Macon moves forward with middle school renovations

BY JESSI STONE NEWS EDITOR

At the 11th hour, Macon County Commissioners called a special meeting to discuss whether to move forward with an $8 million renovation project at Macon Middle School or to take a step back and reevaluate the county’s school infrastructure needs.

Commissioners have already been discussing the project for several years, moving through the process of assessing the needs, hiring engineers and architects to design the project and putting it out to bid. Financial Director Lori Hall reminded the board that the deadline to secure the loan was quickly approaching.

At the last commissioner meeting in February following a public hearing, the board voted unanimously to approve the lowest bid of $8.1 million from New Atlanta out of Charlotte as well as a resolution to finance the project and refinance some existing debt for a total loan amount of $10.5 million.

Newly-elected Commissioner Josh Young had some concern about the project at that time, but since he was coming in at the end of those discussions, he voted in favor of it.

“I wasn’t here for the discussions, but I think we’re just putting a Band-Aid on it,” he said during the Feb. 9 meeting. “I think it could be better spent.”

At the beginning of the Feb. 26 called meeting, Commission Chairman Jim Tate said Young called him a couple of weeks ago with what he likes to call “commissioner anguish” about the vote he had taken Feb. 9.

“He expressed he had significant reservations about proceeding with this project and presented a very quick scenario of a different idea,” Tate explained. “It may be too late in the process to introduce the idea, but I told him he had my support to introduce this concept. He thinks we’re making a big mistake and that there’s a better solution.”

Young said he wasn’t there to undermine a project that’s been in the works for several years, but if he didn’t take the opportunity to present a potentially better plan, he’d regret it.

“It’s not my job to play Monday morning quarterback but if I kept it inside, I’d regret it,” he said.

Instead of spending $8 million right now on what he called a Band-Aid, Young said he’d like to see the county step back and create a plan that could solve all of the school facility problems in Macon. He said he’d done some research and put together a plan that would give the Macon elementary schools more capacity while also solving the issues at Macon Middle and Franklin High.

Instead of investing $8 million into renovating a 1974 building, Young suggested demolishing it and building an entirely new facility on the tract. He said the county could also increase the footprint of that property by purchasing 14 acres of adjacent land from Phil Drake, which would increase the Macon Middle property from 34 acres to 48 acres. The additional property could then be enough room to build a new high school as well.

“If we plan this right we can at this point shift all grades up,” Young said.

Kindergarten through third grade would be at the elementary schools, fourth and fifth at the intermediate school, sixth through eighth at the middle and ninth through 12th at the high school.

He also said the county should consider more consolidation efforts to save money and to free up older school facilities to be sold off in an attempt to save more money. Rabun County Schools system across the state line in Georgia is a good example of those efforts paying off, Young added.

With $25 million in the county’s fund balance, Young suggested a combination of bond, loan and fund balance to pay for the project in order to avoid raising taxes for at least another five years.

While it sounds good in theory, the reality is stepping back from the Macon Middle project right now would mean the county would be out of $1 million already put into the preliminary work and also Young’s plan would take 10 years to complete. In the meantime, the work needed at Macon Middle is more immediate.

Commissioner Ronnie Beale said it was important for Young to know the history of the project. As a liaison to the school board for many years, Beale said he’s confident both boards had explored all possibilities and came to the best plan for improvements. He’s aware there’s still much to be done to get all the facilities where they need to be, but reminded him of how far they’ve come.

“I think we’ve done more than anyone without a tax increase,” he said, adding the county has spent $25 million on school facilities in the last 10 years.

Beale said he’s been assured the project will add decades to Macon Middle’s lifespan — something he considers more than a bandage. He also questioned the ability to put a new high school at the same location considering there are already congestion issues on Wells Grove Road, adding that the Department of Transportation had already looked at that possibility.

“I appreciate Josh looking at these things but unfortunately these are things we’ve already looked at. We’ve looked at that land before Drake acquired it and most of the land isn’t usable because it’s in a swamp,” Beale said.

