Comedian Cayla Clark discusses the upcoming primary election with fellow stand-ups Cloud Hudson, Larry Griffin and Alex Parsons. Together, the four funny locals analyze the 500 or so people running for Asheville City Council. They also try to figure out why the promise of a free “I Voted” sticker just isn’t inspiring the sort of turnout a functioning democracy needs. And, of course, they offer unqualified and unsolicited advice to this year’s local batch of political hopefuls.
PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson
MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder
EDITOR: Gina Smith
OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose
STAFF REPORTERS: Thomas Calder, Brionna Dallara, Justin McGuire, Gina Smith
COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Braulio Pescador-Martinez
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Jon Elliston, Mindi Meltz Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Emily Klinger Antolic, Christopher Arbor, Edwin Arnaudin, Danielle Arostegui, Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Cayla Clark, Molly Devane, Ashley English, Merin McDivitt, Mindi Meltz Friedwald, Troy Jackson, Bill Kopp, Chloe Leiberman, Anabel Shenk, Jessica Wakeman, Jamie Zane
PHOTOGRAPHER: Caleb Johnson
ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson
LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Tina Gaafary, Caleb Johnson, Olivia Urban
MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, Dave Gayler
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick WEB: Brandon Tilley
BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler
OFFICE MANAGER: Mark Murphy
FRONT OFFICE:
Asheville should follow Canton’s lead on data centers
[Regarding “Canton Passes 12-month Moratorium on Data Centers and Cryptocurrency Mining,” Feb. 16, Blue Ridge Public Radio via Xpress:]
I not only agree with Canton’s stance, I urge Asheville City Council to declare so and more. They’d have backing from CAN (Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods), TPTF (Tree Protection Task Force) and neighborhood associations such as West Asheville’s Rhododendron Creek and Horney Heights.
Buncombe County commissioners and City Council members need to enable and protect their constituents — exercise common sense (e.g., Interstate 40 expansion vs. canopying our town in tourist greenery).
— Queen Lady Passion (aka Dixie Deerman) High Priestess Coven Oldenwilde Asheville
UNCA chancellor is wrong about so much
When it comes to plans for the UNC Asheville woods, Chancellor Kimberly van Noort seems to live in a fantasy bubble of her own creation. She is wrong about so many things.
First, much of the community anger is indeed directed at her personally. Why is that? She’s clearly not listening to input from the broader Asheville community, at least not any input that disagrees with her. That comes across as arrogant and disrespectful. And most people don’t believe she’s acting solely in the best interests of UNCA so much as in the interest of furthering her career.
Even though UNCA is a public university, it’s apparently expected to be a cash cow first and an educational institution second. Pushing through commercial developments seems to be a goal of the UNC Board of Governors, and by doing their bidding, van Noort is increasing her chances of being rewarded with a chancellorship at a bigger, more prestigious UNC campus. By the time it becomes clear that a UNCA stadium isn’t the big money machine she claims it will be, she’ll have a few more years in an even better-paying position (the current one already pays around three times the average UNCA professor’s salary, not to mention the free housing and liberal car allowance). Before the chickens come home to roost (the owls will all be long
gone by then!), she can make a quiet exit into a well-funded retirement.
It’s UNCA and the City of Asheville that will carry the albatross of an expensive soccer stadium that is unwanted and almost certainly destined to be underutilized, much like the existing Sherrill Center on campus already is. And, of course, at that point, the woods, like the owls that inhabit it, will be gone forever.
What evidence is there that students don’t want to attend a beautiful, wooded campus? That’s arguably one of the things that sets UNCA apart. It’s wooded but still close to all the happenings of
Asheville. If students without cars are having trouble getting off the campus, maybe UNCA could operate a shuttle service that would regularly take students down to the River Arts District and into downtown Asheville. Instead of bringing a bunch of new commercial retail buildings onto campus by razing the woods, why not bring the students to existing retail areas?
If anything, Asheville currently has a fair amount of vacant retail properties (the old Stein Mart shopping center is one example near campus). Building more retail properties right now, especially by razing one of the last urban
wooded areas in Asheville, just doesn’t make economic sense at the community level.
But the chancellor basically says she doesn’t care about that, because state law allows the university to do what it wants, even if the community is opposed.
There is a valid need for more student housing on campus. There may be an opportunity to build some of that on the edge of the UNCA woods.
Finally, as many have already said, secret, closed-door meetings by insiders who have a specific agenda and seemingly an outcome already in mind are hardly the definition of transparency. It adds insult to injury. It isn’t moving the (soccer) ball down the field in any meaningful way and will likely only result in a more angry opposition.
While our president seems to have made being wrong and never admitting his mistakes into an art, we don’t need our local university chancellor to follow that same shameful playbook. There’s still time to open this process up and do a much-needed sanity check and rethink of the alternatives.
— Tony Sarris Weavervill Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.
There are better alternatives for UNCA development
Better alternatives: These two words are key to the UNC Asheville Millennial Campus. UNCA, Chancellor Kimberly van Noort and trustees have been given not one, not two, but five alternative plans to be able to have their soccer stadium, luxury “market rate” condos, coffee shops and other millennial buildings for less money and preserve the 45-acre forest. They can have more product for less money. So why do these folks keep wanting to spend more (of our tax) money? That’s kind of weird, isn’t it? All the good mystery movies say, “Follow the money.” Wonder where it’s going?
In NC Newsline, van Noort has a reported $300,000 base salary with “incentive compensation” up to 100% of that. That’s another $300,000 on top of base. Does destroying the 45 acres and ruining community goodwill qualify for her extra compensation? This is a legitimate question, as the only other reason I can fathom, which is usually career death for an educator, is failure to learn. She’s also on record as wanting to be a “groundbreaker.” Van Noort can be a bigger groundbreaker by acknowledging and utilizing one of the alternative plans.
Are this administration and trustees embarrassed? They are continuing to
CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON
dig their heels in on decimating 45 acres when they have been handed, on a silver platter, at least five logical alternative plans and a professional presentation that is superior to anything they have shown the public from their side thus far. Educators must continue to learn, pivot and even sometimes admit, “Hey this is very good, and we didn’t think of it, but we should go this way!”
The alternative plans are available for all to see on [avl.mx/ewz] under “better alternatives.” There is a link to local architect Scott Burroughs’ website. There is a stellar 18-minute presentation on YouTube [avl.mx/fcx].
All of this has been done for free. Kim (van Noort) can have her coffee shops within walking distance for people to gather, as she says she wants. Her statement that UNCA is a “monastery on the hill” and needs to be “integrated” into surrounding neighborhoods is just silly [“The Debate Rages On: Chancellor Shares Vision for Millennial Campus Amid ‘Save the Woods’ Debate,” Feb. 4, Xpress]. UNCA is a gem in the UNC crown. Look at the alternative plans. All of them keep all the activity on the main campus. Hey, van Noort! All within walking distance for students! Not across the campus, down the hill, across W.T. Weaver Boulevard to new “gathering places.” Keeping all these things on the side of the road that UNCA is already on will increase the vibrancy right there! It also puts her new mil-
lennial buildings close to Interstate 26 for easy ingress and egress for the 5,000 people she thinks are coming to these soccer games and concerts that she will be hosting.
I have understood in my life that educators need to keep learning. They need to pivot and adjust and learn new things. Learn that different ways of doing things can still be right; can still result in a feather in her cap; can still result in increased “vibrancy and enrollment.” Come on, van Noort. Come on, trustees. Impress me. Show me you can learn. As of this letter, not one trustee, van Noort or anyone in UNCA administration has even acknowledged the existence of these alternative plans or that they have even looked at them. Why is that, do you think? Follow the money?
— Laurel York Asheville
Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.
NIMBYs won’t face practical realities
Doug Baughman’s recent letter asked the question, “Why is NIMBY considered a bad thing?” [Jan. 21, Xpress]. Since he asked, I’d like to take a moment to explain. Mr. Baughman’s letter centers on why NIMBYs don’t get credit for protecting the environment in the same way environmentalists of the
past did. The answer is quite simply: On net, NIMBYism is frequently bad for the environment.
We have a housing shortage problem in this city. The statistics show this shortage is common throughout the country.
Mr. Baughman thinks that opposing dense housing in existing neighborhoods is protecting the environment. But as long as the population is increasing, new housing has to be and will be developed somewhere, and single-family suburban sprawl (one of the alternatives to the “dense housing” he’s protesting) outside of existing neighborhoods is one of the most environmentally harmful forms of development. If we agree that more housing is needed and has to be built somewhere, then the question is, how do we minimize the environmental impacts?
NIMBYs do not approach this problem pragmatically. NIMBYs say, “Development is fine, just not in my backyard.” The problem is when nobody wants development in their backyard, it
Word of the week
cachinnate (v.) to laugh loudly or immoderately May you experince as much when you read this week’s cover story on Page 22. X
pushes development to locations that are worse for the environment than your backyard. In fact, the more backyards the development is in, the less environmental impact the development will have. This is because dense housing is both more affordable and more environmentally friendly. It allows for more people to share and make better use of existing city infrastructure: increasing walkability, reducing commute times and decreasing reliance on cars and the building of new road infrastructure.
The Haw Creek development is not the most ideal development that could
CONTINUES ON PAGE 6
CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN
Poetry Contest
Xpress announces its 2026 poetry contest in celebration of April as National Poetry Month.
Are you a poet living in Western North Carolina? If so, consider submitting an original, previously unpublished work. This year’s theme, voted on by our readers, is food as community. Food is life. Food is memory. Food is connection. We’re calling on all writers to submit to this year’s Xpress Poetry Contest with food in mind. Maybe it’s a poem about your favorite Southern dish. Perhaps it’s poem inspired by a vivid memory of a meal shared with neighbors in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. Or possibly it’s a poem that captures the way a specific scent takes you to back in time. However you relate to food, share it with us through your poetry. As always, the focus should tie to life in Western North Carolina. So if you’ve got a killer poem about your love for fresh Maine lobster or your favorite Chicago deep dish, save those for another time. Important information
All submissions are final. Meaning we will not review revised submissions. All poems should be no longer than one typed page in a 12-point font. (Any poems that go beyond the page count will be disqualified.) Again, only previously unpublished poems will be considered. No A.I. generated poems are allowed. And while we love to hear from our younger poets, we ask children under 18 to submit their work to our annual Kids Issues. The contest is currently open for submissions and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4. Email your poem in the body of the message to tcalder@mountainx.com. Embedded links or attached documents will not be read. The subject line should read “Xpress 2026 Poetry Contest.” Include the author’s name and contact information in the email. Only one submission per person. There is no cost to enter.
A winning poem will be determined by local poet Nancy Dillingham, author of several poetry and short story collections, as well as a memoir. The winner will be published online and in print in our April 29 issue. The contest is not open to Xpress employees or their families, or freelance contributors.
Contact Thomas Calder at tcalder@mountainx.com with any questions
be happening in this city. What we need most is dense, walkable development along urban corridors, both downtown and in adjacent neighborhoods. But that type of development alone will not meet our housing needs, and the Haw Creek development is also not the worst form of development. It is relatively dense, located in an existing neighborhood on land that doesn’t require the extensive removal of tree cover or carving into a visible mountainside, and most importantly, is close to the city where people want to work and play.
If Baughman’s primary concern is really the environmental impacts of development, he should be advocating for even denser housing than what is proposed at the Haw Creek development. And if the city infrastructure doesn’t support the growth of existing neighborhoods, then we should advocate for the city to improve that infrastructure, not lock people out of the neighborhoods.
I have sympathy for those who already have a home in a neighborhood they like — I would like that also. And I understand the fear that these neighborhoods will be destroyed by development. But I think the fear is largely misguided. The “dangers” that many NIMBYs assume will accompany density (i.e., increased crime, lowered home value) are often unfounded. Even so, I believe NIMBYs have a right to use their voices to try to lock new people out of their neighborhoods and keep things the way they are, but they shouldn’t be surprised when the people who are struggling to find a way to afford to work, live and raise families in this city are frustrated when they do, and doing so under the guise of protecting the environment just makes it more frustrating.
— Thomas Fisher Asheville
Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.
MAHEC offers wide range of health care
Thank you to Xpress for including MAHEC in the Wellness Issue highlighting area nonprofits working to fill gaps in maternal health care [“Support for Mothers: WNC Nonprofits Work to Fill Gaps in Maternal Health Care,” Jan. 28]. Although MAHEC was founded in 1974 and now provides a wide
Updated Voter Guide
You can find responses from primary candidates running for N.C. Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 1 and Seat 3, online at avl.mx/fcz.
range of services — including obstetrics and gynecology, family health, internal medicine, psychiatry and behavioral health, dentistry and oral health, sports medicine, addiction medicine and maternal-fetal medicine — many people in Western North Carolina still aren’t aware of the breadth of care we offer.
They also may not know that nearly 230 physicians, dentists and pharmacists are currently completing residency or fellowship training at MAHEC or that more than 1,550 local students received school-based behavioral health services from our providers last year. These are just a few examples of our long-standing commitment to the health and well-being of our mountain communities.
We’d like to clarify one point from the article: MAHEC did not create the Centering Pregnancy program. While this innovative model of group prenatal care is MAHEC’s preferred approach — due to its strong record of improving birth outcomes, enhancing patient satisfaction and building social support — it was developed by the Boston-based Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI).
CHI is a national nonprofit that collaborates with health care systems across the country to implement group care models. MAHEC OB-GYN specialists began offering Centering Pregnancy in 2013, and the MAHEC Family Health Center at Biltmore later adopted Centering Parenting to provide group visits for children up to age 2 and their families.
We are grateful to Mountain Xpress and reporter Katrina Donham for featuring MAHEC in this story. With the continued trust and support of community partners — including this publication and its readers — we remain committed to training the next generation of health care professionals and expanding access to high-quality care for everyone in WNC and beyond.
I wanted to reach out about an article I read today about the gaps in maternal care here in Western North Carolina [“Support for Mothers: WNC Nonprofits Work to Fill Gaps in Maternal Health Care,” Jan. 28, Xpress]. The article is absolutely spot on with the gaps and need for more OB-GYN care, especially in the more rural areas.
I am the director of Open Arms, a pregnancy center located in Hendersonville. There are several of us located throughout WNC, and we are doing our best to fill in the gap,
offering support to women, children and families in our area.
