Darren Nicholson releases anticipated solo album Page 20
On the Cover:
Sylva has its new skatepark, but for now it’s just temporary. Skaters in Jackson County and beyond are hoping for something more permanent in the future.
(Page 7) A skater hits the halfpipe. Hannah McLeod photo
News
Supreme Court ruling preserves tribal sovereignty....................................................4
Canton logs eighth recent earthquake..........................................................................5
Macon passes budget, maintains lowest tax rate in state......................................6 Macon imposes penalty for camping on greenway..................................................8
Former congressional candidate sentenced for campaign violation..................10 Crowe to plead guilty to federal charges..................................................................11
Contentious vote coming on Waynesville social district ......................................12 Cherokee Schools water damage repair to total ‘many millions’........................15 Police shooting victim sues for millions......................................................................17
If you had a magic crayon, what would you draw?................................................18 Patriotism requires a common story............................................................................19
A&E
Darren Nicholson releases highly anticipated solo album....................................20
On the shelf: The amazing life of Teddy Roosevelt ................................................29
Outdoors
New Maggie Valley fly shop debuts fly fishing festival..........................................30
Notes from a plant nerd: World, lose strife................................................................34
Amanda Bradley.
Sophia Burleigh.
C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier.
N EWS E DITOR: Kyle Perrotti.
WRITING: Holly Kays.
Hannah McLeod.
Cory Vaillancourt.
Garret K. Woodward.
ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Jamie Cogdill.
D ISTRIBUTION: Scott Collier.
susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com
holly@smokymountainnews.com
hannah@smokymountainnews.com
garret@smokymountainnews.com
classads@smokymountainnews.com
C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Thomas Crowe (writing)
WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786
P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585
SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779
P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789
I NFO & B ILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786
SUBSCRIPTION: 1 YEAR $65 | 6 MONTHS $40 | 3 MONTHS $25
Native American tribes across the country are celebrating after a June 15 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a challenge to the 45-year-old Indian Child Welfare Act. The case had the potential to upend the foundations of tribal sovereignty.
“The Indian Child Welfare Act was a necessary response to dark periods in history where Indian children were intentionally taken from their families for the express purpose of stripping their Native identities,” said Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Richard Sneed. “We are heartened that the Supreme Court has affirmed the legal and constitutional validity of this vital legal framework to prevent those wrongs from happening again.”
ICWA was enacted in 1978 after Congress found that an “alarmingly high percentage of Indian families [were] broken up by the removal, often unwarranted, of their children from them by nontribal public and private agencies.” The law governs adoptions involving Native American children, giving first preference to adoptive parents who are tribal members. It signaled the end to the federal government’s century-long effort to obliter-
ate tribes by preventing them from passing their cultures and traditions to the next generation. Starting in the late 1800s, children were forcibly removed from their homes in large numbers for enrollment at far-away boarding schools or placement in non-Indian adoptive and foster homes.
In Haaland v. Brackeen, the plaintiffs asked the Supreme Court to strike the law down as unconstitutional, a decision that would have shaken the very foundations on which tribal sovereignty rests. But in a 7-2 decision, the court ruled against the plaintiffs and upheld ICWA.
“The issues are complicated — so for the details, read on,” reads the majority opinion authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett. “But the bottom line is that we reject all of petitioners’ challenges to the statute, some on the merits and others for lack of standing.”
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito offered the two dissenting opinions. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh each filed concurring opinions of their own in addition to joining Barrett’s opinion.
"Today’s decision is a welcome affirmation across Indian Country of what presidents and congressional majorities on both sides of the aisle have recognized for the past four decades,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, whose job title made her a party to the lawsuit and who is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe.
Congress passed ICWA to put an end to longstanding policies that forcibly removed
Indian children from their families in a “targeted attack on the existence of tribes” that “inflicted trauma on children, families and communities that people continue to feel today,” Haaland said.
“The act ensured that the United States’ new policy would be to meet its legal and moral obligation to protect Indian children and families, and safeguard the future of Indian tribes," she wrote.
Not everyone is celebrating, however.
“The Supreme Court’s long and complicated ruling in this morning’s Brackeen case comes as a let-down to anyone seeking a brighter future for Native American children,” reads a June 15 statement by Tommy Sandefur, vice president for legal affairs for the Goldwater Institute, which calls itself “the nation’s preeminent liberty organization.” Goldwater had filed a brief with the Supreme Court in support of the Brackeens.
Sandefur decried ICWA protections as race-based rules that fail to adequately protect Native American kids from abuse, and “effectively bar” non-Native adults from offering them loving, adoptive homes.
The case before the court came from three separate child custody cases but gets its name from Texas residents Chad and Jennifer Brackeen, who began fostering a 10-monthold boy whose parents were members of the Navajo and Cherokee nations. The boy’s parents wanted the Brackeens to adopt him, but the tribal nations did not. A legal battle ensued. The Brackeens eventually finalized the adoption after the Navajo Nation, which had been championing an alternative placement for the boy, dropped out of the lawsuit. The case that ultimately ended up in the Supreme Court was filed after the Brackeens sought to adopt the boy’s sister.
In 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Conner ruled in favor of the Brackeens,
sending shock waves through Indian Country when he found that ICWA unconstitutionally differentiated treatment based on race. Tribal affiliation has traditionally been understood as a political status, not a racial one — if O’Conner’s interpretation had stood, it would have cracked the entire foundation on which tribal sovereignty rests.
“If it’s deemed unconstitutional and that’s allowed to stand, it opens the door to every other aspect of the relationship between tribal governments and the federal government,”
Sneed said following the 2018 decision. “At that point you’re saying, ‘Well, tribes aren’t really sovereign because there can’t be a separate classification of people known as Indian tribes within this country because that’s unconstitutional, because it’s racebased.’ Everything that we do now where we act as a sovereign could be called into question.”
Last week’s majority opinion did not explicitly strike down O’Conner’s original interpretation, but it didn’t uphold it either. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard the case after O’Conner, was evenly divided as to whether ICWA’s prioritization of Native American foster families over nonNative homes was tantamount to unconstitutional racial discrimination, thus affirming the District Court ruling on that point. In the majority opinion, however, Barrett wrote that the plaintiffs did not have standing to bring that challenge.
This outcome offered a “silver lining in this cloud of legal abstraction,” Sandefur wrote.
“The Court left open the possibility of a future case in which ICWA’s constitutionality might be directly resolved,” he wrote. “As the justices noted, most ICWA cases are decided by state, rather than federal courts, and litigants in state ICWA cases remain free to raise the constitutional issues involved here.”
Rebecca Nagle, a leading Native American journalist who has been following the Brackeen case closely — even producing an entire podcast season exploring it — said on a Twitter thread that ICWA opponents may well try to raise the equal protection issue again, but that finding a custody case whose parties have standing and that goes on long enough to warrant litigation will be challenging.
“I do think the standing ruling is a significant set back for anti-ICWA advocates,” she wrote. “It’s been the thing blocking them all these years. In this case, they tried to use legal trickery to get around it. And the Supreme Court shut that down.”
The plaintiffs’ argument was multifaceted — it wasn’t just about equal protection. They challenged the law on multiple points, and the court ruled against them.
“Today’s decision is a major victory for Native tribes, children and the future of our culture and heritage,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin. “It is also a broad affirmation of the rule of law, and of the basic constitutional principles surrounding relationships between Congress and tribal nations. We hope this decision will lay to rest the political attacks aimed at diminishing tribal sovereignty and creating instability throughout Indian law that have persisted for too long.”
Another earthquake shook the Canton area last week, bringing the count to eight quakes since May 23.
That may feel alarming to a community that’s faced tremendous change since Pactiv Evergreen’s March 6 announcement that the town’s 115-year-old mill would close for good, but geologically speaking nothing has shifted, said David Korte, senior geologist for the N.C. Geological Survey. The earthquakes stem from geologic stress from the long-ago formation of the Appalachian Mountains that’s still working itself out. Canton doesn’t sit on an active plate boundary, however.
“You have layers of rock that are essentially folded and stressed, and some wanted to fold easily and some didn't,” he said. “And it just takes a while for them to equalize. Usually a crack forms, and then the stress equalizes, and that's what's happening here. And it's not infrequent in this part of North Carolina. It’s just it's rarely felt.”
In the last three years, 19 earthquakes have been recorded in North Carolina from Asheville west, including the eight recent ones in Canton, but that number rises to 75 when including the portion of Eastern Tennessee ringing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Of the 75, 42 had a magnitude of 2 or lower; of the eight recent quakes in Canton, only one fell into that category. The remaining seven ranged in magnitude from 2.1 to 3.2.
Around 2.5 or so is “when you start to feel it,” Korte said.
The latest earthquake, which occurred at 12:52 a.m. Friday, June 16, about 3 miles north of Canton, was the second-weakest of the eight recent quakes, with a magnitude of 2.1. Only two people reported feeling it. By contrast, 740 people reported feeling the 3.2 magnitude quake that occurred June 4.
Korte said that there’s no history of earthquake swarms like this one leading to any more intense type of geologic activity. There’s also no typical timetable for them to finish. The June 16 quake could be the last in the series, or there could be more to come. Either way, though, it’s nothing unusual or troubling from a geologic point of view.
“It's a natural thing that happens around here, and most of the time it’s not felt, which is why this time, as most of them are in the mid twos, people have felt them and they’re concerned,” he said. “They aren’t necessarily any indication of anything bigger coming along.”
Part of the community concern stemmed from the timing. The first quake in the swarm occurred the day before Pactiv Evergreen’s last day of production, with subsequent earthquakes peppering the weeks since. Mayor Zeb Smathers had expressed concern that the two could be related.
Korte said he understands the psychology behind such a concern, given that within less than two years the community has weathered a devastating flood and faced the exit of its mainstay employer. But neither tragedy is responsible for the earthquakes.
“Scientifically, they’re not connected,” he said.
The NC Network for Fair, Safe & Secure Elections, in partnership with Catawba College, has announced plans for a cross-partisan Commission on the Future of Elections.
State co-chairs of the Network, former Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts and former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, along with Catawba College Professor Dr. Michael Bitzer, Western Carolina University Professor Dr. Chris Cooper, and UNC-Charlotte Professor Dr. Martha Kropf, will serve as the organizing committee for the commission. The commission will be representative of North Carolina voters across the political spectrum.
“We are excited to continue our efforts in North Carolina to provide a cross-partisan examination of how elections work in our state and what would best serve the public in the future,” said Roberts. “Particularly in these times, there is a critical need to explore evidence-based best practices for North Carolina’s election systems. That will be the goal of this commission.”
This past year, the network engaged citizens across the state in all 14 of North Carolina’s congressional districts, with a series of town hall panel discussions aimed at solidifying confidence in North Carolina’s election process. These town halls featured election experts from across the political spectrum as well as professional election administrators.
“We were extremely pleased with the participation and bipartisan perspectives expressed across the state, affirming how well our election system works because of the tireless efforts of professional election staff and volunteers from both parties,” said Orr. “When citizens understand how a highly complex election system works to be safe and secure with over 7 million registered voters, they are much more confident in the process and the outcomes.”
After weeks of heated discussion and back and forth over both revenue and expenditures, the Macon County Commission approved the 2023-24 budget with just a few deviations from the draft version proposed last month. It maintained the proposed tax rate that will be the lowest property tax rate in the state of North Carolina for the coming fiscal year.
“It’s conservative budgeting meets sustained revenue,” County Manager Derek Roland has said repeatedly throughout the budget process.
Roland first presented the budget to the board of commissioners in May. The proposed Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget totaled just over $64.5 million, for an increase of 9.3% over the previous year. It did not pull any money from the fund balance and maintained $42 million, or approximately 68% of expenditures, in the fund balance. The proposed budget was balanced with a tax rate of $0.27 cents per $100 of assessed property value. While this was a significant drop from the tax rate of $0.40 per $100 of assessed value just last year, because the recommended tax rate was revenue neutral, most residents would not see a drop in the amount they pay in property taxes.
However, some commissioners made it clear from the outset that political optics were a vital factor in passing the budget, even one conservatively budgeted with the lowest proposed tax rate in the state.
“I understand the fiscal end of this thing, the financial end of it; you all do a great job of handling that, but there’s also a political end of this thing. We’ve never had a $5.5 million budget increase. A budget is a reflection of expenditures and revenues, but it’s the aesthetics, the optics of the thing,” said Commission Chairman Paul Higdon during the June 13 budget workshop. “As a conservative, there’s got to be some way that we can either roll things over next year or use fund balance to pay for some major one-time capital improvements. But to me, politically, that number has got to be decreased. Maybe that’s being selfish, but we are a political body.”
While the proposed 2023-24 budget was a 9.3% increase over the current year budget as it was passed last June at $59 million, Finance Director Lori Carpenter noted that the current year budget, as it has been revised throughout the year, is sitting at $65.4 million, which is actually more than the proposed 2023-24 budget of $64.5 million.
“I’m a conservative too, we have prepared it very conservatively,” said Carpenter. Early in the budget process commissioners began looking for ways to bring the total budget number down, as well as adding in items they were committed to.
One of the ways the commissioners
looked to lower the overall budget was to reduce pay increases for county employees. The proposed budget included a one-step advancement in the pay scale for all employees and a 3% cost-of-living adjustment. The one-step advancement amounts to an approximate 1.5% increase per employee resulting in a $424,200 increase from the current year budget to the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The 3% COLA results in a budget increase of $772,438.
The Southwestern Commission published a study that indicated the average COLA and merit increases for counties and municipalities in the western region of the state to be 3% and 1.8% respectively.
“The 3% COLA, one step, averaging 4.5%, me personally, that’s too much,” said Higdon. “I’m good with 2%.”
While Commissioner John Shearl agreed with Higdon on reducing pay increases, Commissioner Josh Young argued for keeping the increases because of how inflation is affecting families.
“Everybody in the government, anybody that’s in law enforcement, EMS, Parks and Rec, there are families involved,” said Young.
“This is probably the most critical piece of this budget,” said Roland. “...I realize that no matter how much we talk about capital improvement, no matter how much we talk about anything, none of that’s possible without being able to continue recruiting and retaining highly qualified employees.”
According to the county manager, the proposed increase would equal an 85-centper-hour increase for a sheriff’s deputy that makes $17 per hour.
During the June 19 budget workshop, Commissioners Danny Antoine, Josh Young and Gary Shields expressed their support for county employees and keeping the raises in the budget.
“I am in favor of the increase for the employees,” said Antoine.
Commissioners also debated whether the purchase of a new Molar Roller should be in the forthcoming budget. The Molar Roller is a mobile dental clinic which travels around Macon County providing routine dental services for children. The Molar Roller is outdated and after Medicaid reimbursement funds, the county was looking to spend about $300,000 on a new unit.
Shearl made the first motion to accept a budget during the June 19 meeting. Part of that motion included several changes to the budget — funds removed for the Molar Roller, funds removed for the Highlands School soccer field, funds removed for animal control truck and box, funds removed for a new animal control position, funds added for Zachary Park building repair and grading work for practice fields, funds added for phase two and phase three of the Highlands School expansion and funds added for a body scanner at the jail. Shearl also proposed no additional fees for the
Macon County Landfill or the Highlands transfer station.
Shearl proposed a decrease in the tax rate to $0.26. He also made clear that the budget he was proposing would contain raises for county employees this year but would not necessarily be included in the following year’s budget.
“That’s well and good, but the majority of these are capital items and the millage rate is operating revenue,” said Roland. “So we’re cutting operating revenue to offset capital expenditures. I would caution, that is our most reliable and primary revenue source, that funds our operation. It's revenue neutral right now.”
Shearl’s motion for the 2023-24 budget failed with Higdon voting for the measure and Antoine, Young and Shields voting against.
Commissioner Shearl continued to advocate for a reduced tax rate, but the county manager urged the board to maintain the proposed tax rate of $0.27 for several reasons, one being the ability to maintain work on the capital improvement plan which involves constructing the new Franklin High School, another being the ability to maintain a healthy economic standing in the coming years.
“As manager, I feel like it is my responsibility to let you know how important that revenue source is to our operating budget and the consistency that it provides and the assurity (sic) that it provides to the operation of this organization,” said Roland. “I can’t in good faith say to go below the number that myself, the financial advisor and our finance officer — at 27 cents, revenue neutral, the lowest tax rate in the state — that we based our capital expenditures on. That's what we based this operating budget on and that's the amount of revenue that we need to run this organization. So I can’t in good faith say go and reduce the primary revenue source another $800,000 when we’re already having to take on cost-of-living adjustment, we’re already having to take on increases in CPI, cost of goods increases,
increase in demand and should that continue and at the same time the sales tax fall, then we’re just gonna be stuck, so that’s all I’m saying.”
