Applauding green teamwork

We appreciate Margaret Williams’ recent article about our organization, Winter Green [“A Hoop House in Every Yard,” The Dirt, April 1]. We would like to further clarify that Winter Green was founded to create a local winter-food infrastructure, provide meaningful green jobs and educate about nutritious food. We do this as a team comprised of […]

Take a harder look at guns

We have recently seen an outburst of violence in the world—not just in America. In Germany, a young man shot and killed a number of people with his father’s legally owned pistol. There seems to be a flood of violence all over our country and the world, especially involving guns. The public reacts predictably to […]

Chaining endangers dogs and people

Asheville has a reputation for being a progressive and pet-friendly town. There are an estimated 20,000 dogs living in the city—or about one dog for every three people. However, there is one issue that continues to trouble many citizens: Hundreds of these dogs are chained day after day, hour after hour, with no respite and […]

Small Bites

Razcal’s: An Oakley area restaurant that few local foodies associate with ambitious cookery is attempting to carve out a serious culinary niche. “We’re going to emphasize in-house smoked meats,” says Razcal’s general manager Erin Walker. “We’ll have our own cured meats, our own andouille.” The kitchen manager overseeing the transition is Max Hussey, selected by […]

One on One With D.G. Martin

What do Tar Heel basketball fans and North Carolina Democrats have in common? Their joy over winning is already fading into worry about next year. Despite cutbacks, big newspapers still manage to give worried basketball fans a daily dose of speculation about the prospects for next year’s teams. But the resources for reporting on government […]

That first mourning cloak

I recently decided to weed out my bookshelf, so I hauled a stack of rejects to Downtown Books and News on Lexington Avenue to trade for some new recruits. One of my finds was Robert Michael Pyle’s Handbook for Butterfly Watchers. What inspired me to choose it was a chain of vivid butterfly encounters I […]

SoundTrack

The coffeehouse circuit thrives on the nerve bundles of the ultra sensitive. Folks who stop just short of intravenous caffeine drips hang on every fluffed word from the solitary singer balanced atop the gratuitous stool. How would this scene mutate if, perhaps, it moved to a spot where beer ran rampant and idle conversation grazed […]

Fashion exhibit

The following images are from the opening reception of HATCH Festival‘s fashion discipline slow design exhibit, on display at the Asheville Area Arts Council. Designer Elisa Jimenez (right) with a model in one of Elisa’s dresses. Designer Moe Erin Donnelly (left) with a friend wearing a Sew Moe dress. A model (right) in a dress […]

Buncombe County Commission­ers preview: contaminat­ion and crime edition

At their meeting Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will hear from the Environmental Protection Agency and county staff about the state of the heavily contaminated former CTS of Asheville site. They may also hear from citizens and activists angered about the local, state and federal governments’ handling of the situation.