Some of what’s going around:
-The city of Asheville will change to district elections for Asheville City Council if N.C. Sen. Tom Apodoca, a Henderson County Republican, follows through on early talks of legislation to make that change, reports the Asheville Citizen-Times. Why make such a change? The newspaper reports that Apodaca tells some fellow legislators that there is a large group of south Asheville business people who feel that end of town has been historically under-represented on City Council.
–The Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park property in Maggie Valley is going up for sale, reports the Smoky Mountain News.
–A film crew in Marion is retelling the story of an unsolved McDowell County murder case, reports the McDowell News.
–A plan by a famous soul singer and her husband to turn an old Canton school into a top-notch community center is back on track, according to The Mountaineer newspaper. Songstress Gladys Knight and her husband, William “Billy” McDowell, a Canton native, hasn’t advanced far since the couple announced their intentions nearly three years ago after McDowell bought the property known as Reynolds School. Now McDowell says new architectural drawings should be ready within 90 days for a room-by-room renovation, the newspaper reports. McDowell says he an Knight plan to raise money for the work, while pledging half a million to $1 million dollars of their own money toward it.
–The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is considering building a large new mixed-use development on its Western North Carolina reservation, the Cherokee One Feather reports. Principal Chief Patrick Lambert has been touting the new development as a way to kickstart the local economy and benefit tourists and locals alike.
On June 7, tribal officials hosted representatives from the Cordish Company at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. The group talked about new entertainment, food and retail venues that could serve visitors and provide jobs, according to the report. Examples of those developments include Maryland Live and Fourth Street Live. Here’s a list of recent articles about the Cordish Company and some of its developments.
–There are a couple of clean-up events to be aware of this weekend, courtesy of Asheville Greenworks. More:
Celebrate Father’s Day than a spring-cleaning of old electronics, batteries and more at environmental nonprofit Asheville GreenWorks Hard 2 Recycle event Saturday followed by a river cleanup in collaboration with Mountain True and French Broad Chocolates Sunday. Get the little ones involved to recycle old books with Snake Rabbit and Snail Bookmobile, recycle unwanted pet items to Asheville Humane Society, e-cycle old electronics with Asheville Greenworks and One Click Fix and clean out unwanted personal care items to be up-cycled by Terracycle. A full list of what is and is not accepted can be found on GreenWorks website: www.ashevillegreenworks.org.
On Sunday, Asheville Greenworks has teamed up with Mountain True and French Broad Chocolates to host a river cleanup. The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. with volunteers meeting at Hominy Creek River Park. FBC owners Jael and Dan Rattigan will join the 4-mile cleanup with their two sons. The event will end around2 p.m. on Riverside Drive where shuttles will transport all involved back to their vehicles. Volunteers will receive a seasonal box of French Broad Chocolates along with a raffle ticket for the following celebration at Catawba Brewing Co.’s South Slope taproom following the cleanup. The raffle features $300 in gift certificates, including whitewater rafting trips on the French Broad River courtesy of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, French Broad Chocolates, Catawba Brewing Co., Vortex Donuts, Buxton Hall Barbecue, Burial Beer, Green Man Brewery and MountainTrue.
The Details:
What: Hard 2 Recycle event with Asheville GreenWorks
When & Where: Saturday, June 18 at 108 Monticello Road, Weaverville, NC (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
More information: Contact Asheville GreenWorks at 828-254 1776The Details (Part Two):
What: Father’s Day River Cleanup
When & Where: Hominy Creek River Park at 194 Hominy Creek Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
36 Comments
Peckerwood needs to explain how limiting the number of city councilpersons that Ashville citizens can vote for “increases” democracy. Sounds like another GOP attempt to create gerrymandered districts that will ensure that GOP candidates win. But that’s the GOP–they can’t win on the merits of their ideas so they have to rig the system.
Oh ye of little faith.
Asheville is a growing city and all areas should have representation in local government in a fair and democratic process.
Municipal district elections would require that all candidates running for Asheville city council reside in six separate and distinct geographical areas. Voters from a given district can only elect candidates from their district and not for candidates from any other district. Each of six districts would have one representative on the council——with the mayor elected at-large——totalling seven voting members.
District elections will widen the field, distribute leadership and ensure that the winners will sit on city council as authentic representatives of their respective communities. They will move the city away from centralization towards the decentralized empowerment of neighborhoods and those serving will be more representative of the actual makeup of the city.
If an issue come up is good for all of Asheville then there should be some agreement among the six district representatives.
With district elections, each vote carries more weight. With the current at-large election system, each vote goes to candidates running citywide. That vote competes with every other vote in the city. With the district elections system, each vote will compete only with other votes from that district in a closely delineated community of neighbors in a smaller pool of voters.
The progressive establishment opposes district elections (“naturally, we’re opposed to this” Manheimer) and wants to put up roadblocks (referendum, study groups, council drawing maps) and generate animus when in fact the proposal is generally viewed favorably among all political groups.
I think city council would prefer to continue with the current system where one or two districts make up the members of the body. They would not have done this themselves because it promises to disrupt concentrations of power, so it must be done for them. Good. The better it is for us.
http://timpeck.blogspot.com/2016/06/pete-kaliner-on-district-elections.html
Oh ye of little faith.
Asheville is a growing city and all areas should have representation in local government in a fair and democratic process.
Municipal district elections would require that all candidates running for Asheville city council reside in six separate and distinct geographical areas. Voters from a given district can only elect candidates from their district and not for candidates from any other district. Each of six districts would have one representative on the council——with the mayor elected at-large——totalling seven voting members.
