Smoky Mountain News | March 29, 2023

Mill receives water quality violation

‘Serendipity during the Lenten season’ Page 21

On the Cover:

Despite being a relatively routine means of pest control for decades now, residents turned out in large numbers to voice concern over the plan to spray SPLAT-GMO over parts of a 2,297-acre area in Haywood County to combat the potentially destructive spongy moth. (Page 30)

An adult male spongy moth. John H. Ghent, Forest Service/ USDA Photo

News

Cherokee buys out business lease for housing development................................4 Prosecutors seek enhanced sentence for Moody......................................................5 Conference explores impact of trauma on tribal workforce....................................6 Macon residents float withdrawing from Fontana Regional Library......................8 Tuscola High School announces new coach............................................................10 New attorney selected for Jackson County..............................................................11 Government, union prepare for impact of mill closing............................................12 Mill receives water quality violation..............................................................................13 Sylva aims to expand role of Main Street director..................................................14

settles into new role as Bryson City Town Manager................................16 WCU diversity officer appointed senior vice chancellor for DEI........................17

Opinion

What this old house remembers..................................................................................20 A&E

SALES: Susanna Shetley.

Amanda Bradley.

Sophia Burleigh.

C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier.

N EWS E DITOR: Kyle Perrotti.

WRITING: Holly Kays.

Hannah McLeod.

Garret K. Woodward.

ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Amanda Singletary.

D ISTRIBUTION: Scott Collier. .

susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com

classads@smokymountainnews.com

garret@smokymountainnews.com

. classads@smokymountainnews.com

C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing)

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“The Dose Makes The Poison”

Many people are fond of throwing around fearmongering words like: “poisonous”, “toxic”, and “dangerous” when it comes to certain foods, beverages, or ingredients – especially if it is something they don’t like or approve of.

Over 500 years ago the Swiss chemist and physician, Parcelsus, expressed the main principle of toxicology:

“All things are poison and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison.”

Whether a food, beverage, ingredient, or even something found in nature is toxic (definition: the ability to cause death or debilitation) depends on the amount a person is exposed to, how they are exposed and for how long.

Even something as vital to our survival as water can be toxic. If we drink too much water at one time, we can experience water poisoning/water toxicity. This excess water causes an electrolyte imbalance known as hyponatremia which can result in death.

Not

so fast — Medicaid expansion contingent on state budget passing

While some elected officials and media outlets are going to great lengths to celebrate Gov. Roy Cooper’s signing of the Medicaid expansion bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, there remains one very real obstacle to enactment.

Although it’s been ratified as Session Law 2023-7, a provision explicitly states that if the state’s biennial appropriations act doesn’t become law by June 30, then neither does Medicaid expansion.

Last year, senators in the NCGA passed a Medicaid expansion bill, but couldn’t get the House to reciprocate.

This year, the House passed its own bill on Feb. 16, with the Senate following suit on March 23 — albeit with some changes.

Perhaps the biggest one was stripping out Haywood Republican Rep. Mark Pless’ amendment, which had passed the house 119-0. Pless’ amendment would have guaranteed $14 million in nonrecurring funding to provide tuition reimbursement for medical professionals who promise to practice in rural areas of the state.

The amendment was needed, Pless said, to ensure the expansion population would actually have access to care. Last week, Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) said that the amendment would have made the passage of the bill more complicated.

Pless told The Smoky Mountain News that he wouldn’t vote for expansion without the amendment but later changed his mind, saying he thought it was best to vote yes, along with 86 of the 111 reps voting that day. Pless said he’d continue to fight for the tuition reimbursement issue. Corbin said he’d support such an effort.

Now that the bill has the governor’s signature, Cooper and Democrats will find themselves between a rock and a hard place — accept the GOP-dominated General Assembly’s recommended budget, as opposed to Cooper’s, or lose out on the possibility of expansion.

If that sounds far-fetched, remember that in 2021 Cooper signed the state’s first budget in three years, signaling the end of his budget standoff with the General Assembly’s, which had refused to expand Medicaid at that time.

Cooper has already presented his preferred budget, but Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) thinks it’s “irresponsible,” signifying the two sides have a long way to go before finding consensus.

By law, the budget is supposed to be passed no later than June 30.

Cory Vaillancourt, Politics Editor

Cherokee buys out business lease for housing development

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF W RITER

In a divided vote Thursday, March 2, the Cherokee Tribal Council appropriated $275,000 to buy out the lease of a Painttown Road business, paving the way for a future mixed-use development.

Zena Wolfe, who operates Hungry Wolfe Deli and The Flower Bug at 1699 Painttown Road, had an $8,400-per-year lease that was set to expire Dec. 1, 2026. However, Secretary of Housing Edwin Taylor told Tribal Council, waiting that long to start the project would cost the tribe far more than the $30,800 it would collect in rent or the $275,000 it ultimately paid to buy out the lease. Estimating inflation at 3%, waiting for the lease to expire would mean the cost of the $17 million project rising by about $1.5 million before the tribe could even break ground.

The planned project would include 54 threebedroom and four-bedroom residential units totaling 92,000 square feet as well as 8,000 square feet of commercial space. The tribe expects to make $640,000 per year on residential leases and $1.4 million in annual revenue.

Taylor said the property’s location a quarter-mile down the road from the headquarters of Qualla Enterprises, which is launching the tribe’s medical cannabis enterprise this year, will make it extremely valuable in the future.

“Once they establish that base down there, that property’s going to skyrocket in price,” he said. “Right now, we’re the only interested buyers.”

The original resolution proposed a lease buyout of $50,000, but Tribal Council asked the Business Committee to take a look and make a new lease buyout recommendation.

“We’ve went back and forth on it, but I just feel like if we displace someone on a tribal lease, I think we ought to make right by the tribe by doing so,” said Vice Chief Alan “B” Ensley, calling Wolfe’s business “a staple in the community.”

Order of Long Leaf Pine awarded posthumously to former SCC Trustee Chair

On Friday, March 10, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine was presented posthumously in honor of Lambert Wilson to his longtime partner, Jenny Holland. This award is North Carolina’s highest civilian award, given to those who have made notable contributions to their community.

Wilson worked as an educator in Swain County for 31 years, serving as a teacher and principal, and eventually holding a seat on that county’s Board of Education for over a decade.

“When I look this through and read it over, what I’m seeing is that we the Eastern Band need this last little piece of property in order to put our families and those others in a home,” said Big Cove Rep. Teresa McCoy. “That’s what I’m hearing. I move to pass.”

Tribal Council took its vote — first to amend the buyout price to $275,000, then to pass the resolution — with little discussion beforehand, but the results showed strong disagreement on the issue. In favor were Chairman Richard French, Vice Chair Albert Rose, Painttown Rep. Dike Sneed, Snowbird/Cherokee County Rep. Bucky Brown, Wolfetown Rep. Andrew Oocumma and McCoy. Opposed were Painttown Rep. Michael Stamper, Snowbird/Cherokee County Rep. Adam Wachacha, Birdtown Rep. Boyd Owle and Yellowhill Reps. David Wolfe and T.W. Saunooke.

The second Wolfetown seat was empty that day — the special election that seated Mike Parker was ongoing as Council deliberated. Both the amendment and the resolution passed with a weighted vote of 54-38.

Council members who opposed the resolution said paying that much for a buyout was not a good business decision for the tribe and set up a precedent that Tribal Council would have to face later.

“I think we all love and cherish everything she [Zena Wolfe] does for the community, but you just have to look at it from the standpoint of a business decision,” Stamper said. “It’s something that going forward others can look at it and say, ‘It was done once. Why can’t it be done again?’”

Others called for improved procedures when buying properties so that lease buyouts are taken care of on the frontend of things. In this case, Wolfe’s lease with her landlord didn’t have a buyout clause, and when the tribe purchased the property, the lease was conveyed with it.

“This has been going on for months and months and months and to keep from holding houses up and then also satisfying a citizen of the Cherokee I think that we need to have some nets there to help catch some of our previous mistakes or whatever you want to call it so we don’t have it costing a lot of money on the backend,” Oocumma said.

The project is just one of many ongoing efforts to build quality, affordable housing for tribal members. Over the past four years, the tribe has gone from 65 units to 165, all of which are full, except for 10 units undergoing renovations. Of the rented units, 94% are leased to tribal members. Other housing projects are in various stages of development, including the 188-acre Camp Creek development, which has received approval from Jackson County to construct more than 450 housing units over a 10-year buildout period.

“We’re putting people in homes,” Taylor said. “But the demand is out there still. We could probably fill 500 units, easy. It’s just a matter of getting them on the ground.”

Principal Chief Richard Sneed has signed the resolution.

He also served for 13 years on the SCC Board of Trustees, the last three as Chair, and served as co-chair for the SCC Foundation’s annual gala, which is instrumental in securing scholarship funding that will benefit generations of future students.

“So many people, myself included, describe Mr. Wilson as being one of the most generous men they’ve ever known,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC’s President. “Every decision he made while on our board was done in an effort to support our students, our college and our community.”

Along with education, Wilson had a passion for Native American art, and owned a gallery in Cherokee called The Queen House Gallery. He also served as a board member for the Asheville Art Museum.

EBCI Housing Secretary Edwin Taylor addresses Tribal Council March 2. EBCI photo

Jenny Holland (right) and Dr. Don Tomas, SCC President, hold the Order of the Long Leaf Pine that was awarded posthumously to Lambert Wilson.

Prosecutors seek enhanced sentence for Moody as second defendant pleads guilty

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

Darris Moody’s failure to appear for a federal court hearing back in October could come back to haunt her, as prosecutors plan to seek a 2-level enhancement at her upcoming sentencing.

Moody accepted a plea deal on Jan. 6, pleading guilty to violating 18 U.S. Code 875, which makes it a crime to transmit across state lines “any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another.”

In August, 2022, elected officials and public figures began receiving phony “criminal writs of execution” from a non-existent court, accusing them of environmental crimes and treason. The writs ordered the recipients to turn themselves in or face bounties of $10,000 or $20,000 for anyone who could deliver them to a “tribunal.”

Moody admitted to The Smoky Mountain News that she was the source of the writs, and was arrested at her Haywood County home on Sept. 7.

Despite her assertions that she didn’t recognize the court’s jurisdiction over her, Moody was released on bond and ordered to reappear for arraignment on Oct. 14.

Moody didn’t appear, and her bond was revoked. She was taken back into custody that same day, and booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility, where she’s been ever since.

A presentencing investigation report was filed on March 1 of this year, but Moody’s appointed counsel objected to it. As both the report and the objection were sealed, details were unavailable until prosecutors filed a response to Moody’s objection on March 17.

The government response shows that Moody objected to a probation officer’s request to enhance her sentence for obstruction of justice, related to her failure to appear at the October hearing.

In the response, Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast wrote that the failure to appear was sufficient to trigger the enhancement alone, however Gast explained that the government also expended “considerable resources” to re-apprehend her.

“Due to the Defendant’s expressed sovereign ideology and her many statements indi-

cating her belief that neither State nor federal law applied to her, the FBI and the USMS [United States Marshall Service] exercised great care in planning went to arresting her a second time,” it reads.

Five FBI agents, along with two deputy U.S. marshals and three Haywood County Sheriff’s Office deputies were involved, according to the response.

They knocked on Moody’s door and waited 15 minutes with no answer, until they saw Moody inside through a window. Officers were about to force entry until Moody’s husband opened the door.

Once back in custody, Moody claimed she wasn’t properly served with a notice to appear, and that her initial appearance had been made under duress. She was subsequently arraigned on 58 counts of interstate threats, and one count of conspiracy to kidnap.

Per the plea agreement, the maximum penalty for Moody could be five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

It’s not clear what sentence prosecutors sought, or how the requested enhancement — if it’s granted — would affect that.

The bogus writs Moody sent were downloaded from a website hosted by another group espousing sovereign citizen ideology, The People’s Bureau of Investigation. The PBI website also allowed people to selfreport who they’d served with the writs, because servers were promised small stipends for serving them.

The website, which has since been pulled down, was run by a Chicago-area man named Tim Deaver.

When reached for comment by The Smoky Mountain News last August, Deaver defended his operation by saying, “they are lawful writs from the Environmental Court regarding poison water.”

Prosecutors did not agree, and indicted Deaver last December on 62 counts of interstate threats and one count of conspiracy to kidnap.

Earlier this month, Deaver agreed to a plea deal. Terms have not yet been disclosed, and Deaver is now in the presentencing phase of the proceedings. He faces the same maximum penalties — five years in prison and a $250,000 fine — as Moody.

Building second chances

Conference explores impact of trauma on tribal workforce — and how to help

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF W RITER

When Katelynn Ledford McCoy stood in front of her Cherokee High School classmates in June 2009, the class valedictorian was so high that, later, she wouldn’t be able to recall a word she said in that long-awaited speech.

She’d been hooked on pills for about three years at that point, but it was fine, she figured — as long her grades kept up. So far, they had. But after just one semester at Western Carolina University, her addiction forced her to drop out. She would spend the coming years in and out of jail, unable to care about anything besides her next hit.

A couple longer spells drying out in jail combined with committed support from a friend in recovery allowed her to finally break the drugs’ hold on her. McCoy started to rebuild her life. That included looking for a job, but she had no idea where to start.

“I needed someone to show me, ‘Hey, this is how you dress to go to an interview, this is how you build a resume,’” she said, telling her story March 23 during the Exploring the Impact of Intergenerational Trauma on the Tribal Workforce Conference in Cherokee.

She also needed accountability, community and a second chance.

“When you come out of addiction and you come into recovery, you don’t feel like you’re worthy of second chances. Because you’ve hurt so many people,” she said. “Whether it’s your family, whether it’s community members, whether it’s friends, you’ve hurt people. I didn’t feel worthy. I didn’t feel like anybody should give me a chance.”

Today, McCoy is married, employed as a peer support specialist at Cherokee Indian Hospital and set to receive an associate degree from Southwestern Community College this May. Her success, she said, is largely thanks to the support she received from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Mothertown Healing Program.

RIPPLES FROM THE PAST

Mothertown, a year-long program that helps tribal members in recovery re-enter the workforce, is only one part of the multifaceted work falling under the EBCI’s Tribal Employment Rights Office.

The office’s mission is to ensure tribal members get preference in hiring on the Qualla Boundary and that Native-owned busi-

nesses get preference in the award of tribal contracts. As part of that mission, TERO maintains a job bank that matches employers with prospective employees. When Terri Henry became the office’s executive director in January 2019, she and her staff started noticing that many people seeking employment through the job bank were, for various reasons, ill-equipped for the professional world.

“We just kind of felt like it was important to have an understanding of really what’s going on in the lives of our people in the hope that in identifying what is the root issue or the root problem that we could find a way to address it, and to fix it in a meaningful way,” Henry said.

That conversation spurred Henry to organize the conference March 20-24 at the Cherokee Convention Center, exploring how trauma impacts the tribal workforce. Funded with American Rescue Plan money, the conference featured about two dozen speakers — of whom McCoy was one — with sessions explaining what trauma is, how it affects the brain, what it means in the workforce and how its impacts ripple through the generations.

From the opioid epidemic to fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions, trauma — especially childhood trauma — is tragically common nationwide. But Native communities like that in Cherokee bear an even heavier burden of inherited trauma due to historic injustices like the federal policy of Indian removal and the boarding school era, during which Native children were purposely cut off from their families and culture. These chapters in Cherokee history

disrupted families, homes, customs and communities, creating risk factors for social ills like violence and addiction. Even today, Native communities struggle to overcome these ripple effects from generations past.

The conference, Henry said, came out of “a real understanding and knowledge” of what tribal members are going through and a desire to find a way to move young people beyond the roadblocks of their past toward a fulfilling future.

STRESS LEAVES A FOOTPRINT

People whose history is not overloaded with trauma may be tempted to respond to those still struggling to overcome old wounds with variations of “just get over it,” but presenters at the conference showed why it’s not that simple. It all goes back to brain chemistry.

“[When] a stressful thing happens, whatever it is, our brain correctly says, yikes, this is not good,” said Dr. Anna Bullock, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. “And then our brain puts into motion two pathways in our body that are going to help us deal.”