The final version of the budget that was accepted by the county commission on June 19 came on a motion from Commissioner Young. He proposed keeping the tax rate at $0.27 as it was originally proposed by staff, and on the recommendation of the county manager, reducing the amount budgeted for interest on investments in order to reduce revenues.
“We’re reducing a non-recurring revenue source to match a nonrecurring expenditure rather than reducing a nonrecurring expenditure and reducing a recurring revenue source,” said Roland.
The final budget totals $63,754,537. It does not include funding for the Highlands School soccer field project, but includes funding for design and construction documents for the Highlands School renovation project; it contains step and COLA increases as proposed for county employees; it contains funding for the new Molar Roller, but does not include funding for the animal control officer, truck or box; it reduces contingency by $285,657; it includes funding for Zachary Park improvements and a body scanner for the Macon County Jail. This is a net reduction of $812,441.
“I do appreciate everybody on this board and their political convictions and trying to keep our county fiscally responsible and really trying their best. I do appreciate that as a taxpayer myself. But I want you to keep in mind, we have the lowest tax rate in the state of North Carolina, and look what we’re able to do with the funds that we collect. I look at this from a 10,000-foot perspective and it’s really quite impressive, it really is,” said Young. “So please don’t lose sight of that.”
Commissioners Young, Higdon, Antoine and Shields voted in favor of the budget as it was amended in the motion from Commissioner Young. Commissioner Shearl voted against it.
“It’s conservative budgeting meets sustained revenue.”
— County Manager Derek Roland
STAFF W RITER
Skaters in Sylva finally have a place to ride in their own backyard after the opening of Sylva Pipes — a set of temporary skateboarding amenities constructed downtown.
“The vision was to bring a couple of features into town to have someplace skaters could come, and to get a new little green space,” said Town Commissioner Greg McPherson.
Sylva Pipes opened with a dedication on June 15. Located in the vacant lot behind Motion Makers, the features are technically temporary fixtures, rather than a permanent park, shipped in from California and constructed by the Public Works Department.
The town began looking into the purchase of a half pipe for the skate community last year while the longer and more expensive prospect of a permanent skatepark plays out. A grassroots organization of Jackson County residents, the “Sylva Skatepark Project,” began advocating for the construction of a skate park over a year ago. Both the town of Sylva and the county commission have been receptive to the group’s endeavors.
In the meantime, Sylva Commissioners McPherson and Mary Gelbaugh have been at the forefront of the effort to secure the pipe.
“I believe Sylva needs more amenities, more things for people to do when they come downtown, that being kids, teens or adults,” said McPherson while advocating for the purchase during a meeting in September. “This is an opportunity to provide a quick remedy for teens to hang out and have something fun and constructive to do.”
The equipment, a half-pipe with a five-foot extension, quarter-pipe, two rail slides and a box, cost the town $9,700
and was purchased from OC Ramps, a California-based company selling ramp kits that users can assemble with basic hand tools.
In August, the town finalized a lease agreement with Kent Cranford, previous owner of Motion Makers and current owner of the building that houses the business on Allen Street in Sylva. The lot behind the business has been vacant for years, and Cranford agreed to let the town use the space for the half pipe free of charge.
“I’d like to thank Kent for leasing us this property,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling. “The American Rescue Plan Funds, $10,000 of that went into this equipment and then Sylva Art and Design Committee also raised several hundred dollars, so we appreciate their efforts on it. I think this will be a great thing for the skaters of Sylva,” he said.
“Since we moved into that building eight years ago, I’ve always wanted to do something in the back that would be recreational-minded,” said Cranford after the lease was finalized. “When the town leaders inquired about temporarily locating the skate ramp, it seemed like a good test for that space along with solving a problem for the town and the skateboarders.”
Even though the temporary structures are now open and ready for skaters, the hope for a permanent skatepark has not diminished.
“We’re hoping that this will be a catalyst for a larger park, either over at Mark Watson, or, a colleague and I have drawn up plans for what this could possibly look like in the future,” said McPherson. “A nice partnership with the town and with Kent Cranford, who I’d like to give a million thanks to.”
In Macon County, a new skatepark in Franklin is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. The county com-
mission recently voted to chip in more than $10,000 over the amount requested to help finish the project. The county allocated $60,576 toward the project in March, rounding out funding for the $262,000 project. The original cost of the park was estimated at $294,750, but because town staff decided to take care of all the grading at the site, that knocked more than $30,000 off the price. Through fundraising, a previous donation from the county and a SCIF grant from the Southwestern Commission, the town had pulled together just over
$150,000 for the skatepark, prior to the final allocations from the Town of Franklin and the Macon County Commission.
Haywood County completed its nearly half-million dollar skatepark in the fall of 2013 after a long push from the skating community. The Town of Waynesville funded about $300,000 for the park, and the remaining nearly $100,000 came from fundraising efforts and grants from the North Carolina Park and Recreation Trust Fund, the Waynesville Kiwanis Club, Pepsi and the Tony Hawk Foundation, among others.
Sylva Pipes will be free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to sunset. Cameras have been installed to ensure responsible use of the facilities.
“I believe Sylva needs more amenities, more things for people to do when they come downtown”
— Greg McPhersonA temporary skate park has opened in downtown Sylva, with hopes high for permanent fixtures in the future. Hannah McLeod photos
There will be legal penalties for camping on the Little Tennessee River Greenway in Macon County after the County Commission updated the ordinance that regulates use of the greenway last week.
“I think the intent here is to keep the greenway accessible to all walks of life, all people,” said Commissioner Josh Young.
The county already had an ordinance in place that regulated use of the Little Tennessee River Greenway, dating back to 2002. However, that ordinance did not expressly prohibit camping. On June 13, commissioners updated Chapter 28 of the Macon County Code of Ordinances to prohibit camping on the greenway and institute penalties for anyone doing so.
Sheriff Brent Holbrooks spoke to the board about the frequency with which his staff encounters people attempting to camp on the greenway. Holbrooks said that since he took office at the end of 2022, he has added four total bike patrol officers to the greenway and that “they’ve had several encounters with homeless camped throughout the greenway.”
Commission Chairman Paul Higdon asked Holbrooks what happens when his deputies encounter people camped out on the greenway. According to the sheriff, the
ordinance as it was previously written did not allow for enforcement of any kind.
“Currently, we can’t do anything,” said Holbrook. “[We] basically make contact and make sure they don’t have any warrants for their arrest, just check on them pretty much and go about their business.”
With the amendment to the ordinance, violation for camping now carries a “mis-
demeanor punishable on conviction by a fine not exceeding $50 or by imprisonment not exceeding 30 days.”
While some Macon residents were concerned that changing the ordinance to prohibit camping would have an outsized impact on people experiencing homelessness, Holbrooks argued that regulating camping across county property addresses
multiple populations.
“Whether or not you agree to forbid camping along the greenway, I think we need to prohibit camping, not only on the greenway, but on all county-owned properties. With that being said, who’s to say whether folks are homeless or not homeless?” said Holbrooks. “Thru-hikers, what’s to say that they can’t pop a tent at East Franklin School or Parker Meadows or wherever the case may be? I think we need some sort of restrictions on camping on all Macon County property. And if you do agree to allow them to camp on county property, I think they need to be required to register; what that looks like, I don’t know.”
Although the sheriff mentioned regulating camping across all county property, the revised ordinance only addresses camping on the Little Tennessee River Greenway.
Two people spoke during a public hearing on the ordinance update, one of whom is a member of Friends of The Greenway, a group that supports efforts in the care and enhancement of the greenway. She noted that camping is already prohibited on the greenway in the group’s bylaws, and that the Franklin Police patrol the area “from time to time.”
Hilda Hartman also spoke during the public hearing, though her concerns were directly related F
to people experiencing homelessness.
“Homeless encampments, what do they do to the community? They bring blight, crime, violence, death and an unhealthy environment of drugs,” Hartman said. “The more benefits you offer, the more homeless will be attracted to our area.”
Commissioner John Shearl, the only member of the board to vote against the changes to the amendment, expressed concern for costs the county may incur due to the change.
“A lot of these folks are sick, a lot of them have nowhere to go, they don’t have any money,” said Shearl. “You’re looking at fining them 50 bucks and 30 days in jail, so we’re gonna house these people 30 days on their second offense and that looks like to me a huge burden on the taxpayers of this county. In my mind, sending these people to jail is going to cost us a lot of money in the long run.”
Board Attorney Eric Ridenour noted that there is a push nationwide to have a social worker on law enforcement staff to help deal with these types of issues — nonemergency incidents involving unhoused people or those experiencing mental health/ substance use disorders.
Ridenour also serves as the board attorney for the Town of Sylva, which has employed a full-time social worker in its police department to assist in non-emergency incidents and coordinate between people and the services that could help them. The position, part of the Community Care Program, has been successful in assisting people experiencing substance use disorder, mental health issues, homelessness and poverty.
Ridenour addressed Shearl’s concern and said it was unlikely the county would end up incurring much cost at all due to the changes in the ordinance.
“For now, we don’t have the tools even to approach them to figure out what’s going on,” said Ridenour. “Here, if they’re camping on it then the sheriff’s deputies have the opportunity to do that. When we get into the criminality of it, that would actually take a full-blown arrest, housing them in the jail, having them post an unsecured bond, then showing up in court and having your court date and to be honest, the chances of getting to that stage are not very great just because that’s inefficient. That’s an inefficient use of county resources, of the sheriff’s officers, and what we’re trying to accomplish with basically just keeping the homeless out of the greenway corridor.”
Holbrooks agreed with Ridenour, saying that he didn’t think a simple trespass charge would warrant a secured bond.
“If these folks are arrested, I’m fairly confident to stand here and tell you that they would get an unsecured bond, just a promise to show up in court for that charge,” said Holbrooks. “It’s not like we’re
gonna have 60 people in jail for camping on the greenway that have a ton of medical issues, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a seconddegree trespass charge carry a secured bond; 24 years in, never seen it.”
Young made the motion to accept the proposed changes to the ordinance, something he said would help prevent the greenway from turning into a homeless encampment.
“I think this ordinance, in my interpretation, isn’t to put people in jail and create a tax burden, by no means do I agree with doing that, but I think more or less it’s to prevent our property from turning into such as what’s happening in Haywood County,” said Young. “My point is, what do you need to make the camping ordinance prevent the greenway from turning into a 15-acre campground that turns into an unsightly, there’s a lot of undesirable activity, and it ties up our local resources. I think the intent here is to be able to prevent that from happening.”
Shearl argued that rather than make the penalty stricter for camping on the greenway, the county should work toward a solution for people who have nowhere else to go.
“My worry is if these people are camping on the greenway, no, I don’t think it's right but there again, I think we need to have a solution before we come up with a move to restrict it,” said Shearl. “Where are we going to put these people?”
Commissioner Danny Antoine agreed with Commissioner Young that prohibiting camping on the greenway and instituting a penalty for violating the ordinance could help prevent further problems from developing.
“I think the point is, this is kind of like preventative maintenance,” said Antoine. “What we don’t want to do is wait until it goes so far out of control that now you have a whole different issue on your hands.”
Commissioners Antoine, Gary Shields, Higdon and Young all voted to approve the measure while Commissioner Shearl voted against it.
“It’s not preventative maintenance,” said Shearl. “We have a problem that has started that should have been addressed before it became a problem. Now we have a problem and we have no solution other than to arrest these people, send them through the criminal court system, tying up the court system, tying up the sheriff’s department, tying up the jail, and any time that we identify a problem we need to address the problem and come up with a solution before we start adopting ordinance. That’s why I voted against it. I’m not at all saying that it’s ok for these people to use the greenway that are homeless; however, they are there and to criminalize these people is not a solution to this problem.”
t 12t us s Aug , A y Satuurday, on o antton , C treet7PennlandndS P 7 nion t U d redi ampion C mpion Ch ill b s w ks ubb Mini r r duck er eaamini i ealso
:30PM nd 5 PM 16arou 8 87 , NC 2 C2 d at e n locat lo enter e Aquatic C ol at o at d in th d in the p e op opp e dr r. e this ye s ye erduduckr u
e w her ed. . T adopt s adop ck ,50 duc $2 be will ize z pr grand r ol w l o f the p o the end o t
or duck y f a o ant t p w ash ept t c c e a ac nivaal. W car a e duck ill b here w T s do Winnnner ser er s c clo get g g or y .patientmodest ientmo www w he . The pr placeducks 5th p a ft c t g ar gi lm alm 00 0 W s $ a $1
o d, g ar t c go t died y cr se se who or tho . F . k ck or che the at h o ble table adoptionons esent nt e pr o b e t av t h o no s t p a s time uckrace.a d at g/duc e a pdat e u illbtwwil e izelis and and d, 4th d or 2nd, 3r ds f ar uch s s ize ther her pr e o ill b 5,000 tleas at have we if 0 00 h he . T ize and pr and in a gr ill w w es w at go at t duck th irs he f T h th
“I think we need some sort of restrictions on camping on all Macon County property.”
— Sheriff Brent Holbrooks
BY KYLE P ERROTTI
N EWS E DITOR
Former congressional candidate Lynda Bennett has been sentenced to 12 months of probation after pleading guilty in March to violating the Federal Campaign Act of 1971.
According to the filing, Bennett “on behalf of her campaign did knowingly and willfully accept a contribution made by one person, Individual A [identified in the criminal complaint as a relative], which aggregated $25,000 in the calendar year 2019, in the name of another person.”
As first reported by The Smoky Mountain News, Bennett requested a $25,000 loan from a family member, “Individual A,” and received a personal check on Dec. 30, 2019, which she deposited in her personal Wells Fargo bank account the same day.
The next day, Bennett transferred $80,000 from her personal account — including the $25,000 loan — into her campaign account.
Bennett reported the $80,000 transaction as “personal funds of the candidate” in violation of 52 USC 3010 (8)(A)(1), according to a court filing, which also states that Bennett did so “knowingly and willfully.”
Bennett, who was backed by thenPresident Donald Trump, retiring incumbent Congressman Mark Meadows and Ohio Rep.
Jim Jordan, among others, won the first round of Republican Primary voting but lost in the runoff election to Madison Cawthorn, who would eventually go on to win the 2020 General Election.
Bennett signed a plea arrangement back in January of this year before offering her guilty plea on March 8.
Prior to Bennett’s sentencing, both the government and her defense council filed memoranda arguing what they believed her sentence should be — the memoranda were in agreement that the sentence should be lenient. The government’s memorandum, filed June 13, noted that “a term of probation sufficiently serves the interests of justice in this case.” The government, despite her admission of guilt, believed she didn’t deserve active jail time and that there was “little chance of future illegal conduct.”
“[Probation] serves as adequate deterrence specifically, should Bennett ever seek elected office again, and generally, to future political candidates, who are once again served notice that the Government will criminally prosecute those who violate their campaign finance reporting obligations,” the memorandum reads.
Bennett’s defense attorneys’ sentencing memorandum, which was accompanied by nine letters attesting to Bennett’s character
and outlining her current circumstances, states that “Bennett is a businesswoman, loving family member, and dedicated community member” in Maggie Valley. It also stated she is her family’s “breadwinner” and that she is a caregiver.
“Mrs. Bennett is also a caring daughter. Her mother is 91 years old, and no longer can walk or speak clearly due to a stroke,” that memorandum reads. “Mrs. Bennett is her mother’s primary caregiver — her interpreter, driver and delivery person for food,” the memorandum reads, adding that she’s also helped provide care for other family members, is active in her church and has enjoyed a “successful, 37-year career as a realtor.”
“Mrs. Bennett is before this Court because of a bad choice, and she regrets it deeply,” the memorandum later reads. “But the life she has lived both before and since that choice is the life of an exemplary citizen—a trusted professional, a pillar of her community and a caring, devoted family member.”
The memorandum noted that, unlike some other candidates, including Cawthorn, who were able to loan their own campaigns significant amounts of money, Bennett wasn’t wealthy enough to go that route.
“Mrs. Bennett had been active in local politics, but she had never run for office before she was encouraged to run for Congress,” the
memorandum reads. “She was a novice at campaigning and fundraising for herself. She accepted a loan, and she used it in her campaign, but it was not from someone seeking to influence her in the House of Representatives, or even just wanting access. Her family member did not need access. That family member was only trying to help.”
