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SNAPSHOT - December 26, 2008 c

MEDIABEAR PRESENTS
DowntownAsheville.com: Connected
'Community News from the Grassroots Up' TM

*TODAY'S Weather | And forecast. Click Here>
*AIR Quality | Particle pollution. Click Here>
*ASHEVILLE AREA Maps | Find your way. Click Here>
*DETAILED GOOGLE Street Map | It's new. Click Here>
*LINKS Directory | Good stuff daily. Click Here>
*13 CALENDARS of Events | What's new to do. Click Here>

HOLIDAY READER

EARTH GUILD ON HAYWOOD STREET: Click Here>* Belzak/Mediabear

HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

TOP STORIES

How the County Spent Taxpayer Dollars
*REVIEW OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY Monies Spent in 2008 | Click Here>

Asheville Design Center: 'Scrutiny Hooligans Is Right On Target'

I-26 Connector Controversy Revs Up:
Citizens Must Log Comments with NC DOT by Dec. 31, Asheville Design Center's Minicozzi Speaks Out, Commission's Meeting Delayed Until Jan. 6, Chamber Weighs In
Controversial I-26 Connector Alternatives Reviewed by Buncombe Commissioners, Asheville Design Center's Award-Winning Alternative 4B Ignored, Threat of Lawsuit Looms

*WRITES ADC'S JOE MINICOZZI in Scrutiny Hooligans: "... Because of the amount of approved plans and resolutions that support the separation of interstate and local traffic (and DOT’s own admission that keeping interstate and local traffic together is 'dangerous') selecting an Alternate that goes against this will almost certainly guarantee a lawsuit that will tie this project up for another decade." | On Dec. 21, 2008, Asheville Design Center's Joe Minicozzi took off the kid gloves and spoke against the Commissioners rush to approve an I-26 design that lacks community support. Joining other concerned citizens, Minicozzi spoke out on Scrutiny Hooligans' update concerning the I-26 connector issue. For Minicozzi's complete statement (Response #10): Click Here>

*ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES GIVES DETAILS of why Buncombe Commissioners canceled meeting on Dec. 23 | Special public meeting is rescheduled for Jan. 6, 2009 | Click Here>

*CHAMBER WEIGHS IN on its I-26 Connector recommendation | The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce recently posted its recommendation for how the commissioners should vote concerning the I-26 connector | Click Here>

FOR MORE NEWS ABOUT THIS GROWING TEMPEST, Click Here>

Annual 'State of Downtown' Luncheon Jan. 8
*INTENDED TO ADDRESS Needs and Concerns of Downtown Businesses and Residents | Presented by the Asheville Downtown Association. To reserve your place, Click Here>

Public Meeting to Discuss New Park Jan. 8
*PUBLIC MEETING SET FOR JAN. 8, 2009, to discuss purchase of 30 acres to create new park | City of Asheville, Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Department is hosting a meeting to invite public comment on the city's purchase of property known as Beaucatcher Overlook to be used for recreational purposes. The tract is the largest parcel of undeveloped land within the city limits. | For details, Click Here>

Downtown Master Plan Public Meeting Jan. 15
*FINAL PUBLIC MEETING: The last draft of the Downtown Master Plan will be presented Thurs., Jan. 15, 2009, 7-9 p.m. at the Asheville Civic Center | The public is encouraged to attend, said project manager Sasha Vrtunski. The consultants will present a summary of the plan, and there will be time for questions and answers. The Asheville City Council will likely vote on the plan (and any changes) in March. | “This is an important meeting for our community,” said Downtown Commission chair Pat Whalen. “We’ve all worked hard on this – many citizens have come to multiple meetings - and now we have the chance to see the product and provide our feedback.” | For details, Click Here>

Apply for Citizen Commission Posts by Jan. 15
*CITIZENS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY to fill one of a number vacancies | The City of Asheville has a number of city council boards and commission openings that must be filled. Deadline for applications: Jan. 15, 2009. | For details, Click Here>

Job Fair Set for Dec. 30
*CHAMBER OF COMMERCE announces a job fair by companies looking to hire in 2009 | Area residents and visitors who are seeking jobs or a change in career are encouraged to attend the free event to be held in the center court of Biltmore Square Mall on Hwy. 191/Brevard Rd. (off I-26) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | For details, Click Here>

