Smoky Mountain News | January 25, 2023

On the Cover:

Sylva already has a couple of memorable murals, and with the possibility if a $5,000 grant, the town may get even more. However, that possibility has stalled as the town and county debate the value of public art. (Page12) A mural finished in July 2018 off Mill Street was modeled after 1940s vintage postcards from Sylva. File photo

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Opinion

Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com

IRECTOR: Micah McClure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com

D ESIGN & WEBSITE: Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com

D ESIGN & PRODUCTION: Jessica Murray. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com

ADVERTISING SALES: Susanna Shetley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com

Amanda Bradley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com

Sophia Burleigh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com

C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com

N EWS E DITOR: Kyle Perrotti. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kyle.p@smokymountainnews.com

WRITING: Holly Kays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com

Hannah McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hannah@smokymountainnews.com

Cory Vaillancourt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com

Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com

ACCOUNTING

Ramey makes false statements regarding delinquent tax issues

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

Republican Haywood County Commissioner Terry Ramey attempted to quell the uproar over his decade-old delinquent tax bills last week, but in doing so offered up at least two completely false assertions.

“Everybody knows — a dead horse has been beat to death over this, I owe some taxes,” Ramey said during the Jan. 17 commission meeting.

In late September 2022, during an interview with The Smoky Mountain News, Ramey was confronted with data that showed that he and his now-defunct LLC, Ram Dog Enterprises, owed thousands in back taxes dating back to 2012.

Ramey contested the legitimacy of the bills during that interview, but did say that if the bills were valid, he’d pay tfhem.

After the interview, Ramey met with the county manager and tax assessor to investigate the alleged billing issues. Greg West, Haywood’s then-tax collector, said on Sept. 26, 2022, that Ramey still owed the delinquent taxes. West added that Ramey had discussed payment plans with him, but as of noon on Sept. 27, no payment plans had been set up and no payments had been made.

Ramey, however, told fellow commissioners during the Jan. 17 meeting that he had indeed set up a payment plan in September.

“Back in September, before this started, I went in to set up a payment plan. I said I want to pay what I owe,” he continued.

When The Smoky Mountain News asked newly elected Tax Collector Sebastian Cothran for a copy of that September payment plan, Cothran said it didn’t exist. The only payment plan on file for Ramey is dated Nov. 16, 2022. That plan came more than a week after Ramey won his commission seat; any September plan would have come weeks before the election.

Ramey also said during the Jan. 17 meeting that he currently owed no taxes.

“It said that I owed taxes for several decades, well, I’ve got all that right here, my taxes are paid up to zero and when I went and set that payment plan up in September, they laid that down there, and now I’ve got another one for Ram Dog Enterprises, which is not only mine, which is getting beat to death in the news,” Ramey said. “It’s not only mine, it’s an LLC, but I’m going to pay it.”

Ramey’s taxes are not paid up to zero. According to the county’s tax reporting website, Ramey still owes 12 bills totaling $2,122.84 as of Jan. 24.

The Smoky Mountain News reached out to Ramey about his statements but he refused to answer any questions.

Since taking office on Dec. 8, Ramey has cast 20 votes on the commission, some of them in regards to more than $7.9 million of public funds.

Complaints mount against internet provider Zito Media

That’s our goal and our expectation.”

“Probably every cable company in the country would tell you they have staffing issues over the last three or so years, and we’re no different,” he added.

Rigas, the son of the late cable giant John Rigas, who owned Adelphia Communications but was ultimately convicted on securities fraud and spent 15 years in prison, started Zito in 2005. He said that in addition to the Jonathan Creek area, Zito provides service to parts of Swain and Graham counties and as far east as Burnsville. While most of these operations are fairly new, he said the company began providing service in the Bryson City area about 10 years ago.

As for reliability issues, which customers noted weren’t nearly as frequent under Mountain Cable Vision, Rigas said he’s working toward a solution.

“We are in the process of planning and expect to get started in next month or two with an upgrade of the system,” he said.

BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR

The front door of the office for Zito Media in Haywood County has a piece of paper taped to the inside that reads “closed until further notice … hopefully opening later today 11/4 or Monday 11/7.”

It’s now the end of January.

The perpetually closed office isn’t the only complaint customers of Jonathan Creek internet and cable provider Zito have been voicing. On one Jonathan Creek community Facebook page, folks have also talked about consistency issues, noting weeks-long outages; problems with service and billing; and some even say the channel lineup for the company’s cable service has been pared down without any prior notice.

Zito, which has an “F” rating from the Better Business Bureau, bought out Carolina Mountain Cablevision in May of last year and, since then, the complaints have been consistent. Liz Brandt said the quality of her service was much better under Carolina Mountain Cablevision.

“We’ve been here for 24 years,” Brandt said. “Up until this last year when we got Zito, [Carolina Mountain Cablevision President] Terry [Sersland] was great. Outages were rare, and when they happened, they were never more than 24 hours.”

In a Mountaineer story from October of last year, it’s reported Zito Media President Jim Rigas told the Haywood County Board of Commissioners that the transition was more difficult than he’d anticipated.

“In any transition, there are always some bumps in the road,” Rigas said in October. “I’ll fall on my sword in this case. There were probably more bumps than we’re used to.”

Several months ago, Rigas took heat for not carrying Viacom because of a rate hike, which led to several channels being unavailable. Brandt said that issue persists.

Brandt also talked about issues with the channel selection and chuckled as she talked

about the company’s lack of a channel guide, a seemingly simple thing that has been noticeably absent.

“The channels change around so much, it’s hard to keep track,” she said. “Fox News went from channel 29 to 17.6. How are we supposed to keep track of that? We’ve started writing the channels down on paper because we can’t find anything.”

Brandt also mentioned issues with billing consistency, saying that she seems to pay a different amount every month.

“The price went up from $148 to $151 to $161,” she said. “One time I called their customer service line to make sure they got my payment, and I got an automated response saying I owed over $300.”

Angie Franklin was employed by Carolina Mountain Cablevision for about three years and left not long before it was sold. She said that prior to the sale being finalized she asked a representative from Zito whether the office would be open.

“The answer was ‘initially it will be,’” Franklin said. “This did not make me feel confident.”

Franklin also noted that while customers were told problems with bandwidth and reliability were due to old infrastructure and technology, she doesn’t think that’s true.

“I think it’s important to state that the infrastructure itself has not changed,” she said. “Zito ties all of its systems in 22 states through its own bandwidth/network on a loop.”

In an interview with The Smoky Mountain News, Rigas said that while the company has staff in Western North Carolina to do the technical work required to sustain network reliability, he doesn’t have the personnel to consistently man the office.

“We continue to work to staff the local office, but it’s been a challenge,” Rigas said. “We’ve had a hard time keeping employees. Once the workforce situation comes into balance in the future, we’ll keep that office open.

“In terms of actual service complaints, it’s hard for me to comment on that in the abstract,” he added. “Certainly, we are doing everything we can to maintain reliable service if there are spec customers who feel like their service hasn’t been reliable.”

Rigas also talked about the future of the company’s cable service, first repeating that they don’t have a contract with Viacom and that there are certain channels they don’t carry for that reason, something he said happened years ago. He added that the company is migrating to a new streaming technology similar to YouTube TV.

“Your video will be delivered through the same technology your internet comes through,” he said. “Instead of a broadcast signal, it is an ISP-based transmission.”

“From a tech standpoint, the whole world is headed this way, and the old broadcast style that cable operators used to use is going away,” he added.

The reliability and access of high-speed internet has been a serious issue for Western North Carolina for quite some time, and it’s something legislators have spent a great deal of time talking about. As reported by The Smoky Mountain News last September, the area received tens of millions of dollars in Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grants as part of an effort spearheaded by Sen. Kevin Corbin (RFranklin).

The most recent round of grants totaled about $19 million across North Carolina seven westernmost counties to build out service to almost 8,400 locations. While Zito provides services to multiple counties around the region, the only ones where it received grant money to provide service to more customers are Graham and Swain. Rigas noted that the Graham County grant was approved a couple of years ago and that construction there should be done soon.

“The contract finalization is still ongoing,” Rigas said of the Swain County grant.

Rigas said he hopes Zito will receive a future grant to serve more of Haywood. Spectrum internet was the recipient of the previous grant awarded to expand access in that county.

The Zito office in Jonathan Creek has remained unstaffed for months.

Kyle Perrotti photo

Mountain Projects Waynesville resale store sees early success

BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR

In the two months since the Mountain Projects resale store opened in Waynesville, it’s already seen serious success in both the number of quality donations and customer traffic.

The store follows a similar shop Mountain Projects has in Jackson County called Sylva Linings, which has been in operation for about seven years. Mountain Projects Assistant Executive Director Brooke Smith said the folks from Sylva Linings were vital to the new store’s successful opening.

“This couldn’t have happened without the help from the people at the Sylva Linings,” Smith said.

The idea for the store had been floated for a while before real work started on getting it open just before Thanksgiving. While things may have started slow, Smith said the store got busy during the heart of the holiday season.

“In Christmas, we kicked it into high gear,” she said.

The building, which used to house offices, is broken into several rooms, each with its own department. The shop offers a surprising array of furniture and kitchen appliances with a wide range of values, including some high-quality items. It also features everything from clothes and linens to books to sporting goods to jewelry and even wall art.

David Porter, who has been with Mountain Projects since March and is the acting store manager, said people are often surprised at the selection.

“We’ve got a bit of everything; you never know what you’re going to find,” he said, adding that the stream of donations feeding that variety has been steady. “And the money made from selling these donated items goes back into the community.”

Pam Cunningham, who works three to four days a week at the cash register agreed, noting that people have been impressed with the variety and quality of items, as well as the prices. Cunningham, who recently retired after a 33-year career, said she loves to shop and that part of the fun of working at the store is seeing what kinds of items

Ingles Nutrition Notes

RECIPES TO THE RESCUE INGLES TABLE

come in. But while Cunningham enjoys her part-time gig, she was quick to point out that contributing to Mountain Projects’ mission remains the thing that brings her the most joy.

“Mountain Projects is such an important organization,” she said. “If you have roots in Haywood or Jackson county, you know someone whose life has been improved by Mountain Projects.”

The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Smaller donations can be delivered directly to the store at 2177 Asheville Road in Waynesville. For larger donations, call Mountain Projects at 828.507.0837 to schedule a pickup.

Are you in a bit of a cooking or baking slump? Be sure and check out the “Ingles Table” magazine! This is our free publication that is available in store in the Deli department and on-line. Our on-line version Recent Recipes https://www.ingles-markets.com/inglestable-food-experts/recipes?start=0/ (ingles-markets.com) also features short instructive videos and the ability to make a shopping list. The recipes in the Ingles Table magazine are by local chefs, bloggers and celebrities. There are recipe types and styles for every range of cooking experience and occasion from casual lunch ideas to delicious dishes for entertaining friends and family. You will also find my informative nutrition article in every issue!

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

Here’s a look at one of the rooms at the Mountain Projects resale store in Waynesville. There are several similar rooms, each with their own department. Kyle Perrotti photo

David Porter and Brooke Smith said they are thrilled with how Mountain Projects’ resale store has done in its first two months. Kyle Perrotti photo

More misinformation at Haywood commission meeting

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

It may be a new year with a new county commission, but anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists are still offering the same old falsehoods about COVID vaccine.

“I’m not asking, but pleading with you, not to take any more money to help promote this COVID vaccine,” said Waynesville resident Kay Miller, who is not a physician or a scientist but is the chair of the Haywood County Republican Party.

Miller’s comments came during the Jan. 17 public comment session before the Haywood County Board of Commissioners.

Slated for consideration during that meeting was the acceptance of a $75,735 grant from the North Carolina Division of Public Health/Women’s and Children’s Health Section/Immunization Branch that would “focus on removing obstacles to accessing [the] vaccine, increasing vaccine confidence, coordinating COVID-19 vaccine services and expanding Public Health’s COVID-19 vaccination program,” according to the agenda.

Along with several others, Miller urged commissioners to reject the free money.

“Now even the CDC is reporting at least a

connection to some heart issues, strokes, in those people who’ve been vaccinated,” she said. Miller’s assertion is misleading at best.

Last week, the CDC and FDA issued a statement saying that the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) system identified a statistical signal that there may be a safety concern for people over the age of 65 regarding an elevated risk of strokes.

“Often, these safety systems detect signals that could be due to factors other than the vaccine itself,” the statement reads. “The totality of the data currently suggests that it is very unlikely that the signal in VSD represents a true clinical risk.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported, after a large study, no increased risk of ischemic stroke. A study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said the same thing. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) likewise shows no increase in the reporting of strokes following the updated vaccine.

“No change in vaccination practice is recommended,” reads the statement.

Regarding Miller’s “heart issues,” a CDC statement from September reports that myocarditis or pericarditis “have rarely been

reported” and again recommends no change in vaccination practice.

Miller continued with another dubious statement.

“I know you’ve heard in the news of late particularly a lot of athletes dropping over dead,” Miller said.

Far-right conspiracists have cherry-picked recent cases of unexpected deaths and attempted to tie them to COVID vaccines without evidence. The assumption is false.

“Sports medicine experts say there has been no increase in sudden death or cardiac injury among U.S. athletes since the COVID19 vaccines became available,” says FactCheck.org. “Yet anti-vaccine campaigners, comparing unreliable numbers to an unrelated study, have again spread a false narrative about vaccine safety since NFL player Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest.”

Hamlin was hit in the chest during a Monday Night Football game a few weeks ago and had to be resuscitated on the field. His injury had everything to do with the hit, and nothing to do with vaccination, but that hasn’t stopped discredited talking heads Charlie Kirk and Tucker Carlson from pushing the debunked “dropping dead” narrative.

Additionally, Politifact claims “no association” between sudden death and the COVID vaccines.

The incorrect “dropping dead” claim comes from Simone Gold and a group called American Frontline Doctors, which is known for spreading COVID misinformation. Gold, who was sentenced to 60 days in jail for her role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, says that the number of athletes who died suddenly from 1966 to 2004 is the same as the number who died suddenly from 2021 to 2023. That claim is also false, according to AFP.

Next up to the podium was Janet Presson, who has a long history of spreading misinformation about masking and vaccines in general, including the COVID vaccine. At one time, Presson was an appointed member of the nonprofit Haywood Healthcare Foundation’s board of trustees. While a trustee, Presson cohosted an anti-vax movie screening featuring a documentary film filled with a “who’s who” of disgraced medical professionals peddling discredited medical theories. During the screening, Presson attempted to prevent members of local media from recording or photographing the presentation.

In October 2020, Presson promoted another private movie screening in Haywood County featuring the widely discredited views of a former physician who ushered in the modern anti-vax misinformation campaign with a fraudulent study claiming that vaccines cause autism.

Presson’s misinformation prompted calls for her removal from the HHF board.

Trustees had a “lengthy discussion” about Presson’s removal, but in the end took no

Kay Miller addresses the Haywood County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 17.

Haywood County photo

action; however, Presson wasn’t renominated once her term expired in February 2022.

“The CDC has already said that the vaccines do not keep you from getting the virus, and they do not keep you from transmitting the virus,” she told commissioners during the meeting.

While no vaccine is 100% effective, the CDC has repeatedly stated that the COVID vaccines protect against serious illness, hospitalization and death.

