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Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information
July 1-7, 2020 Vol. 22 Iss. 05
WCU removes name ‘Hoey’ from campus auditorium Page 7 SRCA approves plans for $15 million facility Page 16
CONTENTS On the Cover: Fourth of July celebrations will look a bit different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and a limit on social gathering. Many annual celebrations have been canceled while towns have opted to continue with their fireworks displays. (Page 22)
News Pandemic changes WNC’s Independence Day tourism ........................................4 Outdoor adventures reopen in WNC ..........................................................................5 Customer service should be a powerful connection ................................................6 WCU removes name 'Hoey' from campus auditorium ............................................7 It’s Cawthorn in NC11 after runoff blowout ................................................................8 ‘Back the Badge’ rally comes to Waynesville ............................................................9 Maggie Valley looks to develop waterfall park ........................................................11 DOT revises plan for Dillsboro bridge project ........................................................14 SRCA approves plans for $15 million facility ..........................................................16
Opinion Substance still matters in politics ................................................................................19
Books Redemption and Occasional Magic: two books of inspiration ..........................27
Outdoors Cross-country trip reveal’s country’s beauty, diversity ..........................................28
Back Then
Smoky Mountain News
July 1-7, 2020
The secretive, intelligent and prolific crow ................................................................39
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Pandemic changes WNC’s Independence Day tourism BY BOYD ALLSBROOK CONTRIBUTING WRITER n the past, the Fourth of July holiday has been counted on to draw visitors from across the country to Western North Carolina — and with them, a large portion of the tourist-dependent area’s revenue. This year, many are worried that the Coronavirus pandemic might take a toll on those traditionally high visitation numbers. This fear is not without reason. Haywood County’s room tax revenue in March was down by 57 percent compared with the previous year. Gov. Roy Cooper’s Stay at Home order more or less ground the regional tourism industry to a dead halt. Moreover, many events planned for the holiday weekend, like fireworks and festivals, have been canceled to promote social distancing. However, officials with the Swain, Jackson and Haywood County Tourism Development Authorities are hopeful that a blend of COVID-safe outdoor events, cabin fever and eased restrictions will result in a higher-thanexpected influx of July 4 tourists.
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Smoky Mountain News
July 1-7, 2020
HAYWOOD COUNTY The TDA has decreased its budget for July in anticipation of the pandemic’s toll on visitation. “There seems to be pent-up demand right now [for travel to the mountains] and we have had a couple of good weekends recently,” said TDA Executive Director Lynn Collins. “We are fortunate that we are a drive market for leisure travel and the mountains are a popular destination right now.” While Lake Junaluska has postponed its fireworks display indefinitely, Maggie Valley and Canton will press on. In accordance with the governor’s orders against mass gatherings, no special events will be held associated with the fireworks. Viewers are encouraged to watch displays from their cars or the sidewalk, practicing social distancing. Though the county generally relies heavily
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Bryson City prepares for a socially-distanced Fourth of July celebration. A Shot Above of WNC photo on special events like fireworks and festivals to draw in visitors, Collins is nevertheless optimistic about July 4 tourist numbers. “Bookings for vacation rentals appear to be strong for the July 4 time period. I have heard from some of the hoteliers that they are having more walk-ins than normal, and we are seeing people here from different markets than normal,” she said.
“We’ve seen our occupancy hover around 50-percent for the past few weeks, and we may see larger crowds this weekend. It’s difficult to say what effect COVID-19 will have on this weekend’s visitation,” he said, adding one caveat. “We are seeing increased phone calls and inquiries about outdoor activities, so people are looking to getaway to the great outdoors, which is viewed as a safer activity.”
JACKSON COUNTY
SWAIN COUNTY
The Fireworks on the Green event in Cashiers has been canceled, as have all events associated with Sylva’s fireworks display. Sylva will still launch fireworks at dark, but there will be no formal gathering, food trucks or concert. Nick Breedlove, director of the Jackson County TDA, is uncertain about how many tourists this year’s July 4 will draw.
Bryson City’s annual Freedom Fest has been canceled to maintain social distancing. There will be a fireworks display, however, at 10 p.m. on the July 4. Best locations for viewing the fireworks include all throughout downtown, the Ingle’s parking lot, the high school football field parking lot, the post office, United Community Bank and Railroad
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Square. In expectation of more visitors to downtown Bryson City, several businesses are hosting food trucks. A few small vendors will also set up in Railroad Square. In anticipation of these activities, the TDA will provide handwashing stations and portable restrooms. Though the early months of the pandemic were rough, May’s occupancy tax revenue was only 7 percent down from the previous year. Swain TDA Director Mary Anne Baker is very optimistic about tourist turnout. “Word from lodging owners indicates that the holiday weekend bookings are strong. We think that there is still a considerable amount of pent-up demand resulting from COVID-19 Stay Home orders, as well as the fact that our destination has many options for outdoor adventure where visitors can easily social distance while hiking, tubing, rafting, fishing and boating,” she said. Why are so many coming to the mountains in a time of pandemic? Baker believes it’s because many view the area as secluded and safe.
“Our drive market is strong; for most of the eastern half of the country, visitors can reach the Great Smoky Mountains and Bryson City within a one-day drive.” — Swain TDA Director Mary Anne Baker
“Early trends indicate that as visitors return after the Stay Home order was lifted, many travelers are choosing cabin rentals over traditional hotels. This is likely because of the visitor’s presumption that a remote cabin in the mountains will allow them to more easily social distance,” Baker said. “Our drive market is strong; for most of the eastern half of the country, visitors can reach the Great Smoky Mountains and Bryson City within a one-day drive. This drive market potential encourages visitors to travel when flying is not an option for them due to COVID-19 concerns.”
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NOC photo
Outdoor adventures reopen in WNC
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July 1-7, 2020 Smoky Mountain News
BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER he Coronavirus Pandemic and ensuing shutdown means folks have been spending most of their time at home for the last several months. With travel and leisure opportunities diminished, it may be fair to assume the tourist industry in our region will struggle this summer. But with warmer weather, locals and tourists alike are turning to the outdoors to fill their time and stretch their legs after quarantine. For outdoor recreation and rafting companies in Western North Carolina, this urge to get outside is keeping them afloat. Nantahala Outdoor Center opened weeks later in the season than normal, taking time to create guidelines to keep guests and staff safe while participating in the range of adventure activities NOC has to offer. “We are seeing an increased interest from local and regional guests wanting to get outside again and experience the outdoors. We have 500 acres at the Nantahala River for rafting, ziplining, lake rentals and more, which makes it easier on our business to run trips and activities,” said Kristin Kastelic, NOC marketing director. The only adventure activity NOC has kept shutdown for now is the treetop adventure net, as there is almost no way to sanitize this area between groups and keep safe social distancing. “This is like nothing we have seen before so many things about it have been unexpected. Luckily, we are in the business of managing risk and change on a daily basis, and our team has been able to adapt quickly to ensure we operate with everyone’s health and safety in mind,” said Kastelic. To ensure everyone’s safety, NOC is requiring face coverings in their retail stores,
restaurants, and during ziplining trips. Each guest must go through a touchless temperature check before they are able to begin any activity. Sanitation has increased with staff disinfecting all shared equipment including paddles, lifejackets, rafts, bikes, helmets and harnesses. Shuttle services have been modified to remain at 50 percent capacity. Restaurants and retail stores are open only to reduced capacity. To allow for COVID-19 related changes to planned trips, NOC has begun a more flexible booking policy. Social distancing is encouraged whenever possible. “We acknowledge that in some of our adventures social distancing is not always possible,” said NOC President William Irving. Additionally, every staff member has a health screening before they are hired and are checked for temperature and symptoms daily. “Surprisingly, our team has hired more guides this year than the previous year,” said Kastelic. Because of the nature of the outdoor adventure business, in keeping people safe as they undertake inherently risky activities, NOC was perhaps more ready to adjust to safety protocols than other businesses. “As leaders in outdoor adventure, risk management is built into the core of our business and has been for over 40 years. However, because a pandemic like this is new to everyone, including the travel and outdoor industries, we have had to get creative with solutions. We closely follow state and local guidelines regularly which has helped guide our decision making,” she said. “If you are a high-risk individual, or feeling ill, please stay home,” said Irving. Several other outdoor adventure companies have reopened around the region. Deep Creek Tube Center and Campground outside of Bryson City has also reopened for tube rentals and camping, with safety regulations for both. French Broad Adventures has reopened for rafting and other activities, with samehousehold units only allowed in one raft. Tuckasegee Outfitters have reopened their rafting services and have increased sanitation of shared gear including rafts, paddles and lifejackets.
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July 1-7, 2020
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For 22 years, Cherokee Beloved Man Jerry Wolfe was a cornerstone of visitor experience at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Holly Kays photo
Customer service should be a powerful connection
Smoky Mountain News
BY G ERRI WOLFE G RADY S PECIAL TO SMN ustomer service is an important commodity for any business and particularly to those locations reliant on tourism. This is an area that isn’t necessarily taught or trained with new employees, often because of time constraints or because the business owner hasn’t given it any thought. This essay was developed to provide a different view of customer service and how it was conveyed for 20 years by my father, Jerry Wolfe, greeter at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Jerry was born in a log cabin and grew up on the side of Sherrill Cove Mountain in Cherokee, North Carolina, as the only son of a farmer and homemaker. When he was born, his parents could not know where their son’s life would lead. He traveled the Southeast as a laborer and mason; he traveled the world as a member of the United States Navy; and he traveled throughout the United States as a Native Elder for environmental policy. Throughout his travels and other experiences, he talked to people, listened to their stories, and asked them questions about themselves. He held onto these stories throughout his life. He and my mother raised seven children while he worked for 6 Oconaluftee Job Corps in the Great Smoky
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Mountains National Park where he retired in the mid-1980s. In the late-1990s, he started a new career with the Museum of the Cherokee Indian where he worked as a greeter until he died in 2018. He was 93 years old. The museum was built in the early 1970s and was, at the time, a very modern design that was meant to bring the Cherokee people’s history to visitors in a visual way with interactive media. Between the time it was built and the mid-1990s, the approach had become as dusty as some of the exhibits, so the director and board decided it was time for an overhaul. The renovation resulted in an approach that takes the visitor on a journey starting with the creation story through the history of the tribe. The first time I experienced the new museum, I was completely engaged and became reacquainted with my own history in a new way. My husband and I loved it and shared the “rebirth” with family and friends. When my father-in-law, Ed, and his wife came for a visit, we insisted they visit the museum, and they did. I was excited to learn how they felt when they finished the tour (I had cried during my visit). Their experience on the tour was positive. However, they were disappointed overall with the experience. While they were on the tour, they had questions that they saved to ask museum staff
Jerry, himself, was a particularly good storyteller but it was his ability to engage others that made his brand of customer service so successful. If we genuinely want our story to be heard by our visiting public, we must be able to link ourselves to them, and providing the bridge through personal interaction is the best way. when the tour was complete. As they approached staff with their questions, the response of the staff was non-smiling and perfunctory. It ruined their overall experience. Staff were not available on the walking tour; they were only available either at the ticket office or the gift shop. I was embarrassed and surprised as Ed recounted their experience to my dad. He listened carefully to their story and his reaction was reflected in his facial expression as he rose and said, “I’m going to just go on down and talk to them about this,” which he did. An hour or so later when he arrived home, he said, “I talked to Kenny [the museum director] about it, and he said, ‘Well, Jerry, why don’t you come to work for us and show us how it’s done?’” From that time until he got sick in late January 2018, he worked as a greeter/ambassador/storyteller, meeting
people from all over the country (and sometimes the world) and introducing them to the Cherokee people. During the 22 years of his time with the museum, he enjoyed himself so much. He dedicated himself to meeting everyone he could. He always talked to people as though their story was the most important story in the world; the best one he had ever heard. He, himself, was a particularly good storyteller but it was his ability to engage others that made his brand of customer service so successful. If we genuinely want our story to be heard by our visiting public, we must be able to link ourselves to them and providing the bridge through personal interaction is the best way. He developed lasting friendships with some of the museum’s visitors, and one couple would drive from Wisconsin just to spend time with him. He received mail from all over the country, and he spoke to groups at the museum as well as in various locations around the country. During one Christmas shopping excursion, I left him looking at new shoes while I quickly selected a few gifts for family. When I returned about 10 minutes later, he was surrounded by a group of people who were listening to stories. He tried always to be dependable, flexible and available as well as present a professional appearance to the public. Even when he wasn’t feeling tip-top, he tried to ensure that the visitors had a great time during their stay at the museum. Making use of his life experiences and his impressive memory came in handy more than once. For instance, a couple was visiting one day while I was there and he asked them where they were from and the husband said, “…from a place in New Orleans that you’ve probably never heard of.” Upon hearing the street name, Jerry said, “Years ago, when I was in the Navy, some buddies and I spent some time in a bar on that street…” For the next several minutes they talked about New Orleans and he told them a few stories about his time there. When the museum was being updated, several members of the community were used to create life size figures from Cherokee history. He was selected as a medicine man figure. This figure appears on a museum brochure. When greeting visitors, he opened the conversation by asking if they would like an autograph and he’d sign the brochure for them. He did not consider himself a celebrity in any way — it was the best first way for him to connect and open a conversation. Robin Swayney, genealogist for the museum, said, “Jerry took all questions seriously no matter how odd. He might study the question for a few moments before giving the visitor his answer. No one ever walked away from Jerry puzzled or dissatisfied. Jerry always made sure that the visitor left happy.” We could learn a lot from Jerry, and we should be teaching good customer service to our young workers. When I visit faraway places or historic sites, I want to learn the history of the area and its people. I enjoy taking tours from people that like what they do — they are always the best storytellers and they usually are proud of what they do. When visitors leave, they should have a good sense of the area they visited and the people that live there. It is our job (and happiness) to provide.
Bardo Arts Center adapts to remote audience BY ANDREW DUNDAS CONTRIBUTING WRITER his fall, Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine & Performing Arts Center celebrates 15 years of visual and performing arts programming for students and audiences in surrounding counties. The anniversary, however, comes in the midst of COVID-19-related closures and cancellations affecting events and spaces. The Bardo Arts Center contains and manages the WCU Fine Art Museum, BAC Performance Hall, and Niggli Studio Theatre. These venues host a range of activities, including art exhibitions, live music and dance, workshops, acting and literary presentations. The Bardo Arts Center also houses many of the classrooms and studio spaces for the WCU School of Art and Design. “Although our season is definitely different than we would have hoped for an anniversary season,” Marketing Director Jill Jacobs said, “we will be celebrating in the fall with our series of online programs including our main museum exhibition, Cultivating Collections, which features work from the WCU Fine Art Museum’s permanent collection.” The Bardo Arts Center closed its doors on March 17 and canceled all events being held
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after March 5. Since then, they have created virtual experiences to replace in-person ones. Throughout April and May, Jacobs said, they livestreamed artist’s talks and theatrical programs, reaching the same or greater numbers of viewer than on-site showings. Continuing into the year with these digital opportunities, Jacobs said, “Bardo Arts Center is excited to be a part of the South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers for the 2020-2021 season and will
present six independent documentaries in a virtual format with opportunities for the public to interact virtually with the filmmakers.” Some events could not be held online, however, and the Bardo Arts Center offered three options for patrons who had already bought tickets. Ticket-holders could choose either a full refund, a voucher for a future performance or leave their purchase as a contribution to the Bardo Arts Center. Jacobs said, “Well over 50 percent of the patrons chose
Learn more The Bardo Arts Center offers a number of virtual opportunities on their website, including on-demand seminars, a virtual 360-degree museum tour and films from the School of Stage and Screen’s, Virtual Controlled Chaos Film Festival. These resources can be found at arts.wcu.edu/virtual.
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— Ricardo Nazario-Colón, WCU chief diversity officer
overdue,” WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown said. “I am proud that WCU is taking this proactive step today as we model our core values of diversity and inclusion,” Brown said. “The values and views of the auditorium’s now former namesake do not correspond with the values and views of Western Carolina University.” Ricardo Nazario-Colón, WCU’s chief diversity officer, commended the board for changing the facility’s name. “Today’s action is more than symbolic,” NazarioColón said. “It demonstrates that we as an organization have the capacity to listen, evolve and possess the fortitude to stand on the side of goodness. Thank you for leading the way and thank you to each board member.” Completed in 1939, the historic 450-seat auditorium was the university’s first dedicated performance space and helped WCU expand its music and arts offerings. The facility was renovated in the late 1980s. The auditorium — which is still used for some performances, as well as for rehearsals, set design and storage — is slated for eventual demolition as part of the university’s longrange master plan, said Interim Provost Richard Starnes. The 1,000-seat Performance Hall in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center has become WCU’s primary space for theatrical performances since its completion in 2005. The university’s long-range master plan calls for additional performance space to be built adjacent to Bardo before to the smaller auditorium is taken down. 7
Smoky Mountain News
“Today’s action is more than symbolic. It demonstrates that we as an organization have the capacity to listen, evolve and possess the fortitude to stand on the side of goodness.”
