‘Rather than sending armfuls of hard-earned money to large corporations that operate centralized coal and gas plants, why not keep that money circulating here by choosing local, renewable energy sources?’
A fly on Ferguson’s wall: the deliberations of the Michael Brown grand jury
In “The Thirteenth Juror,” Asheville writer Nelda Holder explores one of the most controversial legal proceedings in modern history.
Making a difference in a child’s life with Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC
“If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll search your soul to see if you can find there the commitment to help a young person. If not, please talk to your friends, clergy and civic groups to help us locate more volunteers.”
Success equation: We need leadership to support investment in quality early childhood programs
“Let’s elevate this bipartisan issue during 2016 elections. Encourage candidates to support the high-yield investment that quality early childhood programs can bring to our parents, children and communities.”
The Gospel According to Jerry: High times at the Sky Club
“Perhaps the most exciting event ever to take place at the Sky Club was when Robert Mitchum came to town to star in Thunder Road. The whole town was star-struck, and one scene in the movie was shot in the restaurant. A couple of my friends took the entire week off from work just to be extras in the nightclub scene.”
Duke Energy misled regulators at meeting over new Asheville-area gas plant
“We remain very concerned by the closed, pro-Duke and unconstitutional process in this case, including the lack of regulatory scrutiny of Duke Energy assertions.”
Confessions of a liberal college professor
“The mean-spirited abuse hurled at college students and professors alike reflects a dying political paradigm coupled with a fear of the young.”
Why not natural gas for WNC electricity?
“If Duke makes a large financial investment now in an unnecessarily large natural gas plant, that plant will have to continue to emit carbon dioxide for many decades to justify its construction.”
Faking it: Why Asheville needs new design guidelines
“When serious, authentic architecture is rejected in favor of simulacra, we exchange reality for a mythical past where everything is made to resemble what might have been.”
Not so fast: Tell Duke Energy to put the brakes on expansion plans
“In the current rapidly evolving energy environment, building a plant that’s bigger than the absolute minimum required, and doing it sooner than it’s really needed, is risky. Taking such a risk when better options are readily available is nothing short of foolhardy.”
Make ‘Carolina in my Mind’ N.C.’s official rock song
“So where is North Carolina’s official rock song? It’s staring us right in the face! This beloved tune was written and performed by a talent that was sharpened and informed by a childhood spent in North Carolina.”
NC WARN to Duke Energy: Justify gas plant in Asheville or withdraw the application
“There is far too much at stake – the climate crisis, the state economy and the very principles necessary for a democratic society to function – for this process to move forward under the shadow created by Sen. [Tom] Apodaca’s bill limiting regulatory and public review to 45 days.”
Suspicious minds: Paranoia, prejudice and common sense
“Why do women carry their keys as weapons as a matter of course? Why was I afraid of the black man in the parking garage? In part, it’s because we’ve been conditioned to expect an attack, to view the unexpected or the “other” with suspicion. And in the process, we create doubt and fear, manufacturing imaginary offenses that may never actually happen.”
Nonprofit Children First/CIS offers 2015 highlights
“Last year, the organization served over 2,800 children, or 6 percent of all children living in Buncombe County.”
Homeless need a hand up, not handouts
BY JOHN KLOECKNER I am currently homeless in Asheville. Although I don’t seek services from any organization apart from an occasional meal, clean clothes, a cup of coffee or a shower, I’m familiar with the services available and the various churches and other organizations that assist local people in need. I come from a middle-class […]
Invisible yet everywhere: Recognizing white privilege
Wait! White privilege? Me? I’m no more privileged than anyone I know… It was Week 3 of a nine-week lesson in awareness that I hope I’ll never forget — and wish I’d taken years ago. Building Bridges of Asheville is one part awakening, two parts “whack upside the head” and nine parts “meet you halfway,” […]
Gray baby: Life, death and slippery slopes
“A cursory inventory of my own past behavior brought up some mistakes that could easily have ended with someone in a casket and my two feet standing on a taped line looking swollen-eyed into a camera.”
Vanished Asheville nightclubs
“The most exciting beverage sold there was Flem’s Cherry Bounce, made from pure corn whiskey and some combination of cherries. Oh, it went down so smooth, but the bounce came when you tried to walk down the steps on the way out.”
Duke Energy and the priority of profit
“If the world becomes a wasteland of coal plants, polluted lakes and melted ice caps, what good is money?”
Christmas Eve, 1944: A day to remember
“We never knew for sure where the mission would be for that day. They would wake us up around 3:30 in the morning, and the sergeant from operations would tap me on the toe, saying, ‘Get up, lieutenant, and go act like a hero.’”
A community of helpers: Children First/CIS Holiday Giving Program
“We have to remember that the holidays can be a stressful time for some of our families who are living on tight margins,” says Lisa Barlow, Children First/CIS Student support specialist at Emma.