Asheville Playback Theatre Taking its material directly from its audience's personal experiences, Asheville Playback Theatre performs personal, improvisational shows. Four upcoming themed performances called Life Stage — Friday-Sunday, Jan. 7-9 —include a children's show (Saturday at 2 p.m.) and an all-women's show (Sunday at 2 p.m.). The 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday shows feature singer/songwriter […]
"Every mile is two in winter." So wrote 17th-century Welsh clergyman and metaphysical poet George Herbert, and it's easy to see where he was coming from. Anyone who’s ever trudged any considerable distance through even marginally deep snow knows full well that traveling through a snow pack is hard work and not easily enjoyed — […]
“For so work the honey-bees, creatures that by a rule in nature teach the act of order to a peopled kingdom.” — William Shakespeare, Henry V When you think of ecological services — the free life-support systems on which we all depend — think honeybees. And thank them. After all, bee pollination is essential to […]
Asheville City Council’s recent vote abdicating much of its responsibility for overseeing downtown development was redolent of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. FEC, which opened the door to unlimited corporate campaign contributions. Both decisions reflect a treacherous assault on our democracy and a gargantuan shift toward corporate domination. On a 6-1 […]
In a 6-5 vote Dec. 15, the Metropolitan Sewerage District board tabled plans to implement a new cost-sharing policy for sewer-line extensions in new developments and annexed areas until January. Despite getting the go-ahead from the MSD Planning Committee on Dec. 2 (in what was also a close vote), the board heeded a request from […]
When I moved back home to Asheville after a lengthy sojourn in the [Research ] Triangle, I was thrilled to find that Asheville had its own film critic and that he actually reviewed real movies that played in real movie theaters that real people went to see. You see, in the Triangle at that time, […]
The Mountain Xpress website can often appear to be a publication unto itself. In addition to showcasing much of the content that's published in our weekly print edition, the online outlet offers a plethora of exclusive breaking news, videos, reviews, slideshows, podcasts, personals, community forums, aggregated citizen reports and much more. In 2010, eyes and […]
I currently work at Buchi and have never felt more at ease in a working relationship between a supervisor and myself than I do with Jeannine Buscher and Sarah Schomber, the owners of Buchi. I have always had complete confidence in voicing any concerns I have to them without fear of losing my job. They […]
The recent article on the firing at Buchi Kombucha should serve as a reminder that “local” business doesn’t inherently mean fair business ["Bottled in Bond," Dec. 22 Xpress]. Often the economic re-localization movement presents “local” as a panacea for a wide variety of economic and social woes while ignoring the systemic pressures brought to bear […]
About 2,000 people in search of work braved icy roads on Dec. 28 to attend the annual Homecoming Job Fair at Biltmore Square Mall in Asheville. They were greeted by approximately 86 local employers looking to fill an estimated 1,800 jobs over the next few months, according to Rick Elingburg of the N.C. Employment Security […]
I do not consider kombucha a "luxury” [”Bottled in Bond,” Dec. 22 Xpress]. It is a health drink in many cultures and essential to my healthy lifestyle. If I were employed at a business where I was given two bottles as part of my wages, I would consider it a benefit. Perhaps other local businesses […]
I was rather surprised by your recent article "Bottled in Bond” [Dec. 22 Xpress]. This "reporter" is a joke and has written a completely biased, libelous and one-sided smear piece to further [his] friend’s obvious vendetta. The Mountain Xpress should be ashamed of publishing such tabloid yellow journalism. I have it on good authority (my […]
Over the course of the 100 bloody years that it took the U.S. labor movement to win the eight-hour workday, labor militants struck, rioted and were executed for what was then seen as an overly radical demand that would destabilize industry and ruin the economy. Capitalism has undergone massive restructuring on a global scale, including […]
Math — arithmetic we called it back then — always made my head hurt, so I try to stay away from the stuff. But my eighth-grade math teacher, Mrs. Sears, always told us, “If you can’t figure something out, round off the numbers.” And that’s what I did when I read about how [Buncombe County […]
I saw the [Molton] cartoon [”Asheville 11,” Dec. 15 Xpress] the other week and had no reaction. This past issue I read two letters addressing both sides of the “Asheville 11” situation. As someone who has a dog in this hunt, I think the random violence was adolescent behavior. I am out my deductible and […]
I felt a little sick when I heard that dead trees along the Joyce Kilmer Forest trails would be “cut down.” But after visiting the forest last month, I believe the Forest Service did the right thing — both in what they did and how they did it. The point of preservation of the virgin […]
Cranky Hanke’s 10 best This strikes me as a curious year — a good year, but not quite a great one. Maybe that’s why I’ve spent more time struggling with this list than in any previous year. I’ve shifted more titles around than usual. I never did get on board The Social Network bandwagon (it […]
It’s official: the trees are completely bare. And that’s just the way our shiitake mushroom farmers like it. “Shiitake logs must be harvested when the leaves are off and the tree is dormant,” says Paul Littman, who owns and operates Ivy Creek Family Farm in Barnardsville. Littman says that most of the work in growing […]
Viva West Asheville! Sandwich aficionados that have been around town for a bit will likely recall Viva Europa. The convenience store and deli turned out awesome sandwiches from the little building on the corner of Montford and Pearson that now houses Tod's Tasties and To-Gos. When Viva Europa closed, many lamented the loss of the […]
Rocky Lindsley's addiction is your addiction, Asheville. After taking an all-too-long hiatus, the fried-chicken meister is bringing back his popular Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack, and with it, the recipe for what is considered to be the most sought-after chicken in town. While on tour as a professional drummer in '94, Lindsley became hooked on a […]
