Smoky Mountain News | April 29, 2020

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Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information

April 29-May 5, 2020 Vol. 21 Iss. 48

Front-line workers get tested for COVID-19 Page 11 Public land managers discuss closure decisions Page 22

CONTENTS On the Cover: The Smoky Mountain News checked in with many of the people working in the front-line sectors to see what it’s been like to provide critical services during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Western North Carolina. (Page 4) Chris Owenby, co-manager of Sav-Mor Foods in Canton. Cory Vaillancourt photo

News Guardian Ad Litem program continues child advocacy ..........................................6 Open Door secures grant to house homeless ..........................................................8 BearWaters joins distillery in sanitizer production ....................................................9 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Swain, Graham ......................................................10 Front-line workers in Haywood get tested for COVID-19 ..................................11 Maggie Valley board developing plan to reopen ....................................................12 Haywood precincts could consolidate for June primary ......................................13 Dillsboro, Sylva at odds over bridge replacement plan ........................................15

Opinion Caring for our own is what matters ............................................................................16

A&E Haywood theater finds footing amid pandemic ......................................................18

Outdoors Public land managers discuss closure decisions ..................................................22

Back Then

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2020

Stone walls symbolize a delicate balance ..................................................................31

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Childcare facilities continue to serve front-line families

BY HANNAH MCLEOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER s executive orders began piling up throughout March to close schools, restaurants, hotels and all other nonessential businesses, childcare facilities remained open. The essential nature of the business meant that even though it is a place where adults and children gather together in close quarters, it would have to adapt to continue its services.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services required all childcare facilities to complete an Emergency Child Care Provider Application

by March 31 in order to continue operations after that date. Any providers that did not complete the application by the deadline could turn in the application at a later time and resume services two days after submission. The application included, among other things, a testament that the provider could follow health, safety and operational guidelines North Carolina DHHS had outlined.

It was not required that childcare facilities close or remain open. Rather, each business had to assess their own abilities as well as the needs of their clients to determine whether they would remain in operation during the shutdown. Several childcare centers decided to remain open in order to serve the community during this crisis.

“We felt that we needed to continue to provide a service for our students so parents could continue to work. Many of our parents have no other childcare options,” said Belinda Marr, director of Long’s Chapel Child Enrichment Center.

Michelle Harris, director of communications at Haywood Community College, said the college also decided it needed to remain open during the pandemic.

“We [HCC Child Care Center] understand the importance of serving our community with this service, especially those serving on the frontline,” she said.

“I had many families who continued to reach out with their concerns of not being able to find suitable care to allow them to work. Once I saw that we could open safely and with enough staff, that is what we did,” said Mary Moody, director of Kid Connection Child Development Center.

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According to DHHS guidelines, each morning staff should take the temperatures of students and staff members, parents should drop children off at the door or from a car when they can be accompanied by staff, teachers should do health checks throughout each day and the frequency of cleaning and handwashing should be increased. Social distancing is more difficult, though enforced strictly during activities like meal and nap time.

“Social distancing is almost impossible with young children. We encourage activities that allow the children to work and play in as small of groups as possible. Even then, they do not fully understand why social distancing is necessary,” Moody said.

With many people out of work, or work-

“We felt that we needed to continue to provide a service for our students so parents could continue to work. Many of our parents have no other childcare options.”

— Belinda Marr, director of Long’s Chapel Child Enrichment Center

ing from home, attendance has shifted at these childcare facilities. According to North Carolina Executive Order 121, childcare facilities “may only serve currently enrolled children if their parents/caregivers are considered essential workers, or if the child is receiving child welfare services, is homeless, or in unstable or unsafe living arrangements.” However, the order made clear that it is not the responsibility of childcare staff to determine whether a parent/caregiver is an essential worker. It is the responsibility of the family to self-identify as such.

At Long’s Chapel, Marr said the center has about half the attendance it had preCoronavirus Pandemic. All attending students are children of essential workers.

Additionally, Long’s Chapel has decided to take on children of essential workers in their

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The staff at Kid Connection Child Development Center in Canton are still working to provide much needed child care for front-line workers. Donated photo open spots and has enrolled six new children to date.

At Kid Connection in Canton, attendance has dropped to a third of pre-pandemic numbers. HCC Child Care Center has seen a similar drop in numbers. Most of the remaining students at both centers are the children of frontline workers.

North Carolina has also laid out a plan to give families emergency childcare subsidy.

This means that childcare facilities will be reimbursed by the state for any families in its care that receive the subsidy. However, the facilities will not be reimbursed until May 15 for April services and June 12 for May services. So, while these subsidies are a huge relief to many families that need emergency childcare right now, they have been a strain on the centers themselves. At a time when childcare facilities need to keep a full staff in order to have a greater staff to child ratio, they are being forced to operate on a reduced budget until they are reimbursed by the state.

“It would have helped if the state would

have considered the tight budget that childcare centers already operate on and it would have helped if they would have fronted us some of the money that we are expected to pay out of pocket with a drastically reduced revenue,” said Moody.

Staff members at these childcare centers report pride in the work they are doing to serve their community during this crisis.

Despite the stress and nervousness so many people are feeling right now, “the staff is thankful that we are open and providing much-needed service for our families,” said Marr.

As for the children they serve, staff agree that they are incredibly resilient. Changes to routine can be hard for children. Several directors said they are trying to keep the schedules as normal as possible. At HCC Child Care Center staff said, “we still incorporate outside activities like we did prior to this situation to maintain our schedule and enjoy the many benefits of fresh air and playing creatively outside.”

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• Peel and cut avocado into cubes or slices and add to a salad or to scrambled eggs.

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• Top a soup with cubes of avocado.

April 29-May 5, 2020

BY J ESSI STONE ple have become nicer and this pandemic has N EWS E DITOR taught them how to treat ‘low end’ workers,” eople stocking shelves and working he said. behind a register never thought they’d Chris Owenby, co-manager at Sav-Mor find themselves on the frontlines of a Foods in Canton, said the store has also global pandemic to ensure the public can received much more praise and appreciacontinue to access food and other essentials. tion from customers than complaints Two months ago, most people working at thanks to a strong team of employees. So grocery and convenience stores were just try- far, he said his 20 full-time employees are ing to earn a paycheck, but now they are con- healthy and keeping a good attitude despite sidered essential and are putting their lives the challenges. on the line every day while most of the com“We’ve all coped with it very well. We’ve munity is practicing social distancing. Many got some wonderful employees here and they of these workers are teenagers, single moms just roll with the punches and are doing their and retirees. Some of them have compro- part to take care of customers,” he said. mised immune systems or other health conOwenby said there are still some items in ditions that make them particularly vulnera- short supply and high demand — cleaning ble to complications if they did contract the supplies, toilet paper and paper towels. Savvirus. But, at the end of the day, despite the risks, many of them are just happy to still have a secure job and a steady paycheck during these uncertain times.

One of those lucky people is Isaiah Haney, a 19-year-old Waynesville resident who is the assistant manager at the Shell station on Russ Avenue. While his job has been more stressful since the pandemic, he says being considered an essential worker isn’t something that has crossed his mind.

“It really doesn’t bother me. I mean, I do have the worry of bringing something home to my family or giving something to myself, which I have an immune system problem,” he said.

“However, I’m more than happy to be working. I’m thankful and blessed to have a job during this Isaiah Haney, assistant manager at the Shell gas station pandemic.” on Russ Avenue. Donated photo Even though he was given the option to not work during the stay home order from Gov. Roy Cooper and Mor might be the best kept secret for many collect unemployment, Haney chose to con- in Canton when it comes to finding toilet tinue to stay on the job and is working 50-55 paper, which many stores have been sold out hours a week instead of his normal 40-hour of for weeks. work week. For him, the important thing is he “We are starting to get a few items back in feels safe and he still has a job. The number of like paper towels and toilet paper — we still customers allowed in the store at one time is get toilet paper about three times a week, but limited, he wears a mask and gloves and has it’s gone pretty quick,” he said. protective glass separating him from the cusTo make life easier on everyone, grocery tomers on the other side of the counter. shoppers should remember to adhere to one“Well, I would say the whole pandemic way traffic on the aisles and maintain six feet has made my job more stressful. With the from other customers and employees on the extra work I have to do just to keep the cus- aisles and when waiting in line at the register. tomers safe is a lot from cleaning the door It might be frustrating if the store is out of handles, counters, bathrooms, drink your favorite ice cream flavor, but remember machines, and the protection glass, which is to be courteous, knowing everyone is doing no issue but I’d say it’s impacted my job by their best right now with what they have. being more busy than usual.”

“Stress isn’t the word I would pick, but As for dealing with the public when every- you know, everybody keeps saying it’s not the one seems to be stressed out and frustrated norm. I think nobody’s seen this in their lifeby the entire situation, Haney said he’s found time, so I’m sure a lot of people don’t know most people to be kind and understanding. how to feel about it,” Owenby said.

“It’s about the same. I feel like most peoCory Vaillancourt contributed to this report.

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Pandemic changes little for local law enforcement

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER hile the Coronavirus Pandemic has affected the way many people perform their jobs, for the nation’s consummate front-line workers — sworn law enforcement officers — not much has changed at all.

“Not a whole lot,” said Waynesville Police Chief David Adams. “Not a whole lot, other than possibly catching the virus.”

The job of maintaining law and order involves by necessity plenty of contact with the general public, and plenty of risks. The Coronavirus Pandemic is neither the first nor the last communicable illness first responders have had to contend with, but it is among the most dangerous.

Sometimes officers come into close physical contact with suspects and witnesses, and occasionally they have to subdue violent criminals — not exactly in line with social distancing protocols. Adams said his department has fared well, thus far, from a personal health perspective.

As of April 23, no one from the Waynesville Police Department has turned up sick or even been tested for COVID-19.

Waynesville’s law enforcement personnel have been monitoring themselves for symptoms, and those feeling under the weather have stayed home as much as possible.

“It hasn’t caused any issues with overtime,” said Adams, who was hired this past January.

Adams doesn’t think there will be any budget issues from his department in the current budget year, which ends June 30, but a general downturn in sales tax, property tax payment rates and general business activity could affect funding during the next budget year.

Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher reported similar circumstances in his department — overall health is good, and budgeting appears in line with what’s been projected. Christopher does, however, have one concern.

“When I first became sheriff back in 2013, coming out of the Great Recession, our civil division was extremely busy with foreclosures and evictions,” he said. “As the economy then improved, we saw that fall off dramatically.

But I am concerned about the economy going forward.”

Bolstering Christopher’s assessment of the situation are numbers from the county showing that overall, crime is flat or down in many different categories.

In March 2019, Haywood County’s 911 center received 10,761 calls. In March of this year, that number decreased slightly to 10,296.

The number of dispatched calls was also down from 2,835 in March 2019 to 2,410 in March 2020. Calls for emergency medical services were down slightly, from 988 in March 2019 to 962 in March 2020.

Fire departments have stopped responding to some of the calls they’d normally take — usually, to back up law enforcement — so that number’s dropped from 849 in March 2019 to 652 in March 2020.

Similar trends are apparent in the types of crimes officers are responding to as well.

Christopher said that after analyzing a period consisting of February, March and April through the 24th day of the month, there were 79 calls for breaking and entering this year, compared to 76 last year.

Larceny calls were up slightly to 104 this year, after 100 during the same period last year.

Trespassing calls saw almost no change — 60 this year versus 61 last year.

Civil disturbances were down slightly as well, from 154 during the February, March and April period last year to 145 this year.

The one outlier, according to Christopher, is domestic disturbances; conventional wisdom and social media speculation suggests that domestic disturbances should have gone through the roof during this period of enforced social distancing, with more people being stuck at home with relatives or close acquaintances. But that’s not the case.

In fact, the number this year compared

Guardian ad Litem program continues child advocacy

fault of their own — usually because they’ve been abused or neglected in some way.

“When they are in the system, the parents have an attorney, DSS is working with Haywood County Health and Human Services on a case plan. They are the voice of the child and the advocate for the child in court,” said Maria Parrish, Guardian ad Litem program supervisor for the 30th Judicial District. “They do an independent investigation and they are there to determine the needs for the child and make sure they thrive through the process.”

On March 13, North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Shari Beasley ordered “all superior court and district court proceedings be scheduled or rescheduled” through June 1 unless the proceedings can be conducted remotely and safely, are necessary to preserve due process, or are an emergency — like civil commitment orders, domestic vio-

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2020

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ne thing that most front-line workers have in common right now is that they’re serving some of the community’s most vulnerable members, and in most communities, there are few members more vulnerable than mistreated children.

North Carolina’s Guardian ad Litem program is charged with serving them; a Guardian ad Litem is a volunteer who’s appointed by a judge to advocate for abused and neglected 6 children that are in the court system by no

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Greg Christopher

David Adams

to last year has declined somewhat, from 264 to 241.

One completely new crime — violation of state and local “stay home” orders — has emerged from the pandemic, but Waynesville’s Chief Adams said they’ve probably made less than 20 arrests, and only in conjunction with other crimes.

“We had a rash of breaking and enterings a week or so ago, and the detectives solved pretty much all of those and arrested some suspects,” Adams said, adding that there were also some shoplifting arrests.

Suspects charged with those crimes were also slapped with stay-home violations, a misdemeanor that can result in 60 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

“Stealing is not an essential activity,” Adams said. “Unless you’re really in need of food I don’t think there’s officer here who would arrest someone who was truly in need of food or something, but we seem to have a good handle on the food situation with the food bank and I know that state benefits are still flowing, so it seems to be going pretty smoothly here.”

All in all, Adams said, Western North Carolina’s law enforcement community seems to be faring about as well as it has been in previous years, all things considered.