July 1-7, 2020
WCU removes name ‘Hoey’ from campus auditorium he Western Carolina University Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution removing the name “Hoey” from a campus performance facility. The action to rename the facility University Auditorium came Monday, June 29, during a special called meeting of the board, which was held by teleconference because of protocols related to COVID-19. Clyde R. Hoey, the facility’s namesake, is a former governor of North Carolina and state and federal legislator who actively opposed civil rights legislation and favored racial segregation. He also opposed statehood for Hawaii because the territory contained “only a small percentage of white people.” “It is the policy of the university to honor the core values of diversity, equality and social justice, and the university is devoted to the development of a culture of inclusivity,” the board’s resolution states. “The university reserves the right to terminate a facility naming when the facility naming is contrary to the best interests of the university.” Bryant Kinney, chair of the board, said that he and his fellow trustees thought it was important for the university to take this action. “The board feels strongly that we needed to take this step to reflect the values of today’s Western Carolina University campus,” Kinney said. “We are not an institution that honors a past that supported inequality. We are an institution that honors diversity, equality and social justice.” The action to change the auditorium’s name is “long
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‘The arts will always be open’
the contribution option which did help offset some of the missing revenue.” Regardless, she said, the Bardo Arts Center will lose tens of thousands of dollars from ticket sales. Despite these losses, the Bardo Art Center has not had to lay off any staff, Jacobs said. Employees who could work remotely began to do so on March 17, those who could not were given special paid leave through the UNC System. “Reopening Bardo Arts Center to the public is still a fluid situation and each arts discipline has its own unique requirements to protect artists and audiences,” she said. Consulting with arts organizations, the CDC and WCU, Bardo Arts Center is developing a reopening plan that considers everyone’s safety. “Bardo Arts Center would love readers to know that although our doors might be closed, the arts will always be open. We will continue providing as many digital arts experiences as we can and will be in touch with the public as soon as we are able to welcome our community back into our building,” Jacobs said.
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It’s Cawthorn in NC11 after runoff blowout BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ow, exactly, does someone lose a Primary Election in which they have almost a year’s exclusive advance knowledge of the seat’s impending vacancy, and the endorsement of the four-term incumbent who previously held the seat, and more than a million dollars in PAC money, and the full support of the President of the United States? These are questions Maggie Valley real estate agent Lynda Bennett will likely be asking herself for the rest of her life. Was it the manner in which her candidacy was rolled out, at 6 a.m. a day before the filing period ended? Was it the sham endorsement from a two-day-old PAC that didn’t interview any other candidates? Was it her generally poor performance at public speaking engagements, or her refusal to debate her inexperienced 24-year-old opponent? It was, and in the end those missteps converged to create a candidacy so flawed that not even President Donald Trump could save it from a 2-to-1 drubbing at the hands of political newcomer Madison Cawthorn. Much has been made of the efficacy of the Trump endorsement, especially after a number of Western North Carolina Republicans said they would sit on their hands in November if Bennett secured the 11th Congressional District nomination. While many major corporate media outlets from outside the district hoped Bennett’s crushing defeat was a sign of Trump’s declining popularity and perhaps a harbinger of his own defeat in November, the real answer can be found in the works of naturalist Horace Kephart, who came to this rugged little corner of Southern Appalachia more than a century ago and encountered a people whose resistance to outside authority is encoded in their DNA. “Thar’s plenty o’ men and women grown in these mountains, who don’t know that the Government is anything but a president in a biled shirt who commands two-three judges and a gang o’ revenue officers,” one man told Kephart. All the Republicans and independent voters who told The Smoky Mountain News they wouldn’t support Bennett if she’d won the Second Primary said they had voted for Trump in 2016, and would do so again this year, but wouldn’t vote for his candidate in this particular instance. They refused to say Trump was wrong for endorsing Bennett; they said he hadn’t been given enough information about her, or that he’d been led astray by the man who formerly held the seat — his current Chief of Staff Mark Meadows — or that Cawthorn hadn’t been given a chance to compete for the endorsement. Nevertheless, when Trump finally phoned into the 11th on the night of June 23, it was Cawthorn he was calling, not Bennett. “I don’t think this indicates any waning support for the president’s endorsement,” Cawthorn told SMN that night. “The people
Smoky Mountain News
July 1-7, 2020
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of Western North Carolina are wise and discerning. They looked at both candidates and wanted to elect the person they thought would represent them the best and help the president the most.” Cawthorn led Bennett from the outset, jumping to a two-to-one lead once early voting results were announced, shortly after the polls closed at 7:30 p.m. As the night wore on and precinct results trickled in, Bennett never seemed to gain any traction, and Cawthorn’s lead barely deviated from that 2-1 ratio. “Hard work and local support beats big money and big endorsements any day,” he said.
“[Bennett] ran a very hard campaign. We can talk about missteps, who did what and when, but right now we’re all coalescing as a family.” — Madison Cawthorn
The final tally reflects that. Results haven’t yet been certified, but Cawthorn ended the night with 30,452 votes, good for 65.83 percent. Bennett earned 15,809 votes, or 34.17 percent. Cawthorn won every county in the district but one, Rutherford, where Bennett prevailed 710 to 389, netting her 321 votes. That lone victory paled in comparison to Cawthorn’s performance in the two largest counties in the district, Henderson and Buncombe. Combined, he picked up 15,466 votes there, slightly more than his total margin of victory. The other 14 counties of the district contributed 14,986 votes to Cawthorn’s total. Bennett couldn’t even win her home county, Haywood. “She ran a very hard campaign. We can talk about missteps, who did what and when, but right now we’re all coalescing as a family,” Cawthorn said. “I appreciate the campaign she ran, and I appreciate that level of fight.” And it was a fight — Cawthorn came in second to Bennett in the March 3 Primary Election, trailing her by about 2,000 votes. That wasn’t enough to avoid the Second Primary, but Bennett still appeared to be the odds-on favorite; Western Carolina University Professor Dr. Chris Cooper told SMN June 9 that in North Carolina, the winner of the Primary Election wins the Second Primary about 75 percent of the time. Cawthorn’s upset victory has thus far resulted in an avalanche of national recognition. He’s been plastered all over the pages of large, national outlets like CNN, The Drudge Report, The New York Times and The New Yorker, and has also made appearances on Fox & Friends, Neil Cavuto’s show, even The View.
Madison Cawthorn, who mobilizes using a wheelchair, stands to address supporters at his June 23 victory party. Cory Vaillancourt photo Throughout the campaign Cawthorn earned comparisons to liberal New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but it’s not because of shared policy ideals. Like AOC, Cawthorn’s a dynamic speaker in an attractive package, and if elected to Congress would become its youngest member. The honeymoon’s almost over for Cawthorn, but if he can maintain momentum he’ll likely fare well in the November General Election. Although the 11th was redrawn several months ago in response to a court ruling declaring the district an unconstitutional gerrymander, Republican advantage is still thought to be anywhere from 8 to 16 percent. Cawthorn’s November opponent, Asheville Democrat Moe Davis, won his fiveway Dem Primary Election in March and was able to avoid a runoff. “I finally will have someone that wants to debate me,” Cawthorn said of Davis while simultaneously jabbing at Bennett, who dodged multiple debates and forums
during the runoff. “Congratulations to Madison Cawthorn on his win over Lynda Bennett, but we now turn our attention to November,” Davis said June 23. “We all know that Western North Carolina has fallen behind in access to healthcare, education, jobs that pay well and more. We’ve got an opportunity to change course and lean into the future. Better days are ahead, and I’m committed to do all I can to see that we get there.” Davis, who spent 25 years in the Air Force, retired as a colonel. “One thing I learned in the military: You have to earn your rank. No one in the service starts at the top and I don’t think the people of Western North Carolina believe a congressional seat should be handed to someone like a graduation present,” he said. “Experience matters. Leadership matters. Knowledge matters. There couldn’t be a clearer choice in November.” As of press time on July 1, the Nov. 3 General Election is 125 days away.
Supporters of law enforcement gather before the Historic Haywood Courthouse on June 27. Cory Vaillancourt photo
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a d r u t a S ‘Back the Badge’ rally comes to Waynesville
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The Town encourages visitors and locals to view fireworks from a location that allows for social distancing. That may be your own backyard, a creekside park, sidewalk, parking lot, balcony or another location. Good news is we plan to return to our normal Backyard 4th Celebration in 2021! Until then, enjoy our fireworks from wherever you can. For those of you who can only hear them, remember this--THE SOUND YOU HEAR IS THE SOUND OF FREEDOM!
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Happy 244 244 Happy Birthday, Birthday, America! America!
Smoky Mountain News
events of its own across the region for nearly a month now — from Murphy to Canton, Bryson City to Waynesville, and places in between. “This is through prayer. This is Christians saying, hey, we want to offer some hope,” she said. “This is not anti-anything. This is pro-laws, this is pro-love, and pro-loving others.” Lynn agreed, and elaborated on the reason for the event. “I have many friends whose family members are law enforcement, and they’ve been working thorough this whole shutdown, they just feel very beat down by the public sentiment against them,” she said. “They’re tired because they’ve been working non-stop while the rest of us have been home, so this was to show our gratitude and support of them. This is not counter or against any other group or any person.” As the procession arrived at the courthouse, another two-dozen people who couldn’t march were already there, as was a small musical setup. Several religious leaders offered prayer in between worship songs. Lynn said she hoped that people would depart with a greater sense of community than when they arrived. Trull lauded local law enforcement and wanted people to leave with the hope that the situation could be changed through Jesus Christ. “We want to encourage our law enforcement. We are praying for them. We know they are not perfect, but we’ve got the best law enforcement in the world here in Haywood under the direction of Sheriff Greg Christopher and the other law enforcement agencies,” she said. “They’re the best.” The event wasn’t widely publicized on social media, but was spread largely through word-of-mouth. It concluded peacefully about an hour after it had started, and no counterdemonstrators were present.
July 1-7, 2020
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ast week, as demonstrations were taking place across the nation to call attention to police brutality and racial injustice, Canton resident Becky Trull was struck with an idea. “I was on Facebook last Sunday night at midnight, and I saw some of the posts, and the Lord just laid it on my heart — you need to do something,” Trull said. What she did, along with friend Amy Lynn, was organize a march and rally designed to let Haywood County’s law enforcement and first responders know they have community support. “About a week ago, last Sunday night, one of my friends and I started text messaging each other, saying, ‘Hey, we see all these people posting on Facebook but what if we actually all got together to pray for our community, to pray for our law enforcement?’” Lynn said. Less than a week later, Trull and Lynn were just two of more than 100 people who marched from Waynesville’s police department to the Historic Haywood County Courthouse, holding signs, banners and flags. “We never imagined it would be a huge group, we just thought it would be a few friends. Everybody seemed to get very excited about something positive going on,” Lynn said. “So we got the support of law enforcement, we got permission for the courthouse and people came out.” Lynn, who attends Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Waynesville, said that a number of area houses of worship were represented at the event. “Many churches came together and contributed people,” she said. “No one church officially sponsored this event.” Trull, who attends New Covenant Church in Clyde, said that the event was absolutely not a response to the Black Lives Matter movement, which has been holding
Due to COVID-19 precautions, the Town of Maggie Valley will not be hosting its traditional Backyard 4th Celebration at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. However, the Town will continue with its annual fireworks display--the same display that has amazed crowds year after year.
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DA searches for substitute courtrooms during COVID
game’s history. For details on how $2.9 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Haywood County last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said across the 43rd Prosecutorial District, in the state’s seven most-westernmost counties, court officials are identifying, examining and measuring large spaces for possible transformation into substitute courtrooms. N.C. Chief Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley on May 21 ordered courts postpone all jury trials until August, because of COVID-19. Many of the courtrooms in the far-west counties are too small to accommodate trials and maintain safe spacing – at least 6-feet apart – for those involved. This week in Macon County, a group that included Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bill Coward, District Attorney Ashley Welch and Macon County Clerk of Superior Court Vic Perry toured the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. They decided on a possible jury room, discussed courtroom security and debated how best to space people in the audience area. The murder trial of Paul Snow, 53, accused of killing his mother and sister, is set for the Oct. 26th term of Macon County Superior Court. At least 100 potential jurors will be called to form the jury pool. Selection of sites for jury trials is occurring in Haywood, Jackson, Swain, Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties, too, Welch said.
Tax-Aide sites will remain closed
Smoky Mountain News
July 1-7, 2020
Haywood man hits $1.3 million Cash 5 win George Robble of Waynesville made a lastminute decision to buy a few Cash 5 tickets for the drawing on June 21 and ended up scoring a $1,327,872 jackpot prize. Robble stopped at the Roadrunner on Dellwood Road in Waynesville so his wife could buy a few scratch-off tickets. When he walked into the store, he saw the Cash 5 jackpot amount and decided to try his luck with a couple of $1 Quick Pick tickets. “I saw the amount that was up on the light up sign, and I said, ‘Oh, I’ll play it,’” recalled Robble. And lucky he did. At home the next morning, Robble checked the winning numbers on his computer and realized he was a big winner. “I thought, ‘Oh my god’ and then I went and woke up my wife and told her,” said Robble. “Neither one of us could believe it. I’m still having a hard time believing it!” Robble claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Monday. After federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $939,470. With his winnings, Robble says the couple plans to renovate their kitchen. His win ranks as the fifth highest Cash 5 jackpot won in the
The Macon County Public Library Tax-Aide site has determined that it will not re-open for this tax season. Tax-Aide sites in Haywood County, Jackson County and the Murphy Public Library will also not be re-opening. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offering online options to assist taxpayers affected by the suspension of in-person services. A self-prep option, providing taxpayers with free access to software so they can prepare taxes on their own, is available at signup.aarpfoundation.org/preparing-your-taxes-online/. Visit www.aarpfoundation.org/taxaide for information and updates.
Grace Church receives $10,000 grant Resourceful Communities, a program of The Conservation Fund, awarded $10,000 to Grace Church to meet emergent physical and mental health needs of unsheltered people in Haywood County. Grace Church has been one of the Haywood County churches collaborating with the Open Door, the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition and others to provide emergency shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic to high-risk individuals and families. As funds for this emergency shelter dwindled, a grant opportunity through Resourceful Communities opened up to organizations who had previously been involved with this Conservation Fund program. The grant includes funding for mobile mental-health and telehealth services through the purchase of wi-fi tablets for case workers to connect clients virtually with online health-care providers. Additionally, the grant will support food purchases for the those in need served by Open Door and Pathways — $5,000 will go toward extending the motel stays for the previously unsheltered individuals. Since this emergency shelter program opened, 23 people have received assistance including access to mental health care, lactation consultation, case management, medication-assisted treatment for substance-use disorders. None of them qualified for other shelter options for various reasons, including being a family or living with a substance use disorder. Of the 23, three moved into longer-term housing, two connected with the VA for longer-term support, one mother and child entered the Pathways program, and nine left for other reasons. Currently nine people are being sheltered.
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develop something that the town owns.” At the meeting the board discussed its ability to seek funding from different companies and entities in the community, host fundraisers, sell naming rights, memorials and enter public-private partnerships to help raise funds. “The town financially is in a very stable position, even with the pandemic going on,” said Eveland. “If we get the vision that we’re looking for out of this, then that is a natural resource that I believe would be
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process will take between eight and 12 months. The team will then provide the town with phases for the plan and bid packages that the town can put out for bid to begin construction as soon as funding is possible. At the end of the meeting the board decided to accept the contract with Mosaic Civic Studio for $30,000. The money for the project was set aside in the 2019-20 budget, and therefore did not take any funds from the current 2020-21 budget.
