Smoky Mountain News | March 20, 2024

CONTENTS

On the Cover:

Haywood County has suffered its fair share of setbacks over the last few years, from the pandemic to devastating floods to the closure of its largest industrial employer. Now, Haywood County Schools must consider how to move forward amid uncertainty as enrollment — and state funding — have declined. (Page 6)

News

Canton plans for water system upgrades....................................................................4

Charters of Freedom bring founding documents to life in Canton......................5

Waynesville splits recommendations on golf club developments........................9

Quarter-cent sales tax headed for Macon ballot ....................................................10

Cherokee funeral home hires director with criminal past......................................11

Construction contract approved for Haywood jail expansion..............................12

Large donation fully funds Canton playground ........................................................13

Opinion

Taking time to strengthen my gratitude muscle........................................................14

A&E

Following cancer battle, J Rex releases new album................................................16

Dillsboro hosts ‘Easter Hat Parade’............................................................................19

Outdoors

Finding healing and acceptance at the end of a trail..............................................22

Notes From a Plant Nerd................................................................................................26

STAFF

. . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com

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

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

Jack Snyder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jack.s@smokymountainnews.com

D IGITAL MARKETING S PECIALIST Tyler Auffhammer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tyler.a@mtnsouthmedia.com

ADVERTISING SALES: Amanda Bradley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . amanda.b@smokymountainnews.com

Maddie Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . maddie.w@smokymountainnews.com

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

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

WRITING: Hannah McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hannah@smokymountainnews.com

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

Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . .

by Ingles Dietitian Leah Ingles

READING LIST

Would love to hear what’s on your Kindle or nightstand so be sur email me:Lmcgrath@ingles-markets.com

recommend:

“Extrreemely Online” – T Taaylor Lorenz – The rise in popularity of our lives and how we obtain and share information.

“Farmers versus Foodies” – Ray A. Starling – Why ther disconnect between the people growing and raising our food and the people eating it.

“Radium Girls” – Kate Moore — The true story of the women in the early 20thcentury who worked with radium and painted watch and machine dials and often became ill or died due to radium poisoning.

“How Medicine W Woorks and When it Doesn’t” – F. Perry Wilson, MD - The strengths and limitation of medicine and how to spot misinformation.

“Fake Medicine” – Dr. Brad McKay – Misinformation in medicine and how it can be harmful.

Periodically I like to share some of the books I’ve been Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Canton plans for water system upgrades

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

Although concerns about Canton’s post-mill wastewater treatment remain front and center, the town’s recovery from devastating flooding in 2021 continues to move forward with a project budget meant to shore up the town’s aging water infrastructure.

“The bulk of the funds are being used to make huge improvements and modifications to the existing water treatment plant, as well as the intake facility there,” said Town Manager Nick Scheuer during a March 14 meeting of the Canton Board of Aldermen/women.

A 2015 report by the Congressional Budget Office backs up Scheuer’s last point; despite a combined total of more than $4.1 trillion in inflation-adjusted water and wastewater spending by federal, state and local governments from 1956 through 2014, federal spending decreased from a high of around $16 billion in 2014 dollars during the mid-1970s to just $4.4 billion in 2014.

The result of those decreased spending levels during the so-called “Reagan revolution” of the 1980s is becoming ever more clear by the year as projects completed prior to the cuts are now reaching the end of their service lives more than 40 years later.

A $9.2 million allocation, shepherded by Haywood County’s legislative delegation — Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon), Sen. Ralph Hise (RMitchell) and primarily Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood) — was made by the General Assembly in 2022 specifically for that purpose.

The town’s water treatment system is currently permitted at 4 million gallons per day, but due to equipment constraints as well as the location and condition of the intakes, it usually doesn’t exceed 1.2 million gallons.

Mayor Zeb Smathers asked Scheuer about a timeline for completion of the project. While Scheuer said he couldn’t give an accurate account, he anticipated that it would happen fairly quickly because he’d been in conversation with regulatory agencies like the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Water Infrastructure, both of which are aware of the importance of the project and are willing to expedite the review process.

That lost capacity would have come in handy earlier this year, when it seemed as though the town’s antiquated water infrastructure was suffering from failures and outages every other day as aging pipes conspired with cold weather to leave customers with prolonged boil orders or without water altogether.

Huge line breaks created a water deficit that was hard to overcome, Scheuer said.

“We had so many different water line breaks on both public and private property that took so long to figure out, that by the time that we had them all remedied it just takes so much time to gain that ground back,” Scheuer said. “Literally just the water treatment plant improvements alone will have a very substantial impact on our ability to be more resilient in those type of events.”

The $5.9 million project includes funding for two new pumps, gravity filter rehabilitation, media replacement, sedimentation basin repairs and upgrades, a new standby generator and repairs to the Spruce Street tank.

The $5.9 million project includes funding for two new pumps, gravity filter rehabilitation, media replacement, sedimentation basin repairs and upgrades, a new standby generator and repairs to the Spruce Street tank.

Critically, the project includes line items for leak detection and for a system-wide assessment, including mapping.

“The net result of that will be that our water and sewer departments will have the tools to be able to locate, identify [and] target known issues,” Scheuer said. “We don’t just want to know our system and understand it, we want to be actively improving it and making sure that we’re mitigating future impacts from an aging infrastructure system, which is something that every municipality in the country is dealing with.”

Additionally, Scheuer said, a lot of the improvements have already been engineered, a lot of the equipment has been identified and some of it has even been ordered.

The project is proceeding with the help of Haywood County Schools, which will also see more than a little benefit from a highlyresilient water system. Schools can’t operate when there’s no water.

“We are very appreciative of the Haywood County school system and their cooperation in this — and our [General Assembly] representatives — because it obviously would affect a place like Pisgah High School or Canton Middle School,” Smathers said.

The town is also pursuing a number of grants for the project, which could change the project budget if they’re awarded.

At least some of the allocation will also be used to prepare for the town’s other major water issue — the clock is ticking on the town’s wastewater treatment system, located at the now-shuttered Pactiv Evergreen paper mill.

The mill has treated the town’s wastewater for free since the 1960s, but a two-year agreement for Pactiv to continue operating the system will expire in 2025.

The town received another $38 million appropriation from the General Assembly last year to provide a solution, but has not yet settled on a site. According to Scheuer, some of the $9.2 million appropriation will be used for preliminary siting, design and permitting of the future wastewater treatment facility, wherever it ends up being built.

Charters of Freedom bring founding documents to life in Canton

BY KYLE P ERROTTI

N EWS E DITOR

Canton is paying homage to some of this nation’s most vital founding documents through the installation of Charters of Freedom settings at the town’s museum next to the former town hall building.

There are already Charters of Freedom settings across North Carolina and beyond, even as far as Indiana, with more on the way in several states. The settings are installed by Foundation Forward, a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2011 by North Carolina residents Vance and Mary Jo Patterson, along with their friend, Ron Lewis, who had recently retired as the Burke County manager. Lewis’ friend David Streater, a criminology professor who lives in Western North Carolina, volunteered to serve as the Education Director for Foundation Forward.

Streater said Foundation Forward prides itself on abstaining from politics or religion — it simply prioritizes a series of documents he believes will always have the ability to bring people together.

something so positive coming to the town after all the hardship its seen between the COVID pandemic, the deadly 2021 flood and last year’s mill closure.

Late last year, Streater went before Canton’s town board and presented his plan for the Charters of Freedom. They had some questions, but before long, a letter of intent was signed, and the town agreed that a good place for the settings would be in front of the town’s museum. Mayor Zeb Smathers told The Smoky Mountain News that as Canton continues to redevelop downtown following the flood, something positive like the settings can serve as a sort of totem.

“First and foremost, we aim to educate,” he said, adding that he hopes to get local civics classes out to the settings once they’re finished.

Part of Streater’s role as education director is to propose the settings to town boards. In Canton, he also enlisted the help of an old friend, Mike Wood, with whom he graduated from Pisgah High School back in 1972. Streater said when it came time to find a “local champion,” someone with strong ties to the community who could act as a liaison between Foundations Forward and town officials, Wood came to mind.

“It’s one of the greatest honors I’ve had,” Wood said, adding that he is happy to see

“People can get lost in the political division, but let us not forget about the sacrifice of others to uphold these documents,” he said. “And the placement is in a central location where everyone can enjoy them.”

Wood added that he thinks the settings are important because they give folks a chance to view documents laid out in front of them similar to how they are at the National Archives, especially since many people will never make it to Washington, D.C., to see them.

“We want the community to know it is for them,” Wood said. “With all the misrepresentation in this day and age about our founding documents and what they mean, this is a chance for people to just come see it first-hand. That’s why I love that it’s an outdoor setting that will be there for people 24/7, 365.”

Streater said the settings are designed to last 300 to 500 years.

Anyone interested in supporting the project financially can visit chartersoffreedom.com. There are multiple ways to get involved, including the purchase of engraved brick pavers. Questions can be directed to Wood at mgw1238@gmail.com or 828.421.1238.

The settings include the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Civil Rights documents. Kyle Perrotti photo

Mike Wood, left, and David Streater have championed the Charters of Freedom settings in Canton. Kyle Perrotti photo

Making do

Haywood Schools budgets for post-mill future

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

When Pactiv Evergreen announced it would close its Canton paper mill last year, Haywood County Schools was already facing a host of other challenges, among them a declining student population, costs incurred from damages caused during the Pigeon River flood in 2021, and the impending end of COVID-era relief funds.

However, after tightening its belt last year in response to those challenges and the unknowns associated with the mill closure, the school system is financially well-positioned for the coming year.

“There are a lot of changes,” said school board member Jimmy Rogers. “Haywood county schools has done a fantastic job of saving positions and saving jobs and being able to grow as we are.”

FINDINGS

After the mill closure announcement, Haywood County Schools contracted with Numerix Solutions to evaluate the ramifications of losing one of the county’s largest employers. Michael Miller presented the Numerix findings to the board of education during its March work session.

In his last budget presentation to the board of education, previous Superintendent Bill Nolte warned that declining student enrollment would have a major impact on future budgets. Public schools are funded a certain amount for every student in the system, which is referred to as a school district’s average daily membership (ADM).

Haywood County Schools’ student population has been decreasing by an average of 129 students, or 2% per school year since the 2018-19 school year. The school system saw its largest drop in enrollment in 2020.

“Virtually every county I work with has gone through similar experiences from COVID,” said Miller. “Some are on the recovery, some are not.”

In total, average daily membership has decreased by 603 students since 2019. In that same time, non-HCS schools — charter, private and homeschools — have gained 662 students.

“I will not say that there’s a direct correlation, that you have a one-to-one correspondence between students leaving HCS and going to other [schools], but it’s bigger than a coincidence. Let’s put it that way,” said Miller. “This is a phenomenon that we’re seeing in several districts that I’m working with.”

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction estimates that there are 629 students attending Haywood County’s Charter school, Shining Rock Classical

Numerix provides forecasting services for school systems for short- and long-range planning. Miller, who heads up the firm, worked with the Kannapolis City Schools after the central North Carolina city saw the closure of Pillowtex in 2003 and the loss of 4,800 jobs.

“The unique part of this project was demographic analysis of trying to quantify the impact of the closing of the mill and how that’s going to affect the enrollment over the next several years,” said Miller.

