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June 1-7, 2022 Vol. 24 Iss. 01
A conversation with Warren Haynes Page 22 Bear sanctuary hunting bill stirs debate Page 30
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CONTENTS On the Cover: Appealing to rural voters has seemed tricky for Democratic candidates in recent years. But that might all change thanks to Macon County’s own Canyon Woodward, who cowrote a book laying out the ways in which progressive organizers can kick off a “Dirt Road Revival.” (Page 8)
News Tax increase likely for Jackson residents........................................................................6 Canton presents ‘bold’ budget ........................................................................................7 UNC System considers state of free expression on campus..............................10 ‘Lunchflation’ plagues WNC schools ..........................................................................11 Waynesville resolution opposes partisan elections bill ..........................................12 Legislature could finally expand Medicaid..................................................................13 Women of Waynesville celebrates 10 years ............................................................14 Cherokee museum plans for archive facility ..............................................................16 Community Almanac ........................................................................................................19
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Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Jessica Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com Susanna Shetley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Sophia Burleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Kyle Perrotti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kyle.p@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Hannah McLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hannah@smokymountainnews.com Cory Vaillancourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Singletary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing)
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WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585
There’s still a market for good journalism ..................................................................20 Time for a little less gun loving ......................................................................................21
SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786
A&E Love is a mean old world: A conversation with Warren Haynes ........................22 Books: ‘The Broken Spine’ and ‘The Dead Beat’....................................................29
Outdoors
Smoky Mountain News
June 1-7, 2022
Bill seeks to halt expanded bear sanctuary hunting................................................30 Parson Branch Road reopens........................................................................................33
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Tax increase likely for Jackson residents HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ackson County residents can expect to see a two-cent tax increase in the coming fiscal year, rising from $0.36 to $0.38, if commissioners accept the proposed FY 202223 budget. Much of the revenue from that tax increase will go toward the construction of a new swimming pool. “Previously it was thought that we would need almost 3 cents on the tax rate, but we’ve done our best to try and reduce that,” said County Manager Don Adams. The proposed general fund budget for Jackson County is $82,292,740. This represents an 8.39% increase over the current year’s budget. The single largest expenditure for Jackson County is public safety, using up about 25%. Next in line is education at 24%, human services at 22% and general government at 17%. All other expenditures use less than 7% of the total budget. The budget contains a one-step increase for all employees, which will cost $385,004 to implement. No cost of living adjustment is included in the proposal. Several stakeholders funded through the county will receive a 7.4% increase which matches the year end 2021 annualized Consumer Price Index overall increase. Capital needed in the upcoming fiscal year will cost the county almost $2.5 million. Assorted new equipment will cost about $1 million and includes computers, servers, printers and software; equipment for garage, cleaning, grounds maintenance and recreation; law enforcement radios, cameras, a body scanner and emergency communication equipment. “It is recommended that the majority of these expenses be delayed until after the audit is complete,” said Adams. Eight new vehicles totaling $336,000 were approved for the sheriff ’s office. While other vehicles are needed for county operations, Adams did not recommend purchasing those because of high costs and supply chain difficulties. Necessary capital improvements will total more than $1 million and include repairs to the jail, Cashiers Code Enforcement decking, building repairs for the Cashiers Department
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June 1-7, 2022
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on Aging, Cashiers Library repairs and one HVAC unit for the Cashiers Recreation Center. The county will also pay for a feasibility study for the Hwy 107 multi-use path in Cullowhee. The adopted 2018-22 Facility Capital Improvement Plan sets aside funds for three major facility projects — the health department one-stop permitting center, animal rescue center and justice center renovations. The health department one-stop permitting center has been completed. The animal rescue center is scheduled for completion this summer. Justice center renovations will begin later this year after the newly elected sheriff and clerk of court are seated this fall. The 2023-27 Facility Capital Improvement Plan will be completed in early FY23, but four projects are proposed to move forward while working on the new plan. A debt service payment of $1.9 million for the new pool, domestic violence shelter design to
This budget season, the Town of Sylva requested an increase in county funding for its fire department in order to have paid members on staff 24/7. begin this summer, a parks and recreation trust fund application is pending for the construction of the Qualla pocket park and $75,000 for planning and design for the new splash pad facility in Cashiers. Jackson County will allocate $8.6 million to the public schools for FY 22-23. This is a 2% increase from the previous fiscal year. Because the school system has received a significant amount of American Rescue Plan funds, as well as state funds, if state funds are not decreased, the proposed allocation to JCPS could lead to a fund balance increase. However, the actual impact on the public schools’ budget will not be known until the state budget is passed. For this reason, town
Jackson County spends the largest portion of its general fund on public safety, followed closely by education. staff recommended an additional 5.4% ($445,300) be reserved in a special contingency line item until the state budget is approved, some or all of which the school system would receive depending on the level of funding from the state. Combined, the total increase could be 7.4% ($623,929) which matches the year end 2021 annualized consumer price index overall increase. The proposed budget allocates $2.5 million to Southwestern Community College, a 5.5% increase from the previous fiscal year, and $1.2 million to the Fontana Regional Library System, which operates both the Jackson County Library and the Albert Carlton Library. This budget season, the Town of Sylva requested an increase in county funding for its fire department in order to have paid members on staff 24/7. The increased number of calls and property coverage necessitated this change. Additionally, the department provides mutual aid to other departments in the county. The town contracted Brigade Consulting, LLC to recommend a staffing model for its fire department. The report
gave multiple options for the department but ultimately recommended a 24/72 shift with 11 full-time employees. After discussions between town and county, the county has decided to fund eight paid personnel. This will cost an additional $643,212 or a total of about $1.1 million. Most nonprofits will be funded at the current FY 2021-22 levels. However, due to rising hotel room costs, it is recommended that HERE receive a 7.4% ($11,384) increase. Jackson County will receive $8.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds. Of that, about $4.5 million remains to be allocated. County staff recommend prioritizing broadband, human services nonprofit partnerships and the 2023-2027 Facilities Capital Improvement plan. “I would like to extend my appreciation to all county employees who work extremely hard to provide the necessary services that make Jackson County a great place to live,” said Adams. The public hearing for the proposed budget is scheduled for 5:55 p.m. June 7.
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“This budget more than anything else really highlights the staff and goes a long way to make sure we have the resources to do what we need to do.” — Canton Town Manager Nick Scheuer
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Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath Q: My doctor has advised me to cut down on my sodium and added salt to see if that helps my blood pressure. Do you have some suggestions for cooking and where I could find recipe ideas?
A: To reduce salt, try using fresh or dried herbs, Mrs Dash or other salt-free herb seasonings, pepper, garlic and fresh lemon juice to season your foods. The biggest culprit in terms of added salt and sodium is usually not the food we make at home, but the food we eat out. Look at your food labels when you shop at your Ingles Market and make sure individual items are less than 400mg/serving with the aim of keeping your sodium to less than 2400mg/day. A good meal plan to follow is the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/dasheating-plan. The DASH eating plan emphasizes reducing sodium, increasing fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains, including low-fat dairy products, and making your protein sources lean/lower in fat.
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The town expects a mid-June opening of the Champion Credit Union Aquatic Center, which was left under floodwaters last year. The hometown favorite “Pickin’ in the Park” musical series is also expected to resume. The splash pad at Sorrells Street Park will open and the park itself will feature new landscaping, hopefully in time for this year’s Labor Day festivities. Last year, the town was awarded approximately $600,000 in grants for the 450-acre Chestnut Mountain Park. This year, there’s a $695,000 capital outlay budgeted to improve the park, which could still could grow larger by up to 15 acres. “There are a few pieces of land where owners are thinking about a buyout,” Scheuer said. The appropriation would be used to construct more trails, a pavilion, bathrooms and maintenance sheds. The budget will likely come up for a vote at the town’s next meeting on June 9, however, there remains one more meeting in June should the governing board decide to reconsider any items. Town meetings are still held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m., however they’re no longer conducted at the United Steelworkers union hall — the first temporary “town hall” after flooding gutted the Stamey Municipal Building on Park Street. Recently, the town moved into a more “permanent” temporary town hall at 85 Summer Street.
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June 1-7, 2022
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR hile the instances of personal heroism, professional bravery and private donations are well documented, perhaps the most incredible story to come out of last year’s flooding is reflected in the Town of Canton’s proposed budget — which does not contain a tax increase. “Most of the credit goes to administrative staff, especially CFO Natalie Walker, working with Town Manager Nick Scheuer,” said Zeb Smathers, Canton’s mayor. “We produced a budget that does not raise taxes, keeps fees low, and, it’s bold. It reflects our values as a town, and I think this is a budget people can be proud of.” On Aug. 18, 2021, for the second time in less than two decades, water from the Pigeon River inundated downtown Canton. All town services were washed out, including police, fire and administration, along with local businesses. Smathers and board members Gail Mull, Ralph Hamlett, Kristina Proctor and Tim Shepard have been leading Canton through a recovery process that continues to this day, but the damage overshadowed what was also f a banner year that reinforces the narrative of “the town that wouldn’t stay down.” Over the past year, the town brought on g new staff, opened the massive Chestnut Mountain Park and began substantial improvements in Sorrells Street Park. During fiscal year 2022-23, the town will attempt to build on those successes. “This budget more than anything else really highlights the staff and goes a long way to make sure we have the resources to l do what we need to do,” said Town Manager Nick Scheuer. The proposed budget will add two new y police officers and replace the department’s entire fleet of vehicles. It also adds another firefighter and swift water rescue gear. The town will hire an additional employee in the streets department, and two in the water and sewer department. Employee retention has been difficult across the county, with many local governments spending big to enhance their ability to attract and retain talent. This year, Canton will give municipal employees a 3% cost of living adjustment, a $1,000 Christmas bonus for full-time employees, merit increases of between 50 cents and $3 per hour and will continue to cover 100% of employees medical, dental, vision and short-term life insurance as well as provide a 3% match for 401K plans. Scheuer said he also expects to hire a town planner in anticipation of increasing development predicted by town staff, as refugees from Buncombe County’s hot housing market continue to spill across the border into Haywood County. Berm Park, a free public “park within a
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The road to revival A look at Canyon Woodward’s endurance race to reshape rural politics BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR he path for Democrats to win back rural voters who once aligned with the party decades ago isn’t smooth; it’s a dirt road, long and windy. But as tough as that route is to navigate, Canyon Woodward may have the roadmap. Woodward, 29, has lived a multi-faceted existence with a seemingly nonstop itinerary. While he first exercised his passion for organizing by leading the charge to get his alma mater, Harvard, to divest from fossil fuels, he would later move into the political arena, working for several campaigns, from Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid to state House and Senate races. Most recently, he co-wrote the book “Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends On It,” which explains how Democrats have lost rural voters and what must be done to regain their trust. Between those laborious undertakings, Woodward finds solace in extreme trail running. He said those intense exercises give him not only a physical release, but the time needed to untangle complex problems he may encounter while trying to move people toward a more progressive future. And the trail running has become a key focus in itself, driving Woodward to complete the Smokies Challenge, a 72-mile run with 18,000 feet of total elevation gain. “Both politics and trail running require running through the seasons, and not just going out when the sun is shining and you’re feeling great,” Woodward said in the short documentary film “Rural Runner” that appears on his webpage. “It takes getting out there day in and day out, even when it’s really difficult.” Woodward grew up in Macon County and 8
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June 1-7, 2022
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Canyon Woodward has long navigated the dirt roads where he grew up in Macon County, and now he’s written a book about how progressive organizers can gain a foothold in other rural areas. Forest Woodward photo
“It’s been tough seeing the people that we’ve been sending, especially to Washington and also to Raleigh. There’s a lot of fertile grounds here to get folks organized.” — Canyon Woodward
graduated from homeschool before moving to Boston to attend Harvard in 2011. Prior to that, he’d also gone to Franklin High School and Southwest Community College part-time to maintain his eligibility for sports and other extracurricular activities. After graduating from college, Woodward was an instructor at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), where he periodically led multi-week whitewater expeditions for high school and college students. At Harvard, Woodward met someone who would change his life — Chloe Maxmin — the woman with whom he’d spend thousands of hours on the campaign trail listening to the deepest concerns harbored by rural Maine voters. In 2018 and 2020, Maxmin made a name for herself, first winning the most rural state House seat in The Pine Tree State before unseating a deeply entrenched Republican incumbent to gain a spot on the state senate. Experiences that led to Maxmin’s success were put into words in “Dirt Road Revival,” cowritten by Maxmin and Woodward, which provides a guide for candidates to find success in rural politics. As laid out in the book’s introduction, while it eventually gets into more complex themes, the core philosophy is quite simple. “This is our preamble to you, our handshake, our introduction,” the book reads. “This practice is rooted in how we were
raised. Things move at the speed of relationship in rural America. You don’t just straight into business and take care of things as quickly as possible.”
MOUNTAIN VALUES A lot of people in Western North Carolina like to use the term “mountain values” to describe a shared belief system that ideally transcends political affiliations. The phrase is often seen and heard during election season as candidates attempt to appeal to the broadest slice of the electorate. When talking to Woodward, it’s clear that “mountain values” serve not only as a talking point, but a guiding light reflective of his commitment to the place he grew up. “I just have such a deep, deep love for the mountains, the trails, the rivers, the folks that raised me in the community,” he said. Woodward said that growing up he felt like a political outsider in conservative Macon County given his and his parents’ more progressive ideals. But after leaving to go to college in Boston, he missed his mountains and would return home during summers to be a raft guide at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. As he progressed through his education and became more interested in organizing, he also grew more frustrated with the way elections in Western North Carolina were playing out.
“It’s been tough seeing the people that we’ve been sending, especially to Washington and also to Raleigh,” he said. “There’s a lot of fertile grounds here to get folks organized.” One woman who’s seen Woodward’s commitment to his home is Julia Buckner, a Clay County native who first met him during Jane Hipps’ 2016 unsuccessful campaign for state Senate, which she headed up. “When he showed up, he was like this long-haired hippie ultra-marathon running guy sprung straight from the mouth of Appalachia,” Buckner said. While Hipps ultimately lost to a popular Republican incumbent, Jim Davis, she said Woodward was especially effective as a field director, which required him to recruit and organize volunteers from across the region. Woodward talked about how Buckner has influenced him during the “meaningful experience” of organizing back home. “In progressive politics it can be really challenging to find really strong mentors,” he said. “I just feel fortunate to have found Julia and been taken under her wing. And just learned so much from watching the way that she managed Jane Hipps’ campaign.” Buckner expressed a similar admiration while focusing on the high level of energy and commitment he brought every day on the campaign trail. “Canyon is the guy who wakes up in the morning and takes a 30-mile run then sits down and eats his vegetarian breakfast, and then he calls people,” Buckner said. “They fall in love with him, and he says, ‘if you care about what we care about, we need you to help us transform WNC.’” “You cannot win without putting in the work, and Canyon showed he can wake up and put in the work until he goes to bed,” she added. Buckner, who is now the Interim Organizing and Training Director for the North Carolina Democratic Party, said working with Woodward changed her life. “I want to be clear, he taught me how to do organizing,” she said. Buckner discussed a feeling she believes she shares with Woodward — a calling to take what’s been learned elsewhere and bring it back home to make life better for folks in the mountains. “The rights and privileges of growing up there also comes with the responsibility of looking out for mountain people,” she said. “I think he just says what can I do to make the world a better place with the gifts he’s been given.” Maxmin also heaped praise on Woodward, whom she said has been her best friend for about a decade. Since she met him, she’s been drawn to his energy and a shared love of rural America. “Canyon brings such a different vision and perspective, so much empathy and honesty and groundedness,” Maxmin said. John deVille, who recently hosted Woodward and Maxmin on his Mountain Philosopher Podcast, knew Woodward back when he was a teenager. He noted that Woodward stood out, frequently displaying an “irrepressible” smile that conveyed an unrelenting optimism. All the same, he had no problem questioning the status quo.
organizer while also pushing himself to new heights as a trail runner. But the time soon came that Maxmin made the decision to run for a state Senate seat, and Woodward renewed his commitment and again served as campaign manager. Even though Maxmin may have had more name recognition in rural Maine after her first win, the Senate victory was perhaps even more impressive, considering she defeated the Senate Minority leader — Dana Dow — who was at that time the third highest-ranking Republican in the state, by the narrow margin of 51-49%. Those victories didn’t come easy. “Dirt Road Revival” makes it clear that winning the race not only took empathy, an open mind, organizational skills and creativity. The book notes that Woodward also applied the following principles gleaned from his time at NOLS: Be timely; be growth oriented; be specific about your observations; acknowledge your share of any problem; be clear about what you will do next; be as open to receiving feedback as giving it.
work of recruiting volunteers and knocking on doors.”