Beale did agree the old Macon Middle School wasn’t designed for today’s safety protocols because there are too many points of entry, but the county has also taken steps to improve security measures.

“For now, I think this is the best we can do. We can’t lose a million dollars to postpone this thing again because that’s all we’d be doing,” he said. “We don’t even know what schools will look like in 10 years because of COVID.”

Commissioner Gary Shields, a former educator and school board liaison, said he agreed with Beale that the plans for the renovation need to move forward now. He said that the road could not handle the traffic that a new high school would create, especially during sporting events. However, he does support Young’s suggestion that more longrange planning needs to be done.

Commissioner Paul Higdon said he strongly supported Young’s plan and was also in favor of a more comprehensive plan for replacing school facilities.

One part of Young’s presentation that all commissioners agreed on is to add a new athletic building to the scope of work so that students have somewhere to change clothes prior to a game.

After more discussion, the board voted 3 to 2 in favor of moving forward with the Macon Middle renovations as previously planned. Young and Higdon were opposed.

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The Diabetes Prevention Program is a lifestyle change program dedicated to preventing type 2 diabetes through a series of 24 one-hour group classes taught by a trained health educator/lifestyle coach.

DPP is a fun, yearlong program that gives participants the information and tools needed to maintain a healthy weight, prepare and eat healthy meals and be more physically active. It also connects participants facing similar challenges to increase the chances of success. A DPP interest session will be held by Haywood County Health and Human Services on March 25.

Thanks to a grant administered by NC State University, the classes are now free and will include incentives, such as food scales, resistance bands and cookbooks. HHSA is excited to report that its program is now fully recognized by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

Anyone interested in learning more about or participating in DPP can contact Megan Hauser at 828.356.2272. Clinicians can refer patients who are either at increased risk or have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes to join DPP.

Classes will be held using a virtual format starting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25.

Repaving coming to WNC highways

N.C. Department of Transportation officials recently awarded three contracts to resurface highways in Cherokee, Jackson and Henderson counties.

The three contracts combine to cover more than 20.3 miles of four-lane highway with a new surface, new reflective paint and new reflective markers for a combined cost of $22.4 million.

Contract crews are allowed to begin resurfacing these highways as soon as April 15. Exact dates and locations will be determined by the contractor. • U.S. 74 in Jackson County — APAC/Harrison of Asheville earned a $7.9 million contract to resurface 6.4 miles of U.S. from the Swain County line to South Pines Mountain Road 74 — including ramps to and from U.S. 441 — with the contract calling for completion in October. • U.S. 25 in Henderson County — Rogers Group from Greenville, S.C. earned at $4 million contract to resurface 5.8 miles of U.S. 25 from Exit 5 to the South Carolina state line with the contract calling for completion in October. • U.S. 19/74/129 in Cherokee County — APAC/Harrison earned a $10.5 million contract to resurface 8.1 miles of U.S. 19/74/129 from N.C. 141 to U.S. 64 near Murphy with the contract calling for completion in October 2022.

Buncombe Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara wants Cawthorn’s seat

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR

Some people will say a gay woman who’s a Christian minister just can’t get elected in the South.

Those are the very first words spoken by Democrat Jasmine Beach-Ferrara in a launch video for her 2022 congressional campaign. Although she’s already proved the skeptics wrong — Beach-Ferrara is currently serving her second term as a Buncombe County Commissioner — she’s looking to do it again in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.

“I’m running because Western North Carolina families deserve better than they’re getting from Madison Cawthorn. My faith teaches me that leadership starts with empathy, compassion and listening and then getting to work to help people. That’s the kind of leadership I want to offer instead of the division and mean-spiritedness we’re getting now,” Beach-Ferrara said in a press release. “This is going to be a campaign built on bringing people together, finding common ground, organizing everywhere and talking about the issues that actually matter to people’s lives.”

