Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
More of what’s going around:
-Applications for artists interested in showing at the Big Crafty are now open. Apply to the Big Crafty here. Deadline to apply is Oct. 9. The event is set for Dec. 4 at the U.S. Cellular Center, a new location for the popular event showcasing local artists, makers and craftspeople.
-Somebody broke into the new Lexington Corner Market on Monday night and stole some cash from the new downtown, locally owned convenience store. Go by and support them if you can.
–Registration is open for the 40th annual Thomas Wolfe 8k race on Oct. 15.
–WLOS has posted a job opening for a weekend meteorologist/reporter. Word on the street is that Zack Green is leaving.
–Friends of the Smokies has received a grant for $102,500 from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. The funds will continue to support the Seeking Paths in Nature (SPiN) program and enable the program’s expansion into schools in seven Western North Carolina counties, according to a press release. In related news, the Friends of the Smokies annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon raised more than $200,000.
-A test run of the new regulations for downtown Asheville street musicians and performers starts in October. The latest proposal will focus on two hot locations for buskers: the Flat Iron sculpture on Battery Park Avenue and in front of Woolworth Work nearby on Haywood Street. The city plans to paint or place some sort of symbol on the sidewalk to designate the area that buskers can perform in.
–The Council Chronicles, which takes a light-hearted approach to covering city government meetings, has a Q&A with Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer.
-On Friday, October 7th, Funny Business at the Millroom presents Andy Hendrickson, who is a regular on late night TV talk shows, according to a press release. More:
Hendrickson is a comedian, writer and actor that built his career in New York City and now resides in Los Angeles. He has a clever, conversational style and has been engaging audiences for well over a decade. Since 2013, he’s had multiple TV appearances including: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Gotham Comedy Live. Internationally, Andy has performed at clubs and festivals throughout the world, including Canada, England, Holland and Ireland.
–At 7 p.m. on Sept. 22 at The Weinhaus, representatives of the Libertarian and Green parties, along with non-partisan grassroots movements, will participate in a panel forum discussion on the topic of the relevance of third parties titled “America at the Crossroads: What does the future hold for our political parties?” The event will feature local Asheville city councilman and former Democrat, Cecil Bothwell, former city councilman and Republican, Carl Mumpower, Libertarian candidate for NC Senate in District 49, William Meredith, NC Green Party Volunteer Coordinator, Tony Ngege, and more. The Buncombe County Libertarian Party chair, Nate Phillips, will read a statement at the event to call for changes to North Carolina election law to reduce the requirement for independents and third parties to levels defined in the Voter Freedom Act of 2013, and begin reforms in the federal government to increase the number of representatives and establish proportional representation. For more information, contact Nate Phillips (LPNC) at [email protected].
The Fairview precincts of the Buncombe County Democratic Party are inviting the Western North Carolina public to meet the party’s area candidates from 3-5 p.m. on Sept. 17 at Sherrill’s Inn, located at 15 Clarke Lane, Fairview, just south of Hickory Nut Gap Farm on Route 74-A, according to a press release. The informal event will feature an opportunity to discuss issues with many Asheville, Buncombe County and other WNC candidates. It will also include a silent auction, music, edibles, fun, and more. Area candidates expected to attend are John Ager, Susan Fisher, Ed Hayes, David King, Matt Kern, Nancy Nehls Nelson, Brownie Newman, Donna Pate and Terry Van Duyn. Other state and local candidates may also attend.
