The Blue Ridge Mountains are older than the Himalayas and the Alps, and the easiest way to see them is on 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Though it’s the most visited unit of the National Park Service, the Parkway has never had a major year-round visitor center. Until now. Meet your destination: The … Read more
Though her campaign is still in its fledgling stages, Asheville City Council member and former vice-mayor Holly Jones has confirmed that she will run for a seat on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in this year’s election season. Switching seats?: Asheville City Council member Holly Jones says she plans to run for the Buncombe … Read more
The 27th Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Prayer Breakfast will fill the Grand Ballroom of the Grove Park Inn on Saturday, Jan. 19, with music, a special award presentation and a keynote address by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit. The popular breakfast, sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County, … Read more
Asheville is a city that prides itself on community and sharing. This weekend, that sentiment will spread to the local music scene as some 34 artists perform on three stages for the venue-based music festival known as POPAsheville. POP-stars: Clockwise, from top left: Ruby Slippers, The Cheeksters, EAR PWR, Laura Reed and Deep Pocket, Nevada, … Read more
Some art projects are just predestined to be interesting, and one eternally interesting topic is religion. In fact, almost anything to do with religious ritual is virtually guaranteed to captivate most art lovers. We gaze in awe at the amazing faith of a snake handler and the quiet serenity of a Buddhist monk sitting in … Read more
“I’m concerned with … ,” “I am troubled by … ,” “I’m confused about … .” We hear these sentiments a lot these days. But what’s often sorely missing is a good old “Here’s what we’re going to do about it.” I am founder and president of the N.C Mountain Area Youth Soccer Association, based … Read more
After the most recent edition of the Asheville Holiday Parade, the future of the popular, long-running display of seasonal spirit seemed in doubt. But the 61-year-old annual event may gain a new sponsor and new life in 2008. Keep on dancin’: The sponsor of the Asheville Holiday Parade is bailing out, but a potential new … Read more
You thought you knew “Kumbaya,” that most ubiquitous of summer-camp songs foisted on unsuspecting Christian youths jacked up on bug juice and dazed by a crackling fire. “Let’s have a sing-a-long,” suggests a chipper counselor, who then strums that simpering tune on her acoustic guitar. Blue, period: Cookie LaRue may have schooled Mitchell, Dylan and … Read more
So how does one go about condensing a millennium’s worth of music into a one-evening performance? Well, singer/songwriter Richard Thompson can’t exactly tell us, as by his own description he was “cheating” when he came up with the title “1,000 Years of Popular Music” for the show that he brings to town on Sunday. What … Read more
A nationwide search for the greenest grade school in America has narrowed it down to 10 finalists, and Asheville’s Evergreen Community Charter School is one of them. Some 3,000 elementary schools across the country competed to win the “Go Green with all” (sponsored by all laundry detergent) contest, and each finalist was granted $5,000. The … Read more
