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June 8-14, 2022 Vol. 24 Iss. 02
Jackson gathers to discuss homelessness Page 5 ‘Living with Pride’ exhibit showcases LGBTQ artists Page 22
CONTENTS
STAFF
On the Cover: The Nantahala Outdoor Center has been a Western North Carolina gem for 50 years now. Take a closer look as The Smoky Mountain News offers a deep dive into its history, as well as profiles of alumni who have gone on to do some great things. (Pages 6-9) NOC photo
News Tribe votes no on Ela Dam removal ................................................................................4 Jackson gathers to discuss homelessness ..................................................................5 Nantahala Outdoor Center alumni tell their stories....................................................6 NOC marks 50 years in business ..................................................................................8 Haywood gets an offer on a troublesome parcel ....................................................11 Rep. Pless’ ETJ bill meets strong opposition ............................................................12 At last, a UDO for Maggie Valley ..................................................................................14 Maggie distillery in foreclosure as bidders come forward ....................................14 Greenway planning begins in Haywood ....................................................................16 Sylva settles on railroad depot restroom ....................................................................18
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It’s hard not to love where we live ................................................................................20 Will Edwards condemn attempt to steal election?..................................................21
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A&E
June 8-14, 2022
Haywood Arts Council kicks off ‘Living with Pride’ exhibit....................................22 A quick review and a word of gratitude ......................................................................29
Outdoors
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Volunteer program aims to restore falcons to Devils Courthouse ......................30 Fundraising bike ride ends at Lake Junaluska ..........................................................33
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Tribe votes no on Ela Dam removal Project still has legs, coalition says BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR n a narrow vote June 2, the Cherokee Tribal Council voted against a resolution to pursue purchase and removal of the aged Ela Dam — despite a unanimous vote Feb. 3 to have the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians lead a coalition to work toward dam removal and a unanimous vote from the Timber Committee May 16 to recommend the purchase resolution to Council. It is unclear why some Tribal Council members opposed the resolution. During the lengthy discussion that preceded the vote, none made definitive statements of dissent, though Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources Joey Owle did field a bevy of questions. Many of those questions dealt with liability and funding issues. Owle assured Council that the tribe would have “essentially zero” liability through the process and that unprecedented funding for dam removal through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as well as support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, meant that grant money would cover all the costs of purchase, planning and demolition. Vice Chairman Albert Rose questioned why the tribe needed to be involved at all, if any of the coalition members interested in the dam’s removal could apply for the federal grant money. “If they can go after the money, then why do they need us?” he said. “I would counter with, why shouldn’t it be us leading this?” Owle answered. “They can get the funding, but if they can’t get the funding, then we’re going to be covering the bill,” Rose replied. Owle told Rose that American Rivers, the partner that would act as project manager on the effort, is not in the business of owning assets and that grant funding for the project was all but assured. Of the coalition members, he said, the tribe was the best positioned to be the property’s final owner. Besides, the purchase would come with 61
Smoky Mountain News
June 8-14, 2022
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acres of riverside property on Cherokee ancestral lands. “Yes, someone else can do it, but why not have the tribe lead this now?” Owle said. “We are the original inhabitants of this landscape. We are stewards of our resources. The amount of funding and the funding sources that are present, when will we see this in a lifetime?” Wolfetown Rep. Bo Crowe suggested that
about removing the dam completely. “When you undam a river, the river can be a river again,” said Erin McCombs, southeastern conservation director for American Rivers. “It can be free-flowing. I like to think about rivers as the lifeblood of the land. We wouldn’t want blockages in our own veins and arteries, so allowing that connectivity and that free-flowingness to return to a river is a real permanent good on the landscape.”
Ela Dam was built in 1925 to power the tiny logging town of Bryson City. Holly Kays photo the resolution be tabled for a work session, but Owle said that delay would prove fatal to the effort. “To put it bluntly, if this isn’t passed today, this bill is pretty much dead in the water,” he said. Ela Dam came into the public eye after a massive sediment release last October blanketed the downstream river, presumably wiping out downstream aquatic communities. Put into operation in 1925, the dam is small, old, and produces very little energy. Its owner, Northbrook Carolina Hydro II, nets only $55,300 annually from running it. The sediment release spurred a coalition of nonprofits, governments and agencies — as well as Northbrook — to start talking
While dams provide a continuous source of energy, they completely change the river ecosystem around them, cutting off the upstream portion from the downstream portion, isolating populations of aquatic species and complicating natural migrations such as fish spawning runs. The evaporation rate from the impoundment behind the dam is much higher than what would naturally occur in a flowing river, and sediment collects there instead of moving through the watershed. In the months since Council’s unanimous vote to see the tribe lead removal efforts, the coalition has been meeting regularly to discuss the path forward, with Owle keeping Tribal Council members updated. As a result
of the sediment dump, Northbrook has received violation notices from multiple agencies and is required to clean up the sediment below the dam. It began that work in December but halted in March for the sicklefin redhorse spawning season. Remediation must resume on June 15, but Northbrook has made clear that it has resources only to complete the cleanup or contribute toward removal efforts — not both. When Owle brought the purchasing resolution to Timber Committee — composed of Yellowhill Rep. T.W. Saunooke, Painttown Rep. Dike Sneed, Big Cove Rep. Teresa McCoy, Snowbird/Cherokee County Rep. Adam Wachacha, Crowe and Rose — it passed unanimously. However, some of those same representatives voted against it June 2. In opposition were Crowe, Rose, Chairman Richard French, Yellowhill Rep. David Wolfe and Wolfetown Rep. Bill Taylor. Snowbird/Cherokee County Rep. Bucky Brown, who stepped out minutes before the vote, was counted absent. Due to the weighted system used to calculate Tribal Council votes, this translated to a vote of 44 in favor, 50 opposed and six absent. The decision was a blow to Owle, McCombs and the rest of the coalition, but it’s not the end of removal efforts. Both Owle and McCombs said that they’re hopeful that another member of the group will agree to purchase the dam prior to the deadline. “We have an incredibly strong coalition that’s been meeting mostly every other week for the last six months or so,” McCombs said, “and there’s a lot of interest and enthusiasm and passion to see a free Oconaluftee River, and thanks to that strong partnership we’re excited to gather together and see what our options might be.”
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Small groups of residents worked together to determine what they saw as the best approach to helping the unsheltered in Jackson County. Hannah McLeod photo
Jackson gathers to discuss homelessness
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Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath Q: I am working on having balanced meals and improving my health, but I have a real “sweet tooth” that I need to tame. Any suggestions?
A: Some people do better if they eliminate everything with added sugar from their diet, so no cookies, candy, baked goods, sweet tea, regular sodas etc. --- basically a “cold turkey” approach. Others like to establish the practice of having a small amount of a sweet treat one time per day or once a week, e.g. a small square of chocolate once a day or a serving of a dessert once a week. Other people like to switch from sugar to non-nutritive (aka artificial or high intensity sweeteners) so instead of sugar in coffee or tea using sucralose (Splenda) or other “artificial” sweeteners and using those in baking as well. Still others use a combination of these strategies. You could also try and get your sweet fix from foods with naturally occurring sugars like fruit. Try having a serving of fruit as a dessert or a sweet treat.
Smoky Mountain News
“I felt like if we could bring in consultants who have done this in other communities and have some experience and some expertise, that they could provide a little better format and facilitation for those kinds of discussions so that it wouldn’t be just a freefor-all or get out of hand,” said Cochran. “I thought they did a masterful job in terms of getting input in a way that could actually be tabulated in the end.” According to data from HERE, the organization provided emergency homeless services to 197 people — 149 adults and 48 children — in 2021. Families made up one-third of those experiencing homelessness. Of the total population assisted, 30% reported a mental health or substance use disorder, 62% were from Jackson County, 56% had zero income, 23% were fleeing domestic violence and 31% reported a chronic health condition or physical disability. More than 40 people attended the meeting. Members of both the county commission and the Sylva Town Board were present, as well as Sylva Police Chief Chris Hatton, other emergency service workers, faith-based leaders, representatives of organizations already working to assist the unsheltered, and others ready to help. “I felt like we had a very good cross-representation of the community,” said Cochran. Cochran said one of HERE’s largest stakeholders is the Jackson County government. Partners for impact will compile the information and input from those individual, small group and larger community group meetings. Then, Cochran plans to formally present the outcomes of the entire community engagement process to the county commission. He hopes this will provide input for the decision making process and county support for a homeless shelter. “As a representative of local government, this is powerful, when you see who’s here tonight and who is represented,” said Jackson County Commissioner Gayle Woody.
June 8-14, 2022
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ast Thursday evening, June 2, residents of Jackson County gathered at Sylva First United Methodist Church to discuss the issue of homelessness and solutions that are best suited to the needs of the county. “We need to engage the community, not only for support, but also for direction,” said Bob Cochran, executive director of HERE in Jackson County. “We need to develop a consensus in the community for what kind of services we want to offer the homeless in Jackson County. I believe that a homeless shelter is a foundational piece, but there’s a lot of different ways to go about that and we just want to begin to have that conversation and try to generate a consensus among community stakeholders for how we’re going to approach homeless services in Jackson County.” HERE hired Partners for Impact, a consulting firm that works with communities to find solutions to complex problems. The organization has been holding small group and one-on-one meetings in Jackson County as part of a larger community engagement process, of which Thursday’s meeting was the final piece. At the meeting, attendees were split into small groups and led through exercises to determine their priorities for helping unsheltered people. At the end of the 90-minute meeting, each group shared one major takeaway or highlight from their discussion. One group suggested creating a hub of information and resources where a person in need can go to find all resources available, since many of them are offered through disparate organizations. At least two groups highlighted the serious lack of available housing in WNC. One group noted that without community support, little is likely to get done. Another group thought it was important to strike the right balance between proactive and reactive services.
Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian
@InglesDietitian Leah McGrath - Dietitian Ingles Markets… caring about your health
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Rafters splash through a rapid on a blue-skied day. NOC photo
WILD RIDE June 8-14, 2022
NOC marks 50 years in business
Smoky Mountain News
BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR n 1971, Payson and Aurelia Kennedy were living a successful, stable life in Atlanta. Payson was a librarian at Georgia Tech, Aurelia a schoolteacher. They had four kids, retirement funds, and the deed to their house. Then Horace Holden, an old friend of Payson’s from college and fellow member of Atlanta’s First Presbyterian Church, approached the Kennedys with a crazy idea. He’d just bought a little roadside motel in the Nantahala Gorge called the Tote ‘N’ Tarry, a 14-room complex that also included a small restaurant, gas station and souvenir shop. Holden wanted the Kennedys to help him run it. It was a big ask. The Kennedys had a good life in Atlanta, and their kids were nearing college age. They wanted to be able to offer them a higher education should they so desire. So they considered Holden’s proposal and gave him an answer: maybe. As a schoolteacher, Aurelia had summers off, so Payson took a leave of absence from work to give it a trial run. They spent the summer of 1972 living at the little outpost the three had decided to christen the Nantahala Outdoor Center. As the Tote ‘N’ Tarry, the outpost mostly 6 served anglers and tourists to the Great
The NOC campus looked much different in 1980. Donated photo
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Smoky Mountains National Park, Qualla Boundary and Nantahala National Forest, as well as a small but growing contingent of paddlers and hikers on the Appalachian Trail, which crosses the property. The NOC’s founders envisioned more than a wayside stop for outdoor adventurers. They wanted it to become a home base for people who love the outdoors, the nucleus of a community dedicated to sharing in adven-
ture and giving others the tools they needed to safely do the same. They’d start out by serving both the general public and groups from Camp Chattahoochee, which Holden had founded, and offering food, lodging, shuttles, equipment and instruction for various recreational activities. Raft trips might be the best way to bring in the revenue they’d need to cover their mortgage payments, Payson suggested. The
others agreed, but they all said they wanted the center to offer a wide variety of outdoor activities — not just whitewater rafting. That first summer was nonstop work, but the work felt like fun. The NOC took about 800 guests rafting on the Nantahala, and another 400 on the Chattooga, with the Kennedys, their kids and most of the staff sleeping in a brick house Holden had purchased from the former owners of the Tote ‘N’ Tarry. The season represented a financial loss, but Payson and Aurelia believed the business could be successful. And they loved life on the river. The following fall, they made a decision that would change their lives, and the lives of countless others in Swain County and beyond. They sold their house, collected their retirement funds, and invested $25,000 in the business, permanently moving their family to the NOC campus.
A HALF-CENTURY OF GROWTH
Fifty years later, the NOC is still around, and not in the barely-hanging-on, relic-ofthe-past sense. It’s thriving. “We did not expect it to be anything of the scope that the NOC became,” Payson, now 89, said during a 2018 interview on the spa-
Wayne Dickert’s river life born at NOC
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happened to be the hotspot for paddling sports at that time. “There were several world champions that lived there and a really good coach,” said Dickert. “So I kind of dropped in the middle of all that pretty early on, and I was able to get pretty good, pretty fast, just because I was around really, really good people.” In the 1980s, Dickert began working at NOC, first as a raft guide, then as a canoe and kayak instructor. In the lead-up to the ‘96 Olympics, the NOC created a position for Director of the Nantahala Racing Club to build synergy and publicity between the NOC and the Olympic Games. “A lot of what I did was coordinate the racing club, do all the publications, connect them with NOC, support athletes, hire coaches, that sort of thing,” said Dickert. Following an unsuccessful bid for the ’92 Olympics, Dickert retired from competitive canoeing to take the new position at the NOC, but he came out of retirement the winter before the ‘96 Olympic trials. That year, he and his tandem canoe teammate Horace Holden, Jr., qualified for and would go on to finish ninth on the Ocoee River Course in Tennessee. Following the ‘96 Olympics, Dickert took a job with USA Canoe and Kayak as the Slalom Development Director, helping to train coaches and develop kids’ programs
that could feed into the Olympic team. Years later, Dickert and co-author Jon Rounds would win a National Outdoor Book Award for their book “Basic Canoeing: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started.”
Olympian Wayne Dickert has been paddling most of his life. Donated photo In 2000, Dickert found his way back to the NOC as director of the paddling school and would later become an ambassador. In this role he was tasked with building the regional relationships that helped sustain the NOC through its 50 years, connecting with summer camps and other programs that bring groups to explore rivers through-
NOC is hosting a party 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 11, to celebrate a half-century as leaders in outdoor adventure. At the main campus in Swain County, event highlights include a vendor village from 1-5 p.m., $20 fun passes for kids, a craft/artisan market, book signings by local authors 1-4 p.m. in the Outfitter Store, community booths with nonprofit partners, giveaways, contests, prizes and live music — Gypsy & Me 1-4 p.m. and Big Deal 5-8 p.m. All eight NOC locations will hold celebrations that day. For more information, visit bit.ly/NOC50events.
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Aurelia Kennedy, co-founder of NOC, smiles during an adventure in the center’s early days. Donated photo popularized paddling — especially on the nearby Chattooga River, where the movie was filmed. In 1975, a year that Payson would come to see as a turning point, the NOC recruited an influx of top-level staff who, in turn, encouraged their friends in the paddling community to come work there. By 1980, NOC was turning a profit of $250,000 on an annual revenue of $4 million. While NOC declined to release its current revenue and profit numbers, revenues are now “much healthier” than they were 40 years ago, and NOC has grown to become the largest seasonal employer in Swain County, as well as an anchor attraction for the region’s swelling tourism industry.
In accordance with the founders’ vision, NOC is not just about whitewater — in fact, only 10-15% of NOC visitors do a river activity. It’s now spread across eight locations, with the main campus in Swain County offering more than 120 land-and water-based activities, including restaurants, lodging, kayaking, ziplining, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing and tubing, as well as rafting. It hosts outdoor education courses in paddling and wilderness medicine and serves as a home base for international adventures. When planning marketing strategies, the Swain County Tourism Development Authority keeps NOC’s offerings front of mind.
WHITEWATER INNOVATORS The longevity, continued focus on the original mission and popularity of the product represent a level of success that’s extremely rare in the business world, said Colin McBeath, who recently rounded out his first year as NOC’s newest president. “Not a lot of companies make it to 50,” he said. “A lot of them get bought, they close, they fold. They change their name. NOC has been pure outdoor leisure recreation for 50 years. That’s amazing. There are not many companies that are that fortunate. There aren’t, and it says something about the vision that Payson has.” The vision was partly about revenue — after all, the founders had to make a living —
Smoky Mountain News
cious deck of the home he still occupies on f NOC’s campus. Aurelia and Holden have both since passed away. “We expected it to be a small family and friends group that would operate on a very much smaller scale. The first few years, the only heat we had was a potbellied stove, and we would spend our winters sitting around that stove doing crafts to sell in the summer and making spray skirts to sell.” Hard work, fortuitous timing and an enticing company culture that soon drew world-class paddlers to work at NOC put an end to those lean days. The year NOC opened, whitewater canoeing made its Olympic debut and the movie Deliverance
“We specifically target the outdoor enthusiast, and the NOC’s campus complements our overall plan with multiple activities in one stop — whitewater rafting and kayaking, zipline, biking, the adventure park, treetop adventure nets for children and dining opportunities,” said TDA Executive Director Mary Anne Baker. “When visitors realize they can plan a vacation in Swain County that includes not only the world-class Nantahala River at the NOC, but also the multiple adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and a bustling downtown, the NOC plays a major role in a vacation itinerary.”