We offer things like limited ultrasounds (up to 14 weeks), pregnancy tests, support and material supplies — prenatal vitamins, maternity and infant clothing, diapers and formula — as well as equipment: car seats, strollers, high chairs, bassinets and many other items. We offer client services from pregnancy until the child is 18 months old.
We also partner with other agencies in our community to connect clients with resources that support their overall care. Our heart is to be a safe and welcoming place for those walking through difficult circumstances. We are not here to judge, but to offer a hand up through the love of Jesus Christ, along with compassion, encouragement and faithful support. All of our services are free of charge and completely confidential.
I appreciate your time and hope more women in WNC will know that we are here for them if they need us!
— Stacy Bishop Executive director Open Arms Hendersonville
Fund abortions before child care
Abortions and contraception are what a place must fund to build economic infrastructure, before funding child care, schools or maternity care as Kit Cramer suggests [“Child Care Funding Is Important for Economy,” Jan. 14, Xpress ], as these are economic drags by comparison, and it is child-free talent that we need to attract, who can devote all their talents to economic infrastructure and not young parents who can’t. That’s in addition to attracting Donnie’s bombs like Venezuela, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Nigeria, none of which fund abortions or have enviable economies like low-fertility Japan, Provincetown and San Francisco.
Counties and cities must fund abortions and contraception first and most if they are to build economies or avoid the bombs. Abortion and contraception funding also cause far less microplastics than child care or the Band-Aids suggested by Christine Klein Mauck [“What Can We Do About Microplastics?” Jan. 14, Xpress], like Bezos’ Whole Foods, and far less erosion than those funded by the Soil and Water Conservation District, and so must come first, while other city and county spending, like child care, bag enforcement and stream fencing, await state approval.
— Alan Ditmore Leicester X
The quest for a better world needs the classroom MY STORY
BY ED SACCO
I’m motivated to respond to the subject of schooling because of the variety of my 29 years teaching in the public schools. My experiences range from third graders to high school students; includes children with reading disabilities and emotional problems; all subjects, including a few years of history in high school — and, ironically, I taught gifted children the last nine years of my teaching career. I’m familiar with charter schools, private schools and various models tried by a business group in California.
I also substituted in Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Asheville for a year or so when I moved here after retiring in 1996. It was a good way to get to know the area.
I applaud Mountain Xpress’ “I Beg to Differ” column [ Jan. 7 ] with Bill Branyon’s and Carl Mumpower’s opinions on the question: Should public dollars fund private schools?
What follows is a simplification of a long, complicated story. My son, a nonreader in our conventional and private schooling systems, eventually got his doctorate. He persisted and continued his education after graduating from a public high school.
I learned to teach because of my son, who entered fourth grade struggling in public school. I moved him to a private school that focused on his strengths: visual arts, music and theater. A much better environment, but a financial burden. But, even a private school was not enough.
Since the school district failed to meet my son’s needs, I studied the state of California’s laws and sought district funds. I was refused. I appealed to the county, state and political representatives, and even the president of the United States. Politicians offered verbal support but nothing else. I persisted and
ED SACCO
was awarded $5,000. The victory, though, was incomplete. To ensure my son had long-term support, I eventually sold my house and moved to another city to enroll him in a public school program suited to his learning style. This was my learning period of working and discovering the need to transform our schools, along with other parents and children.
I vouch for the sincerity of both Branyon’s and Mumpower’s opinions, as I have had conversations with them in the past. Again, I applaud the dialogue on a very important issue. But, it’s d é j à vu all over again, as Yogi Berra said around the 1960s. Why are we still discussing this after 50-plus years?
Albert Einstein answers this question: “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Schools will not transform until “our way of life” transforms, evolving spiritual values that include both private and public schools.
Resources for parents, teachers and students
Here are resources for parents, teachers, home schoolers and those who are overwhelmed and confused:
• The Intellectual Journey of Thomas Berry: Imagining the Earth Community; Heather Eaton, editor: essays on the hidden harmony of things.
• Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students
Our schools are framed and controlled by money and laws made by politicians rather than educators. This is a huge challenge for the Disunited States.
It’s easier to build strong children than to repair the wealthy elites, politicians and even well-intentioned adults who support the status quo and authoritarian government that rules by force, not persuasion or dialogue.
Our way of life must change before our schools transform. North Carolinian Thomas Berry suggested a “new sacred story” that brings more understanding through modern science and the evolutionary process for ever greater goodness, truth and beauty. He concluded that our crisis is the result of a lack of personal development, especially among people of power and influence. We can see the need today.
I am limited by the word count and the ability to express the joy and meaning of lifelong learning that I have been encouraging for younger generations. There are thousands and thousands of people on this planet who are not being heard by those in power today.
Have you noticed? News reports simply describing the violence in our world: police shooting people, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) using military force, wars of empire? Presented as if we the people are mere onlookers with no, or little, references to religious and spiritual values like compassion, sharing, caring for others and love, or at least respect for your neighbor. Think hard: What is needed for children, and adults who influence children, that evokes wonder, awe, creativity, a sense of the sacred and the capacity to deal with today’s current crisis?
Ed Sacco can be reached at esacco189@gmail.com. X
for Life — (and better adults) by Peter Gray.
• Unschooled: Raising Curious Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry MacDonald.
• The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids by Alexandra Robbins exposes intense stress, students and teachers cheating, cutthroat admission policies and students driven to suicide.
• The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori, an educational approach that has transformed classrooms worldwide.
• YouTube also carries a wealth of ideas about our cultural values. Check Thomas Berry, Brian Swimme, Yuval Noah Harari, education, and … well, you can continue your lifelong learning and discover the wisdom of those who devote their lives to the fate of the earth and the sacred universe.
Snapshot of the unsheltered Volunteers survey Asheville's
BY BRIONNA DALLARA
bdallara@mountainx.com
Where did you sleep last night?
It’s a personal but essential question that volunteers asked Buncombe County’s unhoused population during the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count, which took place Feb. 10-11. Continuum of Care programs are federally required to conduct these surveys at least every two years, usually within the last 10 days in January. Due to this year's winter storms, the deadline was extended.
Xpress joined the nearly 130 volunteers who paired up to canvass 28 designated business corridors, parks and other areas of the city. The data, which will come out in March, helps determine local, state and federal funding for homeless services and how those services should be expanded or adapted.
“It doesn't tell us everything that we need to know or everything about this population in general across the entire region,” Debbie Alford, a homeless-program strategy specialist for the city, told volunteers on Feb. 11. “But it does give us a small picture of this part of our community and offers a means of comparing that year after year.”
As previously reported by Xpress, the 2025 PIT count revealed a 50% increase in the unhoused population. This did not include residents housed in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program. Had these individuals been included, the 2025 count could have increased by 1,548 individuals. Temporary housing vouchers have since expired.
unhoused in annual Point-in-Time count
SURVEYING NEEDS: Debbie Alford, a homeless-program strategy specialist for the city, addresses volunteers as they prepare to survey Asheville’s unhoused population in the annual Point-in-Time count, which informs funding and strategies for addressing homelessness. Photo by Brionna Dallara
Emily Ball, the city’s homeless-strategy division manager, who leads the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care (CoC), said she expects this to impact 2026 data, which is why the CoC added Helene-related questions to this year’s survey.
“Today’s count will give us an actual sense of what the scale of that is,” Ball told the Feb. 11 volunteers.
LIVED EXPERIENCES
Locally, one of the major initiatives PIT helps fund is Code Purple, an emergency winter shelter program activated by the CoC when temperatures are forecast for 32 degrees or below, or when temperatures run between 33 and 40 degrees with precipitation.
The PIT is also how people like Brittney Shuit, formerly unhoused, have learned about resources such as
Rapid Rehousing, a program operated by Homeward Bound of WNC, which provides short-term rental assistance and case management services for eligible individuals for up to two years.
Shuit, who now works for Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, spoke to PIT volunteers about the challenges she experienced in 2020 as an unhoused community member.
Emily Witherspoon also addressed her experience with homelessness from 2020-22, as well as the impact the PIT survey has on shelter services. Witherspoon, who now works for Homeward Bound, pointed out that the nonprofit’s AHOPE Day Center recently added accommodations for couples and individuals with pets based on past survey responses.
The count, continued Witherspoon, also uplifts community members who often feel ignored. “You not only feel invisible, at times you feel less than
invisible,” Witherspoon said, reflecting on her past. “You have people on the streets that have just woken up in a doorway or in a storage unit or in an overcrowded shelter where they feel like [they] don't have a voice.”
ONE WISH
Before heading out to conduct this year's PIT, volunteers stuffed bags with supplies for unhoused community members — hats, snacks, hand warmers, flashlights, sanitizer — as well as resource pamphlets to distribute during the survey.
Beth Russo, founder of the nonprofit consultancy People Who Help, was among the volunteers. She spoke with Xpress during her PIT route along Haywood Road in West Asheville. This year's count marked her fifth time volunteering. She said each experience has offered her insights into the community's homeless population.
“It made me realize that I should never assume who somebody is, what situation they’re in, or why they’re there," Russo said. “Everybody deserves dignity.”
The 2026 survey includes the question “What is one thing you wish our community understood about homelessness?” One individual responded to the inquiry with “I'm just like you.”
Throughout her years of volunteering for the PIT count, Russo has encountered a number of recurring stories. For example, many of the people she has surveyed have told her their experience with homelessness began after a romantic relationship ended.
Traumatic experiences, she added, are another common thread.
“So much originates in unresolved traumas and our unwillingness to tackle mental health issues and our unwillingness to really address poverty,” Russo said as she continued down Haywood Road. “We're still talking about whether or not kids at school deserve to get lunch if they're poor, in the richest nation in the history of the world. So to me, some of the problems with people being unhoused isn't because of the individual but because of what our society has decided to not fund.”
The PIT count, she continued, is a step in the right direction.
“I think most of us are supposed to be here to make it better for each other,” Russo said.
To learn more about ways to assist unhoused community members, visit avl.mx/fcl. X
Across the county
BY BRIONNA DALLARA
bdallara@mountainx.com
From ongoing park restorations in Woodfin to water pump station repairs in Weaverville and an interim town manager in Black Mountain, Xpress has updates from several of Buncombe County’s small towns.
WOODFIN TACKLES EROSION
Gov. Josh Stein visited the Town of Woodfin on Feb. 16 to announce $5.7 million in grants from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint. Stein announced the awards at the future site of Taylor’s Wave, a constructed whitewater wave on the French Broad River. According to previous reporting by WLOS, Woodfin Town Manager Shannon Tuch hopes to open the attraction this summer.
Woodfin was one of five municipalities approved for grants, and will receive $284,000 for riverside park flood mitigation and stormwater improvements. This brings the town’s fundraising for Phase 2 of its parks to just under $3 million, Tuch told Woodfin Town Council at its Jan. 20 meeting. (Phase 1 totaled $8.8 million and included riverside park expansion and Taylor’s Wave.)
Woodfin’s ongoing expansion and improvements for the park include riverbank stabilization and erosion control measures, stormwater infrastructure, grading and native plantings, and the enhancement of public access structures to withstand temporary flooding. The improvements will reduce riverbank erosion during highflow events, improve the absorption of rainwater into the ground, slow peak flows, expand flood storage and prior-
Gov. Josh Stein visits Woodfin, plus other
updates from Buncombe small towns
WELCOME TO WOODFIN: Gov. Josh Stein visited the Town of Woodfin on Feb. 16 to announce $5.7 million in grants from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint. Photo courtesy of the governor’s press office
itize public safety. The grant supports Woodfin’s 2025 strategic priorities and the stormwater management goals of the town’s 2024 comprehensive plan.
“These grants not only rebuild and restore the French Broad River basin but also help protect the surrounding communities so generations of North Carolinians can live in safety,” said Stein in a Feb. 16 press release.
The Flood Resiliency Blueprint previously funded $3.16 million for eight projects dedicated to long-term flood resilience in the French Broad
River basin in 2024 and 2025. To date, the blueprint has funded 81 projects totaling more than $40 million.
In other news:
• The Woodfin Police Department is fully staffed at 22 employees. Tuch said that staffing has been an increased priority over the past four years.
• Woodfin has applied for more than $11 million in recovery grants. At the Jan. 20 Council meeting, Tuch reported that the town’s Climate Smart Communities Initiative grant for $130,000 is being processed. Tuch also noted a $10 million hazard mitigation infrastructure grant the town has applied for.
• At its January meeting, Council debated next steps for addressing plastics in the French Broad River. As a result of Tropical Storm Helene, massive PVC pipes from IPEX’s Silver-Line Plastics facility have polluted the waterway. MountainTrue has led the cleanup effort with over 80 volunteers scouring the river in North Carolina and Tennessee after receiving a $10 million grant. IPEX has also helped with the cleanup, said Council member Ken Kahn. Khan proposed that
the town apply for grants to aid in further cleanup. Khan also noted that IPEX is the biggest employer in Woodfin.
• Woodfin Town Council held its retreat on Jan. 29. In an email exchange with Xpress, Tuch noted that the top priorities for 2026 include: revisiting the town’s emergency home repair program; strengthening Woodfin’s unique identity; exploring public-private partnerships to make Woodfin more resilient; continue work to modernize and support the Woodfin Police Department; advance discussions around Town Hall and other town facilities; complete all park projects.
BLACK MOUNTAIN BIDS
ADIEU TO TOWN MANAGER
In December, Josh Harrold, town manager of Black Mountain, announced his plan to resign on Jan. 26. “My values no longer align with the Council’s values,” he stated in a press release. On Jan. 12, he joined Black Mountain Town Council for his final meeting as town manager.
Harrold served in the position since 2018. At the meeting, several com-
menters praised his service during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Helene.
Interim Town Manager Richard Hicks began his new role on Jan. 20, allowing a few days of overlap with Harrold.
At the same meeting, Council selected Piedmont Triad Regional Council to conduct the recruitment process for the next town manager as well as the next finance director.
In other news:
• Black Mountain will receive $1.6 million for its Veterans Park Floodplain, Wetland and Green Infrastructure Complex through the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint. The park is located in the Swannanoa River corridor, which has experienced repeated damage from flooding. Because the park is bisected by Interstate 40, the town will collaborate with the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to align the project with recommendations of the 2024 Swannanoa Flood Risk Management Study. Improvements will include flood benching (the creation of a “shelf” where water can spread out safely from the main channel), constructed wetlands, natural stormwater infrastructure and stream restoration.
