Asheville to Ashes Benefit for Montford Community Center

Five local bands take the stage this Saturday, October 2, to raise money for the Montford Center's children's programs. From 12 to 5 pm, you can get down and rock out with The Critters, Mr. Hurl, The Lords of Chicken Hill, 50 Year Flood and Paul Edelman & The Mountain Saints at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre. It's an all-ages show so bring the family out for a good time and a good cause. I was lucky enough to catch The Critters at LAAFF earlier this month, and they put on a great show-loud, fast, and fun as hell. If the other bands playing sound half as good live as they do through my stinky little laptop speakers, you'd be crazy to miss this one.

The Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre is located at 100 Gay Street in the Montford community. The show is free, but donations are appreciated to help fund the great programs the community center offers to Asheville kids. For more information, visit the Asheville to Ashes event page on Facebook.


april fox is a freelance writer from asheville, nc. read more of her work here or follow her on facebook.



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Asheville Drum Circle After Party - October 1st at Athena's

The Asheville Drum Circle after party is kicking off at Athena's, which is located at 14 College St. Asheville NC 28801, right across the street from Pritchard Park. Beginning on October 1st at 9pm; the drum circle will be ending and the after party we be getting started with Shen and Lyric bringing the house down while we try the new cocktail being released from Athena called the "Drum Circle" - You can see the event on Facebook.

Connect with Athena on her BLOG.

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The Asheville Police Explorers

The Asheville Police Explorers is a program for people ranging from ages 14 to 21 to learn what they want to do for a future career... They teach you HOW to be a cop and also they show you what it is like to be a cop. Gun handling, traffic collisions, domestic & civil disturbances, unknown problems... They teach you about just about everything police related, we get to go to competitions along, Such as the one we are going to in February on the weekend of 4-6 for WinterFest.


Visit them on Facebook.

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Party! Asheville's American Idol turns 18!!!

Saturday October 9th-A very special night with Mountain X's "second best blues band" in Western North Carolina: Skinny Legs and All! Lead singer Jesse Barry is turning 18 years old! The party is at Tressa's Downtown Jazz and Blues! Doors open at 9PM-music starts at 10PM. $5 cover charge-ID required. SKLA's new album "The Original" and Jesse Barrytinis will be for sale! Come out and party with SKLA!!!

 

Saturday November 13th-Mountain X's "second best blues band" in Western North Carolina Skinny Legs and All will be playing at TallGary's in Downtown Asheville! Music from 9PM-1AM. We will be selling our all original album and T-shirts!

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Chariots of Choir - DVD Viewing Party in Asheville

Hey everyone,
I've finished a new edit of my last 48-Hour movie, a mockumentary titled Chariots of Choir. Along with the great people of Cannes Deux Films, we made a movie in 25 hours last June. While the film didn't garner any awards in the 48-Hour competition, I was determined to put together a DVD for the team. In the process, I re-edited the film. This "Producer's Cut" (the director wasn't available) is now 13 1/2 minutes long and possibly even funnier than the original cut -- not to take anything away from our great editor, Brett McCall, who had to create a 7-minute story out of 55 minutes of disparate footage and deliver it on time. He did a terrific job, and everyone who's seen the original cut has raved about it.

So come to Posana Cafe's back room on Wednesday, October 13, for lunch and a private viewing of the DVD. Things will start at 11:30, but the DVD viewing will commence around noon. I'll show the original cut in addition to the re-edited version. Maybe I'll even show some of the many special bonus features on the disc.

Mark your calendars and please RSVP (so I can let the restaurant know how many to expect). Bring a friend, a loved one, or a neighbor. Let's celebrate the creative place Asheville is and break some (gluten-free) bread together while being (I hope) thoroughly entertained. I look forward to hearing from and seeing you soon. We all have to eat, right?
     -Best, Mark
-- 
Mark H. Bloom
writer / editor / blogger / filmmaker / community volunteer
markhenrybloom@gmail.com
828-280-1686

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Mrs. Miller's Apple Cake is now available in Asheville NC

Just a couple of days ago, I had an apple cake delivered to me that was absolutely delicious. I thought about sharing some of it for a minute, but decided to take my time, eat some now, save some for later, and even woke up in the middle of the night to have a piece with some milk. Mrs. Miller's Apple Cake is a premium dessert that is now available in the Asheville North Carolina area. I know that Morning Glory Cafe in Black Mountain is featuring it and the West Village Market and Deli also has it available. Holidays are also coming up and this would be the perfect dessert to have on your table, as a gift, etc. You can also connect with FreshAppleCake on Twitter!



