Smoky Mountain News | January 26, 2022

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022 Vol. 23 Iss. 35 Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information www.smokymountainnews.com

‘Dear Martin’ pulled from Tuscola English class Page 13 Input given on future of WNC bear sanctuaries Page 22

DRIVING

DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS COMES WITH BROADBAND, HOUSING AND ROADS

CONTENTS On the Cover: Economic development priorities differ from county to county in Western North Carolina, but right now the top priorities around the region are affordable housing, broadband and road improvements that will allow the region to sustain business and residential growth. (Page 6)

News

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End in sight for Haywood landfill debacle ..................................................................4 Haywood reboots economic development arm ........................................................5 Cherokee ramps up housing efforts ..............................................................................9 Jackson approves grants for municipalities ..............................................................11 ‘Dear Martin’ pulled from Tuscola English class ......................................................13 Pisgah unlikely to play on home turf this fall ............................................................13

ACCOUNTING & OFFICE MANAGER: DISTRIBUTION: CONTRIBUTING:

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Police need more resources to succeed ..................................................................14 Truth, not lies, will keep us free......................................................................................15

A&E John R. Miller coming to Orange Peel Jan. 29 ........................................................16 A close encounter of the pleasant kind ......................................................................21

Outdoors Input given on future of WNC bear sanctuaries ....................................................22

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Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Jessica Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com Susanna Shetley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Sophia Burleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jessi Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessi@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Hannah McLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hannah@smokymountainnews.com Cory Vaillancourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Singletary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing)

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End in sight for long-running Haywood landfill debacle Monitoring activity at the Francis Farm landfill will likely continue well into the 2050s.

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR ork to remediate a leaky, gassy mound just northeast of Waynesville that has been nothing but an expensive headache for generations of Haywood County elected officials has finally reached substantial completion.

“It’s interesting to be up here talking about Francis Farm landfill,” said Community and Economic Development Director David Francis, who’s worked on the project since 2007. “I hope this is the last time I’m up here discussing this.”

The Francis Farm landfill began operations in 1973, accepted waste until 1993 and finally closed in 1995. But in October 1976, shortly after the landfill entered service, Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act mandated that solid waste land-

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fills like Francis Farm would henceforth need to be constructed with an impermeable liner at the bottom.

Had that mandate come down prior to Francis Farm’s construction, a litany of costly problems could have been avoided, but because it didn’t, Haywood County taxpayers have been on the hook ever since.

In 1996, the state notified the county that monitoring of the site would be needed, and in 2000 the county was further notified that there were major problems at the site, due to the nearly nonexistent buffer between waste and adjacent properties.

Methane is produced as the natural byproduct of bacteria feeding on decaying organic matter. Testing at Francis Farm showed excessive levels, so the county stepped up monitoring, installed a recovery system and is now in compliance.

Groundwater contaminants also exceeded limits in nearby monitoring wells, so a corrective plan was implemented, including 25 monitoring wells, some of which are located on private property surrounding the landfill.

In 2010, a $1 million federal grant helped pay for the methane and groundwater monitoring activities, but the county has largely borne the brunt of all other costs associated with the fix.

Three tracts surrounding the landfill were purchased by the county for $1.1 million in 2014 and 2015, totaling 44 acres and greatly adding to the buffer zone around the 28-acre landfill itself.

A 2019 survey found that groundwater seepage was now remaining well within the facility’s boundaries and staying well away from nearby Raccoon Creek.

Perhaps the biggest — and priciest —

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

Haywood County GIS photo

component of the remediation was the restrictive cover, placed atop the landfill to prevent rainwater from entering the site.

A $5.4 million contract was let in 2020, and work was completed this past August.

First, more than 100,000 cubic yards of soil taken from the N.C. 209 Highway project was spread over the landfill. Then, a restrictive cover about 2 millimeters thick was placed atop the soil. Then, another layer of soil was added atop the cover.

Francis said that the landfill would collect more than 6.2 million gallons of water annually, which mingled with hazardous waste and then leach out into surrounding areas.

With the cover in place, Francis said that less than 7,000 gallons will “ever” penetrate the cover, drastically reducing the amount of contaminated water leaching out of the landfill.

Two large sediment basins were also constructed to collect leachate as the landfill slowly dries out from top to bottom.

Although containment is now largely complete, the county’s obligations in monitoring the site will continue for at least another 30 years, which would be nearly 80 years after the landfill first opened. A report on the condition of the landfill will come this April, as well as in 2024.

Commissioners both new and old expressed relief.

“When I came on the board here this thing was a huge topic of conversation in our county. It has been for a while. I just want to reiterate none of our forefathers did anything wrong,” said Tommy Long, who was elected in 2018. “I’m glad this is maybe closing a chapter of the book.”

Kirk Kirkpatrick, who’s been a commissioner for five terms, said he’s been dealing with the issue whole time he’s been on the board, as has fellow longtime commissioner and current Chairman Kevin Ensley.

“I’m glad it’s over with,” he laughed.

Long and Francis both expressed special appreciation for Randy Siske, the county’s solid waste environmental coordinator who made the project “his baby,” according to Francis.

“We know about how valuable Randy Siske is to our solid waste team,” Francis said.

“He takes care of this just as much as he takes care of the front yard of his house. Those employees are very rare to find. He’s an exceptional employee and does a lot of good work for the county.”

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consist of the CEDC director, Haywood County Commission chair, the county manager, two additional members from the roster of permanent directors, two from the atlarge directors and one from the community advocate directors.

The new board represents an advancement in how counties and municipalities think about economic development.

Although it might appear that the board’s diversity is a step away from traditional economic development, County Manager Bryant Morehead told SMN on Jan. 10 that the intention is to strengthen some of the community infrastructure that underlies it.

“We’re now seeing different challenges in economic development and we’re actually calling it more like, ‘community and economic development’ because job creation and education and affordable or workforce housing are so intertwined that you really just can’t label it as ‘economic development,’” Morehead said.

If commissioners agree with Francis’ framework, an establishment resolution could be heard before the board at its Feb. 7 meeting. Then, commissioners would set to work holding interviews for the at-large and community positions. Francis estimates the

“We’re actually calling it more like, ‘community and economic development’ because job creation and education and affordable or workforce housing are so intertwined that you really just can’t label it as ‘economic development.’”

— Haywood County Manager Bryant Morehead

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Smoky Mountain News

board could be fully populated by the end of this quarter, or the beginning of the next.

“This board’s got a lot to tackle. With that permanent [board], those people are invested in Haywood County. Adding from the at-large and community advocate directors, I think it’s going to be a really exciting board to put together and work towards these different aspects and challenges that we have in front of us.”

Commissioners didn’t have many questions after Francis’ presentation, but seemed generally supportive of the idea.

“It certainly is timely,” Commissioner Jennifer Best told Francis. “You’ve got a big gap to fill there, with unemployment being so low and 1,200 job openings. Unmet housing needs continue to be the topic of many conversations.”

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Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT s POLITICS E DITOR naffordable housing, a lack of broadf band infrastructure, a staggeringly low unemployment rate and a relativet - ly high number of job openings have e changed the economic development landscape in Haywood County to the point that s its chief economic development arm, the e Haywood Economic Development Council, - must also change.

That’s the point - Community and l Economic Development Director David Francis y was trying to make dur- ing a Jan. 18 meeting of - the Haywood County s Board of e Commissioners during David Francis where he announced sweeping changes to the way Haywood d County looks at economic development.

“We needed to expand our horizons,” s Francis said. “I’m having corporations now r ask about affordable housing, ‘What can we do to help affordable housing?’” g As first reported in The Smoky d Mountain News, a Jan. 4 letter from the a Haywood Chamber of Commerce informed members of the EDC, a Chamber entity - since 2014, of its dissolution in favor of a g new county-run entity. e The new entity will be a 501(c)3 nonprofr it called the Community and Economic Development Corporation of Haywood County. As a nonprofit, the CEDC will be l able to accept both private donations that s local government units cannot, as well as certain grants that are available only to nonprofits — largely in the realm of broadband.

Although the CEDC will be run by the y county, it will feature private sector and community participation in the form of a s multi-level board. e Permanent directors of the board will - include the Haywood County Board of k Commissioners chairman, Haywood Community College’s president, the Chamber president, the Tourism Development Authority executive director, the superintendent of schools and the Haywood Advancement Foundation’s president, although all are free to delegate the job to a designee. The county manager must also serve.

Commissioners will appoint directors to two other components of the board — atlarge directors and community advocate directors.

Five at-large directors will come from the creative arts/entrepreneurial filed, finance and/or banking, healthcare, manufacturing and utilities.

Four community advocate directors will represent agriculture, broadband, recreation and workforce housing interests.

The board’s executive committee will

Check out our

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Haywood reboots economic development arm

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Growing pains: region reckons with development

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

The region’s growth is reflected in the NCDOT’s 2020-2029 STIP project map.

NCDOT photo

Smoky Mountain News

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR estern North Carolina is growing, there’s no doubt about it. And as it does, there are bound to be growing pains.

“I can only theorize, but it did seem like despite the pandemic or because of the pandemic, we started to see a surge in real estate transactions, both on a large scale and small scale, and it’s not just been Waynesville — it’s been Haywood County, Western North Carolina, and a lot of the Southeast,” said Elizabeth Teague, development services director for the Town of Waynesville.

Teague’s been with the town for seven years now, since right about the time the region started to turn the corner on the Great Recession of 2008. As such, she’s witnessed the resurgence of development that for a time had stagnated.

Now, unprecedented regional growth is fueling plenty of painful, unintended consequences.

According to Canopy MLS, the realtor cooperative used by many WNC realtors (Burke, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey counties) 2021 home sales were up 11.8% over 2020. New listings in December were down 8.9% year-over-year, and the 2021 aver6

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age sales price of $417,969 was an 18.3% increase over 2020.

Haywood County’s median sales price in 2021 was $311,000, while the median income was $27,234.

While the sales data may be good news for Realtors, it’s also making it so much harder for the regional workforce to find places to live that Haywood County recently adjusted its economic development goals to put more of an emphasis on workforce housing (see ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, p. 5).

“We have been talking really over the last five to seven years about the importance of maintaining variability in our housing markets so that we can meet all needs, and that’s becoming more and more challenging,” Teague said.

The prices are very alluring to landowners eyeing unused portions of their parcels, looking for a payday. It’s not just small parcels, either.

“Certainly, we’re seeing pieces of property that have sat undeveloped for a long time enter the market,” said Teague.

The biggest, and best known of late is what’s called the Queen’s farm property, off Sunnyside Street. Soon, it will be home to four houses per acre — a total of 115 units — at around $400,000 each. The development encountered stiff resistance when first brought before the planning board last September.

“That was a shock,” Teague said. “When

COVID, supply chain issues slow projects Two substantial housing developments in Waynesville are both behind schedule, thanks to delays associated with the Coronavirus Pandemic and lingering supply chain issues. The historic Haywood Hospital, home to about 50 1- and 2-bedroom affordable housing units for verterans and the elderly, should have been open already, according to County Manager Bryant Morehead. The former Bi-Lo on Russ Avenue, which will become more than 200 apartments, is still in the site work phase of construction, said Waynesville Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague. you have a piece of beautiful farmland that has sat there forever and all of a sudden it’s in front of the planning board, that’s a shock to people.”

Although housing inventory is needed at almost all price points, the development also comes with drawbacks of its own.

“As you increase development and lots that were once empty or not as dense become developed and more dense, the roadway system will end up seeing an impact,” said Teague.

Indeed, one of the concerns surrounding the Queen’s farm project was how 115 households with one or two cars each would impact traffic on Sunnyside.

“We let DOT know of our concerns because that happens to be a state road and it was a very small farming road,” Teague said. “We still have some concerns about the amount of traffic going out onto that road, and we are actually working with J.M. Teague [a local engineering and planning firm] to revise our threshold for traffic impact analysis.”

Transportation infrastructure issues aren’t localized to the development on Sunnyside. In fact, growth over the past decade prompted a number of high-profile road projects across the county.

“In Waynesville, we had three big DOT projects, Russ Avenue, South Main, and North Main,” said Teague. “Russ Avenue used to be the first one coming out, then it was gonna be South Main and then it was gonna be North Main.”

The Coronavirus Pandemic slowed progress on all three projects, as did DOT mismanagement resulting in overspending of more than $740 million.

“The North Main project is a little smaller, so I think they’re going to start with that,” Teague said. “Everything’s been pushed back a little bit.”

The North Main project — a new roundabout near the Water’n Hole — is scheduled for completion this year.

The Russ Avenue project, running from Walnut Street to the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, was supposed to begin construction in 2020, but the DOT’s website hasn’t been updated since late 2019 and shows no update.

The South Main project is scheduled for right-of-way acquisition in 2024, with construction to begin in 2027.

But the greatest pains will be felt thanks to a bridge replacement project in the heart of the county, which is scheduled to begin this year.

“The biggest impact traffic-wise of a project is going to be the bridge replacement on the expressway, which will send detours through Waynesville,” Teague said. “We asked DOT about it like, ‘Wait a minute, if you start this project, and then you start the Russ Avenue project, and North Main at the time, which is where you’re sending people on detours, then it will be a mess.”

Even the pandemic couldn’t stop growth in Haywood County, but in looking to 2022, Teague sees at least some possibility that it could slow, even if only slightly.

“I think there’s a lot of factors,” she said.

“One thing that fueled the fire of development was low interest rates and that’s changing. That might slow the rate at which people think they can get mortgages. In the development community that has a big impact. We’re also noticing that the big pieces of property that are open — the Queen farm is fairly flat for this area — get purchased and people start making plans, so what’s left is fairly steep property, which is more expensive to develop. In that respect, as the inventory has changed, we might see a slowdown because there’s just not as much available land.”

During an event at Bridge Park last summer, event organizers experienced technical issues due to poor wifi connection.