• Council directed staff to pursue a traffic study for the Sutton and Black Mountain avenues intersection at its Jan. 12 meeting. The cost for the study is not to exceed $10,000.
• Council approved new hours, 5 a.m.11 p.m., for both Lake Tomahawk Park as well as town square at its Feb. 9 meeting. The new curfew is now in effect.
• At its special called meeting on Jan. 21, Council discussed Lakeview Center for Active Aging renovations. The center provides aging adults with recreation, health and education programs but has been closed since Helene. The building’s floor beams must be reinforced to commercial code-compliant standards in order to reopen to the public. An amendment of $40,000 was approved in order to meet project costs as estimated by contractors. This is in addition to a $15,000 budget amendment approved for this project on Oct. 28.
• Black Mountain Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a group of volunteers who serve under the town’s public safety agencies, gave a progress report to Council at its Feb. 9 meeting. In 2025, the current 27-member team completed over 1,500 combined volunteer hours. CERT will offer its basic training class from Friday, Aug. 7-Sunday, Aug. 9. Registration is now open.
WEAVERVILLE NOTES ROAD CONSTRUCTION
• Duke Energy is working to strengthen the electric grid in the Weaverville area, making it more resistant to severe weather and to help restore power outages faster. According to the town’s February newsletter, residents of downtown Weaverville and the surrounding area should expect to see large equipment (bucket trucks, etc.), single-lane closures and temporary traffic flow changes while this work is being performed. Work impacting downtown Weaverville began in early February and will continue into mid-April. Major work is underway on Main Street. Residents can also expect additional work on Church Street, North College Street and Central Avenue.
• On Jan. 13, repairs to the culvert system on Lake Louise Drive began. The contractor has replaced the culvert and is cleaning up the walking path to be paved with stone. The roadway is open, but a portion of the trail remains closed. The town advises people not to walk on Merrimon Avenue during construction. The walking path will be reopened once the stone is in place. The project depends on the weather but is estimated to be completed within the next two weeks.
• Council approved a project agreement at its Feb. 2 meeting to accept $4 million in grant funds from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for water system improvements. The funds will be used by the Army Corps to install a redundant waterline across Reems Creek and for replacement of aging and undersized waterlines in the downtown area.
• The installation of a butterfly sculpture and educational kiosk in the Weaverville downtown parking lot is expected to be installed by the end of February or early March. It is part of the Asheville Butterfly Trail, a project by Bee City USA – Asheville.
• Weaverville was awarded more than $135, 000 in Helene-related grant funds to cover the cost of the repairs to the raw water pump station at the water treatment plant.
• The Davey Resource Group completed a tree inventory and assessment. The report noted that general maintenance and upkeep for the overall tree canopy is good. The report also recommended four trees for removal. The Davey Group will provide a comprehensive presentation to the tree board at its meeting Wednesday, March 4, 6 p.m., in the Council Chambers/community room at Town Hall. The report will be posted on the town’s website afterward. X
Tomayto, tomahto
Tips for flavorful tomatoes and grow-it-yourself edamame
BY CHLOE LIEBERMAN
Spring is near, which means I am back to answer all of your growing questions. Email gardening@mountainx.com with your quandaries, large and small. May this season bring bounty and peace to you!
Some exciting news from me: I’ve co-authored a gardening book with my friend and colleague Natalie Bogwalker! It’s called The New Natural Food Garden: A Comprehensive Guide to Growing a Bountiful Harvest with Less Work, in Partnership with Nature It’s coming out on Tuesday, March 24. Learn more at avl.mx/fcc.
SUPERSTAR TOMATOES
These Celebritys aren’t shining like the stars. I tried to grow the same delicious tomato variety as my friend, but my harvest was tasteless.
This reader’s friend grows the best-tasting tomatoes they’ve ever eaten, a variety called Celebrity. The reader tried to grow some but was disappointed with the results. They planted Celebrity in a 5-gallon bucket full of good potting soil, with five to six hours of direct sun, daily watering and monthly fertilizing.
GARDENING SEASON: With growing season just around the corner, local gardening expert Chloe Lieberman offers ideas for cultivating tasty tomatoes in Western North Carolina. Photo by Sarah Tew info.wildabundance@gmail.com
but only a few also have biological components like fungal and bacterial helpers. This could be part of the issue.
The plant did well and produced a fair amount of fruit, but it was tasteless and disappointing. Their first thought was: “Maybe it wasn’t Celebrity after all.” I’ve got some other ideas. The truth is, many factors contribute to the flavors of fruits and vegetables; variety is just one of them. As this reader discovered, the same type of tomato grown in varying conditions can taste very different. That’s because properties in the soil and the amount of watering and sunlight all play a part in developing the flavor of garden veggies.
We’ll start with soil. There is a growing body of research connecting the soil where food is grown to properties of that food when we harvest and eat it. I don’t know exactly what this reader means by “good potting soil,” so I can’t say if that might be the culprit for the less-than-thrilling Celebrity flavor. However, both mineral nutrients and biological components of soil (the organisms living in that soil) can impact flavor.
Many commercial potting mixes contain all the nutrients plants need,
Now, let’s look at watering. I think this may be a major factor. Tomato roots can penetrate the soil 3 feet or more in search of nutrients and water. Because they’re so deep-rooted, tomatoes tend to do well with less irrigation.
Some farmers in arid climates even “dry farm” tomatoes, irrigating minimally or not at all. They let the tomatoes find their own moisture with those tenacious roots — and the results are some of the most flavorful tomatoes I've ever eaten.
Overwatering can result in watery-tasting tomatoes with less complex flavor compounds. If this reader tries growing Celebrity in a 5-gallon bucket again, I’d suggest watering only one to three times per week, depending on how hot it gets, and covering the soil surface with straw or another organic mulch to trap moisture between waterings.
On to sunlight. This reader placed the tomato bucket in direct sunlight for five to six hours per day. Generally speaking, six hours of direct sunlight is the minimum for most vegetable
plants to thrive. Fruiting crops (e.g, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, zucchinis — botanically speaking, the parts of these plants that we eat are fruits) need even more sunlight.
Eight hours or more is best for developing sweet, ripe fruits. You see, the warmth of the sun powers sugar production and ripening. Tomatoes are especially sensitive to this, with noticeable flavor differences between morning- and afternoon-harvested fruits on sunny days. More sun could make these Celebritys sweeten right up.
Finally, it is possible that the friend with the tasty tomatoes was, in fact, growing a different variety, not Celebrity at all, so it’s worth checking again. There are, in fact, two varieties of Celebrity that I noticed when I looked into it: Celebrity and Celebrity Plus.
GROW-IT-YOURSELF SNACKS
My kids love getting edamame at sushi restaurants. Can we grow them here?
Yes! Edamame is a Japanese word that means “branch bean” or “stem bean,” referring to the way that fresh
edamame is traditionally sold in markets: whole plants, heavy with pods. The botanical name of the plant is Glycine max, and another common name you may know it by is soybean.
That’s right, the little green beans your kids enjoy at sushi restaurants come from the same plant that’s made into tofu, tempeh, soy sauce, tamari, natto and innumerable fillers and protein concentrates in human and animal feeds throughout our food system. Edamame is simply the “green bean” stage of the plant, when it’s harvested before full maturity.
You can absolutely try growing edamame in your garden, and hopefully, your kids will get into it with you, since the end result will be a snack they know they love. Here are some things to keep in mind and set you up for success.
There are lots of kinds of soybeans! This plant is grown on a huge scale throughout the Midwest and around the world for the agricultural commodity market. Most of these crops are genetically modified varieties that have been developed by agrochemical manufacturers to withstand huge doses of herbicide sprays.
The same companies sell farmers the seeds and the sprays, making a fortune while promoting life-killing practices that degrade soil and water while increasing farmer dependency on large corporations — no thanks! For your home garden, be sure to find a non-GMO or certified organic variety. Virginia-based bioregional seed company Southern Exposure Seed Exchange has a few to choose from that are well-adapted to our climate.
Edamame, like other beans, are frost-sensitive, so plant them in midMay or whenever the soil has warmed up and the danger of frost has completely passed. Also like other beans, edamame are nitrogen fixers, meaning they have a cooperative relationship with soil-borne bacteria that transform airborne nitrogen into plant-available nutrition. Because of this, edamame won’t need a ton of fertilizing as they grow.
A common bean pest in our region, the Mexican bean beetle, usually emerges in force around June or July and loves edamame just as much as your kids do. The bugs look like orange ladybugs, and their larvae look like tiny orange Koosh balls. Keep an eye out for these and pick them off if they appear.
The beans will be ready to harvest when they look plump in their pods, and when the leaves of the plant are just beginning to lose their green color. Exact ripeness indicators can vary by variety, so read up on whatever kind you choose to plant to be sure you know exactly when to pick them. X
Buried legacy
BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE
The exact number of graves is unknown. The names of many of those buried there are lost. Even the boundaries of some plots have shifted with time and weather.
What is certain is that the wooded hillside behind Alexander Chapel United Methodist Church holds the remains of African American men, women and possibly children whose lives were bound up in slavery, emancipation and the history of a rural Buncombe County community. And, for now, plans to restore the burial ground and honor those buried there are in danger.
The cemetery, already in need of repairs, was badly damaged when Tropical Storm Helene uprooted massive trees and hurled them across unmarked graves and fieldstones that identify the final resting places for an unknown number of people. Money awarded to clear the trees and branches — a $30,000 federal grant — is stalled in Washington.
“Our objective is to let it remain a respectful, clear, forested cemetery, as it has been, but just to get the large trees out, to stabilize the cemetery plots,” says Phillip Ray Gibson, who became pastor of the church in July. “I want to locate the plots and properly identify and honor them with markers.”
‘IT GETS REALLY TOUGH’
Founded in 1856, with its current sanctuary built in 1890, Alexander Chapel sits along Aiken Road in northern Buncombe County and traces its roots to one of Western North Carolina’s largest slaveholding families.
James Mitchel Alexander (17931858), a prominent Buncombe County landowner and hotelier, gave property for the establishment of the church, which was named after him.
Alexander operated a hotel in what is now downtown Asheville until 1828, before relocating to a larger complex following the completion of the Buncombe Turnpike, says Katherine Cutshall, manager of Buncombe County Special Collections. The hotel, known as Alexander’s, offered better accommodations than typical roadside inns, attracting travelers and even circuses passing through the area, she says.
The establishment included a main dining hall and smaller guest cabins
Storm damage, stalled grant threaten historic Black cemetery in Buncombe County
and served as a community post office.
Enslaved labor was crucial to the operation, with African Americans performing tasks ranging from domestic service to food production, Cutshall explains. Records indicate Alexander owned three enslaved people in 1820, 16 in 1830 and 58 by 1850, Cutshall says. Family members, including his son A.M. Alexander, also were enslavers.
The cemetery at Alexander Chapel was the traditional burying ground of the Alexander family. The presence of unmarked graves alongside marked ones, combined with the family’s documented slaveholding, leads historians to conclude the unmarked graves at the church are those of African Americans.
“It’s based on very well-educated assumptions,” Cutshall says. “And I
think that’s the case with a lot of historical Black cemeteries.”
Some of those buried may have been enslaved people who worked for the Alexander family, while others may have been freed individuals who continued living in the area after the Civil War, she says. Some may have been African Americans who lived in the area but had no direct ties to the Alexanders. But without detailed church records or painstaking research through family papers, identifying specific individuals is extremely difficult.
“That’s where it gets really tough,” she explains.
Modern tools such as ground-penetrating radar could help map burial plots and determine how many people
are buried there, even if names remain unknown. Pastor Gibson hopes to work with researchers from Western Carolina University and other places to do just that.
“The ultimate goal would be to have a cemetery where we identify where everybody is buried,” he says. “Hopefully, we could put up simple cross markers so that going forward, people will know this is where someone is buried.”
He adds: “The ground is soft, and there’s been some erosion down into spaces, creating voids. We need to stabilize some of that.”
But none of that can move forward until the fallen trees are removed.
WORK REMAINS
Behind and beside the gravel parking area at Alexander Chapel, the forest gives way to headstones — some upright, some toppled, some nothing more than fieldstones pressed into the soil.
The front section resembles a traditional lawn cemetery with marked graves of Alexander family members and other white people. But in the forested portion, graves sit among mature trees. During Helene, large trees were blown down across that area. Some stones were knocked over. Others were already vulnerable.
With help from a family contribution and a local monument company that gave the church a break on price, several of the larger stones have been stabilized and reset on their foundations. But the greater challenge remains in the woods.
“We have large trees that are down, some still whole,” Gibson says. “Some have been cut up into sections, and they’re still waiting for us to remove what has been cut up.”
Because of the terrain and the presence of graves, heavy machinery cannot simply be driven into the woods. “Everything has to be chain-sawed by hand and cut up into pieces to be able to carry out by hand,” Gibson explains. Logs must then be hauled to a spot where a mobile splitter can operate without damaging burial sites.
The church had a plan to provide the resulting firewood free to the community. Volunteer groups, including veteran-led humanitarian organization Team Rubicon, helped remove some trees, stacking wood that has since been picked up.
But much remains.
FALLEN TIMBERS: Trees downed by Tropical Storm Helene cover the site of a historic Black burial ground at Alexander Chapel United Methodist Church.
Photo by Justin McGuire jmcguire@mountainx.com
UNCERTAINTY ABOUT GRANT
Alexander Chapel was awarded a $30,000 grant to hire a local tree company to remove the downed trees. The grant came through The Remembrance Project, an AmeriCorps-supported initiative administered locally by the Land of Sky Regional Council (LOSRC) to preserve and identify cemeteries honoring veterans and historic African American communities.
But then came the “roller coaster,” says LOSCR Executive Director Nathan Ramsey
The AmeriCorps grant that funded the program was abruptly terminated last year as part of widespread Trump administration cuts affecting thousands of federal grants. “I’ll never forget receiving that notice late on a Friday evening,” Ramsey recalls.
Following litigation that included the N.C. Attorney General’s Office, a U.S. District Court ordered the grants restored.
Despite the decision, Ramsey says, the council has not yet received formal approval for the grant as part of the current fiscal year.
“We have been unable to confirm with AmeriCorps whether this grant will be extended for this year,” he says.
“If AmeriCorps denies the extension for the current year, we will be forced to cover expenses with local funds. Most of the funding at LOSRC is grant restricted, so we have very little discretionary funds." (Xpress reached out to AmeriCorps for comment but did not receive a response.)
