Buzzworm news briefs

Campaign Calendar

Nov. 2 political pub party: The Bryan Freeborn campaign will host an evening of local music and political discourse at the Westville Pub in West Asheville, starting at 9 p.m. The public is welcome.

Nov. 3 council forum: Kenilworth’s Democratic Precinct 7 is hosting a reception and City Council Candidate Forum on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the Kenilworth Presbyterian Church (just off Kenilworth Road and behind the church). Candidates Robin Cape, Holly Jones, Bryan Freeborn, Chris Pelly and Keith Thomson will be on hand to answer questions.

Nov. 5 early voting ends: One-stop absentee voting (“early” voting) is available at the Board of Elections office (189 College St.) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Thursday and Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, which is the last day for early voting.

Nov. 8 general election: Tuesday, Nov. 8, polls will be open in all county precincts from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For information about poll locations or other voting matters, contact the Buncombe County Board of Elections at 250-4200 or visit www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Election.

Candidates, organizations and citizens: This is our final Campaign Calendar for the 2005 elections. Thanks for your participation, and see you again in 2006. Now, don’t forget to vote!

Wired about Wireless

With Asheville’s downtown free wireless network only weeks old, the city appears to be becoming something of a regional hot spot for such technology. And now the 2005 Southeast Wireless Symposium, a wireless-industry conference, is coming to the Renaissance Asheville Hotel on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 16 and 17. The conference, which was held in Winston-Salem for the past two years, has relocated to Asheville thanks to the efforts of WNC industry promoters AdvantageWest.

“The Symposium is a real opportunity for folks to learn about all uses of wireless technology,” says Jane Smith Patterson, executive director of the e-NC Authority, a state-supported group tasked with promoting Internet connectivity that is hosting the event. “Wireless has applications in the city, the country and its uses in fields like health care. We’ll be presenting topics on all different aspects of wireless.”

The Symposium’s keynote speaker is industry spokesman and consultant Richard Varn, who Patterson describes as “one of the real seers in the future of telecom.” She predicts that “what he has to say will be of interest for people involved with wireless and other areas of technology.”

According to Patterson, such people include elected officials. The conference has a track of programs devoted exclusively to government issues and regulatory questions. This is of increasing importance, as many state and local governments have invested heavily in wireless technology over the past few years.

This year’s Symposium is also one of the most affordable, costing a mere $50 to attend. Admission to such events can run as much as $600, but according to Patterson, organizers decided to take a loss this year in order to keep attendance high. For more information and to register, visit www.e-nc.org or call the e-NC offices at (919) 250-4314.

— Steve Shanafelt

The beat goes on

Boston-based disc jockey Robert Crevo was called “Mr. Life of Any Party” by his fans, and a glance at his record collection (that’s right, kids: vinyl) reveals why. Boasting selections ranging from the Pet Shop Boys and the Village People to Led Zepplin and Abba, Crevo was playing everyone’s song. Sadly, the DJ died of AIDS in 1995.

The good news is, his 452-album collection is still ready to rock the dance floor — for a worthy cause, that is. As part of the Western North Carolina AIDS Project’s Raise Your Hand silent-auction benefit, the Robert Crevo Collection will be sold to the highest bidder. And unlike the rest of the auction, interested music buffs don’t even need to attend the Saturday, Nov. 5, event. In fact, record collectors don’t even need to purchase a ticket to the fund-raiser — for a limited time, bidders can compete for Crevo’s albums on ebay (www.ebay.com). The reserve on this collection is $750, and all monies received from the sale will help fund WNCAP projects serving local people living with HIV. (All other auction items will be available only at the event.)

Check out the complete album list at www.965woxl.com. For more information on the Raise Your Hand event, visit the group’s Web site (www.wncap.org).

— Alli Marshall

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