Cherokee’s Michael Bradley has been fishing all his life but has only been fly fishing for about a decade. During that run, he’s emerged as one of the best anglers in the country, if not the world and finished fourth at this year’s international championship held in France. But as he gravitates toward the more lucrative world of bass tournaments, questions emerge about what’s next. (Page 22) Donated photo
News
Test census to run in WNC in 2026..............................................................................4
Swain mulls what to do with opioid settlement funds..............................................5
Macon school board to request county funding for school meals........................6
Macon County Schools to increase pre-k after school costs................................7 Staff shakeup in Canton....................................................................................................8
Canton lowers restrictions on outdoor special event requests..........................10
Franklin High School cracks down ..............................................................................12
Democrats hit the campaign trail in rural North Carolina......................................13
Opinion
Reminders of humanity in Mexico................................................................................14 A&E
A retrospective on rock rebels Cake............................................................................16 ‘Conversations with Storytellers Series’ continues................................................20
Outdoors
Benton MacKaye Trail proposal heard in Congress................................................24 North Carolina free from extreme drought ................................................................26
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C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing), Adam Bigelow (writing), Thomas Crowe (writing)
There are no hard and fast rules about eating when going through cancer treatment. How someone feels is going to depend on the type of treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery), the type of the treatment.
level, taste, appetite, or weight, while others may experience fatigue, weight gain, weight loss, sore mouth, and taste and appetite changes.
One thing that is very important is trying to maintain weight and being aware of weight loss that could jeopardize health and treatment.
Some of the recommendations from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) are:
sensitive to temperature and not want cold or hot foods.
may no longer be appealing.
For more information see: During Treatment - American Institute for Cancer Research (aicr.org)
Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN
Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian
@InglesDietitian
Leah McGrath - Dietitian
Ingles Markets… caring about your health
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Test census to run in WNC in 2026
The U.S. Census Bureau announced the sites for the 2026 Census Test, the first of two major on-the-ground tests planned in preparation for the 2030 Census.
The 2026 Census Test will evaluate the viability of innovations and enhancements planned for the 2030 Census, with particular focus on improving the count of hard-to-count and historically undercounted populations.
One of the test locations selected includes Cherokee, Graham, Jackson and Swain Counties, as well as the Qualla Boundary.
people living in group quarters; (4) enhancing outreach efforts to create awareness, build trust, and encourage response; (5) enhancing the infrastructure that supports census operations; and (6) processing data concurrently with data collection.
The Census Bureau used a rigorous, data-driven process to select the sites for the 2026 Census Test and developed four main sets of criteria: (1) geography, (2) living quarters characteristics, (3) staffing, and (4) technical characteristics. The Census Bureau then analyzed household and geograph-
• Limited internet or cell phone service.
• A high percentage of households that don’t receive mail directly to their address.
• Seasonally vacant housing.
• A high number of multiunit structures and/or hidden units in urban areas.
• Significant housing growth.
• Universities, correctional facilities, military housing, and other types of group quarters.
“These locations provide optimal opportunities for us to implement all the changes and enhancements we have planned for the test, under real conditions and on a larger scale than research simulations allow,” said Daniel Doyle, deputy chief of the Census Bureau’s Decennial Census Management Division. “Together, these sites will enable us to test the improvements we’re designing in our efforts to get a complete count of historically undercounted and hard-tocount populations.”
The 2026 Census Test will focus on six operational areas: (1) making it easier for people to respond on their own online, by phone or by mail; (2) improving in-person household data collection; (3) improving methods for counting
ic data from censuses, Census Bureau surveys, and publicly available data to identify sites that met the criteria.
“It’s important to note that no one location covers all the requirements of this test,” Doyle said. “It’s the combination that’s powerful. As a group, they will enable us to meet all the testing objectives, while also meeting available budget, systems and other resource constraints.”
The test sites cover a mix of areas with:
• Historically low response rates.
• High percentages of historically undercounted populations.
• Tribal areas.
• Rural areas.
In addition to the test activities in the six sites, the 2026 Census Test includes a separate national sample. The Census Bureau will mail materials to this nationally representative sample of households, inviting them to respond to the test online, by phone or by mail. This builds upon the Census Bureau’s ongoing small-scale testing and will help the Census Bureau improve the 2030 Census online questionnaire and invitation materials. It will also provide insight on self-response rate trends, which will inform 2030 Census planning for field infrastructure, communications and other operations. The sample size for the national component will be determined based on the detailed plans in development for the test and available resources.
Now that the sites have been determined, the Census Bureau will finalize the design of the 2026 Census Test next year, including specific details about how operations will be implemented during the test.
“We look forward to working with tribal and local officials in these areas,” Doyle said. “Your participation will help us work toward the goal of a complete and accurate count of every area of the country in 2030.”
The Census Bureau plans to begin community outreach in summer 2025 and recruitment of temporary field staff in early fall 2025. Both components — the national sample of households and people living in the test sites — will be asked to respond to the test in spring 2026. Census Day, the test’s reference day, will be April 1, 2026. Test operations are expected to conclude in summer 2026. The Census Bureau will share updates throughout the planning process for the test. Because the 2026 Census Test is focused on testing operations, rather than on tabulating or disseminating data, no data products will be produced from the test.
Attempting to count every person living in the United States is an incredibly complex endeavor. Throughout the planning process, the Census Bureau uses research, stakeholder and public input, and a wide range of expertise and testing to inform decisions. The design of the 2030 Census will mature through 2029. The Census Bureau will continue to engage stakeholders and provide updates throughout the decade.
For more information, visit the 2030 Census and 2026 Census Test webpages.
Of the few regions across the country selected, the Census Bureau chose several Western North Carolina counties. Donated graphic
Swain mulls what to do with opioid settlement funds
BY MARRAH STE. MARIE SMN I NTERN
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If you have, please let us know what you are up to by completing this survey that will take less than 5 minutes.
Scan the QR or go to: https://tinyurl.com/munwec99
s fiscal year 2024-2025 begins, North Carolina’s county governments are receiving their third installment of the Opioid Settlement Fund. This year, Swain County received $236,111.
In 2021, multiple state attorneys general, including North Carolina AG Josh Stein, sued opioid manufacturers and distributors. Every state involved in that lawsuit received a portion of the settlement money they could use however they deemed fit.
According to Russ Harris, executive director of the Southwestern Commission, North Carolina was one of the first states that gave local governments a portion of the settlement and allowed them to spend it how they saw fit.
“The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners led the charge to say, ‘This money should come local because local people know what the problems are and what our assets are to deal with those problems,’” Harris said.
North Carolina distributed 85% of the settlement money back to the counties. The seven westernmost counties, which the Southwestern Commission oversees, received $35 million total, and Swain County received $3.3 million.
Counties will receive the money in installations over 18 years. According to Harris, this is a unique opportunity for counties to learn as they go.
“It gives a county the opportunity to decide what they want to do this year and then one year from now they can say, ‘We don’t feel like that’s working,’ and they can change course,” Harris said. “Normally you get a grant, you tell them what you’re going to do, and that’s what you’re going to do. You don’t have that opportunity to course correct over time.”
To ensure money was being spent the best it could, the counties sought support in planning from the Southwestern Commission. The commission worked with a hired consultant from OMNI Institute to devise a plan that could help each county decide what would be the best course of action.
The first phase of developing a plan was research. The commission worked to gather data about the number of overdoses and emergency room visits related to opioids. Then they moved to stakeholder interviews,
focus groups and surveys. Finally, they gathered county staff to share their results and ask counties what they wanted to prioritize.
“We have this regional level of information, but then we’ve also gone down to every county and worked with them individually to say, ‘What are your priorities?’” Harris said. “Everything starts local and so we gathered regional-level information and county-level and local information.”
All the research findings have been put into a document that will guide counties as they begin to make plans for the settlement money. According to Harris, this document will be presented in August.
Outside of the upcoming presentation, counties are required to meet annually to discuss the settlements. Harris met with the Swain County Board of Commissioners to fulfill this requirement. Harris presented the different options the board would have to utilize this money.
According to Harris, there’s two ways the money can be spent, option A or option B.
“Option A are 12 strategies proven to work and if you choose those, you’re pretty much ready to go immediately. If you choose option B, they’re a little more outside the box, you will have to additional planning and prove that it’s needed and that you think it will work before you can start doing that,” Harris said.
According to morepowerfulnc.org, option A consists of collaborative strategic planning, evidence-based addiction treatment, recovery support services, recovery housing support, employment-related services, early intervention, naloxone distribution, post-overdose response team, syringe service program, criminal justice diversion programs, addiction treatment for incarcerated persons and reentry programs.
Harris said counties in the southwest region that have chosen their priorities so far have chosen recovery support, naloxone distribution and post-overdose response teams.
Swain and many other counties have not yet cemented priorities and have chosen to continue additional planning to create a better strategy. Harris and his team will continue to do further research for those counties until they have a better idea of how to proceed.
According to Harris, there’s no legal timeline to spend the money, however the desire for action amongst citizens can create a social pressure for the government to make choices.
‘Bridging the gap’
Macon school board to request county funding for school meals
Cutline:
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
In the face of rising prices for school lunches, the Macon County Board of Education is set to request funding from the county commission that would ensure all students in Macon County receive free lunch for the coming school year.
“To bridge this gap, I think it would be really important to many families in Macon County,” said School Board Member Hillary Wilkes.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reimburses school nutrition programs for each meal provided to students — both paid and free meals. For the 2024-25 school year, the reimbursement rate for free students is $4.54, and $0.53 for full paid students. The USDA’s intent is for school nutrition programs to serve meals to paying students at a rate as close to the free reimbursement rate as possible.
Macon County Schools will increase the cost of school lunch to $4 for all paid students in grades K-12. This is up from the previous price of $3.75 for K-4 students and $3.85 for students in grades five through 12, which was approved by the board in June of 2022.
“This is mostly driven by increases in labor costs and food costs,” said Macon County Schools Nutrition Director David Lightner. “Our U.S. food costs are about $60,000 a week, and that does not include our other delivery companies. Our labor has gone up from $11.77 per hour to a starting rate of $16.07 an hour since I’ve been here and just to be able to continue to fund this, that’s why we’re having to look at the rate increase.”
The school system will continue to offer Universal Free Breakfast as well as the free At Risk After School Meal Program in the 2024-25 school year. The increase in meal prices will only affect students at Franklin High School and Highlands school, because students at all other Macon County schools receive free lunch through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a non-pricing meal service option for schools in low-income areas.
The CEP program allows schools to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting
household applications for free and reduced lunch. Instead, schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) or Medicaid benefits, as well as children who are certified for free meals without an application because they are homeless, migrant, enrolled in Head Start or in foster care.
Any district, group of schools in a district or individual school with 25% or more students participating in these programs qualifies for CEP.
Once a certain school qualifies for the CEP program, thereby allowing all students at the school to access free breakfast and lunch, that school remains in the program and can continue offering no cost meals for a five-year period, after which the school is reassessed.
With only two schools in the system not qualifying for the CEP program, Board Member Hillary Wilkes made a motion for the Board of Education to approach the Macon County Board of County Commissioners with a request for them to fund the discrepancy between paid meals and nonpaid meals for those students at Franklin High School and Highlands School for the upcoming school year.
During its most recent budget cycle, the Jackson County Commission approved a similar — though much more expensive — request from Jackson County Public Schools to
cover the cost of free breakfast and lunch for the five schools in Jackson County that do not currently qualify for the CEP program. Commissioners committed to half a million dollars for the upcoming school year in order to ensure all students in Jackson County receive free breakfast and lunch.
“Even if it’s not a struggling family, the cost of food has gone up exorbitantly,” Jackson County Superintendent Dana Ayers said in a presentation to the commission. “Even my own kid, when I pack lunch, it’s not a three-dollar meal like it used to be… so this would be a true community service opportunity for all of our families.”
Lightner estimated that the request to the commissioners — the cost of funding free lunch for the two schools in Macon County that are not eligible for the CEP program — would be just over $150,000.
“We’ve been given the gift of nine schools being covered, and I know there’s been lots of talk about monies coming into the county, the opioid settlements, and we’ve talked about investing in mental health, and I think food insecurity as a school child from K-12 is one of the biggest components you can look at in the mental health foundation for our students,” Wilkes said. “So, I would love to talk about how we can poten-
“There’s been studies for years showing that academically kids do better, there’s less behavioral problems, less absence problems, if kids are eating at school.”
— Macon County Schools Nutrition Director David Lightner
tially bridge the gap prior to school starting next month.”