THE WORKS: SANTA SHRINE BY HARRY MCDANIEL

'Small Works' Sculpture Exhibit Opens
*2008 'MOUNTAIN SCULPTORS' ANNUAL EXHIBITION Runs Through Jan. 2, 2009 | A reception for the opening of a new exhibition, known as "The Works," was held Dec. 19, 2008, at Vadim Bora Studio-Gallery on Battery Park Avenue. Featured are the works of 19 accomplished regional sculptors, who are members of the Mountain Sculptors. Unusual is that the displayed works are smaller than what the sculptors are typically known to produce. The works utilize a wide range of materials, including metal, wood and concrete. | For details, Click Here>

Former Citizen-Times Editor Files $15 Million Lawsuit
*GANNETT NEWSPAPERS JUST RECEIVED BAD NEWS from its former Asheville Citizen-Times executive editor Susan Ihne | Ihne recently filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against her former employer. She claims, according to a Dec. 17, 2008, MountainXpress report, that the newspaper's publisher "bullied and harrassed" her. | For MTX article by Jason Sanford, Click Here> | To read the lawsuit filed against Gannett and Randy Hammer, the company's publisher in Asheville, Click Here>

Taking Stock at Progress Energy
*MIKE HOPPING'S LATEST INSTALLMENT of Electrifying Developments | Local author/journalist Michael Hopping filed his latest report about Progress Energy and its citizens' council (CEAC), which is designed to better chart the region's future electricity needs. Hopping's report is based on the most recent regularly scheduled CEAC meeting. The group was formed by Progress following a local citizen's revolt in 2007 that toppled its plans to build an oil-fired electricity generation plant in the north Buncombe County city of Woodfin. | Writes Hopping: "Progress Energy’s Community Energy Advisory Council (CEAC) closed out its year by reviewing Progress’s 2008 achievements and thinking ahead to 2009. Along with the attaboys and good cheer, some news items surfaced." For Hopping's full report dated Dec. 12, 2008, Click Here> | For Asheville-based blogger Heather Rayburn's kudos to Progress for its progress, Click Here> | For more info about Progress Energy's renewable energy initiatives, Click Here>

POLICE REPORTS

Six Charged in Prostitution Sting
*POLICE CONDUCT STREET LEVEL PROSTITUTION OPERATION along S. French Broad Ave., Haywood Rd., and Coxe Ave. | The Asheville Police Dept. reported that six people were charged with soliciting undercover officers for prostitution during a prostitution sting conducted on Dec. 18, 2008. Charged were Ronald Worley (Asheville), Kevin Eugene Smith (Asheville), Stacie Ramsey (Asheville), Kashif Grant (Swannanoa), Boyce Layton, Jr. (Asheville), and Mary Myrick (Asheville).

Man Pleads Guilty in July 4 Murder, Receives 12 Years
*STEVEN SHULTZ PLEADS GUILTY of July 4th murder of Fred McLeod at Dec. 15, 2009, Buncombe County Superior Court trial | The murder had taken place during a drug deal turned violent in the Beaucatcher Cinemas parking lot across from the Asheville Mall. | For details, Click Here>

Police Announce DUI Crackdown During the Holidays
*ASHEVILLE POLICE are participating in a 2008 holiday campaign to clamp down on intoxicated drivers | The Asheville Police Department recently announced that it will work in conjunction with agencies statewide and participate in the North Carolina governor’s highway safety program known as “Booze It & Lose It" campaign. Announced actions include stepped up patrols and a concentration on impaired drivers.

How to Be Safer at ATMs
*POLICE OFFER SAFETY TIPS After Rash of ATM Holdups |
On Oct. 29, Nov. 13, and most recently on Nov. 18, 2008, Asheville police reported three incidents of armed holdups when patrons tried to make withdrawals or deposits at the automated teller machine at the Wachovia branch (2373 Hendersonville Road). In light of these problems, the police offer the following tips to increase safety at ATMs: Click Here>

ART NEWS

3rd Annual RiverSculpture Though Jan. 5
*EVENT MOVED TO FUTURE SITE of the New Downtown of Woodfin | Click Here>

FEATURED NEWS

KILWIN'S ON BATTERY PARK AVE. * Belzak/Mediabear

Shopping Downtown Is Tasty
*INDEPENDENT LOCAL BUSINESSES provide holiday cheer | For a night-time window tour of Downtown Asheville, Click Here> | For detailed info about merchants on Lexington Avenue and Wall Street, Click Here> | For a list of the 46 downtown merchants who participated in ADA's 2008 annual holiday windows display contest, Click Here> | For more 2008 photos compliments of DowntownAsheville.com, Click Here>

