Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
More of what’s going around:
-Attention river rats: French Broad Outfitters has opened a second outpost at Hominy Creek. FBO’s main building is located at 704 Riverside Drive. The new Hominy Creek location, 230 Hominy Creek Road, features more rentals, music and a storage container bar.
-David McCartney, general manager of the Aloft Asheville Downtown, has been named Aloft General Manager of the Year by Marriott International, according to a press release. In addition, the Aloft Asheville Downtown hotel was voted the Best Pet Friendly Hotel by USA Today in 2016 and was the recipient of the 2016 Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Award. More:
McCartney is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Aloft Asheville Downtown, where he has served as general manager since 2013. McCartney has more than 30 years of demonstrated success in the hospitality industry and has won numerous awards for his leadership and proven success in achieving operational efficiencies and business goals. He has worked with brands such as Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott International, Hostmark Hospitality Group and New Castle Hotels.
-In case you missed it, are you familiar with the “brunch bill” proposed in the N.C. General Assembly? Lots of bars/restaurants are excited about the chance to start selling booze a little bit earlier on a Sunday.
-Mark “Dr. Dream” Peebler, an internationally known holistic healing practitioner, is bringing his Tibetan Healing Bowl Experience to Violet Owl Wellness on Wall Street in downtown Asheville on Friday, according to a press release. The event, presenting 33 Tibetan Healing Bowls, is in support of the Gilung and Sindupalachoka Villages in Nepal which were devastated by a series of earthquakes.
-Another proposed bill working its way through the N.C. General Assembly would require members of Asheville City Council to be elected by districts. That bill made its way out of the N.C. Senate on Wednesday and now heads to the N.C. House, where it died, spectacularly, last year. On Tuesday, Asheville City Council agree to move ahead with putting a referendum on the November ballot asking city voters if they favor six districts for Asheville City Council.
-Becca Droz, a 2014 outdoor leadership studies graduate from Warren Wilson College, is competing on the current season of “The Amazing Race,” according to a press release from the college. Droz took part in the race last summer, but the episodes did not start airing until March 30. As of episode five, which aired April 20, she is ranked third along with her teammate, Floyd Pierce. “It’s going great. I love watching,” said Droz. “One of my goals throughout was to be able to watch myself and laugh and smile, and I am definitely accomplishing that.”
-Leslie Grotenhuis and Greg Duff of the Asheville Running Experience recently presented a check to Bill Murdoch of Eblen Charities as the designated charity of the event, according to a press release. In the first two years, the ARX Partnership has donated more than $5,200 to the Arby’s/Eblen Joyful Home for the Holidays program, which funded 3,500 meals for children in Buncombe County. The 2017 Asheville Running Experience will take place September 22-24 and features the ARX Half Marathon; Asheville Brewing Super Heroes 5K (and Lil’ Heroes Fun Run), presented by Black Orthodontics; the Chasing Trail 8K at Richmond Hill Park and the Asheville Urban Odyssey.
-Visual artist Kirsten Stolle has a new exhibition up at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem. Her show will be up through May 21. Stolle, who is based in Marshall, is a visual artist working in collage, drawing and mixed media. Her research-based practice is grounded in the investigation of corporate propaganda, environmental politics, and biotechnology. Disarm is a collage and drawing project examining the historical legacy and impact of the Cold War-era US Nike missile program within a 21st century framework. The artist would like to acknowledge and thank the artist residency program Willapa Bay AiR as a supporter, according to a press release.
-Highland Brewing has a new seasonal coming soon, Big Briar Tart Raspberry Ale. “Big Briar hits the spring sweet spot at an approachable 5.4 percentABV with a touch of tartness and all natural ingredients. It even looks like spring with its coral color,” according to a press release.