While Jackson County just secured funding from its county commission to fund all free meals for its students, both Haywood County and Swain County are eligible for the CEP program county-wide, meaning all students at all schools in those counties have access to free meals and the nutrition departments receive full free-meal reimbursement for each meal served.
“There’s been studies for years showing that academically kids do better, there’s less behavioral problems, less absence problems, if kids are eating at school,” said Lightner.
The request to the county commission will have to be a best estimate and could be higher than expected. Lightner said that the current estimate of $152,000 is based off last year’s school lunch participation rates at Highlands School and Franklin High School, but that he expects increased participation in school lunches if all students are able to eat for free.
Board members requested that Lightner come up with a range of possible funding needs based on increased participation and current participation trends.
“I think it’s very doable to send a request for [county commissioners] to consider at their next meeting,” said Chairman Jim Breedlove.
The next Macon County Commission meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13. The agenda for the meeting has not yet been released.
KidzCare partners with WNC Farm to Table to provide food to families in need
provide in-season
KidzCare Pediatrics is the largest patient-centered medical home pediatric group in North Carolina with more than 20 locations across the state.
For more information on WNC Farm to Table visit wncfromthegroundup.org.
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Macon County Schools to increase pre-K, after school costs
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER
After the sunset of COVID-era child care stabilization grants, Macon County Schools will have to increase costs for both Pre-K and after school care in the coming 2024-25 school year.
“We have, in the last three years, received child care stabilization grants, and those grants ran out at the end of June,” said Jennifer Love, STEM Coordinator for Macon County Schools. “Those have enabled us to raise payment for our staff.”
The North Carolina Child Care Stabilization grants, part of the American Rescue Plan Act, provided $1.3 billion for the state’s child care system over three years to help offset costs incurred by the pandemic and instigate economic recovery. Those grants expired on July 1.
While the North Carolina General Assembly partially funded the grants through December with a stopgap measure, many say the funding is too little, too late.
anymore, I am going to need to raise the current traits in order to serve the number of students that we anticipate to serve coming this fall,” said Love.
Rates for after school care will increase by one dollar per day from $12 to $13, or $65 for a week of care and $260 for a month of care.
Macon County Schools is not alone in having to raise child care rates. In addition to after school programs in Macon County, child care facilities around Western North Carolina will be forced to increase prices for the coming school year if not more funding help comes from the state.
staggered rise in prices at the July 22 meeting with the monthly pre-K rate increasing to $650 for the 2024-25 school year, $700 for the 2025-26 school year, and $750 for the 2026-27 school year.
“With that being said, there would still be an offer for $100 off per month for school employees to enable them to send their children to pre-K so that they can work for Macon County Schools,” Love said.
Even with the price increase for pre-K, the program will still be hard pressed to keep up with labor costs.
“We are going to be getting a little bit more money that will hopefully get us through December when hopefully there is a new budget that is going to be approved,” said Love. “The after-school world and the child care facility world, we’re very hopeful that in that legislation and in that new budget that there will be sustained funding that will help support child care facilities and after school care.”
“This
“I’ve met with other after school programs here in Macon County,” said Love. “We’re all kind of on the same page as far as the cost.”
According to Love, parents are still eligible for a voucher to help pay for after school care, which they can apply for through the Department of Health and Human Services.
“So, many of our parents will be eligible for a full tuition rate or at least a partial
is not a mandated program, this is not a school program you’re required
to have, it is enormously beneficial for these kids to get into it because that jump start into school for the kids who need it is tremendously helpful.”
— John Henning, Macon County School Board Attorney
However, because the after school and pre-K programs need to retain staff members, and the stopgap funding from the state will not cover all that is needed, both programs will be increasing rates for the coming school year.
“Because we raised the salaries of our employees and we do not have that funding
Haywood TDA to Host Community Input Session
Have your say in the future of the county’s tourism industry by attending a community input session for the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority’s forthcoming destination master plan. The event will be held from 4:30-
tuition rate,” said Love.
Registration for the Macon County Schools’ after school program opens Aug. 1, so Love needed the school board to decide on a fee schedule at its July 22 meeting. All board members agreed to the increased rates. Preschool rates will also increase in the coming school year. The board approved a
6p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6 in Haywood Community College’s Juniper Building Auditorium, located at 185 Freedlander Drive in Clyde. This session offers an opportunity for the local community to learn about the advancements in Haywood County’s destination master plan and to contribute invaluable feedback. Attendees will be treated to light bites and beverages provided by Roll-Up Herbal Bar. Don’t miss this chance to
In the coming school year, the Macon County Schools pre-K program will earmark 50 spots for NC pre-K students — a state-funded program that allows families of a certain income level to access pre-K programs free of charge. However, these spots create another hurdle for local pre-K programs because the state only reimburses child care facilities $496 per student. The more NC pre-K spots a program permits, the harder it is to sustain the program.
“It’s been a while since we’ve done something like this,” said Board Member Hillary Wilkes. “Falling in line with inflation and the economy, it’s been a minute since we’ve raised rates and I appreciate that she staggered them to give everybody time to adjust.”
Superintendent Josh Lynch noted that pre-K facilities in other counties and school systems around the region are also having to increase prices in the coming year.
“[Brooke Keener] conducted a salary deep dive regarding what our surrounding counties are charging for pre-K and this is definitely in line and still less than what our neighboring counties are charging for their programs,” said Superintendent Josh Lynch.
The new rates will take effect beginning with the new school year.
“This is not a mandated program, this is not a school program you’re required to have, it is enormously beneficial for these kids to get into it because that jump start into school for the kids who need it is tremendously helpful,” said Board Attorney John Henning. “More than anything it is a tremendous support for the local economy because it frees up lots of people that might not otherwise be able to go and work to go do that.”
make your voice heard and contribute to the development of Haywood County’s future as a premier destination for residents and visitors alike. Admission is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. Visit bit.ly/HCTDAcommunitysession to make your reservation. For more information about the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority, visit haywoodtda.com.
Staff shakeup in Canton
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT
P OLITICS E DITOR
Just months after a staff realignment meant to free up then-Town Manager Nick Scheuer to focus on recovery and resiliency efforts in the wake of twin tragedies, Scheuer has submitted his resignation to Canton’s town attorney and governing board.
“Thank you for the opportunity to work with you all over the last six years,” wrote Scheuer in a July 16 email. “Despite my love for Canton and its people, the current workload is not sustainable for a single person to manage. I am very proud of what we have accomplished, and I wish you all the best.”
On March 28, Canton made a little bit of history by promoting longtime administrator and Assistant Town Manager Lisa Stinnett to interim town manager — the first woman in Canton’s long history to hold the position. That move gave Scheuer the ability to turn away from the day-to-day operations of the town and, as the newly styled “recovery and resiliency manager,” direct all his attention to the substantial to-do list associated with the 2021 Pigeon River flood and the
2023 closing of the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill. Scheuer, previously a transportation planner with the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Division, was hired in April 2018 as an assistant manager and was subsequently promoted to manager in April 2021, four months before the flood.
Building back from the brink
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT
P OLITICS E DITOR
After twin tragedies in 2021 and 2023, the town of Canton still has a substantial list of ongoing projects in various stages of completion — in addition to the usual long-range planning initiatives most municipalities at some point undertake. According to Canton Recovery and Resiliency Manager Nick Scheuer’s resignation letter, lots of work has been done, but there’s still much more to do.
FLOOD RECOVERY
On Aug. 17, 2021, heavy rains associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred raged down the Pigeon River, inundating downtown Canton, destroying multiple town facilities and killing six people along the way. For many projects, the end is in sight. For others, it’s not.
n Rhoda/Meadowbrook/Skyline Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project
A notice to proceed (NTP) has been issued and the project is underway.
n Town Hall/Police department FEMA project
Existing Town Hall demolition postponed until after Labor Day. Phase 2 proposal negotiations complete, including a 30% fee reduction by Creech & Associates. Phase 2 still needs review and approval from Canton’s governing board before the NTP can be issued.
n Fire department relocation
Since then, Scheuer’s been the point person for all things recovery-related in Canton, including a dynamic situation at the 185-acre mill site. St. Louis-based demo/developer Spirtas Worldwide signed a letter of intent to purchase the parcel from Pactiv, but the deal is still in the due diligence phase. The town seeks to negotiate several issues with Spirtas, including general economic development and a possible deal for the ongoing treatment of the town’s waste water.
Stinnett, reached by phone last week, said that for now existing staff and select partners would pick up the pieces.
“We have a very diverse staff that can handle the odds and ends,” she said, noting that newly hired Development Director Byron Hickox, formerly a land use administrator with the Town of Waynesville, would be particularly helpful. “I think we’re going to be just fine.”
Scheuer gave the town 60 days’ notice in his resignation letter and said he would entertain managing “a small range of projects or priorities” if that be the will of the governing board. There’s been no word on whether the town will take him up on the offer.
Mayor Zeb Smathers referred all questions about Scheuer to William Morgan, the town’s attorney. Scheuer’s employment is covered by public records laws that prohibit town officials from providing all but the most basic information about an employee.
Stinnett added that the town’s immediate task would be to assess the various projects and divvy up the workload.
“We’ll probably work through those fairly quickly and see how things are working out, and if we need to reassess, we will,” she said.
Phase 2 proposal negotiations complete. Congressional Designated Spending Request has been submitted to Sen. Thom Tillis and the town awaits a notice of award. The location of the new fire department has been discussed during negotiations over the future of the 185-acre mill parcel.
n Armory FEMA project
Phase 2 design and development is underway.
n Colonial Theater FEMA project
Phase 1 needs review and approval from governing board but has been tabled to focus on much-needed revenue-generating projects like the Armory.
n Camp Hope FEMA project
Requests for qualifications (RFQs) for an architect and for a historic preservation study mandated by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) are ready to post.
n Camp Hope bridge repair
Assessment and design are complete and are awaiting the development of a request for proposals (RFP).
n Chestnut Mountain bridge replacement
A NTP has been issued and project mobilization is underway.
n FEMA museum project
Awaiting flood panel delivery and final certificate of completion.
n FEMA lift station project
The first round of RFPs didn‘t meet the procurement requirements, so a second round has been posted.
n U.S. Economic Development Agency Flood-Affected Communities grant
A cultural resource study requested by
The recovery process from devastating flooding on Aug. 17, 2021, is approaching the three-year mark. Cory Vaillancourt
the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is complete and has been submitted to the EDA. The town is awaiting award notification.
n Flood risk reduction grant
Appraisal of the Freeman property has been completed, but the town is awaiting negotiations and potential acquisition of flood-prone property. Coordination with Haywood Waterways on a flood risk report is ongoing.
n Coastal Dynamics Design Lab flood monitoring/NCOR initiative
Flood model is complete, coordination with related projects is ongoing.
n FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant
The town awaits a potential award.
MILL RECOVERY
On March 6, 2023, Pactiv Evergreen shocked Western North Carolina by announcing it would close its century-old mill in three months and throw roughly 1,000 employees out of work. The economic ripple effect, and the future of the 185-acre mill parcel, remain major concerns for the town and the region.
n North Carolina LWF property acquisition grant
Supporting documents must still be submitted, however an application to the North Carolina Land and Water Fund has been submitted.
n North Carolina EEG acquisition grant
Then-town Manager Nick Scheuer (right) walks through flood-ravaged Canton on Aug. 19, 2021, with Sen. Thom Tillis (left) and Mayor Zeb Smathers. Cory Vaillancourt photo
photo
An application to the North Carolina Department of Justice has been submitted and will serve as matching funds for the LWF grant, if approved.
n SHPO historic preservation study list
A study list application has been awarded, but the town is still attempting to identify alternative funding for a historic preservation application that if successful would open up redevelopment and historic preservation tax credits.
n Mill site master plan
The St. Louisbased demo/developer attempting to purchase the mill site from Pactiv, Spirtas Worldwide, has expressed interest in moving forward with a master plan. Spirtas has signed a letter of intent to purchase the parcel but is still in the due diligence phase of the deal.
Comprehensive planning and development goals will point the way to the Canton of the future, putting all the cards out on the table for developers, property owners and residents.
n Comprehensive plan
RFQ is ready to post.
n Uniform development ordinance
Community Development Block Grant agreement has been signed and an RFQ will follow when the comprehensive plan reaches
n Recovery officer grant
The grant, from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC), currently pays Scheuer’s salary. His most recent progress report has been submitted.
n Mill negotiation support
Project closeout documentation has yet to be submitted.
n Waste water treatment plant negotiations
Preliminary analysis of necessary improvements are complete. Assessment of comparable systems and utility rates are underway. Other negotiations and discussion are ongoing as is coordination with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
n University of North Carolina NCGrowth economic impact study
An assessment of the full impact of the mill’s closure is underway.
n Mill site negotiations
Negotiations with Spirtas related to public health, public safety, economic development, flood mitigation and resiliency are ongoing.
n North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) direct allocation for waste water treatment plant
Siting negotiations are underway.
n NCGA direct allocation for water and waste water treatment
Budgets have been approved and submitted to the North Carolina Department of Water Infrastructure, and a range of projects like filter plant improvements and an inflow/infiltration study are underway.
COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
If nothing else, the twin tragedies visited upon Canton brought the town’s historic lack of long-range planning to the forefront.
n Capital improvement plan
Community Development Block Grant agreement has been signed, but the RFQ needs to be developed.
n Rural transformation grant
RFQ for the design and build is ready to post.
n Appalachian Regional Commission Park Street Streetscape grant
Transit-oriented communities (TOC) preapplication has been approved, project has been selected to submit application to the U.S. Department of Commerce by July 31.
n Recreation master plan
Community Development Block Grant agreement has been signed, but the RFQ needs to be developed.
n New business development
Discussions with prospective business owners are ongoing, as is the population of a database with entities interested in mill redevelopment.
n All-abilities playground
Project is six weeks from completion and private fundraising for a small budget gap continues.
n Chestnut Mountain North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant
Construction documents for the pavilion and restrooms are complete. Pavilion material is on site awaiting install after grading RFP. Reimbursement requests are awaiting submission to the North Carolina Department of Conservation and Resources.
n Chestnut Mountain Department of Natural and Cultural Resources direct award
The trail portion of the grant has been completed, but the project is awaiting the completion of the kids bicycle playground.
n Haywood County Tourism Development Authority grant for kids bicycle playground Awaiting procurement and construction.
n Chestnut Mountain stream restoration Project underway on Hominy Creek, as is coordination with TOC and Haywood Waterways for in-kind LWF grant for hauling and disposal of excess material.
After working their last shifts at Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill in June 2023, some workers left their safety equipment fastened to a fence outside. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Canton lowers restrictions on outdoor special event requests
BY MACKENZIE ATKINSON SMN INTERN
In the past, Canton required that a request to use public spaces for events be submitted four months in advance.
Thursday night’s council meeting changed that. The newly adopted special events outdoor policy lowered the submission requirement to 60 days to 120 days.
“We have lost several events because of restrictions,” Mayor Zeb Smathers said at a meeting last Thursday.
At the Town’s July 11 meeting, the Pigeon River Garden Club requested to use the Orchard lot to host a fundraiser for the club, within 120 days of their event. The board did not motion to approve the request, but the club asked if the event could continue and the request be withdrew.
“This summer, we had several groups wanting to have events, but they did not meet the 120-day requirement. We revisited to make the policy less stringent to make it easier to apply to host an event.”
— Lisa Stinnett, interim Canton Town Manager
“This summer, we had several groups wanting to have events, but they did not meet the 120-day requirement,” Lisa Stinnett, interim town manager, said. “We revisited to make the policy less stringent to make it easier to apply to host an event.”
“I feel like it’s a good adjustment,” Alderman Tim
Shepard said. “Two months should be more than enough time if they are serious event planners.”
The policy and application are difficult to find online, for a reason.
“Individuals that are serious about hosting an event typically call or email to have the application emailed to them or make an appointment to meet with the staff to determine everything that the event would require.” Stinnett said. “So much goes into an event; we strongly encourage the producer to meet with town staff prior to applying. This allows staff to better help the producer have a successful application prior to going before the board.”
Currently, if someone were to try and find this policy online, they would find some information in the Canton Code of Ordinances. Within the ordinance, an application to host a parade requires a written request 24 hours in advance to the chief of police, which contradicts the town’s new 60day policy. In cases where a 24-hour notice is used, the town policy would trump the ordinance in individual cases.
“These requests would be rarely granted due to the huge bind that it puts on Town staff to be able to close all the secondary streets, control traffic, as well as the monetary impact on the Town budget,” Stinnett clarified. “We typically have two parades a year that are Town-produced; however, individual requests would be considered by the Board on an individual basis for approval. They are considered a special event and would have to meet these requirements and Board approval.”
Alongside the change to request deadlines, there were numerous other changes throughout the policy. Now, 25 attendees constitute a special event, whereas in the past it was 50 people. Applicants for special events are now required to pay a $250 deposit 30 days in advance, instead of 90.
A new clause was added to address the need for police officers at the event. If officers are needed at the event the applicant must submit receipts for applicable fees to the special events coordinator no less than 20 days in advance. Cancellation of the event within 20 days constitutes a forfeiture of the deposit.
The new policy does not include Chestnut Mountain. More information about Canton town policies and events can be found at cantonnc.com.
File photo
Jackson TDA announces quarterly cycle for Tourism Capital Project Fund
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority (JCTDA) has announced a new quarterly cycle for the Tourism Capital Project Fund (TCPF), beginning in 2024-25. This change aims to streamline the application process and enhance responsiveness to community projects while maintaining a structured program.
Starting with the third quarter of 2024, applications will be accepted on the following schedule:
• Third quarter, Q3 ’24: July – September, Applications Due October 1
• Fourth quarter, Q4 ’24: October – December, Applications Due January 1
• First quarter, Q1 ’25: January – March, Applications Due April 1
• Second quarter, Q2 ’25: April – June, Applications Due July 1
This new schedule is designed to better accommodate the needs of our communities, allowing for more timely support and execution of projects that benefit both residents and visitors.
Under state legislation, the JCTDA may expend one-third of its annual budget on brick-and-mortar capital projects, including convention and conference centers, arenas and stadiums, sports facilities, performing arts venues, museums, and other attractions. This also includes parks, greenways, trails, placemaking initiatives such as streetscapes and public art, and wayfinding.
With the new TCPF structure, funds are available for projects that are owned and operated publicly or by nonprofits. A one-to-one match is required. Eligible projects include:
New construction, expansion, renovation or a replacement project for existing facilities with a total cost of at least $25,000 and a useful life of at least 10 years.
Purchase of major equipment (assets) costing $25,000 or more with a useful life of at least 10 years.
Major maintenance or rehabilitation projects for existing facilities with a cost of $25,000 or more and a useful life of at least 10 years.
In 2023, the JCTDA awarded funding to the Town of Sylva ($367,757) for Bridge Park improvements; the project was completed in spring 2024.
Full details of the TCPF program and the application are available on www.JacksonCountyTDA.com under the ‘TCPF’ tab.
Projects recommended by the JCTDA Full Board will need to be approved by the Jackson County Commissioners.
For more information on the TCPF, contact JCTDA Executive Director Nick Breedlove by email at Director@DiscoverJacksonNC.com or by telephone at 828.339.1160.
Franklin High School cracks down on attendance, tardiness, vaping
The Macon County Board of Education approved revisions to student and staff handbooks for several schools at its July 22 meeting, with the most significant changes coming for students at Franklin High School.
almost impossible for one teacher to proctor and really assist those 30 students coming from 30 different classes,” DeVille said. “We have students who basically abuse this. They listen to videos, music. We’ve had one student alone this past spring attend 40 learning centers and still get credit for that class. We had over 40 students miss over 20 days of class and still receive credit.”
The new attendance policy also changes qualifications for exams. As it stands now, students who have an A in a class are exempt from teacher-made exams, but not state-mandated exams. Now, even if a student has an A in a class, if they have more than five absences in a class, they will not be eligible for exemption from that final exam.
“We’re not going to reward you for laying out from class,” said Gibson.
“We’re trying to tighten up the screws and make sure that we’re preparing these kids to be successful after Franklin High School,” said Assistant Principal Daniel Gibson.
Policy is also changing for tardiness.
Gibson said that “quite frankly, if we’re just being completely honest, these students just have way too many opportunities to make up days. If you can miss 30 some days and be able to make up 25 of them and still pass a class, there’s some issues.”
“I had freshmen that had 43 tardies and still passed the class,” said Gibson. “So we’re going to tighten that up too.”
Perhaps the biggest policy change will be for attendance at the high school. According to Gibson, the previous attendance policy allowed for eight days of unexcused absences. After a student accrued more than eight absences, those had to be made up at a learning center — additional classroom time after school in which teacher supervise students from 3:15-4:50 p.m. The problem was that students could make up time for all absences beyond the eight-day mark.
At the July 22 meeting, Gibson shared some of the more stunning examples of how students took advantage of this attendance policy.
“We had a student that just graduated with 37 absences,” said Gibson. “They had 37 absences, and they still passed the class with a B-plus.”
“I’m sorry, but if you miss a third of the semester, theoretically, you’ve missed so much information there’s no way you should be able to get a B-plus in that class,” Gibson went on.
In public comment to the board during the July 22 meeting FHS teacher and school board candidate John DeVille called out these learning centers as “farcical” and a “charade” compared to true instructional time.
The new policy will allow for 10 unexcused absences. After 10 absences, school administration will call a meeting with the family. Part of that meeting will be to ensure the family understands that absences 11 through 15 can be made up using the after-school learning centers. However, under the new policy if a student goes beyond 15 absences for any class, they automatically receive a 49 grade for the class, meaning they are not eligible for credit recovery and will have to take the class over.
Gibson pointed out that in the upcoming fall semester there are 72 instructional days, not counting exams. If a student misses 15 days, they will have missed 20.38% of the semester. In the spring semester, there are 85 instructional days not counting exams, and with 15 absences a student would miss 17.64% of the semester.
“If I miss one out of every five days, I’m not going to be the assistant principal at Franklin High School very long,” said Gibson. “We are charred with preparing these kids for life after Franklin High School, we need to start doing that.”
Now, if students is late to class three times, they will have to stay after school for a learning center. This will not count for time, or make up an absence, but essentially works as a detention. After the fifth tardy, there will be a suspension of privileges which can include parking.
The new policy does not allow students to wear headphones in class unless instructional time is over, and a teacher permits students to listen to music.
Penalties for vaping are also strengthened in the updated handbook. In the past students have received in school suspension and out of school suspension for vaping, but now the penalty can include suspension for extracurricular activities.
“You’re not going to take away from what we’re trying to do here and still have your privileges,” said Gibson. “Being a student athlete, being a member of FFA, being a member of FBLA is a privilege, it is not a right. If you’re going to represent FHS, we want to make sure we’re putting our very best foot forward.”
The school board approved changes to the student handbook unanimously.
The board of education approved changes to the Franklin High School student handbook. File photo
Democrats hit the campaign trail in rural North Carolina
BY MACKENZIE ATKINSON SMN INTERN
Old-school campaigning is back in rural North Carolina, and this time it’s the Democrats leading the charge.
In the 2020 election, North Carolina Democrats lost the presidential election by fewer than 75,000 votes and are looking to make up for those missed opportunities this election cycle by turning to old-fashioned door-to-door campaigning and hosting events in rural counties to connect with voters.
North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton, along with Democratic candidates, met at the Folkmoot Community Center in Waynesville July 28 as part of a rural listening tour. Clayton and her team have traveled around the state connecting with voters discussing the importance of getting out to the polls.
“I’ve had people come and say, ‘I’m unaffiliated, and I’m here to listen,’ and the candidates are what we’re trying to really showcase on this [tour].” Clayton said. “You got to get out here and talk to people. I don’t think voters are monolithic, and I don’t think the party should treat them as such. Rural people want to shake the hand of somebody, they want to introduce themselves, they want to be able to have that conversation.”
President Joe Biden ending his reelection campaign July 21 has revived the Democratic Party, and the way has now been paved for Vice President Kamala Harris to take the spotlight for the Democratic nomination on the November ballot. Clayton and other Democrats on the ballot are looking to rally those missing 655,000 voters to the polls this November by lighting up the campaign trail with high energy and excitement following Harris’ candidacy announcement.
“Energy was really high across the state even before Biden dropped out, but this last week it has been dialed up to an 11,” Wesley Harris (no relation), current North Carolina House representative for District 105 and
Anderson Clayton, who chairs the North Carolina Democrats, has emphasized reaching out to rural voters. Cory
Rallying a traditionally Republican area around Democratic views is no easy task. Democratic candidates believe that getting out and talking with voters is important and they plan on catering to their values.
“I think freedom is a value that we all associate with, especially in rural North Carolina,” Clayton said. “Democrats for a long time have shied away from talking about this in rural North Carolina and I think rural women value the opportunity to have a choice.”
Seventy-eight counties in North Carolina are considered rural, and with roughly 3.5 million people, the state ranks second only to Texas as the state with the largest rural population.
