When they left New York for Asheville in 2003, drawn by stories of the creative and innovative spirit of Black Mountain College, Robert and Arlene Winkler arrived in the mountains with an idea. “Settle” by Marc Maiorana. A big idea. Bigger than any one gallery could hold, in fact. The Winklers wanted Asheville to have … Read more
With an overflow crowd in attendance on Aug. 21, City Council approved stronger rules to protect wetlands, streams and rivers from construction-related runoff, to bring the city into compliance with federal storm-water guidelines. Although city staff and some stakeholders called for a 50-foot development-free buffer along streams, Council members demurred in the face of opposition … Read more
• BookOpolis is coming again! BookWorks in West Asheville is holding its annual exhibition of artist’s books, broadsides, original hand-printed posters and prints from Monday, Sept. 10, through Friday, Sept. 14. The exhibition is open to all artists working in any of these media. Several works will continue to be exhibited through December. Learn more … Read more
It’s been a year since professor David Owens of the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill formally presented the Asheville City Council with the results of his detailed review of three controversial development projects (see “Asheville City Council,” Aug. 30, 2006 Xpress). Council members had asked Owens to assess the situation after the Coalition of … Read more
“If people come out to the Hendersonville street fair, they’re hopefully going to see lots of apples,” says David Nicholson, executive director of the North Carolina Apple Festival. courtesy N.C. Apple Festival It might sound like Nicholson is stating the obvious, but this year, unlike in most of the festival’s previous decades, seeing lots of … Read more
Our mountains have long been considered a place of retreat, an escape from the pollution and scorching summer heat of the flatlands. But the world has arrived on our doorstep. Today, Western North Carolina is an internationally known hot spot for outdoor pursuits. Still, a handful of local magicians regularly perform a vanishing act, evading … Read more
On the shores of Kenilworth Lake here in Asheville, we garden at about 2,200 feet above sea level. The summers are getting hotter, and the mild winters have lately been so mild that for the first time in my Asheville existence, we have bagworms on the branches (sounds almost like a line from a song). … Read more
Tastes like chicken: The first segment of North Carolina’s dove-hunting season opens at noon on Sept. 1, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is urging safety. In light of high-profile small-game hunting incidents in recent years (a certain powerful vice president will not be named here), several precautions are in order. The commission’s hunter safety … Read more
Queen (or king) bee needed: The Asheville City Market, in connection with Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, is looking for a manager for its new producer-only destination farmers’ market in downtown Asheville. The half-time position will start this fall. Organizers say they want a diplomatic communicator who is organized, detail-oriented and an innovative thinker, with experience … Read more
Midwesterners may remember the terrific animated exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry illustrating the concept of supply and demand with doughnuts, ending with the plaintive cry of “Too many doughnuts!” Asheville’s The Sisters McMullen recently came to the same conclusion, suspending their doughnut-making operation last week after seven years. “With the trend leaning … Read more
