The challenge facing any sizable political community is to figure out how to enjoy the efficiency that comes from delegating political responsibility to elected officials without abrogating citizens’ responsibility to remain at least minimally involved in public affairs. When fewer people are involved in decision-making, government can act more quickly. But without a certain level … Read more
We were dismayed to read the letter to the editor by Heidi Fox [“Prisoner of Starbucks?,” July 18] concerning filtered water in local coffee shops in Asheville. We, like many other locally owned and operated coffee shops in Asheville, do filter the water at the shop. In fact, we change the filters several times a … Read more
What kind of person can keep their finger on the pulse of WNC’s ever-evolving arts scene? The short answer: It takes a very rare breed, and Mountain Xpress has been lucky to find two of these rarities to helm our arts-and-entertainment section. Saying goodbye, at least for now, is outgoing A&E Editor Melanie McGee Bianchi, … Read more
For 19 years, I have lived with the Spanish-speaking persons of Western North Carolina. I have been on the farms and in the factories with these persons in almost every mountain county. I have worshipped the Lord with them in church houses, in farmhouses, in trailers and under the stars of the beautiful Blue Ridge … Read more
The Madison County Planning Board held its monthly meeting at the courthouse on Monday evening, July 23, in Marshall. On the agenda were two major subdivision cases that were holdovers from the June meeting. The first, a major subdivision request off Beauty Spot Cove and Puncheon Fork Road in Mars Hill, was provisionally approved until … Read more
There was a time in Washington when decisions were based on what was best for the country. Senate and Congress once understood the demands of the voting public. We believed Washington took into consideration what we the people wanted. The ideals and solutions our nation’s representatives debated illustrated their inner-core belief. We trusted they would … Read more
Recently, I heard a report concerning carbon emissions that confirmed an idea I had, which is that compared to jet airplanes, international shipping upon the oceans creates more carbon [emissions]. Obviously, this also means that the shipping of raw materials and goods internationally uses up a lot of petroleum. I heard this report on The … Read more
The article about about trichloroethylene contamination from the old CTS plant [“Fail-Safe?: Hazardous-waste Site Falls Through Regulatory Cracks,” July 11] is ominously reminiscent of the tragic leukemia deaths of children in Woburn, Mass., in the ‘50s and ‘60s, as chronicled in Jonathan Harr’s 1995 book, A Civil Action. The Woburn clusters of leukemia cases were … Read more
I am writing in response to the article “Up from Poverty” [Commentary, July 18]. I am a 24-year-old college student who has lived in Asheville all my life. It took me a while to decide what I wanted to do with my life. I’m now attending A-B Tech, pursuing a degree in medical billing and … Read more
Continuing the dialogue in response to “Mourning the Mountain” [Letters, July 11], I must say that I regret no one has informed the writer or her supporters that preserving land in large, undeveloped parcels is outmoded thinking. There is no profit in such foolishness, and in the interest of keeping Asheville and the surrounding area … Read more
