business aside for a moment, the history of publishing is also the history of the dominant story and whose voices are amplified. “In a lot of places in the United States, you can still get a degree in English literature and not have to study any people of color,” says poet, author and educator Frank X Walker.

“It’s part of the whole master narrative that displays the idea of a hierarchy in our society, that suggests whose work in this culture is more valuable. And it’s not women or people of color.”

A Danville, Ky., native, Walker coined the term “Affrilachia” in reference to the 13-state Appalachian Mountains region that embraces “a multicultural influence, a spectrum of people who consider Appalachia home and/or identify strongly with the trials and triumphs of being of this region,” according to The Affrilachian Poets website.

Walker remembers, as a teenager, asking at his local library why there weren’t more books by people of color.

The librarian replied, “Why don’t you write one.” And he did, but the response was unfair. The African-American section in that library was two rows of books on one shelf. “In hindsight, the people making those selections and buying the books hadn’t had to learn anything about other people’s cultures,” says Walker. “They didn’t know who the great writers were in other people’s cultures; they’d never had to know.”

It’s an oversight that’s alarmingly common. Most white Ashevilleans — even those in literary circles — when asked to name a local author of color come up blank. And a search of local libraries for a book by such an author is not particularly fruitful.

BOOK LEARNING But that doesn’t mean those books don’t exist. Two worth picking up — that do happen to be shelved in Pack Memorial Library — are Angels Unaware: Asheville Women of Color and Visionaries: Asheville Men of Color, published in 1996 and 2000, respectively, by the late Helen Moseley-Edington. The author’s hus-

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board) knows that the artistic impulse isn’t racially motivated. Creative expression crosses all boundaries of ethnicity, gender, class and educational background. Access to platform, publication, distribution and recognition: That’s a different story.

THE MASTER NARRATIVE “My uncle was a poet, but he died before his work was published,” says local novelist, poet and playwright Monica McDaniel. “A lot of people of color are writers. A lot of people have contacted me [saying] ‘I’ve written a book. How do I publish it?’ …

Getting the knowledge out there, doing the research, putting your words into action … it’s all about self-educating yourself into doing what you want to do.” McDaniel, like a number of other local nonwhite writers, has found a path to success by self-publishing and rallying the support of her community rather than chasing dreams of a contract with

LOCAL LEGENDS: The late author Helen Moseley-Edington penned two volumes about local luminaries. Both books can be found in Pack Memorial Library. Photo by Thomas Calder MOUNTAINX.COM

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band, Arthur Edington — for whom the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center is named — was a community leader and educator, serving as a principal in the Asheville City Schools system for 28 years.

While Darin Waters, a professor of history at UNC Asheville, can’t recall a literary tradition in the black community when he was growing up in Asheville, “My aunt, Shirley Waters … wrote two prominent plays that were well-attended here,” he says. “I don’t know that she would see herself as [a writer].”

“If you’re looking, philosophically, at the African-American community here, there’s a level of disconnectedness with the larger community,” Waters says.

“That’s why you end up getting the question, constantly, ‘Where are the AfricanAmericans here?’ Especially those who are native — you don’t see them in the downtown area that much.”

“It wasn’t always that way, though,” he adds. “Urban renewal had a major impact on that, and, before urban renewal, integration did. Integration ended up leading to the demise of Stephens-Lee High School.” When students from that all-black high school transferred into the formerly white school, African-American teachers (many of whom had advanced degrees, due to a partnership between Stephens-Lee and Columbia University) lost their jobs, dramatically changing the educational experience for students of color. Waters surmises that Asheville’s story might have been a much different one had the city been home to a historically black college or university.

“That changes the dynamic … because those [schools] maintained the historical [legacy] of the African-American community,” he says. “I think it makes a big difference in other communities, if you go east of here — Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh.”

Though Western North Carolina isn’t home to an HBCU, Black Mountain College did take the issue of desegregation seriously. “The college community, all white since its 1933 beginning, was not sure it was ready to take on this new risk,” wrote Alma Stone Williams who, in 1944, was the first African-American student to attend the institution. “The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education has recognized her as being the first known black student to integrate a white college in the South,” notes Williams’ obituary in the Times & Democrat.

Although Williams passed away in 2008, she left a legacy: She was not only a pioneer of racial integration but a scholar of English and music. She enrolled at

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ists, came to WNC in 1947 to study at Black Mountain College before going on to graduate from the Columbia School of Journalism in 1951. According to his 2008 obituary in The Journal News, “He was one of the first African-American journalists at the Newark Evening News and later at the Washington Post.”

He later returned to Columbia, his alma mater, “where he served as professor, mentor, confidant and friend to hundreds of young journalists until his retirement in 1992.

He was the school’s first AfricanAmerican professor.”

DIG DEEPER

SILENCED VOICES: To find the works of unpublished writers of color, “You have to look in the archives,” says Frank X Walker, who believes HBCUs especially have collected works of unknown authors waiting to be discovered. This postcard of a child with a book is from the The East Riverside Photographs Collection associated with the East Riverside urban redevelopment project of Asheville. Photo courtesy of Special Collections, UNC Asheville Spelman College at age 15, studied at Juilliard School of Music and completed a second master’s degree at the University of Maryland, where “her master’s thesis on Brahms was so strong that her thesis adviser pronounced it as the ‘best Ph.D. thesis’ he had ever read,” according to Williams’ obituary. Her writing about her time in North Carolina, Opening Doors at Black Mountain College, is included in the anthology Remembering Black Mountain College.

Luther Porter Jackson Jr., the Chicago-born son of civil rights activ-

If those names and contributions can be unearthed from the vaults, imagine what others lie in wait. It’s worth digging, and not just for readers of color who deserve to see their communities and concerns reflected in literature.

“Reading about people who don’t look like you makes you more empathetic,” Walker says to white readers.

So, where do we start searching for those voices that have too long been silenced? “You have to look in the archives at HBCUs — particularly Howard [University] and Schomburg [Center for Research in Black Culture] — and the Library of Congress,” suggests Walker. Because “the major institutions in the region wouldn’t have the work [of lesser-known writers of color].

They wouldn’t have been interested, even if it had existed.”

So is the awareness of that history, and the continual effort needed to push nonwhite voices to the forefront, discouraging? “I’m a realist about what time it is in America,” Walker says. “As an agitator, as somebody who constantly reminds people to maybe rethink their definition of [Appalachia], that’s what a lot of my work is about.”

Take Kentucky-born author and journalist Alice Allison Dunnigan, for example. A contemporary of Harlem Renaissance writers, Dunnigan was the first African-American female White House correspondent. Her autobiography, A Black Woman’s Experience: From Schoolhouse to White House, was published in 1974. “If there was one in Kentucky, there were five in North Carolina,” Walker says with a laugh.

The Affrilachian artist is sure those writers will be discovered as interest in diverse voices grows. “Some lucky grad student will stumble on the right boxes and publish eight books from it,” Walker says.

This series will continue next week. X

by Daniel Walton

danielwwalton@live.com

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? Asheville Art Museum shares a collection of Christmas treasures

REGIFT: A student from Asheville School performs in a contemporary dance inspired by individual pieces in Unwrapped: Gifts from the Peter Norton Family Christmas Project.

The current exhibition at the Asheville Art Museum’s pop-up location collects the works donated by Norton since 1993. Photo by Blake Madden The clear glass case against the plain white wall of the Asheville Art Museum’s Biltmore Avenue pop-up location makes an unlikely substitute for a Christmas tree. Yet, just as one might expect under the bedecked branches of a sturdy evergreen, there sits a squat, red box topped with green ribbon. Emblazoned with a single question mark, the box isn’t an object from the museum’s archives — it’s the promise of a new piece, due sometime during the season, courtesy of tech entrepreneur Peter Norton.

“I call him the Art Santa,” curatorial assistant Lola Clairmont says of Norton. Starting in 1988, Norton has commissioned an artist to create an original work for the holidays. It’s produced in multiples and sent to art

institutions around the world. The Asheville Art Museum has been on Norton’s “nice list” since 1993, but the gifts from the entrepreneur have never been shown together until this year.

Visitors can explore the complete collection at Unwrapped: Gifts from the Peter Norton Family Christmas Project, on display through Sunday, Jan. 21.

Although the objects in the exhibition span more than 20 years of art history and cover multiple mediums, two main traits tie them together. The first is their relatively small size — a necessity for being manufactured and shipped in quantities of several thousand. “All of these artists are asking how [to] distill themselves down,” Clairmont says. “It’s

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fascinating to have objects that can fit in the mail but still have a larger meaning.”

Associate curator Carolyn Grosch points to the 2009 Christmas gift, a rhinestone-encrusted antler by Brooklyn-based artist Marc Swanson. The piece speaks to Swanson’s conflicted personal history with masculinity: He grew up hunting in the countryside of New England before moving to San Francisco and taking part in the city’s gay counterculture, not feeling at home in either extreme. “He’s done entire animals covered in rhinestones, so this is almost a fragment or miniature of what he might normally do in his art,” Grosch says.

The exhibit’s second unifying principle is playfulness. Many of the gifts invite interaction, such as an animeinspired plastic figurine by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami that opens to reveal a MiniDisc with music from Japanese duo Zakyumiko. Clairmont’s favorite work in the collection is the 2002 dollhouse by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare — which replicates his London home, complete with 14 pieces of miniature furniture.

“There was some instruction as to what went on the first and second floor, but we had to imagine what arrangement best represented Shonibare’s life,” Clairmont says. “Some of the staff wanted to make some drama happen, but I think we set him up pretty cozily.”

A few of the gifts came with some assembly required. Museum staff built a special mount to display a tunnel book

by Anna Gaskell (an art photographer from Des Moines, Iowa) allowing guests to look through a “well” of evenly spaced pages that create the illusion of great depth. A paper craft dog named Gerald, the gift of designers Liam Hopkins, Richard Sweeney and Alan Dalby (from Manchester, U.K.), was shipped flat and took the museum’s preparator four hours to put together.