Initial research from 2021 also suggests that vaccines do indeed reduce the transmissibility of the virus. A more recent report from the CDC says that not only do the COVID vaccines protect the people who get them, they may also reduce the spread of the virus.

“If you haven’t already heard about all the injuries and deaths that are associated with these vaccines, then you’re living in a cave in like Afghanistan or somewhere,” Presson continued, offering the same discredited conspiracy theories as Miller, including sudden death and cardiac issues.

Slated for consideration during the meeting was the acceptance of a $75,735 grant from the North Carolina Division of Public Health/Women’s and Children’s Health Section/Immunization Branch that would “focus on removing obstacles to accessing [the] vaccine, increasing vaccine confidence, coordinating COVID-19 vaccine services and expanding Public Health’s COVID19 vaccination program.”

Presson doubled down on the misleading claims, stating that “it’s proven now that these things cause plenty of injuries and deaths, and we don’t need more of that in Haywood County.”

The CDC maintains that reports of deaths after vaccination are rare; from Dec. 14, 2020 through Jan. 11, 2023, more than 660 million doses of COVID vaccine have been administered, with 18,649 preliminary reports of deaths — a total of .0028%.

Importantly, the VAERS database is selfreported, meaning anyone can file a report alleging vaccine injury without any proof whatsoever. However, even if all 18,649 reports are true, the odds of dying by choking on food (1 in 2,745) are more than 13 times greater than from a vaccine (1 in 36,667). Presson has not yet called for the banning of food.

The next speaker, Renee Rickman, said she was “very concerned” about children, and

about parental rights. The CDC still recommends vaccination of children older than six months, and at no time have parents been forced to vaccinate their children in Haywood County, or anywhere else in the United States.

Finally, it was Barry Peppers, a retired military and airline pilot who told commissioners that the FAA had “very quietly, tacitly admitted that the EKGs of pilots are no longer normal.”

The FAA has made no such statement. Instead, it made a change in EKG parameters for pilots back in October, but there’s no evidence it had anything to do with COVID vaccines. That the claim has been pushed by David Icke — a Briton best known for his belief that the world is secretly ruled by an illuminati race of lizard-people — doesn’t do much to bolster its credibility, or Peppers’.

The DPH grant appeared on the Jan. 17 meeting’s consent agenda.

The consent agenda is a long list of “noncontroversial” items that typically don’t require debate or discussion. Typically, the items on a consent agenda are passed en masse, although a commissioner can remove an item from the consent agenda and place it on the regular agenda.

That’s exactly what Commissioner Brandon Rogers did, asking that the item be pulled from the consent agenda and put on the regular agenda for the commission’s next meeting.

“I had a few folks that had reached out to me this evening with some concerns about [the grant],” Rogers said at the time.

After determining that the issue wasn’t time sensitive, commissioners agreed with Rogers and postponed consideration of the grant.

Although it may have seemed that the misinformation presented during public comment might have gotten to Rogers, that’s not necessarily the case, he told The Smoky Mountain News.

“I want to be clear, I’m not against the vaccinations at all. I’m not an anti-vaxxer myself. I’ve got people in my own family that have chosen to get the vaccination. It’s fine if they do or fine if not,” Rogers said, adding that he had not, but still might.

“Before moving forward with receiving these funds, I simply just want to understand how we’re spending them, and I want to feel comfortable with how we’re spending them. If you look at that grant, it was geared toward educating those that have been a little hesitant of getting a vaccination, and more toward our youth,” Rogers said. “Before focusing on doing that, I want to be certain that we get all the data and all the facts about the vaccination beforehand.”

If the grant funds were to be rejected, it would effectively impose the will of Miller, Presson Rickman and Peppers on other Haywood County residents who may choose to get the vaccine.

Rogers said that’s just as wrong as forcing someone to get the vaccine.

“I firmly believe that it does need to be a choice. It still does need to be freedom of choice and not forced upon anyone, one way or the other. If you don’t want it, that’s fine. That’s your choice — but not to force others to not get it,” he said. “It goes both ways.”

Webster Park project approved

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

Webster Park is slated for a host of upgrades and new construction, including a pavilion, after Jackson County Commissioners approved funding for the project earlier this month.

“This allows Mr. Ellis to get started on everything so we’ll have a usable facility hopefully in the spring sometime,” said County Manager Don Adams.

The project will include construction of a picnic shelter with a concrete floor and metal roof; electricity and lights for the shelter; protective netting around the softball field; trail screenings; two pet waste stations; ADA parking and sidewalk; and six picnic tables.

Senator Kevin Corbin and Representative Mike Clampitt recently secured a $90,000 grant to go toward a pavilion at the park. This money must be used by June of 2024.

“We’re looking at possibly doing a shelter with electricity to it with lights as well. But after talking with [Manager Adams], there are certain items that need to be implemented before we do that,” said Parks and Recreation Director Rusty Ellis. “One of those would be the ADA compliant parking area.”

The parking area will have two handicapped accessible spots, as well as a concrete sidewalk that will lead to the pavilion to be an access for wheelchairs and handicapped individuals. Cost estimates were around $9,500 for this portion of the project as of Jan. 10.

Netting around the softball field will provide a safer environment and better access to both the field and the walking trail as walkers and ball players will be able to use the amenities at the same time with walkers shielded from action on the ball field. The

first estimate for this portion of the project was around $6,500, but with prices rising quickly in the construction sector, the cost estimate is now around $10,000.

“If you were to go into a phasing aspect of Webster Park, that would be the main things we would want to look at first, building the pavilion obviously and then doing the ADA compliant parking and then the netting as well,” said Ellis.

With $90,000 in funding from the state, Jackson County only had to commit the remaining $15,000 needed for the project that has a total cost estimated at $105,000. Additionally, the county commission approved Webster’s municipal grant application earlier this month in the amount of $5,000 which the town will use to purchase trash and recycling receptacles as well as a bench for the park.

As part of a separate contract the county will consider constructing an all-abilities playground at Webster Park when it gets into budget discussions in the coming months.

“Something I’d really love to see at this park would be an all-inclusive playground which has a pour-in-place rubberized flooring to where wheelchairs can go out and take part in that playground,” said Ellis.

The cost of this type of playground was around $75,000 as of the beginning of the year.

“I know that’s a hefty price, but that’s actually almost doubled from when I started getting prices about a year and a half ago,” said Ellis. “So that tells you the price increase over the years and what’s happening with that.”

The county commission unanimously approved the $15,000 in funding for Webster Park which will allow county staff to begin work on the project. The board will continue discussions regarding a playground at the park.

Webster Park is slated for a number of upgrades, including the construction of a new pavilion. Jackson County Parks and Recreation photo

Town seeks JCTDA funding for Bridge Park project

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

Without additional funding from the Rural Transformation Grant offered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Town of Sylva plans to put the Bridge Park project temporarily on hold until it can apply for a grant through the Tourism Capital Project Fund.

Planned upgrades to the park include a paved parking lot as well as bioretention areas that would help clean the water and runoff that drain into Scotts Creek. The total cost of the project is estimated at $758,357. In November the town committed $436,290 of American Rescue Plan funds to the project, leaving $340,357 left to be funded.

“We wanted direction from the board on how to move forward,” Town Manager Paige Dowling said at Sylva’s Jan. 12 meeting.

Dowling needed to know if the board wanted to use ARPA funds to pay for park upgrades or go after additional funding opportunities. If the board were to use its remaining ARPA funds for the project, that would leave about $100,000 from the onetime pot of money town and county governments received during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Commissioner David Nestler suggested applying for money from the Tourism Capital Project Fund available through the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority. Under state legislation, the JCTDA may spend one third of its annual budget on brick-andmortar capital projects. The Tourism Capital

Project Fund’s purpose is to “provide leveraged investment in tourism projects that will increase visitation and attendant spending and overall economic impact for Jackson County.”

This allows a process through which stakeholders in the county can apply for money generated through tourism, by way of a room tax, to fund projects that improve the county for residents and tourists. By funding capital projects, tourism bureaus increase the demand for accommodations, local spending and visitor satisfaction, thereby bringing more money into a county.

Applications opened on Jan. 1 with $750,000 of funding available for projects that are owned and operated publicly or by nonprofits; a oneto-one match is required. Eligible projects include new construction, expan-

sion, renovation, maintenance, rehabilitation or a replacement project for an existing facility. The project must have a total cost of at least $25,000 over the life of the project and a useful life of at least 10 years. Another eligible project is the purchase of major equipment costing $25,000 or more with a useful life of at least 10 years. A one-to-one match is required for all projects.

Previously, the town board had discussed applying for money from the TDA grant to improve the Poteet Park bathrooms. Now, it looks like the town may use the remainder of its ARPA funds for that project.

“Nick [Breedlove, JCTDA director] felt like the Bridge Park was a really good fit for the grant, because it tied in a lot of elements

for the Bridge Park project show a paved parking area and bio retention ponds. Equinox photo

Sylva Mayor Linda Sossamon resigns

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

After more than 16 years of service to the Town of Sylva, Mayor Linda Sossamon has notified town staff of her resignation.

“It is with great regret and sadness that I must tender my resignation as Mayor of the Town of Sylva, effective Jan. 26,” Sossamon said in a letter to citizens, commissioners and staff.

In November, Sossamon underwent planned heart surgery and while the procedure went well, serious complications arose.

“I am making good progress but must devote my full efforts into recovering my health,” said Sossamon. “The Town of Sylva deserves the full attention of its mayor and currently, I am unable to see to town matters with the detail needed.”

Sossamon has been a Sylva business owner for over 33 years. She served nine years

as a commissioner and seven years as mayor. During her tenure, Sossamon helped Sylva institute the Downtown Streetscape Revitalization, become part of the NC Main Street Program, get added to the National Register of Historic Places, preserve a portion of the Plott Balsams with Pinnacle Park and the Blackrock Creek Conservation Easement and secure funding for the Allen Street slope repair and Bryson Park repair and upgrade. Sossamon served on both the NC League of Municipalities and the NC Mayors Association.

“The Town of Sylva staff wish Mayor Sossamon the best during her recovery,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling. “We are grateful for her dedication to Sylva and to public service. She worked hard for our citizens and for our town. Her work ethic and logic have made Sylva a better place.”

At the last meeting of the town board, Commissioner David Nestler filled in for Mayor Sossamon as procedural leader. The board will discuss next steps at its meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 26. According to Dowling the board will appoint a board member to serve as mayor until the November election. At that time the town will elect someone to serve the remainder of the term, through 2025. Sossamon last won reelection for mayor when she ran unopposed for the position in 2021.

“I love Sylva and am so proud of what Sylva has accomplished,” said Sossamon. “As we move forward and continue to grow, I hope that the residents of Sylva and Jackson County continue to support the local businesses, the town government and its employees, and each other. Together we can continue to make Sylva the best it can be.”

like fishing and tourism,” said Dowling. “That’s where we have outdoor events and long term it cleans up the creek.”

Applications for the TDA grant opportunity are due June 1 and will go before the county commission for final decision in July or August. This pushes the start date for the Bridge Park project, assuming the town receives necessary funding, to the fall. With the town looking to start work on Allen Street slope repair before spring, that timeline works well. Town staff think it will be feasible to complete the project after the November pottery festival and before Greening Up the Mountains festival in April.

The decision to apply for a $400,000 grant from the TDA was approved unanimously.

Linda Sossamon File photo

Plans

Tribal Council focuses on cannabis enterprise

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

As the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians prepares to launch its medical marijuana program, cannabis was the main topic of conversation in Tribal Council this month. The body discussed six resolutions and ordinances Jan. 12 related to cannabis laws and the boards and LLC leading the industry.

FUNDING THE ENTERPRISE

The tribally owned Qualla Enterprise expects to start producing cannabis this year, but funding has proven a major obstacle in building out the infrastructure to grow the product securely and at scale.

In December, General Manager Forrest Parker asked Tribal Council for $63 million to build out the facilities. Tribal Council was more than willing to grant the funds, but the transfer is complicated by federal rules that restrict how tribes can spend profits from their casinos. The National Indian Gaming Commission has said that gaming proceeds can’t be used to profit from cannabis, which is still illegal under federal law, and the tribe could not identify $63 million in funding that was not tied to gaming and available to be given to the LLC. Instead, Tribal Council allocated $10 million and authorized Qualla Enterprise to seek a loan for the rest.

But that avenue proved a dead end, Parker told Council Jan. 12. The bank told Qualla Enterprises that lending for cannabis infrastructure and enterprises is not common and said the only way it could grant a $53 million loan would be if Qualla Enterprises guaranteed it with $53 million already in the bank.

“The lending aspect to this is pretty challenging, if not impossible,” Parker said.

Finance Secretary Cory Blankenship said the tribe does not have a $53 million reserve of non-gaming money to deploy but could look into making incremental investments in the business over the next several years as funds become available. Over the last four months, about 13% of the distribution from Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos came from non-gaming activities like hotel, food and beverage sales. However, allocating those funds to Qualla Enterprises would require revisions to the tribe’s revenue allocation plan, which already

earmarks those funds for other purposes.

“I don’t think it’s impossible to get there, but I think we need to do a lot more work,” Blankenship said.

The clock is ticking, however. Qualla Enterprises only has operating funds to continue through June 30, at which point it needs to start generating revenue to sustain payroll and production. Thus far, the project has not slowed down from an infrastructure standpoint and probably won’t until February, Parker said. The business has enough money to put the buildings up but not to fill them with needed equipment.

As she did in the December meeting, Big Cove Rep. Teresa McCoy tried to convince her fellow Council members to ignore NIGC restrictions and fund the enterprise with gaming revenues.

“If you go ahead and do it, what is the implication?” she said. “Oh, they’ll pull your gaming license? I think that is a scare and I don’t appreciate it.”

That opinion did not gain much traction around the horseshoe. At the podium, Principal Chief Richard Sneed addressed it directly.

“Whether we want to say or not or whether you believe or not the NIGC has the ability to take our license or to suspend operations, they absolutely do have that ability,” Sneed said. “I for one am not willing to put that at risk. I want cannabis to be successful, but we can’t do it at the expense of putting our gaming at risk.”

Council voted unanimously to table the ordinance for further discussion, with Birdtown Rep. Boyd Owle suggesting that Tribal Council members discuss the issue with the NIGC on a planned trip to Washington, D.C.

LOOSENING HIRING RESTRICTIONS

In a divided vote, Tribal Council passed a separate piece of legislation reducing criminal history hiring restrictions at Qualla Enterprise. As introduced, the ordinance would have slashed the amount of time a person must wait to qualify for employment after completing a felony sentence from 10 years to three.

“Should an individual have the courage and the humility to face their past, to overcome it be humble about it, we don’t think as Qualla Enterprise we should be a barrier to allowing them to work in our facility,” said Carolyn Ward, chair of the Qualla Enterprise board.

Parker said that only a couple of people have been turned away from employment due to a criminal record, but that the existing law has deterred “dozens” more from even applying.

“Often, when folks are in a turning point in their life, they may be on probation, they’re in an inflection point, a positive influence on them during that time is a really good thing,

so being able to be employed, be a part of something bigger than themselves, part of a team, in those moments that they are in recovery or they are working through life is very important,” he said.

Tribal Council agreed — and decided that even three years was too long a waiting period.

“Whenever you get done with probation, you should be done. You should be acclimated,” said Yellowhill Rep. T.W. Saunooke. “I would be fine putting it at zero months, just leaving the requirement that you complete your probation.”