A June 2023 report by Waynesville-based Synvea Economics estimates the closure of the plant would directly result in the loss of 900 jobs and would impact another 983 related jobs in Haywood County.

“Most of [the school systems] I’m working with are seeing the same situation you are, that once they go to those nontraditional schools, they’re going to stay there for a while,” Miller said.

In the upcoming budget cycle, Haywood County Schools will pass along $1.7 million in annual funding to Shining Rock Classical Academy. As required by law, ADM funding must follow a student to the public school of their choice. As more students choose a charter school, HCS must relinquish more money to them.

At an average cost per teacher of $65,000, including insurance and benefits, that $1.7 million could pay for almost 25 teaching positions.

PROJECTIONS

The purpose of the 10-year membership forecast from Numerix is to provide HCS leadership with some of the information needed to anticipate and plan for adequate capacity and resources needs in the future. In addition to birth rate data and GIS analysis, researchers used a district-wide staff survey to inform its demographic forecast.

has seen a drop in over 600 students over the past five years, the pace of decline is projected to level off, with the school system projected to lose a similar amount, somewhere between 400 and 600 students, over the next 10 years.

“It seems to me like the worst part of the decline is probably past,” said Miller. “That’s not to say it’s not going to drop down a little bit more, but I think most of the impact is probably behind you.”

Miller pointed out one important factor that Haywood County Schools has on its side — the system’s high-achieving academic performance. Haywood County Schools is currently ranked seventh in the state.

“It’s not a small matter for a family to try to relocate out of this district that has such a great reputation, has such great schools and produces such wonderful graduates,” said Miller. “I don’t know how to measure that, but it is a factor.”

The study conducted by Numerix was funded by Haywood County and EdNC.

BUDGET

Academy; 246 students in private schools as of the 2022-23 school year; and 1,248 who are homeschooled, also as of the 2022-23 school year.

Haywood County School Board Chairman Chuck Francis asked Miller whether he had any insight into why students who left the public school system during the COVID pandemic don’t seem to be returning.

“We purposely opened our schools as quick as possible to get them back in front of a teacher in person learning that we were allowed to by state law,” said Francis.

While Miller didn’t have a clear answer, he has found a similar pattern across other districts he’s worked with.

According to the firm’s findings, even if the school system saw no demographic impact from changes to the local economy, like the closure of the mill, the school system would still likely see an annual decrease of 0.64% in its student population over the next 10 years. There would be an estimated drop to 6,155 students in the 2033-34 school year as compared to the current ADM of about 6,500.

With the impact of the mill included in the forecast that annual decrease rises to 1.16% with the school system seeing an ADM of 5,839 by the 2033-24 school year, a drop of about 600 students.

“The methodology I use assumes that any impacts from the mill are pretty much going to be over in five years,” said Miller. “Then in 2033 it evens out again so you’re not seeing any impact from the mill… so most of the impact occurs in those first three or four years.”

This means that while the school system

In addition to a declining student population, Haywood County Schools is facing the end of the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding that was distributed during the COVID pandemic. The 2023-24 budget was the last budget to include ESSER money, all of which has to be used by September of this year.

Additionally, the state legislature mandated a 7% pay raise for teachers in its last budget, 4% in the current fiscal year and 3% for the upcoming year.

“The 3% salary increase was not something we chose, it was something that was legislated, although we do support those increases,” said Putnam. “That was not a local option, that was a state option.”

According to Putnam, the primary focus points for the 2024-25 budget are to recruit, maintain and support employees, limit expansion items in the local current expense budget and adjust the budget as needed to account F

HCS administration created this year’s budget in the wake of Canton’s mill closure.

Hannah McLeod photo

for declining enrollment and associated issues with the Canton mill closure.

The local current expense budget will increase about $1.5 million in the coming budget cycle for a total of just over $19 million, with a per pupil appropriation rate of $2,509.86. The county appropriation will account for about $600,000 of the increased amount, with the rest coming from a fund balance allocation.

The largest portion of that increase is going toward the 3% raise for locally paid personnel, as well as paying for teachers who had been paid out of ESSER funds last year.

“We never created positions with ESSER money,” said Putnam. “We kept the same number of teachers, we simply moved them over to ESSER funds to help pay for those for a year.”

That strategy worked, allowing the HCS fund balance to recover to $1.5 million. In the coming budget year, the school system is allocating $719,483 of fund balance into the budget as a safety cushion, with the hopes that it will not need to use it.

“That fund balance allotment could be much higher had we not preemptively made staffing reductions last year,” Putnam said.

Last year the school system cut about 40 positions by simply not replacing outgoing teachers.

Chromebooks and iPads.

Other projects include changing a heating system at Canton Middle School, upgrading a fire alarm system at Clyde Elementary School, a new plumbing truck and spare AC units for the maintenance department, replacing the roof at the old Haywood Community Learning Center, paving at Pisgah and Tuscola and replacing a chiller at Riverbend Elementary.

largest source of funding through the state, an amount that is also determined based on ADM. While the school system has no preliminary planning budget data from the state, the current year allocation from the state is about $52 million. The current year allocation in federal grant funds is just under $5 million.

The child nutrition budget will increase by about 2% in the coming year to pay for increased food costs and the 3% payroll increase.

The capital budget is also set to increase next year, by about $350,000, for a total of $1.25 million.

The school system moved student device replacement into the capital budget and out of the local current expense budget which accounts for the increase. That $350,000 pays for the yearly replacement of all student

The capital outlay budget also supports safety efforts throughout the school system.

Last year, Haywood’s board of commissioners instituted a tax increase to pay for School Resource Officers in every school in the system at an annual cost of $1.5 million. This money is allocated to law enforcement offices rather than the school system itself.

Haywood County Schools receives its

The nutrition program operates independently of other school programs with revenues from supplemental items sold, USDA cash reimbursements and USDA donated commodities. The nutrition department is reimbursed $0.38 for paid breakfasts, $0.50 for paid lunches, $2.73 for free breakfasts and $4.35 for free lunches.

The total estimated expenses for the 2024-25 school year are $5.36 million, 54% of which covers labor and benefits, 40% pays for food and supplies and 6% goes towards overhead.

Based on the current percentage of free and reduced students that the school system has, 80% of meals are covered at the free rate and the other 20% are covered at the paid rate.

According to Nutrition Director Allison Francis, the school system serves breakfast to 40% of students, up from 32% during the previous school year. Lunch participation is at 80%, up from 68% last year.

“We’ve seen an increase in both categories, but there is a lot of room for growth at breakfast,” Francis said.

The Haywood County Board of Education unanimously approved the proposed 2024-25 budget during its regular March meeting.

source: Haywood County Schools

Waynesville Planning Board splits recommendations on golf club developments

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT

P OLITICS E DITOR

After deciding that the time is finally right, the owners of the Waynesville Inn and Golf Club are making good on a promise by asking the town for permission to develop 25 custom-built single-family homes on the outskirts of the revitalized course — continuing the rebirth of a storied local landmark — but Waynesville’s planning board has now put half the units in doubt.

“I know the interest is definitely there amongst our membership, our investors and kind of the whole group of people that are here, that know about Waynesville,” JD Trueblood, WGC’s membership director, told The Smoky Mountain News last August. “Waynesville is a really good market in terms of homes. The demand is way up, the supply is low.”

Trueblood was correct about demand and supply. As of January, home sales in Haywood County had risen by 24.5% compared to last January according to Canopy MLS; however new listings contracted by 27.2%, leaving just

Be heard

The Waynesville Town Council will hold a pair of public hearings to consider conditional zoning amendments for two areas within the Waynesville Inn and Golf Club. The first, a 3.5acre area off Longview Drive, would allow for 12 residential units. The second, an 11-acre area off Greenview Drive, would allow for 13 residential units. For more information, contact Waynesville Development Services at 828.356.1172 or ogrooman@waynesvillenc.gov.

Time: 6 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, March 26

Location: Town Hall Board Room, 9 South Main Street

2.2 months’ supply of inventory across Haywood County.

High demand and anemic supply have conspired to move prices higher in the local market, which has been affected by an affordable housing crisis for some years now. Median sales price ($382,500) and average sales price ($429,126) increased 15.9% and 13.6% respectively, year-over-year.

South Carolina-based Raines Company purchased the 165-acre golf course in April 2021 for $9 million, saying it would spend up to $25 million to redesign the course, rehab the food and beverage offerings and renovate the historic 111-room inn.

They also fostered the development of new four-bedroom standalone rental cottages on the property and alluded to plans to add singlefamily homes and bungalows along the 10th and 12th fairways.

On March 18, the Waynesville Planning Board recommended a zoning map amendment and conditional district rezoning for 13 units on 11 acres on Greenview Drive off the 12th fairway by a vote of 6-1, but voted 4-3 not to recommend the same for 12 units on 3.5 acres on Longview Drive off the 10th fairway.

Conditional districts, defined in the town’s land development standards, “provide for orderly and flexible development under the general policies of this ordinance without the constraints of some of the prescribed standards guiding by-right development.”

The existing zoning designation of Country Club Residential-Low Density “is an area predominantly comprised of large lot subdivisions with the Waynesville Country Club serving as its social and recreational center,” reads the planning board staff report. Single-family homes are already permitted outright.

A map of the Waynesville Inn and Golf Club’s recently renovated course shows two areas, off the 10th and 12th fairways where developers want to build 25 new homes. Raines Company photo

Quarter-cent sales tax headed for Macon ballot

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

Macon County residents will see the quarter-cent sales tax referendum on the ballot this November after commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to put the decision to voters again.

“Leave it in the hands of the people,” said Commissioner Danny Antoine.

When the Macon County Commission began its budget process earlier this year, commissioners raised the issue of the quarter-cent sales tax, which is estimated to generate about $2.4 million for the county annually.

“If we get the quarter-cent, we could essentially drop our mill rate by two mills,” said Commissioner Josh Young. “I think it’s a strong point to make to the people that we could collect funds from pass-through revenue and offset our local mill rate by two cents and keep all our CIP [capital improvement plan] fully funded.”

If approved, the quarter-cent sales tax would apply to anyone purchasing goods in Macon County — residents, as well as visitors — and would apply to all items other than unprepared food and gas.

In North Carolina, all counties have the option to levy a quarter-cent sales tax. According to the legislation, the sales tax

The district allows for up to 12 units per acre with a special use permit, but the development won’t need one because the 12 proposed units fall under the base density of six units per acre.

For the Longview Drive section, developers asked for leniency on the minimum lot size of

can be implemented on the first day of any calendar quarter as long as the county gives the N.C. Department of Revenue at least 90 days advance notice. If a referendum is held in November during the General Election and passes, the earliest a county could begin collecting the revenue would be April 1 of the following year, provided it adopts a resolution levying the tax and forwards it to the Department of Revenue prior to December 31.

A referendum to implement the quarter-cent sales tax appeared on the ballot for Macon County voters in 2022. During the General Election, 15,124 people voted; with 8,575 (or 55%) voting against the measure and 6,829 (or 45%) voting in favor.

Even though the referendum failed then, it can legally appear on the ballot again after one year.

“I still feel there is hope in two years when the commissioner board has the opportunity to put the quarter-cent sales tax back on the ballot,” said Commissioner Gary Shields after the first vote. “This was the first for our county and we now have two years to learn from what we/I should have done better to educate our populace.”

