Lattes: Not just for liberals anymore

Republicans got great mileage from a political ad from the arch-conservative Club for Growth back in the 2004 presidential election that included this now-infamous and oft-paraphrased jab at the liberal elite: “Howard Dean should take his tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freakshow back to Vermont, where it belongs.” Something’s brewing: […]

Asheville City Council

With an overflow crowd in attendance on Aug. 21, City Council approved stronger rules to protect wetlands, streams and rivers from construction-related runoff, to bring the city into compliance with federal storm-water guidelines. Although city staff and some stakeholders called for a 50-foot development-free buffer along streams, Council members demurred in the face of opposition […]

Dog day afternoon

Like a bank officer turning down a loan, Doug Stachura sat behind his desk late last week in his office at Bank of America’s main local branch, at 68 Patton Ave., with arms crossed resolutely. His gaze, while not unfriendly, spoke volumes. With two acts of protest against the Charlotte-based bank’s financing of coal companies […]

War Incorporat­ed

War may be hell, but for some North Carolina firms, it can also be mighty profitable. Welcome to the (sewing) machine: Workers at Asheville’s Mills Manufacturing have been serving the military since 1952. photos by Jonathan Welch Consider Buncombe County, which boasts the largest concentration of defense contractors in the western part of the state. […]

Let the good times roll

Predictions: • Telecommuting links Asheville to the world • Weather/climate-data firms flourish • Natural healing and organics Predicting the future is always dicey, but trying to figure out where Asheville’s economy will be in 2027 is akin to herding cats, with so many variables that can suddenly zig when you expect them to zag, local […]

Boom and bust

Bele Chere, the name of Asheville’s annual three-day summer blowout, roughly translates as “beautiful living,” but a lot of downtown merchants say there’s nothing pretty about what the popular festival does to their business. Blessing or curse?: It depends on who you ask — but despite the crowds, many downtown merchants say Bele Chere doesn’t […]

Viva El Eco

The Spanish-language newspaper that you may have spotted in news racks the past couple of weeks isn’t exactly new. But thanks to the publisher of the Asheville Daily Planet, the paper catering to Asheville’s vibrant Latino population—El Eco de Las Montanas (“The echo of the mountains”)—does have a new life. Back in the boxes: After […]