Smoky Mountain News | April 27, 2022 by Smoky Mountain News

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April 27-May 3, 2022 Vol. 23 Iss. 48

Sylva serves up spirits to go Page 5 WNC county opposes Smokies parking fee Page 14

CONTENTS On the Cover: As time has gone on, the job of a county sheriff has evolved tremendously. With eight of the 17 current elected sheriffs in the region retiring after this term, a lot of experience will be lost, and those who are elected may have some big shoes to fill. (Pages 8-10)

News UNC adopts new funding model ....................................................................................4 Sylva starts social district test period ............................................................................5 Social media rumors fuel false child trafficking concerns......................................15 The race for the Jackson commission begins ..........................................................16 Swain commissioners oppose Smokies parking fee ..............................................19

Opinion Can’t believe what’s happening to my hometown ..................................................20 Family relationships are the ties that bind ..................................................................21

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In the story “Swain commissioner candidates weigh in on affordable housing” from the April 20 edition, it was written that commissioner Roger Parsons is retiring this year, but it is Danny Burns who is retiring. SMN regrets the error.

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Firefly lottery opens soon The annual synchronous firefly viewing event at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be June 3-10 this year, with a lottery for passes to attend open for entry 10 a.m. Friday, April 29, through 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 3. Time of entry does not factor into the likelihood of winning a pass, and 800 total passes — 100 per night — will be issued, with results of a randomized computer drawing available Friday, May 13. Winners will receive a vehicle pass to park one passenger vehicle with a maximum of seven occupants directly at the Elkmont viewing location. Lottery applicants may choose two potential dates to attend. There is a $1 fee to enter the lottery, and successful applicants will be charged a $24 fee to cover the cost of awarding the passes, on-site portable bathrooms, supplies and personnel costs. Passes are non-refundable, non-transferable and good only for the date issued, with a limit of one application per household per season. To enter, search for “Great Smoky Mountains Firefly Viewing Lottery” at recreation.gov. The synchronous fireflies, Photinus carolinus, emerge every year in late May or early June, putting on a show after dark as they flash in unison. Since 2006, the park has limited access to Elkmont during the eight days of predicted peak activity to reduce traffic congestion and provide a safe experience for visitors and fireflies. During the viewing period, only vehicles with a parking pass or registered Elkmont Campground and backcountry campers may access Elkmont after 4 p.m., including walking or biking the Elkmont entrance road or Jakes Creek Road.

Events to bring awareness to violence against Native women

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The National Day of Awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women is coming up Thursday, May 5, and a grassroots effort led by members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is planning events Saturday, April 30, and May 5. The third annual MMIW Honor Walk and Rally will be held at 11 a.m. April 30, starting at the fire pit next to artist row at Oconaluftee Island Park on Tsali Boulevard. The speaking program will include guests from We Are Resilient: A MMIW True Crime Podcast, the EBCI domestic violence and sexual violence department, and the Ernestine Walkingstick Domestic Violence Shelter. The march will begin at noon, circling the Council House before turning back to return to the fire pit, with the event concluding at 1 p.m. A candlelight vigil to remember the EBCI’s missing and murdered indigenous women will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at Unity Field, located on Tsali Boulevard next to the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices. All are welcome to come help bring awareness to this issue, show their support and remember the victims. For more information, visit the MMIW CWY Facebook page at facebook.com/MMIWCWY. To learn more about the issues contributing to the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women that the cause seeks to address, visit 4 niwrc.org/policy-center/mmiw.

UNC adopts new funding model

UNC System President Peter Hans (from left), WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown and Board of Governors Chairman Randall Ramsey take press questions following the April 7 meeting. Holly Kays photo

Formula to reward course completion, performance metrics BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he decades-old model used to determine state funding requests for University of North Carolina System schools is set to change following a vote the UNC Board of Governors took during its April 7 meeting in Cullowhee. While the current formula looks only at total enrollment when determining funding, the new model will consider performance-based measures, as well. “Our approach to this change is not static,” Budget and Finance Committee Chair James L. Holmes Jr. said during the meeting. “This committee will continually consider changes to the model and recommendations from this board and other concerned individuals as we consider this to be a beginning, not an end.” In use since the 1990s, the current model simply looks at the change in enrolled credit hours compared to the previous year and uses various multipliers related to the cost of delivering those credit hours to arrive at a funding request. But, said Western Carolina University Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Mike Byers, “simple” would be an incorrect description of the current fourpart model. “It was a fairly difficult thing to explain, which is part of the reason it needed to change,” he said. “You couldn’t get through an elevator speech with the average citizen and explain how the funding model works. You really need a few hours.” The new model has just two steps. First, determining the change in performance-weighted student credit hours — completed hours only, not merely enrolled hours like in the old formula — and then

multiplying that figure by appropriation per credit hour, which is a figure based on a percentage of the national average. When the new model was first proposed, WCU used it to calculate what its state funding would have been for the past five years compared to the existing model. Overall, Byers said, it was “basically a wash.” “In our view, this new funding model isn’t alarming us or making us concerned about the appropriation per credit hour,” said Byers. “Some of the unintended consequences concern us.” Chief among those potential unintended consequences is the effect on graduate education. The current model incentivizes graduate education, much more than the the new one. The current model weights instructional cost based both on subject — delivering an engineering degree costs more than delivering an English degree, for instance — and on degree level. For example, while the formula estimates that a single instructor could be expected to teach 709 credit hours of undergraduate English courses, that same instructor would be expected to deliver only 170 credit hours of master’slevel instruction or 116 hours of doctoral instruction. The new model weights completed credits based only on subject and does not consider degree level — universities would get the same funding for an undergraduate English credit as for a doctoral English credit. While the model doesn’t fund graduate education at a higher level as a matter of course, graduate education for STEM and health professions will continue receiving more funding than undergraduate education in those fields “to recognize the additional cost of delivery as well as workforce needs of the state, except for schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine, which shall not be included in the funding model calculation,” reads a description of the model included with the

Committee on Budget and Finance agenda. “These programs will be required to make a separate appropriation request for class size changes.” “They key is, how will that change everyone’s behavior?” said Byers. “That’s what concerns me is that if we and other regional institutions — Wilmington, Charlotte, Greensboro, App, the works — we’ve been taking care of the undergraduates, and if the largest schools decide they want to stop focusing so much on graduate education, especially given that it’s not funded nearly at the same level by the state as it used to be, will they increase their undergraduate enrollment at the expense of the regionals?” There are only so many high school graduates available in North Carolina — with demographics predicting that number to drop in the next few years — so increased competition from large schools like UNC Chapel Hill and N.C. State could cause problems for smaller institutions like WCU. Byers is also uncertain about how the performance-weighting mechanism will pan out. Each school will have different performance measures, and those have not yet been determined, though Byers expects they will “closely resemble” the metrics used to evaluate chancellor performance. At WCU, those are the four-year graduation rate, degrees conferred compared to total student population, average cumulative student debt at the completion of a bachelor’s degree and cost per degree. The current funding model speaks only to how much more or less funding a school should get compared to the previous year based on changes in enrollment. But under the new model, performance metrics would be applied to 100% of the funding. That significantly raises the stakes, as well as the possibility that unexpected circumstances beyond the school’s control could mean failure to meet those benchmarks — and deliver a smack to the budget that would dig the hole even deeper. “In the new model, if you fail to meet these performance metrics, you don’t get 100% of the prior year’s appropriation,” said Byers. Though Byers has reservations about the new system, he said that overall, the model is “probably good,” and he applauds the Board of Governors’ cautious approach in implementing it. This coming year, the UNC System will run the numbers under both the old and new funding model, and institutions will be able to choose whichever result is most favorable to them. “We’re going to do a year with the training wheels on so that nobody has to be worried that we’ve got the funding model in perfect condition,” Byers said. “And that way the new funding model, we’ll get a year to try it on. The system can make adjustments to it if it sees that there are problems.”

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less steel cup at any participating location. The cups will cost $10. However, the requirement for this specific reusable cup is not delineated in the ordinance approved by the town board that allows for a social district in Sylva. Commissioner Nestler questioned this discrepancy between the maintenance plan and the ordinance, noting that according to the ordinance, businesses and people consuming alcohol aren’t required to use the metal cup. “According to the ordinance, it can be a plastic cup, it just has to have the social district on it and a participating business,” said Nestler. “What’s to stop a participating business from not selling someone a $10 cup, and just putting it in a plastic cup? According to the ordinance, they can do that.” “I think the idea was getting people to buy into the district and also discouraging under-age drinking,” said Commissioner Greg McPherson. Peters mentioned that there is an exception in the plan for festivals. During festivals in downtown Sylva, people consuming alcohol are not required to use the metal cup when moving through the social district. “For festivals, we’re offering that [use of plastic cups in the social district] as an option, knowing that there’s going to be a lot more people in town,” said Peters. “But when we created the details of the plan, we were trying to address the things that were presented in the public hearing.” While Nestler said that requiring people to purchase the metal cup renders the social district burdensome, Mcpherson argued that it is a similar concept to using reusable grocery bags, coffee cups or growlers. Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh noted that ultimately, this is a test period and that the town board will be able to revisit the issue and determine what is working and what is not working after six months. Gelbaugh, McPherson and Newman voted in favor of amending the social district ordinance to weekend hours for the test period, Nestler voted against the amendment, saying he was not in favor of reducing the hours, and Commissioner Ben Guiney was absent. The town board will revisit the social district ordinance at its first September meeting.

April 27-May 3, 2022

HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER he Sylva social district opened for business, just in time for last weekend’s Greening Up the Mountains festival. On Thursday night, the Sylva Board of Commissioners voted to amend the previously approved social district ordinance, reducing the days of operation to Friday through Sunday. The board will revisit the ordinance after six months, an amount of time it is considering as a test period for the social district. “We received great feedback about the social district from patrons, festival vendors and downtown merchants,” said Main Street Economic Development Director Bernadette Peters. “The Sylva Police Department and Public Works both indicated that things ran smoothly with the launch. We will have conversations with the permit-holders and retailers who participated in the social district this week to gather feedback and make changes if necessary.” The newly approved hours allow the social district to be in effect Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 9 p.m. During these hours, people in downtown Sylva will be able to carry and consume alcohol from any bar, restaurant or other entity that has a permit to sell alcohol and has agreed to participate, within an area spanning Main Street and Mill Street between Innovation Brewing and Nantahala Brewery. At Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner David Nestler asked if implementing different schedules in the ordinance — not in place Monday through Thursday, and differing hours on the three days the social district is in place each week — would create confusion for people. “That was something that the other towns we talked to expressed, that there was confusion,” said Peters. “But they all felt like offering a test period was the better way to have a consensus among their towns.” Peters convened a Sylva Social District Task Force over the last several weeks to address feedback given during a public hearing for the ordinance on Feb. 10, and spent eight hours in merchant meetings to hear and process the needs and ideas of downtown merchants. Together, the task force created aspects of a maintenance plan that is required to be submitted to the state before a social district can be put in place. One important point of discussion for the task force was the possibility of increased trash created by the social district. In order to reduce the use of single-use plastic cups, the maintenance plan developed requires people participating in the social district to purchase a reusable, stain-

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Social district test period starts in Sylva

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

@InglesDietitian Leah McGrath - Dietitian Ingles Markets… caring about your health

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Christopher’s shadow looms large over Haywood sheriff’s race Bobby Suttles in 2013. He later worked as a U.S. Marshal.

JOHN HEMINGWAY (D)

April 27-May 3, 2022

Born in Massachusetts, John Hemingway and his family moved to Florida to care for aging relatives right about the time he turned one year old. A decade or so later, they moved to Haywood County. Hemingway graduated from Tuscola High School and began driving a cab, but he soon went to work for the state in corrections, where he found himself in a 400inmate medium security prison camp. “That’s where I learned how to talk to people. When there’s John Hemingway two officers and 138 inmates, that’s all you have. No gun. No nothing. Not even pepper spray back then,” he said. “All we had was us and them. We learned to talk to people. Give respect, get respect.” Hemingway subsequently became an instructor in firearms, self-defense, baton and taser use, and later joined the SWAT team, ending up as its commander. In 2010, he opened a firearms shop that he sold earlier this month. Since 2016, he’s been an alderman for the Town of Clyde and a corporal in the Haywood County Sheriff ’s office.

Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher (right), seen here speaking in Cruso in September, 2020, isn’t seeking reelection. Cory Vaillancourt photo

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR s Greg Christopher enters his 43rd and likely final year in law enforcement, he goes out with his reputation intact and a scandal-free 10-year tenure as Haywood County’s sheriff. The fact that he’s run unopposed and has won two straight elections, as a Democrat no less, is a testament to his integrity and appeal in a county increasingly run by Republicans and Republican voters. Whether voters are willing to elect another Democrat on a county-wide basis is a pressing question — not only in the sheriff ’s race, but also in the county commission race — but whoever it is and whatever their party affiliation may be, Christopher has a good idea of what will make the next sheriff a successful one. “There is a laundry list of things that the next sheriff is going to need. He’s going to need a strong community relations package. He’s going to have to get out in the community,” he said. “Our motto here when it comes to community relations has been that we want to know our communities before we 6 need to know our communities.”

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That was especially important during the Pigeon River flood in August of 2021, but community engagement has also informed Christopher’s advocacy and involvement in big-picture issues from Russ Avenue all the way to Raleigh. “Our legislators that I deal with here in Western North Carolina, they’re very responsive to the things that law enforcement is talking about and the things that we need,” Christopher said. “I’m very thankful for all of those people that will step up to the plate and run for that kind of office.” This year, five candidates have stepped up hoping to follow Christopher, two Democrats and three Republicans. Unaffiliated voters may choose either party’s Primary Election ballot. The winners of each primary will face each other in November and usher in a new era in Haywood County’s law enforcement history.

LARRY BRYSON (D) While there are five candidates vying to become Haywood County’s next sheriff, only one of them has actually served in that role before — sort of.

Larry Bryson always wanted to work in law enforcement, even while spending the mid-1970s at Wellco Enterprises. Bryson attended what was then the only law enforcement training program in the region, at Southwestern Community College, and first caught on with Jack Harrington’s HCSO in 1976. “I was a scared kid standing in front of this Larry Bryson guy’s desk and his glasses down his nose, he’s this bigger than life guy,” Bryson recalls. “He said, ‘If you embarrass me, you’ll never work in this state again.’ I said, ‘No, sir, I will not do that. I won’t let you down.’” Bryson went on to serve 10 years with the Waynesville Police Department, but left to work with Champion Paper’s private police force before returning to Tom Alexander’s HCSO as a drug agent. During his long career, Bryson served as a detention officer, a deputy sheriff, chief of detectives, chief deputy and interim sheriff for a few months upon the resignation of

TONY COPE (R) Raised in the Lake Logan area, Tony Cope is a Haywood County native. After high school, he felt the call of public service and rose through the ranks of the Center Pigeon Fire Department to become assistant chief, while also working in manufacturing. Except for a short stint with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Police, Cope has spent his entire 23-year law enforcement career in the Haywood County Tony Cope Sheriff ’s Office and has worked in patrol, child abuse and narcotics. He’s currently a captain. “I’ve been very blessed to be a public servant in this county for 30 years,” Cope said. “I’ve made some community relationships here, even from the time I was 18, that have lasted a lifetime. I think it’s important that we to continue to be a part of the community and continue building those relationships.”

BILL WILKE (R) Growing up, Bill Wilke worked crab boats on the eastern shore of Maryland. After earn-

This year, five candidates have stepped up hoping to follow Christopher, two Democrats and three Republicans.

1809 ..................................William Alexander 1810 ..................................Daniel McDowell 1811-1814.............................William Green 1815-1819 .....................Ninian Edmonston 1820-1830 .............................James McKee 1831-1838 ........................Nelson G. Howell 1839-1853 .................................J.B. Allison 1854-1858..........................“Sheriff” Hayes 1859-1864.............................William Green 1865-1866 ..............................John H. Boyd 1866-1867 ........................Francis M. Davis 1868-1874 .................................A.J. Murray 1874-1880 ................................S.J. Shelton 1880-1882 ................................A.J. Shelton 1882-1886 ..............................John H. Boyd 1886-1900 ................................W.J. Haynes 1900-1902..........................Morgan Henson 1902-1906 ............................Dave R. Nolan 1906-1910..............................W.R. Medford 1910-1914 ..........................William Palmer 1914-1920.............................John R. Hipps 1920-1926...............................John F. Cabe 1926-1930...................................J.C. Welch 1930-1934 ....................................J.A. Lowe 1934-1950 ..................................R.V. Welch 1950-1959 ...........................Fred Campbell 1959-1962............................Frank Medford 1962-1963 .................................Willis Beck 1963-1986........................C. Jack Arrington 1986-2009 ............................R.T. Alexander 2009-2013 ........................Bobby R. Suttles 2013-2022........................Greg Christopher 2022-2026.................................................? once every three months, once every four months so we know what’s going on in Cruso, so we know what’s going on in Saunooke, so we know what’s going on in Fines Creek. I also want to start a committee about the use of force.” Most law enforcement officers agree that some reforms are needed, however, a growing segment is less interested in transparency and accountability than in asserting a sheriff ’s supposed right to interpret the Constitution and decide, personally, which laws to enforce and which not to enforce. In early 2020, a movement spread out of Virginia and into neighboring states, including North Carolina, called the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement. In essence, it asked Haywood County commissioners to approve a resolution stating that there would be no enforcement of gun laws that the sheriff found, in his own judgement, to be unconstitutional. There’s just one problem with that, Christopher told commissioners on Jan. 21, 2020. “I support our citizens’ protected right to bear arms under the Second Amendment and the doctrine of judicial review that grants to the United States Supreme Court and the lower courts the power to determine the constitutionality of any law, and sheriffs do not possess the legal authority to interpret the constitutionality of any law,” he said. Haywood opted for a “Constitution protecting county” resolution that expressed

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Wilke mentioned body cameras as an effective tool in maintaining public confidence in law enforcement agencies, but he thinks they’re no substitute for community engagement. Bryson also brought up body cameras as something on his wish list. “I’m very much in favor of body cams or anything anybody wants to use if it justifies or if it shows our work holds up to the test,” he said. Cope sees transparency as necessarily growing from personal accountability and community relations, something Hemingway also values. “I want to start a program that we have representatives in every part of our county, every little community,” he said. “Let’s meet

Sheriffs in Haywood County since 1809

support for the entire Constitution, not just one specific amendment, however the push to fight tyranny by placing the ultimate power of judicial review into the hands of just one person — the county sheriff — hasn’t abated. Founded in 2011 by former Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack, the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association presents an aggressive view of the sheriff ’s powers and suggests they should decide for themselves which laws are constitutional, and which are not. During a March 31 Republican candidate forum hosted by the Haywood County Republican Party, chair Kay Miller asked Cope and Wilke if they would join the CSPOA upon election. “I told her absolutely,” Cope said on April 22. “Sheriff Mack runs that, and he’s very constitutionally conservative. That’s very important, to be constitutionally-driven.” At the same time, Cope said that existing laws need to be enforced, like it or not. “If you don’t, you’re going to be the one in trouble,” he said. Wilke was a bit more circumspect when asked if he’d join the CSPOA. “I’m very cautious about joining or attaching my reputation or my office to any organization, simply because organizations change and what appears initially to be a good premise can very quickly turn into something that’s not,” he said. “I want to be clear, I’m not saying that about that organization [but] it’s also very important to understand that only a court of law can determine what is constitutional and what is not. And if a sheriff decides what is constitutional, I will tell you that is not constitutional in and of itself.” Democrats Hemingway and Bryson weren’t included in the forum and didn’t get a chance to answer Miller’s question, but both acknowledged the ongoing conflict over the vertical separation of powers that’s been built into American government since its inception. “Here’s the thing. The Constitution — I believe in it,” Bryson said. “It’s one of the oldest things mandated with the sheriff. That’s where he got his original authority and power anyway. But laws have been changed. Things have been repealed in this country. And I think you have to go by the law that’s in place.” Hemmingway said that the sheriff is indeed “the last level of defense” against perceived government overreach, but didn’t elaborate on the positions of the CSPOA, of which he said he was familiar. The question of defense may be the a hypothetical one far removed from the dayto-day life of a Haywood County sheriff, but it may also determine which of the five candidates gets to put on that badge and serve the people of Haywood County, like sheriffs have for more than two centuries. “I teach people that badge is like a magnifying glass,” Hemingway said. “If your heart is good, if you are a good person, it’s going to make you a bigger, better person. If you are one of those people, a ‘bad apple,’ it’s going to make you even worse.” Republican Jason Hughes, also running for sheriff, was not available for an interview.

