One day soon, perhaps by next fall, you'll be able to walk into a store and make a purchase with cash that's unique to Asheville. At least, that is, if the Asheville Currency Project has its way. The local group is researching ways to make a local tender work for the city and its businesses. … Read more
The town of Woodfin backed away from a massive proposed annexation when the Board of Aldermen voted unanimously on Sept. 15 to indefinitely suspend the expansion. The move came after months of controversy, during which residents of the affected area — a 3.5-square-mile slice of Erwin Hills and Leicester — came out in force to … Read more
Fusion is key in Asheville – in food, fashion and music – and Shod My Feet has harnessed a unique blend of eclectic influences. While creating a sound all its own, this trio (Emily Keebler on vocals, keyboard, guitar; Sherman Hoover on bass, synthesizer, vocals; and Andrew Ross on drums and vocals) draws from myriad … Read more
To Margaret Couch Cogswell's recollection, she was a slow reader as a child. The physicality of the book and the pictures inside often captured her fancy more than the words. Perhaps it was this fascination that led her into the realm of the book arts — a burgeoning art form that highlights the intimate and … Read more
As the rain falls on Asheville, it's all too easy to forget how severe drought conditions were in '07 and '08. The French Broad River hit its lowest recorded level since 1895. More and more private drinking wells ran dry, and one of three wells that supplied Marshall in Madison County hit empty. In August … Read more
[Editor's note: dePaola's visit to Malaprop's was cancelled due to health circumstances; Strega Nona's Harvest is still available. Alli Marshall interviewed dePaola before the visit was cancelled.] Illustrations from Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona's Harvest. Reviewing a children's book is an interesting proposition. There's not much narrative arc to discuss; little in the way of foreshadowing … Read more
Town Mountain loves Asheville. So much so, in fact, that they named their band after one of the city's most recognizable natural landmarks. And, says bassist Barrett Smith, they can't stop talking about it. Criss-crossing the nation, spreading their adrenaline-filled blend of aggressive bluegrass and traditional country, it's obvious to the band that people are … Read more
Ever since a British music journalist cheekily coined the term "Krautrock" in the early '70s to reference a burgeoning cluster of exciting German rock bands, groups such as Can, Neu and Kraftwerk have had an ambivalent relationship with the word. While they benefitted from the attention that comes with any new pop-music phenomenon, they also … Read more
Editor's note: On September 9, Xpress published "Traffic Calming: The Gospel According to Jerry." In it Jerry Sternberg decries the city's "inept, ineffective and dangerous attempt at traffic calming in north Asheville, on Charlotte Street and on Macon and Kimberly avenues." Here, Grove Park resident Glenda Burgin issues a point-by-point rebuttal. Jerry's "gospel": Jerry has … Read more
Let me see if I have this right. City Council recently accepted nearly a half-million dollars in federal-grant money to remedy flooding and watershed problems on Dingle Creek. Those problems were caused by development along the stream and its tributaries. Does this mean that our tax money is being used to remedy problems caused by … Read more
