Gorge yourself: Last year’s inaugural Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad was a big success, with more than 260 medals going out to winners and $10,000 raised for for good causes. This year’s event will run twice as long, from Sept. 7 to Sept. 10. The sports festival is styled after the Olympics, with land and water … Read more
Take a stand: Imladris Farm in Fairview is looking for a trustworthy and outgoing person to peddle their products at local markets. The job is a weekend position, with pay based on sales. This is a good opportunity to learn more about the market end of small-scale farming. Call 628-9377 to find out more. Sowing … Read more
I recently read an article by Jim Buchanan in the Asheville Citizen-Times about the Arizona Voter Reward Act — which, if approved by voters in November, would offer people a chance to win $1 million just for showing up at the polls and casting their vote. I was reminded of a wonderful story about an … Read more
This is our moment We are at that “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” place in regards to mountainside development in Buncombe County, when decency and honesty are all that can save the day. And hundreds of citizens are using their power of free speech to let our government officials know that approving steep-slope development plans … Read more
Campaign Calendar Another election season is about to hit its stride, and Xpress will publish a weekly calendar of campaign events to keep you in the know leading up the Nov. 7 vote. Candidates and organizations are invited to notify us of forums or events (see instructions below). Offices on the ballot in Buncombe County … Read more
If they’d only lean close enough, every Monday afternoon, subscribers to Buncombe County’s eZine might hear a soft thud as a week’s worth of county-government happenings, public-health news and safety tips reaches their computers. Buncombe County has produced its weekly news digest since January 2005, but just this summer received a “Best of the Mountains … Read more
Poking around: Tasha Benyshek, left, and Jacob Turner reveal the outline of a century-old grave. photo by Cecil Bothwell The pointed tip of a 5-foot metal rod is inserted in the ground while a pair of hands grips a T-shaped handle. A firm push drives the rod down a couple of feet, then abruptly down … Read more
Any one of these issues could be expected to grab front-page headlines and spawn debate all over town. But in one fell swoop — albeit a six-hour one — the Asheville City Council dealt with three such high-profile subjects at its Aug. 22 formal session. The main event After months of research, community commotion and … Read more
Early spring, 1999: Our love blossomed in Rutherford County’s Rocky Broad River, along with Scott’s revelation that even 50-degree water is no match for the stirrings of new romance. Hypothermia is for lovers: The author at Midnight Hole on the N.C./Tenn. line. Midnight Hole is fed by pristine Big Creek, which boasts some of the … Read more
Most rodents manage to get a bad rap, but none are more unfairly framed than the lower-than-lowly mole. The worst abuse is meted out by keepers of pool-table-perfect lawns who wail and gnash their teeth when tunnels appear overnight, sudden wrinkles in their putting-green dreamscapes. illustration courtesy N.C. State University Out come the spring-loaded shish-kebab … Read more