At that time, commissioners and residents in favor of the tax option hoped to use revenues for the new Franklin High School project. However, this year, the county received a $62 million

0.5 acre. Per the plan submitted by developers, lot sizes will range from 0.13 to 0.27 acres.

Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague said there were concerns, very generally, over pedestrian safety for both sections during the March 18 meeting, but lot size concerns for the Longview section played an important role in discussions.

The recommended Greenview Drive section

state grant toward the new school.

With the new grant in hand, revenues from the tax are likely to infuse the budget more generally and offset the overall tax burden on Macon residents.

“All that does is give us $2 million more on an annual basis that we don’t have now,” County Manager Derek Roland said during budget discussions. “We can use that to reduce the tax burden on Macon citizens, to help us do more capital projects, however this board see fit to do that.”

During the regular March meeting of the Macon County Commission, three residents spoke in favor of another vote on the quarter-cent sales tax, in addition to several commissioners.

“If there is such a thing as a fair tax, it’s a sales tax,” said Commissioner John Shearl. “If the will of the people is to increase that sales tax by a quarter of a cent, by all means. The people of Macon County have an option to approve it or not approve it again.”

The resolution approved by commissioners has been submitted to the board of elections for inclusion on the ballot.

“We don’t have much here in Macon County and our citizens are consistently going to surrounding counties and they’re paying into everybody else’s sales tax,” said Antoine. “It doesn’t make sense for us to not have people that are coming through here not paying into our taxes as well… I’m for it.”

is within the same zoning district as the Longview Drive section, but at 13 homes on 10 acres, features larger lots ranging from 0.5 to 0.93 acres.

Town staff had agreed in the staff report that the developments would provide contextsensitive infill development in an “already established and attractive neighborhood,” and that the development would add to the range of

housing opportunities within the town.

Waynesville’s Town Council will hold two public hearings on Tuesday, March 26, to consider the planning board’s recommendations and decide whether to give the projects final approval. The planning board’s recommendations are just that — recommendations that can be adopted, ignored or modified to Council’s liking.

GOLF CLUB, CONTINUED FROM 9

Cherokee funeral home hires director with criminal past

Owner currently faces several felonies

BY KYLE P ERROTTI

N EWS E DITOR

The owner of Long House Funeral Home, himself facing decades in prison, has hired a convicted felon to be funeral home’s director.

Earlier this year, the funeral home, which was founded in 2008, announced in a Facebook post that it’d hired Reginald “Reg” Moody, Jr. to be its new director. However, Moody brings with him a sordid past as less than a decade ago, he admitted in court that he’d stolen almost $50,000 total from dozens of victims.

that immediately upon pleading guilty, Moody paid $47,593.77 in restitution. He also received a suspended prison sentence and was on probation for over two years. His fraud spanned from 2006 to 2011, according to testimony in court.

“Reg took a lot from us,” one victim, who ordered a monument in February 2011 for her mother’s grave that wasn’t delivered, said in court, according to the Herald story. “He kept telling us, ‘It’s not in yet.’ He should have just said, ‘I took your money and spent it.’”

Following the guilty plea, in February 2015, the state funeral board disciplined Moody with a suspension that he’s since served out.

According to a different story from the

A document filed in February with Secretary of State Elaine Marshall’s Office states that Moody was voted onto the funeral home’s board to be its Vice President. The Facebook post announcing the news noted that Moody had “many years of experience in the funeral industry” and that he was “looking forward to serving the members of the Cherokee community and surrounding areas.”

But his felonious past is tied directly to his prior work at a family-owned funeral home in Jackson County. In November 2014, Moody pleaded guilty to two counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense and 27 misdemeanor counts related to 31 mourning family members who’d been conned out of their money after Moody had promised them grave markers and other services and then didn’t deliver. A Sylva Herald story from that time states

Sylva Herald about the suspension, the board wrote that Moody’s actions were of “moral turpitude.” Moody consented to the board’s findings and punishment.

More recently, the funeral home’s owner, Bruce Martin, has found himself in trouble as he’s been charged with multiple sex offense charges related to the alleged abuse of two preteen girls over whom court documents claim he had a position of “trust or confidence.”

Martin is now out on $700,000 bond.

In the last decade, Martin has been charged with interfering with an emergency communication, sexual battery, various assaults and traffic charges, including DWIs. He also pleaded guilty to one count of assault on a female.

Despite multiple attempts, no one from Long House Funeral Home responded to requests for comment.

Long House Funeral Home Director Reg Moody Jr. is a convicted felon, and owner Bruce Martin Jr. has several pending child sex charges. Holly Kays photo

Construction contract approved for Haywood jail expansion

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT

P OLITICS E DITOR

After an extensive, yearslong process featuring dozens of public hearings, presentations and private meetings, Haywood County will finally get its badlyneeded jail expansion, even though the final step was marred by threats and misinformation from a familiar face.

On March 4, commissioners approved an installment financing contract, in essence agreeing to borrow an amount not to exceed $28.5 million through the sale of bonds. County Manager Bryant Morehead had estimated the interest rate for the 20-year fixed loan at 5%; however, the rate actually came in around 3.5%, which will save taxpayers thousands of dollars over decades.

“I think that speaks volumes of the creditworthiness of Haywood County and the economy,” Morehead told commissioners during the March 18 meeting.

The bond sale generated just over $26 million, which together with a $5 million allocation from the North Carolina General Assembly will pay for the 155-bed expansion.

Commissioner Tommy Long called the $5 million “a direct result of [Haywood County Republican Rep.] Mark Pless’ work for Haywood County.”

“I’ve said it before — love Mark, hate Mark, whatever you want to do — Mark has brought more money back to Haywood

County by accident than some of our former representatives did on purpose,” Long said.

The capital outlay for the building and the site preparation sits at $28.5 million, not including professional services, management fees and attorney payments that will push the total to around $31 million.

But Janet Presson, who for years has spread debunked theories from discredited “experts” about everything from vaccines to masking to the county’s nonexistent needle exchange program, emerged during public comment to allege commissioners were intentionally misleading the public.

Presson explained when she visited the county’s website to read the agenda for the March 4 meeting where the installment financing contract was approved, she didn’t see anything of interest but was later angered to learn that a vote had indeed been held.

When she went back to find out how she’d missed the item, she claimed the agenda was deceptive because the agenda item was titled as a resolution “… Approving an Installment Financing Contract and Delivery Thereof ...”

viously determined that it is in the best interest of the County to (1) enter into an Installment Financing Contract (the “Contract”) with the Haywood County Financing Corporation (the “Corporation”) to finance renovations and an expansion to the existing County detention center.”

tered Republicans who will not be voting for you this fall due to this type of behavior,” she said.

Ensley repudiated Presson, then asked Long to clarify — which he did in intricate detail, over the course of nearly 40 minutes.

“We have met 16 times in this room, 16

Presson ended her comments with a threat to the board’s chair and vice chair, respectively.

However, the resolution attached to the agenda item stated that “the Board has pre-

“Commissioners Ensley and Rogers, you better understand that there are many regis-

times it’s been on the agenda, starting on Nov. 2 of 2020, when we had the needs assessment … Not only did we have 16 of these meetings, but there was also some auxiliary meetings with a jail

Large donation fully funds Canton playground

A longtime community advocate has made a substantial financial donation to the Town of Canton that will help speed the completion of its all-abilities playground at Recreation Park.

“I cannot think of two better people better to name that playground for than Ken and Debbie Wilson,” said Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers during a March 14 meeting of the town’s governing board.

Ken Wilson

Smathers had just finished reading a letter from Debbie Wilson, who enclosed a $110,000 check in memory of her late husband Ken, who passed away on in August of last year.

The Wilsons, who Smathers called

steering committee,” Long recounted.

Long outlined all the steps in the process over the past four years, including a soil analysis, presentations from two architectural firms, required public hearings, a rejected single construction bid, a jail tour and the most recent workshop held on Feb. 26.

“I can assure you this [project] didn’t fall out of the sky last week on us,” Long said. “It didn’t fall off the cabbage truck last week.”

Ensley responded by lamenting that in the past, those who wish to voice legitimate concerns about major county initiatives always seem to materialize near the end of the approval process.

“Every building project — and I’ve been a part of a lot of building projects for the last 20 years, 25 years I guess in the county — we always methodically go through this, and then it seems like when we go to vote, particularly on the vote, everybody shows up then,” he said.

The construction contract, awarded to

“titans” of the business and philanthropic community, purchased Canton’s Ford dealership in 1980, renaming it Ken Wilson Ford. Wilson also built and developed several other well-known commercial buildings in the area.

Even though Canton is mostly known across the state for high school football and its blue-collar identity, Smathers said seeing “Ken Wilson Ford” stickers affixed to vehicles on the Outer Banks helped him realize how much the Wilsons had put Canton and Haywood County on the map.

The donation wasn’t nearly the first made by the Wilsons. Alderman Tim Shepard said that without them, the Pisgah High School baseball team that he helps coach wouldn’t have lights for their field. Shepard thinks they cost around $150,000 at the time.

The playground donation means the $700,000 project is now fully funded. Smathers said he wants to see the playground open as soon as possible.

— Cory Vaillancourt, Politics Editor

Vannoy Construction, was approved by commissioners on a 3-0 vote including a ‘yes’ from Commissioner Terry Ramey, who’d previously voted against the public safety project on March 4. During the meeting, Ramey explained his March 4 ‘no’ vote by saying he “didn’t feel like this was the right time for that amount of money,” but later in the meeting admitted that if commissioners didn’t move forward with the project, in the future it would cost “a ton more.”

Ramey also said he was elected to look after the people’s tax money, even though he didn’t pay his own property taxes for nearly 15 years, made false statements about his taxes and still owes the county nearly $2,000 as of late February.

Commissioner Brandon Rogers was absent due to a pre-planned family vacation, and Commissioner Jennifer Best left 35 minutes into the meeting — well before the vote, but after the public comment session — for an unexpected family health emergency.

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Taking time to strengthen my gratitude muscle

Gratitude has become something of a buzz word and because of that, it seems that some people roll their eyes at the concept. When you walk into a local clothing boutique and see shirts with slogans like “Gratitude Over Attitude,” or “Grateful, Thankful, Blessed,” it’s easy to forget that gratitude is a powerful energetic force that squelches negativity and helps us remember that life is fleeting and wondrous.

Although it’s sometimes hard to be grateful because we’re evolutionarily wired to be on the defensive, I’ve been working hard at strengthening my gratitude muscle and thinking about a few things lately that make me smile. In sharing these with you, my hope is that you’ll take a look at your own life and allow goodness to reside in the forefront of your mind instead of stress or anxiety.

Daffodils, Bradford pear trees and eastern redbuds are bursting forth with color at every turn. One day I was driving around with nothing but drab scenery out the window when before I knew it, there were pink and white blooms dotting the sky and pretty little yellow flowers bespeckling the ground. This is always my sign that spring is arriving, and after many months of cold weather, I sure am ready to feel sunshine on my shoulders and watch Mother Nature awaken.