The museum encourages interaction through its programming around the exhibit, often taking off the cases

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around the objects to provide new perspectives. Patrons have gotten a close look at New York artist Peter Coffin’s unfolding photo album, in which the images line up to form a continuous spiral of rainbow. Museumgoers have listened to the delicate sounds of a music box by Swiss-American composer and artist Christian Marclay.

Students from Asheville School even developed contemporary dance performances (which they showcased earlier this month) that took inspiration from individual pieces.

At noon Friday, Jan. 19, visitors will get an in-depth look at Norton’s yet-tobe-revealed 2017 gift during one of the museum’s Art Break events. “It’s going to be our first public discussion of the new object,” says Clairmont. “It’s our time to figure out who this new artist is, how does this work fit into their general body of work and what does the work mean to our collection.”

Clairmont feels this shared experience fits well with the spirit of the season. “In our family, we unwrap gifts in a circle, and it really brings people together,” she says. “We can’t sit around a fireplace with all these other directors and curators, but Norton is letting those people in on his holiday tradition.” X

WHAT Unwrapped: Gifts from the Peter Norton Family Christmas Project WHERE Asheville Art Museum on the Slope 175 Biltmore Ave. ashevilleart.org WHEN Through Sunday, Jan. 21. $5 suggested donation

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THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY Asheville-based tribute bands pay homage to their heroes The Asheville music scene, though known for its range of original work, has kept a special place in its heart for tribute acts. More than 13 years ago, a young quartet of high-schoolage musicians played a sound-alike set of Beatles classics at Bele Chere.

Though they couldn’t have known it at the time, the members of Yesterday’s Tomorrow were the vanguard of a vital mini-scene.

THE SONIC SPECTRUM There are varying degrees of musical tribute: Some groups look — or at least costume themselves — like the original artists and painstakingly reproduce every trademark stage move. Others simply focus on exploring the music. Bill C. Evans, guitarist for Phuncle Sam (one of Asheville’s longest-running tribute groups), says when his group pays homage to the Grateful Dead, “it’s not like Beatlemania. Grateful Dead music leaves lots of room for improvisation.

[The] songs have basic structures, but within them, there are always opportunities to be different.”

At the other end of the sonic spectrum lies one of the area’s newest tribute groups, The Lost Chord. Led by guitarist Sherman Hoover, the sextet goes to great lengths to re-create the sound of the Moody Blues’ classic era, 1967-72. Hoover points out that duplicating the British group’s rich, symphonic pop ambience is a challenge. “I don’t think it could be pulled off with only five people,” he says.

And, in between those two bands’ approaches, is David Bowie tribute act Wham Bam Bowie Band, led by vocal dead-ringer Mark Casson. The band – featuring Asheville musicians including guitarist André Cholmondeley, drummer Jim Neu and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Price – also “stay[s] as close as possible to the [original] recordings,” Casson says. But the WBBB’s approach leaves plenty of room for the individual musicians to express themselves.

Casson notes that Cholmondeley — who also leads Frank Zappa homage Project/Object — “synthesizes sounds through his guitar. He’s able to handle a lot of the quirky stuff, including saxophone parts.”

THANK YOU, MAN: A number of Asheville musicians have chosen to pay homage to the music of their heroes; in doing so, they’re part of a local tradition that extends back more than a decade. Wham Bam Bowie Band (pictured above) plays the music of David Bowie; the group’s next local show is Dec. 23 at The Orange Peel. Photo by Robin Gelberg Less musically demanding — but no less beloved among music fans — is the body of work created by guitarist-songwriter Tom Petty. The Gainesville. Fla.born artist passed away unexpectedly in October, but Asheville-based tribute band Somewhat Petty had already been playing his music around town for several months. Guitarist and leader David Goldman says Petty’s music is “timeless and well-crafted. It’s not complex, but it’s well-executed, and there are so many things [in Petty’s lyrics] that are relatable for the audience.”

All four bands play locally, and Wham Bam Bowie Band occasionally takes to the road. Speaking of touring, a steady stream of high-profile homageacts makes Asheville a regular destination. Most, such as Abbey Road Live (Beatles tribute), Rumours (Fleetwood Mac), Who’s Bad (Michael Jackson), Zoso (Led Zeppelin), Badfish (Sublime) and Nevermind (Nirvana) land at The Orange Peel.

“Although our main mission is to present original artists, we find there is still demand for tributes,” says The Orange Peel’s manager, Jeff Santiago. “Turns out many of us are nostalgic.”

encouraged Goldman to start the group after hearing him sing some of Petty’s tunes. “Your voice is very similar to Tom’s,” Neu told Goldman, “and I think it would be a good fit.”

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SETTING THE BAR In 2008, David Goldman moved his family from Florida to France. Because the move was only temporary, nearly all of the Goldmans’ possessions were in storage. The house where they stayed had a CD player with only three discs in it. One of them was Petty’s 1993 Greatest Hits collection. “For three months, that’s all I listened to,” he says.

“And what’s really funny is that I never got tired of it.”

Goldman formed Somewhat Petty in late 2016. Wham Bam Bowie Band drummer Neu (who also plays in Who tribute band the Wholigans) had

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WON’T BACK DOWN: Tom Petty homage group Somewhat Petty found that its profile was raised after its namesake’s death, but the band isn’t capitalizing on that fact, focusing on dates close to home. Photo by Anitta Charlson

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The six-piece group found that its profile was raised after Petty’s death, but the band isn’t capitalizing on that fact, focusing on dates close to home.

Goldman’s goals remain modest. “We chose the name Somewhat Petty as a way of not setting the bar too high,” he says with a chuckle.

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The Lost Chord has a bit more of a challenge. The Moody Blues’ most enduring material is found on seven albums beginning with Days of Future Passed. It’s upon that period that The Lost Chord focuses. The studio versions of the Moodies’ densely layered songs often feature multiple acoustic guitars, several keyboards, flute and tambourine, in addition to standard rock band instrumentation.

But even when re-creating those sounds, the members of the Lost Chord can stretch out … a little. “There are cases where we have to come up with a live ending,” Hoover says, “because [on the records] a lot of songs just fade out.”

Hoover believes that part of the appeal of the Moody Blues’ music comes from its character. “They’re ‘prog’ rock and psychedelic rock rolled up into one,” he says. “And they have a lot of mystical and spiritual messages in their lyrics.”

The Lost Chord reinforces those ingredients through deft use of videoscreen effects onstage. “That gives people something more to look at than just us,” he says. “It’s more interesting than just having colored lights.”

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For the deepest immersion in the psychedelic music experience, one need look no further than the Grateful Dead. Few groups have enjoyed a more fervent and dedicated fan base than the San Francisco group, which officially ceased operations in 1995. By 2003, Phuncle Sam began playing the Grateful Dead’s music locally — it’s earliest regular gig was Dead Night. “For a while, we did it once a month,” Evans

says. “And then we did it once a week for a little while.”

The band’s appeal was initially a bit narrow. “People at the clubs in town really did not want to know about the Grateful Dead,” Evans says. That gradually changed, as Phuncle Sam built a loyal fan base. February will mark the six-year anniversary of Phuncle Sam’s weekly acoustic offshoot, the Free Dead Friday performance series.

The band claims a repertoire in excess of 200 songs, and the jazz aesthetic of the Dead’s material — with a focus on improvisation — means that audiences never see or hear the same show twice. That’s a remarkable feat for Phuncle Sam, a band that has played several hundred shows since its inception.

Wham Bam Bowie Band also has the advantage of a widely varying body of work from which to choose. Ever the restless musical chameleon, Bowie worked in glam rock, soul, krautrock and many other styles. Despite WBBB’s excellence in re-creating the music — the musicians have played entire Bowie albums and are now working on one of the most challenging, 1973’s Aladdin Sane — Casson remains modest. “What we do is more like an interpretation than an impersonation,” he says.

Singing and playing in homage to another’s work isn’t the same as performing one’s own original music, but for the members of these local groups, playing in a tribute band scratches a musical itch all its own. “To me,” says Goldman, “a tribute group is paying respect to the person or band that created the music.” And, in the process, they’re bringing joy and entertainment to local music fans. X

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by Lauren Stepp

lstepp98@gmail.com

WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY Painter adorns Asheville businesses with unusual yuletide scenes

RAISE A GLASS: Asheville artist Austen Mikulka infuses his window art with darker, more sobering themes than those typically associated with the holiday season. Photo courtesy of Mikulka Forget tinsel and popcorn garland.

Longtime window painter Austen Mikulka is decorating this holiday season, and he’s decking Asheville’s shops with nontraditional trimmings.

“I like for there to be an element of creepiness to my artwork,” says Mikulka. Though a muralist, graphic designer and even dog portraitist, Mikulka is best-known for his window paintings — bold, eyebrow-raising scenes that substitute St. Nick with hooved beasts and Christmas helpers with drunken elves. “It’s a little twisted,” he admits, describing his style as a cross between the inky, Edwardianinspired drawings of Edward Gorey and the kitsch figurines of Jim Shore.

That quirkiness resonates with Western North Carolina business owners. Mikulka painted his first window in the early 2000s when he was working in Sylva at a restaurant called Meatballs.

Wanting to spruce up the eatery’s picture window, Mikulka designed a pizzameets-Halloween scene. “I remember seeing these big paintings growing up,” he says. “I wanted to go beyond reindeer and snowmen.”

After moving to Asheville in 2013, he started snagging eight to 10 commissions

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per year, with most going up between Halloween and New Year’s Eve. At Christmastime especially, clients hand over the creative reins, requesting a look that evokes the yuletide spirit without reproducing tired holiday motifs. The result, in Mikulka’s hands, is like something out of a fever dream (or, arguably, a nightmare). The storefront at Orbit DVD on Haywood Road, for instance, depicts a kid in pajamas watching television. But behind the youngster lurks a “creepy guy with antlers,” says Mikulka. Exactly who or what the creature is has been left up for interpretation, though it’s definitely not Rudolph.

