There’s a certain majesty to the act of scaling an impossible summit, pitting body and gear against nature’s greatest challenges. There’s also the brotherhood of the climb, an exclusive club made up of folks who’ve been there, who’ve seen it. That’s the impression I get from all the TV shows I’ve seen, anyway. Commitment: A … Read more
I’ll drink to that Being an environmental crusader can be a depressing gig. Faced with a constant barrage of grim headlines about pending climate catastrophe, rapidly shrinking forests and toxic waterways, you couldn’t blame people working in the field for wanting to just forget about it all at the end of the day. Yet Asheville … Read more
Shakespeare must have been looking out his window in February when he wrote, “Now is the winter of our discontent.” As I write this, we’ve had four weeks of well-below-average temperatures. The ground is frozen with a layer of snow, and worst of all, the wind sweeping down from Saskatchewan is gusting at 35 mph. … Read more
The Blue Ridge Wine Festival is taking reservations for its popular Winemaker’s Dinners, which are held in conjunction with the three-day Blowing Rock event, scheduled for April 12 to 14. The festival, which celebrates regional wineries including Asheville’s Biltmore Estate Wine Company, features wine tastings, seminars and a cooking contest. For more information, visit www.blueridgewinefestival.com. … Read more
Classes for the masses: The 14th annual Organic Growers School will be held at Blue Ridge Community College on Saturday, March 10, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The school offers a full day of workshops in all aspects of private and commercial growing. This year there are 69 different sessions, with topics as diverse … Read more
With nearly two dozen annexation foes on hand, many sporting red shirts in a show of solidarity, the Asheville City Council spent a good portion of its marathon Feb. 27 meeting examining its ability—or rather inability—to lawfully expand the city limits. Take me to the river: Gradual rezoning of Asheville’s River District could help transform … Read more
The cause of people opposed to building a new power plant in Woodfin was hardly dignified by two punk kids who illegally climbed a billboard and vandalized private property. I certainly understand that many of us are very frustrated with our national energy policy, which does not promote conservation or reduce the use of fossil … Read more
Thank you to the Xpress for covering the important issues of slope and ridge-top development and land-use planning (or lack thereof) in Asheville and Buncombe County. While recent piecemeal, stopgap ordinances (steep slope, storm water, subdivision) are good starts, what we really need is a comprehensive plan for the county, regulations on slope and ridge-top … Read more
As young women at Warren Wilson College, we want to draw attention to International Women’s Day, fast approaching on March 8, as well as Women’s History month as a whole. March 8 presents the opportunity to commemorate and honor the work, history and lives of women across the world. Women’s Day has been officially celebrated … Read more
