Smoky Mountain News | March 23, 2022 by Smoky Mountain News

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March 23-29, 2022 Vol. 23 Iss. 43

Bryson City navigates sewer debacle Page 10 Waynesville planning meeting falls into disarray Page 12

CONTENTS On the Cover: Mark Meadows has taken heat since an article in The New Yorker drew attention to the fact that he likely provided a false address on his voter registration. Now the district attorney made an announcement on whether her office can even look into the allegations. (Page 6)

News Rough start for Haywood Commission Republican Primary ................................4 KARE recognized for effective, high-quality services ................................................5 Cherokee Police receive toolkit to aid AMBER Alert response ............................7 Big money coming for rural broadband ........................................................................8 Bryson City buckles down to fix decrepit sewer system ......................................10 Waynesville Planning Board meeting falls into disarray ........................................12 Dept. of Public Instruction creates Parent Advisory Commission ....................16 Tribal Council sets term limit referendum ..................................................................19

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

CONTACT Opinion A long night, lots to think about ....................................................................................20 Five things a month to smile about ..............................................................................21

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March 23-29, 2022

Into the fold: Blue Ridge Craft Trails foster community, tradition........................22 From pole to pole, reimagining the future ..................................................................29

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Rough start for Haywood Commission candidates BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR here aren’t a lot of differences between the five Republican candidates running for Haywood County Commission this year, but one big disparity was glaringly apparent during a March 15 candidate forum rife with ignorance and misinformation. The five – frequent candidate Terry Ramey, HVAC contractor James Nash, retired Florida police officer Erich Overhultz and incumbents Tommy Long and Jennifer Best – all seem to generally agree on bread-and-butter GOP issues like taxes, managing growth and completing a proposed jail expansion, but Long and Best spent most of the night showing the challengers why, exactly, experience matters. Hosted by the Haywood County Republican Party, the forum featured questions sourced from the general public through the HCGOP’s website and read by party Chair Kay Miller. The first stated that taxpayers were told that the county’s last budget would be revenue neutral, but due to a countywide property revaluation that saw big increases in assessed property values, commissioners had a choice to make – keep the windfall by leaving the tax rate alone, refuse the windfall with a revenue-neutral tax rate, or split the difference with taxpayers. Commissioners opted to split the difference and use the excess revenue for badly underpaid county employees in an effort to stem turnover, particularly in the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office. Ramey said he would have voted no on the budget, citing wasteful spending but offering no examples. Nash said he’d have fought for a revenue-neutral rate. Overhultz said he’d have voted no and cited the county’s booming sales tax receipts as the reason why. Indeed, sales tax collections have risen in most Western North Carolina counties over the past two years, some on the order of 15 to 20%, but that revenue can’t be counted on for budgetary purposes because collections could fall as quickly as they rose, leading to messy revenue shortfalls and laborious budget amendments. Long and Best defended the commission’s decision to split the difference because the money was used solely for public safety. Candidates were also asked if there was one part of the budget that should be “off limits” to cuts. Long and Best said public safety, but somehow Overhultz got onto the topic of the “woke curriculum being forced down kids’ throats.” Commissioners have no say in school curriculum or classroom subject matter. In advocating for the proposed jail expansion, Overhultz said that Haywood County’s property crime rate was at least triple the national average. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Data Explorer says the national average in 2020 was 19.6 property crimes per 4 thousand residents. The North Carolina State

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March 23-29, 2022

Bureau of Investigation says the state’s rate was 23.2 per thousand and Haywood County’s was 31.2 per thousand or about 1.6 times the national rate. By comparison, there were an average of four violent crimes per thousand in the U.S. in 2020, 4.5 per thousand in the state and 2.4 in Haywood County. The biggest gaffe of the night came from a question that should neither have been asked nor answered. Miller queried the candidates about zoning, asking what one thing in the county’s zoning code they would change and why. Nash, the first one to field the question, spoke of a need for affordable housing and asked for mindfulness on companies that come into the county. Mercifully, Long interjected, even though it wasn’t his turn to answer, and told Miller that the county has no zoning. “Predominantly in Haywood County, zoning has been a non-starter,” Long said, pointing out that previous attempts to discuss the issue years ago resulted in overflow crowds at meetings angrily opposing any mention of zoning. “I’m in favor of natural growth,” he continued. “Anything that isn’t natural growth is a freak.” Long cited the Bethel community’s rejection of proposed water and sewer lines several years ago. “With that, they knew they would lose their identity,” he said. Miller withdrew the question, but that didn’t stop Overhultz from complaining about a large housing development off Raccoon Road. The development lies within the Town of Waynesville’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, where commissioners don’t have a say. “The commissioners have no business in that,” Long said. Best has only been a commissioner for less than two years; she was appointed by the HCGOP to fill the seat of Mark Pless, who was elected to the General Assembly in November 2020, but she demonstrated knowledge of the issue with her response and is “in no way” in favor of zoning. “I believe zoning is very clear – it removes the rights of the people,” Best said. “It tells you what you can and can’t do with your property.” Once Miller’s questions ended, she took questions from the crowd. The first came from Janet Presson, who has spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccinations at local events and during public comment sessions in the past, including telling Waynesville alderman in 2020 that the town’s emergency ordinance gave too much power to aldermen. In fact, it gave them less. Presson referenced a press release issued by the Haywood County Department of Health and Human Services in the aftermath of the county school board’s decision to go mask-optional. The release was, in essence, a rebuke of the county’s elected school board

Commissioner Tommy Long speaks at a March 15 candidate forum in Waynesville. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Haywood GOP to host candidate forums In advance of the May 17 Primary Election, the Haywood County Republican Party will host several candidate forums, free and open to the public, at the Historic Haywood County Courthouse. On Thursday, March 31, at 6:30 p.m., Republican Sheriff candidates Tony Cope, Jason Hughes and Bill Wilke are slated to appear. As with the county commission forum held March 15, at least some of the questions will come from the public via the HCGOP website. To submit your question, visit bit.ly/hcsheriff. Look for announcements on the HCGOP’s other forums, including NC-11, by visiting haywood.nc.gop or facebook.com/haywoodcounty republicanparty. – none of whom are physicians – and said that “ … Haywood County Health Director Sarah Henderson and Haywood County Medical Director Dr. Mark Jaben advised the board that the Health Department could not support moving away from the phased, community data-driven approach to masking in schools.” Presson wanted to know what countylevel candidates would do to “stand up against [Chief Medical Advisor to the President of United States Dr. Anthony] Fauci” as well as Jaben and Henderson. Overhultz decried “a certain arrogance” in the office, while Nash called the release fearmongering and said that the health care system was “not overwhelmed.” Ramey opined that since the onset of the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine, “we haven’t heard anything about [COVID-19]” and that the war must have “cured it.”

Haywood County DHHS has continued to send out weekly updates about drastically declining case numbers, and Dr. Jaben recently filmed his 204th YouTube pandemic update on March 13. The next question came from Hazelwood resident Peggy Hannah, who with Overhultz has complained to the Town of Waynesville’s Board of Alderman for months during public comment sessions about public safety issues that are beyond the board’s jurisdiction. Overhultz’s complaints stem from NCDOT property under bridges, while Hannah’s are about pretrial release. When Hannah directed her question to Long, she referenced Long’s answer on a candidate survey sent out by the “Concerned Citizens of Haywood County.” Many of the questions have unsound premises or are based on fallacy, including “Do you support Judge Letts’ pre-trial release program?” “Your answer was, ‘His program really hasn’t been implemented here. If it was it could save money and help people and kids,” Hannah told Long. While Long did say that in the questionnaire, the quote Hannah used was only a small portion of Long’s 750 word answer, and misrepresented his position on an issue that, once again, lies with the judiciary and not county-level government. “So for ‘catch and release’ as a statement and at face value I’m a NO,” Long wrote. An email sent by The Smoky Mountain News to the creators of the survey went unanswered. The Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, May 17. Republicans and unaffiliated voters who choose Republican ballots can select up to three of the five candidates, who will face two Democrats (Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick and Haywood County Chief Deputy Jeff Haynes) in November. The top three candidates will then be sworn in as commissioners in December.

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topics even in today’s society,” said Anders. “It’s important that parents and educators have the tools to take the information and do the appropriate thing with it.” In North Carolina, child abuse and neglect reports have remained fairly constant over the past decade. In 2011, there were 51.4 investigations per thousand children in the state, with 10.1 reports per thousand deemed as “substantiated,” according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Center. A substantiated report is defined as when a child’s parent, guardian, custodian or caretaker inflicts or allows to be inflicted, creates or allows to be created a substantial risk of serious physical injury by other than accidental means. The number of investigations rose slightly in 2012 to 52.6 per thousand children in 2012, but slowly tapered to 48.4 through 2019. Substantiated reports remained around 8.5 to 9 per thousand over that same period. From July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020 – during the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic – investigations dropped sharply to 45.2 per thousand children, with 7.9 per thousand ending up as substantiated reports. Although the pandemic appears to be waning, it’s a safe bet reports of child abuse won’t be, which is why the National Children’s Alliance accreditation is so important as KARE moves forward. According to the NCA’s website, there are only 995 NCA members in the United States, with 45 in North Carolina. West of Asheville, there are only five – in Brevard, on the Qualla Boundary and in Franklin, Sylva and Waynesville. There are no NCA accredited members at all in Cherokee, Clay, Graham or Swain counties. “We are incredibly proud to have been reaccredited, not only as a team, but for our county,” Anders said. “As an organization/team of individuals dedicated to responding to child abuse, we recognize the importance of maintaining Accredited status from National Children’s Alliance. Reaccreditation not only validates our organization’s dedication to proven effective approaches of child abuse intervention and prevention but also contributes to consistency across the Children’s Advocacy Center movement as a whole.” KARE operates on an annual budget of around $450,000, almost all of which comes from grants. Nonprofit watchdog website charitynavigator.com gave KARE a score of 95 out of 100 for 2020, the last year records were available. KARE also earned an efficiency score of 75.88% that year, meaning that less than 25% of donations were used for administration and fundraising, with the rest going to programming costs. The score represents a 6point increase in efficiency from 2019.

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR or more than 30 years, the Robert Forga Family KARE House has served as Haywood County’s evidence-based, collaborative children’s advocacy center, helping the community prevent and authorities prosecute physical and sexual child abuse. After a recent reaccreditation by an important national agency, KARE looks to be on solid ground for at least another five years. “As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country, our goal is to ensure that every victim of child abuse has access to high quality services that result from professional collaboration,” said Teresa Huizar, executive director of the National Children’s Alliance. “By requiring Accredited Centers to undergo reaccreditation every five years, we ensure that evidence-based practices are being implemented and the highest quality of service is being provided.” Huizar went on to commend KARE “for its continued commitment to effectively serve victims of child abuse.” The KARE House is a 501(c)3 nonprofit located in Waynesville since 1991 and was established in response to Haywood County reporting the highest number of child maltreatment reports in the state. “I think it can be attributed to a number of different things,” said Savannah Anders, KARE’s executive director. “I would like to think it was due to good reporting back then, but I can tell you Haywood County is now out of the top 10 with the most accurate numbers available to us.” Since then, KARE (Kids Advocacy Resource Effort) has provided wide-ranging services to almost 6,500 children aged 3-18 – roughly 200 a year, on average. Advocacy services constitute an important component of KARE’s mission and involve collaborating with law enforcement and the county’s Health and Human Services agency on abuse allegations. Educational services focus mainly on prevention; every year, staffers from KARE visit all kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms in Haywood County, utilizing age-appropriate videos, handouts and discussion to teach how to recognize and react to body safety issues. “It’s a prevention education opportunity,” Anders said. “Sometimes parents aren’t comfortable having those conversations with their kids.” The presentations give children who have been previously abused their first opportunity to understand what happened. Trainings are also conducted by KARE for adults, with instruction on how to prevent, recognize and react to child sexual abuse. “Sometimes when we talk about abuse in general and child sex abuse those are taboo

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KARE recognized for effective, high-quality services to child abuse victims

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news March 23-29, 2022

State will investigate Meadows voter registration as district attorney recuses herself

Meadows (left), then-chief of staff to then-President Donald Trump, chats with the crowd prior to a Trump campaign event in Mills River in August, 2020. Cory Vaillancourt photo

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR ormer NC-11 Republican Congressman and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has remained adamant that voters cast fraudulent ballots during the 2020 General Election, but after revelations about his voter registration came to light earlier this month, it appears Meadows wasn’t just talking about Chinese cybercriminals using thermostats to hack voting machines or an Italian satellite changing votes from outer space — he may have actually been talking about himself and his wife. Now that the local district attorney has recused herself from the case, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is looking into the matter. “After careful consideration and review of the North Carolina State Bar Rules, I feel that my office has a conflict of interest pursuant to North Carolina State Bar rule 1.7 resulting in the recusal of my office,” said Ashley Hornsby Welch, district attorney for the 43rd Prosecutorial District in a March 14 letter to Leslie Dismukes, a prosecutor with the North Carolina Department of Justice. The letter was released by Welch’s office just after 4 p.m. 6 on March 17.

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Allegations against Meadows first came to light in a March 6 story by Charles Bethea in The New Yorker: “On September 19th, about three weeks before North Carolina’s voter-registration deadline for the general election, Meadows filed his paperwork,” Bethea wrote. “On a line that asked for his residential address — ‘where you physically live,’ the form instructs — Meadows wrote down the address of a fourteen-by-sixty-twofoot mobile home in Scaly Mountain. He listed his move-in date for this address as the following day, September Ashley Hornsby 20th.” Meadows’ voter regWelch istration still lists the McConnell Road address in Macon County, but the story goes on to say that Meadows doesn’t own the 1.1acre property, and there’s no proof he’d ever spent the night in the $34,000 trailer there. His voting history shows he cast his March 3, 2020 Republican Primary Election ballot in Transylvania County, but voted

Meadows’ voting history shows he cast his March 3, 2020 Republican Primary Election ballot in Transylvania County, but voted absentee by mail in the Nov. 3 General Election using the McConnell Road address. absentee by mail in the Nov. 3 General Election using the McConnell Road address. Meadows’ wife, Deborah P. Meadows, has a the exact same voting history. She cast her March 3, 2020 Republican Primary Election ballot in Transylvania County, registered at the McConnell Road address on Sept. 19 with her husband and then cast her General Election ballot in person at one of Macon County’s onestop sites during the early voting period, using the McConnell Road address. Providing false information to vote in a

federal election is a federal crime. District Attorney Welch, also a Republican, said in her letter to Dismukes that she was requesting the state’s attorney general to “handle both the advisement of law enforcement agencies as to any criminal investigation as well as any potential prosecution of Mark Meadows.” Welch said she was alerted to the allegations against Meadows by the media and wasn’t aware of any allegations prior. The basis for her recusal, according to the letter, is that then-Congressman Meadows had made a financial contribution to her 2014 campaign and also appeared in advertisements supporting her candidacy. State Board of Elections campaign finance records show that Meadows’s campaign committee made a $1,000 donation to Welch’s campaign on Sept. 29, 2014. “The allegations in this case involve potential crimes committed by a government official,” Welch wrote. “Historically I have requested the attorney general’s office to handle prosecutions involving alleged misconduct of government officials. It is in the best interest of justice and the best interest of the people of North Carolina that the attorney general’s office handles the prosecution of this case.” Raleigh television station WRAL was first to report that Attorney General Josh Stein said through a spokesperson that his office had asked the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter of Mark Meadows’s registration. Deborah Meadows is not a government official, nor has she made any contributions to Welch’s campaigns. Although Deborah isn’t mentioned in Welch’s recusal letter, Welch told The Smoky Mountain News on March 20 that because the set of facts are essentially the same for both Mark and Deborah Meadows – and because it would be difficult to separate the two cases – that she’s under the assumption that Stein’s office will also investigate and prosecute Debbie Meadows, if necessary. On March 14, the Charlotte News & Observer drew comparisons between Meadows and Hoke County resident Lanisha Jones, who in 2019 was charged with felony voter fraud for voting in the 2016 General Election. At the time, Jones was a felon on probation and thus unable to vote per state law, despite encountering no resistance from elections officials while registering. Jones said she didn’t know she couldn’t vote. In 2017, Haywood County resident Dewey Gidcumb was convicted of felony voter fraud for voting in the 2016 Republican Primary Election at an early voting site and then showing up at the polls on Election Day and voting again. Gidcumb received 12 months of probation and 24 hours of community service and said it was a “mistake.”

news Members of the N.C. State Highway Patrol (left) and Cherokee Indian Police Department stand with the newly awarded technology toolkit. Holly Kays photo

Ready for the worst Cherokee police receive toolkit to aid AMBER Alert response

Nona Best, director of the N.C. Center for Missing Persons, is a key partner to the CIPD in missing persons cases. Holly Kays photo

Tyesha Wood, program director for the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative, speaks to the unique challenges facing tribal law enforcement. Holly Kays photo challenges. But lacking or nonexistent partnerships between tribes and state and federal law enforcement are a key roadblock. Every tribe is a sovereign nation, so they’re not automatically connected to the network of training and resources that their neighbors in other jurisdictions have at their disposal. Some tribes don’t even have access to the

