The Asheville ReCyclery—a nonprofit, volunteer-run bike shop that helps people repair their bikes by providing tools, recycled parts and repair assistance—is on the move for the seventh time in its four-year existence. The wheel deal: ReCyclery volunteer Kiesten Elliot helps unload bikes at the group’s new home behind the French Broad Food Co-op. photo by … Read more
North Carolina has just become the first state in the South—and one of only nine in the nation—to allow same-day voter registration. The new law will be in effect during the early voting periods for the primary and general elections this fall. At the early voting sites, voters with acceptable identification may fill out a … Read more
They’re all over Asheville and parts hereabout: cans and jars and packages of homemade foodstuffs created for sale by locals. Most likely you’ve seen such items. Perhaps you’ve even purchased them on occasion. If so, chances are that at some point you’ve told yourself something like: “Dang, my homemade jelly tastes better than this $10 … Read more
photos by Jonathan Welch The scene would have brought a gun fanatic to tears. A vanload of firearms—469 assorted handguns and long guns weighing more than 700 pounds—was fed piece by piece into the alligator shears at Biltmore Iron and Metal Co. on Aug. 24 at the behest of the Asheville Police Department. APD officers … Read more
For Debi Athos, the path to promoting healthy foods began with a rude awakening. A red flag went up more than seven years ago, when she first learned about genetically engineered foods lurking on the shelves of conventional grocery stores. “I was quite concerned that there was no notice to the public,” says Athos, an … Read more
Ruby, a miniature pinscher, wears a “Yummy Dress” from Ruff Ruff Couture along with a Swarovski crystal pet necklace and brown mode polka-dot collar and leash set, all from the Blaze-N-Skyy collar collection. Asheville is inarguably a dog-friendly town, and now there’s dog fashion for those furry friends. Here, a quartet of style-savvy canines sport … Read more
It’s the end of rush hour on a Thursday afternoon when a custom Acura—black and low-slung with glossy ground effects and a spoiler on the back so big it could double as a lunch counter—screeches into the parking lot of the Lowrider Shop. A seismic bass riff escapes from inside the car. The driver, a … Read more
I’m not the reader for whom Diana Gabaldon’s Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (Random House, 2007) was intended. “Almost all of the people reading Blade would have read the entire Outlander series,” the author admits, referencing her wildly popular six-book bevy that follows the adventures of 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his … Read more
It’s ironic that kirtan music artist Jai Uttal’s 2002 recording, Mondo Rama, was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best New Age Album” category. Uttal, who’s been performing Asian-influenced world fusion for decades, considers that genre a bit outdated. A fire inside: Jai Uttal has spent a lifetime fanning the flames of cross-cultural devotional music. … Read more
After four years of nearly constant touring with both his band The Rentals and as the original bassist for Weezer, Matt Sharp was tired. Uncool before it was cool: Having come undone from years of touring, ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp (with book at center) has decided to stake his hipster cred on The Rentals. Those … Read more
