Trail construction and maintenance is not what many people imagine: a crew of woodsmen packing an arsenal of chainsaws, dynamite and bulldozers, parting swaths of earth with brute force. Although trailblazing has never been a true art form, it’s rapidly becoming a more complex and elegant process, especially in light of our increasing focus on … Read more
Every week, Mountain Xpress navigates the sometimes-tricky waters of the local food scene. The Asheville area is home to an ever-growing number of restaurants to suit every taste—and Xpress has taken on the task of giving readers “the straight dish” about what’s out there. Now you see her … : Anonymity is part of our … Read more
A heap o’ stuff: The Garhwalis need your help. Granted, this may be the first time you’ve heard this, on account of they’re so far away and all, but it’s no less true. Through May 19, Mast General Store, along with partners at Appalachian State University and Georgia Southern University, is collecting donated gear to … Read more
Local eats: Most area farmers’tailgate markets are now open for the season. This is opening week for Saturday markets in Black Mountain, Brevard, Morganton and Rutherfordton, and for the Wednesday markets in Spruce Pine, Asheville and Morganton. Current local produce includes: broccoli, spinach, arugula; lettuces and other spring vegetables; eggs; pastries, specialty breads, croissants and … Read more
Shavuot, the Jewish holiday which commemorates the day the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, is almost always celebrated with a meal of dairy-derived foods. Nobody knows exactly why: According to Orthodox scholar Avraham Sutton, whose posted his thoughts at desiretoshare.com, the connection might have something to do with the ancient Jews’ sudden realization upon … Read more
On April 16, when tragedy struck the Virginia Tech campus, I was reading about Thoreau and his retreat to Walden Pond in Susan Cheever’s book, American Bloomsbury (Simon & Schuster, 2006). I was also finishing up a memoir class. We had just come through a “dogwood winter” of record-breaking proportions that had stopped spring’s flowering … Read more
Speaking at Virginia Tech about the killings there, President Bush said: “It’s impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering. Those whose lives were taken did nothing to deserve their fate. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Mr. Bush could have said the same words about the more than … Read more
After 10 months of building a community-gathering place, the Center of Unlimited Possibilities has closed its doors at Westgate. There are many that share our feelings—of sadness for the things we’ll miss … thankfulness for having been a part of this beautiful vision … and optimism for what will come next! We know that CUP … Read more
Greed, money and corruption—the three major vices that control this nation and make this country stand out—have finally arrived in Asheville and Western North Carolina. Individuals who have waited nearly 60 years have finally been able to capitalize, with the help and manipulation of a chosen few. These are the few individuals that have the … Read more
The continuing decrease in the role of manufacturing in the U.S. economy has been getting worse over the past 57 years, as shown by America’s output, which accounted for about 25 percent of the gross domestic product in the 1950s and ‘60s. One out of three jobs was in the factory sector, but currently, manufacturing … Read more