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utside of the portion of downtown Sylva that now has access to free public Wi-Fi, the goal for broadband is to identify the most underserved areas in order to direct funding to those places. Jackson County was able to receive some funds through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.

According to Henry, in the RDOF reverse auction with the Federal Communications Commission, Charter won over 11,000 loca-

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ackson County has continued to see growth and new construction throughout the pandemic years, though most of that has been in the residential sector.

According to a 2021 Comprehensive Economic Development Survey, 52% of

renters and 21% of homeowners in Jackson County have difficulty affording housing. The population of Jackson County increased by 7.8% between 2015 and 2020 and is expected to increase by another 4.1% by 2025.

Much of the WNC region has experienced similar growth patterns over the last several years. The pandemic found some people looking for more than the confines of big-city life, and tourism numbers surged after the first few months of shutdown. In many areas, even the volatility of the building market doesn’t seem to have stymied growth.

“The increase in construction cost and/or building materials has not slowed construction in Jackson County,” said Jackson County Planning Director Michael Poston.

In 2021, Jackson County issued just over 300 new residential building permits.

“That’s kind of probably closer to what they experienced in the early to mid 2000s before the 2008 housing bubble burst,” said Poston. “That’s where we’re seeing a lot of the current building trend, in that market.”

Additionally, in the last five years there have been six new multifamily housing developments built near Western Carolina University. This type of housing is geared toward WCU students.

For the majority of those new homes, as well as existing homes in Jackson County, internet service will be an important utility.

With schools doing more online learning than ever, and people working remotely, reliable access to internet has become a necessity.

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER roadband will be an important part of any and all future growth in Jackson County. Now, reliable Wi-Fi is free for all in a large portion of downtown Sylva.

In December, the county was able to roll out public Wi-Fi for the Main Street area of downtown Sylva. The free Wi-Fi extends from the fountain at the courthouse steps to Jackson General Store on West Main Street and covers Bridge Park. It was important to Economic Development Director Tiffany Henry that Bridge Park have reliable access to free Wi-Fi for events like Concerts on the Creek and the Farmers Market.

“Shortly after the NCIA grant project that we weren’t able to go after, I was notified that Southwestern Commission and Land of Sky both received an NC partner connect grant for their region,” Henry said during a Jan. 18 commissioner meeting. “Basically, it was first come first serve, and out of that I reached out to all of these partners, and we were able to deploy public Wi-Fi for downtown Sylva and that actually went live and launched at the end of December. I wanted to point out the power of partnerships and collaboration because we couldn’t have done it without all of our partners.”

In order to roll out the project, Jackson County Economic Development partnered with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the Southwestern Commission, Skyfi Inc., Balsam West, Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, Town of Sylva and more than a dozen downtown property owners.

“We’re really excited, and sustainability is one of the biggest pieces of that,” said Henry.

gram will be released Jan. 31, and applications will be due April 4.

“We don’t anticipate any cap on those award amounts,” said Henry.

The CAB program is a partnership between local municipalities and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. This program gives the county the opportunity to be strategic in directing funding to locations in the county that haven’t been served through other funding sources. CAB is a relatively recent program which will start with pilot counties in March.

Each county will have a federal match of up to $4 million.

“I do want to point out, the GREAT grant vs. the CAB,” said County Manager Don Adams. “There are guaranteed amounts of money that are coming to Jackson County for the CAB program. So, if you really look at these two programs, the GREAT grant program is driven by the internet provider.

Meaning they’re going to go to the state and applying for things that make sense for them, versus the CAB program really is designed for us to go through a process so we as a county can prioritize where we wish to invest money.”

According to Henry, ARPA funds can be used for the CAB program, but not for the GREAT grant.

“It’s important that we get this information in front of you so that you’re starting to think, what resources do we want to set aside to support this effort?” Henry told the County Commissioners at the Jan. 18 meeting.

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Broadband a vital factor in Jackson’s growth

tions in Jackson County.

“We are sort of the conduit to the rest of the western part of the state, where they also want some RDOF dollars,” she said. “So, they’ll be building out that sort of backbone and then partnering and pairing that with the state GREAT grants and the CAB programs, and then the Stop-Gap program. I think we’re working on sort of putting several different pieces together to make one really all-inclusive coverage across the county.”

According to Henry, the best thing residents can do to help the broadband expansion process along is go take the North Carolina Broadband Survey at ncbroadband.gov/north-carolina-broadband-survey.

“That’s something that will continue to be extremely critical, for any of these upcoming grant opportunities,” said Henry. “We use those maps to help us determine where those gaps in coverage exist and update those FCC maps. So that survey, I can’t stress the importance of that enough, like if every single person would do that it could be amazing.

Because then we can actually map who has it and who doesn’t.”

For the NC GREAT Grant, internet service providers are applicants for the grant funding. It is the provider’s responsibility to apply for the grants; the county can only support and encourage those applications.

The target areas for this program are those that are currently served by less than 25 megabytes per second download and 3 megabytes per second upload. According to Henry, a large portion of the county falls under those criteria. Guidelines for the pro-

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PA I D A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Drake Software: Employee Engagement Meets Community Relations t’s no secret that organizations across the country are struggling to find and keep employees. The end of 2021 saw record job turnover, and the latest surge has forced many small business closures due to staff shortages—exacerbating preexisting employment issues. In particular, the hospitality industry has been struggling the past few years, first navigating lockdowns and occupancy limits, only to grapple with the recent worker shortage and the “Great Resignation.”

Local employer Drake Software is rising to the challenge by rolling out a meaningful employee engagement program that will also help other local businesses. As part of its Building a Strong Workforce initiative, the company invests in the communities that are home to Drake facilities and employees’ personal and professional development. Those efforts include collaborating with other local businesses where possible to provide community-building activities for employees.

How is Drake driving employee engagement?

In addition to rolling out a mentoring program and providing regular training opportunities, Drake is working with local

vendors and restaurants to furnish employees with meals and entertainment during tax season. Traditionally the company’s busiest time of year, these activities are designed to help encourage fellowship and enrich employees’ lives both in and out of the office.

Weekly lunches – Drake Software will be providing weekly Monday lunches to employees throughout tax season. Not only will this keep staff from having to worry about their meal at the start of the week during the most stressful time of year, but it will also support local restaurants.

Evening entertainment – Employees will be able to sign up for a variety of evening entertainment options to help them take a break from the tax season grind, including in-person and virtual

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

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Is Drake Software hiring?

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activities. Paint parties, virtual improv classes, and virtual trivia nights are just a few of the currently planned events for this year.

Community events – Drake regularly hosts events outside of tax season that bring together the diverse teams at all six campuses: Franklin, NC, Hayesville, NC, Sylva, NC, Antioch, TN, Greenville, SC, and Virginia Beach, VA. From outdoor barbecues to scavenger hunts, building a thriving community has always been a top priority.

Drake also hosts engagement opportunities for remote employees. On top of scheduled virtual events, off-site staff are invited to participate in any nearby activities. Those who can’t attend in person are provided a Zoom link.

For more than 45 years, Drake has provided tax professionals with fast, reliable software to run successful tax practices and serve their clients’ tax filing needs. Today, over 60,000 tax offices use Drake Software. Using innovation, customer feedback, and a team of dedicated developers, subject matter experts, and support staff, Drake continues to achieve its goals of customer satisfaction, product refinement, and customer growth.

Cherokee ramps up housing efforts Tribal government, LLCs building homes across the region

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER n response to a deepening housing crisis and a growing casino enterprise in need of workers, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the LLCs it owns are moving forward with a slate of residential development projects that will result in more than 1,000 new housing units over the next decade — in both the Qualla Boundary and the surrounding region.

“The tribe has just really put a focus on housing, especially at the start of Chief (Richard) Sneed’s tenure as principal chief, and the funding has been made available as we need it, so we haven’t run into any issues as far as being able to fund our projects,” said EBCI Housing Secretary Edwin Taylor. “It’s an exciting time.”

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TRIBAL GOVERNMENT HOUSING PROJECTS

HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT FROM TRIBAL LLCS

associated lots are sold to the homeowner.

The largest such development right now is located across U.S. 19 from Lake Junaluska and will consist of about 45 homes on 15.09 acres of land. Kituwah Builders also owns 7.84 acres off Old Clyde Road just west of Canton, also for residential development. In Jackson County, Kituwah Builders owns 2.4 acres in Whittier adjacent to Sequoyah National Golf Club and 1.12 acres on Webster Road near its intersection with North River Road, both undeveloped tracts. In Bryson City, Kituwah Builders owns 11 residential lots along Arlington Avenue that total 4.6 acres.

Kituwah LLC is also acquiring property for reasons other than residential development. In downtown Waynesville, the company recently closed on two Main Street buildings — 80 and 86 North Main Street, which are currently home to The Jeweler’s Workbench and Haywood County Arts Council — as well as the property Southern Concrete Materials occupies on Boundary Street.

In the immediate future, nothing will change on those properties, Hubble said.

Kituwah LLC plans to maintain leases with the companies that currently occupy its two Main Street buildings but will remodel the upper levels for a use that has yet to be determined. It will also continue leasing the Boundary Street property to Southern Concrete for as long as the company desires to remain in that location. Should the property become vacant, it will be redeveloped as a hotel or condo building.

“There’s no timeline,” said Hubble when asked how long Southern Concrete will remain. “We’re completely flexible on that.”

In Swain County, Kituwah LLC has purchased Ela Campground, which it hopes to develop as an RV park, and another property along Ela Road known as the old Maytag property, which it plans to maintain as a culturally significant property. In Jackson County, another Kituwah subsidiary, Kituwah Global Government Group LLC, has purchased the old Pepsi plant in Whittier.

The building is currently being leased out for a variety of uses, including as storage for furniture and appliance packages offered by Kituwah Builders.

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Smoky Mountain News

Meanwhile, tribally owned LLCs are using the 2020 purchase of modular home company Cardinal Homes to develop housing opportunities across the region.

“We probably have somewhere near 80, 90 lots under development at some stage,” said Kituwah LLC CEO Mark Hubble. “They range from million-dollar-plus homes in Asheville to much more modest and affordable homes at the lower end of the scale.”

Developments with these more affordable homes are underway in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties. To create the developments, Kituwah Builders LLC buys the land, installs infrastructure like roads and sewers, and then divides the tract into individual lots.

Homes are transported from the Cardinal Homes plant in Virginia and then installed on-site. Once complete, the homes and their

Kituwah LLC, the business arm for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has recently purchased several properties in downtown Waynesville — two buildings on Main Street that are currently home to the Jeweler’s Workbench and the Haywood County Arts Council (top) and properties on Boundary Street that contain Southern Concrete Materials. Holly Kays photos

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

Currently, the tribe operates 160 marketrate rentals, which are running at 99 to 100% capacity, as well as 148 low-income units. With over 100 people on the waiting list for lowincome housing and 150 on the waiting list for market-rate rentals, even more are needed.

The tribe has finished its Road to Soco project on U.S. 19, half a mile from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in the Painttown community, which now offers 84 three-bedroom and four-bedroom units. But Taylor’s department is in the process of preparing an adjacent 2.5acre property for an additional housing project that would comprise 100-120 mixedincome units in a mixed-use development with retail space on the bottom floor.

Also underway is a 32-unit project on Aquoni Road in the Yellowhill community, which will offer market-rate two- and threebedroom rentals slated for completion no later than June 30.

Over the coming years, the tribe’s housing development efforts will only accelerate, with multiple properties now under contract or in the planning phase.

A six-phase project currently in the pipeline on Camp Creek Road is expected to yield 454 units by the end of the 10-year buildout period, a mix of single-family homes, duplexes, quads and apartment complexes.

The property, which covers 116 acres excluding green space, is not part of the Qualla Boundary and was permitted through Jackson County, though it’s located near tribal lands off of U.S. 441. The tribe plans to break ground in June. A smaller project in the Big Cove community would add at least 20 singlefamily homes on a property comprising about 6 acres, solidly within the Qualla Boundary.

The tribe also has its eye on several other housing development projects but must first finalize sale of the properties in question. The

EBCI is in the process of closing on a 16-acre property on the 441 corridor, a fee-simple purchase on county land, that it hopes to develop as a low-income tax credit project for single-family homes. Because the tribe will have to apply for variances from the county to complete the development, Taylor said it will be 18-24 months before work starts.

About 250 housing units — duplexes, quads and apartments — could go in on the 345-acre Coopers Creek tract in Swain County once the process to place that property into federal trust is complete. While the tribe already owns the property as a fee-simple purchase, it can’t start development until the fee-to-trust process is complete.

However, the EBCI is working to develop construction plans.

“We could see some movement going on down there in FY 23,” Taylor said.

While Taylor has mostly been focused on housing in and around the Qualla Boundary, he is also working to close on a 17-acre piece of land in Graham County, about 2 miles outside Robbinsville city limits and adjacent to the EBCI daycare center. The tribe hopes to build low-income housing there through the low-income tax credit program.

Currently, tribally owned low-income housing is open only to enrolled members of federally recognized Indian tribes. While market-rate rentals are not restricted to tribal members, applicants who are tribal members get priority. However, said Taylor, the tribe recognizes that the housing crisis extends beyond the Qualla Boundary; while the primary purpose is to house enrolled members, the EBCI hopes its projects will ameliorate the shortage in surrounding communities and address the workforce needs of its businesses.

“We’re looking at, what’s the balance?” said Taylor. “Are we 70-30 tribal to nonenrolled? Or just, where’s the sweet spot so that we’re being good neighbors and good partners in development of the housing on the counties that surround us.”

news

Development in Swain driven by tourism

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS EDITOR evelopment for Swain County often looks much different than other counties, mostly because Swain has such a limited amount of land available for development.

In a county that is 80% occupied by federal land, County Manager Kevin King said the county is constrained when it comes to attracting commercial businesses.