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to send out an alert as quickly as possible while still in the field. “All of Indian country is not the same, so everybody’s challenges are different,” said Tyesha Wood, AAII’s project coordinator, who is also a member of the Navajo Nation and a former police detective. “There are probably other things that you can think of that would benefit your community, but in general we feel like this best helps all of Indian country.” In 2016, Wood’s tribe suffered a tragedy that showcased the challenges Native American tribes face in responding to missing child reports. On May 2, 2016, 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike was kidnapped and killed near Shiprock on the Navajo Nation Reservation. The 27,000-square-mile Navajo reservation stretches from Arizona to Utah, and tribal law enforcement officers did not have an AMBER Alert plan in place to notify people living across that vast distance. Thirteen hours passed before an Amber Alert was issued. After her daughter’s death, Mike’s mother Pamela Foster fought for legislation preventing tragedies like hers from happening again. Two years later, the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act passed, with multiple provisions aimed at addressing the issues that surfaced in Mike’s case. The act allows for tribal AMBER alert systems to be integrated with state systems, makes Indian tribes eligible for AMBER Alert grants, permits use of grant funds to integrate state and regional AMBER Alert communication plans with Indian tribes and allows for a waiver of the matching funds requirement when grants are awarded to Indian tribes. All tribes are unique, and so are their

March 23-29, 2022

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen a child goes missing, the first 48 hours are the most critical portion of the response. If it ever happens on the Qualla Boundary, the Cherokee Indian Police Department wants to be ready to hit the ground running the moment the call comes through — and an award from the The AMBER Advocate’s Amber Alert in Indian Country Initiative aims to ensure officers are ready should the worst occur. “It provides us the training and the equipment to be successful in Indian country,” Cherokee Police Chief Josh Taylor said of the award. “A lot of times, there’s barriers and divisions between native lands and state lands, and I want to tear those walls down. And this is a first step of us moving forward doing that.” Taylor spoke during a March 22 presentation event attended by CIPD and N.C. State Highway Patrol officers, as well as leaders from the AAII program. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is now one of a dozen tribes — out of 574 nationwide — to receive a toolkit from the initiative, through funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. The kit, packaged in a rugged Pelican Protector case, includes a Panasonic Toughbook tablet loaded with key contacts and checklists, as well as a headset, webcam, document scanner, digital camera, flash memory card, camera case, camera battery and an HDMI cable. The award also gives the tribe access to resources and trainings through AMBER Advocate. If a child should be reported missing, responding officers can grab the kit and have everything they need

National Crime Information Center, which allows law enforcement agencies nationwide to be notified of missing person cases occurring anywhere in the country. If a tribe lacks access to that database, then it must rely on state partners to submit its missing person report. When tribal officials and state officials don’t have an existing relationship — or even vital information like cell phone numbers — the resulting time lag in issuing the alert can turn deadly for the child. Wood said that the close working relationship between CIPD and the NCSHP is “unique” in her experience working with tribes. In Mike’s case, the tribe did not have a direct relationship with the state AMBER Alert coordinator, resulting in the extreme delay in issuing that alert. Some coordinators, she said, aren’t even aware that there is a sovereign tribe in their state. Fortunately, that’s not the case in North Carolina, said Nona Best, director of the N.C. Center for Missing Persons. “We have a good working relationship, and we will continue training together and communicating together and sharing our tools so that we can ensure that if a child does go missing, that we have that gap filled and we don’t have to worry about a long lag time between reporting someone missing or reporting an Amber Alert,” she said. The challenges may seem simple, but when a child goes missing, they’re momentous, Wood said. That means that front-end preparation, whether through the purchase of equipment, completion of training, or connections between partners, can be lifesaving. “By preparing and training and planning, we are ready if our worst nightmare occurs and becomes a reality, and we’re prepared to respond instead of trying to figure everything out when we get that call,” said Janell Rasmussen, program administrator for the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program. “We’d like to provide resources and training so that people, agencies, communities are ready during these chaotic times.” 7

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Big money coming for rural broadband BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR ore than a hundred economic development professionals, elected officials, internet service providers and interested parties from across North Carolina’s seven westernmost counties met March 21 in Franklin to acquaint themselves with the ways in which unprecedented amounts of state and federal broadband monies will be used to close the digital divide in rural Appalachia. “We in Western North Carolina, we’re the first people to have a meeting like this. No other district like ours has had a meeting like this,” said Sen. Kevin Corbin (RFranklin), who represents Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Haywood and Swain counties in the General Assembly. It’s no coincidence that those counties have some of the worst internet connectivity and high-speed broadband availability rates in the state, and after years of work, Corbin and members of the House – Reps. Mike Clampitt, Karl Gillespie and Mark Pless joined Corbin at the meeting – are starting to make major progress. Corbin’s GREAT (Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology) grants, introduced with then-representative and current Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson, have helped bring service to some of the neediest areas in the region, $10 or $15 million at time over the past four years. Now comes news that the state will inject almost $400 million into the program, $350 million of which comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, and $30 million of which comes from the state’s capital improvement fund.

March 23-29, 2022

Applications by internet service providers for portions of the grant funding are due April 4, and awards are expected hopefully sometime in June. Nate Denny, North Carolina’s deputy secretary for broadband and digital equity, spoke mostly on the GREAT grants but was joined by Angie Bailey, director of the broadband infrastructure office within the division of broadband and digital equity. “The Completing Access to Broadband program, called ‘CAB,’ is our new program, and essentially that’s a partnership between the North Carolina Department of IT and each county that wishes to participate,” Bailey said.

Jackson sets aside ARPA funds for internet service

HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER “There is a definite and negative impact to lack of broadband in our community.” That is according to Jackson County Director of Economic Development, Tiffany Henry. Lack of access to reliable, sustainable internet connection is a problem that became even more starkly obvious during the Coronavirus Pandemic when people were expected to learn and work from home. This is why Henry and county staff asked the Jackson County Commission last week to allocate up to $600,000 of ARPA funds as matching funds for GREAT grants that provide broadband opportunities in North Carolina. Jackson County received over $8.5 million in ARPA funds. The GREAT Grant program is intended to facilitate economic development through the deployment of broadband to unserved areas across North Carolina. These are highly competitive grants awarded to Internet Service Providers who must then participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program or provide broad-based affordability to lowincome consumers. “That basically means they will have to offer lower rates to lower-income people,” said County Manager Don Adams. “Which is extremely important, especially when you start talking about students, and low-income housing, 8 the people who really need access in their daily lives, who

Smoky Mountain News

rate of citizens with no internet access whatsoever, estimated at 36%. “The counties that I represent are some of the most rural counties in North Carolina, but stand to gain the most from these dollars,” said Gillespie, who represents Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Macon counties. “You start with Graham County being the most rural and the least broadband. As you move east it gets a little better, but it’s still severe in Macon County. This is going to be huge.” Only 5.3% of Graham County residents have access to highspeed internet, defined as 100 megabits upload and 20 megabits Western North Carolina’s entire legislative download speed. delegation (left to right) Mark Pless, Mike Clampitt, Swain County is even worse; Kevin Corbin and Karl Gillespie - attended a only 3% of residents have access to broadband summit on March 21. Cory Vaillancourt photo high-speed internet, and almost 34% have no internet access at all. The state and counties will work together “This is a momentous occasion, that mutually, Bailey said, to identify eligible we’re going to have the working relationship areas and then create a joint RFP for of so many different groups – between the providers to come in and build out infracity, the county and the providers – to be structure to underserved and unserved able to bring internet hopefully to everyareas. There’s a required county match, but body in Swain County,” said Clampitt, who the state will provide project oversight. represents Swain, Jackson and a portion of Right now, there’s $400 million budgeted for Haywood County. the CAB program. All told, the GREAT and CAB funding is The problem of internet access – highonly a portion of more than $1 billion speed, or not – was lain bare during the panappropriated; there’s another $90 million in demic. Some adults couldn’t work, and some “stopgap solutions” funding for difficult children couldn’t attend remote schooling or expansions, another $100 million to help found themselves huddled outside businessinternet service providers upgrade transmises offering free wi-fi connections. sion poles, and another $1 million to help Graham County has the region’s highest draw more accurate service maps.

may not afford a standard rate.” The project targets areas with internet speeds lower than 25 megabit download and 3 megabit upload. Single grant awards cannot exceed $4 million, and awards for projects in any one county cannot exceed $8 million. Jackson County is eligible for GREAT grant funds because it is a tier 2 county. As part of the grant application process, internet service must list the number of households they’re going to serve, the number of businesses they’re going to serve, map and description of project area, base speed to all locations, total project cost, cost per passing, proof of financial solvency, proposed municipality partnership, qualifications, assessment of current broadband access and description of proposed services. The county may enter into proposed agreements with more than one internet service provider. “They could award a couple grant awards, they just won’t be serving in the same area. The only restrictions we have is it can’t be more than $8 million within the county,” said Adams. “And that’s not county expenses, that’s $8 million from the state.” Grants applications are scored on a point basis. Applications will receive one additional point if the county provides a financial match. Two additional points will be provided if the county’s financial match consists entirely of ARPA funds intended for broadband infrastructure.

“The state has greatly incentivized for counties to participate with ARPA funds,” said Adams. If a county agrees to pay all matching funds with ARPA money, county and internet service money will only have to make up 15% of project costs; 7.5% from the county and 7.5% from the internet service. If the county were to pay matching funds only partially from ARPA funds, county and provides ISP money would have to make up 25% of total project costs. The maximum amount that can be requested from Jackson County for matching would be $600,000, 7.5% of the $8 million total that can be awarded to Jackson County. “The reality is we have an opportunity to partner with these providers at a $600,000 match level that could get $8 million worth of direct service to our citizens in Jackson County in broadband,” said Adams. The request before the board was to allow the commission chairman and/or the county manager to sign off on pledging up to $600,000 worth of APRA funds as matching funds for the GREAT grant applications in order to direct $8 million worth of funding towards broadband access in Jackson County. “We believe that we’ve got $8 million worth of interest in applications if we’re willing to do this,” said Adams. The board approved allocating the money toward the GREAT grant program unanimously. Applications are due April 4.

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THE MAYOR’S PERSPECTIVE

Mark Teague, left, and Greg Passmore, right, are as familiar with the operation of Bryson City’s wastewater treatment plant as anyone.

Smoky Mountain News

March 23-29, 2022

Kyle Perrotti photo

Bryson City buckles down to fix decrepit sewer system BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR s crumbling infrastructure in small towns across the country becomes a more urgent issue, Bryson City has been saddled with improving an aging sewer system so old and dysfunctional that North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality has halted any large-scale developments in town that would need new sewer connections. But it’s not all bad news on that front — as the town ramps up efforts to identify deficient runs of pipe and improve its wastewater treatment plant, last week it enjoyed a small victory when DEQ acknowledged that, because of recent improvements, harsher restrictions won’t be needed. However, the town is still under its current mortarium that mandates no large-scale developments may be authorized to connect to the town’s sewer system without a waiver.

DEQ INVOLVEMENT

A letter sent to Bryson City Town Manager Regina Mathis from Daniel Smith, DEQ Director of Water Resources, on Sept. 7, 2021, explains why the moratorium was issued at that time. Smith wrote about the need to see the 10 town’s “demonstration of future water treat-

ment capacities” to ensure it doesn’t keep exceeding its limits. “This rule specifies that no permits for sewer line extensions will be issued by the Division of Water Resources to facilities exceeding 80% of their hydraulic treatment capacity unless specific evaluations of future wastewater treatment needs have been completed,” the letter reads. The letter continues to note that average flows calculated for 2019 and 2020 were 92.58% and 104.01% of the system’s rated 606,000 gallons, respectively. “You must obtain all permits needed for expansion of the wastewater treatment system and, if construction is needed, submit approvable final plans and specifications for expansion of the wastewater treatment system, including a construction schedule,” the letter reads. “If expansion is not proposed or is proposed for a later date, a detailed justification must be made and approved the by Director based on past growth records and future growth projections and as appropriate, shall include conservation plans or other specific measures to achieve waste flow reductions.” Prior to delivering that letter to Bryson City, DEQ had fined the town on nine separate occasions from February 2019 to August 2021 due to the sewer system exceeding its flow limit. While the penalties were reduced

after the town sent in additional documentation, they still totaled $9,392.34.

DREADING THE RAIN Beyond fines, excessive flow rates create problems for the wastewater treatment plant even beyond potential discharge of solids into the Tuckasegee River. Greg Passmore has operated the facility for about 15 years. He recalled that when it was built in the late 1960s, it had one 300,000-gallon tank and that another was added in the 1980s. Passmore said he’s seen firsthand how bad the issue has gotten and figures it’s high time for another improvement. “Every time it rains, I always know it’s coming,” he said. “I just camp out here.” Mark Teague with Environmental Inc. contracts with the town to monitor potential issues with the collection and treatment systems. He said that all towns are destined to have some leaks in their water and sewer systems, adding that infiltration to some degree is inevitable, but fixing those problems isn’t always easy. “It’s so hard to find a water leak,” he said, noting that sometimes water will bubble up out of the ground 30 feet from where the actual issue is. Passmore and Teague explained that one problem with exceeding the flow rate limitations they see is that, as screens used to filter water going into the tanks become soaked with grease and grime, they must be cleaned. If they aren’t cleaned quickly enough, water can’t pass through those screens and is recirculated through the system, putting far greater strain on pumps and other equipment.

The sewer issues were most recently discussed at a joint meeting of Bryson City Council and Swain County Board of Commissioners. Mayor Tom Sutton, Mayor Pro Tem Ben King and Mathis explained to the commissioners the nature of the issue, noting that the excessive flow during rain events is the culprit each time there’s been a violation. They said the first step toward fixing the problem is identifying every leak they can, something that will be aided by a $150,000 Asset Inventory and Assessment Grant. Sutton explained that until “phase one” is complete and the pipes are squared away, there’s no point in improving the water treatment plant. For example, several new manholes need to be installed, considering some places still had “homemade” ones. Phase two will involve expansion and improvement of the wastewater treatment plant, which town officials say will happen regardless of how thorough improvements to upstream piping are. While the town government seems confident it can secure the necessary upgrades needed for the treatment plant, there is one hiccup; it sits on land owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority, an organization that has its own cumbersome rules and regulations that could make it tricky for the town to simply purchase the property. Sutton explained at the meeting that while they need to be in contact with TVA about buying the land, it isn’t yet an urgent need. “They understand that we do need it, but until we’re done with phase one, it’s not critical to have the property,” he said, adding that they still also need to come up with an engineering plan and put the project out to bid. Sutton anticipates that they may be ready to begin phase two within about a year. Mathis discussed the moratorium, noting that there have been some developers who’ve had to compromise and perhaps shrink their projects to get the waiver they need to move forward. “If there was a development that had 50 homes, they may say, ‘OK, we’ll let them have 10 and that one there wants 20, we’ll let them do five,’” she said. A couple of days after the meeting, Sutton talked to Smoky Mountain News about the seriousness of the current infrastructure issue. “If you’re not talking about water and sewer, then why not?” he said, noting that it’s an issue many residents and businesses have experienced first-hand in recent years. “A lot of our sewer lines are still clay pipes,” he added. “I had a break on my property several years ago, and that sucker looked 100 years old.” Sutton said he considers the sewage system issues, along with a water system that has its own significant leaks, to be the town’s chief concern, especially when assessing future growth. While Bryson City is a small town, Sutton noted that its 2 square-miles is more than enough land to make tracking leaks tricky.

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Sutton wanted to make it clear that while making the necessary improvements to the town’s sewer system is far from a simple task — one they’ve been plugging away at for three years — working with DEQ and the TVA has been a joy, despite how complex the issue is. Mathis echoed that sentiment. “They have been very cooperative and good to work with,” she said of DEQ. “It’s just that there’s so many strings attached. And we’re dealing with local TVA folks who have been great.”

Last week, Mathis offered more details and even provided an update that included some good news for the town. While a draft of a Special Order of Consent (SOC) had already been sent to Raleigh that would implement much harsher restrictions on the town, DEQ had just decided that the town’s overflow issues were not yet “chronic” and therefore the SOC wasn’t needed. In an email to Smoky Mountain News, DEQ Public Information Officer Anna Gurney explained that an SOC may direct a facility to take or refrain from taking action to achieve a specific result. If the town failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the

Smoky Mountain News

A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT

SOC, stipulated penalties and even possible judicial enforcement could be imposed. “At one time we were considering an SOC for Bryson City because they were having regular effluent limit violations, sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), and their yearly flow average was in excess of their WWTP permitted capacity,” Gurney said in the email. “At present, the last flow limit violation was one year ago, the last pollutant concentration violation was 15 months ago, and the last SSO was over one year ago. Due to improved compliance trends, an SOC is no longer the appropriate regulatory tool for the City however this approach is subject to change based on compliance trends.” “Some of what we have fixed is obviously helping,” Mathis said. In her email, Gurney agreed. “We’ve noticed the flows to the WWTP drop from 100% to 80% of permitted capacity,” she said. “DEQ will remain active in reviewing compliance while assisting the City where possible,” she added. “We are in regular dialogue with Bryson City staff to advise them and answer their questions. The duration of the WWTP and CS issues depends on the progress the City makes and the observed compliance with State regulations and permit conditions.”