June 8-14, 2022
Celebrate 50 years
out the region all season long. Since July of 2011 Dickert has been serving his community as pastor of the Bryson City United Methodist Church. His passion for ministry grew out of a riverside ministry for boaters and other outdoors folks he had helped to start on the campus of the NOC called River of Life. “I loved working with kids, and I was really involved in youth ministry at another church that I was attending and loved it, so I thought I was going to go into youth ministry,” he said While Dickert’s work for the NOC is unofficial these days, after its 50 years of existence, he sees the impact it has had on his community. “NOC was an outlier for sure at first, because it was seen as a bunch of river hippies by the local community,” said Dickert. “The integration, as people have left NOC to move to other jobs — teaching, the medical field, all kinds of other jobs — that have that NOC background, those relationships that have been built over the years have helped integrate both the NOC and the local community to work well together. Economically, the NOC has had a significant impact on our community, on the community of Swain County and it still gives back. The money that flows through it into the local community has been pretty significant for a long time.”
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BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ayne “Wayner” Dickert may not have started paddling until he was 18 years old, but that didn’t stop him from competing at the sport’s highest level when he made it to the 1996 Olympics. For Dickert, NOC was an important part of that success. “The Nantahala Outdoor Center had a definite impact on me, on my paddling skills for sure,” said Dickert. “I think both the competition fed into what I could give to NOC, but also the NOC gave a lot that fed into my own competitive skills. It helped me grow as a leader. I believe it helped me understand how to build partnerships.” Growing up as a Boy Scout, Dickert was the only member of his troop who didn’t have his canoe badge. Years later, while undergoing staff training for a summer camp, he was introduced to whitewater canoeing. “I just kind of had a natural knack for it, so they recruited me into their special paddling adventure camps,” said Dickert. Dickert continued paddling during summers throughout college until his senior year when friends convinced him to buy a kayak. The part-time hobby became a full-time diversion. After college, he entered the military and for three years of active duty was mainly in the Washington, D.C. area, which
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Ken Howle reflects on finding his path through NOC
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT leading an outdoor venture and leading Lake POLITICS E DITOR Junaluska through a pandemic,” he said. n retrospect, it’s no surprise Ken Howle “Both required being fully immersed in the ended up at a place where lives are transsituation, keeping focused on where you are formed through renewal of soul, mind going, and then constantly adjusting based and body — because that’s exactly where he on the situation and the safety of everyone started. involved.” Howle has served as the executive direcPayson Kennedy, who founded NOC in tor of Lake Junaluska Conference and 1972, taught Howle the value of being fully Retreat Center since 2018, but prior to joinpresent in one’s work as well as the possibiliing the staff at the lake, Howle worked at NOC for Lake Junaluska Executive 14 years. Director Ken Howle got his start “You could call it at the NOC. Donated photo recreation, but in many ways, it was really re-creation of who we are,” he said. “We were able to take people that had never experienced something like that and give them those transformational experiences and forever change their lives, as well as ours.” The Greenville, South Carolina, native attended Western Carolina University from 1987 to 1991 and earned a degree in business administration with an emphasis on marketing. He began working at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in 1990 because of what he called a “deep love” for the outdoors and for sharing that with others. While there were plenty of summer jobs at NOC, year-round jobs were scarce, so that first summer Howle set ty of both living in the moment and also off to work for the National Science being practical and rational. Foundation doing logistical support as well “The two truly can coexist and when balas search and rescue on the Antarctic peninanced together, it creates the highest quality sula. of life,” Howle said. “Payson used to read When he came back to Western North from Robert Pirsig’s ‘Zen and the Art of Carolina in 1992, he was offered a yearMotorcycle Maintenance’ at new staff orienround position at NOC. tations.” “We all wore a lot of hats at NOC,” said The other thing Howle learned from Howle. “Cross-training was a big part of the Kennedy was that since the quality of the NOC experience. While much of the work guides at NOC was important, they needed to that I did was centered around marketing, be hired based on their personalities, and not public relations and group sales, I worked in necessarily their experience or credentials. every department at NOC.” “Here at Lake Junaluska, the same holds A typical day, Howle said, could involve true. Any staff person we hire, when they’re leading a raft trip, running a new employee driven by the mission and driven towards orientation or meeting with group leaders creating amazing guest experiences, they’re planning trips to NOC. gonna be phenomenal employees,” he said. “I was also heavily involved with the “We can teach anyone theology. We can employee ownership program and served on teach anyone how to clean a room or rent a the board of directors at NOC most of the canoe or work an audio/video system for an time I was there,” he said. event. But first and foremost, when we hire Howle’s career trajectory took him from them, we want them to have that passion of NOC to Lake Junaluska in 2004, where he sharing things with others and the passion showed up ready to go, thanks to his experifor the mission of Lake Junaluska. And that’s ences at NOC. something a hundred percent that I saw 8 “There are many similarities between firsthand at NOC.”
but it was also about culture. “Horace, Relia and I envisioned a community where a group of friends who loved sharing outdoor adventures together could enjoy those activities more frequently while providing support and instruction to others to make it safe and easy for them to do the same,” Payson said. Payson’s 2018 book “NOC Stories: Changing Lives at the Nantahala Outdoor Center since 1972,” catalogues that culture through a collection of essays written by those who lived it in the decades following the center’s founding. “For the privilege of working, I was paid $80/week plus room and board,” wrote Sue Firmstone Goddard, who worked at NOC 1974-1975. “I’ve never been happier. I had to be told to take my mandatory days off, or I would just keep guiding.” That team-player, joy-driven atmosphere combined with recruitment of topnotch guides to put NOC on the path to success. In addition to a retail business, NOC became a respected training ground for world-class athletes, and a hub for innovation in whitewater technique and instruction. “I remember teaching myself to roll a kayak from a piece of paper that had a stick figure on it,” Bunny Johns, a gold medalist, Whitewater Hall of Fame member, longtime employee and, later, president of NOC, said in a 2017 interview. “I’d turn over and I’d try something. Eventually I taught myself to roll. Now a good instructor could teach somebody to roll in an hour or so.” Advancements in instruction are partially due to Johns’ own work, and that of other innovators at NOC. According to the nomination package that resulted in Johns’ induction to the Hall of Fame, she spent “countless hours” in the 1980s working on the American Canoe Association instruction certification program. As head of NOC’s whitewater instruction program, she helped develop whitewater rescue techniques that “profoundly influenced the life-
saving whitewater/swiftwater safety courses now taught worldwide.” To date, NOC has served as home base for 23 Olympic athletes, including two gold medal winners, of which Johns was one. Just last year, Bryson City resident Evy Leibfarth, 17, competed in the Tokyo Games, finishing 12th in kayak and 18th in canoe. In 2019, she medaled in two World Cup events.
SOAKED WITH JOY May 27 is the first dry day in a week of heavy rain, and the Nantahala is roaring. The NOC website describes the stretch of
NOC AT FIFTY river as “crystal-clear” with “splashy” rapids and occasional calm waters, but today it’s all white, rushing along at 3,600 cubic feet per second compared to the usual 750 cfs. “If you go on this trip, you will get wet,” Jess Austin, the lead guide for the 1 p.m. trip, tells the 40-odd guests sitting on the wooden benches in front of him. “The only dry seat is on the bus.” He runs through his safety speech and plays a video that warns of the risk inherent in a whitewater trip. It all sounds pretty serious. Then we load up in the bus, and the mood changes. Everybody who’s accepted a seat has also accepted both the risk and the reward of an afternoon on the water, and the anticipation births a buzz of excitement that reverberates through the metal tube. The long-haired 20-somethings assisting Austin, a retired lawyer with an admirable repertoire of dad jokes, can barely contain their enthusiasm. They whoop and holler and eye the whitecapped river rushing along the road. They’re young, but they’re experienced. With the river so high, only returning guides are working today. For his part, Austin has decades of recreational paddling and seven years of guiding to his name.
Smoky Mountain News
June 8-14, 2022
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NOC, CONTINUED FROM 7
Bunny Johns (far left) stands with her teammates after their historic win at the 1981 World Whitewater Championships. Donated photo
FIFTY YEARS DOWN, HUNDREDS TO GO
Payson Kennedy, who co-founded the NOC with his wife Aurelia and friend Horace Holden sits on the Founders Bridge in October 2020. NOC photo
whitewater base camp. They saw it as an all-encompassing outdoor center, and McBeath wants to build on that legacy. “If somehow something happens to this river, what do I do with my 1,000 employees?” McBeath said. “Can we survive? I have to think, how do I make this a bulletproof company?” In 50 years, he said, he anticipates a big lodge on campus, with a “bevy” of activities for people to do outside rafting — though rafting will remain a staple. “We’ve got 500 acres, so if I build a lodge, I’d expand my mountain bike trail. I’d put fly fishing on the river,” he said. “I’d put more ziplines. There’s going to be something down the road that’s going to replace zip lines. What is that? I don’t know yet, but I’m looking. So something along those lines that gets people to come to Bryson City and Wesser and enjoy themselves and enjoy nature.” This spring, NOC held a reunion for former NOC guides, and McBeath was struck by the emotion that permeated the event. “They’re all older now, but they all felt NOC was one of the most important parts of their lives,” he said. “It was amazing. You don’t see that very often.” McBeath credits Payson as the “father figure” who created that culture, and he hopes that the guides leading trips in 2022 will have the same tender feelings toward NOC 50 years from now — when they’re retired men and women and, McBeath wholeheartedly believes, NOC will still be introducing new generations of paddlers to life on the river. “I think NOC will be around for hundreds of years,” he said. Harrison Metzger contributed to this report.
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“The soul of the company is the river,” McBeath says as the Nantahala hurtles past the window beside his table at Rivers End Restaurant, one of two eateries on campus. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, McBeath has lived everywhere from Taiwan to Alaska to Miami in a career that until recent years focused on hotel and resort management. In 2018, he became CEO of Grand Canyon Resort Corporation, a business owned by the Hualapai Tribe that welcomes millions of visitors each year to explore the Grand Canyon area. He moved east with his wife and daughters in 2021 and has now been leading NOC for a full year. He’s liking the vibe. “People who go on the river and out in
nature are generally a little bit A visitor takes in the view from one of different than people who stay NOC’s Zipline Canopy Tours. NOC photo in five-star hotels,” he said. “I think I was just drawn to that clientele.” Western North Carolina, with its lush greenery and abundant water, reminds him of home in British Columbia. The place has a spiritual quality to it, and the people are genuine. McBeath said he respects the culture Kennedy and his successors have built here. “They had a dream and they made it happen,” he said. “It’s pretty impressive what they’ve done.” As NOC marks its 50th year, McBeath is bent on anticipating the future at the same time as he honors the past. The world of 2022 is much different than the world of 1972. Staffing, inflation and recruitment challenges are top of mind. “Whether you work at a Best Buy or a Costco, those people who fill your frontline positions are scarce,” he said. “They’re hard to come by, and if they do come in, they want $15, $16, $17, $18, $19, $20 an hour. And that model’s not built for us.” There’s an upper limit on how much people will to pay for a raft trip, which means there’s an upper limit on how much NOC can pay its raft guides and housekeeping staff. As McBeath looks around, he sees guides. Right now, they make about $10 an hour, and NOC sweetens the deal any way it untapped potential in the proliferation of can — by offering housing and meal options, outdoor leadership programs now popping unlimited time off and a positive workplace up in four-year-colleges. Those students could help NOC by filling much-needed posiculture. “You make their jobs as easy as possible,” tions, and NOC could help them by offering he said. “They’re out here for an experience, paid work and an experiential component to and that experience has got to be a good one.” their education. Going forward, he hopes to On any given summer, NOC has about establish formal partnerships with those uni700 employees, of whom 550 are seasonal. As versities. When Holden and the Kennedys started summer kicks off, the company is still down about 50 positions, most of which are servers, NOC, they envisioned it as more than just a
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He’d always wanted to guide when he was the age of his fellow guides, but instead he had to pull down higher-paying construction jobs to put himself through college. As soon as he retired, he started working at NOC. “Their guides are the most professional and put safety at the top of everything,” said Mark Moseley, 34, a camp program director who, along with his leaders-in-training, shared the raft with Austin and me. “From being a trip leader and now hiring trip leaders, what do I want my campers to be on? NOC every time.” Professionalism and safety still leave room for fun. As the current bore us down the river at nearly twice its usual pace, Austin had us ducking tree branches — with helmets protecting our heads, of course — as he issued instructions to steer the raft safely and splashily through each successive rapid, to the cheers of all aboard. He’d been right — there were no dry seats. At the takeout just above Nantahala Falls — ordinarily the trip’s finale, today it was too gnarly for novice paddlers — we waded up the underwater concrete walkway soaked with the water and exhilaration that envelopes NOC guides every day.
NOC hosts up to a million visitors each year across its eight campuses, with the original location in Swain County still its flagship. NOC photo Smoky Mountain News 9
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Triple-Win Climate Solutions Nature never did betray the heart that loved her. —William Wordsworth, 1798
https://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/ Its customer service is excellent. Its operation is 100 percent solar-powered.
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afeguarding our health can go hand-inhand with home improvement as well as new construction. New Zero VOC (lowtoxin) paints, flooring, and other materials make a healthier home easier to achieve.
Locally-owned businesses and the big box stores sell paints, stains and finishes that are zero-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds are carcinogenic). Or you can order them: Ecos Paints (paints, stains and durable coatings) are made and sold out of Spartanburg, SC: https://ecospaints.net/
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW: Attend our free workshop on June 11. See the inset for details. Want real hardwood floors or cabinets? The only regionally-made, sustainable flooring is by Somerset: https://www.somersetfloors.com/ This eastern Kentucky company grows its own Appalachian hardwoods, managed by certified foresters for minimal environmental impact. After searching in vain for local makers and distributors of new zero-emissions, waterproof linoleum, I chose Marmoleum by Forbo. Marmoleum costs more than hard tile but is safer for fall-prone people, and it comes in many finishes, styles and colors: https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-gl/inspiration-references/marmoleumroadshow/pc23sh
Smoky Mountain News
June 8-14, 2022
The nearest seller is Green Building Supply:
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To go full-tilt green in new construction, consider the multiple services of the Asheville Green Built Alliance. It is “the administrator of an affordable, local Green Building education and home certification program, Green Built Homes as well as a LEED for Homes”: https://www.greenbuilt.org/about/ The Alliance also advises on public and private construction. Its Energy Savers Program has weatherized 500 Buncombe County low-income homes.
WIN-WIN-WIN: 1) Most products listed above support local and regional businesses. 2) Green remodeling and construction can re duce our risk of cancers and lung disease.
3) Greening up helps save the future for today’s children.
MORE INFORMATION: When the project is done, follow these guidelines to save money if you consider ac/heating duct cleaning: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-airquality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-yourhome-cleaned Asheville GreenWorks’ next Hard 2 Recycle event is July 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.. See http://hard2recycle.org/dates-items/
NEXT INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP
Store any paint, etc. with cancer warning labels outside your home. To decide what to discard and how, see NC Dept of Public Health, Environmental hazards https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/oee/index.html
"Your Home and Building Toolbox: A Pathway to Energy Efficiency and Lowering Costs" June 11, 10-2 How to attend: https://WNCclimateaction.com An interactive workshop for anyone wanting to build or retro-fit any kind of structure Presenter: William Hite, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments; and Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) Committee, Charles George VA Medical Center, AshevilleMaterial Life: Remodeling or Building Greener Homes
The WNC Climate Action Coalition is an allvolunteer group working to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis in our region. By WNC CAC volunteer, co-founder and Triple-win Editor Mary Jane Curry MJCinWNC@gmail.com https://WNCClimateAction.com Twitter: @WncAction
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Finally, Haywood gets an offer on a troublesome parcel
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should pay no more than $1,288 per month, and individuals no more than $692 a month. However, a 30-year fixed mortgage for $275,000 at 5.39% interest would produce a monthly payment of $1,542 and a similar mortgage for $350,000 would cost $1,963 per month — both out of reach for households and individuals alike. Francis did say that he could only find 21 homes priced in the $250,000-$275,000 on
tition had made the recreational aspirations moot. Then, it was shopped around for economic use through the Haywood Chamber/Asheville Chamber economic development partnership. To make the project more attractive, the county then spent $463,000 to raise 8 acres out of the floodway, but the fill the county contracted for the project proved unusable, leaving the county to dig up another source
The parcel is a large, open area on the west side of Jonathan Creek Road. Haywood County GIS
of dirt. Six of the parcel’s 22 acres remain in the floodway and cannot be developed, so 80 homes on 16 acres translates to a density of roughly five homes per acre. Two potential buyers subsequently balked on the parcel — one because there’s no natural gas service available. “Fortunately, we have it now in a time where housing is needed,” said Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick. “Sometimes you just have to change course and do with something that meets the highest need of the community, and right now that’s the
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER oters in Jackson County will return to the polls July 26 to determine the winner of a runoff election for Jackson County Schools Board of Education. Abigail Clayton, Courtney Umphlett and Lisa Buchanan all ran to represent district two on the school board, which covers Sylva’s North Ward and Scotts Creek. During the May 17 primary, when the race was supposed to be decided, Lisa Buchanan came in first with 43% of the vote (2,865 votes) and Abigail Clayton came in second with 37% of the vote (2,463 votes).