I’ve been spending a lot of hours with my 15-year-old behind the wheel and am finding it thoroughly enjoyable. I’ll admit that the first few times rattled my nerves, but I very quickly realized he knew what he was doing. Since I’m in “instructor” mode when he’s driving, I’m present and mindful in the moment which makes the experience more memorable and relaxing. There’s also this part of me that knows when he turns 16, he’ll be driving himself around to school, athletic

Trump doesn’t deserve our support

To the Editor:

Recently the world lost one of the most honorable and bravest advocates for democracy that we have ever seen. According to the United Nations, democracy provides an environment that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms, and in which the freely expressed will of people is exercised. Alexei Navalny gave his life fighting for such an environment that does not exist in a country run by a dictator named Vladimir Putin.

Meanwhile, back here in a country that currently does enjoy such an environment, we have dishonorable cowards heaping praise on Putin as they openly try to do away with our democracy. Has D. John Trump ever met a dictator with whom he didn’t immediately start exchanging love letters? His first wife said he kept a book about Hitler by his bedside. And he and Putin have for lots of years worked together better than most brothers do. Now he has one of his many cowardly unAmerican endorsers by the name of Tuberville saying that “Putin is on top of his game.” And, of course, the lying Tucker Carlson goes to Russia to try his best to make Putin seem humane. What a shameful group of communists.

practices and friends’ houses, so I’m soaking up as many minutes as I can before I’m no longer needed in the car with him.

My younger son recently had strep throat and on the first day he was sick and home from school, we hunkered down and binge watched “Young Sheldon.” If you haven’t heard of this show, it’s about a boy genius trying to navigate the complexities of everyday life while living in East Texas with his middle-class family. If you’re familiar with the Big Bang Theory, this show is essentially its prequel. It’s set in 1989 so the clothing, set design, music, toys, games, shows, appliances, everything, reminds me of my own childhood. That, along with incredible acting, great writing and humor, has made watching this show a favorite pastime of our family as of late.

Witnessing N.C. State win five games in five days to earn the title of ACC Champions was a highlight of the year for me, considering I’m an N.C. State alum and have been a faithful fan for many years, despite their lackluster performance in the more well-known sports like basketball and football. My sons are now big Wolfpack fans so to watch their excitement over the Pack’s victory last weekend was a cherry on top. Along with this Cinderella victory, N.C. State had a great year in football, cross country, gymnastics and wrestling, so the future looks bright for the red and white. Let’s hope they can keep the momentum going into the NCAA basketball tournament.  I’ve been trying hard to be intentional with rest and relax-

LETTERS

Is there really any doubt that D. John is guilty of dozens of felonies, yet he claims that he has never done anything for which he is inclined to ask our Lord for forgiveness. Please tell me just exactly what sort of Christian will support such a heathen to be our President!

Some time ago a man being interviewed in Iowa stated that he thought Trump was a gift from God. As we are always being tested as to what we will accept and what we will reject the man is probably correct. If you accept lies over truth, dishonor over honor, cowardice over bravery, and authoritarianism over democracy then Trump is your man.

D. John says he may just have to suspend our United States Constitution. D. John Trump says he will be a dictator on day one if he gets elected. All of that may sound good to the MAGA idiots who cheer him on as he mentions his favorite dictators at his stupid rallies. They probably don’t know or care about the huge difference between a Democratic Republic and a dictatorship.

Alexei Navalny knew. Trumpers have surely listened to enough news by now to know what Trump has openly called United States veterans who died while fighting for our country. He says that they were “suckers” and “losers.” If you can vote for a punk like that to

ation. I’m reading a book called “Limitless” by Jim Kwik and it cites a number of studies about how rest and rejuvenation increase productivity. We live in a hustle-bustle society where we scurry around to get ahead and check things off lists. As a society, we’ve forgotten how to find fulfillment in downtime. Other countries and cultures are quite skilled at this, prioritizing naps, hobbies, exercise and time with loved ones. I’ve been prioritizing activities like reading a good novel, scheduling time to be with friends and family, taking walks or working on a crossword, which slow down my nervous system and allow me to feel recharged before getting back to work.

A lot of people consider having a drink in the evening or scrolling through social media as “relaxing,” but studies show that both of these activities actually trigger the stress response within our bodies so while they appear to be relaxing, they are anything but. If you truly want to relax, put away the devices, hydrate with water or herbal tea, and engage in activities that are good for your soul.

There are other things that have been making me smile like decluttering, listening to good music, trying new recipes, watching my kids participate in sports they love and planning summer vacations. Recognizing the small activities and moments that bring joy help magnify them in my life. If we don’t know what makes us happy, how can we factor more of it into our world? If you’re feeling high strung or activated, my advice is to slow everything down and take pleasure in the easy and simple things that offer light to your existence. Believe me, it’ll be worth it.

(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist who lives in Haywood County. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)

be our commander in chief then you do not deserve to be a citizen of this country.

But hey hey, joy to the world for you reap what you sow later than you sow and greater than you sow, and we all know or will find it out in a little while. Ole D. John now has a rough row to hoe!

Mike Clark Cullowhee

Election volunteers deserve thanks

To the Editor:

The primary voting has ended in North Carolina, and because of those registered voters who chose to do their patriotic duty and turn out to vote, the people of North Carolina now know who the state nominees for each party will be and most importantly which presidential candidates North Carolina has chosen to place their support behind in the upcoming November 2024 elections.

Only one vital piece of the election process throughout North Carolina is missing — the extension of our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to those North Carolinians who volunteered to sacrifice their valuable time to function as poll workers throughout the election process. Many of these volunteers worked

tirelessly through 13 days of early voting and then on Election Day. These volunteers began their day around 7:30 a.m. and did not end their day until around 8 p.m. each of those days. This is 12.5-hour days for volunteers whose average age was above 65 years old, many in their late seventies and early eighties. Truly a sign of great patriotism and dedication to our nation’s republic by these individuals.

I had the great honor and privilege of serving as a poll worker at the Haywood County early voting site, located at the Senior Recreation Center in Waynesville, with seven of these dedicated Americans. Every poll worker worked as a unified team to assure that the voters within Haywood County not only had the opportunity afforded them by our Constitution to vote, but to do so with the expectation that their voting site would process their votes with honor and integrity. This team checked and double checked every step of the process to assure that there were no errors or problems with the accurate processing and recording of each and every vote.

If you know any individual who volunteered to work at a polling site, please take the time to thank them for their hard work and dedication to our nation’s election process. They all deserve your thanks.

L.E. Cossette Waynesville

Columnist

Susanna Shetley

Big heart

Following cancer battle, J Rex releases new album

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR

For Jerad Davis, it all started with a dry, nagging cough in the summer of 2022. With shortness of breath, low energy, brain fog and night sweats, he initially chalked it up to long COVID. But, upon going to the doctor and through some medical procedures, he was eventually diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“I was so sick when I started chemo [treatments] that I was unable to work at all,” Davis said. “[It was] terrible. I couldn’t have done it on my own. To survive, and to try to thrive, it takes a village — I wouldn’t have been able to make without my support system.”

About the size of a softball, the cancerous mass took up most of Davis’ left chest cavity, putting dangerous pressure on his heart, lungs and throat. The surgeon estimated the mass had been growing for several years. With treatments every two weeks for six months, Davis started chemo on Nov. 1, 2022.

“It was scary. I was mentally and emotionally void.  I just turned everything off. I was just an uninterested pilot of a poisoned body,”

the 40-year-old said. “I had treatments [on] Tuesday mornings. Sometimes I would be in bed until Saturday or Sunday. All of my muscles were atrophied. Terrible back pain from being laid up in bed so much. But, I had my guitar — that kept a shred of connectivity to my old self.”

A respected lawyer in Western North Carolina since he moved to Haywood County from Georgia in 2010, Davis is also a wellknown singer/guitarist in these parts, whether it be with popular Jackson County jam-grass act Ol’ Dirty Bathtub or his side project J Rex & His High Mountain Pals. To note, Rex is Davis’ middle name.

“I spent most of my time in the chemo chair listening to Jerry Garcia, David Grisman and Doc Watson — what I learned was that timing is everything,” Davis said. “You can play all the right notes, but nothing’s right if the timing is off. I stopped trying to play so many notes and just play the right ones at the right time.”

Throughout his cancer journey, Davis found himself at home resting and recovering, where songs started to emerge and take shape. Known as “The Chemo Tapes,” the new sevensong LP is a blend of Americana, bluegrass and folk music.

“The musicians I liked, the authors I read, they had one thing in common — they were uniquely themselves,” Davis said. “It’s so much easier to be yourself than to be somebody else. Friendships, relationships, mental health — we’re all a little funny, might as well

lean into it.”

In the spirit of singer-songwriter John Hartford and with a pinch of Tony Rice guitar mojo for good measure, the record also features Davis’ signature lyrical quirkiness about life, death, love and heartache through the lens of our mysterious universe.

“I always fall back to John Hartford for songwriting inspiration. He was uniquely him. And I want to be uniquely me,” Davis said. “So, when I write a song that I’m being critical of or second guessing, I go back and listen to some weird old Hartford songs. I’m no John Hartford, but it helps me be okay with being J Rex — that’s the only person I know how to be.”

Want to listen?

The new album for J Rex, “The Chemo Tapes,” will be released on all streaming services on March 23.

For more information about any upcoming J Rex performances, you can follow him on Instagram (@j_rex_d). You can also contact him via snail mail: P.O. Box 347, Waynesville, N.C. 28786.

As well, Davis is a member of Carter Giegerich & Friends, which hits the stage during its “Sunday Bluegrass Residency” from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each week at the Highlander Mountain House in Highlands. To learn more, go to highlandermountainhouse.com.

For “The Chemo Tapes,” Davis brought together a slew of talented local/regional musicians — Carter Giegerich, Chris Nesmith, Brad Waldrop, Adam Bigelow, J.B. Wilson and Neil Lippard. The melodies were captured at Davis’ cabin high up in Balsam Gap on the Haywood/Jackson County line, under the watchful eye of Doubletop Mountain in the distance.

“Artistically, [cancer] has made me want to create more. How many days do I have left? What can I do with that time?” Davis said. “Since I have gotten back to a more ‘normal’ existence, time just flies by. If I’ve learned anything about how the world and how time works, it’s that we all need to spend more time doing what we enjoy — none of us are guaranteed any more days and time sure as hell doesn’t slow down for anyone.”

With his last chemo treatment on April 11, 2023, Davis’ upcoming blood test will be next month, which would give him one-year in remission. Beside the release of “The Chemo Tapes” and a handful of live shows already in the works for this spring and summer, Davis is moving forward — head held high with gratitude.

“I just try to enjoy life as much as possible. I don’t take friendships and family for granted,” Davis said. “When I was going through [cancer], I had this incredible realization. It didn’t matter where I lived, what’s in my bank account, what kind of car I was driving. Relationships matter — when you are looking death in the eye, that’s all you have.”

J Rex is a singer-songwriter in WNC. Terri Clark Photography

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘I've stumbled through the valley, halfway up the mountain now’

H

ello from Lemon Street in St. Augustine, Florida. Since 2013, my folks, who live in Upstate New York, have been coming down here for the month of March to escape the frozen North Country winters.