April 27-May 3, 2022

utgoing Sheriff Greg Christopher says the job has changed dramatically in his four-decade career. The next sheriff of Haywood County will have to address some issues that are relatively new, and relatively national in scope, however the core of the job remains unchanged and other issues are specific only to Haywood County. Chief among them is the forthcoming jail expansion. “There’s nobody in North Carolina that probably advocates for inmates more than I do when it comes to rehabilitation,” Christopher said. “But we do have a certain number of individuals that we’ve got to get their attention by sending them to the penitentiary.” Christopher thinks the next sheriff has to have a solid understanding of the jail expansion and be actively involved with the build, but one of the biggest obligations of his office remains civil process — one of only three duties of a sheriff that’s mandated in statute. All four candidates who spoke to SMN for this story have experience and understand the significance of running an efficient, effective operation. “Civil process is a very important aspect of working with the courts and court officials to ensure that the right things are done in the right time sequence, because it’s very important to how the courts maintain the flow of the docket, everything from lawsuits to criminal cases,” Wilke said. “Fortunately, that’s one of the big areas of responsibility for me as a private investigator.” Bryson recalls being “inundated” with foreclosures following the 2008 real estate market meltdown, and Cope said staying on top of the process is critical. Hemingway thinks the HCSO has a good system, as well as a good team that can help the department continue to avoid the consequences of failing to navigate the complex deadlines and procedures associated with service.

“Just imagine on domestic violence, if we don’t get the paperwork served in time. Just imagine,” he said. “You talk about a civil process problem, it could be a problem, if the person doesn’t understand all the factors.” Understanding all the factors of service, and of the sheriff ’s job itself, also means getting out into the community, as Christopher has shown. Inevitably, that leads sheriffs to Raleigh to advocate for the tools law enforcement officers need to do their jobs effectively. More often than not, it’s about legislation needed to address problems law enforcement can’t arrest their way out of, like opioids and homelessness. “I have spoken in front of the North Carolina Sheriff ’s Training Standards Commission,” said Bryson. “I’ve spoken in front of the attorney general. I’ve been down there [to Raleigh] several times. I don’t have an issue with that.” Hemingway cites his relationships with local legislators — a biproduct of his service as an alderman — as a plus, and Wilke has advocated for policies benefitting the private protective services industry from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. Cope, meanwhile, has learned from one of the best. “We want to make some changes in our drug laws. Me personally, I think that’s important, stiffer penalties and more consequences for distribution. I think it’s very important that we advocate for that and try to rid ourselves of some of this problem,” he said. Conversations centering on police reform have been taking place in communities across the country for some time now but have only gotten louder since the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. Transparency in particular is at the forefront of those conversations, nowhere more so than in North Carolina, which has some of the most rigid privacy laws for law enforcement officers in the country.

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ing a psychology degree, Wilke spent four years as a Newport News police officer before being hired as a training officer with the North Carolina National Guard. While training two MP battalions in Asheville Wilkie became an Asheville Police Officer, spending 16 years there before leaving in 2016. Along the way, he ran for Haywood County Sheriff in 2010, losing to Democrat Bobby Suttles. It was Suttles’s abrupt resignation that led to the start of the Greg Christopher era in 2012. Wilke left the Asheville department in October of 2016 to Bill Wilke became a licensed private investigator. “It’s one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had, in addition to law enforcement, because you get to help a vast array of people and clients,” he told The Smoky Mountain News in 2021. “I handle murder cases. I’ve pursued people that don’t pay their child support, I’ve done civil process, serving papers.”

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Sheriffs in Western North Carolina face challenges, change

April 27-May 3, 2022

Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland speaks at a “back the blue” rally in Franklin in 2020. Cory Vaillancourt photo

BY LILLY KNOEPP & CORY VAILLANCOURT he job of the county sheriff is important even though the county sheriff ’s job is widely misunderstood. Sheriffs don’t just hold the keys to the jail. They’re responsible for fiscal and personnel management, community outreach, legislative advocacy, local government relations, inter-agency coordination and supervising a department of men and women charged with carrying out statutory law enforcement duties in an efficient, professional and safe manner. They’re also partisan political figures whose influence can have a substantial impact on public policy and electoral campaigns from a local to a national level. In the 17-county Western North Carolina region, only nine sheriffs are seeking reelection this year. Voters in the other eight counties will say goodbye to years of experience and institutional knowledge, but they’ll also have the chance to shape the future of law enforcement in an era when sheriffs are increasingly being called upon by some to determine what 8 laws, exactly, they intend to enforce.

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They’ll do so beginning with the May 17 Primary Election, as they navigate the political chasm between defunding police and increasing policing power. hapter 162 of the North Carolina General Statutes outlines the qualifications, obligations and responsibilities of sheriffs and establishes statewide a term of four years. To run for sheriff, a candidate must be 21 years of age, a qualified elector in the county where they wish to run, and cannot have been convicted of a felony. They also can’t practice law or be a member of the General Assembly while serving as sheriff. No other training, education or law enforcement experience is required. The basic duties are threefold – maintain custody of the jail and its prisoners; execute process service, court orders and judgements; and ensure the security of the county’s courtrooms. While those duties haven’t changed much over the years, just about everything else has. “Gosh, looking back through my career, there’s been lots of changes,” said Robbie

Holland, Macon County’s sheriff since 2002. “I can remember a time where when your patrol car broke down, you used your personal vehicle to get through the week until you could have your patrol car fixed.” Holland said he was also one of the first Macon County law enforcement officers to have a computer of his own, borrowing a used laptop from the county’s social services department. Greg Christopher, sheriff of Haywood County since 2013 and a four-decade veteran of law enforcement, cites technology as a force for change in law enforcement. “Social media, more so than probably anything else, has changed the way that we do our jobs,” Christopher said. “The demands of never being off duty, having to now answer emails and text because of a cell phone that you have with you, you just cannot get away from the job at all. One thing I’ve learned about being the sheriff is when you are the sheriff of a county, you are everyone’s sheriff and everybody knows that you are the sheriff and there are so many things that people want to specifically talk to you about.” But technology has also led to the profes-

sionalization of the sheriff ’s office, especially since the advent of the cheap, plentiful, webenabled video recording technology that brought light to misconduct charges in the cases of George Floyd and Eric Garner, among many others. “Things change,” Holland said. “What might work yesterday may not work today, and you’ve got to look at different ways to handle those things. I think that the standards that they’re coming up with, they’re good.” In 2020, the North Carolina Sheriffs Association created a working group made up of 10 of its 100 member sheriffs and issued a report recommending sweeping reforms on recruitment, certification, and use of force procedures as well as the creation of an employment database meant to weed out the small percentage of bad apples rotating from department to department. “Any time I have an officer that applies with us that comes from another agency I’m always calling on that sheriff to find a little bit of background about that individual,” Holland said. “I think that’s important because sometimes officers bring baggage

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April 27-May 3, 2022

candidates are Republicans. No Democrats filed for the seat, making the Primary Election all-important. It’s slightly different in Democrat Christopher’s Haywood County, where two Democrats and three Republicans will run their own Primary Election campaigns in hopes of replacing him. Of the five, two are current employees of the HCSO, one is a former employee and former interim sheriff, and the other two have significant law enforcement experience in Buncombe County (see HAYWOOD p. 6). Party affiliation matters. Haywood County has slowly but surely become more Republican over the past few years, beginning in 2018 with a Republican takeover of the county commission for the first time ever. Christopher is a conservative Democrat and at least politically, the remnant of a bygone era in the South. Sheriffs sometimes issue endorsements of political candidates because they often remain influential local players – even after they’re out of office. Current NC-11 Congressman Madison Cawthorn garnered a bevy of endorsements from sheriffs across the region, including retired Henderson County sheriff George Erwin, that helped propel him to victory in 2020. Erwin has since rescinded his support, and the embattled Cawthorn is running in an eight-candidate field. Will it matter? The opinions of sheriffs could be a deciding factor, just as when the “Second Amendment sanctuary” movement hit North Carolina in 2020. Resolutions were put forth across the South in part because of gun control legislation moving through the Virginia General Assembly. Cherokee County was one of the first to become a “sanctuary” in 2019. The designation is largely symbolic and promises to uphold the Second Amendment rights of citizens. In Macon County, the debate lasted three months. Holland called it an important moment in his career. “The problem that I had with that is the Second Amendment is very important, but so is everything else within the Constitution. I’ve already taken an oath to uphold the Constitution, which includes the Second Amendment. One of the major issues that I had with signing this oath for the Second Amendment ... it wasn’t the oath that I take for office. It was only a portion of that oath,” he said. “And so, I had legal advisors outside of Macon County that were giving me advice that you need to understand that if you’re signing an oath, a new oath, then you could be null and voiding your oath that you’ve already taken.” Holland provided the county commissioner a version of the resolution from the N.C. Sheriff ’s Association that did not conflict with the Constitution. Macon County ultimately passed a resolution protecting the U.S. Constitution, N.C. Constitution and all other laws. In Haywood County, Christopher took the

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with them, and it’s important for us sheriffs to be forthcoming about that because a problem child in another county agency doesn’t need to come here and be a problem child to us too.” Other unexpected challenges, like ensuring public safety during the large public demonstrations of 2020, can be an unexpected affair for a county sheriff – especially when the demonstrators are demonstrating against law enforcement. “We were out there to protect everybody. We were out there to protect those who came to watch the protest, but more importantly, we were there to protect those people that were having the protest,” he said. “We support their right to voice their opinions and their concerns. Even though some of it was negative toward us, we support that [right] and we wanted to make sure that they were safe.” That becomes even more difficult in a small town like Franklin. “I had friends that were on that line of the protestors,” Holland said. “Several of them came up and hugged me and told me they loved me. I support their opinions. People have died to give us those rights and so I think our community saw how we reacted toward them and I think it gained us even more support, because we respected them.” The local protests were not without tense moments between counter-protestors, as well as other safety concerns. Some local sheriffs participated in the rallies. Holland hosted a Back The Blue Rally in Franklin while Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer spoke at the Black Lives Matter Rally in Murphy. Christopher, too, was present at demonstrations in Haywood County. “This is a very important job for us, and [demonstrators] feel it’s important to express their First Amendment rights,” Christopher told The Smoky Mountain News on Aug. 1, 2021, just prior to a Black Lives Matter march in Maggie Valley. “We’re here to protect those that want to do that.” Neither Christopher nor Holland will seek another term this fall, and neither will sheriffs in Avery, Cherokee, Clay, Jackson, Transylvania or Rutherford Counties. In all of them, citizens end up losing years of experience – 20 for Macon’s Holland, and 10 for Haywood’s Christopher – and will soon see a new sheriff in town, some for the first time in decades. Maintaining respect for and continuity in the agency even after he’s gone is a priority for Holland. Three out of the five candidates in Macon County’s Primary Election are current deputies at the sheriff ’s office. “I’ve had the privilege of sitting down with all three of my employees that are running for sheriff. I see some of the visions that they have and some of the changes that they want to make and I support it,” Holland said. “I think what all of them have is very good, and just imagine if all three of them come together, when this is all over with, if they put all three of their ideas together, we could have a really great agency and be proud to be associated with it.” Holland, a Republican, says that if one of them is elected, he will be happy, but all five

S HERIFFS, CONTINUED FROM 9

Holland said that he has sworn to uphold the Constitution in the sheriff ’s oath and that he always wants to make sure that federal and partner agencies are following the law in Macon County. “You have to make a decision in your life. If you’re the sheriff and you have taken this oath, there may come a time where you have to make a decision. Luckily, I’ve not been put in that position,” said Holland. “Do I hesitate to question another authority that comes to my county, whether it be a state or federal agency? Absolutely not. I don’t hesitate. We work with our partners, and I don’t hesitate to question what they’re wanting to do and I

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April 27-May 3, 2022

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position that “sheriffs do not possess the legal authority to interpret the constitutionality of any law.” Haywood also passed a “Constitution protecting county” resolution that focused on the entire document and all its amendments, rather than just the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment and COVID-19 restriction enforcement have both been key issues for groups who want local law enforcement to have more power. One group, the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, wants local sheriffs to assert powers they say take precedence even over those of the commander in chief. The CSPOA was founded in 2011 by former Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack to “remind sheriffs and peace officers about their oath of office,” according to the group’s website. The AntiDefamation League calls it “an Sheriff Robbie Holland, of Macon County, will retire from the position this anti-government year. Cory Vaillancourt photo extremist group whose primary purpose is to recruit sheriffs into the anti-gov- make sure that before we act on something ernment ‘patriot’ movement” similar to the that it meets the criteria of the law.” Because of widespread recognition – if not sovereign citizen movement. Mack hawks nutritional supplements and support – from within the law enforcement precious metals on the group’s website, which community, the CSPOA may become an issue also puts forth a variety of positions and in local contests and has already been menpledges by which so-called “constitutional tioned in the Haywood County Republican Primary Election. sheriffs” should govern themselves. Comparatively, other law enforcement The CSPOA’s “Statement of Constitutional Sheriff ” specifically asks law reform organizations across the country conenforcement officers to sign a pledge stating tinue to call for very different goals than the that they will not enforce legal orders from CSPOA. Those organizations want police elected officials, especially in relation to funding to be decreased while involving mask mandates, saying that sworn officers mediators, mental health experts and social must “… resist such edicts and orders and act workers more in 911 situations. Most recently, President Joe Biden in such a manner as to shelter and protect the citizenry from all acts of lawlessness, brought police funding to the forefront of his even and especially when they originate from State of the Union address in March. “We should all agree: The answer is not to civil authorities.” The group’s “Statement of positions” lays defund the police. The answer is to fund the out several more dubious propositions, police. Fund them with resources and trainincluding on immigration (“immigrants are ing they need to protect our communities,” not assimilating into our culture as they said Biden. Biden’s proposed federal budget for 2023 once did”) and on federally-owned land within the states, regarding which sheriffs includes more than $24 billion for law should “use their authority to assist in the enforcement centered programs and even transfer of control of the land” back to the more for research on gun violence, mental health services and other services. county and state. These conversations about law enforceLikewise, the CSPOA opposes most every gun control measure out there, including uni- ment reform are currently being hashed out local governments like the city of versal background checks. All told, these CSPOA’s positions are Asheville. In 2020, Blue Ridge Public Radio hosted a founded in their contention that “The vertical separation of powers in the Constitution community conversation on policing with makes it clear that the power of the sheriff Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller, even supersedes the powers of the Historian Dr. Dwight Mullen, Zaria Abdulkarim of Democracy NC, Rob Thomas 10 President.”

In-person early voting begins April 28 BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR rimary Elections in Western North Carolina will be held on Tuesday, May 17, but in-person early voting will get underway on Thursday, April 28. Through Saturday, May 14, sites across Western North Carolina will be open to those who want to cast their ballots in advance of Election Day. No reason is needed for those who wish to use what is called “In-Person Absentee Voting” or “One-Stop Absentee Voting,” and voters can alternatively make their selections by mail as well. To vote early, voters must appear at the designated early voting site in their home county between those dates. Most voters don’t need to show identification, but those who are voting for the first time or the first time in a new residence might, so it’s probably best just to bring it along just in case. Vote-by-mail ballots are still available. Request yours by calling your county board of elections office, or by visiting ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail. The last day to register to vote or to change party affiliation was Friday, April 22. To check your registration, to find your polling place — some have changed, especially in flood-ravaged Haywood County — or to view all the races you’re eligible to vote in, visit vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup.

EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS Haywood County Haywood County Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way; Canton Public Library, 11 Pennsylvania Ave.; Clyde Town of Racial Justice Coalition AVL and President local chapter Fraternal Order of Police Rondell Lance. The first question was: Where do you stand on defunding the police? “Defunding the police, to me, is a multifaceted word that needs to be broken down. I prefer to use divest from the police and reinvest in the community,” said Thomas. Miller is one of the few local sheriffs who is running for reelection. Before discussing police funding at the event, he explained the difference between the sheriff ’s office and the police department. The sheriff is responsible for the detention center and is also responsible for the courts and civil process. Defunding those systems would have a negative effect on public safety, according to Miller. This year, Buncombe County Detention Center had the worst death rate in North Carolina, according to an investigation. Comparatively, defunding local police departments is a controversial option that could have altogether different impacts on public safety. For example, Thomas wants to reinvest police budgets into community programs and services. In 2020, Miller said he was open to conversations about defunding and compared

Hall, 8437 Carolina Blvd. All locations open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 1. To request an absentee ballot, call the Haywood County Board of Elections at 828.452.6633. Jackson County Jackson County Board of Elections, 876 Skyland Drive; Cashiers Recreation Center, 355 Frank Allen Road; Cullowhee Recreation Center, 88 Cullowhee Mountain Road; Qualla Community Building, 181 Shoal Creek Church Loop; University Center, 245 Memorial Drive. Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 14. To request an absentee ballot, call the Jackson County Board of Elections at 828.586.7538. Macon County Macon County Community Building, 1288 Georgia Road; Highlands Civic Center, 600 N. 4th St. Open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday hours vary by location. To request an absentee ballot, call the Macon County Board of Elections at 828.349.2034. Swain County Swain County Board of Elections, 1422 Hwy. 19 South; Birdtown Community Center, 1212 Birdtown Road. Open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday hours vary by location. To request an absentee ballot, call the Swain County Board of Elections at 828.488.6463. George Floyd’s killing to the beating of Rodney King in 1991, which sparked protests and riots in Los Angeles. “You know, we felt the changes were made, and we would never be here again,” Miller said. “Some 30 years later, we are there again. I’m just saying for me, his beating, if you will, was in vain, if we are not willing and ready to make a step.” In the last two years, the conversations around law enforcement funding, systemic racism and local government have continued in Asheville including a lawsuit brought by a Western Carolina University student who was allegedly blinded during the 2020 protests. In the 2022 primary, Democrat Miller will face one challenger. In the General Election, a Libertarian and the winner of the Republican primary will be on the ballot to decide the next chapter of the Buncombe County Sheriff ’s Office. Ultimately, that ballot box is guaranteed to bring change, all across Western North Carolina. (Lilly Knoepp is an award-winning regional reporter for Blue Ridge Public Radio, based in Jackson County. Cory Vaillancourt serves as the politics editor for The Smoky Mountain News.)

HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER esidents of Jackson County are tasked with selecting a new sheriff during the midterm elections this year. But first, voters must select both a Republican and Democratic nominee from a pool of primary candidates. Current Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall is retiring from his post after eight years on the job. Hall was first elected sheriff in 2014. Prior to that, he had served in the department as second-in-command to Sheriff Jimmy Ashe (three-term sheriff, 2002-2014). Now, Ashe is running again. He will faceoff against Robin Gunnels and Rick Buchanan in the Democratic primary; Doug Farmer and Andy Anderson will compete in the Republican primary.

DEMOCRATS

ick Buchanan has been serving his community as a member of the Savannah Volunteer Fire Department for over 35 years and has been working at the Jackson County Sheriff ’s Department since 1991. Buchanan worked his way through the department beginning his career there as a dispatcher, detention officer and patrol deputy. He has worked as an investigator and certified school resource officer. He worked his way up to sergeant and Rick Buchanan is now a lieutenant. “I had a humble response to an overwhelming request from so many in our community,” said Buchanan. “People know that I’m courteous, compassionate and respectful, and I’ll treat people the way that I wanna be treated. If they come to me with a need, I’ll do my best to try to help them.” Buchanan is the only candidate in the Democrat or Republican primary that is currency employed at the Jackson County Sheriff ’s Office. “I have a distinct advantage, and working knowledge of, all the issues that are facing

S EE JACKSON, PAGE 13

April 27-May 3, 2022

she has decided to run for sheriff once more because his time away from the department has given him a fresh perspective and many citizens have asked him to run again, he said. “I retired in 2014 after 35 years in law enforcement, 12 of those years were as the sheriff, and I had an opportunity to look at the county through different eyes, through the eyes of a citizen,” said Ashe. “A lot of citizens contacted me because they wanted me to run again. Many citizens said somebody’s got to clean this mess up.” Ashe described the “mess” as a continuing drug problem with increasing incidents of overdose, long response times to 911 calls,

personnel issues and deaths in the detention center. Jackson County detention center has reported three inmate suicides since November 2014. When it comes to the safety of inmates and staff in the Jackson County Jail, Ashe says greater oversight and more diligent searches are paramount. “It’s about procedures and then leadership and then supervision over the people that are tasked with supervising inmates,” said Ashe. “It’s not an easy job, but it’s much easier to get it before it comes in than to have to deal with it after people have either died in jail or have been subjected to overdoses.” Ashe sees drugs as the root of a lot of crime in Jackson Jimmy Ashe County. He wants to address the issue in a three-pronged approach — rehabilitation, education and enforcement. Rehabilitation, he says, will require advocating to and by legislators. Education, like what was done for methamphetamine years ago, is needed to teach people about opioids and opiates like fentanyl and heroin. Enforcement, according to Ashe, requires the cooperation of judges, district attorneys and federal courts. “Working with the sheriff ’s office since July 22, 1981, I know the problems, and I have the solutions,” said Ashe. “So many concerned citizens contacted me, wanting me to run again.”

Gunnels’s campaign, he wants to create a drug task force. “I currently work in a situation where I work with federal marshals, DEA agents and ATFs, and I have built some bridges and made some connections so that those resources can be made available,” said Gunnels. “It’s so huge right now, and other administrations have let it get out of hand. It’s not been addressed in a proper manner. Everything that happens in our county crime-wise can be related back to the drugs.”

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Five compete in Jackson R Sheriff primaries

obin Gunnels was born and raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina and moved to Sylva in 1983. He worked for Western Carolina University Police for almost 14 years before moving on to work at the Jackson County Sheriff ’s Department. Shortly after Ashe was elected sheriff in 2002, Gunnels left “because of the politics involved.” For the past 22 years, he has owned and operated his own business, Custom Truck Covers & Accessories. Gunnels currently works for the Swain County Sheriff ’s Office. This is his third attempt for the position. Gunnels said his experience in law enforcement, as well as owning a small business, make him uniquely equipped to take on the job. “Being able to deal effectively with the public is the primary focus,” said Gunnels. “I have made a career in this business that I own, and I’ve served the public. In a small community, if you don’t treat people right, word of mouth will kill you. I believe that my strength is actually being able to Robin Gunnels work with the general public and provide their needs and take care of business.” One objective for Gunnels is boosting the morale of law enforcement. Gunnels would aim to lead the department by example, working alongside his staff to build support. He also plans to invest in training and education to enhance job performance. “It would be to do as I do, not as I say, because I want to be a working sheriff,” said Gunnels. “I don’t want to sit behind a desk and point fingers and dictate. I want to actually get out and do, build rapport, build relationships.” In order to address the issue of drugs in Jackson County, a promise central to

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REPUBLICANS

oug Farmer began his law enforcement career with 11 years at the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office. Following a short stint with the Highlands Police

layer of safety for your neighborhood, and it makes your citizens feel safer.” Farmer also wants to add a second deputy to patrol the Cashiers area. He says this will enhance officer safety and provide better response times to the remote area. Farmer wants to continue the placement of a school resource officer in every Jackson public school. He also wants to expand education opportunities related to law enforcement for JCPS students. Programs like safety courses for first-time drivers and education about what to do when pulled over by an officer or are involved in a car accident. “I want to make Jackson County a better place for everybody’s family. Whether you’re visiting or whether you live here permanently, I want to make it a safe place,” said Farmer. “I want people to know that their sheriff ’s department is out there working and doing their best for them.” ndy Anderson is the only candidate with no experience in law enforcement, something that is not a requirement to be a sheriff in North Carolina. Anderson joined the Army at 18 and served for six years. In 2011, he was discharged and has since worked as an aviation technician and heavy machinery mechanic. Anderson decided to run for sheriff after several run-ins with Jackson County law enforcement over the past few years. He has

been arrested for failure to appear in court, as well as mask violations in the county courthouse among other things. “The tyranny needs to stop,” said Anderson. “There’s a real problem in the Jackson County government and in our jail in particular. I’ve spent several hours in that jail, and my rights were, I can’t say severely deprived, but I sure did witness other people’s rights being severely deprived.” Anderson said the problems facing Jackson County need creative solutions. He thinks an outsider’s perspective, especially that of a competent mechanic who is used to coming up with creAndy Anderson ative solutions, could be the best fit for sheriff in Jackson County. Further, he believes that a sheriff candidate with a law enforcement background could be a conflict of interest. “We have to fix this machine on a fundamental basis. We need to go back to the blueprint,” said Anderson. “The law enforcement, they don’t have respect for the authority of the constitution. We the people, the sovereignty in this country, we are the royalty, not them. When the king’s guard forgets their place, it is the people’s duty and obligation to rein in those authorities.”

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our community,” said Buchanan. “I’m on the front lines, addressing and adapting to the changes every day. I think I’ve got a solid working relationship with the staff at the sheriff ’s office. My intention is to place experienced leaders and frontline staff in the best positions to ensure that they have the training and resources they need to be successful in their careers.” As a current member of the department, Buchanan sees its biggest challenge as recruiting and retaining personnel. If elected, Buchanan wants to invest in staff by initiating a training program so that employees can have careers and advance within the department. In order to address the prevalence of drugs in Jackson County, Buchanan has reached out to neighboring counties and agencies in an effort to create the kind of partnership he sees as paramount to improving this issue. He is also in contact with counseling services in an effort to provide grant-funded substance use counseling for inmates in Jackson County.

Department, Farmer spent a year in Iraq training that country’s police officers. In 2010, he went to work for the Sylva police Department, where he remained until he retired in 2019. “I have great respect for the job,” said Farmer. “I know the job and I see the issues within the county, and it hurts me to see the county in the condition it’s in right now, as far as the drugs and other things that’s going on. I believe that I bring the experience to take care of some of these situations. My public communication is good and dealing with the public, that’s a passion of mine. I’ve dealt with the public most of my Doug Farmer life.” Farmer said that, if elected, he will take a more aggressive, targeted approach to going after drug dealers in Jackson County. Part of that will include community patrols, something Farmer says there isn’t much of in Jackson right now. He would like to see deputies patrolling not just the main roads, but also more remote secondary roads. “Just the presence of a patrol car in a neighborhood is a to deterrent crime, statistically,” said Farmer. “You might say that it’s old school, but it works, it’s effective and it only deters crime. It also provides an extra

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Five Republicans vie to become Macon’s next sheriff BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR mong the sheriffs retiring in Western North Carolina who will leave big shoes to fill is Macon County’s Robert Holland, who has served in that position for almost two decades. The candidates to replace Holland bring a variety of experience. Of those five men, three currently serve under Holland at MCSO, although in different divisions, while the others are newcomers with their own unique backgrounds in law enforcement.

DERECK JONES

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April 27-May 3, 2022

Dereck Jones has served in MCSO for 17 years and holds the rank of captain. While he has served in a few different capacities, he’s currently in charge of the county detention center. Jones began as a junior detention officer but also served as a member of the special response team (SRT), the county’s version of a SWAT team, and also worked patrol and investigations for several years. In 2018, he was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant and became the detention center administrator. He was promoted to captain just when Dereck Jones the office was restructured and the entire command staff received that rank. While Jones boasts diverse experience at MCSO, he highlighted his current role as a good example of why he’s prepared to become sheriff. “It’s the highest liability position, and during the last three and a half years, I’ve had the opportunities administratively to work on the budget with the chief deputy,” Jones said. In addition to his current role overseeing jail operations, Jones also highlighted his other collateral duties, such as his involvement with Special Olympics, Project Lifesaver (a community safety program that makes it easier to find missing individuals with conditions like autism or dementia), mental health task force and the safe schools task force. Jones said that along with combating the ongoing drug issues and associated property and domestic violence crimes — including a push to enhance drug treatment and community interdiction services — a big priority of his would be enhancing courthouse security. As of now, there is a metal detector at the entrance that is often unmanned. “I went around with a captain when we were looking at securing the courthouse 14 with metal detectors … and a lot of research

went into what we needed and how we could organize and implement the program,” he said. Jones said that while he understands sheriff is a political position, he is a deputy before he’s a politician, and that’s the way he’d intend to run the office. “I’m a law enforcement professional seeking to do what needs to be done through community involvement,” he said.

CLAY BRYSON Like Jones, Clay Bryson is a captain at MCSO, although he oversees the patrol division. Bryson said his interest in law enforcement flourished after participating in a youth program under former Sheriff Homer Holbrooks. It was there that he was mentored by Holland before Holland was ever elected to his current position. “It was unique that he was my mentor when I was just 11 to 12 years old, and now he’s my boss,” Bryson said. Bryson has served most of his career on patrol but also did two years of narcotics investigations. What sets Bryson apart from the field more than anything may be his 21 years running police Clay Bryson canines. Since 2012, he’s also trained canines not only for MCSO but also other regional agencies. In addition, Bryson has served on the SRT for years and has been its commander since 2012. “I wear a lot of hats,” he said. Bryson said drugs would obviously be a top concern for his administration, but he won’t promise to take all drugs off the streets, something he sees as impossible given the nature of the trafficking network. “The majority of drugs come from Atlanta, and the majority of those drugs are coming from Mexico,” he said. “We’ve got to do what we can and deal with them appropriately when they get here.” Bryson said he has three specific areas he believes he can enhance. First, he wants to educate youth on drugs that come into the area, especially considering how many encounter them at home or in their social circles. Next, he wants to ensure drug laws are enforced within MCSO jurisdiction. Finally, he wants to focus on rehabilitation. “There are those that you arrest, and when they get in the jail setting, we need to make sure we have the adequate resources for them,” he said. Bryson said the decision to run for sheriff wasn’t made lightly and only came after a good deal of prayer and discussion with his

family. “The sheriff is not a title for me,” he said. “To me it’s the passion I have inside and the fact I feel led to be where I’m at, and I want to continue giving.”

taken great pride to get to know the citizens of Macon County for almost 23 years. This election is not about me, it’s about you, meaning the public, and of course, our youth.”

BRENT HOLBROOKS

BOB COOK

Brent Holbrooks is a lieutenant at the MCSO who has been with the office about 23 years. Holbrooks, the son of former Sheriff Holbrooks, said that in his 23 years while he’s also worked courthouse security, he believes his greatest strengths are his abilities as an SRT Brent Holbrooks operator and his experience in civil process. Civil process is one of the sheriff ’s three statutorily mandated duties and requires deputies to serve individuals with noncriminal papers, including domestic violence protective orders. Although Bob Cook Holbrooks said he respects Holland, he isn’t happy with the status quo. “I don’t think his command staff that he currently has would necessarily be my command staff,” he said, adding that he would make other staffing changes. “It’d be a reconstruction of the whole department.” Holbrooks touted his experience coming face-to-face with the drug trade. “I worked the road, and when working the road, you have to know the ins and outs of the drug trade,” he said. Holbrooks noted that he has experience far beyond just encounters during patrol. “In the past, I have worked as an undercover narcotics officer and bought drugs undercover in neighboring counties,” he said. Like Jones, Holbrooks said getting courthouse security up to speed would be one of his early priorities. “Just like every other department and business around the nation, everybody suffers staff shortages,” he said. “With that being said, we need to get the courthouse secured, and we need to get the X-ray machines up and going.” Holbrooks’ final appeal was for people to trust his experience, not only with MCSO but within the greater community. “I’m a father, I’m a husband, and most importantly, I’m a Christian,” he said. “I’ve

Unlike the three other candidates mentioned in this story, Bob Cook came to Macon County a bit later in life. Born and raised in Newton, Iowa, Cook joined the Navy in 1972 and served until 1992 as a personnel specialist. Cook’s final duty station was in the Jacksonville area, where he chose to stay and pursue a career in law enforcement. “I worked at Jacksonville Beach Police Department for two and a half years then transferred over to the Jacksonville Sheriff ’s Office and stayed 22 years there,” Cook said. “During my time in law enforcement, I had the pleasure of doing just about anything an officer can do, from patrol to traffic to evidence processing to community policing to investigating burglary and economic crimes,” he added. “I was the first detective in North Florida to investigate food stamp fraud.” Cook said his longest gig was working as an undercover narcotics detective, something he did for 14 years. He said in that capacity, his investigations, which included the use of wire taps, led to the seizure of kilograms of methamphetamine and crack cocaine at a time. Eventually, Cook found his way to Macon County. While he’d owned property in Franklin since 1999, he and his late wife moved up permanently in 2015. Since moving to the area, he’s worked at the police academy in Franklin as a training coordinator, a position he resigned to run for sheriff. While Cook is “comfortably retired” and doesn’t need the income from a job, he said he feels called to the position because he’s worried about a “good ol’ boys’ system.” “I had people tell me they wouldn’t vote for anyone from the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office,” he said. “Three of my opponents are working there and they don’t have their law enforcement retirements, they have their eye on the future as far as reelection,” he said. “I don’t. I’d be happy if they had a term limit.” Cook believes that it will take someone from outside MCSO to “fix it” and noted that he’s the best candidate to address the issues facing the community. While he said he wants to reorganize the department and shrink it down to something more fiscally manageable, he also wants to increase patrols to certain outlying areas, such as Otto and Cowee. “Unless they have to call them, they don’t see a deputy out there,” he said. Republican Chris Browning, also running for sheriff, did not return multiple phone calls and Facebook messages requesting an interview for this story.

BY KYLE PERROTTI “This is happening in the home,” N EWS E DITOR Trantham said. s increasing child abuse rates continue “We have 26 open child abuse cases, and to plague many homes in Haywood that’s just this year,” he added. “We’re County, a recent red herring took hold almost through April, and that’s just us at on social media, leading the Waynesville the Waynesville Police Department.” Police Department and Haywood County There may be multiple reasons for the Sheriff ’s Office to investigate an alleged increase in abuse that are tied to the lockhuman trafficking ring that doesn’t seem to downs mandated amid the coronavirus exist. pandemic. First, families simply spent more It all started as a series of posts from a time in the home together while drug and blogger based out of Buncombe County alcohol abuse rates rose sharply. Second, as that indicated without evidence that child Trantham noted, the mandatory reporting trafficking tied to the homeless community statute that requires those in the school sysmay be occurring in the area. Once the post tem to inform authorities of suspected was shared numerous times on Facebook, abuse simply doesn’t work when kids aren’t WPD and HCSO began receiving calls. in class. After investigating, the departments put out a joint statement. It begins by noting that April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and acknowledging the importance of protecting all children in the community but quickly gets to the matter at hand. “Recently the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office and Waynesville Police Department were made aware of reported incidents involving the trafficking of children in this area,” it reads. “While “We have no children currently missno specifics or creditable leads were provided, Law ing, and we have no reports of kidEnforcement has followed up on these reports and napping or attempted kidnapping.” deemed them to be — Lt. Tyler Trantham unfounded and unsubstantiated. In addition, there are no active investigations involving missing children nor have For Trantham and his fellow investigathere been any reports of these incidents.” tors, it’s important to remind people that WPD Lt. Tyler Trantham heads up the internet rumors aren’t always true, but it’s Criminal Investigations Division. He reiteralso important to ensure people don’t feel ated what the statement said and noted that hesitant to come forward with any concerns while there may be other criminal activity they may have. occurring at certain camps, there’s no evi“We don’t want to discredit anybody’s dence of human trafficking. feelings or reactions to anything they see or “We have no children currently missing, hear, but I would say that we’re going to and we have no reports of kidnapping or respond and find out to the best of our abiliattempted kidnapping,” Trantham said. ty what’s going on in any case,” Trantham The recent false kidnapping reports said. “If the claims unfounded or unsubstanecho previous rumors that circulated on tiated then they are, but if we find evidence social media regarding trafficking, includof crime occurring, whatever that may be, ing a couple of years ago when parents we’ll take steps to handle that situation.” became concerned that children may be tar“We also solve a lot of cases based on geted in public places. what people see on Facebook,” he added. “We have no evidence of that happening “Social media is a great resource. I would in fields behind Walmart or underneath say that if you see or have concerns about bridges,” Trantham said. something, let us know.” However, Trantham did note that WPD The joint statement concluded by has seen an increase in child abuse cases encouraging anyone with information not tied to those camps. In fact, the abuse regarding any and all abuse of children call investigators see most often occurs behind Haywood County Crimes Stoppers at closed doors in the places children should 877.922.7463. Both WPD and HCSO also feel safest. have anonymous tip portals online.

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Social media rumors fuel false child trafficking concerns

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The race for Jackson Commission begins HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER hree of five seats on the Jackson County Commission are up for grabs this year — district one, district two and commission chairman. With incumbent Democrats not having to endure a Primary Election in either of those races, it is Republican candidates who will battle it out over the next month to determine who will make it to November’s General Election. Commissioners are elected county-wide for four-years terms and must reside within the boundaries of the district they will represent. One commissioner is elected for each district, except for the chairman.

