May flowers • Who she is: Rebecca Molaro • What she’s wearing: Flowered hat from Dollar Tree, fuzzy knit purse from a yarn shop (it was a sampler for a felting class), shirt and skirt both hand-me-downs from a friend, socks knit by her mother and blue boots (“They’re [for] boys!” Rebecca notes, showing off … Read more
Editor’s note: Daniel DeLaVergne died March 8 after being hit by a train in a tunnel near Ridgecrest while scouting a location for a video. It was standing room only at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company on March 10; they couldn’t let anyone else in because of the fire code. The crowd had gathered … Read more
When I first began converting my lawn into gardens for fruit, vegetables and herbs, a neighbor told me about a free resource that rocked my world: the city of Asheville’s leaf-mulch pile. The massive, steaming mound at the corner of Broadway and Catawba quickly became a much-loved part of my life. I dumped wheelbarrow loads … Read more
Bicyclists should stop being selfish This is in response to the May 10 letter, “Bicycles Deserve Some Respect.” I have much more respect for the bicycles than I do the people that ride them. … The bicyclists will get my respect when they stop bicycling on roads in inconvenient areas. I think it is great … Read more
Sofas without borders For travelers whose movements are forever bound to a shoestring budget, nothing quite says “home” like a futon, a couch, or, God help them, a loveseat — however exotic the destination. Answering the need for a cheaper way of seeing the world, a loose network of travelers numbering 70,000 (and growing) was … Read more
The journey toward a decision on the Asheville Civic Center’s future can be likened to a succession of baby steps. And while the ultimate fate of the dilapidated structure remains distant, City Council took another baby step at its May 9 session, formally accepting the Civic Center Task Force’s report. Council’s stamp of approval isn’t … Read more
A bill that’s slated to be introduced during the N.C. General Assembly’s current short session is being touted as a boon to both cable-service providers and their customers. But opponents say the law could undermine funding for local access stations and local government data networks. And with the bill on the fast track, according to … Read more
Supafly: Trying to match the hatch from our mountain waters? Current dry fly bets include Yellow Sally, Golden Drake, Yellow Drake, Light Hendrickson and Dark Hendrickson. On tailwaters, Sulfurs are working, and we’re just days away from the emergence of Green Drakes. Thanks to store manager Shane Buckner of Hunter Banks Company in Asheville for … Read more
The author, ready to roll. You wake up one Saturday morning knowing that you are going for a mountain-bike ride. It’s a glorious, sparkly day. The air is thick with budding roses, spicy ramps and the hum of bees in tunnels of rhododendron and laurel. You’re headed to Laurel Mountain. The climb up Fire Road … Read more
When we last saw our hero, he was rhapsodizing about the romance of the vineyard, trumpeting some tripe about “raven-haired women” and “wine by the jug.” We return to find his high spirits somewhat diminished by the reality of grubbing out goutweed, periwinkle, Japanese knotweed and pine roots the size of a sumo wrestler’s femur … Read more
