“There are some pronounced similarities between World War II and the current pandemic.”
Coloring for the win
Inspired by Xpress’ recent back cover coloring page provided by Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co., the group organized a coloring contest. Thirty participants, both children and adults, submitted their works. We’ve got the winners.
AVL Watchdog: Katie Button is ‘scared of losing everything’
“To be honest, if we don’t get the right help on our loans from our banks and lenders, we won’t be able to pay our bills and we will be in default of our loans, and that’s when it all crumbles. That is the fear. “
Little Free Libraries nourish the soul
“Being stuck at home doesn’t have to mean personal regression. So why not press pause on the remote and go pick up a free book? Just remember to wear gloves and bring a wipe.”
Parenting in the age of social distancing
“I slowed my pace, and after I stopped nagging — I mean, yapping — we all felt more relaxed.”
It’s time to replace Asheville’s City Hall
“But while the iconic building is an instantly recognizable symbol of Asheville, a look at the facts reveals it as a dinosaur when it comes to technology and use of space.”
Expert idiocy: The Gospel According to Jerry
“We seem to be mesmerized by the adage that an ‘expert’ is a person with a briefcase who comes from more than 50 miles away.”
Readers shared views on development, politics, the environment and more in 2019
How did Xpress readers process all the local news and changes this year? Here’s a look at the topics that generated the most commentaries, letters to the editor and online comments in Xpress in 2019.
Fewer trees can create a better canopy (with fewer bears)
“By letting the urban forest become too dense over the last several generations, and by failing to clear away the underbrush bears love, we have invited them back in from the wilderness.”
Play skewers, then unites Asheville’s left and right
“And if that isn’t enough, you’ll also get to see one of your current or former City Council members do stand-up comedy.”
It’s no longer a throwaway world: The Gospel According to Jerry
“It’s difficult to change our ways. For instance, almost no one worried about gas guzzlers when gas cost 19 cents a gallon.”
Farmers can fix WNC’s health and hunger crisis
“Sourcing more of our food locally would simultaneously boost the region’s economic stability, food security and health.”
Elitism and scapegoating won’t solve Asheville’s congestion, affordable housing and sprawl
“Housing is in short supply and unaffordable. Rather than take an honest and comprehensive look at the issues, barriers and contributors to the problems, however, we in Asheville have smugly chosen the easy way out.”
When neighbors attack: How Asheville Nextdoor discussions go south
“So much for the popular Nextdoor mantra, ‘When neighbors start talking, good things happen’; a more accurate one might be, ‘When judgmental locals start talking, local places get unfairly dissed.'”
Children, unplugged: The joys of a (mostly) screen-free summer
“Summer is our only chance to give our kids’ growing bodies and minds a break from all of the detrimental side effects of screen time.”
My education at the University of Mammon: The Gospel According to Jerry
“I grew up in the depths of the Great Depression, when money seemed to be the driving factor for almost everyone around me, because nobody had any.”
Likin’ our lichens: Sustainably harvesting Usnea in WNC
“We are fortunate to live in an Usnea-rich bubble, but over-harvesting or other unsustainable collection practices could threaten the beard lichens’ very survival.”
Man of the hour: The rise of Mark Meadows
“Oddly enough, the future of the Republican stranglehold on North Carolina and the nation can be glimpsed through Meadows and the 11th District.”
As state reimagines Medicaid, local nonprofits may have role to play
“Clearly, we already have both the expertise and the commitment to improve lives in our region. What we need is more funding and better coordination among our health care system, county public health and social service agencies, and nonprofit community partners.”
Lifting the green veil to overcome plant blindness
“As a culture, we suffer from plant blindness, largely ignoring the green organisms all around us that spend their days quietly gathering sunlight.”
Stopping Asheville’s tree-loss crisis makes climate sense for city
“Our trees and their arboreal cohorts all across Asheville could be —should be — our city’s most effective and affordable defense against the dangerous flooding, erosion and temperature extremes that climate change is increasingly inflicting on us.”