Swain is home to one manufacturing facility, which was occupied by ConMet for many years. However, ConMet recently vacated the facility after consolidating its operations in Canton.

“So now we’ve got a plant unoccupied with ConMet leaving. We’ve been working with developers on trying to get folks in there, but we haven’t had any prospects,” King said.

Just like Franklin, Bryson City will soon be getting a brand new Ingle’s to replace the existing store on U.S. 19. That project should be underway in the next six months. King said the new store will be comparable to the Ingle’s on Russ Avenue in Waynesville with a gas station addition.

Swain County’s largest growth in the

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

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last couple of years has been on the residential side of development. King said the county had a record year of land transfers in 2021. Tourism is still the major driver behind the residential boom, whether it’s mountain homes for part-time residents or new short-term rental cabins being built.

While Franklin would love to have a new hotel come to town, Bryson City was fortunate to get a four-story hotel — Stonebrook Lodge — right downtown a couple of years ago. Having these additional overnight accommodations brings in additional room tax for the county.

“If you look at room tax, we’ve seen an increase of at least 50 percent in the last couple of years,” King said.

Since Downtown Bryson City is such a major tourism draw in the county, King said it’s a good sign that all the downtown storefronts are occupied with local merchants.

Jason Web, interim director of inspections in Swain County, said the estimated value of new construction in 2020 was over $20 million. In 2021, that value rose to $30 million. For comparison, in 2010 during the recession, the value of new construction in Swain was about $12 million.

King said he’s been handling a majority of the county’s economic development duties since Ken Mills retired from his position as economic development director in 2019. He’s unsure if the board of commissioners will pursue hiring a replacement any time soon.

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Retailers move into Franklin

The former Walmart at Holly Springs Plaza is being demolished to make way for a new Ingle’s.

Donated photo

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS EDITOR espite the pandemic, the town of Franklin has seen an influx of new retailers in the last year.

Ingle’s Market, which just completed a new store on Georgia Road a couple of years ago, is now making plans for another new store in Franklin. The old Walmart building in the Holly Springs Plaza is now being demolished to make way for the new Ingle’s shopping center, which will include a grocery store, gas station, car wash and multiple large retail spaces.

While some residents are wondering why Franklin needs another large Ingles just a couple of miles away from the Georgia Road location, Franklin Town Planner Justin Setser said he was told by Ingle’s representatives that the Georgia Road location has been busier than expected.

They’re wanting to redo the store at Holly Springs and also alleviate traffic at the one on Georgia Road because it’s been so much busier than they anticipated,” he said.

The unsustainable traffic at the Georgia Road location has also kept Ingle’s from renting out the additional rental space available on that same site because the parking lot can’t handle more traffic.

Fast food giant Chick-fil-A recently opened Jan. 13 at the corner of U.S. 441 and

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1410 Siler Road, hiring 90 people to run the new location.

Aspen Dental, which has submitted a building permit application to the Town of Franklin and plans to open nearby the new Chick-fil-A, included a site map that also includes plans for a Starbucks with a drivethru and a 20,000-square feet grocery store.

Signage on the site confirms that the grocery store opening will be Aldi.

Another fast food favorite — Cook Out — will soon be replacing the former Dairy Queen on Georgia Road.

The new replacement hospital for Angel Medical Center is also making major progress on U.S. 441 and should be completed later this year.

Setser said land development permits are up 30 percent over the previous year between commercial and residential building in Franklin. Scenic Ridge is a 55-lot development in progress in town that will soon start selling lots and perhaps a few spec homes.

Other developers are building a few specs here and there and new modular homes.

“They are generally under contract before the house is finished. People are buying up anything they can,” he said. “I’m really excited to see some new residential neighborhoods being developed because I want people to have good-quality housing in Franklin.”

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Jackson municipal grants approved news

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER he Jackson County Board of Commissioners has approved three municipal grants for the towns of Sylva, Webster and Dillsboro.

“We do have some funds left over because we had three out of the four municipalities apply,” said County Manager Don Adams. “At this point I believe it was agreed upon that the additional $5,000 would remain in reserve until another project may or may not be found.”

The municipal grant program is intended to assist the municipalities of the county with the implementation of projects that directly benefit not only the citizens of the municipality, but all the citizens of Jackson County. A total of $20,000 was earmarked for the municipal grant program; individual grant requests are limited to a maximum of $5,000 per municipality.

Sylva applied to use the grant funding to repair the sidewalk on Jackson Street.

According to the grant application, this sidewalk is one of oldest in town limits. The town’s goal in repairing the sidewalk is to improve pedestrian safety and aesthetics in the Jackson Street neighborhood.

Repairs will be done in 5’x6’ panels with only broken panels being replaced. The eight sections that need replacing will total $5,400. The Town of Sylva requested $5,000 in municipal grant money and will match the additional $400 with town funds. Owle Construction LLC will complete the work.

The Town of Webster applied for the grant to purchase additional picnic tables and benches for the Jackson County Board of Education property, adjacent to the

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“A community need for a safe, outdoor meeting place has been determined through three previous Webster community surveys,” reads Webster’s grant application.

“The need for gathering places that allow for physical distancing for community members has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and has become even more important for fostering social connection during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.”

The Town of Dillsboro requested municipal grant funds in order to restore its public restroom building. This is the only public restroom in Dillsboro and is open year around. This project was previously considered by The Dillsboro Board of Aldermen in

January 2021 but was deferred due COVID19 and other projects. The only bid received for the project was from Jaye Deitz who has provided contracted handy-man services for the Town of Dillsboro in the past.

“Many County residents utilize Dillsboro as a recreational area for walking and outdoor exercising, as well as regional visitors and tourists,” reads the Dillsboro grant application. “Providing a clean, sanitary restroom building will enhance the visitor experience to the town.”

Upgrades to the public restroom will cost a total of $9,200. The municipal grant will supply $5,000 while Dillsboro will put forward $4,200 for the project.

Chandler received Medical Care for the stab wound to his hand.

Waynesville Police were assisted by the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office, NCSHP and citizens who witnessed and videoed the incident.

“Lt. Chandler & Det. Holland exercised great restraint and used de-escalation techniques, which saved Wilson’s life even though she was intent on using deadly force against them,” Adams said “Their actions were heroic and prevented this from being a tragedy.”

Knife wielding suspect apprehended on Russ Ave

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commands for her to drop the knife.”

Det. Holland arrived on scene in his SUV and blocked the female from attacking Chandler. She stabbed the driver’s side of the SUV and ran around the front of his SUV attempting to stab Chandler.

Holland struck the female at approximately 5 mph, which knocked her to the pavement. Chandler and Holland attempted to subdue and handcuff her, in the process she stabbed one of Chandler’s hands with her knife. They were able to wrestle the knife away from her and she was handcuffed with the assistance of other officers on scene.

She was transported to the Haywood County Detention Center, where she was identified as Faith Nicole Wilson of Canton and charged with Felony — Assault Physical Injury on Law Enforcement; Felony — Assault with a Deadly Weapon on A Law Enforcement Officer and Misdemeanor — Resisting Public Officer.

Wilson is being held under a $150,000 secured bond. Wilson did not display any injuries and refused medical attention.

Smoky Mountain News

aynesville Police Chief David Adams released details of an incident that occurred in the roadway Monday, Jan. 24, involving a female pedestrian.

The incident occurred at around 12:37 p.m. near the intersection of Russ Avenue and Wells Fargo Bank.

According to a press release, Lt. Chris Chandler was driving southward along Russ Avenue, where he observed a female walking on the double yellow line toward Hardee’s.

Chandler (wearing a visible police uniform) exited his vehicle and approached the female and asked if she needed assistance with getting out of traffic. She began yelling obscenities at him and begged him to shoot her.

“Then, she pulled out a knife with the blade open and threatened to kill him.

Chandler shouted out verbal commands for her to drop the knife. She continued to advance toward Chandler, while cursing and lunging at him with her knife,” Adams stated in the release. “Chandler requested assistance through dispatch and kept moving away from her, as he continued yelling out

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

Southwestern Child Development Center.

According to the grant application, the picnic tables and benches may be used by visitors, residents of the town and county and

by Jackson County for school functions.

The Jackson County Recreation and Parks Department and the Board of Education have discussed the possibility of a future park at this location. For this reason, grant funding would purchase tables and benches that match the four existing picnic tables and at least half of them will be ADA accessible. All outdoor furniture will be able to be relocated if necessary for future park plans. Total costs of the project will be just under $5,000.

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Smoky Mountain News Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

news

‘Dear Martin’ pulled from Tuscola class S

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Martin” with another reading assignment and instead moved on in the syllabus.

Nolte did tell The Smoky Mountain News that had the book been delineated on the syllabus, the parent complaining may have been provided with alternate reading options.

However, Nolte said that if the parent had persisted and asked administration to look into the appropriateness of this book, he would have come to the same conclusion.

The book will still be allowed for students to choose to read in situations where teachers allow students to choose a book for a particular assignment. However, according to Tuscola Librarian Megean Wantz, there are no copies of “Dear Martin” in the library at the high school. ichael Boatright is a professor of education at Western Carolina University and a researcher of adolescent literature. Prior to his work in higher education, he taught high school English for six years.

“Adolescent literature, like Nic Stone’s ‘Dear Martin,’ is a frequent punching bag for school administrators and school boards,” he said. “Whereas novels such as ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ ‘The Great Gatsby,’ and ‘Frankenstein’ have a long history of being taught in the English classroom, young adult novels are not afforded that history.

Commonly taught novels are regarded as safe because they are decades if not centuries old.

They do not reflect life in America in 2022.”

Boatright has found that Young Adult novels are reflections of the times in which they are written.

“In reflecting social and political issues of the day, authors place characters in realistic situations who use authentic language, which may include language that might be offensive to some but is nonetheless a true depiction of how teenagers interact on social

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media and with one another,” said Boatright.

During his public comment, Reeves admitted that students encounter foul language in their day to day; however, he took issue with the fact that neither he nor his child had been asked for consent to read this book.

“Yes, they’re presented with lots of things in middle school, they pick up lots of things in middle school, my children hear lots of language every day, but as a textbook that should not be in there,” said Reeves. “I really feel strongly about that.”

The book has been banned in at least one Georgia school district and a Missouri High School. Still, Boatright argues that “Dear Martin” is a commentary on the country’s fraught history with race.

“To work through the trauma caused by experiencing police brutality himself, the main character begins writing letters to the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to make sense of a senseless act,” said Boatright.

“Teenagers need positive role models and heroes, and the protagonist in ‘Dear Martin’ appeals to his hero, a quintessential Civil Rights leader who represented the quest for peace, pursued nonviolent means to achieve peace, and was violently murdered for his beliefs.”

Boatright questions the motive for pulling this book at Tuscola High School.

“Was the book banned at Tuscola High School because there is a high ratio of expletives per page?” he asks. “Was it banned due to its omission from a syllabus? Teenagers are no strangers to expletives, and teachers often make changes to their syllabi based on the needs of their students. Or, was ‘Dear Martin’ banned because of a desire to shield students from the reality of current and past events involving race and police brutality?”

Pisgah Bears unlikely to play on home turf this fall came in far under cost, some of them to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, HCS staff worked with FEMA to receive enough money needed to rebuild, and FEMA has agreed to pay $5,867,105.92, up to this point.

This number does not include costs for Meadowbrook and Central Haywood High School as those numbers have not been determined.

According to Mease, Central will likely have to relocate.

PFA Architects out of Asheville are currently working on the process.

With money secured from FEMA, construction on many of the projects can begin soon. However, some projects will have to wait to begin rebuilding until flood mapping, flood permitting and no-rise studies can be completed. Part of the problem is that several structures damaged in the flood were not on the most current flood maps.

According to FEMA, a permit is required before construction or development begins within any Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Permits are required to ensure that proposed development projects meet the requirements of the NFIP and the community’s floodplain management ordinance.

The big question before the board Monday was whether to begin rebuilding Pisgah Memorial Stadium, immediately, in order to try and be ready for football season this fall, or,

wait to begin the rebuilding process until flood mapping and the no-rise study have been completed. The same questions applied to other Pisgah sports facilities.

If HCS were to move forward in repairing the field before flood permitting and permitting came back with the determination the stadium couldn’t stay where it is now, the school system would be out the money it had already spent on repairs.

“It is proving very, very difficult for us to be ready in the fall,” said Putnam. “I can’t, in good conscience, recommend a move forward in an attempt to play this fall, without that flood permit.”

However, Putnam noted that the flood permit is not the silver bullet, it doesn’t mean flood damage won’t happen again. A flood permit simply gives the school system permission to build back in the same location.

Ultimately, after lengthy discussion about possible solutions, the board decided to wait on mapping and permitting.

Jim Francis made the motion to pursue any permits and surveys needed to expedite the repairs or rebuilding any of the flood damaged fields while also looking at alternatives or alternate locations that may be necessary if the permits do not come through as we would like them to. Jimmy Rogers 13 seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Smoky Mountain News

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER There’s a 1% chance football will be played at Pisgah Memorial Stadium come fall. That is according to an estimation by Haywood County Schools Maintenance Director Josh Mease.

At a special called meeting Jan. 24, Mease and Associate Superintendent Trevor Putnam presented an update to the board regarding flood damage of Haywood County Schools property.

There are nine areas that were damaged during the flooding from Tropical Storm Fred last August. These projects include the Canton Middle baseball field and softball field; Meadowbrook Elementary; Pisgah baseball, football and softball field; a culvert at Riverbend Elementary; Tuscola baseball field; and Central Haywood High School.

Over the last several months, school staff have been working with FEMA to determine how much money is needed to rebuild. This involves a process of FEMA site inspections for each individual project, an estimation from FEMA for funds needed to rebuild and a chance for HCS to counter that offer if what FEMA puts forth is not enough.