Cortisol directs the body to increase blood sugar and substances that aid in tissue repair, and to temporarily shut down functions like digestion that are nonessential to surviving a flight-or-fight situation. Adrenaline increases the heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar, boosting alertness and energy. Meanwhile, the amygdala catalogues cues that preceded the danger in hopes of giving an early warning next time. The sys-

tem works to marshal the body’s resources to escape death, as when a gazelle runs from a lion, but when triggered too often or severely, it can do lasting damage to health, behavior and life potential.

“If you’ve had a lot of trauma in your life, all kinds of sensory input, normal stuff, will trigger this,” Bullock said. “It can be a tone of voice, facial expression, things that could have been and were associated with traumatic episodes in our past, that did mean something bad was about to happen. Dad was about to pull the belt out, or whatever it was. But now those same things probably don’t mean that. But the amygdala is still responding to it in the same way.”

This is part of the reason why ACEs, or adverse childhood experiences, can be so impactful to a person’s health and success later in life. The original ACEs study listed 10 types of childhood trauma — things like emotional, physical or sexual abuse, or growing up with a family member who uses substances, is mentally ill or incarcerated. If a person has experienced four or more before age 18, the risk of all manner of poor outcomes rises rapidly.

‘SENDING OUR KIDS OUT TO DIE’

Self-medication can be an attractive way to deal with the pain these kinds of wounds cause, whether that self-medication comes in the form of drugs, overeating, sex or something else.

Dr. Stephen Loyd delivers the keynote address Thursday, March 23. Holly Kays photo

“When you feel that bad, you want to do whatever you can to feel better right now, even though you know there are consequences to using these things to do that,” Bullock said.

Unfortunately, many of these coping mechanisms cause consequences not only for the person doing them, but for their families and any children they might be raising, perpetuating a cycle of trauma.

Dr. Steven Loyd, a keynote speaker March 23, knows this from personal experience. He grew up in poverty amid a family tree is full of people with substance abuse disorders — including his mother, who had undiagnosed bipolar disorder and was physically abusive.

When he was 5, his favorite uncle became sexually abusive. The abuse continued and intensified for years. It was a secret that Loyd intended to keep buried.

“One, I didn’t want anybody to know. Two, it’s in the past,” he said. “I’m a doctor. I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps. I got by. But the truth is I didn’t get by.”

Addiction risk is like a slot machine, he said. When the three sevens line up — family history of addiction, childhood trauma and a widely available and socially acceptable fix — watch out. For Loyd, those first two “sevens” were in place from a young age. He saw the third “seven” slide into the payline when he became a doctor. At 30 years old, after a stressful day at work during a stressful season of life, Loyd got into his car, found some Vicodin in the glove compartment left over from a dental appointment, broke one in half, and popped it in his mouth.

“By the time I got home, suddenly my wife was better, my kids were better, my job wasn’t as hard,” he said.

Soon, he was chasing that feeling all the time. Within three years, he was taking the equivalent of 100 Vicodin a day.

The habit rewired his brain. The limbic system — the pleasure center normally motivated by food, water and sex — no longer cared much about these basic elements of individual and species survival. It only wanted the drugs. Meanwhile, the frontal lobe, whose functions of judgment, insight and empathy offset the primal urges of the limbic system, was silenced. Loyd’s desires and actions were now driven only by the brain’s rewards system. And the rewards system was driven only by drugs.

It takes a long time for an addict’s frontal lobe to come back online. Loyd showed PET scans demonstrating that it’s still dark after 10 days of abstinence, flickering back to life at 100 days. It takes about two years to fully recover, he said.

“I had 95 days of treatment. When I came out, the frontal lobe of my brain had hardly come back,” he said. “Most of the kids here in Cherokee, if they get any kind of inpatient treatment at all, it’d be a week, 10 days, maybe if they’re lucky. If they get really, really lucky, they’ll get a month.”

A month isn’t enough, he said. Detox is the easy part. People don’t relapse because they’re dope sick — they relapse because they crave the way the drug makes them feel. Trying to resist such cravings without use of the rational, decision-making part of the brain, and without a strong support commu-

nity around them, is a fool’s errand.

“We’re sending our kids out to die,” Loyd said.

FINDING PURPOSE

The EBCI established Mothertown Healing Program in 2017 to set recovering addicts like McCoy up for success as they figure out how to rebuild their lives. The results, said program supervisor Billie Jo Rich, speak for themselves.

Of those who enroll in the program, 74% complete it, and 86% of those are still working and in recovery.

“Having a purpose in life is the highest predictor of folks in recovery being able to sustain long-term recovery,” Rich said.

The program aims to give them that from the get-go, opening with a five-to-nine-month beginning phase in which participants learn life and job skills, and focus on education, learning, recovery, developing new behaviors and goal setting. Cultural context is also key.

“It’s important, especially for our tribal members, to be embraced back into the tribe again,” Rich said.

Mothertown participants work on a variety of volunteer projects, showing that they’re ready to change and contribute something positive to their tribe going forward.

Once participants have shown that they’re dependable and willing to learn, they enter the work experience portion of the program, a three-month internship with a tribal program or other local agency. It’s not just about on-the-clock hours. Mothertown takes a “supportive employment” approach — interns learn job skills and receive mentoring for their next steps professionally, but they also get help with any of the myriad issues that might still be holding them back from their time in addiction. This includes restoring and establishing credit, resolving any outstanding legal issues, getting their driver

license reinstated and regaining child custody. Unlike with many other similar programs, Mothertown interns don’t have to clock out to take care of commitments like court dates and therapy appointments — it’s all considered part of their recovery.

applicants faced personal and professional barriers to success. The TERO team considered how Cherokee customs, traditions and values could help them address those problems.

Jackson is working to help employers shift their mindset from thinking of applicants as “just WIOA workers” or “just temp workers” to thinking of them as professionals in training. TERO began asking for detailed scopes of work from employers and encouraged employers to include program participants in meetings, get their ideas, and generally act as professional mentors to them. For prospective employees, they’re offering career counseling.

TERO also wants to attack the problem legislatively. During the conference, attorney Randall Crowe presented a draft ordinance to update the tribe’s laws on expunging criminal records. The current law is only one paragraph long and allows for removal of only one misdemeanor. TERO is proposing changes allowing for total expungement of crimes committed before the age of 21 and expungement of nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors committed later in life — though with stipulations and significant waiting periods.

“We’ve got people in Cherokee now that went and got their Ph.D., and they got a felony on their record, so they still have those obstacles no matter how high they climb,” said Crowe. “This is an attempt to help make that better for our tribal members and help people like [McCoy] be where she should have been without addiction.”

MORE TO DO

TERO’s efforts to help the tribal workforce overcome trauma are still in their infancy. Most of the team at TERO is fairly new, coming on board in 2018 or 2019. The pandemic, coupled with a December 2019 cyberattack on the tribe, have slowed progress. There’s no solid data yet on how these efforts are paying off, but Henry said the anecdotal results are encouraging.

“We try to open up those pathways for folks to really have an opportunity to realize what they had first dreamed of,” she said.

SHIFT OF MINDSET TERO Employment and Training

Manager Kevin Jackson is taking lessons from Mothertown as he leads a parallel program under TERO, dubbed the Workforce Experience Program. WEP is a combination of two federal grant programs — Workforce Innovation Opportunities Act and the Native Employment Works Program — aimed at getting tribal members employed. They’ve been joined together under TERO for about two years now.

“Our goal with the Workforce Experience Program is to assist participants in overcoming personal and professional barriers that were keeping them out of the employment center,” Jackson said. “We wanted them to be employed. We wanted them to be prepared for employment. We want them to be successful and self-sustaining.”

When the program first came into being, Jackson and his colleagues at TERO saw that

For McCoy, that first dream was to graduate from UNC Chapel Hill and become a surgeon’s assistant. Her struggle with addiction derailed that plan, and for a long time, she felt hopeless. She’d dropped out of school, and now she had a criminal record. What was the use of even trying, she wondered?

But now, on the other side of recovery, she has new dreams, and a new zest for life. She’s passionate about her job as a peer support specialist, and about spreading the message of hope in recovery. Someday, she said, she wants to open a men’s transitional home.

It was all possible, she said, because she got the help she needed to find her place in the world — despite the trauma and addiction of her past.

“If it wasn’t for Mothertown Healing Project and them believing in me, I don’t know that I would be able to be so connected with my community and remembering who I am,” she said. “Because I am a strong Cherokee woman, and I do have worth. And I do have the ability to be able to turn around and help those that are coming behind me.”

“When you come out of addiction and you come into recovery, you don’t feel like you’re worthy of second chances. Because you’ve hurt so many people.”

— Katelynn Ledford McCoy

Mellie Burns of the EBCI Public Health and Human Services Department, participates in an exercise with fellow conference attendees March 23.

Holly Kays photo

Macon residents, commissioner float withdrawing from Fontana Regional Library

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

What started as a group of citizens concerned about certain LGBTQ books in the Macon County Library has turned into an effort to pull the library from the Fontana Regional Library system, a move that could get very complicated and very expensive, very quickly.

During a Feb. 7 library board meeting, a group of Macon citizens spoke out about their concerns that the library was promoting a sexual agenda to minors, as well as the library’s affiliation with the American Library Association and the Fontana Regional Library system.

At this meeting, most speakers said they were not in favor of banning books or removing them from the library; however, almost all of them advocated for sequestering books containing LGBTQ content or themes in one way or another. Some residents suggested putting a label on all such books; others likened them to pornographic material and suggested they be in a restricted area separate from the rest of the library collection.

The library uses viewpoint-neutral genre labeling for mysteries, sci-fi, fantasy, inspirational fiction and paperback romance. However, public libraries do not use labeling that can be used for attempts to preju-

Macon County Commissioner Danny Antoine spoke at the February library meeting and has since been vocal in his opposition to some LGBTQ literature that he considers age inappropriate and sexually explicit. Antoine serves as a liaison to the library board and has regularly brought up one book, “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe.

“There are books that we have in our library system that are just absolutely unacceptable and beyond reprehensible to even speak of what’s inside of these books,” Antoine said. “This is pornographic material. A child cannot walk into an adult X-rated store and just go get whatever they want. However, the library seems to be one place in America where any child can check out these books without parental consent.”

During that February meeting Antoine read from statutes regarding third-degree sexual exploitation of minors. Because the book “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” involves sex, Antoine seemed to allege the material rose to the level of the statute he cited.

“A person commits the offense of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor if, knowing the character and content of the material, he possesses material that contains a visual representation of a minor engaging in sexual activity,” said Antoine.

Current library rules allow children over the age of eight to check out books from the library if they have their own card, which requires parental consent to obtain. Children eight years old and younger must have a parent or guardian present to be at the library and to check out books.

hanging by itself. We have to have a system in place to be able to make sure that the library is functioning correctly.”

Antoine railed against the Fontana Regional Library board for not listening to the concerns of Macon residents.

“This is completely disgraceful that you would have pornographic books with kids and you would have people defending a position to say that that’s OK for a child to read,” he said.

Antoine asserted that the rest of his commissioners were on board with his goals. However, when reached for comment, Commissioner John Shearl said he was awaiting a solution on the issue from library

idents can request that the library look at particular books and determine whether or not they should be on the shelves.

“They are not following the procedures to even get those books looked at,” said Fitzmaurice. “Since June of last year Macon County has received a total of seven requests for reconsideration and not a single one of them are from any of the books being held up at the meeting.”

dice, discourage or encourage users or restrict access to library resources. These types of prejudicial labels are avoided because using such labels assumes that libraries have the institutional wisdom to determine what is appropriate or inappropriate for its users to access.

“It’s against the First Amendment to block access to under 18-year-olds, because they have First Amendment rights as well,” said Tracy Fitzmaurice, Jackson County librarian and Fontana Regional Library director.

The Library Bill of Rights states that libraries do not advocate ideas found in their collections or in resources accessible through the library. The presence of books and other resources in a library does not indicate endorsement of their contents by the library.

Some residents also advocated for Macon County to separate itself from FRL as well as the American Library Association, the national accreditation association for all librarians in state aid libraries. Residents are urging for the separation from FRL largely because they feel the FRL Board of Trustees has not been receptive to their complaints.

Commissioner Antoine has taken up that mantle. During a March 14 commissioner meeting Antoine said he was working on pulling Macon County out of the system.

“For those of you who have stated about pulling out of the Fontana Regional System, believe me, I’m completely on board with that,” Antoine said. “It’s not a simple process.

It is a hard process that we’re definitely working super hard on, trying to figure out how to do this the best way because you can’t just pull out of that system and leave the library

liaisons (Commissioners Antoine and Paul Higdon) and was “not prepared to give a conclusive answer on the issue at this time.”

Commissioner Gary Shields said he trusts the leadership of Bill Dyer, chairman of the Macon County Library Board.

“As a director, I follow the laws, I follow the statutes, I follow the First Amendment,” Fitzmaurice told The Smoky Mountain News. “We follow a policy because it is the best for our communities, because it gives access to everyone. It doesn’t favor one group of people over another.”

According to Fitzmaurice, the library has not received any requests for reconsideration for any of the books that people have held up in public meetings to complain about. The request for reconsideration is laid out in library policy and is the method by which res-

Fontana Regional Library formed in 1944 when the Tennessee Valley Authority sponsored a regional bookmobile to visit the most remote areas of Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

Today the system helps offer full library services to rural counties that might not otherwise be able to fund them. By combining cataloging, human resources, finance departments and information technology services for libraries among the three counties, it is cheaper for each county than if they were to provide for each of those departments individually. The regional agreement between the three counties is renewed every 10 years and can be dissolved or withdrawn from at any time.

There are three libraries in Macon County that are part of FRL — the Macon County Public Library, Nantahala Community Library and Hudson Library. However, unlike Macon and Nantahala, Hudson Library in Highlands is owned by Hudson Library Inc. rather than Macon F

Commissioner Danny Antoine is leading the charge to withdraw Macon County from the Fontana Regional Library system. Bob Scott photo

A speaker holds up a book containing LGBTQ content during public comment at a March 14 Macon County Commission meeting. Bob Scott photo

County.

The FRL Board of Trustees has the power to adopt policies for the administration and operation of the library; select, appoint, remove and determine terms of employment of a regional director; adopt an annual budget; appoint a regional finance officer; ensure compliance with state and federal law; and make recommendations to county boards.

At a recent library board meeting, one public speaker asserted that Macon County citizens were probably paying for the Swain County building projects. However, each county has its own funding stream so that taxpayer money from Macon County, for instance, is never used for the libraries in Swain County.

“It’s totally separate, even a separate bank account, because we don’t borrow between counties,” said Fitzmaurice. “It’s very clear that my Jackson County commissioners don’t want Macon County using their money. That is something that doesn’t happen.”

According to Fitzmaurice, 92.3% of the money Macon County puts into the library annually goes to pay library employees in Macon County. The rest of the 7.7% goes toward funding split positions and services for all libraries in the FRL system.

In order to remove itself from FRL, Macon County Commissioners would have to vote to remove Macon County from the Fontana Regional Library System by July 1 — because libraries run on the July 1-June 30 fiscal year — and would need to notify Jackson and Swain County commissioners as well as the Fontana Regional Library Board and the State Library of North Carolina.

The regional agreement was most recently renewed for another 10 years on Jan. 10 but can be broken at any time. If Macon County decided to withdraw and notified the right parties, this would start what is called a year of demonstration. That is a year during which Macon County would have to prove that it can afford to run the library, that it can complete all the necessary paperwork it takes to become a state library and that it could get the equipment and everything needed to run the library.

“All of the equipment and books and everything belongs to Fontana Regional Library,” said Fitzmaurice. “So, they would either have to strike a deal with Fontana Regional and purchase those things or they would have to buy everything new. And there’s about 90,000 books in there.”

While FRL owns the contents of the libraries, each county owns the property, buildings, grounds and other facilities. Fitzmaruice says she doesn’t have an estimate as to how much the library catalogue plus technology equipment is worth because some of the books are irreplaceable and out of print.

“It’s not just the books; it’s everything in there,” she said. “And I know when the furniture and fixtures were bought back in 2007, it cost around $700,000 to put the shelving and the tables and everything in. All that belongs to the Fontana Regional Library.”

If Macon decides to move forward with pulling out of the FRL system, Fitzmaurice said it would be unwise to not purchase the

libraries’ contents.

“Obviously they wouldn’t want all the books because they don’t like some of the books, but that would be a decision they would have to make and then the remaining two counties, the director and the librarians would decide on what to take or what to donate,” she said.