CHAIRMAN Incumbent chairman Brian McMahan is running for reelection this cycle. Two Republican candidates are vying for the nomination to challenge him this fall. Rick Wood has lived in Jackson County for most of his life working in the carpet and flooring business, and is now buying and selling campers. He’s never been involved in politics, but recent changes in Jackson County pushed him to the edge, and he sees a need for a change in leadership.

“I never did want to get into politics,” said Wood. “But what’s been happening here in the last couple years, it ain’t nothing but a bunch of crap. These guys here are trying to do different stuff for our county that we don’t need, instead of helping the county they’re hurting our county.” Wood’s top priorities involve more opportunities for residents, additional restaurants in the county and stopping the NC-107 road expansion. He sees the money spent on the project in Rick Wood pool Cullowhee as an unnecessary extravagance, the funds for which could have been used somewhere else. “What would that have done for a couple nice restaurants in this county? That would’ve done more for this county than that swimming pool’s ever going to do,” said Wood. Another priority, not having a gay pride parade in Sylva. “I don’t want my grandbabies to see that kind of stuff,” said Wood. “That was one of the biggest things that got me burned about it, letting that happen. I’m hoping that when

something like that comes up, that we can always vote it down.” Mark Letson and his wife have owned Cashiers Valley Pharmacy in Cashiers since 2006. He currently serves as the chairman of the Jackson County Planning Board, is a member of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee for Jackson County and previously served on the Cashiers Planning Council. Like his opponent Rick Wood, he decided to run for commission chairman because he believes Jackson County needs a change in leadership. His top priorities for the county include more funding and resources for Jackson County Public Schools, as well as stronger partnerships with law enforcement and an in-house drug treatment facility to Mark Letson reduce recidivism rates. “Maybe the next park is not the best option,” said Letson. “Maybe we need to, instead of spending money on a new park, perhaps reinvest that into our schools so that we don’t have teacher loss.” Letson sees planning as one path to greater economic development in Jackson County. He says that right now, the Jackson County Planning Board is working through the unified development ordinance to establish structured standards for small and large industries. “We’re working through those setbacks, reevaluating what’s really necessary,” said

Wood. “I would continue to do that to promote more businesses to come here. We’re in one of the best places in the country, in my opinion, to live. But, we’re limiting ourselves with some of our coding language and what’s allowed.”

DISTRICT 1 Incumbent commissioner Gayle Woody is running for reelection this cycle. Four republican candidates are vying for the nomination to challenge her this fall. District one covers Sylva’s south ward, Dillsboro, Barkers Creek and Qualla. Todd Bryson is from Sylva and has worked for a funeral home for four years, since graduating from Fayetteville Technical Community Todd Bryson College with a degree in Funeral and Mortuary Science. He decided to run for county commission because he wants to see more family restaurants that cater to the residents of Jackson County, rather than the breweries that he sees as catering to tourists. Bryson’s top priorities involve helping the next sheriff take care of the drug problem and bringing more businesses to Jackson County. By working with TWASA to expand sewer and water availability, Bryson thinks the county can encourage new business. “You have to go to neighboring counties to buy clothes,” said

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Incumbent commissioner Boyce Deitz is running for reelection this cycle. Two republican candidates are vying for the nomination to challenge him this fall. District two covers Sylva’s north ward and Scotts Creek. Edward Thurston grew up in Jackson County and served in the Army for nine years before becoming medically retired in 2019. He worked homeschooling his son during the pandemic as an alternative to virtual learning. Disappointment in the school system, what he sees as an “open wallet” policy on the

perspective on current events. “I feel we need strong Christian and conservative leadership within our county commissioners, which seems to be lacking currently,” said Smith. “We cannot continue to spend money without the entire county benefiting from the expenditures, not just a select few. I never intended to be a politician, but if elected, I can assure everyone that votes for me that I will vote based on the best interests of the people of Jackson County and will not compromise my deeply rooted Christian beliefs.” Smith’s top priorities for Jackson County are bringing in businesses, dealing with the drug and homeless problems, and creating a shelter for victims of John Smith abuse. He sees the lack of affordable housing as a result of the local college population that is able to pay more for a place to live than local families. With JCTDA capital project funds, Smith would like to see construction of a large fairground that could be used for outdoor events. The revenue, he says, could be used to build an onsite event center. “Jackson County has so much to offer, and we need to make it as easy as possible for tourists to participate in our heritage and the beauty we have here,” said Smith. “We have to make it easy, affordable and profitable to bring business to Jackson County and the tourism will grow as a result.”

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DISTRICT 2

current commission, and a lack of response to public comment are all reasons Thurston decided to run for commission. “I was just really irritated with the leadership in the area overall and wanted to be part of it to make sure it gets changed,” said Thurston. “I don’t like to sit on the sidelines and complain without having a solution to present. My solution was to be part of the board.” His priorities include bolstering Jackson County Public Schools performance, addressing crime and curbing drug use. For Thurston, addressing drugs in Jackson County will involve additional funding for the sheriff ’s office to hire more personnel. In response to the Edward Thurston lack of affordable housing in Jackson County, Thurston would like to see the county implement an affordable loan program to fix up abandoned houses and buildings for future housing. He would also like to see incentives for property owners to switch from shortterm rentals to long-term rentals. John Smith spent seven years in the armed forces as an intelligence analyst. Since leaving the armed forces in 1992, he has worked in the information technology field and is currently a systems engineer. He has three children, all of whom attend Jackson County Public Schools. Smith decided to run for office because he wants to see a change in leadership and fresh

April 27-May 3, 2022

“If we take care of our elders, we can live longer,” he said. “If you take away from our elders and our young, you are doing away with our future and our past, and we can’t do that.” According to Crowe, the first and most important step for creating affordable housing opportunities is locating developable land. Then he believes the county should develop tax credits to attract developers, as well as new businesses. Rainy Summer Brake is from Rocky Mount, North Carolina. She came to Jackson County to get her master’s in Cherokee studies with a focus on linguistics. Soon after she became the first certified elementary teacher at New Kituwah Academy, the Cherokee language immersion school on the Qualla Boundary. For the last 10 years, she has been teaching Cherokee language at Western Carolina University. “I feel like when you teach children, you sort of have an obligation outside of school to try to make the world around them the place that they deserve,” said Brake. “I have always tried to do that. I’ve tried to do things to help improve the community. I’ve never gone into politics before, but I decided to make the jump into it this year.” Brake is passionate about bringing resources to Jackson County for people struggling with substance use disorder, education, Rainy Summer affordable housing and Brake infrastructure. “I’m concerned that we need to make sure that we’re focusing on bringing in revenue streams that are assets to our community, that are wholesome and family oriented so that our families have places that they can go and spend time together, and that we can continue to incorporate multiple experiences, is going to make Jackson county a place that everyone would like to come visit, but we can do that while we still maintain our community values,” said Brake. With the JCTDA tourism capital project fund, Brake would like to see the floor opened to constituents in order to see what the community wants to spend this available money on. “I think that people all have input and I’m not coming into this job saying ‘this is what I want to accomplish,’” said Brake. “I want to come in and open a forum where people can come in and say what they would like to accomplish.”

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Bryson. “You can’t even buy a pair of shoes in Jackson County, so I think we need to catch up. Our infrastructure is behind.” He would also like to see a fair grounds or a similar venue in Jackson County that would bring revenue into the county and be a place where residents can enjoy themselves. Additionally, he would like to see more recreational opportunities like parks for the Balsam, Qualla and Canada communities. “There’s nothing for children or even teenagers to do here other than drink and party,” said Bryson. David Brooks is a Jackson County native. He was the first in his family to graduate high school, and shortly after he began work as a carpenter. Eventually, he David Brooks started his own business, David L. Brooks Builders. He has previously served on the Jackson County Planning Board. Brooks decided to run for commissioner because he thinks the county commission spends excessively and should lower people’s taxes. In speaking with people in the community, there are a few issues he hears brought up repeatedly — meeting the needs of the fire and police departments, as well as the sheriff ’s office, the drug problem, and the lack of grocery stores and other major businesses. Brooks believes the county should be offering incentives to businesses to attract them to Jackson County. “You gotta help people,” he said. “I mean, in everyday life, in the community, you gotta help people. You gotta be nice to people, too. I’d rather give any day of the year than receive, because I grew up poor.” The Sylva Fire Department recently requested money from the county to fund paid personnel. Brooks said he would be in favor of partially funding that request, saying Sylva should be responsible for partial funding of the imperative need. “If you don’t have infrastructure, you don’t have jobs, you don’t have restaurants,” said Brooks. “My main goal is to concentrate on business.” Jarrett Crowe is an enrolled member of the Jarrett Crowe Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. For 26 years, he worked as an actor in the historical drama “Unto These Hills,” and for eight years he served as a protocol officer in the Tribal Council House. Crowe is running for commissioner because he believes he can bridge the gap between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Jackson County Commission. “Jackson County and the Eastern Band do not have a really good relationship,” said Crowe. “I would like to see Jackson County and the Eastern Band come closer, because part of the land is in Jackson County.” Crowe’s other priorities for Jackson County are access to affordable housing and increased opportunities for the elderly and disabled.

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Triple-Win Climate Solutions Nature never did betray the heart that loved her. —William Wordsworth, 1798

We Must Act Now

o far, big governments and corporate leaders are doing too little regarding climate change despite the overwhelming evidence of catastrophes. Less affluent countries than the US are already 97-100 percent sustainable. They include Norway and Albania, nations whose leaders understand that sustainability is the only cost-effective option.

tials deny reality. They call scientists’ warnings “alarmist.” Many of those in denial have ties to profiteers in the status quo. The psychological reason is that humans’ brains are wired to respond to immediate threats only. Well, dear reader, look around. Recall the floods last summer and wildfires here

science, not the fossil lobbyists who donate to them. See Ballotpedia and Open Secrets (links below) to see who gives what to whom. Vote out politicians beholden to fossil and other corporate donors; vote for public servants who will save your grandchildren’s future. See links below.

April 27-May 3, 2022 Smoky Mountain News 18

https://OpenSecrets.org for presidential and congressional candidates’ funding. The IPCC press release for non-scientists: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/resources/p ress/press-release/ https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ The WNC Climate Action Coalition is an all-volunteer group working to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis in our region. By WNC CAC volunteer, co-founder and Triple-win Editor Mary Jane Curry MJCinWNC@gmail.com https://WNCClimateAction.com Twitter: @WncAction

A majority of Americans do worry about (un)natural catastrophes. The US military, members of numerous science-based organizations such as Sierra Club, and young people of the Sunrise movement know the truth. They push leaders to do enough. So why have the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [h1] reports not led to sufficient changes? There are two main reasons. The economicpolitical reason is greed-driven disinformation to affect public opinion: https://www.ucsusa.o rg/climate/disinformation. In local newspapers and beyond, people with no scientiﬁc creden-

https://Ballotpedia.org for political candidates, campaign contributions, endorsements; local 2022 ballots.

this month and last. What can we all do? Elected leaders count letters and calls for and against proposed bills. Call your Representative and Senators Burr and Tillis to insist they vote with

SOURCES https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/WWSBook/Countries100Pct.pdf Nations at 100% sustainability, Atmosphere and Energy Program, Stanford University

GET BACK TO A BETTER B PLACE

Swain commissioners oppose Smokies parking fee

Group, Highlands Methodist Church, Highlands Plateau Greenway, Mountain Garden Club, Highlands Biological Station, MountainTop Rotary, Highlands Rotary and Scaly Mountain Community Association. “We’re incredibly grateful for our project partners and the record number of volunteers – groups, families and individuals – who spent a gorgeous Saturday in the mountains collecting garbage discarded along our roadways,” says Kaye McHan, executive director of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC. Dressed in the provided safety vests and gloves, and carrying pickup tools and garbage bags, the volunteers canvassed stretches of U.S. 64 toward Cashiers, as well as Franklin, N.C. 28, N.C. 106 and most of downtown Highlands. Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park served as the event’s starting and ending destination. The Highlands Chamber/Visit Highlands, NC provided two meals for the volunteers – breakfast from Calders Coffee Cafe and lunch from Secret Garden Market. As a token of appreciation, volunteers received a T-shirt.

Breaking previous records, approximately 130 volunteers helped spruce up Highlands and surrounding highways this past Saturday, April 23, as part of the annual Plateau Pickup, organized and hosted by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC. Volunteers collected approximately 15 tons of garbage along the roadways. Again this year, Highlands Mayor Pat Taylor provided transportation to collect the bags of garbage, as did Steve Mehder, Rick Siegel and James Farrish. Organizations that provided partnership and support to make the event possible included Town of Highlands, Town of Highlands Police Department, N.C. Department of Transportation, the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office and the N.C. State Patrol. Groups that participated with a sizable number of volunteers include Highlands School Interact Club, Old Edwards Hospitality

“To raise money off of Swain County just seems heartless.” — Swain County Commissioner Roger Parsons

took the land and reneged on its promise to build the North Shore Road, he said. “I did not feel it would be in the best interest of Swain County to have and be charged a parking fee in the park,” he said. “That would be insult to injury based on the past history with what the park and the federal government has done to Swain County.” Sen. Kevin Corbin has also responded to Swain County’s request for support and sent Cash an April 20 email to “adamantly oppose” the proposal. The fee would be a “detriment” to small businesses that depend on park visitation, and it would be a “violation of public trust” to charge fees to county residents whose ancestors gave their land for the park’s creation, he wrote. “Thank you for your service to the Park,” Corbin wrote. “Please ensure the continued access to the Park to be free to all.”

Swain is not the only parkside county to oppose the fee. On Thursday, April 21, the Blount County Commission voted 17-1 to pass its own resolution. The document expresses concern that the fee could open the door to other use fees within the park, asking the Park Service to exempt Blount County residents from any adopted parking fee and to seek additional funding from the federal government instead. The county is also discussing a joint letter to park leadership with other counties. Though a list of which counties might participate in this letter was not available as of press time, Cocke County Manager Crystal Ottinger said that Cocke County plans to join in. In interviews and public meetings, park staff have said that Park Service regulations do not allow them to exempt local residents from the fee and that the proposal was crafted with locals in mind. “What we have already secured is that ability to have an annual pass, and that’s not a standard in the expanded amenity authority that gives parks the authority to charge user fees for parking, but that’s one of the things we felt was vitally important, especially for our local residents,” said Management Assistant Dana Soehn. Passes would cost $5 per day, $15 per week or $40 per year. “When we came up with these pricing points, we had the public in mind,” Cash said. “We had this region in mind.” The park is accepting written comments on the proposal through Tuesday, May 11. The deadline was extended from May 7 due to a planned comment portal outage April 29 to May 1. For more information, including a link to the comment portal, visit nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/. 2023-fee-proposal.htm.

Smoky Mountain News

Plateau Pickup sees record volunteer turnout

that if they wanted to do that with reservation people, I could match them without blowing smoke, point by point, for Swain County,” Bushyhead said. Rep. Mike Clampitt “responded immediately” to Swain County’s resolution, Bushyhead said. Clampitt said he sent the Park Service a letter opposing the fee and plans to contact federal representatives in the U.S. House and Senate “to let them know our displeasure.” The federal government hobbled Swain County’s local economy when it

April 27-May 3, 2022

“Many who take their rest on these hallowed grounds did not surrender their homes and sanctuaries now in the GSMNP willingly but saw their lands condemned by both state and federal agencies employing powers of eminent domain,” the paper reads. “The taking was so morally and ethically repugnant in the eyes of some that they refused to accept payment and never signed a deed to the properties. It is our sacred duty and honor to remember and stand by these forebears and their justly righteous indignation.” About 87% of Swain County land is owned by the federal government, meaning that opportunities for local recreation projects are limited and the decisions of federal agencies like the Park Service significantly impact residents’ daily lives. “What we want is for Swain County to be able to issue these passes, because we want to issue them to vehicles — not people — vehicles registered in Swain County,” said Commission Chairman Ben Bushyhead. The park reported 14.1 million visits last year, while Swain County has a population of only about 15,000. Granting those residents free access would have little impact on the park’s bottom line, Bushyhead said. Since commissioners passed the resolution, Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash has announced that members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will receive free passes, because existing Park Service regulations allow free park access for tribal members visiting park lands for traditional purposes. Bushyhead, himself a tribal citizen, said that he doesn’t see much difference between the EBCI’s case for free access and Swain County’s. “I told the park superintendent that the dislodging of people in Swain County is such

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER parking fee proposed for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has earned support from organizations ranging from the National Parks Conservation Association to the North Shore Cemetery Association — but also opposition from a growing list of governments and elected officials. “I understand they’re trying to raise some money, but to raise money off of Swain County just seems heartless,” said Swain County Commissioner Roger Parsons during an April 7 meeting. “It seems like it just stings to make Swain County residents pay to park in Deep Creek, or wherever we may be.” During that meeting, which came just one day after the park publicly announced its proposal, Swain County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution opposing the proposed fee — or any fee for park use “not directly associated with the use of amenities or a commercial purpose.” The resolution also directed the board clerk to send a letter to the county’s state and federal representatives asking that they write to the National Park Service in opposition to the fee. The resolution points out that Swain County holds 42% of the park’s acreage, with many Swain County residents descended from the people who inhabited that land before the Park Service took it over. Imposing parking fees would hinder residents’ ability to access the park and visit ancestors’ graves, the resolution says. A joint position paper from Friends of the Bryson City Cemetery and Lauada Cemetery Association released April 25 also appeals to Swain County’s unique place in park history.