“We appreciate the public support and the business owners. We’ve had a lot of people call in to convey their best wishes and express that they enjoy working with us. They appreciate the extra work we’re doing,” he said. “Our officers are risking their safety too, and they appreciate that, and we appreciate the public support on that.”

One of the biggest ways the public can support local law enforcement and first responders is to heed the advice of Adams, who said he’s not seen anything quite like this pandemic in his 24 years of law enforcement.

“Basically, if you don’t need to be out, try to stay home as much as possible,” he said.

“Try to prevent the virus from spreading. Of course you’ve got to go to the grocery store and do your essential shopping and you can get out and exercise and things like that, but stay at home as much as possible until this is over and keep being a good neighbor — look out for your neighbor’s house, or business.”

“The difference that these volunteers make in the lives of these children is amazing.”

— Maria Parrish, Guardian ad Litem program supervisor

lence protection orders, temporary restraining orders or juvenile custody orders.

That means volunteers in the GAL program are still working to conduct interviews and investigations, ensuring the children in their care are still performing well in school and have all emotional and physical needs satisfied.

“They make sure that the child through this process is doing as well as they possibly can, and they make sure that their voice is

heard in court as well if the child is old enough that they have the chance to be in court,” Parrish said. “Otherwise, they write court reports for every court date. That is something that is presented as an exhibit in court and the judge gets to hear what the child has to say about it and what their wishes are.”

Right now, there are approximately 130 Haywood County children in the GAL system, but more than 18,000 across the state. Parrish counts about 30 volunteers in Haywood, compared to about 5,500 across the state.

“The difference that these volunteers make in the lives of these children is amazing,” Parrish said. “We know that a child with a GAL versus a child in the system without it achieves permanency 25 percent faster, so it’s an amazing job that our volunteers do.”

To volunteer as a Guardian ad Litem, visit www.volunteerforgal.org.

Health care workers hold the front lines against COVID-19

A NEW NORMAL

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Of course, the question on everyone’s mind is when will this end, and how can we do it as safely as possible.

“It’s scary because we don’t have immunity,” said Seago. “None of us do, so things could change in just a matter of a few days or a week.”

The country can’t stay shut down forever, said Gordon, but there won’t be a silver bullet to a safe reopening.

“The last thing I think we want is to have a second wave of this sweeping over our state and the country,” she said. “I think a slow, strategic plan while still adhering to the social distancing and still adhering to those strict hand washing rules and still utilizing masks in public is going to be prudent.”

For Guiney, testing is the key. To reopen safely, he said we need to know who is sick and then isolate those people so they don’t

“It’s scary because we don’t have immunity.

None of us do, so things could change in just a matter of a few days or a week.”

— Dr. Judy Seago

infect others. In the meantime, wearing masks in public will have to be the new normal until a vaccine can be developed and distributed — and that could take years.

All these shutdowns have hit individual lives and the economy as a whole with dynamite force. As a doctor, Guiney’s convinced that it’s been the right thing to do. But as a member of the Sylva Board of Commissioners, he’s also acutely aware of the toll this is taking on the town he loves.

“I’m in this interesting position, where thank you everybody for doing your thing and closing the town down and keeping the ER not overwhelmed. On the other side, as a town board member I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, the town is freefalling.’ All the businesses and the workers and everybody is suffering so much,” he said. “It’s hard.”

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Smoky Mountain News

Dr. Ben Guiney prepares for a shift in the emergency room at Harris Regional Hospital. f Donated photo e n t BY HOLLY KAYS “You go to work and volumes are down, s STAFF WRITER and you just don’t know what’s going to hapk ike nearly everyone else in the country, pen now,” he said. “So, it doesn’t have that Dr. Ben Guiney experienced a rush of feeling of ‘something’s coming.’ It has that dread as news of the novel coronavirus’ feeling of not being sure what’s going on at spread hit the headlines, but Guiney had this point in time.” more reason than most to worry.

Things have been slow at the Harris In addition to being a husband and father emergency room, and at emergency rooms of a young child, he’s an emergency room across the country in areas not experiencdoctor at Harris Regional Hospital. If the ing coronavirus flare-ups, said Guiney, virus were to flare up in Jackson County, he’d speaking based on his own experience stand a good chance of being exposed and of rather than a representative of the hospital potentially bringing the disease home to his as a whole. It’s hard to say exactly why family. In those early days, he and his wife that’s the case, though the fact that kids talked about having him live in their camper aren’t at school passing germs around likely until it was all over, but they decided against has a lot to do with it. People aren’t out and it. Instead, they settled for a new routine that about as much, getting in accidents or exacerbating chronic conditions, and it’s likely - involves stripping down upon entering the house, throwing the clothes in the laundry that the people who don’t really need an and immediately going for a shower. emergency room but might make a just-tobe-sure visit under normal circumstances are staying home.

ALM BEFORE THE STORM “I want people to understand it’s not that it’s not coming here,” said Guiney. “It’s that Guiney described that time as carrying we are keeping it from coming here by everyan ominous, “before the storm” type of feelthing we’re doing. The volumes are down in ing. But as weeks went by with only a smatthe ER because people are staying home.” tering of cases, the sentiment shifted.

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April 29-May 5, 2020

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On the professional side, though, Gordon said she has nothing but pride for the hospital and its staff. While she said she wants to make it “very clear” that Harris’ employees were heroes prior to COVID-19, “today our heroes are very easily identified because they’re literally wearing masks and capes.”

Things are certainly different around the hospital due to COVIDrelated precautions.

LaCrystal Gordon Harris has limited facility access points and pre-screens visitors for coronavirus symptoms before allowing them to enter. There are additional hygiene stations throughout the facility, limits on visitation, and postponement of elective and outpatient procedures. And, of course, there are the ever-present masks and gowns. The hospital is well-stocked on personal protective equipment and doesn’t anticipate experiencing the shortages reported in other areas of the country, Gordon said.

Over at Blue Ridge Community Health in Sylva, things are starting to settle down to a new normal, said pediatrician Dr. Judy Seago, a far cry from the constant shifting and uncertainty of the early weeks of the pandemic.

“The first week or two of the lockdown or such we had huddles at the end of the day, every day,” she said. “Constant emails from administration, and lots of times things have all changed from the morning to the afternoon as to how we were supposed to handle things, so that was a little crazy, but everyone seemed to roll along with it.”

Like Guiney, Seago said that things have been less busy than usual in the past month or so. That’s partially due to the school closures, where most of Seago’s patients acquire their germs, but also due to widespread cancellation of well visits.

“It is slowly kind of picking up a little more,” she said. “I don’t know if that comes with people getting more comfortable with the whole thing. We have some people coming in for well visits who had cancelled them the first week or two.”

Like Harris, Blue Ridge has made some

adjustments to its operations in the wake of the pandemic. All sick patients are now received outdoors, a change that has Seago glad this is all happening in March and April rather than January and February. Staff are also now required to wear masks at all times, though they have had to reuse them, going with recommendations to let masks rest for three days before reusing them.

Seago, who is 60, said that while she doesn’t plan to stop doing her job, she is aware that she’s now slipping into that atrisk age bracket.

“That part is worrisome, but I don’t know — it’s just like, well, we’ll continue to go to work and do the things we always do and try to take precautions to lessen exposure,” she said.

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Behind the mask

The future continues to be a question mark, because everybody can’t continue staying home indefinitely. What will happen as things start opening back up and out-ofstate visitors return to the mountains?

LaCrystal Gordon, chief nursing officer at Harris, has also seen the crisis make its mark on her personal life. She’s used to traveling every two weeks for a visit with her father, but because his age and medical history make him vulnerable to COVID-19, they’ve had to pause the in-person visits.

“My dad and I are very close, and not being able to see him and get one of those dad hugs from him has been difficult,” she said. “That’s not a unique situation. There are so many folks across the country that are dealing with the same sort of situation, but for me personally that’s been a tough one.”

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a guarantee and is never quick to come.

Still, that didn’t stop the county from spending $100,000 earlier this month on COVID-related overtime and equipment that Finance Director Julie Davis said was essentially a gamble in terms of getting reimbursed.

While the county does have protocols in place to transport, feed and house the unsheltered who test positive for the virus or are suspected of having the virus, the rest of the county’s homeless population has been left to fend for itself Unsheltered individuals who cannot obey the “stay home” order are still congregating in Frog Level. Cory Vaillancourt photo after the county pulled the plug on a plan in progress to pay for the unsheltered to stay at any number of area hotels currently vacant due to Cooper’s ban on non-essential travel.

“They were initially involved in putting together a shelter for the homeless during Long’s Chapel Methodist Church, and has this COVID-19 crisis, and last Tuesday I was long been a provider of services to those living in poverty or living on the streets, includ- made aware that the county was no longer gonna take part in that,” Guy said. “I was liting meals, groceries and emergency lodging, erally in the middle of writing a grant to the among other things.

Haywood County’s unsheltered popula- Community Foundation of Western North tion poses a greater risk of contracting and Carolina that day.”

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT Guy said he switched up the grant protransmitting the coronavirus due to STAFF WRITER posal, which was approved the next day. A unsanitary living conditions, difficulty in coalition of local nonprofits will pay to few days later, a check for $10,000 arrived maintaining social distancing and the house some of Haywood County’s impossibility of obeying Gov. Roy Cooper’s and Guy immediately put it to work. unsheltered population amidst the “We’re using that to pay for rooms at the “stay home” order, but last week the counCoronavirus Pandemic after Haywood Scottish Inn in Maggie Valley,” said Guy. “All ty told The Smoky Mountain News that it County government announced it wouldn’t their other needs are being met by the Open would not pursue reimbursements from pursue federal funding — essentially, free Door, Pathways, First United Methodist the Federal Emergency Management money — to do so.

Church and the Harm Reduction Coalition Agency to shelter them, leaving the gener“I think for Long’s Chapel and the Open has partnered with us as well. It’s really been al public at risk.

Door, it’s just been an amazing opportunity to a grassroots effort since last week to get this In this case, FEMA doesn’t provide step up and fill a void that’s kind of existed in thing up and going.” this community,” said Bill Guy, executive direc- advance funds for such endeavors — the The rooms go for around $65 a night, county would have to expend funds on its own tor of the Open Door since last November. in hopes of reimbursement, which isn’t always not including taxes. The coalition started off Waynesville’s Open Door is a ministry of

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April 29-May 5, 2020

In harm’s way Homeless pose risks to general public, each other

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A national point-in-time count last January estimated at least 95 people living under bridges, in tent camps or squirreled away somewhere in the woods.

Given the county’s estimate of $120 a night to house an unsheltered individual, it would cost more than $390,000 each month to put them where the rest of the population is — with a roof over their heads, minimizing contact with each other and with the general public.

“When you look at the overall humanity of it, obviously regardless, you want people to have shelter,” he said.

To make a tax-deductible donation that will help the Open Door provide temporary non-congregate housing for the unsheltered, send a check to 32 Commerce Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 or visit www.longschapel.com/give.

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by sending eight people — none of whom have the virus — to the hotel based on projections that they could afford to continue sheltering them for almost a month. Since then, Guy said he’s received several donations that helped increase that number to 11 people.

“From a health standpoint,” Guy said, “obviously you want to minimize their risk of becoming infected because once [coronavirus] would get into the homeless population, it would be extremely challenging.”

Those 11 people are but a small portion of Haywood’s unsheltered population; a national point-in-time count spearheaded by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development last January estimated at least 95 people living under bridges, in tent camps or squirreled away somewhere in the woods.

Guy thinks the number is higher. He’s been keeping detailed records of those who utilize the Open Door’s services since the pandemic began in earnest more than a month ago and puts the number at 120 — and growing.

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Sanitizer available to the public in Maggie, Canton Elevated Mountain Distilling Company and BearWaters Brewing are now offering retail sales of their co-branded hand sanitizer in a variety of sizes to the general public.

Curbside pickup is available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and preorders are strongly encouraged. Beverage alcohol including BearWaters beers and Elevated Mountain spirits are also available at their respective locations.

BearWaters Brewing’s Kevin Sandefur (left to right) and Art O’Neil have partnered with Elevated Mountain’s Dave and Sue Angel to produce sanitizer. Cory Vaillancourt photo

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Maggie Valley’s Elevated Mountain Distilling Company, quickly announced they’d pivot their business model from production of an award-winning line of spirits to a far more precious commodity — hand sanitizer.

With some help from the Haywood Advancement Foundation and a large order

by Haywood County government, Elevated Mountain was off and running, but quickly learned that they couldn’t make near enough sanitizer to satisfy market demand.

“The demand is so much higher that we thought it would be two weeks ago,” said Dave Angel. “Between my cell phone and my office phone I get between 150 and 200 calls a day right now.”

The Angels’ distillery has been cranking out roughly 1,000 to 2,000 gallons a week.

BearWaters has the appropriate equipment to blend the ingredients used in making sanitizer but didn’t have access to the most important one — ethanol, which can’t be purchased by anyone without a distiller’s license.

Using Elevated Mountain’s license, BearWaters began acquiring ethanol and made their first run of co-branded sanitizer

In the long history of American tavern culture, there are few more vaunted or sacred phrases than, “I’ll get the next round.”

It’s a gesture of camaraderie and companionship shared amongst everyone from close friends to complete strangers that inspires reciprocation and by doing so leaves all richer in spirit, and in spirits.

Just because the state’s breweries and distilleries are temporarily unable to provide that environment of American tavern culture doesn’t mean you can’t still buy your close friends or complete strangers a round (of sanitizer). Haywood County surgeon Dr. Bill Miller and his wife Maureen bought the first round (of sanitizer), and you’re up next.