Ramsey says that since January 2025, Land of Sky Regional Council has received nearly $10 million in federal grants, but many of these funds have been suspended, delayed, terminated or left uncertain because of federal-level changes. He adds that the past year has been the most challenging in the organization’s 60-year history, due both to the unpredictable funding and the additional recovery work from Helene.
“I apologize for this uncertainty, but that’s the world we are living in right now,” Ramsey wrote to Gibson in December.
For Alexander Chapel, the result is paralysis.
“We’re basically in the same place we were in October,” Gibson says.
SMALL CHURCH, LARGE RESPONSIBILITY
The Alexander Chapel congregation is not large. Some members only
recently completed repairs to their homes after Helene. The church’s heater failed during a recent cold snap.
“We’re not a wealthy church,” Gibson says. “Finances are one of those things where we work to serve, and then we work to figure out what we need to do to continue moving forward.”
He has written to elected officials asking for help in encouraging the release of the promised federal funds. (Xpress reached out for comment from U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards but did not receive a response.)
In the meantime, the woods remain partially obstructed, with cut logs stacked beside fieldstones and aging markers.
Gibson is calling on the community for support in maintaining and restoring the church’s historic cemetery. He hopes to raise awareness of the site’s needs to attract funding, volunteers and assistance from local organizations.
The pastor is also reaching out to historical societies, preservation boards and other community groups, inviting partnerships to help honor and preserve the cemetery’s legacy.
“There’s a lot of history there,” he said. “There’s a lot of sacredness there. Our goal is to protect this sacred space.”
Classroom connections
Weaverville teacher Jonathan Hintz cultivates belonging, genuine relationships
BY CHRISTOPHER ARBOR
Once a month, Jonathan Hintz’s third graders at Weaverville Elementary School arrange their desks in a big circle for what they call “Family Dinner” — even though it’s actually lunch and even though it’s with their classmates.
What the name Family Dinner lacks in literal accuracy, it makes up for in vibe. Everyone must be seated before anyone begins eating. Then Hintz asks a question to the circle. At the beginning of the year, it may be as simple as “Who’s your favorite superhero?” But soon the questions dig deeper, such as “When did you really get your feelings hurt and you cried?” Everyone is expected to listen attentively and share with intention.
“It gets them to see how much they are alike and how much they're different,” Hintz says. “I want them to see that, yes, we are diverse. But at the same time, we have a lot in common, and that can bring us together.”
ROOTED IN SCIENCE
Hintz’s breaking bread with his students isn't based on sentimentality — it's based on neuroscience. Family Dinner creates a sense of social belonging that students crave more than the food itself.
In his book Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect, UCLA professor Matthew Lieberman highlights the striking research on the interconnection between learning and belonging. In one experiment, for example, individuals took IQ tests. The control
Do you run a business in a local town outside of Asheville?
Advertise in Xpress’ once-a-month recurring feature!
group correctly answered 82% of the questions, whereas a group that was first made to feel socially rejected answered only 69% correctly.
With more challenging GRE-style questions, the results were even more profound: The socially rejected group correctly answered only half as many questions as the control group.
The reason for such dramatic shifts, Lieberman says, rests on the fact that social pain is neurologically indistinguishable from physical pain. Despite the idiom, words can in fact hurt every bit as much as “sticks and stones.” Being verbally bullied can drain a student’s mental capacity in the same way that being physically bullied can.
Thus, much of Hintz’s work focuses on cultivating a sense of belonging that safeguards his students from the sort of alienation that makes learning impossible. Family Dinner is just one example of the traditions that form the foundation of his classroom.
Each day is bookended by hellos and farewells. Hintz — no matter how busy he may be — greets each student as they enter his classroom, and he gives each student a high-five or fist bump on their way out the door. And the day itself is filled with countless moments that make the students feel at home.
“I want my students to wake up and want to come to school,” Hintz says. “I want them to feel like they belong.”
CREATING CONNECTION
Hintz knows that, as the teacher, his students’ sense of belonging starts with their connection to him, so he puts real effort into knowing each student individually — and not just the basics. He seeks to understand the whole child, including their likes and dislikes, what their homelife is like and who the other important people in their life are.
“That's something that has to start day one,” Hintz says.
Beyond that, he seeks to foster that same relationship with families. “I want them to know that I'm just part of the team, helping them grow their child in the year that I have them.”
For many educators, holding on to that sense of belonging can become challenging when providing course corrections for off-task students. We all know that changing tone or volume gets someone’s attention, but while some may raise their voice or become
GETTING TO KNOW YOU: Lunchtime conversations and cartoon imitations are a couple of the tools teacher Jonathan Hintz uses to help build connection and security among his third grade students.
Photo courtesy of Hintz
angry, Hintz would more likely use a Mickey Mouse voice, thus calling the student in instead of calling them out.
“They just think it's hilarious,” Hintz says. “If they're nervous about something or if they're not getting a concept, a funny voice lightens the mood.”
Crucially, a sense of belonging may start with the one-on-one connection between teacher and student, but Hintz makes moves to ensure that the focus isn’t on him. He strives to show and tell students that they don’t have anything to prove to him — they don’t have to know the right answer, be the fastest to raise their hand or finish their work first.
“Third graders want to please their teacher, for the most part,” Hintz explains. “They want that ‘good job!’ that high-five, that praise. And I work through the year, through conversations and ‘thoughts of the day’ [classroom reflections] to get them to move away from that mindset — don't do it for my approval; do it because it's the right thing.”
Moreover, by modeling inclusivity and acceptance, he witnesses his class following suit. “At the beginning of the year, I saw students that would have been quick to exclude another student,” he says. “Now they’re inviting people in, they're like, ‘Hey, you come in and be part of our little group.’”
SOCIAL ENCODING ADVANTAGE
Once students feel safe and connected to each other, they're freed up to learn collaboratively rather than competitively. This is a well-documented phenomenon psychologists call the “social encoding advantage” — people learn better when they’re learning with others.
Social encoding advantage is why you may remember talking with someone about solitude more clearly than you remember being alone. It explains why you might be able to re-create a recipe you made with a friend but not one you made on your own, or why you may remember this article better if you tell someone about it.
It’s one of the reasons Hintz uses a “turn and talk” format throughout the day. For example, during a study of the Apollo 11 mission, Hintz says, he asked his students what they thought the most dangerous part of the mission was and why. Students then partnered with a neighbor, and instantly, he says, the room buzzed with 8-yearolds debating the dangers of the initial liftoff versus the moonwalk.
When they have to put it in their own words for a partner, he explains, they understand the concepts in a way they never would if he had just given them concrete answers.
There’s an old saying in education that Hintz lives by every day: “‘They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.” By starting with belonging — through Family Dinner, daily greetings, a Mickey Mouse voice and genuine relationships — Hintz has created a classroom of deep learning.
While Hintz is exemplary, he’s certainly not alone. Ask any passionate teacher what the first ingredient is in the secret sauce of pedagogy, and I’d be willing to bet 10 in 10 will say “relationships.”
Psychologist John Bowlby famously said, “Life is best organized as a series of daring ventures from a secure base.” Hintz is a master of forming that secure base.
Starting next month, we’ll be highlighting educators who are experts in framing education as a series of daring ventures. See you then.
If you know an educator whose work deserves some attention, please drop me a line at BestPracticeMakesPerfect@ gmail.com. X
‘The House Vanderbilt Could Not Buy’
One man’s quest to keep his home
BY HANNAH EPPERSON
hreppers@gmail.com
George Vanderbilt’s wealth could build castles and purchase mountains, but it couldn’t secure one small family cabin and a 5-acre lot. Or so the story went.
An 1895 article published in papers across the country described the lavish grand opening of the new Biltmore Estate, with its 200-room mansion situated on thousands of acres, the verdant botanical gardens and the “small army” of servants ready to attend to guests’ every need. The article also noted the “greatest curiosity of the estate … the shanty of a colored man who refused to sell his nine acres to the millionaire.”
The article claimed that Vanderbilt had offered the man, Charles Collins, far more than the property was worth, but “the colored man was wise. ‘Say, boss,’ he remarked, ‘if that’s worth $900 to you, I guess it’s worth $10,000 to me.’” Vanderbilt relented, according to the article, and “since then the colored man has had possum and sweet potatoes on his table three times a day.”
NOT FOR SALE
Collins was a Black man living in Shiloh, a community of formerly enslaved people located near the growing Biltmore Estate. While the other residents had agreed to relocate the community on the condition that Vanderbilt provide them with support for a new church and school, Collins was among the few landowners who refused to sell, gaining him national fame as the owner of “The House Vanderbilt Could Not Buy.”
The story inspired numerous newspaper articles, although few were burdened with journalistic integrity. An 1893 piece in the Goldsboro Headlight claimed that “Vanderbilt’s agent pleaded and threatened in vain. Then they had the old man’s lot fenced in. … [Collins] jocularly remarks that it has been one of the great desires of his life to live in an aristocratic neighborhood, and now that he is the nearest neighbor to one of the richest men in the world he does not propose to sell out.”
The story became a local legend shared with visitors to Asheville and Biltmore, resulting in a popular photo op for tourists.
“Many photographs were taken of the cabin and the Collins family,”
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Charles Collins’ home stood on a small tract of land adjacent to the Biltmore Estate. The date of the photo is unknown. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County Special Collections at Pack Memorial Library
according to a 1907 article in the Madison County Record. “Souvenir postcards with a picture of the shack and the wording: ‘The Cabin That Vanderbilt Can’t Buy’ printed thereon have been sold by the thousands during the past several years.”
Despite his portrayal as the lone holdout against Vanderbilt, Collins wasn’t actually the only Shiloh resident to initially refuse to sell their land. While his neighbor Joshua Moore didn’t capture public attention to the extent that Collins did, there were several newspaper articles highlighting his refusal to sell; a few articles also chronicled Moore’s arrest for allegedly stealing wood from the Biltmore Estate. He eventually sold to Vanderbilt in 1902.
‘DEPRIVING HIM OF SUNSHINE’
There were various attempts to cut the Collins tall tale down to size in the press, even from the beginning. In 1894, the Asheville Citizen provided Vanderbilt’s land agent, Charles McNamee, with a story claiming Vanderbilt had built a wall 70-feet high around Collin’s land, “depriving him of sunshine and making his life and that of his family one continual round of misery.”
“What object anyone can have in circulating such outrageous falsehoods about Mr. Vanderbilt is more than I can imagine,” McNamee responded in a letter to the paper. “Every statement made in the printed slip you send me is untrue, and the people of this vicinity must, most of them, know that it is untrue.”
The next year the Asheville Citizen also published an affidavit signed by Collins rebutting the story, especially the claims that Vanderbilt had made any threats against him.
In the affidavit, Collins stated, “I have suffered no persecution or oppres-
sion of any kind at Mr. Vanderbilt’s hands. On the contrary, members of my family have been employed on Mr. Vanderbilt’s estate; I myself have occasionally been employed by him, and my livelihood is principally earned in transporting visitors over the roads of Mr. Vanderbilt’s estate.”
CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE
Collins did eventually sell his land to Vanderbilt in 1907, but not for vast sums from a wealthy, antagonistic neighbor. Instead, it was a change in voting rights in North Carolina that drove Collins and his family from their land. In 1900, the state passed a new poll tax and literacy test aimed at preventing African Americans from voting; known as the disenfranchisement amendment, it effectively denied Collins his right to vote.
“Collins was a slave and says so with an evident pride. He is proud, too, of his raising, and of the position he occupies as a property owner and a tax-payer. He is indignant at the prospect of his being disfranchised,” reported the Statesville Record and Landmark in 1901. “He is going away — to Philadelphia — and gives as a reason for his leaving what he considers the injustice in his being disfranchised.”
“Well,” asked Atlanta Constitution reporter CD Wilkie, “who can blame Charley for protesting against a law that takes from him a privilege exercised by his next door neighbor, Mr. Vanderbilt?”
Editor’s note: Peculiarities of spelling, punctuation and word usage are preserved from the original documents X
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.
More info, page 26
WELLNESS
50+ Yoga
For individuals aged 50 and above, focusing on gentle movements and flexibility, taught by Barbara.
WE (2/25, 3/4), FR (2/27), MO (3/2), noon, Weaverville Yoga, 3-B Florida Avenue
Anahata Yoga
A heart-centered yoga practice focusing on the Anahata chakra, led by Barbara.
WE (2/25, 3/4), FR (2/27), SA (2/28), MO (3/2), 10:30am, Weaverville Yoga, 3-B Florida Avenue
Tai Chi Fan
The Tai Chi Fan class includes a short Flying Rainbow Single Fan form, partner work, and Flying Rainbow Double Fan form.
WE (2/25, 3/4), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave
Community Yoga w/ Carrie
A free hour of yoga, meditation and mindfulness with local yoga instructor.
WE (2/25), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave
Chinese Tea and Tai Chi Foundations
This is a class for all ages and all levels. No experience is needed.
SA (2/28), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave
Candlelight Flow Yoga
Unwind in our all-levels
Candlelight Flow Yoga class.
SU (3/1), 5pm, Happy Body Pilates, 25 Reed St., Suite 210
Hatha Yoga
Suitable for all levels.
MO (3/2), 9am
Weekly Meditation & Dharma Talk
A weekly evening of meditation, Dharma and discussion with a rotating list of guest teachers.
MO (3/2), 6:30pm, Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd
Yin Yang Qigong
Together, we will balance the Yin and Yang within to effortlessly smooth out internal and external physical, emotional and mental disharmonies.
MO (3/2), 10am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave
Kinēsa Mat Class
Kinēsa focuses on retraining the brain and calming the nervous system to release habitual patterns of posture, movement, and body mechanics.
TU (3/3), 8:30am, Happy Body Pilates, 25 Reed St., Suite 210
Meditative Morning
The first Tuesday morning of every month will be reserved for “Meditative Mornings,” a pause for quiet time in our gardens and on our trails.
TU (3/3), 8am, NC Arboretum, 20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way
FROM TIPOFF TO TITLES:
On Friday, Feb. 27, The Hendersonville Family YMCA hosts a communitywide Black History Month celebration honoring local Black basketball champions whose leadership, mentorship and service have strengthened Henderson County both on and off the court. The event starts at noon and will feature speakers including Henderson County natives Tippy Creswell and Kevin Young, plus food tastings from Carolina Ace BBQ. A free screening of the Tin Can Man basketball documentary follows. Photo courtesy of YMCA of WNC
Qigong for Health and Resilience
We practice a variety of simple yet powerful standing movements that can be as deep and challenging as you wish.
