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In this month’s humor column, “Best Medicine,” comedian Cayla Clark discusses the role of comedy in politics with Asheville City Council members Bo Hess and Sage Turner.
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For three years running, North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) has measurably improved the health and wellness of more than 34,000 of our friends and neighbors across the state by using Medicaid funds to improve access to nutritious food, safe housing, reliable transportation and services that support safe relationships.
One of the more impactful end results is fewer costly emergency room and hospital visits for often preventable medical conditions. Yet another is HOP’s impact on our local farms and economy. HOP is an economic lifeline for these industries.
Right here in Western North Carolina, over $24 million has already been invested in more than 400 local farms and food businesses for the purchase of healthy meals, food boxes, and fruit and vegetable prescriptions for HOP participants. In fact, 92% of HOP’s WNC food referrals include food grown in our region, helping farmers stabilize cash flow year-round — not just during seasonal growing windows. A stable economy for our local farmers is especially vital for WNC farms grappling with damage caused by Hurricane Helene last fall.
In addition to fueling local agriculture, HOP has created hundreds of new jobs in other local industries,
Word of the week
monkeyshines (n.) wildly playful or mischievous behavior
Given the topic of this week’s cover story, monkeyshines felt like an appropriate choice. X
including construction, numerous trades and human services. In WNC alone, our pilot network has provided more than 376,000 transformative HOP services.
From a health care savings standpoint, many are familiar with findings from a study from Sheps Center at the University of North Carolina that estimates that in just two years’ time, HOP has reduced health care costs for participants by $1,020 per participant, per year. These savings will only continue to grow as HOP matures.
Currently, HOP is not in the N.C. House or Senate budget for the upcoming fiscal years, and this omission stands to cost us all significantly in the long run. While HOP’s ultimate goal is a healthier North Carolina, HOP’s role in creating a healthier economy is undeniable.
If the proposed state budget remains as is, millions of dollars
will be pulled out of rural economies; emergency department and hospital visits will likely go back up; health care costs will continue to surge; and people’s health will be at risk.
Health is wealth, as they say. HOP works, and it is worthy of continued investment. Join us in educating our local representatives about what HOP means to North Carolina’s health — in all senses of the word —at [avl.mx/ewb].
— Laurie Stradley CEO, Impact Health Asheville
UNC Asheville has finally announced its intentions for the beloved, 45-acre woods nestled in the quiet Five Points neighborhood
south of campus: private development for private profit, including retail, market-rate housing and a stadium for the for-profit Asheville City Soccer Club (ACSC).
In theory, some parts of this proposal make sense — the city and the university desperately need more housing, and ACSC needs a permanent home. But our public universities should be very careful about becoming commercial landlords, and this development fails to align with UNCA’s stated mission, values or goals.
That’s not an idle point, either. The law requires that public-private partnerships to develop millennial campuses like UNCA’s “enhance the institution’s research, teaching and service missions.” This proposal fails to meet those basic requirements.
Indeed, rather than trying to develop in ways that would complement UNCA’s strengths and build connections with the community, the university seems to be using its Millennial Campus designation to force through inappropriate, unwanted construction, handing over public land to private profit without the input or approval of local communities or governments.
The woods were purchased with taxpayer funds for the public good. They have since served as a vital part of UNCA’s campus, providing opportunities for education, research and recreation to students, faculty, staff and neighbors. It would be unconscionable to destroy them so that private interests might profit.
UNCA must grow and change to meet the future — on this, we are all agreed. But cutting down a forest to give public land to private developers is not the way forward. Instead, UNCA ought to do what it should have done from the start: work with stakeholders on and off campus to develop plans that will
truly serve the university and surrounding community.
— Woody Davis Asheville
If someone joins a country club and then no longer uses public parks, should the government use taxpayer money to help pay the country club fees? Of course not! If someone has an extensive book collection and continues to buy books, should the government help pay for the books, since that person doesn’t use the library? Again, of course not! These are services the government provides that everyone supports through taxes, even if an individual does not use them. There are many services the government provides for the public, and those who do not use them rightly do not get reimbursements.
It should be the same with our local schools. If someone wants to send a child to a private school, taxpayer money should not be used to help pay for it. Everyone pays to support the public schools, and those who choose not to use them (as well as those with no children) should not be given back tax money. North Carolina’s school voucher
program should be abolished and the funds directed back to the public school system.
If the public schools actually got all the tax money intended for them, maybe there wouldn’t be any discussion about raising taxes to better support them.
— Roy Rubinstein Asheville
My heart goes out to all who have lost so much in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Yet there has been a rush to judgment when it comes to the whole vexed question of how this tragedy came about in the first place. Many people, before the floodwaters had even receded, pointed their fingers at “climate change.”
It’s only fair to point out that the same breed of computer models that failed to accurately predict what an actually existing storm was going to do over a two-day period has been taken by many to provide the slam-dunk reason for why it happened at all. A Danish proverb warns: “Prediction is always difficult, especially when it’s about the future.”
Computer modeling can be of great benefit, provided that it is done consciously and responsibly, and checked against actual phenomena. We all have to make assumptions on a daily basis, but when we plug these assumptions into computer models, we are effectively putting them on steroids. The Limits to Growth , a 1972 book, is an example of what can go wrong: a collection of dire Malthusian predictions that turned out to be wildly inaccurate. Such efforts should not be granted oracular significance.
One-sided points of view are literally killing us. If we decide
that only power matters, we get one kind of evil; if we decide that only money matters, we get another. We’ve found out the hard way what happens when we decide that only germs matter: Military powers decide when and whether we can leave our homes, and what substances will be injected into our bodies.
If, environmentally speaking, carbon is truly the only thing that matters, Nature itself will tell us so. But we need to be able to push our fiendishly clever technologies aside and listen.
Md. X
BY BILL BRANYON
If you watch a lot of TV, you might get the idea that Mayor Esther Manheimer is a major spokesperson for HCA Healthcare and its Asheville subsidiary, Mission Hospital. She’s been appearing in a frequently run advertisement in which she states that Mission did “their part to help all the people of Western North Carolina” after Tropical Storm Helene. “Having HCA Healthcare continue to treat everybody who walked through their door was fundamental to not losing more lives in our community,” she declares. And then an HCA employee states, “In a disaster response and every day, our goal is the same: caring for Western North Carolina.”
A recent Asheville Watchdog column by John Boyle quoted Manheimer saying that when she participated in a documentary praising Mission’s efforts during Helene, she “had no idea they were going to make the documentary piece into an ad.” But Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, responded that, as a lawyer, the mayor should have understood that when she gave “her name and likeness and quotations to HCA … they can do what they want to with it.”
The article goes on to quote Mission Health spokesperson Nancy Lindell, who said the mayor had signed a release allowing commercial use of the video. Boyle says he requested but never received the release.
And if the mayor didn’t sign a release and feels violated, why hasn’t she sued HCA?
Inadvertently or otherwise, Mayor Manheimer appears to have become entangled in one of the more grotesque sectors of American capitalism: our for-profit health care system. Giant corporations such as HCA extract as much money as they can from customers who are in a very poor bargaining position amid the anguish of injury, illness or approaching death. It’s a type of extortion so egregious that it would make the Mafia blush.
But while the Mafia might threaten to break your leg or kill you, you come to HCA with a broken leg or impending death and they charge you an arm and a leg to heal you … maybe. Only after the emergency is over do you find out what they’re charging you. And as plenty of evidence suggests, whatever treatment they give you may sometimes fall short of the optimal standards.
Such an ethically questionable system might very well also think it was OK to use an elected official’s publicly expressed gratitude in an unauthorized commercial.
Of course, since most people in this country have health insurance, the cost might not be their most immediate concern. On the other hand, according to the nonprofit N.C. Center for Health and Democracy, more than 2.9 million in-network insurance claims in the state were denied in 2020. And nationwide, insurance companies denied an estimated 18% of all in-network claims that year.
Meanwhile, 9.2% of North Carolina residents don’t have health insurance at all, and if Congress passes President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” another 260,000 people may lose their Medicaid coverage, according to the Raleigh-based News & Observer. And that’s without even getting into Mission’s serious quality-of-care issues.
But let’s get this straight: This shakedown setup is not entirely HCA’s fault. By failing to elect either Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren president in 2020, Americans effectively voted in favor of maintaining the current rigged system. Both candidates campaigned on establishing “Medicare for All” — and thus removing much of the extortionate profit motive from health care.
The consequences of those votes, together with the decision to privatize the formerly nonprofit Mission Hospital, have led to numerous widely reported failures. In recent years, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has twice threatened to cut off the hospital’s funding, citing grave patient-safety concerns (including four emergency room deaths) related to inadequate staffing. The federal agency sub-
BILL BRANYON
“It’s a type of extortion so egregious that it would make the Mafia blush.”
sequently accepted HCA’s plan to resolve the issues. But the company is also facing a lawsuit filed by then-N.C. Attorney General (and now governor) Josh Stein charging that HCA has failed to provide key services that it pledged to maintain when it bought Mission in 2019.
Meanwhile, last September, 97% of nurses at the hospital voted in favor of a strike if union negotiators deemed it necessary. And in 2023, 50 doctors signed a letter decrying “the for-profit-driven changes that HCA has wrought” that “have gutted the heart and soul of our community healthcare system.”
According to its website, HCA owns 186 hospitals and 2,400 “sites of care.” Their 1968 founding vision was to “bring together hospitals to deliver patient-focused care while using the combined resources of the company to … improve the practice of medicine.” However, abundant evidence suggests that the drive to maximize profits often overrides the demands of patient-focused care.
For instance, in 2003 HCA resolved what the Department of Justice called the “largest health care fraud case in U.S. history,” agreeing to pay the government a total of $1.7 billion. And in 2007, the company agreed to pay shareholders $20 million to settle “claims that executives made false statements about the company’s growth, which had the effect of inflating HCA’s stock price,” according to law.com.
Last year, CEO Sam Hazen made about $23.4 million, and five of HCA’s other top executives each made between $4.6 million and $7.8 million.
In recent months, Mission has mounted a media blitz to try to camouflage these negative facts, employing a mix of TV and radio commercials as well as billboards. But Mayor Manheimer’s apparent endorsement may be the best PR plum Mission has had since HCA bought the hospital.
On the other hand, several of my friends and I have all recently received very good treatment while hospitalized there. So, are all the above charges purely politically motivated? Or has HCA shifted some of its vast resources to our local hospital to try to compensate for its subpar start as owner? And, if so, is this truly a good-faith attempt to improve or merely a long-term, bait-and-switch strategy while the ultimate goal remains maximizing profits for shareholders? Meanwhile, despite the mayor’s perhaps unwitting endorsement, the horror stories persist.
Of course, Americans could try to mitigate those horrors by flexing their collective muscle at the ballot box. In April, Bernie Sanders introduced a Medicare for All Act, citing research by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that says it would save $650 billion and 68,000 lives a year. In the current Congress, however, the bill has almost no chance of passing. And that’s because, in 2024, most Americans opted for continuing to let private enterprise deliver most health care, and thus to adhere to economist Milton Friedman’s 1970 dictum, “There is one and only one social responsibility of business — to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.”
Last year, HCA made a profit of about $5.7 billion — a nearly 10% increase over 2023. Clearly, the company is impressively advancing Friedman’s vision.
A partial alternative to this inherently abusive system would be to induce HCA to sell Mission and restore the hospital’s nonprofit status, as a broad coalition of prominent people, including state Sen. Julie Mayfield, is calling for.
Bill Branyon is a socialistic capitalist who believes that American happiness would be exponentially increased if our economy were governed by reason rather than ideology. X
BY GREG PARLIER
For most of his career, Scottie Harris has literally been putting out fires, including stints in war zones. So when he interviewed for the Weaverville town manager position in February, he wasn't going to let a kidney full of stones slow him down.
Granted, shortly thereafter Harris spent four days in the hospital, where he underwent two surgeries to remove said stones. Oh, and he got the job.
Harris — who previously served in a dual role as Weaverville Fire Department fire chief and interim town manager following the June 2024 resignation of former Town Manager Selena Coffey — assumes the post at a “pivotal moment,” says Mayor Patrick Fitzsimmons
Over the next five years, the town's housing stock is expected to increase by 40%, and AdventHealth is currently building a 93-bed hospital (and has applied to add 129 beds to its facility plans, as of May).
Along with growth, the town is seeing a shift in other leadership positions. Weaverville’s longtime public works director, Dale Pennell, is set to retire June 30. Meanwhile, staff expansion and a handful of resignations leave Harris with six posts to fill.
Fitzsimmons praises Harris' leadership, pointing to his time as interim town manager during Tropical Storm Helene.
“It was trial by fire, but Scottie is very dedicated,” Fitzsimmons says. “He is always in [the office] first
FIREFIGHTER: Before Scottie Harris was hired as Weaverville’s town manager this year, he helped the U.S. Department of Defense establish fire departments in war zones like Afghanistan and Iraq. Here, he poses in his office with medallions honoring that service.
thing in the morning and he’s very effective with the staff.”
Weaverville Town Council member John Chase echoes the mayor.
“Scottie Harris handled his time as the interim town manager — including
navigating the town through Helene — extremely well, and he excels at leadership. His leadership abilities were well established at the Fire Department. I am pleased to have Mr. Harris in the full-time manager role,” he says.
Editor’s note: Weaverville Town Council was scheduled to vote on its 202526 budget Monday, June 23, after Xpress’ print deadline. This story was written before that meeting.
For the first time in nine years, Weaverville is considering a property tax rate hike.
Town Manager Scottie Harris presented two options to Weaverville Town Council at its June 23 meeting, to raise the property tax rate by either 3 or 4 cents per $100 of property value. Both would help the town resume street paving, which was paused last year, he says, as well as keep its savings account at a healthy 40% of annual operations, per town policy.
The 3-cent hike — a 8.6% increase to 38 cents per $100 of taxable value — would cost a property owner with a home valued at $400,000 an extra $120 next year. A 4-cent hike — an 11.4% increase to 39 cents per $100 of taxable value — would cost the same property owner an extra $160 next year.
Either budget represents a little more than a 5% increase over last year’s budget, with roughly $10 million in the town’s general fund, a $4.3 million fire fund and $3.5 million in the water fund.
The proposals include three new positions in the fire and water departments. The water department is expected to double its capacity with an already
approved expansion project that will allow it to accommodate the incoming hospital and residential growth slated for the next few years, Harris says.
Mayor Patrick Fitzsimmons says while he hates to approve a tax increase after a natural disaster, the increase has support from residents who have asked council to ensure the level of service is maintained as the town grows.
