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ACC basketball night in review: NC State’s NCAA hopes take hit in loss to Virginia

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Freshman Dinos Mitoglou helped shoot Wake Forest past Miami.

N.C. State couldn’t close out Virginia at home.

Louisville won largely without Wayne Blackshear.

That, plus a look at Saturday’s crammed schedule, in the ACC night in review.

Dinos Mitoglou, Wake Forest

The freshman forward dropped 21 points and eight rebounds on Miami as the Demon Deacons earned a 72-70 victory.  Mitoglou, who made six 3-pointers in the victory, connected on multiple outside shots for the seventh time in Wake Forest’s last eight games.

That’s three victories in four contests for the Demon Deacons, who nonetheless still have road games against Virginia, Notre Dame and Duke still looming in the final month of the regular season.

N.C. State

The margin of error for the Wolfpack (14-11, 5-7 ACC) continues to shrink, as does its NCAA tournament hopes. N.C. State has dropped five of its last six after falling 51-47 at home to Virginia.

The problem for the Wolfpack isn’t so much this loss as it was a reminder that it is largely competitive with the ACC’s high-level teams. Already on its resume before Wednesday was an overtime setback against Notre Dame and a two-point loss to North Carolina.

But near-misses do a team little good, and it’s getting to the point the Wolfpack almost has to steal a game at Louisville on Saturday or at North Carolina on Feb. 24 to have any hope of bagging an at-large bid.

1

Minute played by Louisville’s Wayne Blackshear, who aggravated a hip pointer in the Cardinals’ 69-56 defeat of Pittsburgh. Without Blackshear, the Cardinals leaned on their bench more than usual, getting 15 solid minutes from Quentin Snider to complete the season sweep of the Panthers.

44

Consecutive winning seasons for Syracuse, which locked up an above .500 finish with its 70-56 triumph at Boston College. The Orange (16-8, 7-4) has only seven games remaining this season because of its ban from the ACC and NCAA tournaments.

North Carolina at Pittsburgh (Noon, ACC Network; CW 6 in Syracuse): In their first game since the death of program patriarch Dean Smith, the Tar Heels (18-6, 8-3) will visit Jamie Dixon’s Panthers (16-9, 5-6).

Virginia Tech at Clemson (Noon, MSG+): The Tigers (14-10, 6-6) will attempt to snap a two-game slide as the increasingly pesky Hokies (10-14, 2-9) make the trip to Death Valley.

Wake Forest at Virginia (2:30, ACC Network; CW 6 in Syracuse): The Cavaliers (22-1, 10-1) get the first of two games with the Demon Deacons (12-13, 4-8), this one at John Paul Jones Arena.

Florida State at Georgia Tech (2:30, ACC Network; ESPN3 in Syracuse): The Seminoles (13-12, 5-7) will try to keep some distance between themselves and the bottom four in the ACC as they head to Atlanta to meet the Yellow Jackets (11-13, 2-10).

N.C. State at Louisville (4, ESPN): The increasingly desperate Wolfpack (14-11, 5-7) gets a shot at a pivotal road victory when they meet the Cardinals (20-4, 8-3) for the first time as conference rivals.

Duke at Syracuse (6, ESPN): Thanks to both Syracuse’s postseason ban and the Orange’s midpack performance, this game won’t have as much buzz as these teams’ two meetings last year. Nonetheless, it still matches the two winningest coaches in Division I history.

Contact Patrick Stevens anytime: Email | Twitter

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NASCAR Museum Leaves Charlotte Taxpayers Holding the Bag

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Kevin Harvick AP

by Warner Todd Huston12 Feb 20150

Back in 2010 the city fathers of Charlotte, NC, thought that they were going to experience a multitude of economic benefits from helping to pay for a new NASCAR museum. But they experienced debt and a museum under-performing expectations.

The city had to pump an additional $5 million in city money into the project to settle bank loans this past year.

“It was a bad deal for the taxpayers,” City Council member Kenny Smith told Bloomberg Business. “The city invested taxpayer money based on faulty assumptions that didn’t come to fruition.”

The city had already sold $137 million in municipal debt to help build the museum, which was expected to boost tourism.

When the museum was in the planning stages it was expected to draw 800,000 tourists in its first year and 400,000 each year there after. But thus far attendance has been a far, far lower average of 175,000 per year.

A former council member also complained that the project has been a bust for taxpayers. “It was going to be a huge economic-development project that would pay for itself. It sounded good because NASCAR is a big financial industry, but it’s a colossal failure that has harmed the taxpayers,” Don Reid said.

Other city officials defend the museum as a great success. In fact, the owner of a local hospitality marketing firm thinks it is a “loss leader” that helps bring in tourists and the expense to taxpayers is justified.

“I look at it as a loss-leader,” said Bruce Hensley. “It’s an opportunity for us to attract conventions we didn’t attract before.”

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com

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Sycamore Park District executive director to teach class in North Carolina

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SYCAMORE – Sycamore Park District Executive Director Dan Gibble will be supplying knowledge to the next generation of park leaders at North Carolina State University’s School of Park Maintenance Management.

Gibble, who has been the park district’s executive director for three years, was elected to serve on the school’s Board of Regents beginning in May.

Students come from as far away as Africa for a weeklong class in North Carolina once a year, according to a news release.

“It’s only a week once a year, and it’s a pretty intensive class,” Gibble said. “It only takes me away one week out of the year.”

Gibble has taught at the program for six years, according to a news release.

He has other past experience as an instructor, too –he taught part time for six years in the Department of Recreation, Sport, and Tourism at the University of Illinois while he was superintendent for the Urbana Park District, and has worked in parks and recreation for 30 years overall, the news release states.

“Any time that our profession can improve our future leaders, it can only stand to help our local agencies better,” Gibble said of the program, “not only in terms of quality but more fiscally and efficiently. If I can help contribute to that, I’m very proud to do that.”

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Asheville Council approves developments and video policy

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Police video and audio recording of events can be held a minimum of 30 days before being destroyed, Asheville City Council decided on Feb. 10. The new rule was one of many items on Council’s consent agenda, and it passed unanimously. So did two rezoning requests that add housing stock in the city.

