Leslee Kulba

Destruction Is Mindless; Building Back Takes Ingenuity

John Garner of Garner Engineering speaks somewhat about what goes on behind the scenes in restoring washed out hillsides, roads, and bridges.

The Gift of Believing in Tomorrow

After seeing photos of what Hurricane Helene did to Swannanoa, Ben and Pete Rotteveel of the Netherlands company Dutch Grown gifted about 10,000 bulbs for planting in the Grovemont Park area of Swannanoa. In the Dutch tradition, they believed that planting a lovely community garden would give Western North Carolinians hope for a brighter future.

Insufficient Capacity: The Buck Stops Here

At their December 10 meeting, members of Asheville City Council were asked to approve the receipt of additional HUD funds for disaster recovery. During the public hearing, they were "alarmed" to find that none of the previous hundreds of thousands of CDBG dollars they had disbursed for hurricane relief had been spent.

Feds Helping Buncombe Buy up Land in Floodplain

Federal and state agencies are giving money to local governments to buy up homes in the floodplain. The residences will be demolished, and the land will be deed-restricted as greenspace in perpetuity.

Red Tree: A Systems Approach to Healthy Housing

Brandon Bryant of Red Tree Builders designs and constructs quality, luxury homes that are comfortable, healthy, and work for people. A testament to the quality engineering that goes into the homes is the way they withstood Hurricane Helene.

Pine Gate’s Raising Funds for Locals

Pine Gate Renewables, located in the River Arts District, receives many billings as one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing solar energy companies. It has just launched a community fund to support nonprofits helping people hit hard by the hurricane, and it's already awarding grants.

Restoring Creativity to Dispossessed Musicians

Chattanooga-based musicologist and podcaster Nicholas Edward Williams is coming to the emotional rescue of Asheville musicians who lost their instruments in the hurricane. He set up a person-to-person system to connect those dispossessed with generous donors of quality instruments.

Understanding Duke Energy’s Rate Changes: Savings for Homes and Businesses

Duke Energy Progress is lowering rates somewhat, but any consumer gains will soon be overshadowed, as the utility is awaiting regulatory approval for recovery of hurricane expenses. Also, Duke is incurring major capital expenses as it works to comply with legislation requiring it to "net-zero" its emissions by 2050.

Buncombe’s Pertussis Numbers Alarm Health Agencies

At least 18 cases of pertussis have been confirmed in recent months in Buncombe County. While government offices were closed, rumors circulated that the number was well over twice that. Health agencies recommend getting vaccinated to prevent the spread of a disease that can prove distressful and deadly among newborns, adolescents, and immunocompromised individuals.

Dreams of Repurposing Asheville’s Horizontal Forest

With acres and acres of downed trees, readers saw potential affordable housing material or at least firewood; but it was being collected for chipping. "There's got to be a better way," they thought.