Whether you’re a tortoise, a hare, or some more middle-of-the-road sort of critter, The Mountain Sports Festival has a running event for you. Runners young and old, ace and novice, can put their feet to the test in a trail run, a long jaunt through Biltmore Estate, or one of two downtown-Asheville events. Those who … Read more
I have turned over a new leaf, having added speech-recognition software to my bag of tricks. My computer now writes down what I say. The plan here is to spare my carpal tunnels and free my thumbs for twiddling. Theoretically I spend a large amount of time with my hands on a keyboard, a practice … Read more
Who’s home? Ruth Rudisill Where’s home? The Vanderbilt Apartments How long at this abode? 32 years This month’s At Home column takes us to downtown Asheville’s venerable Vanderbilt Apartments to visit with 94-year-old Ruth Rudisill. She’s the building’s oldest resident, though you wouldn’t know it from looking at her. The charming, vital nonagenarian — who … Read more
At first glance, the agenda for the May 21 City Council work session looked like a light snack compared to the usual multi-course menu for such gatherings. Lately, however, everything on Council’s plate has been flavored by the state’s budget crisis; even seemingly innocuous morsels of local legislative action can cause indigestion. In this case, … Read more
A proposal to increase fees for developers and change subdivision regulations to comply with the state fire code failed last week when the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners deadlocked. The road to that stalemate, however, was marked by an odd series of moves that had commissioners opposing the very changes they’d voted for a moment … Read more
[Editor’s note: This article is the first installment in what will become a monthly business section. Each month, we’ll do an in-depth story about a local business or business-related situation. Watch for the next business feature on June 26.] Bad for business We have always tried to be open to everybody and that hasn’t changed. … Read more
The Blue Ridge Area Authority (the local mental-health board) is hosting a public forum on mental-health-care reform on Tuesday, June 11 at 7 p.m. at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (501 Biltmore Ave.) in Asheville. In addition, both a Buncombe County task force and an eight-county advisory committee are being set up to provide … Read more
A resource for runners Tortoise and Hare: Running Outfitters, a new Asheville specialty store located off I-26 in Biltmore Park (exit 6), officially opened last month. Complementing the shop’s extensive inventory (footwear, apparel and accessories) are such items as race information, nutritional supplements and literature. “We represent all forms of runners, from trail to track, … Read more
“He was one of those characters like the Fonz … he was, in essence, cool. He was my inspiration.” — author Daniel Wallace, Nealy’s brother-in-law [Editor’s note: William Nealy was an illustrator turned outdoor-sports cult hero who mapped a host of southeastern rivers, including the French Broad, and recorded one of the first — and … Read more
The following activities and attractions — including workshops and live music — complement the festival’s competitive events, making for a family-style weekend of not-to-be-missed educational opportunities and great entertainment. For more information, visit www.mountainsportsfestival.com. Workshops and clinics For more information on dates, times and locations for workshops and clinics, see Schedule of Events. • North … Read more
