Who’s Helping Whom? The Animal Issue
Volume
21
/ Issue 15
Cover Design Credit:
Susan McBrideCover Photography Credit:
Hayley Benton
Although Asheville's human popularity is booming, attracting more tourists and newcomers every year, we sometimes forget this land once belonged to the wild. Xpress takes a look at local wildlife concerns, animal advocacy and raising farm animals.
arts
Smart bets: A Confluence of Elements
The Asheville Loft, a gallery and art space (at 52 Broadway, Suite. 3B), launches with a group show. A Confluence of Elements features work by local artists and themes of…Smart bets: The Motet
“The world needs more funk, and these guys are leading the revival,” says a press release for Colorado-based prog collective The Motet. While that statement may be up for debate,…Regional writers panel celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act
Southern writing evokes a certain set of expectations, from Flannery O’Connor’s “Christ-haunted” prose to Gail Godwin’s glimpses into shifting society. But when talking about North Carolina writers, there’s one theme…Atlanta’s Suno Deko crafts wide-eyed, loop-based experimental pop
Even a fleeting experience with the music of Suno Deko will inevitably be a pleasant experience. The shimmering, experimental-pop project of Atlanta-based musician David Courtright takes the stage at The…Smart bets: Erik Johansen
Like a lot of kids, Erik Johansen doodled his way through math and social studies classes. Unlike a lot of kids, he taught himself to draw and launched a lifelong…Smart bets: Carbon Leaf **TICKET GIVEAWAY**
A decade after the release of its indie-rock breakout album, Indian Summer (with the radio hit “Life Less Ordinary”), Carbon Leaf issues Indian Summer Revisited. The Ashland, Va.-based band is…The giving dead: Anam Cara Theatre’s zombie-themed benefit
Although there is no formal dress code for Anam Cara Theatre Company’s fundraiser, Zombie Hospital 1955, it may be one of those rare Asheville parties where not dressing appropriately is…Grace Joyner headlines Hearts & Plugs showcase at New Mountain
If singer-songwriter Grace Joyner’s path to fronting a band meandered a bit, the end justifies the means. Her debut EP, Young Fools, is eloquent and self-possessed without being overworked or…Ron Rash launches a new short story collection
A natural storyteller, Ron Rash has held audiences spellbound at many events across Western North Carolina — and around the country — over the past two decades. Not only do…The New Pornographers play The Orange Peel
The New Pornographers’ Together was one of 2010’s standout albums, but compared with Vampire Weekend’s Contra, Sufjan Stevens’ The Age of Adz and Broken Bells’ self-titled debut — all of…food
Welcome to Happy Jack’s: New Tunnel Road restaurant dishes up solid breakfast options
The bright yellow sign in front of Happy Jack’s bills it as a biscuits-and-gravy joint, but this description doesn’t tell the whole story. While there are definitely both biscuits and gravy…Small bites: How does your Bier Garden grow?
How does your Bier Garden grow? In nearly 20 years of operation, downtown Asheville’s Bier Garden has assumed multiple identities, rebranding the company’s look and feel to reflect demand. This…Nourishment by the pound: Behind the scenes at grocery store hot bars
Throughout his years of restaurant work, Dan Sobalsky saw the advantage of plating each dish. Carefully arranging the components for optimal presentation, when the food went out to the customer,…Beer Scout: The most local of ales
At their original brewery in Chico, Calif., Sierra Nevada grows barley and hops. It’s on such a small scale that the brewery could never switch over to using only what…living
Conscious Party: Masquerade for Montford
Looking to get dressed up to support an Asheville institution? Montford Park Players will hold its annual masquerade benefit at The Venue and organizers says “it will be the event…news
Mutual benefit: WNC farm animals, owners share deep bond
North Carolina is home to over 50,000 farm operations and in one way or another, the livelihood of many Western North Carolina families is tied to domesticated animals. But whether…Giving voice to the voiceless: Animal advocacy in WNC
The piercing glare of a red-shouldered hawk; the regal trot of a burnished stallion; the silent grace of a moonlit wolf; the reassuring purr of a well-loved tabby; the furry…Taming the Wild: Urbanization pits humans against animals
“We got a call from a lady in Horse Shoe; it was a Sunday morning,” remembers Mary Beth Bryman. “There was a Canada goose in her bedroom.” She told them…A haunted legacy: The multi-generational effects of Agent Orange
Ted Minnick has been a military man all his life. You can see it in his disciplined posture, his purposeful gait, his even gaze. What you cannot see, however, are…Oak Hill Commons caps goals for 10-year plan to end homelessness
Ten years ago, the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee, made up of eight city and eight county appointees from a variety of organizations, embarked on an ambitious plan to end chronic…opinion
Political Ads
Give credit where credit is due on $14.6 million grant
We all celebrated the news a couple of weeks ago regarding the $14.6 million Tiger Grant given to Asheville by Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. Let’s take this opportunity to…We could not escape smoking in downtown Asheville
We love to spend time in downtown Asheville because we really enjoy the vibrant street scene, musicians, festivals, characters and local restaurants, shops and bars. When my wife got pregnant,…Cartoonist Randy Molton has been brainwashed
Seeing the Randy Molton cartoon in the latest Mountain Xpress [Oct. 22] reminded me of how thoroughly brainwashed most people still are regarding the subject of man-made global warming. Of course,…Thanks to Gina Smith, Leah McGrath
I would like to thank Mountain Xpress Food Editor Gina Smith for taking time to review my book Farm Fresh Nutrition and write a quote for its back cover. It…Asheville area’s litter shows lack of stewardship
I am confounded by the lack of stewardship that derives from Asheville’s collectively environmentally driven consciousness, specifically in regard to litter. Since moving here, I have walked down my road…Landmark Decision
There are naming rights and there are naming not-so-rights.Oceanfront property in Asheville?
Is Al Gore actually living in Henderson County and [did he do] the Randy Molton cartoon in the Oct. 22 issue of Mountain Xpress under a pseudonym? Gore, back on Dec. 14,…Nerves of steel needed by food pioneers
I would like to add to the conversation about Asheville’s food pioneers [“Blazing the Trail: Asheville’s Food Pioneers,” Oct. 22, Xpress]. My husband, John Rowland, has been farming organically in…