To say that Hop'n Blueberry Farm is, well, hopping is an understatement. The much-used word “diversity” takes on a whole new meaning on Van Burnette’s small farm just east of Asheville. These days, he explains, a farmer has to be a grower, entrepreneur, tour guide, marketing pro — and manual laborer. Mountain Xpress: How did … Read more
For me, as for most of the other employees, working at the Swannanoa Valley Youth Development Center was a calling. I’d been a teacher there since 2001; many others had worked there much longer. Our mission was to nurture troubled boys from across the state and to help them turn their lives around. The hours … Read more
MPAC debts discharged Last August, Mountain Xpress reported that some groups and individuals involved in a Fourth of July Block Party organized by the nonprofit MPAC hadn’t been paid (see “MPAC and the IOUs: A Complex Situation,” Aug. 10, 2010 Xpress). MPAC is an arm of MAYSA, the Mountain Area Youth Soccer Association. Randy Bassham, … Read more
In the May 4 food article, “Going Wild,” we reported that Alan Muskat served an appetizer made with air potato on a wild-foods walk he recently hosted. We reported that it's highly recommended that you refrain from eating air potato. Muskat had this to say: “When you looked up ‘air potato,’ you no doubt found … Read more
I am very distressed that Asheville Police Chief Bill Hogan has decided to retire. This is a clear signal to me that [city staff] does not know the quality character of this city official or the workings of the Asheville Police Department. I suggest that each of [them] become better informed. At 64 years old, … Read more
Pending major budget cuts could limit the ability of the N.C. Cooperative Extension — and its Buncombe County office — to provide important services. The agency, an affiliate of N.C. State and N.C. A&T universities, learned last month that legislators were considering slashing its approximately $42 million in state funding by as much as 30 … Read more
To many in the Asheville area, Kathy Taylor and Les Doss are more than former bartenders — they're hospitality specialists. They're experts in the field of drink. In 2004, Taylor and Doss opened the Usual Suspects, the Merrimon Avenue bar and restaurant that quickly became a standard meeting place for many. Taylor and Doss passed … Read more
Handmade apparel, wearable art, DIY, craft: These are well-worn terms in local lingo. They also call to mind certain retail opportunities, like the artist booths at LEAF and The Big Crafty. But the forerunner to both of these (and, for that matter, to the current crafting craze, Church of Craft groups, Stitch ‘n Bitch circles, … Read more