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Asheville Women’s Group offers eight weeks of empowerment

offer and receive support for your personal goals in a nurturing, affirmative environment

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A new women’s group offers eight weeks of individual empowerment in a dynamic series of group focus sessions with Carol Greenberger, M.A., L.P.C., a licensed professional counselor.

Greenberger takes her inspiration from an oft-quoted line from A Circle of Stones, asking, “How might your life be different if there had been a place for you...a place of women where you were affirmed?”

This group is her answer. Together, the group will discuss self-esteem, identifying and expressing feelings, communication, assertiveness, boundaries, hopes, dreams, and goal-setting. Each woman will offer as well as receive support throughout the process.

“The reason most people don't have what they want in their lives is because they either aren't clear about what they want, or don't believe they can have it,” explains Greenberger. “However, we can takes steps to reach our goals. Many of us just need support and encouragement to believe in ourselves and to persevere as we find own way and follow the path we were meant to follow.”

In the group, women will go through a process to transcend limiting beliefs about achievement. They will clarify “our true heart’s desire, what makes our heart sing, our soul’s purpose,” says Greenberger. “Then, we will plan steps to reach our goals.”

The group offers a renewable eight week commitment structure, and attendance is expected to be regular and consistent throughout the eight sessions for maximum benefit. Plus, Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and most other insurances will cover expenses associated with the initial intake session or group fees. An affordable sliding scale is offered for those with out-of-pocket needs.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for women to receive the support for the work they want and need to do in their lives,” says Greenberger. “I welcome the opportunity to help others in ways that support their emotional and economic well-being during these stressful times.”

Is a group situation right for you? Contact facilitator Carol Greenberger M.A., L.P.C., for your intake session at carol@carolgreenberger.info, or by phone at (828) 225-5555. Find out more about Carol Greenberger at her Creative Counseling blog at http://cgreenberger.blogspot.com/, or inquire at The Relationship Center, Asheville, at http://www.trccounseling.com/.

Sherri L. McLendon is a freelance writer with a mission of bringing your gifts to the world. You can find her at McLendon Bylines, www.sherrimclendon.com.

Asheville Volunteers Needed - Tutors, Mentors for After School Programs

For Immediate Release

Contact Info: Terri Wells, (828) 350-6135, terri@acsf.org

September 17, 2010

Volunteer Tutor/Mentors Needed for After-School Programs

The Asheville City Schools Foundation Volunteer Academic Coach Program needs tutor/mentors to work with 6th-12th grade students in Asheville after-school programs. There is an urgent need for volunteers with strong math skills.

ACSF screens, trains, places and supports volunteer academic coaches for its community partners. Coaches commit to working with a student for at least one hour per week for the school year. Volunteers encourage academic achievement and enrichment and assist with a variety of tasks from skill-building in math and reading to college-planning depending upon the individualized needs of the child. Educational workshops to build skills are available throughout the year at no cost.

The Asheville City Schools Foundation promotes the educational success for all Asheville City Schools students by engaging and mobilizing the entire community to support innovative educational activities. To learn more about the Foundation and its programs, visit www.acsf.org.

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Asheville Writers Group with Mark Bloom

Hello, everyone.

The summer has passed, and it's once again time to focus on the business of writing and editing. It's also time to renew our relationships. You're on this e-mail list because you are a writer -- whether freelance, professional, or otherwise. We (Brenda and I) would like to invite you to an informal meeting, a gathering really, to exchange thoughts about the business of writing, meet others who do a similar job, and generally make new friends. We normally try to get together once every other month, alternating between lunchtime and after-work hours.

I'm getting a late start this month, so I'd like to suggest we get together for lunch at Scully's on Walnut Street downtown at noon on Wednesday, October 6. You aren't required to RSVP, but if you'd like to let me know you will be there, I can pull together enough chairs for everyone. You're also welcome to just show up unannounced. We're an informal group.

For a topic of discussion, we can touch on surviving (or even flourishing) in these difficult economic times. I'd love to hear what YOU are doing differently these days. We can all learn from each other.

So come to lunch with us. Bring your business cards and your business stories. Stay as long as you want. You'll learn, you'll lunch, and you'll leave happier for it.
-Best, Mark


Mark H. Bloom
writer / editor / blogger / filmmaker / community volunteer
markhenrybloom@gmail.com
828-280-1686

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The Crone, Creativity, & Kundalini in Asheville Monday

Embody your authentic wise woman on Monday, Sept. 20, with nationally known women’s spirituality facilitators Anyaa T. McAndrew and Mary Lane for their free preview evening to “The Crone, Creativity, & Kundalini.” The journey into self-care, divine nourishment, and sexual healing begins at 7 p.m. at the Women’s Wellness and Education Center.