March 23-29, 2022

Top: Bryson City Council members and town staff, left, met with Swain County Commissioners, right, last week and discussed the town’s continuing sewer issues. Above: Here’s a look at the plot of the land next to Bryson City’s wastewater treatment plant onto which the town wants to expand the facility. Kyle Perrotti photos

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Waynesville Planning Board meeting falls into disarray BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR hanks to a recent change in state law and an utter lack of board control over meeting proceedings, the efficacy of the Waynesville planning board as an instrument of growth management is in serious doubt after what should have been two fairly routine development hearings devolved into a four-and-a-half hour circus. The first item of business was a major site plan review for a two-building, 60-unit apartment complex on 7.1 acres off Preservation Way. Developers Quartz Properties LLC exceeded standards by proposing a unit density only half of what they could have, citing a desire to leave more than 3 acres of the wooded site undisturbed. The site plan also provided more parking spaces than required and will include two pavilions, a dog park and bicycle racks. Still, more than 50 people packed the standing-room only meeting, most of them to voice – into broken microphones, no less – opposition to the project by citing sewer capacity and local drainage issues, as well as purported depreciation of adjoining singlefamily homes. Most who spoke during the public comment session were given the customary three minutes. However, Vice Chair Ginger Hain, who was filling in for Chair Susan Teas Smith, allowed those who claimed to speak for groups of three or more to take 10 minutes. While some speakers claimed to have signed forms indicating that they represented small groups of neighbors, others offered no such authorizations. A few speakers formed ad-hoc coalitions during the meeting and attempted to “yield” their time to other speakers in order to qualify for the 10-minute time slots. Many of the complaints about the development made during the public hearing were duplicative, and some speakers engaged in a

protracted back-and-forth question-andanswer session with board members and other parties to the hearing. Others shouted questions or assertions from the audience without being recognized by the chair at the podium. The project was approved after more than three hours of comment and debate, despite the possibility of a clouded title and some valid concerns by neighbors. The reason? It’s called 160D. Revisions to chapter 160D of North Carolina’s General Statutes, passed by a prodevelopment General Assembly in 2019 but effective July 1, 2021, effectively strip local planning boards of much of their power by making some proceedings administrative in nature – in essence, if a proposal meets a broad set of guidelines, it must be approved. A recent project known as the Queen’s Farm development was approved in such a manner but ran into similar opposition from neighbors, including Hain herself. “I’m a citizen of the town of Waynesville. I live in the [extra-territorial jurisdiction]. You know who my neighbor is going to be? Two doors down, 84 units of rental property. Do you think I’m happy?” Hain said. “But you have to understand what this board’s role is, and that’s looking at the book.” The “book” is actually a short checklist of compliance items – is the plan consistent with adopted plans and policies of the town? Does it comply with land development standards? Does the town have infrastructure required to support the development? The second item of business, a 59-unit townhome development on 7.7 acres in the Allison Acres area, was also well below maximum density standards but was not approved by the board for a variety of reasons, including a request for smaller lot sizes that would minimize impervious surfaces. The chaotic nature of the meeting, however, continued unabated by the board and its presiding officer.

Jason Rogers, a former planning board member who lives nearby the Allison Acres project, spoke in opposition to the development, saying he wanted the lot size stipulation to be enforced as written. After speaking, Rogers remained in the back of the room and later shouted something at the board. When Planning Board Attorney Ron Sneed interjected, Rogers fired back. “I didn’t ask you, Ron,” he said. Although the meeting eventually wound down, there was still one more act left. During deliberations, a member of the crowd began shouting at the board, offering unsolicited advice about imposing a development moratorium – except it wasn’t just a member of the crowd, it was Mountaineer Reporter Becky Johnson. As Johnson interjected, Hain said, “Don’t do this, Becky!” However, Hain did not inter-

vene when Johnson walked over to the clerk’s desk, wrote her name on a form used to record public speakers, and took to the podium. Johnson was not recognized by the chair but proceeded to advise board members that they had the power to impose a moratorium on multifamily development. Johnson said it was her job as a member of the media to ask the board about a moratorium. Board member Tommy Thomas issued Johnson a stern rebuke, telling Johnson that she should rather inform the public about the effects of 160D, and that she should try reading it sometime. “I bet you don’t know anything about it,” Thomas said. Finally, Hain managed to regain control of the meeting, which ended shortly after 10 p.m.

Stewards of Opportunity take center stage at 2022 Outdoor Economy Conference

with new tracks tailored to the needs of outdoor industry, conservation, tourism and economic development professionals, a “Higher Education & the Outdoor Industry Summit,” and a 16,000-square-foot industry expo. This year’s event spans programming in Cherokee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Nantahala Gorge and the Fire Mountain Trail System, combining engaging keynotes and panel sessions with immersive experiences showcasing Western North Carolina’s thriving outdoor economy in action. “In 2020, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that outdoor recreation brought $9.9 billion in economic impact, and over 120,000 direct jobs to North Carolina” said Noah Wilson, Mountain BizWorks Director of Sector Development. “As people look to the outdoors for both mental and physical wellbeing during and after the pandemic era, those numbers are only going to increase. The time is now to make the most of this worldwide participa-

tion growth, and ensure we are bringing together stakeholders to connect, collaborate and ensure sustainable progress for years to come,” he added. The 2022 presenting sponsor is the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, which will lead the kickoff and closing ceremonies. Presenting partners include WNC: MADE X MTNS, North Carolina Outdoor Industry Recreation Office, Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC, Mountain BizWorks, and Western Carolina University. “From time immemorial, the Cherokee have had a sacred connection to the land. We are honored to host the Outdoor Economy Conference and share both our culture and our local vision for Eco-Tourism and natural resource stewardship,” said Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed. Keynote presenters from across the country will anchor each track of the event. HOLO Footwear Founder, Rommel Vega is building an inclusive and sustainable outdoor brand for the masses. Travel Oregon’s head of desti-

nation development, Scott Bricker, is leading innovations in supporting sustainable destination development for local communities. North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary, D. Reid Wilson, is implementing the largest investment in outdoor recreation in the State of North Carolina’s history. Additional keynotes and full program details are available at outdooreconomy.org. Attendees include outdoor industry businesses, conservationists and public land managers, academic and workforce development experts, nonprofit and government leaders, entrepreneurs, and professional service providers. The addition of a 16,000 square-foot expo space brings the opportunity for direct networking opportunities with companies, organizations and educational institutions committed to a healthy and sustainable outdoor recreation ecosystem. Tickets are available at outdooreconomy.org.

Smoky Mountain News

March 23-29, 2022

The 4th Annual Outdoor Economy Conference kicks off spring in Western North Carolina, April 4-7, at the brand new Cherokee Convention Center in Cherokee, North Carolina. After two years as a virtual event, the conference celebrates its return to an in-person gathering with over 65 speakers, four distinct program tracks, eight expert-led off-site workshops and excursions and numerous networking events. This is the largest outdoor industry convening in the Eastern U.S., with past attendees hailing from 33 U.S. states and five countries. The last in-person event in 2019 drew 550 attendees and this year’s event is expected to exceed this, 12

This development, off Preservation Way, was approved by the Waynesville Planning Board on March 21. Town of Waynesville photo

On Tuesday, March 29, scholar Adam McNeil will deliver a lecture on “Slavery, Freedom and Resistance in Black Southern Appalachian History” at Western Carolina University. The free and open to the public program begins at 6 p.m. in the Hinds University Center theater and will include a questionand-answer session on Black history in the mountain region. McNeil has worked with the African American Experience in the Smokies Project, an ongoing research program conducted by Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He co-hosts the New Books in African American Studies, serves as the national social media director for the Association of Black Women Historians, and is a regular contributor to The Junto and Black Perspectives. He specializes in the histories of Appalachian slavery and labor history of the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the history of Black women’s lives during the Revolutionary and Founding eras of America. The lecture is sponsored by the WCU College of Arts and Sciences, History Department, Global Black Studies program and the Mountain Heritage Center.

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COVID case counts have declined sharply since the peak of the Omicron surge and with that demand for testing has significantly decreased. As a result, the Haywood County COVID testing site at Lake Junaluska will close its doors at 3 p.m. on March 31. Over the last few weeks, the testing site has seen only single digits of patients on a daily basis. “Optum Serve and Lake Junaluska Assembly have been excellent partners with Haywood Health and Human Services in offering free COVID-19 diagnostic testing to Haywood County residents, and we appreciate their partnership,” said Public Health Director Sarah Henderson. In the event that case numbers begin to rise again, these established partnerships are prepared to re-open the testing site at Lake Junaluska.

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March 23-29, 2022

Haywood County free COVID-19 testing site closing March 31

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African American history program slated for WCU

@SmokyMtnNews 13

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The draft master plan proposes a split library model with the research library remaining at Hunter Library, while the digital library and student collaboration space would move to a new collaborative learning commons building. Hanbury/WCU graphic

WCU approves master plan BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER master plan envisioning campus needs for the decade ahead received unanimous approval from the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees during its March 4 meeting, setting the stage for a long-term effort to reshuffle campus programs into a more logical and efficient configuration.

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The plan’s approval — first from the committee and then from the board as a whole — followed a lengthy conversation about a draft form of the document held during a board retreat in November. The final version does not contain any significant changes from the draft document, said Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Mike Byers. The master plan calls for a campus

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March 23-29, 2022

“This diagram makes it look really easy to do,” Elizabeth Morgan, a designer for Hanbury, the firm WCU contracted to complete the plan, said during a March 3 meeting of the WCU Finance and Audit Committee. “It will, in fact, take a lot of planning and coordination and time to systematically renovate buildings, renovate portions of buildings, retrofit them and have swing space for people.”

organized into five zones — a STEM district, arts district, student life core and Cullowhee connection. Locating programs supporting these functions together physically in space that serves their needs will require intensive planning as well as significant rehabilitation and renovation of existing buildings. Perhaps the most significant change outlined in the plan pertains to Hunter Library. The way students do research is changing, and the plan calls for the university to move toward a split-library model, with pareddown stacks and a research library remaining in the Hunter Building. A new collaborative learning commons building — suggested to go in on what is now Lot 33 behind Coulter Building — would offer student collaboration space and house the library’s digital collections. Those moves would open space at Hunter, which would be transformed into a key component of the new STEM district — housing the engineering department, research library, faculty commons, IT support and study space. Improved engineering space is a high priority for WCU. In its newly unveiled legislative agenda, WCU announced an emphasis on expanding and improving its engineering program, requesting $80 million to renovate an existing building or build a completely new structure to house the program. “As of right now, you’re doing OK on space,” said Morgan. “It might not feel that way to everyone because the way in which that space is allotted or

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No criminal charges filed in Our Place Inn death SMN, still lists the cause of death as pending, but heavily redacted audio from a 911 call provided to SMN by the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office features a male caller – apparently not her husband, motel owner Cody Currin – who says he arrived at the motel to check on Kitty and found her body. The audio seems to indicate a gunshot wound was involved. On Feb. 15, Cody Currin told SMN that his wife’s demons “had gotten the best of her.”

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A March 17 press release from Maggie Valley Police Chief Russ Gilliland says that no criminal charges will be filed in relation to the unattended death of Kitty Currin at Our Place Inn. On Feb. 15, MVPD responded to a call at the Soco Road motel around 9:27 a.m., according to a police report provided to The Smoky Mountain News. Police subsequently petitioned the State Bureau of Investigation to assist with their investigation. Currin’s death certificate, obtained by

Over the next decade, WCU hopes to improve its facilities while continuing to showcase the natural beauty in which they sit. Hanbury/WCU photo

for physical education and recreation and 20,000 for general use. “A master plan is not a checklist,” said Byers. “It’s a snapshot of what we think we need and shows how we would do it.” Trustees’ vote to approve the plan signals the board’s agreement with the principles underlying the document but doesn’t commit them to any specific capital project. However, the vision outlined in the plan will guide administrators as they plan and seek funding for new projects. “When we’re planning what our priorities are for capital improvements, we’ll have this sequence of dominos in our head,” said Byers.

March 23-29, 2022

distributed is either not the right fit, adjacency or configuration, so that’s where we have to get into the weeds a bit with the nuance of reimagining what we can do with the existing square footage we already have.” While the existing square footage at WCU is sufficient for current needs, according to the master plan, by 2030, the school will have about 1,500 more students than it does now and require an additional 260,000 square feet, most of which — 137,000 square feet — will be for athletics. An additional 52,000 square feet will be needed for a student center, 34,000 for classrooms and service, 22,000 for support space, 22,000

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Women’s History Trail projects The Women’s History Trail “Walking in Her Steps” project is a designated walking path in downtown Franklin identified by bronze plaques that share stories and pay tribute to the many women who helped shape Macon County’s history. The WHT sculpture, a stop on the trail, will feature a special bronze art sculpture to be placed in downtown Franklin. Titled “Sowing the Seeds of the Future,” the sculpture depicts three local historical women (a white woman, an African American woman and a Cherokee woman) whose lives and cultures intersected in the early days of Macon County. For more information about the Folk Heritage Association or the Women’s History Trail, visit folkheritageassociation.org or email WHT leadership at whtmaconnc@gmail.com.

Jessie Downs Cabe.

March 23-29, 2022

Meet the Macon Matriarch BY CHERYL B ECK AND THERESA RAMSEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS The Women’s History Trail (WHT), a project of the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC), adopted an activity in 2018 that continues each March as a part of Women’s History Month. This annual event recognizes a special “WHT Macon Matriarch” and her role as trailblazer to help shape a better future for Macon County. Since its creation, four deserving women have been honored as WHT Macon Matriarchs: Margaret Ramsey (2018), Sally Kesler (2019), Dorothy Crawford (2020) and Roberta Swank (2021). “This year’s recipient, Jessie Downs Cabe, joins this legacy of women, esteemed treasures of our community, who have been

recognized for their many years of dedication and service to others,” said Anne Hyder, chairperson of the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County. “The Folk Heritage Association and Women’s History Trail strives to keep our area’s heritage alive, and the Macon Matriarch is a perfect way to bring history to life as we celebrate the lives of Macon County women and honor their accomplishments.”

JESSIE DOWNS CABE Jessie Downs was born in 1927 and raised on Hall Farm Road in the Rose Creek Community. As a little girl, she walked across the mountain to Iotla School. She graduated from Franklin High School in

1945 and attended Berea College from 19451949, majoring in home economics and minoring in religion. In 1950, she married Leon Cabe, who had been her neighbor when they were growing up. They couple moved to Detroit, Michigan, where Leon worked in the automotive industry, but they longed to return home to Macon County. After moving back home, Cabe began her career as a schoolteacher, teaching home economics at Hayesville High School for two years and then at Franklin High School. In 1953, she was recruited to work with the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service (now called N.C. Cooperative Extension) through North Carolina State University. She began as an assistant for the 4-H clubs, but it was her time spent with

homemakers for which she is most remembered. For more than 30 years, Cabe’s expertise in housing and house furnishings, human development, as well as all areas of family and consumer education, and volunteer recruitment and utilization, made her an invaluable resource for Maconians. Cabe’s ability to work with all ages and socio-economic groups allowed her to share research-based information that could improve the lives of individuals and families. She visited homes, providing assistance in developing house plans and making homes more convenient and livable. She conducted or coordinated workshops that taught hundreds of people marketable craft skills that helped add income for their families. Cabe provided educational opportunities for parents to be better equipped for their responsibilities, and her work with the aging population was groundbreaking in the county. Cabe mobilized a cadre of volunteers,

Department of Public Instruction creates Parent Advisory Commission Smoky Mountain News

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER hroughout the pandemic, parents have had a lot to consider when it comes to the education of their children — safety from illness, mask mandates, virtual learning, limited extra-curricular activities. Now, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is creating a new Parent Advisory Commission to elevate the voices of parents in the education of their children. “This Commission is focused on giving parents a seat at the table and strengthening parent and family involvement in education,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said. “Parents play an integral role in encouraging their child to achieve excellence in the classroom.” The commission will be made up of 48 parents or guardians from across the state, six 16 from each of the state’s eight education

regions. This makeup is intended to ensure participation from a diverse geographical range. Applications have been open since Feb. 23 and will remain open through March 31. Members will share their aspirations for public education in the state and discuss challenges it faces, helping to put together recommendations for elected officials and policy makers in North Carolina, while providing direct feedback to Truitt. Parents will be tasked with advising, informing and engaging leaders and public policy officials on various aspects of education and student well-being Members selected for the commission will include parents with students enrolled in traditional public schools and charter schools. However, the Parent Advisory Commission will also include parents of students enrolled in private schools. According to the department, this is to ensure broad

representation of all school choice options across the state and include diverse feedback. The six parents from each of the state’s eight education regions will have to include two parents of students in traditional public schools, one parent of students in charter schools, one parent of homeschooled students, one parent of private school students and one at-large public school member from the largest county in each region. For the western region, this is Buncombe County. Members will serve two-year terms, with the full commission aiming to convene quarterly beginning this summer. Each regional sub-group will hold monthly meetings conducted both in-person and virtually to accommodate parents’ schedules. “Data shows us that students with parents who are involved in their education are more likely to achieve academic success and

have a more positive attitude towards learning,” Truitt said. “This commission is an important way we can create better outcomes for students, as we are hearing from parents about what’s working and what we can do better. We need to engage families in district and policy-level decisions, and this commission helps that work get underway.” According to Jackson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Dana Ayers, as of March 16 almost 1,000 applications had been received, however far fewer applications had been received from parents in the far western region than the other seven regions in the state. Ayers urged parents of Jackson County Schools to apply for the commission in order to ensure geographic diversity. Parents can apply for the commission until March 31, at ncdpi.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/sv_0jthhyit5aaduqi.

