Edition 1, Volume 2

capitalatplay.comComplimentary Edition

Volume II - Edition 1

Jan/Feb. 2012

Watershead Dry Bags

The Free Spirit Of Enterprise

Kayacking & The S.E.A.L.’s

The Science Of SoundMeet Dr. Music

EatonPow-R-Charger

Palmer WahlThermometers

Wine & WisdomWhat to do, post-

New Years resolution?

Capital AdventuristSki savvy this yearrates, dates & more

Manual WoodworkersTextiles, doing more than just surviving

Market To MarketEveryone wants to

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CONTRIBuTINg EDITORSAlexina Morgan, hunt Mallett, Linda Cypres, Mike Summey

CONTRIBuTINg PhOTOgRAPhERS AND gRAPhICSLinda Cluxton, John Lattimer, Tatyana Timacheff, Elizabeth Crabtree

CREATIVE ASSOCIATES AND LAYOuTPatrick Braswell, Kevin Quinn, Kathy Sue Wells, Bill Richards,

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For Advertising Inquires, call 828.274.7305 or e-mail [email protected]

For Subscription Information, call 828.274.7305 or order online at www.capitalatplay.com

For Editorial Inquiries, e-mail [email protected] © 2011, universal media. all rights reserved.

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North Carolina has been a manufacturing hub for the united

States for decades. The high Point market is a forum for furniture

manufacturing firms, and is still the largest home furnishings market in the

world. Even still, North Carolina has lost many of its manufacturing plants to Asia,

South America, and Maquiladoras in Mexico. But in spite of this, we see many manufacturers

in the Western Carolinas who have found their niche, and are thriving.

For this edition we asked a number of manufacturing companies, how do you survive? how

have you remained here, in spite of a manufacturing implosion over the last 2 decades, and the

economic hardships over just the last 4 years?

Inside this edition of Capital At Play, we hope to show you how interesting work can be,

even if it takes place inside a building that may not be so intriguing on the outside. This

month’s cover is also symbolic of what manufacturing demands. There is not much gray

area. Either you can keep the doors open, the lights on, and the people employed, or you

shut down. Despite Bob Moog’s seemingly bland appearance on the cover, his instruments

have influenced some of the most colorful songwriters and musicians making hits today. his

company exists specifically because they focus on innovating and on making products that

cannot be easily replicated, or found elsewhere. Just like all of the manufacturing firms we

saw; had they not, they would no longer be in existence.

Publisher’s Thoughts


Featured CapitalistsThose who take the risk and inspire others to do likewise... bringing every sector of private industry right to your fingertips.

Contents

175 years with Palmer WahlFirst Thermometer Made In The uSA.

Manual WoodworkersStill Family Owned, Still American Made.p.10 p.22 p.38

Plug InEaton Corporations Pow-R-Charger

Capital AdventuristSki Savvy this Year in North Carolina

The Art of MOOgAsheville’s Moonshine Whiskey.p.46 p.54 p.88

Watershed: Peddling a PassionFrom Kayacking To The NAVY SEAL’s.



Need to strengthen your bottom line?For premier advertising space in

call 828.274.7305 or email [email protected]

Leisure& Libation

Working as hard as you do, it can be difficult to make time to find these things - let us help.

Keepin’ it BriefFrom the area of commerce you’re in, from the Carolinas, and from around the globe - you won’t find the same information in one magazine anywhere else.

ChinwaggerThis is a modern twist to the OP/ED - since things have gone digital, conversa-tions just aren’t what they used to be...

We want your thoughts on this! Join in the discussion online @ www.capitalatplay.com/chinwagger

Politics

Local IndustryAll about your area. We help you stay on top of the businesses that impact and serve your region.

These are some of the latestand greatest gadgets to improve your life and work, or maybe just to keep you entertained.

Early AdoptersSometimes the Private and Public Sectors of industry col-lide - We show you what some writers think. We also help you reach the elected officials that represent you.

ContentsContents

In The Pisgah View Region

19

News In The Old North State

30

World Briefs52

Health Briefs60

36 Hunt Mallett Gives UsWine & WisdomWhat to do post-New Years resolution.

Brew News32

Mike Talks: Economic educationReal estate veteran Mike Summey enlightens us.

69

Featured ShowcaseThis month’s Real Estate:urban Lofts

64

Market 2 MarketLet’s buy something that is made in America.

76

Superheadz The ClapGlass Multi-touch

Keyboard and MouseMakerBot

Thing-O-Matic

62

Capitalist Chat Linda Cypres gives her thoughts on Capitalism.

45

74

Inside the Cuckoo’s Nest -Federal regulation business &

jobs booming-NC windfarm raises uS fears-Keystone xL pipeline

put on hold-Smaller businesses cry fowl at

Duke hearing

70

72 Voter WatchYour North Carolina’s Federal Congressional representatives

-Democrats this time Republicans next issue

The $3.8B QuestionFrom the Carolina Journal; and your first response.Events

Events from all around WNC and Upstate SC. See whats going on in your community this week.

80THIS MONTH’S COVERComplements of The Moog Foundation - Photo of Bob Moog, standing next to his Theremin.


One All Souls Crescent • Historic Biltmore Village • Asheville, NC • 828.505.8140www.palmvillageasheville.com • www.facebook.com/Palm.Village.Asheville


with Palmer Wahl175 years Story &

Photos By Bill Fishburne

In an age when it is hard to find sales, hard to start a business and equally hard to stay in business, you look at a family owned firm such as that of thermometer maker Palmer Wahl of

Weaverville, and wonder how they have sur-vived for the past 175 years.

Right. 175. Making thermometers.When asked about it, Stephen Santangelo,

the firm’s 58-year old President and CEO, just laughs and shakes his head. “We just survive,” he says, “making things people need and in-novating as hard and fast as possible. We have a brain trust of experienced, creative, highly-skilled personnel, and that allows us to do things bigger companies can’t.”

Case in point. Santangelo cradles a new electronic laser “Heat Spy” in his hands. The battery powered device is about the size of a small hair dryer with a large LED screen on the back. The user points it at an object and sees a thermal image showing all the cool, warm and hot spots. When an area of interest appears


the user squeezes the trigger and instantly sees a digital readout of the temperature in that area.

“You can use it for a variety of purposes, Santangelo says. “One important use is to look for hot spots in a variety of equipment such as industrial hoses. Any inflamation could be a problem. The Heat Spy gives maintenance personnel a tool they’ve never had before.”

The device operates at a distance, allowing inspections to be conducted on machinery that is still in operation. That’s a huge safety factor.

Santangelo is as excited about the Heat Spy as any kid with a new Christmas toy. He under-stands that business is tough and competitive. Any new product that meets a real need can help him keep the business moving forward.

“We have about 50 product groups,” San-tangelo says. “They range from ordinary red reading mercury tube thermometers to heat sensors used on the F-16 fighters. Wherever there’s a need and a niche we can fill, that’s where we want to be.”

Santangelo is ruddy faced, looks like the ac-countant he is, and is terribly bright. After just a few minutes of discussion you realize he not only knows his business, he also understands people. He’ll talk with you at whatever level you wish, from technical analysis of engineer-ing and design parameters to a wonderful ex-planation of how the first thermometer made in America (the Foster Cup thermometer of 1880) worked and why it was needed. If he feels the weight of 175 years of history bearing on his shoulders, it hardly shows. He’s as eager to talk about his company as a fighter pilot is to describe a dogfight. He’s intense, yet he takes the time to listen and he asks good questions. You have the feeling he’d be a Chief Execu-tive Officer anywhere he worked, and when he acknowledges an accounting background you know you’re right.

Being the CEO of family owned business isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Despite what the Occupier movement thinks, most are under-paid. According to Family Owned Business Review, family CEOs in 2003 made just 80 to 90 percent of what hired corporate CEOs brought home. During the latter half of the last decade that disparity increased. Corpora-tions cut spending and personnel while smaller family firms had fewer options. To lay off staff often times results in losing the ability to make various products. Family CEOs often take the first hit in their own paychecks.

In 2010, a USA Today analysis of data from GovernmentMetrics International showed that in the U.S., CEOs in the family-owned sector saw pay raises average just 2.1 percent.

Innocencia Chacon32 years with Palmer Wahl

Quality control inspector.


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Corporate CEO salaries increased an average of 27 percent during the same period. At the S&P 500 level the 2010 compensation increase was 36 percent. The data makes you wonder if the Occupy movement might have some good points after all.

You wonder then how family owned businesses survive in an era when government regulations, health care costs and the problems of just staying in business occupy so much a CEO’s time. You’d think good people would throw in the towel, sell out, cash in and move on. After all, as noted, most of them are really, really bright.

But that’s not what happens. According to the latest studies by the Kauffman Foundation, new businesses grew by an average of 3 percent from 2000 to 2005 while new jobs in existing businesses only grew by 1.8 percent. From 2006 to 2010 that disparity grew even more as corpo-rations dumped jobs left and right. Data from the Census Bureau shows that the only net increase in jobs during that time came from startup businesses, almost all of which were family owned.

Palmer Wahl was founded by a young entrepreneur, James Foster, Jr., in 1836. He moved from Maryland to Cincinnati that year by wagon,

establishing the Philosophical & Surveying Company that evolved into Foster Corp. Upon Foster’s death the company passed to Michael Penny Palmer, who traveled from city to city selling thermometers. Lacking any inventory, Palmer would take orders on one trip, then deliver the thermometers on the next.

“He called on many companies including a startup (1837) named Proctor & Gamble,” Santangelo says. “It was a struggle, but he gradu-ally grew the company.”

The business passed from Michael Palmer to his son, Charlie, in 1929. In that year they patented the Red Reading Mercury thermom-eter which is still in production today. “This was a real innovation,” Santangelo explains. “Mercury is silver in color and when it’s in a glass tube it’s virtually impossible to see. Michael and Charlie made the glass tube triangular, with one side acting as a magnifying glass. One side of the thermometer is painted red. As the temperature rises the red color is reflected off of the silvery mercury. What you see is the reflection, not the mercury itself. They patented it in 1929.”

There followed so many innovative products that even Santangelo has to refer to company literature to keep track. More recently, the Wahl DST600 digital thermometer was named Process Magazine’s 2008 Breakthrough Product of the Year.

Charlie Palmer passed the business to his son, Bart, who grew the business by making sure the company’s products always offered some-thing special.

“We always tried to be the Cadillac of the industry,” Santangelo says. “We offered stainless steel components, heavy duty cases, accurate record-ers, and significant innovation. There were lots of competitors in the day including Taylor Instruments in Arden. It was a tough business.”

Delbert Morgan18 years with Palmer Wahl. Operates a

variety of shop machinery including the Haas CNC lathe.

“They range from ordinary red reading mercury tube

thermometers to heat sensors used on the F-16

fighters. Wherever there’s a need and a niche we can fill, that’s where we want to be.”


Production & Quality Control department:Steve Santangelo surrounded by, Linda Chandler, 15 years (Rt. Front); Linda Ingle, 12 years (Left front); Donna

McMinn, 9 years (Left Center); Deborah Woody, 12 years (Left rear); Kim Banks, 23 years (Rt. Background).

Socorro Perez36 years with Palmer Wahl. Assembler of high-tech temperature probe. Mother of Innocencia Chacon.


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In 1971, a friend heard that Bart Palm-er’s widow wanted to sell the company. He told Jack Santangelo, an accountant with a variety of business interests, who was inter-ested. Jack formed a partnership in 1971 and bought the company. In 1978, having bought out his partners, Jack Santangelo was about to sell the company. His son, Steve, was a practicing CPA in Westchester County, New York. He realized his dad was serious and it was time to put up or shut up. He quit his job and moved his new wife to Cincinnati.

“She loved it,” Santangelo says with a smile. “I think she cried every day for five years.”

In 1987, faced with an increasingly dif-ficult union environment, Santangelo de-cided to move. “We intended to move to Georgia,” he says. “Somehow we heard about this area and found the old DeVille clothing building was for sale. It was per-fect for us. We moved manufacturing here in 1987 and moved the offices in 1990. We had a lot of help from A-B Tech, training people on how to use our Computer Nu-meric Control (CNC) milling machines. Two of their instructors actually went to Cincinnati to document our product man-ufacturing process. We’d never done that. If we hadn’t had that type of assistance, I don’t think we could have made the move.”

Seven years after Palmer made the move from Cincinnati, Santangelo saw an op-portunity to grow the business in a new di-rection with the acquisition of the William Wahl Corporation. A California based company, Wahl was more into electronic temperature control valves for the aero-space industry, while Palmer had focused on mechanical devices. The two combined in 1997, with the Wahl company making the move from Culver City to Asheville along with many highly skilled workers.

Through the years since its Asheville ar-rival, Palmer Wahl has continued to grow and innovate. In 2004 it became ISO


9001:2000 Certified, an international standard for engineering and manufacturing process quality. The company has also received mul-tiple awards from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce including the “Most Innovative” award in 2006 and the Chamber’s “Sky High Growth Award” in 2008.

Santangelo says the company’s future is bright but is, as always, dif-ficult. The challenge of off-shore competitors left them no choice but to move some of their manufacturing off-shore as well. The company’s strength is in its personnel and in its broad product line.

“We brought out more new products than ever in 2011,” Santangelo says. “We hope to do that again in 2012. We have to service existing industries, as well as new ones as they come along. We do some pri-vate labeling, and we deal with the Chinese, the French, the Israelis and many other countries. We have a temperature-irreversible stick-on strip for exhaust pipes, a wire rope cutter for ship-to-ship transfers, sen-sors for satellites and sensors for the world’s largest airliner, the Airbus A-380. We’ll build whatever there is a demand for where our particular expertise can help us create a market.”

Steve Santangelo5th President and CEO. Born in Cincinnati, he took over Palmer Instruments in 1978 and engineered a merger with William Wahl Corp. in 1987.

Between 10% and 15% of U.S. family firms are now managed by non-family executives.

(Barclays Wealth and The Economist Intelligence Unit, Barclays Wealth Insights, Volume 8, “Family Business: In Safe Hands?” 2009)

The greatest part of America’s wealth lies with family-owned businesses. Family firms comprise 80% to 90% of all business

enterprises in North America.

(J.H. Astrachan and M.C. Shanker, “Family Businesses’ Contribution to the U.S. Economy: A Closer Look,”

Family Business Review, September 2003)

Family owned businesses contribute 64% of the GDP or

$5,907 billion ($5+ trillion) and employ 62% of the U.S. workforce.

(J.H. Astrachan and M.C. Shanker, “Family Businesses’ Contribution to the U.S. Economy: A Closer Look,” Family Business Review, September 2003)

More than 30% of all family-owned businesses survive into the second generation. Twelve percent will still be viable into the third generation, with only 3% of all family businesses operating at the fourth-generation level and beyond.

(Joseph Astrachan, Ph.D., editor, Family Business Review)

In a study of S&P 500 firms (Anderson and Reeb, 2003):

33.6% are family businesses in which the founding family has, on

average, 18% of firm equity.

Family firm performance is greater and EVA is 5.5% greater

($118.6 million on average) when founding families maintain an

ownership stake.

Young family firms and old family firms (50-year-old threshold)

outperform non-family firms.

Return On Assets is greater in family businesses, with a 6.65%

greater return than non-family firms.

Families own for an average of 78 years.

Family firm CEOs earn on average nearly 10% less than their non-

family counterparts.

a few facts on family owned businesses


Margaret Adams23 years with Palmer Wahl. Makes thermometer tubes,

engraves scales, assembles, makes cases for industrial thermometers.

The leadership of 39% of family-owned businesses will have changed hands in the next five years. -(Raymond Institute/MassMutual, American Family Business Survey, 2003)

34% of family firms expect the next CEO to be a woman; 52% of participants hire at least one female family member full time, while 10% employ two female family members of the same status. Of CEOs due to retire within five years aged 61 or older, 55% have not yet chosen their replacement.

(Raymond Institute/MassMutual, American Family Business Survey, 2003)

Of primary importance among family firm wealth holders is transferring not only their financial wealth but also their

values surrounding their wealth to subsequent generations. Primary values taught include

encouraging children to earn their own money,

philanthropy, charitable giving, and volunteering.

(Wealth with Responsibility Study/2000, Bankers Trust

Private Banking, Deutsche Bank Group)

85% of family-owned firms that have identified a successor say it will be a family member. -(Raymond Institute/MassMutual, American Family Business Survey, 2003)

19% of family business participants have not completed any estate planning other than

writing a will; only 37% have written a strategic plan; and over 60% are

very positive about their company’s future.

(Raymond Institute/MassMutual, American Family Business

Survey, 2003)

The oldest FOB operating in the United States is the Zildjian Cymbal Co. of Norwood, MA. Founded in 1623 in Constantinople and moved with the family to the United States in 1929.

-(Family Business Magazine, Spring 2001)* While 56% of family business owners are concerned about market conditions in their industry, even more of them see their company as a competitive force.

* Over the next five years, almost 90% of family entrepreneurs expect to still control the family firm.* Retirement and succession planning are not very prevalent among owners, still almost 60% expect their successor to be a family member.-(The PricewaterhouseCoopers Family Business Survey, 2007-08)


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tHe PIsGAH VIeW REGION

Biltmore Farms moves ahead- BUNCOMBE CO. -

During an Asheville City Council meeting, Biltmore Farms tried to get approval for a 321-until apartment complex in the ETJ. The Aventine Apartments would be on Long Shoals Road. The council attempted to “extort public benefits,” which also came about during the Downtown Master Planning pro-cess. Paul Szurek, who was representing Biltmore Farms, told the council they were requesting community amenities, which properly should not be forced from a private bank account. As The project had a green sheen, but council members showed concern because it seemed to lack one of the criteria that proj-ects ‘must,’ but often don’t, have for a conditional use permit. This missing criteria is that the proposed use or development of the land must generally correspond to the comprehensive plan, smart growth policies, sustainable economic develop-ment strategic plan, and other official plans adopted by the city. Councilman Gordon Smith, who did not believe the project offered enough affordable or workforce housing, expressed con-cern. However, 45 percent of the units would be offered in the $825-$1000/ month range. Attorney Lou Bissette attained data from the city that showed those apartments would be con-sidered “workforce housing,” leaving council perplexed as to what it was fighting for. Although efforts to make the property rent-controlled were made, Mayor Terry Bellamy argued that other developers who had been subjected to rent controls had received subsidies from the city. Biltmore Farms was not re-questing public assistance, so that idea was shot down. After a lengthy debate, council voted 6-1 in favor of the project. Smith cast the single “no” vote.

Manufacturing Water Rates- BUNCOMBE CO. -

There has been a recent consideration for the city to impose higher water rates on consumers of more than 100,000 cubic feet of water a month. According to Water Resources Direc-tor Stephen R. Shoaf, six entities, all manufacturing businesses, would be directly affected. Large commercial water consum-ers are currently charged 37 percent of residential rates. Since large manufacturers offer many benefits to communities, such as jobs and fortified tax bases, volume discounts are popular in the industry. Raftelis Financial Consultants thought it would be more reasonable to charge large water consumers 70 percent of residential rates. City staff recommended two schedules for introducing the cost increases. Over the next five years, one would increase water rates for large manufacturers from $1.41/CCF to $3.06/CCF. The other would apply the increase over ten years. City staff contacted the six manufacturers before launching their proposal to council members. Factory repre-sentatives did not like the proposal, but knew it might be inevi-table. However, they expressed concern for having to pass the increased costs to their customers, raising goods above compet-

itive ranges, and even the possibility of shutting down the plant and relocating. Council members seemed to support the ten-year implementation schedule. Mayor Terry Bellamy insisted that water rate increases should be revealed a year in advance.

