“For the good are always the merry Save by an evil chance And the merry love the fiddle And the merry love to dance …” — William Butler Yeats, “The Fiddler of Dooney” The Swannanoa Gathering has lured its share of legends in its 20 years. The folk-art workshop series, held each summer on the … Read more
Troy and Sons, a legit, licensed and local moonshine distillery, is “all heart,” says Troy Ball, mother of three and white whiskey (aka moonshine) maker. With her all-American-girl looks and soft smile, there’s nothing about this former Texan that hints at liquor distiller, let alone moonshine maker.
“Insane.” “Biased.” “Cynical.” Those are just a few of the words outraged Western North Carolina residents used during a July 7 public hearing to describe a proposal to move most of Asheville to the 10th Congressional District, leaving roughly two-thirds of Buncombe County in the 11th District. Released July 1 by the first Republican-controlled General … Read more
I am stymied by how the author of “Stymied: Undocumented Students’ Rocky Road to a College Degree” and the people it refers to are expecting us to wave our hands and cheer them on [July 6 Xpress]. Yay! C'mon, you illegal immigrants, give us a hug! Mi casa es tu casa? Mi escuela es la … Read more
Around 3 a.m. one day in 2006, comedian Greg Brown was on the return leg of a regular and grueling commute from Asheville to Charlotte, when he experienced an epiphany. “I was like, ‘Wow, why am I driving so far to a shittier city? I want to perform in Asheville without driving four-and-a-half hours to … Read more
Asheville: Distillery City USA? Troy and Sons may not be the only distillery open in Asheville for long. Adam Dalton Distillery is getting under way, first as a full-service bar and eventually as a craft distillery. Dalton says that his new bar, located at 251 Biltmore Ave., will be open for business at the time … Read more
I loved the speak-truth-to-power tone of Susan Andrew's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" article [Green Scene, June 29 Xpress]. It's embarrassing how every government agency attempts to synthesize some asinine-though-remotely plausible argument against marijuana. Thank you for subtly exposing the huge flaws in the ecological criticism of hand-cultivating a hearty, healthy plant in the forest. … Read more
Ingredients: Salad 2 cups quinoa 2 ¾ cups water 1 lb green beans, stems removed and beans cut into 1-inch lengths 3 cups grated carrots 1 red pepper, diced ½ cup toasted sesame seeds Sesame-ginger dressing: 8 cloves garlic, crushed ¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped ¼ cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup tamari … Read more
There are a few things that need to be addressed as to what exemplifies a “lie from the pit of hell,” as discussed by James Dye in his June 29 Xpress Commentary, “How Do You Spell ‘Respect’?” Dye states, “Had the mayor not acted when she did, the great freight train of history would have … Read more
For the third consecutive legislative session, lawmakers in both houses of the N.C. General Assembly have introduced bills that would raise the age at which some juvenile offenders are tried as adults from 16 to 18. House Bill 632 and Senate Bill 506 were introduced in April; state officials and child-advocacy groups have been pushing … Read more
