At a relatively brief Asheville City Council meeting tonight, city staff announced that a judge in Wake County has agreed to delay a state law forcibly transferring the water system. Council also approved $1.1 million in financing for energy efficiency improvements and the creation of a new multimodal transportation commission.
Rich Ducker calls Senate Bill 612 “a real Christmas tree of a bill – all sorts of things hung on it.” But the biggest issue, says the public law and government specialist, may be a “sleeper issue to some people.” And that’s language that could prevent local environmental ordinances that are any more stringent than state law—something that would likely do away with Buncombe County’s steep-slope ordinance and other regionally specific rules.
As a private psychotherapist, Paul Fugelsang understands the struggle between saying “yes” to middle-class clients who can't afford his services and “no” to people in need. “Once you have your minimum amount that you can afford to see financially, you have to start turning people away,” the Asheville-based therapist shares. “It's heartbreaking, because these are … Read more
“Steak pizza,” reads the sign outside of Carmel's. “Tourist food,” I think: approachable, nearly absurd and totally decadent. Heck, who wouldn't want a steak pizza? But I have a different meal in mind. I want to understand the tourist appetite, and what better classroom than a food tour? A jaunt around town with eight visitors, … Read more
Openings BikeTags (message plates for bicycles), mybiketag.com. 398-4636. Bobo Pho, 22 N. Lexington Ave. 575-9494. Café Azalea (open under new ownership), 1011 Tunnel Road Suite 100. http://cafeazaleaasheville.com. 299-3753. Closings Hookah Joe’s, 38-B N. French Broad. The bar was operating out of another business. For information on future events, visit HJ’s Facebook page. Renovations and other … Read more
As Asheville geared up to file a lawsuit against state legislation that transfers the city's water system to the Metropolitan Sewage District, Buncombe County officials released documents showing a series of offers made to the city years ago. The rejected proposals offered to compensate the city in various ways for transferring the system to a … Read more
It is frustrating that we continue to hear some education officials and “experts” naming charter schools among the “threats” to public education [“Back To School,” May 1 Xpress]. This attitude, asserted by people who influence public understanding, is territorial, unfounded and has gone on for too many years now. Lumping charter schools into a category … Read more