A ROADMAP TO REVIVAL When “Dirt Road Revival” hit shelves last month, Woodward and Maxmin were subject to sudden acclaim and attention. The duo had an essay based on the book run in the New York Times, they were featured on the New Yorker: Politics and More podcast, and Maxmin did an interview on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. “We weren’t expecting the kind of national attention that [the book] has gotten, but it’s been super exciting to see it, see it resonate on that kind of scale,” Woodward said. That said, Woodward was more enthusiastic about what he’s heard from rural organizers and candidates inspired by the book. “It’s been really cool to hear from folks who are running campaigns in every corner of the country … it’s just inspiring that there are a lot of people doing this and, and I think we’re hopeful that we can move the needle in
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Canyon Woodward, right, and Chloe Maxmin put in the effort and found a way to flip the most rural state house district in the most rural state blue. terms of reallocating a lot of the resources and the focus of the party.” Early on, the book poses the simple question: what’s going on with the non-collegeeducated voting bloc prevalent in rural America? It offers an answer that echoes throughout the text. “The short answer is that, like rural America in general, they have been left behind by today’s economy,” the book reads. “Whereas throughout much of the twentieth century a noncollege-educated-rural worker could reasonably expect to find a good job that paid well enough for an entire family to get by, that is no longer the case.” Maxmin and Woodward write that the book is a “tough love letter to the Democratic Party.” “By overlooking state politics, the Democratic Party has also missed the huge opportunity to cultivate the authentic relationships with rural voters,” they wrote. “In many states, state House and Senate districts are small enough to build a campaign that is rooted in a community. Campaigns can take
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Of course, earning those victories also took plain old hard work. Woodward worked up to 100 hours per week as Maxmin knocked on thousands of doors and spoke with thousands of voters. Woodward said that in many of the interviews he and Maxmin have done in recent weeks, folks have asked about the hard work required. “I don’t think there’s any way around that,” he said. “It is a lot of work, and it takes people really deeply committing to engaging in it. That work is made a lot lighter by the style of campaign that is very much rooted in the community and people power and building volunteer teams, as opposed to just leaning on consultants and shelling out big bucks for TV ads and radio ads.” Along with talking about how hard Canyon worked, Buckner also highlighted the fact that Maxmin was willing to put in the time. “I teach people how to do this. That’s my job,” she said. “When I teach classes I often say the mark of a great elected official is someone that can sit in a chair and do the not fancy
June 1-7, 2022
Woodward has lived a peripatetic life, going from The North Cascade Mountains of Washington State to South Carolina to New England, all while spending long stretches back home in Western North Carolina. But it was perhaps in Maine that Woodward found what would be his greatest and most rewarding challenge, running Maxmin’s campaigns for the state House in 2018 and Senate in 2020. First came the House race, during which Maxmin had to convince voters that a young, relatively unknown progressive woman was worth listening to. Her secret: she listened in return. Woodward said he was able to apply a lot of lessons learned from his work on the Sanders’ and Hipps’ campaigns, including correcting some mistakes. “In Jane’s campaign, we built really awesome volunteer teams in most of the counties in the west,” he said. “But I had folks focused mostly on phone calls, because it just felt like that was the only way we could reach people on the scale that we needed to. And in retrospect, knowing what I know now, I wish we had done a lot more of the door-to-door canvasing, even though you don’t reach nearly as many people. I think you win a lot more hearts and minds and votes that way.” The race for Maine’s 88th House District ended up in a surprising success as the campaign first took 80% of the vote in the primary. Then came the General Election upset. While some wanted to attribute Maxmin’s victory to the greater “Blue Wave” of 2018, the book notes that Maxmin won while other candidates for other office in the district struggled. After all, the district was expected to offer a 16-point Republican advantage. Following Maxmin’s 2018 victory, Woodward went back to work as a climate
the time to reach beyond the choir to develop real relationships with voters.” Chris Cooper, Western Carolina University’s Madison Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs, said he believed the first section of the book laid out the problem Democrats have in rural America well. “It was really a nice blend of scholarly insights with a bit of storytelling,” he said. Cooper said one of the main issues the book points out has been seen and felt in Western North Carolina as Democrats haven’t even fielded candidates for some races, such as House District 120 where Republican incumbent Rep. Karl Gillespie is running unopposed. “Show up, pay attention, listen. I think that’s key,” Cooper said. “Those are a lot of reasons why Democrats have lost. But with all that said this is not a plug-and-play playbook. It’s hard to do these things for a reason.” While the book was written by two progressive Democrats, Cooper also believed the lesson imparted by the book can be applied regardless of party. Buckner agreed with Cooper’s assessment. “This is a book that Democrats and Republicans should read as they try to understand what works in rural America,” she said. Woodward spoke about the race for NC-11 and noted that he’s spoken with Democratic candidate Jasmine Beach-Ferrara about her race against Republican Chuck Edwards, currently a state senator. Woodward said he has grown to admire and respect Beach-Ferrara, particularly for her commitment to building a long-term organizing infrastructure that could benefit progressive campaigns and movements in Western North Carolina for years to come. Even though he seemed to admire her commitment to grassroots organizing, he still contrasted NC-11 and the area in rural Maine where he campaigned. “There’s not as robust of an organizing infrastructure as there could be [in NC-11],” he said. “We had the Lincoln County Democrats in Maine, which was a super wellorganized group that could go out and get a lot of the more Democratic leaning voters. The Jackson County Democrats are great, but then we have other counties like Graham, where there’s just like nothing.” Recently, Woodward and Maxmin started a nonprofit called Dirt Road Organizing that Maxmin called more “movement-oriented” that will support campaigns and organizations doing work on the ground in rural communities. And it’s the work on the ground that’s a labor of love for Woodward. In an email sent after his interview with The Smoky Mountain News, he wanted to reiterate that point. “All of this work is rooted in love for the people and places that raised us, as we write in the book dedication: ‘For our communities. For our homes,’” he wrote. “It’s really sad seeing our communities torn apart by toxic politics and dishonest narratives. But there is so much room to lean into our shared values and common ground, to lead with listening, respect, and empathy, to reach for a better way of relating to politics and one another that leaves our communities better off than when we started.” 9
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“It’s always, ‘why can’t we do it this way … this way seems more fun.’ He was always seeking to emancipate joie de vivre from the shackles of conventional thinking,” deVille wrote in a message. deVille, who teaches history for Macon County Schools, recalled that when Woodward was in one of his AP classes, he would come to class “famished” after spending the prior period playing spikeball. “He brought his setup to campus almost every day,” deVille wrote. “And he would get pickup games going during the rolling lunch slots during third period … then he would come to my room famished. He’d unpack what I called the Canyon Smorgasbord and nosh all period.” And that seems to be ethos that has carried Woodward so far, a disciplined balance between pushing himself to help others while also focusing on the nourishment he needs to go forward in pursuit of a never-ending mission. “He’s always competitive,” deVille wrote. “But it’s an introverted competitiveness. You’re never fully aware Canyon is out to win. He wastes no time in trash talk. He’s never going to alert an opponent as to his intentions. He’s going to take all that energy to out train, out prepare and outwork his opponents.”
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Making conversation UNC System considers state of free expression on campus BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER five-part series exploring free speech and free expression on college campuses wrapped up last week in the University of North Carolina Board of Governors’ Committee on University Governance with a report on the results of a survey examining how those issues play out on UNC campuses. “I’m proud of this report because it showcases exactly what a university ought to do, which is bring independent expertise and scholarship to a pressing challenge,” UNC System President Peter Hans said during the May 25 committee meeting. “The survey was faculty-led, the results are compelling. It doesn’t necessarily fit neatly into any kind of preferred political narrative, but it does make clear we’ve got a challenge with free expression. Too many students reluctant to speak their minds, hash out ideas, and that undermines the goals of a higher education.” Survey results showed that faculty do not tend to push political agendas in class, but that significant percentages of students worry about the consequences of sharing their true opinions and self-censor as a result — with conservative students facing unique challenges in this regard. The survey, based on responses from 3,408 students at eight of UNC’s 17 institutions, built on a 2020 report specific to UNC Chapel Hill. The researchers — Timothy J. Ryan, Jennifer Larson and Mark McNeilly, who are all from UNC Chapel Hill and authored the 2020 report, and Andrew M. Engelhardt of UNC-Greensboro — aimed to glean about 500 responses from each participating university. Five of the eight institutions —UNC Asheville, Appalachian State University, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, UNC Pembroke, UNC Wilmington and N.C. Central University — exceeded 450 responses. Asheville, Pembroke and Central fell short with 444, 281 and 169 responses, respectively. Former U.S. Solicitor General Seth Waxman, one of two speakers invited to present following the survey results, praised the study as “the first among equals,” saying that he hasn’t “seen a more thoughtful study than the one this group did.”
Board of Governors Member David Powers chairs the Committee on University Governance. UNC photo
Smoky Mountain News
June 1-7, 2022
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FACULTY AND POLITICS
The report had four key findings, the first being that, contrary to what is among many a popular belief, faculty do not generally push political agendas in class. The survey used a “fly-on-the-wall” approach, randomly choosing a class from each participant’s schedule for detailed ques10 tioning. Few students said that directly polit-
for constructive engagement — 52% of liberals, 57% of moderates and 64% of conservatives. However, framing those engagement opportunities is important. The survey showed that students who scored higher on open-mindedness criteria were less likely to engage in political dialogue than those who scored lower. However, openminded students were more likely to say they would attend a political event if it were framed as consensus-seeking (presenting a point of view, considering the other side, identifying points of agreement) rather than as adversarial (defending a point of view, criticizing the other side, persuading others to agree).
TOOLS FOR CHANGE
ical topics were discussed in the class selected, with the figure between 3 and 8% at universities surveyed; the frequency of indirectly political topics ranged from 9-30%. In classes where political topics did come up, students overwhelmingly said that professors encouraged participation from students regardless of political stance. At UNC Chapel Hill, only 2% of liberal students, 0% of moderates and 11% of conservatives disagreed with a statement saying that their professor invited participation from both conservative and liberal students. The highest numbers came from UNC Greensboro — where 6% of liberals, 8% of moderates and 16% of conservatives disagreed with the statement — and from UNC Pembroke, where 2% of liberals, 21% of moderates and 10% of conservatives disagreed.
STUDENTS OFTEN SELF-CENSOR Despite encouraging indications regarding faculty behavior, the study concluded that UNC campuses do not consistently achieve an atmosphere that promotes free expression — and that conservative students face distinctive challenges. Significant percentages of students said they worried about the consequences of expressing their sincerely held views, with about one-fifth saying they had self-censored more than once as a result. The source of their worry varied. At Appalachian State University, for example, where 22% of respondents said they had selfcensored more than once, 39% said they would be concerned about other students’ opinions, 22% said they would be concerned about their instructor’s opinion and 15% said they would be concerned about their grade if they said what they really thought. Concerns extended to consequences outside the classroom, with 17% saying they were concerned about social media and 12% saying they were concerned about the code of conduct.
Specific responses varied between campuses, but the trends were largely similar. While students of all political persuasions reported some concern about the consequences of speaking their mind, conservative students reported much higher levels than liberal students. At ASU, only 27% of liberals said they would worry about other students’ opinions, compared to 57% of conservatives. Just 6% of liberals said they would worry about their grade, while 27% of conservatives said the same. Only 11% of liberals said they had selfcensored more than once, but the level among conservatives was nearly triple that, at 31%.
STUDENTS WANT CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT Compounding the issue is the result of a series of questions gauging student willingness to socialize with people of opposing political persuasions. While conservative students were mostly indifferent, with a slight preference for socializing with other conservatives, liberal students — who make up the majority in the institutions studied — showed a much stronger preference for socializing with like-minded peers. “Imagine how as an implication of this the social experience and the risks a student would take in expressing their sincerely held views might be quite asymmetrical depending on what those views are,” said Ryan, one of the report’s authors. Though students showed a lopsided willingness to socialize with those from the opposite end of the political spectrum, results did show an across-the-board desire for more opportunities to engage with those who think differently. At ASU, 27% of liberals said there were too few opportunities to hear liberal speakers, but a slightly higher 35% said there were too few chances to hear conservative speakers. Students of all political persuasions agreed that there were too few opportunities
McNeilly, another of the study’s authors, said that each university should take time to consider the results and plan to actively promote a campus culture that prioritizes free expression and the exchange of ideas. “We need to have constructive dialogue, but to actually do constructive dialogue, students need to be taught how to do that,” he said. “None of us are very good at having a constructive dialogue.” Universities should consider developing a specific class in civil discourse and integrate free speech and constructive dialogue concepts into orientation and other campus programming, McNeilly said. There are 250,000 students enrolled across the UNC system, so scale is vital to any impactful response. He also proposed creating an ongoing forum across universities to discuss best practices and different approaches to addressing the issue. The Bipartisan Policy Center’s “roadmap” to free expression on campus will be a useful resource in this endeavor, he said. “As a professor, it’s very tricky and sometimes risky to really open and broaden the conversation in a classroom today,” he said. “Faculty need in one hand to be able to have the tools to do this, so they probably need some instruction on how to do that, but also they need to feel like they’re supported by the administration as well as the boards in carrying out their duties to model free expression and have good, constructive debates in the classroom.”
A VITAL MISSION
Following presentation of the survey results, the committee heard from Waxman, who was solicitor general under President Bill Clinton, and Noel J. Francisco, who held the same position under President Donald Trump. Though it may have been “unsettling” and “perhaps a little deflating” for the audience, Waxman said, he agreed with everything Francisco had to say about free speech, the first amendment, and the importance of civil debate. While there are limits to free speech, Francisco said, “the purpose of these limits should not be to stifle speech with which we disagree, but instead the limits should be promoting the civil exchange of ideas — if someone’s views are offensive, they should be heard and rebutted, not silenced.” Outstanding questions about
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‘Lunchflation’ plagues WNC schools
those limits, said Waxman, are mostly cultural — not legal. Today’s political discourse contains a “shocking level of incivility,” Waxman said, y with many students — especially conservative students — coming to college with an idea that l faculty harbor preconceived notions of what values are and aren’t acceptable. Students arrive d “much more fragile and much more brittle” than in the past and are used to seeing online diatribes that would never occur if the individuals were sitting together in the same room. “If universities are not up to the task of remediating that, I fear for our democracy,” he said. “I can’t underscore how important I think this mission is. The university has to focus itself on helping students understand that in open, respectful dialogue the process of having the patience and the self-confidence to hear each other, even if you don’t agree, is d just so important.” “If the only significant result of our discussions is to ensure that both conservative
and liberal speakers are welcome on campus, I will posit that we have failed in our task,” said Committee Chair David Powers. “I believe we can only claim success when every student in the UNC System, all 250,000 of them, feel that they have a right to express their opinions without fear, in their classrooms and their extracurricular activities.” Over the last decade, said Hans, the UNC System has worked to ensure that its policies and regulations encourage free expression — but success will require more than formal policy alone. Over the coming months, the system office will convene a series of conversations with university chancellors and other “thoughtful voices” on campuses to discuss how to set firm expectations among the student body. “How do we make clear that open-minded engagement, resilience in the face of disagreement, respect for classmates — these are core values on our campuses?” Hans said. “How do we make sure students are really prepared to take part in a big, noisy democracy?”
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Macon County School Board Member Hillary Wilkes noted the strain that the price increase could have on local families. “That’s a lot,” she said. “My kids eat every day at school, and I’m constantly putting money on their accounts, so I know exactly how that feels. And for that to go up significantly, you’re talking about $10 a week for somebody with two kids in school, that’s pretty significant.” But with the return of paid meals in public schools, the option for free and reduced meals will also return.
“The [free breakfast and lunch] waivers are due to run out and there is no sign that they will be extended at this point.” — David Lightner, school nutrition director for Macon County Schools
“It’s important that parents understand that they need to fill out those applications,” said Baldwin. Prior to the Coronavirus Pandemic, about 76% of public-school students in the United States received free or reduced-cost meals at school. In Macon County, just over 55% of students qualified. In both Haywood and Jackson County around 50% of students qualified. In addition to free and reduced lunches for individual families, some schools can qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision. This is a meal service option for schools in low-income areas. It allows the nation’s highest poverty schools to serve breakfast and lunch to all enrolled students at no cost, without collection of household applications.
