Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 4, 2012

This newsletter is about the Hickory City Council meeting that I attended this past week. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

At right of this page under Main Information links is an Hickory's City Website link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the left of the page you will see the Agenda's and Minutes link you need to click. This will give you a choice of PDF files to upcoming and previous meetings.

You will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 12/4/2012 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below:

Please remember that pressing Ctrl and + will magnify the text and page and pressing Ctrl and - will make the text and page smaller. This will help the readability for those with smaller screens and/or eye difficulties.

 All materials and maps for this meeting are provide at this link:
City Council Action Agenda - December 4, 2012


Lower right hand square in the Youtube box takes you to full screen mode.




Invocation by Rev. Bill Garrard, Retired United Methodist Pastor

*** (3:40) - (The Hound) - Cliff Moone addresses the City Council about the Council's new policy odf making a motion to allow citizen's to address the City Council about items on the Agenda. Cliff and all members of the Citizens for Equity in Government feel that the Council is proverbially flying by the seat of their pants on this. Second they are not following proper protocol, because this is nowhere to be found on the Public Agenda, so technically it is a matter not on the Agenda and should by statute come at the end of the meeting after Citizens Requesting to Be Heard, which takes us back to square one. Hickory Inc. wants to say what's the big deal and we agree. Since it isn't a big deal, then formally put in on the agenda and quit with the ruse.

Election of Mayor Pro Tempore for Calendar Year 2013 Pursuant to NC General Statues §260- A70 and Section 2-54 of the Hickory City Code. - Hank Guess was appointed unanimously for the upcoming year.

Appointment of a City Attorney for Calendar Year 2013 Pursuant to the Hickory City Code, Section 4.151 of the Charter.  John Crone was appointed unanimously for the upcoming year. Stated as being his 20th year.

Special Presentations
A. (5:50) Presentation and Recognition of Neighborhood College Graduates - Dana Kaminske presentation.


Consent Agenda:
A. Call for Public Hearing – Voluntary Annexation of City owned property located at the corner of 21st Street NW and 9th Avenue Drive NW. (Authorize Public Hearing for December 18, 2012)

B. Approval of moving the regular scheduled Council Meeting of January 1, 2013 to Wednesday, January 2, 2013 due to the New Years Holiday.

C. Special Event/Activities Application, applicant Crockett Davidson, Lead Pastor, Vintage City Church, for A Very Vintage Christmas, Christmas Concert, Monday, December 24, 2012, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Union Square.

D. Special Event/Activities Application, applicant Connie Kincaid, Hickory Downtown Development Association, for Hickory Hops 2013 Saturday, April 20, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Government Avenue and 2nd Street SW.

E. Special Event/Activities Application, applicant Molly Underwood, Student Teacher, Hickory High School Band, Flute Choir Caroling, Saturday, December 15, 2012, from 2:50 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Union Square NW.

F. Transfer of a Cemetery Deed from Winfred Scott Bedington and wife, Beth H. Bedington, and William David Bedington, to James Claude Richardson Jr. and wife, Judy Wright Richardson in Oakwood Cemetery

G. Change Order No. 9 to Pizzagalli Construction for Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plant
(NEWWTP) Upgrade Project deducting $20,673. Change Order No. 9 consists of seventeen (17) items related to unanticipated conditions and/or design omissions during the plan modifications prior to the start of the project, totaling $65,345 and four (4) deductive items including acceptance of installed equipment or materials and reconciliation of unused allowance items, totaling $86,018. Staff recommends Council approval of Change Order No. 9 to Pizzagalli Construction Company as a deductive change order in the amount of $20,673 for the Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plant (NEWWTP) upgrade project.

H. Approval of Proclamation for Bill of Rights Day, December 15, 2012 I. Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 8 To budget a $28,607 insurance claim check from Argonaut Great Central Insurance Company in the Police Department Maintenance and Repair of Equipment line item. This insurance claim check is payment for damage to a chiller unit. There was a power outage at the Police Department on 09-11-12 and when equipment was powered back on it was found that one of the chillers was damaged.

New Business - Public Hearing
1. (31:35) Amendments to Hickory City Code Chapter 16 – Junk and Secondhand Dealers, Regarding how Pawnbrokers, Precious Metal Dealers and Secondary Metals Recyclers record and report their purchases from the general public. - This public hearing was advertised on November 23, 2012 in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area.