Other scenes include yetis downing hoppy porters and devils skipping with lanterns. At Diamond Thieves Piercing and Tattoo, a grizzled skeleton even dons a big, red Santa Claus costume. “I want each piece to feel like you just opened a children’s book up to a random page — like the story is continuing elsewhere,” says Mikulka. “There’s some fluidity and movement to it.”

That’s not to say his art is pleasing to all audiences.

“A feed went up on WAX one time,” he says, referring to the West Asheville Exchange Facebook page,

“and they were complaining that one of my holiday windows was inappropriate because it showed people drinking beer and smoking pipes.”

Mikulka pauses and then laughs. “I was like, ‘Well, the painting was for a bar, dude.’”

WAX also hosted a debate back in 2014, when Mikulka painted a woman crawling on all fours on the side of Orbit DVD. Opponents argued the mural objectified women, and the contention soon stole local news headlines.

“It was totally innocent,” says Mikulka, noting that the woman had to be on all fours to fit the wall’s dimensions. “But that’s where I got my street cred.”

He’s now known for his gritty, provocative style. Though it’s evident that his work comes from a softer, more heartfelt place.

“It’s a very public art, right? When I’m painting, people come by and tell me, ‘Good work,’ or that I’m doing a great job. The best thing is when kids come by and watch,” says Mikulka. “I love that.”

For more information, contact Austen Mikulka at austenmikulka@yahoo.com or 828-989-9847. X

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by Kai Elijah Hamilton | kaielijahhamilton@gmail.com

‘The Twelve Dates of Christmas’ at N.C. Stage It’s apparent that Buchanan put hard labor into this role. What’s amazing is how we can picture every single scene that’s being told to us.

There’s an energy emanating from Buchanan that puts us in her vision.

Not missing a beat, she takes on more than a dozen characters and is absolutely hilarious.

Director Callan White, so memorable as Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at N.C. Stage in 2016, has constructed a production worthy of a sellout. Any show with very few actors inevitably becomes intimate and personal. At the same time, Buchanan wows us with her verve. Given that, a little more audience interaction would have worked wonders. Most impres-

sively, the different character transitions are well-defined by both actor and director.

With its brassy adult language, Hoben’s script is delicious. The only things missing are longer moments of heartache and darker drama.

However, when Mary wanders into a cathedral at an emotional low, tears well in the audience. This part is very moving, and Buchanan makes the most of it.

The scenic design by Julie K. Ross is functional but, for better or for worse, a little on the tacky side. Also, each time the cool sound design by Charlie FlynnMcIver is slammed on, the audience jolted — humorous, yes, but not intentionally. These are very minor issues, though.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas would make a great date play. With its rebellious humor and sense of hope, it also has the power to satisfy the lonely heart yearning for a little holiday romance. X

WHAT The Twelve Dates of Christmas WHERE N.C. Stage Company 15 Stage Lane ncstage.org

PUT A BOW ON IT: Maria Buchanan stars in the one-woman play The Twelve Dates of Christmas at N.C. Stage Company. Photo by Nina Swann Photography With the Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” in full swing, there’s no shortage of cheesy, romantic stories this season. N.C. Stage Company is showcasing one that’s absolutely not to be missed: The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Ginna Hoben is onstage through Saturday, Dec. 23.

Mary (played by Maria Buchanan) is not having a very merry Christmas.

While watching the Thanksgiving parade on television, she catches her fiancé locking lips with another woman. So, Mary drops her engagement ring in the Salvation Army donation bucket and swears off the holidays. She attempts to distract her sorrows with her lackluster New York City acting career, but her concerned family won’t let her be. Attempting to put herself back out there, Mary ventures trepidatiously into the dating scene and, one by one, tells us all

about a string of losers as she decorates her Christmas tree.

Remarkably, this one-woman show runs nearly 1 1/2 hours before we even notice. Although the show could be cast many different ways, it is difficult to imagine a more viable choice. The high-spirited Buchanan is a jubilation. She has the classic girl-next-door look, often found in Hallmark films, yet Buchanan turns such a ubiquitous vision on its head. Casting her was a smart move.

As written, Mary may be someone we can all relate to, but Buchanan’s character is fully realized and her own creation. She is not just spouting funny lines and large chunks of dialogue. The character grows as the play goes on. Buchanan’s Mary turns into a hip bad-ass and then into a wiser version of that vulnerable girl we first met.

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SMART BETS

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

Make-A-Wish Christmas party benefit concert Now in its 16th year, the annual MakeA-Wish Christmas Party Benefit Concert has attracted a wealth of all-star musicians but, foremost, has raised significant funds to help grant the requests of children in Central and Western North Carolina diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. The 2017 iteration features such area talent as Steep Canyon Rangers fiddler Nicky Sanders; Chappell, composed of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Artimus Pyle on drums and his son Chris Pyle on guitar and vocals; singer McKayla A. Reese sitting in with Southern rockers The Log Noggins; Charlotte-based power trio Halden Vang; and Penrose-based “everyday Americana” artist Dave Desmelik. Brian Blades of 105.9 The Mountain will be the emcee for the all-ages show at The Orange Peel on Friday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. $13. theorangepeel.net. Photo of Jake Haldenwang of Halden Vang by Arvind Photography

A Family Affair Among their many credits, Adam and Matthew Chase have performed with members of The James Brown Band and Phish. Under their Chase Brothers moniker, they’ve turned those experiences into The James Brown Dance Party and Jazz Is PHSH, featuring a rotating cast of notable musicians covering beloved songs. Having also worked with Sly & The Family Stone, the Chases have taken a similar route with A Family Affair, paying tribute to the group behind “Dance to the Music” and “Everyday People.” At The Grey Eagle on Friday, Dec. 22, Adam teams with local players, including Jamar Woods (The Fritz), Derrick Johnson (Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band), Alex Bradley (Empire Strikes Brass), Shannon Hoover (Jonathan Scales Fourchestra), Caitlin Krisko (The Broadcast) and Simon Thomas George (The Digs). 9 p.m. $12 advance (or 4 for $40)/$15 day of show. thegreyeagle.com. Photo courtesy of the Chases

Brendan Gay

Join us for dinner featuring NYE menu 5-11 pm.

Party the night away & ring in the New Year with us!

CHAMPAGNE 56

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

DJ RA MAK MOUNTAINX.COM

CELEBRATE

“There’s a couple of benefits,” Chicago-based comedian Brendan Gay says of his last name. “When I get pulled over by the cops, they just look at my license and laugh and completely forget that I’m black.” His comedy is friendly; simultaneously self-effacing and charming. “Whether it’s his keen perspective on minority culture or growing up as a millennial bro, he’ll make you laugh,” promises his bio. Gay produces and hosts the podcast “Brendan Being Brendan,” in which he interviews “comedians, entrepreneurs and crazy people” and, in 2017, embarked on a 52 x 52 comedy tour, traveling to 52 cities in 52 weeks to perform stand-up. That tour culminates in Asheville at The Southern Kitchen and Bar on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 9 p.m. Petey Smith McDowell hosts and Kelly Morgan opens. $5 advance/$7 at the door. avl.mx/4gs.

Photo courtesy of Gay

A&E CA LEN DA R

by Abigail Griffin

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE CHRISTMAS: It’s the last chance to catch A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas family-friendly, holiday music revue. The show highlights traditional carols, songs and dances from holiday classics and presents a cast of over 60 performers. Tickets cost $15-$50 and can be purchased online at flatrockplayhouse.org. Photo of Kendra Jo Brook, Katie Barton and Ben Hope by Treadshots and courtesy of Flat Rock Playhouse (p. 57)

=❄ ART THE COMMUNITY TABLE 23 Central St., Sylva, 828-586-6782 • 3rd THURSDAYS, 4:30pm - Free community arts and crafts session sponsored by the Appalachian Art Farm. Free.

ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS

❄ TRYON ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL

373 Harmon Field Road, Tryon, 828-859-8323 • Through SU (12/31) - Holiday gift show featuring local artisans. Ornament purchases benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Free to attend.

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (1/26) - Exhibition proposals accepted from Buncombe County artists. See website for full guidelines.

CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 601 College Ave SW, Lenoir, 828-754-2486 • Through WE (1/31) Portfolios accepted for 2019 exhibition opportunities.

Information: caldwellarts. com/157-guidelines/.

MUSIC HENDERSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY 905 S. Greenville Highway, Hendersonville, 828-692-6424, myhcdp.com • 2nd & 4th WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - "Strings and Things," folk pop music jam. Free.

❄ WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN 105C Montreat Road, Black Mountain, 828-669-0816 • SU (12/24), 7pm - Community concert and carol sing-a-long with Marcel Anton, Richard Shulman, Tracey Schmidt, Linda Go and Bob Hinkle. Free to attend.

THEATER

❄ BLACK MOUNTAIN

CENTER FOR THE ARTS 225 W. State St., Black Mountain, 828-669-0930, blackmountainarts.org • FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS until (12/23), 7:30pm - It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, presented by The Front Porch Theatre. $20.

❄ FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE 2661 Highway 225, Flat Rock, 828-693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (12/22) - Christmas Spectacular, original musical. Wed., Thurs., Sat.

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

57

A &E CA LEN DA R

& Sun.: 2pm. Wed. & Thurs.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 8pm. $15$50.

• WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (12/22) - A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas. Wed. & Thurs.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 8pm. Wed., Thurs., Sat., & Sun.: 2pm.

❄ NC STAGE COMPANY 15 Stage Lane, 828-239-0263 • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (12/30) - All Is

by Abigail Griffin

Calm - The Christmas Truce of 1914. Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $16-$34.

• WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (12/23) - The Twelve Dates of Christmas, comedy. Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $16-$34.

❄ SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REPERTORY THEATRE 828-689-12329, sartplays.org • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS until (12/23) - Smoke on the Mountain:

ADVERTISE

YOUR TAX SERVICES

Sanders Family Christmas, holiday musical. Thurs.-Sat.: 7:30pm.

Sat. & Sun.: 2:30pm. $25. Held at Owens Theatre, 44 College St., Mars Hill

❄ THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 828-279-4155 • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS until (12/22), 7:30pm - Bernstein Family Christmas Spectacular, comedy. $25.