Make War, Not Peace?
*THE CONTINUOUS WAR CONCEPT perpetuated by the USA and other so-called civilized societies must be examined | A Dec. 16, 2008, Truthout.com perspective that focuses on war, death and disappearing children is relevant during this season that celebrates goodwill for all humankind. | "The concept of war has been both expanded and inverted," writes Henry A. Giroux. "It no longer simply refers to a war waged against a sovereign state... . The concept of war has been inverted." | For more, Click Here>

'Tis the Season for Peace
*STAND FOR PEACE AT VANCE MONUMENT Each Tues. Afternoon | For more about Asheville's ongoing peace, not war, demonstrations, Click Here>

Gingerbread House Display Open to the Public
*THE GROVE PARK INN'S ANNUAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION AND PUBLIC DISPLAY runs through Jan. 11, 2009. | For details, Click Here>

UNC Asheville to Close for Winter Break
*UNC ASHEVILLE WILL BE CLOSED for winter break Dec. 20, 2008, through Jan. 4, 2009. | Some UNCA offices will be open on a limited basis Dec. 22-23, Dec. 29-31 and Jan. 2. | For more details, Click Here>

Tourism Guru Kelly Miller Installed as New Councilman
*EXECUTIVE V.P. OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE KELLY MILLER WAS INSTALLED BY ASHEVILLE CITY COUNCIL AS ITS NEWEST MEMBER on Fri., Dec. 12, 2008 | Kelly Miller, who heads up the tourism section of the Asheville chamber and oversees the popular website, ExploreAshevile.com, was appointed at the regularly scheduled Asheville City Council monthly meeting on Dec. 9, 2008. He replaces Holly Jones, who vacated her seat on the Asheville City Council when she won her bid and was installed as one of five Buncombe County commissioners. The Asheville City Council reviewed over 40 applications. | For more details, Click Here>

Found! And Now Living with Father
*MISSING TEEN Jessica Renee Hall has been found | Last seen in Downtown Asheville's Pritchard Park on July 23, 2008, this Morganton, NC, teenager was located this past weekend in Eugene, Oregon. "Jessica is living with me now in Massachusetts," Jessica's father, Jonathan Hall, told DowntownAsheville.com on Fri., Dec. 19, 2008. He said that he flew out to Oregon to pick her up after she had called him on Dec. 10. Jessica Hall had been missing since July 5, 2008, when she had run away from her mother's Morganton home. The Morganton police confirmed that Jessica had been found.

SHOPPING ASHEVILLE
Featuring Local Businesses and Organizations

New Discounted Memberships for 2009 Season
*SOLID NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION has been promoting jazz in the mountains since 2003. | WNC Jazz Society brings great musical acts and provides educational programs. | For info, Click Here>

Swedish Massage by Brett Rodgers * Photo: Vitality Massage

Give (Yourself) the Gift of Massage
*ONE HOUR OF BODYWORK THERAPY FOR $35 BY A LICENSED ASHEVILLE PRO is one introduction that the weary shopper can't pass up to become revitalized | Treat yourself to a full range of massage by Brett Rodgers (NC License #7557). | Click Here>

Chamber Launches Local Coupon Website
*NEW, MONEY-SAVING COUPONS AVAILABLE ON CHAMBER'S NEW WEBSITE, SaveInAsheville.com | To download online coupons provided by local businesses and professionals, Click He re>

FOR MORE IDEAS AT SHOPPINGASHEVILLE.COM, Click Here>

ON THE BEAT

RAPID RIVER MAGAZINE IS THE REGION'S OLDEST AND
MOST WIDELY READ ARTS AND CULTURE MONTHLY

*CURRENT ISSUE of Rapid River | Click Here>
*CURRENT ISSUE of MountainXpress | Click Here>
*CURRENT ISSUE of WNC Woman | Click Here>

POOL TREE BY ZEN SUTHERLAND

Zen's Stunning Collection of Asheville Area Photos
*ZENOGRAPHY by Zen Sutherland | Make some time this busy holiday season to see life through the lens of one of Asheville's greatest contemporary photographers. | For hundreds of remarkable images, Click Here>

Promoting Social Justice
*OUT IN ASHEVILLE Launches Daily Gay News Online | For current OIA/LGBTQ news, Click Here>

*MELISSA ETHERIDGE: On Rev. Rick Warren | With unity in mind, Click Here>

CITY GOVERNMENT NEWS

*FIRE MARSHAL WARNS VIOLATORS of Increased Enforcement | If someone stays with a vehicle being loaded, they are not in violation of the city ordinance, said Asheville Fire and Rescue Department officials. However, shoppers will be subject to a fine if they illegally park their vehicles in travel lanes of parking lots, in front of fire hydrants and in fire lanes. Such violations present emergency vehicles and personnel with access problems. Local deputy fire marshals request that shoppers properly park their cars, load their vehicles in loading zones, and have someone stay with the vehicle while loading.

