Western North Carolina, the Asheville area, is one of the coolest places to live. There are so many beautiful places to see, so many fun things to do and so many cool people in one area. Get yourself a “Friends of the Smokies” license plate, slap an Asheville “Go Local” sticker on your bumper and […]

Watching the video of the death of Eric Garner in New York was disturbing. The decision by the district attorney or grand jury not to indict confuses me. The only good to come of this may be the public debate on arrest procedures and appropriate use of force. I also truly believe those New York […]

Cameron Huntley’s analysis of the local economy, [“It’s All Good, Right?,” Dec. 31, Xpress] was well-organized,  very thorough and enlightening.  It should serve as a template for all future writing in the Mountain Xpress. Steve Rosenthal Asheville

In response to previous letters on “Ogden: Two Officers Drive False Narrative about Chief of Police.”

  Color-habituated cartoonist Randy Molton finds evident self-gratification in his attachment to something over which people have no personal control. Like most progressives, he remains indifferent to other “C” words — choice, character, culture and conditioning — over which we do have great influence. His impetuous priority reveals a big reason we continue to stumble around […]

On Christmas evening while my son was at work, his dog escaped from the yard which is enclosed in a wooden and wire fence. The pup found a way out, and somebody shot him. This friendly, lovable dog was found on the edge of my son’s field. It would have been less cruel and painful […]

As a returning veteran and a local born and raised in this community, I am very disappointed in what myself and other veterans face when it is coming to getting hired in our communities. That is especially true for those [who, like me], are also currently serving in the North Carolina National Guard. What fellow […]

Rev. [Keith] Ogden, where have you been for the past two months? [“Ogden: Two Officers Drive False Narrative about Chief of Police,” Dec. 10 Letters to the Editor, Xpress] William Anderson denied that there was a reprimand in Lt. Bill Wilkie’s file, and that was proven untrue. Lt. Mark Byrd advised that the radar equipment […]

After reading “Updated Voting Report (ahem),” [“Asheville Disclaimer,” Dec. 3, Xpress] I was moved to provide a different point of view. I do not affiliate myself with any party and have never done so. I have always voted for the candidates’ promises on the issues and not the party. It has been the case in […]

In response to Jerry Sternberg‘s rebuttal to Karen Cragnolin and RiverLink [“The Gospel According to Jerry,” Dec. 10, Xpress], he mentions the “dark of night” closing of the Asheville Race Track. He says it was done by me and “other conspirators.” He called it “political bullying.” He said it was done “with cavalier disregard for […]

It takes a lot for me to write a letter to the editor, but the cartoon by Brent Brown in the Dec. 3 Mountain Xpress was the last straw in a long line of economic commentary by people who seem to have trouble with the concept of supply and demand. If you missed it, the […]

It saddens my heart to know that William Anderson, the first African-American chief of police of Asheville, is retiring. How did we get to this point? In my professional opinion, the city leadership has allowed two police officers to continue to drive a false narrative, week after week, through the news media (WLOS-TV and the Citizen-Times newspaper) […]

I’m sure you’ve received many comments about Joe Bianculli’s remarks and hopefully Chris Reedy at Blue Ridge Food Ventures has had an opportunity to respond about clean hands versus gloves with UliMana hand rolling techniques [“Asheville’s Food Pioneers,” Oct. 22, Xpress]. I am all for organic and non-GMO, but I’m a bigger advocate for local […]

Asheville and Buncombe County schools are competing in the North Carolina Green Schools’ Solar Schools Challenge, a program that “helps students learn more about energy, about reducing environmental impacts and creates pathways to solar power for our schools.” The winning school earns a 1-kilowatt solar array for its campus. The purpose is greater than winning an electricity-generating […]

The remarkable showing of Democratic Party candidates in local and Buncombe County elections, in stark contrast to state and national contests, was surely due in part to greater-than-average voter turnout, but equally important is that local Republicans, led by the likes of Tim Moffitt and Lisa Baldwin, overplayed their hand, their arrogance and posturing turning […]

I  would like to congratulate Judge Ed Clontz on his election to the District Court bench (N.C. District 28).  He ran a very robust campaign. We wish him all the best as he begins his first full, four-year term. Also, I would like to thank the thousands of citizens who voted for me in the […]

Regardless of the entire issue of global warming described in a Nov. 5 letter by Michael Ivey [“Cartoonist Randy Molton Has Been Brainwashed,” Xpress], pollution (man-made, natural or nonexistent), is real, and it is disgusting. And it is OUR problem.   Ashley Rochester Asheville

Congratulations on the valuable issue of Nov. 5-11 [“Who’s Helping Whom? The Animal Issue,” Xpress], which calls attention to the many good sources of help for animals in our area. We would like to add a word of support for a facility not mentioned in the issue, namely the Goat Mountain Animal Sanctuary in Leicester,  […]

As author of the letter “Asheville Becoming an Elitist City,” [Oct. 15, Xpress], I was surprised at the many reactions it elicited. This letter is in response to the majority of people who labeled me an “outsider” intruding on their territory.  So let me explain something to them. My family, going back many generations, is […]

I was disturbed by a couple of things published in your “Asheville’s Food Pioneers” coverage in the Oct. 22 issue of Xpress.  You give very nice publicity to Blue Ridge Food Ventures (a local sacred cow) in “From Palates to Pallets,” with special attention given to UliMana, the largest Food Ventures client. All well and good — how […]

We all celebrated the news a couple of weeks ago regarding the $14.6 million Tiger Grant given to Asheville by Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. Let’s take this opportunity to thank all of those whose determination and dedication made this possible. We first want to thank former Mayor Terry Bellamy for creating the River Arts […]