The Unaffordab­le Care Act

Witch doctor: “A magician credited with powers of healing, divination and protection against others.” Calling all witch doctors who will work for cash, barter or home-cooked meals. We, the tiny, unimportant percent of Americans who pay for their own health care, need help! The painters, carpenters, landscapers, cleaners, waitresses, etc. We who pay out of […]

Nocturnal transmissi­ons

A write-up in The New Yorker is a powerful validation. Both immensely respected and incredibly visible, it’s the kind of publication that can help kickstart a project in its infancy — and provide a valuable confidence boost to an artist seeking wider appreciation. Dave Hartley, who creates hypnotic soundscapes as Nightlands, had his first solo […]

Readers recommend

Xpress invites readers to share their favorite local dining spots. This week, John Meyer writes about the West Asheville eatery, West Asheville Lounge and Kitchen, or WALK. For fans of the Asheville food scene, I am writing to whet appetites, so to speak, about a place that might be (as yet) flying a bit under […]

Light voting?

In a recent issue of the Xpress, I read an article about light voter turnout [“Between the Lines,” Nov. 13 Xpress]. In previous issues, we read about what [some] considered restrictive voter laws. No matter what side of the issues your opinion may fall on, the solution to both problems is simple. I can sit […]

Secret no more

The Skyland Fire Department’s white-walled community room might not be the usual place to watch an in-depth news report, but for the roughly 50 people gathered late on the afternoon of Nov. 18, it wasn't a typical viewing. Many residents of the Mills Gap Road area have lived with the specter of severe health risks […]

Fracking in WNC?

As North Carolina paves the way for hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” will the mountains see a new form of mining? Recent signals out of Raleigh are both revealing and contradictory. Mitch Gillespie, an assistant secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, told a legislative environmental committee in mid-November that his agency planned […]

Traffic safety standards fall short

While I appreciate an expanded approach to modestly priced housing in Asheville, I've not seen attention given to the problems such development can create in a neighborhood. Specifically, increased traffic on narrow streets with blind curves causes unsafe conditions — not to mention the difficulties of access for fire trucks and ambulances. The city’s traffic-safety […]

News of the Weird in bad taste

You have a very strange concept of humor. If satire is supposed to make a point and teach something, I wonder what is being taught here [see “News of the Weird: First Things First,” Nov. 13 Xpress]. I subscribed to The Realist, which pushed more boundaries than you can imagine. But that publication was available […]

Readers’ recipes

Editor’s note: In response to our request for readers to share their favorite dishes, Arjuna da Silva of Black Mountain sent in this refreshing take on cranberries just in time for Thanksgiving. For health foodies, traditional Thanksgiving dinners offer a stealthy provision of sugary, syrupy sauces and potato concoctions we no longer eat. Here’s one […]

CORRECTION

A Local Economy story in the Oct. 23 issue, (“By Design: An Asheville Lotion Business and Go Local Spell Success,” Oct. 23 Xpress) did not include the website of the business. To learn more about Carolyn Burton’s new business, By Design Personalized Lotions, visit carolynsbydesign.com. —