TU (3/3), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave
Dharma in the Digital Age w/David Dixon
A guide to online Buddhist resources and “Bookstore Buddhism,” this program offers helpful websites, apps for sutta study, support for practice, and Dharma Talks.
WE (3/4), 6:30pm, Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd
SUPPORT GROUPS
Nicotine Anonymous
People share their experience, strength and hope to stop using nicotine. You don’t need to be stopped, just have a desire to attend.
It will explore a variety of spiritual practices including meditation, breath-work, meditative movement and more.
WE (2/25, 3/4), 2pm, AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave
Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group
A free weekly peer-led meeting for those living
with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. For more information contact (828) 367-7660.
SA (2/28), 2pm, First Congregational Church of Christ of Asheville, 20 Oak Street Solutions Group Daily living sober meeting. For more information, visit avl.mx/f91.
SU (3/1), 12:30pm, Virtual, Online
Sunrise AA Meeting Daily virtual Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. For more information, visit avl.mx/f91.
SU (3/1), 7am, Virtual, Online
Families Anonymous Support group for those affected by someone else’s addiction.
TU (3/3), 6pm, Love & Respect, 350 Chadwick Ave Suite 300
The Men’s Nest Make meaningful human connections to strengthen your social health, cultivate compassion, and learn to use your power to give and receive authentic support.
TU (3/3), 5:15pm, SeekHealing, 50 S. French Broad Ave
Stroke Support Group w/Stronger Together Wellness Stronger Together Wellness empowers stroke survivors and their caregivers through shared experiences, fostering a vibrant community that inspires healing, resilience, and hope on the journey to recovery.
TH (3/5), 3pm,
AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave
DANCE
Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ MTN VIBEZ
A Latin dance social featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton with dance lessons for all skill levels.
WE (2/25, 3/4), 8pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd Nia Dance Class Nia brings the body, mind, emotions, and spirit to optimal health through music, movement, and self expression.
TH (2/26, 3/5), TU (3/3), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave
We Line Dance Instructor Brenda Mills leads an all-inclusive exercise class using line dancing to get your body moving.
TH (2/26, 3/5), 6:15pm, Stephens-Lee Rec Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
ART
Highwater: Ceramics from the Gail & Brian McCarthy Collection
Highwater features ceramics from the collection of Gail & Brian McCarthy, celebrating the 45-year legacy of Highwater Clays as a pillar of the ceramics community in WNC and beyond. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am.
Exhibition through April 26, 2026.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Modern Bestiary: Creatures from the Collection
This exhibition explores the artistic legacy of the medieval bestiary through a selection of animals and fantastic beasts from the Museum’s Collection. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through March 15, 2026.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Curves Ahead: Contemporary Art Exhibition
Discover Curves Ahead, a contemporary craft exhibition showcasing regional artists whose work explores form, movement, and organic shape across multiple media. Gallery open daily, 10am. Exhibition through March, 22.
Focus Gallery at the Folk Center, Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Pkwy
Dialogue: Lindenfeld & Lindenfeld
This exhibition celebrates the works of mother-daughter artists, Lore Kadden Lindenfeld and Naomi Lindenfeld. It features clay and mixed media work of Naomi Lindenfeld as she responded to a selection of her mother Lore’s innovative textiles. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through May, 9. Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St
Women of the Pacific Northwest
This exhibition celebrates the voices, visions and material mastery of female artists working today, with roots from this rich and progressive region. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through May 17, 2026.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
The 58th Juried Undergraduate Exhibition This exhibition is an extraordinary opportunity for WCU undergraduate students to share their artwork with a larger public and to enhance their skills in presenting artwork in a professional gallery setting. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through March, 20, 2026. See p26 WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr Stitching Stories
Reimagined
This free traveling exhibit translates incarcerated women’s individual struggles into a symbol of resilience, healing, empathy, and advocacy. Gallery open daily, 9am. Exhibition through March 26. Black Mountain United Methodist Church, 101 Church St
Pink Dog Mardi Gras: Lovers, Sinners & Misfits
Twenty-eight artists present works encompassing a multi-faceted interpretation of the holiday: the European influence of masquerade, the exuberance of New Orleans’
renowned parades, elaborate parties and unique Cajun and African American traditions. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through March 28. Pink Dog Creative, 348 Depot St Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft celebrates nonprofits and artists from around the country who believe in—and actively practice—the power of craft to support and empower individuals and communities. FR (2/27), 5:30pm, Center for Craft, 67 Broadway Material Conversation: Art Exhibition w/Molly Hill & Lynn Hudson
A two person MFA show. Holly was a costume designer in Hollywood for film, and TV. Lynn worked as a media specialist in various schools. FR (2/27), 5pm, Little Animals, 31 Carolina Lane
Nick Raynolds: Catabolic Landscapes Raynolds is a classically trained painter exploring fantastical and subconscious imagery. His studies include stints in Halifax, Düsseldorf, and NYC. Raynolds is like a traveller retrieving artifacts from his imagination.
SA (2/28), 5pm, Little Animals, 31 Carolina Lane
Public Tour: Featured
Exhibition
A guided tour of the museum’s current featured exhibition.
SA (2/28), 2pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Public Tour: Discovering Art in Asheville Volunteer educators or Museum staff lead and interactive tour exploring the Museum’s history and Collection.
SU (3/1), 3pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
COMMUNITY MUSIC
Jazz & Soul Sessions
w/Kelle Jolly & The Will Boyd Project Banjo - Banjul Music presents Jazz & Soul Sessions a vibrant concert series celebrating the rhythm of our legacy in the heart of Asheville, NC.
FR (2/27), 7pm, YMI Cultural Center, 39 S Market Street
An Evening w/ Crescent Choir Crescent Choir, a seasonal collaborative choir led by Sophia Corinne, will present an original concert that will feature choral arrangements of songs by 7 WNC songwriters.
See p26
SA (2/28), 7pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd
The Blue Ridge Orchestra: Ta-Ra-Ra
This program celebrates the rich acoustics of each beautiful sanctuary, with guest choirs performing Tallis’s (TA) “If Ye Love Me”, a modern work by David Rakowski (RA), and at the heart of “Ta-Ra-Ra” is Rachmaninoff’s (RA) renowned and emotive Symphony No. 2 in E Minor.
SA (2/28), 3pm, First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 566 S Haywood St
The Blue Ridge Orchestra: Ta-Ra-Ra
This program celebrates the rich acoustics of each beautiful sanctuary, with guest choirs performing Tallis’s (TA) “If Ye Love Me”, a modern work by David Rakowski (RA), and at the heart of “Ta-Ra-Ra” is Rachmaninoff’s (RA) renowned and emotive Symphony No. 2 in E Minor.
SU (3/1), 3pm, First Baptist Church of Weaverville, 63 N Main St
WNC Pagan Choir: Winter Season
In this folklore and pagan-focused experience, we sing together to celebrate the old gods, the animate forces, and the spirits of the wild.
TU (3/3), 6:30pm, Land of Sky UCC, 15 Overbrook Pl
Jazz Showcase w/Dr. Bill Bares
The White Horse Jazz showcase with Dr. Bill Bares will spotlight outstanding regional vocalists, UNCA faculty jazz artists, and additional special guests.
WE (3/4), 7pm, Monte Vista, 308 W State St, Black Mountain
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
Welcome to Bridge Bridge lessons for beginners and those who want to review the basics. Register at the website or by emailing mailto:abrclubmanager@gmail.com.
WE (2/25, 3/4), 10am, Asheville Bridge Room at Beth Israel Synagouge, 229 Murdock Ave
Ed Talks: Education is Freedom
This TEDx-style event invites educators, students, and our larger community to reimagine public education not just as a system, but as the heartbeat of our democracy—the foundation of our collective freedom.
TH (2/26), 7pm, A-B Tech Community College, 340 Victoria Rd
Blue Zones: A Weekly Cooking & Learning Series
We’ll uncover their eating habits and learn how to prepare delicious, affordable meals everyone can enjoy.
TH (2/26, 3/5), 5:30pm, NC Cooperative Extension Madison County, 258 Carolina Ln Inner Exploration Through Mindful Writing w/Jake Kramer
This series will explore how mindful writing can be a pathway to authentic expression, freedom, and healing.
Whether you’re serious about self-sufficiency or just want a snack-filled backyard, we’ll cover site selection, growing basics & care, and many great plant options –including fruiting trees, shrubs, vines, and groundcovers.
SA (2/28), 10am, Reems Creek Nursery, 76 Monticello Rd
LITERARY
Poetry Open Mic
Asheville’s longest-running open mic, welcoming all forms of creative expression. Sign-up at 8 p.m. for a 5 or 10-minute spot.
WE (2/25, 3/4), 8:30pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave
Black Experience Book Club
This community-centered series is designed
to explore literature that centers the voices, histories, and futures of the African Diaspora.
TH (2/26), 6:30pm, YMI Cultural Center, 39 S Market Street
Margaret Bender & Tom Belt: The New Voice of God: Language, Worldview, and the Cherokee Bible. The New Voice of God reveals how these linguistic differences encoded basic predispositions and orientations toward the physical, spiritual, and social worlds—and how their translation in turn encodes the profound linguistic and cultural exchange manifested in the making of the Cherokee Bible.
SA (2/28), 3pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St Flooded Poetry
Mondays
Poetry-specific open mic, starring you plus weekly featured readers, every Monday. MO (3/2), 6:30pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd #1200
Denise Smith Cline Presents: The Resettlement of Vesta Blonik w/Heather Newton Set during the Great Depression, The Resettlement of Vesta Blonik is the story of two strong-hearted strangers, bent but not destroyed by grief and financial destitution.
WE (3/4), 6pm, Malaprop’s Bookstore/ Cafe, 55 Haywood St
THEATER & FILM
Blood Census
Two 21st century roommates in an American city, but also, Paris during the Reign of Terror. One is the voice for the History Channel; the other is active in the Revolution, making a count of casualties.
TH (2/26), 5pm, Little Animals, 31 Carolina Lane
Tonya & Nancy: A Rock Opera
A high-energy, darkly comic musical that reimagines the infamous 1994 figure-skating scandal with over-the-top theatrical flair. TH (2/26), FR (2/27), SA (2/28), 7:30pm, SU (3/1), 2:30pm, The BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St
Phantom Lamp Theatre Co. Presents: Close Quarters Close Quarters finds you, the audience, as spectral accompaniment for two ghosts in an apartment. Your mission? Help them get the new living residents to move.
TH (2/26), 7:30pm, Lamplight AVL, 821 Haywood Rd
Foreign Film Friday: Uprising by Jon Avnet
Based upon the true story of the “Warsaw Ghetto Uprising” in 1943, this heart wrenching docudrama won 5 awards, including an Emmy, and was nominated for 17 awards. Donation-based admission with light refreshments available.
The White Chip Michael Palascak, featured on The Late Show and The Late Late Show, was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing.
FR (2/27), SA (2/28), SU (3/1), 7:30pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St
The Comedy Zone: Michael Palascak Michael Palascak, featured on The Late Show and The Late Late Show, was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing.
FR (2/27), SA (2/28), 8pm, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave
Ballet Conservatory of Asheville Presents: Winter Works:
A mixed bill of new and exciting Ballet, Contemporary and Neo classical works. SA (2/28), 6pm, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave
MEETINGS & PROGRAMS
Social Seniors
A social gathering for seniors to engage in various activities and connect with peers.
Open Monday through Friday, 9am, Grove Street Community Center, 36 Grove S
Where is AI in 2026 & Where is it Going?
Together, we’ll tackle urgent questions like: Could AI lead to mass unemployment—or entirely new kinds of work? How might AI supercharge scams, hacking, and even physical crime? Will people form deep emotional bonds—or even romantic relationships—with AI assistants?
WE (2/25), 1pm, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St
Resist-Connect-Rebuild: Bimonthly Member Meeting
Meet up with other activists, learn what’s up with the resistance, find opportunities to get involved, and share your questions, suggestions, and ideas. TH (2/26), 6pm, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place
From Tipoff to Titles:
a community-wide Black History Month celebration honoring local Black basketball champions whose leadership, mentorship, and service have strengthened Henderson County both on and off the court.
FR (2/27), noon, Hendersonville Family YMCA Basketball Gymnasium, 810 6th Ave W
Rebuilding the Riverfront Community Design Workshop
Residents are invited to a drop-in design workshop to view multiple design concepts and visualizations shaped directly by public feedback.
SA (2/28), 11am, A-B Tech Ivy Building, 9
Genevieve Cir
Atheists of WNC
This little Atheist group invites anyone who doesn’t believe in religions to come chat with like-minded people. Find out more at avl.mx/f8c.
SU (3/1), 10am, EarthFare - Westgate, 66 Westgate Pkw
Sunday Celebration
An uplifting Science of Mind Celebration.
SU (3/1), 11am, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science of Mind Way
Open Page: A Meditative Writing Circle Also known as continuous stream-of-consciousness writing, free-writing is a meditative practice that bypasses thoughts of self doubt or critiquing.
TU (3/3), 5:30pm, Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd
Study Hall: Shh...I’m
Tuning: The Secret Life of the Orchestra Librarian & Bassist
A 45 minute talk by local experts and scholars. This month’s speaker is Michael Di Trolio of the Asheville Symphony.
TU (3/3), 6:30pm, Oak and Grist Distilling Co., 1556 Grovestone Rd
Tarot Club
Each month, we’ll study a new method, approach, or way to work with the cards while engaging in personal journeywork.
TU (3/3), 7pm, The Well, 3 Louisiana Avenue
Hunter Gatherer: An Artist Talk w/Photographer & Cultural Curator David Ricci
This decade-long project reveals America’s complex cultural history through objects and scenes discovered at
resale marketplaces nationwide, exploring themes of consumerism, objectification, racism, beauty and more.
WE (3/4), 5:30pm, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St
WNC Sierra Club
Monthly Meeting: Hope & International Energy
Scientists and engineers have made renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuel energy all over the place.
Scientists and engineers are creating new kinds of cheaper storage that will allow renewables, sometimes intermittent, to do it all.
