“But whatever you decide, please don’t let anything stop you from voting!”
Local money matters: A look inside Xpress’ books
As local advertisers cope with the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, we’re projecting a $700,000 revenue decrease this year, compared with last year. In response, we’ve been developing new sources of revenue, improving efficiencies and cutting expenses. This is our 2020 midyear report.
This time it’s different? The Gospel According to Jerry
“I could give you a litany of racial injustice incidents that I’ve personally observed over the years.”
Help protect water quality in WNC’s national forests
“Right now, the U.S. Forest Service is drafting the next forest management plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests … and, unfortunately, the current draft is inadequate in a few very important ways when it comes to protecting water quality.”
J Hackett on wounds old and new
J Hackett spoke with Xpress on June 2 about his experiences as a black community leader during the coronavirus pandemic and, now, the protests and grief experienced locally in response to George Floyd’s death on May 25 at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Rising to the occasion: The Gospel According to Jerry
“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.”