A high-tech fireside chat

Susan DeFerie, president of Asheville Savings Bank, presides at a fireside chat to discuss financial issues with the community on Dec. 11, complete with a computer screen depicting a roaring fire and a decorated Christmas tree. She said she borrowed the fireside chat idea from former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who used the informal talks to reassure Americans during the Great Depression. “I think he probably provided confidence and stability during a time when things were shaky,” she told the Daily Planet. “Sometimes, perception is as important as reality.”