“When it’s over, it’s over,” McCoy agreed. “Don’t keep holding people down. Don’t keep condemning them for something that they paid for.”

Brenda Norville. If passed, it would have required that all five members of the Cannabis Control Board be tribal members.

“Anytime you have a board that’s in our backyard, you put on EBCI members,” Norville said.

Currently, the board has four members, of whom two are tribal members and two are not. A fifth member, who is a tribal member, will be considered for appointment soon.

Sneed was sympathetic to the spirit of Norville’s request but said it wouldn’t be a good idea in practice.

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but the level of expertise that’s required to be on this regulatory oversight board, it’s not like there’s a huge pool of candidates who are interested,” Sneed said. “We certainly have people who are qualified, but they have not expressed interest in it.”

Qualla Enterprise, which is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, aims to start selling medical marijuana on the Qualla Boundary this year. File photo

The budding cannabis business has a lot of moving parts as it works toward launching retail sales, and replacing key members of the board at this point would be “chaotic,” Sneed said.

Norville replied that the tribe should fund contracts to continue working with the nonenrolled board members as long as their expertise is needed but should appoint tribal members to sit on the voting board seats.

“We’re paying board members, but we want to take away and create a contract position and then still pay the board members?” Saunooke asked. “So were going to double up?”

However, some Council members said there should be some waiting period involved.

“I think a full year of reflection after the probation can do a lot for everybody involved,” said Painttown Rep. Michael Stamper.

The final vote — on an amended version that took away the three-year wait — was split, with nine Council members in favor and Stamper, Painttown Rep. Dike Sneed and Yellowhill Rep. David Wolfe opposed.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Several of the remaining cannabis-related votes dealt with board appointments.

Two boards are involved with the tribe’s current cannabis initiatives. The Cannabis Control Board sets the rules for the medical cannabis operation on the Qualla Boundary, including decisions as to which medical conditions qualify someone for a card. The Qualla Enterprise Board oversees the LLC producing the product and operating retail sales.

On Jan. 12, Tribal Council set staggered terms for the Qualla Enterprise Board with unanimous approval and appointed Brooke Coggins to the Cannabis Control Board. Stamper and Dike Sneed opposed that move.

Council also discussed at length an ordinance brought forth by tribal member

“I’m not about to take two off to contract two and bring two enrolled members in,” Owle said, adding, “I’d love to have all five on there being enrolled members but you’re just not going to find them.”

While Norville didn’t find much support for her ordinance as written, Tribal Council didn’t dismiss it outright. Of the 12 members, 10 voted to table it. Wolfe, who had moved to pass, voted with Owle against the move to table.

LOBBYING FOR DECRIMINALIZATION IN N.C.

The final cannabis-related item discussed Jan. 12 dealt with state law. In 2021, Tribal Council voted to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana on the Qualla Boundary. But both possession and medical use remain illegal under state jurisdiction. During the current legislative session, the tribe will lobby North Carolina to change that.

The resolution states its support for legislation establishing a system in state law allowing “the lawful cultivation, processing, testing, distribution, sale and use of medical marijuana within the state,” adding that the tribe “supports decriminalizing adult possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use.”

Tribal Council passed the resolution unanimously.

WCU can now enroll more out-of-state students

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Western Carolina University can now draw up to one-quarter of its firstyear undergraduates from out of state, following a Jan. 19 vote from the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.

“As a university so close to the borders of other states, this welcome change in policy will allow Western Carolina University to better meet its regional mission, which increasingly is ‘border-blind’ in our highly connected economies,” said Chancellor Kelli R. Brown.

WCU is within an hour’s drive of the Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia borders. Out-of-state students are increasingly interested in WCU due to its quality and affordability, Brown said.

“One beneficial outcome of serving outof-state students is that a number of those students will choose to stay in the region after graduation to work and become a vital part of WNC’s communities and economy,” she said.

The UNC System has imposed a cap on out-of-state enrollment for each of its universities since 1985. Originally, that cap was set at 18% across the board but has been modified in the years since. The most recent revisions,

which occurred last year, raised the cap to 35% for N.C. Central University and N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University, and to 50% for Elizabeth City State University. However, until the Jan. 19 vote the cap at WCU had remained at 18%.

WCU has increasingly struggled to keep its freshman enrollment below the limit, barely avoiding a violation in fall 2021 and passing the limit in fall 2022. According to university statistics, 21.4% of new undergraduate students in fall 2022 were from out-ofstate. Prior to 2017, this figure had remained below 10%.

Emergency watershed protection coming to East Fork

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT

P OLITICS E DITOR

Asheville-based McGill Associates will begin work to provide emergency watershed protection in areas affected by Tropical Storm Fred after Haywood commissioners approved an $800,000 contract on Jan. 17, but at least one commissioner thinks it may not be enough.

“I’ve seen this process step along from the time Tropical Storm Fred hit, and there’s been probably thousands of man-hours of walking those creeks and trying to get money allocated, and there’s going to be a shortfall,” said Jennifer Best, a Haywood commissioner who also serves as a supervisor on the Haywood County Soil and Water Conservation Board. “It’s not going to get it all done, but it’s going make a big improvement in what’s happened up there.”

In August 2021, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred dumped incredible amounts of rainfall on Haywood County in a short period of time, causing millions in damages to hundreds of homes, bridges and roads, while also killing six people.

In some areas, snags and debris remain troublesome almost 18 months later.

The total timeline for the debris removal and stream stabilization project across 57 sites could be as long as 24 months and will

be divided into eight segments.

Access coordination and research will take at least two months as McGill gathers a list of properties that have been impacted and then creates a GIS database and maps. Title searches and ownership verification will also be conducted, along with executed right of entry forms.

The design and permitting stage will take between nine and 12 months. After that, McGill will draft bid documents and contracts and administer the process, fast-tracking the easiest sites.

“We plan to take the low-hanging fruit, the sites that are pretty self-explanatory and don’t have a lot of permitting issues,” said Mark Cathey, regional manager for McGill. “And then the sites that have some complications, stream restoration components or stabilization components. Most of this is stabilization, not restoration.”

Commissioner Tommy Long said he was concerned about obstacles that could reduce water flow and contribute to future flooding.

“A lot of people had many cubic yards of stone outside the river channel, and the river channel changed, and it’s now dry land,” Long said.

Cathey estimated that roughly 20 sites require stabilization, and that material will be moved at those sites. That work will be

During a discussion Nov. 16, 2022, the Committee on Educational Planning, Policies and Programs — which proposed the change — said this trend was occurring across the UNC System. Meeting materials state that enrollment demand from non-residents students increased at nearly every UNC institution in fall 2022, while new resident undergraduate enrollment has stagnated in recent years as the pool of in-state high school students has dropped, following projected demographic shifts.

“The result of these two factors was a significant increase in the percentage of non-res-

ident undergraduate enrollment,” reads a summary of the proposal to raise the cap.

In addition to WCU, three other schools violated their out-of-state enrollment cap this fall. For N.C. A&T, 2022 marked the second straight year of doing so, meaning that it will incur a financial penalty.

Should WCU violate the cap again in 2023, it too will be penalized — but with that cap now set at 25% rather than 18%, a violation is much less likely. The policy change the Board of Governors passed last week boosted the cap to 25% for East Carolina University, UNC Asheville, UNC Greensboro and UNC Pembroke as well. The only universities still under an 18% cap are Appalachian State University, N.C. State, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte and UNC Wilmington.

The higher cap will allow WCU to attract more students from nearby out-of-state, communities. But it will not impact access for North Carolina residents, Brown said.

“No North Carolina resident who meets WCU’s admission criteria will be displaced by an out-of-state student,” she said. “The cap increase will simply help WCU better serve our students and our region, which is the ultimate goal.”

WCU recorded its highest-ever enrollment in fall 2020, with 12,243 students, but enrollment has declined in the years since.

The consequences of deadly flooding in Haywood County in 2021 are still being felt.

subject to a competitive bid process; Cathey said McGill was aware of local resources and that there were regional or national firms that can perform the work, but Long wanted to be sure local contractors were aware of the forthcoming bid opportunities.

“Our plan is to cast a wide net,” said County Manager Bryan Morehead.

Morehead added that the work was being divided into small groups so that multiple, smaller contractors could have a chance to perform the work, as opposed to designating one big project with 57 sites that could probably only be handled by large firms that aren’t local.

Engaging multiple contractors will also speed the work along, rather than relying on just one.

“We’ve designed it to allow them to bid and be competitive, we think, and that’s our goal, to keep as much money local as possible,” Morehead said.

McGill has plenty of experience on projects of this type. The firm removed debris along approximately 13,000 linear feet for the city of Wilmington after Hurricane Florence, and also conducted operations over 50 miles of impacted streams, affecting more than 250 properties in Cumberland County.

Most significantly, McGill was involved with this same type of project back when tropical storms Frances and Ivan decimated Haywood County in 2004. Cathey was the day-to-day manager on that project.

The $800,000 in county funding is reimbursable through state and federal sources.

File photo

Up for debate

HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER

The choice by Jackson County Commissioners not to move forward with a municipal grant application from the Town of Sylva has led to discussion among residents, town and county government about the value of public art, as well as how it should be funded.

“In this community, there are so many creative people as well as support for the arts,” said Sylva Commissioner Greg McPherson. “As a commissioner, I thought it would be great to formalize that spirit and take public art to a new level in Sylva.”

The municipal grant program is intended to assist Jackson municipalities with the implementation of projects that will benefit all citizens of the county. This year, there is $20,000 earmarked for the program with individual applicants receiving up to $5,000.

The town of Sylva has applied for a $5,000 grant to start a Sylva Art Walk that includes murals, marketing rack cards and kiosks to hold promotional materials.

The Murals on Mill piece of the project will bring new murals that will give several local and regional artists the chance to showcase their work. This will entail three rotating murals on Mill Street over the course of the year. Art walk rack cards will include a map and QR code to the Sylva Art Walk web page. This site will include photos of all public art, galleries in downtown Sylva and maps and addresses for each. This allows for the flexibility to incorporate new projects as they come up.

The art walk is modeled in part after the Heritage Walk, a compilation of historic photos paired with the historic building registry, as well as the Tree Walk. The art walk would tie 16 public art exhibits, four galleries, several hosted exhibits at restaurants and three rotating murals on Mill Street.

“Downtown Sylva is becoming quite the art-centered hub of Jackson County,” the application reads. “Many of the public art murals, miniature art, private galleries and collaborative centers have popped up over the past few years, while some have been

intentional. Our goal is to tie them all together to one unified economic driver for downtown.”

The project has a total estimated cost of $5,824.59, with the Town of Sylva funding the additional portion.

Overall, this is a relatively small grant opportunity. Jackson County’s total budget for 2022-23 is over $80 million, while Sylva’s, after grants and other proceeds, is over $5 million. However, commissioners from both town and county government recognize that money might not be the most important element of this transaction.

“Often, with these municipal grants that max at $20,000, it serves as a PR component to our communities and towns,” said Commissioner Mark Jones.

“The point of this grant is to foster cooperation between municipal governments and county governments,” said Sylva Commissioner David Nestler. “I think it’s a good opportunity to ask for their trust in this.”

But when Sylva presented its municipal grant application to county commissioners earlier this month, it wasn’t smooth sailing, and the ensuing discussion among both boards has some in the community questioning the merits of public art and its funding.

The debate is not a new one. In 2016, when the Sylva town board was considering the creation of a public art committee, one of the central questions was whether or not taxpayer money should be spent on acquiring or producing public art. This grant creates an opportunity to spur on public art in Sylva with very little money coming from the town’s budget. Instead, most of the money would come out of county funds.

In 2017, Sylva formed the public art committee, and in July 2018, it finished its inaugural project, the 22-by-53-foot mural displayed on the side of Ward’s Plumbing and Heating building at 548 Mill St. The mural is modeled after 1940s vintage postcards from Sylva, showing the town’s name in big block letters. Within each letter there is a different scene showing components that make the

mountain town special. Behind the letters is a mountainous background featuring Cullowhee lilies and the historic Jackson County Public Library.

The project was funded through a $10,000 state grant for downtown revitalization awarded by Jackson County and is currently the only public mural in Sylva. The other mural that adorns Mill Street with the words “You Belong Here,” came through a collaboration between Sylva Pride, Main Street Sylva Association, Dixie Mae Vintage Market and artists Worth and Sarah LaRose,

would rather see the $5,000 used for something other than public art.

The issue at hand for most commissioners that were not ready to move forward with Sylva’s municipal grant application seemed to be the want for more information about what artwork would be forthcoming. However, at the same time, some of those commissioners said they did not think the

but no public funding was used.

Just over two years after forming, the public art committee was disbanded in 2019 and reassembled under the umbrella of the Main Street Sylva Association. This move allows the art committee to apply for grants and fundraise as a nonprofit entity, rather than a public governmental one.

“A lot of what the committee would do is the same, but there’s more flexibility with it being a Main Street Committee that isn’t considered a public body and appointed by the board,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling at that time.

While several county commissioners expressed hesitancy after Main Street

Economic Director Bernadette Peters and Sylva Commissioner Greg McPherson presented Sylva’s municipal grant application to the county board, there does seem to be consensus among a majority of commissioners that public art is a valuable asset for any community.

Commissioners Mark Jones, Mark Letson and Todd Bryson have all touted the importance of public art in community spaces.

“I think it’s important,” said Bryson.

Commissioner John Smith did not express feelings either way regarding public art while in public meetings and told The Smoky Mountain News he did not want to

commission needed to be involved in the selection process.

“I would kind of like a little more information on the type of artwork,” said Smith. “Make sure it’s family-friendly for the families and kids that’s walking downtown.”

“We would like to fund the grant fully but would like to have a little more information regarding the type and style of art to be displayed that the municipal grant will be applied toward. We obviously do not want to direct the art itself,” said County

Commission Chairman Mark Letson. “I don’t feel commissioners need to be involved in the selecting of artists, especially since there is a committee already in place. I’m personally more comfortable with more information on who, what, when, where of the art and trust their judgment.”

The hiccup is that the Sylva Art and Design Committee, which exists under the MSSA, will not begin the process of finding themes and artists to complete small murals, or prepare a timeline for creation and display, until it has the funds to do so. Peters and McPherson explained to commissioners that the Sylva Art and Design Committee would be responsible for selecting artists and type of mural artwork, with preference given to local artists. For this reason, it would be difficult to inform the commission of possible artwork,

As Sylva attempts to move forward with grant application, some question value of public art

“This is a small opportunity to embrace a proven asset to our economy, empower a dedicated committee and help a few artists move their professional careers forward.”

— Commissioner Greg McPherso

This Mill Street mural was the result of community collaboration. Dustin Carver photo

short of involving commissioners in the

process prior to grant application approval.

Should a grant award from the county depend on whether county commissioners approve of artist selection and mural content? Should county commissioners be involved in that process? Sylva commissioners don’t think so.

“It sounded like censorship, and I think the last thing you want is politicians engaging in what is and what is not art,” said Sylva Commissioner Ben Guiney during a January meeting of Sylva Commissioners. “I was hoping that we could go back and maybe have a little bit more discussion about what public art is, why it’s important and what it is we’re actually asking for.”

McPherson noted that the point of public art is to appeal to as broad an audience as possible and said that the MSSA would not be funding anything inappropriate.

“Their request to censor public art, I think we can all agree that that’s not a good approach to this grant,” said Nestler.