UNC System President Peter Hans speaks during a May 26 Board of Governors Meeting. UNC photo Smoky Mountain News
time because if we raise it any higher, we’re likely to lose participation.” Throughout the budget process, nutrition directors outlined their increased costs of operation. In Haywood County Schools, Nutrition Director Allison Francis budgeted an additional $76,000 for food and supply costs. On top of that, her department will spend approximately $162,000 more on labor and benefits this year, after the state budget laid out pay increases for both hourly and salaried school employees. “For the last two years, we’ve been able to feed students other than our own and that has helped with revenues,” said Francis during a budget work session. This year, that is no longer the case. During the pandemic, school nutrition departments were able to feed children other than enrolled students for reimbursement from the USDA, but this is also coming to an end with the expiration of the waiver program. When laying out the meal price increase during a March 14 meeting, Haywood School Board member Ronnie Clark said prices had to go up due to inflation, increased gas prices and increased food prices. In Macon County, lunch prices for pre-K through fourth grade students will increase to $3.75, and $3.85 for students in grades five through 12. MCS will aim to continue providing free breakfast. “These prices represent an average of a dollar increase per meal compared to the last time we charged students,” said Lightner. “That’s the largest price increase that we’ve ever seen at one time,” said Macon County Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Baldwin. In Haywood County, breakfast prices will increase to $2 for the 2022-23 school year. Lunch for elementary students will increase to $3.50 and $3.75 for middle and high school students. “This will be needed to keep on budget,” said Clark.
June 1-7, 2022
HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER fter three abnormal school years due to the Coronavirus Pandemic that included free breakfast and lunch for all puby lic-school students, schools across North d Carolina are returning to the paid model of f nutrition services. Now, a confluence of facg tors has necessitated a sharp increase in school meal costs. “The [free breakfast and lunch] waivers are due to run out and there is no sign that they will be extended at this point,” said David Lightner, school nutrition director for Macon County Schools. “There are a couple bills, but we are not guaranteed that any of those will pass, so we need to assume we will go back to normal this fall.” The last normal school year for nutrition services was 2018-19. That year, almost threequarters of all lunches served through the National School Lunch Program were served free or at a reduced cost. Since then, a lot has changed. School nutrition programs throughout Western North Carolina pivoted to create grab-and-go meals for students when schools went remote. When classes came back in session, schools were able to provide breakfast and lunch to all students free of charge thanks to waivers from the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA reimbursed g schools for every meal served. The program was extended through the end of the current g school year but is set to expire in June. Now, as school nutrition departments are l grappling with the end of the waiver program, they are also having to deal with rising inflation. School systems are setting meal prices for the first time in over two full school years and most in the WNC region will have to increase prices by more than a dollar since d the last time they did so. “It’s probably not enough to cover our cost increases,” said Lightner. “But we don’t want to discourage participation at the same n
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“This alternative saves local education agencies time and money by streamlining paperwork and administrative requirements and facilitates low-income children’s access to nutritious school meals,” said Francis. In order for a school to qualify, at least 40% of students have to either be on food stamps, homeless, migrant, in foster care or a runaway. In Haywood County, there are currently seven schools that qualify for the CEP — Bethel Elementary, Canton Middle, Central Haywood High School, Clyde Elementary, Hazelwood Elementary, Jonathan Valley Elementary and North Canton Elementary. In Jackson County, only the Jackson Community School qualifies, and in Macon County both Union Academy and East Franklin Elementary qualify. “We hope that some of these costs are temporary,” said Macon County School Board Chairman Jim Breedlove. “I did speak with surrounding superintendents, and all are increasing meal prices as well,” said Baldwin. During school board discussions regarding the meal price increase, Macon County Schools estimated it would cost the school system an additional $130,822 if it did not raise the price of school lunches. The board approved the higher price but committed to exploring other options for funding. Macon School Board member Melissa Evans brought up another serious concern at a recent school board meeting when she asked Lightner and the board whether or not MCS should have a plan in place in the case that supply chain issues get so bad, the school system can’t get the supplies it needs to feed students. “I’m not trying to use scare tactics, but it’s something that I feel like as a school system we need to actually think about,” said Evans. “There may come a time when we actually can’t get enough food to feed our students through the school year.” According to Lightner, the storage capacity of MCS nutrition department, both frozen and dry ingredients, allows for about a week’s worth of meals.
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Waynesville resolution opposes partisan elections bill BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR bill filed by Haywood County Republican Rep. Mark Pless to make all local elections partisan didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome, but now one municipality has gone on record as formally opposing it. “This was a group effort,” said Waynesville Alderman Chuck Dickson. “It certainly was not just me.” During a May 24 Board of Aldermen meeting, Dickson presented a resolution in opposition to House Bill 998, which if passed would make all nonpartisan elections in Haywood County — including the towns of Canton, Clyde, Maggie Valley and Waynesville, along with the school board — partisan. Pless’ bill, co-sponsored by Haywood County’s other representative, Swain County Republican Mike Clampitt, was filed on May 18. In a story published by The Smoky Mountain News on May 20, a total of 16 elected officials from the county’s four municipalities went on record as opposing it, including the entire governing boards of Canton and Waynesville. Three of five board members who were able to be reached in both Clyde and Maggie
June 1-7, 2022
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Valley also opposed the measure, with just one, Maggie Valley Alderman Phillip Wight, saying he supports the measure. Of the nine people on the Haywood County Schools board, two were against it (Larry Henson and Ronnie Clark), three were undecided (Chairman Chuck Francis, Bobby Rogers and Larry Burnette), three did not return calls for comment (Steven Kirkpatrick, Jimmy Rogers, Jim Harley Francis) and one, Logan Nesbitt, does not list a phone number on the school board’s website. The indecisiveness on the school board is much different than when a similar measure was proposed by then-Rep. Michele Presnell in 2017. At that time, the board unanimously passed a resolution opposing the attempt to make school board elections partisan. Waynesville’s governing board passed the resolution unanimously, including lone Republican Julia Freeman. Freeman isn’t the only Republican that opposes fellow Republican Pless’ bill. Of the 19 elected officials reached by SMN who oppose the bill, 11 are registered Democrats, five are Republicans, and two are unaffiliated. The first statement made in Waynesville’s resolution laments the fact that Pless “… did not consult with municipal elected officials
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who will be affected by the bill.” Speaking to SMN on May 19, Pless said that local governing boards are only a small portion of the voters of Haywood County, and that those boards should not be making the decision on behalf of Haywood County voters. The Waynesville resolution goes on to provide reasons why the board thinks the bill is a bad idea and should be withdrawn from consideration by either chamber of the General Assembly. “For decades, Town of Waynesville voters have elected members of both parties in nonpartisan elections who have governed efficiently, fairly and without partisan bias. This legislation challenges the rights of voters to choose the way they are governed locally, without consent,” it reads. “The public values of liberty, prosperity, equity and community, which guide the aldermen of the Town of Waynesville, are neither Republican nor Democratic party values, as they are values shared by both political parties. Maintaining a safe and prosperous town by providing police, fire, water and sewer, sanitation, electricity and other services is best accomplished without regard to Democratic or Republican partisanship.”
Initially, Pless cited national issues as the reason for filing the bill, especially in relation to the school board. “I had a lot of people that have talked to me over my time in the legislature, and because of CRT, because of national headlines and issues that have arisen, they want to know the people they are voting for,” he told SMN on May 19. School Board Chairman Chuck Francis and Maggie Alderman Phillip Wight voiced the same concerns. “With the temperament in the world today, I don’t think it can hurt,” Wight said on May 19. “If you want to represent what the Democratic Party has become, you should be accountable for that.” After Waynesville passed its resolution, Pless remained undeterred. “I anticipated the feedback coming from them was going to be just what it is, but I didn’t introduce it for them or against them,” he said. “I introduced it because the people that voted me in are asking for transparency in who they see [on the ballot]. That’s the whole reason it’s there, is to provide some more clarity at the ballot box, so this is not unexpected at all.” Pless, however, isn’t sure the bill will move through the General Assembly quickly. Right now, he said, legislators on both sides of the aisle are busy trying to come to an agreement on the forthcoming state budget’s total expenditures, so they can work backwards from there and agree on a consensus budget with specific spending levels set for specific items.
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The revamped plan, however, has still been met with resistance from some Republicans. “I don’t think we have fixed the access problem,” said Rep. Mark Pless (RHaywood). “Expanding Medicaid isn’t going to do anything if we don’t have more doctors. People may have a card that says they can go get care, but right now we are at such a point that we’re not able to hold nurses, we’re not able to attract doctors, we’re not able to do anything to get people care. If you throw hundreds of thousands of people into the system, they may have a card, but it doesn’t mean they’re going to get a provider.”
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“This bill will allow North Carolina to draw down billions of dollars for North Carolina citizens that will benefit rural hospitals and providers in a great way.” — Sen. Kevin Corbin
Smoky Mountain News
There’s a fair bit of truth to that. A 2020 report released in January of 2022 by the American Association of Medical Colleges puts North Carolina at 28th out of 50 states in active physicians per 100,000 residents, with 264. Massachusetts ranks first with 466 and Idaho places last, with 196. North Carolina ranks 33rd in in primary care physicians, and 37th in general surgeons. The situation isn’t much better for nurses. According to a February 2022 report produced by healthcare info website Becker’s Hospital Review, North Carolina ranks 42nd out of 50 states in the number of active RN licenses per 100 residents, with 1.41 — slightly below the national average of 1.55. Vermont leads the way with 3.3, and California ranks worst with 1.19. “I don’t want to support the bill. What I want to do is, I would like to see the discussion focus on how are we going to expand access and then look at it,” Pless said. “So far nobody will even talk about expanding access. I think we could do incentives. We might be able to help with student debt. We might be able to do a lot of things to get some more doctors out here, but in rural Western North Carolina, there’s no way we will ever have enough doctors without an active process to draw them out here.” Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Swain) said that House members hadn’t yet had a chance to caucus on the proposal, so Clampitt offered no sign of support either way. Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) didn’t return multiple calls for comment.
June 1-7, 2022
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR d ot long ago, it was an issue so contentious that it resulted in a three-year d budget stalemate, but with Republican d opposition in the General Assembly softening, Medicaid expansion has a better chance than ever to become the law of the land — if a few final hurdles can be overcome. “Even though passing full Medicaid expansion in past years would have helped our citizens and our rural hospitals, I would not have voted for an expansion under the circumstances as they existed then,” said t Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon). “We have changed things dramatically and that’s why it is a wise option for North Carolina to go ahead at this point.” d Corbin said that reforms in the way Medicaid is administered have made the system much more efficient and that private insurance companies are processing claims in a much more capable manner, similar to how Medicare advantage plans have been handled for 30 years. “I now have more confidence in the handling of Medicaid dollars,” said Corbin, r who’s been an advocate for expansion in the past but is now all-in. North Carolina has been paying for Medicaid expansion for years, but the estimated 600,000 people who would benefit from expansion haven’t received any services due to the General Assembly’s hesitance to adopt it. When the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was first adopted, the federal government offered to pay 100% of the states’ expansion cost for Medicaid. That inducement dropped by a few percent each year until hitting a planned phase-down of 90% in 2020. Previously, legislators cited concerns that the feds could further lower the percentage — they can’t without action from Congress — leaving states on the hook. The current bill addresses that with a provision that the state will withdraw from the expansion if the feds lower the percentage. There was also the argument that the 10% not covered by the federal government could end up as a huge expenditure for non-expansion states, however, North Carolina’s bill would pass 100% of that cost onto hospitals. There’s even a work requirement for those who wish to enroll in the program, satisfying conservatives who are concerned that some would see the program as yet another government handout. “This bill will allow North Carolina to draw down billions of dollars for North Carolina citizens that will benefit rural hospitals and providers in a great way,” Corbin said. “It will mean a lot to our economy especially in rural North Carolina, which is why I support it.”
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Legislature could finally expand Medicaid
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Empowered women empower their community Women of Waynesville celebrates 10 years HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER n 2011, Nikki White and Michelle Briggs sat on a porch drinking wine, envisioning an organization by women, for the women and children of Waynesville. They conceived of a team of ladies that would assist the organizations and nonprofits on the ground, already doing the work to aid women and children in the community. Ten years later, Women of Waynesville has not only provided massive support to those existing organizations, it has also created its own philanthropy projects. “It takes a lot of grit, determination and new ideas to create an organization and to see it through for 10 years,” said Executive Officer Katie Vanderpool. “We try to be constantly fluid and flexible; we don’t want to be stagnant. We want to keep supporting new ideas, ventures and projects.” By its own terms, Women of Waynesville is an edgy and controversial organization committed to supporting the needs of the community. It is the only all women’s organization in Western North Carolina that functions the way it does — lots of wine and women empowerment. It is this “edgy,” inclusive way of serving the community that has brought so many women into the fold of WOW. “We were invited to go to this fundraiser, the battle of the bands, that WOW was hosting,” said current WOW president Michelle Jacobs, recounting the night she decided to join the organization. “We went and watched this event and I saw all these crazy women running around with drinks in their hands and you could tell they just loved each other, and they loved what they were doing, and they were just cutting up and having a great time. I looked at them and I was like, ‘I have found my people.’” Katie Vanderpool has been with WOW since the start. “From the beginning, WOW always took pride in the fact that we were a group of women completely run by volunteer efforts and we supported anything that supported women and children,” said Vanderpool. Since its inception, the group has supported local nonprofits by fundraising to provide financial support and volunteerism to provide the womanpower necessary to get things done. “Maybe there was a small nonprofit and they just didn’t have the bodies, boots on the ground to be able to do stuff. WOW would come and provide volunteer help,” said Vanderpool. “Or it might have been a small organization and they just didn’t have the means to do a lot of fundraising, or they were based on grant writing, so we would hold larger, out-of-the-box fundraisers for them and then donate all the proceeds.” With no operating budget, WOW can donate everything it fundraises. Over the
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Over its 10 years, Women of Waynesville has raised over a quarter of a million dollars for local causes. Donated photo years, WOW has also been able to create its own philanthropy missions, one of which was coined the “stealth mission.” The stealth mission is intended to provide immediate social or financial assistance to women in need. WOW started this program because through their philanthropic work, they often heard about urgent needs in the community. Assistance provided by governmental and nonprofit organizations can take time, but women and children in dire situations rarely have time to wait. “With those stealth missions we’re just helping to meet a need,” said Vanderpool. “We would hear about a need in the community, a mom was escaping domestic violence and needed help paying a down payment or deposit on a house, or somebody needed gas to get to a job interview — little things that would normally fall through the cracks. We would put together projects or funds for that situation, where they might not qualify through another partnering agency. Or they needed it within the next couple of days and couldn’t wait to go through the channels to have to fill out paperwork or interviews or other things that sometimes other agencies required.” One key to making stealth missions work is WOW’s partnerships in the community. Information and understanding about who might need a stealth mission regularly comes from the very nonprofits WOW supports. Over the years, WOW has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to several local organizations. The Battle of the Bands fundraiser raised $10,000 for Haywood Meals on Wheels. WOW has been a Women Build sponsor and volunteer team for five years and assisted the Ladies Level Up committee that raised $60,000 for a Habitat build that was entirely women-funded. The group is a regular volunteer force and sponsor for Haywood Pathways Center, partaking in its annual
Empty Bowl fundraiser event. WOW has supported both the Power of Pink 5k through the Haywood Health Foundation and the Girls on the Run of WNC. During one of Mountain Projects’ Share the Warmth Campaigns, WOW donated $4,000 that was matched by Champion Credit Union, creating an $8,000 impact through work with that community partner. One $500 donation to a peer support specialist in the local detention center provided for the purchase of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous recovery books and journals for female inmates. The group has donated to the summer enrichment program at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, volunteered when the building needed repairs following a break-in. Two of WOW’s members have won the crown at the annual Haywood County Schools Foundation Mardi Gras Ball for raising the most money for the foundation that year. In total, WOW has raised $45,000 for the HCS Foundation. Additionally, WOW established the Lynda Chovan Memorial Scholarship through the foundation in memory of a founding member who passed away in 2017. “She was on our board of directors and really had a heart for helping in the community,” said Vanderpool. “We lost her suddenly to a heart attack, so we developed a scholarship in her honor, and now we have the Linda Chovan Memorial Scholarship that we do
fundraising for each year.” Through this scholarship, WOW awards $2,000 each year to female graduating seniors in Haywood County who are pursuing a degree in the human services sector. WOW doesn’t only project its helping hand outward. Central to its philosophy is the support and engagement of its own members. The group actively strives to empower the women who make up WOW, so that WOW can best serve its community. According to Vanderpool, most meetings begin with at least 30 minutes of social time, catching up, having a drink and checking in with each other before the ladies get down to business. “Not only do we get to help women and children that are in emergency type situations, but we also support each other,” said Jacobs. “It’s been a substitute family for me in a lot of ways.” “I attribute WOW to a lot of the reason that I stayed in Haywood County,” said Vanderpool. “I found a community of likeminded women who were supportive, nonjudgmental and welcoming.” It is fitting then that to celebrate 10 years of service, WOW will be partying down with current and past members, as well as community partners. “For me, I am most proud of the way we show up for each other as members and how we show up in our community,” said Jessi Stone, current WOW member and past president. “As an all-volunteer organization, we understand how important it is for our volunteers to be supported so that they can support others. I truly believe you can’t pour from an empty cup and so we’ve created this culture of sisterhood and volunteerism that you won’t see in other organizations. That’s what sets us apart and makes WOW more like a family.” For more information about WOW visit womenofwaynesville.org.