In the case of Haywood County Schools’ flood damage, almost every offer was far too low. Six of the nine projects

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

t the Jan. 10 meeting of the Haywood County School Board, Tim Reeves spoke in public comment to inform the board of his issues with this book being assigned to his son’s class.

“Some of this has been resolved, but I’m looking toward the future as well,” said Reeves. “My son began 10th grade English II last Wednesday, Thursday was presented with a book entitled ‘Dear Martin.’ He read six pages within that book, came home and shared his experience of his day like he and

his sister do all the time and shared with us that there was some explicit language.”

Upon investigation of the book his son had been assigned, Reeves found what he called “a lot of language, a lot of sexual innuendos, a lot of things that are concerning to me as a parent that’s being presented to my child as a text.”

For reference, the first chapter of “Dear Martin” contains a total of five expletives and at least one innuendo of physical intimacy, as well as an encounter with police that is frightening for the central character.

Reeves reported his issue with the book to the teacher and spoke with the principal at Tuscola High School, but ultimately it was Nolte’s decision to pull the book.

“I simply asked the principal to ask the teacher to pick another book and the teacher, according to (Tuscola Principal) Ms. Blackmon seemed to be OK with that,” said Nolte.

According to Nolte, Reeves is the only parent that lodged a complaint against the reading assignment. Normally, when a parent takes issue with an assigned reading, the course of action in Haywood County Schools is for the parent, teacher and principal to discuss the issue and then provide the student with an alternative reading assignment for that portion of the class.

Nolte described his decision to pull the book in three parts. Number one, the book had not been outlined on the syllabus, so parents were not previously notified that their children would be reading “Dear Martin.” Second, the book contained enough profanity and innuendo to diminish the educational value. Third, there are other books with the same educational value without the inappropriate distractions.

According to Tuscola Principal Heather Blackmon, the teacher did not replace “Dear

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BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER tudents at Tuscola High School will no longer be able to read “Dear Martin,” (Crown Publishing Group, 2017) after administration decided the book is too inappropriate to use as assigned reading.

“The intended educational message or purpose of the book was being diminished by the way it was written, by the amount of profanity and innuendo,” said Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte.

“Dear Martin” is a young adult novel written in 2017 by Andrea Nicole Livingstone, who publishes under the name Nic Stone. It debuted at No. 4 on the New York Times Bestseller List. The book follows Justyce, a Black high-schooler attending a predominantly white preparatory school.

After an incident with a police officer turns violent, Justyce begins writing a journal of letters to Martin Luther King, Jr. Near the end of his first entry to MLK, Justyce writes “I wanna try to live like you.

Do what you would do. See where it gets me.”

The story that unfolds is one that grapples with coming of age and the intricacies of racism in today’s United States. The book was written for ages 14 and above.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Police need more resources to succeed M

Clampitt can’t have it both ways To the Editor: Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, in The Smoky Mountain News addressed his membership in the Oath Keepers.

He begins by stating that you should “never judge a book by its cover,” which he attributes to being a saying first observed during WWII. This is the first of the inaccuracies of his explanation. The quote seems to come first from George Eliot’s “The Mill on the Floss” of 1860 where a character in the book refers to Daniel Defoe’s “The History of the Devil,” where it references the beautiful binding as compared to the inner writing.

This is a fairly good analogy of Mr. Clampitt’s statement. He makes blanket statements of how he supports the Constitution,

“Police officers, we’re not given a whole lot of tools. Jail is the main tool we have,” Hatton told Smoky Mountain News Staff Writer Holly Kays.

Like many small-town police forces, Sylva’s officers are busy. They went on 13,500 calls in 2020 and total arrests have more than doubled between 2016 and 2019.

Many of those calls are not really the type police officers are trained for: perhaps it’s a homeless person hanging around a dumpster or a person with chronic mental health issues who is making life tough on neighbors or a family member. These calls often Editor involve the same people over and over and can potentially take hours to clear, leaving officers frustrated, knowing they don’t have the tools to fix the problem.

One of the most interesting things Hatton told SMN is that his officers jumped at the chance to hand these cases off.

The program, called Community Care, and its intern Chris

Scott McLeod

ake no mistake, it would be a stretch to say a partnership between Western Carolina University and the town of Sylva’s Police Department is the model for the future of policing in small-town America.

The police force’s use of a student social worker to help police in certain situations, however, is an example of at least one way policing results can be improved in an era when there is a clamor for law enforcement reform.

Two Western Carolina University professors — Assistant Professor of Social Work Katy Allen and Criminal Justice Professor Cyndy Caravelis — began studying the interaction of social work, criminal justice programs, and policing, concentrating on how it could work in small, rural areas. The pair approached Sylva Police Chief Chris Hatton about potentially embedding a student social worker within the police department, one that would be free to taxpayers.

“Given the pretty charged climate around policing at the time we were trying to start this, I think it would have been easy for him to shut the door and say, ‘This is how we do things here,’” said Caravelis.

Hatton, however, jumped at the chance.

LETTERS the rule of law and how he is opposed to violence. He states that “A lot of good, wellmeaning organizations become hijacked by overzealous individuals participating in an activity that becomes out of control.” That is the cover of Mr. Clampitt’s book.

In the inner written pages he never does condemn the Oath Keepers as an organization. He attempts to pass the buck, to pass the responsibility onto a few rogues that just happen to be the founding members and the leaders of the group. This is disingenuous.

Mr. Clampitt either supports the Oath Keepers or must disavow them. Silence indicates tacit approval of the organization. Only actively denouncing them will set the record straight as to where he stands. If he cannot, or will not do so, he should immediately resign from his position in the state govern-

Hernandez, handled four cases in its first week.

Hernandez developed the program from the ground up with the help of his professors, developing referral sheets and even attending the National Conference of Police Social Work.

“This arrangement is perfect, because the citizens are definitely winning, I’m winning because I’m providing better services, and Chris is winning because he’s about to graduate college, and he’s going to have this experience to take with him,” Hatton said.

Now, the professors are studying the results and preparing a second intern to work with the police department. Quantifying results are difficult, but the reality is police officers aren’t social workers. They aren’t equipped with the skills and resources that are a normal part of a social worker’s training. And as the number of calls reveals, they just don’t have the time.

Defund the police? No, not a good idea. But anyone who’s been paying attention can see that police reform involving social workers, mental health professionals and others is going to provide a better outcome for communities. It just makes sense.

(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

ment as he has shown that he does not represent the people as a whole.

Luther Jones Sylva

No to sanctuary bear hunting To the Editor: The Bear Education and Resource (B.E.A.R.) Task Force stands in opposition to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission proposal to open bear hunting seasons in Panthertown Valley (officially known as the Panthertown-Bonas Defeat Bear Sanctuary).

As North Carolina was settled, the hunting of bears was “intensive and unregulated,” causing populations to plunge. The state’s bear sanctuary system was created in 1971 to provide a safe natural environment where bears could live and multiply without being hunted. It has been “a primary factor in the recovery of bear populations.”

With populations rebounding, the state recently decided to “add or remove sanctuary based on bear population objectives, in combination with hunter desires and human-bear interactions.”

Panthertown Valley is not just a bear sanctuary; it is a Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and a Mountain Treasures Area. It is also a very popular year-round destination for hiking, camping, bicycling, rock climbing, etc.

Human-bear encounters have been reported in the valley, which prompted the Friends of Panthertown to do educational outreach as well as install bear-proof food lockers at two campsites. Their efforts have been so effective that in 2021 there were zero reports of problems.

It is our feeling that a hunting season is not necessary. Indeed, it would turn the bears’

heretofore peaceful lives into a cycle of harassment, terror and killing. Additionally, it would affect people recreating in the valley and living nearby as they are subjected to dogs running wild and the sounds of gunshots. At the height of the fall color season no less.

Bear biology naturally regulates populations. In response to poor food availability, they have fewer babies. It makes sense that as bears are killed, more food will be available, with a resultant increase in population.

The B.E.A.R. Task Force simply cannot condone the unfair and violent “sport” of hunting with dogs, especially in Panthertown Valley We are dedicated to education and the promotion of safe, harmonious coexistence between humans and bears. Therefore, we have committed to providing two additional bear-proof storage lockers and educational materials for the Friends of Panthertown to continue their successful efforts to reduce human-bear incidents.

If you oppose the NCWRC proposal, please submit comments by January 31 to: regulations@ncwildlife.org. Include name, phone and mailing address.

Cynthia Strain, chairwoman B.E.A.R. Task Force Highlands

Fight indoctrination with truth, integrity To the Editor: We are being inundated with the phrase, “Educate Don’t Indoctrinate.” It is now on billboards and in robot calls to our homes.

What the phrase means to me may differ from its meaning to those who use scare tactics such as “socialism” to refer to their ideas of Indoctrination. They pair

Truth, not lies, will keep us free

Critical Race Theory with their scary word to infer our children will grow up communists if something is not done to keep discussions about race out of our schools. The concepts of diversity, equality and equity are further evidence of public schools veering into the morass created by liberals and their Marxist allies.

These same people tell us our government is risking the health of our children with mandates for mask wearing and vaccinations. They argue that such requirements are signs of socialism and growing dictatorship in a country with a Constitution protecting individual rights. They intimidate local school boards with this argument and threats of violence. So if this is the message intended by people recruiting school board candidates, what does the concept mean to me, a moderate business consultant?

Educate means we teach our children the truth. In history they learn about the total experience of our people in our communities, states and country. They learn how our country and state were settled and how many benefited while Native

Americans and African Americans suffered.

We learn how the Constitution denied the rights of many and how it has evolved. We learn through science and math the facts and theories that make our world work and threaten our existence. Our children learn civics and how voting works best when everyone participates. As they learn about democracy they begin practicing the ideas in classes and communities.

“Don’t Indoctrinate” means simply we identify lies and conspiracy theories distorting the truth. We point out the dangers implied in the words “fascism” and “socialism” and relate the concepts and threats to the messages we are hearing. We call out the lies about Critical Race Theory and other conspiracy theories. We pay attention to local elections and support candidates who practice civility and reason not threats and violence. So, let us maintain integrity in our schools. Let’s fight indoctrination of lies, fear and conspiracy theories with truth, facts and evidence.

Ron Robinson Sylva

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Smoky Mountain News

repeatedly.

This mob’s own videos show them trying to crush a police officer to death. They wrenched American flags and flagpoles and fire extinguishers from walls and used them to beat and maim police officers. One hundred forty (140) Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police were injured, some with lifelong incapacitating injuries.

The insurrectionists murdered one officer. The insurrectionists nearly succeeded in hunting down VP Mike Pence after putting up a scaffold to hang him. Had those brave police, far outnumbered because your hero Trump and his appointees refused them help, succeeded, the Capitol walls and floors would have been a sea of blood.

Evidence is overwhelming from Trump himself and those closest to him. Trump fomented the insurrection and allowed it to continue even after pleas from his daughter, his son, and some Republicans in Congress.

More evidence appears daily. Mark Meadows’ emails and other documents given the January 6 committee add more proof.

Apparently you and your cohorts watch only Breitbart, Faux Fox and QAnon. For all we know QAnon is run by Russia, the world’s expert in disinformation campaigns, the nation with the most to gain by the fall of the US. You committed these crimes, Mr. Ford — you and all sympathizers who are so truth-averse and naive that you only visit the extremist web sites that confirm your ignorance of American government and history. You follow media run by men who have only contempt for you and your family. To Trump himself, anyone not rich has always been a “loser.” He is the idol you worship, not the flag you desecrated, not the Constitution, not American tradition.

Mary Curry Waynesville

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

To the Editor: If we really seek the truth, we go to primary sources — those who originate an idea, policy, or program. Mr. Ford’s letter of January 4 relies only on sources proven repeatedly to push lies. Instead, he read the social media posts of his hero Trump and the few loyalists left from his occupation of the White House. He should have watched the testimony of law enforcement officers who wer inside the Capitol on January 6: www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watchlive-house-investigation-of-jan-6-attackbegins-with-police-testimony.

Republican secretaries of state and other top election officials who are Republicans all confirmed that the election was fair and the count accurate. Result: people who think like you have sent them death threats.

Every challenge to the presidential vote count has been thrown out of courts, even those with Trump-appointed judges.

Mr. Ford, it was an insurrection: “an organized attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country, usually by violence” (Cambridge Dictionary). Please look up the definitions of “republic” and “democracy” in a credible dictionary or encyclopedia.

Calling the U.S. a republic does not allow you to overthrow our government. Who defined “republic” for you?

Of those arrested and tried for the insurrection, a number have pleaded guilty. If they were innocent they would not have done that. The evidence against them was overwhelming. No “leftist” would go to prison to “infiltrate” a mob, as you claim, copying Tucker.

Those thugs who filmed themselves bashing in doors of the Capitol and the House chamber, a sea of MAGA hats and extremist right-wing shirts, are Trump supporters from way back. Their own social media posts over several years damn them

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Show me somethin’ I can’t sell A conversation with John R. Miller

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR ailing from the rural panhandle of West Virginia, singer-songwriter John R. Miller is one of the most fascinating and captivating artists in recent memory.

With a hardscrabble vocal tone and downhome guitar style, the humbled, yet determined aura of Miller is something to behold — this cosmic, honed human antenna that’s always dialed in to whatever and whoever inspires his next melody.

Miller pays keen attention, whether consciously or subconsciously, to the conversations and sentiments either overheard in a diner, exchanged in a dive bar, or simply the national dialogue in the hearts and on the minds of a country and a people currently at an existential crossroads of sorts.

On his latest release, “Depreciated,” Miller offers a well-oiled batch of rollicking tunes, poignant ballads, and whirlwind instrumentals. At its core, the record is a call for camaraderie and compassion. Cast aside your foolish pride, put down your political swords, and reach out to another in an effort to find common ground, for the clock is ticking on all of us — so, why not embrace the beauty in the flaws, faults, redemption and recognition of one another?

