In Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong, city centers will be completely closed to cars, to draw attention to air pollution. Ditto the central streets of Sydney, Australia. And — while Asheville’s streets will still admit vehicles on Earth Day 2000 (Saturday, April 22) — our city’s 30th-anniversary celebration of this day set aside to promote … Read more
Amid all the fanfare of Earth Day 2000, there’ll be earfare aplenty in our downtown square. The entertainment on Saturday, April 22 will be as Earth-themed as our seemingly inexhaustible sources of local talent can provide. Much fun ought to be had by all — as well as the opportunity to hear knowledgeable (and solution-oriented … Read more
Duck Soup — the Marx Brothers’ anarchistic tour de force — isn’t really about ducks. And C.L. Bothwell III’s Gorillas in the Myth: A Duck Soup Reader (Brave Ulysses Books, 2000) isn’t really about gorillas (or, for that matter, soup or ducks) — though, in a vivid sense, this book does embrace all the myriad … Read more
Before I sleep John Cowan’s self-titled CD (Sugar Hill Records, 2000) is a soulful tumult of traditional genres. The musician, who appears Friday and Saturday at this year’s Merlefest, has traveled a mighty long road since 1974, when he first pulled up to Courtney Johnson’s house to audition as bass player for the seminal band … Read more
Before I interviewed Old Crow Medicine Show vocalist/fiddler Ketch “Hawkster” Secor, I was assailed by an interesting rumor. It went something like this: “There’s a lot of posers out there in music land, but these boys sound like the real thing.” And while I pride myself on my ability to spot a phony, I’m not … Read more
When and how does a rough-hewn rock from Georgia’s Chattahoochie River become a purse in the style to which Queen Elizabeth is famously partial? Or tattered oyster shell from the same state’s Tybee Beach metamorphose into an opera mask? Contrary to what you might be thinking, no environmentally friendly, ecologically sound sleight-of-hand is at play … Read more
While city and county officials seem to agree on the importance of retaining local jurisdiction over air matters, the sticking point between Asheville and Buncombe County remains whether the agency should remain an independent, multi government entity, or simply become a part of county government, under the control of County Manager Wanda Greene and the … Read more
In the past year, at least four businesses have chosen not to locate in Buncombe County — for lack of adequate sites. One company needed a 50-acre site, complete with water, sewer and other infrastructure. Another found greener pastures in Henderson County, noted Buncombe County Commissioner David Young at the Board of Commissioners’ regular meeting … Read more
Deadlines are looming, and the Asheville City Council says it won’t wait for political foot-dragging when it comes to matters affecting the public’s health. At their April 11 meeting, Council members voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on the future of the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency in April — with or without participation … Read more
A taxing season Being freshly in the wake of tax time, most of us are in no mood to ponder how much it costs to keep governments at all levels up and running. But consider this: A report by the Center for Local Innovation, a project of The John Locke Foundation (a nonpartisan think tank), … Read more