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up all through the county,” Beck said. “By funding us now, that helps them with mutual aid and insurance rates throughout the county.” Commissioner David Nestler asked Beck why he would want to rush ahead with eight paid staff members when the report from Brigade Consulting made it clear that Sylva Fire Department already needs 11 paid staff members. “Because I feel like we should accept what they’ll give us right now so we can get started,” said Beck. “In the future, if call volume keeps going up, they will start funding Cullowhee more, us more and some of the outlying parts, increasing staff. But you have to start somewhere and that’s what I’m looking at here. We’re pretty far into it now to back out.” Following its budget work session, the final direction given to town staff by the board was to accept the funding for any amount of paid personnel eight or above. During a May 26 Sylva Board of Commissioners meeting, Town Manager Paige Dowling informed commissioners that the county commission had settled on funding eight paid personnel for the Sylva Fire Department. This will cost the county an additional $643,212 on top of funds it already provides to the Sylva Fire Department for a total of $1,074,290. Commissioners asked town staff whether this funding level would be a set amount for a specified amount of time that the town could count on. “We need to make sure that the amount stays the same or higher next year,” said Commissioner David Nestler. “The amount is not specified,” said Dowling. “What the county is saying is, they funded this annual contribution every year and the payment on the building, so it’s not going to be a set amount and they don’t want to tie it to a number of people, but each year we will let them know what our needs are and hopefully they can fund them for us. If not, the town will come up with how to fund that in our budget. It’s an agreement to fund the fire department and for them to help with the costs.” Commissioner Guiney noted that the Sylva Fire Department is the busiest in the county. “There are at least some of us on the board that feel like eight is really not enough to provide excellent fire protection to our citizens,” he said. “So hopefully the county hears this and realizes that they’re going to have to keep looking at this to make sure that they continue to help us to provide excellent fire service to the Town of Sylva.” Ultimately, the town board approved the county’s funding level for paid personnel for the Sylva Fire Department unanimously.
The Green Energy Park and Full Spectrum Farms have partnered together to offer introductory blacksmithing classes to children and adults with Autism.
June 1-7, 2022
HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ith increasing call volume, fewer volunteers and an expected continuation of growth in town, Sylva’s allvolunteer fire department is in need of paid personnel. This budget cycle, the town submitted a request to the county for funding of that personnel and the county has decided to pay for eight positions in what will become a combination department with paid staff and volunteers. “The thing about volunteers right now, there’s a lot of people that do it, but their employers pretty much got out of the mode of letting anybody leave to go to fires,” Fire Chief Mike Beck told county commissioners at a March 10 meeting. “Used to be, 20, 30 years ago it wasn’t a problem, now it is. That’s why a lot of people don’t volunteer at fire departments, they can’t. They’re not allowed to. We used to have a waiting list to get into the department, that’s not the case anymore. You have to go out and hunt people, and then you’re lucky if you get anybody.” The town of Sylva contracted with Brigade Consulting, LLC to determine an appropriate staffing model for its fire department. The report gave multiple options for the department but ultimately recommended a 24/72 shift with 11 full-time employees. County commissioners considered funding eight or 11 paid positions for Sylva Fire. Eight firefighters would require 24/48 shifts for those employees. However, at a May 12 budget work session, several Sylva commissioners considered withdrawing their request altogether, citing two main concerns — if the county chose to fund 8 or fewer personnel, this would not be enough firefighters to support a healthy staff; and a future county commission may decide to no longer fund Sylva’s fire department, leaving the town to foot the bill for this essential service. Commissioners were also concerned that it was too close to the budget deadline to work those details out. “That’s where we’re coming from. We want to hold the county to this and have some real guarantees that moving forward, in the future, for whoever knows how long, that the Sylva Fire Department is going to be w funded,” said Commissioner Ben Guiney at i the time. Sylva Fire Chief Mike Beck had the chance to speak with the board before it gave its final direction to the town manager, and he pleaded that the board not rescind its request but accept funding for 11 or eight paid personnel, whichever the county is willing to do. “I feel like if we get started, then in future times if things pick up, they’re going to pick
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Home for the past Cherokee museum plans for archive facility BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER new archival facility, reimagined exhibit space and a website overhaul are all on the horizon for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian as Shana Bushyhead Condill enters her second year leading the organization. “When I came on board about a year ago, we had a conversation about the museum in general and what we were hoping to do,” she said. “For me, what was important was putting community first. We’ve sort of operated the museum for a long time as an attraction, which is important, but I wanted to swing that pendulum back towards our community first.” Condill’s initial interest was revamping the museum’s permanent exhibit, which has been around since 1998. She started thinking that if collections could be moved to an offsite facility, there would be more exhibition space available downtown. It turned out, that’s a conversation that had been circulating in Cherokee for a long time. In Condill’s view, it’s an urgent conversation. The museum is running out of space for its collections, even as it seeks to expand its art collection and continually adds new
Located in Cherokee’s Cultural District, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian receives about 83,000 visitors each year.
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artifacts to its repository. The Native American Graves and Repatriation Act, which acknowledges tribal ownership of remains and artifacts removed from tribal
and federal lands, was enacted in 1990 but has recently received increased buy-in from organizations interested in returning tribal artifacts to their ancestral home. “We know there are EBCI collections being held off the Boundary,” she told Tribal Council during a Feb. 3 meeting. “From our own assessment we also know that our invaluable museum collections, both object and paper, need a home that better cares for and honors them. My staff and I consider this to be our most important task. This is our number one priority.” Condill was before Tribal Council to speak in favor of a resolution designating a portion of the Kituwah property in Swain County — which was recently taken into federal trust for the tribe — as the future site of a permanent collections and archival facility. According to the resolution, the building would go on a parcel located on the opposite site of U.S. 19 from the fields and across Galbraith Road from the existing
Tribal Historic Preservation Office. Over the last two decades, Tribal Council has passed at least seven resolutions pertaining to constructing an archival facility, but this time the tribal government intends to see the project through, Principal Chief Richard Sneed said Feb. 3. “We’ve made this a top priority because it’s something that is really our responsibility as the tribe to bring our artifacts, our art back home,” he said. The resolution passed unanimously, but its goals will take time to realize. Condill said the three projects — the collections facility, permanent exhibit and website — go handin-hand and should move forward in tandem, and with abundant community input. “Our strategic plan is through 2024, and I’m really hopeful that we’re full-on into those projects by then, at the same time making it really clear that we want to represent our community and not just plow through with our own ideas,” she said.
Jackson man found guilty of drug trafficking A Jackson County man who skipped court in February prior to a jury returning a verdict of guilty for drug trafficking and possession has been sentenced to prison, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch and Sheriff Chip Hall said in a joint announcement. Phillip Jordan Andrews, 25, must serve a minimum of 70 months in prison to a maximum of 93 months for trafficking in opiates by sale and trafficking in opiates by possession. He must pay a mandatory fine of $50,000. In connection with a separate, March 8, 2020, incident, Andrews also must serve a consecutive sentence of 32-51 months for seconddegree burglary and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.
Andrews also received a third consecutive sentence of 6-17 months, suspended. He will be placed on supervised probation for 60 months for possession with intent to sell and deliver fentanyl and the drug’s direct precursor, ANPP. On Aug. 5, 2020, Jackson County investigators and SBI agents arranged a controlled “buy” at Andrew’s residence. They seized a plastic bag that contained 6.98 grams of both fentanyl and ANPP, or anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine, a direct precursor to fentanyl. U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Andrews on March 7 as he attempted to re-enter the United States from Mexico, outside of San Diego, California. He was extradited to Jackson County on April 22.
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WNC JeepFest returns bigger and better The third annual WNC JeepFest returns from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11, to the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. The event has been growing in size and popularity since the first WNC JeepFest in 2020. It’s fun for the whole family and benefits Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s work to save homeless dogs and cats. All Jeeps and all things Jeep are welcome. JeepFest 2022 will feature more than 70 vendors, with Jeep-adjacent, outdoor, adventure and pet-related products. “We’ve doubled the attendance, vendors and proceeds each of the first two years and are on track to double them again this year,” said Fred Strohm, Sarge’s operations administrator. In addition to the vendors and Jeeps and more Jeeps, enjoy the Show and Shine competition Saturday, June 11. WNC Jeepers, a community of Jeepers encompassing Western North Carolina, is the is host club for JeepFest. “With the creation of WNC JeepFest, we’ve been able to expand the network between Jeepers and local businesses/resources, while allowing our club to grow and help raise funds for community needs,” said Megan Johnson, president of WNC Jeepers. WNC JeepFest tickets range from $7-25 and are available online until 6 p.m. June 9 at wncjeepfest.com/registration. Tickets will be available at the gate. Children ages 7 and under are free. This is a rain-or-shine event.
Business Seminar at the Jackson County Library At noon on Wednesday, June 8, the Jackson County Public Library is hosting Ronald Robinson and his seminar Business Success in Trying Times. This program is in the Conference Room and is free of charge, however sign-up is required as space is limited. If the pandemic has reinforced anything to business professionals, it is that people can’t just sit on their past accomplishments. Instead, they should plan ahead to survive in the market, just like the old military saying “prepare for war during
peace time.” Ronald Robinson, author of “A Business of Leaders,” will discuss the concept at length in this one-hour program. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch. Robinson has traveled the globe improving and turning around Fortune 500, mid-sized and nonprofit organizations in addition to serving on boards and assisting the homeless, poor, and those with developmental disabilities. To register and for more information, please call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library.
Kiwanis celebrates expansion of ‘Tot Lot’ After dealing with pandemic precautions, Kiwanis, in partnership with Waynesville Parks and Recreation, are excited to finally be able to celebrate the renovation and expansion of the Tot Lot section of the Kiwanis Playground. The annual Spring Fling child and family event is returning Saturday morning, June 4, at the Waynesville Recreation Park on Marshall Street and is open to the community. A 10:00 a.m. ribbon cutting will precede the event kick off. The total Kiwanis Playground
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renovation/expansion includes new equipment and an expanded area for the school age and preschool section. The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville with other financial, in-kind donors and volunteers from the community has made this a reality. They will all be acknowledged at the ribbon cutting. “This is the Spring Fling to be held outdoors and Kiwanis is grateful to be able to continue our great partnership with Waynesville Parks and Recreation,” said Kiwanis President Marti Peithman. Base Camp and the AKTION CLUB will be there with many games and activities including kid friendly log rolling in a pool. There will be a police canine demonstration, a firetruck to explore, joint EMS and Haywood Regional Hospital Emergency Drill and fun yo-yo demonstrations.
Summer learning program registration starts June 6 The Jackson County Public Library will start registration for the annual Summer Learning Program on Monday, June 6. Anyone interested can register by coming to the Youth Services Desk on the first floor of the Library, or go to fontanalib.org/summer, or download the Read Squared app. The Summer Learning Program is designed to keep children and teens excited about reading during the summer months. Each registrant will receive a Reading Log and will win various prizes for each week that they read at least 20 minutes a day, with a total of seven prizes throughout the summer. Children from birth to 18 are eligible for the program. Children that are not literate can still participate by being read to by an adult. year’s theme is Oceans of Possibilities, so get ready to learn about, read about, and celebrate oceans! Come visit the library or go to our website (fontanalib.org/events) to see all the fun programs we have planned for this summer.
Pearl Psychedelic Institute receives MDMA PTSD treatment authorization The Pearl Psychedelic Institute, a non-profit organization based in Waynesville, is the first of 10 clinics to receive authorization from the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) to treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with MDMA-assisted therapy through the FDA-regulated Expanded Access program. MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD has been designated a Breakthrough Therapy by the FDA and is currently in the final stage of the regulatory approval process. The FDA is expected to review and consider approval of the treatment for PTSD sometime in 2023. MDMA-assisted therapy uses the psychedelic drug as a catalyst for trauma-focused therapy. MDMA has an excellent safety record when administered under clinical supervision as a part of a specialized therapy protocol designed to treat PTSD. PTSD is the result of exposure to traumatic experiences such as interpersonal violence, acci-
dents and racial trauma; the thousands of people in western North Carolina suffering from PTSD include Veterans, physical and sexual assault survivors, first responders, law enforcement officers and accident victims. It is a debilitating and often life-threatening condition and conventional treatments are only effective about 50% of the time. MDMA was generally well-tolerated with shortterm increases in vital signs; adverse events that were generally rated mild to moderate and included muscle tightness, decreased appetite, nausea, hyperhidrosis, and feeling cold. There was no increase in suicidality adverse events in the MDMA group and serious suicidal ideation was minimal and occurred mostly in the placebo group. Grant funding from the local Evergreen Foundation and support from the 30th Judicial District Alliance allowed the Pearl Psychedelic Institute to send a small group of clinicians through the 100-hour MDMA Therapy Training
Program and assisted with furniture and equipment costs to establish the treatment space. “It has been a long four-year process being able to launch this much-needed work in western North Carolina and we could not have done this for the community without the support of the Evergreen Foundation and the Alliance,” states local clinical psychologist and Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Raymond Turpin. To be considered for the Pearl Psychedelic Institute’s limited MDMA-assisted therapy program, candidates must be at least 18 years old and have a diagnosis of PTSD, in addition to meeting other inclusion and exclusion criteria typical for clinical trials. Visit their website at www.pearlpsychedelicinstitute.org to learn more about this treatment and to register for consideration for the program. Another way to register is to send an email to program1@pearlpsychedelicinstitute.org and you will receive instructions on how to complete the registration form on the
website. Although the number of patients allowed for treatment currently is small, interested patients are encouraged to register so that Pearl staff can identify and contact those potential patients as this treatment hopefully becomes more available. Turpin reports that one of the central missions of the Institute is to provide training and community education. “The field of psychedelic medicine actually has a long history and the current research is suggesting that these medicines could provide some innovative and effective treatment for some stubborn mental health and addiction issues,” he said If your group is interested in scheduling a presentation regarding MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD or learning more about this resurgence of clinical research of psychedelic medicine, please contact the Institute’s administrator, Laura Pate, at info@pearlpsychedelicinstitute.org for scheduling and more information.