If Macon County were to remove itself from FRL, all library employees would become employees of Macon County, and the positions that are currently shared across the FRL system would need to be replaced by Macon County employees. Administrative, financial, purchasing, human resources and IT responsibilities currently handled by FRL would need to be shifted to Macon County departments.

Additionally, FRL libraries are part of the NC Cardinal Consortium, which is contracted through FRL. Macon County would need to contract for its own system with NC Cardinal or another system. Macon County would need to pay for the conversion costs to port their collection and patron databases into their own system and would need to develop a new collection of materials or work with FRL to acquire the collections currently held by Hudson Library, Macon County Public Library and Nantahala Community Library. There are currently over 120,000 books and other materials in the Macon County libraries.

North Carolina provides a State Aid block grant annually to each eligible county based on population and economic status. If Macon County were not part of FRL, it would need to apply for this grant annually on its own. Based on recent years, Macon County would be eligible to receive around $90,000.

“You can’t just have a state aid library with only the books you want,” said Fitzmaurice.

Macon County is not alone in seeking withdrawal from a regional institution, in 2019 Carteret County withdrew from the Craven-Pamlico Regional Library system. In 2021, Wilkes County residents floated the idea of pulling out of the Appalachian Regional Library system which also includes Watagua and Ashe counties but decided to forgo a move it determined would be fiscally irresponsible.

There would be countless considerations for Macon County libraries were the county to pull out of FRL — from contracting for broadband to applying for grants, to transitioning all financial services and contracts. What’s more, all FRL libraries share resources, services and expertise that cannot be easily quantified. Macon County’s library patrons and staff would no longer have access to those resources unless a reciprocal agreement were put in place.

“We’re like a well-oiled unit. It would feel like a missing limb to not have those libraries,” said Fitzmaurice. “It’ll be 31 years in April that I’ve worked for Fontana Regional Library. I’ve worked in Jackson, Macon, Bryson City; it would break my heart to see the regional library system dissolve or lose part of itself. We are a close-knit family and we all rely on each other heavily for our professional input.”

Mountain Housing Opportunities’ longtime leader announces retirement

Scott Dedman, President and Executive Director of Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO), announced his plan to retire in August of this year after 30 years in the role.

Dedman was one of seven volunteer founders of MHO in 1988 and joined as Executive Director five years later after serving as Chair of the Board of Directors.

“Besides raising my family with my wife Karen, MHO has been my life’s work,” Dedman said. “At MHO, we believe that if you work in this community, you should be able to live here in a safe, attractive, affordable home in a good neighborhood. And when you retire or if you become disabled, this should still be true. This belief has fueled our mission over the last thirty-five years. The work that MHO leads in the region — in building and preserving housing affordability — has never been more relevant than it is today.

Charlie Owen, Chair of MHO’s Board of Directors, will lead the organization’s executive search. MHO’s Board has been aware of Dedman’s plans to retire for more than a year, allowing for strategic and intentional succession planning.

Owen has tapped a small group of fel-

low Board Members, community leaders and seasoned MHO staff to serve on the Executive Search Committee. The Committee selected BroadView Talent Partners as their search firm. Under Dedman’s leadership, MHO has financed and developed more than 1,300 affordable apartments, helped more than 500 families and individuals achieve homeownership and provided safety-related home repairs to more than 4,000 homeowners.

Dedman oversaw the creation of the MHO Loan Fund, a Community Development Financial Institution certified by the U.S. Treasury. The MHO Loan Fund has assisted 350 new homeowners through down payment assistance. MHO received its membership charter from NeighborWorks America in 2008 and remains one of only four NeighborWorks organizations in North Carolina

Dedman received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award in 2018 from Governor Roy Cooper. One of the state’s highest civilian honors, the award is reserved for those who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.

Tuscola High School announces new coach

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

Tuscola High School has found a new head football coach in former NFL quarterback Jonathan Crompton.

“Throughout this process, I’ve spoken with staff members, I’ve talked to students and I’ve talked to community members, and all have asked for similar qualities in the next football coach,” said Tuscola Principal Casey Conard. “These include a coach who will love and build strong relationships with the players, someone who can develop and provide opportunities for students postgraduation, and most importantly, someone who loves and is committed to building a program that does come with a high school.”

The hiring decision was approved unanimously by the Haywood County School Board of March 27, and comes in the wake of the resignation of previous head coach Chris Brookshire following allegations of sexual harassment by co-workers. Tuscola’s principal resigned shortly thereafter in a related incident.

The school board hired Casey Conard as Tuscola Principal in February, at which point he became responsible for the search for a new coach.

“Coach Crompton has my full support and will do great things for our student athletes in the years to come,” said Conard.

Crompton graduated from Tuscola High

School, where he played quarterback for the Mountaineers, in 2005, after which he went on to play football at the University of Tennessee. In 2010, Crompton was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round with the 168th overall pick. He was signed onto several different NFL teams and practice squads before signing and playing for the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL. Crompton retired in 2017 and began his career as a coach.

“Mr. Crompton’s knowledge is elite,”

said Conard. “His experiences as an SEC, CFL and NFL quarterback are unmatched. Along with his knowledge, coach Crompton, brings the commitment to Tuscola High School and the drive to build a program our students and community can take pride in for many years. He exceeds my expectations for what we need as a coach. Coach Crompton has my full support and will do great things for our student athletes in the years to come.”

After the school board approved the personnel recommendation, Crompton took the opportunity to thank the school board.

“How grateful I am for the opportunity to be the next head coach at Tuscola High School, that is my alma mater,” said Crompton. “It’s not gonna be easy, it’s gonna be fun, I promise you. These kids are going to have a great time, we’re gonna play hard. But the biggest thing is they’re gonna be great members of the community, on and off the field, in the classroom, great young men of character held to a high standard because I hold myself to a very high standard.”

“Congratulations Coach Crompton and we look forward to a long legacy of excellence at Tuscola under your leadership,” said Chairman Chuch Francis. “Thank you so much for agreeing to work with us.”

County approves half of Sylva’s municipal grant application

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

After pressing the brakes on Sylva’s municipal grant application, county commissioners have decided to approve a portion of the grant, none of which will go toward a public mural that had been cause for concern among commissioners.

“I’d like to approve [a] portion of the grant application, since there’s really no issues with that [portion],” said Chairman Mark Letson. “It was very well-planned, and they had it ready to go.”

Each year, the Jackson County Commission offers the Municipal Grant Program in which municipalities can apply for grants of up to $5,000. The grants are intended to assist Jackson municipalities with the implementation of projects that will benefit all citizens of the county. Earlier this year the commission approved grants for Dillsboro, Webster and Village of Forest Hills, but declined to fund Sylva’s request.

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

Funding for the Murals on Mill portion of the project would have helped bring new murals to Mill Street,

Jonathan Crompton. File photo

New attorney selected for Jackson County

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

Jackson County is losing long-time county attorney Heather Baker, but it has already selected a new attorney to serve as an interim while the county searches for a replacement.

“We want to thank Ms. Baker for all her years of service,” said Chairman Mark Letson.

Baker began working for the county over seven years ago. She is a native of Jackson County and graduated from Oxford College of Emory University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She served as the 2021 president of the North Carolina Association of County Attorneys and in 2022 Baker received the County Attorney of the Year award during the North Carolina Association of County Attorneys’ summer conference.

“Over the last seven-and-a-half years, her whole time here, we had such a large inventory of properties that we had foreclosed and had taken off the tax revenues. Almost a hundred properties have now been put back into tax rolls at a property value of almost $4 million, which is close to $15,000 dollars a year coming in of revenue we did not have seven-and-a-half years ago,” said Commissioner Mark Jones of Baker’s work. “It’s excellent work, I just want to mention that. Sometimes it goes unnoticed and some of us up here might not be aware.”

On March 21 county commissioners welcomed Debra Bechtel, who will take over legal services for the county as interim county attorney. Bechtel works for the firm Teague Campbell and has a robust history of local government experience. She served as a prosecutor at the beginning of her career and worked for 20 years as attorney for Catawba County. Bechtel has experience with law surrounding boards of commissioners, sheriff’s offices, emergency medical services, fire departments, public

giving several local and regional artists the chance to showcase their work. The plan was to have three rotating murals on Mill Street over the course of the year.

However, it was the mural portion of the project that commissioners could not get behind.

“I would kind of like a little more information on the type of artwork,” said Commissioner John Smith when Main Street Sylva Director Bernadette Peters and Sylva Commissioner Greg McPherson presented the grant application. “Make sure it’s family friendly for the families and kids that’s walking downtown.”

Commissioner Todd Bryson agreed.

“If it’s not family-friendly, I don’t want it,” said Bryson.

This month, at the request of Chairman Letson, the application came before the board of commissioners again, this time with a reduced scope and funding request.

“What is being proposed is that the county fund a portion of Sylva’s municipal grant

health, environmental health, economic development, planning, zoning, elections, utilities, engineering, public works and contracts.

“She has direct experience in all those areas which would provide great service to Jackson County,” said County Manager Don Adams.

Bechtel works as a professor at Wake Forest University. She is currently providing training for Region One health departments.

“After my 21 years with Catawba County, I retired early, and my dream was just to focus and support local government. The last year-and-a-half, it has been a privilege to do that across the state,” said Bechtel. “I’m just really happy to be able to help you all in any way that I can.”

The county commission approved Bechtel’s appointment unanimously and she will become interim county attorney effective April 1.

application in the amount of $2,441.62, and that is to purchase the kiosks,” said County Manager Don Adams.

Without funding for a future public mural, commissioners voted to fund this portion of the grant unanimously.

This money will provide funding to purchase kiosks for a downtown art walk. The art walk is modeled in part after the Heritage Walk, a compilation of historic photos paired with the historic building registry, as well as the Tree Walk. The art walk ties 16 public art exhibits, four galleries, several hosted exhibits at restaurants and three rotating murals on Mill Street.

“Downtown Sylva is becoming quite the art-centered hub of Jackson County,” Sylva’s application reads. “Many of the public art murals, miniature art, private galleries and collaborative centers have popped up over the past few years, while some have been intentional. Our goal is to tie them all together to one unified economic driver for downtown.”

Debra Bechtel will serve as Jackson County’s interim county attorney beginning April 1.

Teague Campbell photo

Government, union prepare for impact of mill closing

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

The initial shock of Pactiv Evergreen’s announcement that its Canton paper mill would soon cease operations hasn’t quite worn off for some, but the various parties affected by the closing have begun to take actions to mitigate the impact that has only just begun.

A March 21 letter from the general manager of Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton and Waynesville operations, John McCarthy, said the company would start mailing out mandated WARN notices to workers beginning on Thursday, March 23.

“The advance notice is intended to give workers and their families transition time to adjust to the prospective loss of employment, to seek and to obtain other employment, and if necessary, to enter skill training or retraining programs that would allow these workers to successfully compete in the job market,” McCarthy said.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 is a federal law that requires a company to provide at least 60 days’ notice of mass layoffs. McCarthy’s letter says the notices will be provided in advance of the 60-day window because the earliest release date for any employee will be June 9.

Employees who do not receive the notices by March 30 are asked to call the company’s human resources department. The letters will contain each individual employee’s last date of employment.

The union that represents most of those workers was placed under control of its Pittsburgh-based international union on March 22, stripping local officers of their titles and power.

“This is a common practice when there is a closure,” said Daniel Flippo, District 9 President of the United Steelworkers Union. “It’s no reflection of the officers and leadership.”

Flippo told The Smoky Mountain News that the practice of administratorship ensures continuity in the union’s operations when workers begin to be let go from their jobs. The move also ensures that contract rights and grievance procedures can be enforced until the very last worker leaves the mill for the final time.

The Smokey Mountain Local 507 represents the majority of the mill’s estimated 1,000 workers.

Flippo said local officers would continue to help with operations for as long as possible, and that Alan Jones, a staff representative with the USW, would be heavily involved and serve as the administrator.

In the past, Jones has been involved with collective bargaining agreements, contract administration, union organization and legislative advocacy, according to a USW website. Jones was also a 2020 candidate for the North Carolina House seat currently occupied by Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood).

The next task, according to Flippo, is for the union to engage in effects bargaining with

Pactiv Evergreen, which centers around closure responsibilities and workers’ rights. Negotiations could cover anything from health care coverage to shutdown protocols to severance pay.

Troy Dills, who was president until the international union stepped in, had called for effects bargaining with Pactiv Evergreen to take place from March 28 to March 30. Dills says that hasn’t changed, but the administrator now has the authority to make decisions on the timing of the negotiations.

“I’m no longer president of the local,” Dills said. “I didn’t want to step out of the role of president but that’s the process and this is a transition.”

Dills said that at the discretion of the administrator, he’ll work to prevent disruption of the local’s operations.

Administrators from the Town of Canton’s various departments are also working to prevent disruptions, especially in the town’s annual budget and in the services it provides its citizens.

Staff met with Mayor Zeb Smathers and members of the town board March 23 to begin to prepare for the financial impact of the closing, estimated by Town Manager Nick Scheuer at roughly $3 million.

“While we won’t be facing those numbers this fiscal year, we need to be prepared for the future,” Scheuer said in kicking off the special called budget session.

Local government units in North Carolina must pass annual

For some workers at Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill, the last day of work could come as early as June 9. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Mill receives water quality violation

Pactiv Evergreen has received a notice of violation from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality after a water quality measurement taken Sept. 20, 2022, came in nearly 50% over the limit.

The notice of violation, dated March 20, is based on a Division of Water Quality review of the mill’s September 2022 Discharge Monitoring Report. One metric measured by the report is biochemical oxygen demand measured in a water sample during five days at 68 degrees. This cumbersome description is referred to in shorthand as BOD5.

BOD5 measures the amount of dissolved oxygen that microbes in the water use as they break down organic material in the water sample. The measurement indirectly reveals how much organic pollution the water holds. The more organic material, the more oxygen required by the aquatic microbes working to decompose it — sometimes to the detriment of aquatic species that rely on higher levels of dissolved oxygen to survive.

According to the notice of violation from DWR, the Sept. 20 sample yielded a BOD5 measurement of 16,187 pounds per day, 48.5% higher than the limit of 10,897 pounds per day laid out in Pactiv Evergreen’s wastewater discharge permit.

The company has 10 days after receiving

budgets by July 1 each year, and the town was in the middle of an otherwise normal budget planning process when news of the mill’s impending closure broke March 6.

“This is another level of heartbreak that mill closure has brought,” Smathers said. “It’s heartbreaking, all the ideas and things we were going to do that would help the citizens of the town just a month ago.”

Real and personal property taxes are assessed on Jan. 1 of each year, so Pactiv Evergreen will still be responsible for those costs, at least through the end of this year.

The immediate concern for the town is a forthcoming decrease in water revenue, and an undetermined decrease in sales tax revenue as a result of the loss of roughly 1,000 local jobs.

Canton CFO Natalie Walker presented to aldermen and alderwomen a revised budget that included cuts offered up by heads of police, fire, recreation, streets and sanitation.

The revised budgets trimmed $220,000 from original requests.

“Even with those cuts, we think [the budget] is too high,” Walker told the board as they picked through remaining requests from

the notice to respond. The DWR will consider that response when deciding whether to impose a penalty. Under the law, it could require the mill to pay up to $25,000.

The notice comes following a string of violations and community concerns over the two years that preceded Pactiv Evergreen’s March 6 announcement that the 115-yearold mill would close for good by summer-

time. Since May 2021, it has received 11 notices of violation for incidents ranging from accidental releases of turpentine and tall oil soap to out-of-compliance levels of E. coli to repeated complaints of gritty white dust covering cars and decks in Canton. Thus far, it has paid $38,600 in penalties levied as a result of the violations.

Pactiv Evergreen did not return a request for comment.

— By Holly Kays, Outdoors Editor

department heads.

Scheuer said they’d worked to eliminate as many budget items and contractual services as possible without impacting town services, and that the front office staff has begun performing mopping and cleaning services at town hall.

Smathers commended the individual departments for their “selfless” budgets, before Walker said she’d go back and reevaluate the town’s annual budget, maybe have some more talks with department heads and then present the recommended budget in the next few months.

Walker hopes to find another $100,000 to $250,000 to cut.

“I’m gonna be honest with y’all, I have been dreading this moment,” said Smathers, who added that he was looking for ways to help Canton without sacrificing the town’s safety, or its soul.