The Millers first approached Dave Angel, who with his wife Sue

last Saturday. Major clients already include Webb Chemical and Western Carolina University. Retail service is also available at both BearWaters and Elevated Mountain.

“Most of our orders are coming from people in Haywood County, Jackson County, Swain County, Cherokee, Asheville,” Sue Angel said. “We’re trying to stay local, to help our local people first.”

Angel and Sandefur said that now that they’re in the sanitizer business, both businesses have been able to bring 50 percent of their full-time workforces back to full-time employment.

owns Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley.

Elevated Mountain recently partnered with BearWaters to produce hand sanitizer, and the Millers wanted to know if they could pay for the raw materials to produce a batch that would be given away.

“Our first reaction was, ‘Yes, of course,’” said Art O’Neil, co-owner of BearWaters. “Upon further conversation it was, ‘Let’s have this first batch go to those who really can’t get the product,’ so we decided to reach out to battered women’s shelters, homeless shelters — even animal shelters, so we could get product in their hands.”

O’Neil said that buying a round (of sanitizer) was a good way to show support for at-risk or front-line institutions and organizations like nursing homes or first responders.

If you’d like to send your close friends or complete strangers a coronavirus-era gesture of camaraderie and companionship, contact BearWaters Brewing or Elevated Mountain Distilling and tell them, “I’ll get the next round (of sanitizer).”

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Buy your friends a round (of sanitizer)

TO PICK UP PRE-ORDERED SANITIZER OR BEVERAGES • BearWaters: 101 Park Street, Canton, NC 28716 • Elevated Mountain: 3732 Soco Road, Maggie Valley, NC 28751

176 COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE

April 29-May 5, 2020

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ast weekend may have been a little bitter for BearWaters Brewing’s owners Art O’Neil and Kevin Sandefur, but it was also a little sweet.

Instead of pouring their award-winning beers during the grand opening of BearWaters’ new location at the west end of Maggie Valley, Sandefur and O’Neil sat in their darkened Canton brewery, surrounded by dozens and dozens of plastic bottles filled with hand sanitizer.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Sandefur said.

BearWaters, Elevated Mountain and every other bar, restaurant, brewery and distillery in North Carolina were thrown for a loop on March 17 when Gov. Roy Cooper ordered an end to sit-down service due to the then-emerging Coronavirus Pandemic.

Around that same time, restrictions on the production of ethanol-based liquid hand sanitizer were lifted, and the World Health Organization published a recipe in hopes of ameliorating shortages.

Dave and Sue Angel, proprietors of

TO PRE-ORDER SANITIZER OR BEVERAGES FOR PICKUP • BearWaters: 828.237.4200 or www.bearwatersbrewing.com • Elevated Mountain: 828.944.0825 or www.elevatedmountain.com • Shared email account: get.handsanitizer@gmail.com

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BearWaters joins Elevated Mountain in sanitizer production

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COVID-19 cases confirmed in Swain, Graham Cases rise in Jackson

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Principal Chief Richard Sneed receives a test for COVID-19 on April 15. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians encourages those with and without symptoms to get tested.

The number of coronavirus cases among Jackson County residents has jumped to 15, up from five April 24.

The 15 cases include 13 full-time residents and two part-time residents.

An additional nine people who do not reside in Jackson County tested positive at a healthcare provider located in Jackson County. At least three positive cases of COVID-19 in Jackson County have been subcontractors working on the Apodaca Science Building construction project at Western Carolina University’s campus, though none of these are county residents.

Jackson County confirmed community transmission of COVID-19 on April 13, when two county residents tested positive with no clear indication as to how they’d contracted the disease.

Statewide, there are 9,568 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 342 deaths. That count includes one death in Cherokee County, one in Macon, four in Buncombe and 16 in Henderson County.

Cherokee Indian Hospital photo

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April 29-May 5, 2020 Smoky Mountain News

gathering and would like to be tested should call 828.497.3743.

All four positive cases are now isolated at their homes, and PHHS is working with other health and emergency officials to identify close contacts.

Unlike other jurisdictions, the EBCI is testing community members for COVID-19 regardless of whether they are displaying symptoms. The tribe is asking that one person per household receive the test, offered in a drive-thru format.

Drive-thru testing began on Thursday, April 2. It’s open to all enrolled members, residents of tribal land and essential employees who have access to the Qualla Boundary.

Outsiders’ access to tribal land is restricted during the pandemic.

This type of testing has yielded results, with the majority of the 10 people who test-

ed positive or presumptive positive not displaying symptoms at the time of testing.

Between March 1 and April 26, the tribe tested 957 people for COVID-19. That number has increased sharply over the last two weeks — as of April 13, only 238 people had been tested.

Of the 957, six tested positive and four are considered presumptive positives because, while lab data was inconclusive the health provider’s assessment led them to treat the patient as a positive. Negative results came back for 863 of those tested, and 83 await results.

Those planning to come get tested are encouraged to call 828.497.3743 for prescreening. Testing will be held at Unto These Hills in Cherokee from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 29; and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday, May 1.

Donations made from Riley Howell Foundation Fund

fields that help those victims and their loved ones, now and into the future.

This round of donation recipients includes: • Outward Bound — $5,000 for a scholarship as part of the Outward Bound for Grieving Teens program to be awarded in Riley’s name • All Souls Counseling Center — $4,000 to provide traumatic grief counseling to those in need in Asheville • UNC Charlotte Foundation — $3,000 to fund the Ellis Reed Parlier Scholarship Fund; Reed was also killed in the same April 30, 2019 shooting that took Riley • Gun Violence Survivors Foundation —

$3,000 toward the organization’s Emergency Fund for gun violence survivors “Riley’s courageous, kind-hearted, and curious spirit lives through all of us today,” said Natalie Henry-Howell, Riley’s mother and founder of the Riley Howell Foundation Fund.

“This past year, we have focused foundation efforts on partnering with organizations that reflect Riley’s nature of taking care of others.

These organizations give back to the community and are wonderful examples of the kinds of compassionate efforts we want to champion with our fund. We’re proud to provide them means to continue their great work.”

To make a donation, visit www.rileyhowellfoundation.org.

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ontinued testing by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has resulted in confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Swain and Graham counties, the tribe’s Public Health and Human Services Department announced this weekend. These results mark the first positive cases in either county.

On Saturday, April 25, the PHHS and the Cherokee Indian Hospital received notice that three Swain County residents had tested positive. The following day, April 26, the tribe learned that another person, this time a Graham County resident, had tested positive for the disease.

The Graham County resident attended a late afternoon gathering on Saturday, April 25, at the East Buffalo Community of Robbinsville. Anyone who attended the

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One year after the loss of Riley Howell, the organization created to honor his memory, the Riley Howell Foundation Fund, has announced the recipients of its latest round of donations.

The foundation was formed with the mission to support families affected by gun violence, and the donations they provide throughout the year are given to organizations doing important work in a variety of

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER everal hundred workers lined up by car at Haywood Community College April 28 to receive drive-through testing designed to gauge the level of asymptomatic, undetected COVID-19 cases in Haywood County, and if all goes well the results will soon help county decisionmakers evaluate the feasibility of reopening parts of Haywood County’s economy.

“This is a targeted study on behalf of the health department to give them an assessment or a snapshot of the essential business workers in Haywood County,” said Greg Shuping, Haywood’s emergency services director. “The folks on the front lines, they are working day in and day out to provide essential things like stuff from a hardware store, or

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Cars line up for drive-thru COVID-19 testing at Haywood Community College on the morning of April 28.

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Front-line workers in Haywood get tested for coronavirus

groceries. Those are the essential workers we’re talking about that we have invited to voluntarily participate in this snapshot study.”

The testing event, conducted by the Haywood County Department of Health and Human Services, was designed “to survey individuals who live and work in Haywood County in high traffic, essential businesses such as grocery stores, gas stations and retail establishments who do not show symptoms of COVID-19,” according to a release issued by the county at the event.

County officials contacted major employers asking for voluntary cooperation with the testing, which is confidential and protected by privacy controls implemented within the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA).

The county estimated that as many as 300 people would be tested at the one-day event; by 8:30 a.m. that morning, more than 50 cars were lined up, awaiting their chance.

“The tests came from LabCorp, and the cost of an analyzed test is $51 and change,” Shuping said. The county will pay for the tests, but the cost should be eligible for reimbursement by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Administration.

“We’ve only tested 200-some people in this county, and we’re going to double or triple that today or this week,” said Shuping.

“What’s the value of knowing more numbers to make better decisions?”

The release added that the general public would not be tested because the county does not currently possess the capacity to test all 60,000 Haywood County residents.

Haywood County photo

“This study aims to gather a sampling of asymptomatic individuals who have been at higher risk of exposure due to their roles as essential workers,” reads the release. “As more test kits become available, more testing opportunities may be offered.”

Additionally, a number of medical practices in Haywood County now have the capacity to test patients who have symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, shortness of breath, cough, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or a recent loss of taste or smell.

Shuping said LabCorp would pick up the testing kits at the conclusion of the day’s testing, and results could be back within two to four days. That leaves plenty of time for the results to be presented to county commis-

sioners well in advance of the expiration of both Haywood County’s and North Carolina’s “stay home” orders, which are set to expire on May 4 and May 8, respectively.

“What that means for the commissioners and the mayors and the folks that are decisionmakers in our county is that they’re going to have the results of this study as well as the results of the medical community’s symptomatic testing before the governor’s deadline to reopen,” Shuping said. “We’re hoping to give them this so that they can make a better decision. It’s their decision, but it’s still a tough one.”

As always, those with questions about COVID-19 should call the Haywood County COVID-19 helpline at 828.356.2019 Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

April 29-May 5, 2020 Smoky Mountain News 11

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Maggie Valley looks forward to reopening

BY HANNAH MCLEOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER ith the current stay at home order in place at least through May 8, the Maggie Valley Town Board of Aldermen is discussing putting a plan in place to begin reopening town businesses.

Maggie Valley — a town with an economy based heavily in tourism — has been shaken hard by the Coronavirus Pandemic stay at home orders. At an April 21 meeting, the town board approved changes to the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds calendar in order to postpone several events, and cancel some others. Slingshots in the Smokies, originally scheduled for May 27-30 has been rescheduled for Aug. 10-16; Kustom Kemps/Icons in the Smokies, originally scheduled for May 15-16 has been rescheduled for Aug. 22-23; and Mini Trucks, originally scheduled for April 24-26 has been rescheduled for Oct. 23-25. Thunder in the Smokies (the May 1-3 dates), Americana Featuring Balsam Range & Atlanta Pops and Elk Fest have all been canceled.

Town Manager Nathan Clark said that with the TDA revenue in decline, the organization is preparing to roll out a huge Reopening of Haywood County tourism campaign. The TDA wants to put as much money behind that effort as possible, instead of other things it was interested in, to make sure the word gets out when the county has reopened. For this reason, the TDA decided to use the money that was tied up in putting on the second annual Elk Fest to advertise Haywood County to the fullest.

Alderman Phillip Wight raised the subject of how and when the town should go about expressing to county or state officials that a “slow reopening would be strongly welcomed as opposed to extending a deadline of grief and despair.”

Mayor Mike Eveland told the board he would like to have a plan in place before May 4 with dates and times concerning a slow reopening.

“When you look at Maggie Valley specific to Haywood County, as we go into June, July and August we need to have the ability to be able to start to make reservations and to be able to have the summer and the

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April 29-May 5, 2020

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impact that we usually have on the financial side,” he said.

In prepared remarks, Alderman Tammy Wight said, “I understand the fears and concerns brought about by the COVID-19, but as the governing body it’s our responsibility to provide protection, goods and services — just as business owners have financial burdens as well. While we should certainly focus on public health, economic impact cannot be ignored in the process. Our economy includes many small businesses that consumers and employees rely on for their livelihood. Some entrepreneurs here have invested their lives in their businesses, and we don’t need to see them shut down for good. A healthy economy creates a reduction in poverty and provides resources to combat viruses and illnesses. A weak econo-

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on reminding people of all that Maggie Valley has to offer when it can reopen. As part of the 2019-20 budget, the board of aldermen set aside $40,000 for economic development activities. Most of that money has not been spent. Though no expenditures have been authorized yet, the board is considering teaming up with the TDA tourism campaign to craft a message and get it out via multiple advertising platforms.

“We want to be here to do the things we can do to support our business community to get them back to their business… we want to supply additional funding to help the businesses that are suffering by using the collective draw of Maggie Valley instead of them having to rely on their individual pocket books to try to get business back to them,” said Clark.

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my causes destruction of the quality of life for people without job security or large financial revenues. I think it’s time for us to try to find ways to slowly get our economy back up and going.”

Clark said that future budget proposals could set aside money to advertise locally and regionally for Maggie Valley, that the town could use its resources to supplement the TDA Reopening Haywood County tourism campaign.

In a follow-up interview, Clark said that the town was ultimately at the mercy of state and federal guidelines for easing stay at home orders and reopening businesses when possible.

“It’s really kind of driven by the public health component,” he said.

The focus of a reopening plan would be

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Online library resources available

Macon EDC offers help to businesses Macon County Economic Development Commission (EDC) and Macon County Public Health (MCPH) are committed to helping the citizens of Macon County during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Through the Macon County EDC, businesses can locate resources and news related

Complete COVID-19 business impact survey The Southwestern Commission (Region A) has joined with regional economic development partners to release a SWNC COVID19 Business Impact Survey.

The data from the survey will be essential in developing mitigation strategies to assist businesses and communities during the pandemic and in the transition to a post COVID19 economy. Take a few minutes to complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/YBYYXG5.