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1.(42:40) Research Regarding Demolitions to Mitigate Dust, etc. Staff Attorney Arnita Dula will give a presentation on mitigating the impact of demolitions. The presentation will focus on existing building codes, state statutes, and local ordinances relevant to this issue, practical considerations in addressing the issue, and possible options for addressing the issue.

*** Video had to be restarted at the beginning of this presentation and the Story Board says November 20, 2012, but it is the December 4, 2012. Sorry for the mistake.

2. (1:11:55) Approval of an Agreement for Shared Costs for the Upgrade and Expansion of the Hickory-Catawba Wastewater Treatment Facility (HCWWTF). - The City of Hickory and Catawba County agreed in a contract signed September 20, 2006 to jointly pursue design of an upgrade/expansion to the HCWWTF. The design has been completed. Funding for the engineering design has been split proportionally between the City and the County with the City serving as the contracting agency. The City and the County are proposing the cost sharing agreement to equally divide all construction costs associated with this upgrade, expansion, and construction administration. Each party will pay 50% of the total annual debt service cost and any other expenses related to this project. The purpose of this contract is to stipulate the terms on which the City of Hickory will be reimbursed by Catawba County for the mutual construction of the upgraded and expanded
HCWWTF.  

This was passed 6-1 with Alder Fox being the dissenting voice. She made a statement that she was going to be the odd man out. She understands shared growth... she is weighing in on the side of investment in Hickory... what about developments here and developing here.

The Hound says way to go Alder Fox. We don't invest in Hickory in anything other than a superfluous manner -- rearranging deck chairs. Look at Conover and the Conover Station and the Manufacturing Solutions Center. Those projects are unique and create value. Hickory Inc. is only worried in their buddies small potatoes investments.

Hickory is constantly the lead municipal investor in all of the multi-jurisdictional developments and constantly we see initiatives going elsewhere. This falls squarely on the shoulders of the Rudy Wright, who says that economic development isn't in his job description. That it is all Scott Millar. I think Scott Millar is as tired of hearing that as I am. Go read Pat McCrory's profile on Wikipedia. It tells you all about the personal hand that he had in Charlotte Economic Development while he was Mayor and I am sure he will do the same as Governor. And that is how he became Governor. That's what Big Boys do!



Matter not on the Agenda - Manager Berry wanted a second reading on Item G on the Consent Agenda. Change Order No. 9 to Pizzagalli Construction for Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plant (NEWWTP) Upgrade Project deducting $20,673. Mayor Wright did not want to do this until the next meeting. Alderman Lail moved to consider moving forward with the second reading and it was seconded by Alderman Meisner. Tyhen it was voted upon unanimously by the Council.

Hickory City Council Meeting - December 4, 2012 - Video Presentation

Sony Bloggie Camera -- $85 with Shipping and Handling - Check
Xoom HD Recorder -- with 2 years plus usage ($125) - Check
Time invested in recording - 2+ hours including Attending meeting and travel - Check
Time Editing Video - 2 hours
Slow as Hell DSL internet connection for multiple hour upload - Check

Explanations why Hickory City Council hasn't done this years ago - Priceless

Video is below with Audio synch coming in at the 48 second mark.

The Following is a video presentation of the Hickory City Council meeting of December 4, 2012. As many of you know Harry Hipps asked that this to be done as part of his platform in running for Hickory City Council in 2009. Hickory Inc. has himmed and hawwed about hundreds of thousands of dollars in expense... Lack of Lighting... Lack of Sound, etc. As you will see I have done it for $200.

It was stated in the Hickory Daily Record that people have asked that these meetings be carried live on Charter Channel 3. The Citizens for Equity in Government have zero to do with that request. We recognize the multiple thousands of dollars in expense that would be incurred to make that happen -- Charter Channel 3 yes, Live, why??? We believe that Hickory Inc. officials made that statement to put a huge price tag on the cost to justify either putting it off or not doing it at all.

I will put the Hickory Hound Newsletter out tomorrow.

Let me leave you with one last thought. The City has been asked to do this multiple times. I told you over the last year that I was going to take this in my own hands. I am one of the few people I know that can get down to the Brass Tacks of what things cost and what is possible and what is impossible. People need to quit being so damned gullible.