Beach-Ferrara, who lives in Asheville with wife Meghann Burke, is a United Church of Christ minister and a founding executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, an Asheville-based nonprofit working to reduce legal, political, health care and income inequalities for LGBTQ people.

Raised in Chapel Hill, Beach-Ferrara holds an undergraduate degree from Brown University, a Master of Fine Arts and a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School. She also served on the Biden Foundation’s Advisory Council for Advancing LGBTQ Equality.

While Beach-Ferrara may or may not be the first Democrat to enter the race formally, she’s thus far been the loudest.

Previous Democratic nominee Moe Davis, who lost to Cawthorn by 12 points in November 2020, filed his statement of candidacy on Feb. 22 but still has a statement on his website saying he’s “exploring” the idea of running again.

Henderson County businessman, Iraq War veteran and Democrat Josh Remillard, who lost a 2020 bid for North Carolina’s 117th House District by 21 points, filed his FEC statement of organization on Feb. 25 and is expected to make a formal announcement soon.

Another potential Democratic candidate, Jay Carey, is also exploring a run, and it’s likely he’s not the last.

Cawthorn has been a controversial personality almost since the moment he joined 11 other Republicans in seeking the seat then held by Mark Meadows. Meadows announced he wouldn’t seek re-election a day before the filing period ended in December 2019, and then abandoned the seat shortly after President Donald Trump’s first impeachment to become Trump’s chief of staff. Meadows’ seat remained empty throughout the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic as well as during votes for some of the largest federal spending packages in U.S. history.

During the 2020 campaign, Cawthorn faced allegation after allegation — Nazi sympathies, white supremacist imagery, sexual harassment of women — but his national profile got a big boost when he spoke at the Republican National Convention on Aug. 26.

Just three days after he was sworn in, Cawthorn spoke at the now-infamous “stop the steal” rally held by President Trump on Jan. 6, immediately prior to the insurrection. Since then, he’s been scrutinized for his potential role in helping to incite a crowd to storm the capitol building and another round of sexual harassment allegations has emerged.

To make matters worse for Cawthorn, a key supporter in the law enforcement community repudiated him, and his own state senator, powerful Hendersonville Republican Chuck Edwards, chastised Cawthorn not once but twice and appears to be lining up for a primary challenge.

Edwards will also have a hand in drawing the new maps that should be ready in time for the 2022 Primary Election. With North Carolina expected to gain an additional seat in the U.S. House, it’s anyone’s guess as to what the 11th Congressional District looks like come election time.

While Beach-Ferrara’s first words to the 11th District may have been bold, she closes her video with another strong message to the skeptics.

“This barbecue-loving, football-watching proud Southern mom of three is running for Congress,” she said. “And you better believe I’m running to win.”

A day after announcing her entry into the race, Beach-Ferrara issued a press release stating she’d raised $100,000 in 24 hours. While she’s got millions more to go to be competitive against Cawthorn, she’s got plenty of time to raise it — the Primary Election is still more than a year away.

The Smoky Mountain News: Looking back on this district over the last maybe 10 years or so, we’ve had some very similar issues in every General Election. The first one that I’d like to talk about is common sense gun reform.

Jasmine Beach Ferrara: I believe in the right to gun ownership and I also believe in safe communities. I know it’s possible for us to support gun ownership and also take common sense steps to make sure that everyone stays safe. I’m a mom and I think, like parents everywhere, there are few things that scare me more than the thought of a school shooting. We’ve all lived through too many of those to not do something to help keep our children and our community safe. So I support common sense gun laws, and things like comprehensive background checks to help keep us safe, red flag laws.

SMN: Another one of these seemingly persistent issues is Medicaid expansion. That’s certainly a General Assembly matter, but the excuse that I continue to hear from opponents is that we don’t know if the federal government one day is going to stop that 90 percent funding level and maybe slash it to 50 or 20 or zero. If this is something we want, why don’t we elect Congresspersons who pledge to continue to fund the expansion of Medicaid expansion?