Smoky Mountain News

All Fontana Regional Library locations in Macon, Jackson and Swain counties remain closed per Gov. Roy Cooper’s order and public health advice, but eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming video, and other electronic resources remain available at all times, as does public wi-fi outside library buildings.

Library staff are busy planning how best to extend services to the public once it is safe to re-open. Look for future announcements of when and how libraries will open their doors. For information on how to access online resources for children and adults, and for information about COVID-19, visit www.fontanalib.org.

to economic relief for hardships caused by COVID-19, including information regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Golden LEAF’s Rapid Recovery Loan Program, Unemployment, as well as many other programs meant to help business owners and their employees during this hardship.

For those who need assistance, or would like to find out more information regarding relief programs, contact EDC directly at EDC@maconnc.org or by phone at 828.369.2306. Stay up-to-date by following them on Facebook as Macon County Economic Development Commission.

EXPIRES: MAY 15 2020

April 29-May 5, 2020

BY HANNAH MCLEOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER aywood County Board of Elections recently voted on a plan addressing COVID-19 concerns to present to the North Carolina State Board of Elections for approval.

The State Board of Elections is requiring counties with a second primary to submit plans on how they will administer elections while adhering to guidelines for social distancing and sanitation during the Coronavirus Pandemic. As part of the 11th congressional district, Haywood County will have a second primary held June 23 for the runoff between Republican candidates for House of Representatives Lynda Bennett and Madison Cawthorn. That is the only contest on the ballot for June 23.

During a April 21 meeting, the board of elections addressed concerns about the availability of precinct officials, polling locations, and the safety of voters and precinct officials.

According to their data, 37.5 percent of precinct officials self-identified as high risk, and the average age of precinct judges is 62 years. Of all precinct officials, 92.5 percent are willing to serve, as long as social distancing protocols are in place.

Several polling locations are presenting problems for being available on June 23. The second Fines Creek location (Panther Creek Voting House), as well as the White Oak loca-

tion (White Oak Community House) are public buildings that currently have no running water or restrooms. The first Beaverdam Location (30th Signal Armory Center) has a possible scheduling conflict with June 23, and the Center Pigeon Fire Department wants the Board of Elections to sanitize the location following the election.

The board presented a diagram as part of its plan that demonstrated how social distancing guidelines would be followed at polling locations. Things most people are familiar with these days — tape on the floor marking six feet distance between folks in line, a glove center close to the single entrance and oneway traffic to keep people from getting close together. The board discussed how precinct officials would sanitize all surfaces and writing utensils after each use.

The plan includes consolidating the 29 original precincts into 11. The North Carolina State Board of Elections has emergency power to approve precinct consolidation requests in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. If the plan is approved by the state board it would only be effective for the June 23 election and each affected voter would be notified by mail.

Additionally, signage would be posted at precincts not in use, with information about where voters should be voting on June 23.

The plan had to be submitted to the state board by May 1 for approval. However, the plan is for this emergency case only. If the county can secure enough precinct officials, volunteers, location availability and personal protection/sanitation equipment all precincts could be open and running. The board made clear these changes are not in response to funding issues but are simply the emergency plan to keep voters and workers safe during the June 23 election.

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Haywood precincts could consolidate for June primary

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HAYWOOD

COUNTY April 29-May 5, 2020

CARES ABOVE: Jesse-lee Dunlap works for the Harm Reduction public health initiative.

We’re In This Together Jesse­lee Dunlap works throughout the county in the Harm Reduction public health initiative. Their work is vital to preventing overdose in the Haywood County detention center and making sure that members of our community have their most basic needs met. This means connecting folks with food resources, seeking housing for unsheltered people, setting up appointments with medical providers, connecting people with job opportunities, etc.

COVID­19 has altered the reality of many people, and the Harm Reduction world is no exception. Since the detention center has been closed to in­person visitation since March 13, jail­based overdose prevention training is suspended for the time being. That has given Jesse­lee more time to follow­up on the long list of linkage­to­care items for inmates and more time to devote to connecting community members to basic resources. Much of their week is spent delivering food boxes provided by Haywood Christian Ministries to Haywood County residents and partnering with organizations such as the Open Door to provide shelter for the most vulnerable members of our community.

Smoky Mountain News

“Iʼm really thankful to have employment at this time and extra thankful that my employment directly helps out folks in our community,” said Dunlap.

For more information on Covid-19 in Haywood County visit: www.haywoodcountync.gov/684/Coronavirus-Covid-19-Information

www.haywoodcountync.gov Haywood County COVID-19 Helpline: (828) 356-2019 Monday­Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Closed Sunday

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HERE in Jackson County, which provides services to those at-risk of or experiencing homelessness, has partnered with local nonprofit Uncomplicated Kitchen to address the food barrier for its shelter clients.

HERE’s seasonal shelter program was extended to prevent the spread of COVID19 among Jackson’s homeless population and continues to operate in various hotels with rooms equipped only with microwaves for meal preparation.

After learning that shelter clients were living off of food boxes consisting of items they had no way to cook, Uncomplicated Kitchen Executive Director Jenna Kranz reached out to help. Because hotel shelter clients have access only to a microwave oven, Kranz began creating no-cook and microwave-friendly recipes that require very few cooking tools and ingredients readily available to shelter clients and food box recipients.

Uncomplicated Kitchen’s mission is to address food security through education and to ensure that all community members can prepare healthy meals with food they have available. Visit www.uncomplicatedkitchen.org.

For more information about HERE in Jackson County, contact 828.477.4946, visit www.hereinjacksoncounty.org or visit facebook.com/hereinjc.

Nantahala Health Foundation has launched a COVID-19 Impact Recovery Fund to match charitable donations dollar for dollar up to $100,000 and better position itself to bring organizations together to prepare for a post-COVID future.

“The immediate threat has always been that the virus would spread and create pressures on our communities’ limited healthcare systems,” said NHF Executive Director Lori Bailey. “Beyond that, however, we anticipate dramatic short- and longterm effects on our region’s education systems, workforce and local economies. By growing our resources and matching donations from the public, we will be better equipped to respond quickly and sustain that response over the duration of the recovery.”

Launching a major fundraising campaign may seem like an odd response from such a young organization, but Bailey said it’s the right approach, in that it gives those who are able an opportunity to make a tremendous impact on future health outcomes in Western North Carolina.

Nantahala Health Foundation is a catalyst for innovation and collaboration, existing to address the social determinants of health in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, as well as the Qualla Boundary. www.nantahalahealthfoundation.org.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2020 The Catamount School, a school for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in Jackson County, is accepting 6th, 7th and 8th grade registrations for the 2020-21 school year. Operated by Western Carolina University’s College of Education and Allied Professions in cooperation with Jackson County Public Schools, The Catamount School is designed to explore innovative teaching approaches and applied learning opportunities in order to help every student discover his or her full academic potential. The school is a public lab school operated on the campus of Smoky Mountain High School and is free to accepted students and their families.

Smoky Mountain News

would be used to help small businesses hit hard by COVID-19 closures, Fitzgerald said.

“We’re constantly trying to improve the town, and we don’t want a bunch of vacant buildings if we can help it,” said Fitzgerald.

While the primary negotiation is between Dillsboro and the contractor, the N.C. Department of Transportation also asked Sylva to weigh in on the issue, which it did during an April 23 meeting held via Zoom.

“It’s a fundamental shift in the scope of this project,” said Commissioner David Nestler. “This project was put together with years of public input and studies, and this is the plan that everybody came up with and people agreed on. To change it at the last second like this with no public comment whatsoever I think is a recipe for disaster.”

The rest of the board agreed with that sentiment, as did town staff. Sylva’s leaders felt that the decision was too rushed, that too little information was available and that it could harm businesses near the barricade.

They also expressed concern as to how the closure would impact emergency response times.

“They normally do a lot of analysis that would calculate the cost and benefits over time and what the nine-month window versus the three-month window would mean,” said Rose Baugess, senior planner for the Southwestern Commission, who attended Sylva’s meeting. “It just seems if they’re proposing to save two years on the total project, they could allow a couple weeks for some better information dissemination and analysis.”

Fitzgerald said the rushed timing is influenced by shortfalls in the DOT budget, likely to be made worse as the result of COVID-19.

“Everybody right now is trying to spend money wisely, and that’s why it came up suddenly,” he said.

DOT spokesperson David Uchiyama said the department plans to announce a decision on the matter this week.

“Officials are evaluating the plan as well as comments and suggestions from other parties,” he said.

No formal public comment period is involved with this decision, but input will be considered throughout the duration of the project. Direct feedback to Division Engineer Ted Adams, tadams@ndot.gov.

Nantahala foundation launches recovery fund

April 29-May 5, 2020

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER proposed change of plans in the Dillsboro bridge project has drawn divided opinion from the towns of Dillsboro and Sylva.

As originally planned, the $14 million project to replace the bridge on U.S. 23 over Scott Creek would begin June 8 and last through March 2023, with a temporary bridge installed parallel to the existing one accommodating traffic during that time.

However, the contractor, Tennessee-based Wright Brothers, has proposed an alternative plan that would save $3 million and allow the project to wrap up by March 7, 2021.

The drawback is that the plan would require the closure of Old Dillsboro Road between Dillsboro and Sylva throughout the project’s duration, because the new plan would eliminate construction of the temporary bridge. From mid-May to mid-August, vehicles would need to use U.S. 74 to travel between Sylva and Dillsboro or else navigate the winding back way that uses Savannah Drive and Yellow Bird Road.

During that time, subcontracted crews would work to complete a retaining wall on Hill Street. Once the wall was completed — expected to occur mid-August — local traffic could use Old Home Town Road through Monteith Park as a detour.

During a special-called meeting April 20, Dillsboro aldermen unanimously approved the plan. Timing was a big part of it, said Mayor Mike Fitzgerald. Due to COVID-19 closures, this summer is likely to be a much slower season than most, meaning that the traffic issue won’t be the “catastrophe” it would be under normal circumstances, he said. Under the new plan, the project will be far less costly and last a far shorter amount of time.

“It’s a more acute pain, but it gets over more quickly,” he said.

However, Dillsboro also had to consider its finances. The state and the contractor would get to split the $3 million savings 5050, and Wright Brothers offered to give Dillsboro $450,000 of its $1.5 million share.

That’s a lot of money for a town whose 20192020 budget clocked in at just $191,000. The board has not yet decided how it would use that money, but it’s likely many of the funds

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Caring for our own is what matters W

Good thing ACA remains intact To the Editor: In spite of the Trump administration’s current litigations to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA), it’s a very good thing that the legislation is still in place during this time of record breaking job losses.

Why is the ACA (termed “Obamacare” by GOP critics) so important right now? Because of the following special provision: “If you have just left your job for any reason and lost your job-based health coverage, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

This means you can enroll in a Marketplace insurance plan any time of year. You usually have 60 days from the day you lose your coverage to enroll.

News flash: Displaced workers who had employer paid insurance thankfully don’t have to rely on the Trump administration to reopen the enrollment period. That’s good because Trump is refusing to do so.

Displaced workers who lost their coverage can call Mountain Projects to seek enrollment assistance from a Certified Application Counselor or pursue Marketplace enrollment at www.healthcare.gov.

tains. Our small town gets a lot smaller when you get old enough to realize you can’t afford to shop in most of its stores or eat in most of its restaurants.

I could probably list a hundred things about tourists I don’t particularly like (including the fact that they all flocked here to “escape” the Coronavirus, infecting people as they came). But I would be wrong to not acknowledge all the things they provide for the community. Most of our revenue comes from tourism, and it Guest Columnist keeps the town running. We all benefit from putting up with the droves of tourists that spring brings.

Some of us play our parts very well, appealing to what the tourist believes a mountain person should be like in order to get a little bit of what they’re jingling in their wallets. I myself have played that part, though not for any monetary gain. I like to emphasize where I’m from, and my family backgrounds. I get satisfaction from building up their idea of what my family must be like, just so I can watch it crashing down on them as I tell them the truth.

My family, like every single other Appalachian family, is nuanced. It contains lifetimes of instance and detail. It would be impossible to fit that into any stereotype. It is a disservice to the people that lived those lives to even try. I do get angry about the stereotypes, and I can get up in arms about defending the community I’m passionate about. But I also understand that it comes largely from a place of ignorance, and that the only way to fix that is education (That still gets tricky, though, because then you have people trying to experience the mountains and come out thinking they know everything about them).

Catherine Sawyer

hen I think of the stereotypes against Appalachia, what comes to mind is what popular culture has had to say about Appalachian people. The mockery, generalization, and misunderstanding that Hollywood has been producing for generations is the most glaring. I also think of the lesser known impacts of the stereotypes, such as the way the government and our fellow Americans treat the area. I’ve said before that growing up here, in a small town as widely known and simultaneously forgotten as Bryson City, was somewhat like growing up in a novelty store. “One of the cutest small towns in the country,” they boast. “Rated top in the nation for small town living” is displayed across the covers of national travel magazines.

For a place with that many people moving through it, you’d think that we’d have more funding for activities, or that the school districts would have the money to cover a year’s expenses. It’s kind of amazing how blind people with two working eyes can be. They come here, content with the images of “mountain people” they have in their own heads, and see just enough to fill that stereotype. They don’t see anything unusual. They seem to genuinely believe we all live here, working our own farms, driving our old pickups, riding into our quaint little mountain town daily to socialize at the general store like we’re living an episode of “The Waltons.”

Maybe it would be more accurate to say that the tourists want to feel like they are living in an episode of “The Waltons,” but only for as long as they’re here. Most of them go home to wherever they’re visiting from. Some of them decide they want to stay. And despite moving into our community, they still fail to see what’s so obvious to the rest of us.

For example, the majority of the residents of Swain County can’t afford to do any casual shopping on Everett Street.

