In the fourth installment of Xpress’ limited series “On the Record,” Charles “CJ” Domingo shares his connection to Jim Croce’s 1973 album Live: The Final Tour, ways in which local government can encourage access to creative pursuits and why manual car windows are superior to electric.
Tag: Blue Ridge Parkway
Showing 1-21 of 76 results
One writer’s quest to understand the Blue Ridge Parkway
Part of its appeal is its uniqueness. The park is the road; the road is the park. Unlike other sites, where car access was at some point fitted into an already stunning landscape, the entirety of the Blue Ridge Parkway itself was fabricated with the intention of being the park.
Letter: Say no to war industries in our county
“Are you OK with your local and state taxes helping these weapons industries?”
Letter: Kudos to the road crews
“The hardworking men and women repaving Charlotte Highway are doing a wonderful job.”
Local cyclist relives his 62-day ride in new book
In January, Wayne Aho self-published Journey of Discovery: A Narrative of Loss, Aging, Training and What’s Important: 62 Days on the TransAmerica Trail.
Green in brief: Asheville protects land at Mills River water plant
Backed by a $400,000 grant from the N.C. Land and Water Fund, the nonprofit Mills River Partnership is restoring roughly 14 acres of riverside near the plant. Maria Wise, the nonprofit’s executive director, says her organization will stabilize the riverbanks and replace invasive plants with native varieties.
Letter: Will leaf peepers visit WNC to see kudzu turn gray?
“What happens when our beautiful fall colors provided by the hardwood trees are increasingly overtaken and killed off by kudzu?”
Mike Poggioli’s photography book captures the Blue Ridge at sunrise
The Asheville transplant discusses his journey to landscape photography.
Around Town: Pop-up art show will feature Beatles cartoons and more
A pop-up exhibit of work by a legendary TV animator comes to Asheville. Plus, Sew Co. hosts a makers market in the RAD, a photographer spotlights the Blue Ridge Parkway in new book and ARTSVILLE Collective presents a show featuring 10 artists.
Green in brief: Nonprofits plan conversion of Saluda Grade into trail
The path, running along an inactive railway, would stretch about 31 miles northwest from Inman, S.C., through Tryon and Saluda before terminating in Zirconia, about 7 miles southeast of Hendersonville. Hendersonville-based Conserving Carolina; Greenville, S.C.-based Upstate Forever; and Spartanburg, S.C.-based PAL are leading the effort.
Green in brief: MountainTrue turns 2022 Bioblitz into friendly competition
“By expanding the blitz to four counties and making a game of it, we hope to be able to engage more people and find more species,” said MountainTrue Public Lands Biologist Josh Kelly. “We might even find some that have never been recorded in our region.”
Letter: Dominion pipeline proposal needs further study
“In fact, Dominion’s pipeline drilling and installation could have a number of harmful impacts, which cannot be dismissed.”
Green in brief: Blue Ridge Parkway tops national parks in 2021 visitation
The scenic roadway saw 15.9 million recreation visits in 2021, up from about 14 million in 2020; the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which also includes land in Western North Carolina, was in second place with over 14.1 million visits.
Letter: Unanswered questions about Parkway pipeline
“A number of us who are concerned about the environmental dangers to our aquifer and the French Broad River think the deadline to comment needs to be extended.”
Adventure stories: Start with being loose
“My granddaughter Kennedy and I have been adventuring around Western North Carolina for as long as she can remember.”
Q&A with Tracy Swartout, Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent
Working in the National Park Service has taken Tracy Swartout all around the country. But in many ways, her new role as superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, based at the service’s office in Asheville, is a homecoming. Swartout grew up in Columbia, S.C., and has many fond memories traveling along the park’s 469-mile route […]
Letter: Spend occupancy taxes on healing tourism’s impacts
“The tourism fund could be used to provide paying jobs for locals to be out in the parks and forests making sure visitors practice “leave no trace”; park only where they are supposed to; do trail work; and prevent mapless tourists from getting lost in the woods.”
Green in brief: New website shares WNC landslide risks
According to the N.C. Climate Science Report prepared by N.C. State University’s Asheville-based N.C. Institute for Climate Studies and other experts, the area will likely experience more landslides in the coming years due to climate change.
Please don’t trample Heller’s blazing star (and other rare treasures)
“Help us make a difference with some of our rarest species by joining thousands of visitors in the simple act of staying on trails and heeding any ‘area closed’ signs.”
Green in brief: DNA testing reveals sources of water pollution
Conserving Carolina kicks off its 2021 Habitat at Home photo contest, the Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville is advocating for bird-safe window treatments and Asheville welcomes Tracy Swartout as the Blue Ridge Parkway’s new superintendent. This and more in the latest Green roundup.
Video premiere: Kathryn O’Shea’s “Fall”
Local singer/songwriter Kathryn O’Shea celebrates the release of her music video, “Fall,” recorded in the Black Balsam area of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Local videographer Laura Boswell filmed the shoot. Xpress caught up with O’Shea to discuss the release. Below is the interview, along with the video premiere. Xpress: Can you speak to the inspiration behind the song? Kathyrn O’Shea: […]