Jones said he is in favor of awarding the grant as it was presented and that he trusts Sylva’s art committee to make the artist/ artwork selection.

“I have good faith in Sylva’s leadership, staff and volunteers on a variety of projects,” said Jones. “I believe the proposed art walk will enhance the downtown experience and bring extra revenue throughout the social district no matter what your business is.”

Jones also pointed out that because there will be multiple, rotating murals, if one comes along that isn’t his favorite, he knows it will eventually be rotated out for a new piece.

Bryson told SMN he would like to see plans for what Sylva has in mind for the murals, but that the county commission should not be involved in the artist or artwork selection.

“I don’t think we should make the decision of what artist,” said Bryson. “But we should be able to trust the Town of Sylva to put forth art, bring art that is going to be in the best interest of the county, for all people of the county, not just what the town wants. Because this money is county money.”

According to McPherson, representatives from the Sylva will go back before the county commissioners again if asked and answer any questions they may have.

“This is a small opportunity to embrace a proven asset to our economy, empower a dedicated committee and help a few artists move their professional careers forward,” said McPherson. “In my role at Western I am lucky enough to be able to deal with visual themes and challenging artwork daily. Something I have learned from my experience with public art is that if the artwork is done professionally and with care, each work can instill an immeasurable pride of place in the community.”

The next regular meeting of the Jackson County Commission is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7. The next regular meeting of the Sylva Board of Commissioners is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9.

Haywood’s capital projects prompt report from financial advisor

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

With long-term debt rolling off the books and a number of high-dollar, high-profile projects on the horizon, Haywood County commissioners will have some tough decisions to make following a presentation by the county’s financial advisor.

“I think the information tonight will set you up nicely for being able to make some of those decisions on an informed basis,” said Ted Cole, senior vice president of Davenport Public Finance.

On Jan. 17, Cole presented a detailed 37page report on the county’s financial health, including the county’s credit rating, the county’s fund management practices, the county’s existing debt and the county’s capacity to take on new debt in an affordable, responsible manner.

Previously, Haywood County was rated Aa3 by Moody’s Investors Service and AA by Standard & Poor’s. The Moody’s rating is three notches below the top AAA designation, while the S&P rating is two notches below their top spot.

Bond ratings are important, as they factor into the interest rates the county could qualify for when borrowing. Over decades, even a small change in interest could cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The county’s general fund remains balanced and has operated with surpluses over the past few years. Despite substantial appropriations of fund balance — the county’s “savings account” — in the 2022 budget, the total general fund balance remains at 17%, well above the county’s floor of 11%.

That figure puts the county far above its Aa3 peers, as well as above counties with Aa2 ratings.

“Your finance staff has been fielding calls and inquiries from some of the lenders and none have had any concerns about the financial profile, the trends, it’s all been actually pretty positive,” Cole said.

As of June 30, 2022, the county had more than $34 million in long-term debt, payable through 2058. Total yearly payments, however, begin to drop precipitously beginning this year.

For 2023, the county appropriated $2.1 million toward its own debt service. In 2024 and 2025, that drops to $1.6 million. In 2026, that figure again declines to just over $1 million. After that, yearly debt service remains nearly constant around $832,000 through 2043 — if no further borrowing takes place.

But that’s unlikely, given the long-planned detention center expansion. The estimated cost of the project is listed by Davenport is $19.8 million but for planning purposes has been listed as $21.5 million. Furnishings, fixtures and equipment, as well as staffing and other operating costs, are not part of that estimate.

Currently, one cent on the county’s ad valorem tax rate is worth $975,527, meaning that for every cent that taxes are raised, the county would realize that approximate amount in new revenue each year. Conversely, for every cent cut from the tax rate, the county would lose that amount of revenue.

Cole estimated the detention center project would have a tax impact of 1.72 cents. Contrary to a prior incorrect media report, the detention center would not “require” a tax increase of 1.72 cents — it would only have that amount of impact on the budget.

The detention center could be funded through a combination of multiple policy initiatives, including fund balance appropriation, loans or budget cuts in other areas.

Additionally, after this year, the county won’t need all of the $2.1 million currently appropriated for debt service and will begin

to realize a savings of approximately $455,000 in each of the next two years, and more than $1 million in subsequent years.

If those funds aren’t stashed away in the savings account or returned to taxpayers in the form of a tax cut, they could be used to defray some of the annual cost of the detention center project.

The same goes for a much talked about overhaul of the Haywood County Library building in Waynesville. The project comes up every year during the annual budgeting process, but commissioners have balked at the price tag, around $10 million, especially since then-Sheriff Greg Christopher asked for the eight-figure detention center expansion back in late 2020.

If the library project gets the green light this year, its tax impact would be nine-tenths of a cent.

As with the inaccurate reporting on the supposedly “required” tax increase for the jail, the library would not require a tax increase; the figure only represents the amount of money commissioners would need to find through fund balance appropriation, loans or budget cuts in other areas.

Another massive capital project, a $37 million general education and early college building at Haywood Community College, may also be considered in the near future by commissioners, making the decisions about the detention center, the library and the financing of it all especially critical.

Cole said that he’d be back before commissioners on Feb. 6 to present the results of the financing proposals for review.

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Pamela Penny Williams

Sarah Corn

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911 call from Lambert Wilson’s death released

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Swain County Emergency Management on Jan. 23 released audio from a 911 call that sheds light on the circumstances leading up to the death of beloved community member Lambert Wilson. Wilson died from gunshot wounds Oct. 20 at the El Camino Motel in Cherokee, which he owned.

The four-minute phone call starts 45 seconds after 9:53 p.m., which is a little over two minutes before Wilson’s death certificate states that he sustained gunshot wounds to the neck, arms, chest and abdomen. The contents of the call indicate that his death resulted from an altercation with a motel customer who feared for their life.

“The owner just attacked my [redacted],” the caller says at the beginning of the call with Jackson County Dispatch.

The caller says they are at the El Camino Motel but flounders when asked for the address.

“There’s a 15 on the building but I’m sorry,” the caller says. “We just came to this motel.”

“Let me see if I can find your address,” the dispatcher responds. “Is he hurt?”

The caller doesn’t have a chance to answer, because from there the situation quickly spirals.

“Hey, he’s got a gun,” says the caller. “He is pointing a gun at me right now. He’s come out, he’s an owner and he has got a gun pointed at us.”

At the 40-second mark, the call records four blasts that sound like gunshots. Wilson’s death certificate lists four places on his body that sustained gunshot wounds, though the document says these injuries occurred one-and-a-half minutes after the blasts on the call.

There are several redactions in the imme-

diate aftermath of the blasts.

“I’m going to stay on the phone with you,” the dispatcher assures the caller.

“He had a gun pointed at me,” says the caller. “Oh my God.”

The next few minutes are hard to follow. Multiple voices can be heard arguing away from the receiver, but it’s impossible to tell what they are saying. Multiple times, the caller repeats to the dispatcher that the man had a gun and was intending to shoot. The dispatcher stays on the line and tries, to no avail, to get additional information from the distraught caller about where exactly on the motel property this incident unfolded.

“We have Cherokee Police Department on their way,” the dispatcher says. “Where at the motel are you?”

The call ends with a second person picking up the phone.

Support Pathways at fifth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser

Haywood Pathways Center will hold its fifth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on Thursday, March 23 at Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church. More than 20 local potters will create bowls for the event, which features local restaurants competing for bragging rights with a wide array of soups or chili. Reigning champ, Waynesville’s Birchwood Hall Southern Kitchen, will defend its title. Presented by WNC Social Media Buzz and Smoky Mountain Group Inc, the event will also feature live music from Bohemian Jean and Arnold Hill. Haywood Pathways Center is a faith-based 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization in Haywood County that provides adult and family shelter, a short-term residential program for those seeking life transformation, a community kitchen providing meals to those living in the shelter and within our community, the Holy Cow food truck, support services within the county detention center and outreach to those who are unsheltered. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Purchase tickets at haywoodpathwayscenter.org.

“Hello,” the person says.

“Where in the motel are you?” the dispatcher asks.

“Did y’all call 911? Get the police. Thank you,” the person responds.

“This is 911,” says the dispatcher as the line goes dead.

In a death certificate filed Nov. 1 in Jackson County, Wilson’s death is recorded as a homicide. In legal terms, “homicide” means only that one human being caused the death of another. The definition includes murder and manslaughter, but also killings justified by self-defense or insanity. Thus far, no charges have been filed in relation to Wilson’s death. A spokesperson for District Attorney Ashley Welch said her office is still investigating, and that there has not yet been a decision on whether to press charges.

The 911 call’s release comes after three months of silence from officials on the circumstances surrounding Wilson’s death. Since Oct. 20, the Cherokee Indian Police Department had declined to say anything beyond the scanty information posted on Facebook in the hours following the tragedy: that an “incident” had occurred at El Camino Motel and CIPD and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigations were on the scene investigating. On Nov. 16, The Smoky Mountain News submitted a request for a copy of the 911 call, but the next day Superior Court Judge Bradley Letts ordered the records sealed for 30 days, ruling in favor of a petition from the State of North Carolina to prevent their release.

When the 30-day seal expired Monday,

Dec. 19, SMN submitted a renewed request, which was ignored until 31 hours later when a new order sealing the records for an additional 30 days was filed in Jackson and Swain County courts. However, no new motion to seal the call was filed when the Dec. 19 order expired Jan. 20, and Swain County Emergency Management released a copy of it Jan. 23. At the time of Wilson’s death, Jackson County’s dispatch center was down and dispatchers were using Swain County facilities, which is why Swain County is administering release of the call to Jackson County 911.

Wilson, 68, was a Swain County native who spent his life as “an advocate for ‘his’ children of Swain and Jackson counties,” according to his obituary. He began his career in 1975 as a teacher at Almond School and was a principal, first at Whittier School and then at East Elementary School, from 1980 to 2006. After his retirement he served on the Swain County Board of Education from 2008 to 2020 and was serving his 13th year on the Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees — and his third year as chairman — at the time of his death.

Wilson owned and operated the Drama Inn and El Camino Motel, and in October 2021 he opened the Queen House Gallery in Cherokee, hoping to encourage young Native American artists and feature renowned artists. Well respected throughout the Native American art community nationwide, Wilson judged several national art competitions and was a board member at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Monday & Saturday Dinner Service

Monday 4 p.m.-8 p.m.

Friday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Experience a Casual, Relaxing Atmosphere

perfect for all walks of life, from families to golf groups to ladies who lunch. We pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients from our gardens and supporting local farmers. The details are priority.

Lambert Wilson. Southwestern Community College photo

Pinning ceremony honors Human Services grads

To help address the mental health crisis facing the nation and this region, four Southwestern Community College students recently completed their studies in the Human Services Technology career pathway and are ready to enter the field as professionals.

Graduates can also continue their education toward a bachelor’s degree.

The fall semester graduates are Ashley Cook of Sylva, Sarah Hisey of Sylva, Harley Mestas of Franklin and Brent Shipton of Sylva. They were honored during a pinning ceremony that was held on Dec. 6 at SCC’s Jackson Campus in Sylva.

“All of these graduates have impressed me with their compassion for others and their eagerness to make a difference in the world,” said Crystal Rhynes, who oversees the HST career pathway at SCC. “There’s never been a greater need for quality individuals in this profession, and we’re proud to send these four graduates off to the next chapter in their respective journeys.”

For more information about entering the Human Services field, contact Rhynes at 828.339.4397 or c_rhynes@southwesterncc.edu.

New brand campaign

showcases WCU’s unique and vibrant culture

After a soft roll-out in the fall of 2022, Western Carolina University’s new brand campaign, “Live Western,” is in full swing for 2023, kicking off with a January launch party on its Cullowhee campus.

“Live Western provides the opportunity to showcase the personal experiences of our students, faculty and staff,” said Travis Jordan, WCU’s chief marketing and communications officer. “To Live Western means something different to everyone. By honing in on the individual experiences, it allows us to tell a collective story on why Western stands above the rest as a regional comprehensive university.”

In 2021, WCU started market research to better understand its perception in the higher education market, complete a competitive audit and identify opportunities for growth, and define its institutional personality for a statewide brand campaign.

WCU partnered with Carnegie, a full-service agency, to help with the research project. More than 500 students, faculty, staff and alumni participated in a survey. That data was used to define

the university’s brand personality with a Jungian archetype methodology.

The Live Western campaign was derived from the university’s top three personality types, which are: Supportive Advocate, Experiential Adventurer and Determined Enthusiast.

Each of these top three personality archetypes are all true and authentic to WCU and can be used in a variety of communications and the following categories were developed to help tell the story of WCU: courageous exploration, meaningful connections, deep learning and blazing a trail.

Through these storytelling categories, the great things WCU faculty, staff, students and alumni are doing are showcased. This also shows that the university not only provides quality and affordable education to its students, but it also provides Western North Carolina and the state a job-ready workforce, economic development opportunities, partnerships with local and regional businesses and a strong sense of community.

The Live Western campaign tells the story of what makes the culture at WCU so unique, why our alumni keep coming home to Cullowhee, the differences we make in our local, regional and national communities and that our faculty and staff will be with our students every step of the way on their higher education journey.

North Carolinians will continue to see the campaign in their markets on billboards, TV, print,

streaming services and social media.

For more information about the campaign, visit livewestern.wcu.edu.

Nominations open for SCC’s annual Alumni Award

Southwestern Community College is now accepting nominations for the SCC Foundation’s fifth-annual Distinguished Alumni Award.

To be considered for the award, nominees must have graduated with either a certificate, diploma or degree from the institution known today as Southwestern Community College and previously as Southwestern Technical College (1979-1988), Southwestern Technical Institute (1967-1979) or Jackson County Industrial Education Center, a satellite of A-B Tech (1964-67).

To nominate a Southwestern graduate, visit SouthwesternCC.edu/award

Nominations for the 2023 award are being accepted through March 1.

In addition to being recognized at graduation, this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award will be recognized on SCC’s website, social media, and receive an award plaque along with $250 from the SCC Foundation.

The SCC Foundation partnered with the SCC Foundation Faculty & Staff Advisory Council to create the award.

Nomination forms will remain on file for three years for future award consideration. After three years, nominations must be re-submitted.

For more information about the Distinguished Alumni Award, contact Kathy Posey, SCC’s Institutional Development Associate, at 828.339.4227 or k_posey@SouthwesternCC.edu.

HCC Small Business Center Spring Seminar Series Feburary events

The HCC Small Business Center has kicked off its Small Business Seminar Series focused on supporting Entrepreneurs and Business Owners at all stages of development.