For those with more Bone matter in their skulls than Brains, I want you to listen up real close. When Ole Thom Shell tells you he is going to do something, he is going to do it. Now there might be obstacles that get in the way of that and these impediments may keep things from being done in an expeditious fashion, but my word is good as gold. This is why I have been laying low the last few weeks. There might be a lack of understanding that certain people with some money are going to stop important initiatives, but we'll wear them out. We take as much pleasure in that as anything in life itself.

If it is important, it is God's will that it be done!

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Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- December 1, 2012

Government Website For Immigrants: Come To America And Take Advantage Of Our Free Stuff - End of the American Dream.com - Michael - November 19th, 2012 - A website run by the federal government (“WelcomeToUSA.gov“) encourages new immigrants to the United States to apply for welfare benefits.  This website is run by the Department of Homeland Security and it says that it “is the U.S. Government’s official web portal for new immigrants.”  So your tax dollars were used to build and maintain a website that teaches immigrants how to come into this country and sponge a living off of federal welfare programs paid for by your tax dollars.  What in the world is happening to us?  Yes, we will always need some legal immigration.  We are a nation of immigrants and immigration has been very good to this country.  But at a time when there are millions upon millions of American citizens out of work and at a time when we are absolutely drowning in debt, do we really need to encourage millions more immigrants to come over and take advantage of our overloaded social welfare programs?  WelcomeToUSA.gov actually encourages new immigrants to apply for food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.  Of course not all immigrants are eligible for all of those programs, but if an immigrant can get over to the U.S. and just get signed up for a couple of programs they can enjoy a higher standard of living doing nothing here than they can working at a low paying job back home.  We have created a perverse system of incentives that makes it very attractive to people all over the world to do whatever they can to hitch a ride on “the gravy train” and take advantage of all of the benefits that they possibly can.  And once immigrants get on welfare, many of them never leave.  For example, one study discovered that 43 percent of all immigrants who have been in the United States for at least 20 years were still on welfare.  We can’t even take care of our own citizens, and yet more immigrants hop on to the safety net every single day.  At some point the safety net is going to break and then we won’t even be able to take care of the struggling Americans that really need it.                  When I first discovered WelcomeToUSA.gov I was absolutely floored.  In particular, the page that encourages immigrants to apply for federal welfare benefits is just shocking.  Here is the opening paragraph…

MISS: PERSONAL SPENDING FALLS - Business Insider - Sam Ro - November 30, 2012 - Personal income was unchanged in October. Economists were looking for a 0.2 percent gain. Spending unexpectedly fell 0.2 percent. Economists were expecting this to be unchanged. Right away, people are blaming Hurricane Sandy. Presumably, economists took Sanday into account. So, the explanation is that the impact of Sandy has been worse than expected.In yesterday's Q3 GDP report, personal consumption was revised down sharply. Hopefully, today's disappointing spending report, which reflects the first month of Q4, isn't the beginning of a trend in the U.S. consumer.

Retailers’ November miss raises holiday stake - Sandy’s wrath trumps record Black Friday weekend sales - Market Watch - Andrea Cheng - November 29, 2012 - Despite record Black Friday weekend sales and some pockets of strength, superstorm Sandy ultimately cast a longer shadow, leading retailers from Macy’s Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. to Gap Inc. and Target Corp. to miss expectations for November.                    With eight of the top 10 selling days of the holiday season not coming until December, the November miss means retailers, which have controlled inventory better in hope of reducing profit-eroding discounts, may have to step up their game come December, analysts said.           “We are concerned that promotional intensity will pick up in December as retailers fight aggressively to make up lost sales,” said Citigroup analyst Deborah Weinswig. 

Feud at The Fed: "Horrific Consequences" for Unlimited Easing - Activist Post - November 28, 2012 - The Fed's plan to purchase $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities and $45 billion in long-term US Treasuries every month for the foreseeable future is now creating internal feuds.                       The Federal Reserve's latest round of quantitative easing has no timetable to end or any measurable goal. Yesterday, the Dallas Fed President said this policy without limits would result in "horrific consequences".                Reuters is reporting today on these "deep divisions" at the Federal Reserve:                  No one at the privately-owned US central bank has been able to explain how spending $85 billion per month ($1.02 trillion for 2013) on these purchases will reduce unemployment and maintain dollar price stability, the only tasks the Fed is charged with.                       In fact, they don't even pretend to be achieving these duties anymore. Both Evans and Fisher agreed that fixing unemployment is more important than controlling high inflation. Therefore, they're willing to trade one for the other.