WE (3/4), 7pm, Reuter Center, 300 Campus View Road
GAMES & CLUBS
Asheville Board Game Club Meetup
Play a wide variety of games—strategy, party, cooperative, and more—and we’re always happy to teach, so no experience needed!
WE (2/25, 3/4), 5:30pm, Well Played Board Game Café, 162 Coxe Ave, 101
Board Game Night Open, casual game night—come and go as you please. An assortment of board games available to play.
WE (2/25, 3/4), 5pm, Hi-Wire RAD Beer Garden, 284 Lyman St
Homeschooler’s
Hangout
Games help develop cognitive skills, including decision-making, problem-solving, and logical analysis.
TH (2/26, 3/5), 11am, Well Played Board Game Café, 162 Coxe Ave, 101
Game Night
An evening of cards and games such as dominoes and Rummikub.
TH (2/26), 7pm, First Congregational Church of Christ of Asheville, 20 Oak Street
Adult Community Basketball
Come shoot some hoops or play a pick up game with friends.
SU (3/1), 1pm, Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Southside After Praise After church, enjoy an afternoon playing spades or dominoes.
SU (3/1), 1:30pm,
Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Weekly Sunday Scrabble
If you like Wordle, Boggle, Words with Friends or Scrabble online, this club may be a good fit for you.
SU (3/1), 1:30pm, Stephens-Lee Rec Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
Monday Night Music
Video Bingo
Come out for Monday Night Music Video Bingo with Jason. MO (3/2), 6pm, Mills River Brewing Co., 336 Banner Farm Rd, Mills River
Pool Night
Pool night, every Monday night with a $5 buy in. Must be signed up by 7 p.m.
MO (3/2), 6:30pm, Eda’s Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville
Game Designers of NC Meetup
Come playtest the next generation of games. TU (3/3), 6pm, Well Played Board Game Café, 162 Coxe Ave, 101
Magic: The Gathering Whether you’ve been playing for years or are just starting your journey, this is your chance to battle, brew, and build community.
TU (3/3), 6pm, Well Played Board Game Café, 162 Coxe Ave, 101
KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS
eggs, pastries, flowers, crafts and more. SNAP, Double SNAP, & Farmers Market
Prescriptions accepted here.
WE (2/25, 3/4), 3pm, New Belgium Brewing Asheville, 21 Craven St Weaverville Tailgate Market
This market features a selection of fresh, locally grown produce, grass fed beef, pork, chicken, eggs, cheese, baked goods, artisan bread, eclectic handmade goodies, garden and landscaping plants.
WE (2/25, 3/4), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr
Gather & Grow: Almost Spring Growers & Makers Market
Smith Mill Works is teaming up with Plants for Everyone and Asheville Community Plant Market to host this collaborative event with a vibrant array of offerings, including: bare root plants, indoor varietals, handmade art, goods, and delicious treats from local vendors.
SA (2/28), 10am, Smith Mill Works, 80 Cowan Cove Rd
Grow Crazy: Online Spring Native Plant & Shrub Market
This online plant sale benefits MountainTrue and features native trees and shrubs to pollinator-friendly blossoms and wildlife-loving plants. Orders will be accepted from March 1st through March 31st, while supplies last. Visit avl.mx/fd0.
SU (3/1), 9am, Online Junk-O-Rama Vintage Market
Baby Story Time
A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months. TH (2/26, 3/5), 10:30am, Oakley/South Asheville Library, 749 Fairview Rd
LOCAL MARKETS
RAD Farmers Market
A year-round weekly market featuring local fruits vegetables, meats, bread, honey,
Full bad, vintage clothes, jewelry, local art & more.
SU (3/1), noon, Fleetwood’s, 496 Haywood Rd
WNC Farmers Market
This year-round market features locally grown produce, fruits and vegetables, mountain crafts, plants, shops, arts and crafts, sourwood honey, and other farm fresh items. Open daily, 8am. 570 Brevard Rd
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
Preservation is Resistance: Black History in the Age of Erasure
2nd Annual Brunch and Learn with RSAA as we bring 4 Black Cultural Center Directors from around the country to ask the seminal question “How do we sustain our narrative, histories and traditions in an age of erasure”?
WE (2/25), 11:30am, YMI Cultural Center, 39 S Market Street
People of Action Gala
The club recognizes seven individuals annually, one for each of Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus, whose work has created lasting, positive change in WNC.
TH (2/26), 6pm, Renaissance Asheville Downtown Hotel, 31 Woodfin St
Second Annual Heart Expo: Take Heart Haywood
This free, drop-in event is held in recognition of Heart Month and will offer heart health education, screenings, and community resources for individuals and families, encouraging all to recognize the importance of heart health, regular screenings, and staying informed. TH (2/26), 10am, Haywood Regional Medical Center, 262 Leroy George Dr
The Winter Ramble
Two dozen acts are set to perform. Headliners include: Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Trey Hensley; Asheville-based country-roots group Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters; master fiddler and storyteller Josh Goforth; and husband-and-wife Americana duo Chatham Rabbits. FR (2/27), 5pm, SA (2/28), SU (3/1), 12pm, Multiple Locations in Hendersonville, 401 N Main St
6th Annual Asheville Winter Bluegrass w/ From the Road Band & Tray Wellington Band
An annual celebration of bluegrass music hosted by Songs From The Road Band with Tray Wellington Band. SA (2/28), 5pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd
7th Annual Great Buzz Gathering
From the moment you step through the doors, you’ll be immersed in a community united by a passion for biodiversity, native plants, and protecting pollinators.
See p26 SA (2/28), 1pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Road St. 10
23rd Annual Business of Farming Conference
The annual Business of Farming Conference brings together professional farmers from across the Southeast region to network and share resources to grow their farm businesses.
SA (2/28), 8:30am, A-B Tech Mission Health Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Dr 2026 Donut 8K & Munchkin 1 Miler
Whether you’re a seasoned runner looking for a challenge or a family wanting to enjoy some fresh mountain air together, there are options for everyone.
SA (2/28), 7:30am, Ira B. Jones Elementary School, 544 Kimberly Ave
Sips & Scripts: An Afternoon Tea & Readers Theater for Julia Wolfe’s 166th Birthday Guests will enjoy a special Readers Theater titled “Wolfe’s Women,” which will highlight the impact that Julia and other women had on Thomas Wolfe.
SA (2/28), 1:30pm, Asheville Tea Company, 52 N Market
NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference
The NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference is an annual day of celebration and inspiration for everyone in our state interested in making sure kids have access to healthy food in schools and beyond. TU (3/3), 8am, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave
BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING
16th Annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive Community members are encouraged to donate blood alongside their neighborhood heroes at a time when the nation’s blood supply remains under significant strain. To schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org using sponsor code ‘AVLBattleOfBadges. WE (2/25), 8am, First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St Swannanoa Valley Wild Inaugural Chartering Ceremony
This fundraising event will offer attendees an opportunity to enjoy all sorts of fun and fellowship with 2 live music performances by Drew Matulich & Friends and New Tricks: Jane & Jeannie. TU (3/3), 7pm, Pisgah Brewing Co.,
WITH CAYLA CLARK
BY CAYLA CLARK
caylaclark73@gmail.com
Well, dear readers, it is that time again: primary season. We’re in the midst of early voting, which officially ends Saturday, Feb. 28. As the saying goes, the early voter gets worms. (And! that sweet-ass “I Voted” sticker social media post that differentiates the good people from the bad people.)
I’ll be honest with you — the only thing I love more than local politics is everything. I don’t understand it, and I don’t pretend to. But I’ll be damned if that (or the fact that the candidate filing period has closed) prevents me from running for Asheville City Council this year. Sure, there are already more candidates than available downtown parking spots, but I think I stand a real chance depending on my tarot pull the morning of Tuesday, March 3 (Primary Election Day).
Here to help me talk politics are three of the most politically involved people I know: Cloud Hudson, Larry Griffin and Alex Parsons. All three are skilled stand-up comedians, political nerds and — dare I say it — friends.
Cayla: Like I mentioned, I’ll be running for City Council, along with like 500 other Asheville residents. Who should the 501st candidate be, and why are they definitely going to be elected?
Alex: Well, is it not obvious? We need someone who is outspoken, a champion for women, for queers, for POC — for the people! We need Anne Hathaway. She started as the millennials’ princess and later stomped up the ladder of Runway Magazine in ... “the Chanel boots? Yes.” She heard the people singing the songs of angry men and sang along with them! She got “enchanted,” playing Ella. She was out of this world in Interstellar And while she was the Catwoman that we didn’t necessarily ask for, she is the superhero that Asheville needs.
Cayla: Wasn’t Anne canceled because Catwoman was so bad?
Alex: Being canceled doesn’t disqualify political candidates. In fact, at this point, it’s nearly a necessity. Also,
We need a random tourist to serve on Asheville City Council
you’re thinking of Dakota Johnson in Madame Web
Larry: Madame Web is my favorite film.
Cloud: You shouldn’t announce that publicly, Larry.
Larry: I mean … my favorite-favorite film is Superbad. But listen, I think we should elect one completely random tourist each year to a seat on the board, rotating them out at the beginning of the year for a different one. Anyone visiting town would be entered into a lottery, and the “winner” would have to come back from their random suburbs and desk jobs to participate in local government meetings every month.
Oh, you wanted to try a Highland Brewing beer flight and visit the
Biltmore? Well, now you’re voting on what’s going into the budget for next year.
I think this is the best way to show the city’s commitment to tourism: by making tourists completely indispensable to the city’s operations. Another option is investing more in the people who live here year-round, but that sounds a lot harder.
Cloud: Larry is right; it’s hard to invest in people who live here yearround, because we are too busy working three jobs to spend time developing care-centered relationship networks that effectively integrate an elected official who translates the will of the people to the halls of power.
I mean, is there even a candidate for mayor who is a City Council member who consistently shows up to both boring, tedious committee meetings AND still nurtures her connection to her roots in education, the arts and workers’ solidarity movements? No, even if I were allowed to endorse a candidate in this column, I can’t think of anyone who reminds me of the true meaning of the word local — which means having a relationship to this location, this place. Let’s just put another figurehead for an industry that forces us to rely upon the kindness of strangers in that City Council spot. I’m sure the CEO of Airbnb technically owns some property they could pretend to occupy for long enough to qualify for residency here. Cayla: I think they own all the property.
Cayla: Next question! In order to prevent the industry figureheads from completely taking over local politics, we need to vote. But voter turnout is down ... at least for “American Idol.” (What’s up with Ryan Seacrest’s face, by the way?) How do you propose we persuade people to come out and vote? Those “I Voted” stickers still mostly do the trick, but fewer people are on social media this year because the collapse of humanity is depressing. We need something bigger and better this year. Something that is Instagram deletion-proof.
Alex: “I Voted” stickers are the Pogs of politics. A once-gratifying collectible that incentivized being part of something bigger than yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good sticker. Stickers are the only reason I’ve ever voted. But a better way of getting people involved in local politics would be “I Voted” Labubus.
Larry: I love Labubus.
Cloud: Larry…
Larry: How about this? If you vote, your name and phone number and everything else will be wiped from the records of political candidates’ campaigns so you don’t get any more annoying text messages from them ever again.
Cloud: Conveniently, our crumbling democracy has given us the chance to
JUST VOTE ALREADY: Comedian Cayla Clark, top left, digs into this year’s local primary races with fellow stand-ups, clockwise starting top right, Cloud Hudson, Alex Parsons and Larry Griffin. All photos by Caleb Johnson
use one of the best marketing strategies of our time: false scarcity. I think we’re all familiar with the way that a looming end can introduce a sense of urgency around something we previously had no interest in — be it limited-time offers like seasonal beverages or fleeting menu options. Oh, the McRib is back, you say? Doesn’t the present experience taste better when its ephemeral nature means that you may never experience anything like this again?
The same thing is true when it comes to voting in local elections. (Granted, the scarcity might not be false for this one.) Voting rights are an endangered species, so this could be the last time some of us ever get to use the power of filling out a form to make our voices heard. Even if you haven’t changed your name legally from what’s on your birth certificate because, say, you’re a married women, trans person or an artist who wanted to have a cooler-looking signature, you could still lose your voting rights by being a felon. Don’t think you’ve committed a felony? Well, don’t get too comfortable. If you ask me, our current DA knows all about how to charge innocent citizens with trumpedup felony charges.
Cayla: Oh, lord. I always thought DA stood for Dairy Advocate. Like those people who harass you outside of Walmart, begging you to sign their petitions for less Lactaid and oat milk and more 2% and whole? I get gassy real easily, so I usually avoid eye contact. Speaking of gas, why do we have to pay for water? I understand that ChatGPT is rapidly depleting the supply, but what if you only use AI to write emails, resumes and reports? My platform as 2026 City Council candidate is going to be, “Free Water for Everyone Who Only Uses ChatGPT to Write Things That Need to Sound Smart.” If you ran for local office, what would your platform be?
Alex: Anne Hathaways and Labubus aside … I would genuinely love to see housing reform largely with the goal of helping the portion of our community impacted by addiction. As someone who is 18 months sober and who has experienced housing insecurity, I am very lucky to have received support
from family. That said, I’m still standing almost solely due to that. Most people in active addiction or who seek recovery are not as fortunate. The likelihood of relapse is exponential due to lack of housing resources and wage disparity. Don’t even get me started on the fact that the underpaid workers who keep this city functioning are generating revenue that largely ends up elsewhere and in the pockets of elites in other parts of the state or country. Asheville was a self-sustaining economy for months after Helene. To know what we are capable of makes me hopeful for our future.
Larry: If ICE comes to town, then I say we remain strong as a community, help those who are at risk and, most importantly, commission our local painters to paint large murals of realistic-looking tunnels on the sides of highway overpasses and old buildings, complete with illustrations of immigrants waving at the viewer. This will look so realistic that they will trick and distract the ICE agents. It will give the rest of us time to build more community and resilience. And also, the paintings will be excellent new additions to the colorful art all around town. Cloud: My platform would be no more landholding without handholding. No one can own land that they themselves do not live on. You don’t have to be a full-on regenerative permaculture biodynamic farmer to own land, but you do have to at least actually reside on the property you own. That means no more vacation homes — you have to live here and build a relationship with all your neighbors, including the humans, trees and birds that live around you. If you can’t tell which neighbors of yours are avid hunters or devout vegans, or you aren’t getting the local corvids to bring you trinkets in exchange for food, or know that that clump of wintertime sticks is really a resting bush that is the summertime’s hottest club for the birds and the bees, then I’m sorry, you don’t actually live here. Hotels can exist, but the hoteliers must live in their one-and-only hotel, like if Eloise had been the owner of the Plaza Hotel. If you don’t know what ghostly vibes that lobby has at 4 a.m., then you haven’t earned the profits of those jacked-up nightly room rates.