Of the 5.5 million registered voters in the 2020 General Election, only 35.6% are registered Democrats, of which only 75.1% turned out. Roughly 655,000 registered Democrats did not vote at all in 2020.
North Carolina Treasurer candidate, said about the energy across the state after the announcement of Kamala Harris’ candidacy. “I am very optimistic on what we’re going to be able to do for the next 100 days.”
Clayton sees Kamala Harris rallying voters around abortion rights and education this election cycle. The North Carolina General Assembly rolled back abortion rights with S 2023-14 which made it a felony to have an abortion after 12 weeks. In North Carolina, 10,000 teachers left the profession after the 2022-2023 school year showcasing the ever-growing teacher exodus from the state.
“We’ve seen a gubernational candidate, Mark Robinson, say he’d like to further roll back those rights even more,” Clayton said. “Personally, the ways I’ve seen people talk about women in politics has changed under a Trump presidency and I think it’s only going to change even more with JD Vance as the vice-presidential pick and the way he talks about women. There’s a real harm to us this year that could come from that [Trump presidency] again.”
The Dems’ rural N.C. listening tour will continue at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 1 with a stop in Cherokee County at 142 Main St. in Andrews.
Vaillancourt photo
Reminders of humanity in Mexico
One of the greatest advantages of traveling the world is being reminded how similar we all are, regardless of culture, race, language or religion. We are separated by invisible borders that we honor more than we should. At the end of the day, we’re all human beings on the same planet. If you strip away our skin and ego defenses, you can’t tell one nation from another.
Last week our family vacationed in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, in Mexico. This city is located within the Riviera Maya region of the Yucatan Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea. The Yucatan Peninsula is bookended by Cancun in the north and Tulum in the south and is an absolutely beautiful part of our world, with jungles, an array of foliage and wildlife, Mayan ruins, cenotes and stunning waters.
Throughout my life, I’ve been to several different parts of Mexico and am always taken aback at how kind the people are. Not just the people on the resort, but everyone. They seem to take pride in their country and their work, and I really respect that. One evening in Playa del Carmen, we met an artist named Agustin Ehuan and watched him work. He creates most of his pieces through finger painting. In a city that can admittedly have a lot of touristy shops, it was refreshing to come in contact with a local artist and purchase three pieces of his work. Agustin was gracious and generous, and we plan to follow his creative journey.
We allowed ourselves to disconnect as best we could from work and life back home, enjoying activities like kayaking, boating, snorkeling, parasailing and swimming. With it being very hot and humid, we spent most of our time in the water
Women’s rights are slipping away
To the Editor:
I was in my 20s in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Legislative and legal decisions this year brought back memories from those days, and not pleasant ones. Married couples had access to birth control prescriptions after 1965; not so single women. Unmarried women were denied birth control until 1972. Hard to believe, but true.
Abortions were illegal until Roe v Wade in 1973. Illegal abortions could be had, but the outcomes often were sterility or death. Not a week went by during my college years that someone on my hall was terrified she might be pregnant. And, I don’t need to hear from anyone that women are responsible for unplanned pregnancies. We are not.
Incidentally, but related, I was a college graduate before single women could routinely get a mortgage, open a checking account or get a credit card in only their name. I expect most of you can’t imagine a life with those restrictions.
I’d like to think it might be hard to take these “rights” away from women, but the courts and legislatures have already started down that slippery slope. Please consider this
or the shade, but one day we braved the heat and rode bikes to visit local ruins, then biked on in to the downtown port area of Playa del Carmen. We shopped and stopped by Parque Los Fundadores to see the Portal Maya sculpture, a soaring arch that pays homage to Mayan culture and serves as a popular backdrop for photographs.
Of all the water activities, snorkeling on a coral reef was by far my favorite. I felt like a mermaid, swimming along the reef and seeing the coral, schools of colorful fish and other marine organisms. The only problem was it wasn’t nearly long enough. We decided that next time we hope to charter our own snorkeling boat somehow so we can spend as much time as we want underwater.
Back at the resort, we experienced our first silent DJ party which was exhilarating. This is when all guests wear wireless headphones and a DJ broadcasts different channels of music through the headphones as opposed to over a loudspeaker. I’ve written recently and talked on my podcast about working to be more playful and less pensive. That night we danced and laughed for almost two hours straight and I must say, it felt amazing to be silly and carefree, making me wonder why I don’t do it more often.
With all this being said about beauty, excitement and whimsy, the trip wasn’t all fun and games. On our first full day, my younger son got stung by a jellyfish after being in the water for only 30 minutes. With three welts bubbling imme-
LETTERS
come November.
Karen Patterson Highlands
Regarding the Nikwasi Initiative’s promises
Is anyone questioning Cherokee's Chief Hicks who demanded the town turn over the deed to the mound to the Nikwasi Foundation and the promises of all the upgrading of east Franklin with an apple orchard, renovation of the old Dan's Auto facility?
Nothing has happened, but yet there were all these promises from the Nikwasi Initiative. Nothing has happened, and the old Simpson oil property across from Main Spring and the Frog Quarters remains a gravel desert mostly used as a parking lot.
The Sowing the Seeds of the Future has become an icon of Franklin, but it is surrounded by a scalped Mound and an empty building. None of the promises of the Tribe or Nikwasi Initiative have been met. Why?
If I am wrong, I will apologize in advance, but as the former mayor who had doubts about this deal from day one, I am questioning where this is now!
diately, I rushed him over to a lifeguard who spoke minimal English while I spoke minimal Spanish, but with some simple words, hand gestures and the obvious evidence on my child’s thigh, the lifeguard understood what happened. He retrieved a spray bottle from his bag and vigorously sprayed the liquid on the welts. The strong smell of vinegar filled my nostrils. Come to find out, as I’m sure some of you may already know, after cleaning the sting with water, spraying household vinegar is the first thing you should do. We then went back to our room and I put a combination of high quality lavender essential oil and Aquaphor on the welts and a few hours later, the pain and swelling were gone.
Fast forward to our last morning in Mexico when three of the six of us woke up with significant gastrointestinal issues. We’re still not sure if it was something we ate or if we caught a virus, but nonetheless it was not fun to travel all day when feeling so puny. The good news is everyone was feeling almost 100 percent within 24 hours. Additionally, at the airport, we had a delay presumably because of the Crowdstrike outage and then just when we were about to board, the entire airport lost power and we had to wait another 45 minutes before that was resolved.
Despite some setbacks, when I look at pictures of the trip and think of all the laughs, inside jokes, people we met, food we ate and waters we touched, I feel nothing but joy and gratitude. I’m so very grateful that we got the opportunity to be together for a week in a place of kind, generous people and unparalleled beauty.
(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)
Where are all the grandiose promises? The proposed museum for example.
Bob Scott
Former Mayor of Franklin
I won’t force my beliefs on you
To the Editor:
One of the things I find baffling about those on the other side of the political divide is that their fight for certain policies is inconsistent with a core value they espouse.
My opponents on the Right declare that they want much less government control. They state that laws and governmental regulations should interfere with our personal beliefs and rights as little as possible. That small government is a good thing.
And yet … they have implemented, where they can get away with it: confining regulations around women’s health care, deciding what books we can have access to in libraries or schools, and controlling what religion should be emphasized in public school settings. They have made it clear that they would like to ban gay marriage. They want rules around elections that limit who can vote, rather than making sure everyone who can vote legally has ways to do so. They do want
anyone to be free to own a gun, but no to be free to decide what type of birth control to use.
I would like my opponents to consider this: if we do things your way, I am limited in my reading choices, in choosing the best options for medical care regarding reproductive health, I cannot openly love or marry whomever I want, and I cannot choose how and what I want to believe about religious practices. However, if we do things my way, I will never force you to read a book you do to want to read, I will never insist that you have an abortion or use any form of birth control, I will never force you into a gay relationship or marriage, and I will never insist that you consider any of the worlds spiritual beliefs or religions beyond your narrow interpretation of Christianity. You will have all your freedoms to believe and live as you choose.
Why can you not give me the same freedoms? What makes you think you know what is best for me? I would not presume to force my beliefs on you. That is what freedom means. That we go about our lives with mutual respect, and without government control of our most personal choices.
Think about it.
Judy LeRoy Robinson Sylva
Susanna Shetley
A retrospective on rock rebels Cake
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR
In the vast annals of American rock music, alternative rock act Cake remains a beacon of eccentricity — this sonic love letter to quirky individuality and creative freedom. It’s a unique blend of rock, country and funk, the sum of which swirling around the spokenword prose of lead singer John McCrea.
“We still exist probably because we’ve always stayed outside of current trends, watched them inflate and deflate,” McCrea said. “We’ve never been invited to the party, so we’ve never had to leave the party when the police arrived. It’s a sad and beautiful world.”
Bubbling up from Sacramento, California in 1991, the ensemble garnered an immediate buzz within the underground scene, eventually heading west via Interstate 80 towards San Francisco. Its signature brand of “country funk” evolved and found its own identity, especially through the trumpet of Vince DiFiore — a powerful tone that has become the band’s calling card.
“It takes strong songwriting, a consistent work ethic, an ability to adapt and a recognizable sound to survive,” DiFiore said. “Of the greatest importance is a band that has strong individualism, plus a strong recognition of the need to cooperate.”
“We still exist probably because we’ve always stayed outside of current trends, watched them inflate and deflate.”
— John McCrea
of cherished tunes stand on its own, an eternal ode to the band’s purposely stubborn refusal to fall in sync with industry standards.
“If it’s a hit, great, but who can predict what the world will like?” said former bassist Gabe Nelson. “It’s all about competing against yourself.”
AVLfest returns to WNC
Amid all of the incredible live music permeating throughout Western North Carolina the summer, the second annual AVLfest will be returning Aug. 1-4 in Asheville.
Of the biggest arts and culture stories for WNC last year came the inaugural AVLfest. Overtaking dozens of venues around Asheville, hundreds of bands were featured throughout the gathering. To which, the event itself was a resounding success, onstage and in the audience.
If you were there, you already know how incredible it was. If you’re just hearing about AVLfest, make sure to put it on your calendar to attend. If live music is your thing, this will be one of the most fun and invigorating events all year in WNC.
Presenting more than 300 acts, the core focus of the festival is to put the spotlight on the countless talented groups bubbling up from (and roaming around) our own backyard.
As well, Smoky Mountain News Arts & Entertainment Editor Garret K. Woodward will be hosting a handful of live Q&A panels with AVLfest artists throughout the weekend at Citizen Vinyl. Dubbed “Liner Notes,” the series of discussions will feature local, regional and national acts in intimate conversations in front of a live audience, who will also be allowed to ask questions directly to the artists.
Suddenly, Cake found themselves thrust into the limelight, its off-the-beaten-path approach to rock music resonating with audiences hungry for something fresh and different in the late 1990s and beyond.
With the 1998 release of “Prolonging the Magic” (“Never There,” “Sheep Go To Heaven”) and 2001’s “Comfort Eagle” (“Short Skirt/Long Jacket”), Cake secured its place among iconic rock acts of the era — a position it has held onto with great pride and strength, all while pressing ahead into the next phase of its fascinating, albeit wild and wondrous, journey.
Its debut album, “Motorcade of Generosity” (1994), introduced audiences to Cake’s unconventional sound. But, it was the subsequent album, “Fashion Nugget” (1996), that catapulted the outfit into the mainstream airwaves. Cake blew industry doors open with its hit single “The Distance,” which was also accompanied by an unusual rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 hit number “I Will Survive.”
Yet, aside from its success, Cake retains a particular indifference, always sidestepping the trapdoors of success in the name of artistic integrity. Simply put, Cake lets its catalog
As time marches on, Cake has continued to defy expectations. Albums like “Pressure Chief” (2004) and “Showroom of Compassion” (2011) pushed the group’s sonic boundaries further, its eclectic musical palette ever-expanding. In recent years, there’s been ongoing conversations within the band to release new material.
Regardless, Cake has remained true to its roots, delivering a trademark blend of wit and irreverence with every note — this crossroads of keen intellect and intrinsic sensibilities, subtle sarcasm and immense swagger.
Now entering its fourth decade together, Cake’s melodies remain as relevant and refreshing as ever — a testament to the enduring power of artistic vision and creative intent. In a world obsessed with conformity, Cake is a stoic reminder that being a little bit weird and off-center is just you being honest and true to yourself.
“I don’t think hits matter. Hits are chewed on like gum and then tossed aside,” Nelson said. “I think a song that moves the emotions or provokes a new thought is what is important. Finding a way to optimize the song, to present it or arrange it in the best possible way, that is the goal.”
