Archive for Loveletter
I Love This Town
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Photo credit - Bill Rhodes
Returning from tonight’s Town Hall meeting, I found myself again appreciating the forward thinking community of which we are a part. The Asheville Energy Independence Initiative can put Asheville at the forefront of a nationwide trend towards energy efficiency and greener opportunities for all of us.
Tonight’s attendees were people from across Asheville’s political, economic, environmental circles. It reminded me of the recent cross-pollination of disciplines that put Asheville in the hunt for Google’s world-class gigabit fiber optic network. And if we’re talking cross-pollination, how about luminaries from across the nation coming to town last weekend for HATCH?
President Obama and his family will honor us with a visit, drawing the gaze of the world to Asheville this weekend.
Flowers are exploding everywhere, and we’re again witness to the greening up the mountains. The Asheville Tourists are over .500. On Saturday, men in high-heeled shoes will parade downtown for OurVoice, and the Blue Ridge Roller Girls will wipe the floor with Johnson City, Tennessee. All Go West is about to throw a great festival in my neighborhood.
If you love this town and want to say so, then this is the thread for you.
Thank You, Asheville!
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Apollo 11 Forty Years Later: Thank You
Posted by: | CommentsThe history continues to be written, the stories continue to inspire us, and the yearning to take flight to the stars never dies. Â For all those involved in the Apollo program and our space program generally, we Hooligans thank you.
Friday Open Thread: Tucky Green
Posted by: | CommentsMountain Xpress – Superb Local Coverage
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I’m hoping most of you are already reading this stuff, but if you’re not then you’re missing the best one-stop coverage in town. This week you can find:
Ramsey, Gantt Square Off In Forum – The County candidates for Chair of the Commission had a heated debate.
Asheville City Council – Report on Council regarding the I-26 Connector and water issues. Thorough.
Shuler: Let’s focus on energy independence – Deputy Whip Largely says, “We have already depleted more than 50 percent of the world’s petroleum,†he said. “I’m not looking at this generation specifically. I want to look [ahead] three or four or five generations. … We have to make a difference today, and that’s with a very comprehensive, long-term plan. It’s got to be long-term and it’s got to be sustainable.â€
Buncombe wins again in water battle with Asheville – The Sullivan Acts are maintained, leaving our city stuck with subsidizing County water consumers.
Campaign Calendar – Lots of candidates doing lots of stuff around here.
We need to talk – Story behind the Forum on Parkside that Xpress and League of Women Voters tried to put together. Believe it or not, the politicians were resistant to getting in front of people.
Great work, Mountain X. I don’t know what we’d do without you!
Open Thread: One Of Those Times…
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Regular ScruHoo readers may have noticed that there just hasn’t been as much substantive content up here over the last few weeks. Blogging works like that, we’ve observed. There’s lots to say and opinions to make and news to report and causes to advocate – then there’s a doldrum. It’s the nature of things, so no one ought to sweat it – least of all, you.
Regular ScruHoo readers may not have noticed the paucity of depth lately because you commenters have been swinging for the fences in some threads. TP, Tim, and Clarence were elbow deep into each other’s libertarianism late last week, for example. Bryan’s introduced us to packagingman. Kai and David returned for Round 74 of Green Party building vs. Democratic Party building.
So while I’m doing some work transition stuff, Arratik’s fusing Marvin and Fugazi, Doug is quite the family man, Uptown Ruler is having a ball, and the other Hooligans are carrying spoonfuls of soil to the top of Mount Everest in an effort to build a land bridge to the moon, it’s great to know that this community continues to inform and challenge each other.
Happy Birthday, Mayor Bellamy
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Image courtesy of The Ashevillein.
JBo in the comments shared this email from Mayor Bellamy.
“Ms. —-,
Thank you for your email. You are correct that a lot of residents are angry. I honestly believe that every council member is looking for a positive resolution on this issue. Council has placed a priority on keeping Asheville beautiful, and by working with our county commissioners and Black Box [sic] Developers we can get to a positive resolution.
Warmest regards,
Mayor Bellamyâ€
You can contact the birthday girl at mayorbellamy@ashevillenc.gov or by phone at (828) 259-5600
Dazzling Urbanites
Posted by: | Comments{bumped back up because there’ve been so many posts lately, and I wanted to make sure folks see this}
The hottest “absurdist folk-punk collective” band in town, Sirius.B, will rock this Saturday, May 3rd at The Rocket Club in west Asheville. They were voted “Best Unknown Band” by the readers of Mtn. X last year, and the gig is to announce the release of their new CD “Dazzling Urbanites”. You can buy tickets here (special deal if you order the CD and ticket at the same time). To get a feel for the band, you can check out the tunes at their website, or read what Mountain X reporter Alli Marshall had to say:
“Absurdist folk-punk collective Sirius.B may be fairly new to the Asheville music scene, but their sound harkens back to an earlier era. Or eras, perhaps.”
The group is a scene unto itself, for starters. They packed their Saturday, Oct. 13, appearance at Bobo Gallery with a collection of punk street musicians, belly dancers, arty types in granny dresses and well-coifed fashionistas. Booties were shaking. Exotic dance steps were being executed. It was rather what one would imagine Athens, Georgia’s 40 Watt Club to have been like in the early days of R.E.M.
Only with more gypsy leanings. And Pancho “Chris†Bond’s sometimes snarling vocals would likely have frightened shy ‘80s Michael Stipe.”
[...]
“I have to say it. There’s a certain sense of unpredictability (perhaps staged, but palpable, nonetheless) and an undercurrent of righteous anger to Sirius.B’s songs. Take the raucous, irascible “Francophile”: emotive, danceable and fiery.”
[...]
“Sirius.B, it’s worth noting, is far prettier than the Pogues. Or Gogol Bordello. On the whole, they may well deserve some sort of prize for being Asheville’s most aesthetically pleasing band — that is, if everyone could just get past their impressively irreverent, combustible, three-ring circus of sound.”
Yes.
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