From standing ovations to verbal accolades, Tom Sobol’s last Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting as chairman turned into a virtual love-fest. About 50 people who packed the commissioners’ chambers rose to their feet and erupted into applause as Sobol entered the meeting room on Nov. 21. Sobol lost his bid for reelection on Nov. … Read more
Piece by piece, Asheville on Broadway will bring local attention to a global tragedy. On Dec. 1, the theater group — subtitled Actors, Artists and Activists Against AIDS — presents its second annual World AIDS Day Community Fund Raiser at Diana Wortham Theatre, offering Quilt, a locally-produced musical based on stories behind The Names Project … Read more
Where the worlds of jazz and hip-hop meet, yielding free-flowing improvisation and hard-hitting rhythmic edges — that’s where you’ll find Andy Milne. The Canadian-born pianist has spent the majority of his 33 years perfecting his craft, to the point of being called a likely heir to pianists like Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner. Through his … Read more
If you haven’t already started your Christmas shopping, your lack of enthusiasm might have more to do with distaste for mass merchandising than with the actual task. But salvation looms on Asheville’s grandest street. This weekend, ten regional artists will gather in a charming Montford Victorian home to host the Third Annual Women Artisans’ Holiday … Read more
Polluters, put your checkbooks away: The Air Quality Agency will not take a cash settlement in exchange for dropping a citation. At its Nov. 13 meeting, the agency board unanimously agreed that it will not negotiate pollution violations — although the door will remain open for settlements of penalty amounts. Board attorney Jim Siemens summed … Read more
The Canary Coalition wants clean air in WNC If you’re one of the Western North Carolinians who are growing increasingly frustrated with the quality of air in our region, you’ll be interested to hear about a new grassroots organization called the Canary Coalition. “Our intention is to build a broad-based, mainstream, grassroots movement throughout the … Read more
Along with the new millennium has come a whole new breed of health-care providers. Once more or less equated with topless bars and even prostitution, massage and bodywork therapists have finally escaped the label of “adult entertainment” (and the jurisdiction of the vice squad) to find their proper place among their true peers — physicians, … Read more
Warning to alternative-health-care practitioners and their clients: Medical freedom is still at risk! There’s a widespread misconception afoot that we have “stopped” House Bill 1049 (which, in late June, threatened to make felons out of naturopaths, homeopaths, energy workers and herbalists in North Carolna). It’s true that this bill died because it wasn’t voted on … Read more
A buddy of mine — a decent, hard-working professional — is now in fear of losing his job because he may or may not have helped smoke marijuana at a recent party, after having had one drink too many. It seems his employer is instituting a new “employee outreach” (translation: “employee control”) program at his … Read more