Concrete plant activity stops- BUNCOMBE CO. -

Flat Creek’s concrete plant has created a stir among resi-dents. The facility’s gates have been locked for weeks, making residents wonder if the closure is permanent. Although a func-tioning website for Blue Ridge Concrete remains, the phone for the Weaverville facility has been disconnected. Since the gates were first locked in November, rumors have emerged that the plant has closed. The trucks are also no longer at the site on the corner of Murphy Hill Road and Old Mars Hill Highway.

Anonymous business could be a major microbrewery

- HENDERSON CO. -Henderson County Commissioners approved tax rebates

for three companies, including two smaller already established ones, and a third anonymous manufacturer considering a $115 million investment with $70 million of that in equipment and the rest for property. The industry that anticipates bringing in at least 125 jobs could be a major craft brewers in Mills River. The Town of Mills River approved $86,800 in incentives over seven years for the anonymous company. This effort by Mills River suggests the mystery company may be eying a site in that area. Rumors about the mystery company ponder the idea that the new company could be a leading craft brewery based out West, such as Sierra Nevada or New Belgium. Two known companies are getting smaller, five-year tax rebates. They are Putsch & Company Inc., receiving $9,887 in the first year and adding at least four above average-paying jobs, and Cane Creek Cycling Components, which gets $665 in the first year and ex-pects to hire three people soon to reach 40 in its workforce.

Free parking coming to an end in Hendersonville

- HENDERSON CO. -The New Year will see the end of free parking in the Dog-

wood parking lot near downtown Hendersonville. The free parking, along with several leased spaces, will be converted into metered parking. The City of Hendersonville, the owner of the lot, has made changes based on unanimous recommendations by the new Main Street Advisory Board. The group is continu-ously working on reorganization ideas for City Hall parking lots and the city-owned “Apple.” Possible concepts for the future include a parking deck. An issue, which remains a debate, is the parking availability within a block or two of Main Street. Elderly and nighttime workers say they prefer to park closer than a block due to safety concerns. The Dogwood lot is locat-ed between Washington and Church Streets between Fifth and Fourth Avenues west. Church is only a block from Main Street. Dogwood has nearly 153 spaces, which is the largest and most recognizable public lot in the area.


Biltmore Village welcomes Ruth’s Chris Steak House

- BUNCOMBE CO. -Biltmore Village welcomed the opening of Ruth’s Chris Steak

House and its famous USDA Prime grade steaks. Guests were greeted by the 80 or more fully trained employees, and served specialties including Ahi Tuna, Osso Bucco Ravioli, Barbecue Shrimp, flavorful soups and a various selection of scrumptious desserts. Local businessman John Bell partnered with Char-lotte franchise owners Jeff and Paula Conway to offer Ashe-ville a first-class dining destination. Additional private dining rooms offer an atmosphere ideal for intimate family gatherings or business meetings. The Conways were in Asheville for the pre-opening celebrations, and Jeff Conway explained, “John Bell and I started the process of bringing a Ruth’s Chris Steak House to Biltmore Village over 4 years ago. It was not an easy process, but through perseverance and persistence our dream became a reality. I am pleased with both the interior and exte-rior of the building. The exterior of the building respects the historical traditions of Biltmore Village in every way. The in-terior is inspired by the Arts and Crafts architecture style and contains over 17,000 linear feet of Sapele Mahogany. I think the design will be timeless and offer a sophisticated ambiance that appeals to the broad base of our guests. The wine cel-lar storage was constructed by a master carpenter using 200 year-old reclaimed American Cypress. The cellar is available for dining and features an extensive wine list. We have two ac-complished sommeliers who are actively building one of the finest wine lists in Asheville.”

New business provides jobs for people with disabilities

- BUNCOMBE CO. -Asheville Fresh Herbs are giving area citizens with disabil-

ities the opportunity to learn job skills and gain self-esteem. The company is a new division of Liberty Corner Enterprises on Coxe Avenue downtown. After receiving grants from the Golden Leaf and Cannon Foundations in May, Liberty Corner began creating their urban farm. Employees of Liberty Corner did all of the building, wiring, hung the special growing lights for urban farming, planted seeds, watered and fed the seedlings,

and transplanted the new little plants. The new business sells nine different culinary herbs and four types of fresh basil, in-cluding Thai Holy Basil, which is used for medicinal purposes. The French Broad Co-op, Rosetta’s Kitchen, Thai Basil, and Lucky Bamboo Café are some of its customers. The farm is one of many support services the non-profit organization offers people with disabilities. Liberty Corner additionally provides residential support for persons in their own homes, employ-ment services, day support services to help their clients become more involved in the community and case management, and person centered life planning.

Black Mountain gains liquor licenses

- BUNCOMBE CO. -Various Black Mountain establishments have recently ac-

quired liquor licenses. Ole’s Guacamoles once had to serve margaritas with agave wine instead of real tequila, which was not always the customers’ preference. The Black Moun-tain Ale House, the Blackbird, and Las Cazuelas can also now serve liquor by the drink in Black Mountain, according to the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. Que Sera and Shovelhead Saloon have also filed paperwork with the Town of Black Mountain, which is a requirement before applying to the state. At least two additional business owners, Bob Hinkle, of the White Horse Black Mountain, and Dark City Deli and Pub’s Benji Ford, said they would soon apply for a permit. This process includes an eight-page application that the Town of Black Mountain must sign. The permit also costs $1,000 annu-ally. Although the establishments that now serve liquor are not able to tell exactly how much their sales have increased, Ole’s Guacamoles claims an increase in revenue. John Richardson, owner of Black Mountain Ale House, said he hopes that being able to serve liquor would help draw more people to downtown Black Mountain.

New HCC and WCU accounting opportunity- BUNCOMBE CO. -

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the accounting field. The agreement is intended to create a seamless transfer from HCC’s Associates of Applied Science program in accounting to the Bachelors in Science in Business Administration with a major in Accounting at WCU. This allows students to complete their first two years of accounting education in the A.A.S. program at HCC and finish the last two years of accounting education at WCU. David Forester, Departmental Chair of Business & Entrepreneurship at HCC, explained that this is an opportunity for students to spend less on tuition and transportation costs, and added, “We’re very pleased to be partnering with WCU to provide our accounting students greater educational opportunities for their future.”

Library wins statewide ‘Best New Facility’ award

- BUNCOMBE CO. -The Outstanding Facility Award has been given to the Jack-

son Country Public Library in North Carolina’s “large” cat-egory, which is more than 26,000 square feet in size. The N.C. Public Libraries Directors Association gives the award annually. Awards included small, medium, and large categories for new libraries and for renovation. Asheville’s Pack Library also re-ceived an award for renovation in the “large” category. McMil-lian Pazdan Smith Architecture designed the Jackson County Library and Brantley Construction was the general contractor. The NCPLDA distinguishes the award in that it recognizes a number of features, including functionality of building, in-corporation of new technologies, appealing interior design, well-designed furnishing and shelving, creativity in design, en-hancement of surrounding environment, sympathy to existing architecture and appropriate use of space (in renovations), and cost ratio per square footage. The Jackson Country Public Li-brary is a member of Fontana Regional Library, which links the six public libraries in Jackson, Macon and Swain counties into a system of libraries. The library complex joins the renovated 1914 Courthouse with a new, two-story 20,000-square-foot li-brary addition, costing $7.19 million.

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OUT IN THE OPEN OCEAN, A SAILOR IS

HAULING SOMETHING UP FROM THE WATER WITH

A ROPE. HE WILL BE AT IT A WHILE, BECAUSE THE ROPE IS HUNDREDS OF

FEET LONG. FINALLY, A SOFT-SIDED BAG BREAKS

THE SURFACE AND HE HAULS IT UP ON DECK.

THE SEAMAN OPENS THE BAG AND SEES THAT

THE CONTENTS HAVE BEEN MANGLED. THE

ExTREME PRESSURE HAS CRUSHED THEM BEYOND

RECOGNITION. HE ExPECTED THIS.

What shocks him is the lack of water. The contents are completely dry! How can this be?! He wants to know more. Did this bag evolve from decades of research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute? Was it de-signed by a team of MIT grad students to be manufactured in a state of the art Swedish fa-cility untouched by human hands?

This bag did evolve from years of research and woods were involved. Design ideas were tossed around on a river, not an MIT confer-ence room. This bag is manufactured in a modest building located on the banks of the French Broad River in Asheville.

How did this all begin? Avid white water boaters who were frustrated that the “dry” bags that housed their gear didn’t work very well created Watershed. While waiting for their sleeping bags to dry, they spent countless hours by the campfire dreaming of the perfect watertight container.

Passion and persistence can take you far in life, and the Watershed story is passion per-sonified.

The formula for their success is simple:

•Design a superior product to solve a common problem.

•Listen to customer feedback and use it to make the product better.

•Treat your employees like family.

Before Watershed bags were invented, all “dry” bags were duffels made of PVC material that were loaded from the top. The bags were sealed by tightly rolling the open end. If bags were over or under filled, the seal would leak. The PVC got stiff when cold, and if left in the sun, the bags contents would absorb plastic odors due to gases escaping the fabric.

Watershed’s secret weapon in their fight against wet gear is the Zip Dry seal, which looks very similar to the interlocking ridges found on heavy-duty freezer bags…only much, much, larger. Like freezer bags, this seal is airtight, and no more rolling is required to close the bag.

This seal represents a quantum leap in wa-terproofing technology: it does not leak, even

Peddling a PassionWatershed: Story By

Arthur Treff


"Just another day at the Water-shed office: product testing in Chile."


when plunged to a depth well below the range of most recreational divers. Having a seal that works so well gives Watershed the flexibil-ity to place it lengthwise along the side of a waterproof duffel, allow-ing customers easy access to their gear. What started as a paddler’s campfire fantasy has materialized into an en-closure that operates as eas-ily as a suitcase and keeps its contents bone dry.

Eric Revels launched Wa-tershed in the mid 1990s. Within three years he filed a patent for Zip Dry bags and started to hire fellow pad-dlers to help him assemble bags out of his house. The bags worked well, customers were happy, and the orders increased.

The company moved into their current location, the Riverside Indus-trial Park, to handle the demand, but now another problem needed to be solved. These bags were time consuming to build in high volumes.

The reason: glue. At the time, Watershed was using a synthetic rubber from DuPont

called Hypalon. The material was cut from rolls and the parts were joined by a rubber cement. Making high quality glue joints was labor intensive, which became apparent when business volume went up.

The fledgling company start-ed looking at alternate materials and sealing methods. One day, Eric had a conversation with an aerospace engineer who sug-gested he consider using Radio Frequency (RF) energy to bond his materials.

Fabric could be clamped into specialized machinery that sends radio frequency vibrations thru the pieces to be joined. The combination of pressure and ra-dio waves speeds up the fabrics’ molecules, which then realign to

bond multiple layers of fabric into a single piece of material. This pro-cess is called RF Welding.

Great...except that Hypalon isn’t the best fabric to be RF welded. More research yielded a solution. They decided to work with a poly-urethane-coated 840-denier nylon. This fabric is lighter, more flexible, does not stiffen when temperatures drop, and it has 5 times the abrasion

“Back in the 1990’s I was a river guide,” says Biz Allen, the ebullient

purchasing manager for Watershed. “Keeping my customers valuables dry like wallets, cell phones, and jewelry

was challenging.

“Expedition kayaker Pat Camblin protecting his gear on the job.”


resistance of rubberized fabrics like PVC. Eric and his employees spent hours adapt-

ing their products and tooling to the new fab-ric and high-tech seam welding. Their work paid off, because customers loved the lighter weight, and Watershed now had an assembly process that lent itself to higher volume pro-duction.

Higher volume can mean greater manufac-turing errors, so the team instituted quality as-surance testing that includes prolonged infla-tion testing. Confidence from such a program can be passed along to the consumer: Zip Dry bags are guaranteed to be waterproof. Period.

“Back in the 1990’s I was a river guide,” says Biz Allen, the ebullient purchasing man-ager for Watershed. “Keeping my customers valuables dry like wallets, cell phones, and jew-elry was challenging. The only container not prone to leaking was a Nalgene water bottle, so I crammed the small items into one and wrapped it in duct tape. Zip Dry bags have transformed paddling; our bags have made the sport more comfortable, enjoyable and safer.”

As of 2011, Watershed has expanded into other recreational markets: diving, boating, hunting, fishing, and backpacking. How does a company remain competitive in a new mar-ket? The same way they garnered the praise of kayakers… by listening to customer feed-back and by employee participation.

When Watershed targeted the recreational dive market, Eric decided that the office staff should learn about the sport by becoming cer-tified divers, so he paid them to do so. Once certified, the employees went on company-sponsored dive trips where they tested current products on the market by using them. This is market research, product development and advanced job training all rolled into a fun ac-tivity.

Brilliant! Who wouldn’t want to work there?!

Today, Watershed bags span the globe through a distribution network covering every continent. Recreational athletes are not the only buyers; the bags have caught on in thou-sands of commercial applications. Profession-als who must protect expensive items against wet weather choose Watershed. The bags can be found on offshore drilling platforms, com-mercial fishing boats, and police scuba divers. Professional filmmakers and photographers tote them as do mountain rescue teams.

Keeping gear dry is also a large concern for the military. How did the plucky paddlers from Asheville break into this market segment? The same way they built the recreational customer base: by seizing opportunities when they arose, listening to their customers…and a little luck.

Watershed was displaying their wares dur-ing a SCUBA diving trade show. A Navy

“I’m living proof that a hobby you are passionate about can sustain you for life,” says

Biz. “I was a paddling bum and guide for years. I once lived out of my car for an entire season. Now, I’m a mother of three, I still paddle and I get to work here with all my river friends! I

wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.”

"Bags at Work: junior life saving class in Japan"

“Ipad in the Pool? Watershed paddles into the pedestrian market”


"Zip Dry bags are field proven."


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SEAL team leader liked what he saw and he bought a few of the com-pany’s standard duffel bags. The SEALs loved ‘em and started to re-quest modifications to make the product better suited to SEAL duty. They needed D rings in specific places, additional carry straps for some, and cinch straps for others. The company in Asheville quickly turned the requests around, further impressing the Navy brass, who then asked the team to design bags for specific weapons, survival packs, and first aid kits.

The news of Watershed’s success with the SEALs quickly spread to

other branches of the military and government. Army Rangers, Air Force Spec Ops and Para Rescue Jumpers all use Watershed products. SWAT teams deploying to post Katrina New Orleans were supplied with Zip Dry bags to house weapons, phones, and first aid supplies.

Doing business with the government has helped Watershed in unseen ways. Potential buyers from any market are impressed that the military uses Zip Dry bags. Secondly, the bags have been subjected to expensive testing. The Naval Special Warfare Agency are the ones that tested Watershed’s products to a depth of over 300 feet. The bags did not leak…the hardware inside the bag was crushed from the depth, but the bags did not leak. Could this be the Nobel Prize equivalent for a dry bag manufacturer?

As a result of this testing, Watershed is now providing watertight bags custom-designed for some of the most complex (and expensive) robotic machines in use today: Unmanned Air Vehicles, popularly known as “drones”. The armed forces have an assortment of soldier borne flying

Army Rangers, Air Force Spec Ops and Para Rescue Jumpers all use Watershed products. SWAT teams deploying to post Katrina

New Orleans were supplied with Zip Dry bags to house

weapons, phones, and first aid supplies.


machines, which can be pulled out of a rucksack and hand launched by the operator. One of these little planes is worth approximately a quarter of a million dollars. Obviously, this type of gear could easily be damaged by water, a perfect fit for the little company from Asheville…and inexpensive insurance for the government.

Eric Revels seems to have taken his business training from the river, guiding the company like he would a boat down a tough section of water. He stays alert and trusts his instincts. He trusts his teammates, and they him. When challenges arise he turns them into opportunities. Every day on the river he tries new moves just to keep it interesting.

No part of this success story would be possible without the people who have lived with the daily struggles. Eric must have understood this from the start, because he hired his friends from the river. He trusted them with his life while paddling, so it seemed natural that they could work well together. As professional paddlers they would also be familiar with the product’s target market.

The office team has nothing but kudos for their founder. One em-ployee says Eric is his second father; another likens his management style to the lawyer Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. Everyone agrees that Eric is a great communicator. He welcomes all ideas from his employees, he never gets rattled by stress and most of all he keeps his word.

“Precision Manufacturing: computerized fabric cutting table.”

“Watershed factory floor, located in Asheville, not Sweden.”

When the company was just starting out, there were times when the salary budget was tight and the workload was high.

“Eric promised me that someday things would get easier, and when that day arrived, he would never forget our efforts,” says Justyn Thomp-son, Product Manager. “It’s been thirteen years and Eric has not for-gotten; he always takes very good care of us.”

“I’m living proof that a hobby you are passionate about can sustain you for life,” says Biz. “I was a paddling bum and guide for years. I once lived out of my car for an entire season. Now, I’m a mother of three, I still paddle, and I get to work here with all my river friends! I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.”

www.drybags.com


The all-new 2012 Subaru Impreza. The optimist’s car of choice. Symmetrical

All-Wheel Drive and 36 mpg* get you further in any weather. Traction and stability

control help avoid slippery situations. It’ll keep you warm and smiling all winter long.

Experience love that lasts. Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

Good news. It’s winter.

* EPA-estimated hwy fuel economy for 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i CVT models. Actual mileage may vary. †MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title and registration fees. Dealer sets actual price. 2012 Impreza 2.0i Limited pictured has an MSRP of $21,595.

Impreza®. Well-equipped at $17,495†

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News in the Old North State

New dye for more efficient solar energy technology

An invention that was developed at North Carolina State University has considerable potential to advance the efficiency of solar cells and other technologies that obtain energy from light. Dr. Ahmed El-Shafei’s research group invented a new dye, or “sensitizer,” that gathers more solar and ambient light than any other dyes on the market for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In a comparison done by a third-party solar energy company, the new dye, NCSU-10, had 14 percent more power density than the state-of-the-art-dye on the market. Therefore, the new discovery could allow more energy to be harvested from the same amount of light. The efficiency boost of DSSCs could improve such applications as indoor technology to power cell phones and laptops using ambient light. In addition, out-door technology improvements include, but are certainly not limited to, windows, facades and skylights. A patent is pending on the new dye, and NC State University is communicat-ing with potential industry partners regarding licensing use of NCSU-10 and funding more research in this area.

N.C. Zoo honored by state for innovation

The NC Zoo has welcomed the Governor’s Award to Excellence, which is the state’s high-est honor for employees and agencies. The award was given based on the zoo’s environ-mental stewardship innovations. The zoo has been striving to reduce its environmental im-pact since 1989, developing a recycling drop-off in the park and creating a two-acre com-post site that has led to more than $160,000 of annual savings. The efforts have progressed with the use of a more environmentally friendly pest-control system, organic fertiliz-ers, screening water quality to prevent pollu-tion, creating an energy management system, and using solar panels over a picnic pavilion, which produces 135,000 kwh of electricity a year. The zoo has also established a wetland project to filter storm water from its North America parking lot.