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was instrumental in helping form Macon County Arts Council, Macon County Senior Citizens Program and Macon Crafts, as well as serving on boards for many other organizations. The Macon County Fair benefitted from Cabe’s leadership as she helped establish the Home Furnishings division of the fair; at one time, there were more than 800 entries in the Family Life area. Cabe inspired other young Extension agents to be influential in their counties, mentoring at least 15 during her career. A consummate professional, Cabe was organized in all areas of her life. Marilyn Cole, a former co-worker, said she had never seen anyone as organized as Jessie. “She always had plenty of time for her work, her family, and her church,” Cole said. The Cabes raised three daughters, Peggy, Susan and Jan. She has six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Cabe was active in the Snow Hill United Methodist Church, serving as a Sunday School teacher, Bible study leader, and UMW leader, and participated in many church conferences at Lake Junaluska. “Macon County benefitted from Jessie Cabe’s love for families and her desire to help them live good, productive lives. She is truly a Macon Matriarch,” said Mary Polanski from the FHAMC/WHT.

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women and men, through Extension Homemakers Clubs – providing training to help them use their knowledge and skills to help others. Through activities like the Green Garden Program, the N.C. Highway Safety Car Seat Program and Lap Readers, these volunteers gave countless hours to the citizens of Macon County. At one time more than 500 people were involved and there were more than 20 Extension Homemaker groups in the county. Under Cabe’s leadership, the Macon County Extension Homemakers were recognized as one of the largest and strongest volunteer organizations in the state. Ever eager to provide new opportunities for Macon County, Cabe’s influence was farreaching. Along with her Extension co-worker Florence Sherrill, she wrote federal grants for community action that would become Macon County Program for Progress. She

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Tribal Council sets term limit referendum A

Currently, each community has two representatives on Tribal Council, and all 12 seats are up for election every two years. This creates the potential for a single election to seat all new members. Wachacha. “I’m just a citizen. I don’t really know how you would want to do it. But in my thoughts as we looked at it, it would be once the election is held the top vote-getter in the community would sit for four years and the one who got the second-most would sit for two years.” Currently, each community has two representatives on Tribal Council, and all 12 seats are up for election every two years. This creates the potential for a single election to seat all new members. Tribal Council oversees varied, complex responsibilities — and controls a budget totaling more than a household of four. The 150% Poverty Level is $19,320 for a household of one and $39,750 for a household of four. Because this is North Carolina, which has not expanded Medicaid, people who are in the “Medicaid Gap” cannot qualify for this new SEP because their income is below 100% of FPL. This SEP is available right now through the marketplace call center. By the end of March this SEP should be available automatically when you do your application on line through the healthcare.gov. If you have questions, need more information or want help with enrollment, visit GetCoveredWNC. We can also help if you need a 1095-A form for your taxes. Call 828.452.1447 and ask to speak to a Certified Application Counselor.

$600 million. An overnight loss of institutional knowledge could prove disastrous. In a February 3 discussion on the resolution, Principal Chief Richard Sneed voiced his opinion that the staggered term proposal is the most important part of the referendum, as a complete turnover of Council would be “pretty dangerous” for the tribe. Tribal law currently limits chiefs and vice chiefs to two consecutive four-year terms, the result of an ordinance passed in 2016. No such law exists for Tribal Council, many of whose members have served well over

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A new Special Enrollment Period on the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace has opened for consumers who have projected income of at least 100% of the federal poverty level but are at or below the 150% of the federal poverty level. This SEP allows qualifying people to enroll in plans in any month during the year without having to experience a “qualifying life event” like other SEPs. Enroll now and coverage should start April 1. 100 percent of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is $12,880 for a household of one and $26,500 for

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eight consecutive years at various points in their careers. If the 2023 referendum is successful, however, term limits for Tribal Council would be encoded to the tribe’s Charter and Governing Document, an even higher level of authority than the tribal code, where term limits for chiefs and vice chiefs currently reside. Because of its potential to change the tribe’s foundational legal framework, tribal law sets a high bar for the referendum to take effect. At least 51% of registered voters must participate in the election for the results to be valid, and a majority of those who do participate must approve the measure. Scheduling the referendum to coincide with a chief ’s election year gives it the best chance of meeting that mark. In 2019, the last year a chief election was held, 57.1% of registered voters cast a ballot. Should the referendum fail — whether due to a majority no vote or to a lack of participation — the question can’t be brought before voters again for at least two years. Only a referendum vote can overturn a decision made by an initial referendum vote.

March 23-29, 2022

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Robert Jumper answers Tribal Council questions about his resolution seeking a referendum vote on Tribal Council term lengths and limits.

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER fter tabling it last month for further discussion, on March 3 the Cherokee Tribal Council unanimously approved two referendum questions that will ask voters to approve term limits and staggered terms for Tribal Council. The resolution sets the referendum for Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 — the date of the tribal election for chief, vice chief, Tribal Council and School Board offices — and lists two questions for voters: 1. Beginning in 2025, should Tribal Council terms be changed from two years to four years, and result in the staggering of individual terms so that one seat in each community is up for election every two years? 2. Should Tribal Council representatives’ terms be limited so that a representative may not be elected to serve more than eight consecutive years in office, excluding any time served by a representative as a result of a special election? Robert Jumper, a Cherokee County/Snowbird voter who is also editor of the Cherokee One Feather, introduced an initial form of the resolution in October 2021. It passed, but Tribal Council later realized there were issues with the wording of the original questions, and the Board of Elections collaborated with Jumper on a revised version. The newly adopted resolution clarifies and replaces the one approved in October. The approved resolution is identical to the version the body considered in February and then tabled for further discussion. It does not clarify a concern that multiple Council members voiced during last month’s discussion — which of the victors in 2025 would sit for two years and which would serve for four years, setting up the staggered structure. It appears that Tribal Council can set that system in implementing legislation if the referendum is approved. “That’s mechanics,” said Jumper in response to a question from Snowbird/Cherokee County Rep. Adam

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A long night, lots to think about L

Public wants more protected forests To the Editor: I appreciate George Hahn’s perspective on old-growth forests and agree with many of his sentiments. A mix of age and structural diversity is important for forests. I am not anti-logging, nor is the Center for Biological Diversity or the coalition of over 150 businesses and organizations that support more protected areas for the Pisgah-Nantahala national forests. We want to make sure the most important recreation and conservation areas are protected, especially the old-growth forests that are almost exclusively found on public lands. According to U.S. Forest Service data, Western North Carolina contains nearly 4 million acres of privately owned forests, and nearly all of these forests are intensively managed and skew toward younger ages. There is an abundance of young, early seral forest across the 18-county footprint of the PisgahNantahala national forests. According to U.S. Forest Service data, there is also a lack of old-growth forest on private lands. Nearly all of the remaining oldgrowth forests in Western North Carolina are found on national forestlands. We have lost most of the old-growth

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS:

ing lives like me, my wife, my son and daughters, people like all of you reading this — to stand up to an army that is 10 times the size of theirs, to stand up to a despot with who has up to 6,000 armed nuclear warheads. An image flickered through from some newsreel of men and women filling sandbags and carrying them to the front line in some Ukrainian city, refusing to run. Their bravery is more than inspiring and so surprising, but I am fearful: sandbags against, perhaps, nukes. Surely it won’t come to that, right? I turn to this small business that we started 23 years ago, a small newspaper in a region of small towns and communities in a place I’ll likely call home for the rest of my days. If we were in Russia, I’d have been arrested years ago. I’ve never been able to keep Editor my mouth shut or my writing bottled up when it comes to what I consider fundamental concepts like free speech, religion, the right to assemble, the right to think differently, the rights of those whose views are in the minority, the need for open and transparent government. I was weaned on the summer-time Watergate hearings when the eminent Sen. Sam Ervin of North Carolina gaveled a panel that eventually — along with the work of several fabled

Scott McLeod

ast night was one of those nights. That means today I’m running on caffeine instead of sleep. Normal bedtime, three or four hours of hard slumber, then wide awake, a stampede of thoughts, worries, ideas and plans racing around my head. Sometimes, like on this night, I give in to the insomnia and just roll over on my back and wait for the stream-ofconsciousness parade to come to an end and hopefully get some more shut-eye. The weekend was beautiful, time spent with my son and daughter and their significant others, my wife Lori, lunch outside at a Sylva restaurant on a breezy and balmy Saturday after a stroll around the farmer’s market and the art market, after my daughter taking part in the Assault on Black Rock, urban biking in Asheville on Sunday and a meet up with my sister-in-law and nephew. Good times — normal times — in this beautiful place we call home. And then — my own fault for perusing news prior to going to bed — my thoughts run to Ukraine, where mothers and babies and children are dying from bombs or falling buildings, where starvation and lack of water and food and health care are looming large for so many, where up to 3 million are fleeing the soldiers of one of this century’s madmen. Just weeks ago, those lives were much like mine and yours, people cherishing time with family and friends, perhaps a lunch outside or a concert at night, a weekend getaway. The courage being shown by regular people — people liv-

LETTERS forests in the East, and we need to protect what remains, especially in publicly owned national forests. Public lands are our best opportunities to protect old-growth forests. Now more than ever, we need more mature and old growth forests, which store more carbon and provide the cheapest and easiest climate solutions for Western North Carolina. They also clean our air, protect our drinking water, shelter rare species, and safeguard our rivers and trout streams. The public overwhelmingly supports more protected areas, especially for mature and oldgrowth forests. Over 92% of the 22,000 public comments received by the Forest Service support more protected areas, especially to protect old growth. The Pisgah-Nantahala national forests are the most visited national forests in the country, and the vast and overwhelming majority of forest users want to see more of it protected. Unfortunately, the forest plan moves us in the opposite direction: it will quadruple logging while weakening and reducing protections for the one-million-acre Pisgah-Nantahala national forests. It places thousands of acres of existing old-growth forest in its highest priority logging designation. Some timber harvests are necessary in certain locations, but not in our last remaining old-growth forests.

reporters — led to a president resigning in disgrace for abusing power. That event — Nixon’s eventual resignation for trying to use the powers of the presidency for his own personal re-election and then lie about it — reinforced in my adolescent mind that our system worked, that this country would not tolerate tyrants, that it was the people who hold the ultimate power. To me, our system held the moral high ground against despots. And so I feel an affinity for the Ukrainians and their fight. I’m jealous of the foreign correspondents over there reporting on this war and I’m inspired by the Europeans and Americans who want to enlist and take up arms. Ukraine has become a beacon of freedom for the entire world to see, to support, to emulate. Simply put, the Ukrainian people are straight-up badasses. I’m praying for them. As I reach up to crack my window open on this mild early spring night, I remind myself that now, more than perhaps at any time in my life, I take comfort — even refuge — in being surrounded by family. I think of my own father and how as he aged, he grew so sentimental towards his children and their families, how he became more open to differing perspectives, more tolerant as life’s experiences piled up, more sure about what was right and what was wrong. As I ponder the beauty of that truth, comforting as it is, a few minutes of sleep come my way. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

Conservation and recreation should be the primary focus of the country’s most popular national forests. Our region’s property values, rural economies, scenic views, and clean water depend on protecting these publicly owned forests, especially the remaining old growth. Our ancient forests are an important part of our region’s heritage, and they are far more valuable standing than cut down. Will Harlan Biologist, Center for Biological Diversity Barnardsville

Speeches revealed party priorities To the Editor: Given the current events many may have missed both the State of the Union and the Republican rebuttal. The combination was a contrast of content and a case study in irony. As is always the case, the rebuttal has less time, but is still an opportunity to present general policy issues. The contrast was breathtaking. Biden presented both general policy issues and specific actions. Among the latter was making available free COVID tests at pharmacies along with the new pill for treating COVID to minimize the possibility of a serious illness. Biden also proposed limiting the price gouging by

big pharma for drugs, such as insulin, so families don’t have to choose between food or medication. The bulk of the talk was about the future and how to make life better for Americans. The Republican governor of Iowa tended to focus on the past and solutions that have not proven to be either economical or as positive as initially thought — such as biofuels. She also alluded to Republican grievance issues but did not explicitly state them. The biggest irony was references to “conservative leadership” — which based on observation is nonexistent. The only thing that resembles Republican leadership is not following COVID-19 recommendations as indicated by empirical evidence. Mitch McConnell has explicitly stated that the Republican Party has no policy issues or priorities until after the election of 2022. A case of “elect us and find out” is not reassuring. The Republican rebuttal included the need to “take care of each other” — another irony. Republican legislators in Republican controlled states are trying to restrict voting rights and suppressing minority populations. Maybe she just meant taking care of white folks. Nothing in the Republican presentation mentioned anything about Russia attacking Ukraine. This is understandable since Trump called Putin a “genius” and his former secretary of state was effusive

The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome. Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786.

Five things a month to smile about

in his phrase of Putin’s intellect. Prior to Putin’s naked aggression and probable war crimes several other Republicans including Sen. Ted Cruse and Sen. Marco Rubio have made statements seeming to favor Russia. Even Fox News hosts openly stated that the were on Russia’s side. In short, the State of the Union was a

case study in forward thinking policies along with some specific examples of how the American public could be served by the federal government. In contrast, the rebuttal was a warmed-over collection of platitudes and no substance. Norm Hoffman Waynesville

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though I’ve already read the book multiple times, it’s relaxing to pause the day’s hustle and sit down for 20 minutes to view the story through his eyes. WMS Track & Field: I ran track in middle and high school, and when I was teaching at Waynesville Middle I coached the track team for several years. My oldest son started running track at WMS last year, and I volunteered to work with the hurdlers, which was my favorite event when I was young. This is my second year working with the team, and these kids are so inspiring. They work hard every day and are always trying to get better, stronger and faster. If you’re ever feeling defeated about the future, watch a middle or high school sporting event. It’s bound to lift your spirits. Sharing my book: I’ve been asked twice in the past month to read my children’s book, “The Jolt Felt Around the World.” The first event was with a youth group and the second was with a children’s “Clean and Green” group. The conversations were much different with the older group than the younger; however, I was blown away in both instances by the wisdom and concern our younger generations have for the earth and the worrisome trajectory of global warming. Baseball cards: We all have certain items that conjure feelings of nostalgia. For my boyfriend, Matthew, one of these items is baseball cards. When he was young, he enjoyed collecting baseball cards and especially loved pulling a Ken Griffey Jr. His affinity for baseball cards was resurrected several months ago when our kids started collecting them. Since then, Matthew has created a YouTube channel called Finding Griffey, an online outlet where we can have a little fun opening packs in hopes of seeing a Mariners hat and that signature Griffey smile. The world feels heavy from every angle. On local, national and global scales, it’s one thing after another, a constant hamster wheel of turmoil and uncertainty. It can all become overwhelming, and we occasionally need to push the reset button. For me, this often means quiet time to reflect on what’s positive and true in my life. Writing down five things that make me smile is a simple activity on the surface, but the gratification runs deep. (Susanna Shetley is an editor, writer and digital media specialist with The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)

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March 23-29, 2022

n what feels like a previous life, I was a mom blogger. After the birth of my youngest son, now age 10, I created a blog called Zealous Mom. This was during the early years of blogging when it was all about content and connecting with others in the blogging community as opposed to pushing out posts on social media and seeing how many likes and views it could get. One of my most popular blog series was one called “Five Things to Smile About.” At the conColumnist clusion of each month, I would look through photos and videos on my phone and think about small moments and big adventures that brought joy, love or feelings of gratitude. Not only was this enjoyable for me, but it encouraged my readers to pause and consider their own lives and experiences that made them smile. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about five specific things that have made me smile within a month’s time frame, so I decided to sit down for a few minutes, look at photos on my phone and previous events on my calendar to remind myself of the past month’s activities. Below are five things that make me smile. Snowshoe: At the end of February, we went to Snowshoe with three other families, including my two close friends and sister. We spent a long weekend cozied up in our cabin or on the mountain skiing and snowboarding. Although it takes a lot of time and energy to prepare for a ski trip, especially with multiple families involved, it was well worth it. Further, there is little to no cell service at Snowshoe, which made it even nicer. It’s so pleasant to disconnect from the noise every now and then Reading with my son: My youngest son is a good reader but doesn’t love to read long spans of text such as that in a chapter book. He prefers graphic novels, which are laid out like a comic book with short spurts of text and illustrations. This format keeps a child’s creative mind engaged. To motivate him to read a traditional novel, he and I started reading “Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone” together. We alternate reading two pages at a time. This helps move the story along quicker and allows us to discuss the plot after we read. And even

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Into the fold Blue Ridge Craft Trails foster community, tradition

