Letter: Thanks for 30 years, Xpress

I have been in the area for 33 years and remember the Green Line and the beginning of the Xpress. It has been a great asset to the community. It was great to read the history in the Celebrating 30 Years issue [Sept. 4] of both Jeff Fobes and the paper. Maybe this could be the beginning of a memoir for Jeff Fobes?

I remember early on, the Xpress would show up on Wednesday, and I would get a copy after work and sit down in Malaprop’s and read it as a regular ritual. (Remember when Malaprop’s had tables and seating inside for the cafe? Or before that, when it was next door and the cafe was in the basement?)

Asheville has certainly changed a lot, but having an independent local news source as a consistent presence is fortunate. It links a lot of things together. It was relatable to read Patty Levesque’s history that brought up memories like the beginning of the Laughing Seed, started by Joe and Joan Eckert, which was originally in the basement of the YMCA before remodeling and moving into the Wall Street space. And the Stone Soup restaurant that was cooperatively run and at one point was on Broadway, where the Mellow Mushroom is now. It moved on to Wall Street, which was having  a renaissance.

A lot goes into each issue, and it is fun to hear the backstory.

Thanks to all of the staff for pulling it off. May the next 30 years be as intriguing as the last.

— Boone Guyton
Alexander