ICYMI: Xpress features from the last week

Recent relaxing of city restrictions mean Asheville is “chickening” like never before. But many would be chicken-keeepers don’t realize the birds stop producing eggs early in their life, yet still require care and attention to survive. Read more in Aiyana Sezak-Blatt's story on backyard chicken keeping. File photo

Looking for some longform (or longerform) reads to cozy up with over the weekend? Here’s a round-up of our leading feature stories from the last seven days. Happy reading!

Arts

THE BEAT GOES ON: Adama Dembele, center, of local Afropop band Zansa, drums with students in a LEAF Schools & Streets  program.
Adama Dembele, center, of local Afropop band Zansa, drums with students in a LEAF Schools & Streets program.

LEAF celebrates 20 years of music, art, culture and community
By Alli Marshall

How do you sum up 20 years of festivals? That’s two decades of twice-yearly campouts, dances, new musical discoveries and fond favorites; of friends made and family bonds strengthened; of campfire hangouts and sunny-day revelry. For LEAF, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this May, it’s expressed in the theme “Global Gratitude.” (Continue reading)

 

Sound values: How LEAF’s eclectic lineup defines the festival’s ethos
By Kyle Petersen

The 2015 lineup for LEAF, which prides itself on its globally conscious reach, is unsurprisingly excellent. Topping the bills each night are acts that range from soul revival firebrand Charles Bradley & his Extraordinaires to Australian world-roots act Xavier Rudd & the United Nations, demonstrating the festival’s knack for mixing quality bedrock American music with an eclectic range of styles that span the Earth. (Continue reading)


Food

SIMPLE THINGS: Local bakers say creating a great loaf of bread involves a careful balance of high-quality ingredients, chemistry, time, temperature and artistry. Pictured are loaves made by Nathan Morrison of Simple Bread.
Local bakers say creating a great loaf of bread involves a careful balance of high-quality ingredients, chemistry, time, temperature and artistry.

By bread alone: Asheville Bread Bakers Festival celebrates the art of dough
By Dorothy Foltz-Gray

Renowned chef James Beard opened his 1973 book Beard on Bread by declaring, “Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” Ashevilleans, it seems, would agree. Each year, they gather at the annual Asheville Artisan Bread Bakers Festival, eager to admire and sample these culinary artists’ wares. (Continue reading)

The buzz in Arden: Beehive Coffee Bar provides new South Asheville gathering spot
By Gina Smith

Stepping through the door of the Beehive Coffee Bar from the parking lot of its nondescript little strip mall in Arden is a bit like entering a space-time wormhole — one that leads to a comfy spot where you can grab a fresh latte and some Wi-Fi. (Continue reading)


Living

Jerud and Ching on their way out of Asheville
Jerud and Ching figured out a way to live on the road without the heavy carbon footprint.

On the road in our house: Living large with a small footprint
By Ching Fu

We all have dreams that we talk about over and over, whether to ourselves, our friends or our significant other. A lot of times, those dreams end with the words “someday” or “soon.” That’s how it was for Jerud and me. Our relationship was fairly new, and we talked about what we wanted out of our lives. It wasn’t anything unique: We wanted to explore, to travel and to spend time in nature. (Continue reading)

Backyard chicken keeping not as easy as it’s cracked up to be
By Aiyanna Sezak-Blatt

Beneath the yellow light of a heat lamp, fluffy little yellow puffs chirp and scurry about. Priced at $3.50 each, the cute little chicks can be found filling up bins at homesteading or farming supply stores this spring and can quickly lead to an oh-so tempting impulse to buy. It’s an easy decision, right? Baby chicks are fun to cuddle, and once they grow up, you’ll have farm-fresh eggs. But what does it take to provide for these little lives? The answer may not be so simple. (Continue reading)

Walk a Mile raises awareness of sexual violence
By Krista L. White

What started out as a challenge to men to walk their talk against sexual violence is taking a step toward inclusivity. In a change of pace, Our VOICE, Buncombe County’s sexual assault and abuse support center, is asking the community this year to turn its annual Walk a Mile event into a people’s march. (Continue reading)


News

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DeWayne Barton, artist and co-founder of Green Opportunities, recited a poem during the remembrance of the freeing of slaves in Asheville.

From Slavery to Freedom: Remembering April 26, 1865
By Pat Barcas

A remembrance at Vance Monument was organized to honor the 150th anniversary of the freeing of slaves in Asheville, just steps away from where black men and women were sold as goods, on the steps of the Courthouse in a different era. The remembrance was co-sponsored by Date My City and the UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education. (Continue reading)

Local efforts help Nepali earthquake victims
By Able Allen

In the last week, Josh Phillips has stumbled into both disaster and the opportunity to help those in need. Known around Asheville for his performances with the Josh Phillips Folk Festival and Yo Mamma’s Big Fat Booty Band, Phillips happened to be visiting Kathmandu in the central region of Nepal this weekend when tragedy struck. (Continue reading)

Boon or bane: Buncombe residents speak out against manufactured housing
By Hayley Benton

A steady stream of Buncombe County residents queued up April 7 to voice opposition to loosening restrictions on mobile homes. During a public comment period lasting more than an hour, more than a dozen people rose to speak out against this type of housing, which wasn’t even on the agenda for the Board of Commissioners meeting. The concern stemmed from local media reports that the county may consider allowing manufactured housing in all residential districts. (Continue reading)

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About Carrie Eidson
Multimedia journalist and Green Scene editor at Mountain Xpress. Part-time Twitterer @mxenv but also reachable at ceidson@mountainx.com. Follow me @carrieeidson

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