Opinion Can’t believe what’s happening to my hometown Smoky Mountain News

BY H EATHER HYATT PACKER G UEST COLUMNIST hange is difficult for most people. Watching my humble hometown turn into an unrecognizable place is a hard pill to swallow. As I travel across the county and see the demolition of certain buildings and spaces that remind me of childhood or my grandparents, it isn’t easy. Yet locals who were born and raised in this community bear the brunt of these growing pains. We have accepted the once good-paying manufacturing jobs leaving over the past 30 years. We’ve watched housing prices increase to the point a one-bedroom apartment goes for nearly $2,000 as if we’re in a booming place like New York City. I recently had someone argue that Western North Carolina prices are not New York City prices, yet if you take a look at the numbers we’re actually paying more for housing than those folks — if you consider the median income. It’s a sad day when you can no longer afford to live in your hometown. Or afford a home. Affordable housing does not exist. Instead, we might allocate a tiny percentage of luxury apartments be used for low-income housing? Leaders tout new “affordable” homes for sale between $300,000-400,000. Ha! But I digress. Our home is being loved to death. Each year our national park posts record setting numbers of visitors. Residents can’t enjoy the natural beauty of our area without being shoved off trail by crowds. Our favorite hiking spots are covered in trash to the point Max Patch was forced to close for camping. These visitors do bring money to the area, but not everyone is dependent on their dollars. For years us locals have been repeatedly reminded of how we simply would not survive without these outsiders. Single-industry economies have been created to exert absolute control over the people, politi-

Nothing more than political hyperbole

To the Editor: Pam McAloon's letter “The woke family is bad for U.S.” in last week’s paper is a clear exercise in Republican tropes and displays remarkable ignorance about how things actually work in our country. She might have been absent the day in eighth grade when most of us were taught that the backbone of our nation, the organizing principle as it were, was our Constitution, still in vibrant use today. But to be fair, she is talking about success, and I wonder why she didn't acknowledge other prominent influences; stuff like technology gains, medical advances, demographic shifts, the internet, the growth in international trade and communication, a doubling of our population, and so forth. But her conservative agenda singles out the nuclear family, ignoring all the rest. Conservatives love to grind their revisionist history axe by positing a secret and pernicious war for the moral soul of our nation, where liberals are somehow destroying the will of people to follow a strict path of sainted Christian formula in order to couple and reproduce. Ignoring individual free will and choice in the matter, Pam thinks all of this

cians, and land while the wealth flows out of the mountains. Appalachia has been exploited for years. Our resources — whether it’s coal, logging, or prime mountain views — have been ruled by absentee owners interested in making the highest profit available from our natural resources. As a result, most of the Appalachian folk have been dependent upon and at the mercy of one industry. Unfortunately, Haywood County’s industry is now tourism. Low paying hospitality jobs or small businesses offering less than fast food wages for college educated persons. Sign me up. While visitors and second-home owners bring some money into our community, the botheration of their impact falls on locals. Our school sysGuest Columnist tem is faced with a choice of getting rid of locally paid teachers due to lack of funds. Enrollment is down. School board is scratching its head like “we don’t know why this is happening.” It’s because there are hardly any decent jobs and no one can afford to live here. I’m no PhD but c’mon, it’s not rocket science. Our infrastructure can barely sustain the traffic. Drive down any main thoroughfare within the towns of Waynesville or Canton and risk the need for an alignment after hitting 10 potholes. What, if any, solutions are the local politicians proposing to actually help us locals? It’s election season and we’re starting to see all the same campaign slogans about “values” and “vision” yet rarely do any of the officials in this community’s government actually solve our problems. We see a lot of them hawing around difficult issues. “We need a task force!” “We need to spend thousands on a study!” Though the answers are

Heather Hyatt Packer

LETTERS nefarious activity by progressives began in 1965, with Lyndon Johnson and his social policies. And to add more absurdity to her simplistic analysis, her beliefs also fly in the face of overwhelming evidence that gay/lesbian parenting is as good or even slightly better for children then traditional hetrosexual parenting, a fact she could have easily verified by googling. One final note, if creating a nuclear family was such a better choice than other options, more folks, not less, would be doing it. I agree with conservatives that freedom is not about being herded in one direction, it is about the opportunity to make individual choices with multiple options available. In this important sense, America is healthier today than in 1965 when racially mixed and homosexual couples were not allowed the basic right to marry as did everyone else. Even worse is her paranoid delusion that our kids are being taught gay and straight sex techniques by school teachers and corporations. I suppose I should be grateful to be provided this wake up call since I didn't know that some companies and some outof-control teachers were somehow accessing my grandkids for some evil purpose like that. But I'm not, because the letter writer is

glaringly obvious. Common sense is out the window. Sometimes I read through the utter nonsense that spews from these elected folks’ lips and literally want to bang my head against a wall. If we’re going to keep relying solely on tourism as our bread and butter, can we at least move toward making those people pay? An example for fixing the horrific roads might be implementing parking meters or paid parking in downtown areas. Other tourist destinations of smaller size like Tybee Island expects visitors to pay for parking. Yet in downtown Waynesville, a year-round tax paying resident might drive around for a half hour while searching for parking. Why not issue a parking sticker for town residents and if you’re not inside city limits, you pay for parking. Simple solution. You might even create a job or two by hiring meter maids. And don’t get me started on occupancy tax money. Our county generates a lot of occupancy tax yet the state says to use it for marketing, tourism related expenses, funding tourism related capital projects, beach renourishment and very little goes into a general fund for non-tourism use. Seems like a no-brainer that the occupancy tax money should at least in part be used to repair our infrastructure, pay for emergency services and fund our schools. Stuff we actually need. I’m just another ninth-generation local scratching my head and wondering, when is the madness going to end? We’re at a point of no return but can we at least get some people with enough sensibility to respond to complex problems with actual resolutions? Or do we get more of the same and eventually leave the area for good because we’re not part of the cool kid, out-of-state lunch table that can afford overpriced seats? (Packer is a multi-generational local who lives in Waynesville. heatherhyattphoto@gmail.com.)

clearly making all this up. If she is not, I look forward to her publishing in the near future her actual facts about who is promoting exactly what sexual materials to what children, and how wide spread this problem is. Anyone can say anything they want, but the ignorance and the lack of evidence being displayed here for the purpose of political mudslinging is way beyond the pale. Rick Wirth Bryson City

Letter writer wrong about Ukraine, Russia To the Editor: The recent letter from a Sylva reader critical of support for Ukraine could have been written by a Russian intelligence agency. The assertions do not fit the facts. First, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is not a “domestic situation.” The attack is that of one sovereign nation invading another without provocation. According to recent congressional testimony, there is no legal basis for this use of force. It is clearly an international crime known as aggression. Second, Ukraine may not have a perfect democracy, but is any democracy is perfect? However, the current administration was elected in an open election. It replaced a cor-

rupt regime supported by Vladimir Putin. Third, Vladimir Putin is committed to building the Russian empire back to that of the Soviet Union. Russia had a short-lived democracy until Putin took control. Since then, he has been relentless in trying to expand his control either indirectly by supporting puppets or actual armed incursions. The idea that “seeking a closer relationship with Russia” would have changed this situation is ludicrous. Appeasement did not work well for Chamberland with Hitler, and it would not work with Putin either. In addition to the crime of aggression, Putin and his generals are guilty of other international crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. Repeatedly targeting children and other civilians violates the laws of armed conflict outlined in the Geneva Convention, the Hague Rules and other associated treaties and protocols. Crimes against humanity such as rape, murder and torture are obvious from the satellite evidence, on-the-ground observations, and testimonials from victims. Putin has no interest in negotiation. The only recourse is to stop his invasion by supporting Ukraine as much as possible and to hold him and his henchmen accountable within the international community. Myrna Campbell Waynesville

Family relationships are the ties that bind

Smoky Mountain News

Susanna Shetley

series such as The Boxcar Children, Little House on the Prairie, Ramona, Henry Huggins, Encyclopedia Brown, The BabySitters Club or Sweet Valley Twins. My sister has always been the social butterfly. She would rather be with a group of friends talking and socializing. We rolled our eyes at one another when our mom made us go to the local gym on summer days to practice baton instead of going to the community pool. Amidst all the dance competitions, baton practices, piano recitals and beauty pageants, we had each other. The differences in our personalities were and are insignificant compared to the relationship we have. We are best friends and always have been. Since childhood, we’ve cried together, cried for the other, listened, vented, counseled, talked, danced and laughed. We’ve traveled to Europe, Hawaii and numerous other places together, experiencing life and making memories. When I became a mom, I never wanted only one child. I wanted my baby boy Brooks to have a “Savannah,” a friend for life and a sibling with shared memories. I wanted him to have a person who nodded fervently when he brought up decades-old stories. And I wanted my little one to have Brooks. Three years almost to the day after having my older son, I had his little brother, Case. Ironically, my sister and I were also born almost exactly three years apart. Even though my boys argue and pick, they love each other fiercely. When they go back and forth from my house to their dad’s, it makes me happy they have the consistency and comfort of each other’s presence. Further, as hard as divorce can be, it’s brought additional siblings into my boys’ lives. When my mom passed away, I was beyond thankful to have a sibling. Savannah and I leaned on one another heavily in those early years after my mom’s death. We cried together, grieved together and reminisced together. We also shared in the responsibility of taking care of our dad and making sure he was OK emotionally. While she and I had each other, my dad had lost his soul mate and partner of 57 years. Lately I’ve placed laser focus on that for which I am grateful. And two things that always rise to the top are having a sister and knowing my boys have their siblings. Each year I learn more and more that at the end of the day, when all is said and done, it’s the relationships we’ll cherish the most. (Susanna Barbee is a writer, editor and digital media specialist for The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living, and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)

HaywoodBuilders.com 100 Charles St. WAYNESVILLE

April 27-May 3, 2022

ll of my childhood memories include my older sister, Savannah. She and I did some pretty weird and funny things when we were little girls, but because we were together, it all seemed like one big exciting shared adventure. Spaying and neutering was not the norm in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Growing up, we always had a slew of cats running around. We became skilled at taking care of the kittens whenever Mama Cat gave birth. My mom was a teacher who sold Avon on the side, so we used her Avon boxes to create Columnist “cribs” for the babies. We also sometimes used medicine droppers to give them water or milk. There were even times when a birth was breeched and my dad had to help get the kitten out, all the while my sister and I serving as miniature homegrown vet techs. When one of the cats or kittens passed away, Savannah and I buried him or her in a pet cemetery we made in the woods behind our house, even writing on big stones to create grave markers and wearing black during the service. Speaking of those woods, they seemed like a jungle in our young minds. We loved to frolic around among the trees, exploring and pretending like we were characters in “Bridge to Terabithia.” I’m sure if I visited the property today, the grandiosity would be much diminished. That’s one of the amazing things about being a kid. Everything seems more magical. Other pastimes included elaborate fashion shows, obsessing over our Cabbage Patch Kids, dressing up like Dolly Parton, dancing to Debbie Gibson tapes, roller skating, and playing with Barbies, Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony toys. We would make popcorn and pour melted sticks of butter on top while watching “Back to the Future,” “Pretty in Pink,” “Dirty Dancing” or “Adventures in Babysitting” over and over and over. We rode our banana-seat bicycles around our neighborhood and as transportation in the city we created with sidewalk chalk in our cul-desac. On Saturday mornings, we woke up earlier than our parents and sat together in our big recliner eating Cocoa Puffs and watching “The Smurfs.” As close as we were, we were also very different. I always had my nose in a book

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hit film “A Star Is Born” (for which Lukas took home the BAFTA award for “Best Original Music” and a Grammy for “Best Compilation Soundtrack”). Yes sir, Lukas is a bona fide “lifer” in the rollercoaster whirlwind that is the music industry. It’s something in his blood and DNA, this young visionary filled with a sense of fierce independence and determination, one where — come hell or high water — he will forever follow the muse in the name of artistic creation and the sacred act of live performance.

Lukas Nelson.

Smoky Mountain News: When you look back at the early years of POTR — how the journey began and what the initial expectations were — what really sticks out? Lukas Nelson: We sort of got together, and we were just having fun playing music together. We were in a van, then we were in a Winnebago. That idea of, “the life I love is making music with my friends.” I just wasn’t willing to do anything else, and it’s still that way now. I just like being on the road. I like playing. I like the idea of moving. And, by the grace of God, we’re still doing it.

A few stars apart Lukas Nelson to headline Bear Shadow festival BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR t age 33, singer-songwriter Lukas Nelson is already building a sturdy, bountiful existence as a beloved troubadour, one whose onstage presence radiates genuine calmness, talent and inclusivity — a similar ethos and aura of solidarity established decades ago by his father, the universal musical institution that is Willie Nelson (who turns 89 this Friday). Fronting his band, the Promise of the Real,

since its inception in 2008, Lukas feels most at home while on the road, bouncing from coast to coast, show to show, night to night, while the group itself is this powerhouse blend of Americana, folk, indie-rock and real deal country music. The ensemble is known far and wide as one of the finest touring acts in the scene today, which has parlayed itself in recent years to much acclaim, as seen in the POTR backing actor Bradley Cooper in his role as troubled musician Jackson Maine in the 2018

SMN: And right out of the gate you name the band “Promise of the Real,” which I think is so interesting, seeing how abstract of a concept that name seems when you look at where we are as a society today. LN: Well, it’s always been about integrity. There is a lot in this day and age, and there’s going to be more in our career, that sort of pulls us in all different directions, “Hey, you’ve got to be ‘this’ or you’ve got to be ‘that,’ you’ve got to dress ‘this’ way or ‘this’ is trending right now, get on social media and do ‘this.’” And I have a team that handles that kind of thing. But, as far as the music goes, it’s always been about what speaks to me, what I have to say, what I want to write about. And, for better or for worse, there may be times that prevent me from getting more visibility or prevents the band from getting certain things, because we’re not willing to compromise on what we believe is real and being true to ourselves. And it’s a harder path to go down, you know? Because you’re saying, “I’m not going to do ‘this’ and I’m not going to do ‘that.’” With “getting famous” and whatever these people do — creating brands — I think there’s a way to do all that without sacrificing your integrity. If there’s a decision I’ve got to make, I go on the side of, “Well, maybe I have to wait a little longer, because this doesn’t feel right.” SMN: Those short-term successes and flashin-the-pan things don’t amount to much in the long game. LN: Yeah. I want to be doing this when I’m 89 years old. And so, that means that I’ve got to have fans that know I just won’t turn around and fuck them [over] in some way. And as an artist, if I end up doing that — going in different directions — it’s got to be because that’s what my soul is telling me to do.

Want to go? The annual Bear Shadow Music Festival will be held April 29-May 1 in Highlands. Bear Shadow brings world-renowned music acts and exceptional day time experiences to the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau. It’s a weekend of music, mountains, and revelry, which introduces a hopeful new season as we all emerge from hibernation with anticipation for the future. The lineup for the weekend event will include renowned groups Band Of Horses, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, Trampled By Turtles, Jamestown Revival, Susto, 49 Winchester, Kitchen Dwellers, Wild Rivers, and more. There will also be food and beverage options onsite. For more information, a full band schedule and/or to purchase tickets, go to bearshadownc.com.

It’s not like I’ll always be the same. But, I think the fans that stick with us, they are the ones that know — that can see and feel — that we’re genuinely following the muse, rather than following what’s best for business. Luckily, I’m healthy and I can go out and play music live. And I’m grateful for that. Basically, in a way, there’s times when I have a lot of hope and there’s times when I feel like I’m just having a laugh before my grave. We’re all sort of dust-to-dust. We’re just pushing dirt. That’s kind of where it’s at — I’m just having some fun before I die.

SMN: So, I would surmise that you subscribe to the idea of “the now”? LN: Well, yeah. I mean, it’s not an idea. “The now” is a real thing, you know what I mean? And if you’re not there, you’re somewhere else. A lot of times you miss what’s right in front of you. So, I think just out of a love for logic — or in a respect for logic — I try and stay in “the now.”

SMN: Are you an optimist? LN: I don’t know if I’m an optimist. I just understand that the pendulum often swings back and forth, and it’s got to swing back and forth — that’s just the natural way the universe works. On the quantum level, things blink in and out of existence. Positive becomes negative and negative becomes positive, over and over and over again in life. And there’s usually an equal and opposite reaction. I trust that if something seems negative, around the corner — somewhere you can’t see — is the same amount of energy or potential energy to swing back to the positive. It’s just physics, man. I just know that it goes back and forth. So, I don’t know if I’m an optimist. But, I do I know there’s something positive always around the corner, which lets me relax a little bit, I suppose.

HOT PICKS BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Every piece to the puzzle snaps tight in the groove, I close my eyes, breathe deeply and let my feet move

home, Ronnie’s mom walked in with a box full of his stuff she was going to toss if I didn’t want any of it. Inside was a handful of cool band shirts, some knickknacks, and two posters: an SCI concert poster from a recent show in Vermont and a ski area poster for Crested Butte, Colorado (where SCI formed). I took home the entire box. It was a like a treasure trove for young kid. Unrolling the two posters, I put both up on my bedroom walls, images of curiosity flowing through my mind of maybe someday seeing SCI live, maybe someday finding myself on the slopes of Crested Butte on a bluebird sky day filled with fresh powder (these posters are currently on the walls of my Waynesville apartment). It would be another seven years before I’d finally get to stand in the presence of SCI. As a junior in college in Connecticut, I found myself at the Great Woods Amphitheatre in Mansfield, Massachusetts,

Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host The Smoky Mountain Sirens (rock/indie) at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30.

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Voices in the Laurel will be hosting its third annual “Bingo Night” fundraiser at 6 p.m. Friday, April 29, at the Smoky Mountain Events Center in Waynesville. A “Hot Glass Blowing” demonstration with Cole Johnson & Friends will be held from noon to 5 p.m. April 28 and from noon to 3 p.m. (and 5 to 8 p.m.) April 29 at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro.

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Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Adjacent Hays at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 1.

MON-SAT 10-6

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20 Church St. • Waynesville

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Smoky Mountain News

And it was that spark that pushed me into taking creative writing and magazine journalism classes once I returned back to Quinnipiac University for my senior year, ultimately graduating in 2007 with a degree in print/broadcast journalism. Following college, I ended up with my first reporting gig at the Teton Valley News in Driggs, Idaho. And, oddly enough, one of the first articles that I ever had published was interviewing members Jason Hann and Michael Travis of SCI in March 2008. Though the band was on hiatus, the duo formed an improvisational electronica group, EOTO, who hit the stage at the Knotty Pine Supper Club in Victor, Idaho. “The deeper we get into this project, the more possibilities there are, there is stuff always happening and that is what’s exciting for us,” Hann told me after the show, inspiring words that have stuck with me all of these years as I continue to dive deeper into the realm that is the written word. And I think of all of those interactions, concerts, interviews and such with SCI and each one of its side projects. Backstage in Denver, Colorado, or the Rothbury Music Festival in Michigan, the Nateva Music Festival in Maine or Wakarusa Festival in Arkansas, Higher Ground in Vermont or that blurry night of shenanigans in that town I can’t seem to pinpoint nowadays. All those feelings and moments leading up to the three-night SCI run last weekend in Asheville. It’s so wondrous, maddening and ultimately fleeting. Time flies when you’re having fun, eh? And this is why we music freaks continue to run towards the horizon with a reckless abandon — always in search of the unknown magic that lies within the art of live performance. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

RETAIL HOURS

April 27-May 3, 2022

t was somewhere towards the end of Set One of Night Two of The String Cheese Incident’s gig at the sold-out Salvage Station in Asheville on Saturday evening when the jam-band icons went into its new song, “Into the Blue.” There’s always one moment during a concert where I can “feel it,” you know? It’s this pure and innocent feeling of happiness for the moment, and also bittersweet sorrow for people and places you start to think about and miss when you’re within that moment of melodic joy — the entire spectrum of human emotion in full swing. This crashing wave of The String Cheese overwhelming emotion, Incident, Asheville. more so body chills, start(photo: Garret K. Woodward) ing in your toes and working its way up your legs, along your spine and into the back of your head, soon to emerge as that sensation in your face right as your eyes begin to get a little misty — a unique and singular moment conjured only in the presence of live music. And it’s funny to stand there in this massive audience of thousands, simply f thinking back on why it is we’re all here in that one moment, to witness on a hot night in July 2006 for the SCI cothe melodic madness of this sextet from headlining bill with Bob Weir & Ratdog Colorado who radiate this sense of joy and (aka: the “Cheese Dog” tour). collaboration for raucous folks here in As expected, it was a pretty magical expeWestern North Carolina. rience. But, aside from that, I vividly rememI first got wind of The String Cheese ber that night, seeing as I was on a date with Incident back in the late 1990s. I was a this girl, Ali, who I had a huge crush on. She young teenager in middle school on the was the first person to ever encourage me to Canadian Border of Upstate New York, become a writer. I had met her the previous already a rock-n-roller, headlong into the semester while visiting UMass-Amherst for a explorative, psychedelic sounds of The spring break party. Grateful Dead and Phish — a lifelong jamAfter the “Cheese Dog” Mansfield show, I band kid in the making, as they say. remember sitting in the living-room of her Well, my mom was a teacher in the adjafriend’s parents’ house near the venue. It was cent high school. One of her co-workers was way past midnight. Everybody asleep except a good friend whose son, Ronnie, was also a the two of us, just talking and connecting in jam-band freak. Ronnie had already graduat- such a profound way. She had recommended ed high school and was gone to college by months earlier that “if you want to be a the time I arrived in middle school. Lo and writer, you should start be keeping a journal.” behold, with Ronnie making his parents So, I shared with her my scribblings from empty nesters, his mom cleaned out his the black and white composition notebook. room of what was left of his stuff. It was just ramblings and dribble jotted One day after school, while I was waiting down from the summer, but she liked what I in my mom’s classroom for her to finish up read to her and encouraged me to “keep before she would take my little sister and I going and keep writing.”