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DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

GALLERY DIRECTORY • Through SU (12/31) Exhibition of jewelry by Molly Dingledine.

ODYSSEY COOPERATIVE ART GALLERY 238 Clingman Ave., 828-285-9700, facebook. com/odysseycoopgallery • Through SU (12/31) December exhibition featuring the ceramic art of Anna Koloseike and Holly De Saillan.

Happy Holidays from Greg Mayer and the Technicians at One Click Fix

info@oneclickavl.com 828-318-8558 oneclickavl.com Shop Hours: 9-5 M-F 438 Montford Ave. Asheville, NC 28801

PUSH SKATE SHOP & GALLERY 25 Patton Ave., 828-2255509, pushtoyproject.com • Through SU (1/7) - The Illustrated Rock Art of N.C., featuring work by Jason Krekel, Lance Wille, Joshua Marc Levy, JT Lucchesi, Matthew Stuart Decker and Drew De Porter.

SPRUCE PINE TRAC GALLERY 269 Oak Ave., Spruce Pine, 828-765-0520, toeriverarts.org/facilities/ spruce-pine-gallery/ • Through SA (11/30) Conversions, exhibition of art work by Mary Ruth Webb.

WISH LIST CELEBRATION: As the holiday season unfolds, American Folk hosts its annual Wish List Celebration exhibition featuring pottery, painting, woodblock prints and sculptural artwork by gallery artists. American Folk tucks away its most intriguing art throughout the year to highlight the pieces at this end-of-year gallery celebration.

The show runs through Saturday, Dec. 31. For more information, visit amerifolk.com. Painting by Luci Hunnicutt courtesy of American Folk.

310 ART 191 Lyman St., #310, 828776-2716, 310art.com • Through SU (12/31) Storytelling: Thought to Image, group exhibition.

AMERICAN FOLK ART 64 Biltmore Ave., amerifolk.com, 828-2812134 • Through SU (12/31) Wish List Celebration, group exhibition.

ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com

• Through TU (1/5) Emerging Ceramicists in Western North Carolina, exhibition. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave.

tion of works by Teri Leigh Teed.

35 Wall St., 828-785-5722 • Through SU (2/11) - The Embody Project, photography exhibit featuring work by Erica Mueller.

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Highway 70, Swannanoa, 828-2733332, floodgallery.org/ • Through SU (12/31) - Appalachian Photography, exhibition of photographs by William A. Barnhill.

BURRELL CENTER GALLERY 463 Webster Road, Sylva • Through SU (12/31) - Season of Light, exhib-

MORA CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY 9 Walnut St., 828-575-2294, moracollection.com

ASHEVILLE MUSEUM

TRACEY MORGAN GALLERY 188 Coxe Ave. TraceyMorganGallery.com • Through SA (1/27) Fulcrum of Malice, exhibition of photographs from Stacy Kranitz.

• Through SA (1/27) - What Goes on Here, exhibition of works on paper by Kirsten Stolle.

❄ TRANSYLVANIA HERITAGE MUSEUM 189 W Main St., Brevard, 828-884-2347, transylvaniaheritage.org • Through SA (12/23) Aluminum Christmas Tree Museum, exhibition of vintage trees and ornaments.

Free to attend. ❄ TRYON ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL 373 Harmon Field Road, Tryon, 828-859-8323 • Through SA (12/23) - The Holiday Gift Show, group exhibition.

ZAPOW! 150 Coxe Ave., Suite 101, 828-575-2024, zapow.net • Through SU (12/31) Heroes and Villains, group exhibition.

Contact the galleries for hours and admission fees

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DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

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CLUBLAND WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jazz Night w/ Michael Jefry Stevens & friends, 7:30PM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk music), 8:00PM

WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Jason Wyatt (acoustic), 9:00PM

550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke, 8:00PM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & Friends, 7:30PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 8:30PM

ALTAMONT THEATRE A Funky Festivus For The Rest Of Us w/ Snozzberries & Members of Empire Strikes Brass, 8:30PM

BEN'S TUNE UP Jesse Barry & Kelly Jones, 7:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:30PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open mic w/ Billy Owens, 7:00PM

12/20: T RIVIA ! 7-9 PM HOLIDAY HOURS 12/23: O PEN 12/24: C LOSED 12/31: O PEN U NTIL 6 PM

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club, 9:00PM

CROW & QUILL Black Sea Beat Society (Balkan music), 9:00PM

BEN'S TUNE UP Unihorn, 7:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Western Wednesday w/ The Silent Knights & DJ Brody Hunt (Xmas country), 10:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Ben Phan, 7:00PM

FUNKATORIUM John Hartford Jam w/ Saylor Bros (bluegrass), 6:30PM

BYWATER Well Lit Strangers, 6:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/ Jordan Okrend, 8:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM

CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (ragtime jazz), 9:00PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Joe Newberry’s Holiday Show, 7:00PM "Winter Wonderland" w/ Kat Williams & the Richard Shulman Trio (jazz, R&B), 8:30PM

DOUBLE CROWN Double Crown 5th Anniversary Party w/ The Legendary Singing Stars (gospel), 10:00PM ELLINGTON UNDERGROUND THEOREM w/ DJ Kutzu & Slow Drip, 10:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Open Jam Session, 5:00PM

FLEETWOOD'S VHS Comedy: Under the Mistletape, 8:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM MG ROAD Salsa Night w/ DJ Mexicano Isaac, 7:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/ DJs Zeus & Franco, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Billy Litz (multi-instrumentalist), 9:00PM

SLY GROG LOUNGE Get Weird Wednesdays, 8:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Frank Lee & Allie Burbrink, 6:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE DJ Phantom Pantone Dance Party, 10:00PM

POLANCO RESTAURANT 3 Cool Cats, 8:00PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Berlyn Jazz Trio, 9:00PM

POST 25 Albi & The Lifters (American swing, French chanson), 7:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Glass Bricks w/ Shadow Show & The Half That Matters, 9:30PM

POUR TAPROOM Music Bingo!, 7:00PM

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DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Asheville’s native songbird Jane Kramer has gone global, garnering fans from Scotland to the West Coast with melodies sweeter than red clover and bucolic musings Joni Mitchell would drool over. But Kramer’s heart and music remain firmly rooted in Appalachian clay: bittersweet lyrics wrapped within the homespun humor of the Southern Highlands. Catch Kramer and Free Planet Radio when they come to the Altamont Theatre for the venue’s final show before it closes its doors on Friday, Dec. 22 at 8 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Jane Kramer

MOUNTAINX.COM

THE PHOENIX & THE FOX Jazz Night w/ Jason DeCristofaro, 7:00PM

THE SOUTHERN Disclaimer Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE Beats 'n' Rhymes w/ Nex Millen (hip hop), 9:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Purple (jazz, fusion), 9:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Tyler Herring (folk, blues), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Spoiler Alert!, 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Roots & friends open jam (blues, rock, roots), 6:30PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES JJ Kitchen All Star Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Warm December Jazz w/ Amanda Horton & Daniel Keller, 7:00PM Italian Night w/ Mike Guggino & Barrett Smith, 8:30PM

UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Music Bingo w/ Top-Shelf Productions, 8:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Clydes pre-jam, 7:00PM Bluegrass Open Jam Session, 9:00PM

FRI

22 LAZY DIAMOND Heavy Night w/ DJ Butch, 10:00PM

PACK'S TAVERN Jeff Anders & Joey Wilton (acoustic rock), 8:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones, 6:30PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Paper Crowns Band, 9:00PM

NATIVE KITCHEN & SOCIAL PUB Saylor Brothers, 7:00PM ODDITORIUM Shell Shock Goth Night (DJ), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Karaoke, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM Custard Pie (jam, rock), 10:00PM

POUR TAPROOM Tunes at the Taps, 7:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Michael Reno Harrell, 7:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Andrew Thelston, 7:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Home for the Holidays FUNdraiser, 5:00PM

SLY GROG LOUNGE Distinguished Degenerates w/ Anthony Crawford, James Hodge, Jourdain Fisher & Ben Jones (comedy), 8:00PM

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Letters to Abigail (Americana), 6:00PM

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Vinyl Night, 6:30PM

SUN 31 ERIC GALES

A FUNKY TRIBUTE TO SLY & THE FAMILY STONE

W/ MARVELOUS FUNKSHUN

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Winter Solstice Sound Meditation w/ Lucid Sound Project, 6:00PM John of Noah (acoustic medicine songs, world music), 9:00PM

23

SAT

HAIR FASHION SHOW CHRISTMAS EDITION

THU

27

WED

TYLER CHILDERS

FRI

THE FAIRVIEW TAVERN Karaoke w/ Jeremy from Old School, 9:00PM

29

FRI

KURTIS BLOW

SAT

BEN PHAN AND THE SOUL SYMPHONY + ALEXA ROSE

THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Burger Kings, 9:00PM

SAT

SUN

CASH UNCHAINED: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH

THE MOTHLIGHT The Moth: True Stories Told Live (Theme: "Dirt"), 7:30PM

30

4 LILLIE MAE 5

W/ BLANK RANGE

6 7

MCKAYLA REECE

COMEDIAN

ARI SHAFFIR TWO SHOWS

Asheville’s longest running live music venue • 185 Clingman Ave TICKETS AVAILABLE AT HARVEST RECORDS & THEGREYEAGLE.COM

THE RIDGE AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL Winter Solstice, 8:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE Urban Lifestyle w/ LeggoCash & DJ Roy (reggae), 9:00PM TOWN PUMP Mitch Hayes (blues), 9:00PM

THIS WEEK AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

THIS WEEK AT THE ONE STOP:

THU 12/21 Custard Pie - [Jam/Rock] FRI 12/22 Lionized Events 1st Annual Bling Ball - [Dance Party] SAT 12/23 Nattilovejoys - [Reggae] UPCOMING SHOWS - ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL:

12/29 12/31 1/5 1/6

JGBCB (JERRY GARCIA BAND COVER BAND) FRI 12/22 – S HOW: 10 pm (D OORS 9 pm) –

adv.