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For school board elections in Jackson County, unless the winning candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the second-place finisher can file for a runoff. Clayton filed for a runoff Friday, after the Jackson County Board of Elections canvass. Clayton was the only incumbent in a field of 10 candidates across the county this election cycle. She is also Vice President and City Executive for State Employees’ Credit Union in Cullowhee. Buchanan is a North Carolina State Bar Certified Paralegal and Commercial Documentation specialist for HomeTrust Bank. Two other seats on the school board were up for election
Smoky Mountain News
Runoff declared for Jackson School Board
during the May 17 primary, though neither will go to a runoff. Kim Moore won the race for district four, which covers Cullowhee, Caney Fork, River and Canada. The final vote count showed Moore won 53% of the vote (3,521 votes). Lynn Dillard won the race for district five, which covers Cashiers, Hamburg and Mountain precincts. Dillard only won 39% of the vote (2,548) which means her next-closest opponent, Joy Rose, could have called for a runoff. Rose won 26% of the vote (1,730 votes) but decided not to file for a runoff. All precincts will be open for the runoff election held July 26. Early voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, July 7 through 22, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 23.
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the market today, and only 30 in the $350,000 range, so the development would create substantial inventory. The parcel has a long history of controversy, and just plain bad luck. When the parcel was offered at a special auction back in 2007, the county came away the winner after several upset bids left some feeling the county paid too much — more than $1.1 million. It was originally intended for recreational use, but the Great Recession set in shortly after the purchase, shelving development until it was determined that regional compe-
highest need.” Commissioner Tommy Long agreed with Kirkpatrick about housing being the best use for the parcel. Francis told commissioners that there were only 123 people unemployed in Haywood County in April, a number he called “staggering.” “We had high hopes for job development, but boy, you know the dynamics changed in just a few short months,” Long said. “The workforce, people [are] having trouble getting a highly skilled workforce in place … things change.” Commissioner Jennifer Best voiced concern over the unusually long due diligence period, because if it doesn’t work out in the end, the county will have taken the property off the market for more than five months and end up with nothing to show for it but the $5,000 non-refundable earnest money. Best said she’s still excited for the project to move forward, especially as it does bring a small profit to the county. Commissioner Brandon Rogers was more excited about getting the parcel back on the property tax rolls. Francis said it’s likely to bring in roughly $100,000 in taxes per year, in perpetuity. “Not only are we getting our money back which was a huge concern of mine for quite some time, we’re actually going to pocket a few coins, as Ms. Best said,” Rogers said. “But getting that $100,000 extra dollars as well, you’ve got to look at that too, because it’s going to be continuing on and probably grow as well.”
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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR aywood County may have found a buyer for a county-owned 22-acre plot off Jonathan Creek, as long as everything goes smoothly during the lengthy due diligence period. If the sale goes through, it would return the property to the tax rolls after a 15-year absence, provide badly-needed housing and earn the county a small profit on its investment. “This is meeting a big need in the county, and the taxpayers are getting their money back on the property, with some,” said Kevin Ensley, chairman of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners. “So that’s great.” Quiet Creek Properties LLC, a Fletcherbased development firm, tendered an allcash $1.8 million offer on the parcel, with the due diligence period extending through Nov. 21. The offer will be subject to the upset bid process outlined in North Carolina General Statutes, meaning the offer will be advertised beginning on June 8; prospective bidders would have 10 days to beat the offer by no less than 10% of the first $1,000 plus 5% of the remaining price. In this case, that would be about $90,500 for a total of $1.89 million. Since the 10-day period ends on a Saturday, it’ll actually be moved to 5 p.m. on the following Monday, June 20. If a new buyer makes a qualifying offer, the 10-day upset process must be repeated until no further bids are made. At that point, the county can choose to accept or reject the offer. Community and Economic Development Director David Francis said that Quiet Creek wants to construct 44 townhomes in the $250,000-275,000 range, and 36 single-family homes below $350,000. That’s not exactly “affordable housing,” considering Haywood County’s median income. Housing is considered affordable when it costs 30% or less of household income. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 median income in Haywood County was $51,548 for households, and $27,711 for individuals. Those levels suggest households
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Rep. Pless’ ETJ bill meets strong opposition BY CORY VAILLANCOURT, POLITICS EDITOR, AND HANNAH MCLEOD, STAFF WRITER COVID-era sports seating bill has now morphed into a pro-development bill that would hobble the ability of Haywood County’s municipalities to exercise certain zoning and development powers considered critical for directing and controlling growth. “I’ve had some complaints, obviously in Maggie Valley about the things that are going on out there, but I’ve also had complaints in Waynesville from folks that live in the extraterritorial jurisdiction who are forced to comply with Waynesville’s building codes and their other restrictions,” said Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood). Originally titled as the “Students, Parents, Community Rights Act,” S170 was filed on March 1, 2021, with Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) as one of three primary sponsors. The bill would have set minimum capacity limits at high school sporting events in 11 rural counties, including all of Corbin’s seven-county district, and would also prohibit those counties from adopting stricter limits. Corbin introduced the bill a week or so after Gov. Roy Cooper lifted capacity limits on outdoor athletic events just days before the big Haywood County rivalry game between the Tuscola and Pisgah football teams. After going through two minor revisions and three readings, the bill was then sent to the House on March 15, 2021. “This particular bill was one that Corbin had sent in to deal with an issue that was going on at the time and that issue is no longer present,” said Pless. “So that bill was just laying in the House of Representatives.” On June 3, the bill emerged in the House as a PCS (preferred committee substitute) and was read three times. The new S170 bears the short title, “No ETJ in Haywood Cty/Maggie Valley Dev. Auth.” Nothing from Corbin’s original Coronavirus-inspired sports seating bill remains in the new S170, which outlines three major changes to the way development standards are set and enforced by Haywood’s four municipalities. “Rep. Clampitt and I had a meeting in [Corbin’s] office last Tuesday,” Pless said. “We’re all in agreement, and we’ve had extensive conversations about what’s going on and what we need to do. He agrees, I agree, and Corbin agrees.” First, all municipalities in Haywood County — Canton, Clyde, Maggie Valley and Waynesville — would lose their right to exercise powers over their respective extra-territorial jurisdictions. In North Carolina, extra-territorial jurisdiction refers to parcels of land adjacent to or otherwise outside of municipal boundaries where cities and towns nonetheless exercise certain powers, like zoning. Residents of ETJs don’t pay city taxes, but they also don’t get to vote in city elections. “It’s nice to have an ETJ because you can 12 have zoning in preparation for requests of
Smoky Mountain News
June 8-14, 2022
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Towns would lose control of their ETJs, shown here in grey, if S170 passes. Haywood GIS map annexation,” said Maggie Valley Town Planner Kaitland Finkle. “It’s a great tool to have. ETJs have been removed from some jurisdictions in North Carolina, so it’s less of an attack on Maggie Valley, but it is certainly unfortunate to remove a tool that is set up to guide growth and development as towns expand.” In principle, ETJs exist to give towns some say over what happens near their borders, but Pless said that Waynesville is abusing those powers. “Waynesville’s zoning department is very adversarial with everybody they deal with,” said Pless. “They will set down and they will try to control everything that goes on in these areas. And that’s not fair. Those people can’t vote. Those people can’t choose who the alderman are. They have no say other than to comply with a bunch of rules without any representation.” Second, S170 would strip the powers of Maggie Valley government to adopt or enforce any temporary moratoria on development approval through Jan. 1, 2025. Maggie Valley Mayor Mike Eveland, along with Alderman Jim Owens and John Hinton, see the moratorium portion of the bill as a direct response to a moratorium passed by the town board in January of this year. By a split vote, the board approved a moratorium on campgrounds, RV parks, RV Planned Unit Developments and RV storage. Owens made the motion to impose the moratorium, saying he had received a great deal of negative input regarding campgrounds and RV parks from voters during his campaign for alderman. At a meeting one month earlier, he had suggested removing campgrounds completely from the table of permitted uses for commercial zones in the valley. Because the town is currently in the process of creating a Unified Development Ordinance, Town Attorney Craig Justus suggested that a moratorium would be more appropriate. According to Alderman John Hinton, Pless met with Hinton, Eveland and Town
Manager Nathan Clark Jan. 4 to ask that the board withdraw its support for the moratorium. However, Eveland, Hinton and Owens felt it was more important to listen to the residents they represented. “It was an effort we took in order to ensure nothing happened until we got the new UDO and land use map approved,” Owens told The Smoky Mountain News. “I don’t see us going forward placing moratoriums here and there. It was a specific moratorium on a specific issue for a specific reason.” The six-month moratorium will expire June 11. “The ability for us to have [moratorium] as a tool in our box is important, but it almost never gets used,” said Eveland. “I’ve been on the board going on 10 years, and we’ve never had to do this before. I don’t see any reasons why we would have to have one in the future, but it’s taking away our right to be able to. It strips us of local authority to be able to do what we need to do within the town.” While Owens, Eveland and Hinton were in favor of the RV and campground moratorium when it passed, aldermen Tammy and Philip Wight were vehemently opposed. “The timing of this moratorium can easily be viewed as a gross misuse of power,” Tammy Wight said at the time. “I don’t see this as a question of whether Maggie Valley needs campgrounds or RV parks, I see it as a landowner having a right that is being taken away.” Owens sees SB170 as an affront to Maggie Valley, saying that it “attempts to tie the hands of the Board of Aldermen in Maggie Valley” to carry out wishes of the residents. “A junior representative in Raleigh wants to decide what’s best for Maggie Valley,” said Owens. “I don’t think that voters and the citizens in Maggie Valley appreciate that.” Third, the bill removes Maggie Valley’s power to down-zone parcels without the written consent of the owners of all down-zoned parcels. Down-zoning is already defined in G.S. 160D-601(d) as reducing the development density of parcels, or reducing the num-
ber of permitted uses of a property. The bill would also add a third definition of down-zoning, just for Maggie Valley, defining down-zoning as limiting options or adding additional requirements “to depress or hinder development to the same extent allowed under its previous usage.” “It will remove any regulatory authority that the state’s given us to create and enforce development regulations,” said Finkle. “It strips us of our ability to be able to define zoning within our municipality,” Eveland said. Pless explained that the measures targeting the Town of Maggie Valley came about because of what he sees as the town’s unwillingness to find common ground with developers and property owners. “The whole point to having [aldermen] in town is not to run roughshod over residents; it is to help everyone in the community try to find that medium, where folks can agree and where they can get along,” Pless said. “And they just have chosen not to do that. They have gone in and they’ve destroyed the confidence that the people in Maggie Valley have in their willingness to have conversations with them and not just run roughshod over them.” The bill has a sunset clause that applies to the Maggie development restrictions on Jan. 1, 2025. Pless called the Maggie restrictions a “reset” that’s not meant to be permanent, but is instead meant to bring people back to the table. There is no such sunset clause for the ETJ provisions, meaning Canton, Clyde, Maggie Valley and Waynesville would all see some regulatory powers reduced, along with other changes. “We have multiple representatives on our boards from the ETJs, like on the planning board, and this would result in their removal and actually limit the voice of those affected by decisions made in Waynesville,” said Alderman Anthony Sutton. Waynesville Alderman Chuck Dickson is also opposed to S170. “He’s taking away from Haywood County towns the right that every other town in North Carolina has, which is the ETJ, which helps prevent uncontrolled growth in the areas right outside of town,” Dickson said. “It prevents things from going into residential neighborhoods that people don’t want. These are areas that will eventually become part of the town, which is why the General Assembly gave towns the right to zone those areas.” Dickson added that the ETJ restriction wouldn’t necessarily impact the way the town interacts with developments in its ETJ because of a town policy that requires parcel owners wishing to avail themselves of the town’s water and sewer services to petition the town for annexation, which would in turn subject those parcels to the town’s development ordinances anyway. Maggie Valley has the same policy. As a local bill, S170 won’t make a stop on Gov. Roy Cooper’s
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FUR’s fifth-annual Wet Your Whiskers fundraiser will be held Saturday, June 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Wells Event Center at 33 Events Center Way, just off N. Main Street in Waynesville. Wet Your Whiskers is a wine/beer tasting event with an appetizer and dessert buffet. All proceeds benefit Feline Urgent Rescue (FUR) of Western North Carolina, a non-profit dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of abused, abandoned and neglected cats in Western North Carolina. “This event has been a ton of fun and a great success for FUR in the past,” said Lisa Sanborn, FUR Board President. “The location is open and inviting and offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The wine and appetizers are being catered by Bosu’s Wine Shop, and the beer is being donated by Boojum.” The event also includes a raffle and silent auction. “We think our guests will love the
unique selection of beautiful items that have been donated for both our raffle and silent auction this year,” said Wanda Davis, event co-chair. “And we’re very excited to be drawing one lucky winner for the quilt wall hanging we’ve been selling tickets for all year.” The quilt, which measures 37.5-by-56.5 inches, was pieced and donated by FUR volunteer Maggie Hickle and machine quilted by Ann Hendrix of Waynesville. Tickets for this special drawing can be purchased ahead of the event online at www.furofwnc.org or in person at the FUR Store at Depot Village (262 Depot St., Waynesville) or Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery (4 N. Main St., Waynesville) or during the event. Tickets for Wet Your Whiskers are $50 per individual and grants full access to the wine, beer and appetizer and dessert buffet. Sponsorships are $150 and include two tickets, business card display, event recognition, a sponsor gift and inclusion in a recognition ad. Learn more or purchase your tickets at www.furofwnc.org. For more information about FUR, visit the website or call Syd at 847.826.5431.
A stocked catch out pond with Rainbow, Brook, Brown & Golden trout.
June 8-14, 2022
Wet Your Whiskers fundraiser
men Phillip Wight voted no on both resolutions, while his wife Tammy voted no on the ETJ resolution, for which they both reserved their most pointed comments. “While it may be legal to down-zone property without the property owner’s consent and take away property owner rights, I do not feel it to be moral or ethical and do not support writing the letter in opposition that may go against the will of the property owners,” Tammy Wight said. Phillip Wight took the opportunity to thank Pless for the ETJ bill. “We have no outlet but going to the state with our complaints,” said Phillip Wight. “[Pless] came up here, he learned, he saw certain meetings and thank God that somebody’s actually paying attention. He actually understands and represents the people.” Mayor Mike Eveland, however, was characteristically blunt with his criticism. “This has all the appearances of a political hit job by a very small minority of people who want to handicap the majority of our town officials from doing the job the voters in our community elected them to do,” Eveland said. None of the municipal resolutions are likely to sway Pless. “They’re having a hard time understanding that I don’t answer to them. They’re not my boss,” Pless said, repeating his reaction to blowback over the partisan elections bill. “They don’t tell me or Rep. Clampitt or Sen. Corbin how or what they want to be done in every situation. Now, we do consult with them whenever they need things, whenever they would like for us to do something on their behalf, but in this particular situation, it’s not a matter of them being in agreement. It is a matter of standing up for the people who sent us down here.” As of press time on June 7, S170 remained in the Senate’s Rules committee.