Cayla: You know what, I think I’d like to reconsider my previously stated platform. X
Life lessons
BY MATT SALERNO
Mildred Barya is originally from Uganda, David Gate is a native of London, England, but both poets now call Western North Carolina home. In their recently released new collections — including Gate's debut effort — the two use their distinct poetic voices to probe concepts of death, rebirth, human connection and social justice.
Hands in Clay
Barya’s fifth collection of poetry, Hands in Clay, is broken into three separate parts: “Life,” “Death” and “Rebirth.” But throughout the book, the Asheville-based poet decon-
structs these clear delineations, allowing one to melt into the other.
Released in September by Serving House Books, the collection’s poems flirt with magical realism. The living speak with the dead, and the spiritual exists alongside the physical. Memories of a deceased father live on in dreams. The skeletal beauty of dead hemlocks in Pisgah National Forest inspires awe, because “unlike people, dead trees do not give up their spirits and collapse to the ground.”
In several poems, stressful traffic jams are reframed as celebrations of humanity. In “Overload,” the narrator warns a man on a bike not to get too close to her car. But instead of descending into an argument, they talk, “and the tumultuous multitude no longer bothers me.”
In “The Goat, the City, and the Embassy,” a frightened goat jumps
LIFE IN VERSE: In their latest books, local poets Mildred Kiconco Barya and David Gate dive into concepts of death, rebirth, human connection and social justice. Hands in Clay book jacket image courtesy of the poet; A Rebellion of Care image courtesy of Random House
across the hood of the narrator’s car during rush hour traffic. Instead of panicking, the narrator claps and exalts the moment as a unique experience.
The strength and cadence of Barya's distinctive voice ring throughout her poetry, making the familiar strange and the strange familiar.
Hands in Clay is ambitious in its scope without feeling strained. It swells with snippets of life spanning the globe, from Barya’s native Uganda to Portugal to Denver, Colo., and home to Western North Carolina, where Barya is a professor at UNC Asheville and has served as a Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet for the N.C. Poetry Society.
Learn more at avl.mx/fc6.
A Rebellion of Care
Gate’s debut book, A Rebellion of Care, is a collection of poetry and essays that explores the creation of art as a form of care, both for oneself and for others.
Published by Random House last July, the book’s poems are just as much a salve to emotionally burnedout readers as a call to action in a world where fascism and political violence are on the rise.
Throughout the collection, Gate imparts messages of kindness and tolerance as he advocates for a more caring world. This is exemplified in poems such as “If Your Dream Only Includes You, It’s Too Small,” where Gate compares the beauty of a lone eagle in flight to “the stunning murmuration” of a flock of starlings. Only
the flock, he says, “can grace the sky in concert and dance,” and “none are free until all are free.”
The poem “How to Fight the Fascists” is a rallying cry for unity and a sermon on the power of kindness. Rather than spreading hate, Gate asks to, “be a castle for the poor” and “together we are a mighty dam of every faith and color.”
Gate, who lives on a homestead in Canton with his wife and children, began sharing his poetry on Instagram in 2021 as a way to put his art out into the world. In 2024, he launched a weekly newsletter on Substack, also titled A Rebellion of Care, offering an insight into creative resistance.
Gate’s essays range from a dissection of the politics of white supremacy to explorations of topics including the trad-wife movement and masculinity. His poetry explores abstract topics through concrete images and scenarios from daily life.
Rather than simply asking readers to be kinder, he suggests that they “show patience/ to the waitress/ who made a small mistake.” His poems frame the chores of meal prepping, cleaning the house and folding laundry as “rituals of care.”
Gate urges readers to “fall deeply in love with our friends” and “don’t hide it/ when you find/ a bona fide ride-or-die.”
A Rebellion of Care highlights the importance of art as a form of active resistance in a time when kindness is one thing most everyone can agree we need more of.
Learn more at avl.mx/fc7. X
Farm party
ASAP hosts CSA Fair
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) will host its annual Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair on Thursday, March 12, 3:30-6 p.m., at the YWCA of Asheville.
According to a press release from ASAP, February/early March is the best time to sign up for a CSA, in which members buy a “share” of a farm’s harvest in advance and receive regular boxes of fresh produce or other agricultural goods. The fair spotlights farms with a CSA pickup location within Buncombe County, including businesses with specialty products (e.g., meat or flowers).
Among the participating farms are A Way of Life Farm, Blazing Star Flowers, Blue Meadow Farms, Carolina Flowers, Good Wheel Farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farms, KT’s Orchard and Apiary, Olivette Farm, Sun Seeker Flowers, Two Stones Farm + Mill and Wild East Farm. The event is free to attend.
“CSAs are one of the best ways to obtain fresh seasonal vegetables,” says Daniel Pettus of Olivette Farm. “As a CSA member, you support local agriculture by helping farmers offset the yearly costs. The CSA fair is an ideal place to get to know your local farmers and decide what fits your or your families' needs.”
To learn more, visit avl.mx/936.
Westival fundraiser benefits
12 Baskets, API
Westival, the yearly Asheville Poverty Initiative (API) and 12 Baskets Cafe fundraiser, takes place Saturday, March 14, 5-8 p.m., at Archetype Brewing.
Participants receive unlimited samples from participating West Ashevillebased food businesses, including The Hop, Gypsy Queen Cuisine, The West End, Jargon, West Village Market & Deli, Sunny Point Cafe, Deep Time Coffee and Pizza Mind. Tickets are $50 and benefit API’s efforts to feed those in need and create community at 12 Baskets Cafe.
“12 Baskets Cafe serves without judgment,” says Tony Franco, owner and executive chef of Food Experience Catering, in a press release. “Their focus is on the simple task of filling people’s bellies with an extended hand of love. It’s a clear, unambiguous effort to ease suffering, and anything we do to help is appreciated and accepted as well.”
To learn more, visit avl.mx/e4j.
Taro cooking and gardening class
Organic Growers School and Utopian Seed Project will present Appalachian Roots, a daylong workshop on taro, Friday, March 6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at A-B Tech. The course, taught by chef Awo Amenumey and farmer and Utopian Seed Project founder Chris Smith, will explore the culture and history of taro, how to propagate and grow it, and how to eat it — complete with handson planting and cooking throughout the day. Other tropical crops, including yams and yacon, will also be covered.
Students will go home with taro planting material and extensive knowledge of how to work with taro in their own gardens and kitchens. Enrollment is on a sliding scale from $75-$135.
To learn more, visit avl.mx/fco.
Ashburn appointed to WNC recovery advisory committee
Highland Brewing President/ CEO Leah Wong Ashburn has been appointed by N.C. Gov. Josh Stein as an at-large member of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery.
Ashburn and the Highland team served as a critical community
hub in the immediate aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. According to a press release, her past board service includes the N.C. Brewers Guild, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and RiverLink. Ashburn currently serves on the UNC Chapel Hill Board of Visitors.
To learn more, visit avl.mx/fcu.
— Edwin Arnaudin X
SO FRESH, SO CLEAN: Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project hosts a CSA Fair on March 12. Photo courtesy of ASAP
by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com
Great Buzz Gathering Tyler Ramsey & Carl Broemel
Pollinator advocates, unite! Bee City USA’s seventh annual Great Buzz Gathering returns Saturday, Feb. 28, noon-2:30 p.m., at The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage.
This gathering celebrates the roles these tiny heroic insects play in nature and explores how everyone from seasoned environmentalists to amateur appreciators of bees, butterflies and other creatures can play a part in their conservation.
The theme of the 2026 event is “Going Public with Pollinator Habitat.” Six featured speakers will tell short, inspiring stories of how they rallied their communities to aid the pollinator cause. There will also be exhibitor tables filled with resources, tips and tools to make one’s garden, neighborhood or community a haven for pollinators.
Free to attend, but registration is encouraged. Food and beverages will be available to purchase from The Mule.
To learn more, visit avl.mx/fcr. X
WCU Juried
Undergraduate Exhibition
Celestun, the new album from Asheville-based singer-songwriter-guitarist Tyler Ramsey and My Morning Jacket guitarist Carl Broemel, is a revelation. Good vibes for troubled times, the nine-track collection combines peaceful instrumental tracks with gorgeous vocal pieces, highlighting two of the most talented guitar players in modern music.
The longtime friends have been on the road in early 2026, bringing their acoustic guitar goodness to audiences across the country and slowly working their way to Western North Carolina.
The Grey Eagle hosts the tour’s only two-night residency Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28. Both shows get underway at 8 p.m. with a set by fellow guitar master David Stevenson Tickets are $32.81 per night for general admission seating and $40.61 per night for premium seating in the first three rows.
To learn more, visit avl.mx/fcs and avl.mx/fct. X
Crescent Choir
One of Western Carolina University’s longest-running art traditions, the annual Juried Undergraduate Exhibition opened in the WCU Fine Art Museum on Feb. 17 and will be on display through Friday, March 20. The show features work by 25 students.
According to a press release, the event is “an extraordinary opportunity for WCU undergraduate students to share their artwork with a larger public and to enhance their skills in presenting artwork in a professional gallery setting.” This year’s juror is Tracy Templeton, who heads
the printmaking program at Indiana University. Her artwork “employs photographically hybrid printmaking to explore themes of memory, place and the phenomenology of time.”
Templeton will give a talk on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2:30-3:30 p.m., in Bardo Art Center’s lecture hall BAC 130. A public awards ceremony will be held at the WCU Fine Art Museum on Thursday, Feb. 26, 5-7 p.m. Complimentary snacks and drinks will be available at the reception. All of the above are free to attend.
To learn more, visit avl.mx/fcq. X
Local singer-songwriter Sophia Corinne has a vision: to unite fellow songsmiths with choral ensembles and create exciting new performance pieces. The result is Crescent Choir, described in a press release as “a seasonal choral project” led by Corinne that brings original music by Ashevillearea artists to life “through collective, embodied performance.”
The music is shaped in close collaboration with the songwriters, honoring each composition while expanding it through the ensemble’s numerous voices. Over the course of an eight-week
rehearsal process, local songwriters workshopped their pieces, arranged especially for the ensemble, and the finished versions will be shared Saturday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m., at AyurPrana Listening Room.
The featured songwriters this season include Lyle De Vitry, Soft Talk, Meaghan Collins, Henry Toland, Sarah Louise, P’AL and Corinne. In addition to performances by the full mixed-voice Crescent Choir, select pieces feature Moon Choir, a small femme-centered group. Tickets are $23.70.
To learn more, visit avl.mx/fcp. X
Photo courtesy of Bee City USA
Western Carolina University students participate in the 57th annual Juried Undergraduate Exhibition reception. Photo courtesy of WCU Photo Services
Photo of Carl Broemel, left, and Tyler Ramsey by Parker J. Pfister
Photos of Crescent Choir songwriters courtesy of Sophia Corinne
CLUBLAND
GROOVE-DRIVEN R&B: Shamrock Irons hosts four-piece band Rhythm Rockits on Friday, Feb. 27, starting at 8 p.m. Listeners can expect smooth tunes and steady grooves of R&B, roots and blues. Photo courtesy of Rhythm Rockits
For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.
STATIC AGE RECORDS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
12 BONES BREWING
SMOKEHOUSE & BREWING
Trivia Night w/King Trivia, 7pm
185 KING STREET
It Happened in February
Themed Trivia & Karaoke Night, 7pm
ASHEVILLE GUITAR
PEDALS
Wednesday Night Riffs w/Jordan Ballard (acoustic), 7pm
FRENCH BROAD RIVER
BREWERY
Saylor Brothers Jamgrass Wednesdays, 6:30pm
GALACTIC PIZZA Trivia Night, 6:30pm
HI-WIRE BREWING -
BILTMORE VILLAGE
Weekly Trivia, 7pm
HOTEL EVE JAZZ CLUB
Peter Dimery Trio (jazz), 7pm
JACK OF THE WOOD
PUB
Old-time Jam, 5pm
MADISON COUNTY
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Acoustic Musicians' Jam, 6pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
Eternally Grateful (Americana), 6pm
SHAKEY'S
SSIN w/DJ Ragga Massive, 10pm
SLY GROG LOUNGE
Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 8pm
STATIC AGE LOFT
Meter & Melody: Poetry Night, 7pm
Beer, Lion Country Ferrari & Rocco and His Bones (egg-punk, Garage, psych), 8pm
TAPROOM AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Matt Smith’s WellCrafted Music Series w/Jay Sanders (multigenre), 6pm
THE ODD Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm
THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL
The Steppers (jamgrass), 9pm
THE ORANGE PEEL Wax Tailor (electronic, hip-hop), 8pm
THIRD ROOM
Late Night Karaoke, 10:30pm
TURGUA BREWING CO.
Lightning Round Trivia w/Marty, 6pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 6:30pm
VOWL BAR AT DSSOLVR Group Therapy w/ Neptune Spins, 9pm
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
185 KING STREET
Songwriter Round w/ Dave Desmelik, Laura Blackley, & Devin Gentry, 7pm
ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
DJ Greenie: Lotus After Party (Electro, hip-hop), 10pm
EULOGY
• Don't Tell Comedy: South Slope, 7pm
• DJ Lil Meow Meow's Dance Floor Rapture, 10pm
FITZ AND THE WOLFE
Vintage Vinyl Band w/ Peggy Ratusz (pop-rock), 8pm
THE ORANGE PEEL SunSquabi & Manic Focus (electronic, funk), 8pm
THE ODD
The Pentagram String Band, Yes Ma’am & Little Foot (bluegrass, rock), 9pm
TURGUA BREWING
CO.
Alien Music Club Jazz Jam, 5:30pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY Trivia Night, 6:30pm
URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO.