Is The Economy Already Beginning To Stumble Again? - Seeking Alpha - Sy Harding - November 30, 2012 - This week's economic reports are not encouraging.        Those reports include that the Chicago Fed's National Activity Index (CFNAI) unexpectedly fell sharply in October, its three-month moving average plunging very close to the level the Fed says it considers "an increasing likelihood that a recession has begun." Durable Goods Orders were reported to have been flat in October after an encouraging increase in September. New home sales fell 0.3% in October, and more discouraging, the previously reported sales for September were revised down by a big 5.1%. The Fed's monthly "beige book" report was that all 12 national Federal Reserve districts unexpectedly reported slowing manufacturing activity this month.                         And on Friday, the Commerce Department reported that Consumer Spending fell 0.2% in October, after rising 0.8% in September. It was the first decline in five months. Not a good omen, considering that consumer spending accounts for roughly 70% of the U.S. economy.                          Hopefully, analysts are right in saying the reports for October were significantly impacted by the effect of Hurricane Sandy, which stormed ashore in the Northeast in the final days of October. But the Commerce Department says it can't determine that, and October was pretty much over when Sandy came ashore on October 29. Its main impact will probably show up in November numbers.



Hungry For The Holidays: 20 Facts About Hunger In America That Will Blow Your Mind - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael - November 26th, 2012 - All over America there are millions of people that will be missing meals and going hungry this holiday season.  Even as much of the country indulges in the yearly ritual of unbridled consumerism that we refer to as "the holiday season", more families in the United States than ever before will be dealing with not having enough food to eat.  Food stamp use is at an all-time high.  Demand at food banks is at an all-time high.  They keep telling us that we are in an "economic recovery" and yet the middle class continues to shrink and the number of Americans living in poverty just continues to grow.  We are witnessing unprecedented hunger in America, and this especially seems tragic during the holidays.  Much of the country is partying as if the good times will never stop, but families that are living from one meal to the next are facing a completely different reality.  How do you tell your children that there isn't going to be any food to eat for dinner?  How do you explain to them that other families have plenty to eat but you don't?  Sadly, many food banks are overstretched at this point.  All over the nation, food pantries have actually had to turn people away because of the overwhelming demand.  And more Americans used food stamps to buy their Thanksgiving dinners this year than ever before.  This is a problem that is not going away any time soon, and when the next major economic downturn strikes the problem of hunger in America is going to get even worse.                   For many Americans, hunger has become a way of life.  Families that don't have enough money are often faced with some absolutely heartbreaking choices.  Just check out what one Maine official that works with the Emergency Food Assistance Program recently had to say...


The 12 biggest companies paying workers the least - Wall St. 24/7.com through USA Today - Execs making millions, employees making minimum wage.

ObamaCare Fallout: Walmart Ends Insurance For New Hires - Breitbart - John Nolte - December 1, 2012 - By making the fine for not providing health care cheaper than providing health care, this was always the plan: to encourage employers to send us to the government.                  Remember how Obama's big ObamaCare sell was, "You get to keep the health insurance you have"?                  It was all a lie, a hustle, a con, a ruse…              But now it's the law of the land … forever.