And for the last eight years or so, I’ve wandered down for a few days of fun in the sun on the beach and nighttime mischief in the heart of the oldest city in the United States. White sand beaches and cold suds. Live music and margaritas. Seafood and strangers becoming fast friends over happenstance conversations of who, what, where.Normally, I’d hop in the truck and motor down after putting the newspaper out Tuesday. But, with work obligations and fatigue of daily life, I was dragging my feet

delight, as he’s a die-hard UVM Catamounts fan. We sat and watched UVM win its third straight conference title, all while rehashing memories of when he’d bring me to Catamount games as a young kid.

Thereafter, I laced up my running shoes and started trotting down Lemon Street towards the intersection with Riberia Street. On most occasions, I’d head towards downtown St. Augustine and jog across the Bridge of Lions to Anastasia Island before circling back through the depths of the city of back alleys and cobblestone streets.

This go-round, I moseyed below King Street along Riberia. The chaos of King Street traffic, noise and endless streams of tourists soon faded away. The neighborhood emerged with small, quiet bungalows, marinas and warehouses. The hot sun peeked out from behind the clouds. Beats of sweat started to roll down my forehead while joyous in the continuous motion of rhythm and stride.

HOT PICKS

1

The Natti Love Joys will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva. The band will also hit the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin.

2

A production of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 22-23 and 2 p.m. March 24 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

3 The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will host its next bout against the Yellow Jackets Roller Derby from Georgia Tech University at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at the Swain County Recreation Center in Bryson City.

4 The “Women’s History Trail Sculpture Community Celebration” will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 23, at 592 East Main St. in Franklin.

By Duero Street, I turned left and headed east towards Washington Street. At the corner of Duero and Palmo streets, I noticed a historical marker in front of a bungalow. It said it was formerly the home of the Rev. Goldie M. Eubanks.

Garret K. Woodward photo

this year. And yet, by Thursday morning, my girlfriend said we should go. I agreed. Why not? So, it was decided to buy an inexpensive Allegiant plane ticket and get picked up at the airport in Sanford, Florida, later that same day.

Saturday morning. The bright sunshine streamed through the window blinds of the guest room of the rented bungalow on Lemon Street. It was also my father’s 82nd birthday. My girlfriend and I handed him a bottle of nice wine and a birthday card (half heartfelt, half sarcastic). He smiled at the wine and laughed at the card.

At 11 a.m., the University of Vermont men’s basketball team was playing against UMass-Lowell in the America East Championship. I was able to find the correct TV channel to view the game to my father’s

The marker stated, “Humbled by Family and Fatherhood, Leadership and Christian Fellowship, and driven by a cry from within his inner soul to make this world a better place, this self-styled minister and Christian Evangelist was a Vice President of the N.A.A.C.P. and S.C.L.C. leader with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. This home was often the target of nightriders and opponents of civil rights.”

Pushing further down Duero, the road swung north and turned into Washington Street. At that juncture, there was a home tucked under the haunting beauty of the Spanish moss draped over oak trees in the front and side lawns. A man was working in the yard, presumably the owner by his demeanor. We connected eyes and I gave him a small wave.

“Nice pace,” he yelled from the yard in a tone of solidarity and friendliness. “I’m trying,” I replied. “Do a lap for me,” he shot back with a smile. “Have a great day, my friend,” I said. “You, too,” his voice responded, soon fading into the Spanish moss and ether of a universe all too mysterious, glorious and true.

Wandering down St. Francis Street, I could hear the sounds of the trolleys zooming around with loads of tourists, pointing out historical locations over its PA speaker system. Upon further inspection, I saw where it had stopped. A sign said “The Oldest House” above the picturesque abode.

Known as the Gonzalez-Alvarez House, the marker stated, “For more than three centuries this site has been occupied by St.

Augustinians. Beginning about 1650, a succession of thatched wooden structures were their homes. This coquina stone house was built soon after the English burned St. Augustine in 1702.”

5 “Grease: The Musical” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. March 2223 and 2:30 p.m. March 24, at the Swain Arts Center in Bryson City. St. Augustine is the oldest city in America.

The final stretch of the run came on Avenida Menendez. With the Matanzas River to my right, it was narrow, somewhat uneven sidewalks. The tranquility of the previous streets quickly transitioned back into the organized chaos of people and noise in the middle of St. Patrick’s Day Weekend.

An afternoon crooner under the shade of the outside patio at O.C. White’s Seafood & Spirits. Bachelor party shenanigans peering out of bay windows at the A1A Ale Works at the intersection of the Bridge of Lions. Trot past the Tradewinds Lounge in the early afternoon of local musicians, classic rock covers and cheap beers in the escape hatch from the world that is the dive bar on the corner.

Charlotte Street and dogging cars and tourists atop cobblestone roads and spilled beverages. Ice cream shops and cigar bars. Seafood joints and high-end art galleries. Clothing boutiques and fried chicken spots. Freshly-made fudge and souvenirs T-shirts for $10. A lone motorcyclist drifts by, reeving the engine to a deafening roar, Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City” blasting from the stereo. Lemon Street is now just two blocks away. The downtown chaos once again dissipates. Quiet side streets and more bungalows. Spanish moss and oak trees. Plans are already in the works to celebrate the old man’s birthday with a visit to a nearby wine bar. Twas another enjoyable run into the depths of a curious world just outside the front door of some place, somewhere. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

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arts & entertainment 17

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On the beat

Reggae, soul at Lazy Hiker

Natti Love Joys will play WNC March 29-30. File photo

The Natti Love Joys will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva. The band will also hit the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin.

A roots-rock-reggae band that has been playing live since 2003, the group consists of husband and wife duo Anthony “Jatti” Allen and Sonia “Marla” Allen (formerly Sonia Abel).

Jatti was previously the bassist for the reggae group The Congos, while Marla originates from the cult all female reggae group Love Joys, where she recorded two albums under the legendary Wackies label run by Lloyd Barnes (Bullwackie).

Both shows are free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Angry Elk Brewing (Whittier) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and open to the public. 828.497.1015 or facebook.com/angryelkbrewingco.

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

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

• Blue Stage (Andrews) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.361.2534 or gm@thebluestage.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host music bingo 7 p.m. Mondays, karaoke 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, trivia 7 p.m. Thursdays, open mic night 10 p.m., The Strange Rangers March 23 and Dan Clare Duo March 30. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host an Open Mic Night 6-8 p.m. March 8 and semi-regular live music on the weekends. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to coweeschool.org/music.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Fireside at the Farm” sessions on select weekends. For more information, go to oldedwardshospitality.com.

• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For a full schedule of events and/or to purchase tickets, go to folkmoot.org.

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

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host its weekly “Tuesday Jazz Series” w/We Three Swing at 5:30 p.m., Len Graham & Paul Koptak 5:30 p.m. March 20, Kevin Dolan & Paul Koptak March 22, Jackson Grimm Duo

to 1:30 p.m. and the “Salon Series” w/S.G. Goodman (Americana/indie) 8:30 p.m. March 21. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to highlandermountainhouse.com.

• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For tickets, go to highlandsperformingarts.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic w/Phil” Wednesdays, Brett Winning (singer-songwriter) March 23 and David Cheatham (singer-songwriter) March 30. All shows and events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

Espalin returns to Mountain Layers

Singer-songwriter Wyatt Espalin will hit the stage at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at Mountain Layers Brewing in Bryson City.

Born and raised in Hiawassee, Georgia, Espalin has been entertaining audiences since he was eight years old. A blend of Americana, bluegrass and indie-roots music, he’s a beloved fixture on the Southern Appalachian live music circuit.

Free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.538.0115 or go to mtnlayersbeer.com. To learn more about Espalin, go to wyattespalinmusic.com.

(Americana/folk) March 23, Syrrup March 29 and Color Machine March 30. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays w/Sonia Brooks & Chuck Dorling (Americana) March 30. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main Street. littletennessee.org or 828.369.8488.

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Blue Jazz (blues/jazz), The Remnants March 23 and Doug Ramsey (singer-songwriter) March 30. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. happsplace.com or 828.742.5700.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Ministry w/Gary Numan (metal/rock) 7 p.m. March 22 and Rodney Carrington (country) 9 p.m. March 29. For a full schedule of events and/or to buy tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• High Dive (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. highlandsdive.com or 828.526.2200.

• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” on Thursday evenings, “Sunday Bluegrass Residency” from 10 a.m.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” on Wednesdays and “Divas On Tap” 8:15 p.m. March 23. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Karaoke on the second/fourth Friday of the month, Canon Tyler (country/bluegrass) March 23 and Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) March 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Tim Akins (rock/piano) March 22 and Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) March 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to meadowlarkmotel.com or call 828.926.1717.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an “Open Mic w/Frank Lee” Wednesdays, The Dirty French Broads (Americana) March 22, Ron Neill (singer-songwriter) March 23, Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) March 24 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana) March 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

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

• Otto Community Center (Otto) will host James Thompson (country/folk) 6 p.m. April 5. Bring a beverage and snack of your choice. Free and open to the public. go2ottonc.com or 770.335.0967

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host “Unforgettable: The Music & Life of Nat King Cole” (tribute/jazz) 7:30 p.m. March 22 and Randall Bramblett (rock/soul) 7:30 p.m. March 30. For more information and/or to

Wyatt Espalin. File photo

On the street

Dillsboro’s ‘Easter Hat Parade’

A beloved Western North Carolina tradition, the “Easter Hat Parade” will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30, in downtown Dillsboro.

Bring your finest Easter bonnet and dress up the smiles on everyone’s face by joining in and walking in the parade. And if you do not participate in the parade, you can simply do as hundreds of others do — come to Dillsboro and watch the array of folks strolling “down the avenue” in their finery.

Ribbons and prizes will also be awarded for unusual hat categories. The parade travels on streets around downtown. This is a pet-friendly event.

For more information, go to visitdillsboro.org/specialevents.

Bring your own hat or arrive early (10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) at Dogwood Crafters to make your own. A full day of fun will include kids’ activities, face painting and visits with the Easter Bunny.

• Easter Egg Hunt will be held from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 23, at the Cullowhee Recreation Department. This is an Easter-themed event open to ages 10 and under. Come early for pictures with the bunny before the egg hunt begins. Prizes are awarded to those who find the “golden egg,” but treats are inside all the other eggs. This event is free. rec.jacksonnc.org/cullowhee-recreation-department-special-events.

On the stage

HART presents ‘The Lightning Thief’

A production of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 22-23 and 2 p.m. March 24 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

This thrilling production transforms Rick Riordan’s bestselling novel into a mesmerizing fusion of music, humor, and mythology.

Embark on an epic adventure with Percy Jackson, a young demigod, as he sets out on a quest to prevent an impending war among the gods. This electrifying production, filled with mythical creatures, gods, and demigods, guarantees a rollercoaster ride through the enchanting world of Greek mythology that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

With its mix of humor, heart, and heroism, “The Lightning Thief” is a perfect outing for families and fans of all ages. The narrative seamlessly intertwines these elements, encouraging audiences to embark on Jackson’s remarkable journey, fostering an enduring sense of adventure and camaraderie that extends beyond the confines of the stage.

Ready for some roller derby?

The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will host its next bout against the Yellow Jackets Roller Derby from Georgia Tech University on Sunday, March 24, at the Swain County Recreation Center in Bryson City.

The team is an amateur women’s athletic roller derby league that aims to provide an outlet for fun, fitness and camaraderie among its members and develop athletic ability and teamwork. SMRG endeavors to give back to the community that supports them through community building initiatives and charitable donations of time and activity.

