I was scrounging for a master’s in history from Western Carolina and buying beer at Cullowhee’s Speedwell General Store when there it was on the checkout counter: Green Line … a newspaper that, a few years later, became Mountain Xpress. Finally, here was a paper based on the environmental principles of the Green Party! It … Read more
As the city considers different ideas for the proposed “enhancement” of downtown (see the 2014 Downtown Enhancement Plan at avl.mx/0gw), please don’t throw buskers under the bus. Many of Asheville’s creative community — not only musicians but artists of all kinds — depend on street performance as part of their livelihood. Visitors and locals experience the street … Read more
Break out the candles! Western Carolina University celebrates its 125th year during the 40th annual Mountain Heritage Day festival, a free event to recollect WCU’s rich history. Two stages and a dedicated dance floor will host clogging team performances and concerts (including Grammy Award-winner David Holt), and more than 100 vendor booths will sprawl into … Read more
“I want people to come in and feel like they’re at a beer festival every day of the week,” says Nate Tomforde, owner of the new Pour Taproom in West Asheville. “We’ll have 46 taps of craft beer and eight wines, and all of them will run on the pay-by-the-ounce model. … You can come … Read more
Community Sourced Capital is poised to become a household name within entrepreneurial hubs like Asheville. At least that’s what Carol Peppe-Hewitt, founder of Slow Money NC and CSC’s North Carolina local connector, is hoping. The community lending guru is hard at work promoting CSC’s latest campaign by Asheville’s own 5th Sun Specialties. Asheville residents who … Read more
Since Roz Marlowe (the “Wise Woman” of French Broad Food Co-op) was lovingly mentioned in a recent Mountain Xpress [“The Early Days of Blue Spiral 1 and the Best Years of My Life,” Sept. 11], I too want to give a shoutout to her. For over 20 years she has been my go-to woman for … Read more
I certainly applaud the efforts of City Council to remove spray-painted graffiti from the downtown area where I live. Graffiti, like pornography, is something “you know it when you see it.” For me, the numerous A-frame sandwich boards that are strewn along downtown sidewalks fit my definition of graffiti, and these are city approved. Nearly … Read more
We’ve all seen them: “Man’s best friend” chained out in backyards their entire lives, pacing back and forth on a small piece of dirt, day in and day out, in all types of weather conditions. We’ve all heard them: “Man’s best friend” barking incessantly from boredom, lack of companionship, lack of exercise or an empty … Read more
For more Wood Brothers images, check out David Simchock’s blog, Front Row Focus. Not long into The Wood Brothers’ sold-out Saturday night show at The Orange Peel, Chris and Oliver Wood told a story about playing the same venue a few years back. It was a seated concert and they optimistically set out 100 chairs. … Read more
I moved to Asheville — well, technically, Black Mountain — in the winter of ’83. It was pretty rough. The night I moved into my little no-insulation cottage, temps plunged to minus 50 with the wind chill. The pipes froze, the toilet cracked, and I tried in vain to stuff newspaper in places where the … Read more