“It’s something we’ve had for 15-plus years — we have to make a decision if we’re gonna do something with it or if we’re going to try and sell it or just move on from it. — Mike Eveland
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encompasses the waterfall. There are currently No Trespassing signs blocking a trail that leads to the waterfall, and the old staircase and viewing platform is rotting and broken from fallen trees. What’s more, the road leading to the waterfall is a narrow, dead end road in a residential area above Maggie Valley Golf Club. “Our team would also include civil engineers with Mattern and Craig Engineering and a trail design and construction specialist with Benchmark Trails. So, it’s really kind of a three-firm team. We would be working with the town to determine what the options are for this property,” said Taylor Broyhill of Mosaic Civic Studio in Boone. According to Broyhill, the process will require an analysis of both the topography and the built environment, the context of the surrounding neighborhood and natural features of the site. Broyhill said this analysis will determine “what is physically possible from an environmental standpoint and a build standpoint. Then we develop concepts founded in that understanding, and then put those concepts out to the public as well for their input.” Once the public has had the chance to give feedback, the team can refine those concepts and develop a more final plan for the property. Broyhill said the whole design
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BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER hen tourists visit this region, many of them come seeking the beauty and awe of the waterfalls that decorate the slopes of these mountains. One of those natural beauties is a long, cascading waterfall located off of Old Still Road in Maggie Valley. However, more than 17 years after it was gifted to the town, it has no parking and remains largely inaccessible to visitors. Now, the town is one step closer to changing that. At a special called meeting on Tuesday, June 16, the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen heard presentations from Mosaic Civic Studio, Mattern and Craig Engineers and Destination by Design about possibilities for developing the property. In 2002, BB&T donated the property to the Town of Maggie Valley after it had inherited the property from Haywood Savings and Loan. At the time there was an active sewage pump on the property that BB&T did not want to maintain. They donated the land to the town to be used as a park in exchange for the town taking over the sewage pump station. The town received $10,000 for maintenance of the sewage station and part of the land was required to remain a greenway or park area. The town owns 6 acres of property that
great if we can develop the land.” Ed Evans of Mattern and Craig engineers said that there is also the opportunity for grant funding. According to Evans, grant funding can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Agencies like to see the community involved and the project “shovel ready.” “My vision is just something nice and peaceful and tranquil. It’s not gonna require a lot of maintenance once this thing is developed out. Added attraction for Maggie Valley, beautiful waterfall,” said Wight.
July 1-7, 2020
Maggie Valley starts planning process for waterfall park
“It’s something we’ve had for 15-plus years — we have to make a decision if we’re gonna do something with it or if we’re going to try and sell it or just move on from it. But in order to do that, we had to take this step,” said Mayor Mike Eveland. In a follow-up interview, Alderman Phillip Wight said, “We’ve had this property in our possession. So, the question is, this is a beautiful cascading waterfall, what’s one of the greatest assets when people come to visit our region? They go out and look at waterfalls and go hiking and it’s just an added asset right in our backyard to
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No Phase 3 for NC BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER orth Carolina’s graduated three-phase COVID-19 reopening plan was set to cruise into Phase 3 on June 26, but due to growing community spread, increasing daily case counts, a high percentage of positive tests and rising hospitalizations, Gov. Roy Cooper has hit the brakes. “The numbers we see are a stark warning, and we must pay attention,” Cooper said. Cooper made the announcement in a 3 p.m. press conference on June 24, just as the state had reported 1,721 news cases and 906 hospitalizations — both the second-highest totals since the pandemic began. To date, there have been 1,346 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in North Carolina. Cooper called North Carolina’s approach to reopening more of a dimmer switch than an on/off button. He also said the state’s response would be guided by science and data, and that current caseloads warrant a “pause” in the “safer at home” Phase 2 until July 17. By far the biggest news put forth by Cooper was that the use of face coverings would become compulsory, but there are many caveats. “We’re adding this new requirement because we don’t want to go backward,” he said.
Smoky Mountain News
July 1-7, 2020
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Face coverings must be worn in public and in private by all people over the age of 11 where six feet of social distancing is not possible. All employees and customers of retail businesses must wear them, as must employees and customers of several other industries, including restaurants, personal care and grooming or tattoo businesses. Persons present at childcare facilities, day and overnight camps, state government agencies, public transportation, meat or poultry processing plants, long-term care facilities or other health care settings must also wear face coverings. Those who have underlying medical conditions, are exercising, or are associating with members of their own household don’t need to wear them, nor do people actively eating or drinking, giving speeches, driving in a personal vehicle or remaining in their own homes. Cooper’s executive order #147 says that the failure to wear required face coverings won’t be enforced criminally by police, but persons refusing to wear masks could be cited for trespassing if they’re asked to leave a business but refuse. Wearing a mask slows the spread of COVID-19, Cooper said, and doesn’t hurt the economy. In fact, it does the opposite. “Slowing the spread helps our economy, and these face coverings do that,” said Cooper.
likely soon, that too may be a mixed bag — Right now, economic data on the state of North Carolina is mixed, at best, but it could North Carolina moved from its highest level of restriction, Phase 1, to Phase 2 on May get far worse; there’s a lag between the col22. That progression enabled the reopening lection and publication of the data, so figof large swaths of the economy, albeit at a ures for the month of April — the state’s first full month under various lockdown pro- lesser capacity for some of them. visions — are only now becoming available and don’t reflect what’s happened since. According to the North Carolina Department of 2020 2019 2018 Commerce, the seasonally Buncombe ................$18.34 ..............$22.90 ..............$23.23 adjusted unemployment Cherokee...................$1.37 ................$1.46 ................$1.32 rate for April was 12.2 perClay............................$0.39 ................$0.39 ................$0.32 cent, up from 4.3 percent Graham......................$0.28 ................$0.30 ................$0.23 the previous month, and up Haywood ....................$2.98 ................$3.19 ................$2.89 from 4.1 percent in April Henderson.................$5.21 ................$5.50 ................$5.16 2019. Jackson......................$2.36 ................$2.28 ................$1.96 North Carolina’s unemMacon........................$1.85 ................$2.07 ................$1.90 ployment rate had Swain .........................$0.46 ................$0.50 ................$0.46 remained fairly stable over Transylvania ..............$1.41 ................$1.46 ................$1.28 the past year, around 4 percent or less. Source: N.C. Department of Revenue Another major indicator of economic activity — sales tax collections — showed On May 22, North Carolina had reported April to be a mixed bag. Some counties a total of 22,110 COVID-19 cases, according across the region, like Cherokee, Graham, to Worldometers.info, a website that’s been Haywood, Henderson and Swain saw tracking the global spread of coronavirus declines between 6 and 8 percent. Macon and Buncombe counties fared the worst, with cases since March. On the day Cooper announced that declines of 11 and 20 percent, respectively. Phase 3 would have to wait three more Bright spots include Transylvania weeks, there had been more than 56,000 County, where collections fell by less than 4 cases in the state. percent, and Clay County, which saw no Read the full text of Gov. Cooper’s change from April 2019. Jackson County Executive Order #147 at actually saw an increase in collections, by https://files.nc.gov/governor/documents/ almost 4 percent. When economic data for May is released, files/EO147-Phase-2-Extension.pdf.
Sales tax collections for the month of April, in millions
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Cherokee has second COVID-related death
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BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR s of June 30, North Carolina had 64,670 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The death toll is now over 1,300 and 908 people are currently hospitalized. The surge led Gov. Roy Cooper to keep the state in Phase 2 of reopening instead of moving into Phase 3 and now people will be required to wear facial coverings in public places. Looking at the most western counties, Macon County Public Health identified a COVID-19 “outbreak” June 25 at Macon Valley Nursing Home when two staff members tested positive for COVID-19. While two positives doesn’t seem to warrant an outbreak, the state COVID-19 guidelines defines an outbreak of COVID-19 in a congregate living setting as two or more laboratory-confirmed cases within a 28-day period. “This is based on CDC guidance for influenza outbreaks in long-term care facilities and is appropriate for settings where the likelihood of exposure having occurred at the facility is high and rapid implementation of specific interventions is needed to reduce morbidity and mortality. A cluster is defined as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases. Both employees are asymptomatic and are isolating at home. They will not be allowed to return to work until they have two negative COVID-19 tests, taken 24 hours apart. Macon Valley Nursing Home has been following the highest levels of Personal Protective Equipment standards while in their facility and especially when working with patients. At this time, no patient in any Macon County nursing home or long-term care facility has tested positive for COVID-19. All the residents and staff at the nursing home are being tested and plans are in place to isolate
any residents, should there be a positive result. Macon’s total cases are now up to 281 cases as of June 29 — 159 are considered active, 121 recovered and one death. More than 3,719 tests have been completed in Macon and 288 results are pending. In Cherokee, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Richard Sneed announced a second COVID-related death on the Qualla Boundary June 27. Four new positives were announced in Cherokee on June 30, bringing the total number of positives to 71. The tribe reported that 42 cases were considered recovered and 20 test results were still pending. Haywood County Public Health received notice June 27-28 that five more residents tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the number of cases recorded to 90. The individuals are currently in isolation at home. Two had recent out of state travel; one traveled out of state on business and the other for vacation. One is unsure of the exposure although they had out of county vacation travel. One was exposed at work out of the county. One is a close contact of an existing known case and was identified and tested through contact tracing efforts. According to a press release, 68 cases in Haywood are categorized as recovered and the other 22 remain in isolation. There are 44 people are in quarantine because they have been identified as close contacts of known cases during contact tracing efforts. Jackson County had performed 4,819 tests as of June 29 with 107 positive cases — 42 are currently in isolation and the county has had one death. About 42 percent of the people who’ve tested positive are in the 25 to 49 age range while almost 20 percent of positive cases have been reported in people 24 and younger and 71 percent have been white. Swain County has 56 confirmed cases and zero deaths. The county has performed a total of 2,041 tests with 337 still pending result. For more information about COVID-19 cases in North Carolina, visit https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov.
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DOT revises plan for Dillsboro bridge project BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER lans for a $14 million bridge project in Dillsboro have changed, with the project now expected to take nine months instead of three years and to cost $3 million less than originally proposed. Contractor Wright Brothers Construction will realize these savings by opting not to build a temporary bridge over Haywood Road while construction of the new bridge over Scotts Creek is underway, meaning that the U.S. 23 Business corridor connecting Sylva and Dillsboro will be closed for the duration of the project. Work is slated to begin on July 7, with the road expected to reopen in spring 2021 featuring a new bridge complete with sidewalk and bike lane. Under the previous plan, construction would have run through 2022. “The changes will benefit the entire community by reducing the overall construction time by two years and limiting disruptions and delays to those traveling through the area,” NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Brian Burch said. “We believe the cost savings to the taxpayers, as well as the reduction in the length of traffic impacts to the area of Dillsboro outweigh the short-term inconvenience motorists will face.” During that time, subcontracted crews would work to complete a retaining wall on Hill Street. Once the wall was completed —
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expected to occur mid-August — local traffic could use Old Home Town Road through Monteith Park as a detour. For the first three months of the road closure, the quickest available detour will use Savannah Drive, Yellow Bird Branch Road and North River Road, a distance of 2.6 miles that adds about five minutes to the trip depending on traffic lights. However, once a wall currently under construction on Hill Street is complete, local traffic will be able to use Old Home Town Road through Monteith Park as a detour. Dillsboro Road is currently closed for wall construction, an endeavor that is expected to wrap up in September. Residents of the Bart Cove community can continue using Old Hometown Road to access Haywood Road. While residents will likely reroute using Savannah Drive or Old Hometown Road, the only official, signed detour will direct traffic to use U.S. 74 between exits 81 and 83, a route expected to add about 10 minutes to both drive times. Due to a tight curve at the top of the road, no tractor-trailers will be allowed on the Old Hometown Road route, said Division 14 Construction Engineer Ted Adams. Despite the savings in money and time, the revised plan drew divided opinion from local governments when proposed this spring. Dillsboro aldermen unanimously approved the plan during a special-called meeting April 20, and according to Mayor
Mike Fitzgerald coronavirus-related closures prompted that decision. Because the summer season has been much slower than is typical, traffic impacts will be less costly to the local economy than they otherwise would have been. Additionally, Wright Brothers offered to split its share of the savings with Dillsboro,
“We believe the cost savings to the taxpayers, as well as the reduction in the length of traffic impacts to the area of Dillsboro outweigh the short-term inconvenience motorists will face.” — NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Brian Burch
giving the town $450,000 of its $1.5 million share. The other $1.5 million remains with the state. Sylva, meanwhile, issued a letter to the DOT expressing its opposition to the plan, which hinged on the “rushed” nature of the proposal and the lack of opportunity to study its impacts or seek public input.
“These are substantial changes to the scope of the project and may significantly change the impacts to the community, and these impacts have not been thoroughly studied nor communicated,” Mayor Lynda Sossamon wrote April 24 on behalf of the board. “The Town of Sylva Board of Commissioners understand that time is of the essence with the contractor, but this decision is too rushed, and the public deserves more information,” she continued later in the letter. “This is a very volatile time. We feel the timing of this decision is hasty during the Covid-19 pandemic. The community and businesses deserve the opportunity to voice their opinions on both bridges being closed, especially when everyone will be getting back to work and businesses will be trying to recover.” In a May 28 meeting of the county board, Commissioner Mickey Luker said that it would be “a recipe for disaster” to reroute traffic from Haywood Road through Monteith Park and past the Appalachian Women’s Museum located there. He spoke in response to concerns museum board member Cathy Busik voiced about the potential impact that sustained traffic on that road could have to museum fundraising activities. The segment of Haywood Road slated for temporary closure averages 9,605 vehicles per day, according to 2018 numbers. In a reply to Sossamon’s letter, Adams wrote that the Haywood
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“These additional studies, traffic impact analysis or cost benefit analysis would take longer to complete then the actual construction of the bridge under the closure. With delays occurring under both alternatives, the NCDOT does not believe additional analysis is warranted,” Adams wrote. The DOT will work with Jackson County to ensure that emergency management stays updated on the quickest detour route, Adams said. “They’ll have to use a detour just like the traveling public, but we’ll be in contact with them and make sure they understand the quickest way around this closure,” he said. The road closure will certainly cause travel delays and inconvenience, said Adams, but it’s important to note that the original plan would have had a substantial impact as well. Due to lane closures, drivers would have found themselves sitting in traffic for anywhere from two to 10 minutes, which may well have spurred some people to start avoiding the area. “We felt like it was a good option to go ahead and close it, minimize the duration of the project and just get the work done,” he said.
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Road closure is not a new concept for the project and was studied as one of three alternatives when the project was initially under development. In a 2015 public hearing, the DOT received eight public comments, of which four were in favor of the alterative that would keep Haywood Road open and install an onsite detour bridge. Three of those four responses were from business owners in Dillsboro, which now supports the closure, he wrote. “The Town of Dillsboro was pretty adamant against closing the road, so we went back and revisited that with them after our contractor was selected,” Adams said in an interview. “They still didn’t have any interest in closing the road, and we relayed that information to our contractor. When all the businesses were shut down (due to coronavirus), our contractor came in and said traffic on that road is now near nothing. Is there any possibility we could revisit this one more time? On behalf of the contractor we went back and talked with the Town of Dillsboro, and they were receptive.” Adams’ letter also responded to Sylva’s concerns about the lack of additional studies examining the impact of the closure.
amendment was denied again in a 3-2 vote. McMahan again made a motion to pass the budget as it was presented to the board. “I would just like to say that because we’re in a situation where we have unprecedented issues that we don’t know what we’re gonna face in the near future, I feel that our budget is a really conservative and sound budget and that we can at any time amend it to address specific needs that will come up, because our number one concern is the health and safety of our citizens of Jackson County,” said Woody. “I know that these are very serious times. Some of the things that commissioner Mau recommended have some merit, but I do not feel that this is the time.” Mau responded saying that most years Jackson County does not spend the full amount of the proposed budget, that this year, they would probably spend about 90 percent of the budget. “So why can’t we get our revenues more in line with our expenses, like almost every organization does?” Mau asked. “Because we do not know what our revenues are going to be going forward,” Woody responded. Following further discussion, McMahan again made a motion to pass the budget as proposed, without any amendments. The budget passed with McMahan, Woody and Deitz voting in favor, and Mau and Luker voting against. The approved budget for fiscal year 202021 is $66.5 million, $5.5 million more than the previous year. (The proposed 2020-21 budget includes a 1.34 percent decrease from the 2019-20 amended budget.)