“Right now, there are no rules or policies on how long we keep videos,” Asheville City Attorney Robin Currin told Council members. “The first step, in order to make a [North Carolina] Department of Cultural Resources Records policy we can adhere to is, it has to go before Council. All [this new rule] says is, we have to keep the footage for at least 30 days.”

The policy is designed to lay the groundwork for the use, present or future, of fixed and mobile recording devices used by the city, Currin explained.

An Asheville Citizen-Times investigation found that the city has stored about 100 videos, and since 1980, has filmed a range of public events, such as Ku Klax rallies and Moral Monday protests. The Citizen-Times has sued to get public access to the videos. City staff said that no videos will be destroyed while the lawsuit is pending, and that they’re working on a policy for recording public events, the Citizen-Times reports.

WLOS reports that City Manager Gary Jackson says “he’ll begin to work with the Interim Asheville Police Chief to develop a more specific policy that would place limits on things like what can be filmed, how long videos can be kept and when footage should be destroyed.”

Meanwhile, Council also adopted two rezoning requests but postponed decision on a third — Craggy Gardens, a 45-lot subdivision .

Developer Broad Properties’ plans for an undeveloped, less-than-an-acre lot include building a two-story structure that will have 1,800 square feet of offices on the first floor and identical square footage upstairs for three one-bedroom apartments. The site lies at Broad and Charlotte Streets, and it’s currently surrounded by other offices and a restaurant. In January, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the developer’s rezoning request, which changes the site classification from RM-16 (residential multifamily, 16 units per acre) to CBI/CZ )Community Business 1 District/Conditional Zoning).

In Montford, RPMM Properties has proposed a 10-lot subdivision that will feature conversion of three existing homes into multifamily units. The existing houses on the site are designated as group homes but have been vacant, according to a city staff report. Most of the homes around the site, located at 141, 145, and 149 Courtland Ave., are single-family. Council approved RPMM’s rezoning request, which changes its classification from RS-8 Residential Single Family High Density District to RM-8/CZ Residential Multi-Family Medium Density District/Conditional Zoning.

In other news:

Motorists may soon be able to be backed into parking spots near the Grove Arcade. Council moved further discussion of reverse-angle parking to the Feb. 24 meeting.

“We’ve been ticketing people with the front of their cars facing out,” said Mayor Esther Manheimer. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Action agenda:

Here’s Council’s official “action agenda” —

ACTION AGENDA February 10, 2015

The action agenda is intended to provide the reader with an overview of the council meeting and any decisions that were made. It does not provide action on ceremonial or non-substantive matters.

THIS ACTION AGENDA IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. Authority to carry out actions related to any council decision should be obtained through normal departmental procedure.

Please call the City Clerk’s office at 259-5601 if you have any questions.

Present: Mayor Esther E. Manheimer, Presiding; Vice-Mayor Marc H. Hunt; Councilman Cecil Bothwell; Councilman Jan B. Davis ; Councilman Christopher A. Pelly; Councilman Gordon D. Smith; Councilwoman Gwen C. Wisler; City Manager Gary Jackson; City Attorney Robin T. Currin; and City Clerk Magdalen Burleson

Absent: None

ITEM AND SUMMARY

Resolution authorizing the City Manager to accept a grant from the N.C. Dept. of Insurance, Office of the State Fire Marshal, for smoke alarms with the purpose of providing free smoke alarms to the citizens of Asheville. — Adopted Unanimously

Resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign a grant agreement with Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority for $1.8 Million in Tourism Product Development Funds. — Adopted Unanimously

Resolution authorizing 2014-15 Housing Trust Fund loans to Biotat, LLC (Oak Hill Commons) and Beaucatcher Commons, LLC (255 Hazel Mill Road). — Adopted Unanimously

Resolution authorizing the Asheville Fire Department to apply for a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, to obtain funding for replacement of 83 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, and to accept grant funding if awarded. — Adopted Unanimously

Resolution authorizing approval of an amendment to the N.C. Dept. of Cultural Resources Records Retention and Disposition Schedule establishing a minimum retention period of 30 days for video and audio recordings captured by fixed and mobile recording devices. — Adopted Unanimously

Motion to approve the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law for the conditional use permit for Hawthorne South apartment complex located on Turtle Creek Drive. — Adopted Unanimously

Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a contract with Hypersign/Avionex LLC to provide digital menu board solutions and related equipment at the U.S. Cellular Center. — Adopted Unanimously

Ordinance amending Sections 19-144 and 19-164 of the Code of Ordinances to allow reverse angle parking (or backing-in parking). — Continued to 2-24-15

Technical budget amendment in the City’s Housing Trust Fund to appropriate from restricted fund balance the required budget authorization for prior year commitments that rolled forward to Fiscal Year 2014-15. — Adopted Unanimously

Food Policy Action Plan Update Legislative Update Process — Heard Update

Public hearing to consider a conditional zoning of property located on Broad Street from RM-16 Residential Multi-Family High Density District to CBI/CZ Community Business I District/ Conditional Zoning to construct a 2-story building with office space on the first floor and 3 residential units on the second floor, with a changed condition request to the landscape requirements. — Adopted Unanimously

Public hearing to consider a subdivision with conditional zoning on property located at 141, 145 and 149 Courtland Avenue from RS-8 Residential Single-Family High Density District to RM-8/CZ Residential Multi-Family Medium Density District/Conditional Zoning to (1) allow the conversion of three existing group home buildings into multi-family units and the subdivision of land to locate those buildings on separate lots; and (2) to establish 7 additional single-family home lots, with a changed condition request to the landscape and open space standards. — Adopted Unanimously

Public hearing to consider a conditional zoning on property located at 95 Craggy Avenue, 180 Louisiana Avenue and 178 Louisiana Avenue, from RS-8 Residential Single-Family High Density District to RS-8/CZ Residential Single-Family High Density District/Conditional Zoning to allow for the creation of 45 lots in two phases and associated infrastructure, with a changed condition request for lot sizes and setbacks, sidewalk standards and pavement and right of way widths. — Continued to Feb. 24

Confirmation of Asheville City Board of Education candidate essay questions. — Confirmed

Boards Commissions: (Council to determine who, if any, to interview)

African American Heritage Commission — Delayed until 3-10-15
Airport Authority — Appointed Stephanie Brown
Citizens-Police Advisory Committee (South Asheville resident) — Appointed Clifford Joslin
Civil Service Board Chair — Appointed Alan Coxie
Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee — Appointed Allison Bond

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Alamance legislators support gas tax changes, have questions

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North Carolina state government graphic

North Carolina state government graphic



Posted: Thursday, February 12, 2015 7:11 am
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Updated: 7:14 am, Thu Feb 12, 2015.