“People came to Council and said, ‘Give us a tax increase,’ which I’ve never heard people say before. But believe it or not, there were a series of them. So people value the high quality level of services we have in Weaverville. They want to maintain them,” Fitzsimmons says.
Harris honed his leadership skills about as far from Western North Carolina as one could get. He spent about 10 years contracting with the U.S Department of Defense to build fire departments in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and on Diego Garcia, an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean where the U.S. operates a naval base.
He stayed in these remote locations for two to three years each, building fire departments at each destination. In between stints overseas, he would return stateside and take posts with municipal fire departments.
“When you walk into an operating base and there's nothing there but dirt, you get to determine how many stations you need, how many people you need and meet with command staff from the military, and kind of build something from the ground up,” he notes. “When you come somewhere stateside, you can go in and change policies or procedures, or you might get a new fire station, but for the most part, you're not starting it from scratch.”
Another challenge was working in a wartime environment at stations that were mostly tents, latrines and outdoor showers, he says.
“You don't have a lot of the infrastructure but are still trying to create that infrastructure … basically making a little city on the base,” he reflects.
He took that experience in city building and working in chaotic environments stateside when he became fire chief in Black Mountain in 2019.
He left briefly to care for his father east of Raleigh but returned to
Asked why the town keeps such a large percentage of its budget in reserves when the state only requires 8%, Fitzsimmons says Helene showed exactly why the town is wise to maintain a healthy savings account.
“I would say that’s good fiscal management,” he notes. “We had funds to get us through a cash flow restricted period. Because sometimes you have to wait on [Federal Emergency Management Agency] reimbursement, sometimes for extended periods of time. So luckily, we had a fund balance that helped get us through a challenging fiscal time.”
Weaverville Town Council was scheduled to vote on the final 2025-26 budget Monday, June 23. X
Western North Carolina in September 2022 for the Weaverville fire chief job.
All along, Harris knew he wanted an executive leadership position and took classes at the UNC School of Government to prepare for when an opportunity arose.
Harris’ opportunity came in June 2024 after Coffey's relationships with other town leaders deteriorated.
Coffey told the Weaverville Tribune in June that she went on medical leave that month, in the midst of budget season, due to “hostile work conditions.” Fitzsimmons told Council members via personal email that he had concerns about Coffey’s behavior, including frequently calling in sick and fractures among town leadership staff, as reported by the Tribune Fitzsimmons verified the details of the Tribune report in an interview with Xpress June 11.
“[Coffey] submitted her resignation, and we accepted it,” Fitzsimmons said when asked how her tenure ended with the town. “We’ve had an interesting year in Weaverville. It’s been a tumultuous year, and Scottie has done well navigating us through that,” he added.
Harris was named acting town manager by Council in June 2024, when he helped present Coffey’s 2024-25 budget, eventually earning the interim manager title in September. Then, Helene wreaked havoc.
Fortunately for Weaverville, which operates its own water treatment plant, it did not sustain the level of damage surrounding communities did, partially because the town doesn’t sit on a major waterway. It had one major waterline break on the south end of town that spilled 3 million gallons of water that the town had stocked up before the storm. Potable water was returned to customers within two weeks, Harris says.
Weaverville also lucked out in another way. Harris had extensive emergency response experience, including as a certified instructor of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s incident command system.
That experience meant Harris knew exactly what FEMA was looking for when the agency showed up after the storm and helped Weaverville get early access to expedited relief funds, Harris says.
“With all the staff leadership, we did quite well. And in fact, we were rebounded quicker than many of our neighbors. So I was pleased with how we did in recovery,” Fitzsimmons reflects.
One of Harris’ first tasks is to build a succession plan and contingencies within the town government so retirements, staff turnover or emergencies wouldn’t render departments useless or too dependent on one or two staff members to run.
While some of that existed before, Harris is putting a bigger emphasis on cross-training positions after Helene.
“That's very important, particularly when seasoned, experienced people in leadership positions are all approaching retirement age,” Fitzsimmons says. “We need to be doing succession planning and cross-training so that we don't end up in a jam when someone like a public works director, for example, decides to retire. He is definitely heading down the right path and doing the right things to accomplish that.”
Additionally, after the town gets through budget season, Harris will draft a new town strategic plan. The last one was for 2018-21.
“If you don't know where you're going, you're not going to know it when you get there. So working with the Council and our community on a strategic plan process is important,” he says. X
OPPOSITION: Protesters at a June 9 Yancey County Board of Commissioners meeting show their opposition to the county’s planned departure from the Avery-Mitchell-Yancey (AMY) Regional Library System. For the full story from Carolina Public Press (CPP), visit avl.mx/ewc. Photo courtesy of CPP
During their June 17 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize County Manager Avril Pinder to develop a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with company Urban Atlantic regarding the Ferry Road Community Development. The Ferry Road Community Development sits on about 137 acres, southwest of Tanger Outlets. Acquired by the county in 2015, the development will provide 645 total housing units — 530 rental units and 115 homeownership units, with 308 units designated as affordable for residents earning 80% or less of the area median income.
At the June 3 commissioner briefing, E.B. Odderstol, an economic development analyst for the county, and Sarah Odio, associate director at UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative, brought commissioners up to date on two final proposals for the MOU necessary for a development agreement.
According to their presentation, the MOU is a “nonbinding agreement outlining each party’s responsibilities and establishing milestones before a development agreement can be executed.”
In their presentation, Odderstol and Odio reviewed the two finalists — Lansing Melbourne Group and Urban Atlantic — before presenting their recommendation.
“What floated to the top of the conversation is aligning with guiding public interests as a whole and whether the master development partner had the experience bringing together a project of this magnitude
APPROVED: After voting on the next phase of a 645-unit housing development, Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Amanda Edwards said, "This is really exciting to finally see this move into fruition." Photo by Chad Truitt
and size, as well as within a reasonable timeline,” Odderstol said. “With that, based off of our assessment, staff would like to recommend Urban Atlantic as our master development partner for Ferry Road. We believe their experience … is an asset, and they’ll be able to deliver this project and execute our plans.”
According to the presentation, the development is estimated to cost $160 million. The county would contribute $19 million to subsidize the affordable units; an additional $7 million would be funded by other partners.
Urban Atlantic has partnered with Mountain Housing Opportunities in assisting qualifying low-income homeowners in Eagle Market and
Lee Walker Heights. Additionally, Odderstol noted that Urban Atlantic’s experience “with complexity in mixing types and income” in Washington, D.C., Greensboro and Charlotte boded well for the local project. The motion to move forward with the MOU with Urban Atlantic was passed unanimously. County Chair Amanda Edwards said, “This is really exciting to finally see this move into fruition. I’m excited to work toward meeting our affordable housing goals.”
Predevelopment will continue into 2027. Construction is not forecasted to begin until the end of 2027, with homes put up for sale anticipated at the end of 2029 at the earliest.
• Commissioners voted to lift the local state of emergency, originally declared on Sept. 25 and extended on Sept. 29. The state of emergency will expire on Monday, June 30, marking a transition from immediate disaster response to long-term recovery. The county closed its Emergency Operations Center on June 4; the Helene Resource Center at 94 Coxe Ave., Asheville, will continue serving survivors Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Commissioners were briefed on the Southside Healing Space, which seeks to destigmatize substance use disorder and connect individuals and families with culturally competent treatment providers, will hold a soft opening on Tuesday, June 24, at Brown Temple CME Church, 32 Phifer St. The grand opening will take place later this summer.
• Commissioners were also briefed on the $860 million that has been designated for home repairs across 29 Helene-impacted counties by Renew NC Economic Revitalization Program, overseen by the N.C Department of Commerce. Seniors, disabled people, families with children and those meeting income qualifications will be prioritized. Residents are encouraged to apply online, over the phone or in person at 94 Coxe Ave.
• Curtis Euler, interim county attorney with over 15 years’ experience working with Buncombe County, was officially appointed by the board as county attorney. “My goals are … to support the … county departments in the recovery effort from Tropical Storm Helene and continue to provide … sound legal advice to assist … in making informed decisions,” Euler said in a press release.
— Morgan L. Sykes X
What If We Get It Right?
BY DANIELLE AROSTEGUI
Imagine this: You’ve got a work meeting in the River Arts District, so you head outside and hop on your e-bike. It’s an easy ride from the slow speeds in your neighborhood in East Asheville to the protected bike lane on Tunnel Road. It’s warm out, so you take a bike trail through a community garden at the heart of the new mixed-use development where the old mall used to be. From there, it’s a hop, skip and a jump to get onto the Swannanoa Greenway headed toward the French Broad River. You smile as you dodge a gaggle of wobbly students on bikes laughing as they practice their safe-scanning skills. You’re thankful for those skills you picked up in transportation education, too.
That’s the vision of Mike Sule, executive director of Asheville on Bikes, a nonprofit advocating for better biking
and walking infrastructure in Asheville and beyond.
“Our goal is to promote and advance safe and dignified mobility throughout the community,” Sule says, whether you’re biking, walking, riding a scooter or taking the bus.
As part of a series inspired by the book What If We Get It Right? by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson — which asks what the future might look like if we “get it right” on climate change — Xpress is spotlighting local experts who have ideas about what Asheville could look like in 2050 if we invest in climate solutions now.
Xpress previously looked at what the future of public transit could look like in Asheville, but transit is only one way to reduce emissions from transportation. Walking, cycling and other forms of active mobility are widely considered the holy grail of transportation sustainability. Xpress spoke with Sule about what a mobility-friendly Asheville might look like in 2050.
“No. 1, it would be safe,” Sule says, when asked to describe his vision for mobility in Asheville. “An 8-year-old should be able to leave their home and walk to school safely.”
That’s not currently the case. According to a study by the N.C. Department of Transportation, Asheville led the state in bicycle and pedestrian deaths from 2010-18. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study showed pedestrian deaths in the state rose 20% from 2018-22.
“We need to change the design of public rights of way to function for more people,” Sule says.
Buffered bike lanes, increased sidewalk width and traffic calming measures to slow vehicles are all part of the solution to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Access to greenways and bike trails where vehicles aren’t allowed helps, too.
But changing infrastructure isn’t the only way to increase safety. Education is another key component of Sule’s vision. “We have the concept of driver’s ed. We need to be thinking about transportation education,” he says.
Asheville on Bikes offers an afterschool cycling program for kids, a smart-cycling class for adults to acquire urban riding skills and group rides to showcase the best routes to take to connect from one area to another.
“We want to empower students to ride their city with skill, knowledge and joy,” Sule says.
According to Sule, safety and accessibility come when different measures are networked to enable safe movement throughout the city, as envisioned at the start of the article.
“It’s not just a matter of putting a bike lane here and a bike lane there. It has to be a network. It might be a greenway or part of a national trail system, or using a slow neighborhood street to create that network,” Sule explains. Connecting bikeways with public transit also helps build that network.
For Sule, the key to a successful network is that it connects people to the places they need to go, whether that’s work, recreation or the doctor. “Haywood Road is a great example — it has everything you need within a halfmile to a mile. We need more of that throughout the city,” Sule says.
According to Sule, the only way to get to that level of connectivity is to embrace urban density. “When we concentrate people in the urban core, we create more spaces for them to connect to.”
Critically, people also become less reliant on vehicles to get from one place to the next when the distance between those places is shorter.
“Tunnel Road is a great example of thinking about what it could be,” Sule continues. Right now Tunnel Road is a cyclist’s worst nightmare with fast-moving traffic, no bike lanes and large swathes of parking and empty space between business and residences. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
“Tunnel Road could function in the future much like Haywood Road does in West Asheville,” Sule notes, provided that the corridor embraces smart growth principles and mixeduse developments.
Asheville on Bikes has put together a policy position for the city to achieve this vision of a mobility-friendly Asheville, including investing in affordable housing and spending at least $50 million toward a network of active transportation resources, with the ultimate goal of making Asheville the safest place in North Carolina to walk or ride a bicycle. X
BY CAROL KAUFMAN
ckaufman828@gmail.com
The most remarkable thing about Ellie Warden isn’t that she drinks her coffee black, doesn’t text or has never owned a computer — it’s that at 77, she’s still working in a job she loves at a place she helped create nearly 50 years ago.
Tucked away in the back kitchen of Asheville’s French Broad Food Co-Op on Biltmore Avenue, Warden works three days a week baking tasty treats such as blueberry ginger scones, lemon ricotta rolls and salted caramel crunch cookies. Each item is packaged, priced and placed near the checkout for customers to snatch up before they’re gone.
“I’ve been a baker all my life,” Warden says, wiping her hands on her apron. “In the 15 years I’ve been baking at the co-op, I’ve developed the recipes myself — many based on whatever’s most abundant in our produce section.”
In 1974, not long after she and her husband, Dan Warden, moved
to Asheville from Ann Arbor, Mich., a group of friends got together and decided the city needed a place to buy healthy food.
“We would gripe about not being able to find whole wheat bread,” Warden says with a grin. “Back in the 1970s, healthy food was nearly impossible to find at the local grocery stores. Ann Arbor had a fabulous food co-op where I shopped regularly, and that inspired me to create something similar here in Asheville.”
What started as a modest underground buy-in club with about 12 families grew from there.
“A truck would deliver our orders to a parking lot, with food coming from small distributors as far away as Ohio,” Warden explains. “Some of us would meet the driver in a parking lot, unload the items and then divide everything up on someone’s front porch or basement.”
By 1975, membership was growing, so the group decided it was time to make things official by applying for nonprofit status and opening a store-
BAKING THE GOODS: At 77, Ellie Warden continues to work at French Broad Food Co-Op on Biltmore Avenue — a business she helped launch 50 years ago. Photo by Carol Kaufman
front in the former Earle-Chesterfield Mill in today's River Arts District.
After years of cycling through different names (and locations), the French
Broad Food Co-Op settled on its current iteration around 2005, and in March it celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Over her 30 years working at the co-op’s various locations, Warden has worn a lot of aprons — from cashier and grocery to bulk foods and deli. Prior, she worked as a baker in several Asheville restaurants. When the co-op decided to start a bakery, Warden was the obvious choice for the job.
“Cooking and baking are my passion,” Warden says. “Since I’m an avid believer in supporting local farms, the food I buy from North Asheville and downtown farm markets are part of my everyday meals.”
Although she loves her job at the co-op, Warden knows she can't keep working forever.
“I figure I’ll work there as long as they’ll put up with me,” she says. “My husband passed away in 2022, so the co-op has become like family. At home, it’s just me and my cat, Peeve — as in pet peeve. I didn’t name her; she came with that name,” Warden adds with a chuckle. X
JUNE. 25 - JULY 3, 2025
For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.
