Headwaters Gathering shines spotlight on local climate change

Now’s the time to consider how climate change might affect our region, say the organizers of the first Headwaters Gathering. Dubbed “Southern Appalachia at the Crossroads,” the conference, slated for the weekend of March 27-29 at Warren Wilson College, will bring together a diverse mix of experts, environmentalists, activists, writers and community leaders, says Margo […]

Burton Street residents urged to continue activism

At a March 9 forum on the controversial Interstate 26 connector, Mayor Terry Bellamy, Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair David Gantt and representatives of local groups urged residents of the Burton Street neighborhood to keep fighting and petition state officials to spare damage to their neighborhood. Hey, neighbor: Vivian Conley, a resident of the […]

Welcome to A&E

Just in time for this tough economy—and (less bleakly) for the first day of spring—Asheville’s Night’s Bright Colors releases its newest effort, Late Night by Lamplight. The online-only album (available on Friday, Mar. 20 at www.nightsbrightcolors.com) can be downloaded for free. The no-cost digital album is in keeping with the times. In late 2007, mega […]

You wear it well

In case you missed it, Asheville Street Style launched online earlier this year. The photo-based Web site—check it out at www.mountainx.com/streetstyle—documents Asheville’s colorful and creative fashion scene. Images, gathered by a team of photographers, run the gamut from the DIY and recycled styles spotted on Lexington Ave. and boutique-y looks seen on downtown workers on […]

Kick out the jams

By the time the String Cheese Incident broke up in 2007, the band had reached the upper echelons of jam-band fame, established a successful, self-sustaining business model and emerged as the victor in a legal battle with Ticketmaster. Still, the breakup of the band itself didn’t come as a surprise to percussionist Jason Hann, a […]

No Pressure

“Songwriting is a fun thing. I don’t put too much pressure on it because it doesn’t help anybody and it doesn’t help the song,” says Vetiver leader Andy Cabic.  Looking at the near-constant state of flux that has defined Vetiver’s existence over its five-year history, it’s clear that Cabic doesn’t put too much pressure on […]

Jesus in Crayola

When Penny Carscaddon took her first painting class in the late 1960s, painting the Stations of the Cross was the furthest thing from her mind. She was simply taking her young son to art classes hoping to improve his illegible hand-writing. “I just wanted to play with color again, and somehow do something worthwhile,” says […]

A document of love

Nishima Kaplan‘s business began with a wedding gift she made for friends in 1998. Today, ArtKetubah enables Kaplan to support her family while making couples happy worldwide. Ancient tradition meets modern art: A design for a “ketubah” (Jewish marriage certificate) by Nishima Kaplan, who creates them in her West Asheville home for clients far and […]

Outdoors: Wanna rumble?

When the throttle of a Harley-Davidson with a modified exhaust system opens up on the Blue Ridge Parkway, many visitors cringe. It’s not so much the frequency of its rumble as it is the sheer volume and force of its roar: Some motorcycles are so loud they could blast the paint off of a car. […]

Not just a walk in the park

Last Sunday was a beautiful warm day. The sun was shining, a cool breeze brushed through the trees and people were ready to be outside. I am from Virginia but come to the area frequently to visit. I was with three other friends, and we wanted nothing more than to do something outside. We’d all […]

Look more closely at Shuler’s record

Regarding Randy Molton’s cartoon of March 4: Before progressives here in the 11th Congressional District spend a lot of energy fanning their indignation about Rep. Heath Shuler’s vote on the stimulus bill and turn their flames toward smoking him out of office or organizing a challenge to him with a more liberal candidate—or believe a […]