Spring cleaning began a little early this year as the Asheville City Council took the time — quite a bit of it — to discuss potential changes to existing city ordinances. Challenging the usefulness of some procedures, whether obsolete signage rules or mandatory Council review of proposed private development projects, no holds were barred in … Read more
The Pack Square Conservancy’s plan for a major reconfiguration of Pack Square and City/County Plaza got a big boost at the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners’ Feb. 15 formal meeting. courtesy of Pack Square Conservancy Architect’s rendering of Pack Square renovation; from Biltmore Avenue on left to County Courthouse and City Hall on right Conservancy … Read more
Haitian orphanage gets local help When Len Erker visited Haiti last year to hold the baby that he and his wife, Nancy Fargo, were planning to adopt, it was clear that the Timothy House orphanage was completely overwhelmed by the number of children needing help. But he soon learned that things were even worse than … Read more
Racism is racism, no matter when This is in response to Michael Arrowood’s letter on Zeb Vance [“Zeb Vance: Indeed No Simple Man,” Feb. 9]. To propose the notion that Zeb Vance was not a racist because the dehumanization, enslavement and denial of rights to black people was the norm of his time is a … Read more
A guy is walking down the beach, and he trips over an old-fashioned oil lamp half-buried in the sand. He picks it up and, having heard all the old stories, he can’t resist giving it a rub. Sure enough, out pops a genie who, in gratitude for having been released from the lamp, grants him … Read more
