“Land values went sky high, and huge inns were built to accommodate the visitors. The kingdom was awash in gold, and ornate schools and offices were being built at a record pace with the help of the money-changers and the naive municipal bond buyers. What could possibly go wrong?”
We’re challenging our readers to strive for more civil, respectful discourse in the online comments on our site.
“I think the book is written to expose the bad guy in all of us. My goal was to show that each one of us has a little worm in our shiny apple.” Local author Abigail Hickman will read from and discuss her book Saturday, Feb. 18 at Malaprop’s.
“Those seeking to profit from extracting the dirtiest of fuels are using their money and power to try to lock in a fossil fuel infrastructure, with no regard for cataclysmic climate change. But we don’t have to let them. Starting right here in Asheville, we can derail those plans by moving our money out of the big banks that are financing the pipeline!”
“By the time we arrive back at First C at 8 that evening, we’ve made a vow: We will commit ourselves to continuing the work of the march — which for us is pretty straightforward: to care for our country and our democracy by caring for the human beings who inhabit it.”
“Virginia recognized benefit corporations in 2011, and South Carolina followed suit in 2012. Tennessee got in on the act last year. Evidently our elected mandarins in Raleigh have had their hands full dealing with more important stuff.”
“The trains kept delivering huge quantities of black treasure to the river basin, but some pretenders began to threaten King Coal’s empire. These upstart princes came from a rapidly emerging dynasty called Petroleum, whose emissaries were traveling far and wide to challenge King Coal’s awesome power.”
“Read to Succeed believes that learning to read proficiently early on is the best chance — perhaps the only chance — a child from an impoverished family has to rise out of poverty.”
“Building ADUs to rent to tourists will ultimately increase the city’s long-term housing stock at no cost to taxpayers.”
“Now is the time to let your representatives know that you believe that everyone deserves access to healthcare. When everyone can see a doctor or get preventative care, we have a stronger economy, healthier communities and stable families.”
“The old Asheville Middle School, outdated and undercomputerized, was a holdover from a time when there was no such thing as a car pool line, or drinking fountains designed to accommodate a water bottle, or web portals where parents could track the progress of their child’s daily science experiment.”
‘Hope. In the end, that’s George Bailey’s true gift to Bedford Falls — and the gift that Asheville’s churches bestow upon our own community. In this time of difficulty and turmoil, as we confront a new reality, could there be anything more relevant?’
“The most significant change in the course, though, was shifting our approach to the study of religion from ‘difference’ to ‘diversity.’ Instead of ‘othering’ the religions we studied, diversity allowed us to examine the societal benefits — and inevitable tensions — created by the public presence of multiple religions.”
“The subjects of our mountain kingdom were grateful, for these industries provided jobs and wages for thousands who’d struggled as hardscrabble farmers, miners and lumbermen.”
“On Dec. 8, 1941, after hearing the news about Pearl Harbor, childhood friend Elsie Edwards wrote a two-page, heartbreaking letter to Burlison, hoping that he was safe and alive.”
“Yes, my friends, all lives do matter. But until white America realizes that black children are loved by their parents the same way you love yours, we are all in trouble. There’s a gaping hole in this country created by racism, and it’s waiting to be filled by something. It is we Americans, black and white, who will decide what fills this hole.”
“I am hoping the grassroots connection between Asheville and Haiti, and helping spread and share the love, will become Asheville’s best export,” says Ashleigh Stoia, Consider Haiti’s public relations representative. “We know our message will resonate with Ashevilleans who really want to make a long-term difference.”
“Shoppers who visit locally owned businesses will find almost everything they could get at the mall and plenty of items by local artisans, designers, bakers, chocolatiers, brewers, and tinkerers that can be found only on Main Street.”
“Whenever planners cast their eyes on the River District, they must recognize that there are two huge elephants in the room that must be dealt with: the river itself and the railroad, neither of which much lends itself to moderation or change.”
“As Buncombe County and its municipalities face the current rush of development, the Lake Louise Preservation Association provides an instructive case study for citizen action in land use and development proposals.”
“The increased costs for carbon-intensive goods will motivate our transition away from fossil fuels, while the dividend will help offset the rising costs and allow us to funnel money back into our economy (food, retail, health care, etc.). “