“I don’t understand why people won’t vote in larger numbers for the local Council elections. That’s the structure between you and the chaos of national politics.”
Home, sweet home: A senior moves to West Asheville
“I’ve been to restaurants and even a couple of music venues in West Asheville, but what’s it like to live here?”
A modest proposal for the Vance Monument
“First off, let’s agree that anybody with an ounce of decency must feel a bit embarrassed that Asheville has given its top award for excellence to a man like Zebulon Baird Vance.”
CoThinkk celebrates leaders of color and allies
On Oct. 21, the fourth annual African Americans in WNC conference wrapped up with a gala celebration of CoThinkk, a giving circle led by people of color to support work in Asheville and Western North Carolina.
Place, race and poverty: Solutions start with valuing cultural realities
“Naming the history of a problem in our black community does not discount the experiences of our rural white communities. It’s not an either-or argument. It’s an “and” discussion. And white, rural communities suffer from food insecurity, too.”
Take heed, Asheville: The dangers of unwanted change
“Perhaps the greatest danger of unwanted change comes from within the city itself, from apathetic and cynical millennials, hippies, anarchists, witches, crystal-worshippers and other folks who simply have given up on politics altogether.”
Kingdom at war: The Gospel According to Jerry
“It seemed that the whole world was at war, and the tiny river kingdom of Asheville was neither exempt from the traumatic effects nor absent in playing an important integral part in its prosecution.”
![MAKING COMMUNITIES STRONGER: “There is no selfishness with [AmeriCorps team members]," says Kate Justen, executive director of local nonprofit FEAST. "They are obviously not doing this work for the money. They just want to make their communities stronger and more sustainable.”](https://mountainx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Children-First-CIS-Project-Americorps-330x243.jpg)
Buncombe County has benefited from 20 years of Project POWER/AmeriCorps service in the community
“Take action! Contact your representatives and ask them to protect this program that turns minimal financial investments into huge returns for our most vulnerable children, veterans and the environment.”
Appalachian orchids: hidden gems of the mountain forests
” We are learning that many plant species in the forest, from trees to orchids, plug into the underground network of fungi for supplemental nutrition and for a means of communication. … The orchids of the Blue Ridge are a window into this underground network of fungi-plant relationships.”
Four books to entertain and disturb: One on One with D.G. Martin
“Earlier editions of Waynesville’s Kevin Adams’ North Carolina Waterfalls sold more than 65,000 copies. That is an amazing report, but easier to understand when the reader and viewer see his photographs of hundreds of our state’s enchanting waterfalls and read his detailed and compelling descriptions of the falls, how Adams approached his task and the dangers to these treasures from human activity.”
The long goodbye: Home burial can bring comfort
“In a society where death is largely relegated to hospitals, impersonal mortuaries and mass cemeteries, home burial has fallen by the wayside. Yet just a generation or two ago, death was recognized as a natural part of life.”
Blue Ridge Honor Flight brings veterans home: The Gospel According to Jerry
“Grown men don’t cry, but it was hard to keep a dry eye as we walked through these profoundly evocative memorials, knowing the gut-wrenching agony of the families of all these thousands of men and women who, had they survived, might have been on the bus with us this very day.”
Community rights movement promotes local sovereignty
“People need to see the power they really have, especially the power to prevent Duke Energy from making all the decisions,” says Asheville Community Rights co-founder Kat Houghton. “Corporations should not have more rights than people. That is not a democracy.”
Live small, ride free: adventures in sustainability
“With each day that passed, however, we gained confidence and learned more about our solar equipment. Once we knew how much capacity our solar panels and batteries had, we removed the only propane appliance left in the Toaster — the stove/oven combo — and our home became 100 percent fossil-fuel-free!”
WNC writers vie for Southern Book Prizes
“Robert Morgan’s latest novel, recently out in paperback, is set in pre-Civil War times. It follows a crafty teenage runaway slave on a northward journey toward freedom. From the Carolina mountains all the way to Ithaca, N.Y., he finds dangers, adventures and comedy.”
Magical fireflies of the Southern Appalachians
“Let their mysterious glow enchant you. And as you enjoy the spectacle, learn to think like a firefly: Imagine that every artificial light interferes with your ability to serenade a mate. Make friends with the darkness.”
The Gospel According to Jerry: Cataclysmic change
“The scene at the depot was a depressing beehive as these raw recruits, many no more than young boys, had their last meal with their families at the Atlantic Quick Lunch and then walked across the street to board a train.”
A survival guide for nonprofits in tough times
“Frankly, it’s a bit of a crazy time for nonprofits. … In a time of uncertainty and volatile change, local nonprofits are doing their best to remain strong and adapt.”
Air quality’s improving — but let’s not get complacent
“This is a remarkable environmental success story! Many agencies and organizations can be proud of their contributions to this. Together, they’ve demonstrated that bold action at many different levels can successfully address serious environmental issues.”
Conservatives and progressives unite to fight climate change
“Most of all, I want my children, your children and our grandchildren to grow up in a world with a stable climate.”
Frontier legend helped open Buncombe road
“As the tale goes, Crockett became upset over some tolls that were being charged for travelers coming up and down what is now known as Old Fort Mountain. Not willing to stand this outrage, he blazed his own road down the mountain, one that folks could traverse without interference or fees.”