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BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ollowing a June 23 public hearing, Jackson County Commissioners voted to pass the proposed 2020-21 budget without any of the changes suggested by Commissioner Ron Mau. Mau first made a motion to pass the budget with the amendments he had previously proposed during a June 11 work session, which included reducing the property tax rate by 10 percent, increasing health insurance and retirement benefits, funding for all nonprofits that made requests, a $50,000 line item for the Special Library Project (for whatever the citizens of the county may choose to do with the Confederate statue in front of the library), a 1.4 percent increase in local teacher supplements, freezing salaries of county employees earning over two times the average county employee compensation and cutting the commissioners’ budget by $30,000. “Has anybody in here ever built a budget during a pandemic? Things have changed. We’ve got to think different. I’m trying to help more people by giving everybody a raise by cutting taxes, trying to help more people by funding the non-profits,” Mau asked the board just before the vote was taken. His motion got a second from Commissioner Mickey Luker, but Commissioners Gayle Woody, Boyce Deitz and Chairman Brian McMahan voted against it. McMahan then made a motion to pass the budget as it was presented to the board. Mau in turn offered a sole amendment that all nonprofit requests be funded. The
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SRCA approves plans for $15 million facility BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR hining Rock Classical Academy, a public charter school in Waynesville, will be moving forward with plans to construct a $15 million K-12 school facility on the corner of Russ Avenue and Dellwood Road. SRCA has been searching for a permanent home since it began operating in 2015 but hasn’t been able to find a suitable piece of property that would accommodate its needs. Classes were first held in a building on Lake Junaluska Assembly’s property and then the school worked out a lease agreement for a piece of property adjacent to the lake on Dellwood Road — still owned by the assembly — and placed three modular buildings on the site. The K-8 school has been operating out of those modulars for the last few years, but the student population is quickly outgrowing the space, according to Head of School Josh Morgan. During a June 24 meeting via Zoom, SRCA board of directors unanimously approved the architectural designs and preliminary budget for the new school presented by design-build partner, BC Construction Group (BCCG). Performance Charter School Development will be providing financial resources to purchase the 13-acre property and finance the construction. “I believe that this presentation represents the best chance for us to have long-term
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school in a great location,” said SRCA board Vice Chair Mike Mehaffey. According to the architectural plans, the new facility will be a two-story concept to accommodate up to 650 students, a number the board is hoping to reach by fiscal year 2023. The 48,000-square-foot campus will also include a full-size gym — something the temporary campus has not had — a stage and outdoor instructional spaces. Morgan told the board how impressed he was regarding the scope and volume of work completed by BCCG since the board signed a letter of intent with the company back in April. “The amount of work that they have completed to reach this preliminary step is impressive,” Morgan added, “The floor plan that is being presented addresses what was asked of their design team from the meeting they conducted with our teachers after the letter of intent was signed earlier this year.” According to BCCG’s estimations, construction will cost about $13.2 million with $713,000 set aside for contingency; $678,000 for contracting fees; $414,000 worth of interest costs and $950,000 for bond closing costs. The total project cost is $14.9 million, but a bond issuance would put the total cost for the school at just over $18 million. With a 6.5 percent interest rate, SRCA would be taking on a $1.2 million annual payment for the project on top of an already hefty debt load it took on to build
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Shining Rock Classical Academy has approved plans to move from its temporary location on Dellwood Road to a new permanent facility by next August. A Shot Above of WNC photo the temporary campus just down the road. Morgan said BCCG’s timeline had the school being complete and ready for classes to start in August 2021. The board will have to start making rent payments to Performance CSD at that time. SRCA will have the option to purchase the property from the owner during the term of the lease. Morgan said the board should begin looking at purchasing the property by the 2022-23 school year in order to save money. Options include a low-interest
“This is very exciting and provides our school with the space to grow and meet the needs of our community.”
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loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture or going after a bond. “That gives us plenty of time to go through the USDA loan process with a 2 percent interest loan instead of 6.5 percent,” he said. “That could shave $100,000 or more in savings.” This isn’t the first time SRCA board of directors has attempted to finalize plans for a permanent home. The board was working with Schoolhouse Development LLC in late 2019 to develop similar plans on the same piece of property, but the board backed out of the $13.4 million project when the school’s open enrollment numbers came in much lower than expected. While 428 students signed up to start SRCA in fall 2019, only 301 showed up for the school year during the first 10 days — that’s the number that determines the per pupil funding the school will receive from the state for the year.
The school will be using much of its state funding allocation to repay the project debt until it can secure a loan or bond, which means SRCA’s main goal for the next few years will be to grow enrollment, as board member Chad Carver pointed out during the meeting. As the board’s outgoing treasurer, Carver said he felt confident that the board could pull off the project cost. “Once we refinance to a bond or USDA, we can really afford it,” he said. “We have to look at what we do to increase enrollment and I think we’re on that path. We’re more stable than a year ago. We owe it to the whole community to take a risk to do this — this is what this board and this school planned to do and it’s the best opportunity we’ve had since our inception. I think we should do it.” Morgan said SRCA ended the 2019-20 school year with 309 students and is expecting an enrollment of 370 when classes start back this fall. Once the new K-12 school is completed, Morgan anticipates enrollment to reach 500, which would increase the school’s payments from the state to $3.4 million a year. For 2022-23, those enrollment projections reach capacity at 650 students. “This is very exciting and provides our school with the space to grow and meet the needs of our community,” said SRCA Board Chair Michelle Haynes. SRCA’s total budget for the 2019-20 school year was about $3.1 million. While Carver said the board was estimating a $180,000 shortfall at the beginning of the budget year, it appeared the school would be breaking even after all. The school’s revenues included about $2.2 million from the state, $810,000 from the county, $90,000 from the federal government, $33,000 in grant funding. In other business, the SRCA board approved renewing Morgan’s employment contract for another year and thanked him for his leadership during the last challenging school year.
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Smoky Mountain News
business entities and family farms in Western North Carolina. Small-business owners affected by COVID-19 can learn more at www.ncrapidrecovery.org, or contact Business Link North Carolina (BLNC) at 800.228.8443 to speak with someone about this program or other resources available to small businesses.
‘Little’ Logan finds a big brother Entering the eighth grade, it didn’t look likely that Logan would get a Big Brother. Big Brothers Big Sisters has a harder time matching older “Littles” than it does younger ones. But BBBS Haywood County lucked up when Dustin, a swim instructor and lifeguard, came to the rescue. Dustin, a senior at Western Carolina University, asked for an older match after watching “Instant Family,” a movie on Amazon Prime. BBBS Haywood Program Coordinator Martha Barksdale thought of Logan and was able to match them, in a socially distant way, on June 15 on Logan’s front yard. Logan’s mom and younger sibling were there to watch. Logan and Dustin live in the same neighborhood. One of the things Logan really wants to do with his Big is learn to swim. In the meantime, they will enjoy virtual meetings and activities in Logan’s front yard. They may even meet up at the Waynesville Rec Center (currently, BBBS is not allowing matches to ride together in the same car). For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County, or to become a volunteer, to enroll, or to become an Advisory Council Member, contact Martha Barksdale at 828.273.3601.
UCB donates $10,000 to United Way United Community Bank is proud to announce gifts totaling $10,000 to four United Way chapters throughout the bank’s southeastern footprint. The donations, which will help United Way further its mission and assist those in the community negatively affected by COVID-19, were made on behalf of customers who participated in the bank’s inaugural virtual Customer Appreciation Day activities. “The past few months have been tough for our customers and communities, but we were proud to support through our participation in the Paycheck Protection Program, and now through a gift to the incredible United Way,” said Keri Wise, head of retail sales. “Showing appreciation for our customers is a long tradition at United Community Bank, and we are proud that we were still able to engage with them virtually, share positivity and support those in need.”
Foundation awards $172,000 in grants Proactive grants from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina’s Emergency and Disaster Response Fund to assist frontline human service organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic approved $172,000 in funding. The grants include $50,000 to Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project – to work with regional farmers to support the local food system and determine immediate needs, to connect farms with customers in light of closures of institutional purchasers and to provide emergency mini-grants to purchase necessary PPE; $30,000 to
OnTrackFinancial Education and Counseling – to offer online services including financial, unemployment, and housing/utilities assistance, to provide emergency cash flow counseling, and to deliver resources for legal aid, food, health insurance, and students loans; $20,000 to Vecinos Farmworker Health Program – to provide COVID-19 information and resources for food and legal aid to migrant workers and to deliver free health care to migrant workers, primarily through a mobile clinic and $20,000 to WNC Workers Center — to provide workshops, primarily to farm workers and immigrants working in the poultry industry, addressing workplace safety, wage theft and women’s safety and to raise funds to help immigrants who do not qualify for unemployment, rent and utility protection, or federal or state relief funds. Nonprofits can review current grant programs and deadlines at www.cfwnc.org.
Second Blessing needs donations, volunteers The Second Blessing Thrift Store, located in Waynesville, is open, is expanding operations and is in need of donations and volunteers. The Second Blessing Thrift Shop, a nonprofit that assists with funding The Open Door Ministry, is a community based and supported Christian organization that now provides mobile food distribution, boxed overnight meals and faithful encouragement to anyone in need. Volunteers needed at The Second Blessing Thrift Store include store greeters and floaters. Store greeters welcome guests upon arrival and will assist with communicating information to shoppers about required safety measures i.e. mask coverings and the use of hand sanitizer while shopping. Floaters assist with pricing, pro-
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Franklin’s finance officer retires
vide information, clean surfaces and perform other various day-to-day operational assistance. Donations are being accepted from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Saturday. All donations, including furniture, are to be set inside the opened gate onto the dock. Dock assistance will not be available. Six-foot safe distancing will be enforced and practiced if volunteers are available to assist. Clothing donations must be bagged, and item donation must be boxed for acceptance. Volunteers are a valued asset to the Second Blessing’s team and schedules are flexible with volunteer’s availability. To volunteer, call Bill Guy at 828.356.4948, or email at bill.guy@longschapel.com.
Bridge loan support available The Appalachian Regional Commission and Dogwood Health Trust recently announced funding to support the NC COVID-19 Rapid Recovery Loan Program, the bridge loan program designed to help North Carolina small business owners and family farms grapple with, and recover from, the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. “Rebuilding our state’s economy and supporting small-business owners will take a collaborative effort scaled to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic,” said NC Rural Center President Patrick Woodie. “We are grateful that the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Dogwood Health Trust recognize the importance of this work and have joined in these efforts. We are proud to have their support assisting our state’s small business owners at this unprecedented time.” Dogwood Health Trust’s and ARC’s contributions will be used to supplement and stretch the Program’s initial funding to better serve more
The Town of Franklin recently announced the promotion of Sarah Bishop to the role of finance officer. Bishop has worked for the Town since 2016 when she started as a billing clerk for the Public Works Department. From that position she moved into the role of tax collector and then into the Finance Department as the accounts payable technician. She has a two-year degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in business management and leadership. Bishop will be stepping into the position as a result of the retirement of Kyra Doster after 30 years of service to the town and Macon County. Doster joined the Town in 2015. She has been instrumental in implementing the newest accounting software for the town, providing oversight in daily financial operations and providing knowledgeable budgetary oversight during her tenure.
Franklin clerk earns certification Travis D. Tallent, town clerk for the town of Franklin, has been awarded the prestigious designation of North Carolina Certified Municipal Clerk from the N.C. Association of Municipal Clerks, along with the School of Government of the UNCChapel Hill for achieving its high educational, experience and service requirements. The certified municipal clerk program is a fiveyear designation with requirements for continuing education to sustain and develop the ever-changing knowledge of the profession of municipal clerks.
Grants given to support women The Women for Women giving circle recently awarded seven grants totaling $309,988. With these awards and in its 15th year of grantmaking, the giving circle has invested more than $4.1 million to support programs serving WNC women and girls. Women for Women’s mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through collective giving, and the grant program supports the facilitation of safe living and work environments. CFWNC works with families, businesses and nonprofits to strengthen communities through the creation of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking. A permanent charitable resource, the Foundation manages over 1,100 funds and has facilitated more than $254 million in philanthropy since its founding in 1978. Learn more at www.cfwnc.org.
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Substance still matters in politics H
Forest plan lacks water quality measures To the Editor: The Nantahala and Pisgah national forests are the headwaters of seven major river systems, providing drinking water for millions of people in four southeastern states and wildlife habitat for a bewildering array of native species such as the hellbender and native brook trout. Right now, the U.S. Forest Service is drafting the next forest management plan for these forests — a blueprint for how our forests will be managed for the next 15-20 years — and, unfortunately, the current draft is inadequate in a few very important ways when it comes to protecting water quality. First and foremost, the Forest Service needs to meet or exceed the stream protection standards that they’ve set for other Southern Appalachian National Forests such as the Chattahoochee, the Cherokee, and the Jefferson. While the 100-foot buffer on perennial streams is good, the draft plan only affords intermittent streams a 15-foot buffer, and provides no protection at all for ephemeral streams — the type of streams that make up the very beginning of the watershed networks we depend on. Compare this to Cherokee National Forest, across the border in Tennessee, which has a default riparian buffer of 100 feet on perennial streams and 50 feet on intermittent streams, as well as some protections within 25 feet of ephemeral stream channels. Cherokee
home somewhere close to the Asheville airport so he could hurry to Washington, and eventually became so drunk with power that he left the district without a representative in Congress with 10 months left on his term so he could serve as White House chief of staff. As for Meadows, the safe bet is he’ll end up fired or forced to resign like his predecessors. Once that happens, there’s little doubt he’ll land somewhere in the Fox News stratosphere or as a consultant or lobbyist, another creature of the swamp he and his boss promised to drain. As far as this race goes, Meadows tried to anoint Bennett in a very scurrilous sequence of events. As most in the district know, Meadows’ brother Editor had registered a Bennett for Congress website prior to Rep. Meadows’ announcement of his resignation. He — Meadows — announced his resignation one day before the deadline for registering to run in the race, leaving other potential candidates scrambling to get to Raleigh and register. She then got the endorsement of such GOP high-ups as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus. Even the president Tweeted his endorsement, and on her website we get a photo of Trump
Scott McLeod
aywood County resident Lynda Bennett was beaten badly in the Republican runoff primary for Congress last week against 24-year-old political newcomer Madison Cawthorn. As a reporter and editor who has been involved in the coverage of more than a dozen races for this congressional seat, I was heartened by her loss. You know why? It’s not due to her party affiliation or even her views on the big issues facing this country and which Congress will have to grapple with over the next few years. As far as issues go, she differs very little from the candidate who thrashed her by an almost 2-to-1 margin on June 23. The problem is that even before she held elected office, Bennett had become a politician who blamed others and the media for her problems (she even has a “fake news” section on her website), would not talk to the press or constituents, skirted campaign laws and acted as if she was entitled to the seat due to her endorsements from on-high. Bennett’s loss was good for the voters of Western North Carolina. And the margin of the loss showed that voters in the district are paying attention. Look, when former Congressman Mark Meadows won this seat in 2012, he lived in Cashiers, was easily accessible to the media and constituents, and was all over the district holding town hall meetings. As he became a conservative media darling once in D.C., he transformed into the kind of politician most of us loathe — he became inaccessible to those he represents, he forsook Cashiers for a
LETTERS National Forest also allows buffers to be increased to 264 feet in areas with steeper slopes, although limited harvest is allowed. These buffers prevent stream banks from being degraded, provide shade, and reduce sediment pollution due to timber harvesting, road building and other development. When these protective buffers are removed, water temperatures increase and sediment makes its way into streams and rivers. That excess sediment suffocates aquatic habitats and reduces populations of species such as trout, freshwater mussels and hellbenders. The Forest Service should also adapt better timbering practices and improve road and trail maintenance to reduce sediment pollution. Forest roads in backcountry areas that will be passively managed should be decommissioned or repurposed for trails. This would help prevent erosion and sediment pollution and extreme flooding in forest rivers and streams due to the heavy rains and storms and stormwater runoff. Finally, there are nine Outstanding Resource Waters in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. These are watersheds that are determined to have excellent water quality and exceptional ecological or recreational significance, and the Forest Service should make sure they are named and protected in the final plan. The Forest Service’s deadline for public comment is June 29 and this is our last significant chance to have our say. Submit your comment today at
even before we see Bennett. Talk about trying to ride in on the coattails of others. Here’s the truth of it: Bennett was the lesser of the two candidates. She had positioned herself in seemingly all the right ways politically except one — getting in front of her constituents. Her refusal to debate or talk to the media — especially in a campaign that occurred during a global pandemic — left voters with only the hype and no substantive picture of who this candidate was. What kind of person was she? Most voters still don’t know and never will. Now it doesn’t matter. The race for the 11th District seat now comes down to Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis, two seemingly quality candidates. My bet is we will all see plenty of these two, that they’ll hold debates and do lots of interviews, let the public have a clear choice of who they are and who they should support. There’s sure to be some nastiness as many outside-theregion national PACs are likely to get involved, but voters will decide who is best for this region. Hopefully this is a lesson to other politicians. Yes, you can convince high-ups of your value to get their endorsements, and social media and other digital platforms can be useful in many ways. But voters want to know who you are, which may seem old-fashioned. Bennett forgot that simple truth, but the voters who sent her packing didn’t. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)
mountaintrue.org/forestplancomment, through the Forest Services CARA portal, or by US Mail addressed to Plan Revision Team, National Forests in North Carolina, 160 Zillicoa St, Asheville NC 28801, and help us win better protections for the 1,200 miles of streams and rivers of Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. Callie Moore, MountainTrue Western Regional Director David Caldwell, Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson, French Broad Riverkeeper Gray Jernigan, Green Riverkeeper Andy Hill, Watauga Riverkeeper
Pipeline is a threat to Appalachian Trail To the Editor: The Appalachian Trail, spanning nearly 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, maintains a natural mystique that cannot be found anywhere else on earth. It attracts over 3 million visitors annually and is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Regrettably, this national treasure is imperiled by the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which is set to pass through the George Washington and Monongahela National Forests and bisect the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The 600-mile pipeline begins in Harrison County, West Virginia, travels through Virginia, extends into southern and eastern North Carolina, ending in Robeson County.