Wright of Thomasville going solar

Furniture industry services firm Wright of Thomasville is close to completing a new so-lar installation to the company headquarters. Wright offers marketing and promotional ser-vices for home furnishings companies, and al-though it may seem that it is simply jumping on the green bandwagon, it will be one of the first firms in its industry to use solar energy as its main production center’s power. The proj-ect’s 364 solar panels will produce 83.72 kilo-watts of electricity.

Honda Aircraft Co. sends care packages

Just in time for the holidays, Honda Air-craft Co., based in Greensboro, sent 500 care packages to NC-based members of the U.S. Marine Corps who are stationed in Afghani-stan. The packages included everything from personal care items to snacks and decorations. The gifts were part of Honda’s annual “Op-eration Deep Appreciation” to support and encourage U.S. soldiers stationed overseas. Af-ter company employees packed the boxes, they added a personal note of thanks to the ser-vice members deployed from Camp Lejeune.

Michimasa Fujino, president and CEO of the company, explained, ““Our associates have enthusiastically embraced this effort, which is now in its third year, as a small symbol of our appreciation for the sacrifice these individuals make as they ensure our safety, security and freedom.”

Kilpatrick Townsend expands into Saudi ArabiaAtlanta law firm Kilpatrick Townsend &

Stockton LLP, which has an office in Winton-Salem, has committed to a cooperation agree-ment with Hani Qurashi Law Firm, spread-ing its reach to Saudi Arabia. Hani Qurashi Law Firm contains 15 lawyers and has offices in a few other Saudi Arabian cities. It assists real estate, construction, manufactur-ing, distribution, and fi-nancial services clientele legal expertise. Kilpatrick Townsend is attracted to Saudi Arabia’s increasing economic growth, specifi-cally in the construction and engineering industry. According to Tom Wilson, managing partner of Kil-patrick Townsend’s Middle East practice, the company opened a Townsend office in Dubai in 2008, estab-lishing a “beachhead in the Middle East from which we have built a flourish-


North Carolina

at a glance

ing practice covering the Gulf Cooperation Council states and the broader Middle East…and now look forward to serving our clients’ needs across Saudi Arabia while expanding our practice alongside our new colleagues at Hani Qurashi Law Firm.”

Blue Cross to outsource IT jobs

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, based in Chapel Hill, has decided to outsource its information technology operations in a five-year deal valued at $250 million. In an effort to lower its costs, the state’s largest health in-surer said it is transferring its IT infrastructure to Fujitsu America, the U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Fujitsu. The company noted that 185 out of the 210 employees who work in the areas affected by the change would be offered positions with Fujitsu. Blue Cross will keep the other 25 workers. Last year, as a reaction to the collapsing economy and federal health care overhaul, Blue Cross established a plan to cut its administrative costs by 20 percent by 2014, amounting to a $200 million savings. The new effort calls for Fujitsu to purchase Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s data center in Research Tri-angle Park. Fujitsu will provide technology security in addition to owning, operating and supporting servers, PC’s, telephone systems and networks, and mainframes. The $250 mil-

lion valued deal includes the sale of the data center as well as the amount that Blue Cross will spend on IT services during that span.

Georgia gets $4M grant for high-speed rail to Charlotte

Georgia has welcomed a $4.1 million grant to continue work on a high-speed rail project that links Atlanta and Charlotte. U.S. Trans-portation Secretary Ray LaHood explained that the grant aims to reduce traffic conges-tion, as the nation’s expected population growth is 100 million over the next forty years. In addition, the money is an element of a $7 million grant program intended to create a high-speed rail corridor from Atlanta to Wash-ington, D.C. Along with D.C., thirty-two other states are looking ahead to provide faster and more energy-efficient travel options to Ameri-cans by laying the foundation for high-speed rail lines.

Durham’s Birnbaumer wins top scientist honor

The winner of 2011’s Scientist of the Year by the National Institute of Health Sciences is Durham, NC’s Lutz Birnbaumer. Birnbaumer conducts biomedical research on signal trans-duction at the NIEHS Laboratory of Neurobi-

ology, which is a process whereby human body cells recognize and respond to various chemi-cal signals. He was born in Vienna, Austria and moved to Durham in 2011 from south-ern California, where he was an anesthesiol-ogy and biological chemistry professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. Ken Olden, NIEHS’s director at the time, recruited Birnbaumer to the agency.

Robots push students for future careers

Over 200 students from 17 middle schools in the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools district, along with students from Brunson Ele-mentary, had the opportunity to show off their skills in the 2011 Forsyth County Invitational Robot Run Tournament. The Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce’s Technology Coun-cil organized the event, which was held at the West Campus of Forsyth Technical Commu-nity College. As part of the international First Lego League robotics competition, the theme was preventing food contamination. Each team designed a research presentation, pre-sented a robot design, and created a surprise project. The robots they designed and actu-ally made were also tested in timed trials. Cat-egories of awards included “Innovation Solu-tions” and “Mechanical Design.” The winner

of the “Champion’s Award” was Mead-owlark Middle School’s team. Of course, the ultimate intention of the competition was to encourage students to follow potential careers in science and technology, which some employ-ers in the area con-sider a priority. Cook Medical, an employer and ma-jor medical device manufacturer in Winston-Salem, was the main sponsor of the contest.


B r e w News

Leisure& Libations

Their seasonal brews include a Russian Stlye Im-

perial Stout, which will be releaded on Dec 7th.

Wedge Brewing Co.Address -

125B Roberts Street Asheville, NC

Phone828.505.2792

Tasting Hours Mon- Thurs (4pm - 10pm),

Fri (3pm - 10pm), Sat & Sun (2pm - 10pm)

On The Web - www.wedgebrewing.com

More Than Beer Music at various times. During the warmer months, classic

movies are shown outside the brewery, picnic style.

Pisgah Brewing CompanyAddress -

150 Eastside Drive Black Mountain, NC

Phone828.669.0190

Tasting Hours Sun. 2-9

Mon., Tues., & Wed. 4-9 Thurs., Fri., & Sat. 2-12

(generally)

On The Web - www.pisgahbrewing.com

More Than Beer Lots of music on various nights, as well as local restaurants

catering. No Credit Cards accepted.

Their seasonal brews include a San Francisco Lager and, our Christmas beer will be a

new doppelbock!

Serving Western North Carolina with in-home dog boarding

& day care, and dog obedience (in your home).

johnmurias TRAINER AND OWNER

p 828 697-0327 www.carolinadogcare.comreferences available

HOMESWEETHOMEDOG TRAINING & CARE


Res

taur

ant - Catering - Bakery

Visit us at our Asheville location:

Italian Comfort FoodFresh, Local, Seasonal Products

Prepared Simply And Artfully

Fiore’s Ristorante Toscana122 College Street, Asheville

828-281-0701www.fi oresasheville.com

Our family Farm, Fiore C Farms is located in Fairview, NC

LUNCH • BRUNCH • DINNERCatering/Event Space/On-Site Bakery

2310 Hendersonville Road, Arden828-651-9991

south.fi oresasheville.com

MonLunch Only

Tues1/2 Price Apps &

Select Bottles of WineWed

Family Night - Free Caesar or Tuscan salad in freshly made bread bowl with purchase of

family style entreé

Thurs$4 Martinis and

$3 DessertsFri & Sat

$3 Italian Beers, Chef’s Choice

Sun1/2 Price Pizza,

$3 Local Draughts and $10 Pitchers

Bocce TournamentsTue - Thu, Sat & All Day SundayWin $300 Pizza & Local Beer Party

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Fiore'sSouth_third_CAP01.indd 1 8/19/11 2:14 PM

Heinzelmännchen Brewery

Address - 45 Mill Street

Sylva, NC

Phone828.631.4466

Normal Hours Mon - San (10am - 6:30pm)

Founded in 2004

On The Web - www.greenmanbrewery.com

Gnutty Gnome- Their holiday Sea-sonal Ale released

just prior to Thanksgiving has a pleasing nutty flavor and a smooth and lighter body that just naturally needs a slice of Pecan Pie to complete a Holiday taste sensation par none.

Specialty Beer

Merry Gnome - A Cocoa Porter finished with dark cherries. A once a year treat worth the wait! A dark chocolate flavor combined with slight malt roastiness and sweet cherry goodness give this beer sipping plea-sures galore. At 8% ABV, all you need is one serving, but you’ll want more. Released 12/15/2011


Asheville Brewing Company

Address - 77 Coxe AvenueAsheville, NC

Phone828.255.4077

On The Web - www.ashevillebrewing.com

Belgian Dirty Girl. It’s their first high gravity release to be

sold outside of the brew-ery’s tap room.Belgian

Dirty Girl - 8.5% abv - American Dirty Girl’s European gal pal is back in a big way. A classic Belgian Golden Ale. Brilliantly clear with sparkling carbonation. Crisp and complex with a hint of sweetness. Good head... Goes down easy... Available by late November.

French Broad Brewing Co.

Address - 101 Fairview Road # D

Asheville, NC

Phone828.277.0222

On The Web - www.frenchbroadbrewery.com

Zepptemberfest is the cur-rent seasonal brewing at the French Broad Brew-

ing Company. Is is a German-style Fall-to-Winter beer featuring a big malt palate, nice hopping and a continental finish. Though sup-

plies are getting low, it is still available in bottles and on tap all over town.

3 GREAT

BRANDS

1 GREAT NAME


WNC’s largest selection of fine wines and premium beer

•••Older Vintage Wine

•••Complimentary stemware

for parties and events•••

Wine dinners and tasting events

Downtown at Pritchard Park, 86 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 828.254.6453 | weinhaus.com

Highland Brewing Co.

Address - 12 Old Charlotte Highway

Asheville, NC

Phone828.299.7223

Tasting Hours Thursdays, Fridays &

Saturdays 4-8pm

Founded in 1994

On The Web - www.highlandbrewing.com

Inspired by the local mountain made famous by the book of the same

name, this is Highlands treats for the winter holi-day’s starting back in 1995. It was originally called Holiday Ale, changed to Winter Ale and finally named Cold Mountain Ale. The brewing process for this beer takes a minimum of six weeks, twice as long as their other ales, resulting in a smooth mildly spiced beer, perfect for the winter feasts. This beer pro-vides a particular enhancement to mild flavored entrees such a turkey with cranberry sauce.

Their beers this holiday season will be a porter and a Belgian gold.

Nantahala Brewing Company

Address - 61 Depot StreetBryson City, NC

Phone828.488.BEER (2337)

2011 Fall Tap Room Hours Thurs & Fri (4 pm – 10 pm)Sat & Sun (Noon – 10 pm)

Mon (4 pm – 10 pm)

Founded in 2009

On The Web - www.nantahalabrewing.com

More Than Beer Music and Food on Friday’s and Saturday’s


Leisure& Libations

Wine & WisdomHunt Mallett Gives

Well, here it is, January, and time to assess our New Year’s resolutions. Every year so many of us take on the noble ef-

fort to correct some of the shortcomings we fall victim to, or to lose weight, or to exercise more, so on and so on. If you’re lucky, this good behavior might make it all the way to Fat Tuesday in February, at which point you turn your attention to

giving up some other vice for Lent… sigh… more sacrifice to make you a better person.

What if, on the other hand, you made your resolution a more achievable lifestyle change to start (or continue) a healthy, civilized, and even indulgent addition to your daily routine. It comes in the form of a sit-down dinner

with the entire household ac-companied by a glass of wine. Sounds good so far, doesn’t it? But our modern culture may make this resolution harder than you think. These days of multi-tasking, after-school activities, community in-volvement and long, dual-income work hours, make something as simple as hav-ing dinner together a real challenge. It seems just as hard for the couples with-out children and the empty nesters, as it does for bigger families and households with multiple roommates.

So here’s the challenge – plan the day and the evening meal just as if it’s an appointment not to be missed. Make it enjoyable for everyone, good food, good wine (for those over 21) and maybe an activity of some sort that becomes a family tradition. My fam-ily’s routine as I grew up included the following: the girls set the table, the boys cleared it. There were no distractions like television or radios playing. In addi-tion to regular conversa-tions of the day’s activities, we often had a quiz from the “Our State Magazine” conducted by Mom. Dad

would pour a glass of wine for the adults, and we all would get to learn a little about that day’s choice.

The subject of wine spans so many areas of interest, it could be geography, agricul-ture, chemistry, food science, political sci-ence, history, religion, economy, culture, and many other areas.

It could involve those that didn’t drink as well as those did. It was never about over-indulging, but did seem to bring a warm, convivial enjoyment that added to the flavor of the food and the meal as a whole. It is a civilized activity that is en-joyed at gatherings around the world, and throughout history – from Christ’s Last Supper to modern State Dinners and simple gatherings of family or friends. It doesn’t have to be expensive either. There are plenty of wines that are inexpensive and of good quality. Your local wine mer-chant can assist you in finding these and give you tips on food pairings, and by us-ing a vacuum stopper or an inert gas, you can keep the remaining part of the bottle fresh for an extra day or two.

It’s hard to believe that such a normal, enjoyable and necessary function as eat-ing together would need to be a New Year’s resolution, but the reality is that fewer and fewer families participate in such a meal. If this is the case in your home, I urge you to consider this lifestyle change, and to make a glass of wine or two be an everyday supplement to your cuisine. There are plenty of studies that support the healthy benefits of daily wine consumption in moderation, not to men-tion the added benefits of quality time with your family or housemates.

Bon Appétit.

Written by Hunt Mallett, the owner and operator of Weinhaus, located on Patton Avenue in downtown Asheville.

WNC’S oldest, full-service coin shop

Wright’s Coin Shop1271 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville

(828) 298-5402Family-owned and operated for 38 years

Invest in Your FutureThrough America’s Past


A trip to the dentist isn’t what it was ten years ago—or at least it shouldn’t be. You owe it to your smile, your health and your wallet to bring your dental care into the 21st century. Find out what’s possible.

“The latest addition to our practice is the Orthophos XG 3D,” says Dr. Robert Powell of Asheville Dental Care, a leader in bringing the best in dental advancements to Western North Carolina. This revolutionary cone beam CT scanning device takes 3-D x-rays using a fraction of the radiation of other 3D x-ray devices.

Dr. Powell then uses the 3-D scan with the computer-aided design of CEREC dentistry to precisely and quickly design crowns and implants. “The 3-D scan removes the guess work from fit-ting a restoration and unlike all other systems we start with the end result in mind,” says Dr. Powell.

Introducing The High

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RobeRt e. Powell, dds, Pa

The bottom line is you get a restoration that fits the first time, looks better than a traditional restoration and can last up to twice as long. In addition, the whole procedure is done in one visit. That’s all-around high performance.

And this is just one of the latest advancements available at Asheville Dental Care.

Call for an appointment today and learn more at the website.

A trip to the dentist isn’t what it was ten years ago—or at least it shouldn’t be. You owe it to your smile, your health and your wallet to bring your dental care into the 21st century. Find out what’s possible.

“The latest addition to our practice is the Orthophos XG 3D,” says Dr. Robert Powell of Asheville Dental Care, a leader in bringing the best in dental advancements to Western North Carolina. This revolutionary cone beam CT scanning device takes 3-D x-rays using a fraction of the radiation of other 3D x-ray devices.

Dr. Powell then uses the 3-D scan with the computer-aided design of CEREC dentistry to precisely and quickly design crowns and implants. “The 3-D scan removes the guess work from fit-ting a restoration and unlike all other systems we start with the end result in mind,” says Dr. Powell.

Introducing The High

Performance Smile

Robert E. Powell, dds, paAsheville Dental Care

10-A Yorkshire Street • Asheville, NC 28803828-274-3882 • www.ashevilledentalcare.com

RobeRt e. Powell, dds, Pa

The bottom line is you get a restoration that fits the first time, looks better than a traditional restoration and can last up to twice as long. In addition, the whole procedure is done in one visit. That’s all-around high performance.

And this is just one of the latest advancements available at Asheville Dental Care.

Call for an appointment today and learn more at the website.


“My dad passed away last week, a WWII veteran. I purchased 2 flags with the Army and Navy insignia on it as a re-membrance of my parents. They both served in WWII, it was good to see a

product still made in the USA with such good quality. It didn't give an address on the flags, just Manual Woodworkers & Weavers. Thank you for believing Americans can still make a good profit.”

This review, posted earlier this year on yahoo.com by Albert No-votny, tells a lot about the reasons behind the success of Manual Woodworkers & Weavers.

MWW is a third-generation, Western North Carolina company that seems to exude success. It is world-famous for its woven throws and personalized photo-to-textile products. The company has a thick and colorful catalog of home décor products sold to indepen-dent, mom-and-pop gift shops. In addition to manufacturing pil-lows and tapestries, MWW has expanded into the field of custom digital printing – and possibly a few other proprietary ventures.

Next to the big Ingles on Howard Gap Road in Hendersonville, a huge facility houses over sixty power looms, pounding and push-ing thread at amazing speeds. Some are among the largest in the world. The widest is 110 inches”. Co-owner Travis Oates estimates the plant could output 100,000 yards of fabric a week if it had to.

Technology is such that the engineers can scan a photo into a server/machinery interface, and the rest is automatic. The pro-gramming occurs upstairs, where veils of threads fall in pyramids to looms below, chomping out a variety of patterns of any color or texture. They make everything from Christian wall hangings to throws featuring pop stars to decorative pillow covers with short phrases woven into the fabric. A beautiful tapestry, “Loggia,” from the Biltmore line, hangs in the elevator lobby. Woven in dramatic chiaroscuro, it could be mistaken for a photograph at a very short distance.

In recent years, the company has also perfected the art of trans-ferring photographs via dye sublimation. Images can be transferred to any surface – canvas, wood, or metal. If you want your Christ-

still family owned, American made

Manual WoodWorkersstory by

Leslee Kulba


mas tree covered up in ornaments with your face on them, MWW can make it happen. You just need to find one of their vendors, but that information, Oates continually repeated, is confidential.

As if the brilliant fiber art from the power looms and the high-resolution print jobs weren’t enough, just down the road, MWW operates a state-of-the-art distribution facility. Using elec-tronic data inter-change (EDI), totes travel along conveyor belts in a four-acre building. The totes go where the customer order tells them to go, and if a human accidentally pulls the wrong item when fill-ing an order, the tote will do a U-turn for a redo. The system is so high-tech and ef-ficient, many compa-nies outsource their distribution to MWW.

MWW also has a gift outlet, A Day in the Country, not too far from the factory. Located at 130 Sug-arloaf Road, the store is open to the public. It is a quaint place to shop for Christmas gifts, and its bargain basement and café are also praiseworthy.

Then, there’s the old, rustic store that still sells souvenirs along the long and winding road between Asheville and Lake Lure.

In 1932 Tom Oates built a souvenir stand in what is now the community of Ger-ton. He started small, selling wooden toma-hawks and other, small woodcrafts like doll furniture. He soon moved into selling braided rugs. Nobody could remember with certainty why he went into the business, but they assumed the economic climate was a huge motivating factor.

Oates was the first to bring electricity to the area. A mural of an enlarged photograph of men working around the original wa-terwheel now decorates a wall in the showroom at the main plant. It wasn’t until the next generation that the company, under the leadership of Lemuel and Sandra Oates, went into the business of manufacturing cotton throws.