The second annual “Music on the Porch: Appalachian Homecoming” will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the Appalachian Women’s Museum in Dillsboro.

arts & entertainment

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arts & entertainment

On the beat

‘Music on the Porch’

Espalin to play Innovation

Sheila Kay Adams.

Singer-songwriter Wyatt Espalin will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 28, at Innovation Brewing in Sylva. Born and raised in Hiawassee, Georgia, Espalin has been entertaining audiences since he was eight years old. A blend of Americana, bluegrass and indie-roots music, he’s a beloved fixture on the Southern Appalachian live music circuit. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on innovationbrewing.com. To learn more about Espalin, go to wyattespalinmusic.com.

Wyatt Espalin.

Smoky Mountain News

April 27-May 3, 2022

Interested in learning the dulcimer? 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.

Bryson City community jam A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5, 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 musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years. 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.

Bringing together some of the finest local musicians, the second annual “Music on the Porch: Appalachian Homecoming” will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the Appalachian Women’s Museum in Dillsboro. The event will feature Sheila Kay Adams, Susan Pepper, The Pressley Girls, Lee Knight and Kornbred Kreek performing live on the beautiful wrap-around porch of the 1908 Monteith Farmhouse. This is also a fundraiser event for the Music Room Exhibit. As a volunteer organization, the AWM appreciates your support. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. There will also be food trucks onsite. Tickets are $15 per person. Children ages 12 and under are free. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on appwomen.org/music-on-theporch-event.

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• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.

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

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

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

Ready for the Sirens? A high-energy hard rock/punk act from Asheville, the wild-n-out Smoky Mountain Sirens will return to the stage at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the Water’n Hole Bar & Grill in Waynesville. For more information on the band, click on facebook.com/thesmokymountainsirens. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar. • Appalachian Women’s Museum (Dillsboro) will host “Music On The Porch” from noon to 6 p.m. April 30. Live bands, food trucks, and more. Tickets are $15 per person. appwomen.org. • Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.

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

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or coweeschool.org. • Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Macon County Line 7 p.m. April 30. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com. • Elevated Mountain Distilling Company (Maggie Valley) will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host .38 Special (southern rock) 9 p.m. May 6. For tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee. • Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. April 28. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com. • Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” w/Hibiscus Sunshine at 7 p.m. every Wednesday and Dalton Allen (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. April 29. All events are free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Trivia Night 6:30 p.m. April 27, Open Mic Night 6:30 p.m. April 28 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.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or satulahmountainbrewing.com. • The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Jon Cox & Bridget Gossett (Americana/folk) May 6. All shows begin at 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com. • Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives (Americana/rock) 7:30 p.m. May 13. Tickets start at $17. smokymountainarts.com. • Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-reg-

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Craig St. John (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. April 28, Ricky Gunter (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. April 30, Adjacent Hays 3 p.m. May 1, Randy Flack (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. May 5 and Early Worm Band 3 p.m. May 8. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com. • Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host The Smoky Mountain Sirens (rock/indie) April 30. 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.

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• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Trivia Night at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Old Time Jam 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, “Karaoke in the Smokies” May 6 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. • Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Open Mic Night April 27 and Kate Thomas April 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m.

Susan Hooper is a GREAT agent. Very helpful, kind, knowledgeable, and a great communicator! As ﬁrst time home buyers, she really helped us understand the process, lead us in the right direction, and it was an easy and enjoyable experience. We will deﬁnitely call Susan for any of our future real estate needs!

Smoky Mountain News

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host James Hammel (guitar/vocals) April 30 and Nathan Hefner (piano/vocals) May 7. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations are highly recommended. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host The Mug Band April 29 and Fundraiser for Misfit Mountain (11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.) April 30. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.

April 27-May 3, 2022

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

to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.

ular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com.

arts & entertainment

The Smoky Mountain Sirens.

Tyler & Ashley, Clyde

Folkmoot USA, home to North Evan Hatch. Carolina’s Official International Folk Festival, welcomes Evan Hatch as the new executive director to lead the nonprofit organization that embraces diverse cultures through music and dance. Based at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville, Folkmoot’s Board of Directors believe Hatch will succeed in this role because of his advanced experience with over 17 years as a folklorist, advocating for the power and dynamics of vernacular art, producing folklore events, and conducting fieldwork interviews. “Evan certainly brings a wealth of experience to Folkmoot,” said Folkmoot Board President Elizabeth Teague. “The Board was most excited, however, by his enthusiasm and genuine passion for the folk arts. He understood right away the Board’s vision and Folkmoot’s organizationand a master of the arts degree in Southern al potential to serve Western North Studies from Ole Miss. He’s a member of Carolina.” the national Oral History Association and Hatch is also the founder of the Narrate an alum of UNC’s Launch Chapel Hill small Project, an oral history consulting group. business accelerator. He holds a bachelor of the arts degree in Hatch has also produced a GrammyAmerican Studies from UNC–Chapel Hill

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Voices in the Laurel

New Folkmoot executive director

April 27-May 3, 2022

arts & entertainment

On the street

120 N. Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.0526 • affairsoftheheartnc.com

winning CD of historical collected songs and gospel artists. In his spare time, he loves cooking, camping, reading, films, and documentary photography. “I feel like the luckiest person in the world,” said Hatch of his new position. “I get to live and work in the most beautiful town in the Smoky Mountains. I get to serve under a visionary Board of Directors. And I get to lead a storied and respected folk arts organization in its mission to serve every member of our community and to help sustain a creative, arts-based economy.” Folkmoot is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that fosters the vibrancy of many cultures into one community. Folkmoot programs are based on cultural exchange and are designed to build global relationships, foster cultural understanding, and develop community prosperity. For more information, please contact Evan Hatch, executive director at evan@folkmoot.org, or Mike McLean, operations manager at mike@folkmoot.org. For more on Folkmoot, click on folkmoot.org.

Voices in the Laurel will be hosting its third annual “Bingo Night” fundraiser at 6 p.m. Friday, April 29, at the Smoky Mountain Events Center in Waynesville. Aside from an evening of bingo and a chance to win an array of donated prizes, there will also be a performance by Voices in the Laurel’s Treble Makers, Concert and Encore choirs. Voices in the Laurel is a Haywood Countybased nonprofit choir for young people ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade from Haywood, Buncombe, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, all under the direction of Martha Brown. The choir program consists of singers that are divided into three choral ensembles. Kindergarten through second graders may join without an audition. Singers in third through 12th grades must pass a musical audition. Tickets are $20, which includes 20 games of bingo and a chance to win door prizes. Additional cards for the 20 games can be purchased for $10 with three “Special Games of Bingo”: $2 for each card or all three for $5. You may also reserve a table of eight with advance ticket sales. Tickets will also be available at the door pending availability. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit voicesinthelaurel.org on the web and find them on Facebook.

On the stage

ack

B We’re

arts & entertainment

ART AFTER DARK

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John Smith th

Friday, May 6 , 6-9 PM JOH N SM ITH & LE GR AN DE J EWELRY

‘Alice in Wonderland’

ALSO:

• “The Magic Lamp of Aladdin” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. April 29-30 and 2 p.m. April 30. Presented by the Overlook Theatre Company. Approximately one hour in length. Sponsored by The Factory. Tickets are $13 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com or call 866.273.4615. • The Haywood Arts Regional Theater in Waynesville is currently offering a wide variety of classes in the theater arts for all ages, young and old. Whether you are just starting out or want to hone your skills, HART has opportunities for you. For more information, contact HART Artistic Director Candice Dickinson at 646.647.4546 or email candice@harttheatre.org.

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com. • A free wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. every

• • • • •

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Ballroom Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075. • A “Wine Tasting” will take place on Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Enjoy new wines, meats, cheeses and yummy snacks, all while making new friends or hanging out with old ones. For more information, call 828.538.0420. • “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 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. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

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WAYNESVILLE TIRE, INC.

Grand

On the table • The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host a special “Derby Day” celebration of food and libations to honor the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7. Don’t forget to wear your special hat. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.

WHERE ART DANCES WITH NATURE 98 N. MAIN ST. • WAYNESVILLE NC • MON-SAT: 10-5:30 828.456.1940 • W W W.T WI GSAN D LEAVES.CO M

April 27-May 3, 2022

y d A stage production of the beloved tale l “Alice in Wonderland” will be held on select dates throughout this spring at the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee. The beloved venue will host the world premiere of “Alice in Wonderland” stage f show, written by The Guinn Twins, Darby and Jake Guinn. The production is an original work by Havoc Movement Company that will be joining the Cherokee Historical Association for the spring season. Directed by Jason Paul Tate, a long-time veteran of outdoor drama, the show features the spectacle driven, heartfelt storytelling audiences have come to expect from Havoc Movement. Alice’s days on the mountain in Cherokee have lacked adventure lately. Bored with her book, she runs away from her sister to chase a strange white rabbit, who leads her to a world somewhat familiar and yet peculiarly askew. As she travels further down the rabbit hole, she encounters the customary characters (with an Appalachian twist) and finds herself at odds with the rules of Wonderland. She makes both friends and enemies while her problems grow and shrink within this epic journey to the heart of her imagination. For more information, visit cherokeehistorical.org/alice-in-wonderland.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host “Improv Night” by the Smoky Mountain Community Theater at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 10. Ages 21 and up. There will be a $5 cover, which will go directly to the theater. The pub will also donate 25% of the night’s drink receipts to the theater to assist in the restoration efforts. As well, the theater is always happy to accept additional donations. 828.538.2488.

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arts & entertainment

On the wall

Want to paint, sip craft beer?

April 27-May 3, 2022

Robin Arramae of WNC Paint Events brings you “Paint & Sip” events West of Asheville. It’s not only a “night out,” but an experience that should lift your spirits. Join others as Arramae shows you stepby-step how to paint a beginner level painting of the evening as you sip on your favorite local craft beer. She has everything you need to paint with: set up, grab a beer, tie on your • A “Hot Glass Blowing” demonstration with Cole Johnson & Friends will be held from noon to 5 p.m. April 28 and from noon to 3 p.m. (and 5 to 8 p.m.) April 29 at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro. • Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 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.

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their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. See more about Macon County Art Association at franklinuptowngallery.com and like, follow and share the Uptown Gallery on Facebook. • A “Foreign Film Series” will be held at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Each month, on the second and fourth Friday, two movies from around the globe will be shown. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge. Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings. To find out what movie will be shown and/or for more information, call 828.586.2016. This event is cosponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library. fontanalib.org.

Waynesville art walk, live music

The first “Art After Dark” of the year will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 6, in downtown Waynesville. Each first Friday of the month (MayDecember), Main Street transforms into an evening of art, music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors. Participants include Burr Studio, Cedar Hill Studios, Haywood County Arts

Council’s Gallery & Gifts, The Jeweler’s Workbench, Moose Crossing Burl Wood Gallery, T. Pennington Art Gallery, Twigs & Leaves Gallery, The Village Framer, and more. Twigs & Leaves Gallery will also have live piano music by Forrest Ransburg alongside savory hors-d’oeuvres. It is free to attend Art After Dark. For more information, click on facebook.com/galleriesofhaywoodcounty.

Macon County art scholarship The Arts Council of Macon County will accept applications through Sunday, May 15, for its annual $1,000 Arts Scholarship. Guidelines and application forms are available from any Macon County high school guidance office, online at artscouncilofmacon.org, and from the Arts Council office. Macon County residents of all ages wishing to pursue a college degree in the performing, literary, visual/graphic arts, or arts education may apply. Applicants must submit to an in-person interview the afternoon of Thursday, May 26. The recipient is chosen on the basis of talent, commitment, career aspirations, and financial need. The scholarship was established in 1988 to help talented and deserving Macon County residents prepare for a career in the arts. For more information contact any high school guidance office or the Arts Council, 828.524.ARTS or arts4all@dnet.net.

Smoky Mountain News

• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for

apron, and start painting. The encouragement to let everything go into your canvas, fill it up, and not to worry about how it turns out is the mission. Arramae coins this paint style as “Lucid Flow.” This is a two-hour event, and you leave with your painting. Anyone 21 and up are welcome. Events will be held at the following locations once a month: 828 Market on Main (Waynesville), Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva), BearWaters Brewing (Canton), Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) and the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin). Please visit Arramae’s website to sign up. For more information, click on wncpaint.events. Contact the website about setting up a private event: any age, minimum six/maximum 25 attendees. For live social feed and pictures, follow her on Instagram & Facebook “WNC Paint Events”: @paintwnc (Facebook), @wnc_paint_events (Instagram). Space is limited at each event. Drinks sold separately.

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selections and comments. John Henry, age 5, is the littlest bookroom of this gang and reports that some of his favorites are the Tin-Tin and Asterix books. “I just like looking at them,” he told me, and so he does, as he will sit for long

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periods at a time on the sofa poring over the pictures. Annie, 14, recommended Kate Seredy’s “The Sinking Tree” and its predecessor, “The Good Master,” stories which take place in Hungary around World War I and focus on children as heroes. “I like adventure,” she says. “I don’t like books like “Pride and Prejudice” because they’re so slow.” Carolina, 9, had just finished reading Sally Walker’s “The 18 Penny Goose,” a tale set in the American Revolution in which a girl saves the life of her beloved gander from marauding British troops. “I loved that book,” she reports. “The girl and her family come back at the end and find the goose with a bag of 18 pennies around his neck.” Michael, 17, was highly impressed with Henryk Sienkiewicz’s “Quo Vadis,” a fat novel about Christians living in the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. “I liked that ‘Quo Vadis’ left me impressed by the strength of

the Christian people living in the Roman Empire. I was also disgusted by the debauchery of the Roman ruling class.” Daniel, 7, is in second grade and is booming along as a reader, but on this occasion he brought up a read-aloud he enjoyed with his mother, Laura Ingalls “Wilder’s Farmer Boy.” “I liked when he was sneaking into the barn and his brother came in and said, ‘I’m going to tell Dad.’” I have a feeling that scene resonated because Daniel’s probably heard those same words a hundred times. William, 12, enjoyed Cynthia Kadohata’s “Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam.” His review? “I liked it because of all the action.”. And Maggie, 14, touted William Goldman’s “The Princess Bride.” “I loved that book even better than the movie. There’s so much more in the book, and it made me laugh.” So there you have it, young readers. I hope one of these titles grabs your attention. Reading is good for you, a foundation stone for any educated person, but this summer let’s go for entertainment, excitement, and fun. “There is no Frigate like a Book,” wrote Emily Dickinson, “To take us Lands away.” The poet was right on target, so let’s hop aboard that ship of the imagination, weigh anchor, loose the sails, and head off on some adventures. And with summer just around the corner, and with those school backpacks soon to be stowed in the closet for almost three months, now’s the perfect time to start thinking about books you want to read in a comfortable sofa or hammock with a favorite beverage for sipping at your elbow. You might travel with the pioneers out west, dance in a drawing room in London, or battle spies during the Cold War. The field is wide open. Turn off those screens, visit the library or your local bookstore, browse the shelves, find some treasures, and make this a grand summer of reading. (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.)

April 27-May 3, 2022

“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy….” So begins one of the George Gershwin’s greatest songs, an aria in “Porgy and Bess” reproduced by scores of musicians ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Willie Nelson to Norah Jones. Those words sum up my boyhood in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. When I look back on those green, hot days of my adolescence, I remember playing soldiers with friends in the woods beside Writer our house, games of roll-the-bat in the back yard, working with my dad on the property, and canoe trips on the Yadkin River. And reading books. Those were the wonderful days of reading Classic Comic Books, biographies from the “Childhood of Famous American” series, and tales of heroes from mythology and history. As I grew older, I discovered writers like Ray Bradbury, James Michener, and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. For three glorious months, the school doors were closed, homework assignments were only a memory, and I devoured book after book without once having to think of composing an essay about its theme or characters. Wordsworth once wrote of the initial idealism of the French Revolution, “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive/But to be young was very heaven!” That line describes perfectly the summer days of reading in my youth. Those sweet, careless forays into literature and history disappeared once I’d entered college and then graduate school, when summer generally meant more school. And though later, after I’d escaped the confines of the university and so had the liberty to read what I chose, those old times of utter book bliss never returned. Life and obligation pressed me with their demands, and though I still read many books, the ease and delights of those summer days were forever gone. But I can relive them vicariously through my grandchildren. Over the Easter weekend, I sat down with seven of these kids and asked them what books they had recently enjoyed, explaining to them I would share their choices in a review in hopes that some of their peers might also find such pleasures. Here in no particular order are some of their

Pamela L. Volpert

arts & entertainment

Summer’s coming, and it’s time for some fun!

with author

New monthly book club The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva is starting a new monthly program. Each month, a library staff member will be discussing some of the new book titles that the library has received. Particular attention will be paid to “under the radar” titles and authors, new releases, and other books that the staff is excited about. All are welcome, and no registration is required. For more information on when the club will meet, please call the library at 828.586.2016. This club is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The JCPL is a member of Fontana Regional Library (fontanalib.org).

828.452.4251 susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

pulsing through the mountain community at the news a NASCAR track could be coming to its backyard. But Muerdter was more interested in the land itself. “I would be in the backseat of the car riding down (U.S.) 19/23 looking up at this mountain and wondering what was back there, the mountain where the racetrack was going to come,” she said. “Twenty years later, the land still sat.” That’s when she got her first tour of the expansive property, jumpstarting the conservation project that has been her life for the past three-and-a-half years. “I remember sitting in my office and getting a call from Hanni,” said Smathers. “And Hanni said, ‘I have this crazy idea.’ Hanni, it ain’t so crazy anymore.”

