Leadership Asheville Forum

09/26/2023

https://avlwatchdog.org/tda-directors-salary-benefits-top-450000/?vgo_ee=WfD0Xha%2FJy9q02V26cnckq7zwyhSNVs%2BylVFC8L3XLZPA8TNIY%2F0wfA%3D%3A1naCZ2YZcscSk9zKgW59PABiiSGnzJB9

Buncombe County’s tourism director is set to receive compensation totaling up to $456,000 this fiscal year and up to $578,000 or more in 2026 under a three-year contract renewal recently approved by the tax-supported agency. Victoria “Vic” Isley’s compensation package is roughly double that ...

06/30/2023

How about a performing arts center Biltmore Estate? https://avlwatchdog.org/answer-man-what-does-the-biltmore-estate-pay-in-taxes-update-on-plane-crash-removal-by-waterrock-knob/?fbclid=IwAR0ml7OkZzJqWa0g3E6zrfkWLafY2nRnhXcKdVtZBItafyMVrkZLOM5I3R4_aem_ATbh1U7Wa-IKgLECV1bTOuQntH4owXgbo-lvdboFHyPjTqJ1o9bG515Ut6l4RWzlWt4&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: A few questions about the Biltmore Estate and its local relations: How much does the Biltmore Estate pay in city/county taxes? Does it have a special rate, or is it charged any differently than other properties? If ...

06/28/2023

The Asheville Symphony has made the decision to relocate shows previously scheduled in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville’s Thomas Wolfe Auditorium during the 2023-2024 season due to an HVAC failure that prevents heating or cooling the auditorium.

In addition to operating at about half capacity, the audience portion of the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium will be heated and cooled primarily via an HVAC unit that heats and cools the stage, resulting in significant overheating or overcooling of the stage to keep the house regulated. Current estimates suggest that the ability to heat or cool the house of the auditorium could be offline for 9+ months.

When orchestra members’ instruments become overheated or overcooled, the quality of sound is affected, and instruments may sustain damage. This, coupled with the fact that we could not adequately control the experience for our patrons, led us to make the decision to move the season.

We are moving the shows to venues across Asheville including the First Baptist Church of Asheville (FBCA), the Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena, Salvage Station, and Brevard Music Center ’s Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium.

The majority of the Masterworks Series will be held in FBCA, which has allowed us to make very few changes to the repertoire of the season and allows us to continue to fully employ our contracted musicians, as we will be able to build the stage out so it can accommodate the full orchestra.

We are profoundly grateful to our community partners for helping us pivot this season on short notice!

Subscribers: We will reach out to you to talk through updates and make needed changes. You can find more information about subscriptions on our website!

For more information and for specific season changes, go to www.AshevilleSymphony.org.

You can read our press release “Asheville Symphony ‘Hits the Road’ in Asheville as Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville Sets to Repair HVAC in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium” here: https://ashevillesymphony.org/asheville-symphony-hits-the-road-in-asheville-as-harrahs-cherokee-center-asheville-sets-to-repair-hvac-in-thomas-wolfe-auditorium/

06/27/2023

Our much-loved and appreciated AVL Watchdog is worthy of every award sent their way. Please support them and their work. https://avlwatchdog.org/asheville-watchdog-wins-7-north-carolina-press-association-awards/?fbclid=IwAR1rVQF2jKeOhwPuAf9_kjtkhIsQpJbyTPiJTRJLyNEV05TB9Pqka-P5Qww

Asheville Watchdog journalists won seven awards in the online division of the North Carolina Press Association’s annual contest, including first place in News Enterprise Reporting for Down Town, a 3-month series that focused on crime, homelessness, and other problems plaguing downtown Asheville. R...

06/27/2023

The hits and dings against Mission HCA HCA Healthcare don't stop.

Dr. David John Hetzel worked at Mission Hospital for 22 years. Now he is suing his former employer because he can't find work.

06/24/2023

This is great news for those who want to expand the network of biking and walking trails in The will add 20 miles of trails between Brevard and Hendersonville.

Jun 22 2023 Tillis Announces $65 Million For Additional NC Infrastructure Projects WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis announced that the Department of Transportation is providing North Carolina with seven RAISE grants totaling more than $65 million, bringing more infrastructure investme...

06/22/2023

Our members and followers are always on our mind, particularly when they read, like, and share our content!

06/21/2023

The NC Department of Justice has raised "serious concerns" about HCA Healthcare's depleted cancer services and the performance of the independent monitor hired to oversee HCA’s compliance with the terms of the purchase of Asheville's Mission Hospital. https://avlwatchdog.org/north-carolina-ag-criticizes-hcas-compliance-with-mission-purchase-commitments/?fbclid=IwAR0Y2Dz-xt66wVPFAUmtAN-ANMqOQ4e5ybnfBtJcjjDAEpWq4zVoxY4tjsk

The North Carolina Department of Justice today expressed “serious concerns” about HCA Healthcare’s compliance with the commitments it made as a condition of acquiring Asheville’s nonprofit Mission Hospital system in 2019. In a June 20 letter to Greg Lowe, CEO of HCA’s North Carolina Divisi...

06/13/2023

“With a 2023 first quarter median home sale price in Asheville of $465,000 and $426,995 for Buncombe County, starter homes are almost impossible to find. John Boyle examines the repercussions for the area and calls for innovative solutions.

A thousand years ago, when my wife and I were house shopping in Buncombe County, we quickly came to this realization: We couldn’t afford a decent home there. OK, that was not actually in 1023. It was fall 1997. Even then, housing was expensive, and we were looking for a house under $120,000. I kno...

06/12/2023

Momentum seems to be building to take concrete, definitive action to address the issues identified in the AVL Watchdog Down Town 12-part series.

The public conversation about Asheville’s downtown has changed a lot in the last three months. Through our 12-part Down Town investigative series, which ran from late February to the end of May, Asheville Watchdog highlighted the effects of a depleted police department on downtown safety, the frus...

06/12/2023

Former Leadership Asheville Forum Board member and 2023 Circle of Excellence winner Elizabeth Colton Asheville Citizen Times and Yahoo News op-ed on

Freedom of press is a First Amendment right but journalists are under threat everywhere, including Asheville, NC, writes Elizabeth "Liz" Colton.

06/10/2023

“NEW from AVL Watchdog The City of Asheville has released its long-awaited Independent Review Committee report on the devastating holiday season water outage, and it highlights the city’s ineptness in what it called “murky” communications, providing accurate information and even identifying who was actually in charge.”
https://avlwatchdog.org/water-outage-report-city-botched-communications-mayor-exerted-extreme-pressure-on-staff-members/?fbclid=IwAR00WtO_4joT8lUAMpT5bq_qShBa5LDdZtVdE2KZ08g6VZKAiIPXKcOaW4M_aem_th_ASYvG8XizUpRRuhbzFrZYWOcPbMPG9c-g6Dd_wyHxLOYFmicSCbnQee2ea6XcRuGw68&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

The City of Asheville has released its long-awaited Independent Review Committee report on the devastating holiday season water outage, and it highlights the city’s ineptitude in what it called “murky” communications, providing accurate information and even identifying who was actually in char...