More info, page 24
More info, page 26
Free Community
Functional Fitness
Build muscular endurance through exercises that focus on multiple repetitions with lower weights while moving in all planes of motion.
WE (6/25), 10:15am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
Community Yoga & Mindfulness
Free monthly event with Inspired Change Yoga that will lead you into a morning of breathwork, meditation and yoga.
WE (6/25), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Free Community Zumba Gold
This class introduces easy-to-follow zumba choreography that focuses on balance, range of motion, and coordination.
TH (6/26), 10am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
Yoga Nidra & Reiki
A dream will be induced taking you into a state of consciousness that can bring about immense healing in your conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind.
FR (6/27), 6pm, Asheville Salt Cave, 16 N Liberty St
Tai Chi w/Nancy Miller
Tai Chi teacher Nancy Miller will guide you through an evening of gentle movements and deep breathing.
FR (6/27), 7pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way
Yoga in the Park All-level friendly yoga classes based on Hatha & Vinyasa traditions. Classes led by a rotation of certified yoga instructors.
SA (6/28), SU (6/29), 10am, W Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave
Goat Yoga
A 45 minute all-levels yoga class, and then take all the time you want to snuggle and
The Feast of St. John: Celebrating Henderson County
• Hubba Hubba Smokehouse
• 2724 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock
• Sunday, June 29 | 5 p.m.
All are welcome to join in a family-friendly celebration featuring food, fellowship and live music by Aaron Burdett of the Steep Canyon Rangers.
“As a Henderson County resident, I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer evening than at the Feast of St. John in Flat Rock. Go listen to Aaron Burdett, who has been playing with the Steep Canyon Rangers since 2022. The food from Hubba Hubba and Flat Rock Bakery is always solid, and the fact that it supports the Flat Rock Backpack Program makes the event even better.”
Justin McGuire
take selfies with your new goat friends.
SA (6/28), 10:30am, Private Farm, Candler Himalayan Sound Bath Meditation
A guided meditation with the soothing tones of Himalayan singing bowls washing over you, calming your mind, and rejuvenating your spirit.
SA (6/28), SU (6/29), 11am, Somatic Sounds, 157 S Lexington Ave B1 Wild Souls Authentic Movement w/Renee Trudeau
An expressive movement class designed to help you get unstuck, enjoy cardio movement, boost immune health, dissolve anxiety and stress while celebrating community.
SU (6/29), 9:30am, Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard
Sunday Morning Meditation Group
Gathering for a combination of silent sitting and walking meditation, facilitated by Worth Bodie.
SU (6/29), 10am, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Candlelight Flow Yoga
This breath-centered practice blends gentle movement and mindfulness to release tension, restore balance, and leave you feeling grounded and renewed.
SU (6/29), 5pm, Asheville Happy Body, 25 Reed St, Ste 210 New Moon Sound Bath Immerse in the soothing sounds of crystal bowls, gongs, didgeridoo, handpans, and more.
SU (6/29), 7:30pm, HapBe Valley Equine and Wellness Farm, 1 Noahs Vly, Leicester Yoga & Coffee
Practice on the outdoor deck, get the body and mind balanced, and then you can hang out after for some coffee, tea and pastries.
TU (7/1), 9:30am, Cooperative Coffee Shop, 210 Haywood Rd
Active Breathwork
A dynamic class designed to awaken your body, release stored emotions, and bring clarity to your mind.
TH (7/3), 7:15pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Disordered Eating/ Eating Disorders
This support group is peer-led and facilitated by licensed therapists & dietitians specializing in eating disorders. Register at avl.mx/82e
WE (6/25), 6pm, Al-Anon
Are you concerned about someone’s drinking? This support group meets on a weekly basis. For more information on Al-anon,
HAYWOOD COUNTY PRIDE: Beginning on Friday, June 27, and running through Sunday, June 29, Downtown Waynesville commences its second annual Haywood Pride on Main Festival and Parade. Friday’s celebration features a Pride kickoff party at the Water’n Hole, starting at 9 p.m. Visit avl.mx/pryv for the full schedule of events. Photo courtesy of Haywood Pride on Main
visit www.alanon.org.
WE (6/25, 7/2), 11:30am, Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave West, Hendersonville
Nicotine Anonymous
People share their experience, strength and hope to stop using nicotine. You don’t need to be stopped, just have a desire to attend.
TH (6/26, 7/3), 4:30pm, Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 1 Kenilworth Knolls Unit 4 Garden Helpline
You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours.
TH (6/26), 10am, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd, Ste 102
Mad Hatter’s Collective: Hearing Voices Network
A group collective that gathers to talk about encounters with visual, tactile, sensational, or fringe experiences with life and the interaction of energy.
TH (6/26, 7/3), 6pm, 12 Baskets Cafe, 610 Haywood Rd
Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group
A free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. For more information contact (828) 367-7660.
SA (6/28), 2pm, First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St Families Anonymous Meeting
Gain support from others who have had lived experiences with a
family member or friends substance abuse and related behavioral health challenges.
TU (7/1), 6pm, Love and Respect Community for Recovery and Wellness, 350 Chadwick Ave Ste 300, Hendersonville
Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez
A Latin dance social featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton with dance lessons for all skill levels.
WE (6/25, 7/2), 8pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd
Together We Rise: Reawaken Dance
Together we will aim to dance away the layers that we have accumulated over the past few months and renew ourselves in the joy of movement in community.
FR (6/27), 11:30am, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Monday Night Contra Dance
Contra dancing is a fun, social dance for everyone. Follow a lesson at 7 p.m. and then dance to a live band and caller at 7:30 p.m.
MO (6/30), 7:30pm, A-B Tech, 340 Victoria Rd
ART
Against the Grain: Landscape & Sculpture
This intensely collaborative show features lathe turned wood sculptures by Jim Brandon alongside pastel paintings by Mike Wurman. Gallery open Wednesday through
Sunday, 10am. Exhibition through June 22. Mars Landing Galleries, 37 Library St, Mars Hill Enchanted Garden Art Show
Discover a magical blend of art and nature in this outdoor sculpture invitational featuring works by eight artists from North Carolina and beyond. Gallery open Monday through Sunday, 10am. Exhibition through Sept. 21. Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Rd Coatlicue & Las Meninas: The Stanford Edition
The focal point of the exhibition is Lasch’s newest addition, a ten-foot black mirror merging Diego Velázquez’s iconic painting Las Meninas (1656) and the monumental sculpture of the Mexica deity Coatlicue (1400s). Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through July 13.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Member Night
Enjoy behind-the-scenes experiences guided by Museum leadership, wine and charcuterie, and fellowship with our Museum team and your fellow members. TH (6/26), 4:30pm, Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee
Arts Build Community Exhibition
A powerful display of work by our incredible artists, made possible through the support of Arts Asheville and Buncombe County. Come celebrate art that truly brings people together.
TH (6/26), 5pm, Open Hearts Art Center, 217 Coxe Ave
Flora Symbolica: The Art of Flowers
The exhibition features the work of celebrated photographer and artist Edward Steichen, whose life-long infatuation with flowers deeply affected his artistic vision. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through July 28.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Iron & Ink Exhibition
This exhibition focuses on a dynamic era in American history—the Machine Age—when industrialization and advances in technology transformed urban landscapes and redefined the nature of work and leisure nationwide. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 27.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Constance Ensner: Withheld
In this exhibition, Constance explores painted and collaged works that delve into the inner world of emotions, and her potent memories of a childhood disrupted. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through July 13.
Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St
Viewshed Exhibition
The exhibition highlights works that span painting, textile, sound, and performance, inviting viewers to consider the ways in which artistic methodologies evolve and reverberate across time. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through August, 16, 2025. Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St
Performance & Artist Talk w/Richard Garet Richard Garet is a contemporary artist whose work spans sound art, experimental music, visual art, and multimedia installation.
WE (6/25), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St Park Rhythms Concert Series w/Sluice & Fust This year’s series will consist of four free shows on Thursday evenings between June through July. This week features music from alt-country players, Sluice & Fust. TH (6/26), 6pm, Black Mountain Town Square, Black Mountain Creative Strings Showcase
This showcase will feature over 25 musicians on violin, viola, cello, showcasing solos and ensembles. See p26 TH (6/26), 8pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Concerts in the Park w/ Mission Accomplished Bring your friends and family to dance, play games, and enjoy eats and treats from Biltmore Park restaurants. Returning to Concerts in the Park is Mission Accomplished, an Asheville-based classic rock cover band. FR (6/27), 6:30pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd. Concerts on the Creek: Darren Nicholson Band Free concert series for the community with Grammy Nominee and 13-time International Bluegrass Music
Association award winner Darrren Nicholson providing the tunes this week. There will be food trucks available on most nights.
SA (6/28), 7:00pm, Bridge Park Gazebo, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva Pinkish Floyd
This nine-piece tribute band delivers Pink Floyd’s iconic sound, while you get lost in a visual and sonic spectacle featuring stunning lights, lasers and video projections.
SA (6/28), 7:30pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville
The Feast of St John: Celebrating Henderson County
All are welcome to join the festivities at the family-friendly celebration featuring food, fellowship and live music by Aaron Burdett of the Steep Canyon Rangers.
SU (6/29), 5pm, Hubba Hubba Smokehouse, 2724 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock
School of Rock Summer Tour 2005
This Performance Program consists of a weekly group rehearsal where kids and teens learn by playing rock music’s most iconic songs with a band composed of their peers.
TH (7/3), 4pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave
Building Resilience: 3
Part Workshop
Learn exercises to help you feel and balance your energy, and protect it from negativity.
WE (6/25), 5:30pm, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
Weathering the Storm(s): Emotional Regulation Workshops
This workshop will improve your emotional resilience to our changing climate and related challenges.
TH (6/26), 10:30am, N Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave
Access to Capital
Whether you’re a start-up or interested in growing your business, this workshop is here to guide you through the process to secure a business loan. Register at avl.mx/evx.
TH (6/26), 11am, Online
Free Discover Bellydance Class
This class is meant to give attendees a taste of this beautiful art form in a supportive judgement-free class taught by Melanya Zerpa.
TH (6/26), noon, World Dance Asheville, 1269 Tunnel Rd
Farm-to-Table Cooking Class
Whether you’re a beginner in the kitchen
or an experienced cook, this course is designed to inspire you to create vibrant, flavorful dishes.
TH (6/26), 5:30pm, North Carolina Cooperative Extension-Madison County Center, 258 Carolina Ln, Marshall Montford Motor Studio
Whether you’re a seasoned hobbyist or a curious beginner, this program will provide a collaborative environment to build a small mechanical motor limited only by imagination.
FR (6/27), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Intro to Shamanism
Learn how to journey into the compassionate spirit realms, meet your power animal and helping spirit teacher, gain spiritual power and more.
SU (6/29), 9:30am, Earthaven Ecovillage, 5 Consensus Circle, Black Mountain
Junk Journaling Workshop
Discover how to get started with this unique mixed-media journaling technique, focusing on creativity and personal expression. All experience levels welcome.
SU (6/29), 5pm, 12 Bones Smokebouse & Brewing, 2350 Hendersonville Rd, Arden Stewards Of Children Training w/Mountain Child
A comprehensive, evidence-based training program that provides adults with the practical tools they need to prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse
MO (6/30), 9am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Yoga & 12 Step Recovery
Open to anyone, especially those impacted by substance use and behavioral health concerns.
TU (7/1), 8:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Simply Charmed Jewelry Workshop
This hands on workshop is drop in friendly and for ages 8 and up who are interested in jewelry making.
WE (6/25, 7/2), TU (7/1), 11am, Ignite Jewelry Studios, 191 Lyman St, Ste 262 Couch to 5K Training Learn techniques, habits, and helpful tips each week to improve pace and form so you can run happy and healthy.
TH (7/3), 5:30pm, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
Meter & Melody: Poetry Night Poetry open mic hosted by Dill every last Wednesday of the
month. WE (6/25), 7pm, Static Age Loft, 116 N Lexington Ave
Abolish Rent Reading Group
A four week reading group exploring local tenant organizing in conversation with the book Abolish Rent: How Tenants Can End the Housing Crisis by Tracy Rosenthal and Leonardo Vilchis.
TH (6/26), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd
Juniper Bends: Summer Reading
An evening of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and music featuring local artists: Meagan Lucas, Alex McWalters, Ramin Gillett, and Ashe Walker with musician Jason Smith.
FR (6/27), 7pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd
Asheville StorySLAM: Hospitality
Cook up a five-minute story about the beauty and occasional chaos of saying, "Come on in.” Early mornings, late nights, clopening, or back-to-back doubles.
SU (6/29), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
Flooded Poetry
Each poet will be able to share 2-3 poems, and occasionally we will have local celebrity poets close out our night with a featured reading.
MO (6/30), 6:30pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200
Poetry Open Mic
This open mic welcomes any form of artistic expression from poetry to improv theatre to music to dance.
WE (7/2), 8:30pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave
Beautfiul: The Carole King Musical
This extraordinary musical tells the incredible true story of Carole King, whose journey from a young songwriter to an iconic star will captivate audiences of all ages.
WE (6/25, 7/2), TH (6/26, 7/3), FR (6/27), SA (6/28), 7:30pm, SU (6/29), 2pm Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock
Southside Movie Nights
Enjoy the classic combo of delicious fresh popcorn, refreshing drinks, and a family film.
TH (6/26), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St Foreign Film Fridays
Every Friday visitors can enjoy a cozy movie night in the gallery featuring some amazing foreign films curated by film-buff Carlos Steward.
FR (6/27), 7pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200
Disney's The Little Mermaid Ariel, King Triton’s youngest daughter, wishes to pursue the human Prince Eric in the world above, bargaining with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to trade her tail for legs. But, the bargain is not what it seems.
FR (6/27), SA (6/28), 7:30pm, SU (6/29), 2:30pm, Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E Walnut St
Scuttlebutt!
A quarterly improv comedy show which takes inspiration from special guest storytellers along with audience suggestions to create hilarious scenes.
FR (6/27), 9:30pm, LaZoom Room, 76 Biltmore Ave
Ripcord
A sharp-witted comedy about two senior roommates whose escalating prank war reveals deeper truths about friendship, loss, and resilience.
FR (6/27), SA (6/28), 7:30pm, SU (6/29), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville
The Merry Wives of Windsor When the overzealous John Falstaff attempts to woo two wealthy wives for financial gain, the clever women join forces to outsmart him with a series of hilarious pranks.