What Miller does is what any perceptive, chiseled songwriter worth their weight in salt does — putting forth songs that speak, honestly and directly, to the human condition, to offer solidarity and sense of calm in an uncertain era we’re all trying to navigate to best of our best abilities.

H

Smoky Mountain News: What is it about that idea of depreciation? Whether it’s an old truck in the back yard or an old farmhouse, or even the love between two people, it always seems to be one of those themes that percolates underneath really great songwriting.

John R. Miller: Well, I think that’s just sort of the underlying theme of life, you know?

We’re all sort of bound by time and the way that it changes things — for better or worse.

So, I think that’s natural that we all grab it and move towards that as a theme at one time or another.

SMN: What is it about the landscape of West

John R. Miller. (photo: David McClister)

Virginia that inspires you, those people and places that spark your creativity?

JRM: I don’t know that I’m too sure exactly what it is about it. It feels sort of autonomous in its own way. It doesn’t seem particularly affected by outside forces. It might be a romantic idea of it, and its natural beauty is magnetic in a way. But, I think it can sort of go both ways. There is value in that sort of autonomy, but there’s also value in human growth and everything, too.

I do try to have a pretty disciplined writing practice when I’m at home. I try to do a little bit every day. You show up and you always try to be receptive to ideas and things that you hear.

Maybe even listening to other songwriters and other music that might offer some guidance, I do get inspiration from that, as well.

It’s all kind of the ideal scenario, where I’m open and receptive to ideas as they come. And then I take them home and work on them when I can. But, sometimes it just shuts off for a little while. You just got to keep showing up and working at it.

Rising singer-songwriter John R. Miller will be opening for Americana/roots sensation Town Mountain at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at The Orange Peel in Asheville.

The show is ages 18 and up. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 day of show. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to theorangepeel.net and click on the “Shows” tab.

really masters of is a real economy of language. Being able to say things evocatively without necessarily needing to say much at all. And I thought that was always the cool trick, you know?

I sort of naturally gravitate towards those songwriters, just because of how deeply they threw themselves into their craft. They’re sort of guideposts for how to do that in the modern world, for me anyway. And there’s plenty of masters doing it out there even still.

SMN: Just like legendary songwriters Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and John Prine, you also have this certain lens you’re writing through, where you can explain a very sensitive, intricate or symbolic topic with such an embracing tone. What’s you’re takeaway with those names I’ve mentioned and some of the things in their craft that rubbed off on you?

JRM: Well, a lot of what those guys were

SMN: When you think about how much noise and distraction there is in the modern world, what do you see as the role of the songwriter in the 21st century?

JRM: I think it’s the same role that any creator or creative person has, which is to kind of be able to be selective and filter out certain things, in order to focus on creating. I guess be careful about what kind of things your brain consumes. As they say — garbage in, garbage out. [Laughs].

Want to go?

“We’re all sort of bound by time and the way that it changes things — for better or worse. So, I think that’s natural that we all grab it and move towards that as a theme at one time or another.”

— John R. Miller

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Tsali Recreation Area. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

I dreamt that you were Joan-of Arc and I was Don Quixote

R

Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Alma Russ (Americana/roots) at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 29.

1 2 3 4 5

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Rossdafareye (roots/folk) at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28.

Lazy Hiker Brewing will host a “Chili Cook Off” at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28 (Franklin) and 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 29 (Sylva).

Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Let’s Build A Snowman” at noon Saturday, Jan. 29.

Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Craig St. John (singer-songwriter) at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27.

were spraying the mud of their equipment and packing up their vehicles to head home.

Even after I put the truck in park, I let “First Girl I Loved” play out. And I hit the repeat button. I really wanted to sit with the song, let it sink into my mind as to hopefully be my ongoing soundtrack while I was out there in the depths of Tsali, running in solitude with the sounds of Hartford echoing throughout my head.

And then, with one particular verse, I started to feel a little sad, a little nostalgic and also a bit lost in the existential space of processing just what time and place and you and me actually means, “I regret my life won’t be long enough, to make love to all the women that I’d like to, or least of all, to live with the ones I’ve loved.”

Now, those words aren’t meant as some

Smoky Mountain News

ight at the line of Graham and Swain counties, along a stretch of N.C. 28, is the entrance to the Tsali Recreation Area. It was late Monday afternoon and the sun was quickly falling toward the horizon.

Turning the truck into the entrance, the windy road went down and down towards the shoreline of Fontana Lake, where a vast recreation area of endless trails soon opens up, where outdoor freaks and the curious alike can disappear into the forest to wander and ponder.

Just as I hit the first curve in the road, the sounds of John Hartford’s “First Girl I Loved” started radiating from the stereo.

Another sacred melody from his seminal 1971 album “Aereo-Plain,” the song hit me deep, more so than with previous listening sessions.

Like any Hartford number, the tone and feeling always seems to strike hard and honestly, where you find yourself discovering new levels of each song with each passing year of your life — you grow older with the words and string arrangements, more appreciative of the sentiments, as one does with any timeless music.

Maybe it was the sunset and the way the shadows danced on the road and in the trees as I passed by. Maybe it was lingering thoughts and emotions from a rollercoaster trip back to the North Country for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Maybe it’s the mere fact my 37th birthday is just a little over a week away. Shit, it’s most likely all of the above in the grand scheme of things.

Pulling into the trailhead parking lot, what was left of the day’s mountain bikers

HOT PICKS

today. A full-time gig writing for a publication that provides me with creative freedom and a steady paycheck. Cross that off the list. Reside in a humble abode, one filled with books, vinyl records and guitars. Check. Drive a Toyota Tacoma covered in mud and scratches from continuous adventures. Also, check. A partner-in-crime badass member of the opposite sex to ride shotgun? Space still available, inquire within. So, three out of four, huh? Not bad, in all actuality, considering.

Reaching the last ridge of the four-mile trail run, I stopped and stood still for a moment. My head turned towards the fire in the sky as the sun left us with the last traces of the day’s sunshine. Sweat dripping from my forehead. Shoes covered in well-earned mud.

With a half-mile remaining back to the parking lot, I wiped my face with my sleeve, kicked a little mud off my shoes, and started up the engine within once again — for the truck and for home, wherever the heart is, as they say.

Turning on the truck, I rolled the windows down and threw “First Girl I Loved” back on the stereo, as so I could hear it while I stretched outside of the vehicle. I was the only person left in the parking lot, so I could play the tune as loud as I pleased.

Leaning against the truck, the mesmerizing presence of John Hartford echoed out into the heavens, “Was in love with you, wellbefore I knew, it meant more than just wanting to be with you, I used to look for other girls that looked like you.”

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

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

dumb, macho thing. Not even close. More so, it struck me with a flood of memories of past lovers, of once-beloved faces and cherished moments that now seem fuzzy and somewhat hard to clearly remember this many years later, sadly. I think back on those femme fatales and those women who shifted the trajectory of my life, and I can only shake my head in awe, and in gratitude, for good or ill.

Lacing up my running shoes, I hit the four-mile Right Loop trail. The sun was now behind the mountain ridge, the trail covered in dead leaves, with the lake itself now pretty empty from the floodgates being released.

Silence except for the running shoes crunching through the leaves, clockwork breathing pushing my body further and farther down the trail.

Thirty-seven. Shit. Where does the damn time go, eh? Sure, I get that 37 isn’t “old” by any means. But, it’s wild to just think about how fast time flies, especially when you’re having fun. Thirty-seven means that 2022 is exactly 10 years since I moved to Western North Carolina to start my position at this newspaper.

Twenty-seven? Good lord. Who was that person? I mean, I feel the same and the face looks somewhat the same in the mirror.

More grey hair now, though. But, the road in the rearview mirror to where that 27-yearold stood a decade ago is long and windy, with peaks and valleys of unknown elevation and difficulty. And yet, stubborn determination and undying passion brings me to the here and now.

The goal back then remains the same

1819 COUNTRY CLUB DR. | MAGGIE VALLEY | M AG G I E VA LLEY C LU B . CO M

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arts & entertainment

On the beat Alma Russ.

Kev Marcus and Wil Baptise of Black Violin.

Folk, soul at Mountain Layers

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

Beloved singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Alma Russ will hit the stage at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City.

Based out of Western North Carolina

and with her unique brand of “patchwork music” (country, folk and Appalachian styles pieced together), Russ enjoys playing guitar, banjo and fiddle. She was also a contestant on “American Idol” Season 16.

Free and open to the public.

828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com. For more information on Russ, click on almarussofficial.com.

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Snow conditions can change quickly visit: cataloochee.com for the most up to date conditions

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WCU to present Black Violin

With genre-bending original compositions, Black Violin will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 9, at the Bardo Arts Center Performance Hall at Western Carolina University.

Black Violin is composed of classically trained violist and violinist Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus who combine their classical training and hip-hop influences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound that is often described as “classical boom.”

For 17 years, Black Violin has been merging string arrangements with modern beats and vocals and building bridges in communities along the way. Marcus and Baptiste first met in orchestra class at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, becoming classically trained on the violin and viola through their high school and college careers.

Post-college, they reconvened to produce beats for South Florida rappers and began building an audience in local clubs. They later went on to win Showtime at the Apollo in 2005, and eventually sold-out headline performances at venues across the country, including a sold-out two-night headline run at The Kennedy Center in 2018.

NPR took note and declared “their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation.” Black Violin’s latest release, “Take the Stairs,” earned a Grammy Award nomination for “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.”

Find further information and purchase tickets at arts.wcu.edu/blackviolin. The BAC Box Office can be reached at 828.227.2479.

Masks are mandatory at all Western Carolina University in-person events, which include Bardo Arts Center Performance Hall.

Interested in learning the dulcimer?

The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players have resumed 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 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.

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

On the beat

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

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required.

828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or coweeschool.org.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends.

828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public.

828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host WNC Artist Spotlight Open Mic Jan. 26 and Rossdafareye (roots/folk) Jan. 28. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will “Let’s Build A Snowman” noon Jan. 29 and semiregular live music on the weekends. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host a “Chili Cook Off” at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 and Scott Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Feb. 5. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Prophets of Time Jan. 28 and a “Chili Cook Off” 6 p.m. Jan. 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Alma Russ (Americana/roots) Jan. 29.

All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m.

828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

• 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. rathskellerfranklin.com.

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

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host a live stream of “Cory Asbury: Songs & Stories” at 7 p.m.

Feb. 3. The live stream will be screened at

the SMCPA. Doors open at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public.

• Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com.

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

828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.

arts & entertainment

• 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.

• 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. 27, Jay Dee Gee Jan. 28 and Mile High Band Jan. 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public.

828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Craig St. John (singer-songwriter) at 6 p.m. Jan. 27. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends and an “Emo Night Dance Party” at 9 p.m. Feb. 12. 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.

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022 Smoky Mountain News 19

arts & entertainment

On the stage

HART presents ‘one-man show’ As part of its 2022 Winter Studio Season, the one-man show “Nocturne” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4-5 and 2 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Written by Adam Rapp, “Nocturne” examines a life of exceptional loss. With a keen eye for human relationships and a deft ear for language, Rapp’s work will linger in the memories of those who see it — just as the accident that effectively destroyed an entire family continues to lurk in the mind of the play’s protagonist.

In “Nocturne,” audiences step into the psyche of “Son” as he explores the effects of the incident that caused him to accidentally kill his sister at a very young age and how his family was subsequently torn apart. The stage is set to look like the inside of his tor-

mented mind, full of memories, regrets and dreams.

The play is at times a beautiful exhibit of Rapp’s exceptional writing and at others a deep cut into the life of a piano prodigy whose life was taken away by one tragedy after another. “Nocturne” reminds us that life is fragile, fleeting, and in the end, beautiful.

With socially distanced seating similar to what HART offered in spring of 2021, audiences can enjoy productions all year round at HART. Hold over/snow dates will be Feb. 11-13.

For tickets, visit harttheatre.org or call HART’s Box Office at 828.456.6322 and leave a message. Seating will be socially distanced and masks are required for all HART productions.

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

On the wall

20

On the table • Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) will now host a monthly brunch at the Rivers End Restaurant, as well as a special Valentine’s Day weekend. Aside from brunch, guests can also enjoy live music from local musicians as they dine. No reservations are needed for the brunch events. The full menu is available at noc.com/restaurants/rivers-endbrunch. For those looking for ideas to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Rivers End will have a prix fixe Valentine’s weekend menu all day from Feb. 11-14. Local musicians will also entertain guests with live music over the weekend. A full menu and details are available at noc.com/events/rivers-end-valentines. Reservations are required in advance.

• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) is currently seeking one or more gallery interns with a passion for the arts and interest in learning about the administration of a small nonprofit.

Send cover letters and resumes to HCAC Executive Director Morgan Beryl at director@haywoodarts.org.

• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 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. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. See more about Macon County Art Association at franklinuptowngallery.com and like, follow and share the Uptown Gallery on Facebook.

ALSO:

• A “Foreign Film Series” will be held at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Each month, on the second and fourth Friday, two movies from around the globe will be shown. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge. Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings. To find out what movie will be shown and/or for more information, call the library at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library. To learn more, click on fontanalib.org.

‘Gentle Repose’ by Lois Petrovich-Mwaniki.

Sylva art opening, reception The Jackson County Arts Council will host the “Lois Petrovich-Mwaniki: Shadowed Reality Artist Reception,” which will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, in the Rotunda Gallery at Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The gallery reception features the work of artist Lois Petrovich-Mwaniki in a show titled Shadowed Reality. The showcase consists of oil portraits.

“In exploring the medium of oil, I began to appreciate the mixture of colors on the canvas and the control I had to either flatten or abstract the shadowed figure, or to

emphasize the curvature of certain body parts using shadows,” Petrovich-Mwaniki said. “In some of the paintings I attempted to reflect another reality, like the cut-outs of Matisse or the reflected light from Venetian blinds, superimposed on the seated or resting figure. As I continue painting, I am exploring how this new reality can juxtapose what the viewer perceives and recognizes in the surrounding world.”