Those prices, and products, aren’t for us. They’re for the visitors, little souvenirs to remind them of their trip to the moun-

The counselors report they are getting lots of calls.

Another option: Check with a private agency that carries other insurance (car, homeowners, etc), to see if they carry Marketplace plans — some do.

Passed without any Republican support in March 2010, the ACA has survived approximately 70 Republican-led attempts to repeal, modify or otherwise curb the bill’s content.

Democratic lawmakers overwhelmingly support it and have fortunately been able to prevail in the voting to prevent repeal.

While the Republican lawmakers referred to their actions as “repeal and replace,” they never produced a replacement plan.

The full name of the bill passed in 2010 is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The inclusion of the Special Enrollment Period in the legislation focuses on one of the guiding principles of the Democratic Party: protecting workers.

While Democratic lawmakers could not have foreseen the current health care crisis when they crafted the ACA legislation, the Special Enrollment Period was a key component and it may save lives now. We should all be thankful the bill is still intact.

Myrna Campbell Waynesville

I bear no resentment toward mountain people playing the stereotype for their own benefit. We sometimes have few other options. We are told to be “authentic” — whatever that means — but shunned by our own community when playing into it too much. An Appalachian acting like a city slicker is a traitor, and an Appalachian acting like a hillbilly is a sellout.

There’s no way to win. We have been ignored, neglected, and exploited for just about as long as we’ve been a recognizable group of people.

I say, if you can find a way to profit amidst all that, go for it. Any funding, personal or community wide, we can squeeze out will benefit us, even if we have to play stupid to get it. The taxes paid by overcharging tourists helps us keep our schools running, keep our welfare programs helping people. The funds we can squeeze make it possible for us to band together when we need to. Those expensive restaurants on Everett do well enough that now, while we are at a standstill, they can offer daily free meals to Swain County students. Our community knows what it’s doing, and we know what we need. We might play the part for those visiting, but we know how to take care of our own when the time comes. And that’s all that matters.

And as for shows like “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Waltons,” I love those them. My grandparents were huge fans of both. It would be impossible for me to call them evil or exploitative when I grew up watching my grandparents enjoy them so much. I don’t mind other people across the country enjoying them too. It can bring us together rather than separate us further. And hell, if they want to come out to the mountains and play country music on the porch together, I’d be happy to. That sounds like it would be a lot of fun.

(Catherine Sawyer is from the Alarka community of Swain County. She wrote this essay for an Appalachian History class at UNC Asheville. csawyer1@unca.edu)

LETTERS Trump not worthy to be commander-in-chief To the Editor: One of my favorite books is the King James Bible (1611). Excellent advice. In the 1950s, my mother took us to the nearest Baptist church regularly, Sunday School and Bible study. She had great respect for Billy Graham.

Too bad he didn’t have a son who would continue his Christian ministry. Franklin has clearly chosen politics. In the sixties, while in the U.S. Navy, I began to wonder: Is the creation story true? Still, I turned to the Bible for guidance and philosophy.

Church attendance has plummeted, though, during my lifetime. Religion seems to be less relevant to many Americans. Is that true for Christianity as a belief? In the seventies legendary singer Johnny Cash sang, “What is truth?” In the nineties Counting Crows sang of “… the crumbling difference between wrong and right.” Are these songs reflective of the drop in church attendance?

Are they signs of a broader societal concern for morality in general?

Now, in 2020, Donald Trump, the

President of the United State, is widely regarded as the world’s biggest liar. Lying is a violation of the Ninth Commandment (Exodus 20:16). Mark Twain’s fictional character Huckleberry Finn is a distant second.

Sadly, Trump is real rather than merely a fictional character. Trump may also be world champion in another vice. Proverbs 3: 27 states, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” Marvelous human relations wisdom. Has Trump never read Proverbs? Does he merely refuse to follow sage advice?

Trump was one of the “fortunate sons” that Credence Clearwater Revival sang about in the seventies. He avoided military service during the Vietnam War. Billionaire father.

“Bone spurs” in his feet. Still, he belittled American war hero John McCain who spent nearly six years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Between now and Nov. 3, veterans as well as active service members need to ask themselves this question: Since Donald Trump chooses to lie to us and belittle us, is he worthy of the title commander-in-chief? In my book, he is not.

Dave Waldrop Webster

Time to dump the fake president

To the Editor: Anyone with half a brain knows that Trump was making a sarcastic joke when he suggested that people inject bleach to cure COVID-19. As any astute follower of Donald Trump over the past three years knows, most everything coming out of his

To the Editor: Lately. through observing the news media, I have seen mass support for gun ownership and confirmation of the Second Amendment. My life of being associated with firearms began 72 years ago when I was 7 years old. I’m not worried about my guns, but I am worried about my Social Security and Medicare.

According to the New York Times, in his latest budget, President Trump has proposed cutting Social Security programs $26 billion and safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid $1.9 trillion. This was after giving his rich cronies a $1.3 trillion tax break.

In the presidential campaign, I saw Trump on television state that he would leave Social Security and Medicare alone.

What else can you expect out of a pathological liar?

Charles Miller Waynesville

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Let’s open the Parkway To the Editor: Despite the social distancing, wearing masks, stay at home orders, and all of the CDC stats and briefings we have witnessed over the past 40-plus days, the COVID-19 curve has flattened along with CDC models that were not altogether accurate. The models were way overestimated.

The American people have been very patient and are now wanting to return to work. Children want to return to school as do their parents. Serology studies are indicating that the virus is not as deadly as once was thought in addition to the majority of affected patients having successfully recovered.

It makes zero sense for the Blue Ridge Parkway to be closed as people want to drive and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The Parkway could easily be reopened with the caveat that they still socially distance on hiking trails and in picnic areas. We cannot continue this isolation. These rules are not healthy for a free society nor for our economy. We need not risk lapsing into a great depression as a result of the government’s desire to “keep us safe.”

Let common sense rule.

Pam McAloon Maggie Valley

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Smoky Mountain News

Trump talk is a really bad joke

Trump eyes Medicare, Social Security cuts

April 29-May 5, 2020

To the Editor: Enough is enough. How much longer are Americans willing to tolerate this sad excuse of a president? Anyone in their right mind can clearly see that we are not being led by a sane man. His constant attacks on the reporters trying to get information and his daily lies to us are beyond belief.

As I write or vent this opinion tonight, I’ve just learned that he now insists on his name being printed on the stimulus checks.

Really? It’s not his money! Millions of Americans are out of work with no health insurance, no savings and no clue what the future holds. So, let’s slow these payments down even more to feed his megalomaniac personality?

This man has proven over and over and over again that he is incompatible with anything resembling intelligence. But he does own a well-documented record of criminal wrongdoing, with many still under investigation yet currently lost in the media shuffle. Most of his cronies are in prison or jail.

A businessman? Ha! How does someone bankrupt a casino three times, an airline, and many other failed ventures? Not to mention a real estate school that was proven fraudulent. This is why no reputable banks will deal with him or Trump Inc. for years. He owes millions of dollars in debt, bills unpaid, workers unpaid, contractors unpaid. He never paid for his inauguration and still owes numerous cities money for his reelection rallies.

Tax returns? Not available as he fights to constantly keep them secret. Like his besties — Putin, Jong and the other ruthless dictators he praises — he shares their same affliction of narcissism, a lust for power and more money. He has absolutely no ability to remotely feel anything for others other than himself. His utter failure as a leader in this global crisis further demonstrates the magnitude of his incompetence.

Our country used to be the leader on the world stage. Now we are a laughingstock.

Maybe my country will hopefully learn a huge lesson in that we need to come together, recover from this pandemic, and elect a leader that actually believes in our constitution. America is now in the I.C.U. It’s up to us as voters to save ourselves from this insanity called Trump, our fake president, and try listening to real news. It’s out there.

Mylan Sessions Waynesville

mouth is a joke. If the president has something serious to say, it generally comes out of the other end. At the ready is a team of experts — Pence, Meadows, Hannity, Limbaugh, and of course, McConnell — who make it all shine and smell good. It’s time for people to wake up and smell the coffee, or whatever.

John H. Fisher Hendersonville

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THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Haywood Arts Regional Theatre finds footing amid pandemic

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER t’s late morning and situated behind his desk in the back office of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville is Steven Lloyd. Leaning back in his chair, Lloyd sighed at the question posed to him: what’s the current status of HART? “Well, our entire staff has been laid off and all of the new hires we were looking forward to bringing on this spring have been put on the backburner until further notice,” said Lloyd, the executive director of HART. “Every performance we had on the calendar has been postponed, but we don’t even know when those shows may take place, if they even do — everything is up in the air right now.”

This coming weekend would have been the 2020 opening for the mainstage series in the Performing Arts Center building. But, due to the current Coronavirus Pandemic and nationwide mandates prohibiting large gatherings and stage productions, HART remains in a holding pattern until normalcy might return.

“The best-case scenarios say society may reopen in a couple months, and with treatments that may work. Worst-case scenario is that nothing changes and we’re closed for the

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Haywood Arts Regional Theatre Executive Director Steven Lloyd sitting in the seats of the Performing Arts Center building in Waynesville. Garret K. Woodward rest of the year,” Lloyd said. “But, even if things do open up, how much longer after that would people feel comfortable coming to a packed theater to see a show? It’s one thing to be seated far apart at a restaurant, it’s another thing to go into a theater and be seated next to somebody.”

Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, HART has evolved organically from humble beginnings into one of the finest theater organizations in Southern Appalachia and beyond, winning numerous accolades along the way for its programming and development.

“This theater has made Waynesville a way more cosmopolitan community than almost any other mountain town,” Lloyd said. “There are so many incredible people who have moved here because of HART, and so many people from the community that have supported us and helped us grown from the start.”

With tens of thousands attending performances throughout the year, the economic impact of HART on Haywood County is around $3 million. That monetary force is something not lost on local and regional art organizations and art enthusiasts who look at the theater as a beacon of cultural and economic significance.

“We play a huge role in the community.

When people come to buy a ticket and see a show, they eat at the nearby restaurants and stay at the hotels,” Lloyd noted.

When HART is fully operational, its monthly costs are covered by ticket sales. But, without people coming through the doors, the

property maintenance and insurance bills have been drying up whatever savings the organization had in its rainy-day fund.

“It would be a devastating loss to the community if HART disappeared because of financial struggles due to the pandemic,” Lloyd said.

“Though we’re in a better spot than most arts organizations, we’re still having trouble paying the bills and keeping the property running.”

Want to help?

If you would like to make a donation to the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, visit www.harttheatre.org and click on the “Donate Today” button.

For more information, call 828.456.6322 or email boxoffice@harttheatre.org.

Lloyd is grateful for the recent generous donations of several local residents and loyal theatergoers, but he stresses the importance of a longtime endowment and sustained larger donations that have remained elusive for HART. “I’ve spent the last 30 years of my life building this theater, and suddenly it has the potential of disappearing. And without the support of these donations, this organization would just go away,” Lloyd said solemnly. “We’re trying to make ends meet, and also have enough money be able to put a show on whenever ‘this’ ends and we’re able to reopen.”

And even though, at 66, Lloyd has no plans to retire in the near future, the pandemic has shifted the trajectory of his life and career.

“I just signed up for Social Security, though I had planned on waiting until I was 70,” Lloyd said. “My hope is that when HART comes back, I can return on half-salary and use the other half of my salary to hire somebody else.”

Stepping out of his office in the Fangmeyer Theater, Lloyd walked across the brick patio to the neighboring Performing Arts Center building. Turning on the lights in front of the mainstage, the massive space is eerily quiet, with stage props still in place from rehearsals for upcoming productions yet to be rescheduled.

“Though I have been enjoying some of this down time to take longer walks and slow down a little bit, I really miss that invigorating feeling I get when all of the stuff is going in here and everything’s in rehearsal,” Lloyd said.

Finding a seat in the auditorium, Lloyd is surrounded by hundreds of empty chairs, each normally filled with somebody that values HART, who believes in the sheer awe and splendor that is singular to theatrical productions. Taking an inventory of the silent rows, Lloyd grinned for a moment and pondered the future.

“I think when [the shelter-in-place and mandates] are lifted, and our audiences are once again ready to come back, there will be this pent-up hunger to get away from it all and see a production — it’s going to be magical,” Lloyd said.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

W

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hile waiting for my coffee to be brewed in the back of the newsroom this past Tuesday, I stared blankly into the abyss.

Looking around the small nook, there were memos on the wall, sink filled with cups and dishes, small fridge in the corner and stacks of office supplies on the shelves.

The coffeepot burped and shook me out of the trance.

I turned my attention to the contraption itself and realized that I’ve had that same coffeepot since college. Originally, it was the extra coffeemaker in my parents’ house in Upstate New York. But, it also found its way into my truck when I left for school in Connecticut and took off for newspaper gigs in Idaho and North Carolina.

Wandering down that rabbit hole of thought, I soon thought of when I packed the coffeepot into my old truck and left for

Idaho, a decision that was made with my heart of my sleeve, my eyes aimed forward in search of adventure. And to think, I almost didn’t chase that horizon in those early days.

After I graduated college in 2007, I applied to any and all journalism gigs. Every corner of America. I was ready for whatever was next. In October 2007, at age 22, I had one bite on my resume from a newspaper in Vermont, just across Lake Champlain from my New York hometown.

I went to the interview in a nice button up shirt and dress pants. The back-and-forth questioning went well. Then, out of nowhere, they sat me down at a desk in the newsroom and gave me a story assignment.

It was to call up this World War II veteran and chat with him about financial challenges facing the local American Legion.