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Partisan local election bill a mistake To the Editor: Municipal elections in Haywood County, which are currently nonpartisan, could soon be conducted on a partisan basis if N.C. House Bill 998 is passed into law. As a local elected official, I pray that doesn’t happen, because if there is anything this world needs less of, it’s partisanship. In my 6.5 years as an Waynesville alderman, I have come to appreciate that one of the best things about local governance is how close we are to the people we represent. Our kids go to school together. We shop in the same stores and eat at the same restaurants. If you have questions or problems, you call my personal cellphone, not a toll-free number that connects you to a nameless, faceless somebody in an office somewhere. We should steer clear of anything that increases the distance between us and passage of this bill will undoubtedly turn inches into miles. It’s not an exaggeration to say that we as a nation are more divided today than at any time since the Civil War, and at a time when solving the ocean of problems we face demands we work together, more partisanship all but guarantees we won’t do that. Instead of asking voters to evaluate the people that seek to represent them based on the letter that’s displayed after their names, wouldn’t it be better to judge them on their character and the strength of their ideas? Is the toxicity and gridlock that results from
the floor, waiting for us to get the late results in. That office became known as “dad’s house” to my young children because I spent so much time there. For them, a visit to daddy’s house almost always included a trip across the street to the old Whitman’s Bakery, hence the excitement. Our business grew relatively fast in those early years, and we went from printing 12,000 papers that first week to up to 16,000 weekly in a few short years. We added staff and needed a bigger office, so we moved into what is now The Church Street Depot, the burger shop on Church Street that’s also owned by Miller. My desk sat exactly where the grill is now. And our whole business model was changing quickly. The growth of online news meant we had to adapt. Now, in addition to the 16,000 hard copies we put out each week, our webEditor site gets between 40-50,000 unique visitors weekly. Our e-newsletters reach about 15,000 subscribers. Our social media posts reach tens of thousands of people weekly. As most know, stories now break online and then we’ll fill in more material as the week goes on and include that version in our print edition. We’ve also become the leading producer of niche magazines in Western North Carolina. We produce and publish Smoky Mountain Living, Blue Ridge Motorcycling Magazine,
Scott McLeod
he mantra since starting this newspaper has been straightforward: put out a high-quality newspaper and work like hell to make sure the business survives. If we can do both, I’ll be one of the lucky ones: doing what I love, making a living doing it and living in a place I’m fortunate to call home. As the first week of June rolls around and we mark anniversary 23 for The Smoky Mountain News, the mantra remains unchanged. Everything else about this business, though, has certainly changed. And I mean everything. Way back in 1999, our office was an upstairs apartment above Waynesville’s Kitchen Shop rented from our old friend Richard Miller (he of the Classic Wineseller fame, the serial entrepreneur who has been a friend and business confidante over the years). It was sparsely furnished, our one extravagance a couch I had snagged from the end of someone’s driveway before it made it to the landfill. This was before laptops were commonplace, so the work was done at the office. We spent early mornings and late nights in that small apartment, the couch a place to catch a nap or just shut one’s eyes for a few minutes. Back then my wife traveled to Leon, Nicaragua, every year with her father, a doctor who did volunteer surgeries and taught medical students via Project Health for Leon (make a donation or learn more at projecthealthforleon.org). The trip was in early November, so most election nights Lori was gone and I had the kids. They would fall asleep on that couch or on
SMN Open House 144 Montgomery Street Join us from 5-7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3, for complimentary food and drinks as we mark our 23rd anniversary.
and many more titles for tourism entities, private businesses and nonprofits. In 2022 we’ll publish right at 36 titles in addition to the weekly newspaper. These have helped diversify our revenue stream, and those dollars go right back into our flagship newspaper, helping us remain profitable. And still in business. The actual journalism we do has changed little, but the revenue side has evolved in all the ways I’ve described and tomorrow it will change again. We have a strong commitment to being a free news source for the region, but you’ll also notice that online we ask readers who can afford it to pay a small fee for the stories we provide. We hope those who appreciate having a free, independent, local news source will help if they are able. So our commitment is to keep the local stories coming. As long as our readers remain with us, we’ll be OK. Our business model will continue to adapt to the changing realities of the marketplace. For me, that means every now and then I can take a few moments to revel in the past. It’s been a great 23year ride, and here’s to whatever the future brings. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)
LETTERS extreme partisanship, played out every day in Raleigh and Washington, D.C., really what we want at the local level in Haywood County? We need far less partisanship, not more. Count me as strongly opposed. Jon Feichter, Alderman Waynesville
Highlands’ ordinance perplexing and illogical To the Editor: The ordinance recently passed by Highlands’ Town Council, on its face, clearly violates the law of the State of North Carolina. Below is an excerpt from the North Carolina Vacation Rental Act that was signed into law by Gov Cooper on July 1, 2019: “… cities and counties are not authorized to do any of the following, among other things: Adopt or enforce any ordinance that would require any owner or manager of rental property to obtain any permit or permission from the local government to lease or rent residential real property or to register rental property with the local government.” This board has blatantly and recklessly dismissed the advice of the N.C. School of Government. They have ignored the legal advice of at least two reputable land use attorneys, including their own hired outside legal counsel. They completely scrapped and dis-
missed the proposal set forth by the Town of Highlands Planning Board — the only officials who attempted to mediate instead of unnecessarily squandering taxpayer dollars on legal fees. In addition, Commissioner Patterson made it abundantly clear that spending in excess of $200,000 of taxpayer money is a worthwhile use of taxpayer funds that could be better spent on items such as workforce
housing solutions. Finally, after months of deliberation and awaiting a verdict in Schroeder v. Wilmington, the town completely disregarded the judge’s ruling and decided to rush through an overreaching and invalid ordinance with no public comment. The entire thing is illogical and perplexing. Jennifer Huff, Save Highlands Member Highlands
Time for a little less gun loving “Hollywood and video games glorify violence while those with mental illnesses remain untreated.“
John Sanderson
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June 1-7, 2022
hose are the words of Chuck Edwards, who most likely is the man who will be the new congressman for the 11th District after the election in November. He mouthed those words recently in response to the question of what needs to be done to prevent school shootings like the recent one in Uvalde, Texas. Based on his response, Mr. Edwards evidently thinks there would Guest Columnist be none of these shootings if we just get those violent images out of the heads of mentally ill people, who we should already know about because we’ve somehow screened, identified and “treated” them, thus rendering them harmless. He didn’t mention at all, however, the possibility that easy access to semi-automatic rifles and such might play at least some role in the level of carnage these mentally deranged types are able to inflict within the space of minutes …. or even seconds. Neither did he mention, as have many Republican politicians across the nation, the absolute necessity of arming school teachers (just in case a random “crazy” avoids early detection, I suppose). But I’m guessing Mr. Edwards would support that strategy, too, because it just makes sense to some folks to get more guns in the hands of “good guys” … like some of the dearly loved and respected teachers who worked with me at Central Elementary back in the day, I’m sure. (If you’re a Central grad, or former parent, you probably have an idea of some of the teachers I’m thinking about.) I can close my eyes and still see those wonderful women in action as they interacted with the children in their care — children who loved coming to school and who thrived in our school because of the positive, supportive, and nurturing atmosphere their teachers created. And by adding to my mental picture a loaded gun riding on those ladies’ hips as they interacted with students
… well … my heart is simply “warmed” by the very thought. The Beatles got it right, you know, happiness really is a warm gun. All sarcasm aside, I know a lot of decent people who get pleasure from using their guns safely and responsibly, and guns certainly don’t have to be instruments of the kind of horror and pain we see too often these days. But I have to ask if there might not be such a thing as being just a little too “happy” about guns in America today. We have almost 260 million adults (18 and older) in the U.S., and we have almost 400 million guns (that we’re aware of ) in circulation. That’s an awful lot of potential “happiness” to be found in America. So, is it not possible that the easy availability of guns is, in fact, a significant PART of the problem? I mean, fantasizing about mayhem while watching a movie or while playing a video game may not be healthy, but being able to walk into a gunstore right after turning 18, and buying — without any questions asked — two semi-automatic rifles and 300-plus rounds of ammunition can obviously have immediate and horrible consequences. Regulating gun sales by requiring background checks and setting reasonable standards for ownership (e.g., 21 years old instead of 18, required training, licensure renewed every 6-8 years, maybe) is not the same as banning guns. It’s not a “slippery slope” to destroying the Second Amendment, either. It’s just common sense in a nation awash in guns so powerful and ammunition so deadly that our Founding Fathers could never have even imagined such things. Sure, responsible gun owners might have to go through a few extra steps before purchasing a weapon if reasonable regulations are enacted. But what responsible person wouldn’t be willing to endure just a little inconvenience if by doing so he or she was helping keep deadly weapons out of the hands of those who have no business even touching a gun? Maybe Mr. Edwards could open his mind just a bit to consider implementing reasonable regulatory standards as another part of a meaningful response to these senseless and heartbreaking shootings. I hope he will. John Sanderson is a former principal at Central Elementary School inWaynesville.
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Gov’t Mule is fronted by rock icon Warren Haynes (far right). (photo: Jay Sansone)
Love is a mean old world A conversation with Warren Haynes BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR he beauty of the blues is that it’s a style of music you grow up alongside, one where you may pick it up early on and, perhaps, easily, but it’ll take a lifetime to journey down the rabbit hole of its intricate nature, endless depths of sonic textures and unlimited melodic possibilities. For rock icon Warren Haynes, the blues signifies an acknowledgment and appreciation of the human condition, where the guitarist not only embraces those vast sonic textures, he also purposely lets go of any and all preconceived notions of how to grasp and hold the blues — for once you let go, you’ve unlocked the secret of what it means to be a cosmic soul in the greater universe. And for the better part of the last 30 years, Haynes has fronted Gov’t Mule, which initially was his solo outlet when not on the road and onstage as a six-string ace for The Allman Brothers Band, a position he held from 1989 to 2014. Nowadays, Mule carries the fiery torch of live performance and improvisational exploration, values that remain at the core of this juggernaut of sound and purpose — this seamless blend of rock, soul and psychedelic tones, all with a thick thread of the blues running through the heart of the operation.
T
Smoky Mountain News: Mule recently put out
the album “Heavy Load Blues.” And what I find so interesting about the blues is that, when you’re younger, you can kind of get into it pretty quick as a guitarist. But, as you get older, you find out how intricate and complex it actually is. Warren Haynes: Well, the blues is what you make of it, right? The chord structures, the melodies and note selections — and even the tempos and the grooves — are all coming from a kind of limited, minimalistic sort of space. But, what you can do inside that space is limitless. And so, if you want to discover the blues, all you have to do is listen to someone who’s really good at playing or singing it, because that’s what sells you. It’s not the genre. It’s 110% the performance that people give inside that genre that transcends it to another place. SMN: It’s not a matter of how many notes are played, it’s a matter of the feeling behind the fingers playing those notes. WH: Yeah. If you hear B.B. King play one note, it sounds incredible, and you know who it is when you hear it. It’s the same when you hear Aretha Franklin sing one note or Ray Charles sing one note or Son House. And that’s so much deeper than a fancy flurry of notes. When someone can hit you with one note and it stirs your stool — that’s the real thing. SMN: And that’s what I think about with you or Derek Trucks or people that can almost slow down time. It’s not that you’re trying to “wow”
Want to go? Rock juggernaut Gov’t Mule will hit the stage at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, at the Salvage Station in Asheville. Gates at 5 p.m. Travers Brothership will open the performance. Admission is $35 in advance, $40 day of show (general admission) For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on salvagestation.com. people with a million notes a minute, you’re slowing down time for people to actually relax and not think about anything. WH: And let go, and do whatever the opposite of thinking is, you know? And that’s the way when musicians play their best, it’s when you shut your brain off and you’re not aware of anything. You get into that zone where you’re not thinking, and that’s the best that you’ll ever play. SMN: And I would surmise that night after night, whether consciously or subconsciously, what you’re chasing is that feeling of letting go. WH: Absolutely. The ultimate version of that is when you actually forget that you’re onstage and transcend to another place where you’re not aware at that moment of what’s really going on. I remember [bassist] Oteil
[Burbridge] describing it as it’s almost like you’re in the audience listening to someone else. I never thought of it that way until he described it that way, and it makes total sense. The only way you can really achieve that is to be performing with amazing people around you that you share a chemistry with. And those magical moments may happen from time to time, and when they do, it’s this amazing thing. And I’ve been very fortunate to have been involved with so many wonderful musicians that once you experience that, you are chasing it from that point forward.
SMN: I was recently talking to someone about why it is groups like the Allmans, Grateful Dead and Rolling Stones have lasted so long. And I think it has to do with the mere fact all of those bands have a blues component, where there’s something so mysterious and timeless about the blues, that it makes the music just as relevant generations later. WH: I think that’s exactly right. It’s the honesty that all those things have in common — it’s honest music. And the blues element is a big part of that. When people hear that honesty in the music, it makes a connection that you can’t really explain. But, I think that’s where the timelessness comes from. All the [bands] you mentioned achieved their success by not trying to adhere to whatever trends were going on at that time. If you change the trendiness or the timeliness of what’s going on at the moment, then you’re obviously going to fall out of vogue or reach a point where there it’s no longer honest or relevant. But, bands that made timeless music, there’s always going be a place for that — and I think that’s the key.
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Lake Chatuge. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
Followin’ the stars through the honkytonks and bars, dream away on a country music pride
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Cold Mountain Music Festival (Lake Logan) featuring Hiss Golden Messenger, Futurebirds and The Mother Hips will kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 4.
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Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Sneezy (rock/soul) at 9:30 p.m. Friday, June 3.
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Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host Grammy-winning guitar virtuoso Bill Mize at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 9.
Don’t live with pain, we have solutions. WE ARE ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host its “Seven Year Anniversary Party” with Lyric (soul/rock) at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 4.
June 1-7, 2022
Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 5.
And the funny thing about scrapping your plans at the last minute is that you’ve now disrupted the proposed timeline of your endeavors, where a whole new timeline of chance and opportunity arises — this blank canvas of possible interactions and happenstance moments unfolding right before your eyes. All that remains is what you’re going to do, or not do, with whatever unexpected things lie just around the next corner, ready to happily surprise you. With the entire Memorial Day Weekend ahead of me, I decided to lay low and see what happens, bop around Waynesville and track down some mischief in my own backyard. Grabs some drinks, hoist them high in the air, and in unison of nothing and everything, the
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ast Thursday afternoon. Downtown Waynesville. Rifling through a fresh load of laundry, I was beginning to sift through my clothes to figure out just what I needed for the weekend’s impending road trip to Maryland to cover yet again another music festival. But, with the heavy rainstorm overhead and pounding down on my humble abode, I stopped for a moment and walked out onto the porch. The unrelenting raindrops hit my truck parked in front of the apartment building. I stood there and started to feel deflated, like this balloon that was popped by the needle of time and space. Screw it. I don’t want to go to Maryland. I’m tired, physically and emotionally. I can’t fathom an eight-hour drive up Interstate 81 to the panhandle just below the Mason— Dixon Line, all while this storm follows the entire length and direction of the route to the festival. Nope. I’m staying right here. So, I sat down at my desk and wrote an email to the organizers, one stating that I would have to, respectfully, decline the invitation to event. Typing and sending that message was harder than I could have imagined, seeing as I’m a workaholic who bounces between the f journalism world and the music industry, both realms of organized chaos that thrive in the blurred boundaries of work and play. I’m a workaholic who loves what they do, which is the worst kind, because you’ll burn yourself out way before you even realize what you’ve done to your physical self, let alone your sanity.
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jumped in my truck and headed towards Lake Chatuge. By the time I crested over the mountain ridge along U.S. 64 West near the Macon/Clay county line, my shoulders began to relax, the restless thoughts in my mind evaporating into thin air once the truck was put into park at the lake. For the next 24 hours, it was numerous trips out on the pontoon boat, laying out in the sizzling sunshine, jumping off the vessel into the cool waters, launching oneself from the rope swing on that one small island nearby, grilling racks of fall-off-the-bone ribs for dinner, sunset fishing excursions, and latenight card games amid fits of laughter over tall tales retold once more. Come Sunday afternoon, it was time to return to Haywood County. Time to pack up my small travel bag, pack up the road guitar, pack up the toiletries, and return to civilization. But, this time ‘round, I felt more like myself than I had in a very long time. Remember what you set out to do last Thursday, and all of it due to simply scrapping your plans at the last minute. Disrupt the proposed timeline of your endeavors. Redraw a whole new timeline of chance and opportunity. The blank canvas of possible interactions and happenstance moments unfolding right before your eyes. All that remains is what you’re going to do — or not do — with whatever unexpected things lie just around the next corner, ready to happily surprise you. Replay those previous sentiments over and over again in your joyous, vibrant heart and soul. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
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This must be the place
mere idea of simply dropping everything in an effort to circle back your true self. By Friday afternoon, I had planned to venture to Asheville for some shenanigans, but I got a message at the last minute. It was this cute girl I’d been talking to sporadically, where it had been cat and mouse to figure out a time in our mutually busy lives to meet for an adult beverage. She wanted to come to Waynesville for a drink. It was decided to meet up in an hour at a quiet spot just off Main Street. An hour later, as I readied myself to head over to the quiet spot, she messaged back and said she had to raincheck. She got caught up doing some work and such. Ah, well. Bummer. I hadn’t been on a date in a while. But, alas, it is what it is. So, being all dressed up with nowhere to go, I decided to wander my favorite restaurant in town. I was going to order the finest steak they had and I was going to eat it with gusto. Chowing down on a New York strip steak, the owner/executive chef of the restaurant emerged from the kitchen and sat down next to me at the bar counter. Like all dear friends in one’s existence, he could sense something was not right in my attitude and demeanor. I told him about bailing on Maryland, the date falling through, and how I was feeling burned out and in need of respite. “You should just come up to the lake with us tomorrow. I’ll do you some good,” he said, putting his hand of friendship on my shoulder in solidarity. And that’s exactly what I did. Under bright, sunny skies on Saturday afternoon, I
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arts & entertainment
On the beat Grammy-winner returns to Marianna As part of its “Summer Music Series,” the Marianna Black Library will present an evening with Fingerstyle Guitar Champion and Grammy Award winner Bill Mize at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at the library in Bryson City. Mize is a son of Tennessee, and a fitting representative of his state’s rich musical heritage. His critically lauded fingerstyle compositions are fluid and intricate, and their delivery masterful. He received a Grammy Award for his collaboration with musician and storyteller David Holt on the recording “Stellaluna.” Mize is also a past winner of the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley Festival, which Guitar Player Magazine has labeled this event the “U.S. Open of guitar competitions.” And, in 2009, Mize’s music appeared in the Ken Burns documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” This program is free and open to the public. For more information or driving directions, call the library at 828.488.3030 or visit fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
June 1-7, 2022
Sneezy makes WNC debut Presented by Adamas Entertainment, popular Chicago-based rock/soul act Sneezy will perform at 9:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, at The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill in Waynesville. Age 21 and older. Admission is $5 at the door. For more information, click on sneezyband.com or adamasentertainment.com.