Alamance legislators support gas tax changes, have questions

McClatchy Regional News

news-record.com

A bill that would temporarily cut North Carolina’s gas tax by 2.5 cents and set the state’s minimum gas tax at 35 cents per gallon is advancing though the Senate and is expected to be heard by the House this week.

The bill would go into effect March 1, bringing the current 37.5-cents-per-gallon rate to 35 cents per gallon. The purpose of the bill is to stabilize revenue brought in by the gas tax, which fluctuates based on the price of fuel, to ensure the state has enough money to pay for highway and bridge projects.

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Thursday, February 12, 2015 7:11 am.

Updated: 7:14 am.


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Deshaun Watson, Artavis Scott, Daniel Rodriguez make All-ACC academic

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GREENSBORO, N.C.—Duke senior linebacker David Helton (Chattanooga, Tenn.), who was named the winner of the Campbell Trophy as the nation’s top football scholar-athlete by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame and also earned the ACC’s Jim Tatum Award as its top scholar-athlete, heads the 65-person 2014 All-ACC Academic Football Team announced Wednesday by ACC Commissioner John Swofford.

To be eligible for consideration for the team, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career. All 14 ACC schools were represented by at least two selections on the team. The ACC has selected an All-ACC Academic Football team every year since 1954.

The team was chosen from a pool of 128 eligible ACC football student-athletes who were nominated by their schools.

Boston College QB Tyler Murphy (Wethersfield, Conn.), who set an ACC single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,184) and led all signal callers nationally, is one of  12 members of the team that have already earned their undergraduate degrees and have finished or are working on a graduate degree or second undergraduate degree. Murphy finished his master’s degree this past fall.

Helton was named the ACC’s Jim Tatum Award winner last December in Charlotte, N.C., as the conference’s top scholar-athlete and was subsequently honored as the nation’s top scholar-athlete and winner of the Campbell Trophy, the nation’s “Academic Heisman”, at the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame annual banquet in New York. He was a first-team All-ACC selection at linebacker on the ACSMA team and second-team for the Coaches All-ACC team and led the ACC in tackles in each of the past two seasons.

He was one of 13 Blue Devils selected for the team, the most of any ACC school. Syracuse had nine selections on the team followed by Pitt (8), Wake Forest (6), Miami (5) and NC State (5).

Two members of the All-ACC Academic team were named to the Capital One Academic All-America team. Helton was a first-team selection and Syracuse long snapper Sam Rodgers (State College, Pa.) was a second-team choice.

Two members of the team earned All-America honors. Offensive guard Laken Tomlinson (Chicago, Ill.) of Duke was a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, SI.com and Walter Camp, while safety Jeremy Cash (Miami, Fla.) of Duke was a second-team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Walter Camp and Phil Steele.

Clemson wide receiver Artavis Scott (Oldham, Fla.) was named first-team Freshman All-America by ESPN.com, USA Today, College Football News (CFN) and Phil Steele. Scott became the first Tiger freshman in history to make an All-ACC team (second) and the All-ACC Academic team. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson (Gainesville, Ga.), NC State wide receiver Bo Hines (Charlotte, N.C.), Florida State wide receiver Travis Rudolph (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Duke running back Shaun Wilson (Charlotte, N.C.) were all named Honorable Mention Freshman All-Americans by CFN.

 In all, 15 members of the All-ACC Academic team also earned some sort of selection to the conference’s All-ACC football team, including Helton and Tomlinson, who were first-team selections. Joining them were second-team picks Cash of Duke, Scott of Clemson and offensive guard Matt Rotheram of Pitt (North Olmstead, Ohio).  Seven members of the team earned third-team All-ACC honors in safety DeVon Edwards (Covington, Ga.), placekicker Ross Martin (Solon, Ohio) and punter Will Monday (Flowery Branch, Ga.) of Duke; defensive end Anthony Chickillo (Tampa, Fla.)and punter Justin Vogel (Tampa, Fla.) of Miami; and offensive tackle Sean Hickey (Murrysville, Pa.) and linebacker Cameron Lynch (Lawrenceville, Ga.) of Syracuse.

Fifteen others earned repeat selections to the team in Clemson wide receiver Daniel Rodriguez (Stafford, Va.); Edwards, running back Josh Snead (Smithfield, N.C.) and tight end David Reeves (Greensboro, Ala.) of Duke; linebacker Nathan Staub (Chestnut Mountain, Ga.) of North Carolina; fullback Tyler Purvis (Reinholds, Pa.), offensive guard Joe Thuney (Centerville, Ohio) and cornerback Jack Tocho (Charlotte, N.C.) of NC State; offensive tackle Adam Bisnowaty (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and safety Ray Vinopal (Youngstown, Ohio) of Pitt; punter Riley Dixon (Blossvale, N.Y.)and offensive guard Rob Trudo (Farrell, Pa.) of Syracuse; offensive guard David Wang (Ashburn, Va.) of Virginia Tech; and fullback Jordan Garside (Jacksonville, Fla.) and safety Ryan Janvion (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) of Wake Forest. Wang and Snead were both selected to the 2012 All-ACC Academic team while all of the others were honored last year.

