Ashvegas Hot Sheet: Colburn Earth Science Museum on the move in downtown Asheville, more

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Some of what’s going around:

-Colburn Earth Science Museum on the move: Word on the street is that the Colburn Earth Science Museum is planning to move out of its basement location in Pack Place in downtown Asheville and move to the bottom floor of the Patton Avenue side of the Wells Fargo building. The museum will have 8,000 square feet of space, a strong street-side presence and it plans to make use of that by broadening its mission and serving as thee family friendly go-to spot in downtown Asheville. The Wells Fargo building is getting some new life as planned future location of the Asheville Climate Collider. The Colburn move also comes following last year’s controversy regarding the deconstruction of the nonprofit Pack Place, which has served as home to the Colburn since the early 1990s.

-Local Flavor AVL recharging station: Local Flavor AVL, a one-year-old smart phone app promoting locally owned businesses, has opened a unique recharging station at the Asheville Regional Airport. From the press release:

The Local Flavor ReCharge Station at Asheville Regional Airport is officially up and running. Located in the baggage claim/transportation area, The ReCharge Station provides over one million travelers and visitors expected to pass through the area each year with free access to multiple USB ports and outlets to recharge their mobile devices.

“The ReCharge Station is part of an integrated marketing campaign to maximize exposure for local businesses while increasing the amount of app downloads, website visits, and visibility of the unique offerings that make Asheville like no other place on the planet. This niche was waiting to be filled and we’ve seemed to strike a chord with locals and visitors alike,” said Ted Pate, Local Flavor Co-Founder and Marketing Director.

Several businesses partnered with Local Flavor to make the ReCharge Station happen and are featured in the video, which plays on a giant cell phone in the space. These businesses include Lexington Avenue Brewery, Sachi Massage, Adventure Center of Asheville, The Ramble, Biltmore Village Inn, Scully’s Bar and Grille, Asheville’s Therapeutic Salt Cave, Chestnut, 32 Degrees Ice Bar, and Corner Kitchen. …

Original photography, custom signage, elegant hand built walnut counters, and other aspects of the construction also came from local businesses partnering with the company including An Crann Furniture, Asheville Color and Imaging, Cheadle Signs and more.

Nearly 20 local bands including The Broadcast, Red Honey, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, The Fritz and more were excited to collaborate with Local Flavor on this project and include their original songs on the looping two-hour soundtrack that plays in the ReCharge Station.

-French Broad Chocolate Lounge is profiled: In today’s Washington Post. From the story:

Of the 18 tons of chocolate that the Rattigans and their 60 employees made in 2014, about 12 tons went to the lounge and the rest into 90,000 bars of chocolate.

“We have a really hungry chocolate monster,” Jael Rattigan (co-owner) said. The bean-to-bar chocolate movement is evolving in similar ways as the craft beer and coffee movements, she said. “People are taking a closer look at what they’re consuming. They started caring about the source of the ingredients. It’s happening in chocolate.”

-Jasmine Beach-Ferrara one to watch: AmericanProgress.org says Jasmine Beach-Ferrara is one of 15 faith leaders to watch. From the blurb:

Beach-Ferrara is a United Church of Christ, or UCC, minister and the founder and executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, an advocacy and organizing group working for full LGBT equality and inclusion in the South. Beach-Ferrara’s efforts have had a major impact.