In a dispute between the National Park Service and the United States Forest Service, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2018 that the Appalachian Trail and the 600 feet below it, which is necessary for the construction of the pipeline, fell under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Service. On June 15, 2020, in a 7-2 reversal of the 4th Circuit decision, the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the 1968 Trails System Act to mean that although the National Parks Service may run a footpath over the land, the land underneath belongs to the National Forest Service. In their dissent, Justices Sotomayor and Kagan asserted that if the National Parks Service administers the trail, it must also administer the land underneath, as the trail cannot be separated from the underlying land. As a result of this ruling, the U.S. Forest Service has the authority to issue a permit to pipeline developers. The preservation of the Appalachian Trail is of considerable significance to many of us, and I’ve spent countless summer days mesmerized by its beauty, awed by its challenges, and felt the sense of wonder that arises when hiking through these mountains. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is destructive, dangerous, and unnecessary. Its negative impacts, which include restricted access to clean water and breathable air, disproportionately fall on lowincome workers and people of color. Corporate greed should not take precedence over the livelihood of entire communities. Grace Feichter Waynesville
S EE LETTERS, PAGE 20
opinion
LETTERS, CONTINUED FROM 19
Leadership needed to take down monuments
Smoky Mountain News
July 1-7, 2020
To the Editor: I moved to Jackson County in January of 2013 and have been in love with everything about this area until recently. Increasingly, I wonder if this is home anymore. Home is often a place that you feel safe, secure, and loved — those haven’t been my feelings lately as I have spent time in town and seen armed men guarding the statue of the Confederate soldier known as “Sylva Sam” that stands overlooking our beautiful town. I inquired with Town of Sylva board members and learned that three board members voted to ask the Jackson County Board of Commissioners to remove the statue solely based on public safety and the request was denied. I have read statements from county commissioners who seem to either be in support of keeping Sylva Sam in his present place, would like to remove Sylva Sam, or would like to create a task force to provide commissioners with some direction on Sylva Sam. I find it concerning that our elected officials aren’t listening to those who recently spoke at a board meeting in favor of replacing the statue since no one other than the chairman of the board of commissioners provided support for keeping Sylva Sam in its current place. The idea of creating a Task Force is just as unsafe as keeping Sylva Sam present overlooking our community. I assume this task force would be made up by a diverse group of individuals in our community that aren’t in support and that are in support of Sylva Sam. This task force would put black and brown individuals in our community in an unsafe position, putting them in direct contact with the same individuals who stand armed to guard Sylva Sam. This task force would slow down the progress that is being made regionally, state-wide, and nationally to address these racist monuments. While I applaud the effort to include community members in the conversation, I believe this is best left to those who myself and many others have elected to make decisions on my behalf in this community. Now is the time for our local elected officials to provide us with the leadership that you agreed to provide and anything other than that leadership is negligent on your part. This lack of leadership shows that you don’t represent all of the individuals that voted for you. As an African American voting member of this community I would like to feel safe at home again and hope you will hear me in asking you to do what is right for someone that voted for each of you! The way forward may be hard and require you to be uncomfortable and to confront your own biases, but it is right. I hope that you will be able to proudly tell your grandchildren you were on the right side of history in deciding to remove a statue that depicts racism and hatred in our region. Kelly Brown Sylva 20
Taking monuments down is just a mistake To the Editor: Giving in to the misguided desire to remove statues and monuments, which Black Lives Matter admits is just the beginning of their quest to erase history, would be a monumental (no pun intended) mistake. This isn’t about being against “racism” or feeling “welcome” in the U.S. It’s about power and control. It’s about anarchy and Marxism. Reinforcing the idea that people are “victims” will lead to nothing good. And who of these protesters is perfect? Who of them would like to have their entire lives judged by the mistakes they’ve made? Everyone has good and bad aspects to their personalities and no one wants to be judged or have their life boiled down to one belief or action. This is why judging historical figures in light of today’s political environment is morally wrong. We are all struggling every day to survive and hopefully thrive in this world. Life is difficult. We have setbacks, anxieties, obstacles, and whatever else life throws in our path. We need to be kind to each other, not make demands. Not march with fists raised in anger, calling people “racist” and trying to destroy their businesses and lives. Not demonizing law enforcement. Playing upon “white guilt” and making people apologize for their so-called “white privilege” is a horrible way to treat people. It’s a window into what life in this country would be like if things continue on the current path. Aimee Stein Waynesville
People exaggerate COVID-19 suffering To the Editor: In today’s America, we find ourselves facing the continued onslaught of biased reporting and erroneous “expert” advice relative to a virus no more significant than a severe flu outbreak. And to add suffering to misery, we have continuing protests and their accompanying riots and looting with a professionally coordinated effort by Black Lives Matter, Antifa and other supporting subversives. Indeed, a new American conflict. We have state and federal health officials and government leaders exaggerating the fatality numbers from the virus as well as making an all-out effort to convince the uninformed that “catching the virus equals death.” They are fear mongers of the worst kind, using the opportunity to garner more power for themselves over the people for as long as they can. And in the process they have substantially harmed the nation’s economy and the lives of millions of Americans. Our leaders on both sides of the political aisle have done their part to demonstrate that in today’s America, we have the worst leadership in our nation’s history. Leaders characterized by dishonesty, cowardice, apa-
thy and gross incompetency. The nation’s “flock” has seen the departure of its leaders, leaving the flock to be devoured by wolves, coyotes and wild dogs. What will it take to stop the growing assault on our nation, its freedoms and its history? A Black Lives Matter leader has now pointed its attention to the American churches. What will that mean? These forces at work in the land today are as evil as any we have seen in recent times, anywhere in the world. Their intent is clear, take the nation down and turn it in to something few would want. These groups and their adherents and supporters are demonic. They are active extensions of the kingdom of darkness and they will have to be stopped. And rest assured when the time comes, we will stop them! Rob Rich Waynesville
Separating truth from fiction To the Editor: An early lesson that a child hears is “tell the truth” and “honesty is the best policy.” When siblings or playmates fight the adult in the room usually figures out where the truth lies. Most of the time, facts become apparent as the situation becomes clear. So where have those honest children and adults in the room gone? What has happened to the children that were raised to tell the truth? We are hearing stories, tall tales, elaborate storytelling, and creative writing with a new label called conspiracy theory. It seems this new story spinning has taken a giant leap into political life and explodes into social media, growing with shares and likes. And worse, it gets repeated over and over like a giant game of “telephone.” It is told so many times, gaslighting, by those that should be credible. What makes it even more frustrating is that the ignorant, vulnerable and weak critical thinkers turn into perpetuators of the lie. There is no better conspiracy theory than the flat out lie circulating that China created Covid-19 on purpose to disrupt the world economy for their advantage or evil. Just last week, while shopping in Sylva, a storekeeper asked me if I thought this ridiculous tale is true. Obviously, she thought it true. There seems to be a need for a reliable clearing house, but trust of anyone, anything, any information has become suspect no matter the source. Certainly, our politicians, particularly the president, his cronies, hired help and followers, when the facts do not fit the desired narrative, resort to conspiracy theory. It is repeated, endorsed, and eventually the naive shopkeeper becomes victimized by this fabrication. A healthy dose of critical thinking and honesty would help all of us survive the critical life and safety risks that we face. The message to Mr. Trump needs to be just “tell the truth.” It certainly is a challenge for the president that has struggled with this concept. Pam Krauss Sylva
Invest in people to strengthen community To the Editor: By leaving households without reliable internet access, the marginalization of Southern Appalachia will perpetuate. Without a good connection to the World Wide Web, Western North Carolina will continue to be behind on matters related but not limited to: education, healthcare, job opportunities, etc. The majority of my high school career was spent loitering for internet during after school hours; and I am still loitering for a good connection, well into my college years. It is just plain sad when the Bojangles has better internet than the public library. By no means am I shaming the library, for they have been there for me and others and I will be forever indebted. Shame on the “powers that be” that have allowed this monstrosity to continue. Time and time again they put profits over the wellbeing of us locals. By investing in your local populace, environment, and infrastructure, you also strengthen other sectors, such as the tourism industry. It is imperative, now more than ever, to start thinking sustainably and that starts with putting first the wellbeing of those who have and will continue to make these mountains our home. Laura Booth Swain County
Some people just don’t get it To the Editor: A reader’s letter in the last issue complained about mainstream media and a limited view of events that he described as “The Frame.” Mainstream media is identified that way because the vast majority of Americans recognize that the main media sources are honest, reliable and mostly unbiased. Mainstream media includes ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC, and locally the Asheville Citizen Times, The Sylva Herald and, of course, The Smoky Mountain News. It does not include FOX, the president’s favorite network, but even that network has recently complained about the president’s actions. I regularly watch CNN, ABC and NBC and also read The Week, a Newsweek/Time type of weekly magazine that usually provides reprints from various media, including Fox.com and the Washington Examiner, both of which are very conservative. CNN often interviews Trump supporters, including Trump spokesperson Kellyanne Conway and Rick Santorum, formerly a Republican senator from Pennsylvania and Trump supporter, as well as members of the president’s cabinet. Those interviews definitely present views from the president’s point of view. As a Christian, I can’t support a sexist and racist liar, and have a hard time understanding how other Christians (or other people of faith) could support him, either. I am not a liberal Democrat. In fact, I was a moderate Republican for
Songbirds, stars and the Fourth of July
I have lived in the South for well over 60 years. An old Southern saying expressed to someone who doesn’t “get it” is “God bless you.” So, to that letter writer: God bless you. Clark Pearson Sylva
Susanna Shetley
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Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath
NUTRITION Q & A
QUESTION: My husband has high triglycerides. What foods should he avoid and what would be better snacks for him? ANSWER: Our bodies often package excess calories we don't use as triglycerides. Especially if we are eating too many calories from high sugar or high fat foods; those are turned into triglycerides by our liver. High triglycerides can be a "red flag" for an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes as well as a warning sign about our heart health. The desirable level for triglycerides is under 150mg/dl. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/indepth/triglycerides/art-20048186
Foods and beverages that are often culprits in raising triglycerides are: sweetened beverages like juice drinks, sodas, sweet tea; candy, and fried foods. Better beverage and snack options would be: Jrunchy vegetables, nuts (in small amounts), 1-2 servings of whole fruit per day, water, no sugar added and non-caloric beverages or beverages sweetened using non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia, sucralose etc.
Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN
Smoky Mountain News
over 50 years, but I became an unaffiliated voter shortly before the current president was inaugurated. I never voted for a Democrat for president until 2016. I did not leave the Republican Party; it left me. Lincoln and Reagan are spinning in their graves.
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July 1-7, 2020
very morning around 5:15, the birds start chirping outside my window. The past several months I’ve been trying to figure out which song goes with which type of bird. It’s made me realize why people become fascinated with these beautiful creatures. Each day, at the same time, they start singing their songs. And every morning, no matter what stress I’m under, their songs make me smile. About six years ago I thought I was in a sweet spot of life. It was the Fourth of July 2014. Both my parents were alive and healthy, sitting on the back deck of my old house. My Columnist boys were little and they needed me for everything. My entire identity centered around being a mom. As I scurried about changing diapers or making food or looking for a pacifier, my parents played with the boys, all of their laughter swirling into the air, creating a precious sound. I have a picture of this very day. Everyone is wearing red, white and blue, buying time between the Lake Junaluska parade and nighttime fireworks. Upon reflection, what made the day wonderful was having both my parents and both my boys in the same space and experiencing those powerful emotions that come along with love and family. My marriage was already struggling, but it was easy to ignore when I was happily busying myself being a daughter and a mom. July Fourth was always a special time for my family. We spent the week at Ocean Lakes Campground near Myrtle Beach, immersed in every festive activity available. With fried chicken, watermelon, sweet tea, golf cart parades and fireworks, our meals and agenda embodied Americana. As a child who cherished this holiday, I grew up and wanted the same for my children. This year for the first time ever, my boys won’t be with me on July 4. They will be with their dad. One of the hardest things about divorce is not being with my children all of the time. Custody agreements are brutal. I’ve dealt with this before concerning Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holi-
days, so I know I’ll survive, but it’s still hard. It’s been six years since that day on the deck with my parents. Life feels much different. Not only is the world suffering a pandemic resulting in minimal Fourth of July activities, but my mom is no longer here on earth. Further, I’m no longer a young mom. Those sweet years of early motherhood are evaporating. My boys are 8 and 11 now. My 8-yearold still feels young, like he needs me to function and be happy. And while I know my 11-year-old will always need his mom, it feels different now. He’s a rising sixth-grader, and so much growth and maturity happens between fourth and sixth grades. He no longer looks like a little boy. Every day, he appears taller, older. It’s like right in front of my eyes, my baby is morphing into an adolescent, and I’m trying to grasp these last few fleeting months of his childhood. The aftermath of death and divorce hasn’t been all doom and gloom. It’s allowed me to see life with a new lens. I cherish every moment with the people I love. I hold onto conversations, music, laughter, anything that offers brightness. I recently read a passage in Nikki Banas’s book Shine from Within, where Banas says, “Know that no darkness ever lasts. The darkest nights always end in dawn. The darkest storms always end in peaceful light. A single flame can light even the darkest room. Look for the light no matter how difficult it is. A single star can shine out the darkness of the night … Look for that light, no matter how difficult it is. Look for the small flame, look for the single star.” Many folks are currently struggling. If it’s not personal trauma, it’s societal and public health stress. The world feels heavy. Humans thrive off routine and at least a semblance of predictability. With so many unknowns right now, we feel disoriented and uneasy. I know myself well. I know what triggers my anxiety. I know which healing and therapeutic tactics work. Those tactics are ever evolving. For over two years, I gave little mind to the birds outside my window. I went about my merry way unconcerned with their songs, but for the past four months, the birds have been a lifeline, a much needed constant. And as the Fourth of July approaches, I’m not sitting around bemoaning the fact I won’t have my boys. Like a single star or a songbird, I’m fighting the darkness with all the light I can find. (Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist for The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)
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Fourth of July in the Smokies Nothing says summer more than the Fourth of July. And in Western North Carolina, we celebrate Independence Day with gusto. But, with the current Coronavirus Pandemic, many annual events and festivals have been canceled and postponed until next year. And yet, that doesn’t mean there will be a lack of fun things to do and see. Many of our mountain communities will still be hosting fireworks displays and an array of activities for any and all to enjoy. So, grab your lawn chair, sunglasses and adventurous spirit, and enjoy this special day.
BRYSON CITY The fireworks will be held at 10 p.m. Saturday, July 4. Shot off from Airport Hill, which overlooks downtown Bryson City, spectators are asked to maintain social distancing. Downtown streets will open for viewing. You can watch the display from the sidewalks or a variety of public areas and business lots, including Railroad Square in the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad parking lot. All annual “Freedom Fest” activities will be rescheduled for 2021. For a map of fireworks viewing options, visit www.greatsmokies.com.
CANTON The Town of Canton and Champion Credit Union Fireworks Display will be held at dusk on Sunday, July 5. There will be no formal or additional events associated with the show. The town encourages the community to view the fireworks from their vehicles or residences and maintain social distancing. Sorrells Street Park and other Town of Canton
properties will be closed to the public during the show. www.cantonnc.com.
CASHIERS The “Fireworks Extravaganza on the Green” has been canceled for 2020. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.
CHEROKEE The “4th of July Fireworks” will be held at 10 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at the old Cherokee High School. Attendees are encouraged to practice social distancing, wearing of masks and other safety precautions. If you’re laying down a blanket or chair, maintain a safe distance from others. www.visitcherokeenc.com.