FR (6/27), SA (6/28), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St Circle: The Gatherings Community Film Premiere
This documentary is a film commemorating and carrying on the vision of the Southeast Permaculture Gatherings.
MO (6/30), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Reel Obscura Mondays
A free weekly movie night that will be serving up a curated mix of cult classics, hidden indie gems and unforgettable films.
MO (6/30), 7pm, Eda's Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville
Docent Led Tours
Visitors will be led through the gardens by a master gardener docent as you watch the other gardeners caring for the plants. WE (6/25), 10am, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd, Ste 102
Shamanic Journey Circle
You're welcome to bring a drum or any portable instrument and a crystal to charge or clear.
WE (6/25), 6:30pm, The Well, 3 Louisiana Ave
NSA-WNC Meeting
Professional keynote speakers, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and consultants who cover a broad range of topics, skills and knowledge.
TH (6/26), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
IBN Biz Lunch: Woodfin
The meeting will consist of introductions by every guest, a discussion of future networking opportunities, a roundtable business needs and solutions segment, a time for gratitude and testimonials and more.
TH (6/26), noon, The Village Porch, 51 North Merrimon Ave, Woodfin Plant Clinic
Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answer all of your gardening questions and address your related concerns.
TH (6/26), 3:30pm, A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Rd, Candler
An Evening of Self-Renewal w/Renee Trudeau
Explore how seeking out beauty can spark joy, cultivate hope, and bring a deeper sense of connection to ourselves and others.
TH (6/26), 6pm, Embellish Asheville, 59 Broadway St
Postmarked Memories: Exploring History of the Swannanoa Valley Through Postcards
Swannanoa Valley resident and local historian Mary Standaert will lead an engaging illustrated lecture exploring the history of the Swannanoa Valley through the lens of postcards.
TH (6/26), 6pm, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 West State St, Black Mountain
IBN Breakfast Club: West Asheville Incredible Business Networking, along with other business people and entrepreneurs like yourself. This meeting is free, just buy your lunch if you are hungry and support the host restaurant.
FR (6/27), 9am, Regina's Westside, 1400 Patton Ave
Appalachian Healing Collective
Practice asking for what you want and need and trusting that the collective efforts will benefit you.
FR (6/27), 6:30pm, The Well, 3 Louisiana Ave
Evening Sound Bath Meditation
Whether you're new to sound healing or just looking for a soothing way to unwind, this experience is designed to help you slow down and enjoy the restorative effects of sound in a peaceful, natural setting.
FR (6/27), 7:15pm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview
Water Aerobics
This water-based workout is perfect for anyone looking to stay active and socialize in a supportive and enjoyable environment.
SA (6/28), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, Coloring w/Cats
Take 50 minutes for yourself and cuddle with the panthers, meet other cat-lovers, and color a beautiful picture of a cat from our adult coloring books.
SU (6/29), 2pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Pleased to Make Your Acquaintance
A lightly facilitated social networking event for single folks 21 years or older seeking to build friendships and a foundation for a future monogamous relationship.
MO (6/30), 5:30pm, Ginger's Revenge, 829 Riverside Dr, Ste 100
Coming Home to the Heart (part 2)
Michael Scardaville will take us on his 30-year journey of Buddhism. All dharma talk programs include meditation and time for discussion.
MO (6/30), 6:30pm, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
IBN Biz Lunch: East Asheville
All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts.
TU (7/1), noon, Suwana Asian Cuisine, 45 Tunnel Rd
Montford Art Afternoons for Adults
Whether you’re a seasoned artist or haven’t picked up a brush since childhood, this is the perfect opportunity to unwind, explore your creativity, and create a beautiful piece of art to take home.
TU (7/1), 1pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Ready to Unlock Your Dream of Homeowner ship? Free Homebuyer Workshop
It will provide a step-bystep guide to buying a home, tips for navigating the real estate market, live Q&A to answer your homebuying questions and more.
TU (7/1), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Plant Clinic
Master Gardener volun teers will be available to answer all of your gardening questions and address your related concerns.
WE (7/2), 3pm, Weaverville Tailgate Market, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville
Southside Cyber Wednesday Dive into the exciting world of e-sports and
6/25: NEW MOON in Cancer Reader: Jessica 12-5
6/27: Reader: Krysta 12-6
6/28: Reader: Ed 12-6
Wildlife Book Signing w/ Ayal 2:30-4
Witch Wound Series 2-4
6/29: Reader: Andrea 12-4
Fae Magic w/ Jessica 3-4:30
gaming with friends and neighbors with two powerful PlayStation 5 consoles ready for action.
WE (7/2), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Music Bingo w/DJ Spence
Featuring 3 different themes of upbeat, family friendly music. It’s first come first serve, no tickets required and free to play.
WE (6/25), 5:30pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St
Summer Breeze Bingo
Mark your cards while savoring delicious tropical treats that will transport your taste buds to paradise. Space is limited, so registration is required.
SA (6/28), noon, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St
Weekly Sunday Scrabble!
Weekly scrabble play where you’ll be paired with players of your skill level. All scrabble gear provided.
SU (6/29), 1:30pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Level 256 Weekly Pinball Tournament
This is a weekly group knockout pinball tournament. All ages and skill levels are welcome.
SU (6/29), 5:30pm, Level 256 Classic Arcade Bar, 79 Coxe Ave
Ping Pong Tournament
Come by and shoot your shot against some of the best ping pong players in town. Free to enter and $50 bar tab to the winner.
MO (6/30), 6pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave
KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS
Family Story Time
A fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months
to 3 years.
WE (6/25, 7/2), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
Black Cat Tales: Story Time w/Cats
A special after-school workshop where families with children age 7 and under can relax and foster a love of reading while also socializing with the cats in the lounge.
WE (6/25, 7/2), TH (6/26, 7/3), FR (6/27), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Preschool Storytime
Miss Jennifer will lead children ages 3 to 6 in engaging activities such as stories, songs, and other hands-on activities designed for children.
WE (6/25), 2pm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview
Baby Storytime
A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.
TH (6/26, 7/3), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
Toddler Sip & Splash
Dive into fun and exploration with this drop-in program that combines the joy of water play with a social and sensory-rich environment.
TH (6/26), 3:30pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston StA
Coloring w/Cats: Kiddie Edition
An artistic session with coloring books and markers for children ages 13 and under to relax by coloring as they pet cats to reduce stress and anxiety.
SA (6/28), 1pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Toddler Beach Day Fun
A delightful day at the Montford beach with little ones. Enjoy sandcastles, water play, and endless fun in the sun.
SA (6/28), 1pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Leicester Farmers Market
A community-led farmers market local produce, cheese, meats, honey, strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb, ramps, a variety of plants and more. Every Wednesday through October.
WE (6/25, 7/2), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester RAD Farmers Market
Asheville’s only yearround weekly market, featuring 30+ vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, handcrafted items, beverages, grab-and-go meals, and more. EBT and SNAP accepted.
WE (6/25, 7/2), 3pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St Weaverville Tailgate Market
This market features a selection of fresh, locally grown produce, grass fed beef, pork, chicken, eggs, cheese, baked goods, artisan bread, eclectic handmade goodies, garden and landscaping plants. Open year-round.
WE (6/25, 7/2), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville
Biltmore Park Farmers Market
This market features fresh seasonal produce, delicious homemade pastries, premium meats and seafood, beautiful vibrant flowers, and more.
TH (6/26, 7/3), 3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd
Enka-Candler Farmer’s Market
A grand selection of local foods and crafts, everything from produce to pickles, baked goods to body care, and even educational resources. Every Thursday through
October 31.
TH (6/26, 7/3), 3:30pm,
A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler
East Asheville Tailgate Market
Featuring over 25 vendors selling meat, seafood, produce, flowers, bread, eggs, baked goods, fruit, herbs, sweet treats, tamales, and more. Every Friday through Nov. 21.
FR (6/27), 3pm, Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Rd
Mills River Farm Market
This market offers local food, live music, kids' activities, cooking demos, and a welcoming community. Browse fresh produce and pasture-raised meats to homemade breads, fresh flowers, and artisan goods.
SA (6/28), 8am, Mills River Elementary School, 94 Schoolhouse Rd, Mills River
North Asheville Tailgate Market
Browse from over 70 vendors that will be offering sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, honey, plants, prepared foods, crafts and more.
SA (6/28), 8am, UNC Asheville Lot P28
Asheville City Market
A producer-only market featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December.
SA (6/28), 9am, 52 N Market St
Black Mountain Tailgate Market
A seasonal community event featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, local raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and locally handcrafted items.
Every Saturday through Nov. 22.
SA (6/28), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Swannanoa Farmers Market
This market will feature farm-fresh produce, local honey, eggs, baked goods, and delicious eats. You'll also find handmade jewelry, artwork, fiber crafts, wooden utensils, yard art, apothecary essentials, and more.
SA (6/28), 9am, 216 Whitson Ave, 216 Whitson Ave, Swannanoa
Mars Hill Farmers & Artisans Market
A producer-only tailgate market located on the campus of Mars Hill University on College Street. Offering fresh local produce, herbs, cheeses, meats, eggs, baked goods, honey, body care and more. Every Saturday through Oct. 26.
SA (6/28), 10am, College Street, College St, Mars Hill
WNC Farmers Market
This year-round market features locally grown produce, fruits and vegetables, mountain crafts, plants, shops, arts and crafts, sourwood honey, and other farm fresh items. Open daily, 8am. 570 Brevard Rd
Junk-O-Rama Vintage Market
Browse vintage clothing vendors, local crafters, antiques and more. SU (6/29), 12pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd
Meadow Market
This vibrant outdoor market features a curated selection of local makers and artisans. Browse a delightful array of one-of-a-kind textiles, handcrafted jewelry, beautiful pottery, and more.
SU (6/29), 1pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200 West Asheville Tailgate Market
This market features an array of goods including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, bread, eggs, cheese, plants, specialty items, locally made art and crafts and more. Every Tuesday through November.
TU (7/1), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd
Sapphic Songbook Karaoke & Costume Contest
Whether you’re taking the mic or cheering from the crowd, this is your night to show up, sing out, and support the queer community.
TH (6/26), 7:30pm, Asheville Sports Club, 137 Coxe Ave
Decoda Chamber Music Festival
Through outstanding chamber music making, creative collaboration, and hands-on project design and develop-
ment, DCMF cultivates the vision of community through music with the young artists of tomorrow.
TH (6/26), 7pm, FR (6/27), 2pm, Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa Land Of The Sky Burlesque Festival: Geektastic (Night 1)
The opening night of of the festival will feature Geektastic is a burlesque show for nerds. Performers pay homage to fandoms from comics, TV, film, books and more FR (6/27), 8pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
2nd Annual Haywood Pride on Main Festival & Parade (1st Day)
The Waterin' Hole will be hosting a PRIDE kickoff party on the first night. Visit avl.mx/pryv for the full schedule and event locations.
FR (6/27), 9pm, Downtown Waynesville, 285 N Main St, Waynesville 2025 Yetzirah Jewish Poetry Conference
A cohort of 36 poets from across the world will gather in Asheville for writing workshops, discussion panels, readings, and a shared celebration of Shabbat. Visit avl.mx/ev9 for the full schedule of events.
WE (6/25), TH (6/26), FR (6/27), SA (6/28), SU (6/29), UNC Asheville, 1 University Heights
Love Our City: Serve Day
Come ready to love big, serve hard, and make a lasting difference. It will feature food, music, games, neighborhood engagement, dream rooms for kids, and more.
SA (6/28), 8:30am, Big Ivy Community Center, 540 Dillingham Rd
2nd Annual Haywood Pride on Main Festival & Parade (2nd Day)
The 2nd day will feature speeches, a parade kick off in down main St, a festival with outside vendors, live music and more. Visit avl.mx/pryv for the full schedule and event locations.
SA (6/28), 10am, Downtown Waynesville, 285 N Main St, Waynesville
Haw Yeah: The Whale Outpost’s Third Anniversary Block Party
It will feature craft beer, live music from Dirty Dead and Danny Knowles as well as DJ Chris Felinski, food, local vendors and more.
See p24
SA (6/28), 2pm, The Whale: Outpost, 2 Beverly Rd
Vivid Amplified Movement
This popup events kick off with a full flow yoga session guided by the bright light, Britt Klach and beats provided by DJ Mad Mike. Following
the group flow, the vibes will continue with a dance party, giveaways, and vendors.
SA (6/28), 10am, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave
Gaelic Games: Highland Field Day 2025
The first-ever Gaelic Games, an unforgettable event filled with hilarious competitions, friendly rivalries, and epic memories. Come to play, come to watch or come to enjoy a few Gaelic Ales.
SA (6/28), 11am, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200
What's Shaking? Music
Presents: Summer Music & Dance Series
An afternoon of music, food and fun for kids and their adults. The full What's Shaking Band will be onstage with poems, songs, and dances for pre-k and kids of all ages.
SA (6/28), 3pm, Sweeten Creek Brewing, 1127 Sweeten Creek Rd
Classic City Wrestling
If you’ve never been to a CCW show, think less corporate wrestling, more punk rock house party—with a little theater and a lot of hear.
SA (6/28), 7:30pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave
Land of the Sky Burlesque Fest 2025 Night 2: Just A Peek! This festival celebrates the best of the best in burlesque entertainment. It offers a blend of vibrant performances amid a backdrop of fantastic food, outdoor adventures, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
SA (6/28), 8pm, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave
2nd Annual Haywood Pride on Main Festival & Parade (3rd Day)
The 3rd day will feature a Pride service hosted by Love First and a Pride Pool yoga session with Axis Yoga. Visit avl.mx/pryv for the full schedule and event locations.
SU (6/29), 9am, Downtown Waynesville, 285 N Main St, Waynesville Celebration of Life for Oscar Wong
The gathering is open to the public, and you're invited to join us to celebrate the Oscar way with music, good food, and community spirit.
SU (6/29), noonn, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200 Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival 2025 (Night 3)
Featuring a blend of vibrant performances amid a backdrop of fantastic food, outdoor adventures, and a warm, welcoming atmo-
sphere. The third day will feature a special brunch with tantalizing tastes.
SU (6/29), noon, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
Double Feature: The Music of Michael Jefry Stevens & Screning of Redemption Time
This double feature will kick off with the The Creative Strings Orchestra performing the music of Michael Jefry Stevens. Then at 8 p.m. the world premier screening of the Redemption Time will begin.
WE (7/2), 6:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
&
Skylaranna Resort Artist ReLEAF Concert Series
A concert series that benefits artists impacted by Hurricane Helene with local music, vendors, food, drinks, and more.
