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Restless natives
I am puzzled, confused and downright confounded. After more than 20 years in the horticulture business professing expertise in the region’s native flora, I thought for sure I knew the definition of a native plant. But after working on a project that has entailed conversations with botanists, nursery growers and conservationists (not to mention a […]
Earful
Skeletons in the jukebox “Skeletons” provides a forum for local musicians, artists, record-store owners, etc., to erase cool points by expressing their unseemly affection for an unhip album from their past. Smashing Pumpkins’ Gish, loved by Wayne Robbins of the Hellsayers “I was in a dorm room when I first heard Gish, the new album […]
Cartoons
Letters to the editor
Flag thief also stole faith We want the unknown person(s) who stole our U.S. flag, flying from the porch of our home July Fourth, to please return it — no questions asked. This flag, which had been flown over the U.S. Capitol, was given to us by Rep. Charles Taylor’s office in memory of our […]
We need a common vision to solve Civic Center woes
As I meet with folks in our community, I hear many suggestions about the Civic Center. Some say tear it down; the Heery Report (the city’s adopted conceptual plan) recommends remodeling it and replacing some parts. Some city officials have proposed building a new facility on the river. Others argue for a site on Broadway […]
Schultze Gets the Blues
2005 must be the year of leisurely paced gems — movies that move like molasses but pack an unforgettable emotional wallop. There was Scotland’s Dear Frankie, the American Off the Map, and now there’s Germany’s recent box-office champ, Schultze Gets the Blues. This simple, unadorned film is the droll, gently told tale of a German […]
The long view
Picture yourself strolling a beach, perhaps stooping now and then to pick up an interesting shell. A wave comes in, recedes, and a flash of light catches your eye. There, washed by the sea, caught by the sun, is a small piece of cobalt blue glass. It is radiantly beautiful! Sure, it may be a […]
DeNiro, De Kooning, Olitski?
Referencing Abstract Expressionism from the 1950s to the early ’70s, the current exhibit at Asheville Art Museum features artists (or at least names — like actor Robert DeNiro’s father, painter Robert DeNiro Sr.) that are familiar to most. But a closer viewing unearths a more personal-to-Asheville angle: A number of paintings are by artists associated […]
Cartoons
Rocking a half century
By day, the Honorable Alexander Banner Lyerly serves as the Chief District Judge for the 24th Judicial District in North Carolina. But every July since 1956, Lyerly has traded his robe for a kilt. The 50th Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, an annual celebration of all things Scottish, happens July 7-10 in Linville, N.C. At 5,964 […]
See you in court
With no common ground found at a last-minute open meeting on June 28, the Asheville/Buncombe water dispute appeared headed to court. The Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County commissioners spent more than an hour discussing water issues before heading off to separate meetings to pass their respective budgets for the 2005-06 fiscal year (which […]
Letters to the editor
Fair compensation could save lives The health-care system that sustains so many sick people in Western North Carolina helped kill Devin [Gibson]. The system of “agency” temporary workers pays low wages and does nothing for child-care. It recruits from the very poor as a way to “help” them get on their feet. Are they helping […]
A message from the north Asheville turkeys
I hadn’t seen them since early March, when they paraded up our hill, single file, into my neighbors’ yard. The sun was disappearing below the horizon, and a wintry wind was blowing from the creek. A lone passing car briefly breached the enveloping silence. I remember the first time I heard that peculiar rushing just […]
Tell state lawmakers it’s time to put an end to goodwill lobbying
For generations, North Carolina has had a reputation for clean government. And while there have been some notable (and well-publicized) exceptions, our overall reputation remains high. Times have changed, however, and the governmental process has grown much more complex. There are now many more lobbyists involved with the legislative and executive branches of our government, […]
A clash of interests
To a large degree, the local water wars have revolved around exceptions. Is it fair that Asheville is the only North Carolina city that’s not allowed to charge more for water beyond the city limits? Does Asheville’s unique history warrant such special treatment by the General Assembly? And for that matter, is any city justified […]
Letters to the editor
Follow the logic In reference to the Water Disagreement and representation: a. Who is watching the hen house in the water debate? b. Is this City Council vs. Board of Commissioners? c. Four of five county commissioners are city residents today. d. All of City Council members live in the city. e. Only one of […]
The Other Side of the Mountain
By now, a lot of readers know that I really don’t like smoking and what it does to the human body. Just when my own voice had settled down to the basso range, my favorite uncle, who had a lovely tenor voice, was diagnosed with both lung cancer and emphysema. So the dream of singing […]
Bewitched
The best thing about Bewitched is that its cinematography is so plodding that, unlike Nicole Kidman’s other movies where the camera is all over the place, you actually get to see her for more than a few dizzying split seconds at a time and can realize how exquisitely gorgeous she truly is. The idea behind […]
Earful
Skeletons in the jukebox “Skeletons” provides a forum for local musicians, artists, record-store owners, etc., to erase cool points by expressing their unseemly affection for an unhip album from their past. Rocky IV Soundtrack, by Kevin Cassels, owner of Good Music and Other Stuff. “If you suddenly smell Velveeta while driving past a flea market, […]