$10

The Goodies! w/ Chuck Lichtenberger NYE Ball in the Hall w/ The Grass is Dead Sunny Ledfurd Lose Yourself to Dance Party w/ DJ Marley Carroll

Tickets available at ashevillemusichall.com @avlmusichall MOUNTAINX.COM

@OneStopAVL DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

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C LUBLAND TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, dance), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Cat & Crow's Winter Solstice Celebration, 7:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ unplugged w/ Sarah Tucker, 8:00PM ZAMBRA Cynthia McDermott, 7:00PM

Christmas Caroling & Vegan Potluck Benefitting Youth OUTright

COMING SOON wed 12/20

Christmas Day • 6pm

39 S. Market St. • theblockoffbiltmore.com

Featuring Largest Selection of Craft Beer on Tap 8 Wines

TUE: Free Pool and Bar Games WED: Music Bingo

7PM–JOE NEWBERRY’S

HOLIDAY SHOW – 8:30PM ”WINTER WONDERLAND” WITH KAT WILLIAMS & THE RICHARD SCHULMAN TRIO thu 12/21

7PM–WARM DECEMBER JAZZ

W/ AMANDA HORTON & DANIEL KELLER

8:30PM- ITALIAN NIGHT W/

FRI & SAT 5 -9pm: Handmade Pizzas from Punk Rock Pies

MIKE GUGGINO & BARRETT SMITH

2 Hendersonville Road P o u r Ta p R o o m . c o m Tue - Thu 4pm-10pm • Fri & Sat 2pm-11pm

QUEEN BEE & THE HONEYLOVERS

fri 12/22

7PM–HOLIDAY SWING WITH sat 12/23

8:30PM- A HOLIDAY EVENING

WITH THE MIDNIGHT PLOWBOYS

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

ko Chec ut Pack’s Countdown 8 party! C 1 0 all for details! to 2

tue 12/26 7:30PM TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS wed 12/27

7PM–HANNAH KAMINER AND THE HEARTBREAK HIGHLIGHT REEL thu 12/28

7PM-GREG RUBY & FRIENDS

THU. 12/21 Jeff Anders & Joey Wilton (acoustic rock)

FRI. 12/22 DJ MoTo

( dance hits, pop)

SAT. 12/23 Crocodile Smile Band

(new and throwback pop, dance and rock)

fri 12/29

7PM-DUNCAN WICKEL sat 12/30

7PM–AKIRA SATAKE AND ANYA HINKLE 9PM–DARK WATER RISING WITH GUEST TONY ELTORA sun 12/31

8:30PM-NYE2017: JON STICKLEY TRIO AND THE DIGS WITH JOSH PHILLIPS & FRIENDS ISISASHEVILLE.COM DINNER MENU TIL 9:30PM LATE NIGHT MENU TIL 12AM

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com 62

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

TUES-SUN 5PM-until 743 HAYWOOD RD 828-575-2737

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22 185 KING STREET The Hometown Holiday Jam, 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Sparrow & Her Wingmen (old-fashioned originals), 9:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE Free Planet Radio & Jane Kramer w/ Billy Cardine, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Funky Friday Jam, 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL JGBCB (Jerry Garcia Band tribute), 9:00PM BEN'S TUNE UP Vinyl Dance Party w/ DJ Kilby, 10:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/ DJ Z, 9:00PM CORK & KEG Vaden Landers & The Do Rights (country, honky-tonk), 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Posey Quartet (swing jazz), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Rock & Soul Obscurities w/ DJ Greg Cartwright, 10:00PM ELLINGTON UNDERGROUND 2nd Annual Amgavl Awards Show & Ugly Christmas Sweater After Party, 9:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Rahm Squad (funk, jam), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Buncombe Turnpike Trio (bluegrass), 6:00PM FUNKATORIUM Univeral Sigh, 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN "A Family Affair" w/ The Chase Brothers (Sly & The Family Stone tribute), 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Scott Moss Band (bluegrass, Southern rock, outlaw country), 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Holiday Swing w/ Queen Bee & the Honeylovers, 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bull Moose Party (bluegrass holiday show), 9:00PM JARGON The Andrew LaPrise Trio (jazz), 10:30PM LAZY DIAMOND Soul Control w/ DJs Al Lover & Fred Zeppelin, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Rob Parks & friends, 6:30PM

MAD CO BREW HOUSE The Moon and You (folk, soul), 6:00PM ODDITORIUM Styrofoam Turtles w/ Systematic Devastation, State Of Illusion & Tombstone Highway (rock), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Acoustic Tunes by the River, 4:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Friday w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:30PM 1st annual Bling Ball, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Gruda Tree (blues, jazz, rock), 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL 16th annual Make-A-Wish Christmas Party Benefit Concert, 7:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Poorboy Krill (singer-songwriter), 6:00PM PACK'S TAVERN DJ MoTo (dance hits, pop), 9:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Todd Hoke, 4:00PM Katie Basden, 8:00PM THE CONUNDRUM Jazzy Jam w/ Cynthia McDermott, 7:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Phantom Pantone, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Lil Meow Meow w/ Andy Loebs, Spit God & Alex Brown, 9:30PM THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM 2017 Great Smoky Mountain Grapple (benefit), 9:00AM

12/20 wed glass bricks

w/ shadow show, the half that matters

12/21 thu the moth: true stories told live (theme: dirt) 12/22 fri a welcome winter party lil meow meow w/ andy loebs, spit god, alex brown

12/23 sat drayton & the dreamboats w/ krektones

12/26 tue harvey leisure's second

interstellar installation

harvey leisure solo

w/ smoke bellow, alec sturgis

Yoga at the Mothlight

Tuesdays and Thursdays- 11:30am Details for all shows can be found at

themothlight.com

TIMO'S HOUSE Franco Nino Friday night dance party, 9:00PM TOWN PUMP CatwabaDamJamBand (Americana acoustic), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, dance), 10:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Old Sap (folk, blues, Americana), 8:00PM VIRGOLA Adi The Monk (jazz, blues), 6:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Marcel Anton w/ Artimus Pyle, Rhoda Weaver & Michael Fillipone, 8:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH A Social Function (acoustic), 9:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ electric w/ DJ Malinalli, 8:00PM

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23 185 KING STREET Brevard Family Jam, 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Chicken Contenda (jazz, funk), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Jason Whitaker (acoustic), 8:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE Reasonably Priced Babies (improv comedy), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Jody Carroll (roots, blues), 7:30PM

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DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

63

CLU B LA N D BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Rayn Furstenberg (Americana), 7:30PM

12/21 THEOREM DJ Kutzu + Slow Drip 12/28 Machinedrum (ninja tune) Push/Pull, Bombassic 12/29 The Southern Belles Dr. Bacon

CHESTNUT Jazz Brunch, 11:00AM CORK & KEG The Zydeco AllStars, 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Nightmare Before Christmas (Tim Burton-themed burlesque show), 9:00PM

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Chicken Coop Willaye Trio (blues, Americana), 9:00PM

12/31 The Broadcast (rock, soul) Window Cat (jazz rock fusion) 1/12 In Plain Sight

GOOD STUFF Chris Caruso's Christmas Jam Sandwich, 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN First Annual Hair Fashion Show (Christmas edition), 4:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Fwuit (soul), 7:00PM

1/13 Flamingosis

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 The Midnight Plowboys, 8:30PM

w/ Futexture

1/14 THEOREM DJ Kutzu + Slow Drip

DOORS AT 9 • SHOW AT 10 Ellington Underground is an intimate music club located downtown in the historic S&W Cafeteria, built in 1929.

56 PATTON AVE. ELLINGTONUNDERGROUND.COM DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

CAPELLA ON 9@ THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/ Gary Mackey, 9:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Pitter Platter, 50s/60s R&B + RnR w/ DJ Big Smidge, 10:00PM

12/30 TRUTH Detox Unit Soul Candy Murkury

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BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Larry Dolamore, 7:00PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Vaden "Papa Vay" Landers (old-time, country, blues), 9:00PM JARGON The Jacob Rodriguez Trio (jazz), 10:30PM LAZY DIAMOND Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio, 6:30PM MG ROAD Late Night Dance Parties w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10:00PM NATIVE KITCHEN & SOCIAL PUB Ten Cent Poetry, 7:30PM

NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER The Rave Before Christmas w/ Dieselboy & more, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM Bowie Night, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL NattiLoveJoys (reggae), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Salt of The Earth (experimental folk), 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Wham Bam Bowie Band!, 9:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Crocodile Smile Band (pop, dance, rock), 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Dave Zoll Trio, 8:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Andalyn's Christmas Show (live music), 7:30PM Jordan Okrend Experience (dance), 10:00PM TWISTED LAUREL Phantom Pantone (top 40's, dance), 11:00PM VIRGOLA Jason Hazinski (jazz, blues), 6:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Muppet Movie, 2:00PM David Holt & Josh Goforth, 8:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ w/ The Caribbean Cowboys, 8:00PM

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24

PURPLE ONION CAFE Riyen Roots & Kenny Dore, 8:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Musicians Jam & Pot Luck, 3:30PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Yoga with Cats w/ Blue Ridge Humane Society, 10:00AM King Possum, 8:00PM

BEN'S TUNE UP Good Vibe Sundays w/ Dub Kartel & Oso Rey, 6:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

SLY GROG LOUNGE Armadilla w/ The Half That Matters & The Fuzzards, 9:00PM

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open Mic Night (music, poetry, comedy), 5:00PM

SOL BAR Ugly Sweater Christmas Jam, 8:00PM

FUNKATORIUM Gypsy Jazz Sunday Brunch, 11:00AM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Early Salsa & Latin Dance w/ DJ Motta, 7:00PM Latin Rhythms & Saturday Salsa Dance, 10:00PM

GOOD STUFF Open Mic w/ Fox Black & friends, 6:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Traditional Celtic Jam, 3:00PM