Smoky Mountain News
Americana, indie at Valley Tavern The Maggie Valley Band will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 5, at the Valley Tavern in Maggie Valley. A blend of old-time mountain, Americana and psychedelic folk music, the Haywood County group is fronted by siblings Whitney & Caroline Miller. The duo has gone through several changes since they first set out on their melodic adventure several years ago. The show is free and open to the public. For more information, click on themaggievalleyband.com.
Concerts On The Creek
The 13th season of Concerts on the Creek will continue with The Robertson Boys (Americana/bluegrass) from 7-9 p.m. Friday, May 27, at Bridge Park in Sylva. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or 24 blanket. These events are free, but donations
are encouraged. Dogs must be on a leash. No alcohol, smoking or coolers are allowed in the park. These concerts are organized and produced by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Sylva and the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. For more information, call the chamber at 828.586.2155, visit mountainlovers.com or Concerts On The Creek’s Facebook page.
Futurebirds.
Cold Mountain Music Festival Connie Smith.
Country legends to play Franklin Country stars Jimmy Fortune & Connie Smith will host a special performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Fortune toured, sang and performed with the legendary Statler Brothers for 21 years, performing all over the United States and Canada. After The Statler Brothers retired in 2002, Fortune wrote the No. 1 hit “Elizabeth,” only to follow that with two more No. 1 hits, “My Only Love” and “Too Much On My Heart.” In August 1963, Smith won a talent contest in Columbus, Ohio, earning a performing spot that evening in a concert featuring members of the Grand Ole Opry. During the concert, headliner Bill Anderson noticed Smith’s talent and after the show he encouraged her to come to Nashville, which in July 1964, lead to “Once a Day,” her first single which spent eight weeks at #1. Smith’s high standing in the country music world was acknowledged when she became the first woman to be named artist-inresidence by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In 2012, Smith received the genre’s highest honor when she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Presented by First Class Productions, tickets are $40, $45, $55 (priority seating). For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit smokymountainarts.com or call 828.524.1598.
The Cold Mountain Music Festival will take place Saturday, June 4, on the grounds of the Lake Logan Retreat Center. The lineup will include nationally renowned rock acts Hiss Golden Messenger, Futurebirds and The Mother Hips, as well as Chatham Rabbits and I Draw Slow. The event is rain or shine. Gates open at noon, with music kicking off at 1 p.m. General admission is $60 for adults, $40 for youth ages 11-16. Children ages 10 and under are free. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on coldmountainmusic.org or call 828.646.0095.
Tanya Tucker.
one for the record books. Tickets start at $22.50 per person. For tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
Cherokee Bluegrass Festival
Harrah’s welcomes Tanya Tucker Country legend Tanya Tucker will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. A defining voice of country music and a modern-day legend, Tucker inspired many female artists who still top the charts today. From the signature classic songs to the unforgettable sass and soul of her voice, Tucker has paved a path in country music and beyond through an unprecedented level of success. Tucker continues her longevity today due to a natural, undeniable talent which has proven to be timeless ever since she recorded her debut single “Delta Dawn,” at age 13. With appearances across the world, the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Super Bowl HalfTime Show, Tucker’s career is proving to be
The annual Cherokee Bluegrass Festival will take place June 9-11 at the Happy Holiday Village RV Resort in Cherokee. Performers include Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, The Gibson Brothers, Larry Stephenson Band, Lonesome River Band, The Malpass Brothers, and many more.
Rhonda Vincent.
There will also be hot food and concessions available. Make sure to bring your lawn chairs. For more information, click on evansmediasource.com or call 386.385.3500.
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• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7-9 p.m. on Thursdays. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com. • Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, DJ Kountry (hits/variety) June 3, Arnold Hill w/Borderline (rock/jam) June 4 and Shane Meade & The Sound (soul/indie) June 11. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com. • Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host The Robertson Boys (Americana/bluegrass) June 3 and The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) June 10 at Bridge Park in Sylva. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged. 828.586.2155 or mountainlovers.com. • Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Old Sap (indie/folk) 7 p.m. June 4. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com. • Fontana Village Resort Wildwood Grill will host David Cody (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. June 4 and Woolybooger (folk/blues) 6 p.m. June 11. Free and open to the public. 800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com.
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On the beat
• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will host Will & Lindsey Thompson (Americana/folk) June 3 and Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) June 10 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 Carolina U-Turn June 3, Shane Meade & Shelly Vogler June 4, A. Lee Edwards & The Drag 3 p.m. June 5, Jordan Lee King 5 p.m. June 10, Watkins 6 p.m. June 10, J.J. Hipps & The Hideaways June 11 and Jacob’s Well 4 p.m. June 12. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com. • Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Tanya Tucker (country) 7:30 p.m. June 4. Tickets start at $22.50 per person. For tickets, caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee. • Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Music Bingo” w/Hibiscus Sunshine at 7 p.m. every Wednesday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All events are free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host its “Seven Year Anniversary Party” w/Lyric (soul/rock) June 4 and Karaoke Night June 10. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless other-
wise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Trivia Night at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Old Time Jam 6:30 p.m. every Thursday and Shane Meade & The Sound Trio (indie/soul) June 10. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host Bill Mize (guitar/folk) 7 p.m. June 9. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 or fontanalib.org/brysoncity. • Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Open Mic Night w/Ivor Sparks every Wednesday and Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) June 3. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
ALSO:
• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host The UpBeats (R&B) June 11. 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 The Shrubberies (rock/alternative) 8 p.m. June 4. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse. • Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will host High Five (Americana/rock) June 4 an Rocksteady@8 (ska/world) June 11 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park on Pine Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org. • The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Bohemian Jean (pop/variety) June 3. All shows begin at 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com. • SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host Hawk Mountain June 2 and The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) June 9. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com. • Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Jimmy Fortune & Connie Smith (country) 7:30 p.m. June 11. Tickets start at $40. For tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host “Karaoke In The Smokies” June 2, Jason Lee Wilson & James County June 3, Mile High Band (classic rock) June 4, Jacob’s Well June 9, Southern Rush June 10 and Jon Cox Band (country/rock) June 11. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
On the street
HART presents ‘Steel Magnolias’
‘PlottFest Reunion’ The annual “PlottFest Reunion” will take place June 3-5 at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. A weekend event celebrating the history and heritage of the Plott Hound, the official state dog of North Carolina — a breed originated by the Plott family that gained worldwide notoriety in the Great Smokies. Join Plott Hound owners and enthusiasts from across the nation as they come together to commemorate the breed with an officially sanctioned UKC Bench show and various other competition events. As well, there will be special awards ceremonies, raffles, roundtable discussions with Plott breed icons, history programs, a free barbecue dinner, and a traditional country music concert featuring William Ritter & Tim McWilliams on Saturday night. Admission is $20 for the general public. Free admission for motel guests and Heritage Club members. meadowlarkmotel.com or 828.926.1717.
‘Molly Gets Canned’
ful bond of friendship. To make reservations, call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322 or go to harttheatre.org. HART Box Office hours are from 1-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. • A stage production of the beloved tale “Alice in Wonderland” will be held on select dates throughout this spring at the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee. The production is an original work by Havoc Movement Company that will be joining the Cherokee Historical Association for the spring season. cherokeehistorical.org/alice-in-wonderland.
ALSO:
• Weekly festive gatherings are underway at the Rickman Store in Macon County. Mainspring Conservation Trust and the Friends of the Rickman Store (FORS) invite the community and visitors to the region to visit this historic building every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 828.369.5595 or visit “Friends of the Rickman Store” on Facebook.
ALSO:
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. waynesvillewine.com. • A free wine tasting will be held from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday and 2-5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075. • “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 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first-class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. 800.872.4681 or gsmr.com.
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In honor of a beloved local canine celebrity, “Molly Gets Canned” will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. A fundraiser for ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation, the event will celebrate Molly, a blind 10-year-old beagle walker mix who frequents the brewery. “Since she went blind a couple years ago, she’s had a real health struggle, because the blindness affects her autoimmune system,” said Wayne Ruth, Molly’s owner. “But, she’s pulled through and is in better health these days. Even though she can’t see, she’s a pretty active dog as people who have met her can attest to.” With that, Frog Level has redesigned its Nutty Brunette (brown ale) cans, which will now feature a cartoon version of Molly. There will also be a silent auction. “When Morgan Crisp, the owner of Frog Level, asked me about doing the can design,
• “Murder Mystery Night” will be held from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and sparkling cider, as well as an evening of mystery and intrigue. Participants will also have a private shopping experience with 10% off new mystery books. Tickets are $30 per person. 828.456.6000.
June 1-7, 2022
A stage production of Robert Harling’s tender story, “Steel Magnolias,” will be held at 7:30 p.m. June 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 30 and July 1-2, and at 2 p.m. June 12, 19, 26 and July 3, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Have you ever tried to pick a magnolia blossom only to find it turns brown and bruises easily? “Steel Magnolias” is the true essence of southern ladies: beautiful and fragile as a magnolia on the outside, but tough as steel on the inside. HART is bringing to life six such beautiful magnolias, transforming the Fangmeyer Theatre into Truvy’s beauty salon in Natchitoches, Louisiana. This poignant true story became iconic in 1989 with an all-star film after debuting off Broadway two years prior. It is often hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time and depicts women we all know and love in our own circles of family and friends. “Steel Magnolias” has something for men and women alike. For men, it is a peek into the mystique of the beauty parlor where they are not allowed but can gain a greater understanding of the women in their lives. For women it is that space where they have always been allowed to express their true feelings and in this neighborhood salon, they all share a power-
I was just totally humbled — it really means a lot,” Ruth added. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.
arts & entertainment
On the stage
Book online at:
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arts & entertainment
On the wall
QuickDraw returns to Laurel Ridge
of pride and some of the challenges the LGBTQIA+ community faces while seeking equality. The reception will include live music by the Alex Krug Combo from 6 to 7 p.m. and an artist demonstration by Molly Herold starting at 6 p.m. Exhibit sponsor is Bridal Creations, with Starbucks the reception sponsor. haywoodarts.org.
Molly Herold.
‘Creating Community Workshop’
Smoky Mountain News
June 1-7, 2022
‘Living With Pride’ art showcase
The annual QuickDraw art fundraiser will once again be held in-person from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. The cocktail social will include an hour-long QuickDraw Challenge, silent auction, refreshments and dinner. Live artists will be working in the public eye, creating timed pieces, which will then be auctioned off. Proceeds go to art classroom supplies in schools and college scholarships for artrelated studies. QuickDraw’s signature auction for art education features several unique items to benefit art education in schools. • 4:30 p.m. — Cocktail Social. Register your bidder number and watch artists prep before the shotgun start. • 5-6 p.m. — Artist Stopwatch Challenge. Hour of live creation. Stroll and marvel at the motivated live-action artists painting to beat the clock. Stroll and chat with demonstrator artists using fiber, clay, metals, glass, wood and more, all processintensive mediums that enable them to
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work and talk. Each demo artist offers a finished original work at silent auction while they showcase techniques on a piece in process. • 6 p.m. — Breather. Snacks and conversation and live music while artists frame the pieces and set up the auction preview. Live music from Craig Summers. Art teachers show off student works. • 6:30 p.m. — Live Art Auction. Bid on fresh, original art, ready to hang. Become a collector who saw the artist make it. Team with artists to inspire students and creative classrooms, put supplies on teacher shelves, and send kids to college. • 7:30 p.m. — Dinner and cash bar. Meet your artist over delicious food and monitor your silent auction bids. Tickets are $95 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on quickdrawofwnc.com. You can also purchase tickets at the following locations: Haywood County Arts Council, Jo Ridge Kelley Fine Art, T. Pennington Art Gallery, Curatory Gallery and Bosu’s Wine Shop.
An exhibit dedicated to the Southern Appalachian LGBTQIA+ experience, the “Living With Pride” art showcase will run June 3-26 at Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Curated by Ashten McKinney, owner of Curatory Gallery, the opening reception will be held from 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 3, during Art After Dark in downtown. The showcase will present contemporary works that celebrate the unique, diverse sense
• The Cherokee Gourd Artists Gathering will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through June 5 at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds. Gourd artists from the United States and Canada gather to collaborate on gourd art, which will be for sale. Classes are available for a fee. visitcherokeenc.com.
ALSO:
• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (MayDecember) in downtown Waynesville. Main Street transforms into an evening of art, music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visi-
The monthly “Creating Community Workshop” will continue with a broom making class at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 4, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Explore the basics of broom making while making your very own cobweb broom. Moderate hand and arm strength are needed to make the broom. It may be helpful to wear long pants. Attendees need to either bring a towel or wear an apron. This program is free and open to the public. To register, call the library at 828.586.2016. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library and a generous grant from Dogwood Crafters. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (fontanalib.org).
tors. Dates include June 3, July 1, Aug. 5, Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Nov. 4 and Dec. 2. facebook.com/galleriesofhaywoodcounty. • A “Foreign Film Series” will be held at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Each month, on the second and fourth Friday, two movies from around the globe will be shown. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge. Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings. To find out what movie will be shown and/or for more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library. fontanalib.org.
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‘The Broken Spine’ and ‘The Dead Beat’
Mel Fergenbaum & Lynda Saffell
Jeff Minick
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putting together clues as he searches for the killer. A last major character in “The Broken Spine” is Dewey, the stray cat adopted by Tru, who names him after the Dewey Decimal System. Dewey adds amusement to the story and even helps solve the crime.