On that note, Smathers mentioned that staff was still working to fund the all-abilities playground planned for Recreation Park, and that the town’s popular “Pickin’ in the Park” series would be fully funded.

Pactiv Evergreen has received 11 notices of violation from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality since May 2021. File photo

Sylva aims to expand role of Main Street director

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

Sylva taxpayers may be looking at a onecent tax increase in the coming 2023-24 fiscal year. In return for that increase, the town would see the Main Street Sylva director’s position move from half-time to full-time with greatly expanded responsibilities.

“Personally, I can’t imagine a better benefit to the town of Sylva, that would only cost the average residential user $1.56 a month, than to add this position, especially at this time,” said Mayor David Nestler. “We know that with all the projects we have going on and the upcoming N.C. 107 task that we’re understaffed in administration.”

During a March 23 work session, Town Manager Paige Dowling informed the Sylva Board of Commissioners that staff was able to balance a draft of the 2023-24 budget with a one-cent tax increase, which would pay for the transition of the Main Street Sylva director from a part-time position to a full-time position.

The Main Street Sylva Association is a nonprofit entity formed to spur economic development in Sylva using the National Main Street Center’s Four Point Approach: design, organization, promotion and economic restructuring. The organization has taken on some of Sylva’s longstanding events such as Greening Up the Mountains, Treat Street and the Christmas Parade.

The full-time Main Street Sylva director would have additional duties beyond what the position currently entails at half-time, largely in an effort to expand the business liaison role beyond just Main Street. As the N.C. 107 expansion looms near, the town wants to have an employee dedicated to economic development and assisting businesses that will be affected by the project.

“It’s not just making the Main Street director full-time, it’s actually changing what the Main Street director does,” said Commissioner Ben Guiney. “It’s much more economic development director rather than just Main Street director.”

At the March 23 budget workshop, commissioners received a list of duties that would be assigned to the full-time Main Street director. In addition to economic development

work, the position would be the central contact in town government for anyone who is starting a business. The person in the position would also be expected to fill in on administrative duties at town hall when staff is overwhelmed.

“[This position has] been primarily focused on the downtown business district, and this is very much an expansion outside of that to include all of Sylva and help more with administrative tasks,” said Mayor David Nestler. “It’s very timely because with NC 107 impact starting to come to fruition now, this expands town staff’s ability to address issues all the way down 107 and if you look down through this list, you’ll see that is definitely made a priority in the expansion of this role.”

During the budget work session, Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh noted that at one point several years ago the town had discussed hiring a position in public works that would have been a liaison for the NC 107 project. Manager Dowling said this expan-

sion of the Main Street director role would fill those responsibilities, plus more.

While Gelbaugh expressed some hesitation at the idea of expanding the Main Street director’s role and paying for it with a tax increase, she said she is coming around to the idea. With the rest of the Sylva’s commissioners fully onboard, town staff will move forward with the position and tax increase in its draft budget, which will be sent to board members April 18 and discussed during a budget work session April 27.

Commissioner Natalie Newman said, “if I had to guess, I bet [part-time Main Street Director] Bernadette [Peters] is already putting full-time hours and brain power into the position, just seeing all that she’s done.”

“That’s a very good point, she’s definitely putting in more than 20 hours a week, and that’s because of her commitment to the town and to our businesses,” said Dowling.

“I’m strongly in favor of us doing this onecent [increase] and I think it’s very impressive

that you’ve managed to balance this budget and add this position with only a one-cent increase,” Nestler told town staff. “I think that shows a very efficient use of town funds.”

The average increase in property taxes for residential property owners if the one-cent tax increase is implemented would be $19 for the year, and a one-cent tax increase would cost the average commercial property owner $75 for the year.

No tax increase will be voted on or become official until the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget is approved in June.

Other major changes coming in the 202324 budget involve the loss of about $20,000 in revenue due to the NC 107 widening project from parcels that have been taken to make room for the road and thereby removed from the town’s tax base. Staff are also recommending a 3% combined cost of living and merit increase and are accounting for an increase in the overall cost of items as a result of inflation. F

Main Street in Sylva. File photo

“There’s a lot of changes in the cost of items, things are just more expensive,” said Dowling.

With all of the increase in demand on the budget, the main reason staff have been able to balance the proposed budget is due to ABC revenue, of which the town will receive an additional $160,000.

“We’re able to find that out early this year, so we budgeted for that, whereas in the past we haven’t known this early and that’s been something we haven’t counted on to balance the budget,” said Dowling.

Town staff are also recommending a change to the capital replacement schedule for town vehicles. Historically, police vehicles have to be cycled out after seven years, public works vehicles after about 10 years, large fire trucks every 20 years and small fire trucks every 10 years.

Generally, if the town has money leftover at year end, the additional funds roll into capital reserves. However, for the last three years, instead of putting leftover funds into capital reserves, that money has gone into the Allen Street fund. So, while the capital reserve fund is currently lower than town staff would like it to be, money for vehicles can also come from the general fund. And while the town can afford to replace two vehicles each year, replacing three is a serious burden on the town budget.

By extending the replacement schedule for patrol vehicles to an eight-year rotation, and putting in additional money for maintenance, the town can avoid having to replace three vehicles in one year.

“The best thing is, we’ve got several years where at a seven-year replacement schedule, we’d buy three patrol cars a year,” said Dowling. “Sylva can afford to buy one or two, but three would strain the budget, so if we stretch it out to eight years and add in a little more for maintenance, we can avoid the years we’re having to buy three cars. We need to make that change.”

Part of the reason that the town will be able to extend the lifetime of its patrol cars is because of the switch from Dodge Chargers to SUVs like Ford Explorers and Dodge Durangos.

“We’re seeing a lot better life expectancy out of the SUVs that we’ve been purchasing for the last several years,” said Public Works Director Jake Scott. “Cutting out the year where we have to make a three-car purchase, it’s basically two per year until 2040 is how far we’ve gone out with the schedule.”

Town staff are also proposing painting the exterior of town hall and the public works building in the coming year and allocating $35,000 in Powell Bill funds to pave Second Avenue when the Mountain Projects homes are completed.

“I think we’re good this year, but we’re lucky,” said Dowling. “With the ABC funds and then knowing that our tax base is shrinking and the cost of everything is going up, especially with vehicles and looking at the equipment that public works needs in the next few years, we’ll be talking about a tax increase soon.”

Commissioners will receive a balanced draft budget in April and will hold its next work session on the topic April 27.

Pattillo settles into new role as Bryson City town manager

BY KYLE P ERROTTI N EWS E DITOR

Sam Pattillo has been in leadership roles for some time now, but his latest move to become Bryson City’s town manager is a step in a whole new direction.

Pattillo took over for Regina Mathis in February after she announced she was leaving in January to take a job with the League of Municipalities, and although he admitted there’s a lot to learn, he feels as though he’s settling into the new gig.

Pattillo, a Swain County native, previously worked in the county’s education system and was superintendent from 2013-2017. In addition, he’d previously taught or served as principal at several schools and was the high school football coach. He’d also worked extensively in the past with Mathis, the former town manager who also spent her career with Swain County Schools. Now he’ll work with her again in her new role. Pattillo said he is grateful that she turned over a soundly operating town office.

“First of all, Regina did a great job,”

Pattillo said. “We really focused on a good transition. We felt that was the most important thing, including taking the strategic goals the board has in place and continuing with that. So far, I feel like that piece has gone very well and the board and the mayor have been supportive.”

Pattillo believes there are some parallels between working in the education system and public administration. One is simply a matter of leadership style, and that’s something that typically translates well anywhere you go.

“I think you have to manage by your personality,” he said. “I think everybody’s personalities are a little different. It’s the relationship with the people you work around and also your relationships with people who you serve. This is a position of servitude; you’re here to try and help people and to have an organization that is very helpful to business people, the contractors that are coming in and the residents.”

Pattillo added that as both an educator and a town manager you have to wear a lot

of hats and be knowledgeable about a wide range of things.

“A lot of times, public educators experience a lot of different things and have a lot of different roles,” he said. “But still, the learning curve for me is very steep right now. Fortunately, I’ve been so impressed with this organization and what they’re accomplishing and how they’re progressing.”

Pattillo also pointed out a few key differences between school and town administration, especially when it comes to budgeting. Whereas the school’s budget is set and earmarked from the get-go, with the town, so much of what must be done requires healthy tax revenue, as well as seeking out other sources of financing.

“Grants are important for this town, as well as many towns across North Carolina,”

Canton woman wins Nurse Aid of the Year award

Pattillo said. “We’re currently working on a lot of different projects. I think, our board and our mayor have been very progressive in thinking about infrastructure, with growth — not only the wastewater treatment plant, but also just infrastructure with sewer and water.”

Like other towns in the region and across the country, there’s plenty of aging infrastructure that needs to be replaced. It’s been well reported that Bryson City has been working on increasing the capacity of its wastewater treatment plant, but many of the issues are caused by an influx of water entering the system during heavy rain events, which can lead to the plant nearing its capacity. This is due to aging pipes that cause leaks — leaks that can often be tough to detect.

One step to address those problems has been the town’s hiring of an engineer.

“That was a big investment,” Pattillo said. “But I think it was a very wise decision because of the things that they are wanting to do and moving forward. And he has knowledge of our town and has a lot experience working with grants and developing plans to improve infrastructure.”

This focus on infrastructure is important, not only as the town and surrounding areas grow, but particularly during seasons that generate the most tourism traffic. Pattillo said there are three “major” projects on the way that will involve going underneath roads and sidewalks to get to certain runs of pipe, adding that town staff are currently working on scheduling those in a manner to ensure efficiency and minimal disruption.

“That’s always hard to try to juggle everything with that because you’re on a schedule with the grant,” Pattillo said. “But you also have to try to schedule when the Department of Transportation is paving anyway. You try not to dig up something that has just been completed and paved over.”

Like other rural areas of Western North Carolina, getting residents high-speed internet is a priority for Swain County and Bryson City. Pattillo believes the best way to do that is the use of fiber-optic cables. Although that can be difficult since they’re expensive to install and may only serve small pockets of people in certain areas, he said it’s necessary to ensure everyone is on a level playing field, especially kids who may need that utility to do schoolwork.

“You need connectivity,” Pattillo said. “Fiber directly into schools and directly into residences is connectivity, because you’re able to compete with folks in The Triangle area.”

The annual awards program acknowledges front-line, unlicensed personnel who have exemplified outstanding achievements in the long-term care profession. Doris was one of six winners across the entire state who was respectfully honored that night to represent their region.

Doris began her career in laundry over 20 years ago at Silver Bluff and has worked as a CNA in the short-term rehab unit for the last several years.

Sam Pattillo has been on the job for over month now, and while he said there’s a steep learning curve, he also feels like he’s settling into the new gig. Donated photo

“This is a position of servitude; you’re here to try and help people and to have an organization that is very helpful to business people, the contractors that are coming in and the residents.”

— Sam Patillo

Doris Stamey, a 20-year employee at Silver Bluff Village, was named the District I Nurse Aide of the Year for 2023 by the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association.

She was honored during the Annual Awards Gala on Feb. 20 during the NCHC-

FA Annual Convention & Expo in Greensboro.

first chief diversity officer accepts new position

Ricardo Nazario-Colón, Western Carolina University’s inaugural chief diversity officer, has been appointed by the State University of New York’s Board of Trustees as the senior vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer.

The announcement was made Tuesday, March 21, by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and will be effective May 15. NazarioColón was born in South Bronx, New York, and raised in Puerto Rico.

“The Ricardo that is returning to New York after 20 years is someone shaped by meaningful personal and exceptional professional experiences and development that have made me a respected leader in the diversity, equity and inclusion sphere,” NazarioColón said. “I look forward to helping transform SUNY into a leading system of higher education by demonstrating how a system committed to diversity, equity and inclusion can address barriers to access, degree attainment and student and professional success.”

Nazario-Colón came to WCU in 2016 as the university’s inaugural chief diversity officer. Among his many accomplishments over the last seven years are: led the Council on Inclusive Excellence in implementing the recommendations of the Joint Taskforce on Racism, a multidisciplinary group composed of campus members from various roles that studied and considered issues related to diversity and inclusion (specifically race and ethnicity) at WCU; recommended an increase in resources for diversity training and education opportunities, such as the National Coalition Building Institute Train-the-Trainer program; the WCU Strategic Plan’s 3.0 Inclusive Excellence, which provided precise and distinct guidance for campuswide engagement; Inclusive Excellence Awards; Inclusive Excellence Symposium; completed the work of the Blue Ribbon Inclusive Excellence Task Force which established WCU’s first Strategic Inclusive Excellence Action Plan – Lean Forward; and launched the Higher Education Research Institute’s Climate survey for faculty, staff and students.

“As the institution’s inaugural chief diversity officer, Dr. Ricardo Nazario-Colón has passionately led the way to ensure all who come to WCU, whether it be students, faculty and staff, alumni, and/or visitors, feel welcomed, feel like they belong,” WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown said. “Through such efforts as the National Coalition Building Institute training, the HERI Climate survey for students, faculty and staff, and launching the inaugural Inclusive Excellence Symposium, Ricardo has provided a solid foundation for WCU inclusive excellence suc-

cess. I have enjoyed working alongside Ricardo and wish him every success in his new role.”

“Ricardo worked broadly with students, faculty and staff to make our campus community a better place,” WCU Provost Richard Starnes said. “His efforts highlighted awareness, facilitated important conversations and empowered all members of our community, and his work set us on a path for a brighter future.”

SUNY is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the U.S. and more than 95% of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of one of its 64 colleges and universities. SUNY serves about 1.4 million students among its entire portfolio of credit- and noncredit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education and community outreach programs. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide.

“The last seven years at Western, working with remarkable leaders, both faculty and staff, has made me appreciate what we can accomplish as a committed community of scholars dedicated to shaping and preparing another generation of citizens,” NazarioColón said. “I viewed my role as a facilitator, a catalyst and a resource to tap the deep expertise of our community. The best work we have done has been the work that colleagues across campus have spearheaded. That engagement has been critical to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for all members of the WCU family.”

Chancellor Brown will initiate a search for the next chief diversity officer later this summer.

Ricard Nazario-Colón was the university’s first ever chief diversity officer. Donated photo

Waynesville native to receive architect award

The AIA Chicago Foundation, the charitable, independent not-for-profit organization which supports scholarships, grants, awards and initiatives to strengthen Chicago’s architectural community, announced that Breah Page has been named the 2023 recipient of the AIA Chicago Foundation Dubin Family Young Architect Award.

Page, a Waynesville native, received her architecture degree with distinction from the University of Oklahoma. After graduating in 2010, she landed in Chicago, soon emerging as a leader known for her work in community-centered development, adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects.

Her current and past clients include Wrigley Field, North Park University Hanson Hall School of Music, The Foglia Residences at The Chicago Lighthouse and Mercy Housing.

In Chicago, she also immediately became involved with numerous volunteer roles in service to the profession, including: the ACE Mentor program, which she now serves as the Associate Board President; Chicago Women in Architecture, where she is planning the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration; Bridge and Wing Mentorship Programs; the Chicago Architecture Center Newhouse Design Competition; and the AIA Conference on Architecture Host Chapter Lounge Steering Committee in 2022.

The Young Architect Award was originally established in 1983 to recognize excellence in ability and exceptional contributions by young Chicago area architects. Breah will be celebrated at the AIA Chicago Third Thursdays: Bookends event held on April 20.

Leadership Highlands Jr. Program announced

The Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC is launching a free educational program aimed at Highlands School students who will be in grades 10-12 during the 2023-24 school year. Leadership Highlands Jr. will focus on developing young leaders, preparing them for next steps after high school and encouraging community involvement and civic engagement.

Students must commit to and engage in all program days and the participant selected project, with a graduation celebration at the end.

“We feel this program offers an extremely enriching curriculum for the young people of Highlands,” said Kaye McHan, executive director of Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC. “Their experience with Leadership Highlands Jr. should leave them better informed about their community and better prepared for college or the workforce.”

Written or video applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on May 1. Participation and completion required to become eligible for a scholarship during senior year.

For more information about Leadership Highlands Jr., call 828.526.5841 or visit highland-

schamber.org/chamber/leadership-highlands-jr/ to view and download an application.

Award-winning chef to lead culinary team at Lake Junaluska

An award-winning chef came home to North Carolina to join Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center as director of food service. Chef Ernest Bledsoe said he’s enthusiastic about the mission of Lake Junaluska and growing the food service department.