2014 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Football Team

Player, School, Class, Pos., Major, Hometown
Tony Adams, NC State, Fr., C/G, Sport Management, Charlotte, N.C.
Braxton Berrios, Miami, Fr., WR, Undeclared Business, Raleigh, N.C.
Adam Bisnowaty, Pitt, So.-R, T, Communication Rhetoric, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Jamal Bruce, Duke, Sr.-R, DT, Sociology, LaGrange, Ga.
Jeremy Cash, Duke, Jr.-R, S, Psychology, Miami, Fla.
Anthony Chickillo, Miami, Sr., DE, Sport Administration, Tampa, Fla.
Chuck Clark, Virginia Tech, So., S, Human Development, Suffolk, Va.
Riley Dixon, Syracuse, Sr., P, Accounting, Blossvale, N.Y.
*David Durham, Pitt, Sr.-R, DE, Higher Education Management, Charlotte, N.C.
DeVon Edwards, Duke, So.-R, S, Psychology, Covington, Ga.
Nantambu Akil-Fentress, Miami, Sr., S, Biology, Nashville, Tenn.
Bryon Fields, Duke, So., CB, Psychology, Charlotte, N.C.
Zaire Franklin, Syracuse, Fr., LB, Sport Management, Philadelphia, Pa.
*Jordan Garside, Wake Forest, Sr.-R, FB, Graduate Management, Jacksonville, Fla.
David Helton, Duke, Sr.., LB, Psychology, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Calvin Heurtelou, Miami, Jr., DT, Liberal Arts, Spring Valley, N.Y.
Sean Hickey, Syracuse, Sr., T, Supply Chain Management, Murrysville, Pa.
Bo Hines, NC State, Fr., WR, First Year College, Charlotte, N.C.
Ryan Hoefeld, Florida State, Fr.-R, C, Sport Management, New Orleans, La.
Elijah Hood, North Carolina, So., RB, Undeclared, Charlotte, N.C.
Ryan Janvion, Wake Forest, So.-R, SS, Business Enterprise Mgt., Pembroke Pines, Fla.
*Isaiah Johnson, Georgia Tech, Sr.-R, S, Masters, Building Construction, Tyrone, Ga.
Ryan Johnson, Louisville, Sr.-R, P, Health Human Performance, Louisville, Ky.
Kevin Kavalec, Boston College, So., DE, Undeclared, Middleburg Heights, Ohio
Cameron Lynch, Syracuse, Sr., LB, Economics, Lawrenceville, Ga.
Ross Martin, Duke, Jr., PK, Psychology, Solon, Ohio
Avonte Maddox, Pitt, Fr., CB, Dietrich School of Arts Sciences, Detroit, Mich.
John Miller, Syracuse, Sr., C, Information Management, Carson, Calif.
Reggie Mitchell, Pitt, So.-R, CB, Business Marketing, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Will Monday, Duke, Jr.-R, P, Sociology, Flowery Branch, Ga.
*Tyler Murphy, Boston College, Sr.-R, QB, Graduate Administrative Studies, Wethersfield, Conn.
Caleb Peterson, North Carolina, So.-R, G, Exercise Sport Science, Auburn, Ala.
Shaquille Powell, Duke, Jr., RB, Psychology, Las Vegas, Nev.
*Tyler Purvis, NC State, Sr.-R, FB, Business Adm/Economics (2 majors), Reinholds, Pa.
David Reeves, Duke, Jr.-R, TE, Sociology, Greensboro, Ala.
Daniel Rodriguez, Clemson, Sr.-R, WR, Parks, Recreation Tourism Mgt,, Stafford, Va.
Sam Rodgers, Syracuse, Sr-R, LS, Nutrition, State College, Pa.
*Matt Rotheram, Pitt, Sr.-R, G, Higher Education Management, North Olmstead, Ohio
Travis Rudolph, Florida State, Fr., WR, Sport Management, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Artavis Scott, Clemson, Fr., WR, Communications, Oldsmar, Fla.
*E.J. Scott, Wake Forest, Sr.-R, WR, Masters in Liberal Studies, Ellicott City, Md.
Cam Serigne, Wake Forest, Fr., TE, Undeclared, Ashburn, Va.
Thomas Sirk, Duke, So.-R, QB, Political Science, Glen St. Mary, Fla.
Jake Smith, Louisville, Sr.-R, G, Economics, Jacksonville, Ala.
*Josh Snead, Duke, Sr-R., RB, Master of Arts, Smithfield, N.C.
Nathan Staub, North Carolina, So.-R, LB, Undecided, Chestnut Mountain, Ga.
Trevor Stroebel, Georgia Tech, So., LS, Business Administration, Saukville, Wis.
*Joe Thuney, NC State, Jr.-R, G, International Studies, Centerville, Ohio
Jack Tocho, NC State, So. ., CB, Accounting, Charlotte, N.C.
Laken Tomlinson, Duke, Sr.-R, G, Psychology/Evolutionary Anthropology., Chicago, Ill.
Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina, Fr.-R, QB, Exercise and Sport Science, Mentor, Ohio
Rob Trudo, Syracuse, Jr., G, Economics, Farrell, Pa.
*Ray Vinopal, Pitt, Sr.-R, S, Finance and Chain Supply, Youngstown, Ohio
Justin Vogel, Miami, So., P, HSC General, Tampa, Fla.
Chad Voytik, Pitt, So.-R, QB, Business Finance, Cleveland, Tenn.
Wil Wahee, Virginia, So.-R, FS, Sociology, Norfolk, Va.
David Wang, Virginia Tech, Sr.-R, G, Instructional Technology, Ashburn, Va.
Deshaun Watson, Clemson, Fr., QB, Communications, Gainesville, Ga.
*Robert Welsh, Syracuse, Sr., DE, Instructional Design, Bay Shore, N.Y.
*Jarrod West, Syracuse, Sr.-R, WR, Teaching Curriculum, Bethlehem, Pa.
Hunter Williams, Wake Forest, Jr.-R, LB, Business Enterprise Mgt., Wake Forest, N.C.
Shaun Wilson, Duke, Fr., RB, Undeclared, Charlotte, N.C.
Connor Wingo-Reeves, Virginia, So., FB, Undeclared, Midlothian, Va.
Ryan Winslow, Pitt, Fr.-R, P, Business Administration, Maple Glen, Pa.
John Wolford, Wake Forest, Fr., QB, Undeclared, Jacksonville, Fla.

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Platform overlooking NC/SC border coming to Sassafras Mountain

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Legions of hikers and state “highpointers” have had the vision for years that if you build an overlook on Sassafras Mountain, the curious will come.

Now, it looks like the idea for an accessible observation platform straddling the North Carolina-South Carolina border is on its way, thanks to a $350,000 gift from Duke Energy to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources this past week.

The department will be able start drawing up plans and moving dirt for building a new observation platform at the summit of Sassafras Mountain, the highest peak in South Carolina, which sits at 3,553 feet elevation.

Along with fund-raising efforts such as the sale of brick pavers among several groups, including the Foothills Trail Conference, Pickens County, Clemson University, the Conservation Fund, the Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund, the state Department of Natural Resources has $500,000, about half of what is needed for the complete project, but enough to begin construction, said Greg Lucas, department spokesman.

