I’ve been looking forward to Moogfest. Musical genius Brian Eno is coming to town with an amazing sight and sound show and a lecture. Lots of keyboardists will be here to network, share the latest in sound technology, and share stories about the old days when an entire truck was needed to do what a handheld device can do today. Unfortunately, tickets are on the order of $145, so Cinderella is going to be staying home.

There is another problem. Asheville City Council just decided to require the Occupy Asheville movement to break up camp by 6 p.m. the first night of Moogfest. They had been given the space on Lexington Avenue under the I-240 overpass as a temporary measure. Occupants complained tonight about how toxic the spot was. It had been occupied by homeless people and drunks already. Most cities give their occupants a park, they noted. Citizens complained it wasn’t fair to let the occupants set up tents when homeless people go to jail and get their stuff confiscated for doing the same.

The cost of lost parking revenues from the occupancy is estimated to be only $450 for the entire duration. But Mayor Terry Bellamy took up for the hard-working, low-income taxpayers who had to pay for extra police and sanitation services, and whose neighborhoods were underserved by the redirection of services to the camp.

Cecil Bothwell thought the decision to require the movers and shakers to unoccupy the area under the bridge might be good, because it will escalate the movement to the next level. Confrontations with police were pretty much a given. Imagine being a world renowned keyboardist coming to town. The normal characters downtown will meld with Halloween masqueraders – but what will happen to the precious sound equipment that has been hauled in all week behind Prevosts should a peaceful, non-violent confrontation erupt?