Driving on formerly forested Sweeten Creek Road these days provides a pretty lousy view! Tract after tract of beautiful wood lots has been erased. Soon comes the relentless paving process. Usually, more trees are cut than are necessary to fit the structures. Why do we, as a civilization, insist on this same old crappy style […]
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Mumpower the allusionist
Like Joe McCarthy in the 1950s, whose paranoia saw a Communist under every American’s bed, here in Asheville we have our own demagogue, Carl Mumpower, who gets a lot of mileage from shining his light of truth and justice on all the socialists scuttling in the dark corners of our City Council chambers. His allusions […]
A classical dilemma
Pritchard Park is the victim again. The new art, even with the slight sop to Asheville’s existing classical style, remains the new sore thumb of the neighborhood. The sore thumb, like all other sore thumbs, sticks out because it is out of place. The parts of the statue that are shaped to copy parts of […]
To tell the truth
I was excited to pick up your paper (March 12) with the cover title “No More Secrets.” I thought, “Well, golly, they’ve finally stepped out and gotten some journalistic integrity!” Sadly, this was not the case. The article publishes government papers that have been released to the public that might generate some interest from local […]
Safety inspection fails the grade
The management of The Orange Peel has stooped to new lows. When [I] attended a Feb. 29 concert, the proprietors chose to violate my privacy—along with [that of] every other attendee. This was done under the guise of keeping us safe. When entering the hall after presenting my $23 ticket, I was told by a […]
Horsemen pass by
It was with great sadness and a sense of immense loss that I received news of the death on March 16 of my neighbor over in Macon County, Jonathan Williams, in the Highlands Hospital. A renowned and celebrated poet and publisher, he was born on March 8, 1929, in Asheville, and spent much of his […]
A very happy birthday
I’m writing to thank the Mountain Xpress and Brian Postelle for running the story “Midlife Nice-ness” in the [March 5] Conscious Party section of your paper. Turning 50 is great, but to have a party like The Eagle Flies on Sunday and raise awareness and money for a much-needed cause such as Loving Food Resources […]
Kids’ Resources
Here’s a brief list of local parenting resources. Check the Xpress Community Calendar for a complete rundown, including information on babysitting co-ops, baby-yoga classes, playgroups, Mom’s Morning Out programs, and weekly toddler events sponsored by Asheville Parks & Recreation (www.ashevilleparks.org). Got twins? Asheville Area Mothers of Multiples: For mothers of twins, triplets and more! Info: […]
Easy as ABC: A primer of local elementary schools
Buncombe County is one of the largest school districts in the state, and newly relocated parents can understandably get confused about all the scholastic options out there. Below, Xpress offers a comprehensive list of area elementary schools, including public, charter, magnet and private. All institutions are K-5 and located in Asheville, unless otherwise noted. (A […]
Summer camps
Kids used to return home from summer camp with little more than bug spray and lanyard keychains in their duffel bags. But the experience has grown more refined with the years. Most camps now boast themes: drama, dinosaurs, printmaking, robotics. In fact, those who attend the vastly eclectic array of Asheville-area camps will be curating […]
Two is the new one
Last year alone, celebrities Patrick Dempsey, Sean Combs, Marcia Cross, Dennis Quaid and Nancy Grace announced the birth of twins. And, if Yahoo news alerts are any indication, JLo was apparently naming her own posh pair as I wrote this. Twins aren’t novel and eerie anymore—no longer Shining spooky but rather as ubiquitous as the […]
The new perils of “screen time”
Mention kids and electronics and most parents will assure you they have stringent rules regarding “screen time.” Choosing the chalkboard over the keyboard: Two-year-old Marlise, left, of Asheville, makes art with her cousins Sasha (middle) and Lilly during a visit to Australia. Photo By Bobbi Holland However, according to Nielsen Media Research, today’s kids are […]
Managua, Nicaragua, Health and Education Center
The Women’s Wellbeing and Development Foundation empowers women and girls to utilize their economic, social, intellectual and spiritual potential to achieve personal growth and the integrated development of their communities. The foundation develops and supports programs that promote economic self-sufficiency, social equality and sustainable development, by providing effective technical assistance and targeted funding, and by […]
Weekly Asheville Disclaimer Page: 03/26/08
• Small government: here to help!
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After the war is over
Thirty years ago, music listeners didn’t have to wait long for their next shot at bombast. Every artist worth their mettle felt as if they had another Sergeant Pepper’s in them—a genre-breaking, grandiose, epic album just waiting to be brought forth. But for every Dark Side of the Moon, there are at least three albums […]
Booked
Recently I was at Pack Library downtown and asked why they had moved the ongoing sale of used books upstairs. I was told that the library is scheduled to undergo major reworking of the street floor, which will result in a permanent reduction of space for books. In anticipation, the library is in the process […]
Age cannot wither
A few weeks ago, The New York Times published an article declaring that some runners are actually faster at 60 than at 50 (“Staying a Step Ahead of Aging,” Jan. 31, 2008). My reaction was, “Duh, that’s not surprising.” It’s certainly true in hiking—maybe not faster but certainly longer distances. Better with the years: Carroll […]
Taxidermy: the art of depravity
In the cover story about taxidermy [“Practically Alive,” Feb. 13], Bill Fuchs says: “We take dead animals and bring them back to life. And, I mean, there can be nothing—that I know of—more satisfying than that.” Did it ever occur to him to let the animals live and preserve their beauty with a photograph? I […]
Facing the faces of Asheville
As a community activist and artist, for the last nine months I have been learning in depth about greater-Asheville residents through the Faces of Asheville Photo Documentary Project (www.FacesofAsheville.com). I have listened to the unique stories of what has brought individuals to or kept [them] in this area, making each of us an integral part […]
Just whose value counts?
I was really saddened to read [the recent] blurb about the eviction of Gabriel and Livia Ferrari [“Property Owners Left Out in the Cold,” The Buzz, March 5]. Despite being religious wing nuts, they had a beautiful and interesting house. Now I’m not a libertarian about many things, but property rights is definitely one of […]
Free speech meets the APD
Clearly the issue all along [regarding Asheville’s “highway blogger”] wasn’t Mr. Phillip’s exercise in free speech; it was the Asheville Police Department’s blatant disregard for Mr. Phillip’s constitutional rights and their subsequent arrest of Mr. Phillips on entirely fabricated charges. And just who is accountable for this bogus arrest and these trumped up charges, now […]