The May 30 edition of Mountain Xpress carried a letter from Mr. Mike Butrum [“Get a Grip on Slippery Slope Issue”] asking why we needed three steep-slope laws: one at the state level; one enacted by Buncombe County; and another enacted by Asheville City Council. That was about the only point on which I agreed […]

This link—www.ninds.nih.gov/index.htm—is to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, which has a very informative info page on the devastating post-polio syndrome (PPS). The medical “facts” proffered by Susan Voorhees are inaccurate [“The Once and Future Sting: Polio Survivors Regroup to Face New Challenge,” Xpress, June 27], and a licensed professional should know better than to […]

I would like to know [who] is responsible for the shameless destruction in lower Leicester known as Rose Hill Plantation. These [people who] call themselves developers are really just destroyers—land rapists of the filthiest degree. Mountaintop removal is their specialty. The beautiful mountain that once stood there has been mercilessly scraped and carved into an […]

This is in response to a quote by Bryan Freeborn from the article “Let Asheville Vote Enters Homestretch” by Jon Elliston [July 5]. Apparently Freeborn said: “I don’t think that there really is overwhelming opposition to [partisan voting].” The article says that Mr. Freeborn believes that LAV’s drive is built more on hype than genuine […]

Remembering with some fondness the Mountain Xpress covering the 2005 election with a fantastic and fair overview of all of the candidates in the running for City Council, I admit that I will miss it somewhat this year. Partisan elections have been re-established in Asheville (unless that petition does its magic). I guess this election […]

I’m writing to encourage your readers to vote for Elaine Lite for Asheville City Council this fall. Elaine has lived here and raised her child here for 20 years. Like so many others, she’s appalled at the changes brought by wealthy out-of-town developers, including our sky-rocketing cost of living and the loss of so many […]

North Carolina leads the nation in loss of farmland this century. In our mountains, where escalating land prices and depressed farm profits are pushing family farms out of business, local farmers and the rural communities they support need opportunities to diversify their income. Raw milk is one such opportunity, so it is a shame that […]

I am deeply saddened, but not very surprised, to discover that our elected N.C. representatives have so warmly embraced the federal “Real ID Act.” This act, along with other antiAmerican legislation like the “USA PATRIOT Act,” continues to perpetrate a grievous crime against We the People, disgracing every single American who has ever served and […]

Hear ye! Hear ye! Citizens young and old! For a new day of declaration has been adopted by true blue-, white- and red-blooded Americans. July 2 is the day of Independence! Historical fact: The Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776. That night, the Pennsylvania Evening Post published this statement: “This […]

I don’t want to take anything away from any of the restaurants in your article “Good Ol’ Northern Cooking” [“The Straight Dish,” July 5], but the discussion was incomplete without mentioning Marco’s Pizzeria. I am from Pennsylvania, and my fiancée is from New York. When we moved here, we loved everything about Asheville, but it […]

I am writing in response to your review of Harvest Restaurant [“Harvest: East Asheville Restaurant Still Needs to Ripen,” June 20]. First, in the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I am an employee and so have a vested interest in seeing us portrayed fairly in print. Overall, I found your article to […]

I tried to get tickets to the Pumpkins show too, and along with so many others, my browser crashed that fateful Sunday. Since I had a gun show to attend, I gave up. A week later, I was commiserating with a friend and business associate at the Mountain Xpress, saying how perfect the B-52’s would […]

I very much enjoyed Stewart David’s letter [“Green Barbecue?,” June 20] regarding your article [“Chew on This,” June 6]. I, for one—being new to the state—did not know that pigs outnumber people in North Carolina (though I did know we were No. 2 pork producers, after Iowa). Given this information, is it not amazing what […]

This is a complicated issue, so bear with me. (Also, if anyone knows more about this, feel free to educate me.) Traditional radio and satellite radio are losing market share to innovative services responding to market demand such as Pandora, which I subscribe to for $12 per year. Pandora allows me to create radio stations […]

Throughout the last week or so, I have heard and read many comments regarding the mission of Let Asheville Vote. Many of these comments have begged the question: “Is this a group of Republicans with an underlying agenda?” As one of the organizers, I would like to answer that question with a resounding “No!” Let […]

I’ve lived here in Asheville for 20 years—most of my life. I am responding to Councilman Newman’s letter [“City Budget Needs Community Input,” June 20]. Creating walkable, bikeable communities: I agree … but encourage even further steps. Personally I don’t own a car, so I rely on my bike (a pedal version) and walking for […]