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Smoky Mountain News
••• For my birthday earlier this year, a relative gave me Marilyn Johnson’s “The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries” (HarperCollins Publishers, 2007, 272 pages). The giver believed, correctly, that I enjoyed reading quirky books, and “The Dead Beat” certainly matches that description. Johnson, who herself has written obits for such luminaries as Princess Diana, Johnny Cash, and Marlon Brando, explores the art of remembering the dead in print and provides insights into the lives of some of those who write these pieces. That the book is still in print is a testimony to its humor, the lyricism of its sentences, and its overall charm. For me, it’s a dipper book, one that I open at random every few days and read a few pages rather than tackling it from cover to cover. Just this morning, I came across this sentence delivered by one such writer of obits, Jim Nicholson: “Which would you miss most, your secretary of state or your garbageman?” I didn’t have to think about that one for more than a second. Because of where I live, I am my own garbageman, hauling trash every week or so to a nearby collection point. Sorry, Mr. Secretary. But you lose. (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)
will be leading a discussion of their book:
June 1-7, 2022
Tru is a wonderful narrator for this tale. She’s engaging, funny at times, perceptive about the thoughts and feelings of others, self-deprecating, and makes plenty of mistakes in her chosen role as private eye. We also watch as she changes and grows during this story, becoming more confident and self-assured. At one point, for example, she directly confronts Anne as to why she would tell the police Tru had killed Hargrove. Gone is the quiet, shy woman who usually tried hard to avoid such scenes. As a library patron, I also got a kick out of Mrs. Farnsworth, who summoned up the librarians of my long-ago youth. The severe Mrs. Farnsworth rules this community collection of books with an iron fist, constantly shushing patrons, correcting children when they dogear a page, and keeping an eagle-eye out for any misbehavior at all. I love my library and others, but sometimes wish in our age of cell-phones and our inability to speak in hushed tones that there were a few more old-timers like Mrs. Farnsworth at the
helm. One quibble: Unless I missed something while reading, this library contains valuable books, like a first-edition of a Nancy Drew book and another of Dashiell Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon.” Eventually, these rare treasures figure into the murder of Duggar Hargrove. Yet nowhere did I find mention that the librarians had set aside these gems in a rare-book room or attempted to sell them to enhance the library’s limited funding. And in regard to all the other books, why take them straightaway to the landfill? Why not instead throw an enormous book sale, again to raise money for the library? Otherwise, “The Broken Spine” is a delightful page turner, its murder mystery intriguing right up to the end of the story, a perfect book for an escape from the trials of the day or for that trip to the beach.
arts & entertainment
ypress, South Carolina is a moderatelysized town surrounded by farms where neighbors know one another and the pace of life is low-key. But that is about to change. Town Manager Duggar Hargrove, Mayor Goodvale, and the town council want to see Cypress become a sort of Silicon Valley East, a home to hightech companies that will bring good jobs to the struggling community. First on their agenda for change is the library, where they plan to Writer throw away all the books and instead install an all-electronic community center. But these plans go off-track when Duggar Hargrove is murdered, crushed to death when someone pushes one of the library’s heavy wood shelves holding hundreds of DVDs onto the unfortunate man. In “The Broken Spine” (Berkley Prime Crime, 2021, 309 pages), Dorothy St. James launches a new series, A Beloved Bookroom Mystery. In this kick-off volume to this series, we meet Trudell Becket, “Tru,” the assistant librarian who is desperately and furtively trying to save as many of the books as possible from the landfill while at the same time helping to track down the murderer, in large part because as a booklover she’s the one first suspected of the crime by the police. Plenty of people present themselves as possible suspects. Anne, the young tech hired to make a bookless library, has the means and opportunity. Luke, the mayor’s son, has a motive. Others under suspicion include the mysterious Charlie, who wants to open a secondhand bookshop, a collections agent for Las Vegas loan sharks, Grandle, who is after Luke, and even the ancient director of the library, Mrs. Farnsworth, who like Tru is extremely unhappy with the removal of the books. In her quest to open a secret library for the most trustworthy patrons and uncover the murder plot, Tru seeks help from Tori Green, a coffee shop owner who is her best friend from childhood, and from Flossie Finnegan-Baker, another close friend and best-selling author of mysteries. In addition, Detective Jace Baily, newly attached to the police department and who had treated Tru like dirt years before in high school, is also
Author Event
New monthly book club The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva is starting a new monthly program. Each month, a library staff member will be discussing some of the new book titles that the library has received. Particular attention will be paid to “under the radar” titles and authors, new releases, and other books that the staff is excited about. All are welcome and no registration is required. For more information on when the club will meet, please call the library at 828.586.2016. This club is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. The JCPL is a member of Fontana Regional Library (fontanalib.org)
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Outdoors
Smoky Mountain News
Male black bears weigh 130-500 pounds, while females are smaller, 90-350 pounds. Bill Lea photo
Wildlife in the legislature Bill seeks to halt expanded bear sanctuary hunting BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR bill seeking to strike down an N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission rule that would allow limited bear hunting in three Western North Carolina bear sanctuaries has been filed in the N.C. House of Representatives. “I filed it because I think the rule is just a terrible rule,” said Rep. Pricey Harrison, who represents the Greensboro area in District 61. “It just doesn’t make any sense to me that we’d be killing bears in bear sanctuaries. I received a lot of comments on it, and I know folks are really upset about it.” The Wildlife Commission approved the rule in question by unanimous vote Feb. 24. It renames the state’s 22 designated bear sanctuaries as “designated bear management units” and newly allows permit hunts in three of them — Panthertown-Bonas Defeat, Pisgah and Standing Indian. Permit hunts are already allowed in the Mt. Mitchell and Daniel Boone sanctuaries. Harrison’s bill contains only a single sentence — it identifies the rule in question and states that the bill, if enacted, would disapprove that action.
A
THE RULEMAKING PATHWAY When presenting it to commissioners, Wildlife Commission staff said the rule was necessary to slow the growth rate of the
mountain bear population and cut down on negative interactions between bears and backcountry users. In February, Wildlife Biologist Brad Howard told Commission members that the mountain area is currently home to more than 7,000 bears and growing at an annual rate of 6% — despite a decade of efforts to stabilize the population at a 0% growth rate. “We’ll be at 9,000 bears in the very foreseeable future if we don’t get more harvest pressure on these bear populations,” he said. Human populations are growing too, and trail use is exploding. In 2018, the U.S. Forest Service asked the Wildlife Commission to increase hunting pressure on Panthertown Valley to reduce human-bear conflicts. However, the public overwhelmingly opposed the rule. During the public comment portion of the rule-making process, 2,744 people weighed in on the bear sanctuary proposal, with 86% against it. The second mostdiscussed proposal drew only 379 comments. Opponents said that human actions, not bear populations, were at the root of the increasing human-bear conflicts that spurred consideration of the rule. Education, not hunting, is the solution, they said — sanctuaries should remain safe places for bears to live their lives and for humans who hike to avoid bear dogs during hunting season. Friends of Panthertown, the nonprofit charged with conserving and improving the recreational experience at Panthertown, offered staunch opposition to the proposal.
While there was an increase in serious bear encounters in 2018, the year the Forest Service requested increased hunting, the situation has improved dramatically, Executive Director Jason Kimenker told The Smoky Mountain News. The organization has not received any reports of close bear encounters since December 2019. In 2020, Friends of Panthertown began installing bear storage lockers in the backcountry, and that appears to have addressed the problem. The N.C. Rules Review Commission must give final approval to Wildlife Commission
rules, with state law stipulating that any rule eliciting 10 or more letters requesting legislative review will go on to the General Assembly. A packet collating letters received regarding the bear sanctuary rule totaled 439 pages, markedly exceeding that requirement. During its April 21 meeting, the RRC objected to the bear sanctuary rule, stating that it was unclear and ambiguous, lacking specific guidelines or criteria for granting permits. The Commission approved a revised version of the rule during its May 19 meeting. The new language states that permitted bear hunts in sanctuaries where hunting is allowed may take place only during open season and that hunters may apply for permits on or after July 1 each year. The Wildlife Commission will set the number of permits annually in accordance with population management objectives and issue them based on random computer selection. Because the RRC’s final approval of the rule occurred after the legislative session began May 18, the legislative review period will extend through the long session in 2023. According to state law, legislators have 31 days once the session begins to introduce a bill disapproving the rule. However, the session this pertains to is the next one starting at least 25 days after the RRC approves the rule — in this case, the 2023 session. If a bill disapproving the rule is introduced by that deadline, the rule cannot go into effect until the General Assembly either takes an unfavorable final action on the bill or adjourns without ratifying it. If the bill is enacted, the rule will not go into effect at all.
LEGISLATIVE FUTURE UNCERTAIN Harrison’s bill has four primary sponsors and nine cosponsors. All 13 are Democrats, indicating an uncertain future in the majorityRepublican legislature. After Harrison filed it May 25, the bill passed a first reading and was referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the
F
An estimated 7,000 black bears live in the mountain region. Melissa McGaw/NCWRC photo
Buzz into beekeeping
Bear and human populations are both rising in the mountains, making conflict prevention a vital task. Warren Bielenberg photo
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Get started as a beekeeper with “Beekeeping for Beginners,” 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at the Jackson County Public Library Community Room. Third-generation beekeeper David Massengill will teach attendees how to choose a beehive location and cover the different types of bees, pollinators, hives, pollinator-friendly plants and equipment. Based in Balsam, Massengill keeps 50-60 hives. He is a damage control agent, president of the Jackson County Beekeepers Association, 4H beekeeper mentor and volunteer firefighter. Free, and co-sponsored by Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For information, call 828.586.2016.
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June 1-7, 2022 Smoky Mountain News
spective. “They said those are places where the bears raise their young and they think the bears have the sensitivity to know that they are safe there and not hunted there, and they think that should be left alone.” Corbin said that he felt it was important for Wildlife Commission officials to attend the meeting and see the public opposition firsthand. However, he does not intend to introduce any legislation disapproving the rule. “I don’t have any desire to tell them (the Wildlife Commission) how to do their job or take the authority away from them,” he said. “It’s just that was a particular issue we felt like the public’s voice needed to be heard. And it was. We did what we thought we needed to do. But I’m not going to introduce a bill to change the rules.” When asked whether they would support Harrison’s bill, Reps. Mike Clampitt, Gillespie and Pless were noncommittal, saying they first needed learn more about “We felt like the public’s voice needed to to the issue and possible solutions to it. All be heard. And it was. But I’m not going three representatives to introduce a bill to change the rules.” are members of the House Wildlife — Kevin Corbin Resources Committee, with Clampitt and Gillespie both serving as co-chairs. one point ask for a show of hands from Clampitt said he expects the bill will go to those who support the rule, with not a sinthat committee for review. gle hand going up. “It will be referred to Wildlife and we “They were all on the same page,” will review it and get input from WRC (the Corbin said. “Everybody said, ‘No, there Wildlife Resources Commission) and their shouldn’t be hunting (in the bear sanctuarposition,” Clampitt said. ies).’” The House wildlife committee meets “The reasons they gave me were pretty Tuesdays at 2 p.m. logical,” he said of the bear hunters’ perHouse May 27. “At this point, I think it’s best to not allow hunting in bear sanctuaries, at least in part because you’re sort of damaging the whole concept of a bear sanctuary, and there seems to be hunters that are against it and there are other people that mostly don’t like the killing of bears,” said Rep. John Ager, one of the bill’s sponsors, who represents District 115 in Buncombe County. Sen. Kevin Corbin, who represents the seven western counties, said that he was concerned when he first heard about the rule and, together with District 120 Rep. Karl Gillespie, invited Wildlife Commission officials to an April 5 meeting in Murphy that included both bear hunters and animal rights activists. Rep. Mark Pless was also present. Corbin estimates about 125 people attended. Video of the meeting published by Help Asheville Bears shows Gillespie at
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outdoors
Campers splash in at Highlands Biological Station. HBS photo
Summer hours start at Highlands Nature Center
June 1-7, 2022
Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer hours at the Highlands Nature Center. Stop in 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday to meet live animals, explore natural history exhibits, peruse new merchandise and more. Free, educational programs are offered daily, including garden tours, animal feedings and nature art.
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and Great Smoky Mountains rests one of the best golf courses in North Carolina
Creation Care Camp to explore the outdoors Kids in grades three through five are invited to a free day camp June 20-24 that offers the chance to explore the outdoors and learn how to care for the natural environment. Creation Care Camp will include stories, songs, games and crafts each morning, with lunch followed by a variety of field trips — KP’s Orchard, Cold Mountain Nursery, a Richland Creek river cleanup, a tree phenology program at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and a day on the water at Lake Junaluska. Contact Anna Belle Lamar to register at alamar@fumc-waynesville.com. 828.226.5086
Smoky Mountain News
Greenway planning kicks off in Haywood
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The adjacent 11-acre Highlands Botanical Garden features a network of nature trails, Lindenwood Lake and more than 450 native plant species. Admission is free, thanks to support from the Highlands Biological Foundation, Western Carolina University and the state of North Carolina. Find upcoming programs and events at highlandsbiological.org.
Join today for access to our beautiful amenities.
A smattering of drop-in, interactive workshops planned for June 6-8 will give Haywood County residents a chance to share their thoughts on future greenway projects. Workshops are scheduled for: ■ 4-6 p.m. Monday, June 6, at the temporary Canton Town Hall on 85 Summer St. in Canton. ■ 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at the former town hall building on 16 South Main St. in Waynesville. ■ 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, online, with
registration at haywoodcountygreenwayplan.weebly.com. ■ 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, at Maggie Valley Town Hall on 3987 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. Project leaders hope to learn about what kinds of greenway trails the public desires, what destinations should be connected, which partners should be involved in the process, and what concerns people have. The endeavor is a partnership between Haywood County, its municipalities and the French Broad River MPO. For additional information and to complete a survey, visit haywoodcountygreenwayplan.weebly.com.
Contact Caitlin Bledsoe at 828-926-4831 for information.
golf | fish | hike | raft | dine | play | stay
@SmokyMtnNews
For the first time in six years, Parson Branch Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is open to the public. Park officials held a ribbon-cutting event May 26 to honor the crew that performed the work and Friends of the Smokies, which provided critical funding. Originally constructed in 1838, the oneway, 80-mile road closed in 2016 after crews documented more than 1,700 dead, standing hemlock trees within falling distance of a 1-mile section of the road. The trees died due to the non-native hemlock wooly adelgid, and in the past six years more than half of the dead trees have fallen due to natural deterioration and large wind events. This made it feasible to remove the remaining damaged trees through a $150,000 contract with Richmond Tree Experts. Friends of the Smokies provided $100,000, and federal funds paid the remainder. After the trees were removed, park crews completed road repairs, including drainage improvements and road grading, which required replacing 16 culverts and 550 tons of gravel. Parson Branch Road was once a significant commerce route for Cades Cove residents, providing direct access to the Little Tennessee River for trading goods. Visitors can explore the area’s rich history by stopping in the Henry Whitehead Place just before entering the one-way road and accessing the Burchfied and Boring ceme-
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The sun peaks through the dense canopy along Parson Branch Road. NPS photo teries along the route. Motorists can have a trail-like experience while driving under a mature forest canopy with nearly 20 stream crosses. Hikers can use it to access trails, such as Gregory Bald Trail. High clearance vehicles are recommend-
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Parkway season begins June 1-7, 2022
Campgrounds, picnic areas and visitor centers on the Blue Ridge Parkway are now open for the season. Find a complete schedule of open facilities at nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/hours.htm. Multiple road projects are underway this season, so check the Parkway’s road status page before traveling at nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/roadclosures.htm. Weekly updates on community levels of COVID-19 and masking requirements are posted at nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.
Foothills Parkway closure extended
A planned closure on the Foothills Parkway in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the Look Rock Observation Tower parking area west to U.S. 129 originally scheduled to end May 21 has been extended through June 17. From June 20 through Aug. 31, the roadway will be fully closed from the Flats Road intersection near Look Rock to U.S. 321 near Walland. Following these full closures, the remaining construction work will be conducted using single-lane closures from Aug. 31 to May 5, 2023. Motorists should expect delays during this time.
Pigeon River grants announced
single-use plastic reduction. ■ $10,000 to Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District to help pay registration fees, travel and other expenses associated with Camp WILD and Envirothon participation. ■ $10,000 to Laurel Community Center Organization to offer an Aquatic Insect Ecology Workshop for teachers and Citizen Science Coordinators. Since 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has distributed more than $8.7 million in grants. The money comes from Duke Energy in exchange for the company’s damming the Pigeon River for hydropower. The fund is managed by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, with grants available for projects in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties. The next application deadline for grant funds is Sept. 15. Learn more at cfwnc.org.
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Smoky Mountain News
The latest round of Pigeon River Fund awards provide 10 grants totaling $234,241 to fund water quality projects in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties. Grant awards include: ■ $45,000 to the Haywood County Soil and Water Conservation District for developing a flood mitigation plan for the Upper Pigeon River and Hominy Creek areas. This award is contingent upon securing other needed funds. ■ $30,000 to The Conservation Fund to support efforts to protect the West Prong Headwaters property in Haywood County. ■ $30,000 to Maggie Valley Sanitary District to help acquire and permanently protect the Brown Ridge property in Haywood County.