After years of succession planning as a family, Travis and his sister, Molly Sherrill, purchased the company from their parents.

Lemuel and Sandra still spend a lot of time at the plant, but Travis and Molly are the sole owners. Molly oversees I.T. (internet Tech-nologies) and new products, and Travis is in charges of sales and operations.

Travis says he was not forced into the business, but that he has always wanted to work for MWW. “When I was young, it was al-ways just at the dinner table,” he recalls, “and I was always listening. I was always at the shows. When I was three days old, I was at the New York Gift Show, under the table.” Travis and his sis-ter only took time away from the business to go to college. Travis got his degree in busi-ness from Appala-chian State.

Travis describes himself as hyperac-tive. “I love to get up early and come in here. I like to work hard and play hard.”

But Travis won’t take more credit for the company’s success than he is willing to share with his crew. There seems to be no shortage of mo-tivation. Walking through the plant, Travis hailed just about everybody by name.

He explains that MWW hires bright talent. Some peo-ple have been with the company for years. Asked how

his engineers stay on top of rapidly-changing technology, he ex-plained that they are constantly innovating. Management has to be open to good ideas and act fast to implement them. Oates says large corporations often operate like cruise ships in changing direc-tion, but MWW has to change direction like a speedboat when a good idea comes along. CFO Jim Clarke added that Oates has a keen instinct for identifying which risks will have a high probability of high payoff, but Oates insists it is everybody working with team spirit that makes the decisions.

And Travis doesn’t mind if employees get emotional, because he gets emotional, too. “I don’t want any yes-men here,” he explains.

A late 40’s image of the retail and wholesale store. It was also a post office run by postmistress Queenie Oates.

(Tom’s wife) In addition to selling goods and being a PO, they also closed at election time and people

voted there.


MMW’s state-of-the-art, fully-networked jacquard looms. They have 60 and they are the most diverse equipment available in the world today with unlimited weaving capabilities.


With so much in-house talent, MWW does not rely on trade journals or other resources to keep up with emerging tech-nologies. Representatives attend trade shows, but new ideas are mostly generated in-house. “If you’re worried about what other people are doing in the industry, you’ve already missed it,” quipped Travis. Although the company provides continu-ing educational opportunities for its em-ployees, the need to be the leader in the in-dustry is part of the corporate culture. As an aside, about the only function MWW outsources is the printing of its catalogs.

A lot of proprietors would love to have the kind of challenges Oates has. He claims his greatest problems are coordinating so many people on so many different projects and constantly identifying new markets.

Asked to relate a horror story, Travis re-called installing the conveyer system. For more than three weeks, the engineering team couldn’t get it to work right. Travis lost a lot of sleep and a lot of weight. Ex-hausted, he finally solved the problem over pizza with five minutes of thought. As al-ways, Travis refused to take personal credit for what he considered a group effort. The concept of single-handedness is a myth at MWW.

The “good people,” at MWW, as Travis referred to his employees, concern them-selves with innovation and quality. The company doesn’t concern itself much with management-du-jour. It is too busy invent-ing and outputting to trifle with things like hanging posters bearing the company’s mission statement. The company doesn’t even have a mission statement. Travis and his sister are just continuing their parents’ quest to provide “fashion-forward home décor at a reasonable price.”

Things haven’t always been rosy at MWW. About five years ago, the company “hit bottom.” In the gift industry, manu-facturing operations were moving to Chi-na. Travis recalls, “Businesses like us were being bought up by the Chinese, and those that weren’t were really connected to Chi-na.” MWW found itself undercut, manu-facturing the same type of products as the competition, but at much higher cost. The number of mom-and-pop gift stores MWW served dropped from over 20,000 to about half that. Layoffs were inevitable.

With foresight, the company had already been holding strategic meetings and brain-storming. Now efforts were redoubled. Travis remembers his employees at the time with words like “wonderful,” and “re-ally creative.” New niches had to be identi-fied, and funds had to be invested in retool-ing. In retrospect, it seemed the company was continually reinventing product lines and changing its business model every five

Tom Oates (the founder who is Lemuel’s father and Travis and Molly’s grandfather) in his original woodworking shop. It was powered by a waterwheel on the property.

A quilted comforter being made.


months. Some lines were discontinued. New divisions were set up. Sometimes investments exceeded revenues. Of the risks taken at that time, Travis remarked, “You can’t be afraid to fail.”

In its darkest days, MWW sought neither loans nor bailouts. The company prides itself in keeping its books in the black. Accepting stimulus filtered through state grant programs was always out of the question. “No one’s gonna help us but us,” Travis explained.

It took years of navigating rough waters before MWW’s talented crew could resume the pursuit of inventive challenges for the fun of it, rather than out of necessity. MWW now employs anywhere between 400 and 500 people, fluctuations being seasonal.

But Travis isn’t about to rest on his laurels. He sees near-future inflation as a given, and from what he’s learned about economics, he expects it to hang around awhile. He’s concerned about what will happen to the gift industry as discretionary spending continues to constrict. MWW’s products are cultural, but not vital. People purchase them “to feel good about their home or to give away as a gift.” For the near-term, the general strategy is to identify new niches and capitalize on the business’ ability to personalize items.

Asked what advice he had for budding entrepreneurs, Oates re-plied, “Just work hard.” Then, he added a saying he learned from his dad, “The paranoid survive.” He doesn’t wear a tinfoil hat; he just accepts the simple fact that, “As long as a company is suc-cessful, there will always be competition for better products, better delivery methods, or better customer service. Someone is right on your heels.”

Travis kept coming up with good ideas, but two stand-out rec-ommendations were, “You need to be optimistic,” and “Find self-driven people that want to be special, and treat them like they’re special.”

Warps being made.

MMW’s state of the art print room. They have over 20 large format printers capable of printing on a endless variety of surfaces from fabrics to metal to glass and more.


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Capitalist Chat with Linda

Cypres

We live in a country that extols “free speech” and yet we have many forms of censure and language distortions.

Political correctness, as an example, is one way that certain groups put pres-sure on you to not express things in a way they disapprove. The “war on terror” for example, is a nicer way of saying “war on radical muslim extremists” when you don’t want to point your finger on the per-petrators of the terror.

Well what of “crony capitalism”? The very meaning of capitalism is the concept of competitiveness and free trade.

“Crony” capitalism is the opposite of capitalism, because it implies the practice of giving money, tax benefits or resources to a company or industry in exchange for favors and influence.

Crony capitalism is touted as “helping” companies and subsequently society at large whose products are deemed neces-sary for the greater good. But what it does is interfere with the free market, prejudice some companies over others, and allow the government to pick winners and los-ers.

If the government gets to influence a company or an entire sector of the econ-omy (such as “green energy”) by giving them money they would not otherwise ob-tain in a free market (because their prod-uct is not in demand) then you are creating a more socialist “planned” economy-- the very OPPOSITE of capitalism.

For those who dislike capitalism, there

is the added benefit of the term “crony capitalism,” which implies that capitalism itself is corrupt! Thus, two shots with one bullet—you undermine a capitalist system while implying that it is capitalism itself which is corrupt--not the government. Nice trick, huh?

The “occupy Wall Street” crowd would have you believe that Wall Street itself is the culprit, when in fact it is the govern-ment’s manipulation, through Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which created a government-backed mortgage, which in many cases had little or no underlying

value; those mortgages were then injected into markets under the false pretence of government-backed “safety”. To make matters worse, when a collapse was im-minent, the Federal Reserve printed huge amounts of money to prop up the failing markets. Then—icing on the cake—the Fed bailed out the banks and financial in-stitutions, while stealthily devaluing the dollar and placing mammoth debt on the heads of future generations.

Why aren’t the Wall Street occupiers over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Doublespeak: The hidden Meaning of

“Crony Capitalism”


by Leslee Kulba

Plug In


Jon Wehrli’s favorite hotel just might be the Asheville Hilton at Town Square in Biltmore Park. His favorite bookstore could be the Barnes & Noble just around the corner, and his favorite movie theatre just might be the Regal Grande Stadium 15.

Why? Because all these are located in Biltmore Park Town Square, and so are two of Eaton Corporation’s new Pow-R Charger recharging stations for battery-powered cars.

The intent of the stations – which are free – is to support and encourage the use of environmentally friendly automo-biles, as well as to showcase local products built by Eaton’s Cutler-Hammer division in Asheville.

Wehrli is the Cutler-Hammer Plant Manager. The Eaton/Biltmore Park charging stations provided are just one of Town Square ’s many conveniences and green initiatives.

The fact that Hilton, a LEED Silver certified hotel, has an electric car charger just outside the front door isn’t really odd, but how many other hotels can say the people who made it are their friends and neighbors?

Eaton’s Asheville facility has been manufacturing voltage-control devices since 1994, when Cutler-Hammer took over the former Westinghouse facility on Heywood Road. Eaton is a mul-tinational corporation with operations in 150 countries. In 2010, its sales totaled $13.7 billion with 73,000 employees that produce components or complete products for thirty-nine brands of power control devices.

Before the car chargers came along, about 500 people were employed at the 375,000 sq. ft.

local plant, making eight lines of power control systems. The plant is located in Arden, an Ashe-ville suburb. In addition to manufacturing, the facility provides space for product development, systems engineering, and sales and marketing.

Cutler-Hammer’s core products focus on improving the efficiency of a client’s operations by adjusting the amount of power drawn at any one time.

Harry Broussard, Eaton’s Global Marketing Manager, says real-world equipment does not be-have linearly. “When two devices are hooked together, one might deliver minimum power when the other requires the maximum. The devices Eaton manufactures help reduce the gap between input and output watts, thus reducing energy costs and carbon footprints.”

Eaton’s control systems (or ones like them) are used by almost all power companies and are at least partially responsible for the current lack of concern over peak consumption hours.

The Asheville facility focuses on the manufacture of medium voltage drives, the smallest of which has dimensions measured in feet.

Electric vehicle charging stations fit in with the program about as well as manufacturing pen-cil sharpeners or life support systems for hospitals.

Wehrli says “Eaton is very much into green technology and conserving energy.” At locations outside Asheville, Eaton’s operations are in developing solar and wind technology. Car chargers fit the theme.

Wehrli told how each year as the plant updates its business plan, local leadership generates a

“The devices Eaton manufactures helps reduce the gap between input and output watts, thus reducing energy costs

and carbon footprints.”

THE LEED SILVER CERTIFIED HILTON ASHEVILLE HOTEL AT BILTMORE PARK TOWN SQUARE SPORTS

A CAR CHARGER. IT WAS MANUFACTURED BY EATON CORPORATION IN ARDEN, NC. THAT MAY COME AS A SURPRISE, SINCE EATON’S ASHEVILLE FACILITY HAS

BEEN MANUFACTURING VOLTAGE-CONTROL DEVICES SINCE 1994, WHEN EATON, CUTLER HAMMER TOOK OVER

WESTINGHOUSE’S OPERATIONS ON HEYWOOD ROAD.


wish list of ideas to run past headquarters. Manufacturing car charging stations was an idea of mutual interest so the Asheville plant eventually got the go-ahead.

Broussard says the charging platforms required the acquisition of significant amounts of new manufacturing materials. The supplies coming into the plant included copper, steel, and elec-trical components that enable the Asheville plant to build nearly everything from the ground up. Much had to be invested up-front for inventory, and the company had to stay in front of demand. Although it uses a just-in-time inventory of sorts, Broussard said orders for some com-ponents have a year’s lag-time.

Eaton’s decisions regarding green energy came as a result of professional research. “We didn’t have the internal resources to conduct our own market research,” Broussard said, “nor did we have the savvy to statistically isolate noise generated by the good-intention factor that typically skews survey results in green directions.”

Did we mention Eaton just celebrated its 100th anniversary? A company as long-lived and successful as Eaton is not likely to go out on a limb to ride a flash-in-the-pan bandwag-on.

The survey indicat-ed demand would be strong. According to literature published by one distributor of

the car chargers, “Industry forecasts predict an annual volume of 400,000 battery electric ve-hicles in North America by 2020.”

There wasn’t a lot of equipment lying around the plant that could be readily modified to produce the chargers. Wehrli said new equipment had to be purchased to set up the production lines. That constituted a considerable investment but no federal, state, or local aid was request-ed. “We’re a Fortune 500 company,” explained Wehrli. “Eaton is our bank.”

That was almost unheard-of. Government’s fingerprints are all over the green energy indus-try. Broussard clarified that while Eaton operates off of profits from its own sales and services, the company can hardly help but do business with clients who do accept grants and tax credits.

One factor standing in the way of the car chargers’ credibility is a shortage of battery-car infrastructure. Nonbelievers scoff at the whole electric car idea, while forgetting Mother Nature didn’t cause gas stations to grow up on American street corners, either. Eaton has been working with clients to increase the abundance of car charging stations. In November, Eaton announced it would be supplying 45 electric vehicle charging stations to the Pennsylvania Interstate High-way System. The stations would be set up along Interstate 376 to create one of the largest car-charging corridors in the country.

The project was made possible through a $238,467 Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and a private investment of about $400,000. The project is overseen by Energy 376 Corridor, a collaboration of nineteen public and private entities.

In October, Eaton announced six electric vehicle charging stations would be installed in the parking garage of the Ohio Statehouse. In 2010, Eaton donated three of its high-speed charg-ing stations to the City of Raleigh with plans to install as many as thirty for the fleet of electrical vehicles the state capital was building up.

Wehrli and Broussard wouldn’t give details about exactly how many of the car chargers had been sold, stating only that their business had grown with the industry. Sales have been slow ramping up, but they are progressing. General Motors’ new Volt has fallen somewhat short of the General’s 2011 sales forecasts (10,000 units) but says increased plant capacity should bump that figure to 60,000 in 2012.

Again, the technology is new. Just as Model T’s couldn’t win today’s Indy 500, they couldn’t really go from Detroit to Cincinnati on a single fueling. Similarly, electric cars typically travel only 60-200 miles on a full charge. In almost all cases, however, this range is significantly in-creased by the gasoline engine, braking force or kinetic energy to recharge the battery in route.

In terms of dollars and cents, though, it costs less to operate an electric vehicle. At 12 cents per kilowatt-hour, an electric vehicle will run on less than 3 cents per mile. At $3.50 per gallon, a 25 mpg car runs on about 14 cents per mile. Green cars are also eligible for a lot of tax credits and utility company deals.

With respect to the other green, promoters of electric cars claim they come out ahead, at least in terms of daily operation. When electric vehicle technology was fledgling, it was argued that electric cars were more fuelish. More hydrocarbons would be combusted by the burning

“In terms of dollars and cents, though, it costs less to operate an

electric vehicle. “


Brad Harris puts the final touches on the Pow-R-Charger


From left to right: Gary Owenby, Thomas H. Beathard, and John Mark Jacosalem


of coal back at the power plant before it was transmitted through wires to a charging station, than would be burnt in the petroleum fueling a conventional automobile. Following years of technological advances, current estimates by advocates indicate electric vehicles are about 1/3 less polluting than their conventional counterparts.

The Union of Concerned Scientists has a different take, adding in calculation costs in health, environmental degradation, and energy use all the way back to the coal mines. Their research leads them to be i n c o n c l u s i v e about whether petroleum or elec-tricity is the most sustainable way to operate a vehicle. When asked for his insights, Wehrli’s response was, “The question is bigger than me.” In the best of all pos-sible worlds, electric cars would be run off wind or solar power, and various divisions of Eaton are try-ing to make that happen.

Another draw- back is it takes hours to charge electric cars. Ea-ton manufactures charging stations that can replenish a car’s battery in four hours. A l ighter-we ight station is also available, which can charge a car in eleven hours. Modeled to look like gas pumps, the stations consist of a box with a hose that goes to the car’s battery.

It’s really not much more than a fancy electrical adapter, sort of like the plugs that used to be used for TI calculators in the 1980s. AC from normal household electrical outlets has to be rectified to DC in order to build a charge on the battery.

The units are sold with card swipes to accept payment. For now, at least, most installations provide free charging with the payment of parking fees (no charge in Town Square). The good-will generated by advertising that a place is “green” and “conscious” tends to pay companies well enough. Eaton has four no-cost charging stations at its Heywood Road facility.

Charging stations are still rare, but the Department of Energy maintains a database of all known charging stations on its web site. Auto dealers are making the maps from the web site available to drivers of electric vehicles. In addition, smart phone apps are being developed to help the tech-savvy find nearby charging stations.

Someday, if GM can actually sell 60,000 Volts in 2012 and even more in later years, no one will be writing about charging stations. Instead, they’ll write about how weird and dangerous those old gasoline stations were.

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To the Rescue

“Before the car chargers came along,

about 500 people had been employed at the 375,000 sq. ft.

Asheville plant, for the manufacture of eight lines of power control

systems.”


WoRLD BRIEFS

Southwest plans to maintain low costs with

new planesSouthwest Airlines Co. claims

that its order of 150 Boeing 737 MAx airplanes will increase the airline’s fuel efficiency and pre-serve its low costs. Southwest and Boeing Co. both revealed that Southwest will be the first air-line to receive the new airplanes, which will begin in 2017. Accord-ing to airline officials, the 737 MAx engines will have 16 to 18 percent higher fuel efficiency than some of its older planes. Included in the 150 737 MAx order, 350 new Boeing planes are also ex-pected to be delivered sometime between 2012 and 2022. The new planes will act as replacements for the older planes. Mike Van de Ven, Southwest executive VP and COO, explained that their average anticipated capital expenditure for aircraft is about $1.2 billion per year between 2012 and 2022. GE Aviation will produce the South-west 737 MAx plane engines after winning a $4.7 billion order.

Coke’s trade secret moved to World of Coca-ColaThe Coca-Cola Co.’s trade se-

cret has found its first new home in 86 years at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. The 125-year-old secret recipe was previously in SunTrust Bank’s vault in down-town Atlanta. Tourists and World of Coca-Cola visitors will also be able to partake in this histori-cal transaction. The Vault of the Secret Formula is now a permanent exhibit. Since 1886, Dr. John S. Pemberton successfully kept his creation a secret between a close group of people, and it was not writ-

ten down. Asa Can-dler purchased the rights to the business in 1891 and became the sole proprietor of Coca-Cola. Er-nest Woodruff and

a group of investors bought the company from Candler and his family in 1919. When financing the purchase, Woodruff organized a loan in which his collateral was the formula. It was then neces-sary for Candler’s son to write the recipe on paper. The formula was placed in a Guaranty Bank vault in New York until 1925, when the loan was repaid. Woodruff then reclaimed the trade secret and re-turned it to Atlanta and assigned it to what is now SunTrust Bank. It has been in that vault since its recent move to the World of Coke.

Privately owned fake city for simulated

disasters on its wayThe 2,200 acre property that

was once the Northrop Grumman industrial complex in Perry, Geor-gia, will soon be a fake city. Geoff Burkart, president and CEO of Guardian Centers of Kennesaw, explained that an interstate, two city blocks of demolished build-ing, a command center and heli-copter pad will be built for nearly 5,000 emergency personnel to use the site at one time for disaster-preparedness training. Although there are two similar government-operated sites for replicated di-sasters, the Perry site will be the only privately owned one in the country. The original complex

was built for missile manufactur-ing, but was never used for the in-tended purpose because a govern-ment contract was cancelled prior to starting the work. The property has been unused since 2002, when Vought Aircraft moved out. Con-struction for the simulated disaster site is scheduled for January 2012.

