Kids Issue: Simply Beautiful
Volume
28
/ Issue 32
Cover Design Credit:
Scott SouthwickCover Photography Credit:
Quinn Gillett-Hockman
For this year’s Kids Issue, Xpress asked local K-12 students to create art and writing around the theme of “Simply Beautiful.” They enthusiastically responded with a bouquet of colorful and intriguing art, essays, poems and short fiction. About the cover: Home-schooled sixth grader Quinn Gillett-Hockman writes of “Colors”: “Colorful flowers make me happy, and I wanted to create a picture that captured the simple beauty of flowers.”
arts
Theater education programs encourage bright futures for area youths
The Parkway Playhouse, Montford Moppets and Flat Rock Playhouse's Studio 52 instill life skills in local young people through the magic of theater.Day & Dream, Patty M and Wednesday release new albums
Dreamy pop, acoustic folk and fuzzed-out rock define these three new local projects.Photography exhibit documents local food industries recent hardships
Local photographer Carol Spagnuola celebrates Asheville's tenacious restaurants and breweries in her latest exhibit.Around Town: Traveling Holocaust education exhibit comes to Asheville
A traveling Holocaust education exhibit stops in Asheville. Plus, Art Garden AVL presents a show of large, collaborative murals, a local artist supports Ukraine, Asheville Community Theatre puts on a sci-fi show…food
What’s new in food: Red Fiddle Vittles opens in Arden
Red Fiddle Vittles expands its catering business with a new retail space. Also: Ginger’s Revenge Craft Brewery celebrates its five year anniversary; Chef Chris Cox heads to Mother Ocean Market;…living
Local hospitals encourage more blood donation
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of behavioral changes and not all of them are good — for example, blood donation. Western North Carolina’s blood supply is maintained through…news
WTF: Ballot initiatives
In the latest installment of our recurring “WTF?” feature — Want The Facts — Xpress looks into the practice of local ballot initiatives to answer some of the biggest questions.Local teens find their passions while giving back
Delaney Burke, who directs youth operations for the YMCA in Western North Carolina, says she notices that adolescent volunteers get as much out of their service as do the younger…Green in brief: Blue Ridge Parkway tops national parks in 2021 visitation
The scenic roadway saw 15.9 million recreation visits in 2021, up from about 14 million in 2020; the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which also includes land in Western North…125 Afghan evacuees resettled in Buncombe County
Over 125 Afghans who were evacuated by the United States amid the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan this summer now call Buncombe County home. It’s been a long journey. On Aug.…Asheville board upholds employee firings over vaccine mandate
The volunteer Civil Service Board, which has authority over employee grievances, agreed with the city’s argument Feb. 22 that five workers had shown insubordination by refusing COVID-19 vaccination or weekly…Big Ivy protections spur big turnout at Buncombe meeting
Although the U.S. Forest Service has recommended that most of Big Ivy be managed for conservation or recreation, approximately 4,000 acres in the North Fork and Snowball Mountain areas has…opinion
Letter: What jobs, jobs, jobs really mean
"It seems our elected leaders (from the president to county commissioners) are incapable of implementing solutions to problems that are peaceful and environmentally healthy."Hey, no hurry
Letter: Thumbs-up for government efficiency
"Allowing elected board members to hear about staff work in advance of presentations at public meetings can help staff in many ways."Letter: Public business should be conducted openly
"We the people need to be informed, but it is hard when they are having meetings by Zoom all the time."Letter: Why do we need to reduce open space in Asheville?
"Do we really believe that reducing open space in order to build more units per development will actually produce more affordable housing?"Letter: Charter schools should let the masks go, too
"Charter schools should be required to follow public health recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, county, governor and president of the USA."Letter: Duke’s rooftop solar scheme would reduce benefits
"But Duke Energy has filed a proposal with the N.C. Utilities Commission that would eliminate the financial benefits of these systems and destroy several thousand good jobs."