Here are some highlights of what to expect in Feb.:

• Feb. 1, noon to 1 p.m.: Creating a Business Budget You Will Use: Small Business Lunch & Learn Series

• Feb. 1, noon to 1p.m.: Create & Manage a Powerful Business Brand: MindSpark Live

• Feb. 2, 9 to 11 a.m.: Marketing Your Small Business

• Feb. 3, 10 a.m. to noon: QuickBooks Online Series: Session 1- Setup

• Feb. 7, 1 to 3p.m.: Finding Your Customers

• Feb. 8, noon to 1p.m.: Knowing Your Small Biz Resources: Small Business Lunch & Learn Series

• Feb. 10, 10 a.m. to noon: QuickBooks Online Series: Session 2- Bank Feeds

• Feb. 15, noon to 1p.m.: Balance & Burnout: Small Business Lunch & Learn Series

• Feb. 16, 10 a.m. to noon: Relationship Marketing, Your Ground Game: Relationship Marketing Series

• Feb. 17, 10 a.m. to noon: QuickBooks Online Series: Session 3- Invoicing and Payments

• Feb. 22, noon to 1p.m.: Creating a Motivated Team: Small Business Lunch & Learn Series

• Feb. 23, 1 to 3p.m.: Small Business Tax Essentials

• Feb. 23, 10 a.m. to noon: Your Digital 1st Impression: Relationship Marketing Series

• Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to noon: QuickBooks Online Series: Session 4- Reconciling and Reports

• Feb. 28, 1 to 3 p.m.: Basics of Bookkeeping

All Seminars are free to attend. To see the full seminar schedule and register, go to: sbc.haywood.edu. If anyone has any questions or wants more information on the HCC Small Business Center’s one-on-one, no-fee advisory services, visit sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512.

Local writer hosts workshop for new writers at Cashiers Library

Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library is proud to present a new workshop series for aspiring writers. Beginning Feb. 2, the Winter Writer’s Workshop will be held every Thursday in Feb. and March at 1:30 p.m. in the conference room at the Cashiers Library.

The workshop will be taught by local author Ashley Stewart. In this workshop, Stewart will discuss and demonstrate the basic skills that every writer needs to be successful, including how to create an outline, editing and what to expect during the publishing process.

Sponsored by the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library, the Winter Writer’s Workshop provides new and aspiring writers with the support and guidance they need to be successful.

The workshop is free to attend. Writers of all skill levels are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact the Cashiers Community Library at 828.743.0215.

SCC recently held a pinning ceremony to honor Human Services Technology graduates. They are, from left: Sarah Hisey of Sylva, Ashley Cook of Sylva, Harley Mestas of Franklin and Brent Shipton of Sylva.

Taking a stand when it’s good and bad all at once

(Editor’s note: All the characters in this column are fictitious)

Guy walks into his local taproom and is gratified to see his favorite spot open.

“April, how’s your day going. I’d like the Boojum IPA, Hop Fiend.”

April fills the glass and wipes the bar in front of Jocko before putting down a coaster and setting the beer on top.

“Have you heard about the local football coach who resigned?” Jocko asks.

April tucks the end of the bar rag into the back pocket of her jeans, sweeping one hand through her hair and tucking it behind her ear. Jocko caught the slight, almost impulsive eye roll at the mention of the subject. For most patrons, April would just nod and get back to work, but not with Jocko. He liked the banter between them, and so did April. She knew he was truly interested in her opinion.

“I hear a truckload of women accused him of making sexually suggestive remarks that were inappropriate,” she says. “So yeah, I heard about it, as has everyone around here.”

Jocko, who’s nearing retirement age, has a well-known appetite for local news, local gossip and good craft beer. He just shakes his head.

“Yeah, some are saying it’s too bad he didn’t fight the charges, that the accusations weren’t that bad and that he was a good football coach, and the kids loved him,” muses Jocko, still shaking his head back and forth and pursing his lips in a gesture that indicates “maybe really bad, maybe not so bad.”

April puts her hands on her hips before replying.

“Seems everyone knows you just can’t get away with that

I’ve heard, I gotta think the guy’s a bit creepy.”

Jocko listens, crosses his arms and nods in agreement. “You’re right, but a lot of mothers on social media and even at the school board meeting are defending him. Say he’s been good for their boys, that he instills good values about hard work and sacrifice.”

April laughs out loud, catching Jocko by surprise. She walks down to the only other customers, a couple at the other end of the bar wanting to pay their bill. She returns, a bemused look on her expressive face.

“Hell, if I had somebody working at my establishment that messed with that many of my girls — customer or employee — I wouldn’t ever let him back in here, so surely you can’t accept it in a school setting. Who says you can’t be a great coach and mentor but still a jackass toward women. No one’s perfect, we all got flaws, some worse than others,” she says.

Jocko’s face shows relief at her comment. April sees his point, that there can be some benefit in what the coach does. In her mind, though, if the accusations are true then the bad outweighs the good.

“How’s your son?” Jocko asks. April knows he’s trying to change the subject, but she’s not biting.

“Well, interestingly enough, he’ll be in the ninth grade next year and wants to play football at Tuscola,” says April. “He’s growing up fast, seems all he cares about are video

“Wow, has he asked you about the coach and what’s going on? Surely the kids are talking about it,” Jocko offers.

“Yeah, we’ve had several discussions, something that’s all on me to handle since dad’s out of the picture, as you know,” April said, exhaling a long breath, one hand swinging the rag, the other arm extended to the bar. “As he’s becoming a young man, it’s provided a real-world opportunity to talk about some important stuff: how to treat women, how life often throws you a curve ball you weren’t expecting, how people can be flawed and talented all at once. I told him there’s almost always a clear line between right and wrong when it comes to relationships and even teenage banter.”

“I’d say you’ve got a pretty good handle on this. That’s gonna mean good things for your son,” says Jocko. “Too bad those people on social media won’t just let this play out and keep quiet.”

“Look, if I fire someone from this place, I won’t tell you why it happened. Why does anyone expect a state organization like the school system to provide lots of details on human resource issues? Hell, they’d get sued in a heartbeat,” says April. “He was accused of acting inappropriately by multiple women, he decided to resign rather than fight, case closed. Don’t know why others are fighting his fight for him if he chose not to.”

Beer finished, Jocko lays some bills on the bar.

“Gotta go, time to start dinner so it’ll be ready when my wife finishes her yoga class.”

“Tell her hi, and that I hate I missed that buti class,” says April, with a smile and a wave. “We’ll talk again soon.”

Editor

Scott McLeod

Frody stares down the reaper, again!

“What’s wrong with your dog?”

If I were an 8-year-old boy on a beach vacation with my family and saw a dog like ours waddling down the shore, I would wonder the same thing. His family is appalled, his father rushing up to apologize and his mother looking stricken, mouth agape.

“It’s OK, really,” I say, scooping up our dog, a 13-year-old miniature dachshund with tumors the size of Nerf footballs on his back and side. “He has cancer. We just want to give him a great vacation while he can still enjoy it. See him smiling at you?”

“Can I pet him?” asks the boy, approaching with another man that must be an uncle or a family friend.

“Absolutely,” I say, turning Frody in his direction. He touches his head tentatively, as if it might be scalding hot to the touch. “It’s really OK. He likes you.”

The man asks how he’s doing and a few other questions that indicate he may be a veterinarian. When the boy runs off toward the ocean, the man bows to Frody until he is nose to nose, holding his head on both sides in the palms of his hands.

“You stay strong, buddy,” he says, and then stands erect again. “It’s awesome that you brought him. I hope you enjoy every minute.”

It is always good to be reminded that people can be this way. Perfect strangers and their spontaneous spasms of compassion and kindness.

Frody has been battling cancer for years. The first bout was several years ago, a cancerous mass removed with surgery. In less than two years, the cancer came back and there was more surgery. Two years after that — like clockwork — the cancer returned yet again, only this time surgery was no longer an option.

The options were a prohibitively expensive, painful, and not-guaranteed-to-work series of radiation treatments, or we could gracefully accept the inevitable and make his last weeks or months (if we were lucky) on the earth as pleasant and pain-free as possible.

There is no calculus quite so miserable as deciding how much money you are willing or able to spend to increase the odds, however marginally, of prolonging the life of a loved one for as long as possible. We agonized for a week before deciding not to put him through the radiation treatment.

For weeks, the tumors grew gradually, but there were no signs that Frody was much bothered by them. One of the things he loves most is biting over and over on a long chew toy that has a squeaker in it, as if he is a jazz musician playing a horn. I mean,

he just shreds it, faster than Sonny Rollins. It’s music, and I am convinced that he experiences it as such.

For months, even as the tumors grew ever larger and harder to look at, he continued to proceed as if everything were perfectly normal. We were given some medication to help slow the growth of them, as well as some pain medication for when and if he needed it.

The vet keeps telling us he doesn’t have much time left, and of course we believe it. But he made it to Christmas last year. And then he made it through the spring. After the beach vacation that was supposed to be his last hurrah, he made it through the fall and then, somehow, to yet another Christmas.

This dog has been on the verge of death for nearly two years, but he just keeps forgetting to die. Then, last week, because he could not stop for death, it kindly stopped for him … or so we thought.

One night, he had a series of what appeared to be little seizures, and then sank to his side, whimpering, eyes glassy and remote, breathing shallow and getting shallower, tongue lolling. Tammy and I have been through this before with our beagle, Walter.

It seemed clear that his time had finally come, so we had our son come down while we called our daughter at college so that we could all gather around and say our goodbyes. Frody lay perfectly still as we took turns talking to him, sharing memories, fighting back tears so as not to frighten him. This went on for an hour, even longer.

I was on one side of the bed spooning him, Tammy on the other facing him. Jack was at the foot, his hand extended on top of ours. We had Kayden on Facetime. It grew very quiet.

“Is he gone?”

“Almost,” Tammy said. “He’s barely breathing now.”

In a couple of minutes, she tried to reposition to move her face closer to his. Suddenly, Frody shot up like Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction” when John Travolta gave her a shot of adrenaline. His eyes were wide and wild.

He couldn’t walk or drink water, but he was alert. There were more little spasms — micro seizures maybe? But he eventually drifted off to sleep. I guess we did, too, uneasy about what the morning might bring.

The next morning, Frody was still with us. He rose up stiffly, stretched, and then walked down the ramp to drink about a gallon of water. It was as if nothing at all had happened the night before. Later on, he resumed playing his horn.

“We should have named him Lazarus,” I said.

For a dog on his deathbed for two years, he’s an excellent musician. He’s also a dachshund, which means he’ll die when he’s good and ready, and not one moment before.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com.)

Columnist Chris Cox

IN SEARCH OF THE MUSE

Haywood Arts names new art and gallery manager

BY S USANNA S HETLEY C ONTRIBUTING WRITER

Local artist Lauren Medford was recently promoted to the art and gallery manager at the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) in downtown Waynesville.

A native of Haywood County, Medford holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in advertising and graphic design from Southwestern Community College, and a Master of Fine Arts from Western Carolina University.

Medford is a working artist. When describing her work, she said, “My mediums of choice are printmaking, collage and fibrous sculpture. I work in themes of camp, fandom, fashion, and diva sensibilities.”

Prior to becoming full-time with HCAC, Medford worked to expand programs at the gallery, improve branding and increase their reach. The Smoky Mountain News recently sat down with Medford to learn more about her story.

Smoky Mountain News: What is your first memory of producing a piece of art?

Lauren Medford: I remember being in an art class at Junaluska Elementary School [in Waynesville] in the first grade. Our assignment was to make a winter scene in soft pastels. The teacher entered my piece into the student art

Want to go?

The learn more about upcoming events, exhibits, and showcases at the Haywood County Arts Council, click on haywoodarts.org.

For more on Lauren Medford and Showgirl Press, click on facebook.com/showgirlpress or visit her Instagram (@showgirlpress).

exhibit. My parents and I went to the exhibit. I remember how proud I was to see my art on a wall among the other students’ work.

SMN: What about the style and “vibe” of your work.

LM: My work addresses the aesthetics of flamboyance, glamour, and attitude to express the “camp” sensibilities in popular culture. These concepts are explored through the selection of subject matter that underscores the campiness in popular culture and everyday life. Reoccurring themes in my work include camp, color, excess, flamboyance, and mock-glamour.

SMN: Tell us about your new full-time role with the Haywood County Arts Council.

LM: I started at HCAC in November of 2020 part-time as a gallery attendant. Once [HCAC Executive Director] Morgan Beryl became our new director in the summer of 2021, she moved me into a marketing and graphic design position. I was eager to create new branding for

HCAC and its new programs and events. I’m also the coordinator for the artist member program.

At the end of 2022, our volunteer gallery coordinator, Pamela Tiffany, announced she was ready to take a step back and spend more time with family. Thus, I was promoted to HCAC’s first-ever art and gallery manager.

I manage the Haywood Handmade gallery on 86 North Main Street in Waynesville. This includes receiving new inventory for retail and exhibits, staging work in retail, and working with our gallery volunteers and artist members. I still create all our advertising materials, oversee our social media platforms, website and coordinate the artist memberships. Every day is different and I absolutely love it that way.

SMN: What’s something you would tell folks about HCAC they may not already know?

LM: We offer many opportunities to our artist members. HCAC also has many programs and events for the community at-large from art workshops to the annual Smoky Mountains Bluegrass Festival. For more information about our artist member opportunities, as well as the programs and events we offer, visit HCAC online.

SMN: What’s one (or two or three) pieces of advice you would give other female artists?

LM: Always listen to your gut, not just in your art practice, but in life. Hear what people say, but be selective to whom you listen to. Never let anyone out-work you — always be the hardest worker in the room.

— Lauren Medford

Two recent works by Lauren Medford (below). (File photos)

“I create all our advertising materials, oversee our social media platforms, website and coordinate the artist memberships. Every day is different and I absolutely love it that way.”

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

To rouse the spirit of the earth and move the rolling sky

Hello from Room 827 at the Marriott Town Center in downtown Charleston, West Virginia. The outside temperature is dropping, all while soft snowflakes cascade by the hotel window onto the cold pavement below.

There’s about a five hour or so drive ahead of me back to Haywood County, probably more so due to the winter weather rearing its head. But, no matter. There are good tunes being cranked in the trusty Tacoma, the heater working just fine amid the depths of a cold, wet January in Southern Appalachia.

Typing away at the desk, there’s a slew of receipts near my laptop. Some crumpled, others still fresh, all of which are mementos of a wild, whirlwind weekend in state capital of West-byGod-Virginia. Receipts from dive bars, sports lounges, restaurants, and gas stations. Oh, and a reminder to pay the toll fees for Interstate 64 after not knowing there were toll roads in these parts, no cash in the wallet, either.

Good ole “Wild Wonderful West Virginia.” I found myself up there covering the storied NPR radio program, “Mountain Stage,” for Rolling Stone. Celebrating its 40th year of existence in 2023, I wandered into the fold of host (and country star) Kathy Mattea & Co. as they welcomed an array of musical acts for a two-hour broadcast.

Checking into the Marriott, I immediately ran into one of the stage acts, a couple familiar faces, of which I didn’t realize were on the bill until we crossed paths in the lobby of the hotel. The Canadian rock act (based in Richmond, Virginia) was part of another band that I had seen just before the shutdown in 2020, one of the last shows, too, that was ever held at the now-defunct Mothlight music venue in West Asheville.

The two days in Charleston was a raucous setting of live music, backstage interviews, NFL playoff football in sporadic doses, wintry weather, and a dive bar drag show for good measure. A slew of new faces to interact with, a bunch of new places to inhabit. Just a scruffy journalist on the road, and in their element — the universe hums

and vibrates happily with possibility, eh?

Next thing I know, the rollercoaster of life and happenstance slams to a halt, where it’s now Monday morning, a little after 9 a.m. The 5.5-hour drive ahead of me back to Waynesville from Charleston. Bleary-eyed and in need of water, definitely some of that breakfast buffet in the hotel lobby. Open the curtains to freezing rain on nearby Interstate 64. Pack up the bags. Warm up the truck. Back to Carolina, I go.