I felt like I had just been thrown in the deep end. But, I winged it, did the interview, wrote the article and submitted it before I left the building. A couple of days later, the editor called back. They liked the article and offered me the staff writer position.

But, for some reason, my intuition signaled this wasn’t the place for me. I wanted

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April 29-May 5, 2020

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arts & entertainment

This must be the place

to leave my familiarity that is the North Country. The job was great, but it just didn’t sit right. Somewhere inside my soul, I felt there was something else around the corner.

To the dismay of my parents, I turned the gig down. Not much longer after that, I was offered a reporter position at the Teton Valley News in Driggs, Idaho, on the backside of my most favorite place on the planet: the Grand Teton Mountains. That opportunity and time out there forever changed my existence.

Skip ahead to 2012. The economy tanked in 2008 and I had left the Teton Valley News, ready for the next step. Turns out the exact day I left the newspaper, Wall Street began to crumble. That night of Sept. 15, 2008, I was day one in my return trek from Idaho to New York. Staying at a cheap motel in Miles City, Montana, I turned on the TV to see the news: Lehman Brothers had collapsed.

So, for the next few years, I was back in Upstate New York, this time struggling as a freelance writer, to which I was substitute teaching in my old high school to make ends meet. But, it never once crossed my mind to leave journalism: this industry is my passion and lifeblood.

Well, there I was, now 27 years old, sending out my resume to publications across America. One newspaper on the coast of Maine got hold of me. It was in a town I ran around every summer as a kid and young adult. Beautiful seaside community.

So, I drove up to Maine and went to the interview. The newsroom was right above the in-house printer, with the place smelling of ink and chemicals. It was nauseating.

Then, in the interview, the editor said I would have to wear a shirt, tie and dress pants at all times, even in the depths of summer. Yikes.

Oh, and the editor also informed me that I’d mostly be covering school board meetings and cops and courts. Sure, these are important and interesting subjects. But, I’d already been in those trenches and wanted my next gig to be writing about what I absolutely love: the arts and people.

Before I crossed back over the Maine state line, they offered me the position. I had the entire drive back to New York to think about accepting it. By the time I got home, I realized once again this wasn’t the place for me.

I remember several close friends and family members saying I was downright crazy to turn down the offer: “The economy is shit and you’re telling them ‘no’? What’s wrong with you?” It didn’t matter, I knew deep down there was something else coming down the pike.

Not even a week later, Scott McLeod, the publisher at The Smoky Mountain News, called me and asked that I come down to North Carolina and interview for the gig.

Well, some eight years later, I still reside in that dream job, a position I continue to harbor sincere and overflowing gratitude for.

Folks, the moral of the story is this, and only this: follow your heart. Your intuition is there for a reason, whether it be a job or relationship, or any decision for that matter. Follow the energy of the beating muscle in your chest and it’ll never lead you astray.

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

828.452.4251 susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com

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arts & entertainment

ve my face f for kerrss worrkke re____ re c __ hca lthca lth heaalt r he u__ ___ our Staying home and practicing so ocial distancing are still our strongesst approaches to stopping the spread of COVID D-19. We also know that at we have essential needs e that take us outsid de of our home.

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2020

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

21

Back to the future f it’s true that timing is everything, then Ben Okri’s new novel The Freedom Artist is right on time.

As we, here, in Western North Carolina are going through an unparalleled time of trauma and uncertainty, Okri’s most recent novel opens up like a mirror for how at the present moment our country is organized for inequality and ineffectiveness in terms of proper governance and freedom of the individual. In a country that claims to Writer be “the land of the free,” the United States of America is rapidly moving in the direction of “the land of the prisoner.” And Okri uses the word “prison” in his new novel to emphasize how his fictional system of governance is set up to keep people in line and asleep when it comes to self-realization and equanimity.

In the tradition of distopian novels such as 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, Okri’s The Freedom Artist could have easily been titled “2020.” So similar is Okri’s novel to these earlier apocalyptic classics and our current situation in the U.S. in terms of politics and the Corona virus epidemic that at times I thought that I was reading a book of non-fiction. In this sense this book is prophetic. In The Freedom Artist the predominant issue is how, over time, the government (referred to as “The Heirarchy”) has pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes with lies and false myths and is in complete control of everyone’s lives as well as their thinking. Or as it is in this case, their not thinking.

Sound familiar? “Everyone is asleep” Okri writes and reiterates over and over again for 350 pages. People are living in what Okri calls “The Prison” — meaning that the society, the country, the world, and in fact their own bodies are nothing more than a prison in terms of what an enlightened life of freedom would look and feel like. In fact, The Freedom Artist reads like a myth written by a scientist and is brilliantly composed in short chapters and sections with a weaving of easily followed characters and subplots.

Okri, a former Booker Prize winner of

Thomas Crowe

I

Nigerian origins and now living in London, begins the book with the epilogue “Everything sacred, that intends to remain so, must cover

itself in mystery.” And the storyline, or the “plot” if you prefer, is all about the book’s central characters uncovering the great mystery, which is their society and their personal lives.

Early on in the book Okri writes: “People were not meant to fill their heads with

facts, but only to re-learn what they already knew.

And what they already knew was that the state was good and everything they did was leading them back to the garden of origins.”

Sounds a bit familiar, yes? And it gets worse: “But what really killed literacy and books was the great campaign against orginality.

The Age of Equality.

Then we arrived at the point where it’s an insult to be better informed than your neighbor.” It is at this point in the narrative that oneword graffiti starts appearing in public places with the slogan “Upwake!”

As this word keeps appearing again and again throughout the book, I couldn’t help but wonder if Okri wasn’t using this as a not-so-subtle message meant for his readers and their lives today.

On page 132, all of a sudden a plague, a kind of national pandemic, began popping up.

“This new plague crept up on the world, from one continent to another, til it became a universal contagion. No one knew its cause. No one could propose its cure. The newspapers were silent about it.”

Sound familiar? (Remember, Okri’s book was published in early 2019.) Things escalate and keep getting worse — until one of the main characters (a young pre-teen boy) — through a series of initiations — becomes something of an Avatar. And, for the rest of the book there are various vague and not so vague comparisons with the biblical life of Jesus and the later-written Christian canon.

Our young savior goes to the mountaintop; he gives teaching lectures to large crowds; he has his “40 days and 40 nights” in the wilderness; he heals the sick; he starts a revolution against the power structures; he is arrested and taken prisoner by the state. All of this as the masses are beginning to “upwake” and start to question their lives and the authority figures that control them.

After a quasi 9/11 attack on the Heirarchy’s headquarters and by the end of the book, an underground movement has formed and people are marching in the streets and ignoring the “stay at home” proclamations and “6 foot” restrictions by the government. Sound familiar? “For there to be a new beginning there must first be an end,” proclaims one of the main female characters reminiscent of the lines by Bob Dylan “it’s always darkest just before the dawn.” When asked why she is weeping, she replies, “This world could be so beautiful.” Without providing a “spoiler” as to how The Freedom Artist ends, let me instead end here, with Okri’s “Coda” on the last page of the book: “In the oldest legends of the land, it is known that all are born in prison. In the new reality, all are born into a story. It is a story which everyone creates and which everyone lives, with darkness or with light, in freedom.” Even with the graphic apocalyptic aspects of his novel, we emerge with a glimmer of light, of hope, and a wakeup call just when we need it most.

Thomas Crowe is a regular contributor to The Smoky Mountain News. He is the author of the historical fiction novel The Watcher (Like Sweet Bells Jangled) and lives in Jackson County. He can be reached at newnativepress@hotmail.com.

22

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Vehicles park down the side of the Parkway March 26 as the parking lot for Rough Ridge Trail near Asheville is filled to overflowing. NPS photo

TRAIL CLOSED Public land managers discuss closure decisions and plans for re-opening

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hile people nationwide are lamenting the loss of bars, restaurants, concerts, festivals and countless other aspects of community life amid the COVID-19 crisis, for many in Western North Carolina the deepest blow has been the loss of access to hundreds of thousands of acres of cherished public lands.

“We live in a very risk-averse society, and each agency is considering its mission in light of the current context,” said Andrew Bobilya, professor and program director for Western Carolina University’s Parks and Recreation Management Program. “I think they’re watching their peers, so to speak, worldwide and trying to make the best decision. But I think to a certain degree they don’t want to be the ones not being seen as supporting the initiative to reduce the spread of the coronavirus or put people in perceived inappropriate situations of risk.”

N.C. State Parks was the first public agency locally to implement closures in response to the virus, on March 16 announc-

W

ing that park facilities such as visitor centers and campgrounds would close beginning March 17. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park wasn’t far behind, announcing the immediate closure of its visitor centers March 17. Closure of the visitor center in Asheville on March 18 marked the Blue Ridge Parkway’s initial COVID-related change. On March 22, the National Forests in North Carolina closed all front-country campgrounds.

However, land managers did not see these announcements result in decreased visitation or appropriate social distancing.

“What we saw during March was actually increased visitation after other traditional spring break destinations closed, particularly beaches,” said Smokies spokesperson Dana Soehn. “We were actually seeing more people on our crowded trails and along roadways and overlooks.”

REASONS TO CLOSE The closures accelerated. Currently, the entire GSMNP and all state parks are closed until further notice. The national forests have closed their district ranger offices, and backcountry camping is prohibited in the Pisgah National Forest. A large number of the Pisgah’s popular trails, roads and recreation sites are also closed through Aug. 13, and on April 15 the Parkway issued a ramped-up set of closures that included cessation of vehicle access to the road from the French Broad Overlook just west of Asheville to the Parkway’s terminus at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Smokies’ decision to close down completely — for five weeks and counting — is all but unprecedented. Not even U.S. 441, also known as Newfound Gap Road, remains

open. However, Soehn said, the closure was instituted only after other, more limited changes to park operations such as shutdown of visitor centers and campgrounds failed to provide for proper social distancing. Concern for the safety of employees, visitors and volunteers alike prompted the closure.

“Even with those closures in place, the parking lots were still full, and what we realized is as long as we had trails and roads open, the park was still a recreation destination,” said Soehn. “During this time period when our local communities and particularly North Carolina were starting to close their borders and implement stay-at-home orders, for us to be supportive of our regional approach to prevent the spread of the virus we needed to make it clear to visitors that the Smokies was no longer a recreation destination.”

The Parkway faced a similar set of considerations in its decision-making.

“Because many of the orders — and understandably so — called for outdoor recreation as one of the activities that was permissible during stay-at-home guidance, we were beginning to see concerning overcrowding in certain areas that have historically been high-traffic areas,” said Parkway spokesperson Leesa Brandon.

Prior to closing down road and trail access, all three agencies implemented changes limiting other visitor services, such as restrooms. The public’s often less-thanresponsible response to these changes was another factor in the closures.

“There has also been an increase in problematic activity and resource damage,” said Cathy Dowd. “Adjacent private landowners have complained of cars blocking roads.

Visitors have driven off roads into forested areas, leaving ruts and killing vegetation.

Dispersed campers have cut down trees and left behind sites filled with trash and human waste where soil is compacted and exposed to erosion.”

The closures can be seen as interconnected, said Bobilya, with people who are intent on getting outside seeking out places that have not yet instituted closures, meaning that areas that remain open longer will see higher visitation than usual as recreationists are pushed to an ever-dwindling number of places.

“As the options get smaller, other areas increase in usage exponentially,” he said.

THE ROLE OF RESCUE While these closures have been difficult to accept for some, especially for locals who consider public lands like the national parks and forests to be an extension of their backyards, federal agencies have to make management decisions that place equal emphasis on the needs of local users and those visiting from the opposite coast.

In this way, Western North Carolina’s public lands are perhaps a victim of their own success — the Smokies, the Parkway and the Pisgah-Nantahala said that, even amid the cri-

sis, out-of-state visitors continued to flock to their most popular sites. Such overcrowding creates a health risk for the visitors themselves, but also for the rescue crews who would be asked to respond should an emergency occur. Most rescues involve 10 to 12 people in close contact around a wheeled litter, said Soehn — social distancing is not an option in that scenario.

“The Pisgah’s popularity makes it difficult to find secluded areas where visitors can follow the CDC’s social distancing guidelines and limits on group size,” said Dowd, public information officer for the National Forests in North Carolina. “It attracts out-of-state visitors who have the potential to strain the resources of local communities with limited health care facilities and volunteer-based emergency services.”

That’s a real concern, said Bobilya, but depending how long these coronavirus closures go on, public agencies will need to weigh those considerations against the important physical and mental health benefits outdoor recreation provides.

“To restrict access to every space that’s publicly owned and managed raises other questions and concerns,” he said. “I think it’s in that context that we need to be bringing back the idea of rescue-free spaces.”

Rescue-free wilderness is an idea first proposed by Daniel Dustin and Leo McAvoy in a 1981 Journal of Forestry article. The concept was motivated by a desire to prevent land managers’ desire to protect visitors from themselves from depriving people of the opportunity to enjoy true solitude and privacy in the wilderness. However, it’s never gained serious traction with the federal agencies that oversee the lion’s share of America’s public lands.

“The Forest Service does not have rescue crews and we would not purposely jeopardize visitor safety by asking local counties to suspend emergency rescue operations just to keep a trail open when there are other options for getting exercise,” said Dowd.

“I don’t think that that’s realistic in a place like the Parkway,” Brandon added. “If an emergency happens, that person would need attention, and so we would want to be responsive, obviously.”

ROAD TO REOPENING Land managers are in a “tough spot” during this crisis, Bobilya acknowledged. They, like everyone else these days, are rolling with the punches, “making decisions based on what we know today to try to protect folks tomorrow.”

For that reason, he said, it’s vital that these decisions be constantly evaluated and re-evaluated.