Work on the platform is expected to begin this summer and take about six months to complete. Other amenities, including restrooms, a picnic area and an upgraded trail to the platform, will require more fund-raising, Lucas said.

Architectural renderings are drawn, modeled partly on the handicap-accessible observation platform at Mount Mitchell State Park in North Carolina’s Yancey County, about 30 miles northeast of Asheville, Lucas said. Formal plans will go out to bid soon.

Heyward Douglass, executive director of the Foothills Trail Conference, the nonprofit that oversees the 77-mile-long Foothills Trail that runs along the Carolinas border and splices Sassafras Mountain, said it is an exciting and long-awaited moment for outdoors enthusiasts, as well as those in tourism.

“The Foothills Trail goes right smack dab over the top of Sassafras,” Douglass said. “It starts out of Table Rock State Park, 9 miles away, crosses over the top of Sassafras and down, and connects to Oconee State Park. We’re so thrilled to have a scenic spot that’s always been a part of the Foothills Trail.”

The mountain in northern Pickens County — midway between Rosman, N.C., and Pickens, S.C. — sits on land managed by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Officially known as the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges, Lucas said it is more commonly referred to as Jocassee Gorges.

It is part of the land sold in 2010 by former U.S. Congressman Charles Taylor of North Carolina to the Conservation Fund as part of a landmark 8,000-acre, $33 million conservation sale spilling over the state line. The land trust then donated the land to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. On the North Carolina side, the N.C. Forest Service is working with the Conservation Fund, the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and other partners to create the new Headwaters State Forest.

Sassafras Mountain is also on the Eastern Continental Divide. It is the separation point for three distinct watersheds — two watersheds drain into the Atlantic Ocean and another travels to the Gulf of Mexico.

The land was acquired by the state in the late 1990s and has been open as public hunting land and recreation land since then, Lucas said. There was once a fire tower on the peak, but it was dismantled many years ago, and although once cleared of trees, the summit had overgrown in the past half century.

The iconic status of Sassafras as the highest point in South Carolina has been known for decades, Heyward said, but it has been a place hard to reach, especially for those in the Highpointers Club, a national group of hikers that attempt to reach the highest point in each of the 50 states.

Pickens County paid for the paving of the 4.5-mile U.S. 178 stretch leading out of Rocky Bottom to just below the summit, where people have been able to park and scout around for where they think the summit is.

Last summer, the S.C. natural resources, working with conservation groups, took down 3 acres of trees at the peak in anticipation of the observation deck.

“It’s going to be done in phases. The total will be over $1 million. We’re hoping Duke Energy’s very gracious donation will help spur other corporate entities to donate other funds,” Lucas said. “The platform will be barrier-free, so folks who are mobility impaired will be able to access it.

“Mount Mitchell has been mentioned as the standard, something simple and attractive.”

“Sassafras Mountain is a special natural asset, and this project fits right in with our mission of environmental stewardship,” Clark Gillespy, South Carolina president of Duke Energy, said in a statement. “Partnerships like this ensure that the natural beauty and wonders of South Carolina are protected and shared with generations to come.”

Funding for the Sassafras Mountain project was committed as part of the re-licensing agreement for Duke Energy’s Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric Project, which includes the hydroelectric stations at lakes Keowee and Jocassee.

Douglass said the new platform will serve many functions: a notch in the belt for the Highpointers; a starting, ending or resting point for those traversing the Foothills Trail; another destination of note for South Carolina’s tourism office, maybe even in time for fall foliage season; and another place to stop and wonder at the region’s natural beauty.

“The sunsets from there are incredible,” Douglass said. “Some were not happy about taking trees down, but a whole lot more are thrilled and amazed at the views you can now see all around. It’s just spectacular.”

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American Airlines Pushes for NC Sales Tax Break

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Feb. 05–RALEIGH — State lawmakers are weighing a proposal from American Airlines and other carriers to exempt them from millions of dollars in sales taxes on fuel, a request that could affect Charlotte’s status as one of the nation’s largest airline hubs.

With a cap on jet fuel taxes set to expire next year, American, which merged with US Airways, has joined Delta, United and other airlines to seek an industrywide exemption from the tax.

A bill to address the issue is expected soon.

“What’s the right answer? I don’t know,” said Republican Sen. Jeff Tarte of Cornelius. “I do know that US Airways is absolutely critical not only to the Charlotte region but to North Carolina.”

Fuel is typically the biggest single expense for an airline. The push for a new tax exemption comes as fuel costs have plummeted and airline profits soar to new records. Last month, American Airlines reported a $597 million profit for its fourth quarter.

And for the coming year, American said it expects to pay $1.73 a gallon for fuel in the coming year. That’s down from $2.91 last year and $3.08 in 2013.

But Airlines for America, a coalition of American and other carriers, has called fuel “by far the industry’s largest and most volatile cost,” accounting for more than a third of its operating expenses. It said without legislative action, North Carolina will have the nation’s fifth-highest jet fuel tax in 2016.

Sales taxes on jet fuel are capped at $2.5 million. US Airways was the lone recipient of the tax break, which expires in January. Legislative analysts say the cap could cost the state $10 million this year.

An American Airlines spokeswoman said the airline supports the proposal to exempt jet fuel from sales tax in North Carolina, and referred further questions to Airlines for America.

Vaughn Jennings, a spokesman for the lobbying group, said North Carolina will be at a disadvantage to other neighboring states such as South Carolina — which doesn’t tax jet fuel — without action on the sales tax.

“Part of what makes NC a strong market for commercial aviation is the state’s currently favorable tax climate,” Jennings said in an email. “Furthering the tax burden on airlines could lead to less revenue to the government, reduced tourism and less economic growth.”

The group also contends that airlines are overtaxed already, and that taxes on jet fuel amount to double taxation.

“It is inherently unfair for consumers to be taxed on the end product — airfare — as well as the components that comprise the airfare,” Jennings said.

Low cost helps hub

Draft legislation from an American lobbyist would exempt jet fuel for all interstate air couriers and passenger carriers.

“I thought it was a little aggressive,” said Republican Sen. Bob Rucho of Matthews.

But Rucho, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said lawmakers will evaluate the proposal and its cost based in part on its return on investment.

