Lee Farnsworth Age: 53Residence: West BuncombeOccupation: Operations director, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department (until 6-1-06)Education: UNCA (3 years); School of Police Executive Management, UNC-Chapel Hill (1992); more than 2,500 hours of law-enforcement trainingParty: DemocratPolitical experience: Buncombe County law-enforcement officer for 29 years (20 in management). First bid for political office. 1. Should the Sheriff’s Department be … Read more
Michael Morgan Age: 52Residence: SwannanoaOccupation: Construction/remodelingEducation: B.A. mass communication, UNCA; blueprint reading, instrument-flying (for private pilot’s license), EMT training, residential house wiring, A-B TechParty: lifelong DemocratPolitical experience: Ten years of community and political activism/leadership with an emphasis on environmental, economic and humanitarian issues. Deeply involved with voting rights/verification issues; member of numerous political, environmental and … Read more
R.L. Clark Age: 75Residence: AshevilleOccupation: small business owner/operatorEducation: B.S. business administration, M.Ed., WCUParty: RepublicanPolitical experience: N.C. Senate 1995-96, ’97-98 1. Do you support allowing individual municipalities to enact their own campaign-finance reform ordinances? Yes. 2. Do you believe the state’s ethics law for legislators is adequate? If not, how would you change it? Yes. Additional … Read more
Rick Cummings Age: 56 Where lives: ArdenOccupation: Business ownerEducation: (left blank)Party: DemocratPolitical experience: Served on the Committee to Elect Shirley Brown District Court Judge (1998 and 2002) 1) Should the Sheriff’s Department be more transparent? If so, what steps would you take to achieve this? Always room for improvement. Should be accountable to the public … Read more
Van Duncan Age: 41Residence: Erwin DistrictOccupation: Instructor/coordinator, Management Supervision Section, N.C. Justice AcademyEducation: B.S. criminal justice, WCU; Administrative Officers Management Program, N.C. StateParty: DemocratPolitical experience: First run for political office 1. Should the Sheriff’s Department be more transparent? If so, what steps would you take to achieve this? Yes. Transparency is essential in obtaining and … Read more
Walt Robertson Age: 55Residence: South BuncombeOccupation: Commander of Asheville Housing Authority’s Crime and Safety Team; retired from Asheville Police Department after 31.5 yearsEducation: B.A. criminal justice, Shaw University; FBI National Academy; N.C. Justice Academy; criminal-justice education, University of VirginiaParty: DemocratPolitical experience: None 1) Should the Sheriff’s Department be more transparent? If so, what steps would … Read more
Send letters to: Letters to the Editor, Mountain Xpress, P.O. Box 144, Asheville, NC 28802, or by e-mail to letters@mountainx.com. (Include name, address and phone number.) I’m rooting for the Root Bar Hunter Pope’s review of Songwriters in the Round (“Earful,” April 4) struck a chord with me — a sour one. His down-the-nose commentary … Read more
“And then they came for me.” Or, more specifically, “Then they came for my land.” That’s the way I look at the various assaults on our public lands just since the beginning of this year. First we have to defend the Great Smoky Mountains National Park against those, including Rep. Charles Taylor, who want to … Read more
The Buncombe County commissioners have received requests from various nonprofit organizations for over $8 million in grants or subsidies, to be allocated from the county’s upcoming budget. Every one of these charities is a worthy cause and very deserving of community support. I have personally made substantial contributions to several of these agencies; I think … Read more
Flower, fruit, foliage and form — whatever niche you are looking to fill in your garden, the viburnum may just hold the answer. This group of plants is vast and versatile, offering everything from the aristocrat to the woodland beauty, thus complementing both cultivated and naturalized palettes. While often overlooked and underutilized in the landscape, … Read more
