Smoky Mountain News | July 15, 2020

www.smokymountainnews.com

Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information

July 15-21, 2020 Vol. 22 Iss. 07

Superintendent offers explanation for racial meme Page 4 Plans ready for 150-mile Hellbender Trail Page 22

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: The Smoky Mountain News team covers the protest and counter protest in Sylva this past weekend as local officials attempt to listen to both sides of the argument for removing ‘Sylva Sam’ monument on the steps of the Jackson County Historic Courthouse. (Page 6) Holly Kays photo

News Haywood superintendent offers explanation for racial meme ................................4 School board members up for election in Haywood ................................................5 Legal observers were present at Sylva demonstrations ......................................10 Public sounds off on Confederate monument ........................................................11 Sylva votes to prohibit Confederate images on town property ..........................11 Turnaround time longer for COVID-19 test results ................................................12 Jackson County Schools plan for reopening ............................................................15

Opinion Being Black in Waynesville ............................................................................................16

EDITOR/PUBLISHER: ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: ART DIRECTOR: DESIGN & WEBSITE: DESIGN & PRODUCTION: ADVERTISING SALES:

CLASSIFIEDS: NEWS EDITOR: WRITING:

ACCOUNTING & OFFICE MANAGER: DISTRIBUTION: CONTRIBUTING:

Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Jessica Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com Susanna Shetley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Hylah Birenbaum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hylah@smokymountainnews.com Sophia Burleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sophia.b@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jessi Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessi@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Hannah McLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hannah@smokymountainnews.com Cory Vaillancourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Singletary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing) Boyd Allsbrook (writing), Andrew Dundas (writing)

CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585

A&E A conversation with painter Avery Rowan ................................................................18

SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786

Outdoors Plans ready for 150-mile Hellbender Trail ................................................................22

Back Then Jimson weed has a long and lethal history ................................................................31

Copyright 2020 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ Advertising copyright 2020 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Smoky Mountain News is available for free in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and parts of Buncombe counties. Limit one copy per person.

Additional copies may be purchased for $1, payable at the Smoky Mountain News office in advance. No person may, without prior written permission of The Smoky Mountain News, take more than one copy of each issue.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

July 15-21, 2020

SUBSCRIPTION:

1 YEAR $65 | 6 MONTHS $40 | 3 MONTHS $25

289 Access Road, Waynesville · 452-4343 32 Asheville Hwy, Sylva · 586-8950 188 Georgia Road, Franklin · 349-4534 49 McDowell Street, Asheville · 254-7716 35 NC Hwy 141, Murphy · 835-8389

Smoky Mountain News

We are open to continue to provide essential services to patients. We will provide a safe environment to our patients and staff. We are following protocol recommended by the CDC and local and state health departments.

Call us to make an appointment today.

Accepting New Patients

Dr. William Banks

Dr. Robert DelBene

Dr. Robert Przynosch

Dr. Brian Carbonell

Dr. Dennis Dawson

Dr. Matt Davis

smokymountainfootclinic.com 2

MEDICARE PROVIDERS & MOST OTHER INSURANCES ACCEPTED

Fresh & Frozen Meals

CALL OR ORDER ONLINE

CURBSIDE

TAKE OUT

Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Specializing in Regional Cuisine Open for Dine-in

Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Tuesday-Saturday

Sun. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Gluten Free Options Available

Open for Carryout

39 Miller St., Downtown Waynesville

828.456.5559

33 S. Main St. #101 · Waynesville

FRESH SEAFOOD & MEATS AVAILABLE! 32 Felmet Street (828) 246-0927

TEMPORARY HOURS: THUR.-SAT. 4-8 P.M.

Carver's

• Tomatoes • Cucumbers • Onions • Squash • Zucchini • Potatoes • Corn • Half-runner Beans • Peaches • Watermelon • Cantaloupe

CALL AHEAD OR JUST STOP BY 828-452-7837 or 828-734-1969

HOURS FOR PICK UP - Wed & Thus 10-12 294 N. Haywood St. Waynesville

Featured Dishes:

Daily Specials:

Fresh Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Country Ham, & more

Sandwiches & Southern Dishes

NOW OPEN! TAKE-OUT & OUTDOOR DINING, WEATHER PERMITTING Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday

2804 SOCO RD. • MAGGIE VALLEY 828.926.0425 • Facebook.com/carversmvr Instagram- @carvers_mvr

Lobster Rolls New England Clam Chowder

171 MONTGOMERY ST · WAYNESVILLE TAKE-OUT & CURBSIDE SERVICE 11-6 · TUE-SAT · 828-476-5020

320 Riverbend • Waynesville Just below Ingles in Hazelwood Open Mon. Sat. 10:30 a.m.

-

FIND US ON FACEBOOK!

2 LARGE PET FRIENDLY OUTDOOR PATIOS

Pickup Window & Patio Seating ORDER AHEAD AT

CityLightsCafe.com 8-3 MON-SAT., 9-3 SUN. FOR YOUR HEALTH & SAFETY 3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

LOCATED IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN SYLVA

828.586.3555 • MadBatterKitchen.net

Nutrition Facts

July 15-21, 2020

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT since 1952

Guaranteed Fresh

LOCAL • NO GMOs • Local Sourwood Honey •

PRICES START AT JUST $5

Contactless Online Ordering

Burgers • Wraps • Sandwiches

D 828.400.6579

Follow Us on Facebook

watamisushinoodles.com · 828.246.6888

Shepherd’s Pie, Black Beans & Rice, Meat Pies, Chicken Pot Pies, Scottish Savories, Soups & Much More!