“We’re going to look at it and make a judgment as to whether that fits into our tax structure,” he said.

A report from the N.C. Department of Revenue shows US Airways received a $9.2 million refund for fuel taxes paid in 2013, the most recent year available. The company was the only passenger airline to claim the fuel tax refund that year.

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Oswego Speedway’s 2015 Commitment Rosters Revealed

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OSWEGO, NY – As Oswego Speedway’s 65th anniversary season inches ever closer, more than 40 teams have so far committed to the 2015 season at the Steel Palace, set to take the green flag on May 9 presented by Planet Fitness of Oswego and Mitchell’s Speedway Press.

Brandon Bellinger (02) and Dan Connors Jr. (01) lead the Novelis Supermodified Fall Championship finale to green during last season’s Sunoco Race of Champions Weekend at Oswego Speedway.

By signing on to the Oswego Speedway commitment program teams are agreeing to enter each and every week of the regular racing season at the Speedway. In doing so, the Speedway agrees to pay an increased and guaranteed purse to start the feature every Saturday night to those teams.  However, if for any reason a team misses more than one night of racing the commitment goes away, and the team is no longer in the program.

At that point teams also have to forfeit any commitment dollars gained on top of a normal Saturday night purse.

A total of 25 Novelis Supermodified teams have committed to the weekly field in 2015, including 2014 championship combatants Otto Sitterly, Dave Gruel, David Danzer, Pat Lavery and Joey Payne.

Sitterly’s feats have been well chronicled in recent months after claiming his historic seventh Novelis Supermodified Oswego Speedway track title in 2014 over Gruel.

With a total of 30 career Supermodified main event wins now at Oswego, including his fourth Budweiser International Classic crown, Sitterly no doubt reigns as the man to beat heading into 2015.

Hawk chassis companions Gruel, Danzer, and Lavery will all return with their same mounts in 2015, nipping at Sitterly’s heels. However, odds makers may believe that Danzer and his family owned No. 52 machine, may have the best chance of the three to knock off Sitterly.

Danzer rattled off three main events wins in 2014, with two coming in his brand new Hawk chassis later in the year.  A victory in the $10,000 to win Mr. Novelis Supermodified and a triumph during the Race of Champions Fall Championship finale in a direct battle with Sitterly, points to the No. 52 as a direct opponent to Sittery’s run at a record breaking eighth Supermodified championship.

Former teammates Gruel and Lavery each fell short of victory lane in 2014, but no doubt share the same team effort and driving pedigree to threaten the Nicotra team for the title.

Arguably the hottest driver, other than Danzer, at the end of 2014 was the driver of the Graham Racing, Xtreme Chassis No. 99 – the ‘Jersey Jet’ Joey Payne.

Payne will return full-time in 2015 behind the wheel of his track record shattering machine, which sat on the pole for the 58th annual Budweiser International Classic 200, and with feature winning teammate Kody Graham the duo looks to end the recent championship stranglehold held by Sitterly and Hawk chassis.

After debuting the Graham machine later in the season last year, Payne wasted little time in finding the machine comfortable, driving to a main event win in August before dominating the early portions of the International Classic and finishing the championship schedule with three consecutive top five finishes on his way to sixth in the final standings.

Payne fell just 124 points shy of the title, even though he missed one event during the year rehabbing a non-racing related injury.

Like Payne, Kody Graham also picked up one main event win in 2014 and shared the front row with Payne for the International Classic.

Other drivers finishing in the top ten of last year’s drivers’ championship that will return as commitment members in 2015 are Joe Gosek, Michael Barnes, Tim Devendorf and Michael Muldoon.

While no official word has come out from Gosek as to which option he will select for 2015, most reports seem to indicate that the Gosek team will make the front end adjustments necessary to their championship winning No. 00 from 2011 in order to better compete this coming season.

Gosek won the 75-lap Grand Prix event at the Speedway in 2014, his 43rd career main event win at Oswego.

Despite missing one event in 2014, Barnes drove the new Syrell Racing Hawk chassis to two main event wins last season and eighth in the drivers’ championship. Barnes adds his name to a stellar list of championship hopefuls during the 2015 campaign.

Devendorf will debut a brand new Hawk chassis into action in 2015.

The machine was completed very late in 2014, and never hit the track for competition.  Finishing ninth in points in 2014, Devendorf was declared the Speedway’s most improved driver one year ago and looks to continue to climb in 2015.

Finishing the top ten in points one year ago was Muldoon, who will again return to the Speedway with a re-worked No. 51 roadster. Still eyeing his first career main event win, the young Muldoon will surely be a threat for victory in 2015.

Others entering the program from one year ago include Brandon Bellinger, Keith Shampine, Stephen Gioia III, Dan Connors Jr., Lou LeVea Sr., Lou LeVea Jr., Tim Snyder, Hal LaTulip, Shaun Gosselin, Jeff Abold and Ray Graham.

New drivers in the program this season include 2014 Rookie of the Year Mike Barbera, 2015 Rookie of the Year candidate Logan Rayvals and returning Supermodified veteran Brian Sobus.

While the teams listed above are those displaying the early commitment to be at the track each week in 2015, a host of other drivers and teams are hoping to make the Steel Palace home in 2015.

Dave Cliff, Bob Bogwicz, Dave Shullick Jr., Brian Sweeney, Davey Hamilton, Jerry Curran, Jeff Locke, Bob Bond, Joey Moriarty, and Tim Jedrzejek have also all registered for action at the Home of Supermodifieds this season.

On the Pathfinder Bank Small Block Super side of the pit area, 17 teams have so far entered into the commitment program including last year’s championship contestants Andrew Schartner, Kreig Heroth, Anthony Losurdo, and Jack Patrick.

Schartner dominated the 2014 campaign at Oswego, driving the Crow Motorsports No. 18 Hedger chassis with three main events wins.  Commuting weekly from Charlotte, NC, to compete makes each new season a bit uncertain for Schartner and team, but it is doubtful they will miss on a chance to defend their title in 2015.

Former SBS champion Heroth is re-tooling for another shot at the title this season, as Kreig Heroth Motorsports has teamed with Dick Myers to build a brand new Hedger chassis for 2015. Heroth and Myers will bring two Hedger small blocks to the Speedway weekly this season with their eyes solely set on regaining their championship status from 2012.