“I’ve been at some prestigious properties including The Foundry Hotel in Asheville, Primland Resort in Meadows of Dan, Virginia, Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, Colorado, and The Swag from right here in Haywood County,” said Bledsoe. “I have owned two restaurants, and I have won some awards along the way. Now, I want to be a mentor to those around me. I’m excited to help the food and beverage department at Lake Junaluska rival industry leaders and exceed guest expectations.”

As food service director, Bledsoe is responsible for all dining and catered events at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, which has more than 400 lodging rooms, a campground, meeting space for up to 2,000 people, and hosts over 50,000 overnight guests annually.

He holds a degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University and certification as a ServSafe Food Protection Manager Instructor. His awards range from grand champion of a regional American Culinary Federation Hot Foods Competition to accolades for restaurants he owned in South Carolina.

Genealogical and historical society to host talk on foxhunting

Roy Burnette will present “A Lost Mountain Tradition: Foxhunting” for the April 6 meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society.

The early settlers from the “old country” brought with them the sporting tradition of fox hunting. Fox hunting was a sport for both hunters and spectators, with the thrill of the steeplechase being a popular participation event, while others would find a location to listen to the hounds in the chase. Over the years, the sport has faded from the mountains and is now rarely practiced.

Burnette will present the history of this sport, how it spread across our country and how it’s been practiced in North Carolina by recalling the names and stories of many well-known residents who were avid fox hunters.

The presentation will be at 6:30 p.m. on April 6 at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center, 45 East Ridge Drive in Bryson City. Conversation and refreshments will follow the presentation. This is free and open to the public.

Storyteller Gary Carden to perform in Sylva

Revered local writer and storyteller Gary Carden will make an appearance at 1 p.m. on March 30 at the office of Handicapped Helpers in Sylva.

Carden has been a fixture in Western North Carolina’s literary scene for more than 50 years, winning numerous awards for his books and plays, including the Book of the Year Award from the Appalachian Writers Association in 2001, the Brown Hudson Award for Folklore in 2006 and the North Carolina Arts Council Award for Literature in 2012. Carden’s performances have become increasingly rare and usually reach capacity quickly. This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Refreshments will be available. Handicapped Helpers is located at 525 Mineral Springs Drive, in Sylva. To reserve a seat, call 828.631.1167.

Community First Bank opens Franklin office

Community First Bank announced the opening of its Franklin office at 143 Porter St. in Franklin.

The event was celebrated with the Franklin Chamber of Commerce staff and Chamber Board members, customers, and bank staff in attendance.

Community First’s team of community bankers will provide Franklin and surrounding areas of Western North Carolina with deposit, mortgage and small business products.

“It is an honor and a privilege to become a part of the Franklin community,” said President and CEO Richard D. Burleson. “We look forward to earning the trust and business of the community and to being good stewards of this amazing community. We believe our brand of community banking will be well received in this community. At Community First Bank, we are committed to exemplary customer service in every community we serve, and we offer competitive loan and deposit rates. Additionally, Community First has an excellent product offering for small business and com-

mercial customers.”

Anyone interested in Community First’s services can reach the Franklin branch by calling 828.220.4336.

Dogwood Crafters announces new classes

Dogwood Crafters is kicking off its 2023 schedule of craft classes with a watercolor painting class on Thursday, March 30. Twenty-six other workshops are planned for the year.

“Exploring Painting Using Watercolors” will be taught by local artist and Dogwood Crafter Susan Lingg from 1-4 p.m. at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge.

Participants will learn watercolor painting techniques as they create two pictures — one a winter scene and the second a spring scene. Cost for the class is $50. Register to attend the class by calling Dogwood at 828.586.2248 by March 23.

For a complete listing of Dogwood Crafters classes, contact the shop.

Gary Carden will perform in Sylva on March 30. File art

What this old house remembers

BY GARY CARDEN G UEST C OLUMNIST

Ilive in an old farmhouse that is literally falling apart. Each spring, clouds of termites rise in the bathroom and the bedroom, coating the windows and covering the kitchen stove and the mirrors in the bathroom with tiny wings — wings that clog my vacuum cleaner for weeks. In the winter, the wind woofs in the eaves, pours through the attic and seeps into my bedroom like an ice-laden river. All of the doors hang off-balance and a tennis ball dropped in the living room will roll slowly from room to room — like a cue ball looking for a pocket — until, eventually, it finds its way to the kitchen, always coming to rest behind the sink.

But, with each passing year, my affection for these canted floors and leaning walls deepens. I came to live here when I was 2 years old, and now, more than 80 years later, I still sleep in the same bedroom — the one my Uncle Albert dubbed “the North Pole.” The entire house bears testimony to the lives of my grandparents, and when I walk from room to room, I hear lost voices and sense fading warmth.

Just here, beneath this old flue, my grandmother tended her Home Comfort stove. And over there, on that cracked cement hearthstone that once fronted a fireplace, I used to lie whimpering on winter nights — my cheek pressed against the warm hearthstone (I was plagued with chronic earaches) while my grandmother poured warm cod liver oil from a tablespoon into my ear.

There, where my computer now sits, my grandfather used to tune the old Silvertone radio, listening to “Renfro Valley” on Sunday mornings. It is also where his coffin rested (for I lived in a time in which the dead came home for a final

farewell).

The old house seems to be slowly sinking into the earth, dragging with it a roofless canning house and a derelict barn. Yet, there are brief moments — usually in the morning — when this dim space seems filled with a kind of tangible energy. There are mornings when I wake in the chilled air of my bedroom sensing that I am not alone — that this empty shell has become an echo chamber. In the kitchen, my grandmother’s Home Comfort radiates warmth while she conjures redeye gravy from a black skillet; cathead biscuits bloom in the oven and a tin coffee pot chuckles on the back burner.

I feel my Uncle Albert’s discontent (he suffered from migraines) as he sits, leaning back in a cane-bottomed chair at the dining room table, his chair legs gouging little half-moons in the linoleum. My grandfather is milking the cow, and any minute now, he will stomp into the kitchen with a bucket of steaming milk. From the living room comes the strains of Jo Stafford’s “You Belong to Me,” followed by the banter of Reed Wilson, WWNC’s popular early morning DJ.

Fly the ocean in a silver plane, See the jungle when it’s wet with rain.

But when my foot touches the floor, it all vanishes ... recedes like an ocean tide withdrawing down the corridors of the years; carrying away warmth, biscuits and my grandmother’s hands through the draft of a broken window. Sometimes, I move quickly to the barren kitchen, hoping to capture a belated fragment of what was here a moment ago — perhaps the last vestiges of Albert’s complaint lingers. (“Ahhh, God! I didn’t sleep a wink,” he says as he massages his head). And

here ... who is this tow-headed creature in his mint striped pajamas? My God, it’s me! I’m on my way to Albert’s bedroom, where I will find a stack of lurid magazines beneath his pillow — “Captain Marvel,” “Plastic Man,” “Black Hawk” and “The Blue Beetle.”

Is it possible that there are past moments that have taken refuge in these rooms? Are there moments that were fueled by such intense emotion, they hang suspended like banks of summer clouds, waiting for an alignment of hours, months and memory? My mother’s grief for my father’s murder is somewhere in this bedroom; my grandmother’s loss of a “blue baby;” the return of two sons from WWII haunts the front porch; an old, broken fiddle that played “The Waltz You Saved for Me” resonates faintly in the attic — are they all here like eavesdroppers in the next room, waiting for their cue to enter?

Perhaps a night will come when moonlight will penetrate the cobwebs on the attic window, touching the faded portrait of my father’s face; and he will turn to my mother, whispering, and the two of them will laugh. Then, a dozen specters will awake causing this old house to shudder as music, heat and the smell of red-eye gravy floats in the summer darkness. Then, children’s footsteps will mingle with the slow trudge of the elderly, and blasts of snow, wind and heat will batter these walls as spring and winter collide and this old house finally explodes, leaving nothing behind but the buzz of a solitary wasp freed from its prison behind an attic window.

Finally, this old house will mingle with fog and moonlight, drifting through the stand of hemlocks that encircles this dim cove where my homeless spirit will rise to meet the morning sun.

(Gary Carden is a storyteller and writer who lives in Sylva.)

Serendipity during the Lenten season

This year for Lent I took on a challenge instead of giving up something. I challenged myself to communicate more with friends and family who are not in my daily realm. It’s easy to go through life and only touch base with the people who impact our everyday routines and schedules, but once we take the time to see or talk with an old friend or someone we’ve lost touch with, it’s refreshing and energizing. After I put my Lenten intention out into the universe, some interesting things transpired.

I’ve written about my friend, Lana, in a previous column after she and I went to an Elton John concert last fall. We’ve been best friends since seventh grade when we met at a sleepover but haven’t kept in touch nearly enough through the years. Recently I had Lana as a guest on my podcast. Instead of talking about a particular topic, we simply chatted about our lives and the evolution of our friendship. The conversation was organic and authentic. My listeners really enjoyed the episode and commented how genuine it sounded, encouraging many of them to reach out to some of their best friends with whom they haven’t spoken to in a while.

In another episode, I talked about the topic of curiosity. I’m a big fan of curiosity. One of my favorite quotes is from Ted Lasso when he says, “Be curious, not judgmental.” During the podcast episode, I mentioned that I wanted a shirt that said “Stay Curious.” About five days later, I received a package in the mail with a sky blue shirt and the words “Say Curious” printed on the front. There was no card or indication who it was from. Then a text came through on my phone. My best friend from graduate school, Traci, who now lives outside of New York City, had listened to the episode and shipped me the shirt.

Aimee is another good friend. She went to my high school, but we really became close in our early twenties. Through marriages, divorces and raising children, we continued following one another on social media and talking briefly, but it was hard to meet up in person. Within the past couple of months, we’ve been texting quite a bit and are meeting for lunch this week.

On St. Patrick’s Day, my dad had a bad fall and broke his neck. Luckily, there were no additional complications. He was first seen at Haywood then transferred to Mission once the fracture was revealed on an X-ray. He’s been at Mission ever since and will hopefully be transitioning to a rehabilitation facility soon.

Since he was unable to manage phone calls at first, I talked on the phone with my aunt and uncle in South Carolina who I haven’t spoken to in many years. I also spoke on the phone with several of his colleagues from Young Transportation where he worked for 21 years after retiring from a career in education. Even though it took time to make all these phone calls, it was nice to hear their voices, especially because they reminded me of a time in my life when my mom was still alive.

One day on the way back from visiting my dad at the hospital, I took a call from an old friend from my days as a baton twirler. The person on the other end of the line was my baton teacher’s daughter. Growing up, my sister and I were at the gym many days a week practicing baton and often our weekends and summers were spent at baton competitions and camps. During these years, all the moms and daughters became very close.

A group of women from my baton world meet for lunch periodically in Asheville. Several months before my mom’s passing, she and I joined the group and it was fun to reminisce on old times and catch up with everyone. That was probably in 2015. I haven’t joined them for lunch since then, but I have it on the calendar to meet them this month.

I’ve been learning a lot over the past year about the law of attraction and putting desires into the universe. After I made the statement on Ash Wednesday that I wanted to reconnect with friends and family members, the universe stepped in and helped make that happen.

My podcast has been such a joy in my life and a catalyst for engaging with friends, new and old. In contrast, my dad’s injury was not necessarily a positive, but a silver lining was that it required me to communicate with my aunt and uncle, my dad’s old colleagues, and my baton friends.

In the darkness, we have to find the light. Even though it’s been challenging worrying about my dad, driving back and forth to the hospital while managing work and my kids, it’s also been nice to reconnect with people from my past.

I’m hopeful life will settle down soon into a more even, predictable routine, but even when it does, I plan to keep the lines of communication open and ongoing with all of these wonderful individuals. Yes, it’s important to keep our eyes forward and be mindful of present moments and future plans and goals. At the same time, there’s something deeply meaningful about remembering where we come from and staying connected with previous versions of ourselves, especially the versions that brought joy to our lives.

(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist. Susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)

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Columnist Susanna Shetley

‘Hell yes, refresh’ The Get Right Band release ‘iTopia’

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR

With its latest concept album, “iTopia,” Asheville-based indie-rockers The Get Right Band have offered up food for thought on where we currently stand as a society — this juxtaposition of humanity and technology in the emerging 21st century.

“So much of the point of all this work is connection — sharing the record with fans, with the world, and hoping people hear it and say, ‘Hey, I feel that way, too,’” said lead singer/guitarist Silas Durocher. “And they can share their experiences and their energy with us, in response to us sharing our experiences and our energy with them, and you just get this beautiful feedback loop going.”

Captured by producer/engineer Julian Dreyer at Echo Mountain Recording, “iTopia” is the fifth studio album The Get Right Band, a rising Western North Carolina group constantly, whether consciously or subconsciously, in a perpetual state of sonic evolution — this elusive, moving target of inspiration, creativity and intricate musicianship.

“We like to spend a ton of time working on the sounds, the textures, the psychedelic ear candy, the vocal phrasing, the nuanced timing between the instruments,” Durocher said. “And sometimes the most interesting moments of the album come at the end of many hours of chasing an idea.”

With “iTopia,” what has resulted is an album touching upon many of the countless influences — rock, pop, soul, psychedelic — at the core of the band. And what remains is yet another installment in this ongoing conversation between the group and the listener — of life and love, of the knowns and unknowns of a world gone mad in the digital age.

Smoky Mountain News: With “iTopia,” tell me about the concept behind it? What sparked this idea for a theme, and how it evolved into the final product as it stands?

Silas Durocher: Our new album is about our relationships with technology and social media. Almost everyone in the world is being massively impacted by these issues — it’s something so many of us are thinking about and trying to understand better.

The three of us in the band were having conversations about this subject, not in the context of writing about it, just because we were interested and saw its importance.

Eventually, I started to realize that there were so many different angles to this story — mental health, the beautiful side of the internet, phone addiction, trolls, conspiracy theories, sense of self, loss of our relationship with nature and on and on.

And that’s when we started to form the idea of doing a concept album. I’ve always been really impressed and moved by music with a social message — Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Run the Jewels, Rage Against the Machine. We felt like this was a social issue that was really pulling on our attention, and we thought it might be helpful to some other people out there, too.

SMN: Your band has been together for over a decade. What does it mean to you when you’re onstage or in the studio, and you look over and it’s those same faces that have been with you on this journey?

SD: It’s beautiful to have shared so much together — blood, sweat, tears, years, cities, miles, highs, lows, tour delirium, hearing loss, adventures, van breakdowns and on and on.

And, like every relationship, it’s complicated. Shared expe-

rience is an incredibly powerful bonding agent, but it takes work, communication and a shared goal to keep a relationship going.

I think the decade-plus of playing together is most evident when we’re onstage, on our best nights, moving and thinking as one mind is effortless and magical — that only comes with time.

SMN: What’s been the biggest takeaway from this project? What have you learned about the theme you set out to analyze and capture?

SD: Through the process of making the album and researching the subject matter, I learned that technology is affecting us in more ways than I even realized — nothing about this is black and white. We aren’t saying that technology is bad. We aren’t saying social media should be banned.

We’re saying that there are algorithms and super computers trying at all times to hijack our attention, and that that has massive ramifications on almost every aspect of our world, our lives, our emotions, our mental health — it’s best to be aware of it and to pay attention to it.

And beyond all the heady, timely subject matter, we’re also saying that being alive is difficult, and sometimes music can make it a little easier, because it makes us feel not as alone — it makes us think, it makes us dance, and it just feels good, groovy and fun in our bones.

The Get Right Band are (from left) Silas Durocher, Jesse Gentry and J.C. Mears. The group will play Asheville on April 7. Donated photo

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

'Same ol' moon, same

sun, same ol' race that we've always run’

Hello from the backstage area at the Suwannee Spring Reunion music festival in Live Oak, Florida. It’s hot and humid. Mid-80s and blue skies. But a cool breeze greets me as I sit and type away underneath the Spanish moss hanging in the oak trees overhead.

It’s at least my fifth time on this magical property in the rural depths of North Florida. Horse barns and farm fields. Black muddy rivers and curious alligators. Dirt roads and steaming blacktop. Bluegrass, Americana and folk music, bodies swaying in the late afternoon light.

And it’s wild to think how this place in the backwoods of Florida, not far from the Georgia state line, has become this anchor point — for not only me, but also countless other musicians and concertgoers alike. For decades, this melodic landscape has played host to raucous bands and overzealous audiences.