Merge onto I-64 towards I-77, en route to Southwestern Virginia, soon East Tennessee, and lastly Western North Carolina. But, not before a little side quest, all in the name of music journalism and also out of pure

HOT PICKS

1The one-woman show “Rising of the Necessary Diva” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

2Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Rossdafareye (rock/country) at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28.

3The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Nick Mac & The Noise (blues/rock) at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27.

4Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Mountain Gypsy (Americana) at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28.

5Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Kind Clean Gentleman (rock/blues) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26.

Virginia Creeper Trail. The parking lot on the outskirts of downtown was empty, a late afternoon train rolling by, its whistle echoing far and wide across the community. Throw on running shoes, strap on one’s gloves and warm toboggan hat. Jump onto the silent trail, only to quickly disappear into your restless thoughts.

I only wanted to do a little more than three miles, so I turned around at the 5K mark, the trail pushing between the physical dichotomy of a vast, empty farm field and new housing development area. On the way back, I passed by the local high school crosscountry team, the boys and girls squad huffing and puffing down the trail, teenage laughter and wonderment in passing.

EVENTS

Thursday, January 26th

Live Music with Andrew Wakefield 8pm - 10pm - Bluegrass, Folk, Old-time, Newgrass, Rock

Friday, January 27th

Live Music with Nick Mac & The Noise 9pm -11pm - High Energy Country, Blues and Rock

Friday, February 3rd

Adamas Entertainment Presents DEAD NIGHT with Lee Cram's Acoustic Grateful Gathering 8pm - 11 pm - Grateful Dead Cover Band

Saturday, February 11th

Live Music w/ TrancEnd 9pm - 12am - 90's & 2000's Cover Band

ScotsmanPublic.com

• 37 CHURCH STREET • DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE

@thescotsmanwaynesville

Mon-Thurs: 4PM-12AM | Fri & Sat: 12PM-12AM | Sun: 10AM-12AM

curiosity, down Route 612 towards Oak Hill, West Virginia.

The final spot on “Hank Williams’ Last Ride” was Oak Hill. This small mountain town in the depths of Appalachia is where the country superstar was brought to the hospital and pronounced dead on New Year’s Day 1953. It’s a quiet community, a dot on the map to somewhere, anywhere. Fuel up and keep on truckin’. And yet, this place is immortalized in country music legend and lore.

The only sign of Williams’ last day on earth is a small marker in front of the library. Standing in front of the marker, it was 30 degrees and snowing. I had to brush the snow off the marker to read what it had to say. Within earshot of the marker is the hospital where Williams was brought to, all before being shipped back to his native Alabama for the funeral. One wonders how similar this cold winter day was to that fateful morning 70 years ago.

Crank the truck back up and meander along Route 19, back to the interstate, down the mountain ridges towards Virginia, only to stop into Abingdon for a quick jog on the

And, it was in that moment, more so in moments “like that,” where on really taps into reality, of what time and place actually is, you know? I started having flashbacks of similar jogs with my team when I was high school those many years ago up on the Canadian Border, our afternoon workouts trotting down trails mowed into endless fields behind our school.

At 37, those adolescent moments in real time were over half a lifetime ago. Sheesh. Has it really been that long? Visions of the same laughter and wonderment, where your whole future was out there, somewhere, waiting for you to chase and capture it. Everything seemed so simple then, as cliché as that sounds. And yet, it was, even if it seemed like a crisis every day of the week as a teenager figuring out their path in life.

Finishing the run, I returned to the truck. On the short walk back across the road to the parking lot, I realized my 38th birthday is just around the corner. Once again, Feb. 5 has snuck up on me, where sometimes I forget what day it is, at least until beloved souls send wishes of good health, vibes, friendship, and love. The clock keeps ticking, thankfully. The adventure continues, and with gratitude.

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

Saltville, Virginia. (Garret K. Woodward photo)

Rock rolls into The Scotsman

Born and raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Nick Mac has found his true passion in writing songs. He enjoys writing songs about love, hardships and real-life experiences. Mac tends to lean towards the country and southern rock genres but has been influenced by just about anything under the sun. The show is free and open to the public. For more information, click on scotsmanpublic.com or nickmacmusic.com.

Interested in learning the dulcimer?

The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players will be resuming in-person jam sessions at the St. John’s Episcopal Church basement fellowship hall in Sylva. The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered

Thelston residency at Boojum

Popular regional rock act Andrew Thelston Band will hold a special monthlong residency every Saturday evening in The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.

Performance dates will be Feb. 4, 11, 18, and 25. All shows begin at 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more on Thelston, click on facebook.com/andrewthelstonmusic.

dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns, and more modern music. The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s.

Pic’ & Play has been playing together since 1995. The more experienced members welcome new players, help them navigate their instruments, and guide them through some of the basics of tuning,

strumming, and playing.

The mountain dulcimer, also known as a fretted dulcimer or a lap dulcimer, is a uniquely American instrument. It evolved from the German scheitholz sometime in the early 1800s in Appalachia and was largely known only in this region until popularized more broadly in the 1950s.

For more information, call Kathy Jaqua at 828.349.3930 or Don Selzer at 828.293.0074.

• Altered Frequencies (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.342.8014 or alteredfrequencies.net.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7 to 9 p.m. every first and third Thursday of the month. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com.

ALSO:

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Andrew Thelston (rock/jam) Feb. 4. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Dirty Dave 7 p.m. Jan. 28. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” on select dates. Tickets start at $25 per person. For tickets, click on oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.

• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For tickets, click on folkmoot.org.

• Fontana Village Resort Wildwood Grill will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Kind Clean Gentleman (rock/blues) 5:30 p.m. Jan. 26, “Bottoms Up Fundraiser” with Ben & The Borrowed Band 11:30 a.m. Jan. 28 and Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Feb. 4. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main Street. littletennessee.org or 828.369.8488.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host REO Speedwagon (classic rock) 8:30 p.m. Feb. 3. caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Trivia Night with Kirk” from 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday, Open Mic Night every Wednesday, Adi The Monk (Americana) Jan. 27 and Rossdafareye (rock/country) Jan. 28. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

Andrew Thelston. (File photo)

Rising regional rock act Nick Mac & The Noise will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at The Scotsman in Waynesville.

Nick Mac & The Noise. (File photo)

On the beat

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” on Wednesdays and semiregular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

to the public. 828.246.9585 or saucedwnc.com

ALSO:

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 6 p.m. Tuesdays, trivia 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Open Mic 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host trivia 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Old Time Jam 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Tickets are $10 for live music, $15 for barbecue dinner and a show. 828.926.1717 or meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Moss Valley (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. Food trucks and beverages available onsite. Bring a lawn chair. Presented by Drake Software.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Steve Heffker (singer-songwriter) Jan. 27 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Jan. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows behind at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. noc.com.

• Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Tickets available at the shop. 828.246.9264 or orchardcoffeeroasters.com.

• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796.

• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• Sauced (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open

• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Andrew Wakefield (bluegrass/folk) Jan. 26, Nick Mac & The Noise (blues/rock) 9 p.m. Jan. 27 and “Dead Night” with Lee Cramm (Grateful Dead tribute). All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.

• SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com or 828.524.1598.

• Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com.

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.479.3364 or stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country Jan. 26, Marc Keller Band Jan. 27, Carolina Freighshakers (rock/oldies)

Jan. 28, JC “Parrothead” Feb. 1, DJ Terry Mooney Feb. 2, Tricia Ann Feb. 3 and Outlaw Whiskey Feb. 4. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows are at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.743.6000 or whitesidebrewing.com.

• Wine Bar & Cellar (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.631.3075 or facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar.

• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. 828.200.2169 or eatrealfoodinc.com.

Celebrate Robert Burns across WNC

• The Taste of Scotland Society will host its annual celebration of Robert Burns on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. The event will be part of a worldwide celebration of the 264th birthday of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland. The evening will consist of a Scottish meal, live music, poetry readings, and traditional parts of any tribute to Burns. The gathering will start at 5 p.m., with the meal served at 6 p.m. Although Scottish attire is welcome, it is not required. This is just an opportunity to have fun, good food, entertaining music, and fellowship. The cost of the dinner will be $25, and $15 for children 12 and under. Cash and checks accepted. Tickets can be obtained from any TOSS member, the Chamber of Commerce, or at the door.

• “Dinner With The Bard: Celebrating Scottish Poet Robert Burns” will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, at The Classic Wineseller in downtown Waynesville. Five-course menu paired alongside scotch, ale, and cider. There will also be pipe music and traditional Burns poetry. Tickets are $110 per couple or $60 per individual, which are all-inclusive. Reservations are required. To RSVP, call 828.452.6000.

• “Burns Night Dinner” will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. Tickets are $100 per person, which includes dinner and entertainment. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.926.1717 or click on meadowlarkmotel.com.

• “Burns Night Supper” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, at The Scotsman in Waynesville. A private, four-course Scottish meal alongside Scotch, ale, wine, pipe tunes, poetry recital, and more. Tickets are $59 per person and available for purchase at the pub. scotsmanpublic.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host the “Battle of the Beans” chili cook-off at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com.

Reading Season

Robert Burns. (File photo)

Ready to try theater?

The Haywood Arts Regional Theater in Waynesville is currently offering a wide variety of classes in the theater arts for all ages, young and old. Whether you are just starting out or want to hone your skills, HART has opportunities for you.

Sign up your youngest one or grandkid who has a ton of creative energy, but doesn’t know how to focus it yet. Or sign up that young theatre enthusiast who is looking to learn more and find a group of like-minded friends that will last a lifetime. Or maybe this is the sign you have been waiting for to finally gain the courage to step on stage. Whatever the desire, HART has a class that is waiting for you.

Classes run through March 2. HART prides itself on offering reasonably priced classes so that they can keep the arts alive in Haywood County. Browse the selection of spring classes at harttheatre.org and sign up today for a chance to change your life and discover your hidden talents and passions.

For more information, contact Artistic Director Candice Dickinson at 646.647.4546 or email candice@harttheatre.org.

• “Rising of the Necessary Diva” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. This endeavor is an autobiographical account of a girl raised in the hood and born to a sharecropper’s daughter. Her gift to sing paves a path for her to travel the world singing classical music, but whose heart recognizes the need to return to the hood to serve in purpose.

ALSO:

This one-woman multimedia show, starring WCU’s Assistant Professor of Music (Voice) Dr. Tiffany Renee Jackson and featuring a live band, will inspire audiences to find their own higher calling. For more information, click wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center.

A stage production at HART. (File photo)

On the wall

CHEROKEE POTTERY CLASS, ARTIST DEMONSTRATIONS

The Museum of the Cherokee Indian will host a beginners pottery class with Lori Reed from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 26-27. For more information and/or to register for classes, call 828.497.3481 or click on mci.org. (File photo)

• Valentine’s Day monoprint greeting card workshop will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at the Haywood Handmade Gallery in downtown Waynesville. The class instructor will be Lauren A. Medford of Showgirl Press. Cost is $45 per person. To register, click on haywoodarts.org/creationclasses.

• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. For more

On the street

Contra dancing in Franklin

There will be a contra dance class offered from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Contra dance is considered the most accessible and sociable of all dances, with participants moving in two long facing lines or in groups, and with frequent partner changes. With its roots in the British Isles and France, contra dance has become a traditional American dance form.

No experience is needed to contra dance. All dances are taught. Beginners’ lessons start at 6:30 p.m., with dancing from 7 to 9 p.m. No need to bring a partner, but you’re welcome to do so. You may also bring a closed

information on the upcoming classes and/or to sign-up, click on southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.

• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will host an array of upcoming art classes and workshops. For more information and a full schedule of activities, click on dogwoodcrafters.com/classes.html or call 828.586.2248.

ALSO:

water container and snack. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Masks are encouraged, but not required. Please don’t wear perfumes or strong scents.

Suggested donation of $10 per person. This project is hosted by the Arts Council of Macon County and supported by a generous gift from The James Edward Hudock Trust.

‘McMullen Circle’ and picks for teen readers

It’s 1969-1970, and the world is changing at a fierce pace. The civil rights movement grips America’s cultural arena, and the war in Vietnam is raging.

In “McMullen Circle” (Regal House Publishing, 2022, 170 pages), Heather Newton revives that time in our nation’s history, now 50 years in the past, by whisking readers off to the hills of North Georgia and a small town, Tonola Falls, which is also the home of the McMullen Boarding School. Here we quickly meet Richard Pierce, the school’s headmaster, who is married to Sarah, a student he met in his teaching days in a two-year women’s college in Pennsylvania. Their daughter is Lorna, a sometimes dreamy but creative adolescent who spends much of her time with her best friend Chase Robbins and Edwina Pickens, the daughter of the school’s cafeteria manager.

“McMullen Circle” — the title comes from the circular street ringing the school — is a novel composed of stories linking faculty members and townspeople. Like Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, which was a cycle of stories revolving around that town and a few main characters, McMullen Circle isn’t a typical novel with one or two main protagonists and a direct plot line. Lorna and her parents figure prominently in the action, but so do some other characters: a school librarian who cares for her aging partner, Margaret, who taught voice to the students and led the choir but has suffered a stroke, Edwina and her parents, a World War II B-17 tail gunner, Danny, who suffers nightmares from the war and whose alcoholism as driven him to become a permanent resident of a halfway house, and others.

All of Newton’s main characters struggle with challenges and unexpected obstacles. Disowned by her father and physically and psychologically battered by her alcoholic husband, a failed musician, Margaret takes a leap of faith by committing herself to the care and love of Evelyn. Richard Pierce, who swore an oath to himself at Lorna’s birth that he would never embarrass her, as his own father had so often embarrassed him, discovers this rule of parenting can wind up in a dead end. The young Lorna finds herself part of the battleground between her mom and dad, and tries in her own way to keep

Sylva monthly book club

the family peace.

Of all the people in “McMullan Circle,” Sarah Pierce most interested me, which is somewhat strange given that for the most part I found little to like in her. As a college student, she purposefully seduced Richard, but when we meet her in the novel’s first pages, she’s having an affair with one of the school’s teachers, a man whom she finds intolerable except as a tool for tormenting her husband. She seems bent on humiliating

faced with some rough times and circumstances who rise up to meet these challenges and do their best to overcome obstacles.

•••

Winter is here, which usually means more time spent indoors and which can become that season when we spend some of our hours every week, often in the evening, reading a book. Most of us know what sort of literature we enjoy, head for the library or the local bookstore, and find our print-and-paper pleasures in those establishments. Parents of toddlers and elementary school age children generally know as well the books they’d like to pick up for their kids, often collections of classic fairy tales for the little ones or books like the Nancy Drew series or The Chronicles of Narnia for the older crew.

Helping teens select good books can be a tougher proposition, as evidenced by the friends and family members who ask me for recommendations for this age group. Often the questions catches me off guard, and I end up lamely suggesting a few titles or draw a blank.

But here are two resources I now recommend for parents and teens wishing to read books that are both exciting and that convey strong values.

Richard, against whom the worst charge that might be brought is his dullness. She appears at a school function dressed “in a midriff top that showed her navel and jeans with a hole in one knee so big it was a wonder the pants leg hadn’t fallen off.” She openly flirts with her lover, constantly mocks her husband, and like so many people then and now, seems sickeningly selfabsorbed. Yet it is Sarah who fights back against racial prejudice in the town, though here again we may wonder whether she does so to defend a righteous cause or to call attention to herself, and it is Sarah who saves her daughter from a possible attacker in the woods.