WE (6/25), 6pm, Skylaranna Hotel & Resort, 2075 N Rugby Rd, Hendersonville Low-Cost Community Neuter Clinic
Please schedule and pay for your appointment prior to showing up. Appointments and additional services can be scheduled at avl.mx/dlq.
TH (6/26), 9am, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
272 Nights: Helene Recovery Story Share
Listen or share your 3-5 minute story, open mic style, at a celebration of community resilience and live storytelling. Admission is by donation at the door to benefit Helene recovery.
TH (6/26), 6:45pm, The Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave
Cat Trivia: Fundraiser for Binx's Home for Black Cats
Assemble your team and come out to this cat trivia night to benefit Binx's Home for Black Cats. There'll be a variety of feline-centric trivia questions for you and your team to test your knowledge and win prizes.
FR (6/27), 7pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Musical Benefit for Give to the Music Michael Hantman and friends will play a soft-rock concert to help benefit Give to the Music, an Asheville nonprofit that gives musical instrumentals to kids.
SA (6/28), 5pm, Reems Creek Golf Course, 36 Pink Fox Cove Rd, Weaverville,
BY TROY JACKSON
troyjackson@authentichealth.com
June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. I want to share how I think about dementia as well as the strategies for dementia prevention that I discuss with my patients.
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, ranks as the No. 6 leading cause of death in America, and cases are expected to double over the next 40 years. Dementia is extremely scary for many of my patients, both because of the memories and independence it robs from us as well as the toll it can take on our families.
Changes related to Alzheimer’s disease begin in one’s brain up to 20 years before any obvious symptoms appear, making it difficult to diagnose early on. But now, cognitive testing, blood-based biomarkers and specialized MRIs are allowing doctors to diagnose high-risk patients earlier.
The other unnerving aspect of dementia is the sheer lack of effective treatments, which many consider the greatest failure in modern medicine.
But I have great news: A 2024 Lancet report highlighted that 45% of dementia cases are preventable. I, and many other experts in this field, believe that this percentage is likely much higher, as the report did not take into account dietary patterns, sleep quality and optimizing nutrients such as B12 and omega 3s.
Dementia prevention gives agency back to patients to do what they can for their brains, focusing on strategies that keep the brain healthy and fully functional. In the report, researchers identified 14 modifiable risk factors based on stage of life:
Early life (18 and younger): Education level
Midlife (18-65): Hearing loss, high cholesterol, depression, traumatic brain injury (TBI), physical inactivity, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption
Late-life (65-plus): Social isolation, air pollution, vision loss
Many of these are obvious risk factors, so I will focus on the group that I refer to as the “use-it-or-loseit” risk factors:
• Education level
• Physical inactivity
• Hearing and vision loss
• Social isolation
4 risk factors you can address in the fight against dementia
Our brains are plastic, meaning they are able to adapt, grow or even shrink based on how much they are used. Neuroplasticity occurs rapidly during infancy and childhood, but we retain some level of plasticity even as adults.
When we use our brains in novel or complex ways, we create new brain connections while strengthening others. This creates cognitive reserve, the ability of the brain to protect itself against damage as we age. But if we neglect to use our brains to their fullest capacities, our brains will prune away these connections, causing the brain to be less resilient and more vulnerable to injury.
Achieving a high level of education is the most important intervention for building cognitive reserve. As parents, we should encourage our children to stay in school for as long as possible; if you are a teenager reading this, please stay in school!
Evidence is clear that the higher education one receives, the less dementia risk in the future. Though not as well studied, nontraditional education tracks such as trade school, apprenticeships and internships should also work.
If going back to school is not an option for you, I would encourage you to still seek out novel educational experiences: take a community class through A-B Tech or OLLI at UNC Asheville. Look through the community calendar in the Xpress for a workshop or meetup on a topic that interests you. Not only will you learn something new, but you’ll also find yourself engaging with others. Finally, seek out other ways to challenge your brain: Learn a new language, musical instrument or craft.
Physical activity is the next-biggest lever you can pull for better brain health. By aiming for 150 minutes of moderate exercise, along with at least two strength-training sessions per week, you provide ample blood flow and stimulation to the brain. With that said, it does seem that exercises that involve your entire body, that are constantly changing and that involve other people are likely more engaging for your brain than just running on the treadmill. Exercises such as team sports, pickleball, tennis, most gym classes, hik-
AGENCY: “Dementia prevention gives agency back to patients to do what they can for their brains, focusing on strategies that keep the brain healthy and fully functional,” writes Dr. Troy Jackson in his latest column. Photo courtesy of Jackson
ing and trail running all require the brain to be on high alert.
We also want to protect our senses. Our vision and hearing bring in so much information, keeping our brains fully engaged with the world around us. Hearing loss begins in midlife, usually due to repeat exposure to loud sounds. As this happens, we start missing out on the small inputs of noise all around us and, worst of all, avoid conversation, essentially isolating ourselves from others.
For those in midlife, I recommend wearing ear protection while operating loud machinery, consider concert-grade ear plugs the next time you see your favorite band and keep
your music volume on a lower level. If you think you already have considerable hearing loss, getting an audiology evaluation and purchasing hearing aids can dramatically improve the health of your brain. The benefits of vision mirror that of hearing — the more you can take in, the more your brain stays engaged. Most of the data for vision and brain health focuses on eyeglasses to help correct vision deficits and looking into cataract removal if necessary.
Social engagement is the last useit-or-lose-it factor for brain health. Holding a conversation with another person is incredibly complex — speaking, listening, thinking of what to say next and interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues are all cognitively demanding tasks (which my introverted readers know all too well).
Staying in community and in communication with others has very strong benefits for our brain health and is one of the best ways to “exercise” the brain later in life. As you may have noticed, combining social engagement with everything I’ve talked about above helps to stack benefits in your favor and increases your odds for dementia prevention.
Dementia is a scary diagnosis, but I want to reiterate that you can take very practical steps to keep your brain healthy and firing on all cylinders for your entire life. Think of your brain like a muscle that needs to be worked out and engaged throughout your life to stay strong. If you are concerned about your memory or of your future brain health, I encourage you to take this list from the 2024 Lancet report and review it with your doctor. X
BY CAYLA CLARK
caylaclark73@gmail.com
Dear Readers,
Happy June and Happy Pride! I hope you’re having a lovely season so far.
This month, we're taking a slightly different approach to Best Medicine. As you may know, I run a satirical Instagram account under the name @blinddateliveavl, where I poke loving fun at Asheville stereotypes.
Recently, I had the pleasure of collaborating with three members of Asheville City Council — Bo Hess, Sage Turner and Maggie Ullman — on a comedic reel filmed inside Council chambers. The video playfully explored the intersection of policy, public opinion and the absurdities of life in Asheville.
The response? Let’s just say it sparked some laughter and much debate. This month, I’m sitting down with two of the video's three stars to talk about the role of humor in leadership, the line between satire and service, and what inspired each of them to lean into levity.
Whether you loved the video or raised an eyebrow, this conversation offers a thoughtful — and yes, humorous — peek behind the scenes of civic life.
Clark: As elected officials, you’re not exactly known for hopping into sketch comedy bits — so what inspired you to pursue filming a comedic reel inside Council chambers? Was it a hard decision, or did it feel like a natural extension of how you already engage with the community? And now that the video’s out in the wild, how did you feel about the response, from the chuckles to the critiques?
Hess: Our jobs as Council members often require navigating serious, emotionally charged issues — housing and food insecurity, mental health, addiction, public safety and, of course, disaster recovery. These are difficult topics, and while I treat them with the gravity they deserve, I also know the power of a
smile, a well-placed joke, laughter and connection.
I’ve always found relief in music, comedy, the outdoors and exercise. And bonus points: I’m a big fan of Cayla Clark and Blind Date AVL. When I’m feeling down or having a rough day, I’ll watch her content and literally laugh out loud — and that shift in energy, those neurochemicals that come from smiling, help me reorient and reset. So I jumped at the opportunity to do something playful and poke fun at ourselves.
Asheville has been through a lot: natural disasters, COVID, economic uncertainty. And while I do not typically read the comments section, the real-life feedback I’ve received has
been positive — people stopping me to say, “Thanks for being real,” or “Thanks for making us laugh.”
Sure, there will always be critics — but the video wasn’t for them. It was for the folks trying to live, work, love and laugh in Asheville every day. I’m also grateful to my Council colleagues for jumping in, too. We need more leaders willing to meet people where they are — even in their favorite comedy reels.
Turner: I also love Cayla’s work! Humor can be a great equalizer. Asheville is such a special city, and we’re going through so many challenges right now. It’s good to come up for air and laugh a little. Personally, I heard from a lot of
folks who appreciated the content. Some were upset that we spent any amount of time (an hour) on something other than recovery needs. I get that. But also, we’re human. We need some laughter and lightness to get us through this. [For the video] I wanted to (pretend) set myself on fire to “sage the room,” but Maggie was worried about burning down city hall (eye roll, wink).
Do you see humor as a useful tool in local government or community engagement? If so, how?
Hess: Absolutely. As a licensed therapist, I’ve used humor as a bridge in my clinical work, including with individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts, psychosis or trauma. Sometimes, a well-placed moment of levity can reorient someone who’s spiraling. It helps us break the tension, get grounded and return to the task at hand with renewed perspective. In government it’s no different. The work is serious, but we cannot lose our humanity in it. Humor helps create access. It lowers barriers. It helps people feel like their leaders are reachable — not just officials in a building but neighbors. I don’t believe public servants should wall themselves off in formality. We are here to serve, and sometimes service looks like listening; other times, it looks like laughing with your community to remind them we’re all in this together.
Turner: I try to find or infuse a little humor in everything. Humor can draw attention to serious issues in a lighthearted, approachable way. It helps people stay engaged, lowers defenses and makes complex or frustrating topics feel a little more human. My joke [in the video] about Asheville’s housing crisis and “being one city, easily divisible” might get a laugh, but it also speaks to the very real fractures we’re seeing in our community right now.
Sometimes, humor is the only way to talk about hard things without losing people — or losing your mind. It creates space for honesty, connection and sometimes even action. And if I’m being totally honest, I’ve been wanting to sage Council chambers for years! Maybe that’s my way of keeping the energy light, but I think there’s value in not taking ourselves too seriously.
Public service should be accountable and transparent, yes — but it can also be relatable, joyful and even a little weird. That’s how people know we’re human, too.
In your view, what role should levity play in leadership, especially when dealing with serious or stressful civic issues?
Hess: Levity is not a distraction. I think it’s a survival skill, especially in leadership.
Being in local government means learning something new — and often painful — every single day. We confront problems with no easy answers. But if we don’t have a way to release tension, process it all and stay connected to joy, we risk burnout or bitterness.
I’ve found that lighthearted moments — especially with colleagues — can actually enhance negotiation and collaboration. Humor brings people closer, helps keep the conversation going and shows that disagreement doesn’t have to mean division.
That said, there’s a time and place. When it’s time to focus, I’m focused. When it’s time to fight for funding for our firefighters or protect mental health services, I’m locked in. But in between those moments, we have to breathe. We have to laugh. Because if you lose your sense of humor in this work, you risk losing your sense
of hope; and I’m not willing to give that up.
Turner: Please don’t mistake our candor for a lack of concern. I carry the weight and seriousness of our issues every day — sometimes wearily, always intentionally. And I see the enormity of the weight my colleagues at city hall carry, too. It is a difficult time to be a leader, just like it’s a difficult time to be a resident, a maker, a worker, a parent or a business owner. The pressures are real and relentless.
I was first elected in 2020, in the thick of COVID, when the world was unraveling in ways we’re still trying to make sense of. Since then, it’s felt like we’ve been walking uphill in the rain without a map and with people shouting directions from every angle. It’s exhausting work. It’s sacred work. And if we’re going to do it with any staying power, we have to make space for levity.
For me, a little laughter, a little music and a little dancing along the way isn’t frivolous — it’s survival. Levity is a pressure release valve. It’s a reminder that we’re human and that joy still has a place, even in the mess. Especially in the mess. Because when we forget to laugh, we forget what we’re fighting for. X
BY ASHLEY ENGLISH
Hot weather and cucumbers are meant for each other. Composed nearly entirely of water (at 96%, they contain the highest water volume of any single food), this versatile crop helps cool us down when the heat is on, replenishing fluids lost through sweat.
Whether eaten fresh, turned into cooling juices or refreshing soups (blitz it in the food processor or blender with yogurt and fresh dill and mint, and prepare to be amazed), or transformed into preserved goods and stored away for later use, cucumbers present countless possibilities for delicious consumption.
North Carolina has the distinction of being the third-largest cucumber-producing state in the nation. Thank goodness for that! For me, it simply isn’t summer until cukes are making a nearly daily appearance on my plate.
Don’t even try to tell me that a cucumber cut into spears, sprinkled with a bit of sea salt, served alongside some hard cheese chunks and maybe a fresh tomato slice or two doesn’t make for a fine midsummer snack.
Right alongside enjoying them fresh, from June straight through to September you’ll find me at my stovetop, rendering cucumbers into a medley of preserves, sweet pickle relish chief among them.
Though I use it year-round, the side dishes and savory foods of summer particularly highlight the preserve’s flavor. Tucked into pasta or potato salad, added to pimento cheese dip or deviled egg filling, adorning a hot
dog or incorporated into Russian dressing or tartar sauce, sweet pickle relish is a summer foods workhorse. Whether plucked straight from the vine in your own backyard or scooped up at the many farmers markets scattered across Western North Carolina, cucumbers are available and ready to enhance your summer.
Makes: About six half-pint jars. You will need:
• Four medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
• Two or three large sweet onions, diced (about 2 ½ cups)
• Two medium green bell peppers, diced (about 1 cup)
• Two medium red bell peppers, diced (about 1 cup)
• ¼ cup pickling or kosher salt
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 ½ cups cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
• 1 ½ tablespoons celery seed
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
To prepare:
1. Place the cucumbers, sweet onions, green and red peppers, and salt in a large nonreactive bowl. Toss to combine, cover loosely with a kitchen cloth and let stand in a cool area for at least four hours or overnight.
2. Drain the vegetables in a colander. Rinse several times, pressing the vegetables with the back of a wooden spoon to remove all liquid and salty residue. Set aside.
3. In a medium stainless-steel saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard seed, celery seed and turmeric. Add the drained vegetables, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. While the relish cooks, place your canning jars into a canner or stock pot, either by putting them into the canning rack and lowering the rack down, or by simply placing the jars onto a metal cake cooling rack or silicone trivet at the bottom of the pot.