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desk for a possible veto. It was sent back to the Senate on June 3 and referred to the Senate’s Rules committee on June 6. If passed by that body, S170 becomes law and would be effective immediately. Haywood Commission Chairman Kevin Ensley said that Bryant Morehead, county manager, estimates S170 would cost the county around $150,000 annually, due to the increased workloads on county building inspectors and planners. The proposed bill had governing boards in Clyde, Maggie Valley and Waynesville scrambling to act, in anticipation of General Assembly action on the bill. In Waynesville, aldermen called an emergency meeting for 6 p.m. on the same day the bill was introduced. Unanimously, the board passed a resolution opposing the bill. “We believe government is best at the local level when citizens decide, not when someone from Raleigh tells us what to do,” Dickson said. “It’s another example of not respecting the opinions of local citizens.” The Town of Clyde called a special meeting for Monday, June 6 at 9 a.m. to discuss not only S170, but also a bill Pless filed a few weeks ago proposing that all municipal elections in Haywood County — along with the school board — become partisan elections. Clyde passed two resolutions similar to Waynesville’s, opposing both the ETJ bill and the partisan elections bill by unanimous vote. Waynesville already passed a resolution opposing Pless’ partisan elections bill. The Town of Maggie Valley also called a special meeting for Monday, June 6 at 9 a.m., and likewise passed resolutions opposing the ETJ bill and the partisan elections bill. Neither resolution was unanimous, however. In yet another sign of a growing divide amongst Maggie Valley’s town board, alder-
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At last, a UDO for Maggie Valley HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER fter years of effort and several failed attempts by multiple town boards, Maggie Valley has successfully passed its Unified Development Ordinance. “I’d really like to express my appreciation, and I hope I speak for the entire board, for the hours and hours and hours the planning board put into this effort, certainly to Kaitland’s effort,” said Alderman Jim Owens. “This is long overdue, there’s a ton of work here, I think there was a lot of thought put into it, and I certainly appreciate the effort.” At Monday’s meeting, in addition to approving the UDO, the board also passed the land use plan and the zoning map. While the land use plan passed unanimously, both the UDO and zoning map passed with split votes, three to two. “It’s extremely important to note that both the draft UDO and draft zoning map will allow greater development potential throughout the town’s jurisdiction, therefore expanding economic opportunities for both residents and developers,” said Town Planner Kaitland Finkle. “All proposed commercial and mixed-use districts are going to allow for greater development potential as allowable density is proposed to increase throughout.” Finkle and the planning board have been working through the process of creating the UDO and the zoning map for months now. The board of aldermen first saw a draft of the UDO in March, and following discussions by the board of aldermen, planning
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board and public hearings with residents of the valley, the document has undergone countless revisions. “There’s so many changes that have been requested, whether it’s from the community engagement or after board workshops,” said Finkle. “It’s a flexible document. It certainly
has seen many iterations, in the last six months, and obviously longer than that in the last seven years.” The new UDO offers residents and developers in Maggie Valley a much wider range of zoning districts than were previously being used. This may help reduce some of the contention that Maggie Valley has seen over high density zoning requests during the last year. “These districts are a lot more narrow,” Finkle told the board during the process. “It gives people the option to come in and say,
The UDO passed as it was presented to the board, even though a couple changes were suggested. The board of aldermen has had particular trouble with RV parks and campgrounds, placing a moratorium on their development for six months in order to complete this UDO and determine where they should be allowed. Now, Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood) has introduced a bill to the state legislature that, in addition to other implications, would strip the powers of Maggie Valley government to adopt or enforce any temporary moratoria on development approval through Jan. 1, 2025. In the new UDO campgrounds and RV parks are only allowed in the seasonal and short-term residential (R4) and the community attraction mixed use (MU4) district by special use permit. Phillip Wight made the motion to accept the UDO, with two changes. First, RV parks be permitted in the community attraction mixed use (MU4) district, by right instead of by special use permit. Second, to grant a request from Linda Taylor that Moody Farm mixed use (MU2) have campgrounds and RV parks as a permitted use. According to Taylor, this was a permitted use under MU2 until it was taken out at some point late in the process. Other members of the board said they would be open to those changes but did not want to pass the UDO with the changes that night. Phillip Wight’s motion to approve the UDO with two changes did not pass. “I have no problem with having a discussion about that,” said Mayor Mike Eveland. “I think both of those
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Maggie distillery in foreclosure as bidders come forward
BY KYLE PERROTTI N EWS E DITOR he building housing Elevated Mountain Distilling Company, a fixture in Maggie Valley for over five years, is facing foreclosure and the bids have already started pouring in as interested parties jockey to see who will end up with the property. The company’s owner, Dave Angel, signed a Small Business Administration loan for almost $1.1 million to pay for the property and equipment back in July of 2016. According to court documents, the last payment he made on the loan was in April 2021. Ultimately, First Citizens Bank, which had merged with original lender Entegra Financial Corp. in late 2019, demanded a payout of $1,156,598 — an amount that included the principal due, along with interest, late fees and “miscellaneous” fees. Angel was served with foreclosure papers on May 2 of this year. Angel told The Smoky Mountain News that, like many other businesses, he was a victim of COVID. “That put us in a hole we couldn’t get out of,” he said. “We had to spend the last spring, summer and fall repairing from COVID and then we couldn’t save for winter.” The foreclosure auction began on May 24 at 10 a.m. for the 1.45-acre property, which holds a tax value of $583,600. After the bank’s initial bid of $364,450, the first upset bid 14 was placed by Ken Wells at about $383,197. Wells, who
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‘board, this is the property that I have, this is what I’d like to do on this property.’” “By increasing the districts and then modifying the uses, you take a lot of the ambiguity away of the worst-case scenario,” Town Manager Nathan Clark said to the board when it first received a draft document. “Here you’re going to see a reduction in uses per zone, but you’re going have much more targeted zones to really fit what the actual requests are.” Previously, properties in the town of Maggie Valley can be zoned low density residential (R1), medium density residential (R2), or high density residential (R3). Commercial properties in town limits can either be zoned for general business (C1) or neighborhood business (C2). Now the town will have 12 zoning districts — rural residential (R0), low density residential (R1), medium density residential (R2), high density residential (R3), season and short-term residential (R4), Soco mixed use (MU1), Moody Farm mixed use (MU2), general mixed use (MU3), community attraction mixed use (MU4), central business commercial (C1), gateway commercial (C2) and Dellwood commercial (C3).
made his money as a developer and contractor in Key West, Florida, lives in Maggie Valley seasonally. He said he sees the property as an investment and hopes to rent it to someone who will continue to use it as a distillery — perhaps even Angel himself. “I’d like to see him go back in,” Wells said. However, another upset bid was placed on June 2 in the amount of $402,357 by Back Porch Beverage Company, an LLC formed by Kevin Sandefur and Art O’Neil, owners of BearWaters Brewing Company in Canton. Sandefur said that if they were to come away with the property, they would likely close their current Maggie Valley Creekside taproom and possibly even move their brewery equipment from Canton to the new building. “We could increase seating capacity there,” he said of the 10,000-square-foot building. “And part of what we’d consider if we didn’t keep the distilling equipment is moving the production system from Canton over there because of the flood hazard there, but then we’d keep Canton as a taproom. We have a lot of different ways we could go.” Sandefur said if that were to happen, they would still open their new Waynesville “brewtainment” center on South Main Street in Hazelwood that will have more of a focus on activities to go along with a new taproom. However, the day after Sandefur spoke with SMN, on the morning of June 7, another upset bid in the amount of $422,575 was placed by Micheaux Resource Management
out of Indian Trail, a Charlotte suburb. That bid appears to be signed by Frankie Wood, who for almost three years has spoken about developing the dormant Ghost Town in the Sky property, as well as several other properties in the area. Currently, Micheaux owns a 205-acre property off Hall Top Road valued at about $900,000. Angel, who is the spokesman for Wood’s group, Ghost Town in the Sky, LLC, said Micheaux is an investment team backing his bid to keep operating out of the building — although he would likely have to form a new LLC and rebrand since Elevated Mountain Distilling Company is in default on its SBA loan. “It won’t be me as sole owner as it has been in the past,” Angel said. Angel noted that in addition to Micheaux, he’s received tremendous support from the community — a community he’s served over the years by hosting a number of events that have cumulatively raised over $100,000 for area nonprofits. “I’m glad people have seen it and are rooting for me,” he said. “We’re not done,” Angel added. “We’re trying our best to get it back, and we’re having to fight with local businesses that are trying to take it. I know without a doubt the community welcomes us and wants us back.” As of noon on Tuesday, June 7, the next minimum bid amount is $443,598, and the last day to place and upset bid would be June 17.
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could work out. I don’t think we will change it tonight, but I think it’s something that we can look at down the road.” Tammy Wight brought up concerns she saw for service industry workers in Maggie Valley. “Increasing the density of these lots makes it more expensive for them to purchase property, which makes it actually too expensive for them to live where they work,” she said. “I think that’s an issue I’m against increasing the density of the lots. I’m against taking people’s property rights away. I think that the campgrounds should be back, I think the property rights that we purchase these properties with and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for these properties, I feel like we should continue to have those rights.” “I’m in a position where we’ve gone over and over this for months,” said Owens. “I understand people’s concerns. I’m sure as we go forward, we can tweak this as necessary based on input. We not only get from this board, but we get from the public. And also hopefully the guidance we get for the new land use map.” Owens made the motion to accept the UDO as presented. Owens, Eveland and John Hinton voted to approve, while Tammy and Phillip Wight voted against. “The new UDO allows Maggie Valley Town Board more authority and is again another government overreach of power,” said Tammy Wight. “With the proposed UDO, anyone can go before the board of aldermen and ask for a conditional use that is not shown as an allowable use. The board of alderman may permit a use, not shown as an allowed use for one property owner and may also disallow a use for another property owner based on bias and liability either by granting the request or simply stating that is not an allowed use. Fellow board members are ready to strip you of those property rights and it is okay because they have the power to do so. And you understand, they know what is best. I am against taking away property rights, I am against down zoning people’s property.” Following the passage of the UDO, Hinton said that the board should address Taylor’s concern and look into why campgrounds and RV parks were removed from MU2. Tammy Wight argued that people don’t want a working document, they want something set in stone that they can go by. “I think that we’re reaching the end of what’s been long overdue,” said Hinton. “What I like to hear is there seems to be a lot of flexibility in this evolving document that anything that we’ve talked about that we’d like to see or can see, we can adjust through an amendment or through the conditional zoning or even the land use plan after the land use plan comes out. I’m sure there’s going to be something else that we’re going to want to see or add.” “This is definitely a living breathing document,” said Finkle. Several members of the public expressed their appreciation to the board of aldermen, planning board and town staff for accomplishing this important task that has been several years coming.
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June 8-14, 2022
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Greenway planning begins in Haywood
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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR Haywood County is taking the first steps to establish a comprehensive greenway plan that could end up linking all the county’s municipalities with nearly all its attractions. “It’s kind of a big first step in terms of envisioning a Greenway network for Haywood County,” said Tristan Winkler, director of the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization. Back in 2021, Haywood County was awarded a planning grant by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highways Administration, through the French Broad River MPO, to create Haywood County’s first-ever greenway master plan. As suggested by the name, the master plan will guide the design, funding and implementation of the individual components of a countywide greenway. The ultimate purpose of the plan, according to the planning website, is to “help achieve local and regional goals for transportation, health, safety, economic prosperity and resilience to natural disasters.” The plan’s development will be guided by stakeholders including all local government units in the county, along with Lake Junaluska, NCDOT, French Broad River MPR and Haywood Waterways, along with local businesses, advocacy groups and health
care providers. Drop-in informational workshops have already been held online and in-person in Canton and Waynesville. As of press time on June 7, only one more in-person session remains — Wednesday, June 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Maggie Valley Town Hall. “A lot of our local governments have been doing local planning efforts. Canton did a bike and pedestrian plan relatively recently. Waynesville has been doing a lot of planning including the Richland Creek greenway plan completed a couple of years ago. The hellbender plan looks at a more regional viewpoint,” Winkler said. “There are a few spots around Haywood County where getting more information to better plan is pretty critical. We know a lot about Canton and Waynesville and what’s kind of coming down the pipe there, but connecting them, there’s a lot of open questions. Getting more input from the public and getting a more technical view on those potential connections is really what we’re trying to achieve.” For those who haven’t had the opportunity to attend one of the sessions, there is a short web-based survey where the public can leave their thoughts about what the final maps should look like. Lead consultant Matt Hayes, of Alta Planning, said the survey will remain online through the end of July. A second round of public workshops is
The French Broad River MPO is seeking input on potential routes and destinations for a county-wide greenway. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Take the survey Stakeholders are currently developing Haywood County’s first-ever greenway plan, and they want to hear from you. First, visit haywoodcountygreenwayplan.weebly.com to learn more about the project and the process. Then, navigate to the survey or visit surveymonkey.com/r/haywoodcountygreenways to submit your input. The anonymous multiplechoice survey only takes about five minutes, and asks eight questions as well as for some basic demographic information.
expected in the fall, with final plan development and presentation slated for winter. “Once we get a good roadmap through the plan then we can start looking at what pieces of it are the most feasible to start chasing down funding for,” Winkler said. “Right now, we have a project on Champion Drive, but there’s been a lot of talk about U.S. 19/23 and Chestnut Mountain Park. How do we better connect that and what exactly are we going to be looking for there? Going from high level vision to more specifics and implementation is going to be the next step.” For more information on the plan, visit haywoodcountygreenwayplan.weebly.com.
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HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ylva residents and visitors to the town can expect to see a new public restroom at the old railroad depot downtown, if discussions with the railroad go as planned. “What doesn’t resonate with me is our population increasing, our cars increasing, our walking and our traffic increasing, and we shut down a road. That doesn’t feel good to me,” said Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh. At a board retreat June 2, commissioners had an extensive and nuanced discussion about two possible locations for a public restroom in downtown Sylva — Spring Street between Main Street and Mill Street, and the old railroad depot. The board has been split on this issue since discussion began early this year. The town received $250,000 in direct appropriations through the state capital infrastructure fund, direct appropriations in the state budget, for the project and has toyed with the idea of using some American Rescue Plan funds if more money is needed. The Sylva Board of Commissioners has seen preliminary At a May 5 meeting, complans for a bathroom at the old railroad depot. Donated photo missioners approved a plan to temporarily close Spring Street to conduct a traffic study to determine depot location from Main Street. Newman how permanently closing Spring Street for a also mentioned constructing the bathroom public restroom might affect traffic flow in on Spring Street in one lane, allowing traffic the area. However, a public hearing on the to continue flowing in the other. However, issue May 12 demonstrated relatively strong several commissioners had concerns about public opposition to that site. Spring Street is putting a bathroom so close to moving traffic. “I’m the oldest person on the board. I’m now open again to normal, one-way traffic. According to architect Mahaley Odell probably the oldest person in the whole Town Thompson, a bathroom at the Spring Street of Sylva staff,” said Sossamon. “And I personlocation is estimated to cost as much as ally know, I can’t walk down the hill just like $400,000, around $100,000 more than at the Natalie said. Most of our shoppers are maybe railroad depot location. That price estimate women, women with children, or like Paige for Spring Street does not include redoing the said, over 65. It’s just not fair to try to make pavers where Spring Street meets Main and them walk all the way down that hill, across Mill, something commissioners have dis- the street, around the curve and down, however we’re gonna design it. At least nine busicussed. Gelbaugh made an argument for placing nesses on Main Street have signs on their the bathroom at the old railroad depot loca- doors that say no public restrooms.” At the end of the discussion, Gelbaugh, tion to preserve the historical site, noting that closing Spring Street has given the town good Guiney and McPherson voted in favor of insight into what a permanent closure would approving the railroad depot location for a public restroom. Newman and Nestler voted mean. “What I’m hearing from the residential against the location as both were in favor of side is they like that the road there, they like the Spring Street location. Though the mayor Spring Street there, whether it’s a resident, or does not have a vote for typical measures on whether it’s a commercial business down- the Sylva Board of Commissioners, Mayor town, this closing affected them, and it affect- Sossamon was strongly in favor of building the restroom on Spring Street. ed them in a negative way,” said Gelbaugh. The town will still need to work out a deal Gelbaugh said that she is representing the will of her constituents in her appeal for the with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad to lease or purchase the land that the old depot railroad depot location. Commissioners Ben Guiney and Greg sits on.
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Sylva settles on railroad depot restroom
McPherson were also in favor of the railroad depot location. Thompson has said that a restroom built at the depot location could have architecture resembling the historic depot. “Making the restrooms look like the Sylva depot as a heritage honor is neat and it’s another tool for education,” said McPherson. Commissioners Natalie Newman, David Nestler and Mayor Linda Sossamon wanted to place the bathroom on Spring Street. Part of their rationale for this location was its proximity to Main Street. “You can always drive down another street,” said Newman. “But for someone in a wheelchair, or when I went down there the other day, walking down to the depot and then back up that hill, almost nine months pregnant with a toddler was not easy. So if I’m shopping on Main Street and I have to walk down Spring and across Mill to get down to the depot to use the bathroom with my toddler, I’m not even in a wheelchair, and it was not easy on me.” Sossamon had similar concerns for elderly people being able to access the railroad
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• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
June 8-14, 2022
• Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with wooden spoon • In a separate Pyrex mixing cup, mix olive oil and honey (tip: use the same measuring cup for the olive oil and honey, but put the olive oil in first because it coats the measuring cup and makes the honey slide right out instead of sticking) • Pour the honey/oilive oil mixture over the dry mixture and stir to coat • Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, sitrring every 10 minutes - depending on the heat of your oven, you may need to bake a little longer
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• It's ready when everything looks nice and crispy
Graphic Designer Jessica Murray (from left), SMN News Editor Jessi Stone, Staff Writer Hannah McLeod, Digital Media Specialist Susanna Shetley and Amanda Singletary (not pictured)
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• To avoid sticking to the baking sheet, immediately transfer to a bowl and let cool • Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container for storage Serve with milk or yogurt of choice and top with fresh berries or seasonal fruit. Enjoy!
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School. Simultaneously, he used his SCC training and credentials to serve as an emergency medical technician and volunteer firefighter in Macon County. After retiring in 2009 as Chief Operations Officer for the Macon County School System, he continued to work in a special consultant capacity as Director of Human Resources at Macon County Schools until retiring in 2021.
Accredited marketing degree online from WCU
Hands-on learning a top priority with automotive programs at HCC Haywood Community College has obtained educational tools to help train students on the latest equipment to prepare them to enter the workforce. The automotive program received a portable engine cutaway display that shows the intricacies of all engine parts. From the radiator to the shifters and cylinders, students can see how each piece interacts for a hands-on learning experience. Instructors can program the engine with a specific problem so students can troubleshoot. This machine is an integral part of the classroom experience as instructors can go from the textbook to the engine to practice what they just learned. This machinery is used in every class taught in the automotive program, making it a cross-functional and important piece of the learning process. The automotive program also has tools to help diagnose and measure vehicle parts. With multimeter kits from Snap-on, students can use a precision measurement tool for hands-on learning in the classroom. This allows each student to simultaneously work on their coursework without waiting for available tools, saving time and offering a positive classroom experience. The Bluetooth diagnostic program provides the ability to simply plug a device into a vehicle, and the diagnostic machine indicates where trouble areas may be. This tool allows students to obtain information about problem areas for that vehicle and then narrow down how to fix the issue based on manufacturer recommendations and what they have learned in the classroom. The collision and repair program area received a Sim Spray, a machine that allows users to paint car parts virtually. Using virtual reality technology, users can put on a virtual reality headset and use a handheld simulated spray gun to paint a vehicle part such as a door, bumper and more. After
choosing vehicle part and color, the program detects key data such as speed, pressure, and overall technique. This machine’s portability allows it to go anywhere on campus or even offcampus for recruitment events. This machine offers hands-on learning, but it also provides other benefits. Without the need to use real paint or specific painting supplies, this equipment reduces the need for students to purchase supplies for painting and the paint itself. Not using actual paint saves approximately $100 per application and leads to a positive environmental impact since paint won’t need to be used or wasted.
