Over the last few months, I’ve lost a marriage and a mountain. During the same time, I’ve found a broken-down old house and a post office. I’ve lost the things that grounded me and gave me perspective, but I’ve also found a whole new set of challenges and responsibilities. These things that have happened have […]
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National Park Service to recommend cash settlement in lieu of “Road to Nowhere”
Good things come to those who wait—but sometimes they have to wait almost 60 years. Last week, Dale Ditmanson, superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, announced that the National Park Service will recommend paying a cash settlement to Swain County instead of building the so-called Road to Nowhere in the southwestern corner of […]
Good for the economy?
Exxon Mobil and other giant corporations posted record profits again this quarter. The Dow Jones Index continues to climb to record levels almost every day. Apparently, the oil “shortage” and the war and its carnage and killing are good for the economy. Yet every day, I hear Western North Carolinians say they are finding it […]
Get a grip on slippery slope issue
What is the purpose of a steep-slope ordinance? Buncombe County’s version concerns public safety, aesthetics and the control of what is perceived as overdevelopment. Asheville’s version embraces all of the above in more detail and, in our opinion, is more restrictive. The state’s version is apparently concerned with public safety and overdevelopment. There is no […]
Congressional mail moves slowly
In reference to the letter from Mr. John Kelleher [“Bureaucracy Still Rules,” May 23], assisting constituents is one of the most important functions of a member of Congress. Congressman Shuler takes this responsibility seriously and has a dedicated staff of caseworkers to assist the people of the 11th District in our district offices. Due to […]
Partisan plot thickens
Eamon Martin’s letter titled “Partisan Plot” [Xpress, May 16] is just that—a plot for power over the city of Asheville to be held by fewer people. One only has to read the comments of the City Council members in Brian Postelle’s column, “Votes and Slopes” [“Just the Facts,” May 16] to confirm Martin’s opinion. Brownie […]
Robbing the cradle
I was heartened to read in your pages recently that certain zoning provisions were upheld—or at least, there was an agreement to look into their merits. Unrestricted building is not good for any community at this time, especially one [known as] the “Cradle of Forestry.” The myth has been promulgated by those who have commercial […]
Sometimes ya can’t buy local
Local support: Let’s try to buy from each other, help each other out, support local artists etc. A local club, the Orange Peel, has some awesome shows. I have been to many myself, but the one I would like to have seen is sold out. Smashing Pumpkins are coming to the Orange Peel late June/early […]
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of WNC (CCCS)
Laurie Knowles (left), CCCS Director of Education, with Terri DuBois, who received the 2006 Client of the Year Award. Consumer Credit Counseling Service of WNC (CCCS) is a nonprofit United Way agency dedicated to helping people manage their money and credit better. Since 1973, CCCS has been providing professional and confidential money management counseling, education […]
Charlie Louvin is real
The best thing about the latest Louvin Brothers’ revival is that this time around, Charlie Louvin’s smack in the middle of it. The surviving Louvin brother is riding high on this year’s Charlie Louvin, a collection of collaborations with Louvin Brothers’ fans young, old and famous—ranging from George Jones and Tom T. Hall to Elvis […]
Goodwill: the new art-supply store
Memories can be stirred by the strangest of things—the whistle of a faraway train, an acrid whiff of burning leaves, or, as for Proust, a madeleine soaked in a decoction of lime flower. “Eclipse,” a Mijanovich work quilted from pieced vintage cotton clothing, 46” by 49”. Quilters Libby and Jim Mijanovich do it with tiny […]
Gallery Gossip
• Phyllis Sultan reports that although her painter son Donald has received honorary doctorates from two other prestigious universities, he is especially thrilled to have one from UNC-Asheville. “In spite of what Thomas Wolfe said, it is really nice to come back home,” she says. • Haen Gallery has new work by two area artists, […]
A biker’s incredible journey
Skye Barkschat lay in her hospital bed, clutching a syringe and sucking on a rubber tube. It was a simple form of stimulation, but a vital first step in relearning how to talk, communicate and return to the vibrant woman she was before an accident injured her brain. The return trip: Skye Barkschat shown before […]
The true price of power
A bill currently pending in the N.C. House is perhaps the most important piece of environmental legislation offered in years. House Bill 1825, known as the Energy Future Bill, warrants the support of all who care about future generations. The bill mandates a Utilities Commission study to determine the least-cost method of meeting future energy […]
Asheville needs true representation
The letter in the Xpress on May 16 headed “Partisan Plot” brings up the fiasco of City Council’s drive for partisan elections—elections controlled by the two-party system, pushing their ideologies on us and cutting out any voice from others. Some current Council members simply want to get into the money and other campaign help of […]
The need for Fresh Air
During the mid-60s, my family enjoyed vacations on Hilton Head Island, a beautiful, sub-tropical paradise. Back then, the only way onto the island was via ferry and there was only one traffic light. The second-largest barrier island on the East Coast, Hilton Head has some of the most beautiful beaches on the Eastern seaboard and […]
Bureaucracy still rules
I read with interest the cover story on Rep. Heath Shuler in your April 11 issue [“Shuler’s First 100 Days”]. Shuler is quoted as saying, “We work hard on every issue … Our light is the first on in the morning and the last to go out at night.” Really? Then how can he explain […]
Becoming numb to tragedy
What will it take to shock me again? After the Virginia Tech massacre, I find myself wondering why I do not feel as affected as others by this undeniable tragedy. As I have grown up and entered into the wonderful world of adulthood, I have had the chance to look back on my life—as short […]
A county out of control?
Well, since a majority of the Buncombe County commissioners have decided to screw us out of our right to vote on this zoning issue, I think it is time to get rid of them all. I understand that Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Stanley dissented, but they were also involved in the recent elevation of our […]
Dialogue versus harangue
By definition, a dialogue is a conversation. When there is a conversation, two engage in an interchange of thoughts or ideas. A harangue is a scolding. The harangue can be in the form of a heartfelt speech or sermon. Now, when speaking of the film New Segregations: A Video Dialogue, a question is posed: Will […]
No calm for the islands
Well, it’s been a few years now that the “calming devices” have been in place on Murdock Avenue. I sit on my front porch and watch the traffic go by each day. The cement islands that were placed directly in front of my house were intended to slow the vehicles as they maneuver through them. […]