5. Fill the pot and jars with enough water to fill the jars, plus 2-3 inches above them. Cover the pot and set over high heat.
SAVING THE DAY: Fresh, local cucumbers, onions, bell peppers and a few other ingredients come together easily to make a sweet relish perfect for canning. Photo by Glenn English
6. Using a jar lifter, remove the hot jars from the canner and place on top of a kitchen cloth on the counter, emptying most of the water inside the jars back into the pot.
7. Using a canning funnel, ladle the relish into the jars, reserving ½-inch headspace. Use a nonmetallic spatula or wooden chopstick to remove any trapped air bubbles, and wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth. Place on the lids and screw bands, tightening only until fingertip-tight.
8. Again using a jar lifter, slowly place the filled jars in the canner. Be sure that the jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, then process for 10 minutes, starting the timer once the water is at a full, rolling boil. Adjust for altitude as necessary.
9. Carefully remove the jars from the canner, using either the canning rack handles or a jar lifter. Set the hot jars onto a dry kitchen cloth. Listen and watch for jars to seal, remove the screw bands and dry and store them, then leave the jars to cool on the kitchen counter until fully at room temperature. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth once fully cooled.
10. Label and date the jars, then store in a cool, dry area, such as a pantry or cabinet. Consume, ideally, within one year. X
BY CHRISTOPHER ARBOR
On Jan. 1, Christopher Arbor and his friends pledged to visit one Asheville brewery each week for all of 2025 in the order that they opened, then share the experience with Mountain Xpress readers. To read about their recent visit to Archetype Brewing, visit avl.mx/ewa.
When we arrived at Eluvium Brewing Co., the first thing I noticed was the name. Eluvium. What did it mean?
I’d driven in with two of the Ph.D.s in our group: Bill Kwochka, professor of chemistry at Western Carolina University; and Burke Rogers, history faculty member at Asheville School. Neither knew what the word meant. It wasn’t an element. Nor a historical epoch. It was Greek to us. And to you. And to the Greeks.
It’s a Greek word, Google informed me as we waited in a short line for beer. It’s a geological term referring to heavy metals, like gold, that remain after lighter substances, like soil, have been washed away.
I read aloud from the brewery website to our gathering group: “It symbolizes something rare and valuable left behind after time and effort.”
“That’s beautiful,” said Bill, a surprisingly romantic soul for a scientist. “It belongs in a poem.”
“Yes, an epic poem,” Burke said, always leaning toward the classics. “Like The Odyssey. But it would be hard to rhyme with 'eluvium.'”
Hard to rhyme with eluvium? Folks, I raised my daughters on local hip-hop legend Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. Let’s do this:
Last Wednesday, we headed to Eluvium.
I’d been feeling kinda blue, a shade of cerulean.
My friends are so old, they’re antediluvian.
But they’re well-rounded squares, like the man Vitruvian.*
We walked into the space, just big enough to shake our booty in,
And I ordered them some ales that were fairly new to them.
Drank a hazy IPA or two — nice brews — and then ate a buffalo wrap with fries, cut julienne.
Soon I was laughing like I’d heard a groovy pun.
Then it was time to roll credits just like the movie’s done,
sappy but happy to be right back at it, and in sum:
That’s what it was like when we went to Eluvium.
(*This is the best line I’ve ever written. The Vitruvian Man is the famous DaVinci drawing of a man inside both a square and circle.)
Our crew continued to drift in like Odysseus’ men washing up on the island of Ogygia, and the bartender was our own personal Calypso, serving some mighty fine beverages.
The conversation turned, as it sometimes does, to artificial intelligence. Several of us are teachers, and the sudden arrival of ChatGPT a couple of years ago blindsided us. How should we respond to technol-
ogy that can write reasonable papers in an instant?
We didn’t come to any conclusions, but we agreed that we’d all rather be here among real, live people than at home with the most sophisticated AI in the world. Moreover, we’d rather write our own poetry.
Cheers to our odd odysseys. May the storms wash away our troubles and leave us with solid gold.
Come join us on another adventure. We gather at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays. You can email me at yearinbeerasheville@ gmail.com or just show up.
• June 25: Noble Cider on New Leicester Highway
• July 2: Turgua Brewing in Fairview X
BY THOMAS CALDER
tcalder@mountainx.com
From indie rock to hip-hop, Xpress’ “The Playlist” has covered its fair share of genres. For our latest, we continue to expand the feature’s embrace of diverse musical forms, speaking with Darko Butorac, the music director of the Asheville Symphony.
Our June playlist theme is “In Bloom.” And Butorac did not disappoint with his selections. You can download the latest playlist on Spotify at avl.mx/ew2. And you can read Xpress’ email exchange with Butorac below.
Xpress: Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1 in D Major" is a fantastic opening track — from its quiet, pensive intro to the eventual rise of a triumphant horn section to the almost playful closing as the violin and drums chase after each other before reuniting for the final notes. Could you speak to the appeal of this song in terms of The Playlist’s “In bloom” theme.
Butorac: I chose the Mahler because the piece is directly related to being in nature and the experiences that come from being in nature.
MANTRA: “Listen to each track with an open mind,” Darko Butorac recommends for his playlist. “I find myself being reminded of this mantra at concerts all the time."
by Dario Acosta; design by Caleb Johnson
This is a big work, and this first movement is huge: over 15 minutes of music. The main musical idea comes about three minutes in, played by the
Download the playlist on Spotify at avl.mx/ew2.
Symphony No. 1 in D Major by Gustav Mahler
The 4 Seasons: Violin Concerto in E Major, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269, ‘La Primavera’ (Spring): I. Allergro by Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca
The Rite of Spring: Part Two: The Sarifice: Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One) by Igor Stravinsky
Si, Mi Chiamano Mimì – La Boheme Atto I by Renata Tebaldi
Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 ‘Pastorale’ by Ludwig van Beethoven
Voice of Spring, Op. 410 by Johann Strauss II
cellos. The iconic melody comes from Mahler’s own song “Ging heut Morgen über's Feld” (which translates to “I walked across the field this morning”).
Primavera portena by Gidon Kremer
The Nutcracker, Op. 21, Act 2: No. 13, Waltz of the Flowers by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Carmen, WC 31, Act II: La fleur que tu m’avais jetée by Gerges Bizet
3 Gymnopédies: No. 1, Lent et douloureux by Erik Satie
D’un matin de printemps by Lili Boulanger
Sakura by Toshio Hosokawa
Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prélude by Johann Sebastian Bach
Rainbow Body by Christopher Theofanidis
The music beautifully evokes the idea of entering the world of nature; you can hear the birds and smell the flowers in this music.
What makes the piece even more special is how we get to this moment. Mahler is starting out his first-ever symphony. He wants to showcase all the tricks up his sleeve. So the introduction begins on a surprising sonority, just one note — a unison A. The music goes nowhere, it is completely static. We hear a fanfare in the distance, a cry from the oboe, a certain darkness as it implies a minor key. A strange, devilish bass line emerges until a cuckoolike call (played by the clarinet) seems to say — “It's all cool, here comes a sunny D-major tune as we leave our fear behind and step out into nature.”
This is the surface level. We know from reading about Mahler that there is an intention to depict nature rising from sleep, a shift from the dead of winter (cold stark opening) to spring (warm D-major arrival by the cellos, birdcalls and all).
But for me personally, there is also a dimension of leaving one’s fear behind and facing life. If you listen to the whole symphony, you can weave a very epic and deeply personal line about existence and itself; a self-contained universe of sound, if you will. Winter to spring, death to life, darkness to enlightenment.
And when I heard “In Bloom,” this was absolutely the first association that came to mind.
Is there another track on this list that attempts to tackle the enormity of Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1 in D Major”? If so, in what ways do the two selections echo each other and in what ways are they coming at it from an entirely different approach?
I think the only monumental equivalent would be “The Rite of Spring.” This is a work that flipped the idea of what music and the experience of ballet set to music is. Think of every aspect of the experience — melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, storyline, choreography, lighting, costumes. Stravinsky (along with Nijinsky an Roerich) flipped EVERY single expectation of that experience.
The story is the same as Mahler’s — movement from winter to spring — but instead of using a language the audience was familiar with, it created
an entirely new one. Instead of a dance in three, you get dances in mixed meters where the repetition is irregular. The melodies are angular and jagged, and the rhythms are chosen on the basis of the actual pitch distances. (This technique evolves into serialism later in the century.) The costumes are from rough wool instead of lace; the story is of a virgin sacrifice in pagan Russia instead of a hero's journey. It is raw, violent, with extreme potential, much like the repressed rage across Europe in 1913 that saw it explode into two world wars. And it’s based on the same idea as Mahler — winter into spring, death into life (in this case through sacrifice and death).
Throughout my listening experience, I couldn’t help but think that there is so much happening in these works and a lot of it is probably flying right over my head in terms of technique, intention and backstory. For listeners who do not regularly listen to symphony music but are curious, how would you recommend they enter into this playlist?
My suggestion would be listen to each track with an open mind. I find myself being reminded of this mantra
at concerts all the time. There is a temptation to immediately evaluate and compare. Is this music I like? Is this good? Is it better or worse than my expectations?
Listening to these longer tracks requires a blind-faith experience. What is the upside? To find something that can hit me deeply, that can truly resonate, to discover something new I didn't know I would like. What is the downside? Fifteen minutes lost? That is a literal blink of mindless online scrolling — speaking from personal experience.
So as you first listen, don't judge. See where the sounds take you. With some pieces the appeal is immediate: There is a groove to lock onto, the tunes are compelling, the orchestration sounds cool. Some take more time and maybe more than one listen.
Some might require time. I didn't appreciate Brahms and Mozart when I was in my 20s, and I found opera to be weird. Now, with a few more birthday candles in the rearview mirror, I love it.
And then if you feel compelled to deep-dive, listen again and pay particular attention to change in mood and character; feel your way around the dramatic corners of the music. Try and notice when things repeat, and how you feel when you hear them return.
What was your introduction to conducting, and when did you know this was your life’s work?
My first experience with raising a baton took place when I was 17, with my high school orchestra (a remarkable orchestra program at Garfield High School in Seattle). Almost immediately, it felt like a calling: This is what you were meant to do. And so, I pursued it. Instead of doing an engineering degree at Duke or Dartmouth, I pivoted in the spring of my senior year and moved to Toronto to study cello performance. I never looked back. I still love math and the sciences, but music is definitely my life.
Your work at the Asheville Symphony tries to blend genres in unique ways and make the symphony more accessible. Could you speak to this mission?
I love the quote by Duke Ellington, which I'm paraphrasing here: “There is good music, and the other kind.” I find joy and beauty in the classics and in new stuff. I find it in almost any ’80s pop or Balkan brass bands.
One of my favorite projects is our ALT ASO series. We create concerts in unexpected places where good
music from unexpected styles brings people together like an epic house party with a 25-piece orchestra. Sets are 25 minutes, and there are two intermissions to socialize and get drinks. Musicians mingle with the audience. Making those happen is just as fun as putting together a big Tchaikovsky symphony.
And how do you go about measuring the success of these programs in terms of outreach and accessibility?
I would ask: Are you connecting with people? When I see that we have 10,000 people gather in Pack Square for Symphony in the Park, I know we are doing something right. That has always been my mission as a musician, we have to move people with our performances. What's the point if you can't connect with someone emotionally?
So, you make great programs, you foster a culture of listening, you speak to people with passion and honesty, you perform with your soul bare to everyone — you connect.
And then you hear the magic behind the notes begin to sparkle.
Editor's note: An extended version of this conversation will be available online. X
by Gina Smith
Passes are on sale for the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s (ASAP) 2025 Farm Tour, scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 20-21. Car passes are $35 in advance and include visits to all farms on the tour for all vehicle passengers for both days, noon-5 p.m. Participating farms will be announced later this summer. Passes bought the day of the event are $45. Learn more about ASAP farms in its latest Local Food Guide, released this month. Pick up the guide at area farmers markets, libraries and businesses or at the ASAP office, 306 W. Haywood St., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. For the digital guide, visit avl.mx/ew8. Buy Farm Tour passes at avl.mx/bt9. X
This month, Spicewalla, the spice company founded by award-winning Asheville chef Meherwan Irani, introduced Made With Love in Asheville, a limited-edition 10-pack of spice blends created in collaboration with local makers, chefs and businesses to support Tropical Storm Helene recovery efforts. Spice blends were created with chefs Ashleigh Shanti, Katie Button and William Dissen, plus Biltmore Estate, Burial Beer Co., Chai Pani, Chop Shop Butchery, Hickory Nut Gap Farms, High Five Coffee and Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn. Cost is $79.99. A portion of sales goes to MANNA FoodBank, Homeward Bound and Blue Ridge Public Radio. Each collection comes with a downloadable cookbook of recipes for using the spice blends. The collection is available at Spicewalla, 1 Page Ave., and online at avl.mx/ew4. X
Haw Creek craft beer bar The Whale Outpost will celebrate its birthday with the Haw Yeah! Third Anniversary Block Party 2-8 p.m. Saturday, June 28. The free event will feature live music from Danny Knowles, Dirty Dead and Nicolopoulous Funk Apocalypse, plus tunes from DJ Chris Felinki, according to a press release. Beer offerings will include an anniversary French pilsner, It’s Not a Fluke, brewed by Burning Blush Brewery and The Bier Garden. Food will be available from Creekside Taphouse, Lingle Brothers Hot Dogs and other vendors. A portion of proceeds will benefit nonprofit Wine to Water. The organization will host a water station at the party demonstrating the filtration system it used for Haw Creek residents in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. For more details, visit avl.mx/ew7. X
On June 18, Foothills Local Meats launched Foothills Watershed, an Old Fort riverside hangout spot and bike park with a Latin-inspired food concept from Foothills culinary director Eric Morris and chef Luis Martinez of Taqueria Rosita and Tequio Foods. The 117-acre property features bike trails and pump tracks for all skill levels and a yard with access to the Catawba River. Foothills Watershed currently serves CBD and THC drinks and nonalcoholic beverages, but guests ages 21 and older can bring their own alcohol (no glass allowed). An in-house brewery is in the works, according to the website. Foothills Watershed is at 655 Catawba River Road, Old Fort. Learn more at avl.mx/ew9. X
At the James Beard Foundation Media Awards, held in Chicago on June 14, Asheville chef Ashleigh Shanti won an award in the U.S. Foodways category for her book, Our South: Black Food Through My Lens. Shanti is the owner of South Slope restaurant Good Hot Fish. Our South, her debut cookbook, was released in October.