Setting Sarah aside, “McMullen Circle” eventually leave readers with a sense of hope, depicting as it does ordinary people

The first is a list at Goodreads titled Best (Classic) Books for Teens. Google ‘Goodreads Best Classic Books for Teens,’ and it pops up right away. This list includes works from “Romeo and Juliet” to “Animal Farm,” from “The Old Man and the Sea” to “The Giver.”

Hard-copy guides can also be a great resource for parents looking for the best in books for their young people. Here I’d highly recommend “Honey for a Teen’s Heart” by Gladys Hunt and Barbara Hampton. Like Hunt’s earlier book for younger readers, “Honey for a Child’s Heart,” this guide for parents and teens offers hundreds of recommendations, inspirational passages on the value of reading, and advice on how to select good books.

Enjoy. (Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” minick0301@gmail.com.)

A monthly book club is being currently offered at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Each month, a library staff member will be discussing some of the new book titles that the library has received. Particular attention will be paid to “under the radar” titles and authors, new releases, and other books that the staff is excited about. All are welcome and no registration is required. For more information on when the club will meet, please call the library at 828.586.2016. This club is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The JCPL is a member of Fontana Regional Library (fontanalib.org).

Tag purchase details

Park visitors can purchase daily tags for $5, weekly tags for $15 and annual tags for $40. Parking tags are required starting March 1.

■ Annual tags are on sale now at smokiesinformation.org. They take about two weeks to ship.

■ Weekly and daily tags will be on sale starting Feb. 21 at recreation.gov and can be printed out for use.

■ Starting late February, in-person tag sales will be available at the Clingmans Dome Visitor Center, Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Swain County Visitor Center, Gatlinburg Welcome Center, Sugarlands Visitor Center, Townsend Visitor Center, Cades Cove Visitor Center, Cades Cove Orientation Shelter and Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.

■ Starting March 1, daily and weekly tags can be purchased 24 hours a day from one of six automated fee machines distributed throughout the park. Locations have yet to be announced.

For more information, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fees.htm.

Pay to play

Smokies parking tags now on sale

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS E DITOR

Starting March 1, Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitors will have to pay to park. As the date approaches and annual parking tags go on sale, park management is working to iron out the details and communicate them to the public.

“We’re going to continue to finely tune these programs to make sure that the intent that I had in creating this program is actually having that impact on the ground,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash.

Cash first proposed the parking tag program, called Park it Forward, in April 2022. It was a response to rising visitation and stagnant federal funding that made stewardship of America’s most visited and largest free-toenter national park increasingly difficult. The park logged a staggering 14.1 million visits in 2021, a 57% increase from 10 years prior.

Though 2022 visitation came in significantly lower, at 12.9 million, that’s still the second-highest annual visitation on record and marks a 33.9% increase from 2012. Meanwhile, inflation-adjusted federal funding has fallen and along with it, staffing. A 1992 federal law in combination with a restriction in the 1951 deed transfer placing key park roads in federal ownership meant that the Smokies could not charge an entrance fee to

scale its budget to its popularity.

Park it Forward aims to raise new revenue for the park without violating the ban on entrance fees.

The proposal was controversial, to put it mildly. The governments of all six counties surrounding the park issued formal statements opposing it, and the N.C. House of

Representatives passed a resolution to the same effect. Creating the park required evicting 1,200 families from their homes. Many of their descendants still live in the communities surrounding it and believed the park would remain free to use forever. However, public input from residents of the six counties showed an even split between support and opposition, and overall comments revealed much greater rates of support than opposition. In August, the proposal received official approval.

Starting March 1, visitors planning to park their cars for 15 minutes or more will need to purchase a parking tag. Annual tags are $40, weekly tags $15 and daily tags $5. Cash expects the program to bring in $5 million for the current fiscal year ending Sept. 30 and $8-10 million on average thereafter. When including other fee increases approved along with Park it Forward — backcountry camping rates doubled, and campground fees rose across the board — total revenue is estimated at $12-14 million each year.

EDUCATING VISITORS AND HIRING STAFF

The park has determined that it needs to bring in enough money to bridge a 40% gap between buying power and spending needs. Without the fee increases approved in August, the park would have had roughly $30 million this year, 80% of which would come from the federal budget. The $12-14 million Cash estimates will come from the fee increases will fill that 40% deficit, with all fees collected remaining within the park’s local budget.

“One of the primary things that we want to be able to do in the first year of raising the

revenue is to start restoring our staffing,” said Management Assistant Dana Soehn. “We can’t accomplish the project work that desperately needs to be done across the park without the staffing to do the work.”

Priority hires will include custodial staff to pick up trash and clean toilets, law enforcement officers to ensure visitor safety and respond swiftly to search and rescues or accidents in the backcountry and facility maintenance workers to keep park amenities in good working order. The park has also prioritized contracted project work, including help with storm damage response so roads and trails can reopen more swiftly after a severe weather event. As revenue starts to come in this year, the park will hire about two dozen new permanent, full-time staff, with 13 such positions already approved.

“We’re on our way to right the ship to be able to have the human infrastructure to be able to address the visitation level that we have here in the park,” Cash said.

To enforce the parking tag requirement, law enforcement rangers can use consequences as severe as writing citations and impounding vehicles. But a visitor’s behavior would have to be “egregious” to incur such a response, Soehn said — especially in the first year of the program.

“Especially in year one, there’s a lot of focus, as you can imagine, on raising awareness and providing education,” Soehn said.

“We know that people have been coming here for nearly 90 years and they didn’t need a parking tag. So it’s going to take a while for everyone to understand the program.”

The park has already hired new recreation technicians who will rove the park, especially at busy locations, letting

Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash proposed the Park it Forward program in response to rising visitation and stagnant federal funding. NPS photo

On a Saturday in July 2020, cars line both sides of Newfound Gap Road near the trailhead for Alum Cave Trail. NPS photo

Law Enforcement Appreciation Days

coming at Cataloochee

Law enforcement workers can enjoy Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley for a reduced rate Feb. 2-3 during Fire and Rescue Appreciation Days.

The rate applies to fire and rescue personnel and their families, with valid ID. Learn more at cataloochee.com.

visitors know about the parking tag requirement and where they can get one for their next visit. New signage going in over the next several weeks will also explain how to comply with the parking tag requirement. Law enforcement rangers have a “series of tools” at their disposal, Soehn said, ranging from verbal or written warnings and courtesy stickers for absent car owners to citations and impoundment.

Visitors can purchase tags online ahead

Smoky Mountains National Park, and it won’t be the only major shift to take place in the coming years.

One big change is already underway — in December, the park began a months-long effort to place barriers preventing roadside parking in areas of the park where that has proven to be an issue. The barriers will be made of varying materials chosen specifically for each site — including boulders, splitrail fencing and wooden bollards — and will be placed at Newfound Gap Road near the Gatlinburg, Alum Cave and Chimney Tops trailheads; Little River Road near Laurel Falls trailhead; Cherokee Orchard Road; Big Creek and Deep Creek picnic areas; and sections of Clingmans Dome Road and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.

“We feel that for visitors having to get out of the car and walk almost a mile along a roadside, one of the busiest roads in the park, eventually that Swiss cheese can line up and someone gets hurt,” Cash said. “I feel the best policies in regards to safety are the policies that are put in place before there’s a fatality, not after there’s a fatality.”

of time, or in person at any of nine visitor centers. Annual tags are available now, with weekly and daily tag sales starting in late February. By March 1, daily and weekly parking tags will be available via credit card purchases from six automated fee machines to be installed throughout the park.

“In future years depending on the success of those machines we hope to be able to put them in more places,” Soehn said.

The park is also working with community partners to advertise places where visitors who don’t have a printer can print out daily or weekly tags purchased online.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Park it Forward program is a seismic change in the management of the Great

Cash said that for the next few years, ironing out the details of Park it Forward to make the program work seamlessly for its intended purpose will be the park’s priority. However, park leadership continues to consider additional measures to relieve congestion and improve visitor experience at exceptionally busy locations.

“We’re still experimenting with different kinds of visitor use management solutions such as shuttles, timed entries and hopefully some other possibilities that just provide better information to visitors about when the parking lots fill up and what the current conditions are,” Soehn said.

No new pilot projects are planned for 2023, with the park intending to focus on implementing Park it Forward. But that program’s success could fuel development of new visitor management initiatives in the future.

“Some of the revenues from that program can help us toward some of those goals to improve the visitor experience at some of those places,” Soehn said.

Forest Service completes objection reviews for Pisgah-Nantahala forest plan

BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS E DITOR

The U.S. Forest Service has completed its review of 891 objections to the PisgahNantahala forest management plan it released a year ago, clearing the final hurdle to implement the first new forest plan since 1987.

The 445-page objection response document details 104 issues raised by objectors, which covered nearly every topic in the plan. For each issue, the document includes a summary of the objection, requested remedies, findings from the Forest Service’s review of the objection, and instructions, if any, to amend the plan.

“I am humbled by the number of people interested in their local forests, and I appreciate everyone’s participation in the process,” said reviewing officer Deputy Regional Forester Rick Lint. “They clarified issues and provided ideas to improve the final plan,”

The new forest plan has been a decade in the making, with the Forest Service first reaching out to stakeholders in 2012. The Forest Service released its final plan in January, kicking off a formal objection process that culminated with 24 hours’ worth of virtual meetings Aug. 2-4 between

objectors and Forest Service representatives.

Lint and his team were charged with reviewing the objections and issuing any instructions for Forest Supervisor James Melonas to incorporate into the plan prior to implementation. The objection review process ensures the revised final plan meets current law, regulation and policy. It also considers changes that improve the analysis and decision.

“The Forests’ planning team did an incredible job with the plan, as you will see in the responses to the objections,” added Lint. “We recognize that healthy forests and communities are interdependent; it’s one of our Forest Service values. We take public engagement seriously; we modified the plan based on what we heard at the objection meetings.”

In a press release, the Forest Service listed some of the most notable changes included in the objection response:

■ An additional 800 acres will be added to

the Special Interest Area management area in Big Ivy/Craggy Mountain and Shope Creek, bringing the total footprint over 12,200 acres in recognition of the land’s ecological, scenic and recreational value. The

Broad River with a recreational classification. Designation as a wild and scenic river is the nation’s strongest form of protection for free-flowing rivers and streams.

■ Protections for species of conservation concern and federally listed species will be clarified.

■ Regarding sustainable recreation, aspects of management for user-created trails will be clarified, guidance on managing climbing routes through unique habitats will be updated and management approaches related to visitor management at equestrian campgrounds will be added.

■ Process documentation on ecological modeling, species analyses and Wild and Scenic Rivers evaluations will be updated.

Final instructions and clarifications were shared with the Forests’ staff and objectors following the independent review by the national team. The written responses are the final decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the objections.

change is in response to objections from several parties, including I Heart Pisgah and the City of Asheville, which wanted to see the Special Interest Area expanded to 16,000 acres total.

■ A new Wild and Scenic River segment will be added for the North Fork French

Due to the high volume of issues, Forest Service staff began implementing instructions as the review team finalized each individual objection response, streamlining the process. The National Forests in North Carolina complied with all instructions, most of which focused on providing clarifications or additional information. The new plan — which replaces the current document created in 1987 and amended in 1994 — is expected to be released by the end of the month.

The resolution response is available at fs.usda.gov/goto/nfsnc/nprevision.

A biker pedals the Staire Creek Trail.

Steven McBride photo’

Proposal for Overmountain Shelter replacement

A proposal for the future of the Overmountain Shelter on the Appalachian Trail, closed since 2019, will be discussed during a virtual presentation and public scoping meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Located in the Roan Mountain area in Avery County, the Overmountain Shelter was originally a barn on a private farm that was acquired by the U.S. Forest Service in 1979 and became part of the Appalachian Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest. The Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club converted the barn into a trail shelter in 1986. Despite efforts to maintain it, the barn has become structurally unsound and cannot be safely occupied. Slope movement has caused a signifi-

Retreat to inspire congregational care for the planet

A retreat for faith leaders and people interested in inspiring their congregations and communities to care for the planet will be held Feb. 6-7 at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat.

Hosted by the Creation Care Alliance, this year’s symposium is titled “For the Love of All Creation: Practicing Resilience and Restoration in the Mountains” and will offer workshops on climate resilience, practicing solidarity with indigenous communities, community organizing, finding support for eco-grief and renewable energy and energy efficiency for congregations.

Avery Davis Lamb, co-director of Creation Justice Ministries, will be the sym-

cant downhill lean in the structure and a support beam snapped under the large upper loft.

A proposal is now being considered to decommission the shelter and pit privy. In place of the shelter, a 12x12-foot covered picnic table area is being proposed as a place to sit, enjoy the view and provide a dry cooking area for campers. The fields around the shelter would remain open for tent camping. The Stan Murray Shelter just 2 miles to the south provides a covered overnight alternative for campers.

A 20-day period for written comments opened Monday, Jan. 23. To learn more about the project, submit a comment or join the Jan. 25 meeting, visit fs.usda.gov/project/?project=63432.

posium’s keynote speaker. Lamb is a theologian and activist who has previously worked for Sojourners and Interfaith Power & Light. He serves on the board of The Center for Spirituality in Nature and is a Fellow of the Re:Generate Program at Wake Forest Divinity School and the Foundations of Christian Leadership Program at Duke Divinity School. His research focuses on the role of religious communities in building climate resilience and adaptation, with emphasis on the virtue of “climate hospitality.”

The program Monday, Feb. 6, is reserved for clergy and non-ordained congregational and religious professionals. The Tuesday, Feb. 7, symposium will be open to all creation care advocates and leaders.

Registration closes Jan. 30. Group rates and scholarships available. Learn more or register at creationcarealliance.org/2023symposium.

Word from the Smokies

BY KORRIN B ISHOP · CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Inaugural event shows

Elkmont

not a ghost town

If you’ve been to the Elkmont Historic District of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you’ve probably come across a gathering of vacant buildings — many with wide porches, stone chimneys and wooden shutters. Some of the buildings are slowly returning to nature, their leftover stonework an enduring declaration that they were once here. But many others are being restored, namely those in a neighborhood called Daisy Town.

Old empty buildings tucked unexpectedly in the mountains playing tug-of-war with encroaching mosses and fallen leaves may strike visitors as a little spooky at first. Brad Free, interpretive park ranger with GSMNP, emphasizes, however, that Daisy Town is not a ghost town — and the park’s first annual Daisy Town Day this past November sought to show visitors exactly why that’s true.

When Free was stationed on the Cherokee, North Carolina, side of the park, he worked with elders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

“Every day when I’d leave, they’d always say, ‘See you later,’” he said. “One day I asked them, ‘Do you ever say goodbye?’ They told me there was no word in the Cherokee language that means goodbye because they believe that if you say goodbye, it means they’ll never see you again. If they say, ‘see you later,’ then you’ll meet again either in person or in spirit.”

Curious, Free later asked one of his EBCI colleagues if the Cherokee believe in ghosts. “He said, ‘No, as long as we tell stories, we believe that things don’t die.’ And I believe that what we do in the National Park Service is tell stories. As long as we tell stories about the people who lived here, then we don’t have ghost towns here. So, that’s what our volunteers are doing at Elkmont — telling the stories that keep that place alive.”