“The loan Mrs. Bennett accepted was not for personal gain either,” it continues. “Long before this investigation arose, Mrs. Bennett paid her family member back quickly. She closed her campaign account in 2021, never intending to run for office again. Her effort to enter public service was a costly and brutal failure, which she regretted and does not intend to repeat.”
Sentencing guidelines stipulate a maximum sentence of five years in prison and fine of up to $50,000. Along with receiving a 12month probationary sentence, Bennett was ordered to pay a $7,500 fine.
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF W RITER
With more than six months gone since tribal charges were brought against former Wolfetown Rep. Bo Crowe following an alleged assault in January, the federal government has decided to take up the case.
Crowe has agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault in federal court, his attorney Caleb Decker told The Smoky Mountain News, but that doesn’t mean the tribal charges will disappear.
“As of today, the tribe continues to maintain their position that they’re going to prosecute Mr. Crowe regardless of what happens in federal court,” Decker said June 15. “That’s the last word I got.”
The federal charges were filed Tuesday, June 13, along with a plea agreement, which is sealed. Crowe won’t officially enter his plea until a July 7 arraignment hearing in Asheville, but Decker signed a document, filed with other court documents, that states the facts of the case as agreed to by Crowe.
“I am satisfied that the defendant understands the Factual Basis, plea agreement and Bill of Information,” reads the statement Decker signed. “I hereby certify that the defendant does not dispute this Factual Basis.”
The description of the offense in the Factual Basis is very similar to that filed with the original charges in tribal court.
On Jan. 6, the document states, Crowe “initiated” an assault by punching the victim, identified in the federal case as JB and in tribal court documents as Knoxville resident Jason Matthew Burleson, in the valet parking area of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee. Crowe landed “several punches” before he “maneuvered so that he was on the back of” the victim, rendering him “momentarily unconscious.” As a result of the assault, the victim “suffered bodily injury, including bruising, swelling, scratches and other injury,” eventually seeking medical attention.
Crowe faces three charges in tribal court related to the same incident, two of which are felonies: assault inflicting serious bodily injury, assault by strangulation, aggravated reckless endangerment. Tribal court documents accuse Crowe of striking the victim, placing his arm around his neck and squeezing, rendering him unconscious.
Decker said Crowe plans to maintain his not guilty plea in tribal court. When asked whether a guilty plea in federal court might
make it harder to defend against the tribal charges, Decker said he does not believe it will.
“They are technically different crimes,” he said, “and Cherokee will understand that Mr. Crowe made a decision to resolve the federal case based on a lot of factors, primarily economic.”
After discussing how much it would cost to defend the federal case and the potential sentence if he were convicted, Decker said Crowe decided that a guilty plea made the most sense. Crowe was exposed to “years in prison and a hefty fine,” Decker said, but the assault charge he plans to plead guilty to carries a maximum of one year in prison. Sentencing guidelines recommend zero to six months for somebody with limited or no criminal history.
However, the tribal charges carry the potential for a significant sentence as well — a maximum combined prison sentence of seven years, with fines and temporary banishment also on the table. Additionally, a felony conviction could end Crowe’s political career for good. Tribal law renders anybody who has been convicted of a felony offense ineligible to run for or hold elected office.
Crowe, who was serving his fifth term on Tribal Council and intending to run for principal chief before he resigned in January, is now attempting to regain his Tribal Council seat in the Sept. 7 General Election. He has been enormously popular with the Wolfetown/Big Y voters he represents throughout his career, and the June 1
Primary Election was no exception. He came in first amid a field of six candidates, with a 7.4% lead over second-place Mike Parker. Despite the allegations against Crowe, many in the Cherokee community have voiced support for him, believing that he
acted to protect his teenage daughter and niece. During comments to Tribal Council Jan. 10, Crowe’s niece, Livia Crowe, described her uncle as a “hero” who came to her rescue that night. Following a May 22 hearing, Decker said his client planned to fight the charges and was confident that “when all the facts come out on this, folks will understand why things came out the way they did.”
Should Crowe be convicted of a felony, he could still have a path to future political participation. Tribal law allows for felons who have completed “in full every component” of their sentence to petition the tribal court to reinstate their civil rights, including their ability to run for office. This process requires the person to file a petition supported by at least three affidavits “concerning the defendant’s moral character,” after which the court, “with or without a hearing, shall promptly grant or deny the defendant’s petition.”
Crowe is scheduled for an initial appearance, arraignment and plea hearing in federal court at 10 a.m. Friday, July 7, at the U.S. District Court in Asheville. In tribal court, a pre-trial bench conference is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 9.
“I anticipate that it will be after the election before we have a trial at Tribal Court,” Decker said.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the case.
“As of today, the tribe continues to maintain their position that they’re going to prosecute Mr. Crowe regardless of what happens in federal court.”
— Caleb Decker
Open container alcohol consumption in cities and towns across North Carolina has met with positive results, according to local administrators and police officers — which is why opponents of Waynesville’s proposed “social district” are resorting to misinformation and sensationalism to impose their minority viewpoint on the majority of downtown stakeholders who overwhelmingly support such a district.
Social districts are a relatively new phenomenon in North Carolina, enabled by the General Assembly on Sept. 8, 2021, in HB 890 and further clarified in HB 211 in 2022.
Neither law imposed social districts on municipalities, they merely authorize municipalities to create them if and when they so choose.
Once they do, the social districts then allow for the on-street consumption of alcohol, within clearly defined areas under controlled circumstances.
The city of Kannapolis was an early adopter, establishing the state’s first social district on Sept. 29, 2021.
“With regards to the social district, we’ve not encountered any massive uptick in crime or anything like that, or public intoxication. Most times when we have a violation or something like that, it’s just an educational opportunity and voluntary compliance,” said Terry Spry, chief of the Kannapolis Police Department who spoke to The Smoky Mountain News on June 15. “We do have quite a large amount of pedestrian and vehicular traffic with downtown development, the stadium and everything that’s going on. It just creates a large area of pedestrian opportunities but it still maintains a family-friendly environment.”
The city of Greensboro established a social district in March 2022.
“We have loved having the social district. It’s gone incredibly well in our downtown area. In fact, a second social district was launched about six months ago in a different part of the city. We have not seen an increase in issues or crime downtown,” Jessie Cambareri, public information officer for the Greensboro Police Department, said on June 16. “We have seen a lot of families, young couples, young adults utilize the social district and we’ve not had issues. In fact, we really do enjoy having our downtown officers engage and interact with the folks that are walking around and enjoying the social district.”
In the western region of the state, the town of Sylva moved to establish a social district in April 2022. Less than six months later, Sylva expanded the district’s hours and days. Around that time, Sylva Police Chief Chris Hatton told The Smoky Mountain News that there had been no increase in crime due to the social district. When reached for comment on June 14 of this year, Hatton said that’s still the case.
“I don’t think we’ve even had a call,” he said.
The Town of Waynesville has been looking at establishing its own social district since early 2022, all the while eyeing Sylva’s success.
Waynesville’s effort proceeded slowly until late May of this year, when the Downtown Waynesville Commission voted unanimously to recommend to Town Council the establishment of a social district.
hol-related crime has increased in those cities.
Overall, 90% of Waynesville survey participants support the idea. Not a single downtown resident surveyed was opposed.
The DWC’s recommendation to the Town Council was shaped by the survey, and hasn’t changed since the DWC’s May 22 vote.
As proposed, the district would be in effect from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. No private property is included in the pro-
Not long after the Downtown Waynesville Commission made its May 24 recommendation to the Waynesville Town Council, a petition was started on change.org by “Concerned Citizens.” The photo on the petition is sensational — a woman, passed out on the curb, clutching a glass bottle while another person sits on the curb next to her, surrounded by empty glass bottles near various unidentified spills on the street.
Drinking alcohol from glass bottles on the street is not a permissible activity in any social district.
On June 13, the Town of Waynesville held a vote to call for a public hearing on the DWC’s recommendation. At that time, the petition had about 100 signatures. That number had grown to about 140 by June 16.
Council Member Anthony Sutton, a Democrat, made the motion to call for the public hearing, saying that he agreed with votes on the social district legislation cast by Waynesville’s current and former representatives in the General Assembly — Kevin Corbin, Mike Clampitt and Mark Pless, who are all Republicans.
Chuck Dickson seconded Sutton’s motion because he felt the Town Council should entertain the request from the DWC, which is a town-controlled commission.
Mayor Gary Caldwell opposed the public hearing, which will be held on Tuesday, June 27. Caldwell cited his Christian faith as the reason.
Caldwell also read from a letter written by Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke, even though the town of Waynesville’s police department would be the lead agency on any social district within town limits. Wilke’s letter opposed the social district and directly contradicts the real-world results from other cities and towns that have established social districts.
“Should this initiative be approved, you should expect an increase in criminal offenses, as those looking to commit crimes tend to seek the easiest of victims,” Wilke wrote.
The recommendation, however, didn’t just materialize out of thin air.
Beth Gilmore, director of the DWC, said the group held two community meetings about the proposed district, and then completed a survey of 100 stakeholders. The results of the survey were clear; business owners, downtown property owners, employees and residents all want a yearround social district.
A February article in Business North Carolina magazine touts measurable increases in foot traffic and business development in cities that have established social districts, including Kannapolis, Norwood and Hickory. That same story also shoots down any suggestion that alco-
posed district — it merely pertains to streets and sidewalks and would include Main Street from Pigeon Street to Walnut Street, including Church, Miller and Depot streets up to Montgomery Street, which is not included in the district.
The proposed district would also include Wall Street, from East Street to Wells Events Way.
Business owners are not required to participate in the district, and can prohibit alcoholic beverages on their premises in much the same way they already do for any outside food or drink. Business owners would be free to change their admission policies at will, at any time, even on a caseby-case basis.
Wilke also cited his familiarity with Asheville’s open container festivals of days past, although nothing remotely approaching their scale takes place in Waynesville.
“Much like the experiences of Asheville during the festival days of Bele Chere and other regular events that permitted public consumption, the additional burden on public safety resources was immense and had to be significantly increased accordingly,” he wrote.
Perhaps the most accurate part of Wilke’s letter was about jail capacity. If — and that’s a big “if,” according to law enforcement officials in other towns — arrests related to the social district in Waynesville are F
made, they could create capacity issues in Wilke’s detention center.
“… our sheriff’s office will need to contend with increased pressure on detention facility resources resulting from arrests,” he wrote. “With a jail that is almost always at operational capacity, and the additional expense to transport detainees elsewhere when at capacity, an additional burden on already stretched resources should be expected.”
Wilke also noted the implications of a social district on individuals struggling with substance use disorder, but such individuals aren’t required to attend events in the social district or partake in alcohol if they do.
Once Sutton’s motion passed, 10 people spoke during the public comment session of the meeting — all of them opposed to the social district, and none of them residents of the social district.
Navy veteran Joe Lipari said that when he was in the Navy, “every port that I went into was typically somewhere between a mile and two miles of bars and hookers” and that “most of the sailors turned out to be ugly Americans, including myself.” He added that he didn’t want to see Waynesville turn into a Navy port.
Lois Hollis, a nurse, said the police department already has its hands full; however, evidence from other towns with social districts suggests their hands won’t be any more full if Waynesville enacts one.
Sharon Walls cited statistics showing that 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking.
Sherry Morgan, who frequently harangues Town Council about “socialism” and supposed low-barrier homeless shelters, said that “most people don't want public drinking on the streets of Waynesville,” despite the 90% level of support expressed in the survey.
“It's unnecessary and has no positive outcome,” Morgan said. “It will hurt our tourism.”
Other towns with social districts have reported only positive outcomes and increased tourism.
Melinda Davis said she’d lost her sister to alcoholism. Davis isn’t a resident of Waynesville.
Neither is Rev. Roy Kilby of Buncombe County. Kilby frequently stands in opposition to alcohol-related issues.
Paula Eachus imagines people vomiting and urinating all over the social district, and wants to know who would clean it up. Her husband David Eachus, a vice chair of the NC-11 GOP, shared his expertise on prostitutes and pickpockets in New Orleans and Nashville.
“It all ends up being a bunch of bars, and they say watch out for the pickpockets, watch out for hookers, [watch out] from slipping into [bodily fluids],” he said. “It just becomes a disaster.”
The next meeting of Waynesville’s Town Council will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27 at Waynesville’s Town Hall, 9 South Main Street.
The Cherokee Tribal Council has approved $7.6 million for water damage repairs at Cherokee Central Schools, but that’s expected to be a small part of the overall cost, according to a resolution the body passed unanimously June 1.
The school system was in the home stretch of a $22 million construction and renovation project last year when contractors found mold in the walls of the old central office building. The unwelcome discovery halted the project and prompted an investigation into the extent of the issue.
Tribal Council allocated $5 million in American Rescue Plan Funds toward the project in 2022, but design work, air quality monitoring and the first phase of repairs is expected to cost about $7.6 million. During the June 1 meeting, Tribal Council allocated an additional $2.6 million from the tribe’s Endowment 2 account to meet that budget.
The same resolution that approved the funding also approved the Cherokee School Board’s plan for addressing the issue, which it described to Tribal Council during a May 5 meeting that was not broadcast, “though with the understanding that the general plan may have to be revised as new details emerge.” This plan includes a phased
approach to assessing damage, designing repairs, monitoring air quality, making repairs to affected buildings and employing legal counsel and water infiltration experts.
“The total cost to repair all of the damaged buildings is not yet known because the extent of the damage is not yet known, but it is anticipated that the total cost to repair will be many millions of dollars and will take three to five years to complete,” the resolution says.
Repairs are made more complicated — and therefore more expensive — because the buildings in question were constructed using structural insulated panels. These prefabricated panels contain foam insulation sandwiched between wooden facings.
The school system had not expected to face repairs of this magnitude on its still relatively new buildings. The first students arrived at Cherokee Central Schools in August 2009 following completion of the $140 million K-12 campus. In the resolution, submitted by Yellowhill Rep. T.W. Saunooke and the Cherokee School Board, it is implied that the board may seek compensation for these damages. The resolution authorizes the school board to employ “legal counsel and experts in water infiltration conditions in order to advise the Cherokee School Board and Tribal Council on potential legal recourse in these matters.”
At a recent General Session, the North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature (STHL) inducted Lisa Bradley as a delegate and Judi Donovan as an alternate for Haywood County. Bradley is a retired social worker. She holds a degree in business administration. A lifelong resident of Haywood County, she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteer work and outdoor activities. She is actively involved in the Region A Aging Advisory Council, the Adult Protection Team for Haywood County, the Haywood County Home and Community Care Block Grant Committee, the Haywood Dementia Response Effort steering committee, the 30th Judicial District Alliance Board of Directors and is a volunteer for various community organizations including Meals on Wheels.
Donovan is a retired senior living executive. She holds a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in healthcare. A Haywood County resident for five years, she enjoys golfing, gardening and is a NC Certified Beekeeper. Donovan is a member of the NC Senior Living Association, serves as a member of the Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission and is actively involved with the Haywood County Beekeepers Club.
For more information, contact Lisa Bradley at lisabradley4@yahoo.com or 828.421.0420, or Judi Donovan at jldemar@aol.com or 248.752.3036. Additionally, visit ncseniortarheellegislature.org or contact Allison Brown, NCSTHL Public Relations Chair, ncsthlpr@gmail.com or 336.940.8185.
In an explosive federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina, the victim of a December 2022 police shooting in Cherokee County seeks millions of dollars in damages while laying out the sequence of alleged violations of policy and law that led to what he says was an attempted murder by police. The shots were fired by members of the Cherokee Indian Police Department, which had been called to assist the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
Jason Harley Kloepfer says he was asleep in bed with his wife Alison Mahler the morning of Dec. 13 when, shortly before 5 a.m., a police robot entered their trailer, waking them up. Complying with commands from the loudspeaker outside, Kloepfer opened the door with his hands held above his head, Mahler standing behind him. Four seconds later, the officers unleashed a torrent of bullets — about 15, the lawsuit says — critically wounding Kloepfer and barely missing Mahler.
Ostensibly, the officers were there to respond to a potential hostage situation. Based on testimony and evidence from a neighbor, law enforcement said in court documents and press releases that they believed that Kloepfer may have injured Mahler and/or been holding her against her will. But in the 195-page lawsuit, Kloepfer makes the case that, at multiple points before the shooting occurred, officers had all the information they needed to know that the hostage story was false.