District elections will widen the field, distribute leadership and ensure that the winners will sit on city council as authentic representatives of their respective communities. They will move the city away from centralization towards the decentralized empowerment of neighborhoods and those serving will be more representative of the actual makeup of the city.
If an issue comes before city council that is good for all of Asheville then there should be some agreement among the six district representatives.
With district elections, each vote carries more weight. With the current at-large election system, each vote goes to candidates running citywide. That vote competes with every other vote in the city. With the district elections system, each vote will compete only with other votes from that district in a closely delineated community of neighbors in a smaller pool of voters.
The progressive establishment opposes district elections (“naturally, we’re opposed to this” Manheimer) and wants to put up roadblocks (referendum, study groups, council drawing maps) and generate animus when in fact the proposal is generally viewed favorably among all political groups.
I think city council would prefer to continue with the current system where one or two districts make up the members of the body. They would not have done this themselves because it promises to disrupt concentrations of power, so it must be done for them. Good. The better it is for us.
timpeck.blogspot.com/2016/06/pete-kaliner-on-district-elections.html
In Shillville, “gerrymandering” = “increasing democracy”.
Nice one there, Tex. Go collect your paycheck.
I would have expected an actual argument using facts, evidence, and logic. Alas. Though this response IS in line with typical progressive debate.
Argue against an argument devoid of any facts, evidence and logic? An argument composed of nothing but supposition, poorly disguising a naked power play? Argue against a typical right-wing power grab in lieu of actually building consensus?
Argue against a troll, a pathetic shill?
Again, you have me outwitted.
If you had a wit to outwit. But you’re nothing but a raging bundle of scornful resentment. What’s to outwit?
Shill.
One word: Projection.
Keep up the good work, Mr. Smug.
Gotta show some effort for that paycheck.
Once again you have elucidated a subject that has so often proven elusive for your progressive fellows.
“in fact the proposal is generally viewed favorably among all political groups.”
Please provide evidence to back up this claim.
What’s that, Mr. Smug?
And yet the people of Asheville will have no opportunity to vote on this scheme, only the GOP hacks in Raleigh. Now that’s what I call democracy! NOT!
The House Rules Committee will take up SB897 today. Then to the House floor.
twitter.com/wcqs/status/747895296273813504
“Why make such a change?”
To increase democracy.
Oh, Texas Mouthpiece, as if you know of such things.
Perhaps you have a counter-argument? No?
Counter-argument to what? “To increase democracy”? That’s an argument? Christ. Why don’t you go back to bashing Muslims and transgendered people, you supercilious sh*t?
Interesting. The peanut gallery is devoid of intellectual content. Color me surprised.
“To increase democracy” counts as an intellectually valid argument in troll town, apparently.
Well, here you have to bring better game, and a smidge of integrity. Shill.
“Shill.”
Thanks for your intellectual contribution. You follow a long tradition of progressive thought.
You follow a long tradition of shilling.
Shill.
How enlightening. You have a wide vocabulary.
“Confederate” works well, too.
Wow. You know two words.
Congrats, troll. Another successful troll.
Shill.
“Congrats, troll. Another successful troll. Shill.”
I can always find the very best of progressive thought in these pages.
And we count on you for only the best shilling, along with your daily heaping dose of self-congratulatory preening and indiscriminate bigotry.
It’s amazing how quickly you assimilate the latest bullshit from on high. Like this latest “conservatives are the true protectors of the LGBT community” canard. You regurgitated it hours after it had made its first appearance. It’s as if your system has no buffer between the party line and your grubby little fingers on the keyboard.
You’re nearly the perfect stenographer.
And we count on you for only the best shilling, along with your daily heaping dose of self-congratulatory preening and indiscriminate bigotry.
It’s amazing how quickly you assimilate the latest bullsh*t from on high. Like this latest “conservatives are the true protectors of the LGBT community” canard. You regurgitated it hours after it had made its first appearance. It’s as if your system has no buffer between the party line and your grubby little fingers on the keyboard.
You’re nearly the perfect stenographer.
Here’s an intellectual contribution:
Please provide any evidence to support your repeated statement, “…in fact the proposal is generally viewed favorably among all political groups.”
Still waiting, but so far just crickets.
For everyone on pins and needles, Mr. Peck has just basically admitted that he lied, that there is no evidence that anyone but him and his employers are all for forced district elections. Whatta shocker.
bit.ly/28JoLtf (drag & drop)
My, we’re all chatty. Scientists have discovered the source of this malady:
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/681528/chatty-gene-discovered-medical-science-breakthrough-autism-treatments
Obviously, I do, Texas Timbit: the idea that the people who gerrymandered Asheville into two congressional districts, who gerrymandered a disproportionate split of US House seats and who gerrymandered themselves a disproportionate state-level supermajority give a picoshit about “increasing democracy” is absurd on its face.
But you know that, because you’re a sad little paid shill, and we know that, because we know you’re a sad little paid shill.
“Apodaca tells some fellow legislators that there is a large group of south Asheville business people who feel that end of town has been historically under-represented on City Council.”
I’m sure there is a large group of south Asheville residents who feel historically under-represented by Mr Apodoca, a man who has never been shy in favoring the nearly-dead Birchers of Henderson County who vote for him.
Could it be that the reason some have recently seen the Texas undertaker hovering around the reanimated corpse of Tim Moffitt’s political career is that they’re angling to run him for this newly created district?
Oh please please please gods! Make it so!