PHASE ONE, AND MORE TO COME Bikers enter Berm Park in Chestnut Mountain Nature Park shortly after the ribbon-cutting April 22. Holly Kays photo

Launching a legacy Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Park officially open BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS E DITOR s Earth Day bloomed under one of spring’s sunniest skies yet, more than 150 people gathered on a concrete bridge spanning Hominy Creek just outside Canton to celebrate what Mayor Zeb Smathers termed a “gift of genesis” — the long-awaited opening of Chestnut Mountain Nature Park. “Now on one of our main corridors, the entrances to the town and to the west, we are making a statement what our priority is,” Smathers told the crowd. “We are embracing outdoor recreation and tourism and the idea that our natural resources should be preserved and can be used.” Creating the park — 450 acres of land set aside for hiking, biking, picnics, water quality and wildlife habitat — at first seemed an impossible dream for the tiny town of fewer than 5,000 people. The obstacles continued to pile up after Aug. 17, 2021, when a 500-year flood tore straight through the town’s beating heart, destroying buildings and livelihoods. A few miles upstream in the Cruso community, it claimed six lives. But even as town leaders were scrambling to address the destruction incurred by Tropical Storm Fred, they were working to accomplish the resurrection of the Chestnut Mountain property, which at various times over the last few decades was slated for devel-

opment as a NASCAR track, an indoor ski resort and a rock quarry. Hanni Muerdter is the conservation director for the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy but in the late 1990s was Smathers’s classmate at Pisgah High School. Muerdter remembers well the excitement

Bikers climb the ascent trail to Berm Park. Holly Kays photo

Following the speaking program on Friday, April 22, an array of elected officials, conservation workers and philanthropists cut the ribbon on Chestnut Mountain, marking the official opening of the project’s first phase. This includes the mountain biking skills course at Berm Park and a 0.6-mile hiking/biking trail that climbs 350 feet to connect the gateway and pedestrian bridge to what will become the park’s main trailhead. While hikers and bikers will use the same path to ascend the mountain, a dedicated descent trail for bikers aims to prevent conflicts and accidents. Featuring five trails of varying difficulties, Berm Park is the brainchild of Asheville resident Seth Alvo, whose YouTube channel Berm Peak has 2.4 million subscribers. He raised $250,000 to design and build the park, with Asheville-based Elevated Trail Design completing the project. Analogous to runs at a downhill ski resort, the short trails at Berm

Park provide a variety of obstacles and trick opportunities, with riders doing multiple loops of the course on each visit. When Alvo set out to build a free public bike park, he didn’t picture doing it in Canton. But Pisgah Area SORBA suggested he contact the town, and an enthusiastic reception from then Assistant Town Manager Nick Scheuer, who has since been promoted to town manager, made it clear that Canton was the right place. “After one conversation with Nick and one walk on the property, I realized that all those other towns that didn’t want to work with us, that was a blessing in disguise, because this is the perfect place for this,” Alvo said. While Alvo’s supporters paid for Berm Park’s development, SAHC paid for the land — a total project cost of $3.52 million. The land trust had to take out a loan to complete the transaction, but as of last week, it had finished raising the money to pay it off and transferred the deed to the Town of Canton. Large contributions from Brad and Shelli Stanback and the N.C. Land and Water Fund, along with funding from the Pigeon River Fund, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Justice, the Town of Canton and individual donors made that possible. SAHC will continue to monitor the property’s conservation easements. Once complete, Chestnut Mountain will be much more than a mountain biking park and ascent trail. The project has, to date, landed $860,000 in grants for creek restoration, trails, signage and other recreation amenities. With that money, said Scheuer, the town will build trails, treehouse-style overlooks, a picnic pavilion, a kids’ bicycle playground, creek access and more. The project’s biggest award so far was $500,000 from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, which will go toward trails, overlooks, the pavilion and

“It sits in an important area for wildlife and wildlife movement,” Muerdter said. “Locals know this well, and every time I’m on this property, the amount of tracks I see are amazing.” The lower portion of the property where Berm Park is and where the frontcountry recreational amenities will go had been heavily disturbed by previous landowners, meaning that it’s not too significant for plant and animal species. But the far eastern portion, where Muerdter has most often come across wildlife, will remain mostly untouched under the project plan. In fact, said Nikki Robinson, N.C. proj-

Report hellbender, mudpuppy sightings With fishing season underway for Hatchery Supported Trout Waters, wildlife biologists at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are asking the public to report sightings of mud-

The eastern hellbender is a distinct species from the mudpuppy, but both are species of special concern. T.R. Russ photo

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers addresses the crowd gathered to celebrate the opening of Chestnut Mountain Nature Park. Holly Kays photo

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When N.C. Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood) was growing up just outside Canton city limits, exploring the outdoors required a long car ride to family favorites like Pink Beds or Cataloochee. When it came time to raise his own boys, around-the-corner recreation options were still lacking. How wonderful would it have been, he asked the crowd, if a gem like Chestnut Mountain had waited just minutes from home? The property’s proximity to town was one of the characteristics that caught Muerdter’s attention back when she was first forming the idea for the project. “Could this be a property that could serve as an easy to access place for school groups, people on their lunch break, families coming on weekend mornings, to get out enjoy?” she said. “Plus, it sits right on a planned greenway.” As one of the largest privately owned tracts left in Haywood County, Chestnut Mountain represented a massive opportunity — not only for people, but also for wildlife.

ect manager for the Wildlands Network, Chestnut Mountain Nature Park contains a priority wildlife corridor linking Pisgah National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “The data tell us the animals are moving across this landscape despite our growing presence,” she said. “They’re using the ridgelines and the valleys along the Buncombe and Haywood County lines, moving from Mount Pisgah to the Newfound Mountains and back. We must conserve this important corridor before it’s converted to other uses.” Now that the town holds the deed, Chestnut Mountain is officially a Canton project — but in reality, it’s a partnership project. The 150 people present for the Friday ceremony represented the dozens of organizations, officials and individuals who donated, lobbied, sweated or otherwise worked to see the project through. “No one does anything by themselves,” Pless said. “This has taken a lot of folks that have come up and said, ‘I’ll do what I can do and not step across the line.’ And that’s why we have what we have today.” “When I was trying to think about how to sum up this day and what Chestnut Mountain means for conservation and for recreation, for people, it’s that it’s a big thing,” said Scheuer. “It’s a big thing for our land. It’s a big thing to protect the wildlife that we love. It’s a big thing for our community. We’re building a legacy park — it’s going to be here forever and be enjoyed by future generations.”

April 27-May 3, 2022

Development Authority grants for the gateway sign, marketing and activation; $15,000 in grant writing assistance from the Dogwood Trust Leverage Fund; and $205,000 for Hominy Creek restoration, of which $30,000 is from the Pigeon River Fund and $175,000 from the N.C. Land and Water Fund.

puppies and hellbenders. The giant salamander species often get confused with each other but have distinct differences. The mudpuppy has light brown, smooth skin that is typically speckled with spots, and red external feathery gills it retains through its whole life. It’s smaller than the hellbender, averaging around 10 inches in length as an adult. It primarily lives in deep

rivers, lakes, large ponds and reservoirs, but also thrives in unpolluted streams like the hellbender. The hellbender, also called a “water dog,” “snot otter” or “Alleghany alligator,” is the largest aquatic salamander in North America, averaging 16-17 inches long. It has a flat, broad head and flattened body, wrinkly skin on its sides and is brown – sometimes mottled with dark splotches. It’s typically found only in fast moving, clean mountain streams. Both are listed as species of special concern in North Carolina, and Wildlife Commission biologists want to know more about their distribution in the state and how their populations are faring. Neither animal is harmful to humans, though they may try to bite if someone tries to pick them up. If spotted, leave the salamanders alone but submit a report. Reports should include location, preferably with GPS coordinates, a photo if possible, and any other relevant details. Submit reports to lori.williams@ncwildlife.org or call 866.318.2401.

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ADA parking, and the town has also received $100,000 from the N.C. Recreational Trails Program. The master plan calls for 15-18 miles of trails — three hiking-only trails, two shared-use trails and five single-direction mountain bike trails. So far, the town has funding for about 75% of the proposed trail network and plans to continue pursuing funding for the rest. “We anticipate building the bulk of the park in the next 1.5 years and will be opening trails and amenities as they come online,” Scheuer said. Other money secured so far include $47,000 in Haywood County Tourism

71 North Main Street Waynesville 31

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bring a rod, waders or boots, and must have a fishing license. Registration is limited to seven people each session. To register, call 828.452.6789.

Teen fly fishing camp now enrolling

Go fly fishing A series of Monday evening fly fishing expeditions will launch May 2 through the Haywood County Recreation Department. Through May 23, participants can join expert angler Ray Sugg on Richland Creek 5:30-7 p.m. for just $10. Participants should

Spots are still open for Rivercourse, a fly fishing and cold-water conservation camp to be held Jun 19-24 at Lake Logan Conference Center in Haywood County for teens ages 1315. In addition to fly fishing, participants will learn about conservation, entomology, equipment, water safety, lines and leaders, knots and fly tying. They’ll get to fish private access areas of the Pigeon River and will get a primer on the mission of Trout Unlimited, which operates the camp. Tuition is $695. To learn more, visit ncturivercourse.com.

Around the Smokies It’s a busy time in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as visitation ramps up while the park works to complete needed maintenance projects. Stay up to date on what’s open, what’s closed and what’s new. ■ Vehicle-free Wednesdays will resume on Cades Cove Loop Road May 4, continuing

Ride in the bike rodeo

Smoky Mountain News

April 27-May 3, 2022

The annual Jackson County Bike Rodeo will return 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. A variety of stations will be available for kids to get set up to ride bikes safely, including bike safety checks, helmet inspections, a learn-to-ride segment, bike skills courses for all ages and group rides. A bike raffle will give away five free bikes in size-appropriate categories. Free helmets, bike lights and bells will be available while supplies last. Hosted by Jackson County Parks and Recreation, the event is supported by a diverse set of community partners and donors. It will be postponed in case of rain or bad weather. Contact Trevor Brown with questions at 828.293.3053.

WE ARE BACK!

weekly through Sept. 28. Parking is often full during the early morning hours, so visitors are encouraged to come in the afternoons and early evenings instead. Staff and volunteers will be onsite, preventing roadside parking on nondurable surfaces. In Tennessee, children under 16 must wear a helmet while cycling, and all riders are encouraged to wear them. During summer and fall, rental bikes are available at the campground store (865.448.9034) near Cades Cove Campground on a first-come, first-served basis. ■ Single-lane closures are in effect on Newfound Gap Road, U.S. 441, from 7 a.m.

a love for the game.

■ Signups are open for Bobcat Youth

After a multi-year absence, the 8th edition of the

Waynesville Main Street Mile will take place on

Saturday, June 11

and will benefit REACH of Haywood County

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Cyclists take a break during a vehiclefree day at Cades Cove. NPS photo

Mondays through noon Fridays for an 8mile paving project between Chimneys Picnic Area and Newfound Gap that started April 25. The work is expected to last three weeks barring inclement weather. Some parking areas and pulloffs will be closed intermittently, and flagging operations with a pilot car leading traffic through work zones will be used. Drivers should expect delays. ■ Efforts are underway to reopen Parson Branch Road this summer. The 8mile primitive gravel road between Cades Cove and the park’s western boundary has been closed since 2016. In that year, an uprooted dead tree damaged 20 linear feet of the road, and when park crews inspected the site they found more than 1,700 hazard trees within falling distance of the road corridor — many of them hemlock trees killed by the hemlock wooly adelgid. More than half of them have fallen over the last five years. Friends of the Smokies provided $100,000 to remove 800 of the trees, with federal money kicking in $50,000. Park crews have been working on additional tree removal and road repairs for the past five years. Once tree removal is complete, crews will work on road cleanup, ditching and grading. ■ Starting Monday, May 2, Ramsey Cascades Trail will be closed Monday through Thursday each week through Nov. 17 for an extensive trail rehabilitation project funded through Friends of the Smokies’ Trails Forever Program.

Level up on soccer skills Jackson County Parks and Recreation is sponsoring a pair of youth soccer camps this summer aimed at improving skills and fostering

Development Soccer Camp, open to youth 7-14. The camp will be held 8 a.m. to noon June 8-10 at the Blue Ridge Early College soccer field, giving players a chance to have fun while learning fundamental techniques necessary to play the game. The program will focus on individual skill development with a technical curriculum specific to age and ability. Cost is $60. ■ The Future Mustang Soccer Camp will welcome youth ages 8-14 5-7 p.m. June 6-8 at the Smoky Mountain High School stadium in Sylva. The camp will focus on technical development as well as tactics to be incorporated into smallsided games. Cost is $60. Register at rec.jacksonnc.org by April 30 to ensure a camp shirt.

N.C. Arboretum photo

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Young arboretum visitors catalogue their outdoor observations.

WE ARE ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

Explore the arboretum Celebrate the wonders of the natural world 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 30, with the Mountain Science Expo at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. The day will feature walks led by graduates of the Blue Ridge Naturalist and Blue Ridge EcoGardener certificate programs and arboretum education staff, with outdoor exhibitors including the WNC Nature Center, U.S. Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, N.C. Division of Air Quality and Environmental Quality Institute.

Kids crafts, live animal demonstrations and more will offer connection to the plants and animals that call the arboretum home, and attendees can learn how to participate in the City Nature Challenge, a four-day event that encourages people to observe and upload photo observations of plants and animals to the free app iNaturalist, helping scientist to learn more about the region’s biodiversity. Expo activities are free, though the typical $16 parking charge still applies.

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FROG to hold spring fair April 27-May 3, 2022

Friends of the Greenway will hold its annual spring fundraising fair 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7, in Franklin. The day will feature arts and crafts, food and music, supporting the group stewarding the Little Tennessee River Greenway. The fair will be held at 573 E. Main St., at the town bridge.

Stock up on plants in Franklin

The sale is hosted by the Macon County Master Gardener Association at 1624 Lakeside Drive.

Helicopter team rescues sick hiker A helicopter team extricated an Alabama man from the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last week after he began experiencing severe chest pains while hiking north of Fontana Lake. At about 10:28 a.m. Friday, April 22, the park’s Emergency Communications Center was notified that Michael Elmore, 74, of Newville, Alabama, was in distress on the A.T. The N.C. Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, along with emergency responders from the National Park Service, Graham County EMS, Swain County Search and Rescue and N.C. Forest Service performed a complex rescue operation to evacuate the injured hiker from his backcountry location. First responders carried Elmore out on a litter to a location where NCHART could hoist him to their helicopter. He was then brought out to a landing zone and transferred to the Mountain Area Medical Airlift, which transported him to Mission Hospital in Asheville for treatment.

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A plant and gardening sale will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Franklin Environmental Resource Center in Franklin. Dahlia bulbs, native plant starts as well as cuttings and plants divided from the wonderful array on display at the ERC will be for sale, as well as previously owned gardening tools, decorations and equipment available for a donation. The grounds and gardens will be open for viewing as well.

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Parkway prepares for major maintenance projects Set to last three years, the repaving and rehabilitation project will start at milepost 229.6, just north of Doughton Park, and end near Grandfather Mountain at milepost 305.1. It will include repair and replacement of drainage structures, curbs, walks, shoulders, guardrails, overlooks and signage, with work phased to a staggered series of closures that will allow continuous access to recreation areas and visitor amenities within the construction zone. The Laurel Fork Bridge, located at milepost 248.8, was built in 1939 and is 546 feet long and 28 feet wide. Replacing it will take two years and require a full closure with a detour. Funding comes from the GAOA’s National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund created to address extenThe Laurel Fork Bridge slated for sive maintenance backreplacement was built in 1939. NPS photo logs. Supported by revenue from energy development, the fund provides up to $1.3 billion annually for five nance backlog of more than $500 million. years. The money will pay for a $98 million The projects will be jointly managed by repaving project on 75 miles of the 469-mile the National Park Service and Federal road as well as a $29 million bridge replaceHighway Administration. Contracts for ment in Ashe County. Once completed, the both have been awarded, and construction projects will eliminate more than $115.6 timelines with detour locations are being million of deferred maintenance. They’re finalized. For updated detour and closures expected to support more than 1,600 jobs information, visit nps.gov/blri/planyourvisand contribute $348 million to the nation’s it/roadclosures.htm. economy. The Great American Outdoors Act will give the Blue Ridge Parkway $127 million for projects to address its deferred mainte-

Smoky Mountain News

Major improvements coming to Catawba Falls

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

The popular Catawba Falls Trail on the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest will close Monday, May 2, not to reopen until spring 2023. The closures will allow construction crews to build retaining walls, boardwalks, staircases and overlooks to greatly improve trail and visitor safety on the popular trail. Fines of up to $500 will be assessed to people who illegally access the site during construction. The U.S. Forest Service had planned improvements for the site since acquiring it from the Foothills Land Conservancy in 2006. Between 2010 and 2016, trailhead parking and restrooms were installed, and one mile of trail was upgraded, but after crossing the second bridge visitors had to travel through a boulder field with no clear path to Lower Catawba Falls. Beyond the lower falls, increasing num-

bers of visitors were ignoring warnings and climbing the upper falls on a dangerous user-created route following the cliff edge. Many serious injuries and deaths have occurred on this route. This phase of improvements will start at the second bridge and continue to the base of Lower Catawba Falls and along the creek to Upper Catawba Falls. The dangerous cliffside route will be replaced by stairs to an overlook halfway up the falls, and a 60foot tower at the base of the cliff will provide an overlook and serve as part of a future path to the upper falls. The project, which is part of the larger Old Fort Trails Project, is supported by funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, N.C. State Recreation Trails Program, McDowell County, National Forest Foundation and G5 Trail Collective. Work will be completed by Tag Contracting.

WNC Calendar 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. ERockBabeyyy will play music at the market April 30. Wooly Booger will play music at the market May 7.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Jackson County Public Library is hosting a free mental health seminar facilitated by VAYA Health at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, in the Community Room. Free of charge but registration is required. For more information, please call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. fontanalib.org

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • The 2022 Realtors Care Day, an initiative of Canopy Housing Foundation, is an an all-day home-repair project. Realtor volunteers in Haywood County will be working at the Habitat site from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday, April 29. Other regional realtors will be making a big push for food and pet food donations to benefit the local community. For more information contact Lisa Brown, Western Region Manager at 704.940.3112 or lbrown@canopyrealtors.com.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Yoga at the Macon County Public Library will take place at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 27. Meet in from of the library, practice takes place outside if weather permits. Register at beyondbendingyoga.com/schedule/ • Swain County Caring Corner Free Clinic is open Thursday’s 4-9 p.m. at Restoration House (Bryson City United Methodist Church). Office hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 a.m.-noon. Call 828.341.1998 to see if you qualify to receive free medical care from volunteer providers.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • In response to popular demand, beginning in May, the Friends Used Book Shop will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The shop is located at 101 W. Marshall St, Waynesville. For more information contact Friends of the Haywood County Library at folhaywoodcounty@gmail.com.