Project REV recipients announced for 2012

Deluxe Corp. announced the 10 small companies it plans to help thrive during 2012. Its yearlong “Project REV” program offers marketing and sales advice and services. The 10 chosen recipients will share $150,000 worth of De-luxe products and services, includ-ing logo design, website design and hosting, search engine mar-keting, email marketing, printed materials, personalized promo-tional products, and direct mar-keting services. Laura Radewald, VP of brand and media relations for Deluxe, explained, “Last year’s Project REV participants collec-tively doubled their sales despite very tough economic times.” She also noted the importance for small businesses to learn how to select the appropriate market-ing tools for their success. Deluxe has joined with Score, a nonprofit group that offers finance, account-ing, cash flow, training, hiring, and new product development advice. Cities that are home to these se-lected businesses include Denver, Pepperell and Malborough in Massachusetts, St. Louis, Dunkirk in Maryland, Forest Lake in Min-nesota, Los Angeles, McHenry in Illinois, and Buffalo, N.Y.

Seattle tests flexible energy rules for old

buildingsSeattle has decided to

look into the possibilities of a more flexible approach to code requirements for older buildings. Testing this approach could mean potentiality for becoming a national model for making older properties more en-ergy efficient. Vulcan Real Estate will renovate the landmark Supply Laun-dry building under a pilot project, and use a perfor-mance-based approach to energy savings. Along with city planners and the non-profit Preservation Green Lab, Vulcan will set a goal to reduce the building’s en-ergy consumption by more than 50 percent in com-parison to similar prop-erties around the nation. City officials will observe the building’s energy use once the renovation has ended and at least 75 percent of the building is in use. If Vulcan does not reach its target reduction, an energy audit would establish the next step for property compliance. More flex-ible code requirements would likely result in reduced cost of bringing older buildings into compliance, promoting owners to renovate the properties rather than tearing them down. Seattle seemed to be the perfect fit for the pilot program because of the region’s strong interest in environ-mentally friendly development. Seven cities around the country,

including Seattle, will soon require building owners to use an automated system that forwards energy use to the city as a means of monitor-ing performance.

Russia approved as WTO member

The World Trade Organi-zation has given its final ap-proval for Russia’s member-ship after a record 18-years.


The Russian parliament will have until June 15, 2012 to ratify the settlement and bring it into force. However, Moscow’s lead nego-tiator Maxim Medvedkov said he anticipates the deal to be rati-fied early 2012. Although Russia applied to join the trade body in 1993, its brief war with Georgia in 2008, along with other set-backs, delayed its application. Russia holds the record for the longest bargaining time before being granted entry. The previ-ous record holder was China, having negotiated for 15 years prior to membership. To assure the green light from other WTO states, Russia sealed 57 bilateral agreements on access for goods and 30 on market access for ser-vices. Moscow agreed to reduce its tariff ceiling from the 2011 average of 10 percent to 7.8 per-cent for all products. Russia addi-tionally agreed to constrain farm subsidies to $9 billion in 2012 and to progressively reduce them to $4.4 billion by 2018.

Power plant ski slope may be dropped

Environmental concerns in

Copenhagen, Denmark were raised about the incorporation of an artificial ski slope into the development of a trash-burning power plant, postponing and pos-sibly halting the idea altogether. The plant lost the City Council’s 2.5 billion kronor loan guarantee after concerns emerged about increasing the incinerator’s ca-pacity by 30 percent, claiming it would increase carbon dioxide emissions to 200,000 annually. The ski slope’s construction was to begin in 2012, with comple-tion in 2016. The design in-cluded 1,500 meters of ski slopes trailing the man-made hill encas-ing the plant. Skiers could then take an elevator to the top while they observed the inside of the plant. Despite the decision, Ayfer Baykal, deputy mayor for tech-nical and environmental affairs, confessed that burning trash was still important for the city’s en-ergy needs.

London prepares for summer Olympics

In preparation for the 2012 London Olympics, Britain is planning to have 13,500 troops on duty along with two war-ships, warplanes, and ground-to-air missiles. Defense Secretary Philip Hammond explained that the games were a “once in a gen-eration” event for the country and that Britain wants to assure security for athletes joining from around the globe. The military plans to deploy 5,000 personnel to support police and civil au-thorities in addition to a 1,000 strong “unarmed contingency force for deployment in the event of an Olympics-related civil emergency.” Also, 1,000 military personnel will give logistics sup-port and potentially 7,500 more will offer venue security. The big-gest warship in the Royal Navy, helicopter carrier HMC Ocean, will be stationed in the Thames River at Greenwich. Further se-curity preparation will include the HMS Bulwark assault ship, typhoon jets, and other ground-based air defense capabilities.

California hopes to break habit of changing

oil too oftenDespite manufacturer’s minimal

requirements for oil changes, it seems that many automobile owners are spending an excessive amount of money on motor oil. According to a national survey, 51% of vehicle owners believe that oil should be changed every 3,000 miles, sparking a California campaign to stop driv-ers from wasting millions of gallons each year by servicing their vehicles too often. The California Depart-ment of Resources, Recycling and Recovery has launched the Check Your Number campaign to urge drivers to abide by the manufactur-er’s recommendations, rather than their own 3,000-mile mindset. The agency claims that this would result in California’s motor-oil demand being reduced by nearly 10 million gallons annually.

Indonesia paraders set records with torches

Thousands of people from 50 countries have set two new world records by parading with more than 3,700 flaming torches in Indonesia’s capital. Organizer Yamal Hasmanan of Freedom Faithnet Global said that officials

from Guinness World Records gave participants certificates for the largest torch-lit image formed by people and for the largest torch-lit parade. He says his group organized the 3,777-torch procession as a symbol of hope and prayer. The group also has a Guinness record for the largest number of floating lanterns sent aloft, with 10,318 launched into the sky simultaneously in December 2009.

Canadians allowed to work longer

Canada removed a mandatory retirement after the government retracted sections of the labor code, which had allowed employers to require workers to retire once they reached the age of 65. In an effort to praise the changes, David Lang-try, acting head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, said, “Age discrimination is discrimina-tion, pure and simple.” As Canada’s baby boomer generation grows old-er, people exceedingly want to con-tinue to work past retirement age, for personal or financial reasons. The change only affects jobs under federal jurisdiction, but all others except the province of New Bruns-wick have already begun to get rid of their respective mandatory retire-ment laws.



the art of

MOOG

the art of

MOOG“V

ery humble,” said Mike Adams, president of Moog Music, Inc. without hesitation. He had been asked to describe music icon Robert Moog. Was he a great inventor or more of a Thomas Edison who surrounded him-self with great minds? After all, his legacy does have the appearance of a clever branding strategy.

Adams insists Moog deserves every bit of credit he gets. Moog was a musician and a techno-wizard. “By the time you could eat a bowl of spaghetti, he’d have this whole thing covered up [in schematics],” recalled Adams with a sweeping motion of his hand toward his conference-table sized desk.

But was the man, often hailed as the father of the musical synthesizer, an entrepreneur? Adams recollects Moog used to say he “got into business by slipping backward on a banana peel.”

“His first love was the theremin,” began Adams. He built his first when he was only fourteen. His dad, something of an electronics enthusiast himself, encouraged the habit.

The devices were patented in 1928 by their inventor, Leon Theremin. They essentially consist of two antennae. The musician controls the pitch of a tone by moving his hand toward and away from one antenna, and he controls the volume response by changing the distance between the other hand and antenna. The resulting woo-woo-woo sounds were a hit in 1950s sci-fi thrillers. The devices are still used by new rockers like Flaming Lips and Little Dragon, who were among the many perform-ers at Asheville’s recent Moog fest; and New Age artist Jean Michel Jarre, who first introduced elec-tronic music to the Paris Opera House.

Well, Moog also liked to write, so in 1954, he submitted an article entitled, “The Theremin,” to Ra-dio-Television News. Due to a large number of inquires following publication, Robert and his father went into business as RA Moog to manufacture theremin kits. The business helped pay Moog’s way

Story By Leslee Kulba


through college. He earned a B.S. in physics from Queens College, and went on to get an EE degree from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in engineering physics from Cornell.

One person who called for help after reading Moog’s article was a professor of music at Hofstra University, Herb Deutsch. Deutsch and Moog crossed paths again in 1963 at a New York State School Music As-sociation confer-ence. They hit it off and got lost sharing their passion for electronic music. It was the beginning of an epic collabo-ration.

Over dinner one night with their wives, Deutsch, the musician, and Moog, the electri-cal engineer, specu-lated about invent-ing a “portable electronic music studio.” Back in the day, synthesiz-ers took up entire rooms. RCA syn-thesizers, with which Moog was familiar, recorded on paper tape. The devices, used only by professors or super-geeky composers, were far from being musical instruments.

Deutsch wanted to spend some time with Moog to create the “new musical instrument.” He asked Moog to write a “real for-

mal” letter he could present to his superiors at the university. Moog complied, and Deutsch received a research grant – in the amount of $200.

Thanks to recent advances in semiconductor technology, Moog and Deutsch were able to work with voltage-controlled oscillators

(VCO’s) and voltage-controlled amplifi-ers (VCA’s) to create sounds that could be varied in pitch and volume. Deutsch would ask Moog if he could create a particu-lar effect, and Moog would say, “Sure.”

But they were mak-ing the sounds by hold-ing wires in bread-boards. It was Deutsch who convinced Moog that a keyboard might make a good human interface for selecting notes and controlling their attack and de-cay. By summer, the dynamic duo had in-vented their machine. The first synthesizers were modular, in that

several components had to be mixed to create a particular sound. The instruments were not pitch-perfect; but Moog argued that was not an issue until serious musicians became interested.

In the fall, Moog demonstrated a VCO, VCA, and keyboard interface at the Audio Engineering Society Convention in New

Seen below: what goes on in the building above; Moog instruments - hand made in downtown Asheville


York, and that resulted in a few orders for the devices. Filling orders soon became fulltime employment for the inventor at R.A. Moog.

Among early orders was one from Vladimir Ussa-chevsky of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center. He wanted Moog to invent a device that gen-erated sounds with attack and decay plus a way of controlling how long the sound would be sustained, and when it would be cut off. Moog no doubt said, “Sure,” and invented synthesizers with ADSR enve-lopes.

Another order came from Gustav Clamaga at the University of Toronto. He wanted a device that could attenuate different harmonics in a given timbre. Moog responded by inventing subtractive synthesis.

Moog worked with a lot of musicians during that time. One, Wendy Carlos, made the Moog synthesizer famous in 1968 with a hit recording, “Switched-on Bach.”

Artists like Emerson, Lake, and Palmer and the Moody Blues used the synthesizers in the early days, before any-body in the music industry even thought of printed circuit boards. Horror stories were told of road trips, setup and teardown giving the large, but sensitive contraptions a good shakeup. Good live keyboardists had to be good repairmen, as that was part of play-ing the instrument. There was a lot of room for perfecting the devices, and Moog continued to rise to the occasion.

The company changed its name to Moog Music in 1972, and was aggregated, along with Gibson Guitars, by Norlin Music in 1975. Moog left the company in 1977, due to management and marketing difficulties, and took his family to Western North Carolina, where he accepted a professorship at UNC-Asheville. In addition to working at the school, Moog served as a full-time consultant and VP of New Product Research for keyboard giant

Kurzweil for four years.In 1994, Moog formed a new company, Big Briar, and went back

into the business of selling theremins and effects pedals known as moogerfoogers. It wasn’t until 2002, however, that Moog regained the legal right to use his name to market his musical inventions.

That was when Adams entered the scene. Adams wasn’t a mu-sician. He had a strong background in manufacturing, sales and marketing, finance, and engineering. A mutual friend, who went to church with Moog, asked Adams if he might be interested in providing some consulting for a struggling business.

Adams says he and Moog perfectly complemented each other. When Adams came on board, people weren’t getting paid. The place was plagued with bad credit and debt. A humongous order for an amazing new invention, the Minimoog Voyager, sat unfilled. “Because they did not know how to leverage it,” recalled Adams.

Moog Theremin

Minimoog Model D


The Voyager is a forty-four-key synthesizer. Adams describes it as “a modern-day equivalent to the original Minimoog.” In compact form, the Minimoog could do everything the cumbersome, touchy synthesizers could. “The original Minimoog,” notes Adams, “has been widely recognized as the number-one synth of all time.”

Adams said he did what bankers probably would prevent any more. He took the order forms and collateral and went to people in the banking business to try to establish a line of credit. The company got enough credit to fill the lucrative orders, and it has seen an average annual growth rate of 20% since.

Adams went from consultant to partner and president. He had the privilege of working with Moog for three and a half years before Moog fell ill with a brain tumor. Moog died soon after he determined he was not well enough to work from the office.

According to Adams, Moog Music hasn’t been particularly af-fected by the economic slowdown. There will always be a demand for music. Adams describes the music industry as “almost coun-tercyclical.” The worse things get, the greater the demand for en-tertainment. Adams didn’t want to speculate about any cause and effect.

Moog sells to fifty distributors worldwide. Outside the United States, Germany handles the largest volume. Adams rattled off names of countries whose economies have been decimated and said Moog sales are still strong in those places.

Adams attributes Moog Music’s success to two things: great mar-keting and great engineering. He estimates the company develops on average three new products a year. He thumbed through the catalog with pride, but his greatest thrill came from the Animoog. The corporate web site announced, “Animoog is the first music App in history to hit number one in The App Store on its release date and has received nearly 1000 five star ratings in its first thirty

days of release.” Adams then demonstrated on his iPad. Synthesizer technology

has now been reduced to the size of a notebook, and can be con-trolled by a touch screen. Rumor has it amateurs and pros were buying iPads just to take advantage of the app, which was made available for a month for just 99 cents.

Another breakaway invention has been the Moog guitar. Typi-cally, electrical guitars only amplify mechanical sounds. The Moog guitar uses a printed circuit board with 3000-some components. Effects are available “on-board,” rather than through pedals. A musician with a good ear can use the knobs to customize the vol-ume, timbre, and duration of a note. Notes may even be infinitely sustained.

A lot of the new products are nothing more than keyboards with different selections of sounds. Just about any sound can be made on the Minimoog Voyager, but not everybody has the time, pa-tience, or ear to sculpt waveforms for the perfect occasion. Moog therefore packages select sounds it hopes will be popular, making them available at a punch of a button on a manageable board and at a reasonable price.

Moog out sources to four companies for standard printed circuit boards. At the plant, craftsmen cut wood and other features to customize orders. Adams said it is awfully expensive to overesti-mate the market. Since he’s been at Moog, only one product has flopped. Another time, he had a lot of demand for a product he wasn’t sure would sell. He sent around letters saying he would manufacture it if he could get 250 pre sales. Within three months, he had 750.

Adams said Moog stands out in the industry because of its trade-mark sound. He likened it to a saxophone in the hands of a mas-ter. Basically, Moog synthesizers generate analog sounds, meaning


A s early as March 31 in some time zones this year, news leaked about a new invention, the PolyTheremin.

It worked like a normal Theremin, but it had five antennas. The Theremin is best-known generating sound effects for sci-fi movies, even before the days of Star Trek.

The Theremin operates as the user’s hand distorts the electromagnetic fields around two antennas. One controls the volume; the other, the pitch. The problem with inventing polyphonic Theremins has been a lack of tech-nology for isolating multiple fields in close prox-imity.

The news release and YouTube video an-nouncing the device credited a breakthrough

in Iso-Directional Inductive Oscillator Technolo-gy. Get it?

The invention was the last in a tradition of April Fool’s Day prank press releases from Moog. The first came out in 2005. The an-nouncement somehow grew out of staff’s grappling with President Mike Adams’ stress over the company’s failure to release as many new products as he would have liked that year. The MF-433 was a device that generat-ed four minutes and 33 seconds of silence as a tribute to philosopher/composer John Cage.

In 2007, a bogus press release announced the MF-FM, a Moogerfooger effect that changed radio stations automatically. In

2009, the company’s smart alecs announced the release of the Analog Time Compressor, which would allow technicians the ability to hear sounds a microsecond before they were played. In a really silly announcement, Moog’s 2010 prank announced an Auto De-tune unit, which was capable of returning any instru-ment to its state before tuning. A partial list of presets, including “Mrs. Miller” and “Original Star Trek cast member attempts to make pop music,” was a dead giveaway.

Lest the routine become trite, the company occasionally releases real products on April 1. The Little Phatty came out in 2006, and the date was reserved to announce the Moog gui-tar in 2008.

they combine continuous waveforms to create a natural sound. Modern, digital devices, use bits and bites in on-off mode to cre-ate a choppy sound discernible by a good musical ear. A small company on the West Coast, Dave Smith Instruments, comes close to the Moog sound, but they use a different technology.

Asked what famous people use Moog synthesizers, Adams re-plied, “Just about everybody.” He listed names from a number of genres, from classic rock to rap, but said the only format that isn’t using Moog is country, Sugarland being an exception.

Moog Music, at the old Dinner for the Earth building on Broad-way, is more than a manufacturing plant. It features a showroom where members of the public are invited to bumble in off the street and try their hand at a theremin or synthesizer. It also has

a studio staffed by experts and used by musicians of all types. Famous bands, when in town, have ducked into the facility to lay down tracks that have gone into Moog’s online show “Moog Sound Lab.”

In a world of rapidly evolving music styles and tastes, Moog has made a mark that will last for a long, long time.

The Bob Moog Foundation is an independent 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, and is not formally affiliated with Moog Music, Inc., although they enjoy a mutually supportive relationship. To find out more about the Bob Moog Foundation, see (www.bobmoogfoundation.org).


healthy&Brief

Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that the timing of exposure to UV rays – early in the morning or later in the afternoon – can influence the onset of skin cancer.

The study, performed in mice, found that exposure to UV ra-diation in the morning increased the risk of skin cancer by 500 percent over identical doses in the afternoon. Although mice and humans both reside on a 24-hour day, the “circadian” clocks of these nocturnal and diurnal creatures run counter each other. This key difference in biology means that humans are most protected from the sun’s harmful rays when mice are most susceptible, and vice versa.

“Therefore, our research would suggest that restricting sunbath-ing or visits to the tanning booth to morning hours would reduce the risk of skin cancer in humans,” said senior study author Aziz Sancar, MD, PhD, a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehen-sive Cancer Center and Sarah Graham Kenan professor of bio-chemistry and biophysics in the UNC School of Medicine. Sancar is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Turkish Academy of Sciences “However, further studies in humans are needed before we can make any definitive recommendations.”

Sancar has previously shown that a protein called xPA, respon-sible for repairing the DNA damage wrought by UV radiation,

waxes and wanes throughout the day. In a study published online the week of October 24-30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, he and his colleagues looked to see if the cyclical nature of this

DNA repair molecule had an influence on the onset of skin can-cer.

They exposed two groups of mice to UV radiation – either at 4 a.m. or at 4 p.m. – and waited for cancer to develop. Mice ir-radiated when the repair activity was at its minimum developed tumors much faster and at five-fold higher frequency compared with mice exposed to UV when the protein’s repair function was at its maximum.