For more information, a full schedule of performances and/or to purchase tickets, go to avlfest.com.
Want to go?
Idiosyncratic alt-rock group Cake will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, at Rabbit Rabbit in Asheville. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at $59.50 per person. The show is all ages. Rain or shine.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to rabbitrabbitavl.com.
Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters will play AVLfest. File photo
Cake will play Asheville Aug. 8. File photo
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
‘We were feeling very fine, the air was clear and slightly damp’
Hello from the passenger seat of my Toyota Tacoma. Seeing as my deadline for this week’s column was nearing midnight on Sunday, I decided to pull over at the nearest exit and let my girlfriend, Sarah, take over driving duties. Pop open the laptop and off we go, eh?
Exit 26. Emory, Virginia. Mile-marker
26.9. Interstate 81 South. Silhouettes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A blanket of darkness across the silent landscape. That ole lost highway through Southern Appalachia. While many are either already in for the night or fast asleep in preparation for Monday morning, here we cruise along, headlong into the unknown night.
With FloydFest now in the rearview mirror, the sounds of David Crosby’s seminal 1971 album “If I Could Only Remember My Name” spill out the truck stereo. “Traction in The Rain” swirls around the inside of the vehicle, the millions of thoughts of one’s life conjured with the soothing nature and vibrato of Crosby’s voice.
Between my assignment covering FloydFest — the massive annual music gathering in the backwoods of Virginia — and still recovering from the planes, trains and automobiles saga of returning back to Western North Carolina from recent wanderings and ponderings in Montana and points elsewhere, my mind and body are aching for a hot shower at home and simply kicking back in the recliner.
or find a corner in the airport to catch a snooze. Unpacking our bags in Room 340 instead of in our apartment in Waynesville, it was decided to make the most of it and see what was around. How about grab a bite and a drink at the hotel bar, then find some live music nearby? Sarah concurred.
Turns out every Sunday night since 1987, local funk-n-soul act Dr. Mambo’s Combo has been hitting the stage at Bunkers Music Bar & Grill. Get a taxi and head down Washington Avenue. Skyscrapers and financial districts. Quiet Sunday night streets. Empty, except for the headlights and taillights of other taxis carrying other stranded travelers. Hop out at Bunkers right as the music kicks off.
With the sounds of tributes to soul legends — including poignant takes on Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusherman” and The Staple Singers “I’ll Take You There” — radiating from the dimly-lit stage on the other side of the bar counter, we could only shake our heads and smile with gratitude and awe at where we ended up by happenstance.
Sipping our beverages under neon lights and surrounded by the kind and funky souls of late night in the Twin Cities, it was the first real time Sarah and I had a brief moment to
HOT PICKS
1
The 15th season of the annual “Concerts on the Creek” music series will present Natti Love Joys (roots/reggae) at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
2
As part of the “Pigeon Community Conversations with Storytellers Series,” Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, located at 450 Pigeon St. in Waynesville.
3
The “An Appalachian Evening” series will continue with a performance by Mean Mary at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, in Lynn L. Shields Auditorium at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
4
An evening of art, music and shopping, “Art After Dark” will continue from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, in downtown Waynesville.
5
Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (Waynesville) will host “A Night Of Jazz” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, and The Cello Encore (classical) 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4.
And so goes the life of a journalist. Always on the run toward somewhere, anywhere. Only to be seen in a flash, perhaps in passing. Only to be read in the newspaper days after said whereabouts were discovered and jotted down for all of Haywood County and beyond to peel back and scope out the wide-open nature of a writer in pursuit of what lies just around the corner.
It all started in Minnesota, exactly a week ago. After a couple of weeks roaming around the Midwest and Rocky Mountains, Sarah and I circled back to Minneapolis for our supposed flight early Sunday afternoon.
With the recent software fiasco wreaking havoc on the airline industry, we figured we might be able to skate by unscathed. But, we figured wrong after several delays and an inevitable cancellation of our flight back to Asheville. Now stuck in Minneapolis, we scrambled to find a scarce hotel room for the night.
Bite the bullet on room at the swanky Westin in downtown Minneapolis. Either that
rehash and start to unravel the beauty and splendor of what it meant to meander through Montana, Wyoming, North/South Dakota and Minnesota.
Glacier National Park. Waterfalls hundreds of feet high flowing down mountainsides thousands of feet tall. Mountain goats and majestic rams. Hot summer sunshine and crystal blues waters. Pull the car over and jump into the nearest ancient river. A rebirth of sorts within the heart and soul of those who continue to explore, within themselves and within the greater world around them.
Juicy cheeseburgers at the Missoula Club. Lingering signs of long-gone old-timers who once rambled through this legendary Montana watering hole, as seen by large chunks carved out of the antique wooden bar, each meant to hold their unfiltered cigarettes.
Deadwood, South Dakota. The 6 p.m. Old West shootout on Main Street. Sidewalks full of folks from here, there and everywhere watching the gun battle unfold. Step into the Wild Bill Bar (aka: Saloon No. 10) where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed on Aug. 2, 1876, while playing poker — his pair of black aces and pair of black eights now known as the “dead man’s hand.”
And that late afternoon jog around Mountain Lake in middle-of-nowhere Minnesota, not far off Route 60. Trotting around the serene body of water, I was immersed in utter tranquility being the only person on the trail, the silence periodically broken by crickets and a lone owl readying itself for the impending evening prowl.
Back to the reality at-hand in Minneapolis. Nearing midnight, we still hadn’t figure out how to get home. No flights available, with the only ones to Asheville being on Thursday. Of those available for Monday (the next day), the prices had skyrocketed due to demand from other cancellations. No Amtrak or Greyhound seats, either. Eventually, we booked a flight. Early Tuesday morning to Cincinnati, Ohio. The only airport that allowed a one-way rental car drop-off in Asheville. Thus, a 6 a.m. shuttle to the airport, two-hour flight finally crossing into the southeast, then a six-hour drive straight back home through rural Kentucky and Tennessee.
No matter, for the road is life. As Jack Kerouac says, “Live, travel, bless, and don’t be sorry.” He also noted, “Happiness consists in realizing it is all a great strange dream.” I tend to agree.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
Outside of Deadwood, South Dakota.
Garret K. Woodward photo
‘An Appalachian Evening’
• American Legion Post 47 (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” 3 p.m. every Tuesday. Free and open to the public. 828.456.8691.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8-10 p.m. every Thursday. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 / balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host an “Open Jam” 6 p.m. every Tuesday and Jon Shain (Americana/blues) 7 p.m. Aug. 10. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
• Bevel Bar (Waynesville) will host We Three Swing at 8 p.m. every first Saturday of the month and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.246.0996 / bevelbar.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host Paul Koptak (singer-songwriter) Aug. 3 and 8Trk Cadillac Aug. 17. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Blue Stage (Andrews) will host “Open Mic Night” 5 p.m. every Friday and “Andrews Idol: Season 3” 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3 and Aug. 10. 828.361.2534 / thebluestage.com.
ALSO:
froglevelbrewing.com.
• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Free and open to the public. Located at 573 East Main Street. 828.369.8488 / littletennessee.org.
• Groovin’ on the Green (Cashiers) will host Angela Easterling & The Beguilers Aug. 2. Shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. villagegreencashiersnc.com/concerts.
• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Nero Simon & The Sun Setters Aug. 2, Doug Ramsey (singer-songwriter) Aug. 3, Doug Ramsey (karaoke/live music) Aug. 5, Jake Matthews (singer-songwriter) Aug. 8 and The Remnants Aug. 9. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Christoper Cross (singer-songwriter) 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10. caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (Waynesville) will host “A Night Of Jazz w/ Candice Dickinson & Friends” 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3 and The Cello Encore (classical) 2 p.m. Aug. 4. Tickets are $18 with upgrade options available. 828.456.6322 / harttheatre.org.
The “An Appalachian Evening” series will continue with a performance by Mean Mary at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, in Lynn L. Shields Auditorium at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
A singer-songwriter with a gift for connecting with sounds of the past, Mean Mary (real name: Mary James) has gained a loyal following for music that draws on vintage country, bluegrass, and traditional folk with just a touch of modern-day flash.
A performer since she was six years old, she developed a taste for American folk songs of the Civil War era. By the time Mean Mary began recording, she was combining songs of the past with fresh material that reshaped the sounds of history with her strong, emotive, blues-influenced vocals as well as her capable instrumental skills on banjo, fiddle and guitar.
Tickets are $18 for adults, $10 for students grade K-12. Dinner will also be available for purchase in the Schoolhouse Cafe starting at 6 p.m. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or go to stecoahvalleycenter.com.
Mountain Layers goes Americana
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Beer & Loathing Aug. 2, Chrystal Fountains Band Aug. 3 and Arnold Hill (rock/jam) Aug. 10. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Laney & Bishop (Americana/country) 4 p.m. Aug. 3 ($35 per person). For tickets and reservations, go to cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/live-music.
• Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Aug. 2 and Robertson Boys (bluegrass) Aug. 9. 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 / mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host “Open Mic Night” 6 p.m. Aug. 9. Free and open to the public. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” w/Matt Rogers (singer-songwriter) Aug. 15. All shows begin at 6 p.m. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.
• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” on Thursday evenings, “Sunday Bluegrass Residency” from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host Viano Plus Piano 5 p.m. Aug. 3 and The Three Graces 5 p.m. Aug. 5. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic w/Phil” Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows and events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.586.9678/ innovation-brewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “80s Flashback Weekend” Aug. 2-3, Karaoke w/ Spoon Aug. 9 and The V8s (classic rock) Aug. 10. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Prophets Of Time (rock/jam) Aug. 2 and Old Souls Duo (country/folk) Aug. 9. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
A regional Americana/bluegrass act, Granny’s Mason Jar will perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at Mountain Layer Brewing in Bryson City. Following in the footsteps of Doc Watson, Norman Blake, Clarence White and Tony Rice, Granny’s Mason Jar brings together the talents of Jared “Blue” Smith (The Blue Revue, Bluegrass Lumber Company) and Aaron Plantenberg (Commonfolk, Big House Radio) to continue the tradition of flatpicking, travis picking and other traditional acoustic guitar styles. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.538.0115 or go to mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• First Presbyterian Church (Franklin) will host the 19th annual “Benefit Concert For The Black Mountain Home For Children” 3 p.m. Aug. 4. Admission is free, with donations accepted. 828.524.3119.
• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will host Ezra & Katie Aug. 2 and ABC Combo Aug. 9 at Town Square on Main Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Tuesdays Jazz Series w/We Three Swing at 5:30 p.m. each week and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 /
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” w/ Frank Lee every Wednesday, Liz Petty (singer-songwriter) Aug. 2, Granny’s Mason Jar (Americana/bluegrass) Aug. 3 and Frank Lee (Americana/old-time) 5 p.m. Aug. 4. All shows begin at 6 p.m unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host Moonshine State 3 p.m. Aug. 1, Fun Sized Band 5 p.m. Aug. 2, Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs (Americana) 5 p.m. Aug. 3, Blue (soul/blues) 2 p.m. Aug. 4 and Eddie Clayton (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m.
Mean Mary will play Robbinsville Aug. 3. File photo
Granny’s Mason Jar. File photo
Aug. 9-10, . Free and open to the public. 828.785.5082 / noc.com.
• Otto Community Center (Otto) will host James Thompson (Americana) 6 p.m. Aug. 2. Bring a beverage and snack of your choice. Free and open to the public. 770.335.0967 / go2ottonc.com.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute) 6:30 p.m. Aug. 3 ($42 per person) and Songwriters Showcase #49 Aug. 10 ($29.50 adults, $26.50 seniors/students/military, $7.50 ages 8 and under). All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.
• Pickin’ In The Park (Canton) will host Rewind (band) & Balsam Mountain (dancers) Aug. 2 and Rick Morris (band) & Appalachian Mountaineers (dancers) Aug. 9. Shows are 6-9 p.m. at the Canton Rec Park located at 77 Penland St. Free and open to the public. cantonnc.com/pickin-in-the-park.
• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host American Blues Club (blues/folk) Aug. 10. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-the-square.html.
• Santé Wine Bar (Sylva) will host Syrrup (Americana) Aug. 4 and Lilah Price Aug. 11. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.631.3075 / facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar.
• Sapphire Valley Resort (Sapphire) will host “Concert On The Slopes” w/ Swingin’ Medallions 7 p.m. Aug. 6. Admission is $22 advance, $27 day of show. 828.743.7663 / sapphirevalleyresorts.com.
• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will host The Holiday Band Aug. 3 and Will Thompson Band Aug. 10 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park on Pine Street. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Moonshine State Aug. 1, Spiro Nicolopoulos Blues Apocalypse (blues/jam) Aug. 2, Paul Edelman (singer-songwriter) Aug. 8 and Patchwork (rock/roots) Aug. 9. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open
to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will host Rachel Bellavance (singer-songwriter) Aug. 2, Gregg Erwin (singer-songwriter) Aug. 4, The Water Kickers (Americana) Aug. 9 and Trailer Hippies Aug. 11. All shows begin at 5 p.m. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host “Take Me Home: The Music Of John Denver” (Americana/folk) 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3 ($18 and up) and Creedence Revived (Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute) 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10 ($24 and up). 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.
• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host a Community Jam 5:30-7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month, Mean Mary (Americana/country) Aug. 3 ($18 adults, $10 students) and Seth Mulder & Midnight Run (Americana/bluegrass) Aug. 10 ($20 adults, $10 students). All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Stubborn Bull (Highlands) will host “Live Music Mondays” w/ Breeze Cable (singer-songwriter) Aug. 5 and Madison Owenby (singer-songwriter) Aug. 12. All shows begin at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. the-stubborn-bull.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Brian Ashley Jones Aug. 1, FineLine Aug. 2, Remington Cartee Band Aug. 3 and Ali Randolph Aug. 10. All shows are $5 at the door unless otherwise noted and begin at 8 p.m. 828.538.2488 / unpluggedpub.com.
• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host Seth & Sara (Americana) Aug. 10. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.743.6000 / whitesidebrewing.com.
• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host Jim Austin Classic Country Band (Americana/country) 6:30 p.m. every first and third Thursday of the month (free) and Alexa Rose (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Aug. 9 ($20 suggested donation). Family friendly, dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.
• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts
• Peach Jam Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Live music, local vendors, fresh produce, pie eating contests and much more. For more information, go to darnellfarms.com.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, go to waynesvillewine.com.
• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. For more information, call 828.538.0420.
• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or go to gsmr.com.
‘Concerts on the Creek’
season of the annual “Concerts on the Creek” music series.
Popular regional group Natti Love Joys will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
A roots-rock-reggae band that has been playing live since 2003, the group consists of husband-and-wife duo Anthony “Jatti” Allen and Sonia “Marla” Allen (formerly Sonia Abel).
Jatti was previously the bassist for the reggae group The Congos, while Marla originates from the cult all female reggae group Love Joys, where she recorded two albums under the legendary Wackies label run by Lloyd Barnes (Bullwackie).
“Concerts on the Creek” are held every Friday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged. Dogs must be on a leash. No smoking, vaping, coolers or tents are allowed. There will be food trucks on site for this event.
For more information, call the chamber at 828.586.2155, visit mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek or go to the “Concerts on the Creek” Facebook page.
Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer or anything unplugged is 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 North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts. For more information, call 828.488.3030.
On the wall
Waynesville art walk, live music
A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will continue its 2024 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, in downtown Waynesville.
Each first Friday of the month (MayDecember), Main Street transforms into an evening of art, live music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors alike.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to downtownwaynesville.com.
Laura Talbert is a featured artisan at ‘Art After Dark.’ File photo
Natti Love Joys will play Sylva Aug. 2. File photo
On the wall
Experience ‘Textures’ at Haywood
Arts
The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) latest exhibit, “Textures,” will run through Sept. 1 at the HCAC gallery on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.
Showcasing a rich tapestry of artistic mediums including ceramics, woodwork, felt, mosaic, fabric, macrame, collage and more, this diversified exhibition promises to have something for every art enthusiast.
For more information, go to haywoodarts.org.
ALSO:
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month, with the next workshop being Aug. 8. Come create your own masterpiece. The materials for art works are supplied and participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share with each other. Free and open to the public. To register, please call the library at 828.488.3030 or email vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host a “Summer Artisan Market” from noon to 5 p.m. the second Saturday of the month (May-September). Free and open to the public. noc.com.
• “Art & Artisan Walk” will be held from 5-8 p.m. every third Thursday of the month (MayDecember) in Bryson City. Stroll the streets in the evening and discover handcrafted items, artwork, jewelry, pottery, antiques and more. Look for the yellow and blue balloons identifying participating businesses hosting artists. greatsmokies.com.
• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (May-December) in downtown Waynesville. Main Street transforms into an evening of art, live music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors alike. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to downtownwaynesville.com.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host an adult arts and crafts program at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Ages 16 and up. Space is limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. To register, call 828.488.3030 or email vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. For a full list of classes, go to cre828.com. For more information on CRE828, email
dawn@cre828.com or call 828.283.0523.
• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, go to galleryzella.com or call 517.881.0959.
• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club is a nonprofit organization that exists for the enjoyment of photography and the improvement of one’s skills. They welcome photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings. For more information, email waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net or follow them on Facebook: Waynesville Photography Club.
• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide-range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. The HCAC gallery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information and a full schedule, go to haywoodarts.org.
• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. For more information and a full schedule, go to jcgep.org.
• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. For more information on the upcoming classes and/or to signup, go to southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.
• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. For more information and a full schedule of activities, call 828.586.2248 or go to dogwoodcrafters.com/classes.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular arts and crafts workshops. For more information, go to coweeschool.org/events.
Franklin community art gathering
The ArtFest community event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
There will be art activities for kids and adults. Talented Macon County Art Association artists will host a variety of engaging art activities for K-8th graders, including special art activities for kids featuring exciting make-and-take projects. Plus, don’t miss the chance to support Macon County Visual Arts programs by purchasing Art Minis, with proceeds going directly to this worthy cause.
Art Minis will be on hand for purchase to support raising funds for Macon County Schools Visual Arts programs.
For more information, visit the Uptown Gallery located at 30 East Main Street in Franklin, call 828.349.4607 or email franklinuptowngallery@gmail.com.
On the street
‘Conversations with Storytellers Series’
As part of the “Pigeon Community Conversations with Storytellers Series,” Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, located at 450 Pigeon St. in Waynesville.
An enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and winner of the 2021 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, Clapsaddle is well-known across the region and the nation for her debut novel, “Even as we Breathe,” which was named one of NPR’s best books of 2020.
Tickets are $10 for community members, $7 for seniors age 65 and older and
There will be a contra dance class offered from 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
Contra dance is considered the most accessible and sociable of all dances, with participants moving in two long facing lines or in groups, and with frequent partner changes. With its roots in the British Isles and France, contra dance has become a traditional American dance form.
Dance caller is Harrison Keeley, with Late to the Party providing live music. No experience is needed to contra dance. All dances are taught. Beginners’ lessons start at 6:30 p.m., with dancing from 7-9
ALSO:
• “Mountain Street Dance” will be held from 6:30-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, in front of the historic courthouse in downtown Waynesville. Live mountain music (Haywood Ramblers) and clogging (Southern Appalachian Cloggers). Caller will be Joe Sam Queen. Participation encouraged. Free to attend.
$5 for students. Children ages 12 and under are free. Purchase tickets in advance at pcmdc.org or at the door. Refreshments will be available for purchase.
Sponsored by Friends of the Haywood County Public Library, The Smoky Mountain News and Janet & Bob Clark.
Want to learn contra dancing?
p.m. No need to bring a partner, but you’re welcome to do so.
You may also bring a closed water container and snack. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Please don’t wear perfumes or strong scents.
Admission is by donation, which helps pay for the musicians and callers for the evening. First-time attendees and children are admitted free.
The event is produced by the Arts Council, Friends of Contra Dance in Macon County and the Macon County Public Library.
For more information, call 828.524.ARTS or email arts4all@dnet.net.
For more information, go to downtownwaynesville.com/events.
• Grumpy Bear Campground & RV Park (Bryson City) will host a “Native American Show” 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. 828.788.2095 or grumpybearcampground.com.
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle. File photo
‘Texture’ will be at HCAC until Sept. 1. Donated photo
‘The Anxious Generation’ — Part 2
Editor’s note: This first part of this review was published in the July 24 edition of The Smoky Mountain News The evidence is clear that social media is not healthy for girls under the age of sixteen. Psychologist and professor Jonathan Haidt covers this evidence in his book “The Anxious Generation” (2024, Penguin Press, 367 pp), written to address the problems experienced by Gen Z, the first generation to go through adolescence with smartphones.
What is happening with boys? They are also experiencing increases in anxiety and depression, but there seems to be no one main contributing factor, as is the case with social media for girls. His conclusions about boys are “more speculative,” says Haidt, “because we just don’t know as much about what’s happening to boys.”
risen in prominence since the 1970s. Haidt knows that parenting is hard, and he doesn’t condemn parenting mistakes, but children, especially boys, need to take risks and learn to deal with conflict and frustration. This has been shown to be the case in studies, and might even be easy to fix, if an example at one nearby elementary school is any indication.
Kevin Stinehart taught fourth grade in a school in rural South Carolina. He, as well as parents and other teachers, had been noticing in students a lack of perseverance and an inability to work together. All the adults
they most want to do: Play with each other.” Experience is the better teacher. It’s beginning to seem obvious, as well, that phones, such powerful sources of distraction and emotional illness, have no place in schools. Most schools say they don’t allow phone use in class. Rules like this have proven to be an inadequate deterrent to phone use. Phones need to be in locked pouches or lockers during the school day. Some parents, understandably, want to be able to contact their child in the case of an emergency. However, a better outcome is likely when the adults at school have the information, and the children listen and pay attention to what is happening.
We do know that boys, as a group, have been experiencing what Haidt calls a “decline in real-world engagement” since the 1970s. Our economy has become more service-oriented and less industrial, a change that favors females. Education rewards those who sit still and listen, again favoring females. There is a decline in male role models, including fathers. The nature of childhood has changed in the direction of more supervision. “A world with too much supervision and not enough risk is bad for all children, but it seems to be having a larger impact on boys,” says Haidt.
Add to these changes the advent of the smartphone and the lure of gaming and pornography, and it’s easy to see potential for problems. For one, as is the question with girls, what are boys missing when they are on their phones? They are missing time for friends and family, sleep and exercise. Life in the gaming world ”is often a daily tornado of memes, fads, and ephemeral microdramas, played out among a rotating cast of millions of bit players.” It is no substitute for a community.
When examining the research, Haidt was surprised to find no evidence suggesting that parents ban the use of video gaming. If parents limit time spent, some research has shown that gaming can offer positives, such as improved cognitive function and decreases in depression symptoms. However, some boys, around 7%, become overly dependent and maybe even addicted to gaming, with the accompanying problems of any dependency. Haidt’s conclusions about pornography are less specific. An excess is bound to be harmful, he says. It’s hard to disagree with that.
Haidt gives a lot of attention to “safetyism,” the unhealthy elevation of the goal of safety above all other values. Safetyism has
were worried, but also puzzled over what to do. Then Stinehart attended a conference at Clemson on free play, and he began to make changes for his fourth-graders: time for free play before and after school, and longer recess during school. The results were dramatic, “too huge to ignore,” Kevin reported. Students performed better and had more friends. School bus incidents and trips to the office decreased, significantly. Even truancy decreased.
Haidt compares this story with that of an experiment in another rural school that attempted to “try everything” to reverse the same problems. By “try everything,” they meant more counselors and a curriculum designed to teach improved emotional skills. But adding free play, in addition to being low cost, is more effective and more rapid “because it is nature’s way of teaching these same skills as a side effect of kids doing what
After discussing what is happening with boys, Haidt includes a chapter, curiously enough, on spirituality. He starts this with some personal information, telling us that he “has felt overwhelmed, personally and perpetually, since around 2014. It feels as if something very deep changed in the 2010s. On college campuses, there seemed to be a shift from discover mode to defend mode. In American politics, things got even stranger.” Researching the causes of this change, he found insight, and help, from spiritual traditions and modern psychology, whose recommendations often converge. Though an atheist, he has concluded that “a phone-based life produces spiritual degradation,” then proceeds to discuss spiritual practices that can help us, “whether we are religious or not, to flourish and connect in our age of anxiety and fragmentation.”
Following the pause for spiritual matters, Haidt gives chapters on what parents, schools, tech companies and governments can do to help turn around what he calls “an epidemic of mental illness” in adolescents. And finally, in what I see as a marvelous gift of clarity, Haidt repeats what he spelled out in his Introduction: a listing of the four foundational reforms that evidence says would improve adolescent mental health.
• No smartphones before high school.
• No social media before 16.
• Phone-free schools.
• Far more unsupervised play and childhood independence.