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER The studio space of blacksmith Rachel David is vast. Inside an enormous old hay barn there is equipment everywhere – massive hammers, a forklift, tools, wires, tables, cabinets, machinery that is incomprehensible to the non-smith layman. In black attire, with grease-stained hands, muscular and weathered from years of perfecting her craft, David blends into the surroundings of her shop. It almost looks like the two sprung up from the mountainside together. Like they’ve always been there, always will be. In reality, David just recently finished renovating the space, and even more recently joined the newly completed Blue Ridge Craft Trails.

ith the culmination of the Blue Ridge Craft Trails project, 310 artist studios, galleries and arts organizations in 25 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary have become connected in a web of tradition. “Western North Carolina is one of the most distinctive cultures in the United States,” said Angie Chandler, executive director of Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. “We have amazing craft artists and galleries with such variety and creativity. They are ready to welcome locals and visitors alike.” The project was created in an effort to attract visitors to small towns, connect makers with buyers, bring economic development to the region and preserve traditional and contemporary craft as a living tradition in Western North Carolina. “Our heritage area was established to preserve traditional contemporary craft as a living tradition in Western North Carolina,” said Chandler. “When you think about it, art is an inspired response to the mountains, foothills, forests and fauna around us. Craft is in our cultural DNA.”

ne artist along the Blue Ridge Craft Trails, David is a recent transplant to this area from New Orleans, making a home for herself and her business, Red Metal, in Waynesville. In addition to family ties, it was the history of arts and crafts in the Appalachian region that drew her to the mountains of Western North Carolina. She was quickly welcomed into the fold of the artist community here. First, the Center for Craft in Asheville reached out, then the Haywood County Arts Council, then the Blue Ridge Craft Trails. “This is why I wanted to be here, because there’s so much support,” she said. David has always been a creator. Raised by two artists, creating was something that came

to her instinctually. In college, she discovered metal work and immediately clicked with the medium. “I learned how to weld, and the teacher there said, ‘if you hit heated metal and hammer on it, you’ll get it to do what you want it to do,’” said David. “I just really fell in love with blacksmithing.” After learning the craft at a few different colleges, David honed her skills while working in New Orleans. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the city, altering the course of millions of lives. When David evacuated after the storm, she embarked on a road bike trip from Asheville to Eastern Kentucky. This would be the first time she fell for Appalachia. “I just fell in love with these mountains and everything here,” said David. “There were so many amazing makers and friends and super creative, super smart weirdos up here that I just always thought about.” She would remain in New Orleans for several more years, a magical city by her own estimation, until relocating to Western North Carolina in 2020, to an old hay barn on Hyatt Creek. Now, the barn sports a brand-new steel frame inside its old, existing structure. A new roof provides shelter for David’s work on her craft, as well as her continuing work to renovate the property. One day, she hopes to make space in the remaining existing structure for more artist studios; welcoming more makers into the fold. If manipulating metal to do as one pleases isn’t enough, David is constantly exploring the historical and cultural implications of her trade. She understands the ways in which blacksmithing helped to spur industrialization, which in turn spurred the transatlantic slave trade and other imperialist scourges of global capitalism. As a person who works in a field that is dominated by cisgender, heteronormative white men, David feels a responsibility to be a harbinger of change in the industry, to make space for artists of all backgrounds who haven’t had the opportunities she has. “In my work, I try to represent that,” said David. “There’s both an environmental and a social aspect of colonization, or industrialization leading to colonization, and spiraling that into this giant global capitalist institution that we live in.” In the literal sense, it was blacksmiths who made the shackles intended for human beings during the transatlantic slave trade. When David was living in New Orleans, she was tasked with making shackles and pikes for the 2016 mini-series “Roots,” chronicling the history of an African man sold to slavery in America, and his descendants. “It’s really important to reckon with that,” said David. “I never heard people talking

Rachel David, of Red Metal, is a blacksmith, sculptor, designer and maker. about it, and it seems so obvious to me. People talk about, ‘these are the farm tools, these are the weapons, these are things that blacksmiths have made.’ But it’s important to reckon with the fact that we also made the shackles, we also made the stuff that is bad. And a lot of times enslaved blacksmiths were forced to do that work.” For David, part of reckoning with that history involves educating the next generation. She is passionate about providing space and learning opportunities for people who may not typically have access to the metal working world. One of her latest endeavors is a set of gates, commissioned for the Renwick Gallery, the craft gallery of the Smithsonian Museum, for its 50th anniversary. Her work will exist alongside that of the two other artists commissioned for gates at the gallery — Albert Paley, who was commissioned when the gallery opened, and Marc Maiorana, who was commissioned for its 40th anniversary. David has been able to include several other artists in this project, continuing her work of bringing others into the fold.

n a presentation following the completion of the Blue Ridge Craft Trails project, Chandler described how the craft tradition in this region combines the influences of Cherokee, European, African and other cultures. “The craft story in North Carolina begins with the Cherokee, who have made their home in the mountains for thousands of years,” said Chandler. “Today, the Blue Ridge Craft Trails make it easy for travelers to locate, learn from and buy the work of Cherokee crafts people.” In 1946, the Qualla Arts and Craft Mutual in Cherokee was the first Native American craft cooperative in the United States. It remains the oldest in existence today. Throughout the craft movement of the early 20th century, women were at the helm of cultivating and preserving Appalachian craft traditions. The John C. Campbell Folk School was started by two women, Olive Dame Campbell and Marguerite Butler. Pendland School of Craft was also founded by a woman.

S EE FOLD, PAGE 25

HOT PICKS BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘People love you when they on your mind, a thought is love’s currency’

into Waynesville back in August 2012 to start this gig at The Smoky Mountain News. Our old newsroom used to be where the Church Street Depot is now located (my desk was situated where the cash register stands). At that time, LD worked around the corner on Main Street in an art gallery, which has since closed. Being around the same age, LD hit it off immediately. Kindred spirits on any level or topic imaginable. Turns out we also share the same birthday (Feb. 5), too. In those early days, I’d leave the office and wander towards Main Street in search of a strong cup of coffee at (the now long gone) City Bakery. Grab the large caffeine refreshment

Singer-songwriter Alma Russ will host a special album release party for her latest work, “Fool’s Gold,” which will be held from 8-10 p.m. Friday, March 25, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.

A live discussion of the book “The Last Ballad” with author Wiley Cash from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host The Razbillies (Americana/indie) at 9 p.m. Friday, April 1.

4 5

Rock/reggae act Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at Nantahala Brewing in Sylva.

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conversations, and the occasional “checking in” on each other, especially during the loneliness and isolation of the last couple of years amid “all this.” So, it meant the world to me to once again cross paths with LD last weekend. After meeting up and attending a music festival together in rural North Florida, she headed back to Baconton early Saturday to work the local farmer’s market, selling her wide-array of wares (flower bundles, crafts, etc.). I stayed a little longer at the festival and circled back to the small ranch house on Saturday afternoon. Just like old times, the in-depth chatter bubbled up between two vibrant souls, both excited about the unlimited possibilities of today and tomorrow, of sincere gratitude and appreciation for every single day that had come before. We spoke about the deep sadness felt in our respective lives since we last sat and talked, about losing people close to us recently (LD’s dad, my cousin). We spoke about relationships that once seemed promising but eventually fizzled out (we remain hopeless romantics, albeit stubborn and elusive in our Aquarian ways, though). Walking out into the backfield on Sunday morning, LD and I stood there and gazed across the empty landscape. Time ticks slowly here, thankfully. The conversation continued, about what the year may hold, plans for the future, and what it means to see your reflection in another kind soul, happily. Hugging goodbye, plans were made to rendezvous at another festival in South Carolina in May. Pulling out of the driveway, we waved goodbye to each other, to which I honked twice in solidarity. I missed my friend. See you down the road, LD, as always. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

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March 23-29, 2022

t was an odd feeling to wake up in a natural state, rather than be disturbed by the noises of another impending day breaking through. The back bedroom in a small ranch house in the middle of vast swaths of farmland in Southwest Georgia. Silence in the large old brass bed. Sunlight trickled through antique glass windows. It was a far cry from my humble LD in the back field, Southwest Georgia. one-bedroom apart(photo: Garret K. Woodward) ment abode in downtown Waynesville. Normally, I’d be plucked out of a deep slumber by the sound of cars zooming by on nearby Walnut Street or my neighbor stomping around upstairs or the garbage truck slamming down the dumpster from the pizza parlor next and stroll across the street to the art gallery door early on Tuesday mornings. to engage in another jovial conversation Sunday morning at the small ranch house in Southwest Georgia. The small com- with LD. Those early days feel like a lifetime ago, munity of Baconton, just outside of Albany. More dirt roads than paved ones. More cows almost like a dreamlike state of time and place that I either no longer am part of or it than people. More time to ponder and soak just never happened, you know? So much in each ticking moment, seemingly more so has cluttered up the road from then to now, than in other environments. Time slows down in these parts, something all too easily for good or ill (but, mostly good). I’m still working at the newspaper, which lost and forgotten in this modern era of is still in downtown Waynesville. I still wanwhite noise, incessant distraction and fastder down Main Street in search of coffee and paced technology. conversation. But, LD left town years ago. Get out of bed and walk down the dark So, I find myself sparking up friendly banter hallway. Enter the living room as my friend, LD, was already headlong into her day. She’d with strangers over a beer at Boojum Brewing or over a meal at The Sweet Onion. been up a couple hours ahead of my 10 a.m. It was a sad day when LD left town. My emergence from slumber. Tending to her friend was leaving and I felt like a piece of indoor greenhouse, she was transferring the core of my essence left with her. She dozens of small potted seedlings to her garknew all my secrets, my dreams, hopes and den outside. aspirations in life. She knew me probably The small ranch house we were standing in was her late grandmother’s property. better than I knew (or know) myself (a true hallmark of a lifelong soulmate friendship). LD now lived in the home, with her childAnd she’d say vice versa about the whole hood home (and mother) still next door. Two dots of brick structures surrounded by dang thing — for it’s all wondrous and allthousands of acres of cotton fields and cow knowing when you’re in the presence of good conversation over a cup of coffee. pastures. Though this part of the country And yet, LD and I have always kept in is hell on earth come summer, it was quite touch. Thick as thieves, even if we’re hunpleasant to step outside into the 65-degree dreds of miles apart. Remember, dear late morning sunshine (with a slight friends are only a phone call or text away breeze). (don’t forget that). Ongoing messages and I’ve known LD since the moment I rolled

Featuring a handful of regional and national bluegrass stars, “An Evening of Bluegrass” will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.

arts & entertainment

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On the beat • 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.

Alma Russ release party Alma Russ.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7-9 p.m. on Thursdays. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com. • Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and the “Jam at the Gem” featuring regional/national bluegrass stars April 2. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

March 23-29, 2022

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations are highly recommended. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

Regional singer-songwriter/multiinstrumentalist Alma Russ will host a special album release party for her latest work, “Fool’s Gold,” which will be held from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 25, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva. Based out of Western North Carolina and with her unique brand of “patchwork music” (country, folk and Appalachian

styles pieced together), Russ enjoys playing guitar, banjo and fiddle. Russ was also a contestant on “American Idol” Season 16. With this being her second album, “Fool’s Gold” was recorded last fall in an abandoned church in the West Texas desert while Russ was on a national tour. Free and open to the public. almarussofficial.com.

‘An Evening of Bluegrass’ Darren Nicholson.

ALSO:

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade & The Sound (rock/soul) March 25 and PMA (rock/reggae) March 26. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or coweeschool.org. • Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

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

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company (Maggie Valley) will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.

• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host The Razbillies (Americana/indie) at 9 p.m. April 1. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host an “Open Mic Night” March 31 and Alma Russ (Americana/folk) April 7. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.

Smoky Mountain News 24

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) March 25, Granny’s Mason Jar (Americana/folk) March 26 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana) March 27. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

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

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Travis Tritt (country) 9 p.m. March 25. For tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All events are free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com. Featuring a handful of regional and national bluegrass stars, “An Evening of Bluegrass” will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville. Featuring mandolinist Darren Nicholson and banjoist Marc Pruett of juggernaut bluegrass act Balsam Range, the group will also include guitarist Audie Blaylock and bassist Reed Jones. For more information, click on darrennicholson.net.

Alma Russ “Fool’s Gold” album release party March 25. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host the

• Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com. • The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com. • The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country March 24, Caribbean Cowboys March 25 and Jason Wilson & James County March 26. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488. • Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Both events begin at 6 p.m. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com. • Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar. • Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.743.6000 or whitesidebrewing.com.

On the beat

FOLD, CONTINUED FROM 22

Country megastar Travis Tritt will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, March 25, at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center. With the release of “Set in Stone,” Tritt, a multi-platinum selling artist with numerous radio hits, will embark on the next chapter of his stellar career. Armed with the distinctive voice, insightful songwriting, and outlaw edge that have served him well for more than three decades, Tritt is a staple of the arena-level live music scene. For tickets, go to caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee and click on the “Events” tab.

Travis Tritt.

Interested in learning the dulcimer?

Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

Reggae, rock at Nantahala Jackson County rock/reggae act Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at Nantahala Brewing in Sylva. “Our music is full of inspiration from these mountains. Water, mountain landscapes, nature, trails. They all take part in the

inspiration process for us. We are proud to call Sylva home and our sound could not be what it is without this town,” said guitarist Miller Watson. “It’s also really cool to see the similarities in bluegrass music and reggae and how they took shape from the development of African banjo. It’s also nice to bring a touch of reggae to these mountains.” Free and open to the public. For more information, click on facebook.com/pmamusic.

Martinez learned the tradition of craft in Appalachia during her time at John C. Campbell Folk School. Some traditions had existed here for thousands of years among the Cherokee people, other traditions were brought to these mountains by European settlers and enslaved Africans. Blue Ridge Craft Trails offers one more community for artists like David and Martinez to be a part of. One more thread connecting the makers and crafters of this region to the heritage of Appalachia, the local communities that support them and the visitors and tourists learning about the area and purchasing craft goods. “Being part of that heritage is a legacy for me to pass down,” said Martinez. “I feel like it’s important to keep those traditions. It’s important to keep the sustainability aspect of consumption from local makers. Having a voice, having a platform like the Blue Ridge Craft Trails can help.” To learn more visit blueridgeheritage.com/blue-ridge-crafttrails/ 25

Smoky Mountain News

aurel ParhamMartinez is another artist along the trail. She grew up in and around the furniture store her parents owned in Western North Carolina. Next to the furniture store was a pawn shop and inside that pawn shop was a jeweler who made and restored jewelry. As a child, Martinez would sit with this jeweler and watch her work, fascinated by the craft. Before she was old enough to work with metal, Martinez would imitate the jewelers work by making rings from the tiny metal strips within twist ties. Fast forward twenty years and Martinez owns her own jewelry store and workshop in Highlands called Bijou, where she is able to work solely from exclusive, commissioned orders. “I was born in the Appalachians,” said Martinez. “I have been in the south most of my life and I really resonated with the Western North Carolina area. I just thought it was beautiful. Nature is one of my inspirations and I guess gravity pulled me here.” This year, Martinez found inspiration outside of her usual commission work and

Laurel Parham-Martinez, of Bijou Jewelry, is a master jeweler.

March 23-29, 2022

The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players will be resuming in-person jam sessions at the St. John’s Episcopal Church basement fellowship hall in Sylva. The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns and more modern music. The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s. Pic’ & Play has been playing together since 1995. The more experienced members welcome new players, help them navigate their instruments and guide them through some of the basics of tuning, strumming and playing. The mountain dulcimer, also known as a fretted dulcimer or a lap dulcimer, is a uniquely American instrument. It evolved from the German scheitholz sometime in the early 1800s in Appalachia and was largely known only in this region until popularized more broadly in the 1950s. For more information, call Kathy Jaqua at 828.349.3930 or Don Selzer at 828.293.0074.

arts & entertainment

Travis Tritt rolls into Harrah’s

In 1929, Lucy Morgan started the school in order to teach women to weave and offer them a way of making money for their family. Francis Goodrich founded the Southern Highland Craft Guild in 1930. She wanted to cultivate high quality craftsmanship and sell goods made in the Southern Highlands of North Carolina. The annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands is just one of the many searchable events available in the database of the Blue Ridge Craft Trails. The fair will celebrate its 75th anniversary this summer. “Throughout its history, North Carolina has inspired all kinds of artists and offered places to learn, engage and explore,” said Chandler. “Now, the Blue Ridge Craft Trails is a new tool to help you find them.” The 25 counties that make up the Blue Ridge Craft Trails are divided into four regions, the far west, the central mountains, the foothills and the high country to Yadkin Valley. The website contains itineraries for each region including dining, shopping and outdoor opportunities outside of artist attractions. Artists in each region are listed on the site with geographical information, as well as information about the artist, or attraction and their craft. “The diversity of craft along the 310 stops that we currently have is one of my very favorite things about the Blue Ridge Craft Trails,” said Program Manager at Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, Brandon Johnson.

created a line of jewelry that mirrors the resilience she sees all around her. “Everyone you know goes through very difficult times,” said Martinez. “Our lives are compilations of difficult things. We have generational hurts. We come into this world innocent, and we are unaware of all that stuff, but it gets piled onto us, even as children. I started realizing things are not important. It’s the people, it’s the relationships that are really important. So, we’re going to go through things. If you have a piece of jewelry, that is your staple, you tend to wear it the most, it’s intrinsic. Metal is great because you can touch it and remind yourself, oh yeah, I have an awareness today.” Martinez wants her customers and anyone who may get gifted a piece from the resilience line to be reminded, every day, of how loved they are and how resilient they are.

arts & entertainment

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On the wall

28 Walnut St. Waynesville

Want to paint, sip craft beer? Robin Arramae of WNC Paint Events will be continuing her fun paint nights to bring you not only a “night out” but an experience that lifts your spirits. Join others as Arramae shows you step-bystep how to paint a beginner level painting of the evening as you sip on your favorite local craft beer. This two-hour event should have you feeling better than you felt before you came. And you leave with a painting you created. Events will be held at the following locations: 828 Market on Main (Waynesville), Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva), BearWaters Brewing (Canton) and Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City). Please visit WNC Paint Events (@paintwnc) Facebook page, under “Events” for date and time of upcoming events. For pictures of previous events visit Arramae’s Instagram: @wnc_paint_events. For pricing and to sign up, go to wncpaint.events. Space is limited. Drinks sold separately.