FRANKLIN The “4th of July Fireworks Over Franklin” will be held at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 4. The
display will be showcased on the Highlands Road. Sponsored by the Town of Franklin. www.franklin-chamber.com.
HIGHLANDS The annual “July Fourth Fireworks Display” has been canceled and postponed until Saturday, Sept. 5. www.highlandschamber.org.
LAKE JUNALUSKA Though the fireworks display has been shifted to a later date in 2020, there are still several activities available from July 2-5 at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. Activities include canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals, yoga, lakeside swimming pool, Fourth of July “Closest to the Pin” contest at the Lake Junaluska Golf Course, clogging lessons, bird tour, Round Robin Tennis Tournament, barbecue picnic to-go lunch, a pontoon boat cruise, “Outdoor Movie on the Lawn,” mountain hiking, ice cream social, corn hole tournament, garden tour, bonfire, and much more. As well, the legendary Lake Junaluska Singers will host the “Independence Day Concert,” which will be streamed online at 7:15 p.m. July 4. www.lakejunaluska.com.
MAGGIE VALLEY Though the “Backyard 4th Celebration” has been postponed until 2021, the Town of Maggie Valley will still be hosting fireworks at dusk on Saturday, July 4. The town encourages citizens and visitors alike to watch the fireworks from a location where you can main-
tain social distancing. The Festival Grounds will not be open for watching the fireworks. However, you can stand on the sidewalk and use public parking areas as long as you adhere to social distancing. www.maggievalley.org.
SYLVA The fireworks are still planned for dusk (generally around 9:45 p.m.) on Saturday, July 4, which will be showcased over downtown Sylva. The town encourages attendees to view the display while maintaining social distancing. There will be no concert, food trucks or children’s activities at Bridge Park this year. The fireworks are organized by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. “We feel it’s more important than ever to provide the fireworks display, as we have all been navigating the Covid economy and dealing with the personal and professional impacts of Covid,” said Julie Spiro Donaldson, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. “People expect to see fireworks on July 4th, and they need to see them this year. We aren’t going to disappoint them. We hope having a spectacular 17-minute fireworks show will lift spirits.” www.mountainlovers.com.
WAYNESVILLE The “4th of July Celebration” in downtown Waynesville will kick off with “Art After Dark” from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 3, which will offer late-night shopping, dining, artisan demonstrations and local musicians. There will also be activities open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 4, on Main Street. www.downtownwaynesville.com.
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
The 1940s Rotary Deluxe cowboy parlor guitar. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
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Reading Soothes the Soul We are open
Smoky Mountain News
itting in the back den of my parents’ Upstate New York farmhouse last week, I could hear the familiar sounds of the big brown UPS truck and its squeaky brakes slowing down to full stop in front of the driveway. Shooting up from the recliner, I darted outside and met the driver just as he emerged from the delivery vehicle. He handed me the big rectangular box and said farewell. Walking back to the farmhouse, I got a better grip on the large cardboard container, a big grin rolling across my face. Placing the box on the kitchen table, I grabbed a sharp kitchen knife and meticulously opened the package. Remove all of the stuffed newspaper, bubble wrap and other scraps of paper. Feeling around, I felt the hard case and slid it out, finally revealing itself: a 1940s Rotary Deluxe cowboy parlor guitar. Popping open the road case, the smell of old wood and dusty strings wafted through the kitchen. Holding the acoustic instru-
ment, I marveled for several seconds over the intricate and well-preserved stencil art on the guitar, depicting a cowboy and cowgirl, with the cowboy lassoing the sound hole (which was symbolically the moon). Purchased online from a guitar store in Iowa, I kept thinking of all the people, places and things the Rotary Deluxe had seen in its almost 80 years of travel and performance. Perhaps it wandered the Rocky Mountains or headed east at some point, only to circle back halfway to the cornfields of the Midwest. Heck, think of all of the guitar players who have picked it, all of those folks either long gone or still roaming this earth. The journey to ownership of the Rotary Deluxe has been quite the whirlwind this year. Starting with a simple ukulele as a gift from my mother on my birthday in February, I became obsessed with the fourstring instrument, finding all the time in the world to learn and play it throughout the coronavirus shutdown and shelter-in-place. Though the ukulele and acoustic guitar are somewhat different in chord changes and approach, I knew the transition from one to the other would be more to my liking, seeing as I could take my confidence and skill set from the uke and apply it eventually to a six-string acoustic.
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Thus, here I am some four months since my birthday, the proud owner of four ukuleles and two guitars (including a 1966 Silvertone acoustic). How wild, eh? My musician friends have informed me that I’ve caught what is known as “G.A.S.” (gear acquisition syndrome), where one can’t seem to stop browsing and buying additional instruments and accessories. And I was thinking this morning about why I’m so attracted to these old acoustic guitars. Well, if you dive deep into my past, you’ll see exactly. I’ve always loved old houses, old cars, old brass beds, old barns, old chairs and old desks, etc. That admiration and appreciation for those things comes from my parents, of which I grew up in an 1820 limestone farmhouse, an early 1970s MGB sports car parked in the old barn, weekend trips with my family always spent chasing historical sites (and quaint New England towns), and always embracing the beauty of antiques and the stories these items and places tell if you just take the time to truly listen. But, most of all, I love old folks, people whose minds I can pick about their personal experiences and what their long journey along the road of life has been, ultimately the wisdom radiated and bestowed in their presence. Truth be told, there really ain’t anything much better in the grand scheme of things than a cup of coffee spent with a wise and vivacious older person with endless tales to spin. Anyhow, back to the Rotary Deluxe. Though it’s only been a week or so since it came into my possession, I can’t seem to put it down (just like the uke). I find myself constantly walking by the hard case, only to stop and pull it out to strum a few chords rhythmically and continuously. Even though my mind often thinks of where this guitar has been, I also ponder where it will go from here? My thoughts meander around to open mic nights in neighborhood dive bars and breweries, campfire jam sessions way out in the mountains of Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia, maybe even back out west to the high desert plains once felt firsthand, now only seen and imagined in twilight dreams quickly fleeting. Regardless, this new, creative lease on life through these instruments has been quite surreal, to say the least. It has been years since I’ve actually played music. And I didn’t realize until lately (with instrument in hand) how much of a void they’ve filled in my heart and soul. And to any of you reading this who might be toying with the idea of finally picking up an instrument, I have only one thing to say: do it. What are you waiting for? Just do it. Who cares if the initial sounds from your hands are reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard? I mean, I bet you weren’t the best driver in the world that first day you got your license or, perhaps, good at your job that first day in the office (none of us were). But, you learned and kept going, only to evolve and master whatever process or position you found yourself in. Pick up the instrument. Immerse. Enjoy. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
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Due to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s announcement on Wednesday, June 24, to extend Phase 2 of Covid-19 restrictions until at least July 17, the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce has postponed the 11th season of Concerts on the Creek again until at least July 17. Performances will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bridge Park in Sylva. The tentative updated schedule is as follows: • Friday, July 17 - Summer & Bray (Mountain Faith) (Bluegrass/Gospel) • Saturday, July 18 - Bohemian Jean (Classic Hits & Originals) • Friday, July 24 - Darren Nicholson Band (Classic Country/Bluegrass/Americana) • Saturday, July 25 - Mile High Band (Classic Rock/Country) • Friday, July 31 - Tuxedo Junction (Classic Hits) • Saturday, Aug. 1 - Terri Lynn Queen, Tim Queen & Scott Baker (Classic Hits) • Friday, Aug. 7 - Dashboard Blue (Classic Hits) • Saturday, Aug. 8- Eleanor Underhill & Friends (Americana) • Friday, Aug. 14 - Jonah Riddle & Carolina Express (Bluegrass/Gospel) • Saturday, Aug. 15 - The Rewind House Band (Classic Rock Hits) • Friday, Aug. 21 - The Get Right Band (Funk/Rock)
• Saturday, Aug. 22 - Shane Meade & The Sound (Soul/Rock/Funk) • Friday, Aug. 28 - Arnold Hill Band (Rock/Country/Americana) • Saturday, Aug. 29 - Keil Nathan Smith Band (Classic Rock/Country) • Friday, Sept. 4: Daddy Rabbit (Blues/Rock) • Saturday, Sept. 5 - SKA City (Ska/Two tone/Trojan rocksteady) Organizers are awaiting the governor’s lifting of restrictions on crowd gathering sizes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free but donations are encouraged. Dogs must be kept on a leash. No alcohol, smoking or coolers are allowed in the park. Organizers will strongly suggest that everyone obeys safe Covid-19 practices, which include social distancing (staying at least six feet apart), using hand sanitizer when possible, and wearing protective face coverings/masks. These concerts are organized and produced by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Sylva and the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. For more information, call 828.586.2155, visit www.mountainlovers.com/concerts-onthe-creek or Concerts on the Creek’s Facebook page.
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On the street Crowds gather at a past Groovin’ on the Green event.
Smoky Mountain News
July 1-7, 2020
Groovin’ On the Green canceled
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The Village Green has announced that the Friday night summer concert series, Groovin’ On the Green is canceled for the 2020 season due to COVID-19. Since early March, The Village Green has had to make several difficult, but important decisions related to the coronavirus pandemic. This includes closing the children’s playground, also known as the Village Play. “We have considered each closure, event cancellation or program modification with regard to how we lead in modeling social responsibility and protecting the safety and health of the community. This has been our primary operating motivation for The Village Green,” said Ann Self, executive director of The Village Green, Cashiers 13+ acre privately conserved central park. “Because of the uncertain and ever changing circumstances,
it is nearly impossible to make definite plans. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.” Gov. Roy Cooper’s announcement that North Carolina will not move into Phase Three for at least three more weeks confirmed the decision to cancel the outdoor concerts. Self said that several scenarios were considered in early June, but without clear direction for outdoor gathering numbers in the future, none of these provided a feasible path forward. “While we are deeply sad and disappointed, we feel this is the correct decision. We want to exercise an abundance of caution in safeguarding our residents and visitors,” said Self. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com or @cashiersgreen on social media.
• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” at its Calaboose location with Andrew Chastain July 1, John Emil July 2, Darren Nicholson July 3, The Gnarly Fingers July 4, Scott Stambaugh July 5, The Trailer Hippies July 10, Moriah Domby July 11 and George Ausman July 12. All shows are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.
• The “Haywood County Medical Exhibit: 1870-1950” will be held at The Shelton House in Waynesville. The showcase will run July 2 through October. Admission is $7 adults. $5 students. Children ages 5 and under free. Admission includes Shelton House. 828.452.1551 or www.sheltonhouse.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Dylan O. Flanner & Caroline Grace 4 p.m. July 5. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Natti Love Joys noon July 4. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host The Lasso Twins 6 p.m. July 4. All shows are free. www.nantahalabrewing.com.
• The next “Dillsboro After Five: Wonderful Wednesdays” will be held from 3:30 to 7 p.m. July 1 in downtown. Start with a visit to the Jackson County Farmers Market located in the Innovation Station parking lot. Stay for dinner and take advantage of latehour shopping. Bring the family and enjoy small town hospitality at its best. “Dillsboro After Five” will be held every Wednesday through July 29. For more information, call 828.586.2155 or visit www.mountainlovers.com.
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27
Redemption and Occasional Magic: two books of inspiration phies. So did we really need another examination of Cash’s life? Greg Laurie, pastor, speaker, and author of
Jeff Minick
Many readers are familiar with his story. Johnny Cash, also known in later life as “The Man in Black,” grew up poor in Arkansas, son of a hard-nosed father and a pious mother. His brother Jack died at age 14 after a horrific sawmill accident, leaving J.R., as he was then called, emotionally crippled for years. Surrounded by music at church and in the home and cotton fields where he worked, from an early Writer age Cash longed to be a musician. His stint in the Air Force widened his view of the world — he was stationed part of the time in Europe — and when he left the service, he married and headed for Memphis, where he worked a series of odd jobs while writing music, organizing a band, and trying to break into the recording industry. Spring forward another three years, and Johnny Cash was well on his way to stardom. Several of his singles had made the top ten list on Billboard’s country chart, his band was traveling throughout the United States performing for large and enthusiastic audiences, and he was earning what must have seemed to him at the time an unbelievable amount of money. Eventually, Cash performed for audiences ranging from prisoners to presidents. On those road trips, Johnny Cash also became dependent on drugs, particularly amphetamines, an addiction that brought him trouble with the law, tarnished his reputation and came close to killing him. Though he stumbled many times, Cash eventually kicked his drug habit and once again began to write and perform the kind of music that had brought him fame in the first place. His remarkable life led to two autobiographies, a movie, Walk The Line, based on those memoirs, and at least seven other biogra-
dozens of books, including Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon, thought so. In Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon (Salem Books, 2019, 358 pages), Laurie examines the role of his Christian faith in Cash’s life. Laurie gives us all the facts and occurrences of that life — the hardship of his youth, his struggles with drugs, his rowdy behavior — but he is chiefly interested in looking at the ongoing tension between Cash’s drug use, his time on the road, and his spiritual journey. He captures this tension in statements like this one: “On the road,
Cash was often distant, hard-driving, pill-popping — a full-tilt party-time outlaw who secretly carried a Bible in his briefcase.” Of that party-time outlaw, Laurie writes, “By his own estimation, he had wrecked every car he had ever owned, totaled two jeeps and a camper, and overturned two tractors and a bulldozer. He sank two boats in separate instances, and he once leaped from a truck just before it went over a six-hundredfoot cliff.” Yet in recollecting that terrible time in his life, Cash later said, “I know that the hand of God was never off me, no matter what condition I was in, for there is no other way to explain my escaping the many, many accidents.” Here was a musical artist who could write a song about a murderer killing a man “just to watch him die” but who loved singing gospel music and often ended his concerts with a hymn. Like most of us, Johnny Cash was a walking contradiction, a battleground of good and evil; unlike most of us, he was also a legend, a larger than life sinner-saint who might be popping amphetamines one week and devoting himself to reading his Bible the next. Laurie connects certain stories from the Old Book to Cash’s faith and gives us a detailed look into the prayers, hymns, and friends who influenced him. In turn, Laurie also shows us the impact of Cash’s faith on those around him. Lead singer Bono of U2,
for instance, called Cash a “father figure” and said of him, “Johnny Cash was a saint who preferred the company of sinners.” Cash’s friend, songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson, called him “Abraham Lincoln with a wild side.” Laurie begins his story of Johnny Cash with a visit to his grave in Hendersonville Memorial Gardens, Tennessee. Here he records the golden letter inscription on a slab of black marble: John R. Cash Feb. 26, 1932 Sept. 12, 2003 PSALM 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, And the mediation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, My strength, And my redeemer. Rest in peace, Johnny Cash. And thank you for those words and meditations. ••• In The Moth Presents Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible (Crown Archetype, 2019, 345 pages), we meet Johnny Cash’s daughter, Roseanne, who recounts her tough times in New York City when she was trying to break into the music business. Edited by Catherine Burns, Occasional Magic is a collection of more than 40 true stories told by storytellers in front of live audiences at events sponsored by The Moth, a nonprofit that creates these occasions. The book’s dedication reads, “To The Stories That Give Us Perspective, Clarity, and Hope.” If you’re looking for those things — and given the times, most of us are — you may find some solace and inspiration from these true-life tales. (Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com)
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America, mile by mile Cross-country trip reveals country’s beauty, diversity
A rainbow falls across Yellowstone Lake in Wyoming. Holly Kays photos BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ack when the trip was a new idea, I don’t think either of us took it seriously. Three weeks on the road, at a time when most American cars were sitting idle in the driveway? Thousands of miles of driving through sand and snow, mountain and desert, far from home? Surely this was just a pie-inthe-sky dream borne from the hunger pangs of quarantine, nothing more. But the more we thought about it, the more reasonable the idea became. Brilliant, even. Gas was cheaper than it had been in decades, and the world was better adapted to remote work than ever before. If we were ever going to do a trip like this, now was the time to do it, and if we were going to travel at all in this most unconventional of years, this was the way to do it. No airplanes, no cruise boats, no cities — just the two of us in a car, driving through the changing country. The concept was this: load up my husband’s 4Runner with camping supplies and outdoors gear, get a pre-emptive oil change, and hit the road for a three-week blitz of this nation’s greatest natural treasures, relying on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management holdings for free lodging along the way. Two weeks after deciding to take the plunge, we were on Interstate 40, with no plans to leave it until reaching the desert. Rough itinerary? West to the Grand Canyon, north to Idaho, east to the Badlands and then a hard push back home to the Smokies. It was a back-of-the-napkin kind of plan, but we figured we’d fill in the details along the way. That drive to Arizona marked the fifth time I’d traveled across the country in a car. The first and second time I was 16, riding in the middle seat of the family minivan from
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Maryland and through Indiana, Illinois and Iowa to South Dakota and Wyoming, returning via Nebraska. The third time I was 23, taking the Nebraska route once again on my way out to Idaho for an internship that would become my first foray into the newspaper business, and the fourth I was 25, driving solo through Kansas from my then-home of Buffalo, Wyoming, toward a new job in a place I’d never been before called Waynesville, North Carolina. No matter the route, I’ve always found a cross-country drive to be downright aweinspiring, and this was no exception. The green-covered Smokies smoothed into the rolling pasturelands of Tennessee, which, after passing through Memphis and crossing the
My husband and I take a ‘self-portrait’ at the Canyon Overlook in Zion National Park.