Like Heroth, young Losurdo will be behind the wheel of a new machine this season, except it will be of the FFB chassis variety.  Announced at the end of last year, Losurdo will join forces with Denise Merrill and Mike Bond of Four Sevens Motorsports in the new year with the hope of bringing Losurdo his first championship in the No. 1.

Losurdo’s teammate Bond, who missed the majority of 2014 with a back injury, will also wheel a new FFB chassis in search of his first Speedway title since 2011.

Patrick, arguably one of the fastest machines at the Speedway each week in 2014, will return in 2015 looking to return to victory lane and take another crack at the championship in the Mopar No. 9. Patrick, Heroth and Losurdo had a tremendous battle late in the year last season for the runner-up position in the Speedway’s SBS championship.

Others in the top ten of last year’s championship battle returning in 2015 include Bud Light SBS Classic champion JJ Andrews, Barry Kingsley, Mike Bruce and Josh Kerr.

Andrews came on strong late in 2014 with the No. 93, showing superior speed and eventually driving to his first career victory in the SBS Classic. After initially planning a part-time campaign in 2015, Andrews and team have decided to again race for his elusive first Speedway track title.

Kingsley returns full-time as a teammate to Andrews in the Team Tapout No. 91 Hedger.  Despite missing out on victory lane in 2014, Kingsley was a weekly top five threat, and battled for a podium championship position at various points of the season.

Bruce won the first three main events of his career in 2014 driving the FFB No. 22 on his way to eighth in the standings. An up and down year from a results perspective kept Bruce from a chase at the title, but the Oswego driver hopes to change that this coming season.

Kerr edged his way into the top ten of last year’s drivers’ championship in the No. 8 and hopes to capitalize on that in 2015 to move up even higher.

Others returning to the program this season from one year ago include 2014 feature winner Alex Hoag, Dalton Doyle, 2014 Rookie of the Year Camden Proud, David LaTulip, Greg O’Connor and Dennis Rupert.

New to the program this season will be Bruce Racing teammate Matt Magner as well as 2015 Rookie of the Year candidate and Oswego Kartway graduate Alex McRae.

McRae is the grandson of longtime Speedway Supermodified veteran Joe Hawksby Sr. and the nephew to Hawk chassis creator Joe Hawksby Jr.  A many time feature winner at the Friday night Oswego Kartway facility, McRae will drive No. 14 in 2015.

One notable name missing from the commitment list is the third member of Team Tapout, Jason Simmons, who finished fifth in last year’s championship order.

Reports indicate that although the car is not signed up for the commitment program, it is near completion for 2015, and may likely be a weekly fixture for the year despite being left off the commitment list currently.

Reports have also indicated that the SBS ranks may see the weekly return of former series champion Russ Brown, although the driver or car has not yet registered for 2015. Brown won two main events, on a very limited schedule in 2014, winning the $1,500 to win Mr. Pathfinder Bank SBS title before setting a new SBS track record during Bud Light SBS Classic time trials in the Hedger No. 13.

Other drivers registered that are not currently in the commitment program include Jesse Bearup, Rob Pullen, James Babcock, Cameron Black, AJ Bernys, Dennis Richmond and Ray Sand Jr.

For more information on Oswego Speedway visit online at www.oswegospeedway.com or call (315) 342-0646.  Visit the Speedway on social media @OswegoSpeedway or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway.

2015 Novelis Supermodified Commitment Roster

00 – Joe Gosek

01 – Dan Connors Jr.

02 – Brandon Bellinger

05 – Jeff Abold

0 – Tim Snyder

5 – Tim Devendorf

7 – Otto Sitterly

9 – Stephen Gioia III

11 – Graham Racing

21 – Kody Graham

22 – Pat Lavery

26 – Shaun Gosselin

45 – Mike Barbera

50 – Dave Gruel

51 – Michael Muldoon

52 – David Danzer

55 – Keith Shampine

56 – Hal LaTulip

66 – Lou LeVea Sr.

68 – Michael Barnes

79 – Brian Sobus

83 – Lou LeVea Jr.

90 – Ray Graham

94 – Logan Rayvals ®

99 – Joey Payne

2015 Pathfinder Bank Small Block Super Commitment Roster

01 – Dalton Doyle

04 – Kreig Heroth

1 – Anthony Losurdo

7 – Alex Hoag

8 – Josh Kerr

9 – Jack Patrick

14 – Alex McRae ®

18 – Andrew Schartner

20 – Matt Magner

22 – Mike Bruce

27 – David LaTulip

54 – Camden Proud

74 – Mike Bond

90 – Greg O’Connor

91 – Barry Kingsley

93 – JJ Andrews

99 – Dennis Rupert

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The evolution of the Asheville Mardi Gras Parade

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If the weather cooperates on Sunday, Feb. 15, Asheville Mardi Gras executive committee Chair Hobbit Hawes estimates there could be more than 5,000 people lining Wall Street, Battery Park Avenue, Haywood Street and Page Avenue for the volunteer organization’s annual parade.

Drawing such a crowd to the family-friendly atmosphere are various krewes. Dressed in elaborate costumes, these groups spread cheer in the streets and from atop floats. Past floats included a 10-by-10-foot pyramid circled by three giant spaceships, and a massive wedding cake upon which Hawes and his then-fiancée Tamra were married.

Expats arisin’

Back in 2001, such a level of popularity and public acceptance seemed unlikely. Upon moving to Asheville from New Orleans that year, Lesley Groetsch remembers going out to Jack of the Wood and Tressa’s Jazz Blues to celebrate Mardi Gras with her husband, Jack. They were met by puzzled looks from the clientele, which wondered why the Groetsches were out in costume on a Tuesday night.

The couple, who managed The Orange Peel for a stretch, continued to dress up and go out, but it wasn’t until fellow New Orleans expats Ashley Thibodaux and her husband, Chris Jones, started serving food out of the music venue that things began moving. The two approached the Groetsches about starting a krewe, and in 2003 Jones christened the Mystic Krewe of Munky Doux. “Mystic” is a term commonly used by New Orleans krewes to reflect the secret, otherworldly nature of early Mardi Gras societies, whose masks concealed members’ identities. “Monkey” is spelled to resemble “funky” and “do” like roux, the primary thickening agent for Cajun cuisine.