Doors open at 12:30 p.m. The junior scrimmage game will begin at 1:30 p.m. with the adult bout starting at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $5 presale or $8 at the door (cash or Venmo accepted). Kids ages 11 and under are free. Bring your own chair.

As well, are you interested in becoming a skater, referee or non-skating official? SMRG has open practices. No experience necessary.

For more information, go to facebook.com/smokymountainrollergirls.

To reserve your seats, call the box office at 828.456.6322 or visit harttheatre.org.

• “Grease: The Musical” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. March 22-23 and 2:30 p.m. March 24, at the Swain Arts Center in Bryson City. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for students. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to swainartscenter.com or call 828.488.7843.

On the table ALSO:

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

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

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or go to gsmr.com.

‘The Lightning Thief’ will be at HART on select dates in March. Donated photo

On the wall

Franklin sculpture unveiling

The “Women’s History Trail Sculpture Community Celebration” will be held on Saturday, March 23, in Franklin.

Following the unveiling at 11 a.m. at the Women’s History Park, located at 592 East Main St., the celebration will continue in the downtown area.

The season’s first Artisan Alley Downtown Market will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Phillips Street. The uptown Gazebo on the Square will highlight traditional tunes by Tom & Wyatt (1 p.m.), Blue Jazz (1:45 p.m.) and Susan Pepper & Laila Messer (2:30 p.m.).

The Scottish Tartans Museum will host Cherokee Storyteller Kathi Littlejohn at 2 p.m. Dulcimer group Lady & the Tramps and mountain music duo Tom & Wyatt will perform throughout the downtown corridor. Sponsors for the entertainment are the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center and the Arts Council of Macon County.

Both the Women’s History Trail concept and the “Sowing the Seeds of the Future” sculpture project began as thoughts in the fertile mind of Barbara McRae.

McRae was a journalist, a historian, a naturalist, a visionary and a trailblazer. She had particular interest in researching the lives of significant Macon County women whose accomplishments and influences had been unknown or forgotten.

In 2017, McRae met the sculptor, Wesley Wofford, a chance encounter that sparked the creation of “Sowing the Seeds of the Future.” McRae had been thinking about the interconnected lives of Na-Ka Rebecca Morris, (a Cherokee woman), Harriet Timoxena Siler Sloan (a pioneer woman) and Salley, (an enslaved woman), all linked by a specific piece of property on the river.

symbolizes each group of women and their cultural contributions that helped forge modern day Franklin.

The Women’s History Park, although designed and created by FHAMC, belongs to the Town of Franklin and will stand with the artistic MainSpring silos, greenway orchard/butterfly garden and nearby Nikwasi Mound to help develop a hub of cultural growth for the river area.

The WHT Sculpture Community Celebration will be a time for reflection as we remember those gone before us who paved the way, and a time for celebration as we dedicate the sculpture as the trailhead for the Women’s History Trail and welcome these “ladies” to their home in the newly established park by the river.

The unveiling ceremony will include this dedication, comments from cultural speakers, remarks from Wesley & Odyssey Wofford and special guests First Lady Kristin Cooper and Town of Franklin

McRae was trying to imagine what their everyday lives might have been like in early-19th century Franklin. Wofford immediately embraced the challenge of bringing them to life in a work of art.

In May 2018, Wofford presented the maquette — the miniature prototype — of “Sowing the Seeds of the Future” to the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County and he was enthusiastically commissioned to go ahead with the sculpture.

The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC), sponsor of the Women’s History Trail, will officially transfer this treasured gift of public art to the Town of Franklin in honor of Women’s History Month. The sculpture not only represents three historical women, but also

Misfit Mountain art fundraiser

In an effort to raise funds for Misfit Mountain, there will be a special art showcase and sale through March at Panacea Coffee Company in Waynesville. Featuring artwork from Haywood County painter Robin Arramae, patrons can make a donation onsite at the coffee house and then choose a painting of their liking from the wall exhibit to take home with them.

Mayor Jack Horton. Pre-show music will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the site featuring Blue Jazz.

Additional entertainment will include a vocal solo by Delphine Kirkland, an interpretive dance by Jada Bryson and the Dance Co-op followed by post celebration performances by Ubuntu Chorus, Susan Pepper & Laila Messer, Cherokee Storyteller Kathi Littlejohn and sculpture conversations with Wofford Studios.

Since parking is limited, visitors are encouraged to park nearby at East Franklin Elementary School (100 Watauga Street, Franklin) and ride the free shuttle to the site. For everyone’s safety, pedestrians should use the crosswalks provided.

For more information, go to womenshistorytrail.org.

All proceeds will go to Misfit Mountain, a 501(c)3 nonprofit animal rescue serving the WNC area. In the next two weeks, 15 dogs will be getting sterilized, vaccinated, chipped and heartworm tested before being adopted. There will be about $3,000 in expenses for just these pups.

• “Challenge Me, Art by Differently Abled Artists” exhibition will run through April 7 in the Handmade Gallery at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. This exhibition serves as a celebration of the remarkable abilities possessed by individuals with different abilities. It is a testament to the power of art to transcend barriers and foster understanding and appreciation. For more information, please go to haywoodarts.org.

• “Youth Art Month” will be held through March at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Artwork from local Macon County students K-12 will be on display. For more information, call 828.349.4607 or go to franklinuptowngallery.com.

• “Spark of the Eagle Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson” will run through June 28 in the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. This exhibition brings together a selection of baskets, pottery, carving, painting, photography and more. To learn more about the exhibition and reception, please go to arts.wcu.edu/spark. The Fine Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. For a full list of classes, go to cre828.com. For more information on CRE828, email dawn@cre828.com or call 828.283.0523.

• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and

For more information, contact Arramae, email wncpaintevents@gmail.com.

showcases. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, go to galleryzella.com or call 517.881.0959.

• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club is a nonprofit organization that exists for the enjoyment of photography and the improvement of one’s skills. They welcome photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings. For more information, email waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net or follow them on Facebook: Waynesville Photography Club.

• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide-range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. The HCAC gallery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information and a full schedule, go to haywoodarts.org.

• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. For more information and a full schedule, go to jcgep.org.

• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. For more information on the upcoming classes and/or to sign-up, go to southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.

• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. For more information and a full schedule of activities, go to dogwoodcrafters.com/classes or call 828.586.2248.

The sculpture unveiling ceremony will be March 23 in Franklin. Donated photo

Artwork by Robin Arramae is currently showcased at Panacea. Donated photo

‘Hologram’ is a warning about our age of deceit

“In the land of the blind,” goes the old saying, “the one-eyed man is king.”

In Walker Larson’s dystopian fantasy, “Hologram,” Aaron Larson Castillian turns this adage inside out. Captured by his people’s hated enemies, the Voturans, the 18-year-old is not only allowed to live and to avoid enslavement, he’s swiftly given rewards and high military rank. In a country in which the capital city is decorated everywhere with holograms, and in a time when the projection of military holograms — of enemy troops, artillery, and aircraft — plays a major part in battlefield tactics, Aaron is the only known human who can distinguish between holograms and reality.

Consequently, the Voturan General Druxa takes Aaron under his wing, gives him luxurious quarters and bountiful food, makes him a colonel, and sets him to work using his special powers to bring about the defeat of Aaron’s own people, the Traurusians. We see the brutality of this ongoing war from the book’s very first chapters, when Voturan forces attack Fen, Aaron’s small home town, killing civilians left and right, and seizing the survivors to be sold into servitude. It is during this fighting that the Voturans realize that unlike all the other townspeople, Aaron doesn’t see the holograms beamed in as soldiers on one end of the village and runs right through these concocted images in his attempt to escape.

tions of the customs of this new city in which he finds himself both a prisoner and an increasingly powerful asset, Aaron manages most of the time to conceal his hatred for his captors while attempting to track down and set free his mother, father, grandmother, sister and brother.

This brief summary of the plot also reveals the three themes that run through “Hologram.” First, there is Aaron’s indefatigable loyalty to family and friends. Even to the book’s final battle, he fights to secure the lives of those he loves.

Next up is his thirst for revenge. Those around him, both the household slaves who become his friends and his two rescued siblings, are at times shocked by Aaron’s singleminded desire for bloody vengeance and try to convince him to change course. Even Kyla, the spirited young woman who despises her

behaves impetuously, offering confidences, as he does to Druxa’s daughter Antonia, hinting at his plans to spark a revolt in the city. Part of this rash behavior stems from his youth, part from his anger and obsession with destroying his enemies. Aaron is a reminder to those around him and to the readers of this novel that such a mania for retribution can bring on a madness that rarely plays out well.

Finally, “Hologram” is a sort of meditation on reality and illusion, and what happens when we mistake one for the other, which means the book should cause us to look at our own culture through the eyes of an Aaron. Whatever our political beliefs, most of us can surely agree that the government, social and corporate media, and politicians from all sides of the spectrum mix together information and misinformation until discerning truth becomes a never-ending struggle. Just as the citizens of Chrysoberyl can’t differentiate a hologrammatic building or animal from the real, so we in our society of funhouse mirrors have trouble separating fact and truth from fiction and falsehood.

In his greed for the power Aaron can bring him in such battles, General Druxa fails to take into account the younger man’s lust for revenge and his desire to discover the fate of his family. Despite some viola-

slavery and the Voturans as much as Aaron, and who eventually falls in love with him, is wary about his plans to bring down the corrupt government and the capital city of Chrysoberyl.

At times, driven by his hatred, Aaron

“Hologram” is a solid story, well-written and entertaining, and suitable for teens for adults alike. It also reminds us that what we sometimes see in this world, or at least what others tell us to see, can in fact be deceptive. When we encounter situations, data and reports that somehow tell us something seems amiss, that’s when we need to put on the spectacles of skepticism, look into these matters and judge them for what they are and not for what someone would have us believe.

As John F. Kennedy said in 1962 when addressing Voice for America, “A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”

Near the end of “Hologram,” after a conversation with Kyla, Aaron thinks, ‘She was a sign to him, as so many others had been, that the real world is not made of shadowy illusions. Underneath it all, there is a brightness, an otherworldly brightness, putting the shadows to flight.’

Beneath the holograms of falsehood, beneath the artificial images and deceptions created today by AI, the real exists.

(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.)

Writer Jeff Minick

An unlikely path

Finding healing and acceptance at the end of a trail

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

Peter Conti seemed destined for a life of chronic pain.

For nearly two years after a devastating motorcycle accident left him with a shattered pelvis and nerve damage in his leg, Conti battled depression and suicidal ideation while struggling to manage his debilitating, demoralizing condition with dangerously addictive opioids.

Ultimately, he refused to accept his disability as permanent and years later, high atop Mt. Katahdin in Maine, discovered an unlikely path to recovery.

“I had to take responsibility for it myself and stop thinking, ‘Just give me a doctor or a pill, I want someone to make all the pain go away immediately.’ I had to accept the responsibility to find a way to heal myself and not hope that someone else would do it for me,” said Conti, who chronicles his recovery in his 2021 memoir, “Only When I Step on it” (Adversity Press, 2021, 465 pages).

Originally from Maryland, Conti was an avid motocross racer in high school and later moved to Colorado, opening his own motorcycle and auto repair shop before selling it and getting involved with commercial real estate.