In the James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards, held June 16 in Chicago, local chefs Silver Iocovozzi of Neng Jr.’s and April Franqueza of The Dining Room at High Hampton in Cashiers were finalists in the Best Chef: Southeast and Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker categories, respectively. Our South is available at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café and online at avl.mx/ew5. X
Co.
BY GINA SMITH
gsmith@mountainx.com
The restaurant industry is notoriously tough, and many new businesses struggle to survive past their first and second year. So, Dave’s 209 marks a major milestone this month as it celebrates its first decade of service in the rural Madison County community of Spring Creek.
The restaurant will host an anniversary party for the community on Saturday, July 28.
Located on N.C. Highway 209, a twisting, mountainous route known as “The Rattler,” Dave’s 209 is a casual, American-style restaurant serving burgers and milkshakes to community members as well as motorcyclists and other travelers exploring the scenic drive. The restaurant has seen a lot of change since it opened in 2015, according to owner Dave Thomas.
“It certainly has been a roller coaster,” he says. “We launched a food truck and planned a second location, then COVID hit.” Rising costs from inflation, labor and supply shortages and the challenges of Tropical Storm Helene followed, testing the restaurant’s buoyancy.
“We have come back every time, mostly because of the support of our community and guests,” Thomas continues. “They have shown up in force to help us get back on our feet, which has been humbling and amazing.”
The restaurant is on high ground inside the 100-year-old Spring Creek School building, so it escaped flooding during Helene. Despite losing power for several days and having to throw out a lot of food, the business reopened just four or five days after the storm.
“We were blessed, and our community started supporting us quickly to help us get back up,” says Thomas. “We were told we were the first restaurant that reopened, and it felt good to be of service.”
Though Dave’s 209 is a popular stop for Max Patch hikers, motorcycle riders and car club enthusiasts during the summer and fall, the support of the surrounding tight-knit community allows the restaurant to stay open through the winter as well, Thomas adds.
The eatery shares the historic stone building with the Spring Creek Community Center, and Thomas has worked to decorate the space with old
ROADSIDE ATTRACTION: Dave’s 209 is a popular stop for motorcyclists and drivers touring N.C. Highway 209, aka The Rattler. But owner Dave Thomas, pictured, says locals in the rural community are the heart of the business. Photo courtesy of Thomas
photos of local families and yearbook pictures from the Spring Creek School.
“It’s brought life back into a building that symbolically is very important to the community,” he says. “We have a lot of visitors that will spend a lot of time [looking at the photos]. We also have a lot of families that bring other family members to see their ancestors.”
Thomas has worked in restaurants for 30 years, but Dave’s 209 is his first ownership venture. Looking ahead, he’s not sure what the next decade will bring. “We’re just trying to be as flexible as we can be and be creative,” he says.
Dave’s 209 was closed on the official anniversary date, June 23, so Thomas could celebrate with his staff. On Saturday, June 28, the restaurant will be open and serving its regular menu 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. From noon-3 p.m., guests can gather outside to celebrate the anniversary with live music from Christina Chandler and FunSize plus vendors, a kids activity area, face painting, ice cream and raffles.
“We may have a couple of surprises that we're going to do for the community as well,” says Thomas. “I’m hoping this will be a lot of fun for the community. That’s what this is all about.”
For more information, visit Dave’s 209 on Facebook at avl.mx/evz. X
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Hawaiian word *pō* refers to a primal darkness from which all life flows. It's not a fearsome void, but a fertile mystery, rich with future possibilities and the ancestors’ hopes. In the coming weeks, I invite you to treat your inner life as *pō*. Be as calm and patient and watchful as an Aries can be as you monitor the inklings that rise up out of the deep shadows. Have faith that the cloudy uncertainty will ultimately evolve into clarity, revealing the precise directions you need.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the 17th century, the Taurus polymath Athanasius Kircher constructed a fantastical machine called the Aeolian harp. It wasn’t designed to be played by human fingers, but by the wind. It conjured music with currents invisible to the eye. I nominate this sublime contraption as your power object for the coming weeks, Taurus. The most beautiful and healing melodies may come from positioning yourself so that inspiration can blow through. How might you attune yourself to the arrival of unexpected help and gifts? Set aside any tendency you might have to try too hard. Instead, allow life to sing through you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The painter Vincent van Gogh wrote, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” That’s good advice for you right now. Your ambitions may feel daunting if you imagine them as monumental and monolithic. But if you simply focus on what needs to be done next—the daily efforts, the incremental improvements—you will be as relaxed as you need to be to accomplish wonders. Remember that masterpieces are rarely completed in a jiffy. The cumulative power of steady work is potentially your superpower. Here’s another crucial tip: Use your imagination to have fun as you attend to the details.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Welcome to a special edition of “What's My Strongest Yearning?” I'm your host, Rob Brezsny, and I'm delighted you have decided to identify the single desire that motivates you more than any other. Yes, you have many wishes and hopes and dreams, but one is more crucial than all the rest! Right? To begin the exercise, take three deep breaths and allow every knot of tension to dissolve and exit your beautiful body. Then drop down into the primal depths of your miraculous soul and wander around until you detect the shimmering presence of the beloved reason you came here to this planet. Immerse yourself in this glory for as long as you need to. Exult in its mysterious power to give meaning to everything you do. Ask it to nurture you, console you, and inspire you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In certain medieval maps, unexplored territories were marked with the Latin phrase *hic sunt dracones*—“here be dragons.” It was a warning and a dare, a declaration that no one knew what lay beyond. In the coming weeks, Leo, you may find yourself traveling into one of those unlabeled regions. Rather than flinching or dodging, I invite you to press forward with respectful curiosity. Some of the so-called dragons will be figments. Others are protectors of treasure and might be receptive to sharing with a bright light like you. Either way, productive adventures are awaiting you in that unmapped territory. Go carefully—but go.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In traditional Japanese carpentry, joints are made so skillfully that they need no nails, screws, or adhesives. Carpenters use intricate joinery techniques to connect pieces of wood so tightly that the structures are strong and durable. They often require a mallet for assembly and disassembly. In metaphorical terms, you are capable of that kind of craftsmanship these days, Virgo. I hope you will take advantage of this by building lasting beauty and truth that will serve you well into the future. Don’t rush the joinery. If it’s not working, don’t force it. Re-cut, re-measure, breathe deeply, and try again.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here's one of my unruly rules about human competence: In every professional field, from physicians to lawyers to psychics to teachers, about 15 percent of all the practitioners are downright mediocre, even deficient. Seventy-five percent are at least satisfactory and sometimes good. And 10 percent of the total are surpassingly excellent, providing an extraordinary service. With this in mind, I’m happy to say that you now have a knack for gravitating toward that exceptional 10 percent in every domain you are drawn to. I predict that your intuition will consistently guide you toward premium sources.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Japanese concept of *shinrin-yoku* means “forest bathing.” It invites people to immerse themselves in the natural world, drawing on its restorative power. In accordance with astrological portents, I urge you Scorpios to maximize your forest bathing. To amplify the enrichment further, gravitate toward other environments that nourish your soul’s need for solace and uplift. The naked fact is that you need places and influences that offer you comfort, safety, and tender inspiration. Don’t apologize for making your life a bit less heroic as you tend to your inner world with gentle reverence.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The *camera obscura* was a precursor to modern cameras. It projected the outside world upside down onto interior walls. Artists loved it because it helped them see reality from new angles. I hereby proclaim that you, Sagittarius, will be like both the artist and the *camera obscura* lens in the coming weeks. Your perceptions may feel inverted, strange, even disorienting, but that’s a gift! So let unfamiliarity be your muse. Flip your assumptions. Sketch from shadow instead of light. Have faith that the truth isn’t vanishing or hiding; it’s simply appearing in unfamiliar guises. Don’t rush to turn right-side-up things. Relish and learn from the tilt.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I’m sure you enjoy gazing into some mirrors more than others. It’s amazing how different you might look in your bathroom mirror and the mirror in the restroom at work. Some store windows may reflect an elegant, attractive version of you, while others distort your image. A similar principle is at work in the people with whom you associate. Some seem to accentuate your finest attributes, while others bring out less flattering aspects. I bring this to your attention, dear Capricorn, because I believe it will be extra important in the coming weeks for you to surround yourself with your favorite mirrors.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Leonardo da Vinci filled thousands of pages with sketches, notes, and experiments. He never finished many of them. He called this compilation his “codex of wonder.” It wasn’t a record of failures. It was an appreciation of his complex process and a way to honor his creative wellspring. Taking a cue from da Vinci’s love of marvelous enigmas, I invite you to be in love with the *unfinished* in the coming weeks. Make inquisitiveness your default position. Reconsider abandoned ideas. Be a steward of fertile fragments. Some of your best work may arise from revisiting composted dreams or incomplete sketches. Here’s your motto: Magic brews in the margins.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the remote Atacama Desert of Chile, certain flowers lie dormant for years, awaiting just the right conditions to burst into blossom in a sudden, riotous explosion of color and vitality. Scientists call it a superbloom. Metaphorically speaking, Pisces, you are on the verge of such a threshold. I’m sure you can already feel the inner ripening as it gathers momentum. Any day now, your full flowering will erupt—softly but dramatically. You won’t need to push. You will simply open. To prepare yourself emotionally, start rehearsing lively shouts of “HALLELUJAH! HOORAY! WHOOPEE!”
by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com
Need more proof that the regional craft community will not be stopped in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene? Starting Wednesday, July 2, Mars Landing Galleries in Mars Hill hosts “Returning to the Ridge: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Exhibition,” the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area’s debut craft exhibit. The event showcases a total of 60 pieces from 33 artists featured on the Blue Ridge Craft Trails, which covers a 25-county footprint across the North Carolina mountains and Qualla Boundary. Pottery, woodworking, fiber art, printmaking, metalworking, jewelry and basketry are among the mediums that will be showcased.
“'The Returning to the Ridge” craft exhibition builds on Western North Carolina’s history as a leading center for craft production and education in the United States,” says curator Anna Fariello in a press release. “The participating craft makers not only created incredibly beautiful objects but also continue to keep alive handmaking traditions.”
Free to attend, the exhibition will be up through Sunday, Sept. 28. To learn more, visit avl.mx/ew3. X
The brainchild of Asheville-based violinist/educator Christian Howes, the Creative Strings Workshop and Festival attracts top bowed-string talent to Black Mountain from late June through early July. While these players hone their skills behind the scenes, the local community will have multiple opportunities to enjoy the fruits of these musicians’ labor via public performances at White Horse Black Mountain.
On Thursday, June 26, at 8 p.m., the Creative Strings Showcase features over 25 musicians (primarily
violin, viola and cello), spotlighting solos and ensembles. Then on Wednesday, July 2, the Creative Strings Orchestra performs the music of Black Mountain resident Michael Jefry Stevens, 6:30-8 p.m., followed by an 8 p.m. screening of the feature-length film Redemption/TIME, which a press release describes as “a compelling multimedia performance that intertwines poetry, music and personal narratives of resilience.” White Horse operates on a “pay what you can” model for all events. To learn more, visit avl.mx/ew1. X
Students in creative writing classes are encouraged to “write what you know,” and Ralph Ellis took that advice to heart. The Waynesville native and former Asheville CitizenTimes reporter describes his novel The Accident Report (published June 19) as “a small-town comedy and a gentle satire of the news business.”
Set in the summer of 1974 in a sleepy North Carolina textile town, the book follows rookie reporter Ronald Truluck as he and a handful of colorful characters investigate the cover-up of a city councilman’s drunken driving incident.
Currently based in Decatur, Ga., Ellis also worked for such smalltown papers as the Thomasville (NC) Times and The Field and Herald in Conway, S.C., before spending two decades as a reporter and editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Semiretired, he now focuses on
fiction and online news. Ellis will sign books on Saturday, July 12, 1-3 p.m., at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. To learn more, visit avl.mx/ew0 X
For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
12 BONES
SMOKEBOUSE & BREWING
Trivia w/King Trivia, 7pm
CAMDEN'S COFFEE
HOUSE
Open Mic Night, 7pm
DOC BROWN'S BBQ
Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY
Songwriters Open Mic w/Miriam & Drayton, 7pm
ELUVIUM BREWERY
The Candleers (country), 5pm
EULOGY
Billy Woods w/Premrock (hip-hop, rap), 8pm
FITZ AND THE WOLFE
Swing Asheville (swing, jazz), 8pm
FOOTHILLS GRANGE
Trivia Night, 6pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Bluegrass Jam Wednesdays, 6:30pm
JACK OF THE WOOD
PUB
Old Time Jam, 5pm
LEVELLER BREWING
CO.
Matt Phillips & Whym (Americana, blues, R&B), 7pm
PULP
Slice Comedy Standup
Pageant Finale, 7:30pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
81 Drifters (jazz, bluegrass, country-folk), 6pm
SLY GROG LOUNGE
Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 7pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Quinn Bee, Paper Pills & Tanner York (folk, alt-rock, pop), 8:45pm
THE GREY EAGLE
Rakish (folk), 8pm
THE JOINT NEXT DOOR
Lefty Carmean & Friends (Americana, folk), 7pm
THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING
CO.
Well-Crafted Music Series w/Jane Kramer (multi-genre), 6pm
THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
Julianna Jade (indiesoul), 10pm
THIRD ROOM
Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY
Open Mic Night, 6pm
URBAN ORCHARD
Wayward Trivia, 6:30pm
WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN
• Irish Session, 5pm
• Melissa McKinney's Bad Ass Blues Jam, 7:30pm
THURSDAY, JUNE 26
12 BONES
SMOKEBOUSE & BREWING
Scott Stetson (bluegrass), 5:30pm
BOTANIST & BARREL
TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP
Comedy Night, 6:30pm
CROW & QUILL
Firecracker Jazz Band (swing, jazz), 8:30pm
EDA RHYNE
DISTILLERY & TASTING ROOM
The Gilded Palace of Metamodern Sounds, 6pm
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY
Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm
EULOGY
This Will Destroy You w/Jesse Beaman, Khandroma & Sleep Number (post-rock), 8pm
FLEETWOOD'S
The Girls, East Ritual & My Gal Monday (punk, rock'n'roll, indie), 9pm
FLOOD GALLERY
True Home Open Mic, 6pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Jerry's Dead Thursdays (Grateful Dead & JGB tribute), 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.
Peggy Ratusz (soul, blues, jazz), 7pm
ONE WORLD
BREWING
Chlo (acoustic), 8pm
ONE WORLD
BREWING WEST
Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
Andrew Thelston Band (rock'n'roll), 6:30pm
SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/Franco Nino, 9pm
SIERRA NEVADA
BREWING CO.