Study: American Households Hit 43-Year Low In Net Worth - CBS News DC - November 30, 2012 - The median net worth of American households has dropped to a 43-year low as the lower and middle classes appear poorer and less stable than they have been since 1969.                  According to a recent study by New York University economics professor Edward N. Wolff, median net worth is at the decades-low figure of $57,000 (in 2010 dollars). And as the numbers in his study reflect, the situation only appears worse when all the statistics are taken as a whole.              According to Wolff, between 1983 and 2010, the percentage of households with less than $10,000 in assets (using constant 1995 dollars) rose from 29.7 percent to 37.1 percent. The “less than $10,000″ figure includes the numerous households that have no assets at all, or “negative assets,” which is otherwise known as “debt.”                       Over that same period of time, the wealthiest 1 percent of American households increased their average wealth by 71 percent.                         As noted by Daily Finance, from 1983 to 2010 the share of total wealth held by the richest 10 percent of American households increased from 68.2 percent to 76.7 percent. Meanwhile, all the rest of Americans lost financial ground.                An August Pew Research Center study found that many in the middle-class are divided on how they believe his gap widened.                      Fully 85 percent of self-described middle-class adults say it is more difficult now than it was a decade ago for middle-class people to maintain their standard of living. Of those who feel this way, 62 percent say “a lot” of the blame lies with Congress, while 54 percent say the same about banks and financial institutions, 47 percent about large corporations, 44 percent about the Bush administration, 39 percent about foreign competition and 34 percent about the Obama administration.                        Just 8 percent put “a lot” of blame on the middle class itself.                   “This downbeat take on their economic situation comes at the end of a decade in which, for the first time since the end of World War II, mean family incomes declined for Americans in all income tiers,” the Pew Report stated. “But the middle-income tier—defined in this Pew Research analysis as all adults whose annual household income is two-thirds to double the national median —is the only one that also shrunk in size, a trend that has continued over the past four decades.”                      Wolff’s focus on total wealth not only measures how much money a household brings in, but also the amount it accumulates. This latter number is very significant — economically secure households are generally more comfortable spending their disposable income, and are less likely to become a drag on the social safety net.


John Williams: 
Current President and Congress is the One That Will See Hyperinflation - November 29, 2012

Part 1




Part 2

You Own Your Life

I have asked you to wake up and now its too late. The exit ramps are all passed and the fuel gauge is passed empty and pretty soon the vehicle will be sputtering and it will be time to get out and walk.

You have chosen to stew in your pidity, because of blissful pride and the rest of us who have been forced to rely upon you to get us to our destination are going to also be forced to deal with the consequences of your lack of direction.

You know life is fleeting and when we put you in a position of leadership and you willfully fritter away opportunity, then there are consequences; people are affected. You say people are "Monday Morning Quarterbacking"... That you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Well, I disagree.

If you aspire to excellence and you fall short, then you fall within the grasp of excellence. If you aspire to nothing of substance and are directionless in your cause, flying by the seat of your pants, then those who pay attention know the difference and the straight shooters in life, those who choose not to stew in the pidity, are going to call you out on it... And in the end that is what bothers you isn't it?

But let me tender you this. It is not those of us that have offered you care and guidance that you have to lament. It is those who have willfully sipped the Kool-Aid. Those who you have held their head up and said, "Take another sip... it'll make you feel better." When they realize what foolishness this all has been, then you will see the problem. The problem of Us (Me) versus Them...

There is one thing that you should think about. In the end you will answer for your time here on Earth. When you leave this life and enter eternity, what will those last moments be. Will there be peace in knowing that you did what you could to help others (humanity) or will those last thoughts be of dread... remember that you and you alone own your life in the end.






Explorers - Muse - Matthew Bellamy - 2012

Once I hoped
To seek the new and unknown
This planet's overrun
There's nothing left for you or for me
Don't give in
We can walk through the fields
And feeling nature's glow
But all the land is owned
There's none left for you or for me
Who will win?
‘Cause I concede

Free me Free me
Free me from this world
I don't belong here
It was a mistake imprisoning my soul
Can you free me
Free me from this world

A world lush and blue
With rivers running wild
They'll be re-routed south
With none left for you or for me
Don't give in
Hear the engines roar
And save our crops from drought
But when the black gold's in doubt
There's none left for you or me
Fuse helium-3, our last hope

Free me
Free me
Free me from this world
We don't belong here
It was a mistake imprisoning our souls
Can you free me
And free me from this world?

