Start peeping up

Across the nation, communities are recognizing the need to create and sustain local food supplies—whether to be closer to their food source, to have inexpensive or organic food, or to prepare for a post-petroleum future. So why does progressive Asheville have such a regressive policy on urban chickens? To have chickens here, a permit and […]

Pack Square: It’s all in the details

On behalf of Pack Square Conservancy, I’d like to make a statement I hope will clarify our relationship with Beverly-Grant Inc., our partners in the Pack Square Park project. Beverly-Grant has worked with the Conservancy for many months on developing a cost-effective contract for construction of a 4,200-square-foot pavilion in the new park. Their expertise […]

Global Report goes multimedia

In your recent cover story by Margaret Williams [“Caught in the Web?”, Dec. 17], it was incorrectly suggested that The Global Report, having forfeited newspaper production, is now “online only.” Not so. The nonprofit Global Report news project continues to be a unique, grassroots, multimedia project. Every week, dozens of volunteers devote a lot of […]

Charlotte Street takes a turn for the worse

Already at least four surprised drivers have hit the new traffic-control island at the intersection of Charlotte Street and Erwin Place. The reasons are simple: • Charlotte Street today is a very busy two-lane “semi-highway” that divides without warning of any kind into a must-turn left lane and a single lane continuing north. • A […]

Parking it in Asheville

I do not profess to know if predatory towing is a significant problem in Asheville, but Jason Sandford’s “No Parking” [Dec. 10 Xpress] would lead me to believe it is a farce propagated by those wanting more parking decks. The Westphals chose to park in a lot that has conspicuous signage; additionally, Zambra has a […]

The Gospel According to Jerry

When I grew up in small-town Asheville, Christmas was magical. True, it was a secular holiday for my family and me. But who could ignore the excitement of the Christmas parade, the lights and decorations, the music and the spirit of giving and caring that pervaded the community during that time of year? “White Christmas” […]

Hues of hope

Even in the depths of winter, I cannot stop remembering the splendid colors of Appalachian autumn. The slanting light reveals an almost infinite variety of shades: pale yellow to brilliant gold, oranges that shine with incandescent fire, and reds that shade from delicate rose to strawberry to hues as deep as wine. The trees are […]

Give some thought to seniors

The slumping economy has taken a heavy toll on those who live on fixed incomes. Making the holiday special for those you care about can often be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. An analysis of more than 12,000 senior gift requests conducted by Home Instead Senior Care reveals some of the most popular […]

Jostling with the big hogs

Watching TV these days, you can’t miss the financial services, banks, automakers and others squirming their way through congressional hearings as they try to shore up their industries. Nonprofit leaders would have liked to appear before the Congress to plead our case, but we couldn’t afford to put gas in our corporate jets. Nonprofits experience […]

SoundTrack

It would come as no surprise that crowds would fill local venues to peak capacity simply by a band’s name alone—especially if that band happens to be Michael Burgin’s cleverly monikered The Drinker’s Union. While the name brings to mind the Oscar Wilde quip, “Work is the curse of the drinking class,” there’s much more […]

Small Bites

Asheville Independent Restaurants: Just in time for the recession, the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association is again selling its annual assemblage of coupons good for discounted meals at its member eateries. Now billed as the AIR Dining Club, the $30 package includes 35 coupons that spokesperson Roya June estimates are worth more than $500 in local […]

Eliada Homes Inc.

Children in the Asheville area need your help during the holidays and throughout the year. Founded in 1903, Eliada Homes Inc. is a nonprofit agency serving the children and families of Western North Carolina. Originally a refuge for women and children, and later maintained as an orphanage, Eliada’s services now include residential and day treatment […]