Those individuals who connect with the opportunity to welcome and integrate their menopausal passage can choose to extend their work with the duo in a week-long retreat experience.

“We will gather together to learn from one another in sacred circle as seasoned women of consciousness,” says McAndrew. “Cronehood is ready to be re-visioned as a time of integration, making whole and birthing a new creativity in alignment with each woman’s own unique soul qualities. The time is ripe for the Crone to take her place on the wheel of life at the Turning of the Ages.”

Lane says that connecting with nature and the concept of Seasonal Nourishment is a key part of her experience. “On Monday, we will share, move, journey, and reflect,” she notes. “It should be a magical evening dedicated to the menopausal woman.”

The Women’s Wellness and Education Center is located at 24 Arlington St., Asheville, 28801. Contact Anyaa T. McAndrew at anyaa@vzemail.com, or Mary Lane at mary@divinenourishment.net for more information. For more information, visit www.goddessontheloose.com.


Sherri L. McLendon is a freelance writer in Weaverville, N.C., who can be reached at www.sherrimclendon.com.

New Masculine Emerges in Men’s Spirituality Movement

Asheville, WNC men embrace the “Integral Warrior,” transcend traditional archetypes in free introductory workshop Sept. 16

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 12, 2010) – Being a real man in the 21st century takes a new kind of ‘True Grit,’ says Gary Stamper, a pioneer in the alternative men’s spirituality movement.

“It’s the kind of thing Rooster Cogburn, John Wayne’s memorable character, couldn’t have handled. There is another way.”

Stamper believes it’s possible to be a “real man” and transcend the outdated archetype of the bully. He also believes men have to move past the soft, “sensitive, New Age guy” stereotype, or any other depictions of men which do not serve human evolution. An international award-winning designer, national facilitator of the Shamanic Priest Process™, and author of a pending book, How to Live with The Goddess, Stamper sees men waking to their full potentials as “Integral Warriors,” offering a free, two-hour introduction to his proven, ground-breaking work Thursday, Sept. 16, at 7p.m.at Isis Cove Retreat Center, Whittier.

“In the workshop, we learn how to embody the New Masculine,” says Stamper. “We integrate and call in all perspectives of the masculine with fierce awareness, stretching the boundaries of what is possible. We bravely hold space for the feminine, nature, body, spirit, integrity, wisdom and heart.”

The experience utilizes integral and developmental systems theory, breath work, traditional archetypes, initiations, and ritual to ensure participants are able to align to their true purpose in life.

“Our goal is the full embodiment of individual masculine presence for the highest good,” says Stamper. “Rugged individualism takes on an entirely new meaning. A man who is an Integral Warrior is willing to go the extra mile over uncharted territory without knowing for sure what lies ahead, only having a rough map showing how he’ll get there.”

“The difference today is the frontier lies within,” he says.

The introductory workshop, “The Integral Warrior,” is Thursday, Sept. 16, at Isis Cove Retreat Center, Whittier, approximately one hour from downtown Asheville. For more information on Gary Stamper and his unique work with men’s groups and relationship workshops, go to http://www.garystamper.com, email him directly at garystamper@yahoo.com, or phone (206) 779-5870
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Sherri L. McLendon, M.A., is a communication strategist providing superior copywriting and editing for journalism, marketing, and public relations. Find her online at www.sherrimclendon.com,
or email her at sherri@sherrimclendon.com.

Duck Rabbit Brewery - Paired Dinner in Asheville with Frankie Bones

Duck-Rabbit brewery paired dinner coming up on Tuesday 9/14/10. The cost is $45 per person and is being held at High Vista Country Club at 6:00 pm.

Introduction - Duck-Rabbit Fall Seasonal

1st Course
Hossenfeffer

Paired with Duck-Rabbit Amber

tender stewed rabbit ~ french baguette crostini ~ carrot puree ~ cherry reduction ~ fried onion & fennel


2nd Course
Chili Marinated Shrimp, Citrus Marinated Scallop

Paired with Duck-Rabbit Porter

white chocolate hazelnut risotto ~ fennel slaw ~ fried potato plank

3rd Course
Jasmin & Lemongrass Tea Marinated Duck Breast

Paired with Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale

pear celery root on turnip puree ~ mountain BBQ sauce ~ duck cracklings ~ sautéed arugula


4th Course
Candied Bacon Cake

Paired with Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout

malted cream cake ~ white chocolate icing ~ candied orange peel

Enjoy Chef Pirrello’s recipe and a bottle of Milk Stout as a free gift from Duck-Rabbit and Frankie Bones!