This book is getting a lot of attention. That is good news.
(Anne Bevilacqua is a book lover who lives in Haywood County. abev1@yahoo.com.)
Angling for the podium
How Michael Bradley has taken the fly fishing world by storm
Mdespite the fish, which seldom cooperate and sometimes get in the way of an otherwise perfectly enjoyable morning standing out in the creek.
This problem doesn’t exist for Michael Bradley.
Quiet and humble with an unassuming smile, if you were to meet Michael out on the water, you’d never think you were in the presence of one of the world’s best fly fishermen, but you’d be wrong. Michael lives for the telltale tug at the line just like every other fisher-
Outdoors
EGINNING
But this humility and innate calm have built his reputation as a competitive angler, those traits belie the serious competitiveness that has made him this year’s national champion before having the best finish at the world championships in the better part of a decade.
Michael didn’t begin seriously fly fishing until 2011 when thought fly fishing looked like a good twist on a sport he already knew and loved. Within a year, he was beginning his meteoric rise through the sport and already had a spot on North Carolina’s fly fishing team, which took him to competitions across the country, from his home state to Colorado to upstate New York.
Michael grew up on his family’s campground off Bunches Creek in Cherokee, the land for which his grandfather purchased in 1950. In 1992, Michael’s father, Jimmy, took over and still runs the place, even though he describes himself as “retired.” Michael has since moved into his own home, but the place he grew up and the run of Bunches Creek behind it still hold a special place in his heart.
When he first started fishing at around 5 years old, Michael caught minnows. But even then, his father, Jimmy, noticed in his son a unique ability to see the fish and how it moved and then adapt accordingly. Jimmy now says that he joked back then that his son could have caught fish with his eyes closed, and he may not have been wrong.
a fisherman as his father was, he was a tolerant teacher who typically led by example. That same trait carried over to Michael, who said the biggest lesson his grandfather taught him before passing away in December 2003 was patience. Jimmy recalled that before his father’s passing, he was Michael’s most dedicated fishing buddy, instilling in him at a young age the techniques that would lead him to such great success.
PICKING UP THE FLY ROD
Michael’s first exposure to the world of fly fishing was a matter of circumstance. When he was about 12 years old, he broke his leg, and stuck at home killed some time learning to tie flies. Although he went several years without fishing while he pursued golf — he was a scratch golfer who competed at the collegiate level — in his 20s, he was drawn back to his true love.
“When he was eight, nine, 10 years old, during the summer months, he’d be with a group of kids surrounding him in the river, and he’d be int the middle catching fish right out from under their feet,” Jimmy said.
“I guess for me it’s just about fooling the fish,” Michael said.
This year, after about 13 years of fly fishing, Michael, 34, has achieved new heights, winning his first national championship and almost reaching the podium at the world championships. But now, as Michael has also found success in the more lucrative world of bass fishing competitions, the time has come where he must consider whether he’ll put down the fly rod, along with his dream of a world championship.
It made sense that Michael should take to fishing so quickly. It ran in his family. Jimmy was a strong fisherman, as was his father, Michael’s grandfather, Albert Bradley. And the long line of able anglers began even before that — almost a century ago — right there on the Qualla Boundary.
“Michael’s great grandmother, who was only about 4-foot-10, would go up and Bunches Creek with a cane pole using whatever bait she could find, digging worms, crickets, meal worms,” Jimmy said. “She was a good little angler herself.”
It’s Albert whom Michael credits for instilling in him an intense interest in fishing. Jimmy said he admired the fact that as avid of
In 2011, Michael was working at a youth center in Cherokee, and during his lunch break, he’d sit and watch guys fly fishing in the creek just to get a feel for what it was all about. Once he gave it a go, he realized he was a natural and became more committed to the sport. He was out in the creek just about every day, even during the winter; he’d throw on his waders and get in as much time on the water as he could during his lunch breaks. This is when Michael caught the eye of Paul Bourcq. At that time, Bourcq was the coach for the U.S. Youth Fly Fishing Team, a squad that was routinely bringing home top finishes in international competition. He just so happened to live in Franklin and had heard about some young man in Cherokee who was already putting experienced anglers to shame. Like in any other sport, scouting is important, and finding a diamond in the rough is any youth coach’s dream, so Bourcq took a look.
After going out fishing a few times with Michael, Bourcq knew he had the potential to be one of the best competitive fly fishermen in the nation. Bourcq said he immediately noticed that Michael had style all his own, adding that he was almost supernaturally calm, which allowed him look at things differently and see things other anglers would miss while also being able to rely on a versatile set of skills. Many anglers get too locked into one strategy, which F
Michael Bradley lives for the moments in the creek, and his dedication to the sport of fly fishing has taken him places he’d never dreamed of. Madison Hye Long photo, courtesy of Visit Cherokee
can be detrimental, but not Michael.
Bourcq calls this “fishing open.”
“He doesn’t fight his instincts,” Bourcq said. “He fishes with a pretty free mind. You can get into a position where you force how you wanna fish, or you can let the fish tell you what to do. But that’s much easier said than done.”
Michael told his father he was thinking about entering fly fishing competitions.
“I’m like, these guys are good. They’ll clean your clock,” Jimmy said. “But the first competition, he did relatively decent. The next competition, he won, and it just took off from there.”
Bourcq, who was also one of the founders of the North Carolina fly fishing team, helped Michael break into the world of competitive fly fishing.
“In typical Michael fashion, he was kinda like ‘Ah, I don’t know,’ and then he went for it and that’s what started everything,” Bourcq said. “But he won. A lot.”
Michael dominated competitions across the south, which in itself is no small feat since, according to Jimmy, the anglers in this region are among the best in the nation.
Michael qualified for his first national championship event held in Syracuse, New York, in 2014. He finished 21st out of about 80 anglers. His best two finishes up to this year were 2016 and 2018 when he finished third and earned bronze medals. While the dry spell since 2018 has been somewhat tough to deal with, Michael stayed committed to the sport he loves.
This year, the drought ended, and he won a national championship right here in his backyard, as the event was held in Cherokee, where he competed against other anglers in sections including Lower and Upper Nantahala, Ravens Fork and Wolf Creek Lake, targeting rainbow, brown and brook trout.
When asked whether winning the championship at home carried a different weight, with his trademark grin, he softly said, “No, I was just happy to win is all.”
COMPETING ON THE WORLD STAGE
About a month ago, Michael competed in his fifth world championships in the Pyrenees Mountains in the home of the legendary French National team that has dominated the sport for years. The French team has taken home the gold, silver and bronze several years in a row now.
Michael said that while fishing in foreign streams may not always present a challenge,
Sylva Garden Club hosts its annual picnic
The Sylva Garden Club will be hosting its annual picnic 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, in Bicentennial Park at 122 Keener St. In the case of rain, the picnic will be moved to the Fellowship
for these world championships, it was a bit trickier because they were fishing for not only trout, but also Grayling, with which Michael is less familiar.
There’s also a financial burden. Traveling to competitions, especially the world championships and staying a foreign country for a couple of weeks is no cheap endeavor. While Michael said there were a few folks who provided some financial help, he especially wanted to thank the tribe for its financial support. Not only is it vital to make it happen, but it also shows Michael that they’re proud of what he’s accomplishing.
“Chief and Tribal Council, the Tribal Gaming Commission, Visit Cherokee, they’ve all been great,” Michael said.
In addition, international competition is quite the challenge. Bradley spent a total of two weeks in France. Like with prior world championships in Spain, Slovakia, Italy and Australia, while only five days of that was spent in official competition, there wasn’t any time to take in the sights, let alone get much rest.
“Most people think we just go and have fun,” he said. “The day we get there, we’re unpacking and setting everything up, and this year, three of us took off and went fishing on day one right as soon as we got there. Then we’re up at six o’clock on day two. Then when we get back from that, we’re immediately tying flies, and we’ll be up until 10 o’clock.”
On competition days, Michael and other anglers must hike up to their spots, which can be several miles roundtrip.
Despite the challenge of flying across the ocean to compete in different kinds of mountains with different kinds of streams and different kinds of fish, Michael finished fourth, barely missing the podium. The top three finishers were all French.
Michael has plenty of tangible skills, it’s his mindset and attitude that are his greatest assets, because those allow him to act on his razor-sharp instincts in the moment.
“It’s an unusual blend of competence and mindset,” Bourcq said. “There are people who pretend that they don’t have an ego, but Michael isn’t faking. He legit doesn’t. He’s hard to handle as a competitor.”
Inside the world of angling, people pride themselves on coming back from a tough round to perform well. Sometimes, an angler may simply be assigned a tough run of water, or they may have an off round; however, what comes next is always most important.
ly, that he should drop the fly rod and focus solely on bass fishing since that’s where the bigger money is.
Bradley admitted that he enjoys bass fishing and draws parallels between the two that allow many of his skills to translate. But this is not an easy decision. While he’s already at the point that he competes in more bass tournaments than fly fishing championships, giving up the chase for that world title would be hard. No American has ever won, and the only American ever to medal was Jeff Currier in 1997, who finished third, one better than Michael’s finish this year.
Plus, fly fishing is unlike many other sports considering some of the best anglers
“I was happy with what I got,” he said. “Just to finish that high in their backyard is a big deal.”
A CROSSROADS
Fly fishing seems tough to grasp, even for anglers who’ve never picked up a fly rod, and the casual observer might chalk it up to luck. Sure, casting is important, as is the ability to tie flies and respond appropriately to a tug on the line. But there’s more to it. Asking someone as modest as Michael what makes them so good is somewhat frivolous, but his father was happy to weigh in.
“He doesn’t know pressure,” Jimmy said. “No matter the situation.”
Bourcq agreed, returning to the notion of “fishing open” and adding that while
Hall at First Presbyterian Church of Sylva. The club will provide drinks and dessert. Attendees are asked to bring a bagged lunch and a lawn chair. The Sylva Garden Club maintains the 160 ft. Garden that runs the length of the park. The club also cares for many other florals that can be seen around downtown Sylva, including flower baskets on the bridge. The Sylva
Jimmy said he’s been “blessed” to lay witness to what Michael has already accomplished. He considers how his father, Michael’s oldest fishing buddy, might feel.
“I sit back and dream about his grandma and grandpa, my mom and dad, and even my dad’s parents and wonder what they’d be thinking,” Jimmy said. “What would they say? My dad would be so proud.”
While Michael may be best known for his elite status as an internationally known fly fisherman, he’s also excelled in the more lucrative world of bass fishing tournaments, where he’s been competing since winning his first tournament in 2016.
Currently, the bulk of his income is from leading fly-fishing expeditions and group clinics through Fish Cherokee. While he gets a lot of his business because of a reputation earned through fly fishing competitions and he enjoys teaching it, he hears pressure from those on the outside, even friends and fami-
Like with competition itself, Michael is keeping a level head when making that decision, always considering how hard he’s worked to be where he is and how much he appreciates how far he’s come.
“Prior to France, I was probably going to be done competing after the 2026 world championship in Idaho,” Michael said. “But after what I did in France, I might try and stick it out a little longer. What we were able to do as a team even, I just want to stick it out with those guys and see where we can go.”
Although Michael didn’t want to brag about how far he’s come in the sport and how well he showed out on the international stage, Jimmy beamed as he discussed the compliment the French team captain paid his son, one that may just prove prophetic.
“The French team captain paid him the ultimate compliment,” Jimmy said. “He said
gardening club maintains the large garden that runs the length of Bicentennial Park. Donated photo
Michael Bradley charges through the water to net a trout. Donated photo
Friends of the Lake 5K
The Friends of the Lake 5K Road Race & Walk will take place at Lake Junaluska on Saturday, Aug. 31. Those who register by Thursday, Aug. 15, will enjoy discounted registration and are guaranteed to receive a “Love the Lake” T-shirt.
Now in its 17th year, the event supports the Lake Junaluska Walking Trail, one of the most popular privately owned recreation areas in Western North Carolina. All profits from the 5K go toward improvements and annual maintenance of the trail and other recreation areas around the lake, which cost over $375,000 annually.
The Friends of the Lake 5K invites participants of all ages and abilities to participate. Race Day registration and sign-in begin at 6:30 a.m. The race starts at 8 a.m. with the 5K Walk at 8:05 a.m.
Haywood master gardeners host information session
People interested in gardening will have the chance to join a network of like-minded folks across the state dedicated to learning and sharing research-based information, enhancing their communities through horticulture and connecting people with benefits of gardening.
A master gardener session will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, at the Canton Library.
After an initial orientation session on Sept. 19, classes will be held Tuesday and Thursday mornings from Oct. 1 through Nov. 19.
