⢠Mary Charles Griffin’s paintings in the Focus Gallery at Blue Spiral 1 are outstanding: fresh and non-formulaic. Her series, called “Edge of the Woods,” deals with seasonal changes in nature, and every work in it is lyrical and alive. ⢠The Fringe Festival is looking better every day. Check the Web site for a […]
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The view from below
I’ve never cut a tree to improve a view. I wonder at the hubris of those who believe a view can be improved by the absence of a tree. I wonder, too, about the one-sided thinking of those who would clear a view so they could look out on distant ridges unimpeded. These are the […]
Headlines speak louder than words
Headlines speak louder than words by Bill Fishburne Mountain Xpress columnist Jerry Sternberg has taken The Asheville Tribune and myself to task for jumping all over City Council regarding the Army Reserve rent increase (see “The Gospel According to Jerry: Patriots Come in All Stripes,” Dec. 20, 2006 Xpress). The opportunity to reply is too […]
Letters to the editor
Control your own energy I attended the county commissioners’ [Jan. 16] “public hearing” — or what was set up to look like one — concerning leasing over 70 acres at the old landfill site in Woodfin to Progress Energy to build a peak-use oil-burning power plant. This land is owned by the public. Why [should] […]
A recipe for snow
Blow hard: A traditional air-and-water “cannon,” ready to make some flakes. photos by Melissa Cain Smith Natural snow is created from the water vapor that hovers around in the atmosphere. Cooling temperatures cause the vapor to condense and form clouds. Dirt and other drifting particles offer a nucleus that water molecules can cohere to. When […]
The tall woman
Editor’s note: Acclaimed Asheville writer, conservationist and social critic Wilma Dykeman Stokely died Dec. 22 at age 86. I first got to know Wilma Dykeman after I moved here from Houston, Texas, in 1988 and began attending public events at The North Carolina Arboretum, Warren Wilson College and assorted Buncombe County public libraries with my […]
A healthy future for Sophia
Is this really a world that doesn’t care about its children? Sophia, my granddaughter, just had her second birthday. She is a delight. Her smile, her giggle, her dance, even her “no” all bring joy to her parents, family and friends. And delighted that others smile and laugh with her, the love and pleasure mutually […]
Letters to the editor
Health Services model merits discussion In 2001, the League of Women Voters of Asheville/Buncombe County committed to focus local activities on “Citizenship in Action” and “The Future of Our Community.” Since then the League has worked to facilitate strong partnerships between government and citizens by providing opportunities for public discourse to support community-based problem solving. […]
Better than free checking
“Collie Payne and Steer, Berry,” 1800 x 1514, Tim Barnwell. John Dickson is consumed by two passions: his native Western North Carolina mountains and photography. As president of Asheville Savings Bank, he’s found a way to generously share his interests with the community. Before the restoration of the bank’s downtown location, a project which in […]
A wee bit better than other Celt-rock fusionists
More filling: Enter the Haggis is hardly at home anymore. “Thanks for having some interest in our little band,” says Craig Downie, vocalist, bagpiper and founder of Toronto’s Enter the Haggis. “Little” is a humble way to describe this group, which for the last 10 years has helped fuse the high-energy, Celtic-influenced rock of the […]
Oh brother, you’re still on the road?
Portrait of the artist as a workaholic: More than a half century of touring isn’t enough for Ralph Stanley. If someone had a hankering to carve the visages of bluegrass legends onto a towering Appalachian rock face, a la Mount Rushmore, Ralph Stanley’s wizened mug would undoubtedly be a candidate for inclusion. A native of […]
There’s good news and bad news
In the summer of 2004 the Asheville Civic Center Commission found itself at a crossroads. A facility that was bringing more than 300,000 people downtown every year was being allowed to deteriorate right before our eyes. And although commission members spoke with city, county and state officials as well as local business organizations about the […]
Letters to the editor
Braking suggestions Thank you for this timely article [“Braking News,” Jan. 3]. The style of non-attentive (negligent/reckless) driving detailed in the Tamiko Murray column is becoming more and more prevalent. The following information may be of some use to the residents on Ms. Murray’s street, as well as to DeVonte — the injured child victimized […]
You said it … 2006 in review
Before plunging headlong into 2007, Xpress decided to cast a last look over our shoulder at the year that was, reviewing choice moments from our 52 weekly issues. Like its predecessors, of course, 2006 was the best of times, it was the worst of times, time after time. But it was the finer points, the […]
Gallery gossip
Lots of departures in the local arts scene! Erica Bell is leaving her post as gallery director at the Asheville Arts Council to work for the LEAF Festival. Her cheerful attitude will be missed. Ron Platt is leaving the Asheville Art Museum for Birmingham. The museum’s recent newsletter lists the artists he selected for the […]
Braking news
For a short time, I worked as a delivery driver for a local company. My route carried me through north Asheville’s winding streets — over the speed bumps, past the rows of manicured lawns and the “Slow Children at Play” signs standing prominently along the curbs. My boss often warned against going even a mile […]
Letters to the editor
Let’s railroad this thing Recently a letter writer questioned why there is no rail service from Asheville to eastern North Carolina. I also wonder. My parents live on the coast of North Carolina, which unfortunately is a nine-hour car drive from here. There used to be bus service, but now that schedule has been butchered […]
Gracias, amigos!
Waynesville’s Gallery 86 displays works by a broad selection of Latin American artists in Latin Palette: Artistas de Las Montanas. If you think Diego Rivera’s huge murals define Hispanic art, you’ll be surprised by the variety of works in Latin Palette: Artistas de Las Montanas, a Gallery 86 exhibition of works by artists of Latin […]
The trails of winter
The trails of winter by Danny Bernstein Walking in a winter wonderland: Rime ice adds a chilling spectacle to cold-weather hikes. photo by Danny Bernstein When I moved to Asheville from New Jersey, I brought all of my winter-hiking gear with me, including crampons, snowshoes, cross-country skis, a down jacket and an ice axe. I […]
Sage against the machine
When it comes to his career, Canadian roots musician Fred J. Eaglesmith is a self-made man. Here’s a job for all you soon-to-be-graduates to consider: itinerant folkie. According to Fred J. Eaglesmith, it’s a fine line of work for those seeking adventure and job security. Really. “My career is a really nice little career,” Eaglesmith […]
Whaddya get when you cross Celtic rhythms with techno beats?
You like unpredictable? You just might want to check out the Propheteers. “We don’t want to be classified,” says Joseph Salvatore, bassist and vocalist for the Propheteers, voicing a genre-bending sentiment shared by nearly every self-respecting band member. But the Propheteers put their music where their mouths are, staging a live show that’s the equivalent […]