Mississippi River, gave way to the lower, wetter, swampier terrain of Arkansas. Oklahoma began with the saturated verdancy of farmland in the golden light of evening but emerged on the other end of the night as a more austere version of itself, the superfluous portion of that former greenery done away with. The trend toward dryness continued as we traveled across the northern tip of Texas, stopping in Amarillo between the windmill-laden horizons and golden-grained-fields for baskets of brisket and Cadillac Ranch, an only-inTexas type spot where 10 old Cadillac frames dive nose-down in the earth, covered with probably thousands of layers of bright-colored spray paint. Soon New Mexico welcomed us, the scrub growing ever sparser as we caught our first glimpses of the geological chaos that was to come — mesas on the horizon, abrupt rocky gorges in the ground. Our Smoky Mountains are amazing, but they are but one stripe in the variegated tapestry that is America. By the time we approached our first camp spot, in the Cibola National Forest near Albuquerque, we’d been driving for two hard days — nearly 1,500 miles — and were eager to get on with doing what we’d come to do: camp and explore. We found ourselves amid a gentle string of mountains rising from the scrubland, complete with trees and a pleasant place to pitch our tent, cook a simple meal and watch as the desert stars popped out above us. But then the wind happened. Our day began at 4 a.m. after ongoing gusts splintered one of the tent’s fiberglass poles, causing us to wake up with the canvas pressed horizontally across our faces. As a result, we made an early exodus from the site and arrived at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona around 9
a.m., encountering cool morning air and uncongested paths to take in the colorfully eroded landscape, which was studded by a rainbow of mineralized trees left over from a time when these deserts were swamps, dinosaurs walked the earth and human society was unknown. Nothing, however, could have prepared us for the sight that waited just three hours to the northwest — the Grand Canyon. They say that nothing prepares you for the Grand Canyon. That no picture can capture it, no words convey it. That is completely true. At the canyon rim, the world as we know it stops, and another world begins. This world’s genesis rested nearly a mile below our feet where the Colorado River flows blue-gray through arid land, forming a base from which rise cliffs, plateaus, mesas and more cliffs. They are gray, white and red, with a smattering of green. It all depends on where you look, and it’s impossible to tell what’s big, what’s small or how far away anything is. The closest thing you can get to scale is the hikers walking the Bright Angel Trail, which starts at the rim and ends 7.8 miles later at the river. Depending on which section of the trail you’re looking at, they look either like mice, ants or dust. It’s a long drive from Waynesville to the Grand Canyon, and we still had two more weeks of exploring left to do. But after spending an afternoon on the edge, my feeble mind churning to comprehend the chasm before me, I felt that if we’d turned around right then, the drive would still have been worth it. But the Grand Canyon was only the opening act of the geologic drama ahead of us. After a steadying evening beneath the Ponderosa pines of Kaibab National Forest, coyotes howling all around, we found our way out of the woods using gravelly Forest Service roads that eventually led to a dried-out land where red sand drowned out the few hardy grasses that managed to cling to life. From there, an unpaved BLM road took us on a seemingly endless journey through the unrelenting sun of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, where scrubby shrubs and barely-green grasses teased the idea that an ultimately nonexistent oasis could be right around the corner, and then we finally crossed into Utah, our new camp trading the Ponderosa pines of Arizona for the more slender lodgepole. It was 39 degrees when we awoke the next morning and set out for nearby Zion National Park, a paradise of life and water after that parched journey through the desert. Bare and rock-built slopes rose with severity around the hidden valley, prompting me to wonder what kind of person might ever dare to climb them. When we left at 3 p.m., the thermometer said 95 degrees. It was time to rest, at least until the sun grew low enough for an evening journey through the maze of towers called Bryce Canyon National Park. That canyon of rocky turrets glowed red-pink in the waning sun, and I tried to imagine what it must have been like to come upon this
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Steam hovers over the Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park.
tectonic collision. The rocks burned with warmth as the sun descended, and we made our way to the opposite side of the ridge, where sandy BLM land offered an expanse of options for pitching a tent, and for watching the sun set inside the sheets of rock enclosing Capitol Reef. While the drive from North Carolina to Arizona features a steady progression of landscape, temperate rainforest giving way to prairie and then to ranchland and then to desert, Utah is simply chaos. From the explosive rockfaces of the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument to the
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The Absaroka Mountains rise in the rearview heading into Dubois, Wyoming.
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July 1-7, 2020
place as an early explorer or pioneer, the shock it must have been after months of travel through dusty deserts and open prairie. We modern folk often like to mock the fantastical beliefs of our forebears, but after stumbling upon a place like this, any reality must have seemed possible. A morning of eggs and pancakes fueled us for a journey to the next jewel in Utah’s crown, Capitol Reef National Park, where early Mormon settlers had once grown fruit orchards — still maintained by the National Park Service — in the fertile land sandwiched between the angled results of
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The ‘goblins’ of Goblin Valley State Park in Utah are the result of unevenly eroded sandstone layers.
grandeur of Zion to the spires of Bryce Canyon, it’s as though somebody found a way to etch a geologist’s wildest flights of fancy into stone. The trend held as we explored the totem-like sandstone formations at Goblin Valley State Park, drove through the diagonally emerging remnants of the San Rafael Swell and explored an unexpected canyon where black-stained walls dwarfed our paltry human bodies. Heading north, we eventually witnessed a return of green-sided mountains and grassy yards, soon followed by the arrival of snowcaps in the distance. After crossing the Idaho line, the Tetons emerged like a snow-stained sunrise on the horizon, growing bigger and taller the closer we drew. Soon enough, the snow came down from the mountains to meet us, mixing with rain as we slept in the car at a campground in Yellowstone National Park after an unforgettable evening at Old Faithful and the Geyser Basin, typically packed attractions that, thanks to this year’s disrupted travel plans, were nearly empty. The snow overcame the rain as we climbed up in elevation. It covered the lodgepoles with a thin layer of white and spiked the air with that cold and slightly piney scent I’d come to love during my former life in this part of the world. A layer of white, slippery slush covered the boardwalk at the colorful mineral pools known as the Artisan Paintpots, which we, once again, had nearly all to ourselves. By the next morning, the clouds had cleared, and the sky was once more covered with blue. We drove toward the Tetons and walked along the alpine waters of Jenny Lake and between the boulder fields lining the sides of Cascade Canyon. Four moose and two black bears — a momma and her cub — joined us for the excursion. It was a fitting farewell, because the next day we left the Tetons in the rearview, driving up and over the long and lonely Togwatee Pass, through the log-built town of Dubois and then the Wind River Indian Reservation, the snow-covered peaks of the Wind River Range rising to the south as we traveled through the arid basin. This eventually brought us to the Bighorn Mountains, where U.S. 16 winds up the sheer rock cliffs of Ten Sleep Canyon to Powder River Pass — elevation 9,666 feet — and past lodgepole stands that back up to meadows dotted with blue-purple lupins and the sunflower-like yellows of the arrowleaf balsamroot Cloud Peak and its snow-capped compatriots rise in the distance. Some more hiking and exploring through the mountains and little town of Buffalo, and yet again it was time to move on, this time north and west past the abrupt column of volcanic rock that is Devils Tower and to the rolling and pineclad Black Hills — back to Ponderosa for the first time since Arizona — home of South Dakota’s state bison herd, the everin-progress Crazy Horse sculpture and the chiseled jaws of Mount Rushmore. The hills are also the home of Black Elk Peak, which at 7,242 feet is the highest point east of the Rockies and west of Europe’s Pyrenees
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Man drowns after rescuing minor A visitor to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park perished last week when he tried to save a younger family member from drowning. Wayne County resident Bulmaro Morales, 32, jumped into the Oconaluftee River behind the Mountain Farm Museum in Cherokee to save a juvenile family member in distress, witnesses reported. When rangers arrived on the scene around 5:20 p.m. Saturday, June 27, the juvenile was safely on shore but Morales had not resurfaced. Rangers and bystanders immediately launched a search, and Morales was found unresponsive about 10 feet underwater. Lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful. Cherokee EMS and Cherokee Fire and Rescue assisted with the effort.
Motorcycle accident results in fatality
Smoky Mountain News
July 1-7, 2020
A motorcycle fatality occurred on Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, June 22. Phillip Rath, 69, of Schoolcraft, Michigan, was traveling north on the road when his motorcycle crossed the center line and struck a Honda Odyssey that was traveling south near the Chimney Tops Trailhead. Smokies park rangers and Gatlinburg Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene, but Rath was unresponsive and pronounced dead as a result of his injuries at 6:13 p.m. No one else was injured as a result of the accident.
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More than 1,000 bison roam Custer State Park in South Dakota. AMERICA, CONTINUED FROM 29 Mountains. A difficult but worthwhile 7-mile roundtrip hike let us stand atop Harney Lookout Tower, a Civilian Conservation Corps construction that sits on the peak, blue-and-cottonball skies spreading all around. In terms of area, the United States is the world’s fourth largest country, its 3.5 million square miles of land comprising just over 6 percent of the world’s landmass. It is three times the size of India, six times the size of Mongolia, 20 times the size of Spain and more than 30 times the size of Italy. I think these are facts that fall in the category of “easy to know, hard to understand.” I know and have known since I was in elementary school that the U.S. is huge compared to most countries in the world. Last year, I went to Spain and was mildly amazed that, upon flying into the center of the country, it was possible to get most anywhere on the outskirts after an easy day’s drive of six hours or so. Meanwhile, from North Carolina you can flick on the cruise control and drive for days — literally, for days — before any ocean or border checkpoint stops you. But really, it takes driving across this country — our country — to truly understand how huge it is, how diverse it is, how incredible it is that this enormous place can be at once so varied and so similar across its vast expanse. Isn’t it amazing that I can
Prayer flags and feathers wave in the breeze atop Black Elk Peak in South Dakota. spend my cash here in N.C. or 3,000 miles away in California, with no need to visit a money changer? That my speech is understandable in the Appalachians as well as in Alaska? Or that we’re all Americans, and yet we’re formed by such different forces, depending on which part of the nation we call home? How could the subway-riding marketing assistant who lives in a closet-like apartment in New York City, barely surviving on $50,000 a year, ever understand the ways in which her norms might confound those of the weathered rancher from Wyoming, who has never seen a city larger than Cheyenne but sure knows what to do when a whiteout blizzard crops up riding the range alone? Vice versa? They will always occupy separate worlds, at least until the marketer plans a stay in small-town Wyoming, or the rancher ventures to the Big Apple. And that, I think, is what travel is all about — understanding. Understanding the ground beneath us — where it came from and what it one day will be. Understanding who our neighbors are, and how they live their lives on this hurtling ball of rock we all call home. And understanding the interconnected communities that thrive on its surface — the plants, the insects, the birds, the mammals — all the living things whose lives intersect as they pace out their own path to survival on this land — America — that is their home, and ours too.
A LEGO monarch butterfly rests on a piece of LEGO milkweed. Camilla Calnan photo
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Butterfly murals installed in Cullowhee garden
to see. The project was funded through a grant from the Jackson County Arts Council to the Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor. The Cullowhee Community Garden is a donation-based garden in which gardeners share half their produce to help feed people in need. A project of the Jackson County
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Smoky Mountain News
Four larger-than-life butterflies now greet visitors as they enter the Cullowhee Community Garden, each representing a species that helps pollinate plants in this region. The butterflies — monarch, gulf fritillary, pipevine swallowtail and silver-spotted skipper — were painted by Western Carolina University School of the Arts graduate Kadie Sanders on wood panels that each measThe ever-popular monarch ure 4 feet across. She used a butterfly is one of four placed projector to transfer realistic along the garden’s entrance path. images to each panel and included their life cycle Donated photo counterparts: the egg, caterpillar and chrysalis. The four colorful Department of Public Health, the murals are installed along a path through Cullowhee Community Garden is located the garden, placed low enough for children on South Painter Road.
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exhibit that truly appeals to all ages, groups and interests,” said George Briggs, executive director of The North Carolina Arboretum. “Artist Sean Kenney does a terrific job of bringing together art and nature using an iconic toy, the LEGO brick, to help connect guests with the natural world.” Arboretum guests will receive a map to help guide them through the gardens and discover the sculptures. Daytime admission is free with the standard $16 parking fee. Through September, guests will also be able to enjoy the gardens after dark from 8 to 11 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, when live music will be offered and the LEGO sculptures lit up. A $5 fee applies for these events, with 10 percent of proceeds going to MANNA FoodBank. www.ncarboretum.org.
July 1-7, 2020
The arrival of the N.C. Arboretum’s newest exhibit was delayed due to COVID19, but Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks has now opened at the public garden in Asheville and will remain on display through Nov. 1. Composed of nearly 500,000 LEGO bricks, Nature Connects includes 16 natureinspired sculptures constructed on a largerthan-life scale by artist Sean Kenney. Featuring a 5-foot-tall peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and massive monarch butterfly, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines play with science to create an innovative intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. “Due to its size, uniqueness and magnitude, Nature Connects is a one-of-a-kind
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Fish for free on the fourth Free Fishing Day will return to North Carolina’s public waters on Saturday, July 4, with anybody regardless of age allowed to fish without a license on that day. Free fishing begins at midnight and ends at 11:59 p.m. and is open to North Carolina residents and out-of-state visitor alike. However, all other fishing regulations such as length and possession limits as well as bait and tackle restrictions still apply. While anyone can fish for free on July 4, on all other days of the year, a fishing license is
required for people age 16 and older. Authorized by the N.C. General Assembly in 1994 and sponsored by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, North Carolina’s annual free fishing day, which always falls on July 4, was created to promote the sport of fishing. Many of the boating areas likely will be crowded over the busy holiday weekend, so the Commission urges boaters to be patient and courteous, and to observe social distancing guidelines.
Hike with NHC July 1-7, 2020
The Nantahala Hiking Club has resumed group hikes, but with new protocol in place. Hikes are limited to six to 10 people, and masks are required when congregating and driving to the trailhead. There is a limit of four people per car, with windows down for air circulation. NHC hikes are offered weekly on Saturdays and Sundays, with a variety of destinations, lengths and difficulty levels. View the schedule at www.nantahalahikingclub.org.
Planning effort seeks to form regional multi-use trail network
Great Smokies
tions for multi-use paths. It’s a long-range plan, with full buildout representing a nearly tenfold increase in the miles of multi-use trail miles currently in the region. The draft plan is available at www.frenchbroadrivermpo.org/multimoda l, with comments accepted through Friday, Aug. 21, using the form on the website or by emailing mpo@landofsky.org. An online workshop is planned for Friday, July 24, with more details forthcoming later.
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Smoky Mountain News
A plan that would create a 150-mile-plus trail network through Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties is now out for public comment. The French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization has been working with local governments and community stakeholders over the last year to develop plans for the Hellbender Regional Trail, which knits together various bicycle, pedestrian and greenway plans in the region to illustrate existing and planned trails that may someday connect to form a regional bike and walking trail network. The Hellbender Regional Trail Plan does not intend to usurp local brands or mandate designs, but rather to make the various sections of the planned and existing network greater than the sum of their parts through increased coordination and partnerships, focusing on regional connec-
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Independence Day plant sale coming to Waynesville The annual Mountain View Garden Club Plant Sale will be held 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 4, at the Waynesville Historic Farmers Market in the HART Theatre parking lot. Plants are priced between $1 and $5. In addition to a variety of herbs and flowers, garden-themed arts and crafts such as mosaic stepping stones, whimsical ceramics, hyper tufa planters, and kokedamas will be for sale. The proceeds will benefit the garden club’s local community service projects, including the beautification of seven public spaces in Waynesville.
