By Marion Thullbery
I grew up with Ken Hanke. He was my best friend in elementary school, and we remained good friends all through high school and into our college and young adult years. During that time, we watched movies — all kinds of movies.
Author: Xpress Contributor
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Love our forests — don’t burn them
“Sourcing this energy from the Southeast is putting some of the world’s most biodiverse and precious forests at severe risk.”
The war at home: PTSD meeting assures vets they’re not alone
“For veterans, the community they live in is literally a key to their very survival: It takes a village to help those who’ve borne the battle.”
Out-riffing us all: Remembering Ken Hanke
By Marc McCloud — It was hard to argue your point against him. I tried. Multiple times. But he was smarter, wittier and much more knowledgeable about film than I was.
How Christopher Mello sows peace and community in his West Asheville garden
by Bill Torgerson Christopher’s garden sits down the hill from Harvest Records and across from the Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism in West Asheville. Flanked by two tall hedges, the garden fills the diamond-shaped space at the corner of Waynesville Avenue and Westwood Place. With hundreds of shovel blades perched on lengths of rebar poking […]
3rd-graders learn value of local agriculture
Third-grade students at Estes Elementary School investigated the connection between the community and farms, discovering along the way that farms are more interesting than people might think.
Sayonara, Raleigh: It’s time for us to go
“In order to reclaim our rights, the time has come for the people of Western North Carolina to secede from Raleigh and seek admission as the 51st state.”
Falling through the cracks: The perils of life without health insurance
“In this crazy system, if you earn little, you pay lots. Our governor refused federal money to expand Medicaid, and although I have a master’s degree and was a teacher, I never worked more than a year in one place, so I have no pension.”
McCrory vows veto as new coal ash legislation passes House
Contentious behind-the-scenes negotiations on coal ash spilled out into the open this week as the House took up and ultimately passed new legislation despite threats of a veto and lawsuit from Gov. Pat McCrory.
The failure of environmentalism: After 46 years, what do we have to show for it?
“Dedicated individuals have made gains in the United States and North Carolina to clean up and protect the environment, but they have been undermined.”
Smoke screen: Deciphering the heart of HB2
“It’s the latest iteration of an eternal attempt to eviscerate existing civil rights laws and, yes, a death struggle between rural and urban North Carolina over the state’s future.”
One on one with D.G. Martin: Finding our way out of a locked bathroom
“Would it be possible for a small group of public-minded citizens to design a pathway out of this crisis?”
Women’s work: Habitat for Humanity breaks ground on 11th Women Build home
“Women Build is a win-win situation: Women gain experience and confidence working on a project alongside other female volunteers, and a family gets the rare opportunity to purchase a safe, affordable home.”
Boundary issues: Where does Asheville end?
“I raise the question ‘Where is Asheville?’ because this community will soon be asked to consider the question ‘Where is Asheville going?'”
A community in danger: Why bathrooms aren’t the issue in HB2
“We have a responsibility as a community to show up for each other and to speak up when someone is in danger. Our transgender community is in danger.”
Want a greener, healthier home? Green Gauge can help
“This program can easily cut individual energy use by 15 percent, saving homeowners hundreds of dollars a year.”
Inside out: HB2 spells bad news for everyone
“Actually, this bill is in a way directed at every single person who lives in North Carolina. Discrimination of any kind applies to every one of us who lives here.”
Kids Issue 2016: Tackling challenges and more
More creative work from the 2016 Kids Issue, including this jewel: “I’m from a beer-guzzling city with bluegrass tattooed bodies and acupuncture for adults, kids and dogs.”
Worlds in collision: near-death experiences in WNC
The phenomenon of near-death experiences is more widespread than popularly believed, with some estimates placing it in the millions. Several Western North Carolina residents recount their experiences, which they say have been transformative and life-changing.
Kids Issue 2016: A collection of oddities and more
More gems from the Kids Issue 2016, including this excerpt: “Who am I? I don’t quite know yet. Who do I think I am? I could write forever.”
In photos: A rally in support of HB 2 and protesters against it share Pack Square
On Saturday, April 2, supporters and opponents of the recently-passed North Carolina legislation House Bill 2 demonstrated in Asheville’s Pack Square. The new law overturns a Charlotte ordinance that would have allowed people to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity rather than the sex that matches their birth certificate. It also prevents other municipalities from passing similar ordinances to Charlotte’s, and it limits legal recourse for those who believe they have experienced discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.