As members of the community stood before Buncombe County commissioners with Bibles in hand, legal statutes in folders and opinions in mind, public comment took a personal turn when it came to adding protections for LGBT employees. “This is not a civil-rights situation. The Bible is the bottom line,” said the Rev. Wendell Runion. “This … Read more
To hear Asheville City Council and staff tell it, a manageable budget gap has evolved into a looming crisis. Combine lingering post-recession challenges with state legislation that chops municipal revenue, and the city faces a potential $5.9 million gap next fiscal year. At a special April 3 town hall, city staff proposed sharp, budget-balancing cuts, … Read more
Attending City Council's April 3 town meeting was heartening. I’m grateful to the Asheville City Council for hosting us and listening to our input. I heard pleas for keeping the Western North Carolina Nature Center, the tennis courts, the Business Improvement District plans, and Bele Chere. Yes, these are good things. Yes they bring people … Read more
More than 282 million people visited America’s national parks in 2012, an increase of more than 3 million over 2011. Two parks with a local connection — the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — were the most popular, the National Park Service reports. More than 15 million visited the parkway … Read more
UNCA attracts more than degree-seeking students to the Asheville area: It sparks a $268 million economic impact, according to a recent study. The findings come from local research economist Tom Tveidt of SYNEVA Economics. He once led the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce's economic-development research, and calls UNCA a “key driver of economic growth in … Read more
"Funk reigns supreme!" wrote local electronic funk/rock band The Fritz in a recent website post. "Music unites us in an unprecedented way, regardless of extraneous conditions." They've parlayed both that sense of unity (as a social concept and as a musical style, marrying funk, soul, groove, jazz and improv) into new album, Bootstrap. The band … Read more
Native plants in the clouds What do plants look like at 4,500 feet? Each spring, they emerge from the snow with purpose, especially in Southern Highland Reserve's 120 acres of forests, ponds and waterfalls. Located near Lake Toxaway, this maze of wildflowers, azaleas and maple trees harbors some of the region's most intriguing native plants. … Read more