PACK'S TAVERN A Social Function (acoustic holiday rock), 4:30PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Sly Grog Open Mic, 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Let Love Brew: "What Would Jesus Buy?" (film screening), 5:30PM THE FAIRVIEW TAVERN Hallelujah Hilliary's Comedy Revival, 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Z, 9:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE BYOV w/ DJ Shy Guy, 8:00PM TOWN PUMP Christmas Eve DJ Vinyl Dance Party, 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN White Horse Community Christmas Eve Concert, 7:00PM

MONDAY, DECEMBER 25 BEN'S TUNE UP Electronic jam w/ XII Olympians, 7:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Country Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo Trivia Night, 7:00PM Open mic, 9:30PM LAZY DIAMOND Krektones Xmas Show (rock n' roll), 10:00PM MG ROAD The Living Room, 8:30PM POUR TAPROOM Lowlight Monday Nights, 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Campy Carols & Vegan Christmas Potluck (benefit), 5:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Drayton & The Dreamboats w/ Krektones, 9:00PM

JARGON Mark Guest & Mary Pearson (jazz), 11:00AM

THE RIDGE AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL Ugly Sweater Christmas Jam, 8:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Xmas Steve Punk Night w/ DJs Chubberbird & Big Smidge, 10:00PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE Ghost Pipe Trio, 9:00PM

THE SOUTHERN Brendan Gay (comedy), 9:00PM

LUELLA'S BAR-BQUE BILTMORE PARK Gypsy Jazz Brunch w/ Leo Johnson, 12:00PM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26

TIMO'S HOUSE B's Xmas Miracle w/ Manu karu & DJ Kutzu, 9:00PM TOWN PUMP The Hustle (funk), 9:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass Brunch, 10:30AM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Shag Night, 6:30PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING Trivia Night w/ Ol' Gilly, 7:00PM

BEN'S TUNE UP Live Band & Hip Hop Cypher, 9:00PM

POLANCO RESTAURANT Taco Tuesday & Blues w/ Michael Filippone's Blues Review, 8:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Groovy Tuesdays (smooth world vinyl), 10:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 6:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tuesday Bluegrass w/ Stig & friends, 7:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB West End String Band (bluegrass, country), 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Rock 'n' Roll Metal Karaoke w/ KJ Paddy-oke, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown, 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Open Mic Comedy Night w/ Tom Peters, 9:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM

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THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE This Dylan (McGonigle), 9:00PM THE MARKET PLACE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE Bob Zullo, 6:30PM THE MOTHLIGHT Harvey Leisure solo w/ Smoke Bellow & Alec Sturgis, 9:30PM TIMO'S HOUSE Request Night w/ Franco Nino, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Tuesday Jazz & Funk Jam (jazz, funk), 9:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday, 10:00PM

UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Open Mic Night w/ Arrow Sound, 6:30PM

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WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish jam & open mic, 6:30PM

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DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

65

MOVIES

H PICK OF THE WEEK H

Gary Oldman becomes Winston Churchill in a career-defining performance in Darkest Hour.

Darkest Hour HHHH

DIRECTOR: Joe Wright PLAYERS: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, Ben Mendelsohn HISTORICAL BIOPIC RATED PG-13 THE STORY: Winston Churchill faces public and political opposition as he guides England into the fight against fascism in the early days of World War II. THE LOWDOWN: A remarkable performance from Gary Oldman counterbalances Joe Wright’s ham-fisted direction, redeeming this intimate portrait of a leader facing the gravest of dilemmas.

It would seem that the stars aligned in 2017 to give us a spate of World War II dramas just as resurgent fascist movements were brought into the

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public eye. And while Joe Wright’s Winston Churchill award-bait feature may lack the visual spectacle of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, Darkest Hour does sport the finest portrayal of the embattled prime minister ever committed to celluloid. Gary Oldman isn’t just the star here, he’s the whole show — and that show couldn’t be more unfortunately timely.

Spanning just a few pivotal weeks in late May 1940, Darkest Hour covers Churchill’s rise to power over Neville Chamberlain (a surprisingly sympathetic Ronald Pickup) as the Nazis overrun Belgium and France.

Churchill faces stiff opposition from his political opponents in the form of Chamberlain and the Earl of Halifax (Stephen Dillane), whose attempts to appease Herr Hitler are initially supported by King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn). As far as historical dra-

REVIEWS & LISTINGS

BY SCOTT DOUGLAS, FRANCIS X. FRIEL & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH = mas go, the stakes don’t get much higher than this source material — but rather than engaging in the sort of aggrandizing spectacle of Dunkirk, Wright, to his credit, keeps his film’s scope limited to the halls (and bunkers) of power.

While Wright’s decision to restrain his settings does the film quite a few favors, his heavy-handed direction very nearly undermines the picture’s many virtues. His aggressive use of overhead camera angles and title overlays specifying the date detract greatly from what should be a character-driven piece, as though he doesn’t trust the inherent tension of his subject to carry the film’s dramatic weight. Lily James and Kristen Scott Thomas are both excellent as Churchill’s secretary and wife, respectively, but rather than allowing their position as foils to expose his protagonist’s inner conflict, Wright resorts to extreme close-ups, an overblown score and a ridiculous scene in a subway car to make his point.

If Wright’s direction leaves something to be desired, Oldman’s performance does not. His Churchill is a nuanced blend of gritty determination and crippling self-doubt, a bulldog with the softest of underbellies.

While exemplary makeup effects render Oldman’s physicality almost unrecognizable, there’s no mistaking his eyes — he owns the character as much as he embodies it. It’s a remarkable turn that will undoubtedly find Oldman in contention for an Oscar come March, and I’m hardpressed to come up with another performance that could compete this year. I don’t believe I’ve ever recommended a film solely on the basis of an individual performance but, like Churchill, sometimes the right man comes along at the right time to change minds. Rated PG-13 for some thematic material.

Opens Friday at Fine Arts Theatre.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

M A X R AT I N G

Star Wars: The Last Jedi HHHS DIRECTOR: Rian Johnson PLAYERS: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Laura Dern EPIC SPACE OPERA RATED NR THE STORY: Rey trains in the ways of The Force under a reclusive Luke Skywalker as General Leia Organa leads the last vestiges of the Rebel Alliance in a desperate fight against overwhelming opposition.

THE LOWDOWN: All the Star Wars action you were hoping for, plus an extra 40 minutes and some Porgs.

If there’s one thing that I can say in favor of George Lucas’ much-maligned Star Wars prequel trilogy, it’s that it lowered the bar for the rest of the franchise so precipitously that very little of what’s followed could ever be considered “bad” in context. I was not as enamored of The Force Awakens as most moviegoers seemed to be, so it’s not all that shocking that The Last Jedi left me feeling flat as well. What surprised me was not the fact that I have lukewarm feelings about the film, but the particular aspects of the picture that fell short in my estimation.

My specific objections to The Force Awakens were rooted largely in J.J. Abrams’ propensity to make story decisions from a position of convenience rather than narrative necessity, and while writer/director Rian Johnson has taken steps to amend this flaw, he’s still confronted with the unenviable task of tying together way too many plot

Xpress

reviews

virtually

all

upcoming movies, with two or three of the most noteworthy appearing in print. You can find our online reviews at mountainx. com/movies/reviews. This week, they include: DARKEST HOUR (PICK OF THE WEEK) HHHH FERDINAND

HHHS

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

HHHS WONDER WHEEL

HHS

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threads. Even with over 2 1/2 hours of running time to play with, Johnson’s script feels overly drawn out in some places and unduly truncated in others — Laura Dern’s Vice Admiral Holdo has one of the most compelling character arcs in the film despite being given only a handful of scenes, while John Boyega’s Finn seems almost entirely extraneous in a compulsory B-plot that drags on far too long.

To be fair, my disappointment in The Last Jedi stems more from my lofty expectations than from any real structural or thematic flaws. This is still a competently produced, highly polished tentpole, with all of the watchability and entertainment value that designation implies. But it’s also an overstuffed epic weighed down by its world-building obligations — and that’s before we even get to the Porgs. Don’t get me started on the Porgs.

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Any plot summary would be excessively spoiler-prone, but it’s safe to say that anyone familiar with the narrative mirror game that Abrams played with The Force Awakens and A New Hope will be adequately prepared for Johnson’s strategy — a sort of Campbellian mythic structure echo chamber that the director references explicitly through a notable visual metaphor during Rey’s crash course in the ways of the Force. While the film’s young leads — Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac — all perform admirably, they can’t hold a candle to Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.

And therein lies the problem with The Last Jedi — it never steps out of the shadow of its predecessors when it comes to story and character.

There’s a lot to like here — there’s just too much of it. Johnson’s plotting is intricate without fully digressing into convolution, and his visual aesthetic is legitimately inspired at times. He seems to have countermanded the Disney dictum that the Star Wars films exist in an essentially bloodless universe by making entire planets seem to bleed, although his use of the color red as a visual leitmotif is heavily influenced by late-period Kurosawa films such as Ran and Kagemusha — and late-period Kurosawa is, to the best of my knowledge, nobody’s favorite Kurosawa. Still, despite occasional glimmers of brilliance — the film’s climactic space battle culminates in a show-stopping silent sequence — these moments are all but lost in a morass of narrative board clearing and CGI spectacle.

So, is The Last Jedi any good? Sure. Is it as good as The Empire Strikes Back, as some have suggested? Hell no. Hamill and Fisher deliver career-best performances, and the story resolves most of the dangling threads introduced by The Force Awakens, but that resolution is often too pat and definitive. Where Episode IX will go from here is anybody’s guess, but on the basis of The Last Jedi, my expectations are tempered. Maybe, like Hamill’s crazy hermit take on a jaded Luke Skywalker, I’m just getting too old for this shit. Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.

Now Playing at AMC Classic River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, Grail Moviehouse, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville, Strand of Waynesville.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

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SP EC IAL SCRE EN INGS There are no special screenings due to the holidays.

The Asheville Film Society screenings will recommence Jan. 2.

by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com and plotting. The latest selection is Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964), in which Red Planet residents, miffed that their kids have become obsessed with Earth’s television shows extolling the virtues of St. Nick, embark on an expedition to kidnap Santa and have him bring presents to Martian children.