“I hope that it’s not a decision made today that’s static for the duration of the state mandate or the county’s mandate,” he said. “I think they’ll have to continue to re-evaluate it.”

That’s exactly what’s happening on a continual basis, Soehn, Dowd

Virtual film festival to feature female adventurers

The popular synchronous firefly viewing event in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been canceled this year as efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 continue.

“The synchronous firefly viewing area at Elkmont simply isn’t spacious enough to safely allow hundreds of people to gather under the current health guidance,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “While disappointing, the safety of our employees, volunteers and visitors continues to be our number one priority.”

Every year in late May or early June, the firefly species Photinus carolinus creates a natural light show after dark when males of the species flash in unison as part of their mating ritual. The Visitors wait for the trolley to Elkmont spectacle attracts thousands of visitors Campground to view the synchronous to Elkmont Campground, where the firefireflies during a prior year. NPS photo flies occur in large numbers. Last year, 28,958 people from all 50 states and 19 regional conditions and work with local comcountries entered the lottery for shuttle access munities to assess dates for an orderly to view the fireflies, and passes were distribreopening of park facilities in a manner that uted to applicants from 42 states, Canada provides for the health and safety of employand the Federated States of Micronesia. About ees, volunteers, partners, residents and visi8,000 people in total viewed the fireflies. tors. Updates will be posted at In addition to concerns about the area’s www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/conditions.ht ability to accommodate crowds, park officials m and social media platforms. noted that shuttle service to the event would Park rangers are available to answer not support CDC guidelines requiring individquestions during business hours at uals to maintain 6 feet of distance from each 828.506.8620 or grsm_smokies_informaother. Due to on-site parking limitations, the tion@nps.gov. shuttle service is the only mode of transporta-

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Smoky Mountain News

we’re going to be implementing are things that are just good practice to have implemented,” Soehn said.

Planned changes include Plexiglas shields in the visitor centers and campground offices, increased use of personal protective equipment, revised protocols for emergency services staff and changes to routines for cleaning restrooms and facilities.

The park also plans to put up new signage reminding people to maintain physical distance between themselves and other visitors.

Reopening will likely occur in phases grouped similarly to the closures. Basic facilities like roads and trails will likely reopen first, with services like restrooms, visitor centers and programming restored later.

“You could imagine it almost in the reverse (of the closures),” said Brandon. “Places where it’s harder to maintain social distance would not be open until that could be more safely done.”

The timing of all this will cause another set of complications.

A trash can on the Blue Ridge Parkway is filled Seasonal workers account for to overflowing while services are limited during the about 30 percent of the Smokies’ pandemic. NPS photo workforce and 45 percent of the Parkway’s, starting work between March and May and then leaving after the fall season. The pandemic’s exploThe Smokies expects to announce a sion in March and ensuing stay-at-home phased re-opening plan this week, said orders will disrupt the typical schedule of Soehn, and has been in constant communihiring, training and onboarding these workcation with the communities surrounding it ers. to develop that plan.

The Smokies straddles Tennessee and “We don’t want to start to reopen parks North Carolina, while the Parkway spans before our local communities are ready for large parts of Virginia and North Carolina. that influx,” she said. “Again, we generally Tennessee’s stay-at-home order is expected have a million visitors each year in May, so to expire at the end of the month, with that’s a lot of support that our local comNorth Carolina’s continuing through at munities will need to have in place to be least May 8. However, Virginia Gov. Ralph able to provide those services for that many Northam has implemented an order that visitors.” will last through June 10.

While waiting for the go-ahead from local communities and keeping an eye on “When you layer those dates in with the how the virus is spreading, the Smokies is time of year it is on the Parkway when we working on new policies and infrastructure typically would have been hiring seasonal to ensure that when it reopens, visiting the and training seasonals and opening seasonal park will be as safe as possible. facilities and turning winterized systems back “I don’t think it will ever be ‘normal’ for on — all those things are going to take time us, and I think some of the mitigations that to put back into motion,” said Brandon. and Brandon all said. The parks are looking to the federal, state and local governments of the areas they serve for guidance as to when those communities might consider it wise to begin reopening. Timing will also depend on supply of personal protective and sanitizing equipment, the ability to facilitate social distancing at various sites and staffing capacity.

tion for visitors during the firefly viewing.

The entire park is currently closed to visitors until further notice due to the pandemic.

The original closure announcement was from March 24 through April 6, but on April 1 the park announced that it would extend the closure indefinitely. The only areas that remain open during this time are the Foothills Parkway and Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Park managers will continue to evaluate

outdoors

The No Man’s Land Film Festival will come to the mountains for the third year in a row on Tuesday, May 5, but this time it will be held virtually.

The premier all-woman adventure film festival, No Man’s Land features short films about female adventurers who inspire with tenacity, spunk and femininity. The 90-minute screening will be available 6 to 11 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required to receive the access link, and donations are encouraged.

The screening is made possible by MountainTrue, Liquidlogic Kayaks, Blue Ridge Energy Systems and Appalachian Mountain Brewery. Register at mountaintrue.org/nmlff2020.

Synchronous firefly event canceled

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Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2020

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The Jackson County Farmers Market will set up at Innovation Station in Dillsboro, Wednesdays 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. starting in May. The Wednesday market had previously been held at Bridge Park, where the Saturday market will still be located from 9 a.m. to noon. Moving the Wednesday event to

Dillsboro is intended to expand the market and bring in new customers.

The Jackson County Farmers Market is not currently offering craft vendors due to COVID-19 restrictions on non-essential businesses but continues to host local farmers and businesses selling a variety of locally made and raised food items. Cash, credit, debit and SNAP benefits are accepted, and Double Up Food Bucks are available for SNAP recipients.

Lisa McBride, 828.393.5236 or jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

outdoors

Dillsboro to host Jackson County Farmers Market

Landscaping manager Melissa Tinsley works in the greenhouse. Lake Junaluska photo

Join Yoga in the Garden

Lake Junaluska offers plant sale The Lake Junaluska Annual Plant Sale will be offered this year despite the slew of COVID-19 closures — but with a change of format.

Orders will be taken by phone and available for pickup from the Lake Junaluska greenhouse on Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2. More than 2,000 plants are available, including annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, roses, bulbs and mixed hanging baskets. An online catalog featuring photos, plant names, sizes, availability and pricing

is available at www.lakejunaluska.com/plants.

An in-person shopping event was originally scheduled for April 24-25 and May 12. The changes are designed to support health and social distancing recommendations during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

To place an order, call 828.646.1865 by April 29, pay by credit card and schedule a curbside pickup at the Lake Junaluska greenhouse, located at 82 Sleepy Hollow Drive.

Soak in a field full of peonies

The first installment of Yoga in the Garden will be offered Monday, May 4, and continue each week through August.

Offered by the Highlands Biological Foundation and Yoga Highlands, the sessions will be led by Rachel Kinback of Yoga Highlands in the Highlands Botanical Garden and broadcast online.

Like the Highlands Biological Station’s Facebook page to receive information about how to tune in. The sessions are free, but donations are accepted at www.highlandsbiological.org.

828.526.2623.

Participants practice yoga on Mount Satulah. Donated photo

April 29-May 5, 2020

Visit a field full of peonies with the 2020 Festival of Peonies in Bloom this May. Wildcat Ridge Farm on the banks of the Pigeon River in Haywood County specializes in growing, propagating and selling the finest herbaceous Itoh intersectionals, Chinese tree peonies plants and fresh peony cut flowers. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day in May, the farm will be open to the public to enjoy a month-long celebration of blooming paradise.

The farm will remain open amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as the 5-acre farm offers plenty of space for folks to spread out and the event never attracts a crowd all at once.

The farm is located at 3552 Panther Creek Road in the Crabtree area of Haywood County.

828.627.6751 or www.wildcatridgefarm.com.

Central Haywood students hold plant sale

Chili cook-off raises money for clean water Haywood Waterways Association’s second Annual Chili Cookoff raised $2,800 to benefit the organization’s clean water protection work.

Elevated Mountain Distilling hosted the event, which attracted 10 cookers and more than 100 tasters. The competition featured awards for a Judged Blind Tasting Award, a People’s Choice Award and a Best Decorated Award.

The winners were: Judged Blind Tasting:

• 1st Place: GA Chili Dawgs (Jason Barwick, Neeli Barwick and Jerry Bartle) • 2nd Place: LA Pot Stirrers (Phil Winchester and Kay Thorp) • 3rd Place: Chuck Wagon (Jim Starley, Connie Adams and Amanda Fekany) • People’s Choice: Just Chili’n (Lucas Kyle, Patrick Tinsley, Melissa Tinsley and Kassie Phillips) • Best Decorated: Chef George Bonso Billy’s Roadkill Chili (George and Cathy Johnson) All proceeds are being used in Haywood County to improve degraded streams and protect those that are already clean.

Grab a cup of joe and start your day with our e-newsletter that hits your inbox every Friday morning

Smoky Mountain News

Central Haywood High School students will hold a plant sale 9 a.m. to noon May 2 and May 4-9 at the school’s greenhouse located at 60 Hyder Mountain Road in Clyde.

Annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables and trees will be available for sale, carefully cultivated by students in natural resources, agriculture science and horticulture classes since January.

Proceeds will support the school’s agriculture program. Call 828.627.9944 with questions.

We’ve got New Stories and some from The Vault, along With Entertainment and Outdoor Suggestions for Your Weekend.

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outdoors

Pine Snake. Jeff Hall photo

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2020

Report pine snake sightings Pine snake sightings are wanted as part of an effort to help biologists learn more about the reptiles’ distribution in southwestern North Carolina.

Pine snakes are large, non-venomous snakes that spend most of their time underground — meaning that spotting one is no easy task. However, spring is the best time to see one aboveground as they seek mates and food, bask in the sun or move from burrow to burrow.

Pine snakes typically range in size between 4 and 5 feet, though some can be as large as 7 feet. They have a white, tan or yellowish background color with dark brown or black markings that begin as heavy mottling on the head and gradually become distinct blotches toward the tail. They prefer open areas within pineoak forests with well-drained and sandy soils. In North Carolina, they’re mostly found in the Sandhills and southern Coastal Plain, but there have been several confirmed sightings in Cherokee and Swain counties.

People who spot a pine snake should send an email to pinesnake@ncwildlife.org that includes a photo, time and date of the observation and a location. GPS coordinates are preferred, but a detailed location description is acceptable.

Pine snakes are protected in North Carolina and cannot be taken from the wild without a permit.

Complete a virtual Smokies hike A virtual hiking event will help raise funds for programs in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through June 6, and outdoors enthusiasts can participate without leaving their neighborhoods or even homes.

“Even though the park is closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, critical preservation and wildlife management efforts must continue,” said Tim Chandler, executive director and CEO at Friends of the Smokies. “We’re hoping our ‘Friends’ can help while enjoying this outdoor challenge that honors one of the park’s most iconic trails.”

Friends of the Smokies invites supporters to fundraise and complete the 4.6-mile virtual hike to Alum Cave or the 10-mile challenge to the top of Mount LeConte.

Participants can log mileage in their neighborhood, yard or even a treadmill. Those who raise at least $200 will receive a T-shirt and medal by mail, and contributions of $500 or more will qualify for additional swag.

Sign up at www.alumcaveathome.org.

Bike trails included among proposed Smokies projects Planning is underway to address visitor access, safety, transportation and recreation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and public feedback is requested to help park officials make those decisions.

The projects involved are: n Wears Valley Mountain Bike Trail and Metcalf Bottoms Access Improvements Feasibility Study.

These two separate projects are being considered together, and would include the possibility of developing a mountain bike trail network along the Foothills Parkway — if approved, this would

View from Alum Cave. Kristy Parsons photo

be the first location in the park to allow mountain biking. In addition, a range of options would be analyzed to address deficiencies on Wear Cove Gap Road and to improve traffic flow from the planned Foothills Parkway Section 8D in Wears Valley to Little River Gorge Road in Metcalf Bottoms. n Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Spur Safety Improvements Planning. A July 2019 study of the Spur indicated a need to address safety issues, traffic congestion and planning for future improvements. Several improvement concepts are being considered to improve intersections and widen corridors. n Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Spur Greenway Feasibility Study. In the same study area as the Spur Safety Improvements, the Spur Greenway project will explore the feasibility of a multi-use

(pedestrian and bicycle) trail between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge to connect with existing and future greenways within these gateway communities. The project aims to encourage visitors to be active and enjoy the park outside of their vehicles.

Public comment is open through May 22.

After considering the input received, the park will develop a range of concepts and preliminary alternatives for each project and determine whether a formal National Environmental Policy Act process is needed. The NEPA process would include more opportunities for public comment.

Learn more or submit comments at parkplanning.nps.gov/GRSM. Comments can also be mailed to Transportation and Recreation Planning Projects, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738.

N.C. negative for chronic wasting disease Testing of more than 2,300 deer during the 2019-2020 sampling season did not detect any cases of chronic wasting disease in North Carolina.

Testing came from samples collected statewide by hunters, meat processors, taxidermists, road-kills and deer showing symptoms of disease.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has been testing for CWD since 1999, increasing surveillance efforts

Puzzles can be found on page 30 These are only the answers.

after the disease was recorded east of the Mississippi River in 2002. Systemic statewide surveillance began in 2003 in five-year intervals, with some opportunistic sampling occurring in intervening years. In 2018, biologists implemented a revised annual surveillance strategy by increasing the number of samples collected and targeting sources such as road kill and older deer more likely to carry CWD. To date, no cases have been detected in

the more than 13,700 samples collected and tested in North Carolina to date.

CWD is a transmissible, always fatal, neurological disease that affects deer and other cervids such as elk, moose and caribou. Currently, four Canadian provinces and 26 states, including neighbors Tennessee and Virginia, have documented cases. www.ncwildlife.org/hunting/after-thehunt/deer-diseases.

