Welcome to DKos Asheville . This space appears each weekend to share links to news and opinion from Asheville and Western North Carolina. The floor is open for comment and discussion. Wishing all a good day from this beautiful part of the world.
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Please jump the fold. My daughter and grandson are UNCA graduates, and I experienced the Asheville Airport experience this week, coming and going, so some of these stories hit home for me. I hope you enjoy reading the following highlights I found interesting.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Following the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden on Thursday, June 27, many Asheville citizens said that although they felt the debate did not meet their expectations, it did not stop them from choosing their preferred candidate.
[Regarding “UNCA Chancellor Proposes Four Academic Programs for Elimination, One for Reduction,” June 13, Asheville Watchdog viaXpress website:]
UNC Asheville has been a beacon of educational integrity and ingenuity for decades, so this latest turn of events is disturbing. One suggestion would be for our legislature to stop handing out vouchers for private school attendance and focus on adequately funding public schools and universities.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — UNC Asheville announced the proposal of its plan to cut four programs to help with budget deficits just over two weeks ago. The Drama Department was one of them.
"It was like a punch to the gut," said Valerie Lounsbury, senior in the department. "It was one of the most upsetting things I think I've ever heard. It's shifted my perspective on everything in my entire life by being a part of this program."
Lise Kloeppel, the department chair, said her first reaction was just sadness.
"The department has fed a lot of the local theatre community in Asheville," Kloeppel said. "A lot of what we do is not easily quantifiable."
The department was for more people than just those under the major.
The Buncombe County Board of Education is not happy with the direction state legislators are taking in funding schools.
The school board passed a resolution 7-0 in a special meeting June 27 calling on the N.C. General Assembly to increase teacher salaries, allocate funding for early childhood education and put a moratorium on the state’s private school voucher program.
“The diversion of public funds to private schools through taxpayer-funded vouchers poses a significant financial threat to public schools, potentially depriving them of essential resources and compromising the quality of education for all students,” said Superintendent Rob Jackson, reading from the resolution.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Asheville's Fourth of July celebration is moving from Pack Square Park to the South Slope this year, and possibly permanently.
This change was prompted by the installation of solar panels on top of the parking deck where fireworks were previously set off. This forced the Asheville Downtown Association to find a new launch site.
Pack Square Park, the original location, would have obscured the view of the fireworks. But the fireworks will be visible from the South Slope, meaning that it may become the new permanent location.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expecting the next ten days of summer to be some of the busiest travel days of the year, with more than 28 million Americans predicted to take to the skies.
This increase in passengers will mean an even busier Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), which is already under the strain of constant construction during its ongoing expansion.
About two weeks ago, WLOS anchor Marc Liverman shot a video on his cell phone while waiting for a flight that shows passengers waiting to board on the hot tarmac. As the summer season surges, passengers are also having to wait in long lines outside of the airport to get their bags checked. Along with this is a lengthy wait for TSA screening.
“Before we get started, I just want to see by show of hands how many of you have flown in the last three weeks?” Tina Kinsey, Asheville Regional Airport vice president of marketing, public relations and air service asked at the June 26 meeting of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA).
Most of the hands that shot up belonged to BCTDA board members, but the story Kinsey told of the airport’s explosive growth indicated that the rest of the infrequently flying crowd in the Explore Asheville meeting room was not representative.
Asheville Regional Airport is one of the fastest-growing airports in the country, and the third-busiest in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, Tinsley said. In 2023, a record 2.25 million passengers were served. That breaks down to 4,000 daily passengers outbound on 36 daily flights, each carrying an average of 110 people headed to 34 destinations.
Carolina Public Press
July could serve as an important turning point in the saga of HCA and Mission Health.
Affiliated Monitors’ series of public meetings concerning HCA’s hospitals across Western North Carolina wrapped up last week. The deadline for Dogwood Health Trust to deliver its opinion to the N.C. Attorney General’s office about whether HCA breached its Asset Purchase Agreement is fast approaching.
And just one week remains until the contract expiration date of Mission Health’s nurses.
Mission Health is a group of six hospitals and related medical facilities in Western North Carolina, the biggest of which is in Asheville. The other five hospitals are in small towns in nearby mountain counties.
HCA, which stands for Hospital Corporation of America, bought Mission Health from its previous nonprofit owner in 2019 for $1.5 billion. The Tennessee-based for-profit corporation’s operation of the hospitals has garnered much criticism.