Get your plant questions answered July 1-7, 2020
The Haywood County Plant Clinic is open for business, with Master Gardeners available to answer all manner of plant related questions. Topics include lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees and ornamental plants; disease, insect, weed or wildlife problems; soils (including soil test results) and fertilizers; freeze and frost damage; and cultural and chemical solutions to pest problems. Call 828.456.3575 and describe your home gardening issue to the receptionist. A Haywood County Master Gardener Volunteer will respond with research-based information.
Smoky Mountain News
Power line relocation proposed near Trail of Tears corridor
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Puzzles can be found on page 38 These are only the answers.
Duke Energy is requesting a special use authorization to make improvements to infrastructure that crosses national forest lands, and the U.S. Forest Service is taking public comments through July 17. The power company wants to move 4,900 feet of the existing overhead power line that crosses the Nantahala National Forest in Macon County and reinstall it on a series of new power poles within the N.C. Department of Transportation right-of-way along N.C. 28. Duke would perform the relocation using a helicopter, and hand crews would cut the wooden poles at ground level using chainsaws, leaving them in place to decompose. A combination of new and existing line would be attached to a series of newly installed utility poles totaling about 6,400 feet. These activities would occur within half
a mile of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The Forest Service would compile and submit a heritage resources report to interested tribal governments, and the report would include georeferenced information from the database at Western Carolina University. “Relocating the power lines would improve conditions within the Trail of Tears corridor by consolidating infrastructure within the road right-of-way,” reads a Forest Service scoping letter. Submit comments to SM.FS.R8ncnancom@usda.gov or mail them to Steverson Moffat, NEPA Planning Team Leader, Nantahala National Forest, 123 Woodland Drive, Murphy, NC 28906. Oral comments can be directed to 828.837.5152, ext. 108. Contact Bo Wood with questions at 828.524.6441, ext. 415. Comments must include a name and address, the title of the proposed action — Duke Energy Fontana Lake Power Line Relocation Project — specific substantive comments and a signature or other means of identification verification.
WNC Calendar PLEASE CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS TO ENSURE EVENTS HAVE NOT BEEN CANCELED BEFORE TRAVELING TO AN EVENT LISTED BELOW.
COMMUNITY EVENTS • The Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society has cancelled its July meeting but hopes to be able to meet again in August. Next month’s program will be “Parson’s Branch Road” rather than the usual potluck picnic. The group will continue to evaluate month to month and resume meetings when it is safe for all to be in such a gathering. • QuickDraw, a local art initiative that funds art programs in WNC schools, has jumped online to raise funds online from June 7-30. With the spring physical event cancelled due to COVID-19, volunteers organized an online art sale and auction to replace the in-place fundraiser. QuickDraw’s online auction opens to the public at midnight on June 7 and offers art at auction and a gallery of pre-priced easy-to-ship art. The online auction and art sale can be accessed at https://wncquick-draw.myshopify.com/. For more information, visit QuickDrawofWNC.com or call 828.734.5747. • Bardo Arts Center has a new webpage dedicated to virtual opportunities at arts.wcu.edu/virtual. Highlights include a series of Thursday lunchtime webinar presentations, which will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube, as well as through the arts.wcu.edu/virtual website. The Thursday webinar series opens with a theatrical talkback, followed by three webinars related to WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions. • Richard G. Sneed, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will join 11th Congressional District Democratic nominee Moe Davis for a special Moe Talks! Live Virtual Town Hall from 7-8 p.m. July 9. Moe Talks! is a twice-weekly virtual event on Zoom, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Twitch with Davis answering questions from voters and offering his views on the issues of the day. Learn more at moedavisforcongress.com. • Concealed Carry Licensure Training presented by Concealed Carry Academy. Next class is July 25. Arrive at 8:15 a.m. All supplies provided. Bring a lunch. Call 828.356.5454 to reserve a spot. Seating is limited.
BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Macon County Public Library Tax-Aide site has determined that it will not re-open for this tax season. Tax-Aide sites in Haywood County, Jackson County and the Murphy Public Library will also not be re-opening. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offering online options to assist taxpayers affected by the suspension of in-person services. A self-prep option, providing taxpayers with free access to software so they can prepare taxes on their own, is available at signup.aarpfoundation.org/preparing-your-taxesonline/. • Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering a two-day online Six Sigma Whitebelt training from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 16 and Thursday, July 23. The registration fee for the training is $249. Visit pdp.wcu.edu or call 828.227.7397. • Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering several online professional development programs during the month of July. “Driving Your Success through Effective Time Management,” will be held from 9:30 – 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 9. “Share Your Voice and Communicate from a Higher Place,” will be held from 9:30-11 a.m. on Thursday, July 16. For more information and to register for these or any of the other trainings, visit
n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com pdp.wcu.edu and click on “For-profit and Nonprofit Professional Development Workshops.” • The Small Business Centers at Southwestern Community College and Haywood Community College are now offering expanded business services to local small business owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Reboot, Recover, Rebuild or R3 Program for Small Business will offer expanded counseling opportunities in more than 40 different categories. Interested businesses are encouraged to apply for the program in advance by visiting southwesterncc.edu/sbc. If you have questions, email Henry at t_henry@southwesterncc.edu. • Small business owners can find materials and services to support business growth at Fontana Regional Library’s locations in Macon, Jackson and Swain Counties. Computer classes and one-on-one assistance available. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.
VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • The historic Shelton House in Waynesville is currently in need of volunteers for an array of upcoming events. Alongside help for events and gatherings, the organization is also seeking a docent, gift shop attendee, data entry person, landscaper, handyperson, and other positions. • Haywood Vocational Opportunities is seeking donations of goods, services, time and support for the second annual “HVO Stans Up to PTSD Veteran Community Resource, Education and Job Fair,” which will be held on June 27. 454.6857. • Feline Urgent Rescue is seeking volunteers and sponsors. Info: 422.2704, www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/furofwnc or 844.888.CATS (2287). • Cat adoption hours are from noon-5 p.m. on Fridays and noon-4 p.m. on Saturdays at 453 Jones Cove Road in Clyde. Adoption fee: $10 for cats one-year and older. Check out available cats at www.petharbor.com. 452.1329 or 550.3662. Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties. • Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking volunteers to assist rangers with managing traffic and establishing safe wildlife viewing areas within the Cataloochee Valley area. To register for training or get more info: Kathleen_stuart@nps.gov or 497.1914. • Haywood Regional Medical Center is seeking volunteers of all ages for ongoing support at the hospital, outpatient care center and the Homestead. For info and to apply: 452.8301, stop by the information desk in the lobby or volunteer@haymed.org. Anyone interested in becoming a hospice volunteer can call 452.5039.
Smoky Mountain News
KIDS & FAMILIES • The Kathryn Byer Memorial Poetry Contest celebrates our mountains and our connection to them in our everyday lives. It is open to all Jackson County students, K12. The poets are divided into three categories: K-4th grade, 5th-8th grade, and 9-12th. Three winners, in addition to Honorable Mentions, will be chosen in each category. Poems should be no longer than 40 lines, but can be much shorter, of course. Poems should be submitted to City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, either in person, mail or by email to more@citylightsnc.com by April 10. Please include “Poetry Contest” in the subject line. The winners in each category will receive gift certificates to City Lights Bookstore and will be invited to read at Greening up the Mountains at 3 p.m. April 25 at City Lights Bookstore. Winners will be announced by April 20. 586.9499. • The Sylva Art + Design Committee is pleased to announce a unique pop-up gallery event that will feature the artistic creations of children ages 5-18 in the Western North Carolina region. “Nature Through A Child’s Eye” will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at Viva Arts Studio in downtown Sylva. If you have a child that you think may want to be a participant ages of 5-18 apply by emailing sylvaartdesign@gmail.com or vivaartsstudio@gmail.com. Facebook at www.facebook.com/sylvapublicart or on Instagram @sylvaarts. All submissions will be available for purchase and can be picked up after the completion of the exhibition. All money raised will be equally distributed between SADC and the Sylva Community Garden in order to further the betterment of the community through arts, education, and environmental awareness. • Registration is underway for the Challenger International Soccer Camp, which will be offered to ages 3-14 from July 20-24 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Costs vary based on age group from $90-197. Separate goalkeeper and scorer program is $25 for ages 6-14 from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday. Register: challengersports.com. Info: 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov. • Waynesville Art School offers the Young Artist Program in the afternoons for 5-6 year old, 7-8 year old, 9-12 year old. Intro to Printmaking and Evening studies in arts is offered for 13-19 year old. Waynesville Art School is located at 303 N. Haywood Street. Info: 246.9869, info@waynesvilleartschool.com or visit WaynesvilleArtSchool.com for schedule and to register. • Mountain Wildlife offers wildlife education programs for schools and organizations in Western North Carolina, free of charge. If you are interested in having them visit your group contact them at blackbears66@gmail.com, 743.9648 or visit the website at www.mountainwildlifedays.com.
Ongoing HEALTH MATTERS
• STAR Rescue Ranch is seeking volunteers to help with horse care, fundraising events, barn maintenance and more at the only equine rescue in Haywood County. 828.400.4940.
• Free dental clinic for low-income patients, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment at Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project Dental Clinic on the upper level of Laurel Terrace in Cashiers. 743.3393.
• Volunteer opportunities are available throughout the region, call John at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center and get started sharing your talents. 356.2833.
• The Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, provides free care to uninsured patients who meet financial need requirements and live or work in Highlands and Cashiers. $10 donation suggested. The clinic is in the Macon County Recreation and Health Building off Buck Creek Road. 526.1991.
• Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2800.
35
Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: n n n n
Complete listings of local music scene Regional festivals Art gallery events and openings Complete listings of recreational offerings at health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings
VOLUNTEERING • The Haywood County Meals on Wheels program has route openings for volunteer drivers. Substitute drivers also needed. • P.A.W.S. Adoption Days first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn at Charleston Station, Bryson City. • The Community Kitchen in Canton is in need of volunteers. Opportunities range from planning a meal updating their webpage. 648.0014. • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County is now accepting applications for boys and girls within the Haywood County area between the ages of 6 and 14 who could benefit from an approved adult mentor/role model. No cost to the family. 356.2148. • Gathering Table, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, at The Community Center, Route 64, Cashiers. Provides fresh, nutritious dinners to all members of the community regardless of ability to pay. Volunteers always needed and donations gratefully accepted. 743.9880. • The Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center has many new openings for volunteers throughout the region. Learn about a wide-range of volunteer opportunities with a variety of non-profit agencies, including respite work, domestic violence hotline volunteers, meal delivery drivers, court mediators, Habitat for Humanity house building, foster grandparenting, charity thrift shops, the Elk Bugle Corps for the Great Smokies National Park and many more. 356.2833. • Community Care Clinic of Franklin needs volunteers for a variety of tasks including nursing/clinical, clerical and administrative and communications and marketing. 349.2085. • Catman2 Shelter in Jackson County needs volunteers for morning feeding and general shelter chores. 293.0892 or hsims@catman2.org. • The Volunteer Water Inventory Network (VWIN) is looking for people to work one to two hours a month taking water samples from local creeks and streams. Fill up empty bottles, collect water samples, and return full bottles. 926.1308 or www.haywoodwaterways.org. • The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society maintains a museum located in the historical courthouse in room 308. The HCHGS is seeking articles and objects of historical value to Haywood County that anyone would like to share. 456.3923. • REACH of Haywood County is looking for volunteers who would like to assist in its newly expanded resale store. 456 Hazelwood Avenue. 456.7898.
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TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com WNC MarketPlace
37
SUPER
CROSSWORD
HOLDING THE LINE ACROSS 1 Boat docks 8 Mere penny 15 Stair face 20 Generally 21 Infused with carbon dioxide 22 Cosmetics queen Lauder 23 Holiday tree brighteners 25 Figure skating category 26 Baby blues, say 27 Detroit loc. 28 By way of 29 - Babies 30 Info on a library slip 31 Thing swung on a court 34 Undermined 38 Federal case, so to speak 39 Countrified 40 See 42-Across 41 Germanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s "one" 42 With 40-Across, headwear for doing laps 46 William Tell wielded one 50 Nine-footer with 88 keys 53 Game with a cue stick 54 "Cat on - Tin Roof" 55 Bakery treat 56 Atypical pets 57 Taco sauce brand 59 Everyone, in German 61 Topic in question 62 Beddy-bye clothes 65 Gravity-defying party decoration 69 Have a go at 70 Reply to "You are not!" 72 Spoiled starsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; problems
73 75 78 79 80 84 86 88 89 90 91 92 95 98 102 103 104 105 106 110 111 115 116 117 118 119 120
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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 24 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 40 42 43 44 45 47 48 49 50 51 52 55 58 60 62 63 64
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66 67 68 71 74 76 77 81 82 83 85 86 87 90 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 105 106 107 108 109 111 112 113 114
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ANSWERS ON PAGE 34
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July 1-7, 2020
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The secretive, intelligent and prolific crow Editor’s note: This article first appeared in a July 2010 edition of The Smoky Mountain News.
L
George Ellison
ike most commonly observed objects, crows flit across our field of vision unheeded. Caw-caw-cawing unmusically … flap-flap-flapping over the fields … dressed as if for a funeral … iridescent pieces of black flannel waving in the breeze. We hear and see them … but we don’t really pay attention. We rarely think about them … we never ask ourselves: “What are these birds up to?” Within the last decade, however, Columnist crows have decided to relocate into the valley we live in west of Bryson City. This flock is composed of perhaps 30 individuals ... maybe more … maybe less. Counting crows can be a problem. They all look alike … and no crow stays in one place for very long. But I’d say we’ve got about 30 crows … more than enough. They primarily feed around the barn on whatever chicken, rabbit and horse feed gets scattered on the ground. But they will eat almost anything. They are, I have
BACK THEN observed, fond of apples … especially golden Grimes apples. I have seen them pecking at tomatoes and squash. But I have never observed a crow eating a green bean. They apparently roost above the valley. Being crows they are, of course, secretive about where they roost. They are secretive about everything. But I have watched them through binoculars late in the evening. They fly in every direction as a diversion but eventually they slip away … one by one … into the pine grove on that ridge. Of late, they have become rather tame and often come down to feed and mess around in the garden ornamental shrubs next to our home when they think no one is around; that is, when both of our vehicles are gone. You did know that crows can count, didn’t you? Well-funded high-caliber scientific research has established that all crows can count to three ... not a few can count to four ... and the occasional crow can get to five. The North American record for counting by a crow is eight. It was set by a crow residing in Ithaca, N.Y. There is suspicion that the crow was tutored at the Cornell University Lab. Be that as it may, crows are good counters. When they think no one is home, I sit
by my window and listen to the crows talking things over. I have no idea what they’re talking about. They don’t caw when there’re discussing things. At this time, their vocalizations consist primarily of low rattling and gurgling sounds. One will rattle for a while, then another one will gurgle for awhile in response. I keep asking myself, “What are these birds up to?” I have never observed a large roost of crows, which is properly referred to not as a flock but as a “congress of crows,” but in some places they form winter enclaves that number into the thousands. One standard source reports winter flocks of up to 200,000 birds. I have an AP wire service clip in my “Crow” file dated Jan. 6, 1987, and titled “Crows Decide Illinois Town Is For The Birds.” The town in question was Danville, Ill., which had suffered a crow inundation that broke branches, pulled down power lines, and bombarded streets and houses with droppings. From the article: “‘It’s like an Alfred Hitchcock movie over here. These birds are driving us all crazy,’ said Irene Hall, who lives on Oak Street, one of the crows’ favorite spots.” The first naturalists in our part of the world were the ancient Cherokees. They didn’t miss a trick in regard to the intrica-
cies of plant and animal life. They liked to closely observe the mundane, and then make it a part of their oral traditions. The Cherokee word for crow is “Koga.” According to one of their stories, Koga acquired its black color in a futile attempt to obtain the first fire. In another story, two crows were selected to be the guards of a gambler named Brass. Anthropologist James Mooney collected this story in the late 1880s while living among the Cherokees in the Big Cove section of the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina. “They tied his hands and feet with a grapevine and drove a long stake through his breast, and planted it far out in the deep water,” Mooney recorded in Myths of the Cherokee (1900). “They set two crows on the end of the pole to guard it and called the place Ka-gun-yi: ‘Crow place.’ But Brass never died, and cannot die until the end of the world, but lies there always with his face up. Sometimes he struggles under the water to get free, and sometimes the beavers, who are his friends, come and gnaw at the grapevine to release him. Then the pole shakes and the crows at the top cry ‘Ka! Ka! Ka!’ and scare the beavers away.” What better lookouts than a pair of crows? (George Ellison is a writer and naturalist who lives in Bryson City. info@georgeellison.com.)
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