MUMPOWER HANGS WITH HIPPIES

ASHEVILLE - Carl Mumpower wasn't hard to spot during Friday night's
Widespread Panic show at the Civic Center.

Hundreds of concertgoers held up cutout masks of the city councilman
who attended to observe what he considers a drug hot spot during large
concerts. "His war on drugs is nothing more than a war on hippies,"
said James Lewis, an Asheville resident who made 250 of the cutout
faces even though he was not attending the concert.

Security was stepped up for the show, including the ban of large
backpacks and inspections of smaller bags, because of concerns raised
during last month's Ratdog concert, said city spokeswoman Lauren
Bradley. Mumpower attended that concert, reporting that the Thomas
Wolfe Auditorium "smelled like an Amsterdam hash bar." "I'm going to
play this by ear," Mumpower said before Friday's concert. "I don't
want to be predictable or convenient for those who want to uphold the
drug culture in Asheville." Twenty officers operated within the arena
during the show. Another unit patrolled the outside the Civic Center
on foot with drug-sniffing dogs. By 10:30 p.m. officers had arrested
four people on drug violations, Asheville Police Lt. Wallace Welch
said. Two Colorado teens were charged with trafficking heroin,
according to warrants.

Other arrests included charges for possession of marijuana and
hallucinogenic mushrooms.