Their decision to shoot Kloepfer while he held no weapon and was complying with police instructions — with the purported hostage standing directly behind him — did not reflect the actions of a police unit seeking to protect an innocent victim. Instead, the lawsuit says, the shooting was an “attempted execution at close range.”
“Bushwhacking Jason was the plan all along,” the lawsuit reads.
Cherokee County deputies responded to Kloepfer’s home about 20 minutes outside of Murphy following an 11 p.m. 911 call Dec. 12 from a neighbor, who said she had video of him threatening to kill the whole neighborhood and that she was concerned for Mahler’s safety after hearing her scream, “stop it,” followed by “a bunch of shots” and then nothing more from Mahler. Three deputies were immediately dispatched to Kloepfer’s home.
The deputies didn’t drive their patrol cars up to the house — instead they parked down by the road without turning on their flashing lights, walked up to the property and began to “snoop around,” the lawsuit says. They knocked on the door several times but didn’t identify themselves as sheriff’s deputies. Nobody answered — the lights were off and blinds drawn, the lawsuit says. It was impossible to tell if Kloepfer and Mahler were even home.
At this point, the lawsuit argues that the deputies’ legal justification for being on the property without a warrant had ended and they should have left. However, they stayed on scene and never took the five-minute walk to the neighbor’s house to find out more about the allegations or view the video.
It was not until 1:41 a.m. that a deputy knocked on Kloepfer’s door while announcing himself as a representative of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department. Kloepfer and Mahler did not hear that knock, the lawsuit says, because they were asleep.
It was nearly 2 a.m. before an officer finally visited the neighbor to view the video. That video turned out to not support the accusations at all, the lawsuit claims. None of the
video clips showed Kloepfer threaten anyone, nor did they show gunfire coming from his property. They didn’t show discernable images of Kloepfer or Mahler, or contain any discernable dialogue other than a woman’s voice saying “stop” four times.
“At that point, the Sheriff's Department knows that the neighbor has no proof,” the suit states. “Her original claims are false. As soon as the officers know that the neighbor's allegations are false, all the officers should immediately leave.”
But they didn’t leave. About 15 minutes later, Lt. Milton Teasdale applied for a search warrant. The complaint alleges Teasdale did so based only on the neighbor’s 911 call and did not speak with any of the officers who had been on scene for nearly three hours. Meanwhile, the Cherokee Indian Police Department SWAT team was on its way to Murphy after Sheriff Dustin Smith approved a request for assistance around 12:30 a.m.
By 4:54 a.m., the SWAT team had surrounded the house, and without asking permission or knocking, sent a drone robot inside, equipped with a camera that sent real-time video footage to a screen outside.
When Kloepfer, complying with commands, came outside with his hands up — the robot in his right hand and a lit cigarette in his left — “several SWAT team members, including at least Officers [Nathan] Messer, [Chris] Harris and [Neil] Ferguson, opened fire and shot at Jason and Ali,” the lawsuit says.
placed under arrest for communicating threats and resisting arrest.
After the shooting, Sheriff Smith — who would later insist publicly that he was not present at the scene — “walked up from lurking in the shadows,” the lawsuit says, as did Chief Deputy Justin Jacobs, who Smith had also stated was not present.
Had Kloepfer not had home security video inside his trailer, the suit says, the details of the shooting may have never come to light. In a press release issued the morning of the shooting, Smith said that it occurred after Kloepfer “engaged in a verbal altercation with officers” and confronted them as he emerged from his camper trailer. Kloepfer also had outdoor security cameras on his property, the suit claims, but around midnight CCSD Sergeant Dennis Dore began covering them or turning them to obscure who was on the property and what they were doing.
After Kloepfer published his video Jan. 18, Smith issued a new press release that downplayed the involvement of the agency he oversees. He stated — incorrectly, according to the lawsuit and supported by public records previously reported by The Smoky Mountain News — that neither he nor Jacobs were on scene and that the information published Dec. 13 was the result of information provided by the CIPD.
However, the criminal charges that had been pressed against Kloepfer following the incident weren’t dropped until March 1, after Kloepfer filed subpoenas “seeking information to expose the cover up.” Officers involved have not received any consequences, whether criminal charges, suspensions, police changes, retraining or internal reprimand, the suit says. A State Bureau of Investigations probe into the shooting is ongoing.
“Jason and Ali [sic] lives are forever upended by these events,” the suit says. “They live in fear that the powerful government forces will finish the job, and murder them, to complete the cover up. The physical scars on Jason's body are obvious, but the mental and emotional scars cut even deeper, and have not begun to heal.”
Kloepfer and Mahler have not lived on their Cherokee County property since the shooting and have launched a GoFundMe to cover the higher living expenses that resulted from that decision.
At least two rounds hit Kloepfer. One entered through his chest and lacerated his liver, cut through his stomach and the lining of his heart, cracked his ribs and scattered shrapnel in his chest. A second struck just above his elbow, “blowing a tunnel through his flesh and muscle.”
After the shooting, officers did not immediately offer medical aid. Instead, the lawsuit alleges, two members of the SWAT team stepped through the door and over Kloepfer without assisting him, then walked through his home and bedroom. Later, another SWAT team member “grabbed Jason by one arm as he was lying on his back in the doorway, and dragged him down a wooden ramp to the cold dirt and rocks.”
Only then did they provide emergency aid.
Meanwhile, the suit alleges, CCSD officers forced Mahler, the purported hostage, to kneel on the ground, cuffing her hands behind her back and forcing her into the back of a police car. They did not allow her to put on shoes or proper clothes against the cold December pre-dawn, or to see her husband, who she feared was dying. Kloepfer, who also believed he was dying, asked for the chance to talk to his wife one more time but was denied, the suit alleges.
“Those officers would not even look at Jason in the eye,” the suit says. “They just ignored his dying request to comfort Ali.”
Mahler was taken to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department Office, the suit says, where until about noon that day she was kept “locked in a small room for hours under guard.” Following several days in the hospital, Kloepfer was
The lawsuit names a long list of defendants, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Ohio Casualty Insurance Company and 29 individual members of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department or Cherokee Indian Police Department, all in both their individual and official capacities. These individuals are Sheriff Dustin Smith, Chief Deputy Justin Jacobs, Capt. David Williams, Lt. Milton Teasdale, Lt. Mitchell Morgan, Lt. Drew Payne, Sgt. Dennis Dore, Sgt. Cody Williams, Det. Nolan Queen, Deputy Jessica Stiles, Deputy J.T. Gray, Deputy Jason Hall, Deputy Don Latulipe, Deputy Adam Erickson and Deputy Paul Fry, all of the CCSD, as well as former CCSD Attorney Darryl Brown. From the CIPD, the lawsuit names as defendants Chief Carla Neadeau, Assistant Chief Josh Taylor, Lt. Det. Roger Neadeau Jr., Patrol Lt. Neil Ferguson, SWAT Commander Scott Buttery, Det. Sgt. Jesse Ramirez, Special Operations Sgt. Jeff Smith, Det. Dustin Wolfe, Det. Cody McKinney, Special Operations Officer Nathan Messer, Special Operations Officer Andrew Sampson and Patrol Officer Chris Harris.
The lawsuit lists 25 counts of action, with different combinations of defendants named in each. It seeks a jury trial and wants that jury to award Kloepfer a judgement to cover damages, punitive damages and attorney’s fees.
Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Attorney Holly Christy declined to comment on the suit. CIPD Police Chief Carla Neadeau had not returned a request for comment as of press time.
Is a picture really worth a thousand words? In very online debates among very online people, the exchange rate is even more skewed. Case in point: a recent Wall Street Journal illustration generated tens of thousands of words of argument, invective, and speculation.
The image in question depicted a dramatic drop in the share of Americans saying values such as patriotism and community involvement were “very important” to them. Regarding patriotism, for example, 70% of respondents in 1998 said it was very important, as did 61% as recently as 2019. This year, only 38% said so.
Many commentators posted this startling graph and expressed concern. I was one of them.
Then pollster Patrick Ruffini argued it was an exaggeration. It turns out that the 2019 and 2023 polls used different methodologies. The earlier survey was by phone, the later one online. Respondents are far less likely to be pessimistic when they’re being interviewed live than when they’re clicking buttons.
Ruffini pointed instead to a Gallup question asked in the same way for decades: “How proud are you to be an American: extremely proud, very proud, moderately proud, or not at all proud?” The “extremely proud” share has declined — from 70% in 2003 to 38% in 2022 — but at a more gradual pace. And if you combine “extremely” and “very” proud together, the figure is 65%, not hugely different from the 70% in 2019 (though still 26 points lower than the high-water mark of 2004).
To the Editor:
I would like to know what is happening to the ducks and geese at Lake Junaluska. There are signs that can be seen around the lake calling it a “bird sanctuary.” There is a federal law called the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 that is supposed to protect wild Canadian geese and mallard ducks from being pursued, hunted, taken, captured, killed or sold. The statute is to provide protection to any bird parts, including their eggs and nests.
For the second year in a row our ducks are disappearing. First to start disappearing were the female mallards, only three females remained and made it to nest and hatched their eggs, and now two of those are missing and their three ducklings have been orphaned. The male mallard population is now also in decline ... what is happening to our mallard ducks? Are they being captured, sold or killed?
And what is happening to the Canadian geese on the lake? For the second year in a row, after the first nest of goslings hatched out, the other nests around the lake (most noticeably the four nests that could be seen from the walking trail) had their eggs removed. One nest was in the process of
I still find it alarming that more than a third of Americans aren’t particularly proud of our country. And it’s alarming that, according to the 2023 Journal poll, there’s a huge generation gap: 60% of people aged 65 or older are intensely patriotic vs. only 29% of those under 30.
Proposed explanations abound. Republicans blame Biden. Democrats blame Trump. Progressives blame public concern about climate change and racial justice. Conservatives blame public concern about family breakdown and opioid addiction. There are also broadly shared concerns about the electoral process, the management of COVID19, the future of work, and America’s place in a rapidly changing world. Because we live in a sprawling country full of people with differing priorities, there may well be some truth to all these explanations. Still, there’s another critical factor at work, one lying just below the surface of public discourse but informing much of it.
For want of a better term, let’s call it alienation. Far too many Americans feel they’re no longer welcome in their own country — or, alternatively, that they were never welcome.
There’s nothing approaching a consensus about what it means to be an American. Simply living in proximity to each other is insufficient to create a sense of American-ness. Nor is
hatching one evening when I passed, the next day there were no goslings, just egg shells and a mother goose with ruffled feathers and an injured wing. Another mother goose continued to sit on her empty nest a week after her eggs were taken. It has been heartbreaking for me to watch.
I asked a member on the Junaluska board about this and she assured me that whatever is happening is not being condoned by the conference center. It is one thing to stop the feeding of ducks and geese to reduce their numbers by having them migrate elsewhere, it is quite another to capture, kill or remove duck and goose eggs by force. Has there been a waiver issued by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service? If not, this is illegal and needs to be stopped! Dozens of mallard ducks flew into the lake this past spring and began pairing up. Where are they now? I am hoping that someone has seen something that can be reported to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Yesterday, walking around the lake, I saw a pair of mallards (male and female) fly in and land on the lake. Instead of joy, I was immediately afraid for them and wanted to yell, “Quick! Fly away while you still can!”
I can’t honestly say that I know exactly What is happening, but I do not believe that this is nature taking its course. I just want
the “blood and soil” ethnic nationalism of other lands relevant here, given our varied ancestries. (Such nationalism is often destructive in other lands, anyway.)
The only conception of America expansive enough to include three hundred and thirty squabbling millions of us is a common creed of liberty, justice, and opportunity for all. That, in turn, requires a shared understanding of America’s origin story — warts and all, yes, but with a particular emphasis on the promissory notes contained in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution and the ongoing struggle to make good on them.
Families, schools, congregations, and media all have roles to play in promoting this common American creed. That’s why I support efforts to improve civics education. It’s also why I’m writing my Folklore Cycle of historical-fantasy novels set in early America. Its diverse characters range from presidents and folk heroes to writers, artists, ministers, and liberators. Unless we all feel invested in a common history, we can’t envision a common future.
Is America a shining city on a hill, an imperfect but everbrightening beacon of freedom in a benighted world? Or is America a bright, shining lie? Too many would say the latter. We need to change their minds — or, more to the point, their hearts.
John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member. His latest books, “Mountain Folk” and “Forest Folk,” combine epic fantasy with early American history (folklorecycle.com.)
Lake Junaluska to return to being the “bird sanctuary” that it was when we purchased our home on the lake. The wildlife here is the reason we came and it hurts my heart to see it being torn apart. As I watch the three ducklings (a pair of two and one that swims alone) trying to survive alone on the lake it makes
me very sad. I guess my biggest fear now is, since it has happened two years in a row, this could happen again next year. This is wrong and something needs to be done to stop it.
If you had a magic crayon, what would you draw?
Would you want a giant crayon to create a world that’s easier or happier or more predictable than the one you live in?
When I wrote the original column, I said that it would be nice to have a magic drawing instrument, but now I’m not so sure. At that time, I was barely a year out from experiencing the death of my mom. I was also in the early days of my divorce, so yes, six years ago it would have been nice to draw a different, easier life for myself.
Columnist Susanna Shetley
ecently I stumbled upon one of my columns from 2017. I talked of an evening where I sat with my then 5year-old little boy and read “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson. My youngest son listened wide-eyed with an expression of intrigue. The beloved children’s book tells the story of a child named Harold who uses a purple crayon to draw a world of his choosing.and Sister Bear and their frustration at having to clean their room. I loved how the story unfolded and by the end, everyone worked together to label and organize boxes, build shelving and use a peg board to hang hats and toys. I really wanted a peg board like that in my childhood bedroom.
From third through fifth grade, I read “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett at least six times. I may even call it an obsession. The library had one copy and I remember hiding it on the shelf so no one else could check it out. It was a hardback copy with a plastic, protective book cover that started to peel off from the oils of my fingertips. After reading it each time, I would watch the original film version with Shirley Temple.
But since then, I’ve changed. It seems I’m both softer and harder than I used to be. I forgive more easily and turn to compassion before judgment. But, I’m also less apt to say yes and less trusting of people. I’ve grown to appreciate the imperfections. It’s the mystery and messiness that enlivens any journey, including life.
In the older column, I talked of mom guilt. After we’d finished reading the book, I jumped up and moved on to the next evening task. I should have continued sitting with my son, relishing in that beautiful, fleeting span of time after reading a book to a child where their mind is open, curious and primed for conversation.
I wish I could go back and experience his tiny body snuggled in my lap, both of us immersed in a vibrantly illustrated picture book. That tiny 5-year-old is now a rising sixth-grader who is growing rapidly into a young man. Instead of reading books to him, I’m taking him to baseball practice or watching him read thick chapter books like “Harry Potter.”
He’s also a talented artist, so whatever his young mind was thinking that night many moons ago when we read “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” I bet it was imaginative and fascinating. I will never know because I let my agenda get in the way of asking him the seemingly simple question, “If you had a big purple crayon, what kind of world would you create?”
Books have a way of unlocking something within us. When I was very young, I adored the Berenstain Bears. I probably owned every book in the series. My favorite was “The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room.” My room was always a mess, so I felt I had a connection with Brother Bear
My mom was the media coordinator at a school only a couple miles from our house in downtown Weaverville. Sometimes I would stay home by myself if I was sick and she couldn’t find a substitute. She would run to check on me periodically during her planning and lunch periods. On those days, I recall stacking all my “Little House on the Prairie” books beside my bed and hunkering down, excited to fall into a word with Laura, Mary and the rest of the Ingalls family.
With my lifelong affinity for books, imaginative settings and storytelling, it’s no wonder I eventually became a writer. The books I read now are much different than the ones from my girlhood, but they still have the same effect. They make me see the world in a different way. They push me to become curious and open to new possibilities and endings.
“Harold and the Purple Crayon” is now an animated series on Amazon Prime. I’ve decided to tell my younger son about that experience many years ago when we read the book together. I’ll also tell him that I regret not asking him what kind of world he would create. This time, I won’t miss the opportunity. His answer will certainly be different than it would have been six years ago, but that’s OK. In life we get second chances.
Further, if I did have a magic purple crayon, I would not draw a white picket fence or a four-person family or a manicured yard or a dog lounging on a stoop.
