B-movie fans have come to expect fun things from Kathy and Tommy Hildreth. Comet Video, their Wadesboro, N.C., store, stocks the hardest-to-get B westerns and serials, and for the last five years they’ve brought us glamorous glimpses of a bygone era via their Asheville Film Festival. This year’s event features, live, a bouquet of past … Read more
“Out of tune with my time and with the splintered families around me, I knew when I was small that our worldly home was composed of the sun and the moon, the planets and the Shaws, the four of us holding together with a force that would not fail, would never cease. That knowledge was … Read more
The day this story comes out, a new man will, overnight, have become the face of America. Clinton’s bulbous nose and hedgerow hair will be excised from current events — replaced by Gore’s leaden mug or Bush’s out-of-work-clown grin. Down on Asheville’s riverfront, political expressions are likewise prominent — if less instantly recognizable. Politiclay: Social … Read more
“I’m the Johnny Appleseed of the publishing world,” boasts writer Michael Frederick, coffee steam wreathing his face. We’re huddled in a back booth at Earth Fare, and the vagabond novelist is spinning a compelling tale about smashing through the publishing empire’s imposing brick wall. Gifted wordsmiths whose names ring no bells with Oprah Book Club … Read more
“Pea shoots, baby!” exclaimed gardener Patryk Battle. In a scene reminiscent of Stalking the Wild Asparagus author and eat-almost-anything enthusiast Eull Gibbons, Battle waved the viney snippet of green under the nose of a male guest at the Appalachian Harvests gala, held Oct. 25 at the Grove Park Inn. The event served up a smorgasbord … Read more
By the time you read this, you’ll probably already know who emerged victorious in the much-ballyhooed race for the five seats on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. But in the feverish days before the Nov. 7 election, none of that was known — which could help explain the commissioners’ remarks about the county’s financial … Read more
Seeking a vision for West End/Clingman A charrette is a bit like an election: If you don’t put in your own 2 cents’ worth, you shouldn’t gripe about the outcome. So jump on the cart for the Nov. 10-16 Community Design Workshop and help shape the future of the West End/Clingman Avenue neighborhood (WECAN).”Building a … Read more
The first thing that hit me as I approached Asheville’s paving crew was the sweet aroma of oranges. It was a coolish summer morning in West Asheville, and I’d come prepared to choke on asphalt fumes while I watched the crew in action. Asheville has about 366 miles of streets, and roughly 65 percent of … Read more
How many people will attend? Will the acoustics be adequate? Will there be enough parking? Those are some of the vexing questions that caused Mayor Leni Sitnick to, in her words, “lose sleep over this.” The city’s dilemma was where to hold a potentially volatile Nov. 14 public hearing on the Wal-Mart Supercenter proposed for … Read more
Commissioners made best decision regarding FFA contract On behalf of the Find-A-Pet Society (formerly, Humane Society of Buncombe County) Board of Directors, I would like to offer another view to the recent article, “Commissioners lie, animals die” [Commentary, Oct. 4]. The opinions expressed by Ms. David do not present the entire picture, nor [do they] … Read more