JBF: Health care is a basic right, and far too many people across Western North Carolina struggle because our country doesn’t treat it as a basic right. It’s long past time for this to be a top priority at every level of government. We need to ensure that there’s access to affordable care. No one should get a serious diagnosis like cancer and have to immediately worry about whether they can afford their treatment. And you’re right — in North Carolina, two of the top issues that I hear about from people all the time are the urgent need to expand Medicaid and also the urgent need to shore up our rural health care systems to and make sure that folks in rural communities and small towns have the access they need to get care in their hometown. These would be top priority issues for me in D.C. F

SMN: The last of these persistent issues is rural broadband. We’ve made some good advances with help from the state and especially the federal level with the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. It’s a windfall for these western counties and most are fairly pleased with the amounts, if not the pace. Do you think that there’s more that can be done from a federal level?

JBF: This has got to be a top priority. How do federal, state and local governments and other anchor institutions work together to expand access but also accelerate the pace at which we’re expanding access? We need to think about this like we would any utility. I see people from across the political spectrum coming together and getting to work on solutions.

SMN: I don’t know that we’ve had a county commissioner as a congressperson maybe ever, but certainly not within recent memory. How has your experience on the Buncombe commission prepared you to go to Washington?

JBF: It has been and continues to be such an honor to serve on county commission and my role and responsibility there is very much like the role and responsibility of a Congressperson. I think it starts by listening closely to people about what matters to them, what they need, what they dream of, and then finding ways to translate that into policies and actions that actually help people. When you actually look at the portfolio of issues that county commissions work on, there’s actually a lot of mirroring of federal policy priorities. You’ve mentioned a couple of them so far — things like rural broadband — but some of the top priority issues that I focus on in county commission are things like responding to the opiate crisis and the mental health crisis in our community, expanding access to early childhood education and pre-K and job creation to help create a stronger economy where folks can get jobs they can raise a family on. A big part of why I’m running is the track record I’ve built as a county commissioner and the lessons I’ve learned in that process, and the fact that I know that what we also need in Western North Carolina is strong leadership on the federal level to wake up every day and focus on exactly those issues.

SMN: What do you think you learned from watching Moe Davis last year?

JBF: I’ve learned a lot from watching everyone who has run in this district on both sides of the aisle. And what I know about organizing I know because I’ve spent the last decade of my life or more organizing all across the South, including in a lot of small towns and rural communities. I know this as a minister and I know this as a county commissioner — our politics are at our best when it’s about the people who are involved. It’s about focusing on policies that speak to our highest dreams, our deepest values, and a shared sense of purpose. That’s exactly the kind of campaign it will be. I’ll be building from a strategic level. We’ll be organizing everywhere in the district because that’s how you build strong campaigns. We’ll be talking to folks who perhaps haven’t heard from a

SMN: One of the important things I think we learned last time is the important distinction between a Primary Election and a General Election. Some of the folks I’ve spoken to already about your campaign say that you may be too liberal to win a General Election in this district. How do you respond to that?

JBF: When I first ran for county commission in 2016, folks told me I wasn’t gonna win. I ended up winning. When I ran this last cycle for re-election, I was running against a very popular Republican and people told me I wasn’t going to win. I ended up winning. The way I’ve won these races is twofold, and it’s the way I approached being on county commission, the way I’d approach being in Congress, which is that our politics and the work of our government is about serving our people. And it’s about listening to what matters to people and developing policy solutions to respond to that. That approach is what I’ve done at county commission. You know, until quite recently we had a bipartisan body there, and I’m very proud of the work that I was able to do along with Republican and Democratic colleagues, to respond to them as critical issues in people’s lives, whether it’s expanding access to treatment for opiate addiction, expanding access to pre-K. So what I like to do when people say that is just say, look at my track record, but also let’s talk about the here and now, and let’s talk about how we move forward together.