I would draw smiles and bright eyes and children laughing. I would draw oceans and airplanes and faraway lands.
I would draw blooming gardens and dancers and musicians.
Purple is the color of adventure. At least, that’s how author Crockett Johnson described his choice of the color in “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” If you had the crayon in your hand, what would you draw?
(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist with The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)
Come take in spectacular tain views at this beautif minutes from the Great area. This gorgeous home
try. The expansive main l
W ITRA L, A I AYYNESV LLE, sunsets and panoramic yea fully-crafted custom log hom Smoky Mtn National Park & e features hewn 16”+ log, ex
evel has a large dining area,
tub. The massive views c
has an eat-in kitchen area rooms, and double-car ga
NC28785
ar-round mounme located just Cataloochee xposed beams,, a grand great
an also be seen from the o
a, full bath, large family room rage. The lower level could
MLS#4035718$1,8
pen loft sitting , several bonus d easily be used
Following his departure from cherished Haywood County bluegrass outfit Balsam Range last year, mandolinist Darren Nicholson has been meticulously traversing the artistic and spiritual landscape of the next phase of his promising solo career.
“I’ve found a happiness and peace — musically and professionally — that I never could’ve dreamed,” Nicholson said. “Life is too short — I encourage everyone to look for their best ‘self’ and that’s simply what I’m enjoying.”
Leading up to this current juncture, Nicholson was a founding member and performer in Balsam Range since its inception during an impromptu jam session in the kitchen of his
myself to hone in on my musical identity.”
That journey Nicholson has been on is one of personal truths and professional ambitions. At the core of this new, unknown chapter of his life, onstage and off, is a reckoning within Nicholson and the restlessness in his heart and soul.
“There are seasons when things are so chaotic and busy that it threatens our serenity. But, I’m realizing these are temporary, even though they feel permanent sometimes,” Nicholson said. “I’m trying to slow the tempo of my life down. Take the negative things off of my plate and focus on what I truly love. The tempo of my career seems to be speeding up, which is a good problem. The key is just finding balance — health, family and music.”
In conversation, Nicholson’s candid, forthright and proud
looked back. We were best friends ever since, and went so many miles all over the United States and around the world — we were always laughing together and loving life.”
And in those six years since Sutton left this earthly plane, Nicholson continues to carry the melodic torch of bluegrass, country and folk music in the mountains of Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia.
“I’m becoming very comfortable just working on honing my craft, putting in the effort of practicing, performing in writing songs. I just want to get better and wherever the river takes me will be just fine,” Nicholson said. “I’ve heard that ‘expectations are just resentments under construction,’ so trying to enjoy the journey is more of a goal for me now than [with] any particular destination with the business part of music.”
With “Wanderer” now out, Nicholson already has a jampacked schedule of appearances lined up for the summer, fall and foreseeable future. The work is bountiful, so is the drive and persistence of Nicholson to not only become the artist he’s always envisioned, but also a songwriter able to connect the dots of humanity in uncertain times.
Now a marquee bluegrass act nationally and internationally, the group has taken home countless International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) honors, including “Entertainer of the Year” (2014, 2018), “Album of the Year” (2013, 2017), “Song of the Year” (2011, 2015) and “Vocal Group of the Year” (2014, 2015).
And although Nicholson has offered up a handful of solo albums during his Balsam Range tenure, the latest record, “Wanderer” (Mountain Home Records), comes across with a different tone, perhaps outlook, at where Nicholson was, is and may go to from here.
“‘Wanderer’ comes from a lyric in one of the songs, ‘Take Me Away.’ It’s about the eternal struggle of finding yourself and being comfortable with who and what you are,” the 39year-old said. “It’s a learning process and a journey for all of us in this world. But, it does apply musically, too, as I’m pushing
about his sobriety in recent years — something at the foundation of his ongoing solo pursuits.
“Honestly, being three years sober from alcohol, I’ve got a new fire in my heart for music and playing,” Nicholson said. “I’ve really been working hard to get better. I feel like I was dormant, creatively, for a lot of years. Well, the blanket is off the fire now and it’s starting to catch up.”
That renewed sense of self and purpose is something that’s coupled with finding inner peace and deep meaning with the untimely passing of his best friend and mentor, banjoist Steve Sutton, in 2017. Seeing potential in the teenage Nicholson early on, Sutton bought Nicholson his first Gibson mandolin — ultimately remaining an unwavering, constant a voice of reason for Nicholson as he navigated the music industry.
“[Steve] got me my first professional job, which led to all the relationships that are still relevant in my current career,” Nicholson told The Smoky Mountain News in 2017. “We never
“My favorite musical poets cross over every race, gender, and other barriers that exist — the songs and music are powerful in how they bring us together and impact us,” Nicholson said. “I just want to write songs that are meaningful to people and entertain folks — it’s what I’ve been doing my whole life.”
Acclaimed Americana/bluegrass act Darren Nicholson Band will host a special album release party during the Independence Day Celebration Concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 2, in the Stuart Auditorium at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. Also performing onstage will be popular bluegrass ensemble Unspoken Tradition. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on lakejunaluska.com/signature-events/independence-day-celebrations and scroll down to the July 2 listing. To learn about Nicholson, go to darrennicholson.net.
“I’ve found a happiness and peace — musically and professionally — that I never could’ve dreamed”
— Darren Nicholson
Pulling off Interstate 240 in downtown Asheville last Friday evening, I stopped my truck at the intersection of Hill Street and Riverside Drive. The parking lot at the Salvage Station across the street was already full, so were other nearby lots. What to do, eh?
To my immediate left was a small open field buffering Riverside Drive and the I-240 onramp. There were already several vehicles parked there illegally as it was decided to cruise in and find a spot for ourselves. Dark Star Orchestra was in town for the next two nights. Thousands in attendance throughout the weekend. Better park quick and mosey on into the Salvage Station before the first set gets underway.
Known as the premier Grateful Dead tribute act, DSO has been chugging along strong and heartfelt for the last 25 years and counting. To note, the actual Grateful Dead
with the whole whirlwind scene surrounding D&C and anything Dead-related, with really trying to find balance and gratitude towards the Grateful Dead — the one band that truly set the course of my entire life and purpose for waking up into each new day of opportunity and adventure.
It was 1994 and I was nine years old. Already a music freak. Whatever was on the local Top 40 and oldies radio stations was blasting out of the meager stereo in the corner of my childhood bedroom in a tiny town on the Canadian Border of Upstate New York. Nine years old and I noticed a hat my aunt’s boyfriend was sporting. It had this dancing bear on it. I inquired about the bear and the skull and lightning bolt on the back of it.
“It’s the Grateful Dead,” my aunt’s boyfriend replied through a bushy beard and Cheshire Cat grin. “Have you ever listened to the Dead, man?” I said no. We walked over to his early 1990s Volkswagen Jetta. He hopped in, rolled the windows down and cranked the stereo. It was the Dead’s “Skeletons From The Closet” album. The first song, “The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion),” hit me like a freight train. And
The “Summer Soirée” featuring Abby Bryant & The Echoes and J. Rex & His High Mountain Pals will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at The Lineside, a brand new indoor music venue at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.
were together for 30 years until the passing of its de facto leader and guitarist Jerry Garcia in 1995. And yet, there’s been countless configurations of the surviving members of the Dead, with the highly-popular Dead & Company outfit now calling it quits after this current summer tour.
For DSO, it’s been about continuing on with the legacy, legend and lore of America’s greatest rock band — all through the musical lens of historical accuracy, intricate musicianship and the absolute freedom to explore whatever lies just beyond a particular in-the-moment-jam.
For all of us DeadHeads and the curious alike groovin’ and frolickin’ about in the audience or out in the parking lot in search of a miracle ticket, it’s about continually tapping into a sacred melodic space of humanity — of sound and scope that resides in the deepest depths of our vibrant, cosmic being.
For myself, a lifelong DeadHead, I’ve been wrestling with the latest news of Dead & Co. finishing things up, with where I stand
nothing really was ever the same after that moment.
Everything shifted in my adolescent life. I started wearing Dead t-shirts and tacked up Jerry Garcia posters on my bedroom wall. Incense burning on the windowsill. There was even a small shrine to Jerry on my bookshelf for several years after he died. I was all in. The music and message of the Dead resonated within my often-bullied and ignored self. In essence, I’d found my tribe, this wildn-wondrous ensemble of oddballs, weirdos and all-around jovial folk.
The Dead has always been about personal freedom — to not only be yourself, but to also seek out the unknown beauty of people, places and things in this big ole world. Have adventures. Pursue wisdom. Radiate love. Be kind. Dammit, be kind. All of these things were placed in my emotional and spiritual toolbox while I began to wander the planet on my own following high school, college and impending adulthood.
And here I stand. Age 38. That nine-year-
The “An Appalachian Evening” series will kick off its 2023 season with a performance by The Kruger Brothers at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
2
The “Concerts on the Creek” music series will feature Gotcha Groove (funk/soul) at 7 p.m. Friday, June 23, at the gazebo in Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
3
A special production of “Calendar Girls” will grace the stage at 7:30 p.m. June 23-24, 29-30, July 1 and 2 p.m. June 25 and July 2 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
4
5 There will be a special conversation with poet Dana Wildsmith at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
old discovering the Dead is still inside of me somewhere. That youngster’s excitement for all things music (especially live), endless curiosity for what lies just around the corner and running with a reckless abandon towards the unknown horizon remains, if anything more so nowadays through the ongoing catalyst that is the written word and empty pages to fill in this weekly newspaper.
Circle back to last Friday. Standing there in the midst of a raucous sea of humanity, wave after wave of musical notes, body movement, conversation, interaction and celebration. We’re all together once again in the name of the Grateful Dead. Be thankful for moments like this. Be thankful for DSO and what it does to conjure those deeplyheld sentiments of love and compassion, of joyous tears shed in the presence of music aimed at connectivity and solidarity.
Forget that Dead & Co. is coming to a close. It is what it is. Nothing lasts forever. Be thankful for decades of sonic exploration and innumerable adventures in search of those melodic pirates of the high seas that is the Dead. Be thankful to be alive and in-tune at this juncture of history to be able to partake in the mesmerizing sights and sounds spilling off the stage, any stage paying homage to the Dead, its followers and all who may appear thereafter for centuries to come.
Besides, some Dead is better than no Dead, I’ve always said and honestly felt. As long as the music of that band and its creators remains pure of spirit and intent, then it’ll reverberate throughout the end of time itself — forever connected between you and me and all of us.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
TrancEnd
S PECIAL TO THE S MOKY MOUNTAIN N
EWSAward-winning rivercane basket maker
Gabriel Crowe is making history in more ways than one.
In October 2022, he received the prestigious “Best in Show” award at the Cherokee Indian Fair Craft Competition. His work has been displayed in galleries from Asheville to Phoenix and he is only 26 years old. He’s also currently the only male rivercane basket maker in Cherokee.
But he does not want it to stay this way. His aspirations include sharing his knowledge of the craft so this tradition will be passed down for generations to come.
Crowe was exposed to the world of craft at a young age. He was born to a family of experienced woodcarvers and beaders and seemed destined to join in the ranks of his ancestors. But it wasn’t until he was 15 years old that he chose his passion. Crowe says the Oconaluftee Indian Village played a vital role in his basket-making vocation.
“When you’re 15 or 16, you think about getting a summer job. As a stroke of luck they [the Oconaluftee Indian Village] had just started a mentee program the same year I thought about working up there. Once you’ve done that, you get to take your
stuff [artwork] home, but also the work ethic.”
Crowe was introduced to several different traditional Cherokee crafts, including weaponry, pottery, and finger weaving. He also decided to join the basket making class, taught by renowned basket maker Lucille Lossiah, and this is where his story as an artisan began.
When talking about the structure of his baskets, Gabriel details how he makes them with the traditions of the past that will live on in the future. “Rarely in nature will you find anything that’s as flexible as rivercane.” But, he explains, in order to use the material properly, you need to know its structure and how it should and should not be manipulated. If used correctly, it will be strong enough
to withstand hundreds of years. Crowe harkens back to his teaching from Lossiah at the Oconaluftee Indian Village and his continuing experiences, which have led him to know the nature of rivercane and how to make everlasting pieces.
Crowe says a key component of basket making is the process of gathering the materials, something that separates the “weavers” from the “makers.”
“A weaver is someone who knows how to weave. A maker knows how to go out and gather the materials from start to finish.” According to Crowe, maker traditions have been waning for a long time for several reasons.
“To know that I’m one [male rivercane basket maker] out of 18,000 enrolled members is kind of sad. Before the Trail of Tears, basket making was considered like a secondary thing to everybody.”
Another issue is sourcing rivercane for the baskets. Rivercane patches in Western North Carolina have become scarce, leaving Crowe to travel as far as Kentucky to find cane suitable for his work. Crowe’s hope is to source the components of his baskets closer to his home in Cherokee; he has begun to cultivate his making space to include materials such as bloodroot and butternut for dying, and even the cane itself.
Crowe emphasizes community in explaining why rivercane basket making is important. Crafts plays a big role in bringing the Cherokee people together, he says, and that if everyone picks one — not necessarily basket making — it will keep the traditions of the tribe from being lost.
“Elders before me and elders now, it’s been their main goal to keep doing it [craft] so the next generation keeps doing it. In the old ways and how things are today, everybody has phones, but nobody knows how to pick up a knife and carve on a stick anymore.”
For Crowe, culture and community make up your identity; if you forget one of these, you will forget yourself.
Keeping your drive to make artwork, sustaining motivation to keep going through hard times, and the ability to accept your mistakes are what Crowe attributes to his success as an artist. He has a philosophical approach to his practice, comparing weaving to life.
“Nothing is ever perfect, and things won’t come out the way you want them to, but if you take the small ends, the failures and run with it, things will come out better in the end for you.”
The Town of Sylva, Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce are proud to present the 14th annual season of the “Concerts on the Creek” music series. Gotcha Groove will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, June 23, at the gazebo in Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
The seven-member ensemble is an all-star lineup of exceptionally talented performers. This group is a welloiled machine with a robust repertoire, covering R&B, soul, funk, rock, oldies, beach and dance tunes. These events are free with donations encouraged. Everyone is welcome. Dogs must be on a leash. No smoking, vaping, coolers or tents allowed. Bring a chair or
• Altered Frequencies (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.342.8014 or alteredfrequencies.net.
• Angry Elk Brewing (Whittier) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and open to the public. 828.497.1015 or facebook.com/angryelkbrewingco.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8-10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7-9 p.m. every first and third Thursday of the month. Free and open to the public. For more information, go to blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Blue Stage (Andrews) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.361.2534 or gm@thebluestage.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host music bingo 7 p.m. Mondays, karaoke at 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. “Luau Party” for KARE June 23 and Beer & Loathing June 24. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.
• Cashiers Live (Cashiers) will host RCA (The Beatles tribute) 7 p.m. July 8. Tickets are $40 for adults, $12 for kids under age 12. VIP options available. Doors at 6 p.m. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to cashierslive.com.
• Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host Gotcha Groove (R&B/soul) June 23 and Kayla McKinney & The Twisted Tail Band (country/rock) June 30 at Bridge Park in Sylva. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is encour-
blanket. There will be food and beverage vendors onsite for this event.
For more information, please contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 828.586.2155 or visit the Concerts on the Creek Facebook page. A full schedule of dates and performers can be found at mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek.
The “An Appalachian Evening” series will kick off its 2023 season with a performance by The Kruger Brothers at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
The annual summer concert series offers an ever-changing schedule of bluegrass, folk and old-time mountain music by award-winning artists — quality entertainment for the entire family.
Rich in cultural heritage, the series continues to be a favorite with locals and visitors alike. The concert will be held in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium.
Since their formal introduction to American audiences in 1997, The Kruger Brothers’ remarkable discipline, creativity and their ability to infuse classical music into folk music has resulted in a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music.
In their ever-expanding body of work —
featuring Swiss brothers Jens Kruger (banjo and vocals) and Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass and vocals) — The Kruger Brothers personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition. Their original music is crafted around their discerning taste — the result unpretentious, cultivated and delightfully fresh.
Tickets are $30 for adults, $10 for students grade K-12. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or click on stecoahvalleycenter.com.
aged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged. 828.586.2155 or mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host The Clydes (Americana/indie) 6 p.m. July 15. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to coweeschool.org/music.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Dustin Martin (singer-songwriter) June 24. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” featuring Andrew Wooten with Caroline’s Roost July 12. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $25 per person. For tickets, go to oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.