Free me
I’ll free you
Free us from this world
We don't belong here
It was a mistake imprisoning our souls
Can you free me
And free me from this world?
Running around in circles feeling caged by endless rules
Can you free me
Free me from this world?
Shh, go to sleep

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- November 25, 2012

Are Black Friday Riots A Preview Of The Civil Unrest That Is Coming When Society Breaks Down? - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael - November 23rd, 2012 -  If Americans will trample one another just to save a few dollars on a television, what will they do when society breaks down and the survival of their families is at stake?  Once in a while an event comes along that gives us a peek into what life could be like when the thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted is stripped away.  For example, when Hurricane Sandy hit New York and New Jersey there was rampant looting and within days people were digging around in supermarket dumpsters looking for food.  Sadly, "Black Friday" also gives us a look at how crazed the American people can be when given the opportunity.  This year was no exception.  Once again we saw large crowds of frenzied shoppers push, shove, scratch, claw, bite and trample one another just to save a few bucks on cheap foreign-made goods.  And of course most retailers seem to be encouraging this type of behavior.  Most of them actually want people frothing at the mouth and willing to fight one another to buy their goods.  But is this kind of "me first" mentality really something that we want to foster as a society?  If people are willing to riot to save money on a cell phone, what would they be willing to do to feed their families?  Are the Black Friday riots a very small preview of the civil unrest that is coming when society eventually breaks down?                       Once upon a time, Thanksgiving was not really a commercial holiday.  It was a time to get together with family and friends, eat turkey and express thanks for the blessings that we have been given.                    But in recent years Black Friday has started to become even a bigger event than Thanksgiving itself.                   Millions of Americans have become convinced that it is fun to wait in long lines outside retail stores in freezing cold weather in the middle of the night to spend money that they do not have on things that they do not need.                    And of course very, very few "Black Friday deals" are actually made in America.  So these frenzied shoppers are actually killing American jobs and destroying the U.S. economy as well.                      The absurdity of Black Friday was summed up very well recently in a statement that has already been retweeted on Twitter more than 1,000 times...               "Black Friday: because only in America people trample each other for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have."                    It has gotten to the point where it is now expected that there will be mini-riots all over the country early on Black Friday morning each year.  The following are a few examples of the craziness that we saw this year...            -"Fights break out when stores open on Black Friday"

Shipping Containers to Become Condos in Detroit - ABC News - Karin Halperin - November 23, 2012 - The first U.S. multi-family condo built of used shipping containers is slated to break ground in Detroit early next year.                    Strong, durable and portable, shipping containers stack easily and link together like Legos. About 25 million of these 20-by-40 feet multicolored boxes move through U.S. container ports a year, hauling children's toys, flat-screen TVs, computers, car parts, sneakers and sweaters.                     But so much travel takes its toll, and eventually the containers wear out and are retired. That's when architects and designers, especially those with a "green" bent, step in to turn these cast-off boxes into student housing in Amsterdam, artists' studios, emergency shelters, health clinics, office buildings.                      Despite an oft-reported glut of unused cargo containers lying idle around U.S. ports and ship yards - estimates have ranged from 700,000 to 2 million - the Intermodal Steel Building Units and Container Homes Association puts the number closer to 12,000, including what's sold on Craigslist and eBay.                 Joel Egan, co-founder of HyBrid Architecture in Seattle, which has built cottages and office buildings from shipping containers for close to a decade and coined the term " cargotecture" to describe this method of construction, warns that although containers can be bought for as little as $2,500, they shouldn't be seen as a low-cost housing solution.                    "Ninety-five percent of the cost still remains," he says.                        Here's a few recent North American projects - including the new condo complex - where the shipping container takes center stage:

Asheville's Craggie Brewing closing Dec. 1 - Asheville Citizen Times - John Coutlakis - November 19, 2012 - The rough economy is claiming one of Asheville’s popular craft breweries. Craggie Brewing will close on Dec. 1, owner Bill Drew has announced.                Craggie, which opened in 2009, was unable to reach profitablity, Drew said in a statement. The space at 197 Hilliard Ave. may be reborn as a brewery, Drew said.                 “Negotiations are currently being made for a new brewery to take over the space,” which would employee two of Craggie’s workers, he said.

Craggie becomes the first Asheville brewery to fail in what has become a very competitive scene for making craft beer here. With its closing, Asheville and Buncombe County will temporarily drop to nine breweries. The new Wicked Weed brewery and restaurant on Biltmore Avenue is set to open on Dec. 21.                 Meanwhile, work continues on the new Oskar Blues east coast brewery in Brevard, Sierra Nevada’s brewery in Mills River and New Belgium’s expansion in Asheville, which together will bring hundreds of brewery jobs to Western North Carolina.


Jim Rogers - The Bubble