■ $25,000 to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy toward acquisition costs associated with the permanent conservation of the 411-acre Pisgah Creek property within the Cruso community. ■ $7,161 to Haywood Waterways Association to repair two failing septic systems in the Pigeon River Watershed. ■ $12,080 to MountainTrue to continue its Swim Guide, a weekly water-quality monitoring program focused on sampling for E. coli bacteria at popular river accesses. ■ $35,000 to RiverLink to restore Haith Branch and an ephemeral stream on the campus of A-B Tech Community College. This award is contingent upon securing other needed funds. ■ $30,000 to Asheville GreenWorks to strengthen and expand the French Broad River Litter Prevention Program, with an emphasis on expanding the Trash Trout program, river and roadside cleanups, and
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The Ocoee Whitewater Center building was destroyed in an April 26 fire. USFS photo
Ocoee rec amenities reopen
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Recreation areas at the Ocoee Whitewater Center in Polk County, Tennessee, are now open for the first time since a fire destroyed the building April 26. Portions of the property, including all trails and the lower lot, reopened Friday, May 27. However, the fenced-in area around the visitor center remains closed, and vehicles are not allowed in parking areas when gates are shut. Moreover, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s strobe and siren warning system were damaged during the fire and are not functional. Restoring the system could take several more weeks. Paddlers should
exercise extreme caution when entering the river channel. Large amounts of water could be discharged at any time and without warning. Signs are in place alerting users of the potential for rapidly rising water. Nobody was injured in the April 26 fire, but it destroyed the building. The Ocoee Whitewater Center opened to serve as a venue for the 1996 Olympics and was a key recreation site in the Cherokee National Forest, receiving about 300,000 visitors per year. Contact Ashley Miller with questions at 423.506.1633 or ashley.miller@usda.gov.
New trail climbs Sassafras Mountain A new 2-mile hiking trail is now open in Headwaters State Forest in North Carolina, crossing the state line to end at an observation platform atop Sassafras Mountain — South Carolina’s highest point. The Conservation Fund has played a key role in protecting 40,000 acres of adjacent land, including the 33,000-acre Jocassee Gorges Management Area and the 6,700-acre Headwaters State Forest. Symbolizing the importance of conservation across state lines, it donated 5 acres of land in North Carolina to the state of South Carolina so that it could build the major observation platform that straddles the state line at the top of Sassafras Mountain.
The plant doctor is in Puzzles can be found on page 38 These are only the answers.
The Haywood County Master Gardener Plant Clinic is now open again with an inperson format, 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday and 1-4 p.m. Thursdays through September, excepting holidays. Drop into the Cooperative Extension Office on Raccoon Road in Waynesville or call 828.456.3575 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. Receive virtual assistance by contacting
HaywoodEMGV@gmail.com or 828.456.3575 with a detailed description of the home gardening problem. A Haywood County Master Gardener Volunteer will follow up within a couple of days with research-based information.
WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Cowee School Farmer’s Market will be held from Wednesdays from 3 to 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 coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080. • “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (May-December) in downtown Waynesville. For more information, go to facebook.com/galleriesofhaywoodcounty.
FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • QuickDraw for Art Education will take place from 4:30-8:30 p.m. on June 11. Intrepid artists step up to create in the public eye as guests stroll, sip and goggle at the creative process. Proceeds are the main source of art supply funds for art teachers in Haywood County Schools. Tickets are $95, include dinner and help cover food costs for participating teachers. Tickets are available online or in downtown Waynesville galleries. For artist and ticket information, visit QuickDrawofWNC.com or call 828.734.5747.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Swain County Caring Corner Free Clinic is open Thursday’s 4-9 p.m. at Restoration House (Bryson City United Methodist Church). Office hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 a.m.-noon. Call 828.341.1998 to see if you qualify to receive free medical care from volunteer providers.
KIDS & FAMILIES • 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.
A&E
n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com. • Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host The Robertson Boys (Americana/bluegrass) June 3 and The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) June 10 at Bridge Park in Sylva. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged. 828.586.2155 or mountainlovers.com. • Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host Slocan Ramblers (bluegrass) 5 p.m. June 18. Tickets are $15 for adults, $7.50 for children. 828.369.4080 or coweeschool.org/music. • Elevated Mountain Distilling Company (Maggie Valley) will host an Open Mic Night 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com. • Fontana Village Resort Wildwood Grill will host David Cody (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. June 4 and Woolybooger (folk/blues) 6 p.m. June 11. Free and open to the public. 800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com. • Friday Night Live (Highlands) will host Will & Lindsey Thompson (Americana/folk) June 3 and Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) June 10 at Town Square on Main Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org. • Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host Bill Mize (guitar/folk) 7 p.m. June 9. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 or fontanalib.org/brysoncity. • Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host The UpBeats (R&B) June 11. 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 The Shrubberies (rock/alternative) 8 p.m. June 4. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse. • Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will host High Five (Americana/rock) June 4 and Rocksteady@8 (ska/world) June 11 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park on Pine Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• “Murder Mystery Night” will be held from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and sparkling cider, as well as an evening of mystery and intrigue. Participants will also have a private shopping experience with 10% off new mystery books. Tickets are $30 per person. For more information, please register at the bookstore. 828.456.6000.
• The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Bohemian Jean (pop/variety) June 3. All shows begin at 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com.
• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood St. in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host “Karaoke In The Smokies” June 2, Jason Lee Wilson & James County June 3, Mile High Band (classic rock) June 4, Jacob’s Well June 9, Southern Rush June 10 and Jon Cox Band (country/rock) June 11. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
• Drake Software will host a tribute to summer community concert at Moss Valley Venue in Franklin. Good to be King — Tom Petty Tribute will play June 10. Rumors — Fleetwood Mac Tribute will be play June 22. Another group, to be announced, will play Aug. 19. Concerts are free, everyone in the community is invited to attend. For more information call 828.349.5700.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Sneezy (rock/soul) June 3. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8-10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the
• SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host Hawk Mountain June 2 and The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) June 9. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com.
FOOD AND DRINK • “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
Smoky Mountain News
events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com. • A free wine tasting will be held from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday and 2-5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075. • Take a trip around the world with four different wines every Friday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 11a.m.-6 p.m. at the Bryson City Wine Market. Pick from artisan Charcuterie Foods to enjoy with wines. 828.538.0420. • Cooking classes take place at the McKinley Edwards Inn from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. To reserve your spot call 828.488.9626.
CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • Green Energy Park and full Spectrum Farms have partnered together to offer introductory blacksmithing classes to children and adults with autism. Classes are 30-40 minutes and free of charge, offered to ages 8 and above. The next class in the series will be held Saturday, June 11. Pre-registration is required, to sign up contact Erin McManus at Full Spectrum Farms at 828.293.2521.
ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. 828.349.4607 or pm14034@yahoo.com. • The Cherokee Gourd Artists Gathering will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 31 through June 5 at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds. Gourd artists from the United States and Canada gather to collaborate on gourd art, which will be for sale. Watch them work carving, painting and sculpting. Classes are available for a fee. For more information, click on visitcherokeenc.com.
FILM & SCREEN • A “Foreign Film Series” will be held at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Each month, on the second and fourth Friday, two movies from around the globe will be shown. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge. To find out what movie will be shown and/or for more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016.
Outdoors
• Learn the ABCs of fly fishing or brush up on your skills with two-day courses offered through the Haywood County Recreation Department. Courses will be held at the park below Lake Junaluska Dam, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays. Beginner courses offered July 15 and 22, intermediate courses offered June 10 and 17, again on Aug. 12 and 19. Cost is $10 to enroll, with no fishing license required and loaner rods available. Call 828.456.6789 to sign up. • Women’s stand-up paddleboard sessions are offered beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 25, at Wolf Lake, as well as 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 14, at Lake Glenville. The group will meet at Cullowhee Recreation Center. Cost is $30 per person. Registration is required either in-person at the recreation center in Cullowhee or Cashiers, or online at jcprd.recdesk.com/community/program. Youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
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Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: n n n n
Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings • Go canoeing Thursday, June 2. The group will meet at the Cullowhee Recreation Center at 10 a.m. and travel to Wolf Lake, with a cost of $30 for adults and $20 for youth. Registration is required either in-person at the recreation center in Cullowhee or Cashiers, or online at jcprd.recdesk.com/community/program. Youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. • Nature and Nurture: The Voorhees Family Artistic Legacy will open May 28 at the Baker Visitors Center and will remain open through Sept. 5. For more information call 828.665.2492 or visit ncarboretum.org. • Hike Siler Bald with Jackson County Parks and Recreation at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 4. The croup will meet at Cullowhee Rec Center. Fee is $5, register in person or at jcprd.recdesk.com/community/program. • Kids fish free during a pair of events at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 4 in the Pisgah National Forest at Lake Powhatan in Asheville and the Carolina Hemlocks Recreational area near Burnsville. Volunteers and employees from the U.S. Forest Service, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and other partners will provide free fishing assistance and loaned equipment. For more information call 828.877.3265 for the Asheville event and 828.689.9694 for the Burnsville event. • The Highlands Biological Foundation will dedicate its new North Campus 4-6 p.m. Sunday, June 5. Light fare and libations will be available for guests, and kids are welcome. No tickets necessary, but an RSVP is requested by May 27 to winter@highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221. • Join MountainTrue and great local naturalists 2-5 p.m. Sunday, June 5, at Buck Creek for a BioBlitz inventorying biodiversity in Clay County. Advanced registration is required at mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar to attend the in-person event. To record observations, download the iNaturalist app and start exploring. • Get started as a beekeeper with “Beekeeping for Beginners,” 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at the Jackson County Public Library Community Room. Free, and cosponsored by Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For information, call 828.586.2016. • Drop-in, interactive workshops planned for June 6-8 will give Haywood County residents a chance to share their thoughts on plans for future greenway projects — 4-6 p.m. Monday, June 6, at the temporary Canton Town Hall on 85 Summer Street in Canton; 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at the former town hall building on 16 South Main Street in Waynesville; 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, online with registration at haywoodcountygreenwayplan.weebly.com; and 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, at Maggie Valley Town Hall on 3987 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. For more information and to complete a survey, visit haywoodcountygreenwayplan.weebly.com. • The University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School will discuss synchronous fireflies from 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, and Monday, June 13 at Elkmont. By the end of each evening, participants will understand the story of fireflies and know many other glowing and blinking creatures to look for on a nighttime exploration. Cost is $69. Sign up at smfs.utk.edu or call 865.974.0151.
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THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT Of Social Services is recruiting for a Social Worker in Child Protective Services. This position investigates reports of child abuse and neglect and provides services to families where needs KDYH EHHQ LGHQWL¿HG 5Hquires some availability after hours. The starting salary is $45,736.42, if IXOO\ TXDOL¿HG 0LQLPXP TXDOL¿FDWLRQV LQFOXGH D four-year degree in a HuPDQ 6HUYLFH ¿HOG 3UHIerence will be given to applicants with a Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and/or experience providing Social Work services. Applicants should complete an application for Jackson County which is located at www.jcdss.org and submit it to the Jackson County Department of 6RFLDO 6HUYLFHV *ULI¿Q Street, Sylva, NC 28779 or the Sylva branch of the NC Works Career Center. Applications will be taken until June 10, 2022. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR MOUNTAINWEST PARTNERSHIP The Southwestern Commission is seeking a dynamic and driven person to serve as the Director for the Mountain West Partnership (MWP). The Director will coordinate, supervise, and execute economic development efforts in the 7 Western Counties in North Carolina. The ideal candidate for this position will have extensive public- or private-sector experience with a strong commitment
June 1-7, 2022
to and background knowledge of the region, direct entrepreneurial experience, understanding of capital markets, and marketing and/or communications experience. This is a full-time position with a comprehensive employee EHQH¿WV SDFNDJH Interested candidates can send a resume along with an expression of interest to Mountain West Partnership – Selection Committee, 125 Bonnie Ln, Sylva, NC 28779 or email to russ@regiona. org. The position is open until June 15, 2022, RU XQWLO ¿OOHG 7R ¿QG a full job description visit http://gownc.org/ director/ The Mountain West Partnership Strategic Plan can be found at http:// gownc.org/strategicplan/ Southwestern Commission is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other
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828.734.5201
TO ADVERTISE 74 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786
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IN THE NEXT ISSUE
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June 1-7, 2022
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SUPER GAME-TIME DECISION ACROSS 1 Serves onto a plate 10 Feeling blue 13 Poultry parts 20 She played Gwen Stacy in “The Amazing Spider-Man” 21 Quick - flash 22 Quickly, in music 23 Cakewalk 25 Mud thrower, say 26 Subjects of Genghis Khan 27 Pod animals 29 Gunpowder ingredient 30 Pianist Rubinstein 31 1983 Bryan Adams hit 35 Take steps concerning 38 They might sit next to coffeepots 39 Adult fellows 40 Wind ensemble instrument 44 Building tops 46 Never, in German 47 Pal of Ernie 48 One of a trio in a tub 53 Puzzle cube creator Rubik 54 They roll as films finish 55 Connection 56 “I never - Purple Cow” 58 Geller of Israel 59 Max who played Jethro 61 Big Ten org. 63 Rene of “Ransom” 67 Cardinal, e.g. 68 Point at which patience has run out 73 Scanner of bar codes:
CROSSWORD Abbr. 74 Knot 76 Nitwit 77 Soprano solo 78 Barracks bed 79 Solicits 82 Get - (throw away) 85 Film dancer Fred 87 “Hey, over this way!” 90 Influential 1975 Edward Abbey novel, with “The” 93 Italian capital 94 Blood-typing system 95 Overhang 96 Literary lioness 97 Man-mouse linkup 98 Caribbean island nation 102 Pee Wee of the diamond 104 2005 Grammy-winning rock supergroup 107 Three-piece suit parts 112 D sharp’s equivalent 113 Neck-to-waist areas 114 Get ready 116 Rejection 119 Theme of this puzzle 122 Direct route 123 “Mad Men” cable chan. 124 Cleared by jumping 125 Left in, to a proofreader 126 Tell untruths 127 Hateful ones DOWN 1 Sorority letter 2 “To clarify ...” 3 Brainy 4 Couldn’t help but 5 Seville’s land, to
Sevillians 6 Agitate 7 Klutz’s cry 8 “A,” in Nice 9 Private eye, informally 10 Least nutty 11 Three-sharp musical sequence 12 Bright garden flower 13 Krypton, e.g. 14 Not healthy 15 Loses a stare-down 16 Old Soviet premier 17 Cook’s hourglass 18 It has fronds and a trunk 19 Italian port 24 Suffix with Marx or Mao 28 Malodorous mammal 31 Geezer 32 Not qualified 33 Some Native Americans 34 “It’s the end of -” 36 King Minos, for one 37 Chucked 40 Transpires 41 Not fertile 42 Big name in flatware 43 Center fielder Roush 45 - -fi 47 Gal’s sweetie 49 Defames in print 50 Follower of Eisenhower 51 Cats’ prey 52 Santa - (California winds) 57 Christmas door hanging 60 - and reel 62 Coaching great Parseghian
64 Part of SSN 65 Mocks 66 Brand of taco kits 69 Tined utensil 70 Sheriff Andy Taylor’s son 71 Sunset color 72 A zodiac sign 75 Cost per day, say 80 It merged with Sears 81 Not drunk 83 Avian hooter 84 Brother, in France 86 See 115-Down 87 Pithy sayings 88 Post-hiking problem 89 Nominal charge 91 Sextet plus a trio 92 Pulitzer-winning critic Richard 98 Catches on 99 Open assertion 100 Fa lead-in 101 - -Lorraine (French region) 103 Incidents 105 Burial area 106 Big gun 108 Disney World park 109 Burn soother 110 More factual 111 Crystal ball gazers 114 Jr.-year exam 115 With 120- and 86Down, what centenarians live to 117 Meth- ender 118 Conducted 120 See 115-Down 121 Formerly, name-wise
ANSWERS ON PAGE 34
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Yard Sales LARGE RUMMAGE SALE Tables $15, chairs $15, 2 large rugs $299/$399, curio cabinet, dresser (new), 88” sofa bed (new), large TV console (new), odd chairs and end tables, clothes galore for men and women. Cherokee HWY 441 N next to QualLW\ ,QQ 0RWHO )ULGD\ 6DWXUGD\ -XQH UG WK 9:00am. 828.497.9427 or 828.226.0994
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SUDOKU Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, Answers on 34 the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
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June 1-7, 2022
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STORAGE LLC Call 828.506.4112 greatsmokiesstorage.com 434 Champion Drive, Canton, NC 28716 21 Hollon Cove Rd, Waynesville, NC 28786 www.wncmarketplace.com
June 1-7, 2022
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Smoky Mountain News June 1-7, 2022
