Not long ago, I checked my inbox and found an invitation from Wildroots—a sprouting of free-spirited earth lovers who do the best they can to live off the grid. The group was offering a wilderness camping-and-education excursion focused on wild edibles and medicines. Local experts Natalie Bogwalker and Frank Cook would be the guides. The … Read more
At first, the effect is incongruous—like seeing puppies for sale in a bookstore. Replacing a full row of booths inside Neo Burrito, an army of potted tomato plants now spreads its leaves under the spaceship glow of a hydroponics table. Going green: Neo Burrito’s Zak Yancey has turned part of his restaurant into an organic-gardening … Read more
About two weeks ago, Joel Hutcheson, owner of Static Age Records and co-owner of T.V. Eye, discovered that he needed a very costly spine surgery. With the support of many local businesses, a benefit dubbed "Joelfest" was held on Saturday, May 23, at Izzy's new location in West Asheville. With raffle donations from many of … Read more
Lovely Asheville: You are a beautiful jewel in a mountain setting. People from all over the world come to visit you. You are a livable town, a small town with city facilities and friendly people. Lucky Asheville: You have survived waves of developers who have cut down your trees and systematically demolished your historic buildings … Read more
Good grief. There is barely a plan before the city for the land acquired near the Basilica, and already the voices of doom are howling. If the Basilica was so keen for a park, then why, with the education building torn down, was an ugly surface lot put there instead of a green space? Oh … Read more
Dear mayor, members of Asheville City Council and fellow citizens of Asheville: Our beautiful city of Asheville made a huge step forward with the restoration of the Grove Arcade. The way it was done, with eye appeal and functionality, and keeping the overall dimensions of the building appropriate to the area, is to be applauded. … Read more
Most citizens, even concerned ones, don’t understand where people with mental-health challenges go—as in live, manage their lives, hang out. Why, of course, they live with their families, right? Nope: Many don’t. Neither do they vaporize when the sun goes down. In North Carolina, most adults with severe and persistent mental illness are not homeless … Read more
When was the last time you heard such expressions as “Oh, Law,” or “You-uns have a nice day”? And if you’re lucky enough to encounter one of these turns of phrase, once common here in the Western North Carolina mountains, then listen carefully: Their days may be numbered. Linguists estimate that within less than 80 … Read more
The muddy fields of Coventry, Vt. were supposed to be the final resting place for Phish, the wildly popular jam-band known for its quirky compositions and transcendent improvisations. After spending more than 20 years on the road building one of the most devoted grassroots followings in rock history, the band collapsed under the pressure of … Read more