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Asheville Stand Up Comedy & Open Mic at Athena's on Wednesdays

The Asheville Disclaimer Lounge comedy scene has started up on Wednesday nights at Athena's 14 College Street in downtown AVL right across from Pritchard Park. We invite you to come out, have a great time, and share some of your jokes with all of us.



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Franks Roman Pizza in Asheville North Carolina - Meet Frank & Barry

Franks Roman Pizza in Asheville NC recently won the Asheville Pizza Wars in the specialty category. Here is an interview with Frank who began the business and Barry who is now running the show. They have been a part of the local AVL scene for 33 years and are getting ready to open a new location on Sardis Road. They also have an affiliated store on the Northside of town in Woodfin NC.



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Asheville Kids Can Yoga, Too!

The rockin' Asheville yoga scene, unlike the rockin' craft beer scene, is not limited to the adults of the community. Children can find many benefits from age appropriate Kids Yoga classes including body awareness, self-confidence, stress relief and a sense of community and support.

Kids yoga classes are less centered on twisting little bodies into contortionist-like positions, and more on providing a space for children to safely explore their body, their emotions and their natural state of playful creativity.

Kids Yoga Classes In Asheville

My kids are super excited to be participating in the upcoming Kids Yoga series hosted by Bikram Yoga Asheville. It is a 6 week series for ages 4-10 and it starts this Saturday September 11, 2010. The 90 minute sessions include: yoga, creative movement, free play, fun meditations and games and will be held in the Yoga Lounge next door to the studio (the kids classes are not in the hot room).

One of the really great things about this series is that it is held during the same time as the adult class. So, you can go to your Bikram Yoga class for some "you time" (a must for all parents, right?) while your kids go to their own class.

The price is just $49 for the 6 week session ($29 for siblings). Visit Bikram Yoga Asheville's website for more information or to contact the studio.


Kids Yoga Classes are also offered at the following facilities in the Asheville area:


YMCA of Western North Carolina

The Asheville Yoga Center

West Asheville Yoga

See you and your little ones on the mat soon!!

Lindsay

Written by Lindsay Fields, a local yoga instructor, blogger and mommy of two little yogis. To find out more about Lindsay, her classes and services or to contact her for more information about this post, visit her website.










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Greenberger, WNC therapist, accepts Blue Cross-Blue Shield

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Carol Greenberger, M.A., L.P.C., a licensed professional counselor with The Relationship Center, announces an expansion of her practice with the addition of insurance provider Blue Cross and Blue Shield to her list of accepted providers.

“The addition of this prominent, well-respected insurance company to the listing of accepted providers is a real bonus to my clients,” says Greenberger, whose practice also accepts Medicaid and other providers.

“Before this, clients who carried Blue Cross and Blue Shield would have to pay out of pocket expenses, then file for reimbursement. Now, that process is streamlined, making it easier than ever for individuals and families to effect responsible, meaningful change in their lives.”

With health reform reflecting the need for “inclusive” treatments in health and wellness scenarios for individuals, this proactive stance couldn’t have come at a better time, Greenberger says. An uncertain economy has raised stress levels across the board, yet many individuals feel they cannot afford assistance when problems arise. In some small way, she hopes adding a major regional insurance provider to her list of accepted carriers will encourage people to get help when it’s needed.

Currently, Greenberger serves adult women, school-aged children and teens, and couples in her practice.

“I’m here to support my clients’ well-being in any way I can,” she says.

Carol Greenberger, M.A., L.P.C., is a licensed professional counselor with offices in Asheville and Mars Hill, North Carolina. She can be reached at carol@carolgreenberger.info, or by phone at (828) 225-5555. View her Creative Counseling blog at http://cgreenberger.blogspot.com/.


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Sherri L. McLendon is a communication strategist, writer, and educator in Western North Carolina. With a mission of helping others bring their gifts to the world, she operates McLendon Bylines, a source for superior copy writing and editing for journalism, public relations and marketing publications and events at www.sherrimclendon.com.

Walton Debuts Jewel-like Treasures in Cold Wax Paintings

Fine artist Cindy Walton evolves an ethereal, emergent style in a series of cold wax paintings evoking a timeless pathos and elegant sensibility

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Cindy Walton, fine artist, may be known for bold, emotive impressions and sweeping, color-carved landscapes, but reveals yet another layer of talent and meaning in a new series of finely executed cold wax paintings with unsurpassed elegance and intricate detail.