SMN: The overarching question about the November 2022 election is what this district ends up looking like. Do you have any insight into that or any feelings on how we may look at this map in a year?

JBF: When I announced that I’d be running for re-election in 2020 for county commission, the maps were being redrawn and the lines weren’t finalized until several months after that. I won that campaign by organizing everywhere, listening to folks, running very strong field operations.

That’s exactly how we’ll be building this campaign, which is organizing in every corner of the district, talking to folks who haven’t heard from a campaign for a while and also building big tables of folks who are ready to focus on meeting the needs of people in Western North Carolina.

SMN: Tell me one good thing that Madison Cawthorn has done for this district since he was elected.

JBF: Let me tell you about the kind of campaign that I’m planning to run, which is a campaign built on love and hope and faith. I think those are the things that are important as we think about how we bring our community together. I’m actually less interested in talking about Madison Cawthorn and more about what’s possible in Western North Carolina, talking about the politics of bringing people together around a shared vision of how we can help lift people’s lives up.

Snake Song shop opens in Sylva

The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of Snake Song.

Located at 610 West Main Street (the former location of The Cut Cocktail Lounge), Snake Song has entrances on both Mill and Main Streets. Snake Song specializes in bulk herbs, plants, pottery, flowers, culinary and medicinal herb products and more. For more information, email snakesongfarm@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page.

Free tax webinars

The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College, in coordination with Small Business Centers in the WNC Region, will offer a free three-part Small Business Tax virtual learning series featuring representatives from the North Carolina Department of Revenue. The Small Business Tax series will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, April 6 (Business Tax Essentials), April 20 (NC Withholding 101) and May 4 (Sales & Use Tax Workshop).

Visit sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 to register.

Maggie Realtors receive awards

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage in Maggie Valley, part of a network with more than 12,500 independent sales associates and 390 offices across the United States, Canada, Jamaica, and The Bahamas, has received special recognition for the P.A.I.G.E. Award and the Technology Award.

The P.A.I.G.E. Award honors one company and one sales professional or team for their dedication and consistent display of the brand’s core values; Passion, Authenticity, Inclusion, Growth and Excellence (P.A.I.G.E.) to expand their business and provide excellent service.

The Technology Award recognizes one company highly focused on cutting-edge technology and the effective use of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s technology tools.

The collective efforts of the outstanding agents and staff of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage have contributed to the achievement of this award, continuing to demonstrate they are true leaders in the real estate industry.

“We are honored to receive the PAIGE and Technology awards,” noted Thomas and Christine Mallette, Brokers/Owners. “The collective efforts of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage outstanding agents and staff have contributed to the achievement of this award. We admire their commitment to consistently exceeding expectations in all facets of their performance.”

To learn more, visit www.bhgheritage.com.

Harrah’s donates to Swain fund

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort recently donated $2,000 to The Swain County United Gift Fund, which will be applied to the fund’s 2021 campaign to raise funds for participating nonprofits in Swain County.

By conducting a consolidated fund drive for the participating nonprofit organizations in Swain County, SCUGF enables those nonprofits to focus more on service delivery to the community and less on fundraising. Donors like the idea of “giving once to benefit many.”

The 2020 fund drive raised over $70,000 that is being distributed to 17 Swain County nonprofits, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Swain County, Bryson City Food Pantry, Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Swain County, Family Resource Center of Swain County, Friends of Bryson City Cemetery, the Giving Spoon, Hope Springs Eternal, Julia Hunt Scholarship Fund, Marianna Black Library, Maroon Strong Foundation, Mountain Mediation, Restoration House, Smoky Mountain Community Theater, Swain Arts Enrichment, Swain County Caring Corner, Swain/Qualla SAFE, and Together We Raise of Swain County.

SCUGF is a donor-advised fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (a 501c3 charitable organization) that provides professional management.