The Mystic Krewe of Munky Doux’s inaugural outing started at The Grey Eagle and made a pub crawl to The Orange Peel. From what Groetsch calls “really haphazard and ragtag” roots, each year became more organized, with more participants and impressive costumes. A king, queen and grand marshal became annual traditions, as did an irreverent political theme and a plethora of monkey masks. “No matter what your costume was, you were a monkey underneath,” Groetsch says. “Traffic Monkey” Critter Thomas donned a fluorescent vest to aid in street crossings. One year Jack Groetsch paired his mask with an Uncle Sam outfit and went as “A Monkey’s Uncle Sam.”

WELL PLAYED: Early iterations of the local Mradi Gras parade included performances by Firecracker Jazz band and Unifire performance troupe. Photo by Carrie Eidson
WELL PLAYED: Early iterations of the local Mardi Gras parade included performances by Firecracker Jazz Band and Unifire performance troupe. Photo by Carrie Eidson

From the sidewalks to the streets

The pub crawls eventually shifted to a route from the former Thibodaux Jones Creole Kitchen on Biltmore Avenue to Jack of the Wood and back. With the Firecracker Jazz Band leading the procession, the celebration increasingly resembled a parade. But the substantial commitment of organizing such an activity held little interest for the Mystic Krewe of Munky Doux, which had its last hurrah in 2008. Its members considered themselves to be in the laid-back vein of New Orleans marching krewes, but were excited when an enthusiastic group led by pub-crawl veteran Sara Widenhouse began charting out a large-scale event.

“I was then working as the parade director of the Asheville Holiday Parade and wanted to get the Mardi Gras Parade more legitimate,” Widenhouse says. Along with Morgana Davis, Susan Sertain, Mike Sule, Joe Minicozzi, Sam York, Carol Pimentel and others, she formed the Mystic Mountain Krewe planning committee for the 2007 parade.

Under the theme “Any Way You Doux It,” the officially permitted sidewalk route went from Asheville Brewing Co. on Coxe Avenue to Pritchard Park. The Hillcrest Drum Corps led the way, the Asheville Police Department provided street crossings, and the Firecracker Jazz Band and Unifire performed in the park. A ball at The Grey Eagle followed.

In 2008, Widenhouse again arranged the permitting and worked with police to establish the organization’s first city-sanctioned street parade. The APD blocked side streets as a procession of banners, floats, vehicles and dance and drum corps rolled along a route from North Spruce Street to Pritchard Park. “The turnout — both paraders and spectators — was much more than we expected, but luckily all went well, and we got away with it,” Widenhouse says.

That year also featured the group’s first Twelfth Night, held at Jack of the Wood on Jan. 6, the traditional start of Mardi Gras season. Widenhouse baked a king cake and Scott Yerkey found a bean (substituted for the traditional plastic baby) in his slice. As newly crowned king, Yerkey asked his wife, Sarah, to join him as queen, thereby becoming the first royalty of Asheville’s Mardi Gras street-parade era.

Widenhouse stepped aside as parade chair after 2008, opening the door for Amy Kemp to serve as an ambassador to city officials. Carl Nyberg handled paperwork and police-liaison duties and later worked barricades and organized volunteers, efforts that earned him the title Parade Kaptain.

KEEP ROLLING: Photo by Hayley Benton
KEEP ON ROLLING: The current parade route has held since 2012 but may soon change due to the event’s popularity. “It’s gotten so big that the head meets the tail going around,” says Carl Nyberg. Photo by Hayley Benton

And now for something completely different

With multiple successful parades to its name, Mystic Mountain Krewe transitioned to being called Asheville Mardi Gras to better reflect its breadth of events. Festivities now begin each November with a party to announce the theme. Krewes — which can be formed freely, though there’s an optional $20 Asheville Mardi Gras membership — get right to work on their costumes and floats.

Twelfth Night was held this year at Club Eleven on Grove. Lynn Caroli Rapp became queen and chose Chill Axin (née Thomas Cahill, part of Hawes’ Gypsy Krewe) as king. The seventh annual Cajun Cook-off and Art Auction, the organization’s biggest fundraiser, followed on Jan. 25 at The Millroom.

Picking up where last year’s extremely popular “Where the Wild Things Are” celebration left off, the 2015 Asheville Mardi Gras theme is “And Now For Something Completely Different.” Taking a cue from its Monty Python origins, Hawes says many people will don costumes inspired by the revered British comedy troupe. Working on its float every weekend since December, the Gypsy Krewe is going with a Holy Grail motif, with Hawes as John Cleese’s horned, pyromaniac wizard Tim the Enchanter — but participants are by no means limited to these parameters. The theme “gives them the opportunity to do whatever they want and let themselves shine in their glittery, sparkly selves,” Hawes says.

After moving the starting point to Asheville Community Theatre and later to the Vance Monument, the current parade route has held since 2012 but may soon change due to the event’s popularity. “It’s gotten so big that the head meets the tail going around,” Nyberg says.

With the number of attendees leaping each year, the executive committee has been in discussions with the city about alternate routes. Both parties want the parade to stay downtown, and the city has expressed interest in helping making it more of a tourism destination. “We need 10,000 people to get carte blanche and be like the holiday parade and go down Patton or wherever,” Hawes says. “We’re not quite that big, but we’re going in that direction.”

Such totals may have been far from Lesley Groetsch’s mind in the early 2000s, but she’s not surprised by the festivity’s success. “Asheville is definitely game for things like Mardi Gras,” she says. “There’s so much talent, creativity and energy here that I’m really pleased someone has taken up the mantle and made it a big deal. I take zero credit. We were truly just goofing off and having a good time. People joined us, and it was just a testament to how Asheville loves a good artsy, freaky party.”

And despite the growth, Asheville Mardi Gras hasn’t forgotten its history. Nyberg is considering re-forming the Mystic Mountain Krewe as a volunteer krewe to work barricades and do crowd control during the parade. Furthermore, to honor a beloved member who passed away in June, the Carol Pimentel Award will be given to the person with the most outstanding costume.

WHAT: Asheville Mardi Gras Parade, ashevillemardigras.org
WHERE: Wall and Haywood streets, Battery Park and Page avenues
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m., followed by the Queen’s Ball at Pack’s Tavern with music from Empire Strikes Brass. Free.

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