Reducing gun violence in cities across the U.S., including Asheville, is a complicated challenge. Experts say this problem requires a focused commitment by law enforcement and anti-violence community members.
This week's video of a shootout showed multiple people armed with multiple handguns and one AR-15 in the Livingston Heights complex, which revealed the violent scene that led to 40-year-old Ashley Waddell's death.
CHEROKEE, N.C. – The “Unto These Hills” outdoor drama is celebrating 74 years. In their 74th anniversary season, the Cherokee Historical Association (CHA) iconic show and amphitheater boasts maintenance and infrastructural improvements as well as enhancements to the show and script, balancing the nostalgia of the original Kermit Hunter script and increased incorporation of Cherokee language, culture, and history of the Indian Removal.
The 2024 season runs through Aug. 17. Director D Granke says CHA anticipates a successful season. “We have some cast members who come back year after year and sort of create a rhythm and routine to the show, but then every year we also have some new people who make little changes and bring something different to their role. So, every year is a little different.”
CHA Program Manager Dustin Wolfe, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation who currently plays Yonaguska in the Drama, says each year is an opportunity for growth. “Every year [‘Unto These Hills’] becomes a bit closer to representing more of the culture. There is, of course, an artistic license that’s there and it’s always going to be there. It’s not going to be able to be completely historically accurate, but this year, you get a copy of the script and there is not only Cherokee Syllabary, but also a pronunciation guide adding more and more bits and pieces of the language every year,” Wolfe said. “I’m excited every year putting it on just to see what little changes we’re going to manage to get into it.”
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Tribal leadership attended the historic Tri-Council meeting recently, a significant gathering that unites the three sovereign Cherokee nations: the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and the Cherokee Nation. Hosted by the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, Okla., this important event served as an opportunity for the tribes to come together, share their experiences, and work collectively towards our common goals.
The week included a tour of the New Durbin Feeling Immersion School/Language Center, the Mige Glory Veterans Housing Addition, and the Ga-Li-Sto-De Housing Addition. These tours allowed EBCI leadership to see firsthand the innovative programs and initiatives implemented by the Cherokee Nation, showcasing advancements in education, housing, and veteran services.
The Tri-Council General Session commenced on Thursday, June 20. During this session, a resolution calling for preserving Moccasin Bend, a site of deep historical and cultural significance, was passed unanimously.
Moccasin Bend, located on the Tennessee River peninsula in Hamilton County, Tenn., is an area of immense archaeological and historical importance – evidence of ancient villages and burial mounds at the site points to its long-term occupation by Native Americans. In the early 1800s, Moccasin Bend was a critical crossing point on the Tennessee River, where the United States Government constructed the Federal Road across Moccasin Bend in 1805, a path that later became part of the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation route of the Cherokee People in 1838. Despite its historical significance, efforts to preserve Moccasin Bend have faced numerous challenges.
RIOBAMBA, EC – Two members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and alumni of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Colby Taylor and Juanita Paz-Chalacha, recently returned from a cultural exchange trip in Ecuador along with Kituwah Preservation Education Program Education Curriculum Developer Hartwell Francis.
The trip is part of an ongoing international exchange program funded by the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador. In 2023, Indigenous students from the Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, or the National University of Chimborazo (UNACH) in Riobamba, Ecuador, visited UNC and Cherokee. Paz-Chalacha, Taylor, and Francis all reported that the students from Ecuador were impressed with Cherokee’s cultural district, especially the Museum of the Cherokee People and Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual.
“[Ecuador] cultural tourism is more so about how quickly they can get rid of stuff and the volume of it and less about valuing the craftsmanship. They are just trying to get rid of their stuff so they can feed their families, which is reminiscent of our cultural economy a few decades ago,” Taylor said.
“Now, our artists are valued. We value their art; we value their craftsmanship. In Ecuador, they spend hours and hours laboring on these beautiful cultural pieces, and then they’ll end up selling their art for $10.”
Transylvania County, the so-called "land of waterfalls," has over 250 waterfalls within its borders alone. But waterfalls abound all around the region. From challenging hikes to roadside access, WNC has something for everyone when it comes to waterfall spotting.
Here are a few options for this season, with something for everyone.
What is the tallest waterfall in NC?
Which NC waterfall can visitors slide down?
Short waterfall hikes
Waterfall swimming holes
Be Waterfall Wise: waterfall safety tips
Thanks for stopping by today, wishing you a nice holiday weekend.
”Be safe out there.” Lamont Cranston