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26

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WNC Calendar PLEASE CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS TO ENSURE EVENTS HAVE NOT BEEN CANCELED BEFORE TRAVELING TO AN EVENT LISTED BELOW. • Orders for the Lake Junaluska Annual Plant Sale will be taken by phone and available for pick-up from the Lake Junaluska greenhouse on Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2. The advance ordering and curbside pick-up process replaces in-person shopping for the event. See the plant catalog at www.lakejunaluska.com/plants. Call 828.646.1865 to place an order.

• If you go out on April 29, remember to wear denim on that day to support the survivors of sexual assault. The color teal is also the color for sexual assault awareness month (April) and wearing a teal shirt or ribbon this month is also a good way to show support. Additionally, REACH of Haywood welcomes financial donation on that day (or any day) to support services. Visit reachofhaywood.org or send a check to REACH of Haywood County, P.O. Box 206, Waynesville, NC 28786.

• North Shore Cemetery Association announced the cancellation of all North Shore Cemetery Decorations through June 15. At present, all group activities within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are suspended through June 15 and this may change in the future given the complexity and unknown factors concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society is once again canceling its next scheduled meeting for May 7. The program, “Parson’s Branch Road” has been tentatively re-scheduled for the June 4.

• Bardo Arts Center has a new webpage dedicated to virtual opportunities at arts.wcu.edu/virtual. Highlights include a series of Thursday lunchtime webinar presentations, which will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube, as well as through the arts.wcu.edu/virtual website. The Thursday webinar series opens with a theatrical talkback, followed by three webinars related to WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions.

• First United Methodist Church will continue online worship for the next several weeks. They invite people to join in the worship service on Sunday mornings beginning at 10 a.m. via Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/sylvafumc. For more information, contact the church office at 828.586.2358.

• All Fontana Regional Library locations in Macon, Jackson, and Swain counties will remain closed until further notice.

• Moe Davis, the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 11th District, will be hosting a series of "Moe Talks" Facebook Live virtual town halls. There will be two events to be held at the same time each week: from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Mondays and from 7 to 8 p.m.

Thursdays. Topics will change week to week. Viewers can submit questions in advance to the @MoeDavisforCongress Facebook Page.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Haywood Community College’s registration for summer classes is now open. Most summer semester classes will begin Monday, June 8. Visit haywood.edu or contact us at hcc-advising@haywood.edu or 828.627.2821 to start the registration process.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering several virtual trainings in April and May to give professionals the opportunity to still engage in training while practicing social distancing. For more information about these programs, visit pdp.wcu.edu.

• Western Carolina University’s annual Controlled Chaos Film Festival will be shifting from the big screen to small screen this spring. The festival will be

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com streamed Friday, May 8, beginning with a red-carpet event at 7:30 p.m. on WCU’s social channels, followed by the full festival at the Controlled Chaos website, controlledchaos.wcu.edu.

• Registration is underway for “Basics of Bookkeeping,” a seminar that will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, in Clyde. Info and Registration: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Registration is underway for “Your Small Business Taxes,” a webinar that will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, April 21. Info and Registration: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Small business owners can find materials and services to support business growth at Fontana Regional Library’s locations in Macon, Jackson and Swain Counties. Computer classes and one-on-one assistance available. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

• Concealed Carry Academy, LLC, will hold a concealed carry class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 16. Call 828.356.5454 for details. Visit www.wecancarry.com.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • The historic Shelton House in Waynesville is currently in need of volunteers for an array of upcoming events. Alongside help for events and gatherings, the organization is also seeking a docent, gift shop attendee, data entry person, landscaper, handyperson, and other positions.

• Haywood Vocational Opportunities is seeking donations of goods, services, time and support for the second annual “HVO Stans Up to PTSD Veteran Community Resource, Education and Job Fair,” which will be held on June 27. 454.6857.

• Feline Urgent Rescue is seeking volunteers and sponsors. Info: 422.2704, www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/furofwnc or 844.888.CATS (2287).

• Cat adoption hours are from noon-5 p.m. on Fridays and noon-4 p.m. on Saturdays at 453 Jones Cove Road in Clyde. Adoption fee: $10 for cats one-year and older.

Check out available cats at www.petharbor.com.

452.1329 or 550.3662.

Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties.

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking volunteers to assist rangers with managing traffic and establishing safe wildlife viewing areas within the Cataloochee Valley area. To register for training or get more info: Kathleen_stuart@nps.gov or 497.1914.

• Haywood Regional Medical Center is seeking volunteers of all ages for ongoing support at the hospital, outpatient care center and the Homestead. For info and to apply: 452.8301, stop by the information desk in the lobby or volunteer@haymed.org. Anyone interested in becoming a hospice volunteer can call 452.5039.

• STAR Rescue Ranch is seeking volunteers to help with horse care, fundraising events, barn maintenance and more at the only equine rescue in Haywood County.

828.400.4940.

• Volunteer opportunities are available throughout the

Smoky Mountain News

region, call John at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center and get started sharing your talents. 356.2833.

• Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2800.

KIDS & FAMILIES • The Kathryn Byer Memorial Poetry Contest celebrates our mountains and our connection to them in our everyday lives. It is open to all Jackson County students, K12. The poets are divided into three categories: K-4th grade, 5th-8th grade, and 9-12th. Three winners, in addition to Honorable Mentions, will be chosen in each category. Poems should be no longer than 40 lines, but can be much shorter, of course. Poems should be submitted to City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, either in person, mail or by email to more@citylightsnc.com by April 10. Please include “Poetry Contest” in the subject line.

The winners in each category will receive gift certificates to City Lights Bookstore and will be invited to read at Greening up the Mountains at 3 p.m. April 25 at City Lights Bookstore. Winners will be announced by April 20. 586.9499.

• The Sylva Art + Design Committee is pleased to announce a unique pop-up gallery event that will feature the artistic creations of children ages 5-18 in the Western North Carolina region. “Nature Through A Child’s Eye” will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at Viva Arts Studio in downtown Sylva. If you have a child that you think may want to be a participant ages of 5-18 apply by emailing sylvaartdesign@gmail.com or vivaartsstudio@gmail.com. Facebook at www.facebook.com/sylvapublicart or on Instagram @sylvaarts. All submissions will be available for purchase and can be picked up after the completion of the exhibition. All money raised will be equally distributed between SADC and the Sylva Community Garden in order to further the betterment of the community through arts, education, and environmental awareness.

• Registration is underway for the Challenger International Soccer Camp, which will be offered to ages 3-14 from July 20-24 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Costs vary based on age group from $90-197. Separate goalkeeper and scorer program is $25 for ages 6-14 from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday.

Register: challengersports.com. Info: 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Waynesville Art School offers the Young Artist Program in the afternoons for 5-6 year old, 7-8 year old, 9-12 year old. Intro to Printmaking and Evening studies in arts is offered for 13-19 year old. Waynesville Art School is located at 303 N. Haywood Street. Info: 246.9869, info@waynesvilleartschool.com or visit WaynesvilleArtSchool.com for schedule and to register.

• Mountain Wildlife offers wildlife education programs for schools and organizations in Western North Carolina, free of charge. If you are interested in having them visit your group contact them at blackbears66@gmail.com, 743.9648 or visit the website at www.mountainwildlifedays.com.

Ongoing HEALTH MATTERS • Free dental clinic for low-income patients, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment at Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project Dental Clinic on the upper level of Laurel Terrace in Cashiers. 743.3393.

27

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 • The Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, provides free care to uninsured patients who meet financial need requirements and live or work in Highlands and Cashiers. $10 donation suggested. The clinic is in the Macon County Recreation and Health Building off Buck Creek Road. 526.1991.

VOLUNTEERING • The Haywood County Meals on Wheels program has route openings for volunteer drivers. Substitute drivers also needed.

• P.A.W.S. Adoption Days first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn at Charleston Station, Bryson City.

• The Community Kitchen in Canton is in need of volunteers. Opportunities range from planning a meal updating their webpage. 648.0014.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County is now accepting applications for boys and girls within the Haywood County area between the ages of 6 and 14 who could benefit from an approved adult mentor/role model. No cost to the family. 356.2148.

• Gathering Table, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, at The Community Center, Route 64, Cashiers. Provides fresh, nutritious dinners to all members of the community regardless of ability to pay. Volunteers always needed and donations gratefully accepted. 743.9880.

• The Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center has many new openings for volunteers throughout the region. Learn about a wide-range of volunteer opportunities with a variety of non-profit agencies, including respite work, domestic violence hotline volunteers, meal delivery drivers, court mediators, Habitat for Humanity house building, foster grandparenting, charity thrift shops, the Elk Bugle Corps for the Great Smokies National Park and many more. 356.2833.

• Community Care Clinic of Franklin needs volunteers for a variety of tasks including nursing/clinical, clerical and administrative and communications and marketing. 349.2085.

• Catman2 Shelter in Jackson County needs volunteers for morning feeding and general shelter chores.

293.0892 or hsims@catman2.org.

• The Volunteer Water Inventory Network (VWIN) is looking for people to work one to two hours a month taking water samples from local creeks and streams. Fill up empty bottles, collect water samples, and return full bottles. 926.1308 or www.haywoodwaterways.org.

• The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society maintains a museum located in the historical courthouse in room 308. The HCHGS is seeking articles and objects of historical value to Haywood County that anyone would like to share. 456.3923.

• REACH of Haywood County is looking for volunteers who would like to assist in its newly expanded resale store. 456 Hazelwood Avenue. 456.7898.

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www.smokymountainnews.com

April 29-May 5, 2020

WNC MarketPlace

Stone walls symbolize a delicate balance (Editor’s note: This column first appeared in a May 2001 edition of The Smoky Mountain News.)

OLD STONE WALLS “An entire book might be written about the natural history of an old stone wall.”

— Edwin Way Teale, A Naturalist Buys An Old Farm (1974)

W

George Ellison

e are attracted to those places where the forces of the natural and human worlds have come to terms with one another and live in harmony: dilapidated barns chocked full of hay; longestablished but abandoned garden spots that produce showy Columnist perennials year to year on their own; and homesteads by a creek with lamplight gleaming in the window, smoke curling upward into the starry night.

Old stone walls are the epitome of this sort of balanced existence. Built with hard labor and real care by human hands using the most basic of materials, the stone walls that trace the woodlands and fields here in the mountains often assume a life of their own, existing somewhere between man’s

obvious utilitarian desires and nature’s sly chaos. A stone wall that once stood up the creek from our place here on the southern slope of the Smokies near the national park boundary line was typical of most such structures.

It was surely nothing special to look at.

About 50 feet in length and several feet high and wide, it wasn’t a pretentious structure by any means. Even as walls go, it was a pretty quiet wall. But it was also a clear sign of some previous family’s attempt to make a permanent statement about their residence in and care for a particular patch of ground.

The wall lined a footpath that wound up the creek through a small wooded area to where a footbridge once led out into the “real” world.

These days the “real” world has encompassed that wooded area. Some years ago we spent an afternoon with a chainsaw, hoes, and bare hands reclaiming the wall from honeysuckle and poison ivy vines.

Many of the stone walls and piles up on the slopes above the valley were built as a way to stack and remove field stones from areas planted in crops, mostly corn.

Beyond serving as refuse areas and ways to prevent soil erosion, they are not especially attractive. But the wall through the woodland beside the creek was built as a way to

define a quiet pathway — a link — between the fields and the various homesteads. It was a calculated down-to-earth rural project that was also a spiritual statement of sorts.

John Burroughs, my favorite 19th century naturalist, once observed in an essay titled “Notes By The Way” that he “often thought what a chapter of natural history might be written on ‘Life Under a Stone,’ so many of our smaller creatures take refuge there — ants, crickets, spiders, wasps, bumblebees, the solitary bee, mice, toads, snakes, and newts. What do these things do in a country without stones? A stone makes a good roof, a good shield; it is waterproof and fire-proof, and, until the season becomes too rigorous, frost-proof, too. The field mouse wants no better place to nest than beneath a large, flat stone, and the bumblebee is entirely satisfied if she can get possession of a mouse’s old or abandoned quarters.”

Burroughs was writing about stones in general, of course, but his observations would also apply to stone walls, which are — in my opinion — incomplete without chipmunks. I always hoped a pair would take up residence in this partially tumbleddown stone wall, but they never did.

Copperheads lived there. And skinks and mice. Crusted, flat lichens decorated the stones, creating fantastic maps with their

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doily-like patterns. Some of these slowgrowing lichen patches were so large they obviously predated the wall-building itself by centuries. They were perhaps there when the first Indians walked the watershed we now reside in thousands of years ago.

When I paused and studied the wall, it was difficult to discern just where the soil of the pathway ended and the lichensplotched stone began. These two entities had gradually assimilated, blended, and become one. This path and wall become a part of our family’s everyday existence — a designated wayfare for coming and going by daylight or starlight or moonlight. Even when we didn’t notice the wall, it ordered an important portion of our lives by its very presence. It was a soothing, undemanding, stable presence that was always there and would always be there, I supposed. After all, what can happen to a stone wall? In a single day — less than eight hours — the wall was obliterated by a bulldozer. The new owner of the land above ours on the creek cleared the area for rental cabins. It wasn’t our land or our wall. I don’t regret that I didn’t take a photograph. The sun-dappled pathway and its quiet border of hand-laid stones live on in our memories and those of our children. That’s a species of immortality, I suppose.

(George Ellison is a writer and naturalist who lives in Bryson City. info@georgeellison.com.)

April 29-May 5, 2020

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Smoky Mountain News April 29-May 5, 2020