Applications for this next class will be
The 5K route begins at the Nanci Weldon Memorial Gym and follows a scenic loop around Lake Junaluska, providing runners with fantastic views during the race.
“We so appreciate the tremendous support we receive from runners, walkers, donors and corporate sponsors whose gifts directly fund the preservation of our beloved walking trail for all to enjoy,” said Melissa Aldridge, assistant director of development. “We also know how important the walking trail is to people’s lives as a place to connect with God, nature and loved ones, and for that we are grateful.”
Registration is $30 for adults and $15 for students 18 and younger. Register by Aug. 15 to receive a “Love the Lake” T-shirt and the discounted registration rate for adults of $25. To register for the Friends of the Lake 5K, visit bit.ly/LJ-FOTL5K.
accepted through Aug. 23. The cost to cover all course materials and fees is $175. Candidates must agree to volunteer at least 40 hours in various activities in the 12 months following the class. The class size will be limited.
For an application, visit haywood.ces.ncsu.edu/become-a-master-gardener-volunteer.
Runners faced cool, wet weather for last year’s Friends of the Lake
which was held in April. This year’s race will be held Labor Day weekend. Donated photo
Benton MacKaye Trail proposal heard in Congress
A hearing before the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands was held July 24 for H.R. 8403 — a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives calling for a feasibility study of the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) with the goal of designating the BMT a National Scenic Trail.
The almost 300-mile trail goes through Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Testifying before the committee on
behalf of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association (BMTA) was former BMTA President Ken Cissna.
H.R. 8403 was introduced May 15, 2024, in the U.S. House of Representatives by Steve Cohen (D-TN), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Chuck Edwards (RNC), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Nikema Williams (DGA).
The prestigious designation is reserved for trails that epitomize the stunning, natural beauty of America’s wide array of natural landscapes. The trails also offer outstanding recreational opportunities. Only 11 trails have received this honor, including: the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.
5K,
Snorkeling event offers river education opportunity
On Aug. 3, join Haywood Waterways Association on the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail to discover the fish and other wildlife that call the Pigeon River home.
NCDEQ recognizes WNC institutes for energy reductions
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office recognized thirteen state agencies, universities and community colleges for their significant energy reductions and progress towards Executive Order 80’s goal.
In 2018, Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 80 set a goal for cabinet agencies to reduce energy consumption by 40 percent per square foot from 2002-2003 baseline levels by 2025. Higher education institutions, K-12 schools and local government units have been encouraged to adopt the same goal. State Energy Office’s Utility Savings Initiative supports all state-owned buildings in achieving these targets.
Snorkels, masks and goggles will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. Youth are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult if under the age of 18.
There are two program times 11 a.m. to noon and noon to 1 p.m.
Participants will meet at the Pigeon River Canton boat ramp. Registration is required. To register, contact Christine O’Brien at 828.476.4667 or christine@haywoodwaterways.org.
building automation, HVAC enhancements and building envelop improvements.
The following WNC institutions were awarded for Fiscal Year 2022-2023:
• Western Carolina University for a 55% energy reduction from baseline, which is the highest reduction within the UNC System
• Asheville-Buncombe Technical
Community College for a 50% energy reduction from baseline
Awarded state agencies, universities and community colleges are recognized for their initiative to improve energy use in stateowned buildings. Such energy efficiency measures include LED lighting upgrades,
• Blue Ridge Community College for being the most improved community college in comparison to the previous year’s reduction (15% improvement)
In addition, the following statewide agencies were awarded:
• Department of Health and Human Services for a 39% energy reduction from baseline, which is the highest reduction among state agencies
• Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for a 38.2% energy reduction from baseline
• Wildlife Resources Commission for a 37.9% reduction from baseline and for being the most improved state agency in comparison to the previous year’s reduction (17.9% improvement)
The snorkel trail event will be hosted by Haywood Waterways Association. Donated graphic
North Carolina free from extreme drought
North Carolina is free from extreme drought in the latest advisory issued by the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) on Thursday. DMAC classified five counties in severe drought, 30 counties in moderate drought and 47 counties as abnormally dry.
For counties in severe drought, or D2, DMAC recommends water users should implement Water Shortage Response Plans, participate in regional and local coordination for the management of water resources, reexamine water delivery systems to minimize water loss and maximize efficiency and eliminate nonessential users of water.
Counties in moderate drought, or D1, should adhere to local water use restrictions, and participate, as appropriate, in regional and local coordination for the management of water resources.
Public comment period open for Foothills Parkway environmental assessment
National Park Service (NPS) posted the Foothills Parkway Section 8D Environmental Assessment (EA) today for a 30-day public comment period ending Aug. 21. The EA evaluates the construction of nine miles of new parkway from Wears Valley to the Gatlinburg Spur near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
A virtual public meeting about the EA and the proposed action will be held 5 p.m. July 30. The meeting will include a presentation about the overview of the project and give time for the public to ask questions.
To read the EA, learn more about the proposed Foothills Parkway Section 8D project and to provide comments, please visit the NPS planning website at parkplanning.nps.gov/Section8D.
Input sought on environmental justice initiative
People can soon comment on an environmental justice initiative outlined in Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 292.
The order reestablished an Environmental Justice Advisory Council and calls on state agencies to develop and track goals to improve environmental justice in North Carolina.
The order called for the creation of a mapping tool to provide information about environmental justice issues and help the public identify areas that need attention. People can explore the interactive map, which includes climate, demographic, environmental, transportation, health data and more.
The order also encouraged public partici-
pation, giving everyone a chance to voice their concerns and contribute to the decision-making process regarding environmental issues. Several opportunities are on the horizon.
A statewide virtual meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1 via GoToWebinar. This initial meeting will serve as the public launch of the initiative, providing an overview of the goals and objectives and giving communities the chance to offer input.
People can also provide comment during in-person forums scheduled from 5-7 p.m. in Asheville (Aug. 8), Warren County (Aug. 15), Duplin County (Aug. 22) and an inperson Environmental Justice Advisory Council meeting set for Sept. 24 in Halifax County. Specific locations for these meetings will be posted on the public input page once determined.
More information on the environmental justice initiative in North Carolina can be found on the governor’s webpage.
WNC events and happenings
COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Cruso Farmer’s Market takes place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday at the Cruso Community Center.
• The Jackson County Farmers Market meets every Saturday November through March 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and April through October 9 a.m. to noon at Bridge Park in Sylva, 110 Railroad St. Special events listed on Facebook and Instagram.
• The Jackson Arts Market takes place from 1-5 p.m. every Saturday at 533 West Main St. in Sylva with live music and an array of local artists.
• Cowee School Farmer's Market is held Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. The market has produce, plant starts, eggs, baked goods, flowers, food trucks and music. For more information or for an application, visit www.coweeschool.org or call 828.369.4080.
• Mill Town Farmers Market takes place from 4-7 p.m. Thursdays at Sorrell’s Street Park in downtown Canton.
H EALTH AND WELLNESS
• The Pollinators Foundation offers weekly Mindful Movement Qigong classes for all ages to reduce stress and improve health and well-being. Classes take place 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Folkmoot Center in Waynesville. For more information visit thepollinatorsfoundation.org or contact Marga Fripp at margacfripp@gmail.com 828.4224.1398.
• The Pollinators Foundation and The Share Project host weekly Happy Hour Nature Walks 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at Lake Junaluska. The group meets at the Labyrinth. For more information visit thepollinatorsfoundation.org or contact Marga Fripp at margacfripp@gmail.com 828.424.1398.
• Mountain Area pregnancy Services and the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor work together to provide a casual support group for prenatal and breastfeeding individuals from 1-2 p.m. on Tuesdays at Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, 177 N Main St. Waynesville, NC. All are welcome, registration is recommended. For more information, please call 828.558.4550.
FUNDRAISERS & VOLUNTEERS
• 80’s Flashback Weekend for Shriners Hospital of Greenville will take place 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 2-3, in downtown franklin.
• The Women’s Guild of St. Francis Church will hold its annual Good Stuff Sale from noon to 3 p.m. Friday,
Aug. 16 and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 at the church, 299 Maple St. in Franklin. The event supports the Guild’s ministry activities.
CLUBS AND M EETINGS
• The Western Carolina Cribbage Club meets every Monday at 6 p.m. An eclectic group of young and old, male and female. The group supplies boards, cards, pegs and are always willing to help those still learning the finer points of the game. For more information contact kei3ph@bellsouth.net.
• Chess 101 takes place 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Friday at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library. For information, email Ashlyn Godleski at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2567.
• The Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library Creative Writing Group meets 10:30 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information, email Jennifer at jennifer.stuart@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2561.
• Knit Night takes place at 5:30-7:30 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at The Stecoah Valley Center. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP is recommended: 828.479.3364 or amber@stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• A Novel Escape Book Club takes place at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at the Novel Escape Bookstore (60 E Main St, Franklin). Every other month one book is selected for discussion. On alternate months the meeting is round-table discussion in which participants share what they’ve read lately. For more information call the bookstore at 828.369.9059 or visit anovelescapefranklin.wordpress.com.
• Silent Book Club takes place at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Novel Escape Bookstore (60 E Main St, Franklin). Bring your own book and whatever makes you feel cozy and enjoy a quiet, uninterrupted hour of reading amongst friends.
K IDS AND FAMILIES
• ASD Teen/ Adult Art Group takes place 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. every other Friday at the Full Spectrum Farms pavilion. Each group event has a different theme. For more information fullspectrumfarms.org.
• On Mondays, the Macon County Library will host Lady Violet, a King Charles Spaniel service dog, for children to practice their reading skills. Children who feel nervous reading aloud to an adult tend to feel more comfortable with a pet or a service animal. Sign up for a time to read with Lady Violet or to one of the library’s reading friends at the children’s desk or call 828.524.3600.
• On Tuesdays, Kelly Curtis will offer reading services to families from 3:30 -5:30 p.m. at the Macon County
Public Library. Families may sign up for a 30-minute time spot at the children’s desk or by calling 828.524.3600.
• Creative Writing Club will take place at 3:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. The writing club is intended for ages 8-12. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
• Move and Groove Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Thursday, at the Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Exciting, interactive music and movement story time ideal for children 2-6 years old. For information contact Ashlyn at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync.gov or at 828.356.2567.
• Wiggle Worms Storytime takes place 10:30-11 a.m. every Tuesday, at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. Ideal for children 2-6 years old. For more information contact Lisa at lisa.hartzell@haywoodcountync.gov or call 828.356.2511.
• Storytime takes place at 10 a.m. every Tuesday at the Macon County Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
• Toddler’s Rock takes place at 10 a.m. every Monday at the Macon County Library. Get ready to rock with songs, books, rhymes and playing with instruments. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
• Culture Talk takes place at 2 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the Macon County Public Library. Travel the world from inside your library. This event features guest speakers and food sampling from the location being discussed. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
• Art afternoon takes place at 3:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Macon County Public Library. For more information visit fontanalib.org or call 828.524.3600.
CLASSES & PROGRAMS
• A flower or rose glassblowing class will take place beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Green Energy Park in Jackson County. Cost is $50 due at registration. With the assistance of a glass artist, participants will gather molten glass, add colors and create the shape. The whole process takes about 30 minutes. To register for a class or for more information call GEP at 828.631.0271.
• “Return of the Elk: Ranger Talk” takes place 1-2 p.m. every Sunday at the Caldwell House in Cataloochee Valley. Walk the valley and learn about how elk — which were nearly extinct due to overhunting and loss of habitat across the continent — managed to return to the Smokies.
MarketPlace information:
The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!
Rates:
• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.
• Free — Lost or found pet ads.
• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*
• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE
• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)
• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4
• Boost in Print
• Add Photo $6
• Bold ad $2
• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4
• Border $4
Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.
Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com
James Todd Kinney Oct 10 2024, or Administrator 2183 Belmar St Newton, NC 28658
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.2024 E 000442
Steven J Amodio Oct 17 2024, or
Fiduciary
2506 Beaver Ter North Port, FL 34286
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.2024E 000437
Linda Page-WilliamsOct 17 2024, or
Executor
105 W Main St. Franklin, NC 28734
Announcements
Medical
ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS!HEARING AIDS!!
Pets
MIXED BREED DOG, BLACK &WHITE— VIRGO 1-yr-old boy, 58 lbs; silly, sweet, and spunky. Prefers to be only dog in household. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org
KITTENS!! Asheville Humane Society has kittens available for adoption; all 2-6 months old and cute as can be! Fee includes vaccination and spay/neuter. (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org
ANSWERS ON PAGE 26
SUDOKU
Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