Petrovich-Mwaniki’s work will be shown in the Rotunda Gallery through March 2022. The Jackson County Public Library requires masks to be worn indoors. Cookie grab bags will be available in lieu of refreshments.

The reception and the showcase are free and open to the public.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host a “Chili Cook Off” at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28.

There will also be a “Chili Cook Off” at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva). Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• “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.

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 12 (and other 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.

800.872.4681 or gsmr.com.

On the shelf

Jeff Minick

supportive platoons of friends and family members, that group of people who are often invisible to us by way of familiarity but who are the treasures in our lives.

Sampson also possesses a gift for humor and whimsey. At one point, June is reluctantly on her way to a “hen do,” which is British slang for a party for someone who’s about to be married, an affair only attended by women. The mother of the bride, June’s supervisor at the library, is upset that the women throwing the party have hired a male stripper and wants June to monitor the event. While on her way, June runs into the stripper, Rocky, who’s gotten lost trying to find the correct address for the hen do. June directs him instead to the library protest at a church hall, which brings about great media coverage for the protesters and for Rocky himself.

In this scene, June later meets the elderly Stanley, who like the others in the cause is completely unaware that she is the mischief maker: “It was the most remarkable sight,” Stanley said, joining June as she started tidying up the noticeboard. “He had three different outfits: policeman, cowboy, and fireman. And he had Velcro on his trousers so he could rip them off easily. Such a prudent idea — I might try it with my suit.”

Finally, “The Last Chance Library” presents well-drawn characters that we might find as familiar as our neighbors. Just like June, each of these people unmask themselves as the story proceeds, surprising both June and the reader with bits and pieces from their past we might never have otherwise suspected. Stanley, for instance, visits the library every morning and remains there until closing time not only because he loves books but because he lives in a tiny ramshackle trailer in the woods.

Both blurbs on the back cover of “The Last Chance Library” describe the book as charming, which it is. But it also offers keen insights into human nature and reminds us of the mystery that lies within every person we meet.

Highly recommended.

(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.)

NC State Poetry Contest The annual NC State Poetry Contest is a free literary competition open to all North Carolina residents, including out-of-state and international students who are enrolled in North Carolina universities. It remains one of the largest free-to-enter poetry contests in the South.

This year’s guest judge is award-winning poet Michael Prior and features a grand prize of $500.

No emailed entries are accepted. Mail entries to: NC State Poetry Contest, Department of English, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8105, Raleigh, NC 27695-8105. The postmark deadline is March 1, 2022.

Due to volume, we cannot contact each contestant or return your poems afterward. Winners and honorable mentions will be contacted directly. There will not be a public ceremony this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results will be posted on the website.

For more information, visit go.ncsu.edu/poetrycontest.

Books are like snowflakes, all different in their way. own

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ing to herself in the evenings as she and her mother once read, caring for her anti-social cat, Alan Bennett, and engaging with a few friends like Linda, her next-door neighbor and long-time friend of her mother.

Then arrives the news that the local council may close the library because of funding problems. A group of patrons, ranging from the acrimonious Mrs. Bransworth and the sweet elderly man Stanley to a teenager and a homeschooled boy, band together to fight this closure. Though her job is threatened if she joins them, June works secretively on their behalf, feeding them information about moves against the library, and then eventually comes out in the open with her support.

Meanwhile, June finds herself attracted to Alex Chen, a London barrister who has returned to their village to assist his ill and aging father in his restaurant. She also draws close to Stanley, who becomes a sort of surrogate father to her. And as she becomes more involved in the battle to save the library, June is forced to lose her shy, mousy personality and become a fighter.

In addition to a wonderful story, Sampson provides a feast of other delights in “The Last Chance Library.” For one, she takes us inside of a community, centered on the library patrons, a group of eccentrics young and old trying to save an institution dear to each of them. The novel shows us that such communities are never imposed, but grow out of love, kindness, respect, and shared values. It also reminds us of our own

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

Sometimes the right book just comes along.

You go to the library or bookstore and happen across it, an author you’ve never heard of, a book as unfamiliar to you as some stranger you pass in the street. You pick it up, thumb through the pages, read the blurb on the back cover, and think, “What the heck, I’ll give you a chance.”

You arrive home and try the first few pages, then a few more, and suddenly you’re like some Writer teenager falling head over heels in love for the first time, smitten, whopped upside the head and the heart, and reading like a maniac as you devour the rest of the story.

Freya Sampson’s debut novel, “The Last Chance Library” (Berkley Publishers, 2021, 329 pages) brought one of my days to a standstill as I put everything else aside and read her novel through the afternoon and into the night. Given my normal reading schedule these days — an hour a day, sometimes more, sometimes less — to lose myself in this novel so long a time was both unusual and a joy.

Here we meet the young June Jones, an assistant librarian at Chalcot Library in England. June’s beloved mother was once the head of the library, and June essentially grew up there, reading books, caring for her mother before her death, and pushing aside her plans for a university education and her hopes for becoming a writer to continue working at the library. Her days are routine: work, eating the same take-out meals, read-

arts & entertainment

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ly regulated, Olfenbuttel said, and controlled independently of general bear hunting. The number of permits available can be changed based on current bear population data.

The three proposed sanctuaries would join two others where hunting permits are currently offered — the Daniel Boone Bear Sanctuary and the Mt. Mitchell Bear Sanctuary, both in the Pisgah National Forest.

THE CASE FOR HUNTING

BALANCE OF BEAR COUNTRY Wildlife Commission takes input on future of WNC bear sanctuaries

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER early 40 people weighed in on a controversial proposal to allow bear hunting in three mountain sanctuary areas during a Jan. 20 virtual public hearing before the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Of the 38 speakers, 32 were opposed while six spoke in favor of the measure, which would allow the Wildlife Commission to issue a limited number of hunting permits in the Panthertown-Bonas Defeat, Pisgah and Standing Indian Bear Sanctuaries within the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests.

Proponents of the proposal said that wellmanaged hunting ultimately benefits wildlife populations and that reducing population density in the nucleus of bear country will reduce the animals’ need to disperse into human habitats that could prove dangerous for them. There are too many bears, the proposal’s supporters said, and they’re causing real issues when they cross paths with humans. Besides, they argued, the sanctuaries are already open to hunting for other game species — why not bear, too?

Meanwhile, the rule’s opponents repeatedly said that human actions, not bear populations, are at the root of human-bear conflict and that education, not hunting, is the solution. Sanctuaries should remain safe places

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for bears to live their lives, they said, and those areas are important for people too — multiple commenters said that they avoid bear dogs during the hunting season by hiking in sanctuaries. Speakers also took aim at the 2005 public opinion survey that the Wildlife Commission used to support its recommendation, saying that the 16-year-old survey is irrelevant to today’s decision-making.

A WILDLIFE SUCCESS STORY The bear hunting proposal caused such a swell of opinion ahead of the public hearing that Colleen Olfenbuttel, the agency’s black bear and furbearer biologist, put together a special presentation explaining how the Commission arrived at its proposal.

Back in the 1970s, she said, black bears were rare in North Carolina, with fewer than 1,000 remaining in the 25-county mountain bear management unit. But then the state got serious about conservation, in 1971 establishing 28 black bear sanctuaries across the state totaling more than 800,000 acres. The goal was to protect a breeding nucleus of female bears, allowing the population to grow.

Currently 17 sanctuaries covering 490,000 acres remain in North Carolina.

The efforts worked. By 2005, the mountain region was home to an estimated 4,400

Be heard The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will accept written comments on its proposed regulations for 2022-23 through Jan. 31. Submit them through the web portal, by emailing regulations@ncwildlife.org, or through the mail to Rule-making Coordinator, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1701.

To read the proposed regulations or submit a comment online, visit ncwildlife.org/proposedregulations.

bears, a 340% increase from the low point in the 1960s.

“Bears are back to the entirety of their range in Western North Carolina, and we’re starting see bears expand their range into the piedmont region,” Olfenbuttel said. “We’ve also restored bears in eastern North Carolina.

Bears are a wildlife success story.”

The Wildlife Commission shifted its focus from restoring the population to managing it, launching a planning process that culminated with the 2012 approval of a plan to manage black bears in North Carolina through 2022.

That process included a survey, completed in 2005, asking the public how they wanted to see the bear population managed.

“At that time, the vast majority of the public not only supported regulated hunting as a bear population management tool, but a majority preferred the bear population remain at the current level,” she said.

Regulated hunting efforts helped reduce the population’s growth rate but did not curtail it — the mountain black bear population is still growing at an annual rate of 5-6%, down from 15% in 2005. As a result, the estimated black bear population has almost doubled in size from 2005, with the current estimate between 7,000 and 8,000.

“One reason we have not been able to stabilize the bear population is that non-huntable areas in the mountains are increasing, largely due to development,” said Olfenbuttel.

Research shows that sanctuaries, where bear hunting is currently prohibited, contain high densities of the animals. In 2018, the U.S. Forest Service asked that hunting on the sanctuary lands in question be allowed as part of an “integrated approach” to bear management that would also include BearWise education and food storage regulations. Permit hunts are high-

Mike Wilkins was the district ranger for the Nantahala Ranger District of the Nantahala National Forest in 2018, when the request for permit hunting on sanctuary lands was made. Since retired, he took to public comment to explain the reasons behind that request.

“Panthertown Valley is overpopulated with bear,” he said. “Bears have become very aggressive due to the lack of hunting.”

Around 2014, Wilkins began taking calls about bears stealing backpacks and ripping tents with no fear of people, and as the years went on the issue mounted. Though Friends of Panthertown Executive Director Jason Kimenker told The Smoky Mountain News that 2021 was a quiet year for bear activity due to increased education and food storage effort, during Wilkins’ last full season on the job, nuisance bear reports were coming in every couple weeks, all season long.

“The data shows it should be open to hunting, and it’s sort of a waste of taxpayer funds to still enforce a law that’s no longer needed,” Wilkins said.

The bear population is recovered now, and in the long run allowing hunting on sanctuary lands will keep the population healthier than if remained off-limits, said Michael Hummel.

“Hunting in the North American model for conservation has long demonstrated that when executed properly, it’s overwhelmingly to the benefit of the game species, nearly in perpetuity,” he said. “If bears are permitted to be harvested in the interior at the center of their populations, that’s going to create less competition for the bears.”

That, in turn, will reduce their incentive to disperse into developed areas.

“You simply won’t see them getting hit by cars on I-40 if there’s less competition at the center of their ranges,” Hummel said.

“I agree with many of the people who said that we need education,” added Leonard Rex, who said he has been a hunting instructor for two decades. “Quite apparently, many people need some education regarding hunting, because they really do not understand its legal use and its benefits.”

‘ASKING FOR SAFETY ISSUES’ The vast majority of commenters opposed the proposal, the most common refrain being that misconduct from humans — not bears — is the real issue, and that the solution lies not in killing bears, but in educating people.

Help pull off The Plunge

you need to dig into that data and actually see what is a harmful encounter, not an observation.”

UNDER THE CLOCK

A virtual screening of “The Story of Plastic,” with a live Q&A to follow, will be offered at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, with viewing available through Feb. 1.

The film is described as “a seething expose uncovering the ugly truth behind the current global plastic crisis.” It includes footage shot over three continents depicting the ongoing catastrophe, along with original animations, interviews with experts and activists and never-before-filmed scenes.

The screening is presented by MountainTrue, Asheville GreenWorks, Environment N.C. and the WENOCA Group of the N.C. Sierra Club. Register at mountaintrue.org/event/virtual-the-story-of-plasticsfilm-screening-1-26-22. Those who cannot attend the live event will have the opportunity to watch anytime through Feb. 1 and receive a recording of the live Q&A.

Fly fishers to meet in Sylva The Tuckeseigee chapter of Trout Unlimited will hear from Tuckaseegee Fly Shop owner Dale Collins during a meeting 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, at the United Methodist Church in Sylva.

The group will meet in the Fellowship Hall, share a meal and plan some local trash pickups in addition to hearing from Collins. All are welcome to attend.

Smoky Mountain News

Prior to the pandemic, the Wildlife Commission held an annual public hearing on proposed regulation changes in each of the state’s nine wildlife management districts.

But both this year and last, the series of in-person hearings was swapped for a single, virtual hearing with a hard time limit of two hours. The ticking clock made it impossible for everybody wishing to comment to have their voice heard in the two-hour timeframe offered Jan. 20, especially since the bear sanctuary proposal wasn’t the only controversial measure proposed for 2022-23.

The proposed regulations also included rules that would ban or regulate the sale and possession of various reptile and amphibian species, spurring passionate opposition from speaker after speaker during the portion of the agenda devoted to wildlife management rules. But after half an hour of input, the moderator told attendees that due to time constraints they would be moving on to the next group of proposed regulations. That decision prompted one man to call in during the game lands portion of the meeting, which included the bear sanctuary discussion, to request a follow-up meeting to spend more time on the wildlife management proposals.

Comment on the bear sanctuary proposal was cut off after 50 minutes, with more people still waiting in the wings after the 38 people who did get the chance to speak had made their point. A count of people who desired to speak but could not due to the time limit was not available prior to SMN’s press time, nor was a list of correct name spellings for those who did.

“We apologize that not everyone who wanted to speak this evening was able to due to time constraints, and that we were not able to address many of your questions,” read a message sent via chat at the end of the meeting. “We encourage you to continue commenting online (ncwildlife.org/proposed-regulations) or via email (regulations@ncwildlife.org). All comments are given the same consideration whether submitted verbally, by mail, email or online through our comment portal.”

The Wildlife Commission will vote on the proposed regulations during its February meeting, and approved rules will go into effect Aug. 1 pending review by the Rules Review Commission. Rules that receive 10 or more letters requesting legislative review will be delayed until that review takes place.

