Last night I attended the Asheville City Council meeting where the highly charged "camping ordinance" was to be discussed. There were many arguments for and against the ordinance. City Council listened patiently while an impassioned audience expressed their views, which did not always fit the discussion at hand. The audience listened restlessly as an ordinance … Read more
The historic Ritz Café building at 44 Market St. in downtown Asheville is getting an update. The three-story structure recently housed the now-shuttered Jamaican restaurant, Simma Down, as well as Hole-N-Da-Wall, a still-thriving music club that opened in 2010 on the second floor. When Simma Down shut its doors earlier this fall, Hole-N-Da-Wall owner Lennie … Read more
If you’re like us, come this time December, you’re about ready to strangle Bing Crosby. And Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Burl Ives, Brenda Lee, The Beach Boys, U2, John Lennon, The Pogues and Wham. (Especially Wham.) Don’t get us wrong, we love their iconic holiday tunes. They’re classics, and rightfully so. But that doesn’t … Read more
From the opening notes of New Elements (the sophomore release by local singer/songwriter Darien Crossley, who goes by just her first name on stage), it’s easy to get caught in the spell of sweeping vocals and the complicated poetry. "My shoulder blades burn in early morning. I lay awake, I'm listening to the soft prayer … Read more
Happy almost New Year! 2012 is almost upon us (cue the doomsday soothsayers), and there's quite a bit going on around town. Here are just a few of the many options available to you on the food front. Cúrate tapas bar introduces its first New Year's Eve dinner. Chef Katie Button's special event menu kicks … Read more
The Asheville Public (or TAP) recently opened in the River Arts District in the former location of the Silver Dollar Restaurant, an Asheville mainstay for quick-and-hot breakfast that opened in the ‘40s and closed earlier this year. The restaurant has undergone quite a transformation from the beloved-by-many greasy spoon that preceded it. Chrome and metal … Read more
I don't understand why the U.S. Postal Service is closing down post offices and mail processing centers, costing 100,000 jobs in the process. Why aren't rates being raised? If junk mail rates went up, perhaps decreasing the amount I get each day, I would be willing to pay more for first class mail. A nickel … Read more
a href=”“Thank you for publishing a news article about the trees that Wells Fargo cut down on the corner of Patton and Louisiana avenues [“The Beat: One, Two, Three,” Nov. 2 Xpress], and for the amusing cartoon showing a field of tree stumps labeled "Wells Fargo Botanical Garden." Such publicity doubtless intensified Wells Fargo's determination … Read more
I am a parent of a junior at Asheville High School. I recently attended an Eco Club meeting there to express my concerns over disposable plastic foam trays being used for mealtimes, and to discuss possibilities for their replacement with more sustainable, reusable resin or plastic trays such as those used in many schools and … Read more
I would like to express my disappointment in WLOS' coverage of Biltmore Lake/Enka Lake annexation story. Why did the residents of Enka Village not get the same coverage? Is it because they do not have the capital that the residents of Biltmore Lake have? For your information, when Enka Village was annexed we fought it … Read more