• “Trucker Hat Painting Class” will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24, at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro. Come

• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) is currently seeking one or more gallery interns with a passion for the arts and interest in learning about the administration of a small nonprofit. Send cover letters and resumes to HCAC Executive Director Morgan Beryl at director@haywoodarts.org. • “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. franklinuptowngallery.com.

ALSO:

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

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• The Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville has announced that painter Laura Parker is the “Artist of the Month” for March. “As a lifelong artist I’ve worked in a variety of media, but, for several years, have focused on painting in oil, for its softness and malleability, and gouache, for its opacity and portability,” Parker said. haywoodarts.org.

• The “Lois Petrovich-Mwaniki: Shadowed Reality” showcase will be held through March in the Rotunda Gallery at Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. The exhibit consists of oil portraits. Hosted by the Jackson County Arts Council (JCAC). The library requires masks to be worn indoors. Cookie grab bags will be available in lieu of refreshments. Showcase is free and open to the public.

HaywoodChamber.com

arts & entertainment

828.456.3021

learn to paint a landscape trucker hat that will mimic watercolor, yet can stand up to water and sun. Hosted by Elise Holmes. Cost is $36 per person.

On the table

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. waynesvillewine.com. • A free wine tasting will be held from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday and 2-5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

• A “Wine Tasting” will take place on Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Enjoy new wines, meats, cheeses and yummy snacks, all while making new friends or hanging out with old ones. For more information, call 828.538.0420.

ALSO:

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

Smoky Mountain News

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host a “Thru-Hiker Chow Down” from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 2. The Nantahala Hiking Club and Lazy Hiker welcome all thru-hikers for free food, games and craft beer. Come mingle with your fellow hikers and enjoy “Trail Days.” 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

arts & entertainment

On the stage

‘Alice in Wonderland’

Smoky Mountain News

March 23-29, 2022

A stage production of the beloved tale “Alice in Wonderland” will be held on select dates throughout this spring at the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee. The beloved venue will host the world premiere of “Alice in Wonderland” stage show, written by The Guinn Twins, Darby and Jake Guinn. The production is an original work by Havoc Movement Company that will be joining the Cherokee Historical Association for the spring season. Directed by Jason Paul Tate, a long-time veteran of outdoor drama, the show features the spectacle driven, heartfelt storytelling audiences have come to expect from Havoc Movement.

Ready to try theater? The Haywood Arts Regional Theater in Waynesville is currently offering a wide variety of classes in the theater arts for all ages, young and old. Whether you are just starting out or want to hone your skills, HART has opportunities for you. Learn more about acting with Acting Classes available for K-2, Grades 3-5, middle/high School, adults, and seniors. Musical

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Alice’s days on the mountain in Cherokee have lacked adventure lately. Bored with her book, she runs away from her sister to chase a strange white rabbit, who leads her to a world somewhat familiar and yet peculiarly askew. As she travels further down the rabbit hole, she encounters the customary characters (with an Appalachian twist) and finds herself at odds with the rules of Wonderland. She makes both friends and enemies while her problems grow and shrink within this epic journey to the heart of her imagination. cherokeehistorical.org/alice-inwonderland. • “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka” will hit the stage at 7 p.m March 25-26, April 1-2 and 2:30 p.m. March 27 and April 3 at the Swain Arts Center in Bryson City. The production will feature the Swain County High School Vocal Ensemble, SMS 8th Grade Performing Arts Class and several elementary students. Tickets are $10 adult, $5 students. The box office opens one hour before showtime. For more information, go to swainartscenter.com and click on the “Upcoming” tab.

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Theater Dance and Advanced Beginner Tap are available for teens and adults so you can learn about the exciting world of Musical Theater Dance. And classes are rounded off with Improvisation classes and Musical Theater Group Voice for teens and adults. Spring courses have already begun, with 12 weeks of courses through May 13, with a week off March 28-April 1 and spring break April 1115. HART also offers pay-per-class with just a $15 drop-in fee. HART is also offering free workshops in Stage Management April 2, 9 and 16. You can learn more about these opportunities and sign up for classes and workshops by visiting harttheatre.org and viewing the Kids at HART classes and camps page. Masks will be required for all courses. For more information, contact Artistic Director Candice Dickinson at 646.647.4546 or email candice@harttheatre.org.

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A special stage production of “Newsies” will be held at 7:30 p.m. April 1-2, 8-9 and at 2 p.m. April 3 and 10 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theater in Waynesville. “Newsies” was a monstrous hit on Broadway and is based on the classic Disney film of the same name. It won two Tony awards, including “Best Choreography” by Christopher Gattelli, who is a former Western North Carolina resident, and used to work with HART Educational Director Shelia Sumpter. The story was inspired by the real-life “Newsboy Strike of 1899,” a two-weeklong action against powerful publishers including Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Set in New York City, “Newsies” is a rousing tale of a charismatic newsboy named Jack Kelly, played by Drake Frost, who leads a band of young teenagers to strike against the titans of publishing who raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense in order to increase their own profits.

The brave and impassioned young children take on the industry and even the city and its treatment of the poor. You will fall in love with these young kids who dream of a better world as they fight for what’s right. Journey with these inspirational teens through their doubts and triumphs against an adult world. Twists and turns abound in the plot as Jack and the gang bravely risk the odds stacked against them. Under the direction of Shelia Sumpter, the show features inspirational characters like Crutchie, Jack’s best friend, played by Savanna Shaw, and the many homeless boys who find as much joy as they can in life despite their poverty. Many of HART’s “Kids At HART” talent are featured, including over 30 local kids and even HART’s Executive Director Steve Lloyd as the villainous Pulitzer. Tickets range from $7 to $36 per person, depending on seating options. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 828.456.6322 or click on harttheatre.org.

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On the shelf

Part ecologist, part archeologist, part botanist, part topographer, part historian and part sage, Lopez explores in detail the

Thomas Crowe

dered: what is going to happen to us? What is our fate if we do not learn to speak with each other over our cultural divides, with an indifferent natural world bearing down on us?”

• The “Fire Towers & Beer” book event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva. Author Peter Barr recently released a guidebook, “Exploring North Carolina’s Lookout Towers,” and will be giving a book presentation in the taproom. The book is a hiking and historical guide to the fire lookout towers of Western North Carolina, with the highest concentration of them surrounding Franklin and Sylva in the Nantahala National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.

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“My desire in planning this book was to create a narrative that would engage a reader’s intent on discovering a trajectory in her or his own life, a coherent and meaningful story, at a time in our cultural and biological history when it has become an attractive option to lose faith in the meaning of our lives. At a time when many see little more on the horizon but the suggestion of a dark future. Wherever I have traveled, I’ve won-

places he takes us in “Horizon.” In his sage’s voice he writes: “The question is how we can cooperate with one another to ensure we will someday have a fitting, not a dominating, place in nature, in the world. As time grows short, the necessity to listen attentively to foundational stories other than our own becomes imperative. My experiences in all the places I have visited and spent time in, point me toward an overriding and fundamental issue — the importance of preserving the human capacity to love.” As the topographer and scribe, Lopez writes descriptively of his homeland along the Pacific coast of Oregon: “Each place on Earth goes deep. Some vestige of the old, now seemingly eclipsed place is always there to be had. The immensity of the mutable sea before me at Cape Foulweather, the faint barking of sea lions in the air, the nearly impenetrable groves of stout Sitka spruce behind me, the moss-bound creeks, the flocks of mew gulls circling schools of anchovies just offshore, the pummeling winds and crashing surf of late-winter

storms — it’s all still there.” While Lopez can write beautifully and even beatifically about the natural world, and does so in spades in “Horizon,” he can be equally poignant in his observations and descriptions. “However it might be viewed, the throttled Earth — the scalped, the mined, the industrially farmed, the drilled, polluted, and suctioned land, endlessly manipulated for further development and profit — is now our home.” Meanwhile, the curious anthropologist in Lopez is eversearching for clues and evidence of the Earth’s history and our longtime habitation here. “Scientists have since found more pieces of the moon (and Mars) sitting on the ice in Antarctica,” he writes. Interesting stuff! But, while we accompany Lopez to these unique spots on the planet and see them through his eyes, he keeps reminding us of the big questions that we must be addressing while lingering in nature’s gardens. “We will need the entire sum of human knowledge as it is encoded in all the world’s languages to truly understand and care for the planet we live on. Humans need to estabish a more relevant politics than the competitive politics of nation-states. And to found economics built not on profit but on conservation.” Along these lines, he goes on to say, “It’s diversity that ensures perpetuity. The loss of diversity threatens all life with extinction. Diversity has long been the central responsibility of wisdom keepers in every human society.” And it is in Lopez’s interest and respect for ancient peoples who lived in relative harmony and sustainability with the planet that he draws some of his own most prescient conclusions. “With the Indigenous people’s acute awareness of the depth and intricacy of the local, the myriad relationships that, attended to, create the sustaining wholeness of his immediate world, and with a visionary’s awareness of a fabric comprised of all these local universes, more options for humanity become apparent.” Or as he cites from the ancient tradition of the Navaho: “... the infinite repetition of the cycles of life according to which there is beauty, harmony and health everywhere.” May it continue... (Thomas Crowe is a regular contributer to The Smoky Mountain News and author of the multi-award-winning non-fiction nature memoir “Zoro’s Field: My Life in the Appalachian Woods.”)

March 23-29, 2022

t’s rare to come across a book that takes one far afield from the original focus presented by the artist at hand. Most books aim to keep the reader “at home,” so to speak, not venturing out and about into uncharted or unrelated territory. In best-selling author Barry Lopez’s 550-page swan song, “Horizon” (Vintage Books, 2019), a non-fiction book of travel tales taking the reader around the globe to six fascinating regions of the world, this book is not about “location, location, location” alone, but about the current state of culWriter tural and ecologial affairs that, at times, is like listening to the storyline on the nightly news. Lopez’s voyage begins on the coast of his home state of Oregon on the eastern shore of the North Pacific Ocean and then Skraeling Island in the Canadian High Arctic; to Puerto Ayora in the eastern equatorial Pacific off the northern coast of South America; to the Turkwel River Basin in eastern equatorial Africa; to southeastern Australia in the state of Tasmania and New South Wales; and finally to Antarctica — a journey from pole to pole. For those who like to travel, each of these less-than-famous destinations is exciting and interesting enough in their own right and especially with Lopez’s writing genius and his additional notes and musings that make “Horizon” an almost apocryphal tome. Visiting some of the most desolate places on the globe, Lopez searches for meaning and purpose in what he perceives as a broken world. A review by the Tampa Bay Times captures the essence of this engagingly powerful book and why it should be read by everyone: “Lopez is one of our great writers on the environment and the human relationship to it. His prose is beautiful, but what makes his nonfiction books so memorable is the sweeping reach of his mind.” Early on, we get a sense of the scale and scope of Lopez’s vision:

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From pole to pole, reimagining the future

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Tribal officials and representatives stand around the new school bus with N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper and EPA Administrator Michael Regan. EBCI Communications photo

Plugged in Cherokee receives state’s first electric school bus BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ith just about 2 inches to spare on each side, an 81-seat electric school bus eased into The Cherokee Convention Center exhibit hall last week for a celebration commemorating a milestone for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and both North Carolina. Cherokee is home to the first — and, for now, only — electric school bus in the state. “Has anybody ever thought about how far we’ve come, to have an electric school bus?” Cherokee Boys Club General Manager Greg Owle said during the event March 15, as recorded by WLOS. “The Cherokee Boys Club Incorporated is excited to enter a new threshold of environmental technology that will reduce the carbon footprint in our beautiful mountains. The Cherokees have always tried to live at one with nature, and to protect what we have so generously been given.” Constructed by High Point-based Thomas Built Buses, the new vehicle was purchased through grant funds from North Carolina’s Volkswagen Emissions Settlement — the state’s piece of a massive settlement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Volkswagen following allegations that the company equipped cars in model years 20092016 with computer software designed to cheat on federal emissions tests. The grant

completely covered the $360,000 price tag for the bus as well as $45,000 for the charger.

CELEBRATION IN CHEROKEE Nine other jurisdictions also received grant funding for bus purchases through the program, but Cherokee is the first to receive a vehicle. EBCI Air Quality Program Supervisor Katie Tiger, who spearheaded the tribe’s application, credits the Cherokee Boys Club’s existing relationship with Thomas Built Buses and specifically Service Manager Donnie Owl for that outcome. The Cherokee Boys Club, which operates buses for Cherokee Central Schools, is certified to work on the company’s diesel

buses and will soon be adding electric bus maintenance to its repertoire. “We were ready for it,” she said. “As soon as we got notification, Donnie was on it.” The March 15 celebration drew dignitaries from tribal, state and federal government to participate, including Gov. Roy Cooper and EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who formerly served as secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. “These electric buses are better for the environment, better for children’s health,” said Cooper. “They cost less to maintain over time, and they are built right here in North Carolina by North Carolinians in good-paying jobs. That is a win-win-win-win for us today.” Electric school buses cost about four times as much as conventional diesel school buses, said Tiger, but over time the cost is roughly the same due to lower fueling costs and simpler maintenance. Diesel buses have about

Principal Chief Richard Sneed signs a certificate commemorating the event, joined by Regan (left) and Cooper. EBCI Communications photo

26,000 moving parts, while an electric bus has 26, so maintenance is easier. Because they’re charged through the electric grid, their cleanliness depends on what’s powering the plug. In Western North Carolina, most areas are powered through Duke Energy, and most of Duke’s power comes from the power plant in Asheville, which in recent years has switched from coal to natural gas. According to the company’s website, the switch was expected to drop carbon dioxide emissions by about 60% per megawatt-hour, sulfur dioxide by 99% and nitrogen oxides by 40%, and to eliminate mercury. “The bigger picture is these kids riding the diesel bus and they’re not having to directly breathe in those emissions,” said Tiger. “So locally, it’s better for the environment.” In his March 15 address, Cooper gave an overview of North Carolina’s remarkable progress on air quality over the last few decades. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, pollution was terrible in Western North Carolina, on most summer days obscuring the longrange views that today are the region’s calling card. In 2002, the N.C. General Assembly passed the Clean Smokestack Act to reduce emissions at power plants in North Carolina, and Cooper, who at the time was the state’s attorney general, launched a legal battle against the Tennessee Valley Authority to force them to reduce pollution coming from out of state. Since becoming governor, Cooper has issued a series of executive orders to move the state even closer toward clean and renewable energy sources. In October, Cooper signed a bipartisan law that aims for carbon neutrality by 2050. “It’s time to tackle clean transportation,” he said.

FIRST OF MANY Cherokee’s new bus is just the first of what tribal leaders hope to be many electric vehicles in the tribal fleet. The EBCI logged another first when it became the first tribe east of the Mississippi River to receive a Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant from the EPA, which will allow it to purchase four more buses. The vehicles have already been ordered, and Tiger expects them to arrive this summer. The fleet of five will become a pilot project for the tribe. “Really, these buses haven’t been tested in our area, so we wanted to test them in the mountainous terrain,” Tiger said. “I think they say 150 miles they can go on a charge in the flat land, and they’re estimating about 130 around here, but we’re going to see if that’s right.” While the Volkswagen grant covered the entire cost of the bus purchase, the DERA grant requires a partnership. The EPA funding will cover $500,000, and Duke Energy is supplying an additional $860,000. The tribe will contribute $300,000 and the Cherokee Boys Club $60,000. Conditions of the state and federal grants require the tribe to destroy four diesel buses in

Four N.C. birds confirmed dead from avian flu and risk of transmission to humans is rare. To date, there have not been any known human infections in North America. According to a database of confirmed cases from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, HPAI has not been confirmed in any North Carolina commercial or backyard poultry flocks this year. The only case in a neighboring state was confirmed Feb. 12 in Faquier County, Virginia — the northern part of the state — in a backyard flock of 90 birds. “If someone comes across a mortality event involving five or more waterbirds or waterfowl, or a mortality event of any size for raptors or avian scavengers, including crows, ravens and gulls, we want to know about them,” said Sarah Van de Berg, wildlife biologist with the Wildlife Commission. “We are particularly interested in morbidity events involving any number of those same bird species that are observed with clinical signs consistent with neurological impairment, like swimming in circles, head tilt and lack of coordination.” Report such behavior to the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at HWI@ncwildlife.org or 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 866.318.2401. ncagr.gov/avianflu.