• First United Methodist Church (Franklin) will host Mountain Voices Chorus Concert 7 p.m. June 22. Admission is free, with donations requested to support Mountain Voices. 828.524.3644.
• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends For a full schedule of events and/or tickets, go to folkmoot.org.
• Fontana Village Resort Wildwood Grill will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com.
• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will host Southern Highland Band (Americana) June 23 and Byrds & Crows (Americana) June 30 at Town Square on Main Street. All shows begin
at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host its weekly “Tuesday Jazz Series” at 5:30 p.m. and “Summer Soirée” w/Abby Bryant & The Echoes (soul/rock) and J. Rex & His High Mountain Pals (bluegrass/jam) 6:30 p.m. June 24 (admission $10 in advance). All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.
• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host The Shifty Sisters 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 24. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main St. littletennessee.org or 828.369.8488.
• Groovin’ on the Green (Cashiers) will host Zorki w/Bill Berg (Americana/folk) June 23 and the “Fourth of July Extravaganza” with Continental Divide July 1. Shows begin at 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. villagegreencashiersnc.com/concerts.
• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Blue Jazz
June 22, Jay Drummonds (singer-songwriter)
June 23, Macon County Line June 24, Doug Ramsey (singer-songwriter) June 29, Jon Cox Band (country/rock) June 30, PMA (rock/reggae) July 1, The Whitewater Heathens July 2 and The Remnants Band July 4. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. happsplace.com or 828.742.5700.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Air Supply 9 p.m. July 7. For a full schedule of events and/or to buy tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• High Dive (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.
highlandsdive.com or 828.526.2200.
• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host a Sunday Bluegrass Residency noon to 2:30 p.m. and Erin Rae (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. June 22. Tickets are $35. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. For tickets, go to highlandsperformingarts.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Trivia Night w/Kirk” from 7-9 p.m. every Monday, Open Mic Night every Wednesday, Jason Lyles (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. June 23, Tyler Kemmerling (singer-songwriter) June 24 and Shane Meade (indie/soul) July 1. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovationbrewing.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 6 p.m. Tuesdays, trivia 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Open Mic 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’Blues (blues/rock) July 1. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host trivia 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Old Time Jam 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
Rising area rock/jam act Arnold Hill will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, June 23, at Whiteside Brewing in Cashiers
Formed in 2011, the Jackson County band is named after a road in Sylva where the musicians lived and practiced. In method, Arnold Hill adheres to the playful nature and creative possibilities that reside in the rock quartet.
With its debut album, “Back to Life,” Arnold Hill sets to change the tone and tempo of what folks might expect on a given night onstage at their nearby bars and breweries in our mountain communities.
Free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.743.6000 or go to whitesidebrewing.com.
The Marianna Black Library will continue its “Summer Music Series” with an evening of Americana/ folk music from singer-songwriter Liz Nance at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 22, at the library in Bryson City.
Nance has been playing music since she was 13 years old, when she took up the bass guitar to play along with her aunt and uncle. It wasn’t too long before she started playing the guitar and, by the time she was 18, she was writing her own songs.
Nance moved to Bryson City in 2004 to start a “summer job” at the NOC and, since then, she has become a fixture in the community. She now writes most of her own music. When she covers someone else’s song, she always adds their own creative twists and turns.
Other performances scheduled for the “Summer Music Series” will include Kelli Dodd June 29 and Frank Lee on July 13.
Free and open to the public. For more information or driving directions, call the library at 828.488.3030 or click on fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
• Lineside at Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host the “Summer Soirée” w/Abby Bryant & The Echoes (soul/rock) and J. Rex & His High Mountain Pals (bluegrass/jam) 6:30 p.m. June 24. Admission is $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Open to all ages. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City)
“Summer Music Series” will continue with Liz Nance (singer-songwriter) June 22, Kelli Dodd (singer-songwriter) June 29 and Frank Lee (old-time/folk) July 13. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at 828.488.3030 or go to fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host Trivia Thursdays 6:30 p.m. and Woolybooger & The Ragtime Drifters (blues/indie) 7 p.m. June 23. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to meadowlarkmotel.com or 828.926.1717.
• Moss Valley (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. Food trucks and beverages available onsite. Bring a lawn chair. Presented by Drake Software.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host George Ausman (singer-songwriter) June 23, Ron Neill (singer-songwriter) June 24, Zip Robertson (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. June 25 and Bird In Hand (Americana/indie) June 30. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Music On The River (Cherokee) will host semiregular live music on the Water Beetle Stage. For more information, go to visitcherokeenc.com and go to the “Events” tab.
• Nantahala Brewing Outpost (Sylva) will host Different Light 6 p.m. July 7. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host Terry Haughton Trio June 24, Blue June 30 and Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs July 1. All shows behind at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. noc.com.
• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host Tugalo Holler (bluegrass) June 24 and Caribbean Cowboys (oldies/beach) July 8. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-the-square.html.
• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796.
• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Russell” every Monday, Susie Copeland (singer-songwriter) June 23, Rene Russell (rock/folk) June 24 and Random Acts Of Music June 30. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105.
• Santé Wine Bar (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.631.3075 or facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar.
• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or satulahmountainbrewing.com.
• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will host Blaze The City July 1 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park on Pine Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Sauced (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9585 or saucedwnc.com.
• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host a “Celtic Jam” 2-5 p.m. Sundays, Jackson Grimm (Americana/indie) June 22, Aaron “Woody” Wood & Friends (funk/blues) June 23 and Shane Meade (indie/soul) June 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.
• SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host Kevin Daniel & The Bottom Line June 22 and ALT Trio July 6. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Authentic Unlimited (bluegrass) June 23 and Bill Haley Jr. & The Comets (rock/oldies) July 1. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to smokymountainarts.com or 828.524.1598.
• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) “An Appalachian Evening” live music series will feature The Kruger Brothers June 24 and Buncombe Turnpike July 1. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or go to stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Wednesday” at 6:30 p.m. each week and Darren Nicholson (Americana/bluegrass) 8 p.m. May 26. 828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Mountain Gypsy (Americana) June 22, Tricia Ann Band (country/rock) June 23, Carolina Freightshakers (classic rock/oldies) June 24, Karaoke w/Lori June 28, Blackjack Country June 29, Mile High Band (classic rock) June 30 and Jason Wilson & James County July 1. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.com.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host Arnold Hill (rock/jam) June 23, Jason Lyles (singersongwriter) June 24, Christina Chandler (singersongwriter) June 30 and Kyle Corbett July 1. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.743.6000 or whitesidebrewing.com.
• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host Tim Easton (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. June 25. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to eatrealfoodinc.com.
The Mountain Heritage Center’s newest exhibit, “Coverlets: New Threads in Old Patterns,” will be on display through Aug. 31 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
Many families prize historic coverlets, lightweight and intricately designed woven blankets, both as family heirlooms and works of art.
The exhibition features 19th and 20th century coverlets from Jackson, Swain and Cherokee counties.
Visitors of all ages can learn the process of weaving coverlets through various touchable items and a working loom, as well as historic tools such as hackles and shuttles. The display explains parts of the process used to create the woven coverlets, as well as what materials were used.
“Our hope is that this exhibit will introduce visitors to the traditions of natural dyeing and hand weaving,” said Peter Koch, Mountain Heritage Center education associate. “We’re excited to share the stories behind these coverlets and their makers to broaden understanding and appreciation of weaving as an art form and its role in
shaping the community.”
The exhibit also explores ways in which coverlets shifted from being solely homeuse items to their role in the Craft Revival period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries showcasing mountain crafts to create new economic opportunities for women and their families.
Admission is free. The Mountain Heritage Center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday in WCU’s Hunter
The annual Mountain Artisans “Summertime“ Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 30-July 1 in the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
Dozens of local artisans. Admission is $5 for adults with children under 12 free. Concessions available and free convenient parking. For more information, click on mountainartisans.net.
The Jackson County Public Library will host a screening of the documentary “Stonewall Uprising” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, at the library in Sylva.
In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. Such raids were not unusual in the late 1960s, an era when homosexual sex was illegal in every state but Illinois.
Library. Call or email prior to your visit for information about parking.
For questions about the exhibit or the Mountain Heritage Center, visit mhc.wcu.edu or call 828.227.7129.
That night, however, the street erupted into violent protests and demonstrations that lasted for the next six days. The “Stonewall Riots,” as they came to be known, marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world.
For more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016 or email at jcpladults@fontanalib.org. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.
The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (fontanalib.org).
• Community Artisan Craft Show & Sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, June 30, at Givens Great Laurels on 80 Candler St. in Waynesville. For more information, email atoomey@givensgreatlaurels.org.
Photography Club.
• Sunday - Wednesday 11am - 5pm Bar open until 6pm
• Thursday - Saturday 11am - 8pm Dinner Menu begins at 5:00 pm
perfect for all walks of life, from families to golf groups to ladies who lunch.We pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients from our gardens and supporting local farmers. The details are priority.
• Call for artists and musicians for the “Youth Arts Festival” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Artists needed to demonstrate, as well as musicians to perform. If interested, email chelseamiller@jacksonnc.org or call 828.631.0271.
• “Art After Dark” will take place from 6-9 p.m. Friday, July 7, in downtown Waynesville. Each first Friday of the month (MayDecember), Main Street transforms into an evening of art, live music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors alike. For more information, go to downtownwaynesville.com.
• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club is a nonprofit organization that exists for the enjoyment of photography and the improvement of one’s skills. They welcome photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings. For more information, email waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net or follow them on Facebook: Waynesville
• Summer Artisans Market will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of the month through September at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Artisan vendors and more. For more information, go to noc.com.
• Farmer’s Market (with artisans) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through October at 117 Island St. in Bryson City. Stop by the old barn by the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies and preserves, authentic crafts and more. Food truck, picnic tables and live music. Leashed pets are welcome. Outdoor event. 828.488.7857.
• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. For more information and a full schedule, go to jcgep.org.
• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. For more information on the upcoming classes and/or to sign-up, go to southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.
• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. For more information and a full schedule of activities, go to dogwoodcrafters.com/classes.html or call 828.586.2248.
Presented by Adamas Entertainment, the “Summer Soirée” featuring Abby Bryant & The Echoes and J. Rex & His High Mountain Pals will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at The Lineside, a brand new indoor music venue at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.
A music minister’s daughter turned fierce front woman, Asheville-based Abby Bryant has cemented her presence as a standout in Americana and soul with her band’s debut album
“Not Your Little Girl.” The 13-track LP features Bryant’s raw vocal talent supported by the confident and dynamic backing group, The Echoes, and establishes a strong foundation for the band in the world of vintage-inspired Americana and soul rock.
Fronted by Jerad Davis of beloved Western North Carolina Americana/bluegrass outfit Ol’ Dirty Bathtub, the High Mountain Pals is a collection of some of the finest pickers-n-grinners in this part of Southern Appalachia. Doors at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Open to all ages. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on froglevelbrewing.com/events.
Sunday, July 2nd | 7p.m.
The concert is part of Lake Junaluska’s Independence Day Celebration July 1-4
The annual “Thunder in the Smokies” summer rally will be held June 30-July 2 at the Maggie Valley Fairgrounds.
The oldest and largest motorcycle rally in the
Great Smoky Mountains, the weekend celebration will feature live music, dozens of vendors, motorcycle shows/games, prizes and much more. For more information, a full schedule of events and/or to purchase tickets, go to handlebarcorral.com/summerrally.
• Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley will offer free admission to Haywood County residents on the first Saturday of each month throughout its 2023 season. The collection features over 375 of the world’s rarest and most sought-after American motorcycles from over 30 manufacturers. The museum is located at 62 Vintage Lane in Maggie Valley and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday until Nov. 20. For more information about the museum and its collections, visit wheelsthroughtime.com.
The Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling will be held from 7-9 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays through Oct. 31 at the Oconaluftee Islands Park in Cherokee. Sit by a bonfire, alongside a river, and listen to some of Cherokee’s best storytellers. The bonfire is free and open to the public. For more information, call 800.438.1601 or click on visitcherokeenc.com.
828.634.7813
From
A special production of “Calendar Girls” will grace the stage at 7:30 p.m. June 23-24, 29-30, July 1 and 2 p.m. June 25 and July 2 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
“Calendar Girls” is a comedy based on a true story in 1999 when 11 W.I. members posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund. To note, the W.I. is the Women’s Institute, a community organization in the United Kingdom since 1897.
The play is based on the 2003 film of the same name, starring two grand dames of British cinema, Helen Mirren and Julie Walters. Adapted by Tim Firth, it premiered in a UK Tour in 2009 and quickly became the fastest-selling play in British theatre history.
828.634.7813
When Annie’s husband John dies of leukemia, she and best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room. They manage to persuade four fellow Women’s Institute members to pose nude with them for an “alternative” cal-
endar, with a little help from hospital porter and amateur photographer Lawrence.
The news of the women’s charitable venture spreads like wildfire, and hordes of press soon descend upon their town. The calendar is a success, but Chris and Annie’s friendship is put to the test under the strain of their newfound fame. This play contains the suggestion of nudity and some mature language.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on harttheatre.org or call the Box Office at 828.456.6322.
The “Unto These Hills” stage production will be held at 7 p.m. nightly throughout the summer at the Cherokee Mountainside Theatre.
This decades-old acclaimed outdoor drama traces the Cherokee people through the eons, through the zenith of their power, through the heartbreak of the Trail of Tears, finally ending, appropriately, in the present day, where the Cherokee people, much like their newly re-scripted drama, continue to rewrite their place in the world — a place based on traditional Cherokee values and modern sensibilities.
For more information on show dates and/or to purchase tickets, go to visitcherokeenc.com and click on the “Events” tab.
• The Sweet Corn Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 1-2 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Food trucks, live music, vendors, kids activities, corn eating contests and more. For more information, email hotheadevents@gmail.com.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.
• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine
Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. For more information, call 828.538.0420.
• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or go to gsmr.com.
“People stop me to tell me that are beautiful.”
There are plenty of reasons why
Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) is included along with Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Sickly as a boy with asthma, his wealthy father provided him with a home gymnasium, hired coaches, and urged him to learn to box. He developed an early interest in wildlife and would later as president set aside 230 million acres as parkland for the enjoyment and edification of the American people. He made his mark at Harvard as a bit of an eccentric and an entertaining conversationalist. After graduation, he married a young woman he adored, Alice Lee, who died on Valentine’s Day, 1884, after giving birth to their first child. His mother died only hours earlier on the very same day and in the same house.
Bereft, Roosevelt fled big city life and the New York legislature for his ranch in the Badlands, where he lived as a cowboy. Once he even tracked down a trio of thieves, took them prisoner, and escorted them to the law on a three-day journey of cold and privation.
On returning East, Roosevelt gained a reputation for honesty and fearlessness in politics. Over the next 20 years, he served in a variety of offices, including police commissioner of New York City, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, governor of New York state, vice president, and president. During this time he also demonstrated personal bravery while commanding the famous Rough Riders at the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
With the assassination of Warren Harding in 1901, Roosevelt entered the White House. As president, he launched one of the world’s greatest engineering feats, the building of the Panama Canal. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for helping to end the Russo-Japanese War, helped to better racial conditions in the United States by inviting Tuskegee Institute’s Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House, worked on a dozen issues regarding labor, management, and corporations, and brought an excitement to the capital rarely seen before or since.
After a failed attempt at a third party presidential run in 1912 — the Bull Moose party was named after him — Roosevelt embarked in 1914 on an expedition to the
Amazon, where sickness, the heat, and the sheer exhaustion of fighting the river and the jungle left him a physical wreck. He died four years later.
In “The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt” (St. Martin’s Press, 2023, 480 pages), Jeff Shaara covers these events and more from the life of this extraordinary American. Here is an excellent introduction
In the mid-1880s, as Shaara demonstrates, the Dakota Badlands were no place for the weak. There Roosevelt, whom the rough settlers sometimes called “Four Eyes” because of his glasses, won the admiration and respect of other cattlemen for standing up to bullies and for being able to endure, often with a smile, all the misery the raw land could throw at him. The tough people of this place also won Roosevelt’s respect. For the first time in his life, he was truly out and about among the common people, a circumstance which he later credited with helping him win the presidency.