Documentary exposes the impact of plastics

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

“I have been a bear photographer for over a dozen years. I have never had any opposition from a bear,” said Joann D’Eramo. “I feel that the issue that you have is the people interacting with them. The people need to be educated.”

Several comments focused specifically on the Panthertown bear sanctuary, which overlays the popular Panthertown Backcountry Recreation Area near Cashiers, and argued that allowing bear hunting with dogs on that land would cause safety issues and take away cherished recreational opportunities from non-hunters.

“We’re well aware that there’s thousands and thousands of acres of public land open to hunting,” said John Beaudet, who described himself as a “professional volunteer” on trail maintenance crews and is president and founder of the East Tennessee Trail Association. “These sanctuaries are where we go during bear season to get away from the hunting.”

“The use of dogs to hunt bears in Panthertown will create a much bigger issue in terms of safety,” added Finley Frasier.

“You have a lot of people that recreate in the Panthertown Forest. It lies between Lake Toxaway and Cashiers, North Carolina. As you know those are both heavy tourist areas. There are tons of hikers in that area all throughout the year, so allowing use of dogs to chase bears into areas with humans is asking for safety issues.”

Various commenters offered alternative solutions to the bear issues prompting the recommendation. One person asked the Wildlife Commission to install bear cables at campsites in the affected areas, while another requested that proceeds from bear hunting be used to acquire property for wildlife corridors between game lands and to “secure the trash and keep people from being idiots.”

Another suggested that the Wildlife Commission inject female bears with contraceptives to reduce population growth.

Those opposed to the proposal also took aim at Olfenbuttel’s use of the 2005 survey to justify the change.

“The data is stale,” said animal law attorney Heidi Mehaffey. “A 2005 survey for approval of hunting does not reflect the current population and idea about whether or not this is appropriate or ethical.”

Several people also questioned whether bear encounters are as much of a problem as the Wildlife Commission claims. Anita Gifford, a who lives along the western edge of Panthertown and frequently rides horses and hikes in the backcountry, said she had not seen a bear while out on the trails in her 20 years living in the area.

“Since 2005 it’s been much easier to record observations through the use of cell phones and internet,” said Frasier. “I think

After a wild duck shot in Hyde County Dec. 30 tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, agencies are reminding poultry growers to increase their biosecurity measures and hunters to follow best practices when handling waterfowl after harvest.

Positive tests in wild waterfowl are not unexpected, as they can be infected with HPAI and show no signs of illness, carrying the disease to new areas through fecal matter or oral discharges when migrating. While this type of HPAI virus is low risk for people, it can be dangerous to other birds. A second wild duck tested positive for the virus in Colleton County, South Carolina, after Jan. 14.

“These three positive samples tell us that high path avian influenza is currently present in the American Atlantic migratory flyway,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.

Report mortality events involving five or more waterbirds or waterfowl, or mortality events of any size involving raptors and avian scavengers, as well as sightings of those same bird species displaying neurological

impairment, to the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866.318.2401 during business hours, or by email to hwi@ncwildlife.org. ncagr.gov/avianflu.

outdoors

Volunteers are needed to help with The Plunge supporting Haywood Waterways Association on Saturday, Feb. 12, at Lake Junaluska.

Volunteers will help with registration, parking, information assistance, sign posting, serving chili, cleaning up and other miscellaneous jobs. They will report by 9 a.m. and will be done around 2:30 p.m.

Sign up with Christine O’Brien at 828.476.4667, ext. 11, or christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com. To sign up for the plunge itself, visit tiny.cc/hwa10thplunge.

Wild ducks test positive for avian flu

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outdoors

Explore Haywood Gap Hike Haywood Gap on Wednesday, Feb. 9, for an easy to moderate excursion with Haywood County Recreation and Parks.

Led by Kathy Odvody and Phyllis Woollen, the hike will cover 5.5 miles with less than 600 feet in elevation change, traveling from N.C. 215 to Haywood Gap. Another hiking opportunity Saturday, Feb. 16, will offer a 4.8-mile excursion from Soco Gap to Heintooga Road with Kathy Odvody and Steve Szczepanski.

Cost is $10 per person. Register by calling the Haywood Recreation at 828.452.6789.

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

Hike Rough Creek

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Explore the Rough Creek Watershed with a guided hike Saturday, Feb. 5, and learn about the watershed ecology that drives the place.

Eric Romaniszyn, executive director of the Haywood Waterways Association, will lead the hike. The Rough Creek Watershed is located just north of Canton, an 870-acre area first settled by pioneers in the 1800s. By the early 1900s most settlers had left and Canton designated it a protected area. The watershed contains a diverse plant and animal community similar to what is found in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

The hike is part of Haywood Waterways' “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor recreation events. The group will meet at the Lower Trail Junction parking lot at 9 a.m. with the moderate-to-strenuous 5.5mile hike concluding by 1:30 p.m.

Space is limited, with no pets allowed.

Pack lunch, water, warm clothing and rain gear. Free for HWA members with a $5 donation requested from nonmembers. RSVP to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

Visit Linville Take a trip to Linville Caverns in McDowell County Saturday, Feb. 6, with the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department.

The group will leave Waynesville at 8 a.m. and return by 4:30 p.m. The first stop will be Linville Caverns, which was discovered in the early 1800s when men on a fishing expedition were astounded to see a fish swimming out of what appeared to be rather solid rock.

A small opening in the mountainous terrain allowed them to enter a subterranean recess that is still home to native trout in an underground stream.

Next, the group will eat at Louise’s Rock House Restaurant, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and then venture to the Linville Falls Visitor Center. From there, participants can decide which trail to take to see the falls. Trails range in difficulty from moderate to strenuous and from 1 to 4 miles in length.

The $20 trip cost does not cover lunch. To register, call 828.456.2030 or email mgaddis@waynesvillenc.gov.

Helicopter rescue saves Smokies hiker A multifaceted rescue effort on Tuesday, Jan. 18, extricated a stranded hiker from the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

At approximately 8:20 a.m. that day, the park’s Emergency Communications Center received notification that San Diego, California, resident Andrew Burtzloff, 28, had become disoriented and lost due to heavy snow while hiking the Appalachian Trail.

To rescue Burtzloff, the park developed a search and rescue plan using location data from the cell phone call, which indicated that he was well off-trail in a ravine deep within the park’s backcountry near Gregory Bald. Burtzloff reported that he was cold, wet and had signs and symptoms of hypothermia. Realizing that it could take six to eight hours to reach him on the ground, the park requested assistance from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the national guard. By 10 a.m., a medical UH60 Army Blackhawk had departed the McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, reaching the search location about 15 minutes later.

After a brief search by air, the crew located the hiker in waist-deep snow.

Unable to land due to trees and terrain, the

“The park has a long-standing partnership with these agencies that enables us to work together to complete complex search and rescue operations in extremely hazardous environments such as this,” said Tennessee District Ranger Jared St. Clair. “We are appreciative of their dedication in helping us reach those in need.”

The park received 12-18 inches of snow at its highest elevations between Friday, Jan. 14, and Monday, Jan. 17, and most park roads were closed. However, many park trails remained accessible along the boundary, The stranded hiker and rescuing medics are hoisted though backpackers up to the medical UH60 Army Blackhawk. NPS photo were cautioned about the inclement weather.

For information about hiking safety, hoisted safely aboard. Burtzhoff arrived at visit nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/hikthe University of Tennessee Medical Center ingsafety.htm. for treatment at about 11:20 a.m. air crew lowered two medics to the hiker, and after an initial on-ground medical evaluation, Burtzhoff and the medics were

Fire Mountain closed to bikes for winter Through March 1, Fire Mountain Trails in Cherokee is closed to bikes in order to prevent damage to the trails.

Foot traffic is still allowed, and temporary exceptions to the no-bike rule may occur if there are multiple days in a row with no rain above freezing temperatures after the freeze/thaw cycle is over.

Check visitcherokeenc.com for updates, or follow Fire Mountain Trails on Instagram and Facebook.

Forest Service releases revised management plan A decade after it first reached out to stakeholders for the project, the U.S. Forest Service has released its revised management plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, signaling the start of the revision process’s final phase.

“The forest plan creates the framework for us to work with partners into the future to successfully address major challenges like climate resilience and sustainable recreation,” said James Melonas, Forest Supervisor of the National Forests in North Carolina. “Ultimately we are focused on the opportunities we have to keep these national forests healthy so they can continue to supply clean water to communities, contribute to the region’s economy, and be a place of respite and recreation.”

For the next 60 days, anybody who submitted substantive comments during the plan’s development will have the chance to file a formal objection to the revised plan.

Within 10 days of the objection period’s closure, the regional forester will verify objectors’ standing to file objections, and for 10 days after that, members of the public can request to participate in the objection process as an “interested person.”

From there, the regional forester has 90 days to review and resolve objections.

The regional forester will use collaborative methods to discuss the objections, with the intention of reaching a mutually agreeable conclusion. After objection resolution meetings are held, the regional forester will issue a written response that may include direction for changes to the final plan. This written response is the final decision, and the forest supervisor will then approve the new plan and begin implementing it.

The revised plan reflects changes in economic, social and ecological conditions, as well as changes in resource demands that have occurred since the previous forest plan was signed in 1987, and significantly amended in 1994.

In developing the plan, forest resource specialists worked with representatives of state and local government, tribes, interest groups and the public to consider alternative approaches to forest management offering different ways to make progress toward multiple goals and be sensitive to special places. According to a Forest Service press release announcing the plan’s completion, the final plan balances the tradeoffs among the multiple uses of national forests including recreation, timber, water, wilderness and wildlife habitat, and emphasizes the ways people use the forest and the

places that are important to people.

The plan takes a whole-ecosystem approach and aims to address shortages in young forest, old growth forest and open forest conditions, and to control nonnative invasive species. It also emphasizes prescribed burns as a tool for restoring fireadapted ecosystems. The plan identifies a set of desired conditions for every ecological community in the forest, a vision for what it will be once the goals are fully achieved.

“By using ecological communities, we will consider the work that needs to be done across a broader landscape, improving restoration efforts for ecosystems and the wildlife that depend on them,” said Michelle Aldridge, planning team lead.

Public meetings and public comments were used throughout the process to create the newly released plan, which will guide forest management for the next 15 to 20 years. Public comments are no longer being accepted, with formal objection the only remaining tool for public input prior to adoption of the final plan.

Read the plan, accompanying environmental impact statement and legal notice for the specific requirements for filing an objection at fs.usda.gov/goto/nfsnc/nprevi-

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(Located (Located in in the the NAPA NAPA Auto Auto Parts Parts Center) Center)

Increasingly, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is becoming a year-round destination. NPS photo

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

Great Smokies

STORAGE LLC Call 828.506.4112 greatsmokiesstorage.com

Smoky Mountain News

434 Champion Drive, Canton, NC 28716 21 Hollon Cove Rd, Waynesville, NC 28786

26

Puzzles can be found on page 30 These are only the answers.

previous record of 12.5 million set in 2019.

“In the last decade, park visitation has increased by 57%,” said Acting Superintendent Alan Sumeriski. “While increasing visitation presents complex challenges, we are honored to care for a park that is special to so many people. We remain committed to developing innovative solutions to provide the necessary support for visitor services and resource protection.”

Increasingly, the park has become a year-round destination, with eight monthly visitation records set during the winter and spring months in 2021 — January through June, November and December. Last year, eight months saw more than 1 million visits to the park, with February the slowest month at 502,459 visits. For the first time, January and February visitation exceeded half a million, with the 931,060 visits recorded in March far-and-away beyond the month’s previous record of 786,305 set in 2019.

During the winter months, December through February, the park had 600,000 more visits than the ten-year average for

that time period. During the spring months, March through May, the park had 1.2 million more visits than the 10-year average for that time period.

Roads, trails, front-country campgrounds and backcountry campgrounds were all busier than normal in 2021. Front-country camping increased 40%, while backcountry camping increased 20%.

Overwhelmingly, outlying areas of the park experienced the largest percentage of year-overyear visitation. Visitation at the Balsam Mountain/Heintooga Ridge area was 43.8 percent higher than 2020, with Cataloochee seeing a 25.3% increase, Cosby 31.8%, Foothills Parkway East 33.1%, Little River/Cherokee Orchard 45% and Little River/Wear Cove 38.6%. The main entrances at Oconaluftee and Sugarlands still saw a substantial uptick in visitation, with increases of 18.9% and 16.9%, respectively. Overall visitation in 2021 came in 16.9% higher than 2020, when the park was closed through much of the spring during the initial phase of the pandemic.

With more visitors to serve and inflation on prices of goods and services, the park’s operational cost has continued to rise even as annual federal appropriations have remained roughly stagnant. To help meet critical needs this year, the park’s nonprofit partners Friends of the Smokies and Great Smoky Mountains Association are providing more than $4 million in aid. The park is also slated to receive project-specific, shortterm funds to help chip away at the maintenance backlog in campgrounds, wastewater systems and along roads and trails.

Construction timelines and project details for several projects to complete significant rehabilitation work are expected to be announced over the next few weeks.

For more information about work to improve access and visitor experience, visit nps.gov/grsm/learn/management/ves.htm.

For more information about visitation statistics, visit irma.nps.gov/STATS. — By Holly Kays, outdoors editor

Macon rep joins ag and natural resource committee Rep. Karl Gillespie, who represents Macon, Graham, Cherokee and Clay counties in the N.C. House of Representatives, has joined the Joint Legislative Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources.

Gillespie, a Republican from Macon County, replaces former Rep. Chuck McGrady on the committee after Speaker Tim Moore appointed him to the position. As a cattle farmer, Gillespie has experience with many of the issues the committee must address.

“I am humbled to be chosen as a member of

this committee and appreciate the trust that the speaker has placed in me,” Gillespie said. “I believe that I can draw from my experience in agriculture to have a positive impact on this committee. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure we continue to make the best policy decisions for our state and its citizens.”