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March 23-29, 2022

to buy at least 50% electric or hybrid vehiexchange for the five it will receive through cles when making new tribal fleet purchases DERA and Volkswagen funding. and install 20 electric vehicle charging sta“A clean energy transition for our state tions on the Qualla Boundary and at tribal is incomplete if we don’t also tackle transbuildings by 2024. Additionally, the resoluportation,” Stephen De May, N.C. president tion commits the tribe to paying for two for Duke Energy, told the crowd March 15. staff members to become certified mechan“Transportation is the state’s largest source ics in electric and hybrid vehicles, and to of greenhouse gas emissions. Duke Energy assess opportunities for energy efficiency supports the governor’s Executive Order and renewable energy when planning new 246 to increase EVs and EV infrastructure. construction projects. Duke realizes that it has a role to play in its In the five months since the resolution success. That role focuses on access and passed, the tribal fleet has added two new affordability for all.” electric vehicles to its ranks — a departEvery day, said Regan, 5 million children ride a school bus. He hopes zero-emission “The tribe’s really trying to be at the buses become “the forefront of implementing the future of American standard.” An additional $17 miltechnologies that are available to us to lion in clean school bus grants are soon reduce our emissions and increase our coming to school disrenewable energy production.” tricts across the country, he said, including — Joey Owle $7 million from the American Rescue Plan. An “unprecedented” $5 billion is on mental transport vehicle and a forklift — the way for low and zero-emissions school said Secretary of Natural Resources and buses from Infrastructure Act funding. Agriculture Joey Owle, who championed “The actions we all take today will deterthe carbon reduction resolution. The tribe mine the quality of life for our future generis also evaluating the potential for micro ations,” Regan said. “I’m so optimistic hydroelectric systems at two in-process about what lies ahead, and now it’s time for projects, reconstructing the tribal fish all of us to hit that accelerator.” hatchery and a restoring a stream in Big Cove. Additionally, the Cherokee Indian Hospital is applying for grant funding to NGOING EFFORTS install a solar array there, Owle said. “The tribe’s really trying to be at the foreThe school bus project fits neatly with front of implementing the future of techthe tribe’s continued focus on environmennologies that are available to us to reduce tal sustainability, evidenced through the our emissions and increase our renewable October 2021 passage of a resolution comenergy production,” Owle said. “And so I mitting to a drastic reduction in carbon just look forward to working with our tribal emissions. partners to help make all that possible.” Under the resolution, the tribe will aim

outdoors

Wild bird deaths due to highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, have been documented in four North Carolina counties, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is encouraging people to report potentially sick birds to the N.C. Wildlife Helpline. So far, mortalities have been documented in a snow goose in Hyde County, a redhead duck in Carteret County, a red-shouldered hawk in Wake County and a bald eagle in Dare County. The snow goose and redhead duck were observed with neurological signs consistent with HPAI prior to being euthanized, and the hawk and eagle were found dead. The National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa, confirmed that the birds were infected with HPAI. The Wildlife Commission announced the first waterfowl testing positive for HPAI in January, with the infected birds collected during the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s wild bird surveillance program. They were asymptomatic, hunter-harvested birds. Only recently have biologists confirmed mortality from HPAI. Wild birds can die from HPAI, especially raptors that prey on waterfowl and avian scavengers feeding on infected carcasses. Wild waterfowl don’t typically exhibit signs of disease,

Volunteers evaluate a stream sample. outdoors

Donated photo

Help screen for healthy streams

March 23-29, 2022

Get trained to monitor water quality in your local stream during a workshop offered 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 2, along the Buncombe-Madison county line. The Stream Monitoring Information Exchange Macroinvertebrate Sampling Workshop, offered by the Environmental Quality Institute, will cover basic stream ecology, how to report water quality problems, aquatic insect identification and stream sampling skills. The event is free, with EQI providing all supplies, but dona-

Volunteers needed for Kids in the Creek Volunteers are wanted for Kids in the Creek, an annual environmental education program that’s been teaching eighth-grade students in Haywood County about watershed ecology since 1999. During this field trip, students learn about watershed hydrology and water chemistry, and collect fish and aquatic bugs. Volunteers are welcome to pitch in for full or half days, and no experience is necessary. Kids in the Creek will take place 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. April 19-21 and 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. April 22, rain or shine, at the Canton Recreation Park. Volunteers should bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, a camp chair, a change of clothing and an old pair of lace-up sneakers. Stay-dry volunteer positions are available as well. Lunch, snacks and waders provided. RSVP to Christine O’Brien by April 15 at 828.475.4667, ext. 11, or christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com.

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Celebrate the outdoors this April

tions are welcome. No experience is necessary to participate. Trained volunteers will be asked to sample at least two sites, spending about two hours per site, twice per year — once in the spring and once in the fall. The workshop will consist of a morning training session via Zoom followed by a streamside training session. RSVP at bit.ly/smieworkshop. Contact Kaila with questions at eqilabstaff@gmail.com.

April will be a big month for outdoor professionals and enthusiasts in Western North Carolina, with several conferences and festivals scheduled to bring together people from across the state and nation. ■ The fourth annual Outdoor Economy Conference will be held April 4-7 at Harrah’s Cherokee Conference Center in Cherokee, offering four days packed full of panels, keynote addresses, excursions and networking opportunities spanning the gamut of interests related to the outdoors and the economic sector built around it. Tickets are limited but still available. Register at outdooreconomy.org. ■ The Mountains-to-Sea Trail Gathering of Friends is coming to Lake Junaluska April 7-

10, with a robust offering of hikes, excursions, cultural experiences, speakers and opportunities to interact with other traillovers available to attendees. Space is limited. Register at mountainstoseatrail.org/gathering-of-friends. ■ The seventh annual Get in Gear Fest, hosted by Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC, will bring together gear makers and users April 22-24 for a celebration of WNC’s outdoor industry at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain. Saturday, April 23, will feature a free event for the public to see new products, test gear and gather outdoors, with a VIP gathering Friday night. No tickets are necessary to attend Saturday, but those looking to make a full weekend of it can obtain on-site lodging, food, beverage and adventure passes from Camp Rockmont at rockmont.com/gigf. For more information on the festival, visit getingearfest.com.

Blackrock summit in the spruce-fir forest topping the Plott Balsam Mountains. The point offers a nearly 360-degree view.

swim lesson dates, visit bit.ly/36wS70M. For more information contact 828.456.2030 or lkinsland@waynesvillenc.gov.

Senior softball league forming An organizational meeting for a senior softball league forming in Waynesville will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, April 4, at Vance Street Park softball field. The league is open to men 60 and older and to women 50 and older. Practices will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Vance Street Park. For more information, contact Donald Hummel at 828.456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

March 23-29, 2022

A total of 94 people completed the grueling Assault on BlackRock trail race Saturday, March 19. Boone resident Ryan Woods, 43, took first place, conquering the steep 7-mile course in 71:15 — more than 10 minutes ahead of secondplace Jacob Myers, 24, of Sapphire, who finished in 81:25. Boone resident Tucker Deal, 42, came in third with a time of 81:52. On the women’s side, Lenoir resident Laura Clarke, 40, was the fastest at 96:27, followed by fellow 40-yearold Lenoir resident Allison Sharpe, at 113:54. In third was Candler resident Teresa Bowser, 36, Boone resident at 115:04. Ryan Woods cruises The challenging into first place. course starts from Scott McLeod photo Sylva’s Pinnacle Park to traverse 7 miles of trail with 2,770 feet of elevation gain. Participants will climb rocky roadbeds and a single-track trail to the 5,810-foot

Swim lessons are back at the Waynesville Recreation Center, with a beginner class for ages 3-8 to be offered once per month. The first round of classes started this month and filled up quickly, as only eight spots are available. Going forward, the rec center plans to advertise lessons and signup start A young swimmer dates at the learns her strokes. beginning of File photo each month and hold lessons during the last two weeks of each month. Signups for future sessions will start the day advertised by the rec center, with registra-

tions accepted 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Classes will likely fill up the day they are announced, as the rec center currently has only one consistent instructor. To sign up for up-to-the-minute announcements from the rec center, including

outdoors

Athletes complete the Assault on BlackRock

Swim lessons resume at Waynesville Rec

Proceeds from Saturday’s race benefited the Southwestern Community College Student Emergency Fund.

Hike the MST Explore the Mountains-to-Sea Trail with a 5.6-mile excursion Wednesday, March 30, in Haywood County. Kathy Odvody and Steve Szczepansk will lead the walk to Scott Creek Overlook, the third hike in Haywood Recreation and Park’s series “Hiking the MST thru Haywood County.” Hikes cost $10 to join, paid at registration. Sign up by calling 828.452.6789.

Motion Makers turns 36

Ride the greenway — safely Kids will learn how to be safe on and around bikes during “Ride the Greenway,” 1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 26, on the Jackson County Greenway in Cullowhee. Loaner bikes are available for this event, designed to teach kids proper bike and pedestrian safety, including instructions for bicyclists to safely pass pedestrians. Jackson County Parks and Recreation staff will show how to use the bike repair station, and SAFE Kids will provide helmet fittings. Group rides on the greenway will reinforce newly learned skills. Free. Helmets required, and kids must have a guardian present. Hosted by JCPR and the Sylva Police Department. Trevor Brown, trevorbrown@jacksonnc.org.

You can pick up a free copy of The Smoky Mountain News at 500 locations across Western NC!

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Motion Makers Bicycle Shop turns 36 this month and is planning to celebrate at all three locations — Asheville, Sylva and Cherokee — March 25-26. Group rides, an anniversary sale, food

trucks and appearances from favorite Western North Carolina cycling brands are all expected to highlight the weekend. For more information, check the Facebook page for each store or call Asheville at 828.633.2227, Cherokee at 828.477.4421 or Sylva at 828.586.6925.

But you can also have it delivered to your mailbox. SMOKYMOUNTAINNEWS.COM or 828.452.4251

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Eco-Adventure participants explore a Smokies trail. Donated photo

‘Glamp’ the Smokies The Great Smokies Eco-Adventure, a fundraising event for Discover Life in America, will be held April 10-12 near Gatlinburg. Featuring “glamping,” gourmet food and drink, guided nature hikes and live music, the event will support DLIA’s mission to conduct biodiversity research in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Currently there are 21,302 unique species known to

March 23-29, 2022

Pitch in on the Benton MacKaye Trail Volunteers are needed to help the Benton MacKaye Trail Association with a maintenance project starting 9 a.m. Saturday, March 26, near Robbinsville. The group will remove blown down trees and branches on the trail between Big Fat Gap and Yellowhammer Gap. Participants should bring water, snacks, gloves and sturdy boots, and weather-appropriate clothing. RSVP to Keith Mertz at keithmertz@hotmail.com.

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Celebrate A.T. season in Franklin

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the park—with more than half of those documented by the ATBI in its 23+ year mission to catalog every species that exists in the Smokies. The Eco-Adventure is an “edutaining” experience that allows guests to learn about Smokies species in a fun and luxurious atmosphere, said DLiA Executive Director Todd Witcher. All-inclusive tickets are $950 apiece. Space limited. Register at dlia.org.

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Puzzles can be found on page 38 These are only the answers.

Appalachian Trail season is here, with 3,065 people registered to start a thru-hike from Springer Mountain between Feb. 1 and April 30. As they arrive in Franklin, a full schedule of events and services will greet them and help the larger community celebrate what the A.T. means to Western North Carolina. ■ At 5 p.m. Saturday, March 26, Currahee Brewing Coming will host its Hiker Bash, with live music from Grizzly Mammoth starting at 7 p.m. ■ Three Eagles Outfitters will host the 28th anniversary Hiker Fest Friday and Saturday, April 1-2. ■ Nantahala Hiking Club will hold its annual Thru Hiker Chow Down noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Lazy Hiker Brewing Company. NHC volunteers will serve hikers a chili dog lunch, with the public welcome to come and hang out with the hikers.

■ At 5 p.m. Friday, April 8, Outdoor 76 will host Food, Fix & Brews. ■ The Hiker Hunger Games and Gooder Grove’s Groovy Gathering will happen at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at Gooder Grove Hostel. ■ The AT110 Fest at 6 p.m. Friday, April 15, at Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub will benefit Mainspring Conservation Trust. ■ At 6 p.m. Friday, April 22, Lazy Hiker Brewing Company will host the Outdoor Music Jam & Gear Exchange. Throughout March and April, the Macon County Public Library will host its “Walking with Spring” outdoor-themed programs at 6 p.m. Wednesdays. For more information, visit atmile110.com.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Jackson County Farmers Market meets every Saturday November through March 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and April through October 9 a.m.-noon at Bridge Park in Sylva, 110 Railroad St. Fresh, locally grown seasonal vegetables, locally produced meat, eggs, fresh bread and pastries, coffee, foraged mushrooms, flowers, starter plants for the garden, honey, jams and jellies, local artisans and more. Special events listed on Facebook and Instagram. • The Jackson Arts Market takes place from 1-5 p.m. every Saturday at 533 West Main St. in Sylva with live music and an array of local artists. Benjamin Jacobs will play music at the market March 26. • The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce will hold its STIR (socialize, talk, interact, remember) event from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24, at Sylva Thrift Shop. This is a networking event, rsvp by Monday, March 21 by calling the chamber at 828.586.2155.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Western Carolina University’s Educational Leadership Programs will be hosting Equity in Education Summit from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 25, at the Crest Center in Asheville. The registration fee for the summit is $100 and includes a light breakfast and lunch. For more information about the conference, contact Jess Weiler at jrweiler@email.wcu.edu. For more information about registration, visit learn.wcu.edu/equity-summit or call 828.227.7397. • The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service will hold a Gardening Basics 101 Seminar (free) from 6-7 p.m. Monday, March 28, via zoom. For more information, contact the Macon County Extension Center at 828.349.2049 or e-mail Christy Bredenkamp at clbreden@ncsu.edu.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Wheels Through Time Museum will be holding a tribute event from noon-4 p.m. April 2, at the Wheels Through Time Museum, celebrating the life of museum founder Dale Walksler. Pastor and museum staff member Kris Estep will speak at 2 p.m., followed by comments and stories from some of Dale’s closest family and friends. For more information, visit www.wheelsthroughtime.com/dales-celebration-of-life/.

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

GROUPS AND MEETINGS • Pat Zick, who writes under the pseudonym of P.C. Zick, will be the featured guest reader for Mountain Wordsmiths at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 24, via Zoom. This monthly event sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West is continuing its online presence because local writers as well as writers from other states and cities are joining us each month on Zoom. • Indivisible Swain County NC will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, March 28, via Zoom. Guest speaker will be Superintendent of Swain County Public Schools Mark Sale. Agenda items include action steps for priorities for 2022 - Medicaid expansion, voting, education and

Smoky Mountain News

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com environment. All are welcome to join and share concerns and ideas. If interested in attending, email maryherr2017@gmail.com for a link or call 828.497.9498.

POLITICAL CORNER • The Macon County Republican Party will hold its 2022 Convention and Precinct Meetings at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 25 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Rd., in Franklin. Meet and greet will begin at 5:30 p.m., the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. All Macon County voters registered as Republicans as of Jan. 31, 2022, are encouraged to attend. Macongop.com. • Haywood County GOP is hosting a Sheriff’s Candidate Forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, in the 2nd floor Courtroom, Historic Courthouse, 215 N. Main St, Waynesville. www.haywood.nc.gop

“Fool’s Gold” album release party March 25. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) March 25, Granny’s Mason Jar (Americana/folk) March 26 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana) March 27. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com. • Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade & The Sound (rock/soul) March 25 and PMA (rock/reggae) March 26. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com. • The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host The Raspbillies (Americana/indie) at 9 p.m. April 1. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Blackjack Country March 24, Caribbean Cowboys March 25 and Jason Wilson & James County March 26. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

FOOD AND DRINK AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Blue Ridge Books and News will host a discussion about the book “Dear Martin,” and its recent challenge at Tuscola High School with author Nic Stone at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 24, at the Haywood Community College Auditorium. For more information about the program, drop by or call Blue Ridge Books at 828.456.6000. • All five books in the North Carolina Reads, North Carolina Humanities’ statewide book club for 2022, will be given away free at Jackson County Public Library. The first book in the series is The Last Ballad by North Carolina writer Wiley Cash. Library staffer Allyson Coan will lead a discussion of the novel from 6:30-7:30 p.m Tuesday, March 29, in the atrium of the Jackson County Public Library. All are welcome for the discussion. There are still free copies of all 5 books ready for giveaway. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

A&E

• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon-4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com. • Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jam at the Gem” featuring regional/national bluegrass stars April 2. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company (Maggie Valley) will host an Open Mic Night 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com. • Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Travis Tritt (country) 9 p.m. March 25. For tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee. • Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host an “Open Mic Night” March 31 and Alma Russ (Americana/folk) April 7. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host the Alma Russ

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host a “Thru-Hiker Chow Down” from noon-3 p.m. Saturday, April 2. The Nantahala Hiking Club and Lazy Hiker welcome all thruhikers for free food, games and craft beer. Come mingle with your fellow hikers and enjoy “Trail Days.” 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • A free wine tasting will be held from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday and 2-5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075. • “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12 (and other select dates), at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first-class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com • Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • The Broadway musical favorite Newsies is coming to the HART Main Stage April 1. Newsies has performances at 7:30 p.m. April 1, 2, 8 and 9, 2 p.m. and April 3 and 10. Tickets are available now by visiting harttheatre.org or by calling HART’s Box Office at 828.456.6322.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • Dogwood Crafters will host a workshop on nontraditional approach to quilting called the “Stack ‘n Whack” method will be taught in two sessions from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursdays, April 7 and April 14. Joyce Lantz will lead participants in stacking and cutting their fabric at the first meeting and putting it all together at the second. The cost is $20. To attend, call Dogwood Crafters at 828.586.2248.