SCC EMS program named in honor of trustee Terry Bell For more than a quarter century, Southwestern Community College was a huge part of Terry Bell’s life. During his lengthy career as a Macon County Schools educator and administrator, he completed his Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician training through Southwestern. And from 19952019, he served on SCC’s Board of Trustees — the last seven as chair. To recognize Bell’s leadership, contributions and longtime affiliation with the college, Southwestern has renamed its Emergency Medical Science program in his honor. “Mr. Bell was on the Board of Trustees when I accepted this role (in 2011), and I’ve always been grateful for the leadership he provided for our college,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC President. “He’s a lifelong educator who fully appreciates the value of a community college education, and he’s extremely deserving of this honor.” Bell worked for almost 50 years for Haywood County and Macon County Schools. He was an instructor, principal at three different schools and an assistant principal at Franklin High
This upcoming fall semester, the College of Business at Western Carolina University will begin offering its nationally recognized bachelor’s degree in marketing program in an online format. That means all-digital, all the time, yet with the same individual attention and course delivery that is seen in classroom instruction. Students can begin applying now. “It is the same marketing curriculum and excellence of teaching,” said Charlie Parrish, director of the School of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Sport Management, Hospitality and Tourism. “The online marketing degree and the courses offered align very well with both the needs of a remote student and current marketing strategies and techniques.” Prospective students, he said, potentially
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include anyone who needs flexibility in their pursuit of a marketing degree. The program emphasizes learning enhanced by practical experience, with simulated selling situations and examining how marketers use information to make good decisions. Students will apply marketing analysis and skills to real-world cases. “The ease to fit studies into any time schedule is ideal for working adults — someone wanting to complete or start a degree can do it in the evenings or weekends. A nontraditional student will see this as an opportunity,” Parrish said. “And I also think we’ll see a younger demographic enroll as well, with students more comfortable being wherever they are and using a distance delivery modem for study.” AJ Grube, the dean of WCU’s College of Business, said the goal behind the online degree programs is simple: Make the quality, affordable education that WCU is known for more accessible for everyone — including working adults and nontraditional students. “Distance learning is helping tremendously with accessibility and affordability,” Grube said. “Students have the flexibility of staying where they are, keeping their jobs and keeping their family life going. And they get the same high-quality education as on-campus students. It plays a huge part in allowing us to offer an education to people who otherwise might not be able to drop everything and come to class in Cullowhee.”
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It’s hard not to love where we live W
GOP has lost its moral compass To the Editor: The Republican Party is not the party of life. The Republican Party is morally and intellectually bankrupt. It has no purpose, no platform other than the pursuit and exercise of power simply for power’s sake. It does not seek to govern nor is it interested in developing the civic space or a sense of order. It seeks only control, unadulterated and unaccountable. The Republican Party dons the mantle of conservatism. Yet its interests and actions betray any sense of conserving or preserving any semblance of social order, fealty to institutions or constitutional humility. Its methods are chaos and dissembling — see Steve Bannon’s call to “flood the zone with s***.” The Republican Party doesn’t believe in small government. Witness the actions of the governors in Florida and Texas, whose guiding principles seem to be reward friends, punish disagreement and treat anyone who doesn’t toe the line as an existential threat. The Republican Party doesn’t believe in free speech or freedom of assembly or freedom of conscience. It burns books, squelches inquiry and demands fealty to men — not ideas. From Rush Limbaugh’s first whines about political correctness to today’s screeches of “cancel culture” and “wokeness,” the Republican Party uses finger pointing to squelch honest discussion and debate. The Republican Party does not believe in
activities, and it could not have been more fulfilling. Saturday we attended the Cold Mountain Music Festival at Lake Logan. As we sat in that picturesque setting listening to great music, I looked around at the smiling faces, all the people greeting one another and the slew of kiddos laughing in the field, throwing baseballs and playing tag. I thought to myself, “Wow, we are all so lucky to be here at this very moment.” As we walked back to the car at the end of the night, the sun was still hovering just slightly before settling in for the night. Traversing the bridge, we came to that iconic spot where the pristine lake sits in a valley. Like always, it took my breath away. Only Columnist something divine could create a setting like that. A couple days later, the boys and I took our dog Ringo on a long walk around Lake Junaluska, getting custard afterward at the new Crepe & Custard shop located near the pool. We enjoyed ourselves so much, we talked about when we could return to play tennis. The following day, we went to Jose’s Taco Truck, picked up some tacos and ate them outside at the Lake Junaluska dam. Afterward, we rented tennis rackets for $5 and played tennis for almost an hour.
Susanna Shetley
hen I travel and tell someone I’m from Waynesville, a small town nestled in the Smoky Mountains, the comment is always met with awe and excitement. Everyone knows of these ancient hills. When we traveled to the Rocky Mountains last summer, we had a trail guide tell us one of his favorite places to visit was Bryson City. We met someone else from Oklahoma and he said the entire Western North Carolina area is top on his list when he gets time away from work. Those of us who live here full-time can sometimes take it for granted. We sit at our computers and plan grandiose trips to New York City or Europe, when we have the most beautiful scenery of all in our backyard. Granted, I love to travel and visit new places, but in the interludes, I realize this beautiful place I call home is a panacea all its own. School ended last week, which opens weeks of freedom for our children. Earlier in the spring, when the topic of summer activities was the hullabaloo among moms, I scheduled my boys for a plethora of wilderness and sports camps. They also have a number of trips, including two beach vacations, a trip to Boston to visit colleges for their stepsister and a jaunt to D.C. to visit my family. It seems the goal every year is to keep them as busy as possible, sometimes not remembering there is so much to do right here. For instance, the past several days have been full of local
LETTERS liberty. It believes in license — the ability to do what it wants, when it wants, without accountability or responsibility. The Republican Party is not the party of fiscal responsibility. It cares not for the middle class or working people. Its economic platform, if one can deem tax cuts for the wealthiest a platform, serves the elite. Wealth and opportunity don’t trickle down — they accrete up, becoming consolidated in fewer and fewer hands and fostering corruption and
It was the first time the boys had ever played tennis and the first time I’d picked up a racket since my early twenties. Our goal is to continue playing throughout the summer until we can keep a game going for a respectable amount of time. For a couple years now I’ve been thinking about purchasing a stand-up paddleboard. I’m always content when I’m on or near water, whether it’s a lake, river or ocean. In fact, I’m a Scorpio through and through, which is a water sign. At both Lake Logan and Lake Junaluska, I stopped to watch people kayaking and paddleboarding and decided it’s time to buy my own board so I can get on the water whenever I want. Lucky for me, there are plenty of local waters to enjoy paddleboarding. And it’s not merely the scenic beauty and the outdoor adventure options that I love so much about where I live, it’s also the genuine people and business owners who are fiercely dedicated to quality food, products and service. Truly though, if I’m feeling irritable or out of sorts, a simple stroll along Waynesville’s Main Street visiting a few merchants shifts my mood. It just doesn’t get any better than the far west of North Carolina and while my family has a variety of faraway adventures planned for this summer, I’ll be just as happy staying right here at home. (Susann Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist with The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living, and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)
greed. To cover its economic malfeasance it stokes division, hatred, and culture wars. Thomas Pynchon observed, “If they can get you asking the wrong questions then they don’t have to worry about the answers.” And so it is that the Republican media in the guise of “just asking questions” diverts attention from its moral emptiness to sowing anger and fear. The Republican Party is not the party of life. Despite its pious self-righteousness on abortion, it does nothing to promote the quality of life of the living. It treats mothers, chil-
dren and millions of working Americans with utter disdain. It coddles gun manufacturers while promoting fever dreams of a dystopic world that feeds more fever dreams of socalled patriots, deluded revolutionaries, and conspiracy theorists. It turned a public health crisis into a culture war that unnecessarily killed hundreds of thousands of Americans while undermining trust in public institutions for perverse political and egotistical gain. The Republican Party is not the party of values. It hides behind religion while perverting Christ’s message to love our neighbors. It revels in cruelty — separating families, killing the innocent and idolizing the selfish and narcissistic. It embraces fascism and the undermining of democratic principles. The Republican Party is the party of death. Mark Jamison Webster
Remembering the sailors aboard the USS Liberty To the Editor: A reporter for Al Jazeera (Shireen Abu Akleh) was killed by Israeli military personnel as she covered an Israeli raid on Jenin, a West Bank Palestinian refugee camp. Then Israeli police brutally attacked the pallbearers carrying Abu Akleh’s casket. Israel says it will investigate what happened, but history teaches us Israel has little interest in accountability. June 8 marks the 55th anniversary of Israel’s attack on the USS Liberty (GTR-5) in international waters in
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Will Chuck Edwards condemn attempt to steal election?
the Mediterranean Sea approximately 70 miles west of Tel Aviv on the fourth day of what became known as “The Six-Day War.” Without warning, Israeli Air Force Mirage fighters strafed Liberty, resulting in 820 rocket and cannon holes topside. After the fighters, mystere bombers dropped napalm. As the crew battled fires, Israeli torpedo boats fired five torpedos at Liberty with the clear intent to sink her. One hit her starboard side, killing 25 men. When the smoke had cleared, 34 sailors were dead and 171 wounded, including the captain (CDR William McGonagle) who, although severely wounded, refused to leave the bridge. Only the bravery and resolve of the captain, officers and crew kept Liberty from sinking with all hands. Liberty managed an SOS and two aircraft carriers (the America and Saratoga) launched fighters to aid Liberty. These aircraft were recalled and when Rear Admiral Lawrence Geis (Commander of America’s battle group) protested the recall, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara retorted, “President (Lyndon) Johnson is not going to go to war or embarrass an American ally over a few sailors” (Chicago Tribune, online edition, October 2, 2007). The USS Liberty is likely America’s most decorated warship, earning a Congressional Medal of Honor, two Navy Crosses, 38 Silver or Bronze Stars, The Presidential Unit Citation and an incredible 205 Purple
Hearts. As most Americans know, a Medal of Honor is traditionally conferred by the president in a ceremony at the White House. One of many snubs Liberty has endured, Commander McGonagle was handed his medal by the Secretary of the Navy at the Washington Navy Yard. For 55 years, no U.S. President or Congress has ever attempted to hold Israel fully accountable for this murderous and unconscionable act of aggression against the United States. Israel always maintained it was a case of “mistaken identity,” believing Liberty was the El Qusier (an Egyptian freighter) despite the fact Liberty was flying a 13-foot long U.S. Flag, the ship’s designation (GTR-5) clearly printed on both sides of her bow, and “USS LIBERTY” clearly printed across her stern. Also, the El Quseir was one-fourth the displacement of and looked nothing like the Liberty. The Israelis lied, and America (wrongly) has always accepted that lie. It’s painful for Liberty survivors, and families of those lost, never to have experienced satisfactory closure to this totally unnecessary loss of life and ship. To keep faith with them and their loved ones, we who served in our nation’s uniform on the day of that catastrophe think often of the USS Liberty, and we remember. Shipmates ... RIP. David L. Snell Franklin
Martin Dyckman
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of voting the same way, in defiance of truth and in disloyalty to constitutional government. They were accomplices to an attempted coup, the first in this nation’s history. Among them: Rep. Ted Budd, the GOP nominee to succeed Sen. Richard Burr, who voted like Cawthorn did — to steal an election and inaugurate the dictatorship of Donald Trump. Wondering how Edwards would have voted in Cawthorn’s place, I asked three times — by fax, by a phone message, and by snail mail — whether he would have voted against the Biden electors, as Cawthorn had, or to reject the challenges, as Sens. Thom Tillis and Burr and Rep. Patrick McHenry did. I received no answer. After the primary, I asked the same question of Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, who won the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 11. Through a spokesperson, this was her answer: “The 2020 election was legitimate and was fairly decided at the ballot box. As a member of Congress, I would have voted to certify the election without hesitation or equivocation.” Maybe Edwards would say that too. But it would be useful for voters to hear it before they decide whether to send him or BeachFerrara to Congress. (Dyckman is a free-lance journalist living in Asheville. dyckmanm@bellsouth.net)
Maggie. Between the Blue Ridge
June 8-14, 2022
huck Edwards defeated Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the District 11 Republican congressional primary because of the incumbent’s bizarre and immature personal behavior. The more important question, though, is whether Edwards’ voting record would be better for the nation when it comes to protecting the Constitution. After the mob attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Edwards, not yet a Guest Columnist candidate, criticized Cawthorn for inflammatory comments. But if he objected to Cawthorn’s votes at a historic moment, it isn’t on the record. The worst of Cawthorn’s votes were to reject Joe Biden electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania. That was as much an act of insurrection as the mob attack on the Capitol that he had helped to incite. He voted to overturn a fair election to keep an incipient tyrant in the office he had lost. But it wasn’t among the issues that the GOP establishment raised against Cawthorn in order to help Edwards defeat him. Most congressional Republicans — eight senators and 138 other House members — were guilty
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Left: a painting by Molly Herold, founder of ‘Pour Darling.’ Right: a sculpture by Leo Woods, a queer artist residing in Brevard. Donated photos
‘Living with Pride’ HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER or the first time in its 45-year history, the Haywood County Arts Council is celebrating Pride month with its ‘Living with Pride’ exhibit, a collaboration with Waynesville’s own Curatory Gallery. “We want the arts council to be a safe place for people of all backgrounds and all ages. We hope that this exhibit illustrates that,” said Morgan Beryl, executive director for HCAC. “We feel it’s important that folks know that everyone is welcome at our gallery, to participate in our programs and events, and be part of our community.” The exhibit officially opened June 3 during Waynesville’s monthly Art After Dark, and the small gallery was crowded with patrons throughout the opening reception. In addition to the art installed on gallery walls and shelves, artist Molly Herold shared her process in a live artist demonstration. Just outside the gallery doors, the Alex Krug Combo serenaded guests with original psychedelic dream folk music. The band’s intoxicating harmonies intrigued many passersby. “We were so pleased with the turnout,” said Beryl. “We saw faces that we’ve never seen in our gallery before which is part of the reason that we did this exhibit, to bring in a new crowd and attract different types of people so that they know who we are.”
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Ashten McKinney, owner of the Curatory Gallery, curated the ‘Living With Pride’ exhibit. “As a transgender/non-binary artist living in the south, I find responsibility in promoting the work and message of queer artists within our community, as it is through direct involvement with the stories and visual representation of one’s inner truth where we find a gateway to understanding — and this is where radical change is made,” said McKinney. When Beryl asked McKinney to curate the exhibit, McKinney began reaching out to queer artists around Western North Carolina. She also made a submission page where artists who heard about the exhibit could submit their work and be considered. “I had a lot of artists that I reached out to, that I wanted to be a part of this that were nervous about coming and showing their work here,” said McKinney. “So it really reinforced that there’s still work to be done.” There are seven artists participating in the exhibit with work ranging from pottery and sculpture to quilting, mixed media and painting. Many of the artists in the exhibit engage with their community through their artwork. Some are teachers, others therapists; all are from Western North Carolina or have resided here for several years and are part of the LGBTQ community. McKinney not only works to bring artists like the ones in this exhibit together, she also
serves her community by providing space, listening ears and ready conversation to anyone within or close to the LGBTQ community. “I have kids, and I don’t want to go anywhere. I love Waynesville, so I want to make sure there’s enough for the youth, the kids from high school that I’ve met that have come into the gallery that are in shock, that didn’t think there would ever be a place for them here,” said McKinney. “So if you want to stop breaking up families and you want people to stay and live and work here, start businesses here, give them stuff like this.” McKinney is most looking forward to what this exhibit can mean for the people that live here and need to see it. Because of the respect and experience the Haywood County Arts Council has in the community, she thinks this exhibit will serve as a bridge to connect more people, open more eyes and gain new allies. “From the work, from the stories, from that trust between the arts council and myself and them allowing us to do this, and Morgan being firm. Through all of that, I think we will gain some more trust where there may have been a little bit more skepticism and doubt,” said McKinney. The exhibit runs through June, but for those who are interested in going deeper, a “Meet the Makers” event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. June 30. The event will take place on the lawn of the Yellow House in Waynesville. Heavy appetizers and drinks will be served, and HART
Theater’s Executive Director Steve Lloyd and Artistic Director Candice Dickinson will facilitate discussion with three artists — Western Carolina University’s Ceramics Associate Professor and HCAC artist member Heath Mae Erickson, HCAC artist member Jason Pierson and Asheville based musician Tina Collins. “It’s an honor to be included in the ‘Living with Pride’ exhibit and the ‘Meet the Makers’ event,” said Pierson. “Us LGBTQ folks are valuable members of the WNC community, and it’s exciting to have this opportunity to showcase our artistic work.” The discussion will be recorded live by WCU’s Travis Rountree and Sara Steiner for WCU’s LGBTQ audio library. “As a representative from Sylva Pride and the WCU Jackson County LGBTQ Archive Collections, I see this event and these conversations as important in continuing collaborations with the LGBTQ community groups in the area,” said Rountree. “These events truly help LGBTQ community members to know that we exist and are here for them. Attendees at the Meet the Makers event can also participate in a community pottery making effort — Pride Pots: Community Conversations. “This exhibit is helping to foster different forms of art than are traditionally what you’ve seen here, and will reach more communities,” said McKinney. The ‘Living with Pride’ exhibit will run through June 26. The Haywood Handmade Gallery is open seven days a week, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit haywoodarts.org.
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Ode to Paul McCartney, ode to being together again
“Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Blackbird,” “Get Back,” Lady Madonna,” “Helter Skelter,” Live and Let Die,” “Band on the Run,” etc. The, perhaps, most powerful moments of the entire three-hour extravaganza came about during “Hey Jude” and “I’ve Got a Feeling,” with both selections eliciting intense crowd participation and this genuine sense of self amid the grand scheme of things, where thousands of jovial entities sang in unison, and yet for their own specific reason and purpose. As in the studio recording, “Hey Jude” live is McCartney sitting at his piano, all while easing himself into the musical master-
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Jackson County rock/reggae act Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, June 10, at Innovation Brewing in Sylva.