As one of the first music festivals anywhere in the country each year, Suwannee Spring Reunion is a mile-marker of sorts, personally and professionally. For those onstage and in the crowd, this place and this gathering are the grand reawakening each spring after a long, somewhat dormant winter of, hopefully, rest, respite and reflection.

Working year-round in the music industry as a journalist, for me Suwannee is the kickoff for the organized chaos that is the impending festival season, summer and fall shenanigans, and, well, whatever endeavors in the name of irresponsible enlightenment will bubble up from the mysterious depths of the universe.

It’s also a brief moment to reconnect with the artists and other folks in the industry — promoters, managers, publicists, etc. — who are vibrating dots of purpose and passion, each ricocheting off of each other and shooting off into seemingly every direction, an all eventually circling back to Live Oak, Florida, in late March once again.

The first time I rolled into Suwannee was a fall festival back in 2016. Known as the Suwannee Roots Revival, it featured headliners Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, The Wood Brothers and dozens more acts on numerous stages throughout the weekend.

Back in 2016, I was driving my ole 2001 GMC Sonoma pickup truck. Although the

vehicle was somewhat beat up from years on the road coast-to-coast, it remained sturdy and reliable to make the long treks from Southern Appalachia to The Sunshine State.

And I remember camping out of the back of the rusty, musty Sonoma that initial gathering, all while plotting my coverage for the weekend — a young writer trying to nail down interviews and make sincere connections with artists that I respect and admire.

Then, there was the Suwannee gathering when I cruised in with the gas-guzzling 2005 Dodge Dakota, again camping out in the bed of the truck. Just a cooler of beer, an array of snacks, bag of clean clothes and barely enough gas money to get back to Western North Carolina — just in time to put out that week’s issue of The Smoky Mountain News on Tuesday morning.

Oh, and the Suwannee with 2005 Toyota Tacoma, where I found myself sleeping awkwardly in the passenger’s seat, folded back all the way, but never far enough. Wake up and go for a run. Take a shower and ready oneself to corral numerous interviews with musicians, many of which were squirreled away for future features that eventually appeared in this very publication.

Skip ahead to this weekend here in March 2023. The headliners are full-circle

HOT PICKS

Camping out of the back of the trusty 2013 Tacoma. Quad-cab pickup with a camper shell atop the 6-foot bed, which is ideal for a joyous slumber of peace and solitude in the midnight hour, especially after one wanders back from the late-night jam sessions in the woods or, perhaps, to simply sit on the tailgate and gaze up at the brightly-lit stars and constellations hovering high above in the night sky.

I guess the point of my rambling in the previous paragraphs is the personal inventory that I’ve been taking throughout this most recent installment of another adventure into the rabbit hole that is Suwannee. All of these

The Main Street Sylva Association will host its sixth annual “Sylva Brew Hop” from 3-7 p.m. Saturday, April 1, in downtown.

1

2

A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

3

Popular country/gospel act Brothers Of the Heart will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Arts in Franklin.

4

A stage production of “Elephant’s Graveyard” will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 31, April 1, 7-8 and at 2 p.m. April 2 and 9 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

5

Regional rock group Arnold Hill (rock/jam) will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.

people once strangers back in 2016, now dear friends some seven years — and many, many miles — later.

And the innumerable moments shared together, whether onstage, backstage or around a campfire in the midst of a heated pickin’ session. You-had-to-be-there moments that captive the senses and sooth the soul, only to pack up and motor home come Sunday afternoon. Back to our respective realities, but with an aura of compassion and connectivity radiating from us to you (and you, too).

The desolate, cold winter season has culminated and come to a close, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Spring has sprung and the antsy, mischievous nature of springtime is coursing through our veins. Leaving Suwannee, a genuine sense of excitement for the warmth of friends, family and festivals is bouncing through my heart and soul.

Thoughts of the past and what is (it is what it is, truly) and what shall never be. Thoughts of the future and what could be, and may take shape. But, mostly thoughts of the “here and now” — of what is happening in real time, and how beautiful nothing and everything remains after all these years earned and miles traveled. Onward.

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

ol'

Steep Canyon Rangers at Suwannee Spring Reunion.

Garret K. Woodward photo

Americana, folk at Frog Level

Appalachian/indie singer-songwriter Jackson Grimm & The Bull Moose Party will perform at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 31, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

Grimm marries folk/pop melodies with the lonesome sound of traditional Appalachian music. In a region with a strong music culture, it is no surprise that Grimm’s songwriting is representative of his musical birthplace: Asheville.

His songs run the gambit from an homage to a traditional country waltz in “If Not For You,” an unrequited love song driven by a Beatles-esque melody in “I’d Hold You (But I Don’t Wanna Hold You),” to a drunken party-grass song à la Old Crow Medicine Show in “Last Train Home.”

The event is free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

Meadowlark welcomes Edwards

Americana/folk singer-songwriter A. Lee Edwards will perform at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.

Edwards has been a singer-songwriter for over 30 years. His music holds an honesty and an authenticity, not built on outward style, but inner substance. He is joined by a backing

band of some of the top players in the region, all of whom with vocal harmonies reminiscent of The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, and Buck Owens & Don Rich. Admission is $20. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on meadowlarkmotel.com or 828.926.1717.

Brothers Of The Heart to play Franklin

Popular country/gospel act Brothers Of the Heart will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Arts in Franklin.

What began as four award-winning, talented friends making music together has quickly become a nationallyrenowned band. Brothers Of The Heart — Jimmy Fortune, Ben Isaacs, Bradley Walker, Mike Rogers — reimagine country, gospel and pop classics, including “Ring of Fire,” “Desperado,” “Precious Memories,” and more.

Tickets start at $28, with priority seating available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com or call 866.273.4615.

Jackson Grimm will bring his tunes to Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. File photo

A. Lee Edwards will perform at Maggie Valley’s Meadowlark Motel. Donated photo

Brothers Of The Heart will rock out Franklin on April 4. File photo

On the beat

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

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

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

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, “Howlin’ At The Moon” karaoke party 7:30 p.m. March 31 and Arnold Hill (rock/jam) April 1. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Dustin Martin (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. April 1. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.

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

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

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

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host its weekly “Tuesday Jazz Series” at 5:30 p.m., Jackson Grimm (Americana/folk) 6:30 p.m. March 31 and Woolybooger (blues/folk) April 1. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host Al Scortino (singer-songwriter) April 1. All shows are at 11 a.m. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main St. littletennessee.org or 828.369.8488.

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. happsplace.com or 828.742.5700.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Dwight Yoakam (country) 8:30 p.m. March 31-April 1. For a full schedule of events and/or to buy tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Trivia Night with Kirk” from 7-9 p.m. every Monday,

Open Mic Night every Wednesday, Mitchell Russott (singer-songwriter) April 1 and Andy Ferrell (singer-songwriter) April 8. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovationbrewing.com.

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

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

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

• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host A. Lee Edwards (Americana/folk) April 1 ($20 admission) and Bluebirds (Americana) 7:30 p.m. April 8. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit meadowlarkmotel.com or 828.926.1717.

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

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Heidi Holton (blues/folk) March 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.

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

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

• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays

and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.

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

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

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

• Sauced (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9585 or saucedwnc.com

• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host a “Celtic Jam” 2-5 p.m. Sundays and Jon Cox (country/rock) March 30. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.

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

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Brothers Of The Heart (country/gospel) 7:30 p.m. April 4. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit smokymountainarts.com or 828.524.1598.

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

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

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

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Jay Dee Gee March 30, Rock Holler March 31 and Jason Lee Wilson & Jame County April 1. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

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

Dulcimer group ‘Pic’ & Play’

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.

828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.com.

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

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

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

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

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

On the wall

• “WNC Wildflower” photography open house will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at Blue Ridge Music Hub in Waynesville. Lori Johnson and Donna Machen will be on-hand to answer any questions you may have about their wildflower portfolio, which will be displayed. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com.

Interested in blacksmithing?

Acclaimed master blacksmith Brock Martin will host a “Traditional Utility Axe” class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 31-April 1 at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

ALSO:

• The immersive installation ”Courtney M. Leonard —BREACH: Logbook | CORIOLIS” is currently being showcased through May 5 in the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Created by the Shinnecock Nation ceramic artist as part of Leonard’s BREACH series, the exhibition explores cultural and historical connections to water, fishing practices and sustainability. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on arts.wcu.edu/breach.

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

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

On the stage

"Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend"

Arts & Crafts Festival JUNE 16 & 17

Appalachian Christmas & Opening of the Tinsel Trail DECEMBER 3 AT 5PM.

Open April 1 - December 22

Tinsel Trail open through JANUARY 1, 2024.

SHELTON BARN

AVAILABLE TO RENT for your special events! Call 828-452-1551 to book.

Museum Open Saturday, April 1 - Saturday, October 28

Thurs. - Sat. 10am to 3pm * Tours on the Hour

* Call for Group Tours * Visit our Gift Shop

Justice, morality in ‘Elephant’s Graveyard’

This course is designed to introduce students to axe-making using hand tools while learning the metallurgy behind producing a quality tool/weapon. Topics covered will include: forging vs. stock removal, heat treating and tempering, temperature control vs. hammer control, posture, limitations of workability, filing, sanding, sharpening, forge welding and more.

Runner-up on the Season Four of the popular TV show “Forged in Fire,” Martin will discuss misconceptions associated with the art and how to fortify proper technique. Students will walk away with a traditional, hand-forged axe that has a 1095 (high carbon) core. No prior experience required.

Cost for the course is $300 (materials included), due at registration. Space is limited. Pre-registration required. For more information or to register, contact the GEP at 828.631.0271. Feel free to contact the instructor directly at 828.310.4617.

A stage production of “Elephant’s Graveyard” will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 31, April 1, 7-8 and at 2 p.m. April 2 and 9 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

HART’s Studio Season often presents plays that make you think and may challenge your world views. “Elephant’s Graveyard” is a play that examines justice, morality, and fear based on the true story of tragedy in Erwin, Tennessee in September of 1916.

Directed by Western Carolina University student Grace Hayes and utilizing the vast talents of fellow WCU students as well as HART veteran actors, they have created a moving performance.

When a traveling circus stumbles into a gory tragedy in the muddy town of Erwin, Tennessee, both the town and circus must face the harsh reality of justice, revenge and

heartbreak, resulting in the only known lynching of an elephant.

“Elephant’s Graveyard” buzzes with truth about the consequences of misunderstanding, the invisible but enormous gap between artists and their audiences and the infernal beauty of vaudeville.

The show features performances from WCU students Caitlyn Brown, Kenna Gokey, Dabney Doepner, Hope Chellman, Imani Hargett, Matthew McCanless, Ryan Culbreth, and Blair Burris as well as HART community actors David Spivey, Vicki Mangieri, Mark Kroczynski, Jay Howell and Jenny Taylor.

To make reservations, call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322 or go to harttheatre.org to make reservations online. Tickets are $21.50 for adults, $11.50 for students. Mature content, mature audiences only.

HART Box Office winter hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3-5 p.m. HART is located at 250 Pigeon St. in Waynesville.

• “Legally Blonde: The Musical” will be presented by the Swain County High School Vocal Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. March 31, April 1, and 3 p.m. April 2 at the Swain Arts Center in Bryson City. Enjoy an evening of live entertainment from the awardwinning Vocal Ensemble as they bring Harvard’s beloved blonde and all your favorite characters to life in this fun and upbeat adaptation of the hit film and award-winning Broadway musical. Tickets may be purchased at the door or at swain-arts-center.ticketleap.com/legally-blonde-junior.

A blacksmith class will be in Dillsboro March 31-April 1.

File photo

Arnold Hill rolls into Boojum

Regional rock group Arnold Hill (rock/jam) will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.

With its recent debut album, “Back to Life,” Arnold Hill sets to change the tone and tempo of what folks might expect on a given night onstage at their nearby bars and breweries in our mountain communities.

Formed in 2011, the Jackson County band

is named after a road in Sylva where the musicians lived and practiced. In method, Arnold Hill adheres to the playful nature and creative possibilities that reside in the rock quartet.

For more information on the group, click on arnoldhillband.com. You can purchase/stream “Back to Life” on all online streaming services.

The show is free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.

Bryson City community jam

A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of the Sawmill Creek Porch Band.

The community jams offer a chance for

On the street

musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — spring, summer, fall. This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts. 828.488.3030.

• “Folkmoot Family Pop-Up” will be held from 9:30-11 a.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. The event will feature an array of children’s activities. Cost is $15 for parent and child, $5 for each additional child. Reservations required. Space limited. For tickets, call 828.452.2997.

Arnold Hill will play Boojum on April 1 (Garret K. Woodward photo)

On the table

‘Sylva Brew Hop’

The Main Street Sylva Association will host its sixth annual “Sylva Brew Hop” from 3-7 p.m. Saturday, April 1, in downtown.

Enjoy the Jackson County Ale Trail. In honor of NC Beer, join Balsam Falls Brewing, Innovation Brewing, Nantahala Brewing (Sylva Outpost) and Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva Taproom) for this event.

Tickets include a souvenir glass and two 4-oz. pours at each of the four locations.

Matzo ball soup class

The Jackson County Public Library will be hosting a matzo ball soup demonstration at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 4, at the library in Sylva.

A cozy bowl of matzo ball soup is a staple in many Jewish homes year-round but has

particular significance during Passover. In this hands-on demonstration, participants will make, sample and learn the significance of matzo ball soup in Jewish culture. This program is part of the Kitchen Literacy Connection grant.

This grant is made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-252476-OLS-22).

Registration required by emailing jcpladults@fontanalib.org or by calling 828.586.2016. This program is in the Atrium and is free of charge, however sign-up is required as space is limited.

The first 150 people to sign up receive a bonus souvenir glass.

Proceeds will benefit the Main Street Sylva Association, a local nonprofit organization. Tickets are $35. Participants are encouraged to enjoy cuisine made to pair with beer at our local restaurants.

For more information, click on mainstreetsylva.org.

ALSO:

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

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

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

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

• Monday | CLOSED

• Tuesday & Wednesday | 11am-5pm (bar 6)

• Thursday | 11am-5pm (bar 6pm)

• Friday | 11am-5pm Lunch Menu 5pm-8pm Dinner Menu

• Saturday | 11am-5pm Lunch Menu 5pm-8pm Dinner Menu

• Sunday | 11am-5pm (bar 6pm)

Experience a Casual, Relaxing Atmosphere

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

Learn how to make Matzo ball soup at the Jackson County Public Library. File photo Innovation Brewing.

Reading, reviews, and self-remonstrance

Maybe it’s the mixed-up weather. The warmer temperatures have delivered a sort of raucous springtime mood, though Whatever the cause, a parade of books on all sorts of topics has passed through my hands, volumes taken from the library and from the pyramid of print on the floor of my study. Some I’ve read, some only browsed, but all deserve at least some garland of recognition.

BOOKS READ

First up was Horatio Alger’s 1868 “Ragged Dick, Or Street Life in New York with the BootBlacks”

(Independently

Published, 2019, 136 pages), a triumph that led Alger to write scores more books about poor young men who by virtue, hard work, and education, along with a few lucky breaks, bettered themselves in the world. Despite its dated argot, Alger’s novel was surprisingly easy to read, made some points about self-improvement still valid today, and gave me insights into the harsh lives of the adolescents abandoned on the street 150 years ago.

“For the Love of Robert E. Lee” (Soho Press, 2003, 330 pages), M.A. Harper’s novel features Garnet Laney, a 1960s South Carolina teenager and self-described poet and liberal intellectual, and Confederate General Robert E. Lee, with whom Garnet falls in love. Yes, you read that correctly. Asked to do a report for school about this Southern icon, Garnet discovers a slight family connection to Lee, adores the painting made when he was a young soldier, and finds herself haunted by Lee and by the South. I’m over halfway through this novel, which offers both some insights into Lee’s personality and a fun but somewhat perplexing look at a quirky girl consumed by the past. “For the Love of Robert E. Lee” is out of print, but still available used in secondhand stores and online for those who want a different approach to history and fiction.