The Battle of San Juan Hill also helped boost Roosevelt into national politics. He became a popular folk hero for his exploits during the Battle of San Juan Hill, a status that he earned through his bravery on the battlefield and the care he took of his men. The Rough Riders, a loose coalition of Ivy Leaguers, cowboys, and other men of all backgrounds, are representative of the people who would later adore him as president.
for young and old to this human dynamo, his struggles, and his many achievements. It provides as well a pleasant visit for those already familiar with Roosevelt from his “Autobiography” or the many biographies written about him.
In his introductory remarks to his novel, Shaara writes, “One thing I have learned through my career as a storyteller is that getting it right means accurately, to the extent possible, recounting the events of the time.” The author of many other historical fictions, Shaara has clearly followed that maxim in “The Old Lion.” The main characters lived and breathed during the lifetime of Roosevelt, and their accomplishments and failings are a part of his story.
As a novelist, Shaara was clearly drawn to the most adventurous of Roosevelt exploits: his time in the Dakotas, his command of the Rough Riders, and his dangerous exploration of the Amazon.
Roosevelt’s reasons for making the arduous journey on the Amazon were varied, but the chance for one last adventure of his lifetime was high on that list. Unfortunately, the rigors of that expedition nearly cost him his life and left him in poor health for the years remaining to him. As Schaara writes, his physical condition on this trek became so weakened that he asked to be left behind, so that the rest of the party might escape the jungle and survive. Colonel Rondon, leader of the expedition—he eventually explored more of the Brazilian backcountry than any man before him—refused and brought the president back to safety.
Hermann Hagedorn, who appears in “The Old Lion” as he was in life, a journalist and a chief biographer of Roosevelt, honored the man after his death with these words:
“And so it was that the scarred body of a hero was laid to rest. But the spirit of Theodore Roosevelt did not sleep. It stalked mightily through the hearts of his countrymen, raising dead souls to life.”
(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” minick0301@gmail.com.)
There will be a special conversation with poet Dana Wildsmith at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Wildsmith teaches English Literacy at Lanier Technical College. She is a poet, novelist and essayist whose new collection of poems, “With Access to Tools,” has at its center the use of traditional, cyber and cerebral tools to work toward whatever balance may be possible in our lives.
To reserve copies of “The Nature of Things” and/or “With Access to Tools,” please call City Lights Bookstore at
BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS E DITOR
Shannon Young has no trouble identifying the exact moment he fell in love with fly fishing.
He was out on the West Fork of the Pigeon River, casting for trout, when a state of flow overtook him. A spiritual sense of the place arrived, supplanting any awareness of physical actions he was taking to cast his line and pull it back in.
“I was in the river and the birds are doing their thing, the trout are rising, and I was like, okay, now I really understand the other side of fly fishing, from a spiritual aspect,” he said. “That’s what just grabbed ahold of me. And I said, ‘Okay, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.’”
That was two-and-a-half years ago, just about six months after Shannon, a former competitive bass angler, tried fly fishing for the first time. Now, he and his wife Kristin, also an
angler, own Haywood County’s newest fly shop and are organizing a fly fishing festival that’s coming to the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds June 24-25.
“We are pretty gung-ho, myself and my husband,” Kristin said. “We love to put in hard work. We want to desperately give back to this community, and so that's important to us. So working these long hours and opening the shop and doing the festival, that's just who we are. We have to be busy, and busy doing things that we love, and planning things that we love.”
Maggie Valley Fly Shop opened on Oct. 10, 2022, in the log cabin on Soco Road that previously housed Crafted in Carolina. It’s the fruit of an unexpected dream for the couple, who previously lived in St. Petersburg, Florida. They both had high-paying corporate jobs there that kept them busy running in separate directions. Kristin, who is an Air Force veteran, worked as a broker between banks and merchants, while Shannon, a native of northern Georgia, ran a landscaping company. They came north as a temporary escape from the pandemic.
“When we got here, we fell in love with it,” Kristin said. “We didn’t want to be in the city anymore.”
They found a cabin to rent, and Shannon begin running a fishing guide service. He did that for two years, long enough to see an opportunity.
“You started figuring out there’s a huge, huge amount of people that come in to fly fish in this area,” Kristin said. “So once he did that for two years, he started writing a business plan.”
It’s 2 p.m. on a Wednesday — not exactly prime time for retail shopping — but a constant stream of customers flows through the log cabin fly shop. Shannon helps them try on gear, answers questions about river conditions and rings up purchases. Upstairs, Kristin turns off her phone to secure some uninterrupted time to speak with The Smoky Mountain News.
“I usually come in here about 5:30 in the morning,” Shannon said. “I get a pot of coffee going and do a little bit of marketing, and then people actually start coming in at 6 — and as you can see, it’s steady today. Weekends are really busy.”
The fly shop is open seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’re long hours, Kristin said, but hours that are intentionally aligned with the couple’s goal — to create a fly fishing shop for fly fishermen. The shop is on the way to countless favorite fishing spots, so the early opening time makes the Maggie Valley Fly Shop an easy stopover for last-minute purchases en route to the river. The shop offers guided fishing and float trips, and those clients arrive at 6 a.m. to organize before setting off for the day’s adventure.
“We designed the shop for the fly fisher-
men,” Kristin said. “So being fly fishermen, we figured we’re not in it to put out everything that’s expensive. We wanted to bring in cost-effective prices that people are willing to pay.”
The shop carries a wide variety of brands. It’s one of only two shops in North Carolina to carry the “top of the line” English brand Hardy, Kristin said, with the other shop being in Boone. The shop carries Temple Fork Outfitters, Cortland and various other brands, including several created by Shannon and Kristin. Shannon has a line of shirts branded with the name of the shop, and Kristin has a couple lines of women’s wear, Girl on the Fly and Dry Fly Girl.
For Kristin, carrying a robust inventory of fly gear intended for women was a priority in developing the shop. As a female angler, she said, too often she’d walk into a fly shop and find only men’s gear, with nothing in her size.
“There are women who love to fly fish all the time, and I want to make sure that when they walk in this door, they have a whole room dedicated to their needs,” she said.
Maggie Valley Fly Shop has such a room. It’s filled with women’s wading boots and waders specifically designed to accommodate female curves, as well as shirts and leggings made to fit well, last long and imbue a sense of style. The UV-proof leggings patterned like the scales of various fish species are a customer favorite.
The shop also has a main room containing rods, flies, men’s gear and various other types of clothing and equipment, as well as a side room dedicated to fly tying. It contains a desk outfitted with tying equipment and shelves of supplies.
Setting up the shop was “a wild ride,” Kristin said, but “well worth it.”
At the same time Shannon and Kristin were wading through their first year as fly shop owners, they were working on another big project as well. Despite being only three years into fly fishing — the saltwater fishing they did in Florida is a whole different sport — they’re hooked on the natural beauty and sense of peace it involves.
They want others to experience that too. That’s why they decided to take on planning for a new festival, which will debut at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds this weekend.
“We want to bring awareness of the sport, the love of it, the nature behind it, and we want to share that with everyone,” Kristin said.
The Maggie Valley Fly Fishing Festival will be held 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24, and Sunday, June 25, offering a variety of demonstrations, activities and live music. Demonstrations will be open throughout the event, with fly fishing vendors set up and an open pond for fly casting. Four expert fly tyers — Patricia Pezza, Bob Nanney, Rex Wilson and John Brandow — will demonstrate the craft as the event unfolds.
At 10 a.m. both days, Josh Miller, a fly fishing coach and member of Fly Fishing Team USA, will give a 45-minute talk, and attendees will have the chance to learn more about fly fishing and stream life from a long list of organizations planning to be present. These include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Project Healing Water, North Carolina Veterans Outdoor, Haywood County Parks and Recreation, Casting
Carolinas, Casting for Hope, Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians, Haywood Waterways Association and many more.
“We have geared this also to make sure that we get them out, so they can do the things they need to do to outreach locally here,” Kristin said of the groups planning to attend.
There will be a kids trout derby and a series of raffle drawings for fly fishing gear. Both days, the Pigeon River Messengers will perform noon to 2 p.m., The Well Drinkers
3-4:30 p.m. and Songs From the Road Band
5-7 p.m. Food trucks will be on site.
This week’s festival is an inaugural event, but Shannon and Kristin plan for it to be an annual one. They’ve already secured permission to hold it next year. Hopefully, Kristin said, it will give even more people the chance to experience the feeling she gets while out on the water.
“There’s nothing more beautiful,” she said, “than watching the fish rise or flash.”
The inaugural Maggie Valley Fly Fishing Festival will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24, through Sunday, June 25, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. A variety of demonstrations, activities and live music will greet attendees throughout the day. The cost is $10 per person, with children 12 and under free. For more information, visit maggievalleyflyfishingfestival.com.
A new study from researchers focusing on the forest-water connection in the Southern U.S. found that, over the coming decades, many forested watersheds could be lost to development, lowering water quality and raising water treatment costs.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to combine water quality data, land cover projections and information about public water systems at a large scale,” said Peter Caldwell, a U.S. Forest Service researcher and lead author of the new study.
The team examined small watersheds across a broad region, ranging from Virginia to Texas and covering a variety of forest types, soils, topography and hydroclimates. The results confirm that forests are important for water quality. Water running off forested lands generally has lower concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended sediment than water leaving any other type of land, the study found.
There are nuances within that generalization. Some individual forested watersheds can have lower water quality, perhaps because of the type of soil or rock present or due to sediment erosion in the stream channel.
Nevertheless, losing forests to any other land use would likely result in lower water quality, the study suggests. For example, developing just 1% of forests upstream of an intake could result in an 0.4% increase in the concentration of suspended sediment in the water, on average. Municipalities that draw water directly from rivers are at higher risk of lower water quality.
More than 80% of southern forests are privately owned, and the human population is growing — more southern forests have been lost to development than anywhere else in the U.S. The research team includes economists who will link water quality and water treatment costs, a line of research that could one day inform programs and compensate private forest landowners for the ecosystem services their forested watersheds provide.
The new study is related to a large body of research exploring how people depend on forested watersheds for their drinking water. The research was published in the scientific journal Science of the Total Environment.
Friday Zumba Gold group fitness classes have resumed at the Waynesville Recreation Center in Waynesville.
The class joins others offered on Mondays and Wednesdays, all 11 a.m. to
noon. Zumba Gold is geared toward active older adults looking for a class that recreates original Zumba moves at lower intensity. Easy-to-follow Zumba choreography focuses on balance, range of motion and coordination.
For more information, contact 828.456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.
A new trail is open in the Old Fort area, an important milestone in an ongoing 42-mile trail expansion project there.
The 3.16-mile Bernard Mountain Trail descends nearly 1,000 feet from the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, following the rocky ridge parallel to Kitsuma. Designed for intermediate mountain biking and hiking, the trail connects from Bernard Mountain Road, accessible via Mill Creek Road, to the Point Lookout Greenway near the Old Fort Picnic Area. While classified as intermediate, the trail also features technical sections and advanced alternate lines for mountain bikers. In contrast to the easy-to-intermediate Gateway Trails, Bernard Mountain Trail is narrow singletrack with many rocky sections and steeper
A program offered through the University of Tennessee 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 24, will offer an up-close look at the history of the Little Cataloochee area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The group will meet at Cosby Campground and travel to the Cataloochee area of the park. An easy-to-moderate 5.4-mile roundtrip hike will use old community roads, with guides sharing their
grades.
Along with the trail, a new parking area accommodating 10-15 cars is now open, located off of Mill Creek Road. It’s about 4.6 miles from the new parking area to the bottom of the Point Lookout Greenway, including 1.5 miles along the gated U.S. Forest Service road Bernard Mountain Road. Bikers and runners can loop Bernard Mountain as a downhill trail with the Point Lookout climb for a total route of close to 9 miles. In contrast, hikers may prefer the 2-mile hike up to the Bernard Mountain peak from Point Lookout.
The trail was built through funding from the McDowell County Tourism Development Authority, and construction was executed by Trail Dynamics.
knowledge of history and the natural features that were cherished by early settlers. They’ll also look out for hog wallows, bear and coyote scat and colorful plant life to add to the discovery.
The class is $69 and open to people 18 and older. It is offered as part of UT’s Smoky Mountain Field School, which offers a variety of programs for adults who love the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to form deeper connection to the landscape.
Register for this or any other Smoky Mountain Field School program at smfs.utk.edu or call 865.974.1051.
Learn about the 500 species of bees that live in North Carolina during a presentation at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
Dr. Michael Wall, executive director of the Balsam Mountain Trust, will discuss the varied types of bees, the flowers they pollinate and how to be bee-friendly to all brands of bees — and other pollinators. Wall, an entomologist, grew up in the Piedmont region of the Carolinas but spent the last 16 years conducting research on bees and other insects at the San Diego Natural History Museum in California.
Free and co-sponsored by Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information, contact 828.586.2016 or jcpl-adults@fontanalib.org.
Visit a hub of nature exploration and interactive programs focused on pollinators 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at Highlands Nature Center, in honor of National Pollinator Week.
This full-day event, designed for the whole family, is made possible by Spriggly’s Beescaping. From 10:30-11 a.m. and 2:30-3 p.m., families can gather to hear a reading of “Finding Home: A Story of a Mason Bee,” alongside a short presentation on native pollinators. For adults, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. author Brannen Basham will lead an immersive journey through the native plants and animals on the property, drawing from the valuable insights in his book, “A Guide to the Wonderful World Around Us.” Between these scheduled readings and presentation, participants can engage in activities such as bee tube rolling and coloring.
The event is free with no registration required — except for Basham’s 12:30 p.m. program. Register at highlandsbiological.org or by calling 828.526.2623.
The 3-mile Bernard Mountain Trail is the newest addition to a planned 42 miles of new trail near Old Fort. U.S. Forest Service map
Learn about plastic pollution and the threat it poses to freshwater and marine ecosystems during a free lecture at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 29, at the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands.
Austin Gray, who holds a doctorate in environmental health sciences and is a researcher and assistant professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech, will give the talk in the next installment of the Zahner Conservation Lecture Series.
Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most critical global environmental risks, posing severe challenges to aquatic environments. Microplastics, which form from plastic debris, have been shown to alter aquatic ecosystems by disrupting biota populations. Gray’s lecture will focus on topics surrounding plastic pollution, microplastics and their impact on aquatic habitats.
The program, which is sponsored by Jennifer and Forrest McConnell and Jennie Stowers, will be followed by a small reception. It is part of a lineup for free lectures held weekly at 6 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 10. For a full schedule, visit highlandsbiological.org.
The formal process to determine the future of the Ocoee Whitewater Center after the facility was destroyed in an April 2022 fire has
Austin Gray is the first Black American to receive a doctorate in environmental health sciences. Donated photo
diverse group of partners to guide public outreach and development of a master plan for the site. A survey online at reimaginetheowc.org is currently taking public input. Developed by the University of Georgia Institute of Government, the survey is one of several tools to gather public input, with public engagement and focus groups also used. A landscape architecture firm, Studio Outside, will lead a team of experts in recreation planning, whitewater course design, interpretive design and architecture to incorporate that public input into creative visions for the site.
begun.
The U.S. Forest Service is working with a
The site design scenarios and public input will inform a collaborative working group that will advise the Forest Service on the next steps. For more information, call 423.476.970
A series of community programs celebrating the natural and cultural history of the Cosby area will be offered Fridays June 23 through July 14 at the Cosby Campground Amphitheater in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A chance to learn about the Cherokee culture and stories through dance, music and storytelling from members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will kick off the series, 7-8 p.m. Friday, June 23.
Programs feature musicians, dancers, storytellers, moonshiners and former residents who once lived in the park, inviting visitors to step back in time while experiencing storytelling, dance, music and history walks. Enjoy traditional bluegrass music from the Mountain Edge Band and stories of the Cosby families 7-8 p.m. June 30; learn the details of making moonshine from Mark Ramsey, Digger Manes and Kelly Williamson 7-8 p.m. July 7; and participate in the Cosby Homecoming noon to 2 p.m. July 14, hearing stories from locals whose families once lived in the park and taking a history walk to learn what life was once like in Cosby.
In case of rain, programs will be moved to the covered picnic pavilion adjacent to Cosby Campground — all programs will be held rain or shine. For more information,
about what the Cosby area was like before it became part of the park. NPS photo
contact Park Ranger Katie Corrigan at 865.436.1263 or katherine_corrigan@nps.gov.
