Regarding this entire Parkside fiasco, I realize people make mistakes. However, it’s difficult to believe no county commissioner, nor the developer, had any clue whatsoever that this City/County Plaza land was unavailable for sale, as the history of its being gifted in perpetuity for public use is largely common knowledge among locals. Perhaps worse, there … Read more
I’m writing because of a recent John Boyle column in the Asheville Citizen-Times regarding Stewart Coleman and the Parkside condos. It seems that money can’t be made without progress, which is sometimes seen in the form of tax dollars resulting from construction of things like high-rise condos such as those proposed by Stewart Coleman. And … Read more
After two-and-a-half hours of deliberation, the Buncombe County Republican Party’s Executive Committee on Aug. 18 chose auto dealer Mike Fryar, who placed last by a narrow margin in the May 6 Republican primary, to replace Joe Dunn in the Board of Commissioners’ race. A release from the party touted Fryar’s role in the bipartisan “Let … Read more
That’s mostly due to the Asheville band’s haunting vocals by Anya Hinkle, who channels Gillian Welch at times with her intonations. I saw Hinkle (who also plays fiddle) and her band mates (Bryan Clendenin on mandolin, Stacy Claude on guitar and vocals, Aaron Ballance on Dobro and Greg “Stig” Stiglets on standup bass) at their … Read more
Summer’s winding down, but it’s still plenty warm out there. And something about the heat brings out some particularly interesting concoctions. So here (in no particular ranking or order) Bar Beat samples some favorite summertime offerings at Asheville drinkeries. Fire it up: Bartender Jamie Reel of the Yacht Club lights up a Painkiller. Photo By … Read more
On Aug. 12, there was a raid conducted by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] on a plant in Weaverville. Fifty-seven people were arrested for being undocumented workers. [Twenty-eight] folks are in jail in Charlotte or Atlanta, likely to be deported. Twenty-nine were released because they have kids or health issues, but they too will most … Read more
Regarding the recent [Weaverville] raid, I see that targeting honest people, affecting families and leaving the true criminals free on our streets is unacceptable, particularly in this phase of the election year. I see that politicians want to give the impression that the law is been enforced—while what they are really after are the votes … Read more
On a Friday night this summer at Diana Wortham Theatre when Terpsicorps took the stage, I remembered why I moved to Asheville! Asheville is blessed to have a great venue and a visionary such as Heather Malloy at the helm of Terpsicorps—a dance series that brings emerging and key dance talent to the area (during … Read more
The past few years have been busy ones for the Buncombe County Planning Board, as the county’s seen the advent of zoning, record growth and more than one controversial development-related issue. During that time, four board members simply stayed on after their three-year terms had ended, despite not being formally reappointed (members can serve up … Read more
About four years ago, I—along with my rottweiler—was involved in a severe car accident on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This mishap resulted in staggering medical bills for the both of us. Through generous programs such as Vocational Rehabilitation and Project Access, I was able to receive surgeries that would have otherwise been impossible to obtain. … Read more
