Greetings from Asheville, where women are taking over.

In case you weren’t keeping track… Both Asheville and Hendersonville have female mayors. In Asheville, the university, the public radio station and the art museum are all run by women. This month, it’s likely that three women candidates will be elected to represent Buncombe County in the North Carolina House of Representatives. And on November 15, Kit Cramer (see our Q&A, page 40) is set to take the reigns as president of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. Forget Beer City, USA as a designation for Asheville. And Beard City doesn’t even stand a chance. How about Babe City, USA?

Here in Babeville, we’ve had a terrific time interviewing, photographing and getting to know one of its best-know denizens, longtime WLOS anchor Darcel Grimes. She’s been delivering TV news to your living room for nearly 30 years now, and she’s still as sharp and polished as ever. Her age, she says, is one of Asheville’s best-kept secrets. But here’s my favorite tidbit about Darcel: even though the rest of the world sees her from the waist up in stylish suits, TV station staffers know that, below the desk, she’s often wearing bright white sneakers.

Speaking of babes. Check out Susan Reinhardt’s first love advice column for us, It’s Complicated, starting on page 20. This one is an introduction, and a hilarious one at that. Her photo shoot was even funnier. See our contributors’ page for a behind-the-scenes rundown. Then send her your love troubles. She’s sure to cook up some truly entertaining responses. You might even (like her) be inspired to jump up and cheer.

Jess McCuan
jess@vervemag.com