Year in Review: WNC’s collective spirit carries us forward

It’s been a challenging year across the globe — wars, gaping political divides, ferocious weather events and a host of other ills. In WNC, our families, neighbors and friends also faced struggles with encroaching development, a visible unhoused community, downtown crime and a wage-and-cost-of-living mismatch amid a hit-or-miss safety net.

But life is nothing without hope, and fortunately, this area is rife with it. Collectively, people across our communities worked throughout 2023 to make our region sustainable, fair, just and supportive. Volunteers at Asheville GreenWorks, for example, dedicated countless hours across multiple cleanup days to improve the environmental conditions of our waterways and neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Made by Mountains launched its Outdoor Equity Fund, a $125,000 grant program that aims to support individuals and organizations focused on advancing equity in outdoor recreation. And athletes across our city continued to raise funds for nonprofits through AVL Hoppers, a volleyball league dedicated to charitable giving.

In this spirit, Xpress reached out to dozens of local residents to discuss what keeps them hopeful heading into 2024. As you read their responses below, may you find their optimism contagious.

Who is your local hero of the year and why?   

“My local heroes of the year are the first responders for the work they do round the clock, every day of the year, in challenging circumstances. I am especially appreciative of the relationships they build in the community with people who need help, with people who care about those who are in need and with colleagues within the broad first-responders community.” — Amanda Edwards, Buncombe County commissioner

“My local hero is not just one person, but many: All of you out there doing mutual aid work in our community. Whether you’re fighting for food justice, housing equity or something else, your work is needed, and I see you and appreciate you so much. Some notable groups you should check out are Asheville Survival Program, 12 Baskets, Asheville Solidarity Network, BeLoved and, on UNCA’s campus, the Food Equity Initiative.” — Allie Daum, senior at UNC Asheville

“My local hero is Austin McIver ‘Mack’ Dennis, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church — that huge dome you can see from almost anywhere in Asheville. In most every respect, Mack is not what you would expect. His ‘talk’ and his ‘walk’ have to do first and foremost with reconciliation in a time of division and conflict. He is heavily involved in Project Aspire, intended to create affordable workforce housing, early childhood development and educational opportunities for downtown.” — Terry Roberts, author

“Hmm … I don’t believe in heroes, so I’ll just nominate all the black bears, who, by giving absolutely zero f*cks, have won our hearts, dominated social media, gone viral worldwide and redefined what it means to live, laugh and love in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Plus, they only knock over my trash cans when they contain scraps from the best restaurants in the area, so I know they have impeccable taste in garbage.” — Stu Helm,  food blogger and food tour guide, Stu Helm Food Fan

“alexandria monque ravenel and her commendable efforts to ‘Bring Black Back to The Block.’ She is my local hero because she helps elevate the dreams and businesses of folks who look like us. She is the creator and owner of Noir Collective AVL, a boutique, art gallery and bookstore featuring Black entrepreneurs located on The Block within the retail spaces of YMI Cultural Center, one of the oldest operating African American cultural centers in the United States.” — Karis Roberts, executive director, Asheville Brewers Alliance

“My heroes are the men, women and children that have been affected by the closing of [the] Evergreen Packaging [paper mill]. In the face of severe emotional and economic trauma, these people have found a way to put one foot in front of the other with the confidence that better days are ahead. Like so many these days, their smiles hide their struggles, but they believe in each other, their community and its survival.” — Zeb Smathers, Canton mayor

“David Rodgers is my local hero for his multiyear effort to rebuild Jones Park in North Asheville. When the park was razed in 2021, David didn’t hesitate to pick up the baton and spend two years of his life convincing city leaders to sign a multiagency agreement to maintain the park, then organizing a massive effort of 1,000-plus volunteers working over five days in October to rebuild the park as Candace Pickens Memorial Park.” — Brooke Heaton, web architect

What should be the community’s top priority for 2024?

“From my perspective, creative policies for maintaining and increasing Asheville’s flora and fauna, which may include developing neighborhood nurseries and pocket forests.” — Keith Aitken, urban forester, City of Asheville

“Let’s have more real, meaningful conversations where collaborative visions are brought to the table for smart, manageable growth. We are fortunate to be a part of a place that is managing the challenges of success rather than struggling in an atrophying community.  More ‘and’ conversations and fewer ‘either/or’ conversations will foster greater cooperation and create opportunities for more people to succeed in the years to come. We all have different roles to play, and there are many perspectives and a lot of passion to harness for good.” — Vic Isley, CEO of Explore Asheville and president of BCTDA

