Picture this: After knocking off for the day, a spry young woman (hereinafter referred to as Becky) emerges from her place of business on Kenilworth Road and finds, to her surprise, a strange black-and-white dog sitting at the base of a large oak tree, gazing upward longingly. Upon closer inspection, Becky discovers a young, bearded […]
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Make way for longboard commuters
I am writing in response to the March 10 Xpress cover story, "It's a Grind." I fully support the idea of retooling the skateboard ordinance. I think there are a few issues at play here. One is the fact that some kids with skateboards tear stuff up. This unfortunately is going to make it a […]
City Council should revise handling of P&Z appointments
Concerning David Forbes' March 3 article on the recent appointment of Holly Shriner to the city of Asheville's Planning and Zoning Commission: Excuse my possible naiveté, but it seems to me that in our "advanced" age of management, City Council would use a rubric or something similar to guide its decision-making about appointments to boards […]
End our wars to achieve real security
A guest commentary I submitted (see http://vfpchapter099wnc.blogspot.com/) to the Mountain Xpress in response to the March 3 article, "Asheville-based National Guard Unit Heads to Iraq," was rejected because it wasn't about a local issue. The editors, however, graciously suggested I write a letter. We keep sending young people off to war. We do this because […]
A rhetorical question on war
How many earthquakes will it take to help end the "war Olympics" around the world? — DeWayne Barton Asheville
We don’t need the GOP to fix what they’ve broken
According to a recent newspaper ad, the Buncombe County Republican Party has announced precinct meetings in March and its county convention on March 27. The ad states: "Tired of special interests controlling Washington and Raleigh? Disappointed in politicians who say one thing and do another? Worried that our government might never get back on track? […]
Don’t buy Republicans lies
Listen up, people. The Republicans will use every untruth and dirty trick they can to get back in power, so that they can destroy the middle and lower classes. They only care about the rich and being in power. That should be clear now. They don't care about "we the people." They destroyed my retirement […]
Weekly Asheville Disclaimer Page: 03/17/10
• Operation Medicine Drop
• Social Media
• Briefs
• News that’s not news
Review: Africa came to the Orange Peel, with Bela Fleck
An incredible show from the banjo maestro and a host of talented traditional African musicians, with photos from Barry Brandt.
CORRECTION: {Re} Happening event is Saturday, March 20 — not March 13
This week’s issue of Xpress mistakenly pegs the event, which will pay tribute to the creative legacy of Black Mountain College, to the wrong date
The Green Scene
Battling energy costs one draft at a time The folks at Land-of-Sky Regional Council submitted this news item: Who knew that a snake could help keep the cold away? Through the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, residents of Laurel Woods Apartments in south Asheville volunteered to stuff and decorate 17 draft-stoppers — aka "draft-constrictors," since […]
Stepping away
"Don't forget to have a good time." If Ani DiFranco has said anything important over the years, and she has, this line from her last record, 2008's Red Letter Year, should rank right up there. It seems like an obvious statement, but it's deceptively simple. And even someone as lyrically smart and fearless as DiFranco […]
Beware our codependent medical system
Fellow readers: I've been one of you for 16 years and finally find myself writing to you. This is about the custody-case piece in the Feb. 24 Mountain Xpress. Actually, it's about health care and government in general. The coverage of Ryan's custody experience brought to the fore a complex issue that is deeply disturbing […]
Jesus wouldn’t judge others; neither should Rev. Ogden
In response to Rev. Ogden and those who think that homosexuality is a sin, I'd say, "Judge not." Jesus never uttered a word against anyone except the moneychangers and the Pharisees — the professional priests of the time who were caught up in rigid dogma as opposed to the living truth. Jesus taught forgiveness and […]
Why is DOT pruning roadways beyond the need to do so?
I am writing you to express my concern about the recent tree pruning along the 19/23, future I-26 corridor and the clear-cutting along the 25/70 corridor north of Weaverville. I travel both these corridors on a daily basis and am wondering who or what is responsible for this devastation? Is this part of a planned […]
Xpress’ electronic-music section failed to touch on TOUCH Samadhi
Your March 3 cover package on Asheville's electronic-music scene was excellent, save for one oversight: the failure to make a single reference to one of the oldest electronic-music collectives in the area, TOUCH Samadhi. For over 10 years, TS has been throwing regular electronic-music events in the Asheville area, including Downtown Get-Down events at Pritchard […]
Not sold on benefits of local banking
Regarding Bruce Mulkey's Feb. 24 commentary in Xpress, "Just Say No to Megabanks," I have had an interesting and completely opposite experience with one local bank. … I recently closed my checking account there, and I refuse to do any more business with them. I moved to Asheville in 1997. … I started thinking about […]
Recycling matters to all — and all should be doing it
It's great that Asheville is such a progressive town. We unite and fight vehemently for all sorts of causes. We become militant about the aesthetic integration of office-supply store facades, benefits for domestic partners, vegetarian equality, chained dogs and even a single threatened tree. And if we believe in something, we don't even bother with […]
Tired of the Tea Partiers? We’re brewing up a Coffee Party alternative
There is an old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." I don't have to tell anyone that we definitely do. We see all these problems facing us as a nation and are rightfully concerned, often frustrated and sometimes angry. Some folks see these problems and say, "No! Don't try to fix anything, you'll […]
Buncombe needs Patsy Keever representing us in Raleigh
Patsy Keever spent 25 years in Asheville schools teaching many of the people reading this letter — and another 12 years serving on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Whether running for Congress or running a triathlon, Patsy doesn't stop, even to retire. Now with North Carolina's economy faltering, mountainsides sliding and Buncombe neighbors struggling […]
Happy ending to a hard time in Hot Springs
At the end of November 2009, I wrote a letter to the newspaper concerning Hot Springs and the unfair treatment we received there. Two elderly friends and myself had driven over on a beautiful Sunday for lunch. When we came out of the restaurant, our car had been towed, and we were treated rudely and […]