“I had my share of injuries, mostly broken bones and things that got healed up fairly quickly,” he said, noting that although he’d drifted away from the sport as he grew older, the temptation was always there.

In 2015 at the age of 53, Conti entered a race in New Jersey, set on an 11-mile course through the woods. Initially, he was content to take it easy and bring up the rear, but when he

ended up getting lapped, that old competitive spirit kicked in and propelled him forward.

“Within a couple minutes, I clipped a tree and went over the handlebars,” he said. “I shattered my hip, dislocated my femur and ended up on a helicopter ride to the hospital.”

There, Conti said, they put the femur back into the shattered pelvis to protect the cartilage, but in doing so, damaged a nerve in his leg.

“On a scale of one to 10, that took the pain to like, 200,” he said.

Three plates, 14 pins and a six-hour surgery later, the damage had been done. Incredible pain in his left foot and calf — even though there was nothing physically wrong — became his constant companion.

Conti saw 23 different doctors and tried everything from acupuncture to massage to electronic gizmos but ended up on oxycontin for 18 months.

The legitimate medical use of oxycontin has ensnared more than a few unwitting victims in the vicious cycle of addiction. Conti was lucky to get out, but still faced a grim future of disability and pain so severe that his muscles began to atrophy, and he could barely get out of the house to walk his dog.

It was at this point that thoughts of ending his life crept further into Conti’s mind.

One day, Conti happened upon the 2014 Reece Witherspoon film “Wild,” about a woman grappling with tragedy and addiction who hikes the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, hoping to rediscover herself along the way. Conti soon turned his attention to hiking the Appalachian Trail.

“I thought, ‘Well gosh, over 2,000 miles, my leg would have to be healed,” he said.

Almost two years to the day after his devastating injury, Conti found himself on an Amtrak train to Georgia. Despite still walking with a limp — he couldn’t even complete a four-mile test hike prior to embarking on the trip — Conti began what would become a life-changing journey to through-hike the entirety of the Appalachian Trail alone, from Georgia to Maine.

Moving at half the pace of most, Conti earned the ironic trail name “Flash 52,” but he was still determined to complete the trip.

He was also still on a dozen medications, which proved difficult to manage on the trail.

“Hiking along, I got to just where my foot was just killing me and I figured, well, if it’s going to be hurting this bad, maybe this would be a good chance to see if I really need all these drugs,” Conti said. “So what I did is, I picked from them and said, ‘I’m going to go without that one for three or four days,’ and guess what? My foot still hurt like hell. So I thought, ‘Well, I can do without that one.’”

Conti worked his way through all of them and eventually got off every single one, finding other ways to manage the pain.

Throughout the book and with an honest voice, Conti writes as to make his more than just a typical “I did a thing” trail memoir filled with rich description, colorful characters, equipment challenges and campsite shenanigans. Entertaining, enthralling and appalling — occasionally all at the same time — Conti’s book isn’t quite a self-help book, but is enlightening nonetheless.

Although he relishes victories both large and small, readers will quickly find the trip was far from uneventful and that it

Author Peter Conti stands before Baldpate Mountain in Oxford County, Maine, near the northern end of the Appalachian Trail. Peter Conti photo

became as much a test of his spirit as his body. Long stretches on the trail battling loneliness and anxiety left Conti bawling his eyes out during his lowest moments. Other times, every cell in his brain cried out for him to stop.

“At one point, there’s this sign on a tree that says, ‘Mount Katahdin 500 miles to go,’ and so having come all that way I’m like, ‘Oh great, only another 500 miles,’” he said.

“Three or four days later, I’m going up the side of this mountain and climbing up over these boulders and mentally, I just was like, ‘I can’t do this. This is crazy. I gotta quit.’”

He didn’t quit. He would continue on to Katahdin by adopting a strategy that not only kept him going but also serves as a larger commentary on how everyday people can approach seemingly insurmountable emotional, physical and psychological challenges.

“Really, the secret to doing something like this was breaking it down into tiny chunks,” Conti said.

Focus on the next day, the next hour, he said. Concentrate on getting to the next summit, or to the next campsite. While hiking 500 miles is unthinkable for most people, hiking five isn’t.

Upon completion of the Appalachian Trail, Peter Conti poses for the obligatory photo atop Mount Katahdin. Peter Conti photo

On a late September day, with sleet falling from the cold cloudy sky nearly a mile above sea level, Peter Conti finally reached the summit of Mount Katahdin.

Spoiler alert — what he was looking for wasn’t there.

“That’s the message of the book. For someone dealing with chronic pain, what I found is if you have hope, you can deal with most anything.”

— Peter Conti

“I still felt like I was going to be healed at the top, maybe because I’ve been telling myself that for so long,” Conti said. “Getting up there, it was somewhat emotional but it was more like, ‘Oh my goodness I’m up here in the cold and I’m freezing and I just need to get this done and then get down off of here.’”

Instead, he found something else, on the way down.

“I met a guy and of course I’m limping quite obviously,” Conti recalls. “I told him I’d just completed the Appalachian Trail, and he says, ‘Congratulations! And to think that you did it with a bum leg!’”

Conti came to realize that what he’d really found wasn’t healing, but the greater gift of acceptance.

“That’s the message of the book. For someone dealing with chronic pain, what I found is if you have hope, you can deal with most anything,” he said. “It’s when you think it’s never going to end or there’s not a way to have a better future that people get depressed, or worse.”

Find Conti’s book, “Only When I Step on it,” on Amazon. ----

Blue Ridge Parkway license plate sales top $570,000

North Carolina drivers raised $574,461 to enhance the Blue Ridge Parkway by purchasing or renewing the national park specialty license plate in 2023. It is the largest amount raised for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s work through the tag program in more than a decade.

chased for cars and motorcycles. To learn more, visit GetThePlate.org or request the plate at an N.C. tag office.

The fee for the specialty plate helps fund key improvements along the Parkway. Donated photo

The specialty plate fee is $30, of which $20 helps fund key improvements along the Parkway, including repairs at trails, campgrounds and picnic areas. Proceeds also support projects such as wildlife studies, historic preservation and educational programs. Personalized plates are available for $60. The Parkway tag can be pur-

Last year, the park welcomed more than 16.7 million visitors, which is more visitors than Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Grand Tetons national parks combined for the same year. Unlike many large national parks, there is no admission fee to support park operations. Past shortfalls in government funding have led to maintenance backlogs and facility closures along the Parkway. Proceeds from the license plate provide critical funding to address needs and improvements within the park.

The Foundation is the nonprofit fundraising partner of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Since 1997, the Foundation has provided more than $22 million in support for the national park. To learn more, visit BRPFoundation.org.

WNC Environmental Summit comes to HCC

Join the WNC Environmental Summit March 23 at Haywood Community College.

Paul Allen from “Feed Me Foam” will showcase his mobile densifier technology. Witness firsthand how clean packing foam can be recycled efficiently and sustainably.

The event will begin with a live demonstration at 2 p.m.

Bring your clean packing foam (no food-grade foam, please) and contribute to a greener future. There will also be free recycling information available.

File photo

N.C. Forest Service celebrates Arbor Day

Arbor Day will be observed March 22 in North Carolina.

N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said tree planting is a natural and simple solution to many challenges landowners face.

“We are fortunate to have a variety of state forestry programs that protect forest resources by supporting landowners and communities with tree planting, site preparation and forest improvement,” he said.

Forestry programs and resources include cost-share programs such as the Forest Development Program and the Urban and Community Forestry Financial Assistance Program, both managed by the N.C. Forest Service. The NCFS Urban and Community Forestry Program also oversees the application and award process for Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education and Tree Line USA.

Planting trees and responsible urban forest management at the local level including community involvement and participation in urban forestry recognition programs are critical to sustaining

healthy forest resources in North Carolina.

N.C. Forest Service staff are positioned to help landowners manage their woods and communities manage their urban forest. NCFS county staff are also available to assist with developing Arbor Day celebrations and Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education and Tree Line USA awards during community celebrations.

Find your county ranger’s contact information at www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts. Learn more about the N.C. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program at ncforestservice.gov/Urban/Urban_Forestry.htm

Applications open for state ag grants

Applications are now being accepted for the N.C. Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative, which has been created to fund and promote the establishment of value-added agricultural manufacturing and food processing facilities in North Carolina.

Potential applicants are invited to contact NCDA&CS to discuss proposals prior to applying to determine fit and for other guidance. Potential applicants are asked to email the Marketing office at ncampi@ncagr.gov.

The program is intended to:

• Provide support for agricultural processing opportunities that increase jobs and local property tax bases across the state and/or reduce costs and increase profit options for North Carolina farmers and growers.

• Identify and assess opportunities to increase value-added processing of commodities produced in the state and fill geographic and commodity gaps across the state.

• Market and recruit facilities to fill such gaps and meet such opportunities.

• Support eligible entities with funding for eligible costs necessary to create or expand North Carolina agricultural manufacturing facilities and projects related to increased demand for agricultural products.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The guidelines, application and supporting documents for NCAMPI can be found at ncagr.gov/divisions/marketing/ncampi.

Register for Fire Mountain Inferno

Registration is now open for the Fire Mountain Inferno mountain bike event in Cherokee.

The program will begin with two days of Enduro racing. This event is for all levels of racer. It will be held May 4 and 5. Online registration is now open and will close either on May 1 or when the event sells out. Register at gloryhoundevents.com/event/fire-mountaininferno-xc-enduro-weekend.

Weigh in on NC river quality

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources is now accepting public comment on the proposed list of streams, rivers, reservoirs and other water bodies in North Carolina considered to be “impaired,” or that do not meet water quality standards, in 2024.

The 2024 draft 303 (d) list, as well as other related documents, can be found on the DWR website. In the proposed 303(d) list for 2024, 70 water bodies were added, while 56 waters were delisted.

The criteria for determining which water bodies are added to the list are set by the Environmental Management Commission, an appointed body that oversees and adopts rules for the DEQ Divisions of Air Quality, Land Resources, Waste Management and Water Resources. The method includes consideration of water quality rankings by the DWR Biological Assessment Branch, as well as chemical and physical parameters.

The draft 303(d) list may be modified based on the comments received.

DWR staff will accept public comments on the list until April 26. Comments must be submitted by email to: TMDL303dComments@deq.nc.gov. For specific listing questions, or to request an assessment fact sheet for a specific waterbody, email Cam McNutt, water quality data coordinator, at cam.mcnutt@deq.nc.gov.

In addition to receiving comment on the list, DWR is seeking input into which specific 303(d) listed waters should be prioritized for development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or a management or restoration plan, across the next 10 years. Typically, higher priority waters are those where willing stakeholders are already implementing restoration activities and/or there is existing knowledge of stressors in the watershed.

Public comment period open for migratory bird seasons

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is seeking public comment on the 2024-2025 migratory game bird hunting seasons for waterfowl, webless migratory species and extended falconry.

Comments will be accepted through 5 p.m.

March 27 on NCWRC’s online comment portal. The agency’s commissioners will consider all online comments as well as staff- recommended season dates and bag limits before approving the final season dates for 2024-25 migratory game bird seasons during the April 18 business meeting.