“Free education! If we want a stronger and more competent workforce, we should be focusing on making higher education free for all people, so that we as a people can be better in the long run.” — Xero Koffsky,  junior at Warren Wilson College

“A commitment to workers and families. Our service workers are the lifeblood of our economy. I hope we can bring the full portfolio of resources to the table to fully fund our schools, early childhood development and deeply affordable housing initiatives. We have prioritized other areas and allowed folks to be unhoused, food insecure and cost burdened for housing, and we’ve significantly shorted our educators and schools. We can do better.” — Ben Williamson, nonprofit administrator 

“More housing of every type. Ideally, for those at lower income levels, of course. And especially in urban areas closer to jobs and daily needs, where families can do without a car for every adult. But we should be honest about the subsidies, the support services and the political angst the commitment requires and stop pretending we can close housing supply-demand gaps by arm-twisting developers to do what the market cannot come close to providing.” — Ben Brown, retired partner in urban planning firm

“Asheville’s top priority should be zoning reform to allow more ‘missing middle’ housing [townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, garden apartments, etc.]. This one measure would simultaneously combat climate change, encourage cheaper housing, help repair a legacy of segregation and enhance livability in a city overly dependent on automobile exhaust. Its defeat, on the other hand, would force locals to confront their pinched-face hypocrisy in the mirror and admit they really aren’t progressives after all. It’s win-win.” — Peter Robbins, retired lawyer, Marshall area

“I have the opportunity to work with a lot of young people every day, and I think that they should be our community’s top priority in 2024. We should be addressing substance and violence prevention, youth mental health, substance misuse, workforce development and education in more impactful ways. Our children are the future, and they should be involved in the planning and preparation of that future.” — Michael Hayes, executive director of Umoja Health, Wellness and Justice Collective 

What from this year gives you hope for WNC in 2024?

“I am excited about the energy and interest that is sparking around WNC agribusiness, ag-tech and resilient local agriculture and food systems. In November, I attended the Western NC AgTech and Agribusiness Discovery Event with leaders from across our region to discuss opportunities for growing agribusiness to have positive multigenerational economic impacts across WNC. Now is the time for us to work collaboratively to ensure we have robust and resilient agriculture and food systems.” — Terri Wells, Buncombe County commissioner

“I love where we live — the rivers, forests, mountains and people.  How lucky are we to call this little pocket of the universe our home?  I am hopeful every time I step outside my front door. Young people and their passion give me hope. Also, the great nonprofits we have here and the support they receive from our community gives me hope.” — Joe Fishleigh, executive coach

“This year I connected with an amazing community of Black and brown people in WNC who enjoy the outdoors. Not only do they enjoy it, they are creating opportunities to help others feel a sense of belonging. Plus, the outdoor industry is ready to better understand the need for inclusivity. With WNC being the epicenter of outdoor recreation in the East, 2024 feels like an important moment in time for #representationmatters in the outdoors.” — Simone Adams, executive director, Color My Outdoors

“I have seen the county and city really listening to the community and coming up with multiple innovative ideas to help manage concerns voiced by community members, i.e., BCSO Co-Responder program and Asheville Fire Department Community Responder Team, etc. These programs and more in development give me hope for positive changes to individuals in need in our community and, therefore, our community at large.” — Sherrie Pace, licensed social worker and addictions specialist

“Since launching ‘The Overlook with Matt Peiken’ podcast, I’ve learned so much more about what and who make this city tick. In particular, I’m awed by the people doing the day-to-day work of Asheville’s smaller social service nonprofits. It will largely be through their work if our city makes headway with some of our more intractable issues.” — Matt Peiken, host, “The Overlook with Matt Peiken” 

“Despite the financial- and heart-crushing burglary we were forced to stomach in February 2023, we have learned a lot about boundaries for [our] ‘Nerd Sanctuary’ Morgan’s Comics to make our haven a more safe, nearby, inexpensive, fun and educational place for locals and visitors to enjoy their day. This will be the first year since the ‘bleak vortex’ of 2020 that we have not had to take out a business loan, which lends to our hope that we will continue to grow in a positive direction as the new pastel and neon buds begin to appear all over our beloved Blue RidgeMountains again this spring 2024.” — Morgan Albritton, owner, Morgan’s Comics

“In 2019, during my run for office, one of my top concerns was the disconnect and the divide within the community and organizations. I have noticed a community that is synchronizing, collaborating and working together to address many of the city’s major challenges, such as public safety, homelessness and affordable housing. The improved communication and collaboration between the City of Asheville and Buncombe County to eliminate and reduce cost and achieve similar goals is promising. The awareness of the need to work as a team gives me hope moving forward.” — Sandra Kilgore, Asheville vice mayor