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw around 14 million visits in 2021. The park’s vast biodiversity, rich history and ample recreation has come to mean adventure, joy and memories for so many people since its founding. Yet, its status as a popular tourism destination started well before the park became a park. In fact, one could argue that it began in the early 1900s when the Little River Railroad Company built a line between Elkmont and Townsend, Tennessee.

The goal of this railroad was to transport logs from Little River Lumber Company’s operations in the Smoky Mountains to the sawmill in town. When the railroad extended into Knoxville, however, Elkmont quickly

became a go-to destination for Knoxville families looking to escape the city’s summer heat and smog. Daisy Town was one of these respites, a collection of summer vacation homes for members of the Appalachian Club.

“We’ve never really talked about the tourism history of the Smokies,” Free said. “We have good programming around the Cherokee, early settlers, logging industry, Civilian Conservation Corps and early histo-

beekeepers, how children played and went to school there, the history of the churches and cemeteries in the area and the logging industry.

Dan Paulin is passionate about telling Elkmont’s stories. Author of “Lost Elkmont,” he remembers first seeing the little neighborhood in the 1980s, when several leases in Daisy Town were still active.

“I was just amazed, as was my wife, that this existed,” he said. “I remember turning to her and saying, ‘Hey, honey, we’ve got to rent one of these! This is so cool.’ Little did I know at the time that it was a private community.”

But now, as a founding member of the Elkmont Roving Corps, Paulin gets to spend time there sharing the resource with people from near and far. He’s grateful for Eleanor

said. “It’s really a hoot when you get to meet someone who has that history with one of the cabins. They’re so appreciative of what we’re doing.”

With dedicated volunteers, lively storytelling and hands-on experiences, Daisy Town Day cemented the Elkmont Historic District into the history books not as a ghost town, but rather as a spirited place of old tales that weave into our modern-day love of the Smokies, interest in our collective ancestry and will to keep our memories alive.

“I have to brag on the volunteers,” Free said. “The passion they have for preserving this area and educating visitors on it is really special. Their enthusiasm and how much work and thought they put into this event was truly humbling to me. Their hearts were really in it and the event could not have been

ry of the park, but that tourism history that really built this area is so important too.”

As part of the effort to share that tourism history, the park held the inaugural Daisy Town Day on Nov. 4, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Elkmont Historic District.

Members of the Elkmont Roving Corps — a group of dedicated volunteers who help protect and interpret the Elkmont Historic District — dressed up in clothing from between 1910 and 1934 and conducted fun, educational activities. Each volunteer adopted one of the Daisy Town cabins and chose a theme for their stop along the event. Men sat on the cabin porches playing cards, ladies dressed in 1920s attire hosted a tea party and other volunteers talked about past

Dickinson (née Creekmore) whose grandfather built one of the Daisy Town cabins. When leases on the cabins terminated at the end of 1992, she lobbied to get the Elkmont district placed on the National Historic Registry in 1994.

“Without her, there could have been no Elkmont Daisy Town Day and no cabins for visitors to GSMNP to enjoy,” said Paulin.

Because of that protection and the park’s work to preserve the area, he gets to see the value in his interactions with park visitors each week — including the more than 700 who came to Daisy Town Day.

“Some park visitors I encounter have even stayed in some of the cabins or are descendants of former leaseholders,” he

done without them.”

Keep an eye out for announcements from GSMNP in the fall about the event’s next chapter and how you can help listen to and share Daisy Town’s stories as part of the park’s living history of Smoky Mountain tourism.

Korrin Bishop is a freelance writer and editor with publications in U.S. News & World Report, Southern Living, Fodor’s Travel, Sierra and Smokies Life, the primary benefit for members of Great Smoky Mountains Association, which provides this column. Bishop was a 2020 writer-in-residence at Sundress Academy for the Arts in Knoxville and is a certified Tennessee naturalist. To learn more about her work, visit korrinbishop.com.

that

is

Volunteers from the Elkmont Roving Corps — a group of dedicated volunteers who help protect and interpret the Elkmont Historic District of Great Smoky Mountains National Park — adopted one of the Daisy Town cabins and chose a theme for the inaugural Daisy Town Day on November 4, 2022. These ladies dressed in 1920s attire and hosted a tea party. Paul Driessche, Great Smoky Mountains Association photo

Franklin group recognizes new A.T. supporter

Highlands Aerial Park in Scaly Mountain is a new A.T. Supporter with the Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council.

The Council held its January meeting at the park. Meetings are typically held down-

stairs in Franklin Town Hall, with the next one scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7. Meetings are open to anybody interested in supporting the A.T., Franklin’s outdoor community and each other.

Get ready for turkey season

A series of free, online turkey hunting seminars are coming up in February from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Topics will include biology, species habits, habitats, scouting, essential equipment, setup, effective shot placement, decoy placement and hunting strategies. Classes will be held 7-8 p.m. with an interactive Q&A session at the end. The seminars are intended as a consecutive, threenight workshop, but the format allows students to take one or all of the classes in the order they choose. The seminars are specifically geared toward new hunters.

CLASSES ARE:

■ Tuesday, Feb. 7: Biology for Hunters, Regulations, Where to Hunt and Scouting.

■ Wednesday, Feb. 8: Firearms, Ammo, Clothing and Miscellaneous Equipment.

■ Thursday, Feb. 9: Hunting Techniques and Strategies.

Space is limited with pre-registration required at ncwildlife.org. Classes will be held via Zoom. The classes are timed to take place prior to wild turkey open seasons for male or bearded turkeys, which are April 1-7 for youth under 18 and April 8 to May 6 statewide.

Norton Creek firefly tickets on sale

Save the date for a magical evening watching the synchronous fireflies of the Smokies, with tickets available to see the show at Norton Creek June 8-11.

From the comfort of a luxurious private reserve, participants enjoy food and drink surrounded by gorgeous natural scenery and witness an incredible display of synchronous and blue ghost fireflies (and other glowing critters) guided by knowledgeable staff. Tickets are $250 for June 8, 10, or 11 and $750 for June 9, which includes a candlelight dinner.

Buy a ticket at dlia.org/event/fireflies2023. All proceeds support Discover Life in America, a nonprofit partner of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council members held their January meeting at Highlands Aerial Park, a supporter of the organization. Eric Haggart photo

Radim Schreiber photo

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Cowee School Farmer’s Market is held Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. The market has produce, plant starts, eggs, baked goods, flowers, food trucks and music. For more information or for an application, visit www.coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080.

• Jackson County Green Energy Park is once again welcoming visitors. It is open to the public each week 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Public classes will resume this spring. JCGEP will also host live glassblowing demonstrations at Innovation Station during the Lights and Luminaries festival in Dillsboro. For more information email info@jacksonnc.org or 828.631.0271.

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• Haywood Community College will host the seminar “Overcome the Fear of Being Your Own Boss: Small Business Lunch & Learn Series” noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25. Seminars are free to attend. To see the full schedule and register, go to sbc.haywood.edu.

• Haywood Community College will host “Creating a Business Budget You Will Use: Small Business Lunch & Learn Series” noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1. Seminars are free to attend. To see the full schedule and register, go to sbc.haywood.edu.

• Haywood Community College will host “Create & Manage a Powerful Business Brand: MindSpark Live” noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1. Seminars are free to attend. To see the full schedule and register, go to sbc.haywood.edu.

• Haywood Community College will host “Marketing Your Small Business” 9-11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2. Seminars are free to attend. To see the full schedule and register, go to sbc.haywood.edu.

• Haywood Community College will host “QuickBooks Online,” a four-part series during February. The first session will take 10 a.m.-noon Friday, Feb. 3. Seminars are free to attend. To see the full schedule and register, go to sbc.haywood.edu.

• Haywood Community College will host “Balance & Burnout: Small Business Lunch & Learn Series” from noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15. Seminars are free to attend. To see the full schedule and register, go to sbc.haywood.edu.

• Haywood Community College will host “Relationship Marketing, Your Ground game: Relationship Marketing Series” from 10 a.m.-noon Thursday, Feb. 16. Seminars are free to attend. To see the full schedule and register, go to sbc.haywood.edu.

FUNDRAISERS AND B ENEFITS

• Haywood Waterways Association and The Town of Canton are hosting the 11th annual Plunge and Plunge Challenge will take place at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Champion Credit Union Aquatic Center (Canton Pool). The event raises funds for Kids in the Creek and other Haywood Waterways’ other community education activities. For more information contact 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

H EALTH AND WELLNESS

• Mountain Area pregnancy Services and the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor work together to provide a casual support group for prenatal and breastfeeding individuals from 1-2 p.m. on Tuesdays at Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, 177 N Main St. Waynesville, NC. All are welcome, registration is recommended. For more information, please call 828.558.4550.

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com

R ECREATION AND FITNESS

• Adult indoor soccer takes place 6-8 p.m. each Wednesday at the Old Hazelwood Gym in Waynesville. Offered by Haywood County Recreation and Parks, indoor soccer night is $3 each evening with season passes available for $20. Learn more at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.

CLUBS AND M EETINGS

• Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center, 45 East Ridge Drive, in Bryson City. Rob Ferguson, an associate professor of History at Western Carolina University will give a presentation entitled “Tarheels in the Pacific Northwest.” The meeting is free and open to the public.

• The Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library Creative Writing Group meets 10:30 a.m.-noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.

• Knit Night takes place at 5:30-7:30 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at The Stecoah Valley Center. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP is recommended: 828.479.3364 or amber@stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• Sylva Writers Group meets at 10:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at City Lights Bookstore. For more information contact sylvawriters@gmail.com.

K IDS & FAMILIES

• Yoga for kids of all ages will be offered at 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Macon County Public Library. Yoga mats not provided. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Creative Writing Club will take place at 3:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. The first class will take place at Wednesday, Jan. 25. The writing club is intended for ages 8-12. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Move and Groove Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Thursday, at the Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Exciting, interactive music and movement story time ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Ashlyn at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or at 828.356.2567.

• Wiggle Worms Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Tuesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.

• Storytime takes place at 10 a.m. every Tuesday at the Macon County Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Toddler’s Rock takes place at 10 a.m. every Monday at the Macon County Library. Get ready to rock with songs, books, rhymes and playing with instruments. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Culture Talk takes place at 2 p.m. on the first

Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. Travel the world from inside your library. This event features guest speakers and food sampling from the location being discussed. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

• Art afternoon takes place at 3:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Macon County Public Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.

A&E

• Maggie Valley Ice Festival will take place 3-8 p.m. Jan. 28, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.

• Voices in the Laurel will sponsor Movie MADness, a community Multicultural Arts Day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at First Baptist Church in Waynesville. While admission is free, space is limited, so make your reservation today at www.voicesinthelaurel.org.

• Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events. Registration is required, $45.

• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon-4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.

F OOD AND D RINK

• Burns Night Dinner will take place Friday, Jan. 27, at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. For more information visit meadowlarmotel.com.

• The Taste of Scotland Society, Inc. will host the first annual Robert Burns Dinner from 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Tartan Hall, First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. Tickets can be purchased t Ruby City, First Presbyterian Church, Franklin Chamber of Commerce, and from any Taste of Scotland member.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday and 2-5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

• Take a trip around the world with four different wines every Friday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 11a.m.-6 p.m. at the Bryson City Wine Market. Pick from artisan Charcuterie Foods to enjoy with wines. 828.538.0420

• Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS

• Chess 101 takes place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday in the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. No registration required, for more information call 828.648.2924.

• Wired Wednesday, one-on-one technology help is available at 3-5 p.m. every Wednesday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information or to register, call 828.648.2924.

• Uptown Gallery, 30 East Main St. Franklin, will be offering Children’s Art Classes Wednesdays afternoons. Adult workshops in watercolor, acrylic paint pouring, encaustic and glass fusing are also offered. Free painting is available 10 a.m.-3 p.m. every Monday in the classroom. A membership meeting takes place on the

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for:

n Complete listings of local music scene

n Regional festivals

n Art gallery events and openings

n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers

n Civic and social club gatherings

second Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. All are welcome. Call 828.349.4607 for more information.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m.3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. 828.349.4607 or pm14034@yahoo.com.

Outdoors

• Explore Big East Fork and Shining Creek Saturday, Jan. 28, with a 4-5-mile hike in the Pisgah National Forest in Haywood County. Sign up for the activity at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.

• A wilderness survival class will take place 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at REI in Asheville. Cost is $79. The course will repeat Saturday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, March 26. Sign up at rei.com/events.

• Learn the art of Southern Appalachian fly tying with an eight-week course taught by local expert Ray Sugg. Class will be held 6-8 p.m. Mondays Jan. 23 to March 13 at the Folkmoot Center in Waynesville. Offered through Haywood County Recreation, the course costs $30 for instruction, supplies and equipment. Sign up at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.

• Fire and rescue personnel can enjoy Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley for a reduced rate Jan. 26-27 during Fire and Rescue Appreciation Days. The rate applies to fire and rescue personnel and their families, with valid ID. Learn more at cataloochee.com.

• Help remove invasive plants on the Jackson County Greenway 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28. The Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department is hosting the event organized by MountainTrue. For more information, contact Trevor Brown at 828.293.3053, ext. 9, or trevorbrown@jacksonnc.org.

• Hike the 5-mile Pink Beds Loop with Haywood County Recreation and Parks at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1. For more information or to sign up for the activity at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.

• Hike from US276 to the Pisgah Inn Campground with Haywood County Recreation and Parks at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. For more information or to sign up for the activity at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.

• The 20th annual Business of Farming Conference is coming up Saturday, Feb. 11, at the A-B Tech Conference Center in Buncombe County. Organized by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. Register at asapconnections.org.

• The inaugural Land and Lake Relay will be held Saturday, March 4. This 63-mile race is set up for fourperson and six-person teams, starting at Warren Wilson College and finishing at Fonta Flora Brewing at Lake James. For information visit gloryhoundevents.com.

Rates:

• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE

• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)

• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4

• Boost in Print

• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

• Border $4

Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.

Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com

REQUEST FOR

PROPOSALS REHAB SERVICES FOR 5 HOUSES Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, LLC Request For Proposal Ballast *All materials must

TO APPLY CALL

828.524.7958

Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage

• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com

• Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com

• Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com

• Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com

• Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

• Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com

• Ellen Sither - esither@beverly-hanks.com

• Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

• Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com

• Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com

• John Keith - jkeith@beverly-hanks.com

• Randall Rogers - rrogers@beverly-hanks.com

• Susan Hooper - shooper@beverly-hanks.com

• Hunter Wyman - hwyman@beverly-hanks.com

• Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@beverly-hanks.com

• Darrin Graves - dgraves@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com

• Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

• Randy Flanigan - 706-207-9436

• Steve Mauldin - 828-734-4864

EXP Realty

• Ashley Owens Rutkosky - ashley.rutkosky@exp.realty

Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

• The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

• Ron Breese - ronbreese.com

• Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com

• Lyndia Massey- buyfromlyndia@yahoo.com

Mountain Creek Real Estate

• Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

• DeAnn Suchy - deann.suchy@premiersir.com

• Kaye Matthews - kaye.matthews@premiersir.com

RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com • The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com • Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

SUDOKU

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

Answers on 34

Homes

LONG DISTANCE MOVING:

“WORKING CATS”

Asheville Humane Society has cats available who are best suited to life in a barn, warehouse, etc. Ready to mousehunt! (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org

PITBULL TERRIER MIX, BROWN&WHITE, LADYGODIVA 6 year old girl who’s always smiling. Loves hiking and treats, and knows some commands.

Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org