UCB named ‘Top Financial Institution’

United Community Bank was recently recognized with multiple Greenwich Excellence Awards for U.S. Small Business Banking for the year ended 2020.

United received five awards in total, two of which were national honors for Overall Satisfaction and Likelihood to Recommend. The awards are given annually by Greenwich Associates, the leading global provider of data and analytics to the financial services industry. This is the third consecutive year the bank has been recognized by Greenwich Associates for its strength in small business lending.

“Our team stepped up in new ways to support our clients during the economic downturn and I am proud to see them recognized for their hard work,” added Rich Bradshaw, President and Chief Banking Officer. “Small businesses are the backbones of their communities and we felt it was our duty to not only help them through the pandemic, but also to position them to emerge even stronger. I congratulate all of our United bankers on this well-deserved recognition.”

New dentist at Highsmith Dental Practice

Dr. Sylvia Jernigan, DDS recently joined Dr. John Highsmith and his dental team in Clyde as an associate dentist.

Jernigan brings a wealth of knowledge and a caring, service-oriented demeanor. A native of Poland, Jernigan practiced dentistry there and worked as a U.S. dental assistant before earning a second DDS degree to practice here.

Jernigan earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the Medical University of Lodz in Poland, and practiced dentistry in Zgierz. She worked in Clyde as a dental assistant with Dr. Highsmith and in Savannah with Dr. Brad Durham. Her U.S. continuing education includes training in cosmetic dentistry, neuromuscular (functional) dentistry, TMJ, and muscle trigger points. In December 2020, Jernigan earned her second DDS degree from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine.

For more information, visit www.DrHighsmith.com, or call 828.627.9282.

Stanberry Insurance earns elite status

Builders Mutual Insurance Company is pleased to announce that out of more than 750 agencies, Stanberry Insurance Agency qualified to join Builders Reserve, the top individual Builders Mutual agency partners across our market footprint.

“Stanberry Insurance continues to show positive growth and profitability and we are extremely pleased to recognize them as a Builders Reserve agency. This elite status is designated only to our premier agency partners. Builders Mutual will continue to work closely with Stanberry Insurance to provide unparalleled service and support to both the agency and our mutual customers,” said Brad Moock, Vice President of Business Development with Builders Mutual Insurance Company.

Stanberry Insurance focuses on writing insurance for customers in the construction industry and maintains a close working relationship with Builders Mutual.

First Citizens Bank donates $250,000

The board of directors of the North Carolina Community Foundation has announced a gift of $250,000 from Raleigh-headquartered First Citizens Bank for the North Carolina Healing Communities Fund, NCCF’s fund to benefit COVID19 pandemic response across the state.

The gift will support the Fund in providing critical resources for nonprofit organizations in North Carolina that have been impacted severely by COVID19 through revenue loss and increased demand.

The Fund’s focus will be to support nonprofits in marginalized communities that have been disproportionately affected by the virus and its economic impacts and have been underserved by other sources of financial assistance, specifically communities of lower wealth, communities of color, mostly rural communities and where English may not be the primary language.

Free social media webinars at HCC

The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a free four-part Results-Driven Social Media webinar series 6 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays, through March 23.

Participants will learn concepts from understanding the different social media platforms and how to get results through social media to how to use paid ads online with speaker Martin Brossman.

The next session will be March 16 — Getting Ongoing Results for Social Media-Keeping It Going and Growing! Attendees will begin building a marketing and social media plan. The session will address building a social media schedule, plan and policy development, social media management, and customer service.

“Integrating It All and the Right Use of Paid Ads Online-Using Paid Ads Right That Work” will be held March 23. The final session in this series will address the fundamentals of Facebook and Google paid ads, platform analytics, getting on directories and how to find out which directories your small business needs to be on. Attendees will also learn more about staying connected to your customer, email marketing and integration, building a way to adapt and change to market shifts, and keeping score – monitoring your reputation online.

Visit sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 to register.