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The annual QuickDraw art fundraiser will once again be held in-person from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. The annual Cherokee Bluegrass Festival will take place June 9-11 at the Happy Holiday Village RV Resort in Cherokee.
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The Society for Creative Anachronism will present an all-day family friendly presentation of pre-17th century culture kicking off at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 11, at the Great Smoky Mountain Event Park in Bryson City. 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.
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But, it was “I’ve Got a Feeling” that conjured the absolute deepest of tears and goosebumps, utter chills up and down one’s spine. On the huge screen behind McCartney radiated the staggering clip of The Beatles singing the same tune atop the roof of Apple Records building in London in January 1969 (known as The Beatles final public performance). And yet, what was so incredibly powerful was standing there and watching McCartney sing “I’ve Got a Feeling” in real time in Knoxville in 2022, all while the late John Lennon would share vocal duties as the two legends did a duet, some 53 years and two continents apart — “Everybody had a good year/Everybody let their hair down/Everybody pulled their socks up/Everybody put their foot down.” Heading for the exit of the arena following the encore, I found myself with a bit of a kick in my step, the kind of kick that only comes about when in the presence of songs immortal. While thousands of people spilled out into the streets surrounding Thompson-Boling, I kept thinking about the essence of the Beatles, the eternal message at the core of the band and its ethos — “And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.” Making my way towards the Old City, I had about a mile and half walk back to the Jig & Reel. But, no matter, there was a Beatles song in my heart and a lightness to my being, interactions, and experiences from that point forward (or back or wherever you currently stand). That, and time is all but one moment anyhow, don’tcha know? Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
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June 8-14, 2022
mid a brisk walk down Phillip Fulmer Way towards the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, last Tuesday evening, I found myself quite possibly the last soul with ticket in-hand to enter the venue for the Paul McCartney concert. It wasn’t my intent to be a tad late to the gig. But, when your best friend in all time and space (who resides in Knoxville) is in need of counseling over a cold pint of ale at Boyd’s Paul McCartney in Knoxville. Jig & Reel in Old City (photo: Jeffrey Delannoy) Knoxville, well, you can’t rush the process of being there for your brother-inarms, let alone dart out the door mid-sentence when he currently finds himself at an existential crossroads. That, and time is all but one moment anyhow, don’tcha know? With the thoughts, emotions and sentiments of that conversation swirling around the depths of my mind, I wandered into the massive arena for the highly-anticipated sold out performance with tens of thousands in attendance. Though I’d seen McCartney in action several years prior in South Carolina, I once again entered the vibrant, overwhelming atmosphere of witnessing a Beatle onstage with the idea of simply taking in the whole spectacle — the hits played, sensory overpiece. For every word sung and note played, load stage production, roaring audience with the song — like many of the Beatles iconic endless ear-to-ear grins, with Sir Paul in the hits — slowly builds on itself. Layer after flesh standing up there in front of the micro- layer, this process of one voice soon being phone. joined by more forces at work, either instruIt’s hard to convey just how astounding it mentally or vocally, this message of togetheris to see McCartney in-person. I mean, seem- ness in a sometimes-cruel and lonely world ingly every single human being on this plan(or personal existence). et has probably heard a Beatles melody at By the end of “Hey Jude,” McCartney some point, with the vast majority of folks emerges from behind the piano and steps to on this space rock knowing dozens (maybe the foot of the stage, waving his arms to hundreds) of songs by heart. encourage the entire arena to sing along, It goes without saying that the music of each seating tier of eyes and ears another The Beatles is forever etched in our collective layer of importance to the process of not memory, this melodic touchstone we stand only the song, but also the moment at hand on for footing in uncertain times. The sound— “na-na-na, na, hey Jude” echoing relenttrack of our lives, whether we realize it or not. lessly throughout the space for several minEach person at the show has a cherished utes, ultimately signaling a beacon of light, memory attached to the lyrics and sonic texmore so nurturing camaraderie, in this posttures of the likes of “Maybe I’m Amazed,” pandemic era.
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On the beat arts & entertainment
Bluegrass All-Stars. (photo: Jeff Smith Photography)
‘The Good Word of Bluegrass’ Featuring an array of regional and nationally acclaimed musicians, the Bluegrass AllStars will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
Grammy-winner to play 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 area residents and visitors. For more information, call the library at 828.488.3030 or visit fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
Bill Mize.
Spreading “the good word of bluegrass,” the group features Darren Nicholson & Marc Pruett of Balsam Range, with Audie Blaylock and Reed Jones of Redline. General admission is $18 for adults, $10 for K-12. Doors and concessions open at 6 p.m. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on stecoahvalleycenter.com or call 828.479.3364.
Cherokee Bluegrass Festival
June 8-14, 2022
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. There will also be hot food and concessions available. Make sure to bring your lawn chairs. For more information and/or purchase tickets, as well as a complete schedule of the stage acts, click on evansmediasource.com or call 386.385.3500.
Rock, soul rolls into WNC
Smoky Mountain News
Popular Florida-based rock/soul group Shane Meade & The Sound will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, June 10, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva. Another show will also take place at 9 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville. Both performances are free and open to the public. lazyhikerbrewing.com or boojumbrewing.com.
Americana at Mountain Layers
Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, June 10, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City. The road less traveled has always been the way for husband and wife duo Bird in Hand. Bryan and Megan Thurman call the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina home and the region is directly reflected in their music. Bird in Hand is upbeat and new while still rooted in the traditions of American folk. The two have played all over the 24
Appalachian region, as well as across the country, and share an onstage chemistry that demands attention. They need to be seen live to understand the meaning of “Appalachian Thunder Folk.” You can find their debut EP, “Due North,” online at birdinhandmusic.com. The show is free and open to the public. mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts. 828.488.3030.
Maggie Valley Band.
Innovation Brewing welcomes PMA
Bryson City community jam A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 16, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of the Sawmill Creek Porch Band. The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — spring, summer, fall. This program received support from the
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.a
Concerts On The Creek The 13th season of Concerts on the Creek will continue with The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 10, at Bridge Park in Sylva. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or 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.
Jackson County rock/reggae act Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, June 10, at Innovation Brewing in Sylva. “Our music is full of inspiration from these mountains. Water, mountain landscapes, nature, trails. They all take part in the inspiration process for us. We are proud to call Sylva home and our sound could not be what it is without this town,” said guitarist Miller Watson. “It’s also really cool to see the similarities in bluegrass music and reggae and how they took shape from the development of African banjo. It’s also nice to bring a touch of reggae to these mountains.” Free and open to the public. facebook.com/pmamusic.
On the beat
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Shane Meade & The Sound (soul/indie) June 11 and a “Lip-Sync Battle” June 17. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com. • Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) June 10 and Arnold Hill (rock/jam) June 17 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. • Fontana Village Resort Wildwood Grill will host Woolybooger (folk/blues) 6 p.m. June 11, Doug Wilhite (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. June 17 and Guided By Pigs 6 p.m. June 18. Free. 800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Jordan Lee King 5 p.m. June 10, Watkins 6 p.m. June 10, J.J. Hipps & The Hideaways June 11, Jacob’s Well 4 p.m. June 12, Desi & Cody 5:30 p.m. June 14, Municipal Surf Group June 17, Arnold Hill (rock/jam) June 18 and Syrrup 3 p.m. June 19. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.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 with Ivor Sparks every Wednesday, Bird In Hand (Americana/folk) June 10, Jacob’s Well June 11, Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. June 12, Steve Heffker (singer-songwriter) June 17, Twelfth Fret (Americana) June 18 and The Dirty French Broads (Americana/folk) 5 p.m. June 19. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
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• 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. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-the-square.html. • Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Travis Lunsford (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. June 11. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse. • The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host The Carter Giegerich Trio (Celtic/bluegrass) from 2 to 5 p.m. every Sunday, Life Like Water (Celtic/folk) June 10, DJ Will Roc (new wave/alternative) June 13 and Eireann’s Call (Celtic/rock) June 30. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free. 828.246.6292 or scotsmanpublic.com. • SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) June 9 and Seth & Sara (Americana/folk) June 16. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655 or slopesidetavern.com. • Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Jacob’s Well June 9, Southern Rush June 10, Jon Cox Band (country/rock) June 11, Macon County Line June 16, Brian Ashley Jones (singer-songwriter) June 17 and Rock Holler June 18. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Karaoke Night” June 10, Moonwater (Americana/folk) June 11 and The UpBeats (soul/indie) June 18. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host Tricia Ann Band 6 p.m. June 10, Bridgett Gossett (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. June 26 and Darren Nicholson (Americana/bluegrass) 6 p.m. June 30. 828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.com. • Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host The Early Worm Band 3 p.m. June 12 and Ricky Gunter (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. June 19. Free. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.
Smoky Mountain News
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host Kate Thomas (singer-songwriter) June 9, Positive Mental Attitude (reggae/rock) June 10, The Never B’s June 11 and Circus Mutt (Americana/folk) June 16. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.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, Shane
June 8-14, 2022
• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will host Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) June 10 and McIntosh & The Lionhearts (Americana) June 17 at Town Square on Main Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
Meade & The Sound Trio (indie/soul) June 10 and a “Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show” w/Andrew Thelston Band (rock/jam) June 17. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
arts & entertainment
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semi-regular acoustic jam with the Main Street NoTones from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Free and open to the public. blueridgebeerhub.com.
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QuickDraw returns to Laurel Ridge The annual QuickDraw art fundraiser will once again be held in-person from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. The cocktail social will include an hourlong 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. • 4:30 p.m. — Cocktail Social. Register your bidder number and watch artists prep before the shotgun start. • 5 to 6 p.m. — Artist Stopwatch Challenge. Hour of live creation. Stroll and chat with demonstrator artists using fiber, clay, metals, glass, wood and more, all process-intensive mediums that enable them to work and talk. Each demo artist offers a finished original work at silent auction. • 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
‘The Devil Came Down to Georgia’ by Tom Nakashima.
‘Cultivating Collections’ exhibit at WCU
Smoky Mountain News
Western Carolina University will showcase its newest exhibition, “Cultivating Collections,” through July 29 in the Fine Art Museum at the Bardo Arts Center in Cullowhee.
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• Dogwood Crafters’ “Carve A Spirit Face” with instructor Ron Yount will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, June 16, at the Masonic Lodge in Dillsboro. Learn the skills and techniques for carving a “Spirit Face” in locust bark. Some experience in carving is needed up to intermediate carver. Cost of class is $18 (to be paid in cash on the day of class). Register by calling 828.586.2248 or stop by Dogwood Crafters. Deadline to sign-up is June 9. dogwoodcrafters.com.
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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. In this multi-year series, student researchers work closely with the museum’s curator to gather information about the artwork in the permanent collection and determine future collecting directions. This year’s exhibition highlights three areas of the collection — vitreographs, glass, and works by Black artists. The pieces on view convey the stories of bold innovators and speak to the importance of Western North Carolina in the history of glass and printmaking. “Cultivating Collections” through July 29, with “Cultivating Collections: Glass” on extended view through Dec. 9. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and until 7 p.m. on Thursday. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.
WAYNESVILLE TIRE, INC. • • • • •
• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops, including “Sketching for Wellness” at 11 a.m. June 9 and “Oil Painting” 1 p.m. June 9. For more information and/or to sign-up, click on southwesterncc.edu/scc-locations/swain-center.
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• “Living With Pride,” an exhibit dedicated to the Southern Appalachian LGBTQIA+ experience, will run June 3-26 at Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. The showcase will present contemporary works that celebrate the unique, diverse sense of pride and some of the challenges the LGBTQIA+ community faces while seeking equality. The artwork expresses authentic, diverse viewpoints from the LGBTQIA+ experience unique to Southern Appalachia and Western North Carolina. For more information, click on haywoodarts.org. • Dogwood Crafters’ “Designing and Transferring Your Original Rug Hooking Pattern” class will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, at the Masonic Lodge in Dillsboro. Participants will learn how to design a simple mat and how to transfer the pattern onto backing. Teacher will provide each student with drawing papers, pencil, sharpie, crack stop and a 20x30-inch piece of linen. Limited to 10 participants. Class fee is $35. Register by calling 828.586.2248 or stop by Dogwood Crafters. Deadline to sign-up is June 15. dogwoodcrafters.com. • WNC Paint Events brings you “Paint & Sip.” This is a two-hour event, and you leave with
newsdesk crafts
June 8-14, 2022
arts & entertainment
On the wall
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your painting. Anyone 21 and up are welcome. Events will be held at the following locations once a month: 828 Market on Main (Waynesville), Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva), BearWaters Brewing (Canton), Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) and the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin). wncpaint.events. • 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. • “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. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. See more about Macon County Art Association at franklinuptowngallery.com and like, follow and share the Uptown Gallery on Facebook. • A “Foreign Film Series” will be held at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Each month, on the second and fourth Friday, two movies from around the globe will be shown. This program is in the Community Room and is free of charge. Masks are required in all Jackson County buildings. 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. To learn more, click on fontanalib.org. • Farmer’s Market (with artisans) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through October at 117 Island Street in Bryson City. Stop by the old barn by the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies and preserves, authentic crafts, and more. Food truck, picnic tables and live music. Leashed pets are welcome. Outdoor event. 828.488.7857.
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On the street arts & entertainment
A Medieval battle. (photo: Ursus of Anglesey)
Medieval Times Festival The Society for Creative Anachronism will present an all-day family friendly presentation of pre-17th century skills, arts, combat, culture and world history kicking off at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 11, at the Great Smoky Mountain Event Park in Bryson City. The event is designed as an immersive, participatory experience, which will include Knights in Armor chivalrous combat, thrown weapons competition, archery, duels with rapiers, arts and science displays, a feast and dancing. Admission is $10 for non-members, $5 for SCA members and $8 for the feast. Bring your own mug, plate and utensils. For more information, click on sca.org.
June 8-14, 2022
Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival
• Women of Waynesville 10th anniversary party will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at the Event Barn on Gaddis Branch Road in Maggie Valley. A beloved nonprofit in Haywood County, the event will be celebrating and recognizing current and former members, invited guests, and honored partners. RSVP by June 10 to womenofwaynesville@gmail.com.
Smoky Mountain News
The 23rd annual Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival will be held from 3 to 10 p.m. June 17-19 at the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin. The festival is a celebration of the heritage brought to these mountains, that of the Scots and Scots-Irish, along with celebrating the historic relationships with the Cherokee. Franklin is home to the Scottish Tartans Museum. The Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival celebrates the history and heritage of our area and encourages everyone to participate. Scottish foods, music, clan parade, vendors and crafters, Highland Games competition, herding dog demonstrations, and more. Put on by Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum, you can learn more about the festival and its full schedule of events by clicking on tasteofscotlandfestival.org.
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arts & entertainment
On the stage
Don’ t Buy Dad Ano er Tie HART presents ‘Steel Magnolias’ This Fa er’s Day
WE HAVE MANY HATS, BELTS & SOAPS TO CHOOSE FROM
Affairs of the Heart
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
The cast of ‘Steel Magnolias.’
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 powerful bond of friendship. To make reservations, call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322 or go to harttheatre.org to make reservations online. HART Box Office hours are from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
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Celebrating
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120 N. Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.0526 • affairsoftheheartnc.com
‘Unto These Hills’ outdoor drama
Don’t live with pain, we have solutions. WE ARE ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
“Unto These Hills” will be held at 8 p.m. nightly throughout the summer at the Cherokee Mountainside Theatre. This decades-old acclaimed outdoor drama traces the Cherokee people through the eons, through the zenith of their power, through the heartbreak of the Trail of Tears, finally ending, appropriately, in the present day, where the Cherokee people, much like their newly re-scripted drama, continue to rewrite their place in the world. For more information on show dates and/or to purchase tickets, go to visitcherokeenc.com and click on the “Events” tab.
• “Quirky Comedy & Cocktails” will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro in Dillsboro. Showcasing the finest stand-up Jackson County has to offer. Admission is $10. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse. • 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.
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Smoky Mountain News
On the table Make your own spice blends
Call Us to Make an Appointment Today. 289 Access Road, Waynesville · 452-4343 32 Asheville Hwy, Sylva · 586-8950 188 Georgia Road, Franklin · 349-4534 49 McDowell Street, Asheville · 254-7716 35 NC Hwy 141, Murphy · 835-8389
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Jenna Kranz from Uncomplicated Kitchen will teach patrons how to make their own spice blends during a special cooking workshop at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Spice blends are great because, with just a few ingredients, an amazing number of different flavors/profiles can be created. Each attendee will leave with their own unique spice blend. “Uncomplicated Kitchen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Western North Carolina. We work to improve food
security through educational outreach,” Kranz said. “Our mission is to teach community members how to plan meals, shop for ingredients, and cook healthy, simple and affordable recipes. We bridge the gap between the food people have access to and the tools and knowledge they have to prepare nutritious meals for themselves and their families.” This program is free of charge. Sign-up is required. Space is limited. For more information and/or to register, 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).
On the shelf
Jeff Minick
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read,” then, is like the beach vacation itself. We seek a break away from work and the headaches and trials of daily life, and so head out to where the magic of sand, water, and sunshine will grant us peace, rest, and recovery. Throw in some shrimp and crab cakes, a evening glass or two of wine on the screened porch, and the cure is almost guaranteed.
