” House Bill 396 … aims to repeal North Carolina’s participation in ERIC. This is a bad idea!”
Letter: Hooray for reasonable landlords
“I imagine that many landlords don’t need to raise rents or turn housing into short-term rentals.”
Letter: Keep those residential water rates frozen
“If they need more money, why not raise the prices on industrial usage?”
Letter: Include zoning and development in climate policy
“One idea that’s missing is: ‘Audit our zoning and development regulations for their ability to support climate-friendly development patterns.’”
Letter: Let’s reduce litter’s hidden danger
“I think the N.C. Department of Transportation and North Carolina prison system should put minimum-security prisoners back out on the roads and streets to pick up litter.”
My story: Please leave harmless honeybee swarms alone
“A honeybee swarm is one of the most docile things out there. They are just in transition from their old hive to the next home.”
Letter: Stand up to antisemitic violence
“I hope Asheville will not be dragged into the same trouble, as many places in North Carolina have been now, but people should be aware of this and stand up against antisemitic violence all over the state and the whole country.”
Letter: Parking is what downtown needs
“Yes, parking spaces are so rare from overdevelopment (that I disagree with), it would be nice to consider multilevel parking spaces.”
Letter: Serve the people, not just the rich and powerful
“Our local leaders are promoting the same old ineffectual solutions of accelerating economic growth for the rich, comfortable and politically powerful.”
Letter: R.I.P. James Shearon
“Being one of the many cyclists in this area who are forced to share the road with so many angry motorists and put ourselves in danger every time we hit the road, I felt the urgent need to speak out after the senseless murder of Mr. James Shearon.”
Letter: A poor choice for Kids Issue
“Is it really necessary to advertise adult toys in a children’s issue?’
Letter: Thanks for wonderful Kids Issues
“The time travel articles and drawings by area youths in the two Kids Issues have been amazing.”
Letter: Probably no need to worry about toxic gas release
“Emergency responders always have a lot to worry about. Bulk quantities of vinyl chloride gas a few miles from downtown Asheville probably isn’t one of them.”
My story: The Easter Bunny brouhaha
“Carolina Costume Co. had numerous characters lined up in the parade when a police officer came up to the Easter Bunny and said it was illegal to wear a mask in public.”
Letter: Asheville’s issues stem from poor leadership
“In my view, the overly tolerant approach to vagrancy and lack of concern relative to soaring bond issues, financed by property taxes, in Asheville can be traced to poor leadership.”
Letter: With latest mask study, a hope for respect
“May all humans who choose to breathe fresh air and not be masked be welcomed anywhere in the public sphere and be treated with dignity in the future.”
Letter: It’s time to raise teachers’ pay
“It is embarrassing how low teacher pay is in North Carolina and especially Asheville with the higher cost of living.”
Letter: Asheville needs organized solutions for homeless situation
“It is blatantly obvious to me that there are many homeless advocates and agencies in such a small city, yet rarely do I read about collaboration and true problem-solving for the social issues among these agencies.”
Letter: The trouble with electric buses
“We should use and maintain what we have (except nukes), manufacture mainly two-stroke diesel bus (and fire engine) parts and address climate change exclusively with municipal abortion funding.”
Letter: Women need to use their voting power
“We women have to wake up and use our voting power to support what we need. This is clearly the way to protect the future.”
Letter: Promote trees, not roads, in our national forests
“This forest management plan was supposed to be a framework for long-term sustainability of our national forests and carbon storage but instead puts wildlife habitats and old-growth areas at an increased risk, catering to new roads that will increase water pollution and habitat fragmentation.”