Wayward Trivia, 6:30pm
VOWL BAR AT DSSOLVR
Hot Couch Karaoke w/ DJ BridalPartiBucardi, 8pm
WRONG WAY RIVER
LODGE
Don't Tell Comedy: West Asheville, 7pm
“We believe in the importance of
“We want to hear
– Eric and Ellen Vontillius
Join them and become a member at
FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In woodworking, "spalting" occurs when fungi colonize wood, creating dark lines and patterns that make the wood more valuable, not less. The decay creates beauty as long as it isn’t allowed to progress too far. Here’s the metaphorical moral of the story for you, Aries: What feels like a deteriorating situation might actually be spalting, Aries. Are you experiencing the breakdown of a routine, a certainty, or a plan? It could be creating a pattern that makes your story even more interesting and heroic. So keep in mind that an apparent decomposition may be transforming ordinary into extraordinary beauty. My advice is to play along with the spalting.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I suspect you will soon be invited to explore novel feelings and unfamiliar states of awareness. As you wander in the psychological frontiers, you might experience mysterious phenomena like the following. 1. An overflow of reverence and awe. 2. Blissful surprise in the face of the sublime. 3. Sudden glimmers of eternity in fleeting moments. 4. A soft, golden resonance that arises when you hear arousing truths. 5. Amazingly useful questions that could tantalize and feed your imagination for months and even years to come.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If I were your mentor, I’d lead you up an ascending trail to a high peak where your vision is clear and vast. If I were your leader, I’d give you a medal for all the ways you’ve been brave when no one was looking, then send you on an all-expenses-paid sabbatical to a beautiful sanctuary to rest and remember yourself. If I were your therapist, I’d guide you through a 90-minute meditation on your entire life story up until now. But since I’m just your companion for this brief oracle, I will instead advise you to slip out of any silken snares of comfort that dull your spirit, cast off perks and privileges that keep you small, and commune with influences that remind you of how deeply you treasure being alive.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Biologist Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize by developing what she called "a feeling for the organism.” She cultivated an intimate, almost empathic relationship with the corn plants she studied. She didn't impose theories on her subjects. She listened to them until she could sense their hidden patterns from the inside. When you're not lost in self-protection, you Cancerians excel at this quality of attention. Here’s what I see as your task in the coming weeks: Transfer your empathic genius away from people who drain you and toward projects, places, or problems that deserve your devotion and give you blessings in return.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Sufi writers describe heartbreak, grief, and longing as portals through which divine love enters. They say that a highly defended ego and a hardened heart can’t engage with such profound and potent love. In this view, suffering that makes the heart ache strips away illusions and fixations, allowing greater receptivity, humility, and tenderness toward all beings. I’m not expecting you to get blasted by an influx of poignancy in the near future, Leo, but I’m very sure you have experienced such blasts in the past. And now is an excellent time to process those old breakthroughs disguised as breakdowns. You are likely to finally be able to harvest the full power they offered you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In traditional Balinese culture, *Tri Hita Karana* is a concept that means there are three causes of well-being: harmony with God, harmony with people, and harmony with nature. When one is out of balance, all suffer. I’m wondering if you would benefit from meditating on this theme now, Virgo. Have you been focused on one dimension at the expense of the others? Are you, perhaps, spiritually nourished but socially isolated? Or maybe you're maintaining relationships but ignoring your body's connection to the earth? Here’s your
ROB BREZSNY
assignment: Do a Tri Hita Karana audit. Which harmony is most neglected? Add to your altar, call a friend, or go walk in the great outdoors— whichever one you've been shortchanging.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are a diplomat in the struggle between beauty and inelegance. Your aptitude for creating harmony is a great asset that others might underestimate or miss completely. I hope you will always trust your hunger for classiness even if others dismiss it as superficial. One of your key reasons for being here on earth is to keep insisting on loveliness in a world too quick to settle for ugliness. These qualities of yours are especially needed right now. Please be gracefully insistent on expressing them wherever you go.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The bad news: You underestimate how much joy and pleasure you deserve—and how much you’re capable of experiencing. This artificially low expectation has sometimes cheated you out of your rightful share of bliss and fulfillment. The good news: Life is now ready to conspire with you to raise your happiness levels. I hope you will cooperate eagerly. The more intensely you insist on feeling good, the more cosmic assistance you will garner. Here’s a smart way to launch this holy campaign: Renounce a certain lackluster thrill that diverts you from more lavish excitements.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In classical music, a "rest" isn't the absence of music. It's a specific notation that creates space, tension, and meaning. The silence is as much a part of the composition as the sound. I suggest you think of your current pause this way, Sagittarius. You're not waiting for your real life to resume. You're in a rest, and the rest is an essential part of the process you’re following. It's creating the conditions for what comes next. So instead of anxiously filling every moment with productivity or distraction, try honoring the pause. Be deliberately quiet. Let the silence accumulate. When the next movement begins, you'll understand exactly why the rest was necessary.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Interesting temptations are wandering into your orbit. You may be surprised to find yourself drawn toward entertaining gambles and tricky adventures. How should you respond? Should you say “Yes! Now! I’m ready!”? Or is open-minded caution a wiser approach? Conditions are too slippery for me to arrive at definitive conclusions. What I can tell you is this: Merely considering and ruminating on these invitations will awaken uplifting and inspiring lessons. PS: To get the fullness of the blessings you want from other people, you must first give them to yourself.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The engineer Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) said he envisioned his inventions in intricate detail before building them. He didn't need literal prototypes because his mental pictures were so vivid. I suspect you Aquarians now have extra access to this power. What scenarios are you dreaming of? What are you incubating in your imagination? I urge you to boldly trust your thought experiments. Your mental prototypes may be unusually accurate. The visions you're testing internally are reconnaissance missions to futures that you have the power to build. Regard your imagination as a laboratory.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Sufi mystics tell us that the heart has "seven levels of depth," each one bearing progressively more profound wisdom. You access these depths by feeling deeper, not thinking harder. Let’s apply this perspective to you, Pisces. Right now, you're being called to descend past surface emotions (irritation, worry, mild contentment) into the layers beneath: primal wonder, the wild joy you're sometimes too cautious to express, and the sacred longing that can lead you to glory. This dive might feel risky. That’s good! It means you're going deep enough. What you discover down there will reorganize everything above it for the better.
MARKETPLACE
REAL ESTATE & RENTALS | ROOMMATES | JOBS | SERVICES
Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@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 advertise@mountainx.com
EMPLOYMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE
FULL TIME NON-EXEMPT
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT This position requires the ability to multi-task in an accurate and timely manner with management, coworkers and consumers on a daily basis. The Administrative Assistant provides support to staff as needs arise, answers incoming calls and greets visitors to the Asheville office. Duties will encompass data input, filing, assisting with events, ordering supplies, writing news articles along with staff assembling and emailing quarterly newsletter. The Administrative Assistant works as a team player to achieve the stated goals and objective of DisAbility Partners. Email Eva Reynolds at ereynolds@ disabilitypartners.org for job description and application. No phone calls please.
FULL TIME NON-EXEMPT YOUTH COORDINATOR
DisAbility Partners Youth Coordinator recruits, educates, empowers and serves youth with
disabilities regarding disability-related issues, resources, advocacy, peer support and transitioning into adulthood. The Youth Coordinator is responsible for developing and implementing youth programs and services, youth outreach activities and events, delivering independent living services to youth, helping youth develop and implement independent living transition plans. Conduct public education regarding disability issues, independent living services and Disability Partners. Email: Eva Reynolds at ereynolds@ disabilitypartners.org for job description and application. No phone calls please.
FULL-TIME NON-EXEMPT INDEPENDENT LIVING
SPECIALIST DisAbility Partners is dedicated to partnering with individuals and the community to enhance, advocate for and support personal choices, independent living and community inclusion. The Independent Living Specialist is a strong voice for disability rights and independent living, working to assist consumers in maintaining their lives independently
in the community. Promotes DisAbility Partners in the seven-county service area and collaborates with community agencies to best assist the consumer to reach goals for independent living. The Independent Living Specialist will provide general information and referral for consumers and the community as requested. Email: Eva Reynolds at ereynolds@ disabilitypartners.org for job description and application. No phone calls please.
XCHANGE AUCTIONS
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AUCTION Sixunit shopping center in Granite Quarry, NC! Live & Online March 6, 11AM. Preview Feb 27. – Rogers Realty & AuctionNCAL#685 – 336-789-2926, rogersauctiongroup.com/ auctions/detail/bw156526 (NC Press)
COURT ORDERED DIVORCE AUCTION Saturday, March 7th @10am 201 S. Central Ave. Locust, NC. Tractors, Trucks, Cars, Kubotas, 4-Wheelers, Farm Equipment, Bank Repos, more. ClassicAuctions.com 704-791-8825 NCAF5479. (NC Press)
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HANDY MAN
HANDY MAN 40 years experience in the trades, with every skill/tool imaginable for all trades with the exception of HVAC.
No job too small. $35 an hour. Carl (828) 551-6000 electricblustudio@gmail. com
KITCHEN & BATH GET A HIGH QUALITY, MODERN DESIGN BATH or shower transformation in as little as One Day. $0 Down, $0 Installation, $0 Payments for 12 months! Call: 1-877-243-7050 . (NC Press)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BEHIND ON YOUR MORTGAGE PAYMENTS? Threatened with foreclosure? Denied a loan modification? Let us help! Call the Homeowner Relief Line to speak with a mortgage specialist 844-492-0883 (NC Press)
CONNECT TO THE BEST WIRELESS home internet with earthling. Enjoy speeds from 5G and 4G LTE networks, no contracts, easy installation, and data plans up to 300 GB. Call 855-873-2215 (AAN CAN)
DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? APPEAL! If you're 50+, filed SSD and denied, our attorneys can help. Win or Pay Nothing! Strong, recent work history needed. 877-553-0252 [Steppacher Law Offices LLC Principal Office: 224 Adams Ave Scranton PA 18503] (NC Press)
DIRECTV All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and
Support Patriotic Hearts for our Veterans and their Families! Free fast pickup.
Max tax deduction. Se habla Español. Call now: 877-3173360 . (NC Press)
GET A BREAK ON YOUR TAXES! Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous tax credit for 2025. Call Heritage for the Blind today at 1-855-8697055 today! (NC Press)
GOT AN UNWANTED CAR? Donate it to Patriotic Hearts. Fast free pick up. All 50 states. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans find work or start their own business. Call 24/7: 1-833426-0086 . (AAN CAN)
HOME BREAK-INS Take less than 60 seconds. Don't wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets now for as little as 70¢ a day! Call 1-833-881-2713
(AAN CAN)
NEED NEW WINDOWS?
Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energy efficient
windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & FREE quote today. 1-833890-1293 . (AAN CAN)
PEST CONTROL Protect your home from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-833-406-6971 . (AAN CAN)
PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES TODAY With a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-866-3810627 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move. (AAN CAN)
REPLACE YOUR ROOF
With the best looking and longest lasting material – steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited time offer – up to 50% off installation + additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders). Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-855-5851815 . (NC Press)
WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION A small amount of water can lead to major damage and
mold growth in your home. We do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! For a free estimate, call 24/7: 1-833880-7762 . (AAN CAN)
WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION A small amount of water can lead to major damage in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! Call 24/7: 1-833-928-1861
Have zip code of service location ready when you call! (NC Press)
WE BUY HOUSES for Cash AS-IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Call today for your fair cash offer: 1-877939-1331 . (AAN CAN)
WE BUY HOUSES FOR CASH AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Call today for your fair cash offer: 1-919-925-6362 (NC Press)
WE BUY VINTAGE GUITARS Looking for 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. These brands only! Call for a quote: 1-833-641-6624 (AAN CAN)
WE BUY VINTAGE GUITARS! Looking for 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. These brands only! Call for a quote: 1-833-641-6577 (NC Press)
Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees canceled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 888-960-1781 (AAN CAN)
MARKETPLACE
HOME
IMPROVEMENT
NO MORE CLEANING OUT GUTTERS. GUARANTEED! LeafFilter is the most advanced gutter protection for your home, backed by a no-clog guarantee and lifetime transferable warranty. Call today 1-877649-1190 to schedule a FREE inspection and no obligation estimate. Plus get 20% off! Seniors and military save an additional 10%. Restrictions apply, see representative for warranty and offer details. (NC Press)
by Will Shortz
ACROSS
1 Practiced pitches
7 What arms might do on a final gym rep
14 Lee has a hot bowl of ___ to start off his day
15 Lee has a hot bowl of ___ to start off his day
16 Enemy of the Avengers
17 Ones with the munchies, maybe
18 In need of a massage, say
19 Like those local to Universal Studios Japan
21 Hide one’s roots, perhaps
22 Like the study of the kabbalah
24 Drill insert
26 Polarizing punctuation choice
31 Bracket-busting wins in March Madness
35 Friend or ___
36 Complete disrepair
37 Says ___ to his neighbor, then heads on his way
38 Recycling container
39 Says ___ to his neighbor, then heads on his way
40 They might be foiled
41 Treatment for a sprained ankle
42 Like the villain at the end of a “Scooby-Doo” episode
43 All ___
44 Slime
45 Jay-Z’s and Alicia Keys’s “___ State of Mind”
46 Classic P.O.W. movie starring Steve McQueen, with “The”
49 Heavy weight
50 Transaction on an online marketplace
55 Govt. org. in “Alias”
58 Entertainer who says “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
60 Inflation measures, for short
61 Opportunity to dress up
63 Eagles’ nests
65 With gossip and beer over Friday’s ___ game
66 With gossip and beer over Friday’s ___ game
67 Satisfies
68 Luxurious cotton fabric
DOWN
1 Italian apology
2 Some pullover shirts
3 Any course whose name ends in “101”
4 Bird with a plume that, ounce for ounce, was once worth more than gold
5 Constellation near the Big Dipper
6 Gentlemen, in Granada
7 Captured 8 Like government bonds and Uber drivers
___ minority
Mrs., en français
Bit of sweat
British title
Life across the ___ is much the same
23 These: Sp. 25 Shredded, as a contract
27 Top-of-the-line
28 Prefix with vitamin or tool
29 Athlete aiming for a four-minute finish, perhaps
30 One end of an electrolytic cell
31 Let float, as a currency
32 Pertaining to hair
33 Welcome sight for a sailor
34 Patronizes, as a restaurant 38 Life stories 39 Warm and cozy
___ Dhabi 51 Spar on a sailing boat 52 Comment that breaks the fourth wall
Feudal lord
German steel city
Provide for free, as a drink 56 Suffix with method or metaphor
Pine
59 Collectible caps in the ’90s
62 Steely Dan album whose name is pronounced “Asia”