• Paul Koptak will be hosting a book reading and signing for his latest work, “Circles in the Stream,” from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Koptak is Professor Emeritus at North Park Theological Seminary and author of the “NIV Application Commentary: Proverbs.” Free and open to the public. 828.456.6000 or blueridgebooksnc.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 4 9:30PM We invite you to a women's circle to honor our collective light and to remember what inspires each of us. During this Summer Solstice Workshop, we will start by building a unique and beautiful flower crown under the instruction of Jodie McCord of Great Blue Farms. Then, we will transition to a yoga flow with the intention of working with Cancerian energies and the light within. Following this, we will revel in the magic of Tarot, Oracle, and/or Rune sessions. Finally, we will close the night in kinship and conversation.
Head to our website for details! Registration closes June 13
274 S. MAIN ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6570 WAYNESVILLEYOGACENTER.COM
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And so it is with beach books. These mass-market paperbacks are built to take punishment: grains of sand, dog-eared pages, the drool from the baby you’re holding as you read, coffee spills, the damage done when you jam the book into a carry-all bag containing juice boxes, buckets, and sand shovels for the kids. And like our vacation, these books offer an escape. We’re in a place where our biggest concerns are getting too much sun or figuring out how to work the remote for the enormous television screen on the wall. We want adventure and romance, a story whose plotline doesn’t require more than a minimum of concentration and characters we recognize as good and evil. Doubtless there are people who tote William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury” off to the shore, or Soren
Kierkegaard’s “Fear and Trembling,” or Hannah Arendt’s “The Origins of Totalitarianism.” As the French might say, à chacun son gout, which means to each his own, but which I’d translate in this instance as “More power to these folks.” If you can handle Faulkner’s crazy Compson family at mid-afternoon on a beach towel at Emerald Isle, I’m impressed. But not so impressed as to follow suit. No, when I pack for the beach — and far too much time has passed since I last hugged the sand — I always load up a small box with books. A popular history, a biography or two, a shootem-up, even a Nicholas Sparks novel: those provide plenty of fun for this beach bum. The closest I come to high-brow might be an old Raymond Chandler Marlowe detective story or an Anne Tyler tale of Baltimore. Like so many other vacationers, I want to relax body and soul. To all you writers whose work is described as a “beach read” and to all you readers who enjoy those stories, know this: both you tellers of these tales and you who listen are part of a tradition as old as humankind itself. Like your long-ago ancestors who sat by their fires and entertained one another with stories, you the teller and you the receiver are doing precisely the same. So, here’s a lifted glass of praise and appreciation to Dorothy St. James, John Gilstrap, and the hundreds of other writers who entertain us, who take us away from ourselves for a while, whether we’re at the beach or lounging on the sofa in the den of our home, and who may even inspire us to aim a little higher in our own aspirations as we read of the struggles of the men, women, and children in their books. Thank you, all you writers of beach books. (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.)
June 8-14, 2022
ecently in this space I reviewed “The Broken Spine” by Dorothy St. James, a murder mystery set in a small town in South Carolina. At one point, I described the novel as “a perfect book for an escape from the trials of the day or for that trip to the beach.” This past week, I read John Gilstrap’s thriller “Lethal Game” (Pinnacle Books, 2022, 400 pages), the latest in Gilstrap’s Jonathan Grave series. The appropriately named Grave is a hostage rescue expert who along with a team of mostly military veterans specializes in dangerWriter ous situations and rescuing people snatched by the bad guys for a variety of reasons. In this current installment, Grave and Boxers, his good friend and a member of the team, are attacked for unknown reasons while on a hunting trip in Montana. While they’re fighting for their lives, their compatriots, the Security Solutions force back in Virginia, also find themselves mysteriously under assault. A vendetta is clearly underway, and Grave, Boxers, Gail Bonneville, and Venice Alexander, the group’s computer whiz, must figure out who these killers are and why they are aiming their gunsights at Security Solutions. “Lethal Game” is a fast-paced, actionpacked tale, which includes reflections on the meaning of family, friendship, and loyalty. On the back cover of the book are several blurbs of praise, one of which reads “A sizzling beach read for military action fans … the perfect summer read for thriller fans.” That mini-review gave me pause. Having recently described “The Broken Spine” as a great book for the beach, I wondered about the meaning of that designation and whether it was somehow a bit of an insult to the author. In other words, what do we mean by “a beach read?” If you’ve ever rented a house or condo on the coast, you probably found at least one shelf of books in a living room or den intended for the reading pleasure of guests. Most of these books are paperbacks, some of the pages may be corrugated by exposure to saltwater or dotted with drops of suntan oil, and nearly all of them fit the categories of genre fiction, with romance, mystery and thriller, and horror stories among the most popular. Using these items as evidence, a “beach
arts & entertainment
A quick review and a word of gratitude
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Outdoors
Smoky Mountain News
Protecting the nest Volunteer program aims to restore falcons at Devils Courthouse
Though they’ve been removed from the federal list, peregrine falcons are still listed as endangered in North Carolina. Mitch Urban/NPS photo
BY HOLLY KAYS OUTDOORS EDITOR or years, Blue Ridge Parkway staff have been concerned that visitor behavior at Devils Courthouse, a popular overlook on the 469-mile road’s meander along the Haywood-Transylvania county line, is hurting the organisms that live there. A new volunteer program aims to combat the issue through education, one visitor at a time. The rocky outcroppings that make Devils Courthouse a favorite spot for Instagram snaps also render it a unique — and important — habitat for state-endangered peregrine falcons as well as a potpourri of rare plant species. A stone wall marks the end of a halfmile trail to the top of the 5,720-foot overlook, but many visitors opt to scramble onto the rock cliffs beyond it, snapping pictures that are then posted to social media. These images entice others to visit and position themselves for the same shot — a search for #devilscourthouse on Instagram yields about 6,500 posts. Climbing on the cliffs, which drop off steeply to the valley below, is dangerous for people. But it also tramples the delicate plant species who depend on this rare, high-elevation rock environment to thrive, and it dissuades peregrine falcons from nesting there. One of the best-known raptors in North America, the peregrine falcon was once on the brink of extinction and listed as federally endangered in 1973. Banning DDT vastly improved the species’ prospects, and it was removed from the list in 1999. However, populations remain low in North Carolina, and the species is on the state’s endangered species list. In the 1950s, there was only one mating pair in the entire state — in 2020, 16 sites were occupied by peregrine falcon pairs and four successfully reproduced, for a total of seven known offspring. Every year, the U.S.
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Forest Service closes several rock faces across the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest during the breeding season to support restoration efforts. Devils Courthouse is a perfect falcon nesting spot, but escalating visitation and changing visitor behavior has effectively evicted them. According to National Park Service data, a total of 14 peregrine falcons fledged from Devils Courthouse 2000-2007, with no young produced 2008-2010, though single peregrines were observed in the area 20102015. Two nestlings were produced in 2016, but subsequent nestings in 2017 and 2018 were not successful.
“When people are getting too close to where these birds nests, if they do have a nest, and they feel unsafe, it’s common for them to either abandon the nest or no longer pursue nesting-like activities,” said Community Volunteer Ambassador Olivia Burke. “And then the plants that live out on these rocky outcroppings are very sensitive.” The new volunteer program, Devils Courthouse Rovers, enlists volunteers to interact with visitors and let them know if they’re doing something that might endanger the natural system they’ve come to see. “My belief is that most visitors want to do the right thing,” said Parkway spokesperson
Devils Courthouse is a perfect falcon nesting spot, but escalating visitation and changing visitor behavior has effectively evicted them.
Leesa Brandon. “Sometimes they just don’t really understand the consequences of one of their actions on a natural area like this. The education, I think most people really welcome it and are glad for it.” Outfitted for the elements with funding from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, volunteers spend three to four hours per shift walking the trail, hanging out at the overlook and chatting with visitors. While they’re primarily there to educate visitors about responsible enjoyment of the area, rovers also share their own knowledge about the site and may offer trip planning advice and hike suggestions. The rover concept isn’t new — the Devils Courthouse program is one of three operating on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The first one, at Craggy Pinnacle, launched in 2019, and its success led to establishment this year of programs at Devils Courthouse and Rough Ridge, near Blowing Rock. The Devils Courthouse program has seven established volunteers working a combined 20-24 hours per week, with two new volunteers on board and a few more in the interest stage. “We had learned from the creation of a rover program several years ago for Craggy Pinnacle, that having volunteers that were willing to be on site in very popular areas with sensitive habitats or fragile ecosystems was an effective way to help educate park visitors about issues and to help be a presence to deter maybe some unsafe or illegal behaviors,” Brandon said. Devils Courthouse’s status as desirable falcon habitat, however, makes that rover program distinct from the other two. “It’s an ideal spot for peregrine falcon nesting, and there’s not many spots like that available or even that exist, these bare rock cliffs. So it makes it a unique need for them as to their nesting spot,” Burke said. “All of our other rover programs focus on plants. Devils Courthouse has the plant need, but then also the falcons.” In Cherokee legend, the powerful mountain giant Judaculla danced and held court in an underground
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An impressive view spreads below the summit of Devils Courthouse. NPS photo
Jacobsen chosen as Haywood Waterways leader
Tour the results of four years’ worth of streambank restoration work 1 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at Elevated Park in Maggie Valley. Led by Haywood Waterways Association and Jennings Environmental, the tour will allow citizens to see the results and discuss current projects in the Jonathan Creek Watershed. Current projects include a feasibility study for several known eroding streambanks and stormwater runoff issues, as well as identification of issues for further evaluation. The completed restoration project removed two buses that were placed along the streambank in the 1940s to stabilize the eroding bank. Over the years, they began rusting and leaking pollution into the waterway — creating a concern for safety and water quality. In addition to removing the buses, the project replaced an eroding metal culvert with PVC and stabilized 160 linear feet of streambank using natural stream stabilization techniques. These included grading and adding cobble, a boulder vane, erosion control matting made of biodegradable coconut fiber, grass, straw, native plants and trees. Elevated Distillery also allowed 10 parking spots to be removed to build a bioswale in the parking lot. More than 1,000 native plants and grasses were planted alongside milkweed for a future monarch butterfly
waystation, and an educational sign was installed beside the stream. Construction occurred Oct. 1-5, 2018, with trees and vegetation planted the following month. The Town of Maggie Valley and Elevated Mountain Distillery were key to the project — distillery owner Dave Angel gave the town conservation easement rights over this section of land. For more information, contact 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.
outdoors
tive June 13. A meet-and-greet will be schedPreston Jacobsen has been selected as uled for later this summer. For more about the next executive director of Haywood Waterways Association following the departure of longtime leader Eric Romaniszyn in February. Jacobsen is perhaps best known locally as the man behind Local Yokel weather, and he currently serves as the finance operations manager for the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards. Jacobsen served on the Haywood Waterways board 2011-2013 when he was working for Haywood Community College as a sustainability analyst. He then left to serve as the University of Tennessee’s sustainability manager before returning to Haywood County in 2020. Since Romaniszyn announced his departure, the nonprofit’s board of directors has been busy defining the organization’s needs and seeking a candidate to fill them. Preston Jacobsen holds the new remote weather “We are so thrilled to have station he plans to install soon near Pinnacle Peak Preston coming on board because he in Sylva. Holly Kays photo meets our needs in many ways,” reads an announcement from the Jacobsen, read The Smoky Mountain News’ organization. recent profile of him at bit.ly/3915vfB. Jacobsen will take on his new role effec-
Check out a restored stream
Kids fishing event planned in Waynesville Take the kids fishing 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 11, during a free event at the Mountain Research Station irrigation pond in Waynesville. The event is open to all ages, with no fishing skills needed and all equipment provided. During the event, anyone 16 and older who would typically need a fishing license will be exempt from that requirement while participating in the event with the child. Meanwhile, kids will have their names entered into a raffle prize drawing for a grand prize Sportsman Lifetime License donated by Neuse Sport Shop in Kinston, with many other prizes in the mix as well. The event is part of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s annual slate of kids fishing events. Pre-register with Tanya Poole at 828.329.3472.
June 8-14, 2022
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Devils Courthouse Rovers gather for training. NPS photo we feel optimistic that the plants we all want to protect have a better chance at survival,” said Brandon. Parkway staff intend to closely monitor Devils Courthouse, for both plant growth and falcon nests. Even now, there are some promising signs — a pair of peregrine falcons has been spotted hanging around the area. They appear to be in the courting phase and aren’t likely to nest this year, but if they do pair up, they could well return to Devils Courthouse next spring. “This is late in the year for nesting activity anyway, but since the theory is that nesting has not been successful in past years there due to human disturbance, our roving activities could pay off quicker than we thought,” Brandon said.
Susan Hooper BROKER ASSOCIATE — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Smoky Mountain News
chamber beneath the exposed rock now known as Devils Courthouse. It rises above the surrounding spruce forest to 5,720 feet, with a strenuous half-mile trail leading to a summit offering views that on a clear day reach four different states. The rover program just launched this spring, so it’s still too early to tell how it might impact the site’s popularity with falcons or the success of rare plants. Even at Craggy, which has now had a rover program in place for three years, results are slow to manifest. Harsh conditions mean that plants typically take a long time to grow, even without interference from humans. “We have great Rover coverage at this location during popular visitation times, so
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outdoors
Bill seeks National Scenic Trail designation for Benton MacKaye Trail A bipartisan bill seeking to designate the Benton MacKaye Trail as a National Scenic Trail has been introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives following a push from the Benton MacKaye Trail Association that launched last year to award the 288-mile trail that prestigious designation. “The inherent qualities of the BMT make it worthy of such a designation,” said Ken
An autumn view extends from Lookout Rock on the Benton MacKaye Trail. BMTA photo Cissna, BMTA president. “The trail’s emeraldgreen forests, stunning vistas, rippling streams and rushing waterfalls exemplify the spectacular beauty found in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. If the bill passes, the BMT will be able to offer even better recreational opportunities to the tens of thousands of day hikers, backpackers and long-distance
hikers who take advantage of the BMT each year.” H.R. 7884 was introduced May 27 by Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen and is cosponsored by three other members of the Tennessee delegation — Republicans Scott DesJarlais and Chuck Fleischmann and Democrat Jim Cooper. It has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. The National Scenic Trail designation is reserved for trails that epitomize the stunning natural beauty of America’s wildly varied landscapes and offer outstanding recreational opportunities. Only 11 trails hold the honor, including the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail. The BMT crosses three states (Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina) and passes through three national forests (ChattahoocheeOconee, Cherokee and Nantahala), six Wilderness Areas and 93 miles of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail was first conceived in 1980, and today 95% of the route is only public lands, with just 15 miles on private land or road walks. In fiscal year 2021, BMTA volunteers donated 8,000 hours to trail maintenance.
Celebrate conservation at Roan Head to the Highlands of Roan Saturday, June 18, for a variety of outings and an afternoon social showcasing conservation efforts during the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s annual June Jamboree event. Outings will include yoga, an easy stroll and a challenging hike from the Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Areas. All events are free, but pre-registration is required due to space limits. For more details and registration, visit appalachian.org/june-jamboree-2022.
A hiker takes a break at Hampton Creek Cove in the Roan Highlands. Travis Bordley photo
Smoky Mountain News
June 8-14, 2022
Hike Hemphill A 3.5-mile youth hike to from Sheepback Knob to Hemphill Bald will step off at 8 a.m. Tuesday, June 14. Ages 12-18 are invited to come hike through rhododendron thickets and open areas featuring wild geranium, prostrate bluet, blue bead lily, false Solomon’s-seal, wood-betony and more. Registration is $5 and closes June 13. The hike is one of a variety of summer outdoor offerings for youth. Sign up at haywoodcountync.gov/209/recreation-parks.
Celebrate transformation at Max Patch Head to the Spring Creek Community Center near Max Patch 4 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 18, to recap, celebrate and recognize the positive changes that have taken place on the iconic site over the past year. Max Patch is a favorite spot for hikers, tourists and local residents, but over the past several years increases in visitation and irresponsible use have threatened its ecological integrity. The U.S. Forest Service, Carolina Mountain Club and Appalachian Trail Conservancy came together to start working on solutions, people donated time and resources, and the situation has now greatly improved. The June 18 event will include a presen-
A viral photo showed a packed Max Patch in September 2020. Mike Wurman photo
tation from CMC, the ATC and the Forest Service focusing on this restoration effort.
Trail experience welcomes first-time backpackers
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Take your family on a first-timers backpacking trip June 28-30 with Outdoor Mission Community. OMC will provide the equipment and take participants 3.5 miles on the Appalachian Trail to Ice Water Springs. The group will set up camp and stay there two nights, going on a day hike to Charlies Bunion the next day. Grandparents and grandkids welcome. Space limited. Sign up with Jamie Shackelford at jamieomc@gmail.com or 336.583.9932.
outdoors
John Redmond (left) and Steve Wheeler take a break at the state line. Donated photo
Fundraising bike ride ends at Lake Junaluska Johnson City residents Steve Wheeler and John Redmond spent the weekend biking from Johnson City to Lake Junaluska in hopes of raising $5,000 to help war victims and refugees in Ukraine. The two left at 6 a.m. Saturday, June 4, cycling 102 mountainous miles and arriving at Lake Junaluska before the Holston Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church’s annual meeting began its June 5-8 session.
Wheeler and Redmond are both staff members at Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church. From 2014-2018, Redmond was the pastor at English Speaking United Methodist Church in Prague, Czech Republic, and he worked closely with Czech pastors who are now transporting supplies to those affected by the violence in Ukraine. Money raised from the bike ride will assist these pastors as they help their neighbors. To donate, visit bit.ly/38PKhBc.