Admission is $5 and includes popcorn. habitatbrewing.com

FROM THE BLUE RIDGE TO THE OKUCHICHIBU: Asheville-based hammered dulcimer player Joshua Messick has released a short documentary about how Western North Carolina and nature inspire his art. He’s also the featured instrumentalist on Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the first animated feature from Studio Ghibli offshoot Studio Ponoc, which screens nationwide Jan. 18. Photo by Lynne Harty • Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. presents its 7 Days of Classic Christmas Movies series, Monday, Dec. 18-Sunday, Dec. 24.

The selected films are Love Actually (Dec. 18-19, noon and 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 20, 7 p.m.); Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Dec. 18, 4 p.m.; Dec. 19-20, noon and 3:30 p.m.); Die Hard (Dec. 18-20, 10 p.m.); Elf (Dec. 21-24, noon and 3:30 p.m.); Edward Scissorhands (Dec. 21-24, 7 p.m.); and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Dec. 21-23, 10 p.m.). $3. ashevillebrewing.com • Habitat Tavern and Commons, 174 Broadway, hosts the latest installment of Spoiler Alert! on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m. Comparable to “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” “Rifftrax Live” or “The Benson Interruption,” the event involves the screening of a cult movie, during which host James Harrod and guest comedians Grayson Morris and Blaine Perry will interject colorful commentary, poking fun at its acting, dialogue

FILM

❄ BUNCOMBE

COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES

• There are two local screenings of The Muppet Christmas Carol: Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., will show it on Friday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. Complimentary popcorn and refreshments provided. Free. avl.mx/ ff. Then, White Horse Black Mountain, 105 Montreat Road, Black Mountain, presents the film on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 2 p.m. Suggested donation $8 adults, $4 children under 10 years old. whitehorseblackmountain.com • Grail Moviehouse, 45 S. French Broad Ave., shows It’s a Wonderful Life on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m. Regular ticket prices apply. grailmoviehouse.com • Asheville-based hammered dulcimer player Joshua Messick has released a short documentary about how Western North Carolina and nature inspire his art. The film may be viewed on Messick’s YouTube channel. avl.mx/4ef Messick’s year also included a trip to Japan in May to record as the featured instrumentalist on Mary and the Witch’s Flower, playing on 20 of the original score’s 26 tracks.

The film is the first animated feature from Studio Ponoc, the continuation of Studio Ghibli, and will screen in theaters nationwide exclusively on Thursday, Jan. 18. The Carolina Cinemark presents the Englishdubbed version — featuring the voices of Kate Winslet, Ruby Barnhill and Jim Broadbent — at 7 p.m. and the original Japanese version with English subtitles at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and $13 for children and available online and at the Carolina box office. avl.mx/4eg X

buncombecounty.org/

Christmas Carol, film

governing/depts/library

screening. Free. Held at

• FR (12/22), 1pm - Movie

Pack Memorial Library, 67

Matinee: The Muppet

Haywood St.

MARKETPLACE S TA RT IN G F R IDAY

Downsizing

High-concept satire from director Alexander Payne. Matt Damon stars as a suburban schlub who undergoes an experimental shrinking procedure to save the planet — and his bank account. Early reviews mixed. (R)

Darkest Hour

See Scott Douglas’ review

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Comedy action-adventure. According to the studio: “Four teenagers in detention are sucked into the world of Jumanji. When they discover an old video game console with a game they’ve never heard of, they are immediately thrust into the game’s jungle setting, into the bodies of their avatars, played by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan. What they discover is that you don’t just play Jumanji — Jumanji plays you. They’ll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, or they’ll be stuck in the game forever…”

Early reviews mixed. (PG-13)

Pitch Perfect 3

Comedy sequel starring Anna Kendrick.

According to the studio: “After the highs of winning the World Championships, the Bellas find themselves split apart and discovering there aren’t job prospects for making music with your mouth. But when they get the chance to reunite for an overseas USO tour, this group of awesome nerds will come together to make some music, and some questionable decisions, one last time.”

No early reviews. (PG-13)

R E A L E S TATE | REN TA L S | ROOMMATES | SERV ICES JO BS | ANNO UNC EM ENTS M IN D , B ODY, SPIRIT | CL A SSES & WORKSH OPS | M USI C I ANS’ SER VI C ES PETS A U TOMOTIV E | XCH A N GE | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 x111 tnavaille@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to ads@mountainx.com RENTALS HOMES FOR RENT 3BR, 1BA BLACK MOUNTAIN Washer/dryer, fenced private landscaped yard.

Pets considered. Hardwood floors, central heat/air. Carport, partially furnished if needed. $1450/month. (828) 545-0043.

BEAUTIFUL REEMS CREEK RENTAL Convenient location-1 level home w/3B/2 1/2B, breakfast area, dining room & well-equipped kitchen including w/d, master w/jacuzzi tub!

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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

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL

The Greatest Showman

Musical starring Hugh Jackman.

According to the studio: “The Greatest Showman is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.” No early reviews. (PG)

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/ OFFICE

The Shape of Water

Fantasy drama from auteur Guillermo del Toro. According to the studio: “From master story teller, Guillermo del Toro, comes The Shape of Water — an otherworldly fable, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation.

Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment.” Also starring Michael Shannon and Doug Jones. Early reviews positive. (R)

BENEFITS SPECIALIST A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a position Benefits Specialist. This is a full-time position with benefits.

For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4657

CAMPUS POLICE DISPATCH/ COMMUNICATIONS A-B Tech is currently taking applications

for a position Campus Police Dispatch/Communications. For more details and to apply: abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4684 FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST/CHIROPRACTIC ASSISTANT Receptionist/ Assistant for holistic health office. We require a health oriented, energetic, efficient and dependable person that loves interacting with people.

Benefits included. Apply in person with resume Monday, Wednesday and Fridays 9-12 am and Wednesdays 2-4 pm and on Tuesdays 9-11am. 828-253-5844 www.DrDavidGraham.com

HUMAN SERVICES

POLICE OFFICER A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a position Police Officer. For more details and to apply: abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4682

POLICE OFFICER/SHUTTLE DRIVER A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a position Police Officer / Shuttle Driver.

For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4683 OFFICE GREETER A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a position Workforce Office Greeter . For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4693

SALES/ MARKETING

WILDERNESS FIELD INSTRUCTOR Trails Momentum is looking for qualified individuals to lead therapeutic wilderness expeditions/adventures and base camp programming helping troubled young adults. Please send resume and cover letter to transdell@ trailsmomentum.com

TEACHING/ EDUCATION SALES PROFESSIONAL Mountain Xpress has a salaried sales position open.

Ideal candidates are personable, well-spoken, motivated, and can present confidently.

Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, computer skills, and working well in a team environment. The position largely entails, account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, and working to meet or exceed sales goals. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent, community-minded organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walkins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@ mountainx.com UNDERWRITING ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE Asheville FM community radio seeks ambitious salesperson to secure, develop and maintain business accounts. Customer service and communication skills. One year sales or marketing experience. Broadcast media a plus! Commission only. Equal opportunity employer. Send resume to: hiring@ashevillefm.org • Full job description at www. ashevillefm.org

INDUSTRY TRAINER A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a position Industry Trainer, Food, Beverage, and Natural Products. This is a full time position with benefits. For more details and to apply: abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4660

LIBRARY ASSISTANT A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a position Library Assistant. For more details and to apply: https:// abtcc.peopleadmin.com/postings/4691 PART-TIME TEACHER ASSISTANT ArtSpace Charter School is accepting applications for a part-time elementary Teaching Assistant. Minimum educational requirement is an undergraduate degree. Experience working with children and experience teaching reading are required. Resumes and cover letters will only be accepted by email. Please send them to: resumes@artspacecharter.org

Office Technology, Information Technology, Craft Beverage, Business, and other market sectors are encouraged to apply. A-B Tech offers classes at our Asheville, Madison and South sites, as well as other partnering locations in Buncombe and Madison counties. • For more information, visit: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4696

ARTS/MEDIA WOMANSONG EVENT/COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Womansong of Asheville is seeking applicants for a part-time Event & Communications assistant. Should have strong skills in event planning and communications technology, including website and social media. Application and job description available at www.womansong.org.

COMPUTER/ TECHNICAL

ACADEMIC ADVISOR A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a position Academic Advisor, Transfer Advising Center. This is a full-time position with benefits.

For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4692

ASSOCIATE DEAN • HOSPITALITY EDUCATION A-B Tech is currently taking applications for the position Associate Dean, Hospitality Education. This is a full-time position with benefits.

For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4677

EMS CONTINUING EDUCATION COORDINATOR A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a position EMS Continuing Education Coordinator. This is a full time position with benefits. For more details and to apply: abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4681

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) PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Call us first. Living expenses, housing, medical, and continued support afterwards.

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(AAN CAN)

LEGAL NOTICES PUBLIC SALE OF 2013 KIA SOUL To satisfy lien on December 27, 2017. Lien against Christopher Lawrence Griffin. Price of lien $8520. Auto Safe Towing Inc, 474 1/2 N Louisiana Ave, Asheville NC 28806. 828-236-1131.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS SPECIALIST WEBSITE DIGITAL MEDIA A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a position Specialist, Website Digital Media, SEO and Accessibility .

For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4673

SERVICES PHYSICS ADJUNCT POSITION Warren Wilson College invites applications for a part-time Physics Adjunct position beginning January 22, 2018 to teach calculus-based Physics II with lab.

Minimum qualifications include a Master’s degree in Physics or closely related field, and the ability to teach on campus in an active and engaging classroom and lab.

To apply, visit https:// warrenwilsoncollege.formstack. com/forms/untitled_form16 and indicate "CHM/PHY" as the department of potential instruction. For additional questions about this position, contact lmartin@warren-wilson.edu

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS

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MIND, BODY, SPIRIT COUNSELING SERVICES CONSCIOUS LIFE COUNSELING DeAnne Hampton BS/MA Energy Intuitive, Author, Teacher.