“Theology of the Home: Finding the Eternal in the Everyday” (TAN Books and Publishers, 2019, 235 pages) by Carrie Gress, Noelle Mering, and Megan Schrieber,

with photographs by Kim Baile, I borrowed from a friend. This book only disqualifies itself from a full and separate review in this column because of its Catholic and Christian take on life, marriage, and family, which may not appeal to our general readership. Nevertheless, here is a gorgeous book, with its fine essays about the joys and beauty of a home accompanied by Baile’s striking photos. The tone is set right from the beginning: “Home. It is an elegant word, at once both simple and far reaching. Home is the place where we are meant to be safe, nurtured, known for who we are, and able to live and love freely.” A definite five-stars for this one,

ter — I’ve read about half of it, skipping or skimming some of the chapters — and for its prose style. Like a middleweight, Ells throws quick, blunt punches with her sentences while moving adroitly around her opponents, which in this case are the forces, including agencies of the United Nations, seeking to replace the family with a government.

BOOKS BROWSED

In his ambitious epic poem “Eandun” (Beaver’s Pond Press, 2020, 264 pages), pronounced eth-an-dune and the old name for the battle where Alfred the Great and his Wessex warriors defeated a great host of the Danes, William G. Carpenter tells the story of Alfred and the events surrounding the battle that thwarted Viking ambitions in lower England. Carpenter delivers his account in blank verse, accompanied by notes, a glossary, and the paintings of Miko Simmons. Those who enjoy poetry, the early Middle Ages, and the stories of writers like Tolkien may here find pleasure and learning. This one’s a keeper, as I intend eventually to have a go at it.

Batya Ungar-Sargon is the deputy opinion editor at Newsweek and cohost of that publication’s podcast, and holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. In “Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy” (Encounter Press, 2021, 312 pages), she gives her readers both a history and an analysis of journalism for the last 100 years. Some who pick up this book will be surprised to learn that before World War II, most journalists in our country lacked a college degree and would today be regarded as belonging to the blue-collar class.

O er includes a complimentary Warm Welcome with one of our instructors who can answer any questions, chat about your specific needs + introduce you to the studio. You will also receive 10% o our on-demand programs and free access to our video library during the o er!

Vist our website for details and to purchase!

especially if you’re a homemaker seeking visual and spiritual inspiration.

Somewhat similar in theme, but much more political, is Kimberly Ells’ “The Invincible Family: Why the Global Campaign to Crush Motherhood and Fatherhood Can’t Win” (Regnery Gateway, 2023, 256 pages). Ells, a speaker, writer, family advocate, wife, and mother of five, supports her arguments about the war against the traditional family with more than 70 pages of notes and works cited. Her book is fascinating both for its subject mat-

Robbins reading, book signing

Ungar-Sargon reveals how much this change in status, prestige, and money, along with explosive developments in technology, has negatively influenced reporting and the news. Like “Eandun,” though for very different reasons, “Bad News” will remain in place on my shelves, in hopes that I will someday make it my own by reading it.

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

Carly Robbins (aka: Robbin Monteith) will present her latest book, “Secret Series: Secrets of the Unforgiven,” at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Robbins invites readers to come take a trip home with Katelynn. Enjoy a glass of lemonade on the porch swing while listening to the night bugs sing with her true love, who just happens to be a vampire, Corbin.

Katelynn has come home to see her much-loved family. Has the very essence of evil followed her home, or was it there all along? She will need to rally her entire clan of vampires, fairies, and immortals — can they, will they, be able to defeat an unimaginable evil by the name of Savar? Monteith has lived in Bryson City for many years. To reserve copies of “Secrets of the Unforgiven,” please call the bookstore at 828.586.9499.

Writer Jeff Minick

Outdoors

Predictably, some escaped, and the species has slowly wreaked havoc on hundreds of millions of acres of land during a steady southwesterly spread from eastern Massachusetts through all of New England on down to West Virginia and Virginia, along with Wisconsin and Michigan in the Great Lakes region.

Since 1970, the spongy moth has deforested more than 75 million acres, including at least 2.25 million acres in 2017 alone, according to Goforth.

Goforth led the March 21 meeting at the Historic Haywood County Courthouse, along with officials from the U.S. Forest Service who explained that Western North Carolina is on the frontlines of the infestation, which has crept into North Carolina along the coastal border with Virginia in the east and on into the Asheville area in the west.

The moths can extend their range by as much as 13 miles a year.

Female spongy moths are flightless. They attract mates by releasing a pheromone that helps males detect their location. Once that happens, the females lay an egg mass, usually in trees. The egg mass can produce anywhere from 100 to 1,000 caterpillars.

One caterpillar can eat one square-foot of foliage per day, and they especially like oaks, which are plentiful in most of Southern Appalachia.

Moth brawl

A little moth is causing big problems in Cruso

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

Last week, more than a hundred people turned up to an informational meeting about a North Carolina Department of Agriculture plan to treat a small portion of Haywood County’s Cruso community for an invasive species of moth. And they weren’t happy.

Voicing legitimate concerns over private property rights and the inability to opt out of the aerial spray treatment, some in the audience also contended that the non-toxic treatment is worse than an infestation, which can have serious ecological and economic consequences.

“Without early detection and rapid response, the invasive gypsy (spongy) moth will continue to reproduce and take a stronghold in forested areas,” said Joy Goforth, a plant pest administrator with the NCDA. “Spongy moth infestations alter the ecology of an area by reducing habitat, increasing erosion and other factors. In addition, establishment of this pest will have grave impact financially on the local forestry and nursery industries and can impact tourism and property values.”

First described by Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the moth’s Latin name, lymantria dispar, means “unequal destroyer.” Unequal refers to the size difference between

males and females, and destroyer alludes to its devastating effect on more than 300 species of plants and trees.

Known for centuries as the gypsy moth, the little creature has recently undergone a name change to spongy moth — its previous

moniker is now considered insulting to members of the Romani culture.

A Medford, Massachusetts, man imported the European pest to the U.S. in 1869, hoping to establishing a new industry by interbreeding them with silkworms.

When they emerge from the egg mass en masse, the caterpillars can swarm, leaving behind prolific amounts of feces and endangering people and pets with the hairs on their backs, which are an irritant.

Regular defoliation injures trees, which then become susceptible to disease. Once spongy moth populations take hold, they can impact the forestry industry, nursery stock and the tourism economy. The loss of large trees also contributes to erosion, which can impact water quality.

Around mid-June, the caterpillars

The presence of a devastating invasive moth has been detected in Haywood County. Wikipedia photo

Joy Goforth of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture speaks at a meeting in Waynesville on March 21.

Cory Vaillancourt photo

enter the pupal stage, emerging from cocoons two weeks later. Adult moths grow to about an inch in size, do not eat, and live for about a week.

The NCDA began to take note of the problem in Haywood County around 2019, through a trapping program meant to assess both the existence and the size of local populations.

Technology). The “GMO” acronym does not stand for “genetically modified organism” as with some food products, but rather for “Gypsy Moth.”

It consists of 87% inert food grade ingredients, mainly oils, wax, emulsifiers and water. The other 13% is a chemical formulation of the female’s pheromone.

The way it works is by confusing males

from the caterpillars — especially from their hairs.

Spraying of a diluted concentration of the SPLAT-GMO treatment will begin in late June, just as the moths begin to emerge from their cocoons, intent on breeding.

Crop dusters will wait for the exact moment that weather conditions, including winds and temperature, make the spraying as effective as possible.

Not all of the 2,297 acres will be sprayed — only areas with trees. Pilots will shut off their spray valves over open farmland and bodies of water, including creeks, and carefully monitor spray drift.

Although it’s non-toxic to humans, pets, fish or other insects, residents should avoid direct exposure and bring animals inside. If overspray lands on produce, or on vehicles, a simple wash with detergent should be applied.

Property owners will receive a mailer with a “spray window,” because the precise time won’t be known until it occurs. Once that happens, most of the spray will remain in tree canopies. The treatment will be sprayed in straight lines at 100-foot intervals, and the whole thing will take less than three hours.

Within three hours after application, the product becomes rain-fast and UV resistant. Drip isn’t really a concern, Coleman said. At least one property owner asked Goforth if it was possible to opt out of the spray treatment. Goforth said it wasn’t, because the NCDA is empowered by statute in the North Carolina Plant Pest law to

detect, suppress and eradicate “any insect, mite, nematode, other invertebrate animal, disease, noxious weed, plant or animal parasite in any stage of development which is injurious to plants and plant products.”

In fact, it’s actually a crime for any person to “knowingly and willfully keep upon his premises any plant or plant product infested or infected by any dangerous plant pest, or permit dangerous plants or plant parasites to mature seed or otherwise multiply upon his land,” per NCGS 36C-4-421.

Ultimately, the treatment regimens — performed more than 100 times in the state since 1980 — are at the discretion of the N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture, Steve Troxler, who with a board oversees the N.C. Department of Agriculture.

Goforth said that in the coming weeks, NCDA will set a date for another public information session on the treatment.

“North Carolina is defined in many ways by its lush tree canopy and green natural resources,” Goforth said. “Through the Slow the Spread efforts, including targeted treatments where the spongy moth population is on the rise, we hope we can prevent damage to our forests. Western North Carolina won't look like Western North Carolina if we continue to lose trees and tree canopy to pests. And that would be a shame.”

For more information on the invasive spongy moth, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture website (usda.gov). To ensure notification of the next public information session, contact Joy Goforth, plant pest administrator, at joy.goforth@ncagr.gov.

Traps laced with the female pheromone attract males, if there are any around. North Carolina has monitored the moths since 1980, deploying roughly 18,000 traps across the state each year.

Contrary to statements by some members of the public at the meeting, the traps don’t invite an infestation, because the pheromones are only effective within a 50meter radius.

If more than three male moths are captured in any trap, that’s a red flag, according to Tom Coleman, an entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service who was present at the meeting and helped Goforth answer questions posed by the public. If a series of traps all contain more than three moths, it’s downright alarming.

One trap in Cruso caught five; four traps within the 2,297-acre (3.6 square miles) study area had three or more, and an additional six traps each captured one.

Relentless, the spongy moths are eventually expected to overtake all of Western North Carolina by 2045, but a number of treatments are available to help slow the spread.

Some are bacterium based, some are viruses and some are straight-up poisons that create unintended impacts on other animals, insects and the environment, but the treatment chosen for Cruso takes advantage of a little trickery in regard to the critical role of the female pheromone in breeding.

It’s called SPLAT-GMO (Specialized Pheromone and Lure Application

who pinpoint the location of females through their natural release of the pheromone.

When the treatment is sprayed on tree canopies, it’s suddenly everywhere, making it difficult for males to find females with which to breed. It’s basically the equivalent of trying to spot a single candle amid a raging forest fire.

The treatment doesn’t actually kill the moths. It simply reduces their chances of successful breeding.

“If you ask anyone who works in our industry, this is touted as one of if not the most successful treatment programs,” Coleman said.

Manual trapping of the moths remains an option, but it’s far from guaranteed to slow the spread and it’s economically unfeasible. Coleman said that in the Cruso area, manual trapping would require nine traps per acre. Trapping a block this size would cost roughly $500,000.

The SPLAT-GMO treatment is safe, Coleman said, and the existence of male moths in the spray grid proves that the active ingredient in the treatment, the female pheromone, is already in the environment there.

Coleman explained that the SPLATGMO program is more than 20 years old and has been used to treat about 300,000 acres a year in the U.S. from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Canadian border. Coleman said he wasn’t aware of any reports of hospitalization from the treatment but was aware of health concerns

This NCDA map shows the location of spongy moth spray treatment in Cruso. NCDA photo

Wild turkey season is nearly here

The season opens for youth hunters is April 1-7, and the statewide season is April 8 to May 6. Hunters are limited to two turkeys for the season, only one of which may be taken during youth season.

Stock the West Fork with trout

Volunteers are wanted to help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stock trout into the West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood County beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 4.

The group will meet at the upper Delayed Harvest parking area across N.C. 215 from the gun range, below Sunburst Campground. Volunteers should bring a clean 5-gallon bucket and a friend or two. Waders are recommended but not required.

The NCWRC will bring at least 1,200 pounds of fish. The goal is to help disperse them throughout the Delayed Harvest section to allow for a better fishing experience.

The stocking will take about three hours, with at least 25 volunteers needed. tucataloochee427@gmail.com.

Take the kids fishing

Haywood Community College will host a youth fishing clinic 1-4 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the HCC Millpond.

Check-in starts at 12:30 p.m., with free registration for up to 40 kids age 612. All equipment and bait will be provided to try their luck in the pond. A parent or guardian must be present. To reserve a spot, contact Jenny Carver at 828.627.4560 or jcarver@haywood.edu.

Trout waters reopen

Hatchery Supported Trout Waters open at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 1, kicking off spring fishing in the mountains. They will remain available through Feb. 28, 2023.

These waters are marked by green-andwhite signs. Through July, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission staff will stock them with nearly 964,000 trout, 96% of which will average 10 inches in length while the other 4% exceed 14 inches.

While the waters are open to public fishing, many miles run through privately owned land. Anglers should respect the property they fish on and remember that landowners can take access away if they feel their property is being misused.

A full stocking schedule is posted at bit.ly/3JFbpA2. For a list of all Hatchery Supported Trout Waters, as well as maps, the complete stocking schedule and daily stocking updates, visit bit.ly/3danfpw.

The youth season is open to anyone under 18, but hunters 16 and older must have hunting licenses. Hunters under 16 do not need a license as long as they are accompanied by a licenseholder age 18 or older. However, youth who have a license or hunter education card may hunt without adult supervision.

The season dates are designed to offer the turkeys plenty of opportunity for breeding before the males are harvested. Hunters must report harvests using the Big Game Harvest Report Card at ncwildlife.org/hunting/big-game-harvest-reporting.

Turkey season opens this week.

Trout Unlimited kicks off stream monitoring project

An evening of casting, conservation and cookouts will start at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at East LaPorte River Park in Jackson County.

At 4 p.m., Trout Unlimited Cataloochee members will be available for fly casting tips, demonstrations or anything related to fishing, casting and gear. All gear needed, including some waders, will be available. Casting can be done on the grass or from the bank for those who wish to stay dry. At 6 p.m., the grill will fire up to prepare hamburgers and hot dogs. Club members are asked to bring sides to share. Raffle tickets will be available for a bamboo rod and some new or nearly new gear.

The event will kick off the Clean Savannah Creek TU project, a stream monitoring project on Savannah Creek to find sources of sedimentation. Volunteers interested in learning about citizen science and stream conservation in their neighborhoods are wanted — and invited to come out April 4 to learn more. The event will be repeated May 2 for those who can’t make it next week.

The project is funded through a matching grant from TU National, and the local chapter has support from the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the chair of the N.C. TU Council.

To attend, RSVP to tu.myeventscenter.com/event/tu-sylva-open-house-april-4-75201.

Outdoors store opening in Cherokee casino

A new outdoors store will celebrate its grand opening 1-5 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee.

Cherokee Outdoors, located next to Brio Tuscan Grille, will offer a variety of outdoor

apparel and gear from well-known brands, including coolers, clothing, gear, shoes, hats and other accessories.

“We’re fortunate to be surrounded by outdoor recreation ranging from whitewater rafting, to fly fishing, to hiking.” said Regional Senior Vice President & General Manager Brooks Robinson. “While visiting Cherokee Outdoors, we hope guests feel inspired to explore our local area, gear up and enjoy it.”

The grand opening event will feature fly demonstrations, information about products and a special gift to customers purchasing from select vendors while supplies last. The official ribbon-cutting will be at 4 p.m. Located on the second floor of the casino at the Rivershops, Cherokee Outdoors will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Environmental organizations merge, hold climate change program

A pair of Haywood County organizations have merged to form a new one, called the Environmental Action Committee of WNC. EACWNC will hold an inaugural event on climate change at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville.

Carl Schrenk, who holds a doctorate and is a research scholar at the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies at N.C. State University, will speak on “Climate Change, Hurricanes and North Carolina: What Can We Expect In Our Mountains.”

The free program is also an opportunity to learn about EACWNC, which was created in December 2022 through blending Outdoor Mission Community and the WNC Climate Action Coalition. The complementary work of these two organizations is now joined together as reflected in a new mission statement: “To create opportunities to experience the outdoors, respond to climate challenges and promote a resilient mountain community.”

The April 4 program can also be accessed by Zoom. To request a link, email info@eacwnc.org.

Book chronicles WNC’s oldest hiking club

A new book marking the centennial year of the Carolina Mountain Club will be released Saturday, April 1.