*WANT FALLEN LEAVES DELIVERED or Want Them Removed? | Most city residents and businesses want their fallen leaves collected by the city, and the city recently released its pick-up schedule. However, for those who want fresh leaves for mulching, the city is more than happy to deliver them at no charge. For details, call 828-251-1122. | For the city's current leaf collection schedule: Click Here>

WNC HEALTHCARE

MISSION HOSPITALS: Western North Carolina's Largest Healthcare System

Mission Hospitals: 'Look for Major Projects and Purchases to Be Delayed'
*MISSION HOSPITALS' NOV. 21, 2008, 'SCOPE' NEWSLETTER highlights how the financial meltdown is affecting our community health system | Writes Mission: "The number of uninsured and underinsured people in our region is on the rise. ... The tight credit markets will affect everything from new construction to the purchase of major equipment. ... Look for major projects and purchases to be delayed in 2009." | To read the current "Scope" issue, pick up a copy at the hospital. | To view previous issues online, Click Here>

Our Ailing Heathcare System
*FIVE MYTHS about America's Ailing Healthcare System | Washington Post reports: Click Here>

OBAMA IN ASHEVILLE * Lisa Ringelspaugh-Irvine/MediaBear
OBAMANIA IN ASHEVILLE: More than 20,000 supporters listerned to Barack Obama when he campaigned on Oct. 5, 2008, at the Asheville High School stadium.

Obama's Major Healthcare Speech Still Resonates
*IN ASHEVILLE, BARACK OBAMA Spoke with Eloquence and Focused on Healthcare | Obama electrified Asheville on Oct. 5, 2008, as he spoke for more than an hour to over 20,000 who attended his campaign rally at Asheville High School stadium in Downtown Asheville. He was introduced by a Mission Hospitals' nurse who spoke passionately in favor of healthcare reform. Obama, in turn, focused on his vision for heathcare for all Americans. | For Mediabear photos of Obama in Asheville, Click Here> | For president-elect Barack Obama's website, Click Here> | *For official news about Obama's healthcare plan, Click Here>

LAUREY MASTERTON: BIKING FOR OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS

Masterton's Ride for Awareness
*OUT in Front | For Laurey Masterton's recent note about her quest to bring awareness and support of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and early detection with her major, upcoming, cross-country bike ride, Click Here>

ASHBIZ.COM
THE BUSINESS OF ASHEVILLE

Designing for Human Comfort Jan. 7
*LUNCH 'N LEARN at Bobo Gallery | Affiliated Consutants will present a workshop about how to create a more comfortable and productive work environment, and at the same time lower operating costs. | For details, Click Here>

WNC to Get First Large-Scale Solar Farm
*MARKETWATCH REPORTED ON OCT. 27, 2008 that Three Carolina Companies Will Partner Together to Make Solar Farm A Reality | For details about the FLS Energy, Progress Energy and Evergreen Packaging project on a former landfill, Click Here>

PARKSIDE NEWS
The Scandal Continues

Steve Rasmussen: Community Activist * Photo: Belzak/Mediabear

Why Save Hayes & Hopson Building from Demolition
*STEVE RASMUSSEN SPEAKS OUT in favor of preserving Asheville's heritage by saving the Hayes & Hopson Building | Asheville's oldest structure, the Hayes & Hopson building, next to the historic jail and beside Asheville's central park, is slated for demolition by Stewart Coleman, developer/builder of 21 Battery Park condominiums and the controversial Parkside project in front City Hall. Steve Rasmussen (pictured above as he presents an anti-Parkside petition this past summer at a heated Buncombe County commissioners meeting), one of the key figures in those who have publicly opposed Parkside and in saving Asheville's historic magnolia, now speaks out again against Stewart Coleman's threat to destroy another important piece of Asheville's heritage. | For more, Click Here>

Parkside: a Coleman Spite House in the Making?
*STEWART COLEMAN MIGHT HAVE THE MONEY AND MOTIVATION to get even with those whom he feels wronged him | For news analysis about what Asheville developer Stewart Coleman might have up his sleeve next concerning his Parkside condominium project, Click Here>

HUMOR (NO KIDDING!)

