Republican state Rep. Tim Moffitt has filed legislation that would seize Asheville’s water system, turning control over to the Metropolitan Sewerage District. Asheville City Council member Bill Russell, who also sits on the MSD board, said Moffitt didn’t inform either body before proposing the legislation.
With the new-and-improved Community Calendar at http://www.mountainx.com/events, it’s never been easier to explore activities tailored to your interests. Search by category — including food, garden, family, art and wellness (to name just a few) — by date, keyword, region and beyond!
Groundbreakers and mentors from the fashion discipline of this year’s HATCH festival sent their designs down the runway. The show, held on Saturday at the Grove Arcade, took up the entire north end of the building and featured shoes, jewelry, apparel, hair and makeup, fashion photography and the work of a stylist.
The community is invited to attend a memorial event and fundraiser honoring the life of Summer Kolesar on Saturday, April 16, at the Odyssey School.
A dozen Western North Carolina counties in February had unemployment rates higher than 10.1 percent, the state’s overall unadjusted rate, according to the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, according to a report from the nonprofit Carolina Public Press.
In 1981, Buncombe County, the city of Asheville and individual water districts in the county came together and created the Asheville/Buncombe Water Authority. In 1995, Henderson County joined in, creating a historic regional group: Here’s the Regional Water Supply and Water Service Agreement adopted by Asheville, Buncombe and Henderson officials in 1995.
Local entertainers are creating a space where community dialogue meets music, poetry and performance art. The objective? To raise awareness of the potential impact of nuclear waste on our area.
Update: Clare Hanrahan ties herself to one of the pear trees the city is removing in a downtown-wide project..
EARLIER: The city of Asheville is removing some trees in the Central Business District, including these Bradford pears in front of the Haywood Park Hotel. Arborist Mark Foster has noted, ““People planted Bradford pears because they are attractive when they bloom and they are urban tolerant.” Foster says. “It wasn’t until they began falling apart 15 or 20 years later that people realized it wasn’t such a good idea.” …
The third annual Freedom Ball and fundraiser for N.C. death row exoneree Edward Chapman features an impressive lineup of local performers including David LaMotte (songwriter and acoustic guitarist), Skinny Legs & All (a soul, blues and funk ensemble fronted by talented teens, pictured), The Krektones (surf rock) and Kinjah (reggae).
Local agencies are making progress towards implementing the “10-year Plan to End Homelessness,” but they need more resources and support. That was the theme that emerged from the “2011 Asheville-Buncombe Homeless Summit,” held March 25 at the Masonic Temple in downtown Asheville.
Photos by Jerry Nelson
A study released this month by the Food Research and Action Center identified the Asheville metro area as the seventh worst in the country for food hardship.
Local photographer Jerry Nelson snapped these spring pictures, from flowers ready to be planted to folks practicing yoga at Pack Park.
photos by Jerry Nelson
Nathaniel Galka’s exhibition of dreamy landscapes on canvas is now on display at The Altamont Theatre Company. An opening reception will be held on Friday, April 1.
At their March 8 meeting, Asheville City Council members voted 6-1 to approve an incentives policy that encourages high density, environmentally sustainable, affordable housing developments. Members also tabled several items for further discussion, including a proposal that expands reporting requirements for pawn shops.
Special guest Abraham Deng will talk about his experience as a Sudanese refugee at The Well, an informal worship community organized by Asheville Youth Mission, on Sunday, March 13.
The art party and fundraiser for Antonio’s boarding-school expense fund will be held on Thursday, March 3.
All proceeds from the Saturday, Feb. 26 carnival-themed festivities benefit the Children’s Welfare League, a local nonprofit dedicated to the education and welfare of underprivileged children in Buncombe County.
On Wednesday, Feb. 23, the last day of the global peace initiative called “Winter Feast for the Soul,” the community is invited to a celebratory closing event and poetry reading.
From a near-missed border crossing in Turkey, to a cycling trip across America and a spring break flash-people-when-driving-on-the-Parkway venture gone wrong, Synergy Story Slam offers live, often hilarious, stories by anyone brave enough take the stage.
A nationwide study of “independent retailer vitality” conducted by the American Booksellers Association and Civic Economics, an a planning firm, ranks the Asheville metro area 53rd in the country, and one of the top 10 in its region and population categories.
“Oh, another hotel” isn’t an uncommon refrain heard around Asheville. But for every occupant of those hotels, there’s a tax — one that brings in $7 million a year — and goes not to any government, but to the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.