The book, “Carolina Mountain Club: One Hundred Years,” is the latest from Danny Bernstein, an Asheville author and hiking enthusiast. Through the voices of its

passionate members, the book delves into the story of hiking, trail maintenance and land protection in Western North Carolina.

“It’s all here: from the way the land shaped the people, to the way the people shaped the club, to the way the club shaped how and where outdoor enthusiasts recreate in the mountains of the southeastern United States,” said Leonard M.

Adkins, author of Hiking and Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Starting April 1 the book will be available online through Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at stores.portmerch.com/mountainstoseatrail and at Asheville bookstores including Mast General Store.

Tom Reichner photo

A group of volunteers stands ready to stock. Trout Unlimited photo

Help restore Allens Creek

Help make Allens Creek healthier with a stream improvement project noon to 4 p.m. March 29-30, and possibly Friday, March 31, in Waynesville.

The project will take place at BearWaters

Brewing’s new location in Hazelwood at 1940 Main Street. It includes two phases, the first of which is livestaking, which will take place on the work dates this week. Live stakes are branches of trees cut while trees are dormant and planted directly in the soil, where they develop roots and grow into new trees.

The second phase, in May, will involve planting native plants and trees, helping create a more diverse ecosystem while also stabling the streambank and reducing pollution entering Allens Creek.

Haywood Waterways Association is partnering with Spriggly’s Beescaping to complete the project. Volunteers are invited

to come anytime, even just for an hour, and should bring a good pair of boots, hammers or rubber mallets, gloves and clothes that can get dirty. For more information, contact Caitlin Worsham at 828.476.4667, ext. 12 or caitlin@haywoodwaterways.org.

Greenway bridge complete in Waynesville

The new Richland Creek Greenway Bridge is now open in the Waynesville Recreation Park, with a dedication planned at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 30.

The bridge, made possible by donations from private citizens, provides a connection to a continuing greenway and is part of a larger plan to connect the greenway to Lake Junaluska. The next phase of this project will include a paved 10-foot walking trail loop on the adjacent property with outdoor exercise equipment, picnic areas, fishing access points and multiuse greenspace.

For more information, contact 828.456.2030 or lkinsland@waynesvillenc.gov.

Decade-long project launches for forest restoration in Pisgah, Cherokee national forests

An effort to restore forests in the Pisgah and Cherokee national forests, which will be one of the first projects implemented under the new Nantahala and Pisgah Forest Plan, will receive $11 million over 10 years after being selected for the U.S. Forest Service Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program. Significant additional funding from partner organizations is expected.

The Pisgah Restoration Initiative will promote more resilient forests across 520,000 acres in the Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina, and 30,000 acres of the Cherokee National Forest in east Tennessee. It will increase prescribed burning and other forest management practices on more than 70,000 acres of the Pisgah National Forest — reducing wildfire risk, restoring fire-adapted ecosystems, treating non-native invasive species and increasing watershed health and resiliency.

“Restoration and managing for resilience are critical for our national forests in Western North Carolina. We’ve seen the value of this work in recent threats related to storms and wildfire,” said National Forests in North Carolina Forest Supervisor

James Melonas. “By working hand-in-hand with our partners, the Pisgah Restoration Initiative will allow us to work across large landscapes to make our forests healthier and more resilient to changing conditions.”

Collaboration is a critical component of the Pisgah Restoration Initiative. From its inception, the project was planned with local and regional partners from state and federal agencies, local environmental nonprofits, wildlife conservation organizations and recreation user groups. Collaborators include the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

This initiative builds on the successes of work under the Grandfather Restoration Project, which occurred from 2011 through 2021 on the Grandfather Ranger District, applying lessons learned to increase the pace and scale of restoration across a larger landscape.

For more information about the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, visit fs.usda.gov/restoration/cflrp.

Volunteers pound in live stakes along a riverbank. Haywood Waterways Association photo

RIGHT: Tony Murphy, Michelle Hogan, Daniel Allen, Kim

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING RELATIVE TO APPLICATION BY TOWN OF WAYNESVILLE FOR FUNDING UNDER THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Waynesville will conduct a public hearing on April 11, 2023 at 6:00 PM, or as soon thereafter as the agenda will allow, in the Town Hall Board Room located at 9 South Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 relative to the intention of the Town Board of Aldermen to apply for FY2022 CDBG funding under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act.

Town of Waynesville intends to submit an application for a grant of approximately Two Million Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($2,750,000) in CDBG Infrastructure funds for Sanitary Sewer System Improvements and Public Water System Improvements Project, which will replace deteriorated sewer lines and appurtenances for purposes of eliminating infiltration and inflow and extend sanitary sewer lines including residential connections and extend public water lines including hydrants, and residential taps. The project area includes Franklin Street, Hendrix Street, Muse Street, Explorer Street, and Sawyer Street.

The following is a tentative list of proposed activities and an estimated budget. The final application will be reviewed at the public hearing.

Infrastructure Improvements and Grant Administration Estimated Budget $2,750,000.00

The proposed project will provide benefits to an estimated 106 persons, 80% of whom are low- and moderate-income individuals based on door-to-door income surveys performed by Town of Waynesville staff and McGill Associates staff. No individuals will be displaced, nor will any require temporary relocation assistance as a result of the proposed project.

Citizens will be given the opportunity to provide oral and written comments on the Town’s past and proposed use of CDBG funds at the public hearing. All interested citizens are encouraged to attend.

If additional information is needed, please contact the Development Services Director, Elizabeth Teague at 9 S. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786, 828-456-2004 or eteague@waynesvillenc.gov. Formal written complaints or comments concerning the application process that are submitted to the Development Services Director prior to or following the public hearing will be responded to within fifteen (15) working days by April 26, 2023. A copy of the completed project application will be available for public review after April 26, 2023, at the Town of Waynesville, Development Services Office, 9 S. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786.

Persons with disabilities or who otherwise need assistance should contact Elizabeth Teague, Development Services Director, at 9 S. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786. or eteague@waynesvillenc.gov, TDD # 711 or 800-735-2962 or Relay North Carolina by September 10, 2022. Accommodations will be made for all who request assistance with participating in the public hearing.

This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Elizabeth Teague, Development Services Director, at 828-456-2004, or at the 9 S. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 for accommodations for this request.

Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Elizabeth Teague, Development Services Director, al 828-456-2004 o en 9 S. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786, de alojamiento para esta solicitud.

Puzzles can be found on page 38

These are only the answers.

Take a walk in the woods

Spring is here, bringing with it ample opportunity to get outside, stretch your legs and enjoy the abundance of wildflowers and other plant life in the Southern Appalachians.

■ Take an easy stroll through the Botanical Garden at the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands 4-5 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout April. Participants will see which spring ephemerals are blooming while learning identification tips and the flowers’ unique characteristics. Programs are free, with no registration necessary. Highlandsbiological.org.

■ Volunteer-led trail walks will explore the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville at 1 p.m. Tuesday, and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays. Topics and trails will vary based on weather, trail conditions and guide expertise. Walks are first-come, first-served, with signup sheets at Baker Visitor Center.

■ The Haywood County Recreation Department is offering five hikes this month featuring wildflowers and warmer temperatures, starting with a moderately challenging 5.3-mile hike on the Chestnut Branch Loop in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Wednesday, April

Orchid festival returns to Asheville

The Asheville Orchid Festival, one of the largest international orchid shows in the Southeast, will return for its 22nd year 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 1-2, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

World-class orchid growers and breeders along with regional orchid societies will exhibit for the American Orchid Society-sanctioned judging event, with hundreds of orchids presented in carefully crafted orchid displays. Vendors from Ecuador and across the U.S. will have orchids for sale, including rare species and cutting-edge hybrids, and the days will be studded with programs and educational lectures.

The event is hosted by the N.C. Arboretum

5. Other hikes include a challenging 9.75 miles on the Art Loeb Trail Saturday, April 1; a 3.8-mile hike to Ferguson Cabin Tuesday, April 18; a 5-mile wildflower hike on the Mountains-to-Sea-Trail from Balsam Gap Ranger Station to Standing Rock Overlook Sunday, April 23; and the 6.3-mile Black Balsam Tennet Mountain Loop Wednesday, April 26. Register for hikes at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation.

■ Spring wildflower hikes in the Big Creek Area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will step off Tuesday, April 11, and Saturday, April 15. Wildflower enthusiast Donna Machen will lead these 4mile roundtrip hikes to Mouse Falls while helping to identify the diversity of wildflowers on display this time of year. The event is part of Haywood Waterways Association’s “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor activities. It is free for members with a $5 donation requested from nonmembers, who can sign up starting March 30. Space is limited, with a parking tag required to park in the Smokies. To reserve a spot, contact info@haywoodwaterways.org or 828.476.4667, ext. 2 or 3.

The festival will feature hundreds of carefully crafted orchid displays. N.C. Arboretum photo

and the Western North Carolina Orchid Society. Admission is $5 per person in addition to the standard Arboretum parking fee of $20 per vehicle. Free for children 12 and under. All admission proceeds benefit WNCOS, a nonprofit whose mission is to share the excitement and joy of cultivating orchids and to promote orchid conservation.

For more information, visit ncarboretum.org.

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• 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.

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

• Jackson County Green Energy Park is once again welcoming visitors. It is open to the public each week 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. For more information email info@jacksonnc.org or 828.631.0271.

FUNDRAISERS AND B ENEFITS

• Jackson County Senior Center will host a giant yard sale from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 1. Proceeds from the event will fund the Smoky Mountain Senior Games which begin on Monday, April 3.

H EALTH AND WELLNESS

• A Feldenkrais class will be held 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, April 5, 12, 26 and May 3, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Conference Room A1. Feldenkrais uses gentle movement and directed awareness to help you increase ease of movement and improve flexibility and coordination. Mats not supplied. Class costs $18$25 on a sliding scale, to register or learn more call 505.438.9109 or email eetm2023@proton.me.

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

CLUBS AND M EETINGS

• Chess 101 takes place 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information, email Ashlyn Godleski at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2567.

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

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

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

AUTHORS AND B OOKS

• Professor Bart D. Ehrman, Biblical scholar and author of six New York Times bestselling books including “Jesus” and “The Triumph of Christianity,” will speak and answer questions at 7 p.m. Friday, April 14, at the Queen Auditorium in the Folkmoot Friendship Center at 112 Virginia Ave. in Waynesville. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door Tickets may be purchased at Blue Ridge Books or by calling 828.226.5921.

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

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

• Tremont Writers Conference, an intensive five-day retreat for writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry will take place Wednesday, Oct. 25-29. Applications to participate in the event may be submitted online now through April 30 at writers.gsmit.org.

K IDS & FAMILIES

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

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

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

To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events. Registration is required, $45.

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

F OOD AND D RINK

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

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

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

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

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS

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

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com

n Complete listings of local music scene

n Regional festivals

n Art gallery events and openings

n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers

n Civic and social club gatherings

1940 Main Street. Volunteers are invited to come anytime, even just for an hour, and should bring a good pair of boots, hammers or rubber mallets, gloves and clothes that can get dirty. For more information, contact Caitlin Worsham at 828.476.4667, ext. 12 or caitlin@haywoodwaterways.org.

• Help root out invasive species from Island Park in Bryson City 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 29. Volunteers will use hand tools to cut down invasive shrubs like Chinese privet and then treat the stumps to kill them. No experience is necessary, and both tools and training will be provided. Organized by MountainTrue and the Tuckaseegee River Alliance. Register in advance at mountaintrue.org/event and bring water. Rain date is April 5.

• Three Eagles Outfitters will host the 29th anniversary Hiker Fest Friday, March 31, through the end of the weekend. For more information, visit atmile110.com.

• A glassblowing class to make tiny vases will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. With the assistance of a glass artist, participants will gather molten glass, add colors of choice, and create and shape the vase. No experience necessary. To register for a class, contact GEP at 828.631.0271.

• Folkmoot Family Pop-Up, spring edition, will take place 9:30-11 a.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Folkmoot Center in Waynesville. Cost is $15 for parent and child, plus $5 for each additional child. Tickets include beverages for parent and child, cookie decorating, themed crafts, story time and a photo booth. For more information or tickets call 828.452.2997.

• The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad welcomes back The Bunny Hopper Express Easter Train April 7-8. The trip departs the historic Bryson City Depot at 10:30 a.m. For more information visit gsmr.com/events.

• The Easter Hat Parade will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, April. 8, in Dillsboro. Bring your Easter Bonnet to wear. Egg hunt at 11 a.m. at Monteith Park, registration for the parade begins at noon.

• Easter “Eggstravaganza” Egg Hunt will take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at Darnell Farms. For more information visit darnellfarms.com.

• The 25th annual Greening Up the Mountains will take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 22, in downtown Sylva. For more information and a schedule of events visit greeningupthemountains.com.

• “Meander in May,” the free, self-guided arts festival organized by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC will return at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 20. For more information and a schedule of events visit highlandschamber.org.

• Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m.

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

• Uptown Gallery, 30 East Main St. Franklin, will be offering Children’s Art Classes Wednesdays afternoons. Adult workshops in watercolor, acrylic paint pouring, encaustic and glass fusing are also offered. Free painting is available 10 a.m.-3 p.m. every Monday in the classroom. A membership meeting takes place on the second Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. All are welcome. Call 828.349.4607 for more information.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

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

Outdoors

• Waynesville Parks & Recreation will offer seed tray plantings 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning March 27 at the Old Armory. They department will provide soil and trays, participants provide the seeds they want to plant. Cost is $5 per tray with a limit of five trays per person. The department will keep them watered until it is time to take seeds home to plant.

• Help make Allens Creek healthier with a stream improvement project noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, Thursday, March 30, and possibly Friday, March 31, at BearWaters Brewing’s new location in Hazelwood at

• Help tend young hemlocks during a volunteer workday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, March 31, in Waynesville. Participants will help with tasks in the greenhouse and nursery where the Forest Restoration Alliance conducts a selective breeding program aimed at growing hemlock trees resistant to the deadly hemlock wooly adelgid. RSVP by Tuesday, March 28, to education@savehemlocksnc.org or 828.252.4783. Space is limited.

• Green Energy Park will offer courses on axe-making 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1. Students will walk away with a traditional hand-forged axe that has a 1095 core. No prior experience needed. Cost is $300, materials included. Space is limited, registration required. For more information or to register, contact the Green Energy Park at 828.631.0271.

• The Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon will return to its scenic course and festive start and finish in downtown Waynesville Saturday, April 1. The race will run alongside the Mighty 4-Miler to benefit the Riley Howell Foundation Fund. For information, visit gloryhoundevents.com.

• Nantahala Hiking Club will hold its annual Thru Hiker Chow Down noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at Lazy Hiker Brewing Company. At 3 p.m., the Hiker Hunger Games & Gooder Grove’s Groovy Gathering will commence at Gooder Grove Hostel. For more information, visit atmile110.com.

• Haywood Community College will host a youth fishing clinic 1-4 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the HCC Millpond. Check-in starts at 12:30 p.m., with free registration for up to 40 kids 6-12. All equipment and bait will be provided to try their luck in the pond. A parent or guardian must be present. To reserve a spot, contact Jenny Carver at 828.627.4560 or jcarver@haywood.edu.

• Volunteers are wanted to help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stock trout into the West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood County beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 4. The group will meet at the upper Delayed Harvest parking area across N.C. 215 from the gun range, below Sunburst Campground. The stocking will take about three hours, with at least 25 volunteers needed. tucataloochee427@gmail.com.

• Volunteers are needed for the Plateau Pickup at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 15. To participate, send an email to events@highlandschamber.org or call 828.526.5841. For information visit highlandschamber.org.

Market PLACE WNC

Legals

MarketPlace information:

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

Rates:

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

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance

Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE

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

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

• Boost in Print

• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

• Border $4

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

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

p: 828.452.4251 · f:828.452.3585

classads@smokymountainnews.com www.wncmarketplace.com

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.2023 E 000187 Teresa Saunders, having Mary Sue woodruff before Jun 22 2023, or Teresa Saunders 409 Hillside Terrace Dr Waynesville NC 28786

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.2023 E 000069

John

Edward McElroy of

undersigned on or before Jun 08 2023

Fiduciary 3753 Harris Creek Rd Lawndale NC 28090

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.2023 e 000068

Ruby Charlene McElroy of undersigned on or before Jun 08 2023

Fiduciary 3753 Harris Creek Rd Lawndale NC 28090

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McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

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