Day: January 30, 2008
Buncombe County Commissioners
Sheriff Van Duncan came before the Buncombe County commissioners with hat in hand, saying his office needs more personnel to meet the challenges posed by the county’s growing population. In response, the commissioners unanimously approved Duncan’s request for $922,301 at their Jan. 22 meeting. The money will cover salaries, benefits and equipment for 10 new … Read more
Groundhog Day at the Nature Center
Every year, a tradition featuring an unlikely star—a furry rodent—is celebrated across the country. The humble groundhog, also called a woodchuck and, in some regions, a whistle pig, is enlisted to predict the weather. Meet Nibbles: The Nature Center’s newest resident is ready to predict the weather. Ever since the practice began in the late … Read more
The Biz
Downtown Asheville residents Jeff and Karen Lazzaro want to make one thing perfectly clear: They couldn’t care less whether you smoke or not. However, they do have a real problem with folks who dispose of their cigarette butts carelessly—especially those who should know better. The reasons are simple, they say. Cigarette butts are one of … Read more
The Green Scene
A half-dozen environmental groups say the state has mismanaged a fund established to ensure safe drinking water for residents using wells. Last August, the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources allocated $300,000 from the Bernard Allen Emergency Drinking Water Fund—the entire initial allotment for the fund—for a two-mile water-line extension that benefited just four … Read more
More power to you
Driving out the Leicester Highway from Patton Avenue, it narrows from five lanes to two, and the strip malls and fast-food joints give way to old-school mechanics and busted-up portable signs. Later on, that same highway continues up the mountains and around sharp curves into miles of old farmland that eventually lead up to Sandy … Read more
Saturday night’s all right—for fighting
Saturday nights are not supposed to be spent like this: I’m lying on a cold concrete floor, hands around my head, feigning pain from a forearm shot to the face. Life’s a drag: Teen sensation El Chupa Rosa takes down Aaron Vaughn with an arm drag. Photos by Jonathan Welch. Just seconds ago, a 6-foot-3-inch, … Read more
Almost famous
“Independent bands have a hard time getting clout,” says Victoria Karol, who’s organizing the first Music Video Asheville event (in addition to her work handling publicity for local pop group SeepeopleS and managing new movie-and-dining venue Cinebarre). Silver screen sounds: Stephanie’s Id (pictured), SeepeopleS, The Makeout Room and other local bands will present their music … Read more