With the latest appointment, Rep. Gillespie now serves on six committees, including Agriculture, Appropriations, AppropriationsEducation, Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs and Wildlife Resources.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Jackson County Farmers Market meets every Saturday November through March 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and April through October 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Bridge Park in Sylva, 110 Railroad St. Fresh, locally grown seasonal vegetables, locally produced meat, eggs, fresh bread and pastries, coffee, foraged mushrooms, flowers, starter plants for the garden, honey, jams and jellies, local artisans and more. Special events listed on facebook and instagram.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Franklin Amateur Radio Club will participate in the annual Winter Field Day, an exercise in emergency radio communications in a winter environment in order to maintain operating skills in amateur radio. The event begins at noon on Jan. 29, at the East Franklin Baptist Church Fellowship Hall at 2057 Lakeside Drive.

Everyone is invited.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Food for Fines will take place during the month of February, and all food collected will benefit local agencies. Library cardholders may relieve outstanding fines by donating canned or boxed food, with each individual item erasing one dollar in fines. All donated items must be unexpired, unopened, and packaged in metal or paper (no glass). Plastic bottles of water cannot be accepted. Donations will be received at the Waynesville, Canton, Fines Creek, and Maggie Valley branches.

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com of church through the door to the left of the sanctuary; meeting is first door on the right. The Church requests that you wear a mask if you are not vaccinated.

• Narcotics Anonymous meetings are back "live" in-person after a year of being on Zoom only. Local meetings are 12 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at Sylva First United Methodist Church in downtown Sylva. Entrance at back of building.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • There will be a special message on Abundant Life and Creator God at 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 30, at Christian ACTS Church located at 257 East Alarka Rd, Bryson City, NC. Handicapped Accessible. 828.538.4995. All are welcome.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer a trip to tour the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the Grove Arcade in Asheville. The trip will take place from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27. The cost is $10 per person and this does not include lunch. For more information or to register, call the Waynesville Recreation Center at 828.456.2030 or email mgaddis@waynesvillenc.gov.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Swain County Caring Corner Free Clinic is open Thursday’s 4 to 9 p.m. at Restoration House (Bryson City United Methodist Church). Office hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 a.m. to noon. Call 828.341.1998 to see if you qualify to receive free medical care from volunteer providers.

• Free Yoga will be hosted by Beyond Bending Yoga from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the Macon County Public Library in the Public Meeting Room. Register at https://beyondbendingyoga.com/schedule/ to ensure safe numbers.

SUPPORT GROUPS • Haywood Hospice & Palliative Care is sponsoring a Community Grief Gathering at 1 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the Canton Library in the meeting room. Each month will feature a different grief topic. The Haywood County Public Library and Haywood Hospice require that masks be worn inside the building.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Dan Pyles at 452-5039 or email Daniel.pyles@lhcgroup.com • Dementia Caregivers Support Group, for those providing care for folks who are dealing with dementia, meets from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month at the Haywood Senior Resource Center (81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville). For additional information call 828-476-7985.

• Al-Anon, for families and friends of alcoholics, meets every Monday night from 7-8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 77 Jackson St., Sylva. Enter at front

A&E

• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood Street in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods.

Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.

• 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.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host WNC Artist Spotlight Open Mic Jan. 26 and Rossdafareye (roots/folk) Jan. 28. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Let’s Build A Snowman” noon Jan. 29 and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host a “Chili Cook Off” at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 and Scott Stambaugh (singersongwriter) 7 p.m. Feb. 5. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Prophets of Time Jan. 28 and a “Chili Cook Off” 6 p.m. Jan. 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Alma Russ (Americana/roots) Jan. 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country Jan. 27, Jay Dee Gee Jan. 28 and Mile High Band Jan. 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Craig St. Johns (singer-songwriter) at 6 p.m. Jan. 27. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.

FOOD AND DRINK • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host a “Chili Cook Off” at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28. There will also be a “Chili Cook Off” at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva). Free and open to the public.

828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• “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.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) is currently seeking one or more gallery interns with a passion for the arts and interest in learning about the administration of a small nonprofit. Send cover letters and resumes to HCAC Executive Director Morgan Beryl at director@haywoodarts.org.

• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 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

• A virtual public hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, will take public input on a proposal to remove the ivorybilled woodpecker from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife due to the fact that it is extinct. The hearing will be held via Zoom and teleconference. Register to attend at bit.ly/3fjSdu0 and join the meeting using information in the confirmation email.

Written comments will be accepted through 11:59 p.m.

Feb. 10 and can be submitted at regulations.gov/docket/FWS-R4-ES-2020-0109.

• A virtual screening of “The Story of Plastic,” with a live Q&A to follow, will be offered at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, with viewing available through Feb. 1. Register at mountaintrue.org/event/virtual-the-story-of-plasticsfilm-screening-1-26-22.

27

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

Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings meeting 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, at the United Methodist Church in Sylva. The group will meet in the Fellowship Hall, share a meal and plan some local trash pickups in addition to hearing from Collins. All are welcome to attend.

• Explore the Rough Creek Watershed with a guided hike Saturday, Feb. 5, and learn about the watershed ecology that drives the place. The group will meet at the Lower Trail Junction parking lot at 9 a.m. with the moderate-to-strenuous 5.5-mile hike concluding by 1:30 p.m. Space is limited, with no pets allowed. Pack lunch, water, warm clothing and rain gear. Free for HWA members with a $5 donation requested from nonmembers.

RSVP to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

• The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer a trip to Linville Caverns from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 5. The cost of the trip is $20 per person.

The fee does not cover lunch. For more information or to register, please call the Waynesville Recreation Center at 828.456.2030 or email mgaddis@waynesvillenc.gov • Hike Haywood Gap on Wednesday, Feb. 9, for an easy to moderate excursion with Haywood County Recreation and Parks. Led by Kathy Odvody and Phyllis Woollen, the hike will cover 5.5 miles with less than 600 feet in elevation change, traveling from N.C. 215 to Haywood Gap. Cost is $10 per person. Register by calling the Haywood Recreation at 828.452.6789.

• Volunteers are needed to help with The Plunge supporting Haywood Waterways Association on Saturday, Feb. 12, at Lake Junaluska. Volunteers will report by 9 a.m. and will be done around 2:30 p.m. Sign up with Christine O’Brien at 828.476.4667, ext. 11, or Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com. To sign up for the plunge itself, visit tiny.cc/HWA10thPlunge.

• Two new Learn To Grow classes: ‘Spring Vegetable Selections’ & ‘Diagnosis of Tomato Diseases’ will be presented at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, via zoom. For more information and a link to register for this class, go to https://haywood.ces.ncsu.edu/ and click on ‘Extension Gardener: Learn to Grow’.

• The Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon and Mighty Four Miler will return to Waynesville this year, stepping off Saturday, April 2. Register at gloryhoundevents.com. The four miler is $35, and the $70 early bird price for the half marathon is available through Jan. 31.

• The 2022 Outdoor Economy Conference is less than three months away, scheduled for April 4-7 at the new Cherokee Convention Center in Cherokee. Early bird pricing of $400 for the full, four-day conference is available through Feb. 28. Find out more at outdooreconomy.org.

• The Tuckeseigee chapter of Trout Unlimited will hear from Tuckaseigee Fly Shop owner Dale Collins during a

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SUPER

CROSSWORD

GO WITH THE FLOW ACROSS 1 Tax doc. whiz 4 Vietnam Veterans Memorial architect 11 Facility with a Jacuzzi 14 "Deathtrap" star Michael 19 Skirt edge 20 Worship 21 "Can do!"

23 "Deathtrap" dramatist Levin 24 Gotten out of dreamland 25 Tons 26 Inca conqueror Francisco 28 Natural skill 30 Radio shock jock Don 31 Hog food 32 Ltr. insert 34 Nobelist Wiesel 35 Obama's party: Abbr.

36 Deg. for a Wall Streeter 39 Con's vote 41 Light blows 43 Some small batteries 45 Conan of TBS 47 Dumas' "Le -- de MonteCristo" 49 Suffix with polyethyl50 "Explorer" of kids' TV 51 Daytime nap 52 "-- and the Night Visitors" (Menotti opera) 53 Sonata segment 55 "Well well well!"

57 Church recesses 58 Cinematic Streep 59 Give fresh life 60 Final: Abbr.

61 Final Greek consonant 62 Moose's kin 63 Singer Redding

65 See 69-Across 67 Mai -69 With 65-Across, attended as a spectator 72 Casual top 73 Adroit humor 74 U.S.-Canada air-watch org.

75 Bit of an oval 76 Title for Ringo Starr 77 Baseball great Mel 78 "Selena" star, familiarly 79 "What's -- for me?"

80 Loretta of "M*A*S*H" 81 Deep anger 82 Virtuoso 84 Minister's study: Abbr.

86 Big name in motor scooters 88 Detach, as a badge 90 Pacific Ocean nation 92 "-- -haw!"

93 Actor Rob 94 Snared with a lasso 95 Like a clear night sky 97 Angry mutt's sound 99 Poetic tribute 100 Arab chiefs 101 Mysterious 102 Great Lakes' -- Canals 103 Whirled 104 Actor Neill 105 -- kwon do 106 Foe of Liston 108 Have the gall 110 Touch gently 112 A bit wet 115 Cure- -- (elixirs) 116 Lawn growth 118 Ties tightly 120 Casual affair 124 Rescue financially

126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133

Even one Former Honda SUV Put under water TV's Jean- -- Picard Serpent stuff Super Bowl stats Ceases Volcanic stuff

DOWN 1 Casino disks 2 Hazard 3 Alternative to eBay or Etsy 4 Bryn -- College 5 Worship 6 Canadian expanse on the border with Alaska 7 Brighton beer 8 Tall and thin 9 Apple media player 10 Kathmandu's country 11 Coil about 12 "Wham!"

13 Garden pest 14 Major film studio 15 $5 bills, slangily 16 Not well 17 Prefix with orthodox 18 First-aid ace 22 Ladies' men 27 Unconcern 29 "So long!"

33 Kayaks' kin 36 1991 film about a family exiled from Uganda 37 -- noire 38 Santa -- (hot winds) 40 Much tabloid reportage 42 Actor Sean 44 Comic Mort 46 Gym units

47 Attended 48 Brunch order 50 With the current ... or what appears at the starts of eight long answers in this puzzle?

54 Dual-sport Sanders 56 2007 Stanley Cup losers 64 Up to, in ads 66 Hall & -68 Jackie's #2 70 Less stuffy 71 Fads, e.g.

74 Co-founder of the band Chic 80 Accelerated 83 -- avis 85 Brain wave tests, in brief 87 Cease 89 Roving types 90 Jrs.' exam 91 Razor name 96 Scold loudly 98 Act like a lion 103 Bagel seed 107 Ain't right?

109 Overzealous 111 Have faith 113 Dish lists 114 Pump (up) 115 As well 117 Family of PC games 119 Plains natives 120 Nero's 605 121 "How -- ya?"

122 Chaney of chillers 123 A cow chews it 125 Oahu wreath

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

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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, Answers on 26 the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

30

www.smokymountainnews.com

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

Brian K. Noland & Catherine Proben BROKER ASSOCIATES

Brian: (828) 734-5201 Catherine: (828) 734-9157 See all of our listings at: beverly-hanks.com/agents/nolan nd-proben

Noland-Proben T Teeam | The #1 Beverly-Hanks T Teeam 2018 8 • 2019 • 2020

FEATURED LISTIN NGS

MLS# 3798629 | $1,590,000 | 4 BR | 4.5 BA

A breathtaking g custom-built home on 3+ p private acres with y year-ro ound mountain and lake views located in the gated community of Fontana Lak ke Estates.

www.wncmarketplace.com

MLS# 3811432 | $1,288,000 | 5 BR R | 4.5 BA

MLS# 3802835 | $845 5,000 | 3 BR | 3.5 BA

A custom-built home located in the t gated community of Villages of Plott Crreek. Spacious living areas and convenienttly located to Main Street, Waynesville e.

Distinctive architectura al style fuses impeccable design with cutting-edge amenities in an unmatched setting g. This home in Master’s Landing is w waiting for you.

MLS# 3783254 | $483,900 | 4 BR| 2.5 BA

MLS# 3820478 | $275 5,000 | 3 BR | 1 BA

This 1920s home boasts historic character with modern conveniences. Enjoy the high ceilings, ili period i d lighting, li h i preserved d woodwork/ d k/ GRRUV DQG D IX IXQFW FWLRQDO ȵRRU SODQ

Situated next to Richland Creek, this home R΍HUV D OLYLQJ URRP ID IDPLO\ URRP VSDFLRXV N K ZRRG NLWFKHQ G ȵ ȵRRUV OH OHYHO \DUG ZLWK GRXEOH lot, and a paved circle d driveway.

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

31

WAYNESVILLE OFFICE 74 North Main Street | (828) 634 -7333 Get details on any property in the MLS. Go to beverly-hanks.com and enter the MLS# into the quick search.

Soco Falls | 3BR, 3BA | $799,000 | #3819589

Roy B Mccracken | 2BR, 1BA $135,000 | #3820867

David M Whelchel | 3BR, 2BA $249,900 | #3816683

3BR, 2BA $269,000 | #3818230

3BR, 1BA $275,000 | #3820478

Robert Forga | 2BR, 1BA, 1HB $289,000 | #3820160

2BR, 2BA $295,000 | #3821941

3BR, 2BA $344,900 | #3790583

Freedlander Estates | 4BR, 3BA $345,000 | #3818651

Highland Meadows | 1BA $370,000 | #3791175

Chancery Lane | 3BR, 2BA $380,000 | #3789194

3BR, 2BA $525,000 | #3818472

Junaluska Highlands | 4BR, 5BA $1,100,000 | #3660973

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2022

Under Contract

CALL TODAY (828) 634-7333 32