KIDS & FAMILIES • The Jackson County Public Library is hosting Family Night from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 28, in the Community Room. Patrons can come anytime during the two-hour event which is part of the NC Science Festival. Free of charge. For more information, please call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. fontanalib.org

A&E

• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon-4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com. • Appalachian Women’s Museum (Dillsboro) will host “Music On The Porch” from noon-6 p.m. April 30. Live

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com bands, food trucks, and more. Tickets are $15 per person. appwomen.org. • Art After Dark will take place from 6-9 p.m. Friday, May 6, in downtown Waynesville. Nine galleries will be participating, there will be sidewalk musicians and art demonstrations within individual galleries. • Boho Hippie Festival will take place from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. May 7, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. There will be live music, food trucks, performance artists, vendors, tie dye stations and more. For more information email hotheadevents@gmail.com. • The Brasstown Ringers community handbell ensemble will hold a concert at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. Contact Linda Sterrett at lkmsterrett@gmail.com or Brett McDonald at lancer442000@yahoo.com. • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host James Hammel (guitar/vocals) April 30 and Nathan Hefner (piano/vocals) May 7. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations are highly recommended. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com. • Elevated Mountain Distilling Company (Maggie Valley) will host an Open Mic Night 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com. • Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. April 28. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Trivia Night 6:30 p.m. April 27, Open Mic Night 6:30 p.m. April 28 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. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Trivia Night at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Old Time Jam 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, “Karaoke in the Smokies” May 6 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. • The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Jon Cox & Bridget Gossett (Americana/folk) May 6. All shows begin at 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com. • Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives (Americana/rock) 7:30 p.m. May 13. Tickets start at $17. smokymountainarts.com. • Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host The Smoky Mountain Sirens (rock/indie) April 30. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

Smoky Mountain News

tion or to make a reservation, lakejunaluska.com/mothersday or call 800.222.4930. • “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. • Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • “The Magic Lamp of Aladdin” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. April 29-30 and 2 p.m. April 30. Presented by the Overlook Theatre Company. Tickets are $13 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com or call 866.273.4615. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host “Improv Night” by the Smoky Mountain Community Theater at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 10. Ages 21 and up. There will be a $5 cover, which will go directly to the theater. The pub will also donate 25% of the night’s drink receipts to the theater to assist in the restoration efforts. 828.538.2488.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • Dogwood Crafters will host a workshop from 10 a.m.1 p.m. Thursday, April 28. Taught by Gail Holt, the workshop is on the hand quilting technique of English Paper Piecing. Participants will make a seven-piece hexagon and then appliqué it to a background fabric. Register by April 21 by calling 828-586-2248. • A “Hot Glass Blowing” demonstration with Cole Johnson & Friends will be held from noon to 5 p.m. April 28 and from noon-3 p.m. (and 5-8 p.m.) April 29 at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro.

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. • Landscape photographer John Smith and jewelry artist Kristie MacGregor will be on display at Twigs and Leaves Gallery for Art After Dark, 6-9 p.m. May 6. twigsandleaves.com

FILM & SCREEN • The Bryson City Presbyterian Church will have a special screening of “Youth v. Gov” at 12:30 p.m. May 1, in the fellowship hall. A light lunch will be provided.

FOOD AND DRINK • McKinley Edwards Inn will host Saturday Afternoon Tea from 4-5 p.m. Saturday April 30, in the Inn Dining Room. Cost is $18 per person, for reservations please call 828.488.9626. • Lake Junaluska will host a Mother’s Day Buffet from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at historic Lambuth Inn. Pricing for the buffet is $32 plus tax and gratuity for adults and youth age 13 and older, and $16 plus tax and gratuity for children ages 5-12 years old. Children 4 years old and younger dine for free. For more informa-

Outdoors

• An education program offered by the N.C. Wildlife Resources commission will be held the morning of Saturday, April 30. Participants will learn basic fishing skills and regulations, with equipment and materials provided. Bring water and snacks, and sign up ahead of time with Tanya Poole at 828.329.3472.

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

Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings • Register by April 30 for the Adult Co-ed Volleyball League in Cullowhee. Games will start mid-May, to be played Tuesday nights at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. Register at rec.jacksonnc.org. Contact Andrew Sherling with questions at 828.293.3053, ext. 6, or andrewsherling@jacksonnc.org. • Celebrate the wonders of the natural world 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 30, with the Mountain Science Expo at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. Expo activities are free, though the typical $16 parking charge still applies. • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 3mile hike on Sunday, May 1, in Warwoman Dell. The club will meet at the north end of Ingle’s parking lot in Clayton, Ga, at 1 p.m. Call hike leader David Stearns, 828.349.7361, for more information or in case of foul weather. There is no charge. Reservations are not needed. Visitors and well-behaved dogs are welcome. • Beginning May 2, Haywood County Recreation will be offering fly fishing expeditions. Cost is $10, classes take place from 5:30-7 p.m. Expert fly fisher, Ray Sugg will take the class to Richland Creek each Monday through May 23. A fishing license is required, bring a rod, waders or boots. Participants limited to seven, contact the Recreation department at 828.452.6789 to register. • Haywood County Recreation will lead a hike on the MST from Soco Gap to Heintooga Road May 4. This is a 5.7 mile hike led by Vickey Watson and Jamie Shackleford. All hikes are $10. Contact the Recreation Department to register. • The annual Jackson County Bike Rodeo will return 2-4 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. Hosted by Jackson County Parks and Recreation, the event is supported by a diverse set of community partners and donors. It will be postponed in case of rain or bad weather. Contact Trevor Brown with questions at 828.293.3053. • A plant and gardening sale will be held 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Franklin Environmental Resource Center in Franklin. The sale is hosted by the Macon County Master Gardener Association at 1624 Lakeside Drive. • Friends of the Greenway will hold its annual spring fundraising fair 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 7, in Franklin. The day will feature arts and crafts, food and music, supporting the group stewarding the Little Tennessee River Greenway. The fair will be held at 573 E. Main St., at the town bridge. • Haywood County Recreation will host a land navigation course from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 7. The course will be taught by Steve Kuni, location TBD. This course provides instruction on map and compass navigation and applies those fundamentals to modern cell phone apps. Cost is $10, class size is limited to 10. Register by calling the Haywood County Recreation Department at 828.452.6789. • Haywood County Recreation will lead a hike on the MST at the Pisgah Inn/ Campground area on May 11. Phyllis Woollen and Steve Szczepanski will guide the hike. All sections are considered easy. All hikes are $10. Contact the Recreation Department to register.

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IN-HOME AIDE – Haywood County. A Part time position is available assisting elderly clients in their homes w/ light housekeeping, shopping and errands. Paid holidays, earn annual and VLFN OHDYH RWKHU EHQH¿WV will apply. Candidates must have a high school diploma/GED, valid NC driver’s license, available transportation, effective oral communication & lis-

Announcements

A-1 DONATE YOUR CAR, Running or Not, Fast Free Pickup. Maximum tax deduction. Support United Breast Cancer Fdn. Programs. Your car donation could save a life. 888-641-9690

Business Opportunities BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! Publications sold at all major secular & specialty Christian bookstores. CALL Christian Faith Publishing for your FREE author submission kit. 1-855-658-2057

Employment EDUCATIONAL COACH-FULL TIME Educational mentor/coach is responsible for providing

April 27-May 3, 2022

tening skills, have legible hand writing skills. Up to 29 hours weekly. You may submit an online application on the Mountain Projects website www. mountainprojects.org Applications will also be taken at Mountain Projects, Inc. 2177 Asheville Road, Waynesville, NC 28786 EOE/AA

COOK/TRANSPORTER- JACKSON COUNTY PART-TIME Must be willing to work early mornings, have working knowledge of a kitchen. Be able to lift 60 lbs., stand long periods of time, good cleaning skills, and Valid NC driver’s license required. Paid holidays, earn annual and VLFN OHDYH RWKHU EHQH¿WV will apply. Up to 20 hours weekly. Please submit applications at www. mountainprojects.org. AA/EOE GROUP HOME STAFF NEEDED: Full time benH¿WHG SRVLWLRQ DYDLODEOH in Waynesville. Paraprofessional will participate in the care of residents by providing guidance, supervision, medication and prompting as needed. High School diploma, driver’s license, documentation required. Interested person may contact 828-778-0260 for more information. COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain SURJUDPV IRU TXDOL¿HG applicants. Call CTI for

details! 1-855-554-4616 The Mission, Program Information and Tuition is located at CareerTechnical.edu/consumer-information.

MEDICAL BILLING Train Online! Become D 0HGLFDO 2I¿FH 3URfessional online at CTI! *HW 7UDLQHG &HUWL¿HG ready to work in months! Call 866-243-5931. (M-F 8am-6pm ET) IN-HOME AIDE AND CNA’S We can work around your schedule starting at $12.00 per hour to provide in home aide services based on the consumer needs through the Home and Community Block Grant. You can make a difference in someone’s life age 60 and older in JackVRQ &RXQW\ %HQH¿WV for full time PTO, dental, life and health insurance. Part time positions available. Please apply at 525 Mineral Springs Drive, Sylva NC or call Home Care Partners at 828-586-1570 for more information. INDEPENDENT LIVING SPECIALIST Are you someone with a disability who has overcome obstacles relating to a personal disability and will use that strength to help others with disabilities set and reach goals to live more independently. If so, DisAbility Partners has a full-time position available for you. Work experience and education will EH FRQVLGHUHG %HQH¿WV vacation, sick, holidays and dental, life and health insurance. Mon-Fri 40

WNC MarketPlace

hours per week. You can make a difference. Applications available at DisAbility Partners, 525 Mineral Springs Drive, Sylva or on our website; disabilitypartners.org. Call Barbara Davis for more information 828226-8263. REGISTERED NURSE If you are a Registered Nurse licensed in the State of North Carolina and want less stress than the typical medical, hospital structure requires we need your nursing skills to supervise the daily operations of home care services provided through Home Care Partners. This position supervises the aides, scheduling, training and day to day activities to assure our clients can remain independent in their home environment. No medical services administered. Mon-Fri 40 KRXUV SHU ZHHN %HQH¿WV include vacation, sick, holidays and dental, life, health insurance. Please call Julie Van Hook at 828-507-6065 for more information. You can apply at Disability Partners, 525 Mineral Springs Drive, Sylva, NC 28779. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pathways For The Future, Inc. DBA Disability Partners Is Seeking A Dynamic, Forward Thinking Person For The Position Of Executive Director. Disability Partners Is A Local Center For Independent Living Serving 14 Counties In Western North Carolina, :LWK 2I¿FHV ,Q 6\OYD $QG Asheville, North Carolina. People With Disabilities Are Served Through The Center For Independent Living, Homecare Partners And Person First

Services, A Provider Of The Innovations Waiver Through Vaya. The Executive Director Job Description And Application Can Be Found At https://www.disabilitypartners.org/employment-opportunities. All Applicants Must Submit By Email: Cover Letter, Current Resume And A Complete Application To: ssacco@ disabilitypartners.org. The Deadline To Apply For The Position Is April 29, 2022 At 5:00pm. Documents Submitted After The Deadline Will Not Be Accepted. Persons With Disabilities Are Encouraged To Apply For The Position. PATHWAYS FOR THE FUTURE, INC. dba Disability Partners is seeking a dynamic, forward thinking person for the position of Executive Director. Disability Partners is a local Center for Independent Living serving 14 Counties in Western North Carolina, ZLWK RI¿FHV LQ 6\OYD DQG Asheville, North Carolina. People with disabilities are served through the Center for Independent Living, Homecare Partners and Person First Services, a provider of the Innovations Waiver through Vaya. The Executive Director Job Description and application can be found at https://www. disabilitypartners. org/employmentopportunities. All applicants must submit by email: Cover Letter, current Resume and a complete application to: ssacco@ disabilitypartners.org. The deadline to apply for the position is April 29, 2022 at 5:00pm.

Hansen & Hansen Mary Roger (828)

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(828)

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Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents The Strength of Teamwork The Reputation for Results

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage • Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com 71 N. Main St., Waynesville (828) 564-9393

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

Ron Breese Broker/Owner 71 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

www.ronbreese.com

Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - esither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com Billy Case- billycase@beverly-hanks.com Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com John Keith - jkeith@beverly-hanks.com Randall Rogers - rrogers@beverly-hanks.com Susan Hooper - shooper@beverly-hanks.com Hunter Wyman - hwyman@beverly-hanks.com

• Rob Roland - robroland@beverly-hanks.com

Each office independently owned & operated.

Emerson Group - emersongroupus.com

Jerry Powell Cell: 828.508.2002

jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

74 N. Main St., Waynesville

828.452.5809

• George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com • Chuck Brown - chuck@emersongroupus.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • • • •

Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@sunburstrealty.com Randy Flanigan - 706-207-9436 Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com • Darrin Graves - dgraves@kw.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com

I Am Proud of Our Mountains and Would Love to Show You Around!

Randall Rogers BROKER ASSOCIATE —————————————

(828) 734-8862

RROGERS@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

Phyllis Robinson OWNER/BROKER

(828) 712-5578

lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

The Only Name in Junaluska Real Estate 91 N. Lakeshore Dr. Lake Junaluska 828.456.4070

www.LakeshoreRealtyNC.com Conveniently located in the Bethea Welcome Center

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Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

April 27-May 3, 2022

• Lyndia Massey- buyfromlyndia@yahoo.com

Mountain Creek Real Estate • Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com • The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com • Ron Breese - ronbreese.com • Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com • Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com • Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net • David Willet - davidwillet1@live.com • Sara Sherman - sarashermanncrealtor@gmail.com • David Rogers- davidr@remax-waynesville.com • Judy Meyers - jameyers@charter.net

Smoky Mountain Retreat Realty • Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com • Sherell Johnson - Sherellwj@aol.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE

828.452.4251 ads@smokymountainnews.com WNC MarketPlace

SUPER

CROSSWORD

MUDDLED FEELINGS ACROSS 1 Outlook 7 Opponents 13 Rolling Stones frontman's family 20 Despise 21 Funny in a twisted way 22 Shrinking salt lake in Asia 23 "Does this medication act as a sedative at all?"? 25 French painter Henri 26 Pops 27 Dark warrior Kylo of sci-fi 28 Magical elixir that turns people into mouselike rodents? 30 Sun or moon 32 People using paste 35 -- Moines 36 26th letters, to Brits 37 The singer of "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' " was nosy? 41 Caustic liquid 44 Mogul 45 Football field 47 Loss of the sense of smell 52 Out of kilter 53 Upkeep of a kitchen stove? 57 Peter of Herman's Hermits 59 Freeman of "Angel Face" 60 "... roughly" 61 Landscaping tool used by a large company? 68 Culinary mushroom 69 Not ingested 70 Coll. in Lower Manhattan 71 First letter 73 Follies show 74 Question to someone who rudely interrupts a chat? 78 Ruckuses

79 Teeny power source 81 Nation in "The Hunger Games" 82 Captured during a revolt? 87 Frosting tools 92 Bit of conjunctivitis medicine 93 Ballesteros of golf 94 Pages transmitted by PCs 95 Gave the heave-ho to 97 Cost to buy an airline ticket? 101 FBI workers: Abbr. 105 Cooke of soul 107 Actor Chuck 108 Small child 109 Arsons? 113 Some refinery input 114 Bummed 116 Emilio of Hollywood 117 Apt things to feel when solving this puzzle? 123 Really dumb 124 6-Down plus one 125 State tree of New Jersey 126 -- Pilate (biblical official) 127 Most tender 128 Wisenheimer DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

-- Baba "Mayday!" Avenged Kett of comics Neighbor of Sudan What X may mean Creep higher, as shorts Wrinkle remover "I do," e.g. Sothern of "Kid Millions" Actor Schreiber Young cod

13 "Misery" star 14 Give -- (care) 15 Cat, to Juan 16 Ostentatious showiness 17 "Charlotte's Web" actress Davis 18 Turf anew 19 Camille Saint- -24 Annual: Abbr. 29 Meadow 30 Eight: Prefix 31 "Wide Sargasso Sea" novelist Jean 32 With 118-Down, child of a boomer 33 Emma Peel player Diana 34 Withered 38 Jane in court 39 Something hit by a basso 40 Lightly lit 42 Swenson of "Benson" 43 John in court 46 Title for 33-Down 48 Not rough 49 -- Melodies (old toons) 50 Pant-leg line 51 Coral rings 53 Bicolor horse 54 Busy insect 55 Once named 56 Fish-fowl link 58 Some refinery input 61 Run, as an art exhibition 62 In the future 63 Rescind 64 Waited a bit 65 Ltr. holder 66 Henna or anil 67 Chap 68 Orange Bowl loc. 71 Motels 72 San Francisco's -- Valley

74 Astros, on scoreboards 75 Rock blasters 76 Unseal, in poetry 77 Old Egypt-Syr. alliance 79 "Life is like -- of chocolates" 80 They're large in large-print materials 83 Pro-gun org. 84 Sports arbiter 85 Tennis' Lendl 86 Blood fluid: Prefix 88 Coral islet 89 Way out of a building 90 Nevada city on I-80 91 USAF NCO 94 Bad grades 96 Flow barrier 98 Wears away 99 Set straight 100 Movie 101 Tons 102 Painter's undercoat 103 Tarte -- (apple treat) 104 Artery insert 106 Some viral trends 110 Roman 107 111 Brand of lens solution 112 Farm tower 114 Banana part 115 Verdi opera 118 See 32-Down 119 Eden evictee 120 Hosp. areas 121 Cable TV's -- Geo Wild 122 Cloud's place

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

Documents submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position. GUEST SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Highlands Inn - Work in the heart of downtown @ 420 Main Street, Highlands. Now hiring Guest service representatives for all shifts, all days. Part time or Fulltime. :H DUH ÀH[LEOH (PDLO Resume to : sales@ highlandsinnlodge.FRP VWRS E\ IRU DQ application or give us a call at 828-5265899. (828) 526-5899 sales@highlandsinnlodge.com COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain SURJUDPV IRU TXDOL¿HG applicants. Call CTI for details! 1-855-554-4616 The Mission, Program Information and Tuition is

located at CareerTechnical.edu/consumer-information. HIRING EVENT!! Southern Hospitality & More Hiring Event. You’re invited to participate in our Southern Hospitality & More Hiring Event at NCWorks Career Center on Friday, April 29 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm held in our parking lot. The focus of this event ZLOO EH IRU VHDVRQDO and summer employPHQW EXW ORQJ WHUP opportunities with employers will also EH DYDLODEOH :H ZDQW to provide an opporWXQLW\ IRU MRE VHHNHUV to speak with local HPSOR\HUV DERXW WKHLU employment opportunities. Employers should contact the Career Center to participate. NCWORKS CAREER CENTER 1170 N. MAIN STREET WAYNESVILLE, NC 28786 828.456.6061 ncws.9200@nccommerce.com

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

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April 27-May 3, 2022

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Pay Nothing! Strong, recent work history needed. 877-553-0252 [SteppachHU /DZ 2I¿FHV //& 3ULQFLSDO 2I¿FH $GDPV Ave Scranton PA 18503]

Pets GRAY&WHITE CAT, $6+ \U ROG DGRUDEOH girl; friendly, playful. FeLV+; must live indoors; only cat or with other FeLV cats. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org PITBULL TERRIER MIX, BROWN&WHITE, ED 2 year old, handVRPH ER\ ZKR LV happy, active, and friendly and loves to play. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org

Real Estate Announcements WHITE-GLOVE SERVICE From America’s Top Movers. Fully insured and bonded. Let us take the stress out of your out of state move. FREE QUOTES! Call: 855-8212782 PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on

race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

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Smoky Mountain News April 27-May 3, 2022

Smoky Mountain News | April 27, 2022

Articles inside

Swain commissioners oppose Smokies parking fee

UNC adopts new funding model

Sylva starts social district test period

The race for the Jackson commission begins

Family relationships are the ties that bind

Social media rumors fuel false child trafficking concerns