The researchers predict that humans will have a higher rate of DNA repair in the morning and would be less prone to the carci-nogenic effect of UV radiation in the morning hours. They plan to measure actual DNA repair rates in the skin of human volunteers to confirm that morning sun is safest for humans.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Gener-al Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Environmen-tal Health Sciences. UNC co-authors with Sancar were Shobhan Gaddameedhi (study 1st author), Christopher P. Selby, William K. Kaufmann, and Robert C. Smart of North Carolina State Univer-sity, Raleigh, N.C.

Morning uV exposure may be less damaging to the skin

Aziz Sancar

Microneedle Sensors May Allow Real-Time Monitoring Of Body Chemistry NC State university

Researchers from North Carolina State University, Sandia Na-tional Laboratories, and the University of California, San Diego have developed new technology that uses microneedles to allow doc-tors to detect real-time chemical changes in the body – and to con-tinuously do so for an extended period of time.

“We’ve loaded the hollow channels within microneedles with electrochemical sensors that can be used to detect specific molecules or pH levels,” says Dr. Roger Narayan, co-author of a paper de-scribing the research, and a professor in the joint biomedical engi-neering department of NC State’s College of Engineering and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Existing technology relies on taking samples and testing them, whereas this approach allows continuous monitoring, Narayan ex-plains. “For example, it could monitor glucose levels in a diabetic pa-tient,” Narayan says. Microneedles are very small needles in which at least one dimension – such as length – is less than one millimeter.

“The idea is that customized microneedle sensor arrays could be developed and incorporated into wearable devices, such as some-thing like a wristwatch, to help answer specific medical or research

questions,” Narayan says. “It’s also worth pointing out that mi-croneedles are not painful.”

In addition to its clinical applications, the new technology may also create opportunities for new research endeavors. For example, the microneedle sensor arrays could be used to track changes in lac-tate levels while people are exercising – rather than measuring those levels only before and after exercise.

The researchers developed a proof-of-concept sensor array incor-porating three types of sensors, which could measure pH, glucose and lactate. However, Narayan says the array could be modified to monitor a wide variety of chemicals.

The paper, “Multiplexed Microneedle-based Biosensor Array for Characterization of Metabolic Acidosis,” is published online in the journal Talanta. The paper was co-authored by Narayan and NC State Ph.D. students Philip Miller and Shelby Skoog as well as re-searchers from Sandia National Laboratories and the University of California, San Diego. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the De-partment of Energy.


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New official guidelines for diabetes screening and diagnosis now in-clude a blood test that gives a person’s average blood glucose level over the previous 2-3 months. The A1C test is not new. It has been used since the late 1970s as a way to get a snapshot of how well glucose control is going in people with diabetes. But only in the last 15 years has its use and scoring become more standardized and reproducible from place to place and time to time than other diabetes blood glucose tests.

Now, in an annual supplement to the journal Diabetes Care, by the American Diabetes Association,, the A1C test is given a prominent role in guidelines for diabetes screening, diagnosis and prevention. In particular, the section “Revisions to the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes,” recommends that the A1C be used to identify people with “pre-diabetes,” those at increased risk for developing the type 2 form of disease. Unlike type 1 diabetes with its sudden onset, type 2 develops gradually and without symptoms. But its damage to health and longev-ity can be equally severe. At least 50 million adults and children in the U.S. may be well on their way to developing type 2 diabetes, according to John Buse, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and endocrinology chief at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Buse is former ADA president for medicine and science and a member of the International Expert Committee whose report in July 2009 strongly recommended the A1C assay for diabetes diagnosis and for identifying people at high risk for diabetes. “One big advantage of the A1C test is that it doesn’t re-quire fasting. The patient can come in any day, at any time. It’s also not as skittish as the older blood sugar test which can be increased by the kind of complaints that often bring people to the doctor like pain or infection. The A1C won’t be interfered with that way because it looks at your average blood sugar over 2-3 months.” The test measures the percentage of glycated hemoglobin, or A1C, in the blood. Hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells, carries oxygen from the lungs to all the cells of the body. In diabetes, excess glucose in the bloodstream enters red blood cells and links up (glycates) with molecules of hemoglobin. The more excess glucose in your blood, the more hemoglobin gets glycated. By measuring the percentage of A1C in the blood, you get an overview

of your average blood glucose level for the past few months. This record changes as old red blood cells in your body die and new red blood cells (with fresh hemoglobin) replace them. The amount of A1C in your blood reflects blood sugar control for the past 120 days, or the lifespan of a red blood cell. In a person who does not have diabetes, about 5 percent of all hemoglobin is glycated. For someone with diabetes and high blood glucose levels, the A1C level is higher than normal. How high the A1C level rises depends on what the average blood glucose level was during the past weeks and months. Levels can range from normal to as high as 25 percent if diabetes is horribly out of control for a long time. In the cur-rent Revisions to the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, the section on Diagnosis of Diabetes has been revised to include the use of A1C to diagnose diabetes, with a cut-point of 6.5 percent or greater. The section previously titled Diagnosis of Pre-diabetes has been renamed Categories of Increased Risk for Diabetes. An A1C range of 5.7-6.4 percent has been included as a category of increased risk for future diabetes. “So, if you’re over the age of 45, or if you’re under the age of 45 and overweight and have any other risk factor for diabetes, the recommendation is that you be screened for diabetes to detect early cases,” Buse said. For people with A1C scores in the pre-diabetes range, “diet and exercise aimed at a 5-10 percent reduction of weight, with 30 minutes of moderately vig-orous physical activity per day reduces your risk of developing diabe-tes by 60 percent,” Buse said. The UNC physician points out that for those whose A1C is 6.5 percent or higher, another test result at or above 6.5 percent is needed to make the diagnosis of diabetes technically offi-cial. “If a patient has an A1C over 6.5, I say ‘good news-bad news’. The bad news is that you probably have diabetes. The good news is, techni-cally, we have to measure this test again to make the diagnosis. With a solid effort on lifestyle management, you have a good chance to make your A1C less than 6.5, thereby eliminating having the diagnosis of dia-betes.” Buse notes this could provide substantial motivation for patients to make lifestyle changes to lower their A1C score. But he emphasized that people “must remain aware that they’re still at high risk for develop-ing diabetes.”

A1C test now recommended for diabetes screening/diagnosis

uNC health Care

Morning uV exposure may be less damaging to the skin


This Glass Multi-Touch Keyboard & Mouse ($350) uses infrared LEDs placed at the edge of the glass — in conjunc-tion with one or more cameras — to detect your touch on the completely clear, tempered glass surface. Other features include Bluetooth support, rechargeable lithium polymer batteries, tactile sounds and lighting that can be disabled at your desire, and solid metal bases that’ll look great next to your rig, be it a PC or Mac.

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Mike TalksC

at

ITAL LAYA at

What would you say about our education system and the economic mess we are in?

Mike: For years, I’ve been writing about the failure of our educational system to teach financial literacy. Why has no one mentioned the pos-sibility that today’s financial crisis might have been averted if basic money management had been part of our school

curriculums? Anyone with minimal financial literacy should have been able to see the problem coming. It doesn’t take an economist to under-stand that you can’t live forever on borrowed money. This is especially true when a significant portion of the borrowers aren’t credit worthy. But, if you think we are currently in a crisis, just wait. You ain’t seen nothing yet!

Cat

ITAL LAYA at

What do you mean?

Mike: Let me offer a simple example before I give you the big picture. Imagine a family living a standard of living that costs $5,000 per month, but their total household income is only $4,000. They draw upon their credit cards and lines of credit to get the extra $1,000 per month needed to support their lifestyle. In the beginning, the payments on the debt are manageable and everyone is happy, but as the debt grows, the debt ser-vice becomes a significant burden. Eventually they face a crisis; they ei-ther have to earn more, spend less or be forced into bankruptcy.

That’s where our nation is today and the current crisis is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some staggering numbers to which no one seems to want to pay attention. As of November 2011, after all the bailouts, the federal debt was just shy of $15 trillion, but that doesn’t include the unfunded portions of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. When these amounts are added the total rises to $116.3 trillion. That’s over $1,000,000 per taxpayer. But wait! There’s more. Add to this nearly $3 trillion in state and local government debt and almost $16 trillion in con-sumer debt, and you have a nation facing eventual bankruptcy unless we rein in spending and start paying off the debt.

Cat

ITAL LAYA at

Doesn’t look good.

Mike: Over the past 40 years, we have created the most envied standard of living in the world. The problem is, it has been done with massive debt. The current financial crisis is nothing more than a gentle breeze rattling the house of cards compared to the inevitable collapse that could come if we don’t start getting our house in order. Just as the family in the earlier example will eventually exhaust their ability to borrow and be forced to take drastic and painful measures, like Greece, so will our country.

Cat

ITAL LAYA at

What’s happening to our sources of credit?

Mike: Currently over 25 percent of our federal debt is held by foreign

countries. Japan and China hold over $1.5 trillion of it. Imagine what would happen if either country stopped investing in US treasury backed securities and decided to unload the ones they already hold. It would make today’s financial crisis look like a mosquito bite compared to a rattlesnake bite. It probably wouldn’t kill us, but it would sure create a painful experience that practically everyone would feel. Don’t think it couldn’t happen. Neither did the Greek population. The moment the rest of the world fears that we are becoming overextended, they will do like any other lenders and cut off our credit.

Cat

ITAL LAYA at

Does the average American understand what is going on?

Mike: Today’s dilemma is how to get politicians to make responsible decisions when those decisions may cost them reelection. Reining in run-a-way spending and asking constituents to make sacrifices is not pop-ular. Lacking basic financial literacy, it’s impossible for most people to understand that the euphoric feeling which accompanies an increasing standard of living is unsustainable when it’s done with borrowed money. That’s why I’m such an advocate of placing special emphasis on teach-ing personal financial literacy in our public schools. An educated popu-lace will be better able to understand and accept the tough decisions that are needed to put our financial house in order.

Until elected officials stop putting reelection ahead of what’s best for the citizens, we are going to continue having economic problems. More government intervention is not the answer! As Gerald Ford said in his ad-dress to a joint session of Congress on August 12, 1974, “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.” We have to educate ourselves so we can under-stand and deal with the problems. Thomas Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free…it expects what never was and never will be.” We need more personal responsibility and fewer government bailouts.

Cat

ITAL LAYA at

What can the average person do?

Mike: Here’s a tip! Visit the website www.usdebtclock.org to see the problem and how rapidly it is accelerating. Then think! Individually, there may not be much you can do to influence out of control govern-ment spending, but you can put your own house in order. A good place to start is by learning basic consumer economics. If you have been living above your means and have racked up a pile of consumer debt, now is the time to go on an austerity program. Reduce your spending to a bare minimum and start paying off your debts. When you become debt free, your future will belong to you instead of being owned by your creditors. Tomorrow’s income can be used to start a regular program of saving and investing instead of making debt payments. That’s the way to secure your future. The more wealth you can build, the less impact tough deci-sions will have on you when they finally have to be made.

As many Americans are now discovering, the dream of owning your own home can quickly turn into a nightmare when you don’t fol-low sound financial principals. I believe lack of financial education has contributed as much to people losing their homes as the unscrupulous lenders who made them their loans. We all have to take the blame for tolerating this major failure of our educational system, but we don’t have to keep tolerating it.

Mike Summey is a well known real estate entrepreneur, the author of several books on real estate, and has written a

number of real estate columns for the Citizen Times. He is also an avid pilot and philanthropist.


(( Who’s Crazy Now? Here are a few articles, from other publications, that talk about how the

Private Sector interacts with the Public Sector

INSIDE the CUCKOO’S NEST

Federal regulatiOn Business & JOBs BOOming Liveleak.com

I f the federal government’s regulatory operation were a busi-ness, it would be one of the 50 biggest in the country in terms of revenues, and the third largest in terms of employees, with

more people working for it than McDonald’s, Ford, Disney and Boeing combined. The federal regulatory business is booming. Regulatory agencies have seen their combined budgets grow a healthy 16% since 2008, topping $54 billion, according to the annual “Regulator’s Budget,” compiled by George Washington University and Washington University in St. Louis. That’s at a time when the overall economy grew a paltry 5%. Meanwhile, employment at these agencies has climbed 13% since late 2008 to more than 281,000, while private-sector jobs shrank by 5.6%.

Michael Mandel, chief economic strategist at the Progressive Policy Institute, found that between March 2010 and March 2011 federal regulatory jobs climbed faster than either private jobs or overall government jobs. Regulatory production is way up, too, if you measure that by the number of rules federal agen-cies churn out. In 2009 and 2010 seventy-five new major rules were imposed, costing the private sector more than $40 billion, according to a Heritage Foundation study. The number of pages in the Federal Register — where all new rules must be published and which serves as proxy of regulatory activity — jumped 18% in 2010. This July, regulators imposed a total of 379 new rules that will cost more than $9.5 billion, according to an analysis by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. And much more is on the way. The Federal Register notes that more than 4,200 regulations are in the

pipeline. That doesn’t count impending clean air rules from the EPA, new derivative rules, or the FCC’s net neutrality rule. Nor does that include recently announced fuel economy mandates or eventual ObamaCare and Dodd-Frank regulations.

One of the biggest factors behind whether companies hire or not is regulation. It’s expensive to run a business, and if govern-ment agencies are saddling you with more and more expensive rules, you’re simply not going to have as much money left over to hire additional employees - or to pay the ones you already have as high a wage as you might like.

We have fresh evidence, in fact, of just how costly those myr-iad rules coming out of Washington can be. Regulatory experts James Gattuso and Diane Katz have a new report out on this “hidden tax” - so-named because, unlike taxes, regulations don’t have their price tags out in the open. Yet, as with conventional taxes, they raise the price of everything for Americans, from con-sumer goods to health care.

In the first six months of fiscal year 2011, 15 major new regula-tions were issued. The annual bill: $5.8 billion. And that’s after one-time implementation costs of $6.5 billion. “Major” here, by the way, is a specific term used by the government to refer to regulations that are expected to cost at least $100 million. There are, of course, other rules in effect that fail to meet this thresh-old. But they’re out there, too, and they add up. Major or other-wise, they’re sitting on the chest of an economy that’s gasping for breath.

n.C. wind Farm raises u.s. Fears The News and Observer

U.S. wildlife authorities have added their voice to the chorus of ecologists and environmentalists who are fighting a pro-posed wind farm near the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife

Refuge in Eastern North Carolina.In a filing made late Monday to the N.C. Utilities Commission,

the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service wrote that the species at greatest risk from the farm is the tundra swan, a bird that can weigh up to 23 pounds, has a wingspan up to 5 1/2 feet, and flies at night to forage at nearby farms.

The state Utilities Commission has the authority to approve, deny or delay the project. Environmental advocacy groups and state wildlife officials are asking the commission to delay issuing

a ruling until the proposed turbine locations can be evaluated for their potential risks to flying birds. The proposed 11,000-acre Pan-tego wind farm, with 49 turbines extending nearly 500 feet to the tip of the blade, would be located just several miles from a bird ref-uge that attracts swarms of migrating waterfowl during the winter months.

Chicago-based Invenergy, the company proposing the Pantego wind farm, is currently doing a study during the migratory season to assess potential effects on birds.

Invenergy had planned to complete the study in March, but the Fish & Wildlife Service letter warns that several years will be need-ed to collect reliable data.


Inside the Cuckoo’s Nest

smaller Businesses Cry FOul at duke hearing The Charlotte Observer

At a hearing on a rate hike, retail users say Duke Energy’s rate plan favors large industry.

The 7.2 percent rate hike Duke Energy is proposing sounds like an improvement for most N.C. customers over the 15 percent in-crease the utility first requested. But it might not if you run a grocery store.

Industries, lawyers say, get cheaper rates than stores, hospitals, schools and some municipalities - even if their power needs are similar.

On a hearing before the N.C. Utilities Commission, the debate un-derscored the arcane details of rate cases that can make big differences to utility customers.

Duke’s cost of providing services to industries and “general service” customers, such as stores, is about the same, Duke’s experts have testi-fied. But the stores pay more, and that equals a $25.7 million subsidy to industries, attorneys for the stores argue.

Combining the industrial and general-service rate classes was dis-cussed during Duke’s last N.C. rate case, in 2009, but not acted on. A settlement between Duke and the commission’s Public Staff, which represents consumers, defers action on the issue until the next rate-hike request, expected in 2012.

Under questioning by a lawyer representing commercial consumers, Duke rate-design expert Jeff Bailey acknowledged that the disparity is unfair and said he would like to end it. But not with this rate case.

On the upcoming witness list are an energy analyst for Wal-Mart, which employs 50,000 people in North Carolina, and the energy man-ager for Salisbury-based Food Lion. The grocery retailer employs 30,000 N.C. workers.

Other testimony focused on the 10.5 percent return on equity, or profit margin, that Duke is seeking. It also debated the method Duke used to allocate rates to different customer classes.

The company used a method that is based on the amount of power used in the hottest hour of the year - in 2010, that was Aug. 11 at 5 p.m. The Public Staff advocates a method that uses both the summer peak and the lower winter peak, plus an energy factor.

Duke says its method more accurately reflects its electrical load at peak times, on which it bases its plans for power generation. The Public Staff argues that it captures only the costs of providing power at that peak hour, not the use of its full range of customers.

In their settlement, the staff agreed to use Duke’s method for this rate case but could contest its use in future cases.

keystOne Xl PiPeline Put On hOld

Over the last several months, the controversy over the $7 billion Keystone xL pipeline extension has grown to such fevered pitch that several weeks ago, the Obama adminis-

tration, fearing alienation of its own environmentalist base, punted a decision on its border crossing permit for another year of further “study” of the pipeline project. Proposed by pipeline company Trans-canada, the Keystone xL extension consists of over 1,600 miles of 36” pipe that would move oil from the oil sands projects in Alberta, Canada, through Saskatchewan, into Montana, then crosscountry, us-ing portions of the existing Keystone pipeline, extending all the way to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. When completed, the pipeline system is expected to have capacity to transport up to 1.1 million bar-rels of oil per day, or about 6 percent of our total oil consumption per day in the U.S. Combine this with our existing 7.5 million barrels of domestic petroleum production, this would total over 44 percent of our total domestic consumption per day.

Many opponents to the Keystone extension cite safety, pipeline routes, environmental concerns, and general opposition to the burn-ing of oil in the U.S. for energy use. Some concerns are warranted, some are pure hyperbole; however, the vast majority of the concerns

don’t address the real problem that we burn 20 million barrels of oil per day in the U.S. That inconvenient fact is not changing, at least in the foreseeable future. Whether we build this pipeline or not, that number is only going to go up, since the U.S. has no long range energy policy, which means we’ll have to import even more oil. The question is would we rather import a million more barrels of oil a day from Canada, who is friendly, rather than from the Middle East, who is not. That’s the choice.

TransCanada said in a statement it was disappointed in the de-lay but confident that the project ultimately would be approved. The company previously said a delay could cost millions of dollars and keep thousands of people from getting jobs.”If Keystone xL dies, Americans will still wake up the next morning and continue to import 10 million barrels of oil from repressive nations, without the ben-efit of thousands of jobs and long-term energy security,” said Russ Girling, the company’s president and CEO.

