I would like to say "hats off" — or rather, "helmets off" to the large group of bike riders — 100 or so — that rode up Beaucatcher Mountain on Halloween Eve. They were delightful. And they were very well organized, polite, friendly, courteous and very appropriate for the Hallow Eve. I truly enjoyed watching […]

After being an avid bicyclist in Asheville for, well, almost four years now, I haven't seen any change in either motorists' attitudes towards cyclists or an altered political view of the situation (except for Gordon Smith, who has advocated for bicyclists). Concerning the potentially economically and environmentally advantageous qualities, let alone personal benefits, of simply […]

My family and I were tourists for five years, pumping thousands of dollars into the economy, until we moved here in 2009. When a downtown restaurant owner asked me where we finally settled and I said south Asheville, there was an uncomfortable silence between us. Did I say something wrong? Enjoying my Mountain Xpress from […]

Most Americans are appalled at how primitively fundamentalist some Middle Easterners are. Yes, some are extremely primitive. But by far the greater causes of terrorism are the primitive and fundamentalist aspects of America and Western Civilization. After all, historically, it's Western Civilization's brutal intolerance that forced the Jews to create a country in the Middle […]

With all the recent 350 ppm hoopla, I am astonished at the lack of mention regarding the effects of animal agriculture on, well, everything. The surrounding events hit all the basics — land, water, energy, pollution — yet nothing and no one focused on the biggest contributor to all of these topics. It was like […]

In reply to Scott Smith's letter on vegetarians ["Vegetarians Are Too Pushy About Their Lifestyle," Nov. 4]: Dear Scott, I am sorry that you are so offended by vegetarians. No doubt this is a free country, and you can say and eat pretty much whatever you want. But lifestyle does come with a price. Despite […]

I have yet to hear a Republican offer an apology for what their administration did to this country and its citizens, yet they now want us to trust them again. That's ____.  I'm 74 and worked hard all my life, and because of the Republicans and their greedy friends, I am now living in subsidized […]

Please bring back Ken Hanke's review of the Friday night World Cinema film series at the Courtyard Gallery. We've been offering this free series for years, providing complimentary refreshments and hosting a discussion afterward. It's a rare opportunity to see classic cinema in a public setting. Ken's review is important because we show a wide […]

It seems that never does a week or two pass without an assault in the Letters section from the vegetarian community on anyone who does not share their lifestyle. I think it is wonderful that you so strongly believe in your position. I, too, believe in my lifestyle, though I don't find it necessary to […]

I've listened to arguments from both sides of the issues in the debate over incorporation in Swannanoa. I've done a lot of research on my own. The conclusion: Incorporation is disastrous for the rural character. We will lose the very reason why people visit or move to this area. 1. Nearly 60 percent of the […]