You are the instrument - understand yourself as energy, become empowered to create new life. It is a NEW DAY! deannehampton. net 828-275-7151

HOME IMPROVEMENT HANDY MAN SEEKING CONTINUING EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS Do you have workplace skills that are vital to the WNC job market and a passion for sharing your knowledge or providing hands-on instruction of a skilled trade? A-B Tech’s Continuing Education Workforce Programs Department is seeking local workforce experts to teach on a part-time basis. You can supplement your income and help area employees advance their skills or land the job of their dreams. • Experts in Skilled Trades, Hospitality Management, Health Occupations,

HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993.

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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.

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

HU MOR

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your life in the first half of 2018 will be like a psychological boot camp that’s designed to beef up your emotional intelligence. Here’s another way to visualize your oncoming adventures: They will constitute a friendly nudge from the cosmos, pushing you to be energetic and ingenious in creating the kind of partnerships you want for the rest of your long life. As you go through your interesting tests and riddles, be on the lookout for glimpses of what your daily experience could be like in five years if you begin now to deepen your commitment to love and collaboration.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll soon have a chance to glide out into the frontier. I suggest you pack your bag of tricks. Bring gifts with you, too, just in case you must curry favor in the frontiers where the rules are a bit loose. How are your improvisational instincts?

Be sure they’re in top shape. How willing are you to summon spontaneity and deal with unpredictability and try impromptu experiments? I hope you’re very willing.

This may sound like a lot of work, but I swear it’ll be in a good cause. If you’re well-prepared as you wander in the borderlands, you’ll score sweet secrets and magic cookies. Here’s more good news: Your explorations will position you well to take advantage of the opportunities that’ll become available throughout 2018.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): These days it’s not unusual to see male celebrities who shave their heads. Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, Seal, Tyrese Gibson and Vin Diesel are among them. But in the 20th century, the bare-headed style was rare. One famous case was actor Yul Brynner. By age 30, he’d begun to go bald. In 1951, for his role as the King of Siam in the Broadway play The King and I, he decided to shave off all his hair. From then on, the naked-headed look became his trademark as he plied a successful acting career.

So he capitalized on what many in his profession considered a liability. He built his power and success by embracing an apparent disadvantage. I recommend you practice your own version of this strategy in 2018.

The coming weeks will be an excellent time to begin.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the Northern Hemisphere, where 88 percent of the world’s population resides, this is a quiescent time for the natural world. Less sunlight is available, and plants’ metabolisms slow down as photosynthesis diminishes.

Deciduous trees lose their leaves, and even many evergreens approach dormancy. And yet in the midst of this stasis, Cancerian, you are beginning to flourish.

Gradually at first, but with increasing urgency, you’re embarking on an unprecedented phase of growth. I foresee that 2018 will be your Year of Blossoming.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): If you’ve had an unfulfilled curiosity about genealogy or your ancestors or the riddles of your past, 2018 will be a favorable time to investigate. Out-of-touch relatives will be easier to locate than usual. Lost heirlooms, too. You may be able to track down and make use of a neglected legacy. Even family secrets could leak into view — both the awkward and the charming kinds. If you think you have everything figured out about the people you grew up with and the history of where you came from, you’re in for surprises.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Most of us regard our ring fingers as the least important of our digits. What are they good for? Is there any activity for which they’re useful? But our ancestors had a stronger relationship with their fourth fingers. There was a folk belief that a special vein connected the fourth finger on the left hand directly to the heart. That’s why a tradition arose around the wedding ring being worn there. It may have also been a reason why pharmacists regarded their fourth fingers as having an aptitude for discerning useful blends of herbs. I bring this up, Virgo, because I think it’s an apt metaphor for one of 2018’s important themes: A resource you have underestimated or neglected will be especially valuable — and may even redefine your understanding of what’s truly valuable.

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DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In fairy tales, characters are often rewarded for their acts of kindness. They may be given magical objects that serve as protection, like cloaks of invisibility or shoes that enable them to flee trouble. Or the blessings they receive may be life-enhancing, like enchanted cauldrons that provide a never-ending supply of delicious food or musical instruments that have the power to summon delightful playmates. I bring this up, Libra, because I suspect that a similar principle will be very active in your life during 2018. You’ll find it easier and more natural than usual to express kindness, empathy and compassion.

If you consistently capitalize on this predilection, life will readily provide you with the resources you need.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Like all of us, you go through mediocre phases when you’re not functioning at peak efficiency. But I suspect that in 2018 you will experience fewer of these blah times. We will see a lot of you at your best. Even more than usual, you’ll be an interesting catalyst who energizes and ripens collaborative projects. You’ll demonstrate why the sweet bracing brightness needs the deep dark depths, and vice versa. You’ll help allies open doors that they can’t open by themselves. The rest of us thank you in advance!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The blunt fact is that you can’t be delivered from the old demoralizing pattern that has repeated and repeated itself — until you forgive yourself completely. For that matter, you probably can’t move on to the next chapter of your life story until you compensate yourself for at least some of the unnecessary torment you’ve inflicted on yourself. Now here’s the good news: 2018 will be an excellent time to accomplish these healings.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 2018, one of your primary missions will be to practice what you preach; to walk your talk; to be ambitious and masterful in all the ways a soulful human can and should be ambitious and masterful. Live up to your hype in the coming months, Capricorn! Do what you have promised! Stop postponing your dreams! Fulfill the noble expectations you have for yourself! Don’t be shy about using exclamation points to express your visions of what’s right and good and just!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Years ago, when I started my career as a horoscope writer, my editor counseled me, “Always give priority to the Big Three. Romance, money and power are what people care about most.”

After a few months, he was disgruntled to realize that I wrote about how to cultivate psychological health and nourish spiritual aspirations as much as his Big Three.

He would have replaced me if he could have found another astrology writer whose spelling and grammar were as good as mine. But his edict traumatized me a bit. Even today, I worry that I don’t provide you with enough help concerning the Big Three. Fortunately, that’s not relevant now, since I can sincerely declare that 2018 will bring you chances to become more powerful by working hard on your psychological health . . . and to grow wealthier by cultivating your spiritual aspirations . . . and to generate more love by being wise and ethical in your quest for money and power.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): What binds you? What keeps you closed down and locked up? I urge you to ponder those questions, Pisces. Once you get useful answers, the next step will be to meditate on how you can undo the binds. Fantasize and brainstorm about the specific actions you can take to unlock and unclose yourself. This project will be excellent preparation for the opportunities that the coming months will make available to you. I’m happy to announce that 2018 will be your personal Year of Liberation.

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SPIRITUAL

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FOR MUSICIANS MUSICAL SERVICES 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

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T H E N E W Y OR K TI M ES CR OSSWOR D PU ZZLE

ACROSS

1 Man’s name that means “king” 4 Taxpayers’ IDs 8 Verbal digs 13 Palindromic farm animal 14 St. Patrick, for the Irish 15 Is a first-stringer 17 *Monthly charge for a London apartment?

19 Garb 20 Targets 22 Follower of the first intermission 23 Mineral in bath powder 26 *French fries on a London card table?

28 Mushroom used in sukiyaki 30 Arrives on time for 31 90° from ENE 32 Like a doctor’s penmanship, stereotypically 36 Sign of spring 39 First X, say 40 *Catalog from a London raincoat designer?

42 Spot in la mer 43 Herd unit 45 Learjet competitor 46 Cardinal ___

edited by Will Shortz

8 Character-building youth org.

9 What follows a cry of “Char-r-rge!”

10 Mechanism in a unidirectional wrench 11 Words found in the answers to this puzzle’s starred clues 12 Remove with a sandblaster, say 16 Dos y cuatro 18 Bulletin board item 21 Conductors set them 23 Final frame in bowling 24 Lennox of Eurythmics 25 Atkins plan, e.g.

27 Synthetic alternative to silk 29 Suffix with sex 33 Gets ready to play basketball, say, with “up” 34 Cat once prized for its DOWN fur 1 TKO caller 35 Airer of Ken Burns 2 Harry Potter’s Hedwig, documentaries e.g.

37 Many a rapper’s name 3 Roll-call call 38 George who played 4 Familiar voice since Norm on “Cheers” 2011 41 Ike’s home state: Abbr.

5 Rascal 44 ___ Harry, vocalist for 6 “I beg to differ” the band Blondie 7 Weaselly sort 48 Fool’s gold

No. 1115

47 What like-pole magnets do 49 Johnny Appleseed, e.g.

51 *Part of a London police officer’s uniform?

56 Furtive “Hey, you!”

57 Home of the Ewoks 58 Perfectly 60 Add, per a recipe 62 *Conveyance in a multilevel London store?

66 Place for a sword 67 Dagwood’s bratty neighbor 68 Message on an offstage card 69 Lucy’s sitcom pal 70 Beat people?

71 What curtains may signify

PUZZLE BY STEVEN E. ATWOOD

50 German automaker 51 First lady after Eleanor 52 Words before double or take 53 Sine’s reciprocal, briefly

ANSWER TO PUZZLE XPRESS

54 Frida who was portrayed in film

by Salma Hayek 55 Crush, in a way, with “on” 59 Some narrative writing

61 Org. with the Original Six teams 63 What 61-Down teams play on 64 Amusement 65 Sen. Cruz

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

Owned & operated by:

We are seeking a dynamic, self motivated, General Manager for our Hilton Garden Inn located at 309 Attendant College Room Drive in Asheville.

Prior Hotel Laundry Attendant GM experience, a positive attitude, and proven leadership ability are a must!

Room Inspector Competitive pay andSecurity great benefits.

Overnight

Please send resumes to cmoretz@qocnc.com or apply online at www.QOCNC.com.

Give $20 or more and we’ll send you this...

A voucher book filled with great freebies and discounts from your favorite retailers around the area, in thanks for your contribution.

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Book ucher

Paul Caron

Furniture Magician • Cabinet Refacing • Furniture Repair • Seat Caning • Antique Restoration • Custom Furniture & Cabinetry (828) 669-4625

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• Black Mountain

DEC. 20 - 26, 2017

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