Who’s Bad (Michael Jackson tribute), 6pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA
Stand Up Comedy For Your Health, 8pm
STATIC AGE LOFT
Auto-Tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Paprika, Safety Coffin & Floral Hygienists (rock, alt-pop), 8:45pm
THE GREY EAGLE
• Patio: Anthony Wayne Vibe (Americana, rock), 5:30pm
• Mitchell Ferguson (country, rock), 8pm
THE JOINT NEXT
DOOR
Hope Griffin (folk), 7pm
The Grey Eagle hosts female-fronted folk trio
Three Wheels Turning on Wednesday, July 2, starting at 8 p.m. With one band member from Asheville and two from Washington state, the group incorporates seamless harmonies with acoustic and electric guitar, cello, mandolin and more.
Photo courtesy of James Island
THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING
CO.
Meschiya Lake & the Paradigm Shifters (country), 6pm
THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL
Rich Hornyak (rock, Americana), 9pm
THE ORANGE PEEL
Blondshell w/Daffo (altrock, indie, Brit-pop), 8pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY
Trivia Night, 6:30pm
TWIN WILLOWS The Candleers (country), 6pm
WICKED WEED BREWING Owen Walsh (acoustic), 5pm
FRIDAY, JUNE 27
ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Dustbowl Revival (rock'n'soul, folk, funk), 8pm
CORK & KEG
The Uptown Hillbillies (honky-tonk, country), 8pm
CROW & QUILL
Nick Garrison (jazz), 8:30pm
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Bam-A-Lam (rock'n'roll), 8pm
EULOGY Pink Beds w/Drew Foust & The Wheelhouse (indie-rock, electronic), 7pm
FITZ AND THE WOLFE Pleasure Chest (blues, psych, rock), 7pm
FLEETWOOD'S Henry Cluney, Werewolf Hours & Academy Order (post-punk, goth), 9pm
GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM
Jim Swayzee (folk-rock), 6pm
HEMINGWAY'S CUBA
Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
Stranger Company (funk, jazz, Southern-rock), 9pm MAD CO. BREW
HOUSE Sufferin' Fools (rock'n'roll, Americana, country), 6pm
NEW BELGIUM BREWING CO.
The Spooklights (folk-tronica, bluegrass, electro-roots), 5:30pm
NOBLE CIDER & MEAD TAPROOM AND PRODUCTION
FACILITY
Crisp Comedy w/Josie Beers, 7pm
OKLAWAHA
BREWING CO.
Saddletramp (country), 8pm
ONE WORLD
BREWING
Scott Hall Band (jazz, funk), 8pm
ONE WORLD
BREWING WEST
Deer Creek Sharp Shooters (bluegrass), 8pm
SHILOH & GAINES
Lyric (pop, rock, funk), 9pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA
Jeff Sipe, Asher Hill & Carson Moore (jazz, psych), 8pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Windier, Idle County & Good Trauma (alt folk rock, farm rock), 9pm
THE GREY EAGLE
Patio: Paint Rock (rock'n'roll), 5:30pm
THE JOINT NEXT DOOR
Soul Blue (soul, blues, R&B), 7pm
THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Andrew Thelston Band (rock'n'roll), 7pm
THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
• Matthew James Unplugged (country, rock), 6pm
• Nathan Harris & the Flood (alt-rock, RNB, blues), 10pm
THE ORANGE PEEL
Trial by Fire (Journey tribute), 8pm
THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN
Mr Jimmy (blues), 5pm
THIRD ROOM
Mad Mike Live Presents: A Night at the Beach (multi-genre), 9pm
WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN
Band of the Sky (rock, folk, blues), 8pm
SATURDAY, JUNE 28
27 CLUB
Assimilation: Gabber & Tech Dance Room, 10pm
ASHEVILLE CLUB
Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm
ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
B4Y2K (rock), 9pm
BATTERY PARK BOOK
EXCHANGE
Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5:30pm
CROW & QUILL
Meschiya Lake & Whitney Moore (swing, jazz), 8:30pm
DSSOLVR
GAGGING: A Queer Comedy Showcase, 10pm
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY
Whiskey Charmers & Claire Whall (country), 8pm
EULOGY
Buñuel w/Today is the Day & Cancerslug (alt-indie, noise-rock), 8pm
FITZ AND THE WOLFE
• Cast Iron Bluegrass (country, Appalachian, bluegrass), 7pm
• The Russ Wilson Champagne Trio (jazz), 9pm
FLEETWOOD'S Weekend Friend, Yesterdays Clothes & The Band Solstice (indie, alt-rock), 9pm
FUNKATORIUM
Funk DJ Series w/Mitch Offe, 6pm
HEMINGWAY'S CUBA
Saturday Night Live, 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD
PUB
• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm
• Imogene & the Box Car Band (rock, country, folk), 9pm
OKLAWAHA
BREWING CO.
The Abbey Elmore Band (soul, indie-pop), 8pm
ONE WORLD
BREWING
Ashley Chambliss (pop, Americana), 8pm
ONE WORLD
BREWING WEST
Cloud Circuit (electronica, trip-hop, indie), 8pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
Chalwa (reggae), 4pm
SIERRA NEVADA
BREWING CO.
The Headtones (funk, hip-hop), 2pm
STATIC AGE LOFT
Time Lapse (house), 8pm
THE GREY EAGLE
• Blue Country Line Dance's Giddy-Up Brunch, 11am
• Patio: The Nature Boys (rooted, bluegrass), 3pm
Stephen Kellogg & Pat McGee (rock'n'roll, Americana), 8pm
THE JOINT NEXT DOOR
Laron Huntley & Friends (rock, country), 7pm
THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Pleasure Chest (blues, soul, rock), 6pm
THE ODD Party Foul Drag, 8pm
THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL
• Aaron Woody Wood Trio (Southern-rock, soul, country), 6pm
• Rainy Eyes (Americana, alt-country, 10pm
THIRD ROOM
An-Ten-Nae (dance, electronic, acid-crunk), 8:45pm
WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN
Zoe & Cloyd w/Will Straughan (Appalachian, country, bluegrass), 7:30pm
SUNDAY, JUNE 29
EULOGY
Tumbao (psych, Latin, jazz), 8pm
FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY
Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm
GINGER'S REVENGE
CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM
Sunday Jazz Jam, 2:30pm
HEMINGWAY'S CUBA
Sunset Sunday's w/Para Gozar (Appalachian, Latin), 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
• Bluegrass Brunch w/ The Bluegrass Brunch Boys, 12pm
• Traditional Irish Music Session, 3:30pm
OKLAWAHA
BREWING CO.
Cody Gentry Trio (soul, rock, blues), 3pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
Suns of Stars Sunday Residency (bluegrass), 2pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
Pisgah Sunday Jam, 6:30pm
SIERRA NEVADA
BREWING CO.
Moonshine State (rock, country), 2pm
SLY GROG LOUNGE
• Most Open Mic, 6:30pm
• Open Mic w/Mike Andersen, 6:30pm
STATIC AGE LOFT
Hot Seat Comedy, 8pm
THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Lillie Syracuse Band (retro-pop), 2pm
THE ORANGE PEEL Band Of Horses (alt-indie, rock), 8pm
VOWL Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 7pm
WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN
Ménage & Lazybirds (Americana, blues, jazz), 4pm
MONDAY, JUNE 30
27 CLUB
27 Club Karaoke, 10pm
EULOGY
Cayla Clark: Bout to Burst Comedy Special, 7pm
FLEETWOOD'S Best Ever Karaoke, 9pm
HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Trivia Night w/Two Bald Guys & A Mic, 6pm
ONE WORLD BREWING
Open Mic Downtown, 6:30pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
Mashup Mondays w/ JLloyd, 8pm
STATIC AGE LOFT
The Hot Seat Comedy, 7pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
McKay, Oscar Lindsay, Headringer & Sofia Pace (indie, folk), 8:45pm THE JOINT NEXT DOOR
Mr. Jimmy & Friends (Blues), 7pm
THIRD ROOM
Grateful Mondays w/ Clouds of Delusion (Grateful Dead tribute), 7pm
TUESDAY, JULY 1
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Eda's Bluegrass Jam w/ Alex Bazemore, 6pm
FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY
Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm
LOOKOUT BREWING CO. Team Trivia, 6:30pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
The Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm
SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday w/ DJ Tamagotchi, 10pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA Open Jam, 8pm
THE JOINT NEXT DOOR
The Lads AVL (rock, blues), 6pm
THIRD ROOM Open Decks, 8pm
WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN White Horse's Open Mic, 7pm
WEDNESDAY, JULY 2
12 BONES
SMOKEBOUSE & BREWING Trivia w/King Trivia, 7pm
CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE Open Mic Night, 7pm
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Songwriters Open Mic w/Miriam & Drayton, 7pm
EULOGY
Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol w/Tongues of Fire (rock'n'roll, noiserock), 8pm
FOOTHILLS GRANGE Trivia Night, 6pm
FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Bluegrass Jam Wednesdays, 6:30pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm PULP
Bourbon N Beats w/ Herb Da Wizard (hiphop), 9pm
PISGAH BREWING CO. Tin Cup (folk), 6pm
SLY GROG LOUNGE
Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 7pm
THE GREY EAGLE Three Wheels Turning (folk), 8pm
THE JOINT NEXT
DOOR
Rod Sphere (soul, rock, reggae), 6pm
THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Well-Crafted Music
Series: Amy Ray w/Jim
Brock, Kerry Brooks & Adrian Carter (multigenre), 6pm
THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
The Sun Sippers (rock, reggae, dub), 10pm
THIRD ROOM
Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 6pm
URBAN ORCHARD Wayward Trivia, 6:30pm
THURSDAY, JULY 3
12 BONES SMOKEBOUSE & BREWING
Drayton Aldridge (jazz, swing, rock), 5:30pm
CROW & QUILL
Russ Wilson & The Kings of Jazz, 8pm
EDA RHYNE DISTILLERY & TASTING ROOM
The Gilded Palace of Metamodern Sounds, 6pm
EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm
FITZ AND THE WOLFE
Kate Leigh Bryant (folk), 6pm
FLEETWOOD'S Tiny TVs, All Blissed Out & Petrichor (punk), 9pm FLOOD GALLERY True Home Open Mic, 6pm
FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY
Jerry's Dead Thursdays (Grateful Dead & JGB tribute), 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm
MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Karaoke Night, 6pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.
Beared Bards (blues, rock), 8pm
ONE WORLD BREWING Splatt (country, folk, blues), 8pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
Bridget Gossett Band (folk, rock, blues), 7:30pm
SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/Franco Nino, 9pm
STATIC AGE LOFT Auto-Tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS Zastava, Soured & Motocrossed (rock'n'roll), 8:45pm
THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Vaden Landers (country, blues, Appalachian), 6pm
THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL
Isaac Hadden's Thursday Throwdown (multigenre), 9pm
THIRD ROOM
Tribal-Tronics : An Ancient Journey into the Distant Future (electronic, tribal), 8pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY Trivia Night, 6:30pm
WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN
The Jacktown Ramblers (bluegrass), 8pm
WICKED WEED
BREWING
Andy Ferrell (folk, country, Appalachian), 5pm
Matt Oppenheim, 72, of Asheville, passed away on June 11, at his home in Asheville. Matt was born in Los Angeles, CA.
Matt earned a doctorate in anthropology and dedicated his life to education, both as a teacher and a scholar. His insatiable curiosity and wisdom led him to travel across the United States and around the world, sharing knowledge and learning from others about diverse cultures and their environments. He
was a tireless advocate for sustainability and harmony among humankind, a true champion of a better world.
As an author and educator, Matt inspired many through his work. In his final book, he reflected on the deep influence of his parents and expressed gratitude to the friends who shaped his journey, including Dada Maheshvarananda, Miira Price and others. He also acknowledged the unwavering support of his beloved wife, Kanako. His presence will be profoundly missed, yet his legacy of wisdom and compassion will continue to inspire.
In honor of Matt, take a moment to extend kindness and support to others as we all navigate this journey of life. His spirit lives on in every thoughtful gesture, every act of generosity and every effort to make the world a better place.
Surviving Matt is his spouse, Kanako Oppenheim; sister, Gale Oppenheim; and brother, Dan Oppenheim. X
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If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to advertise@mountainx.com
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SENIOR SALES ASSOCIATE
Work for a local company that has covered the local scene for 30 years! Mountain Xpress newspaper is a supportive, team-oriented environment serving local readers and businesses. We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic advertising sales representative. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present our company with confidence. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, and self motivation. Experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful. The position’s responsibilities include account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent media organization, please send a resume and cover
letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@mountainx.com. This is a noncommissioned position. There is potential for a performance-based annual bonus. Salary: $22 per hour.
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1 Word with chocolate or computer
5 Thompson or Stone of 2021’s “Cruella” 9 Fragment 14 Sci-fi novel with giant sandworms 15 Help for a faltering business
16 Type of hunter-gatherer diet 17 “Smile for the photo, dude!” 19 Able to bend smoothly 20 Fragment 21 Mythological instruments of vengeance
22 Contractor’s pipe material, for short
24 “Work on your enunciation, bro!”
26 Omen
28 Little bit of work
29 “The most beautiful deception of all,” per Debussy 30 Tedious work
31 Much social media humor
33 “That is messed up, girl!”
39 ___ and foremost
40 Origin crossers 42 Marshland
45 Org. whose officers train at Camp Peary
46 Cause to jump, say
49 “Protect the quarterback, buddy!”
52 Pupil’s place
53 Best way to sing
54 What “sostenuto” means in music
56 Cuba ___ (drink)
57 “That’s unbelievable, love!”
60 Diarist Nin
61 Leave out
62 Finger
63 Seems to point to
64 “Damned if ___ …”
65 Put on a schedule DOWN
1 Atlanta-based govt. agency
2 “Come again?”
3 How some funds are held 4 What old paint might do 5 Smallest three-syllable number 6 Tin lizzie 7 Language in which “Kia ora” means “Hello”
8 Director Lee
Goes for the expensive option, say
Sticky, as a situation
“That ___ ring a bell”
One of two on a record
Physicist Enrico
Afterthought’s afterthought: Abbr.
Plug-in Chevy
Geese formations
Cry near quittin’ time
Colorado summer hrs.
Classic cookie cutter shape
Something feigned by Ferris Bueller to get out of school
Shoshone, e.g.
Biblical birthright barterer
Not from within
Depend (on)