The return of dry conditions in Western North Carolina appears to have been temporary after massive rains last week erased all dry spots from the mountain region. According to the National Weather Service, Bryson City got 5.42 inches of rain May 23-27 and Asheville 5.54 inches May 22-26. The rains surged groundwater wells to daily record highs. The U.S. Drought Monitor update released June 2, which reflects data through 8 a.m. May 31, records a dry spot in Davie, Rowan and Davidson counties as the furthest west occurrence of abnormally dry conditions. In the eastern part of the state, an additional 10 counties are in severe drought, 14 are in moderate drought and 14 are abnormally dry.
June 8-14, 2022
Rains banish dry conditions
Energy efficiency speaker series kicks off borhood. Hite has taken efficiency and renewables courses at the N.C. Clean Technology Center at N.C. State, has been a member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments since 2019 and serves on the Green Environmental Management Systems Committee at the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville. For more information or to request a Zoom link for a virtual attendance option, contact wncclimateaction@gmail.com. Additional installments in the series will include a July workshop on renewable energy and an August session on energy-efficient transportation options. The series is offered by Creation Care Ministries of FUMC Waynesville and the WNC Climate Action Coalition.
Smoky Mountain News
A series of three workshops looking at energy efficiency and cost reduction techniques for homes and businesses will kick off 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 11, in the gym of First United Methodist Church Waynesville. Homes and commercial buildings currently account for one-third of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Speaker William M. Hite will discuss the most recent energy-efficient systems available to average customers, including lighting, HVAC and insulation. Hite’s knowledge stems from research he has done since buying his first home in 2013, a journey that included looking into tax credits and deductions and led to adding a photovoltaic array to his home, creating the first netzero carbon emissions home in his neigh-
33
outdoors
New natural area opens to the public Bobs Creek State Natural Area is officially open following a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, June 2, attended by Gov. Roy Cooper and N.C. Department of Natural
A drone captures an aerial view of Bobs Creek State Natural Area. FCNC photo
June 8-14, 2022
and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson. “North Carolina is a beautiful place, from the shining coast to right here in the foothills,” Cooper said. “Bobs Creek State Natural Area will help protect our water quality while providing a space for North Carolinians to gather and enjoy nature.”
Smoky Mountain News
Notes from the National Park Service
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Puzzles can be found on page 38 These are only the answers.
With 423 units covering more than 85 million acres, there’s much more to the National Park Service than the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway. Here’s a roundup of some recent news from the agency. ■ The National Park Service has nominated the ancient Ohio earthworks known as the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks to become America’s next UNESCO World Heritage Site. The group of eight archeological sites in southern Ohio were built during the middle Woodland period of 1,500 to 2,000 years ago by American Indians now referred to as the Hopewell Culture. Forming precise geometric shapes across great distances, they are among the world’s largest earthworks that are not fortifications or defensive structures. Artifacts show that the builders interacted with people as far away as the Yellowstone basin and Florida. ■ Amache National Historic Site is the newest unit of the National Park System fol-
Occupying more than 6,000 acres in McDowell County, the area was established in 2017 with the passage of House Bill 353, and the three-phase land acquisition process finished March 30. The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation will manage the property for low-impact recreation, water quality and preservation of rare plants and diverse natural ecosystems. Hiking, mountain biking, wildlife observation and scenic enjoyment could all be offered on the property. Bobs Creek State Natural Area protects water quality along 5 miles of source streams draining to Muddy Creek, the Catawba River and the Second Broad River. The Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation made the conservation purchases to form Bobs Creek. The land’s former owner Tim Sweeney donated a significant portion of the property’s value to the sale. Additional funding came from a variety of public and private sources.
lowing President Joe Biden’s signature on the Amache National Historic Site Act March 18. Located in Colorado, the site was one of 10 places the War Relocation Authority established during World War II to detain Japanese Americans forcibly removed from the West Coast. More than 10,000 people were incarcerated there between 1942 and 1945. It will likely take more than a year for the National Park Service to formally acquire the lands and establish the park. ■ The National Park Service’s oldest active ranger retired in March after celebrating her 100th birthday in September 2021. Betty Reid Soskin became a permanent NPS employee in 2011 and was 84 years old when she started working as a temporary employee. On the job, she shared her personal experiences and the efforts of women from diverse backgrounds on the World War II home front at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historic Park in California. Soskin made a “profound impact” on the NPS and how it carries out its mission, said NPS Director Chuck Sams.
WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Cowee School Farmer’s Market will be held from Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. The market has produce, plant starts, eggs, baked goods, flowers, food trucks and music. For more information or for an application, visit www.coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080. • Haywood County NAACP will hold its monthly meeting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Canton. Members will discuss plans for Juneteenth and ongoing work regarding schools. All people of good will are welcome to attend.
FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • QuickDraw for Art Education will take place from 4:30-8:30 p.m. on June 11. 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. • FUR’s 5th annual “Wet Your Whiskers” fundraiser will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at the Wells Event Center at 33 Events Center Way, just off N. Main Street in Waynesville. Learn more or purchase your tickets at www.furofwnc.org. For more information about FUR, visit the website or call Syd at 847.826.5431.
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. • Waynesville Art School will host Outer Space Themed Art Play (ages 3-6) from 10:45-noon Saturdays June 11,18, 25. Registration is required, $25. waynesvilleartschool.com. • Waynesville Art School will host Art Play summer camp (ages 4-5) from 9:30-10:30 a.m. June 13-16. Registration is $95 waynesvilleartschool.com. • Waynesville Art School will host Teeny-Tiny House (ages 8-14) summer camp from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. June 20-24. Registration is required, $275. wayesvilleartschool.com.
A&E
• Paint and Sip at Waynesville Art School will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m. To learn more and register call 828.246.9869 or visit PaintAndSipWaynesville.com/upcoming-events. Registration is required, $45.
n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com • “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. • 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. • 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. • Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com. • Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host a semiregular 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. • Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) June 10 and Arnold Hill (rock/jam) June 17 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 Woolybooger (folk/blues) 6 p.m. June 11, Doug Wilhite (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. June 17 and Guided By Pigs 6 p.m. June 18. Free and open to the public. 800.849.2258 or fontanavillage.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Karaoke Night” June 10, Moonwater (Americana/folk) June 11 and The UpBeats (soul/indie) June 18. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Travis Lunsford (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. June 11. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 or facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse. • Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will host Rocksteady@8 (ska/world) June 11 and Firecracker Jazz Band June 18 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park on Pine Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org. • SlopeSide Tavern (Sapphire) will host The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) June 9 and Seth & Sara (Americana/folk) June 16. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.743.8655.
Smoky Mountain News
• 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. • Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host Tricia Ann Band 6 p.m. June 10, Bridgett Gossett (singersongwriter) 3 p.m. June 26 and Darren Nicholson (Americana/bluegrass) 6 p.m. June 30. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 or valleycigarandwineco.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 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 4 different wines every Friday 11 a.m. to 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. • Dogwood Crafters Co-op will host “Tenerife Centers” from 1-4 p.m. June 9, at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Pine needle basket artist Joyce Lantz will teach the weaving technique needed to cover a ring and create a woven design that forms the basis of a pine needle project. Cost is $8, register by June 2. To register, call Dogwood Crafters at 828.586.2248. • Dogwood Crafters Co-op will host “Carve a Spirit Face” from 1-5 p.m. June 16, at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Well-known woodcarver Ron Yount will share the skills and techniques used in carving a “spirit face” in locust bark. Cost is $18, register by June 9. To register, call Dogwood Crafters at 828.586.2248. • Waynesville Art School will host Sketching Everyday Life with Pen (mini-workshop) from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, June 18. Registration is $75. waynesvilleartschool.com. • Waynesville Art School will host Painting with Palette Knife (mini-workshop) from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Registration is $75. waynesvilleartschool.com.
ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m.3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. 828.349.4607 or pm14034@yahoo.com.
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
35
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 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.-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. • 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. • A series of three workshops looking at energy efficiency and cost reduction techniques for homes and businesses will kick off 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 11, in the gym of First United Methodist Church Waynesville. For more information or to request a Zoom link for a virtual attendance option, contact wncclimateaction@gmail.com. • A 3.5-mile youth hike to from Sheepback Knob to Hemphill Bald will step off at 8 a.m. Tuesday, June 14. Registration is $5 and closes June 13. The hike is one of a variety of summer outdoor offerings for youth. Sign up at haywoodcountync.gov/209/Recreation-Parks. • Head to the Spring Creek Community Center near Max Patch 4-5 p.m. Saturday, June 18, to recap, celebrate and recognize the positive changes that have taken place on the iconic site over the past year. The June 18 event will include a presentation from CMC, the ATC and the Forest Service focusing on this restoration effort. • Head to the Highlands of Roan Saturday, June 18, for a variety of outings and an afternoon social showcasing conservation efforts during the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s annual June Jamboree event. All events are free, but pre-registration is required due to space limits. For more details and registration, visit appalachian.org/June-Jamboree-2022. • Kids in grades three through five are invited to Creation Care Camp, a free day camp June 20-24 that offers the chance to explore the outdoors and learn how to care for the natural environment. Contact Anna Belle Lamar to register at alamar@fumc-waynesville.com. 828.226.5086
WNC PLACE
Market MarketPlace information:
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Announcements
MV COMMUNITY GARDENS Yard Sale at the MVUMC Barn, June 11th 7 AM - 2 PM 4912 Soco Road Maggie Valley; All SURFHHGV EHQH¿W WKH good works of the MV Community Gardens and the MVUMC Ministries.
Business Opportunities BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. We want to Read Your Book! Dorrance Publishing- Trusted by Authors Since 1920 Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution Call for Your Free Author`s Guide 1-888-425-1126 or visit dorranceinfo.com/nc
Employment MEDICAL BILLING Train Online! Become D 0HGLFDO 2I¿FH 3URfessional online at CTI! *HW 7UDLQHG &HUWL¿HG ready to work in months! Call 866-243-5931. (M-F 8am-6pm ET) 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 5H-
quires 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 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 employHH EHQH¿WV SDFNDJH Interested candidates can send a resume along
June 8-14, 2022
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, or XQWLO ¿OOHG 7R ¿QG D IXOO job description visit http:// gownc.org/director/ The Mountain West Partnership Strategic Plan can be found at http://gownc. org/strategic-plan/ 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 characteristic protected by law. (828) 586-1962
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Medical
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Pets REMY FROM SARGE’S Remy is a shy sweet little tabby girl with big curious eyes. She’s about 2 years old and just needs a person with a patient and gentle hand to help her come out of her shell. Her adoption fee is $50. Please submit a cat adoption application at www.sarges.org if you’d like to meet her. (828) 246-9050 info@sarges. org OZZIE FROM SARGE’S ANIMAL RESCUE Ozzie is a handsome Pit Bull Terrier boy about 3 years old, weighing about 50
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lbs. He’s quite lively and playful, but not over the top hyper. He loves squeaky toys! He’d love WR ¿QG DQ DFWLYH IDPLO\ who will give him lots of play time and take him on doggy adventures. Ozzie’s adoption fee is $50. If you’d like to meet him, please complete the application online at www.sarges.org and we’ll contact you to set up a meeting. (828) 246-9050 info@sarges.org B&W HOUND/PITBULL MIX DOG, PEBBLES 4 year old sweet, happy girl. Well behaved. Loves walks/hikes and playing in water. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org GRAY&WHITE CAT, ASH 2-yr old adorable girl; friendly, playful. FeLV+; must live indoors; only cat or with other FeLV cats. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org
Real Estate Announcements WHITE-GLOVE SERVICE From America’s Top Movers. Fully insured and bonded. Let us take the stress out of your out of state move. FREE QUOTES! Call: 855-8212782 OCEAN ISLE BEACH DEALS! Prime ocean lot $1,750,000. $250,000.00 under market! Canal homes and condos great prices. Don’t wait! Coastal Carolina Realty. Call Stuart 1-800-NCBeach
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.
The Original Home Town Real Estate Agency Since 1970
Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents 147 Walnut St. • Waynesville 828-456-7376 • 1-800-627-1210
www.sunburstrealty.com
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Home Improvement
828.506.7137
aspivey@sunburstrealty.com
SOL
• George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com • Chuck Brown - chuck@emersongroupus.com
D
ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com
DAVID WILLETT BROKER, REALTOR®, ABR®, SRS, E-PRO®, GREEN, SRES®, RENE, RSPS, C2EX CELL:
828-550-0220
71 NORTH MAIN STREET
WAYNESVILLE
• • • •
Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@sunburstrealty.com Randy Flanigan - 706-207-9436 Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com • Darrin Graves - dgraves@kw.com
Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com
Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com • Lyndia Massey- buyfromlyndia@yahoo.com
Mountain Creek Real Estate • Ron Rosendahl - 828-593-8700
McGovern Real Estate & Property Management
Ellen Sither esither@beverly-hanks.com (828) 734-8305
Catherine Proben Cell: 828-734-9157 Office: 828-452-5809
74 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC
828.452.5809
www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey www.wncmarketplace.com
Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - esither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com Billy Case- billycase@beverly-hanks.com Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com John Keith - jkeith@beverly-hanks.com Randall Rogers - rrogers@beverly-hanks.com Susan Hooper - shooper@beverly-hanks.com Hunter Wyman - hwyman@beverly-hanks.com
• Rob Roland - robroland@beverly-hanks.com
cproben@beverly-hanks.com 147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE
Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Emerson Group - emersongroupus.com
UPDATE YOUR HOME With Beautiful New Blinds
SFR, ECO, GREEN
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage • Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com
June 8-14, 2022
• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com • The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com • Ron Breese - ronbreese.com • Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com • Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com • Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net • David Willet - davidwillet1@live.com • Sara Sherman - sarashermanncrealtor@gmail.com • David Rogers- davidr@remax-waynesville.com • Judy Meyers - jameyers@charter.net
Smoky Mountain Retreat Realty • Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com • Sherell Johnson - Sherellwj@aol.com
TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE
828.452.4251 ads@smokymountainnews.com WNC MarketPlace
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SUPER
CROSSWORD
JUST ADD SALT ACROSS 1 V-J Day prez 4 Not cooked 7 Epoch 10 Nails, as an exam 14 "-- boy!" 18 "There it is!" 19 Went by, as hours 21 Whet 22 Unmask 23 Giving monikers to flower holders? 25 Whale type 26 Bride's ride, perhaps 27 It might follow "So I lied!" 28 That, to Juanita 29 The lass I love with a twangy voice? 31 Fill with fury 33 Alaskan panhandle city 36 "No fooling!" 37 Embryonic thyroids and pituitaries? 40 Many a shareable PC file 41 Cry loudly 43 "Chairman --" (NBA moniker) 44 Brief review 46 Lake in north Minnesota 48 Broken stone used in paving 53 Actor Lane after improving his skills? 55 Amazed 56 "Will you allow me?" 58 Father, in France 59 Be disposed 60 "Batman Forever" star commanding a warship? 63 Barrage of shots 66 Fail to feed
67 Actress on HBO's "Insecure" 70 Matador 74 Levi's material 76 Homer hit by poet Tate? 78 Swing about 81 Old soda brand 84 The Beatles' "-- Tired" 85 "Better in Time" singer Lewis 86 Title of a sommelier training video hosted by novelist Gordimer? 90 Goes into overtime, say 92 Rival of Sampras 93 Heat energy unit 94 See 115-Across 95 Sharks' org. 96 Signing tool 98 Dilemma caused by quarterback Joe? 105 Men's neckwear accessory 108 Island porch 109 Beethoven's Third 110 Really mean porkers? 112 Biology subj. 114 Financier Carl 115 With 94-Across, designer with the fragrance Fantasia 116 QED's "E" 117 Rich founder of a loofahproducing company? 120 Newsy note 121 Jazzy Simone 122 Feeling bad for 123 Rural tract 124 California city known for its zinfandel 125 Highlander, e.g. 126 Positive reply 127 Negative replies
128
Bit of work
DOWN 1 Broadway's "Dear Evan --" 2 Debi Mazar's "Entourage" role 3 Beast breakers 4 Go back (on) 5 N. Afr. country 6 Surfer's ride 7 Attack verbally 8 "No fooling!" 9 Mag VIPs 10 Shout at sea 11 Breed of herding dog 12 Set up tents 13 Totally enclosed 14 Lion in "Narnia" tales 15 "Speaking," for a woman on the phone 16 Redpack container 17 GI on the run 20 "Do not --" (Monopoly directive) 24 Non-PC computer 29 Reckless 30 U.S.-Can.-Mex. pact 32 "Only Time" singer 34 Dawdles 35 Pant leg part 38 Singer Terrell 39 Fill totally 42 U2, for one 45 Medusa's killer 47 ABA member 48 Hr. fractions 49 Biology subj. 50 Vena -51 Tony winners, e.g. 52 Probe (into) 53 Fitness sites 54 Stephen of "The Heavy"
57 61 62 64 65 68 69 71 72 73 75 77 78 79 80 82 83 87 88 89 91 94 97 99 100 101 102 103 104 106 107 110 111 113 117 118 119
Foodstuff Griffey of baseball Operated Kin of "Inc." "There it is!" Best Picture of 1988 Cry of woe Big heads Nevada city City in 5-Down Not Rep. or Dem. Clean a spill Stately bird Attack verbally Not trued up Violinist Hilary Paragons U.S. humane org. TV ratings system "-- la Douce" Old Italian coins Climb, as a tree or rope -- acid (aqua fortis) Seer's cards Circular gaskets -- Raton Likely (to) Parrot, often Guy's stylish carrier As a friend, in France Kind of bar Sandbox toy Coup d'-Not "fer" Operative Crusty treat Brian of rock
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www.smokymountainnews.com
June 8-14, 2022
WNC MarketPlace
Great Smokies
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 8-14, 2022
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Smoky Mountain News June 8-14, 2022