ArborEvenings is back at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, offering opportunity to spend Thursday and Friday evenings strolling through the gardens through Sept. 22. From 5:30-8 p.m. each night, visitors will be able to purchase food and beverages, and sip and stroll through the gardens while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists.
Free with standard $20 parking fee, and free for Arboretum Society members. Proceeds support the N.C. Arboretum Society. Event will be canceled in case of rain — announcements will be posted on Facebook and at ncarboretum.org by 3 p.m. ArborEvenings will not take place Friday, June 30, or Friday, Sept. 1.
During the month of June, the WNC Nature Center and N.C. Arboretum are swapping members, meaning that people who hold a membership at either institution can visit the other free of charge.
Arboretum members can enjoy free Nature Center admission for two adults and up to four children, while Nature Center members will get free arboretum admission for one standard car, plus a $20 discount on an annual membership purchased by the end of June.
The fifth annual Outdoor Economy Conference in Cherokee will serve as the backdrop to a convening of the Confluence of States and the State Outdoor Business Alliance Network.
The Confluence of States is a bipartisan coalition of 16 state offices of outdoor recreation that exists to share best practices and collaborate on initiatives promoting outdoor recreation as an economic driver. SOBAN is a network of 23 state-based outdoor business
alliances leading on sector development and advocating for policies and initiative that support the outdoor recreation industry.
A meeting of the two groups is expected to allow members to share ideas and discuss strategies for the public and private sectors to work together to advance the outdoor recreation economy.
The conference where the meeting will occur brings together more than 600 outdoor industry leaders, advocates, business leaders and stakeholders from across the country to collaborate on important issues facing the outdoor economy.
Registration for the Outdoor Economy Conference is open at outdooreconomy.org.
WWW.MOUNTAINCU.ORG
Puzzles can be found on page 38
These are only the answers.
For the past few years, whenever I encounter the whorled loosestrife growing along a trail or roadside I have been saying its name out loud, and slowly. Like a prayer: “World, lose strife.” Or so it sounds to my ears when said aloud. “World, lose strife.” And this world around us could use a lot less strife, that’s for sure.
In botanical terminology, a “whorl” is when three or more leaves emerge from the stem at the same location, called a node. This is in contrast to alternate leaf arrangement, where only one leaf grows per node and then the leaves alternate up and down the stem, or opposite leaf arrangement, which is when two leaves emerge from the stem at the same node. The whorled loosestrife usually has four leaves at every node, which is where it gets the “quadrifolia” part in its scientific name, Lysimachia quadrifolia. Quad means four, and folia means leaf.
Whorled loosestrife grows in full sun and part shade under deciduous trees. And when it is happy, it can grow in relatively large patches in the woods. They make a great addition to your shade garden, or planted along a path or trail, or in a mixed bed of native wildflowers. They are a perennial plant that can grow up to three feet tall, returning each year from their rhizome roots.
The flowers are small and yellow, sometimes with reddish streaks along the petals and edges of the petals. Each of the five yellow petals are red at their base, which forms the overall shape of a star with a red ring in the center. The flower stalk emerges from the stem where the leaves attach, which is known as the axil. Each flower lays on top of a single leaf in the four-leaved whorl. It is as if the leaf is providing support for the flowers to bloom on, and possibly a landing pad for pollinating insects as well.
Whorled loosestrife and other members of the Lysimachia genus are pollinated by specialist bees called loosestrife bees (Macropis spp.) These native bees are solitary, non-boring bees. This means that they do not live in hives or large colonies, and they do not drill or dig into wood to make their nests. Instead, they dig their nests into the ground and raise their young there.
As I consider myself to be solitary and nonboring, I have an affinity for this type of native bee. They need our help maybe more so than honeybees, which are not native and are raised as agricultural products. To help them, not only can you plant and encourage whorled loosestrife around your property, but you can also leave some bare soil areas in and around your gardens to attract native ground nesting bees.
The genus name of Lysimachia comes from Lysimachus, who was king of Macedonia in ancient Greece. It is said that King Lysimachus hung a sprig of loosestrife between two oxen who were fighting each other while yoked and pulling a cart. The plant seems to have calmed the two beasts, causing them to lose their strife and hence giving the plant the common name of loosestrife, and the genus name of Lysimachia.
Perhaps that is what is needed in our modern world of strife and of two large metaphorical beasts fighting while yoked together as they are supposed to be moving us along our path. We could hang a clump of loosestrife at state and national halls of government, just in the center of the aisle. Or, better yet, perhaps we can plant loosestrife flowers at all of our public and municipal buildings and grounds. And maybe, just maybe, this world could lose a little strife.
(Adam Bigelow lives in Cullowhee. He leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow's Botanical Excursions. bigelownc@gmail.com.)
• The Jackson County Farmers Market meets every Saturday November through March 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and April through October 9 a.m.-noon at Bridge Park in Sylva, 110 Railroad St. Special events listed on Facebook and Instagram.
• The Jackson Arts Market takes place from 1-5 p.m. every Saturday at 533 West Main St. in Sylva with live music and an array of local artists.
• Cowee School Farmer’s Market is held Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. The market has produce, plant starts, eggs, baked goods, flowers, food trucks and music. For more information or for an application, visit www.coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080.
• Cogburn reunion will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 24, at the Cruso Community Center, 13186 Cruso Road. Bring a dish of food and/or drinks to share. Meat and paper products will be provided.
• The Green Energy Park is seeking artists to demonstrate/ provide kid-friendly activities, as well as musicians to perform, for the Youth Art’s Festival slated to take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park. If interested, contact Chelsea Seaman at chelseamiller@jacksonnc.org or call the office at 828.631.0271.
• The Macon County Library will offer free lunches, provided by the Macon County Public School system 1111:30 a.m. June 5 through July 31, except Monday July 4. For kids up to age 18.
• Mountain Area pregnancy Services and the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor work together to provide a casual support group for prenatal and breastfeeding individuals from 1-2 p.m. on Tuesdays at Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, 177 N Main St. Waynesville, NC. All are welcome, registration is recommended. For more information, please call 828.558.4550.
• Chess 101 takes place 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information, email Ashlyn Godleski at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2567.
• The Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library Creative Writing Group meets 10:30 a.m. - noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.
• Knit Night takes place at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at The Stecoah Valley Center. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP is recommended: 828.479.3364 or amber@stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Sylva Writers Group meets at 10:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at City Lights Bookstore. For more information contact sylvawriters@gmail.com.
• Tremont Writers Conference, an intensive five-day retreat for writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry will take place Wednesday, Oct. 25-29. Applications to par-
n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.
n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com
ticipate in the event may be submitted online now through April 30 at writers.gsmit.org.
• Creative Writing Club will take place at 3:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. The writing club is intended for ages 8-12. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
• Move and Groove Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Thursday, at the Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Exciting, interactive music and movement story time ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Ashlyn at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or at 828.356.2567.
• Mother Goose Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Wednesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children from birth to 2 years old. For more information, contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.
• Wiggle Worms Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Tuesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.
• Next Chapter Book Club Haywood is a fun, energetic and highly interactive book club, ideal for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group meets every second and fourth Monday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.
• Storytime takes place at 10 a.m. every Tuesday at the Macon County Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
• Toddler’s Rock takes place at 10 a.m. every Monday at the Macon County Library. Get ready to rock with songs, books, rhymes and playing with instruments. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
• Culture Talk takes place at 2 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. Travel the world from inside your library. This event features guest speakers and food sampling from the location being discussed. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
• Art afternoon takes place at 3:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Macon County Public Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
will host a movie night to watch “Remember the Titans” on Friday, June 30. The gate will open at 6:30 p.m. and the movie will begin at about 8:15 p.m. There will be outdoor games before the movie. Food will be available for purchase.
• Trivia Night is hosted 6:30-8:30 p.m. ever Thursday evening at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. For more information visit meadowlarkmotel.com.
• Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events. Registration is required, $45.
• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon-4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.
• Smoky Mountain Event Center presents Bingo Night with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. and games starting at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information visit smokymountaineventcenter.com.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.
• A free wine tasting will be held from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday and 2-5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.
• Take a trip around the world with four different wines every Friday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 11a.m.-6 p.m. at the Bryson City Wine Market. Pick from artisan Charcuterie Foods to enjoy with wines. 828.538.0420
• Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.
• Blacksmithing Fundamentals, a class taught by Brock Martin designed to introduce students to the art of blacksmithing, will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, June 30 and Saturday, July 1, at the Green Energy Park in Jackson County. Cost is $160, due at registration. Space is limited. For more information or to register, contact the Green Energy Park at 828.631.0271.
• “Armor Construction: Gothic Gauntlet,” a class that teaches various techniques involved in constructing armor, will be offered 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturdays, August 5-6, at the Green Energy Park in Jackson County. Cost is $550, space is limited, pre-registration required. For more information or to register, contact the GEP at 828.631.0271.
• Chess 101 takes place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday in the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. No registration required, for more information call 828.648.2924.
n Complete listings of local music scene
n Regional festivals
n Art gallery events and openings
n Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers
n Civic and social club gatherings
second Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. All are welcome. Call 828.349.4607 for more information.
• “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m.3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. 828.349.4607 or pm14034@yahoo.com.
• Explore historic Cataloochee with the University of Tennessee 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 24. The groups will meet at Cosby Campground and travel to the Cataloochee area of the park. The class is $69 and open to people 18 and older. Register for this or any other Smoky Mountain Field School program at smbfs.utk.edu or call 865.974.1051.
• Celebrate National Pollinator Week during an event from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at the Highlands Nature Center. The event is free with no registration required — except for a reading by author Brannen Basham at 12:30 p.m. Register at highlandsbiological.org or by calling 828.526.2623.
• A microplastics researcher will give a free lecture at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 29, at the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands. Learn about the threat plastic pollution poses to freshwater and marine ecosystems. The program will be followed by a small reception. For more information visit highlandsbiological.org.
• ArborEvenings at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville take place 5:30-8 p.m. every Thursday and Friday evening through Sept. 22. Visitors can stroll through the gardens, purchase food and beverages, and listen to live music. Free with standard $20 parking fee, and free for Arboretum Society members. For more information visit www.ncarboretum.org.
• Mountain Voices Chorus will hold a concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 22, at First United Methodist Church in Franklin.
• The Stecoah Valley Cultural Center will host An Appalachian Evening with the Kruger Brothers at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24. Tickets are $30. More information available at stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center
• Wired Wednesday, one-on-one technology help is available at 3-5 p.m. every Wednesday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For more information or to register, call 828.648.2924.
• Uptown Gallery, 30 East Main St. Franklin, will be offering Children’s Art Classes Wednesdays afternoons. Adult workshops in watercolor, acrylic paint pouring, encaustic and glass fusing are also offered. Free painting is available 10 a.m.-3 p.m. every Monday in the classroom. A membership meeting takes place on the
• Haywood County Master Gardener volunteers offer a virtual plant clinic to answer any questions. Leave a message at the Cooperative Extension Office at 828.456.3575 or email haywoodemgv@gmail.com with a description of any homeowner gardening issue, including lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees and ornamental plants; disease, insect, weed or wildlife problems; soils (including soil test results) and fertilizers; freeze and frost damage; and cultural and chemical solutions to plant problems. Within a few days, a Haywood County Master Gardener Volunteer will get back to you with research-based information.
• Blue Ridge Mountain Drivers offers monthly open water diver scuba certification classes. This is the basic class needed to become a certified scuba diver. Pool sessions are held at Waynesville Recreation Center pool. Prior registration required. Register online at blueridgemountaindivers.com or call 864.710.1567.
The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!
Rates:
• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.
• Free — Lost or found pet ads.
• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*
• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance
Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE
• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)
• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4
• Boost in Print
• Add Photo $6
• Bold ad $2
• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4
• Border $4
Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.
Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com
p: 828.452.4251 · f:828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com www.wncmarketplace.com
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.23-E-363 Irma A. Woody, having Doris S. Washam of Haywood Sep 14 2023, or
REAL ESTATE AUCTION -
McGovern - McGovern Property Mgt & Sales (828) 283-2112 mcgovernpropertymgt@ gmail.com
ABSOLUTE ESTATE AUCTION Online Only Estate of Ray Field Lunsford (Deceased) Online Bidding Starts Monday, June 19th, 2023 Lots
Executor 48 Franklin Farm Road Fletcher, NC 28732
DONATE
Start Closing 6:00 PM Friday, June 30th, 2023 WWW.EJ-AUCTION.COM Pickup
Location: Asheville, NC 28805 Pickup
Times: Wednesday, July 5th and Thursday, July 6th 2:00 pm till 6:00 pm
Partial Listing: Hand Tools, Hand Saws, Tool Boxes, Antique Barrels, Pressure Washer, Stihl Weed Eater, Jack Stands, Pipe Wrenches, Chain Binders and Lots More EDWARD JOHNSON AUCTIONEERS, INC Hot Springs, NC NC8134 NC8496 (828) 593-9649
TURNKEY RESTAURANT BUSINESS FOR SALE $250,000 A rare opportunity to purchase an established, turn key restaurant in Haywood County. Prime location with access to all major highways. Call Bruce
HOME INSPECTION CAREER Don’t settle for a job, when you can have a career in home inspection. Home Inspectors earn $300 plus daily inspecting homes during real estate sales. You can be licensed in less than 8 weeks. Let us help you build a business with Training and Preparation for State Licensure. www.THITcenter. com (336) 516-2084 gregoryengineers@ cs.com
Electronics
HOME INTERNET NOW AVAILABLE
BEGIN A NEW CAREER
MEDICAL BILLING
Home Goods
PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES TODAY
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate - Heritage
• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com
Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks Realtors - beverly-hanks.com
• Billie Green - bgreen@allentate.com
• Brian K. Noland - bknoland@allentate.com
• Anne Page - apage@allentate.com
• Jerry Powell - jpowell@allentate.com
• Catherine Proben - cproben@allentate.com
• Ellen Sither - esither@allentate.com
• Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@allentate.com
• John Keith - jkeith@allentate.com
• Randall Rogers - rrogers@allentate.com
DON’T PAY
Homes For Sale
LONG DISTANCE MOVING:
Land For Sale
RV/TINY HOME LOTS FOR SALE
TEACHING ASSISTANT
Pets
COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM!
HOUND MIX, BROWN/ BLACK/WHITE — JUDITH 6 yr-old girl; friendly. Loves trail hikes and car rides, and playing with other dogs. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org
• Susan Hooper - shooper@allentate.com
• Hunter Wyman - hwyman@allentate.com
•Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@allentate.com
•Darrin Graves - dgraves@allentate.com
ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com
•Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com
• Randy Flanigan - 706-207-9436
• Steve Mauldin - 828-734-4864
Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com
•The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com
• Ron Breese - ronbreese.com
• Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com
Lakeshore Realty
• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com
Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com
• Lyndia Massey- buyfromlyndia@yahoo.com
Mountain Creek Real Estate
• Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700
McGovern Real Estate & Property Management
• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com
RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com
• The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com
• Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com
•Mary Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net
• Billy Case- billyncase@gmail.com
Rob Roland Realty
• Rob Roland - 828-400-1923
Smoky Mountain Retreat Realty
• Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com
• Sherell Johnson - Sherellwj@aol.com
'TWOULD BE NICE
KITTENS!! Asheville Humane Society has kittens available for adoption; all 2-6 months old and cute as can be! Fee includes vaccination and spay/neuter. (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE
OFFICE SUITE FOR 398 sq ft, utilities included (not internet/ phone) -$1,002.88 pm- Fiber broadband packages available. Security, generator, common area, post box, conference room available. Contactforevangelism.org, 828-454-6800 opt.1 tfarmer@foundationforevangelism.org
TIMESHARE CANCELLATION EXPERTS.
OFFICE SUITE FOR 551 sq ft, utilities included (not internet/ phone) -$1,354.58 pm- Fiber broadband packages available. Security, generator, common area, post box, conference room available. Contactforevangelism.org, 828-454-6800 opt.1evangelism.org
HUGHESNET SATELLITE INTERNET –
6
5
ANSWERS ON PAGE 34
Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
park-like yard. overloooking multiple mounta
Log cabin in beautiful Lake Junaluska As mountain home comes fully furnished, driveway and easy access to the lake amenit
GreatSmokyMountainsNationalP
Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
sembly. This with paved ies and to the Park and sewer (tap fees applies).
Incredible opportunity to ow mountain top acreage in the h Just 2 miles from downtown andsewer(tap
wn a wonderful laying lot and heart of thriving Waynesville! Waynesville with city water pfeesapplies)