Girling called the pipeline “shovel-ready,” adding that it would cre-ate as many as 20,000 jobs initially, which would grow to thousands more. Canada’s vast oil sands resource is going somewhere, Keystone xL or no Keystone xL.

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Voter WatchThese are all

of the elected North Carolina

Democrat members of the

United States Congress, both

House & Senate.

The North Carolina

Republicans will be featured in the next issue

occupation: Attorney, Bankerphone:

fax:(202) 224-6342(202) 228-2563

address: 521 Dirksen Senate Office Building,District of Columbia 20510-3301

Chief of Staff: Tom O’Donnell

district: 4occupation: Professor

phone:fax:

(202) 225-1784(202) 225-2014

address: 2162 Rayburn House Office Building,District of Columbia 20515-3304

Chief of Staff: Jean-Louise Beard

Especially as more and more is said about congressional powers, and those members actions or lack of actions; these people need to hear what you have to say

We aren’t here to tell you how important the right to vote is. We just want to encourage you to talk to those you elect. The more you talk to them, the less they can ignore you.


VoteR WAtCH

district: 8occupation: Educator, Textile Worker

phone:fax:

(202) 225-3715(202) 225-4036

address: 1632 Longworth House Office Building,District of Columbia 20515-3308

Chief of Staff: Leanne Powell

district: 11occupation: Business Owner,

Professional Football Playerphone:

fax:(202) 225-6401(202) 226-6422

address: 229 Cannon House Office Building,District of Columbia 20515-3311

Chief of Staff: Hayden Rogers

district: 5occupation: Attorney

phone:fax:

(202) 225-3032(202) 225-0181

address: 1127 Longworth House Office Building,District of Columbia 20515-3313

Chief of Staff: Ryan Hedgepeth


phone:fax:

(202) 225-1510(202) 225-1512


Chief of Staff: Danielle Owen

district: 1occupation: Judge, Attorney

phone:fax:

(202) 225-3101(202) 225-3354


Chief of Staff: Vacant


phone:fax:

(202) 225-2731(202) 225-5773


Chief of Staff: Dean Mitchell


What’s the ideal number of government workers for North Carolina? Getting the answer right could allow the government to return billions of dollars in taxes and spending every year to private citizens and entrepreneurs. Getting it wrong could wreak havoc on our overall econ-omy -- including our ability to support the government work force we genuinely need.

Ask most politicians and various interest groups how many government workers we need, and the only answer you’ll get is, “more than we have now” (which was about 630,000 state and local government workers in October). When it comes to government workers, in their view, there’s never enough of them.

But employees are compensated with taxes. Those are resources removed from the private economy. Some pub-lic workers are essential, of course, to enforce the laws, adjudicate disputes in court, and provide other services that cannot be handled fully by private providers, such as open-access highways. The state constitution makes ba-sic public education a right, so we’ll always have teachers funded by taxes.

Yet with the economy stuck in neutral, to put it mildly, a bloated public sector serves as a drag on economic growth, jobs, and wealth creation.

So what’s the proper level of government employment? We can get an idea by comparing our public employment levels with those of neighboring states.

Start by assuming that every state delivers public ser-vices adequately.

The 2010 census found roughly 9.535 million residents

CHIN WAGGER

the $3.8 billion QuestionThe following editorial appeared in the December 2011 edition of Carolina Journal:

The First Response

over-salesmanshipWell-intended, I suppose, the Carnevale-Rose paper (which I haven’t

read) seems to lend itself to a ripe parody of over-salesmanship. Col-lege-educated waitresses earn more, eh? How about college-educated punch press operators? College-educated barbers?--oh, wait, they’ve got beauticians already covered.

I’m glad I had the opportunity for a good education some thirty years ago. I have the knack for book learning, an outright passion for it. But, it’s not an unmixed blessing. The connection between my classroom learning and subsequent career is not at all clear; I’m pretty confident I could have learned to work as a technical writer and advertising guy by informal apprenticeship. The connection between a college education and subsequent income seems to me statistical mumbo-jumbo.

Bob R. - California

More emphasis on critical thinkingWhereas, it’s true that correlation doesn’t mean causation, high

correlation is still a reliable sign of causation. Judging from personal experience, the lowered standards for college matriculation have not translated into lower grades. Instead, there has been ongoing “grade inflation.” Professors and administrators who tolerate this are at least partly at fault for the decreasing worth of a college degree.

(( THIS IS WHAT THINGS USED TO LOOK LIKE BEFORE BLOGGING A Capitalist always has an opinion about everything, even if it is better kept to yourself rather than mentioned in public, but where’s the fun in that? We want to share your thoughts on this article.

Gotowww.capitalatplay.com/chinwaggertojoininthediscussion.

I saw something a while back about similar employ-ees, and organizations in California. The number was staggering. I like the way that it was expressed as a per-cent of total population, although it would be doubly interesting if you adjusted for “pensioners”... adding ex state employees receiving a state pension, and also subtracting from the state total population those retired and no longer working. These are two very impor-tant variables. Maybe someone can get the Economist Magazine to publish a table for all states and maybe countries.

Paul K. Idaho

Given that the state of N.C. has 100 counties, that means that each county theoretically has 6,138 govern-ment workers. Over half the counties have less than 50,000 inhabitants.

I would like to see the basic number of government people theoretically required in a county per 25,000


CW

Wanna see your words here? Sign up to be an official First Responder by sending an email to us at [email protected]

To comment on this article, like those responses posted below, scan this QR Code, or go to

www.capitalatplay.com/chinwagger.

((

people – rather like a zero based budgeting approach, by services required, ie fire dept, police dept, etc – then it might be easier to determine how many are really needed.

This seems like a lot government employees. How many are really crucial?

Carl L.North Carolina

Great analysis. The other states should take a lesson from Georgia how to operate more efficiently, economi-cally, effectively, etc unless Georgia is not well run or its services are inadequate relative to the comparably populated states because of it being shorthanded, ill equipped, inadequately funded etc..

Bob R.California

Any way you cut it, this seems like a lot of people who provide ‘costs’ for the taxpayers. They don’t really have

jobs; real jobs are work that produce products. These folks have ‘costs’ that have to be paid for by those who produce. We are looking at a lot of costs here. Are they all really necessary, or are they just nice to have to pro-vide more power for the bureaucrats involved?

Janet M.North Carolina

I question the validity of the question with so little information given.....population should be a factor certainly...but...number of government workers? How many counties are involved? Obviously you would think that Georgia with its huge Atlanta base would be more efficient than maybe North Carolina with 100 coun-ties and the population more diffused..maybe instead of concentrating on ideology and glib reflexive answers, you should concentrate more on the questions.

I do thank you for including me in what could have been an enjoyable and informative dialogue.

Alex K.North Carolina

of North Carolina. Unadjusted September figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 613,800 state and local government employees, making up 6.44 percent of the population.

The state closest to us in population is Georgia, with 9.687 million residents. Georgia has more residents but a smaller state and local work force: 546,600 employees, or 67,200 fewer than North Carolina. Those workers com-prise 5.64 percent of the Peach State’s population. Mean-time, Virginia’s state and local workers make up 6.52 per-cent of its population; South Carolina’s, 6.49 percent; and Tennessee’s, 6.11 percent.

Our public employment levels are among the highest in the region. Georgia chooses to do more with less.

How much money could we return to taxpayers if we brought our government employment in line with that of Georgia?

Assume an average annual compensation (salary and

benefits) of $50,000 for each public employee. By reduc-ing our state and local work force to 5.64 percent of the population -- Georgia’s level -- we would employ 76,026 fewer workers. At $50,000 per worker, that’s a little more than $3.8 billion a year in potential savings for taxpayers.

Returning that money to the private sector would boost business development, capital formation, and job growth. Many of those former government workers could find gainful employment in our newly energized private sector.

The next time you hear anyone gripe about our state’s “inadequate” government work force, remember: $3.8 bil-lion ain’t hay.


Let’s Buy Something That is Made in

AMERICA!

This October, Market Square & Suites in High Point opened a 16,000 square foot pavilion, which highlighted and showcased fine American-made furniture, lighting, rugs, wall art and decorative accessories. There was a wide selection of items, more than half of which are manufactured here in North Carolina. “As we saw more and more domestic and inter-national buyers coming to High Point Market in search of American-made products, we realized there was an opportunity to assist the buyers by creating a single destination for domestically produced home furnish-ings,” said Brian Bunch, vice president of leasing for Market Square AC Management. “I have to say this initiative has absolutely taken off from inception. There is more interest than we even imagined.”

The renowned artist and designer Bob Timberlake is a major spokes-man for this movement, and he was in attendance to help commemo-rate the event. Timberlake has a Studio Collection of classic rocking

chairs with Dixie Seating Company, a maker of solid wood furniture in Statesville, N.C. None of the wood is imported, “have easily recogniz-able names such as ash, hickory and oak,” and all are hand crafted in the United States. In addition, Timberlake has a licensing agreement with Hickory-based Century Furniture, which was bestowed an award on July 4th at the United States Capitol to recognizes its outstanding America-made products and creations. See photo.

A wide variety of domestic products could be found on the Suites of Market Square hallways. Stone County Ironworks out of Arkansas was one of the many exhibitors. The company is an artisan-led maker of hand crafted hand forged iron products. Their skilled blacksmith--sometimes second and third generation employees--make every item from start to finish by hand, using age-old forging methods. The Ham-mock Source, known for its Pawley’s Island Hammocks and Hatteras

left to right - Sherri McAdams, Rhonda Jackson, Brian Bunch, Bob Timberlake, Bob Maricich, TomConley

Story By Dasha Morgan

77January/February 2012 | capitalatplay.comAs a firm providing wealth management services to clients, we offer both investment advisory and brokerage services. These services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate contracts. For more information on the distinctions between our brokerage and investment advisory services, please speak with your Financial Advisor or visit our website at ubs.com/workingwithus. Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor any of its employees provides legal or tax advice. You should consult with your personal legal or tax advisor regarding your personal circumstances. CFP® is a certification mark owned by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. ©2011 UBS Financial Services Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC.

Jerry HornowskiDirectorBranch [email protected]

William GoldVice President–[email protected]

Jenny Holland, CFP®

Financial [email protected]

UBS Financial Services Inc.138 Charlotte StreetAsheville, NC 28801-1970828-258-9860 800-438-6503

While you don’t have control over the markets, you do have control over how well-prepared you are for them. Working together with your UBS Financial Advisor, you can create a plan for retirement that accommodates future market changes, while still keeping you on track toward your goals. Once your plan is in place, you’ll feel more confident and rest a little easier knowing you’re always prepared for the unexpected. Advice you can truststarts with a conversation.

You’ve worked too hard to let this economy jeopardize your future.

abubs.com/branch/ashevillea8As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, we offer both investment advisory and brokerage services. These

services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate contracts. For more information on the distinctions between our brokerage and investment advisory services, please speak with your Financial Advisor or visit our website at ubs.com/workingwithus. Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor any of its employees provides legal or tax advice. You should consult with your personal legal or tax advisor regarding your personal circumstances. CFP® is a certification mark owned by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. ©2011 UBS Financial Services Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC.








abubs.com/branch/ashevillea8

As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, we offer both investment advisory and brokerage services. These services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate contracts. For more information on the distinctions between our brokerage and investment advisory services, please speak with your Financial Advisor or visit our website at ubs.com/workingwithus. Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor any of its employees provides legal or tax advice. You should consult with your personal legal or tax advisor regarding your personal circumstances. CFP® is a certification mark owned by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. ©2011 UBS Financial Services Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC.









As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, we offer both investment advisory and brokerage services. These services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate contracts. For more information on the distinctions between our brokerage and investment advisory services, please speak with your Financial Advisor or visit our website at ubs.com/workingwithus. Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor any of its employees provides legal or tax advice. You should consult with your personal legal or tax advisor regarding your personal circumstances. CFP® is a certification mark owned by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. ©2011 UBS Financial Services Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC.









Hammocks, is the world’s largest manufacturer and seller of hammocks and showcased their products.

Capel Rugs exhibited in the Made in America Pavilion, as well as in their own showroom. When Leon Capel introduced the very first braid-ed rug in 1917, he discovered that “every family needs a quality braided rug. More than 90 years later, we are still handcrafting our American Originals braided rugs in our North Carolina mills.” The styles and colors of course have been updated to suit the modern lifestyle.

As Art Barber, founder and CEO of Charleston Forge, said “Back in 1994 when the United States, Canada, and Mexico signed a free trade agreement (NAFTA), we saw businesses racing like lemmings to the sea to Mexico--obviously to take advantage of cheaper labor. In the last few

left to right - Sherri McAdams, Rhonda Jackson, Brian Bunch, Bob Timberlake, Bob Maricich, TomConley


Your source for Hearth and Patio needs

Your source for Hearth and Patio needs

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Websites for Made in America information

www.AmericansWorking.comwww.StillMadeinUSA.com

www.ToysMadeinAmerica.comwww.USAonly.US

www.saveourcountryfirst.com

Some Recognizable ProductsPrimarily Made in America

Alden Shoe CompanyBurt’s Bees

Buddy’s JeansCalifornia Baby

Cinda B --handbags bags, totes Diamond Gusset JeansDixie Flag Company

Enstrom--Toffees & CandiesGlima--Contemporary

Tops for WomenGulistan Carpets

Hallmark-- wrapping tissue & paper

Kala EyewearKona Coffee

L.L. Bean - Bean Boot & Classic Boat & Tote

Milliken CarpetsMohawk Carpets

New Balance Athletic ShoesMrs. Myers Cleaning Products

Seventh Generation Sherwin-Williams Paint

Simmons BeddingSteinway & Sons - pianos

TempurPedic BeddingTexas Jeans

The Hitchin’ Post--MoccasinsTibor Fly Fishing Reels


Ashley’s Kitchen & Bath Design Studio is

passionate to serve our clients by professionally

informing you of the best design options, so you

can trust us to turn your dreams into life.

“Serving Your Family with Ours”

8 2 8 - 6 6 9 - 5 2 8 1w w w . a s h l e y s k b . c o m

AshleyKitchen&Bath.indd 1 8/18/11 11:33 AM

years, there has been a mass exodus of our country’s jobs to Asia. Look where that’s gotten us! Oh well, we (at Charleston Forge) chose to stay right here and concentrate on taking care of our people and doing what we do best: making beautiful, functional furniture.”

Diane Sawyer on ABC News has been spotlight-ing this issue on the evening news and has been holding a Christmas Challenge for Americans to buy American made products. In fact if you go to the ABC website, there is an interactive map which can bring up companies that produce American made products, state by state. It is quite enlighten-ing--although it is not at all comprehensive. By fo-cusing on products that are are Made in America, buyers can take part in the opportunity to stimulate the economy by using the “power of the purse.” Businesses know that the bottom line is what counts. Individuals and companies have the power to sup-port and encourage the U.S. economy simply by what they buy. This needs to be remembered with every purchase made.

The Made in America Pavilion at Suites at Mar-ket Square displayed products from over 50 manu-facturers, which are certainly some but by no means all, of the items that are made in America. Obvi-ously looking and reading the label of the package or product, and becoming better informed on the subject is of utmost importance. This April the Pa-vilion will expand from 16,000 to 20,000 square feet. Most of the exhibitors plan to return and some, such as Key City Furniture, will have larger spaces.


EVENTSSoleMates Girls on the Run of WNC | Asheville, NCNow – 06/30/2012, All DayWelcome to SoleMates, the adult charity running program of Girls on the Run of WNC. SoleMates are men and women who pursue individual running goals, such as a 5K or 1/2 marathon to raise money for Girls on the Run of WNC programs and scholarships. 50 South French Broad Ave Suite 249, Asheville, NC 28801 Henderson County Heritage MuseumNow - March 31 Henderson County Heritage Museum is observing the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, never-before-seen artifacts of military weaponry & uniforms dating back to the war, Wed.- Sat. 10:00AM-5:00 PM, Sun. 1:00PM-5:00PM, no admission fee, Hendersonville, NC 828-694-1619

Historic Courthouse ToursTours, Main St., first Wednesday of the month November-March, every Wednesday April-October, tours of the renovated Historic Courthouse, free to the public, Hendersonville, 828-694-5003

See What Inspired Me Art ExhibitNow – January 17Fat of the Land Studios presents “See What Inspired Me”, a new multimedia installation by Severn Eaton. A show about love, food, commerce, quilting, god, nature, and the mental landscape. Push Skating Shop, 25 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 Gallery Venue Phone: 828-225-5509

Relay For Life Kick OffJanuary 7th, 9 AMAmerican Cancer Society Relay For Life of Henderson County is Ringing in the New Year with their annual FREE Kickoff Breakfast sponsored by Pardee Hospital on Saturday, January 7th, at 9 AM at the Elks Lodge, 546 N. Justice Street, Hendersonville, 828-254-6931


ELEVATE YOUR SPACE

ELEVATE YOUR EXPERIENCE.� � � � � ��

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15 Design Ave. #206, Fletcher 828.209.0270 www.crossvilletileandstone.com

PORCELAIN STONE ;; NATURAL STONE :: GLASS :: METALS :: DESIGN SOLUTIONS :: DESIGN GALLERY

Directions: I-26 Exit 40, turn North on Airport Road, take a right on Rutledge Road (beside Sonic), we are in the Airport Design Center (behind Ashley furniture), take the 1st entrance, Crossville Tile & Stone is in the 2nd building (beside Blinds and Us)

Relay For Life Kick OffJanuary 14th, 2:30 PMAmerican Cancer Society Relay For Life of Fletcher is offering a sweet surprise at their Kickoff Celebration on Saturday, January 14th from 2:30-3:30 PM at the Lutheran Church of the Nativity, 2425 Hendersonville Road, Arden, 828-254-6931

Red Cross Blood Drive January 15, 2012, 8 AM-12:15 PM 27 Church Street, Asheville, NC 28801

“Cancer NFL - Play to Win!”January 16, 2012, 6 PM – 7 PMColonial Theater Annex American Cancer Society The Kick-Off for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Canton FY12. Anyone interested in working towards a world with Less Cancer and More Birthdays is invited to this

celebration of life and hope. If you have questions, please contact Jenny Stamey at 828-734-3552.

Relay For Life Kick OffJanuary 17th, 5:30 PMAmerican Cancer Society Relay For Life of Buncombe County is kicking off their season with a Mini-Relay Expo! If you are not sure what Relay For Life is all about, this is the perfect opportunity to stop by and learn on January 17th till 7:30 PM at Grassy Branch Baptist Church, 499 Riceville Road, Asheville, 828-254-6931

Blue Ridge Community College Concert Series presents a Flute Recital, Thomas Auditorium, January 17, 2012, 7:30 PM$10, Flat Rock, NC 828-694-1743


Business Planning for Business SuccessJanuary 17, 2012, 6 PM – 9 PMHaywood Community College Student Center Auditorium, First Floor Learn a simple technique for writing an effective business plan •Discover what really needs to be there and what detracts from your message •Explore how to say what’s important, and how to use your plan to communicate your business idea to lenders, investors, customers, vendors, and others.

UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs Coastal Carolina January 17, 2012, 7 PM Asheville, NC 28804

Red Cross Blood Drive January 18, 2012, 9:30 AM-2:15 PM199 College St, Asheville, NC 28806 Bark For Life Interest MeetingJanuary 19th, 6 PMCalling all dog lovers who want to help take a bite out of cancer! American Cancer Society Bark For Life of Asheville Interest Meeting is January 19th at 6 PM at the American Cancer Society Office, 120 Executive Park, Asheville, 828-254-6931

UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs Charleston Southern Bucc January 19, 2012, 7 PM Asheville, NC 28804

Diana Wortham


www.christschool.orgAsheville, North Carolina Call 800.422.3212

Christ School offers a quality education without pretense. Boys quickly grasp that learning is not just a classroom event — it’s the lively connection of “book knowledge” to “life knowledge.”

College preparatory, Episcopal boarding and day school for boys in grades 8 through 12. Founded 1900.

boxthelearning

outside

CHRIST SCHOOL

Capital_atplay.indd 1 7/26/11 3:05:42 PM

EVENTSTheatre at Pack Place Mainstage Music Series January 19, 2012, 8 PM Presenting The DePue Brothers Band, progressive bluegrass, Tickets: Regular $30, Student $25, Children 12 and under $12; Asheville, NC 828-257-4530

American Kennel Club (AKC) Dog Agility TrialJanuary 20 – 22, 2012, 8 AM-3:30 PM WNC Agricultural Center McGough Arena (dogs jump hurdles, race through tunnels and climb over A-frames at high speed) Fri. - Sun., free admission & spectators are welcome, spectators please leave your dogs comfortably at home, Sponsored by Blue Ridge Agility Club, Fletcher, NC 828-713-3278

MET – The Enchanted Island LIVE January 21, 2012, All Day In one extraordinary new work, lovers of Baroque opera have it all: the world’s best singers, glorious

music of the Baroque masters, and a story drawn from Shakespeare. 1640 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803 2012 IDES Hot Chocolate 10K, Kids Hill Climb January 21, 2012, All Day Enjoy Asheville’s flattest CERTIFIED 10K followed by entertainment and a steaming cup (or two!) of hot cocoa for a tasty post-race treat. Asheville, NC Jeff Johansson & Field Heat January 21, 2012, 6 PM101 Fairview Road Suite D, Asheville, NC 28803 David Wilcox with Susan Werner January 21, 2012, 8 PMTwo incredible singer-songwriters share a lively musical conversation from stage, playfully returning each others serves with their respective takes on life. 2 South Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801 Blind Pig: Rising Sun Supper Drew Maykuth of The

Admiral & Brian Canapelli of Cucina 24January 22, 2012, 6 PM-11 PM $65 gratuity not included BYO; Proceeds go to support ASAP. Asheville TM Center, Asheville, NC

Relay For Life Community Drop-InJanuary 24th, 5:30 PMAmerican Cancer Society Relay For Life of Weaverville Community Drop-In on January 24th at Weaverville Primary School from 5:30-7:30


PM, 828-254-6931

Wavvy Hands January 24, 2012, 9 PM1410 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC 28805

Make a Splash without Much CashJanuary 24, 2012, 6 PM – 9 PMLearn low-cost (and some NO-cost) methods of building your business: •how to create an un-brochure •selling the business by selling YOU •how to maximize your effectiveness while minimizing your expenditures Brought to you by the Small Business Center. Haywood Community College Student Center Auditorium, First Floor

UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs High Point Panthers January 26, 2012, 7 PM Asheville, NC 28804 UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs Campbell Fighting Camels January 28, 2012, 4:30 PM Asheville, NC 28804 Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place Mainstage Theatre Series January 28, 2012, 8 PM Presenting television, stage and screen stars Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker Selected Shorts: Lots of Laughs with host Isaiah Sheffer, Tickets: Regular $35, Student $30, Children 12 and under $12; Asheville, NC 828-257-4530

Soweto Gospel Choir January 29, 2012, 4 PM-6 PM This program of South African Gospel also includes elements of gospel-rock, gospel-influenced secular pop, and even a bit of Mozart. Expect earthy rhythms, rich harmonies, a capella numbers and an exciting band and percussion section, with energetic dancing and vibrant, colorful costumes. This young, dynamic choir performs both traditional and contemporary music, adding its own unique feel and interpretation to both. Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, 87 Haywood Street, Asheville, 28801, Phone: (828) 225-5887

Kevin Smith: Live From Behind February 2, 2012, All Day Featuring “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old” will be a unique opportunity for fans to interact with Kevin Smith. 1640 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803

Indoor MotorcrossFebruary 2 & 3 Western North Carolina Agricultural Center McGough Arena, Fletcher, NCPhone 423-323-5497

Nurse Christian FellowshipFebruary 2, 2012, 6 PM - 7:30 PMSOS Anglican Mission370 N Louisiana Ave # C1, Asheville, NC 28806 Nurse Christian Fellowship

EVENTS


provides a local, regional, national and international network to bring the message of Jesus Christ and a Christian worldview to nursing education and practice and provides Christ-centered resources and programs that equip nurses and students for ministry in nursing - including spiritual care, ethics and a Christian perspective on nursing issues. NCF is a recognized professional organization of the American Nurses Association. Venue Phone: 828-575-2003 Phone: 828-768-0199

Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place Mainstage Theatre SeriesFebruary 3, 2012, 8 PM Presenting Aquila Theatre Company in The Importance of Being EarnestOscar Wilde’s tantalizing and wildly funny insight into the flamboyant lifestyle of the British upper class, Tickets: Regular $35, Student $30, Children 12 and under $12; Asheville, NC 828-257-4530

Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place Mainstage Theatre SeriesFebruary 4, 2012, 8 PMPresenting Aquila Theatre Company in Shakespeare’s Macbeth“Fair is foul and foul is fair” in Aquila’s fresh rendering of the chaotic world of

Shakespeare’s “cursed play” Macbeth, Tickets: Regular $35, Student $30, Children 12 and under $12; Asheville, NC 828-257-4530 Paper Diamond at Orange PeelFebruary 4, 2012, 9 PM-11 PM101 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801

Monthly Bluegrass JamFebruary 4, 2012, 6 PM – 9 PM Erwin Hills Lions Club, 188 Erwin Hills Road, Asheville, NC 28806Held every first Saturday. Several groups perform. Bring your instrument. Cake walk. Free admission. 713-7509.

WNC BI Network MeetingFebruary 5, 2012 6 PM – 8 PMWNC BI Network Foster SDA Church, Asheville, NC 28803-9677 Monthly meeting providing support, information and networking for those with brain injuries, their families/supporters and interested people in the community. Phone: 828-505-2508 Blue Ridge Community College Concert SeriesFebruary 7, 2012, 7:30 PM Presenting a Chamber Music RecitalThomas Auditorium, $10, Flat Rock, NC 828-694-1743 MET – Enchanted Island ENCORE February 8, 2012, All Day

O U R R E T A I L P A R T N E R S :

w w w . b i l t m o r e p r o p e r t y g r o u p . c o m


I can’t predict the future.But I’ll help you prepare for it.Call me to help you get the best coverage to fit your needs.

McKinney InsuranceDouglas C McKinney

[email protected] Allen Ave

Asheville, NC 28803(828) 684-5020

©2006 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Nationwide Life Insurance Company. Home office: Columbus, Ohio 43215-2220. Nationwide, the Nationwide Framemarkand On Your Side are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Not available in all states.

I can’t predict the future.But I’ll help you prepare for it.Call me to help you get the best coverage to fit your needs.

McKinney InsuranceDouglas C McKinney

[email protected] Allen Ave

Asheville, NC 28803(828) 684-5020

©2006 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Nationwide Life Insurance Company. Home office: Columbus, Ohio 43215-2220. Nationwide, the Nationwide Framemarkand On Your Side are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Not available in all states.


In one extraordinary new work, lovers of Baroque opera have it all: the world’s best singers, glorious music of the Baroque masters, and a story drawn from Shakespeare. Contact Info: 1640 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803 Macintosh Asheville Computer Society (MACS) February 9, 2012, 7 PM - 9:59 PMCityMAC, 755 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC 28806 Macintosh Asheville Computer Society (MACS) user group meets monthly on the second Thursday. Q&A problem solving sessions, demonstrations, guest speakers.

Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place Mainstage Celtic Series February 10, 2012, 8 PM Presenting the contemporary yet timeless Irish-American super group Solas, Regular $30; Student $25; Children 12 and under $12; Asheville, NC 828-257-4530

Guided Bird WalkFebruary 11, 2012, 9 AM Jackson Park, Cosponsored by ECO and Henderson County Bird Club.Hendersonville, Hendersonville, NC 828-692-0385

Do Tell StoryfestFebruary 11, 2012 Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown Theatre, listen to tales from rhymes to folk tales to history to modern personal stories from the region’s best performers, Sat. festival concert is with renown Michael Reno Harrell storyteller & singer, 11:00AM-5:00PM & Evening show 7:30PM, $10-15, Hendersonville, NC for tickets 828-693-0731 or for information 828-388-0247

Asheville SymphonyFebruary 11, 2012, 8 PM Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, NC 828-259-

5544 MET – Götterdämmerung LIVE February 11, 2012, All DayWith its cataclysmic climax, the Met’s new Ring cycle, directed by Robert Lepage, comes to its resolution. Deborah Voigt stars as Brünnhilde and Gary Lehman is Siegfried—the star-crossed lovers doomed by fate. James Levine conducts. 1640 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803 UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs Radford Highlanders February 11, 2012, 4:30 PMAsheville, NC 28804 Asheville Symphony: Beethovan’s Pastoral February 11, 2012, 8 PM87 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801

Wee Trade Children’s Consignment February 13 – 26, 2012 Western North Carolina Agricultural Center Event Center , Fletcher, NC Phone 828-606-8680 Alzheimer’s Association’s Henderson County Caregivers’ Support GroupFebruary 14, 2012 10 AM - 11 PM Carolina Baptist Association, 601 Hebron Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28739 Support group offered to those providing care for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementia conditions. Care for persons with dementia is available for those who can function in a social setting without their caregiver for over an hour. Call Sally Griffin at 808-8635.

EVENTS

For updated event information,visit our website at capitalatplay.com.

If you’d like to see something here that isn’t, email us at

[email protected]


If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do.

- Warren Miller

CAPItAL ADVENTURIST

Cataloochee Ski AreaLOCATION1080 Ski Lodge Road Maggie Valley, NC 28751

PHONE828.926.0285

HOURS OF OPERATIONMonday–Friday, Non-Holiday:

9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Holidays:

8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Half Day:

1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.Twilight Skiing:

1:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.Night Skiing:

6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

HOLIDAY RATES APPLYJanuary 13–January 16, 2012

February 17–February 20, 2012

Weekday RatesDay or Twilight: $26-38

Half Day: $22-28Night: $18-22

Weekend&Holiday Rates:Day or Twilight: $44-58Half Day: $36-49Night: $27-31

Sugar MountainLOCATION1009 Sugar Mountain DriveSugar Mountain, NC 28604

PHONE828.898.4521

HOURS OF OPERATIONFull Day:

9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Half Day:

12:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.Twilight Skiing:

12:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. (Closed from 4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m.)

Night Skiing:

6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

HOLIDAY RATESDecember 19–December 30, 2012

Weekday Rates:Day or Twilight:$31-40

Half Day:$19-30Night:$19-24

Weekend & Holiday Rates:Day or Twilight:$31-66Half Day:$19-50Night:$23-31

GROUP RATES 800.768.0285

RENTAL AVAILABILITYCataloochee Ski Area

LODGING www.cataloochee.com/lodging/lodging.php or scan this code:

LODGING http://skisugar.com/lodging/ or scan this code:

SPECIAL DAYSStudent Snow Days. Available on Monday-Friday, non-holiday snow days. Applies to Avery, Ashe, Watauga, Mitchell, Carter, and Johnson County students and teachers only.Military and College Student discounts also available.

GROUP RATES828.898.4521


Wolf Ridge

WEEkDAY RATES Sunday - Thursday Day or Twilight: $30 Half Day: $20 Night: $20

WEEkEND & HOLIDAY RATES Day or Twilight:$40-60 Half Day:$35-45 Night:$25-30

Ski Sapphire Valley

WEEkDAY RATES Day or Twilight: $16-36Night: $14-18

LOCATION

4350 U.S. 64

Sapphire, NC 28774

PHONE

828.743.7663

HOURS OF OPERATION

9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Night Skiing:

5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

GROUP RATES

828.743.2251

LODGING

www.skisapphire.com/lodging.html

or scan the QR Code

Beech MountainLOCATION 1 Beachtree Village Rd, Beech Mountain, NC 28604

PHONE

1.800.438.2093

HOURS OF OPERATION Full Day: 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Half Day: 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.Twilight Skiing:

1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

Night Skiing:

6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

LODGING

www.beechmountainresort.com/mountain/lodging.html

or scan the QR code

GROUP RATES800.438.2093 ext.205

HOLIDAYSDecember 19– January 1, 2012

SPECIAL DAYSStudent Days (not available during holiday season) - $15 lift ticket and $15 ski rentals are available to teachers and students whose school is closed due to snow. Military Discounts also available.

LOCATION 578 Valley View Circle Mars Hill, NC 28754PHONE 828.689.4111

HOURS OF OPERATION Full Day: 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Half Day: 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.Twilight Skiing: 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.Night Skiing: 6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.LODGING

www.skiwolfridgenc.com/ accommodations.php or scan the QR code



HOLIDAYSDecember 16 – January 1, 2012

WEEkDAY RATES

8 Hour Flex: $28-36Super Session: $34-45Night: $17-22Midnight Blast: $21-30

WEEkEND & HOLIDAY RATES

8 Hour Flex: $39-55Super Session: $45-64

Night: $21-29Midnight Blast: $21-30

SPECIAL DAYS2 For Tuesday (night session) -

Buy 1 Lift Ticket, Get 1 FreeWomen’s Wednesday (night session) -

1/2 Price Lift Tickets For All LadiesCollege Night - $15 Lift Tickets

With Student IDHome Schoolers (Tues-Thurs):- $20 Full Day Lift Ticket- $11 Half Day Lift Ticket- $9 Ski Rental- $15 Snowboard RentalActive Military - $15 off Lift Ticket

(ID required)Firefighters / Law Enforcement -

$5 off Lift Ticket (ID required)

Appalachian Ski Mountain

LOCATION 940 Ski Mountain Road Blowing Rock, NC 28605PHONE 828.295.7828

HOURS OF OPERATION9:00 a.m. to...8 Hour Flex (up to 8 consecutive hours starting between 9am and 5pm)Super Session: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. or MidnightNight Session: 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.Midnight Blast Session: 5:00 p.m. - Midnight

Holiday Rates: Holiday Rates apply Nov. 24 & 25, Dec. 19 to Jan. 1, & Feb. 18-20.

LODGINGwww.skiwolfridgenc.com/ accommodations.php

or scan the QR

code



Inkidar’s Cycle Centers Found A BankThat Comes Through In The Clutch.

For Abe Inkidar, a good banking relation-ship is one that provides what he needs when he needs it. That’s why he chose ForestCommercial Bank.

“We have three stores, one in Waynesville, one in Spartanburg and one inShelby, and the bank is very efficient when it comes to servicing our needs. We can do everything with Remote Capture, whichmakes our banking easy.

“John York and Jean Wauford have been

extremely helpful in all aspects of our relationship. They’re very knowledgeable andvery professional.

“Forest Commercial understands a business-person’s wants and needs. They respond in atimely manner, they deliver on their promises,and they won’t make promises that they cannotkeep. They’re just good to deal with.”

If you’re looking for better performance fromyour business, come to Forest Commercial. Wecan help you get it in gear.

Left to right – John York, Vice President and Commercial Banker; Jean Wauford, Vice President and Professional Banker; and Abe Inkidar, President, Inkidar Enterprises, Inc. dba Waynesville Cycle Center, Shelby Cycle Center and Palmetto Cycle Center

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1127 Hendersonville RoadAsheville, NC 28803 • 828-255-5711ForestCommercialBank.com

FCB WVL Cycle 4C 8.25 x 10.375_FCB WVL Cycle 4C 8.25 x 10.375 7/18/11 12:55 PM Page 1









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Homemade LasagnaINGREDIENTS:SAUCE*3 tablespoons olive oil*2 celery stalks, diced*2 small yellow onions, diced*3 garlic cloves, � nely chopped*1 pound ground beef*3 cans (28 Oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained*2 cans (6 Oz. each) tomato paste*2 bay leaves*2 tablespoons granulated sugar*Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to tasteFILLING*1 package (16 Oz.) lasagna*1 pound ground beef*Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste*2 cups ricotta cheese*2 large eggs, lightly beaten*½ cup grated Parmesan cheese*½ cup grated Romano cheese*3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil*Nonstick cooking spray*3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:1. Prepare Sauce: In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery and onions, and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes or until onions are soft, stirring occasionally. Add beef and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is browned. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves and sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves and cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, prepare Filling: Heat large covered saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add lasagna noodles and cook as label directs; drain. In large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper; let cool. Transfer beef to large bowl, and stir in ricotta until well combined. Add eggs, ½ of the Parmesan and Romano cheeses, and basil and stir until well combined.

3. Preheat oven to 350º. Spray 13 x 9-inch glass or metal baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles in bottom of prepared dish, overlapping to � t. Spread ¼ of the ricotta mixture over noodles then top with ¼ of the sauce. Repeat layers of noodles, ricotta mixture and sauce. Sprinkle with 1½ cups mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons each of remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Repeat layers of noodles, ricotta mixture, sauce, noodles, remaining ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle lasagna with remaining 1½ cups mozzarella cheese and 2 Tablespoons each Parmesan and Romano cheeses.

4. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes longer or until cheese melts and top is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

V

Delicious Ideas From

Your Neighborhood Ingles!

Homemade LasagnaINGREDIENTS:SAUCE*3 tablespoons olive oil*2 celery stalks, diced*2 small yellow onions, diced*3 garlic cloves, � nely chopped*1 pound ground beef*3 cans (28 Oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained*2 cans (6 Oz. each) tomato paste*2 bay leaves*2 tablespoons granulated sugar*Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to tasteFILLING*1 package (16 Oz.) lasagna*1 pound ground beef*Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste*2 cups ricotta cheese*2 large eggs, lightly beaten*½ cup grated Parmesan cheese*½ cup grated Romano cheese*3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil*Nonstick cooking spray*3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:1. Prepare Sauce: In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery and onions, and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes or until onions are soft, stirring occasionally. Add beef and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is browned. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves and sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves and cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, prepare Filling: Heat large covered saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add lasagna noodles and cook as label directs; drain. In large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper; let cool. Transfer beef to large bowl, and stir in ricotta until well combined. Add eggs, ½ of the Parmesan and Romano cheeses, and basil and stir until well combined.

3. Preheat oven to 350º. Spray 13 x 9-inch glass or metal baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles in bottom of prepared dish, overlapping to � t. Spread ¼ of the ricotta mixture over noodles then top with ¼ of the sauce. Repeat layers of noodles, ricotta mixture and sauce. Sprinkle with 1½ cups mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons each of remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Repeat layers of noodles, ricotta mixture, sauce, noodles, remaining ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle lasagna with remaining 1½ cups mozzarella cheese and 2 Tablespoons each Parmesan and Romano cheeses.

4. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes longer or until cheese melts and top is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

V

Delicious Ideas From

Your Neighborhood Ingles!

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Edition 1, Volume 2