Photo: Belzak/MediaBear
TONGUE-ON-CHEEK Questions of the Week

*Who's America's first gay President? Click Here>
*What would you love to do with your Suburu in a deserted manufacturing plant's parking lot for four minutes without your "baby on board" sign? Click Here>
*Can you heat your home by 'Fire Hooping' in Asheville? Click Here>
*Can drunken Durham, NC, fraternity in danger of losing its house launch successful, hare-brained, economic fix? Click Here>
*Can the Society for Creative Anachronism modernize? Click Here>
*Why does Asheville's Rock Station think 'we've all been there'? Click Here>
*Is a 'Sense of Humor' store just for laughs? Click Here>

FOR MORE PRESSING QUESTIONS, Click Here>

MUSIC AND MORE

POLITICS

Inauguration Tickets Go to Early Birds
*CONGRESSMAN HEALTH SHULER Offers Inauguration Tickets to WNC Residents on a First-Come, First-Served Basis | Shuler said that there are already more requests for tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009, than he will have tickets allocated to his District 11 constituents. Therefore, Shuler's office is no longer taking any new requests, and will distribute the tickets to those who made their requests the earliest. | For details, Click Here>

Change.gov: Introducing the President-Elect's Transition Website
*VIEW VIDEOS AND NEWS and tell your story | Why tell your story? Obama's reply: "Your stories and your ideas can help change the future of the country. When we come together around a common purpose, great things are possible." Start blogging, Asheville.| Visit Change.gov or Click Here>

Obama to Travel by Train from Philly to DC for Inauguration Weekend
*THE CULMINATION OF BARACK OBAMA'S TWO-YEAR JOURNEY to the White House | The 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Mon., Dec. 15, that the President-elect, Vice President-elect and their families will travel via railroad to Washington, D.C. on Sat. January 17, 2009, and host events along the way in Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore. | For details, Click Here>

Dems Win Big in Buncombe
*OBAMA AND LOCAL DEMOCRATS WIN BIG in Buncombe County | Buncombe voters swept Democrats into office, including five Democrats to fill all five Buncombe County Commissioner seats. | For Buncombe County election results, Click Here> | For more North Carolina election results, county-by-county, Click Here>

Electoral College Updates
*FOR AMERICA'S POLITICAL OUTCOMES ... that Haven't All Yet Come In | For those who are keeping count, especially in Minnesota, where the recount continues: Click Here>

BAILOUT NEWS & VIEWS

*SPREADING THE WEALTH 'Goes Upward' | Opinion piece about how Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke and U.S. Treasury secretary Hank Paulson are spreading the wealth | An original by Truthout.com: Click Here>

*MARKET Watch | Follow the bouncy ride. Click Here>

*SERIOUS Financial News | Worth Reading. Click Here>

*BAILOUT DETAILS ABOUT H.R. 1424 That Have Been Signed into Law | To read H.R. 1424 posted at the Library of Congress, Click Here>

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Asheville's "No Ads" Movie Theatre
*FINE FLICKS at the Fine Arts Theatre | For current schedule of Downtown's only independent movie theatre, Click Here>
*TOP 21 Nightspots | For fun downtown. Click Here>
*PARTY Too Hearty? | Call four cabbies! Click Here>
*ASHEVILLE Calendar | Any way you like it. Click Here>

HISTORICAL ASHEVILLE

FOOD NEWS

*RESTAURANTSAsheville.com | Only unique restaurants in Asheville listed, such as Rosetta's Kitchen. | To find your favorite place, Click Here>

REAL LOCAL NEWS FROM THE GRASSROOTS UP...
*FOR NEARLY FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS, DowntownAsheville.com has been reporting the news about our unique urban community. The more we know about each other, the more we are truly connected. Help keep Downtown Asheville weird, wired and wonderful ... from the grassroots up. Many thanks for your emails of news, photos and essays. We will continue to post as many as we can. Keep it real, and email: byron(at) mediabear.com or Click Here>

Photo Courtesy of AdvantageWest

DowntownAsheville.com
*YOUR Independent News about Downtown Asheville, North Carolina ... a diverse, urban, Southern Appalachian city ... where business bustles ... new ideas germinate ... grassroots' activism grows ... the All-American City and county seat of Buncombe ... "Anyway You Like It" ... located in the Blue Ridge Mountains ... along "America's Favorite Highway," the Blue Ridge Parkway ... a vibrant city dubbed "Paris of the South" ... the heartbeat of Western North Carolina. Click Here>

*DowntownAsheville.com is published daily by MediaBear | MediaBear, a division of Wenoca Real Estate, Inc., is an independent Internet publisher and writing service based in Buncombe County.

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