The public may access a detailed overview of the 2024-25 season frameworks for webless migratory and waterfowl species, extended falconry season frameworks and Canada goose and duck hunting zones on the comment portal webpage.

Native plant sale extended

The annual native perennial plant sale sponsored by the NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteers has been extended.

Proceeds from the plant sale fund Extension sponsored horticultural projects in Haywood County, including elementary school gardens; community gardens; demonstration gardens; educational workshops; the plant clinic; Extension Master Gardener programs and more.

Orders must be pre-paid and are due by April 15. The pick-up date for the perennials is from 3-6 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, at the Extension Service located at 589 Raccoon Road in Waynesville.

Jackson Chamber welcomes EcoForesters

The Jackson County Chamber and Visitor Center Ambassador Team held a grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony for its new members at EcoForesters, Inc.

Located at 569 Mill St. in Sylva, EcoForesters is a non-profit professional forestry organization dedicated to conserving and restoring Appalachian forests through education and stewardship.

For more information, visit their website at ecoforesters.org, call 336.972.7444 or email adanner@ecoforesters.org.

Orders for the native plant sale are now accepted through April 15. Donated photo

Order forms are available at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Haywood County Center on Raccoon Road 828.456.3575 or on the Haywood County Center bsite: go.ncsu.edu/haywoodplantsales.

Join wildflower, bird walks at Lake Junaluska

Lake Junaluska’s Corneille Bryan Native Garden is offering wildflower walks on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. from March 27 through May 8.

There will also be walks for bird lovers. On April 26 and May 17 at 7:30 a.m., local birding expert, Howard Browers will lead the Birds in the Garden walk.

Space is limited on all the walks so please register for a specific walk at cbnativegarden@gmail.com. In the event of inclement weather, the walk will not be held. The garden may be explored on your own at any time. For questions, call 828.452.5840 or email CBnativegarden@gmail.com. See what is blooming or learn more about the Corneille Bryan Native Garden on Facebook.

Jackson County Chamber of Commerce ambassadors (from left) Michele D. Smith, John Hagdorn, Patricia Wink-Bryson, Marne Harris, EcoForesters’ Josh Parris (EBCI Forest Manager), Andy Tait (EcoForesters’ Co-Executive Director), Andrew Danner (EcoForesters in Sylva), Desirae Kissell-Abella (EBCI Conservation Outreach Coordinator & USDA-NRCS Liaison), ambassadors Matt Saenger, Steve Baxley and Matthew Ridley. Jackson County Chamber of Commerce photo

Notes from a Plant Nerd

BY ADAM B IGELOW

Invasive Plants Part II: Revenge of the Sterile Cultivar

they all converge into the soil at the crown of the plant. I can them pull by hand, loosen with a digging fork, or gently pull out this toptier invasive plant, root and all. This last effort is helped by a great tool called the weed wrench. Look it up.

All around Western North Carolina are thousands upon thousands of small to medium trees blooming white, stinky flowers along roadsides, fence lines and driveways. There are large ones that were planted intentionally before we learned that their branches are weak and often split in storms and under the weight of snow. And then there are all the little offspring these original plantings have borne, baby trees from horticultural varieties that are labeled and sold as sterile cultivars.

One interesting and delicious approach to removing invasive plant species is to use them for their edible and medicinal properties, if there are any. This time of the year, garlic mustard (Allaria petiolata) is beginning to emerge and is easily pulled before its white flowers get pollinated and produce a plethora of seeds that easily leads to an uncontrollable spread. Better to pull them and add them to your salads and stir-fries as they are not only edible, but delicious.

Except nature finds her way, and these “Bradford” or “Cleveland Select” pear trees turned out to not be so sterile. The few fruit of the thousands produced by each tree that are capable of germinating into seedlings revert to one of the parent trees that created these hybrids. The callery pear and its cultivars are characterized by numerous early blooming flowers, late changing fall leaf color, and giant thorns along the stems and branches which are capable of puncturing tractor and mower tires.

It turns out that the callery pear is an invasive plant.

Other delicious invasive plants include kudzu (Pueraria montana), whose leaves, flowers and roots are all edible; knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) shoots are tangy and sweet when sauteed; and autumn olive (Elaeagnus angustifolius) is an invasive tree with sweet, tangy fruits. If you’re going to be killing edible invasive plants, and I encourage you to kill them when you see them, you might as well eat and enjoy them if you can.

Puzzles can be found on page 30

These are only the answers.

In last week’s episode, we learned about the difference between a native plant, an exotic plant and invasive plants and how much of that distinction lies in the coevolutionary history between plants, insects and the web of life. Some characteristics shared by most invasive plants are exhibited in the ‘Bradford” pear, and in other common invasive plants like multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) and Privet (Ligusticum spp.). These include early leaf emergence and/or early blooming, having multiple flowers per plant, high fruit and seed production and rapid leaf and stem growth.

This time of year is great for identifying and removing many invasive plant species. The bright green arching canes of multiflora rose stand out against the brown of the early spring forest floor. This makes them easy to get to as other plants have yet to emerge. I like to cut the canes about 6 inches high where

Some plants that evolved in different parts of the world and have been introduced into the landscapes and forests around us can have wonderfully beneficially medicinal properties. Plants like the invasive barberry (Berberis thunbergii) and bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) have medicinally active compounds in their roots that can be harvested as they are being removed from the forest, just as long as there were no herbicides used in the process. Sometimes it is the only viable option, but rarely do you need to use synthetic herbicides in your yards to kill invasive plants. Those are best left to the land managers and ecologists working to remove invasive plants from the forest.

I invite you to help heal the world by removing invasive plants and encouraging native plants. This is hard and rewarding work, so I do recommend that you eat your “weedies” to get your strength up. Some plants, like the rose, bite back.

Invasive Bradford Pears are common along roadsides.

Adam Bigelow photo

Market PLACE WNC

Legals

MarketPlace information:

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!

Rates:

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

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

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

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

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

• Boost in Print

• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

• Border $4

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

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

p: 828.452.4251 · f:828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com www.wncmarketplace.com

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.2024 E 000156

Cynthia L. Cardwell,Ethel Jean WilksJun 20 2024

Jessie Elizabeth Clark Jun 13 2024 Administrator

136 Northridge Dr. Canton, NC 28716

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.2023 E 000666

Administrator

117 Suttles St Clyde, NC 28721

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.24-E-3, HAYWOOD COUNTY -

TANYA

LOUISE GAVIN LYTLEJun 13 2024

Bobby Joe Jackson Sr Jun 13 2024

ABSOLUTE CONSTRUCTION-TRUCKAUCTION -

-

JANET MARIE “SUSIE” GAVIN, Executrix

95 Depot Street Waynesville, NC 28786

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.2023 E 000649

Administrator

184 Hillside Rd Waynesville, NC 28786

Auction

ESTATE AUCTION-

EQUIPMENT AUCTION

Employment

HEAD START FLOATER (HAYWOOD/JACKSON COUNTIES) vehicle, valid driver-

WELL-DEFINED

ACROSS

1 Ran after

8 -- oil (trendy marijuana extract, for short)

11 Old TV ET

14 Feudal peons

19 More ill-bred

20 Loaf in a deli

21 Palme -- (Cannes award)

22 "La Traviata," e.g.

23 120-Across #1

25 "Over here!"

26 Sieved, as potatoes

27 Folk rocker DiFranco

28 Drink holders

29 120-Across #2

31 120-Across #3

36 Suffix of enzymes

37 Don effortlessly, as shoes

38 Toxin-fighting fluids

39 Functional unit of a kidney

42 Wield a saber or foil

45 Sky twinkler

48 Stray calf

49 120-Across #4

55 Plead

56 Cabinet chief: Abbr.

57 Muse of poetry

58 Mimosa tree, e.g.

62 "Put -- Happy Face"

64 DiCaprio of "Titanic"

70 120-Across #5

75 More furtive

76 Possess

77 Gets the impression

78 Core belief

81 Light tan

84 Groom's vow

85 120-Across #6

94 "Take --" ("Jot this note")

95 Water spigots

96 Extort money from 97 Fit to reside in

100 Architect Saarinen

103 Island near Bora Bora

107 Rage

108 120-Across #7

113 120-Across #8

116 Male sweetie

117 Day, to Juanita

118 Totally lost

119 Bruins' Bobby

120 What this puzzle literally provides eight times

124 Wee

125 Hitter's stat

126 Single-named R&B singer

127 Erase

128 Some Canadian gas stations

129 Tot's "piggy"

130 Bible translation, e.g.: Abbr.

131 Lobby sofas

DOWN

1 The Sims or Minecraft, say

2 Muse of astronomy

3 Fast part of a river ride

4 Govt. stipend

5 Adm.'s org.

6 Brain wave test: Abbr.

7 Harry Potter bully Malfoy

8 Burial vaults

9 Poet Percy -- Shelley

10 -- Moines, Iowa

11 One-off, as a committee

12 Lerner's songwriting partner

13 Skillet

14 Ilk

15 Grand-scale

16 Give new energy to

17 Region prohibiting slavery prior to the Civil War

18 Made unhappy

24 -- -Puf (facial sponge)

29 Really hate

30 Suffix with serpent

32 Resist boldly

33 Singer Lisa

34 City in Sicily

35 Once, once

40 Word file alternative

41 -- polloi

43 Syringe amts.

44 Stretch (out)

46 -- Lingus (Irish carrier)

47 Writer Dahl

49 The Beatles' "-- Work It Out"

50 Tequila plant

51 Sacred image

52 Big Apple address abbr.

53 Sch. near the Rio Grande

54 Axes, e.g.

55 Scrooge's outbursts

59 U.S. spy org.

60 Fluid in a pen

61 Anxiousness

63 In times past

65 Scot's denial

66 Novelist Rand

67 Varnish stuff

68 "Judge --" (Stallone film)

69 -- buco

71 Artist Jan van der -72 "Nola" composer Felix

73 Actor Wilson

74 How much '90s music was recorded

79 LAX info

80 High-quality

82 CSA soldier

83 Web address

85 Certify

86 The "E" of UAE

87 Overturns

88 Singer Sumac

89 Word before goblin

90 Employed

91 -- bad example

92 Split

93 Ritalin treats it, for short

98 Science writer Willy or ESPN anchor Bob

99 Urge strongly

101 Kind of steak

102 Like some headsets

104 Chemist's "I"

105 Brief pang

106 For a really long time

109 Muscle car booster

110 Macabre

111 Interval

112 Is really angry

114 Lotto variant

115 Deposits, as eggs

120 License-issuing agcy.

121 Palindromic file suffix

122 Fitting

123 Cashew, e.g.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

SUDOKU

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

Answers on 26

3BR, 4BA $2,495,000 | , 1HBA 4088653

3BR, 3BA, 1HBA $1,182,000 | 4114839

3BR, 2BA, 1HBA $1,000,000 | 4108204

4BR, 1BA $849,9000 | , 2HBA 3927972

5BR, 4BA $725,000 | 4114677

5BR, 3BA $650,000 | 4110232

2BR, 2 $529,900 |4 BA 118544

5BR, 4BA, 1HBA $475,000 | 4107867

3BR, 2BA $439,000 | 4117156

2BR, 1 $379,000 | BA 4096759

2BR, 1BA $289,000 | 4115300

2BR, 2BA $250,000 | 4117056