Outdoors

• The Haywood County Master Gardener Plant Clinic is now open again with an in-person format, 9 a.m.-noon every Tuesday and 1-4 p.m. Thursdays through

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

Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings September, excepting holidays. Drop into the Cooperative Extension Office on Raccoon Road in Waynesville or call 828.456.3575. • The Hemlock Restoration Initiative will hold a volunteer workday with the Forest Restoration Alliance from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, March 25, in Waynesville. To see the complete list of events or to sign up, visit savehemlocksnc.org/events. Most events require registration one week in advance. • Saturday, March 26, the second annual Waterfall Sweep organized by Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina will take place. Crews of volunteers will spend that day picking up litter at beloved waterfalls across the state. Learn more or sign up at waterfallkeepersofnc.org/waterfall-sweep. • Opening day for fishing season is Saturday, March 26, on the Qualla Boundary, and a weekend-long fishing tournament offering $20,000 in cash prizes will celebrate the occasion. Register by paying the $15 entry fee and $17 two-day fishing permit anywhere fishing licenses are sold or online at FishCherokee.com by Friday, March 25. • Motion Makers Bicycle Shop turns 36 this month and is planning to celebrate at all three locations — Asheville, Sylva and Cherokee — March 25-26. Group rides, an anniversary sale, food trucks and appearances from favorite Western North Carolina cycling brands are all expected to highlight the weekend. For more information, check the Facebook page for each store or call Asheville at 828.633.2227, Cherokee at 828.477.4421 or Sylva at 828.586.6925. • Kids will learn how to be safe on and around bikes during “Ride the Greenway,” 1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 26, on the Jackson County Greenway in Cullowhee. Free. Helmets required, and kids must have a guardian present. Hosted by JCPR and the Sylva Police Department. Trevor Brown, trevorbrown@jacksonnc.org. • At 5 p.m. Saturday, March 26, Currahee Brewing Coming will host its Hiker Bash, with live music from Grizzly Mammoth starting at 7 p.m. • The U.S. Open, a two-day event featuring slalom, extreme slalom and wildwater races, will come to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27. More information will be posted as race day draws near at noc.com/events/nrc-us-open. • The Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon and Mighty Four Miler will return to Waynesville this year, stepping off Saturday, April 2. Register at gloryhoundevents.com. • Three Eagles Outfitters will host the 28th anniversary Hiker Fest Friday and Saturday, April 1-2. • Nantahala Hiking Club will hold its annual Thru Hiker Chow Down noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Lazy Hiker Brewing Company. NHC volunteers will serve hikers a chili dog lunch, with the public welcome to come and hang out with the hikers. • Get trained to monitor water quality in your local stream during a workshop offered 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 2, along the Buncombe-Madison county line. RSVP at bit.ly/SMIEWorkshop. Contact Kaila with questions at eqilabstaff@gmail.com.

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rience and education will EH FRQVLGHUHG %HQH¿WV vacation, sick, holidays and dental, life and health insurance. Mon-Fri 40 hours per week. You can make a difference. Applications available at DisAbility Partners, 525 Mineral Springs Drive, Sylva or on our website; disabilitypartners.org. Call Barbara Davis for more information 828226-8263. REGISTERED NURSE If you are a Registered Nurse licensed in the State of North Carolina and want less stress than the typical medical, hospital structure requires we need your nursing skills to supervise the daily operations of home

care services provided through Home Care Partners. This position supervises the aides, scheduling, training and day to day activities to assure our clients can remain independent in their home environment. No medical services administered. Mon-Fri 40 KRXUV SHU ZHHN %HQH¿WV include vacation, sick, holidays and dental, life, health insurance. Please call Julie Van Hook at 828-507-6065 for more information. You can apply at Disability Partners, 525 Mineral Springs Drive, Sylva, NC 28779. THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT Of Social Services is recruiting for an Income

Nantahala Outdoor Center is seeking a Housekeeping Manager that will effectively and efﬁciently manage a small team to ensure the cleanliness of the cabins, rooms, and bathrooms while upholding the departments policies and procedures and deliver exceptional customer service. This is a Full-Time position reporting to the Lodging Manager. NOC is looking for candidates that can work a ﬂexible schedule including mornings, weekends, and holidays. Applicants can expect to work between 3545 hours per week.

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Maintenance Caseworker. This position is responsible for intake, application processing and review functions in determining eligibility for Family and Children’s Medicaid. Above average communication, computer and work organizational skills are required. Work involves direct contact with the public. Applicants should have one year of Income Maintenance Casework experience. Applicants will also be considered who have an Associate’s Degree in human services, business or clerical UHODWHG ¿HOG RU JUDGXDtion from high school and an equivalent combination of training and experience. The starting salary is $28,496.34 – $31,417.21 depending on education and experience. The application for employment is available online at: www. jcdss.org and should be submitted to the Jackson County Department of 6RFLDO 6HUYLFHV *ULI¿Q Street, Sylva, NC 28779 or the Sylva branch of the NC Works Career Center. Applications will be taken until March 25, 2022. WANTED CARPENTRY HELP PART TIME Needed: Carpenter with experience in helping with building house in the Bethel area. Must have your own insurance. Text Roland (828) 505-6879 tgauts56@gmail.com HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT MANAGER #003661 The Department of Residential Living at Western Carolina University is accepting applications for the position of Housekeeping Dept. Manager on the Cullowhee campus. This position involves the planning, scheduling and management of the residential housekeeping program at WCU. This position requires excellent decision-making skills, the ability to manage staff, and a knowledge of what it takes to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. This position will plan work assignments, establish rules and guidelines,

and will resolve disciplinary concerns. The ideal candidate will be very organized, will have excellent communication skills, and will excel at team building and staff administration. Join our team! Apply online at https://jobs.wcu.edu/ postings/18830 Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity/AcFHVV $I¿UPDWLYH $FWLRQ Pro Disabled & Veteran Employer. PATHWAYS FOR THE FUTURE, INC. dba Disability Partners is seeking a dynamic, forward thinking person for the position of Executive Director. Disability Partners is a local Center for Independent Living serving 14 Counties in Western North Carolina, ZLWK RI¿FHV LQ 6\OYD DQG Asheville, North Carolina. People with disabilities are served through the Center for Independent Living, Homecare Partners and Person First Services, a provider of the Innovations Waiver through Vaya. The Executive Director Job Description and application can be found at https:// www.disabilitypartners. org/employment-opportunities. All applicants must submit by email: Cover Letter, current Resume and a complete application to: ssacco@disabilitypartners.org. The deadline to apply for the position is April 29, 2022 at 5:00pm. Documents submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position. CONSTRUCTION ASSISTANT PT – Haywood and Jackson Co. - Smoky Mountain Housing Partnership (SMHP) is the affordable housing division of Mountain Projects, Inc. SMHP is seeking a Part-Time Construction Assistant to work in the Self-Help Housing Program. This position will work under the direction of the Construction Supervisor to assist in overseeing families in the construction of their own homes. Previous experience or knowledge of construction, weath-

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HER LEADING FATHER ACROSS 1 Passengers 7 It's used for simmering 14 Good for farming 20 Texas wildcat 21 Huffington of HuffPost 22 Hooded snakes 23 Noted WikiLeaks whistleblower [#42] 25 Potato, yam and rutabaga 26 Impressionist painter Mary 27 Toaster waffle brand 28 Ancestry 29 Not needing an Rx 30 Unkempt sort 33 Swimmer who won six Olympic gold medals [#39] 35 It has triceps 38 Radical type 40 Work units 41 Author of the Edgarwinning novel "New Orleans Mourning" [#37] 45 "TRL Top 10" channel 46 Wig makeup 50 Not similar 51 2014 Olympics host city 54 Pooh and Roo's creator 57 Erudite class 59 Actress called "The Queen of Technicolor" [#40] 61 The "Y" of YSL 62 UFO pilots, presumably 64 Surveyor's map 65 Caught in a lasso 66 Whom each of this puzzle's featured women have as a namesake 70 Like hot stuff

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68 Qatar's capital 69 Van Devere of "The Changeling" 70 Hoodwink 71 "There, I did it!" 72 Said aloud 73 Bound along 76 -- -Detoo ("Star Wars" droid) 77 Neighbor of a Pole 78 Frozen drink brand 79 Beach bird 81 In a prying way 82 Admin. aide 84 W-2 pro 85 "Yeow!" 88 Hearing pair 92 Clumsy ox 94 Suture 95 Baby whales 96 Mount St. -97 Add-on cost for a science course 98 Shortly, informally 100 Fonda and Austen 101 Really praise 102 Gunpowder component 103 Dewy-eyed 104 The Pine Tree State 106 "-- bin ein Berliner" 107 Totally lose it 109 Charlotte -- (rich dessert) 110 Anesthetic of old 113 Flabbergast 115 451, to Nero 116 Keats poems 118 Dosage amt. 119 By birth 120 100 in a cen.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

erization, carpentry, or building codes is a plus. This position will work on construction sites in both Haywood and Jackson Counties. Some nontraditional hours will be necessary. If you’re interested in this position, please visit www. mountainprojects.org to apply now. This position offers competitive pay, JHQHURXV EHQH¿WV DQG D great work environment. Mountain Projects is an Equal Opportunity Employer. EOE/AA SELF HELP GROUP COORDINATOR/RECRUITER – Haywood and Jackson Co. - Smoky Mountain Housing Partnership (SMHP) is the affordable housing division of Mountain Projects, Inc. SMHP is seeking a full-time Self Help Group Coordinator/Recruiter to work in the Self Help Housing Program. This position will work under the direction of the Affordable Housing Manager to recruit income eligible families who are interested in the self help method of constructing each other’s homes and assisting them in obtain-

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WCU NOW HIRING HOUSEKEEPERS $15.00/Hour plus EHQH¿WV )XOO 7LPH 3HUmanent. Also, Part time and Temp Available. Please visit https:// jobs.wcu.edu or Call 828-227-7218 An Equal Opportunity/Access/ $I¿UPDWLYH $FWLRQ 3UR Disabled & Veteran Employer. AFFORDABLE HOUSING MANAGER FTHaywood Co. - Smoky Mountain Housing Partnership (SMHP) is the affordable housing division of Mountain Projects, Inc. SMHP is seeking a dynamic leader to serve as the Affordable Housing Manager and lead SMHP into the future under the guidance of Mountain Project’s Executive Director and the SMHP Advisory Board. The ideal candidate for the Affordable Housing Manager will be a knowledgeable and engaging communicator – both orally and in writing – who is able to secure and manage funding from various grants, private donors, and government

SUDOKU Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, Answers on 34 the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

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March 23-29, 2022

WNC MarketPlace

programs to develop affordable housing and supportive services. Knowledge of construction, basic loans, lending, and mortgage principles is desired. Three years’ experience in Housing related services-including Housing Counseling, Land development supervision and budget management experience is required. A Master’s degree in a related ¿HOG DQG H[SHULHQFH is preferred. If you’re interested in this position, please visit www. mountainprojects.org to apply now. This position offers competitive pay, JHQHURXV EHQH¿WV DQG D great work environment. Mountain Projects is an Equal Opportunity Employer. EOE/AA LICENSED P&C INSURANCE AGENT Local insurance agency is looking for an individual who is motivated, energetic, and has a bright personality. Must be goal oriented with a knack for customer service, as well as a team player! Complete training in insurance will be provided. CompetLWLYH SD\ DQG EHQH¿WV offered. Full or part time. License preferred. (828) 452-2815 OlgaGeorgi2@allstate.com

Legal Notices NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned KDYLQJ TXDOL¿HG DV Executor of the Estate

of GEORGE ROBERT ORR, deceased, late of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify DOO SHUVRQV ¿UPV DQG corporations having claims against the estate to present such claims to the undersigned at 247 Charlotte Street, Suite 205, Asheville, North Carolina on or before the 16th day of June, 2022, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This the 16th day of March, 2022 ROBIN MADELLE OWENS fka ROBIN ORR METTS, Executor c/o John C. Frue, Attorney 247 Charlotte Street, Suite 205 Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 255-0309 INVITATION FOR BIDS Harris Estates. Second Avenue, Sylva, NC. Smoky Mountain Housing Partnership, a division of Mountain Projects, Inc. requests bids for all WUDGHV LQ EXLOGLQJ ¿YH houses in the Harris Estates, Second Avenue, Sylva, NC. Each house will be individually contracted and billed. Mountain Projects will oversee all construction, inspections and invoice payments. If interested in bidding please contact Joey Massie , MPI Construction Supervisor for digital or paper copies of the two blueprints we will be using. Contact Joey at 828-421-8837 or jmassie@mountainprojects.org. All requests to

bid must be received by no later than 12 o’clock Noon on March 28, 2022. Mountain Projects, Inc. reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to delete from or add to the work orders. Contractor must furnish MPI with proof of Worker’s Compensation if required and General Liability Insurance.

Medical DENTAL INSURANCE From Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844-496-8601 www. d e nt a l 5 0 p l u s .c o m /n c press #6258 DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? ApSHDO ,I \RX¶UH ¿OHG SSD and denied, our attorneys can help! Win or Pay Nothing! Strong, recent work history needed. 877-553-0252 [SteppachHU /DZ 2I¿FHV //& 3ULQFLSDO 2I¿FH $GDPV Ave Scranton PA 18503]

B&W TUXEDO CAT, LITTLE KITTY 3 yr old female. Sweet and friendly; would prefer a calm, predictable household without dogs. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org LABRADOR MIX DOG, BLONDE/ TAN —BANE 9-yr old male; sweet, cuddly, and active. Prefer home without children or other dogs. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org

Real Estate Announcements

Pets BLACKBEARD FROM SARGE’S ANIMAL RESCUE Black Beard is a sweet 2 year old boy who does indeed have a black beard. +H¶V D ELW VK\ DW ¿UVW but very loving once he opens up. Black Beard’s adoption fee is $50. Please complete our online application at www.sarges. org if you would like to schedule an appointment to meet him. (828) 246-9050 info@sarges.org SARGE’S ANIMAL RESCUE FOUNDATION Apollo is a handsome and friendly Australian Shepherd mix who weighs 37 pounds and is just under 2 years old. Apollo has by all accounts appeared to be an incredibly smart, attentive, and well rounded boy. He’s excellent on leash walks, doesn’t

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make a whole lot of noise in his kennel, and loves to be with people. Apollo has a good amount of energy and would be a wonderful hiking and adventure companion for an active family/individual. He has lived with other dogs, cats, and young children with no reported FRQÀLFW $SROOR¶V DGRStion fee is $125. Please complete a dog adoption application at www.sarges.org to be considered. (828) 246-9050 info@ sarges.org

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis. WHITE-GLOVE SERVICE From America’s Top Movers. Fully insured and bonded. Let us take the stress out of your out of state move. FREE

March 23-29, 2022

QUOTES! Call: 855-8212782

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WATER DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME? Call for a quote for professional cleanup & maintain the value of your home! Set an appt. today! Call 833664-1530 (AAN CAN)

Legal, Financial and Tax

OVER $10K IN DEBT? Be debt free in 24-48 months. Pay a fraction of what you owe. A+ BBB rated. Call National Debt Relief 866-949-0934

Wanted to Buy

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, highend, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689 BUYING FRESH CUT POPLAR BARK - Buying poplar bark siding, call for details. Ask for Sid or Hannah, 828-264-2464 or 828-264-6585.

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

3BR, 3BA, 1HB | $1,275,000 | #3839028

Sunset Hills | 4BR, 2BA $154,900 | #3835098

Dogwood Lakes | 1BR, 1BA $175,000 | #3826066

Hemlock Villas | 2BR, 1BA, 1HB $195,000 | #3838606

3BR, 1BA $249,000 | #3839493

4BR, 2BA $325,000 | #3804064

Freedlander Estates | 4BR, 3BA $349,000 | #3818651

3BR, 3BA, 1HB $390,000 | #3799776

Lake Junaluska Assembly | 4BR, 2BA, 1HB $565,000 | #3806518

3BR, 2BA, 1HB $775,000 | #3796518

Villages Of Plott Creek | 5BR, 4BA, 1HB $1,000,000 | #3811432

4BR, 5BA, 1HB $1,599,000 | #3829686

8BR, 6BA, 2HB $2,000,000 | #3763994

Smoky Mountain News

March 23-29, 2022

Under Contract

CALL TODAY (828) 634-7333 40