The works will be available for viewing by the public for the first time at the Fall Open House of the Cotton Mill Studios on Friday, Sept. 24, Saturday, Sept. 25, and Sunday, Sept. 26.

The cold wax medium consists of a beeswax paste mixed with oil paints for a matte, layered texture.

“These paintings are small format, intimate, jewel-like treasures,” says Walton. “The detail is really exquisite.”

During the exhibit, Walton’s work will appear alongside those of Cotton Mill resident painter Genie Maples and fellow guest artist Susan Finer. Walton will be present during the Open House event, working the cold wax medium to show how inspiration and method evolve the creation of an original piece.

“This medium gives a three-dimensional quality to a two-dimensional surface,” Walton explains. “It’s really quite exquisite, and very interesting to see.”

The technique is ancient in origin, and can be traced to early civilizations as a fine art application. Often confused with encaustic wax painting (represented at the event in the works of Christine Dougherty), cold wax mediums are not heated to produce the delicately textured effect, but instead are applied with knives or other tools and layered for unique visual appeal.


Attend the first public showing of Cindy Walton’s cold wax paintings, and a demonstration of the cold wax technique, when she appears as a guest artist at the Fall Open House of the Cotton Mill Studios, 122 Riverside Drive, on Friday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 25, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 26, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free, with refreshments served Friday evening. For more information on Cindy Walton, fine artist, see her web site at www.cindywalton.com, email her directly at info@cindywalton.com, or call for a private studio visit at (828) 251-1499.

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Sherri L. McLendon is a communication strategist, writer, and educator in Western North Carolina. With a mission of helping others bring their gifts to the world, she operates McLendon Bylines, a source for superior copy writing and editing for journalism, public relations and marketing publications and events at www.sherrimclendon.com.

#LAAFF - 2010 photo album (See these Asheville Pics) #avlpics

The Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival has created an event to be remembered in Asheville North Carolina. The community is growing and LAAFF has a lot to do with it. Thank you to Kitty, Michael, Erin and the countless others that have taken a part in making this happen. See these great photos of the day.



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Drupal Camp Asheville 2010 at A B Tech coming September 18

Coming September 18th, Drupal users from all over Western North Carolina will be grouping in Asheville NC at A B Tech for camp. Great sessions planned with awesome teachers.



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Disclaimer Lounge - Stand Up Comedy & Open Mic at Athena's in Asheville

Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge announces month-long Wednesday-night residency at Athena's in Downtown Asheville. What: Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge stand-up comedy open mic. No cover. 18+. Where: Athena's in downtown Asheville (14 College St.; next door to Tupelo Honey). When: Every Wednesday in September, 9 p.m. Contact: Tom Scheve, 828.216.2331; FB: Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge; Twitter: AVL_Disclaimer; Web: www.AshevilleDisclaimer.com Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge, a night of open-mic stand-up comedy featuring regional talent, is kicking off in a new venue mere weeks after being kicked out of its old venue. "Unlike Groucho Marx, we would like to belong in a venue based solely on the venue's willingness to have us," said Tom Scheve. Scheve and Cary Goff — who both write for the satirical Mountain Xpress feature Asheville Disclaimer — run the weekly comedy event, which ensures the event exists on a week-to-week basis. Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge — which prides itself on "Excellence in Stage Craft, Innovation, Crowd Pleasure & Excellence" — will crank back up on Wed., Sep. 8, at Athena's in downtown Asheville. Athena's is located directly next door to Tupelo Honey and offers a sweeping view of majestic Pritchard Park. To circumvent the need to offer full refunds, Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge has a strict policy of never charging sober people a cover at the door. The Stand-up Lounge will commence at 9 p.m., and, according to Goff, anyone who wants to perform "should probably show up before that time." 

The organizers say that former Lounge features — such as "Audience Member vs. Comedian Lightning Round of Trivia Glory or Death," in which the winner walks away with a cash prize, or "Random Audience Member Cash Prize Bribery" — will return as well. "We strive to constantly upgrade the running of the open mic, and we often scrap these upgrades because they're often enormous failures," said Scheve, who added it was "legally unlikely" that Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge would ever again project Chatroulette on a large screen beside the performer on stage. According to the organizers, first-timers are welcome to take the stage and, in true open-mic fashion, "anyone who signs up will get up, and anyone who doesn't sign up will enjoy a big fat buzz and plenty of hit-or-miss stand-up comedy." For more information about Wednesday-night comedy in September at Athena's in downtown Asheville at 9 p.m. for which there is no cover, call 828.216.2331, check out "Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge" on Facebook, or stop by Athena's in downtown. Athena's is open 7 days a week, and starts serving drinks at 7 p.m

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