Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Some of what’s going around this week, including news about tacos, another gasoline pipeline accident and much more:
-We’re looking a high temperature today close to 80 degrees. If that’s not scary, I don’t know what is. Happy Halloween! Have fun out there.
-There’s been another accident along the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies gasoline to the Asheville area. Back in September, a pipeline leak triggered a run on local fuel supplies. Most gas stations either ran out of gasoline or had short supplies for about a week. We’ll see what happens here.
–Carrier Park restroom renovations are complete, says the city of Asheville.
-The Blue Ridge Roller Girls are preparing to compete this weekend in the Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association national championships in Portland. Cheer ’em on!
-Factoids of the day, courtesy of Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger:
Buncombe County stats, from Sept. 1, 2015 through Sept. 1, 2016:
Births: 4,239
Deaths: 3,570
Marriages: 2,732, with approximately 478 of those marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples
–Sky Zone Trampoline Park is nearing its November opening in South Asheville.
-Loyal reader Russ reports that Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack on Smoky Park Highway is hard at work
–Word on the street: BarTaco is opening Nov. 10 on Biltmore Avenue, and Mountain Madre Mexican Kitchen & Agave Bar is opening Nov. 11 on Walnut Street, both in downtown.
–The Asheville Art Museum will temporarily close its 2 South Pack Square beginning Oct. 31 to allow for a major construction project, according to a press release. More:
In December, the museum plans to open Asheville Art Museum On the Slope, a small pop-up Museum at 175 Biltmore Avenue (the old Foam & Fabric building), which will house a gift shop, a rotating intimate exhibition gallery and an education studio. It will also serve as the temporary offices for Museum staff.
As the Museum begins this time of transition, it will continue an active schedule of programming for all ages off-site with community partners across WNC. The Museum is pleased to be working with a few organizations that will store its Permanent Collection in secure and climate-controlled environments. In addition, the Museum is collaborating with a number of community partners such as Western Carolina University, the State Employees’ Credit Union and Wells Fargo to present works on view to the public during the construction phase. Programs for children will continue at local public libraries, as well as On the Slope.
–ICYMI: Stefanie Darr, hired in January as the Asheville Area Arts Council’s operations manager, is serving as the organization’s interim executive director.
–Insurance Service of Asheville, Inc. is holding its 7th annual “Toasty” drive from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, according to a press release. More:
The locally owned and independent insurance agency, in partnership with Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry and radio station 98.1FM The River, is holding the drive in the parking lot of its offices at Executive Park at the corner of College and Charlotte streets to collect new and clean, gently used blankets and warm clothing for ABCCM’s Crisis Ministry. The public is encouraged to stop by the drive, drop off a donation of one or more blankets or winter wearables, and enjoy coffee, donuts, and home-baked breakfast treats from the ISA staff. Staff from ABCCM, Insurance Service of Asheville, and 98.1FM The River’s live remote team will be on hand for the blanket drive.
-The 5Point Film Festival has laid off Micah Pulleyn, the director of the festival in Asheville, Pulleyn confirms in a FB post. The event, held in early October, was in its second year here in Asheville. The film festival showcases “inspiring adventure films” and is based in Carbondale, Colo. It also holds a film fest in Bellingham, Wash.
-Last week Gannett, the largest newspaper company in the U.S., slashed 2 percent of its staff. That included laying off 9 full-time workers at the Asheville Citizen-Times, including veteran reporters Dale Neal and Tony Kiss, who both worked at the newspaper for 32 years, and editorial page editor Jim Buchanan, another long-time employee. U.S. News & World Report, in its story following the Gannett layoffs, reported:
CEO Robert Dickey said on a call with analysts Thursday that layoffs “touched across all areas” of the company and will mean $10 million a year in savings. He said that the company is trying not to cut reporters to keep up the quality of its journalism.
–Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry’s Transformation Village initiative, which when built will house hundreds of homeless women, children and intact families, is one of 200 national finalists for a $25,000 grant from the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program, and needs online votes to be in the top 40 to receive the grant, according to a press release. More:
Voting closes Friday, Nov. 4. Anyone with a valid email address can vote at www.neighborhoodassist.com to help bring $25,000 each to of the nonprofits, such as ABCCM, affiliated with the top 40 vote-getting causes. Anyone voting is allowed up to 10 votes per day. The final results will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
Transformation Village, which is currently in a capital campaign phase, will be a transitional living facility named in recognition of the transformative impact it will have not only on the lives of its residents, but on the community as a whole. It will provide homeless individuals and families with a safe and secure living space and the tools they need to eventually move on and live self-sufficiently. The facility will eventually replace ABCCM’s Steadfast House, which currently has 43 beds (including 10 beds for female veterans) and a waiting list of more than 300 women and children. Phase One of the project will triple ABCCM’s current capacity to house homeless women and children.
Rocky’s = best chicken tenders anywhere in WNC….err,scratch that….anywhere is the USA!
When will we see a Tacos Tacos Tacos! location here? That’s when you know you’re really arrived.
. . . and Rocky’s is on Patton Avenue not Smoky Park Highway
Where Patton Ave ends and Smokey Park Highway begins would keep the Answer Man going for weeks. The big Goodwill and DMV have Smokey Park Hwy addresses, but the auto lots further west on the other side of the road are on Patton.
None of this is relevant to Rocky’s, of course. It’s on Patton.
Rocky’s Chicken Shack is hard at work… on an expansion of their kitchen and patio at their West Asheville location.
Thank you! I was trying to sort that item out in my head . . . like, isn’t that where they’ve always been?