Bonnie's Mountain Farms

serving size : ab out 50 p ag es Am ount per Serving Calories 0

% Daily Value * Tot al Fat 0g

0%

Reg ional New s

100%

Op inion

100%

Outd oors

100%

Art s

100%

Entert ainm ent

100%

Classified s

100%

* Percent Weekly values b ased on Hayw ood, Jackson, M acon, Sw ain and Buncom b e d iet s.

Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza.

Dine-In ~ Take Out ~ Delivery

Sylva Location

243 Paragon Parkway | Clyde

172 Sylva Plaza | Sylva

828-476-5058

828-477-4931

Temporary Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

NOW OPEN SUNDAY- Noon to 8 p.m.

Smoky Mountain News

Clyde Location

10% OFF Your Order or $2 OFF Any Pizza (not combined with any other offers) 3

news

Haywood School Board decides fate of superintendent Nolte offers explanation for posting racially insensitive meme

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER fter a social media post regarded by some as racially insensitive, Haywood County’s superintendent of schools has been temporarily relieved of his duties.

On July 11, Dr. Bill Nolte reposted a meme to his personal Facebook page — black-and-white historical photo of six white children in raggedy clothing standing in a cotton field, sacks slung over their shoulders. The text above and below the photo reads, “Poor children of every color picked cotton. Open a book and gain some knowledge.”

The post was taken down by Nolte not long after he made it, but not before parents of students and other community members shared screenshots and expressed outrage on social media.

“A statement such as that, with no context, really negates the history of different groups of people in this country,” said Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford, a Western Carolina University professor and Waynesville resident with children in Haywood County Public Schools. “While you have this picture of impoverished white children picking cotton, slaves were not simply poor. They were property. That’s quite a distinction.”

In a subsequent apology, Nolte said he made the post in support of Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts, who was allegedly the target of demeaning comments made by an ABC News executive during contract negotiations back in 2018.

As first reported in the Huffington Post on June 13 of this year, senior ABC talent exec Barbara Fedida was in opposition to Roberts’ request for a raise and responded

Dr. Bill Nolte accepts the HCS superintendent position in July, 2018. Cory Vaillancourt photo by saying something along the lines of, “It’s not as if we’re asking her to pick cotton.”

Fedida has since been placed on leave.

“I thought [Fedida’s] comments were appalling,” Nolte continued in his apology.

“My repost was intended to point out that picking cotton was done by many white people, including my family. Unfortunately by [sic] attempt to address a racist comment has been interpreted as racist. Again, my sincere apology to anyone who was offended.”

Hinnant-Crawford, who holds a Ph.D. in educational studies from Emory, doesn’t think Nolte’s meme was an appropriate way to defend Roberts.

“The problem is, it paints this picture that everybody’s the same, that everybody’s had to do this. Bad things happen to all of

Smoky Mountain News

July 15-21, 2020

A

JustDoOils.com

Book online at:

MassageWaynesville.com 828.456.3585 4

us, and while everyone has their unique experiences, we cannot overlook systemic historical policies and systems that disenfranchised some groups and not others,” the Goldsboro native said. “That’s what makes the meme problematic.”

Nolte’s apology drew further ire when he mentioned that his first college roommate was a dear friend from high school who was black.

“I do find that line to be problematic for a number of reasons,” said HinnantCrawford. “Whenever people — and this is beyond Nolte — do something that is offensive to a minoritized group or a marginalized group, the first thing they want to do to escape culpability is to say what their ties are to this group. So, you know, ‘I have a black friend, I’ve got a gay cousin,’ and by

Haywood Square | 288 N. Haywood St. | Waynesville

5”& 6”

Four Haywood School Board seats up for election in November While many are aware of November’s high-profile races for president, Congress, the North Carolina General Assembly and various county-level positions, there are also four positions on the Haywood County School Board up for election this year. The races haven’t garnered much publicity as yet, because they’re non-partisan and not subject to a Primary Election like the one previously held on March 3.

As of press time July 14, Chairman Chuck Francis had signed up to run for reelection to his seat, as had Beaverdam representatives Ronnie Clark and David Burnette. The Waynesville seat held by Ann Barrett is also up, however no one’s yet to sign up for it.

The sign-up period for candidates interested in running ends at noon Friday, July 17. For more information on how to run for office, visit www.ncsbe.gov or www.haywoodcountync.gov/173/Elections. that tie suddenly what they have done will be less offensive.”

Racism, according to Hinnant-Crawford, isn’t simply a “you are or you aren’t” proposition, which means that good people still sometimes engage in racist acts because of the extent to which racism is embedded in American society.

“Instead of saying, ‘I have this friend or this cousin or this college roommate,’ or whatever, what you could do is deconstruct what you did and acknowledge how it was problematic instead of saying, ‘Look, I’m this kind of person,’ where you’ve tried to speak more to your character than through your actions,” she said.

For his part, Nolte concluded his apology by saying, “I have spent a lot of my life trying to bring people together and hate that this well intended re-post has added fuel to the fire.”

Of the 90-some comments on Nolte’s Facebook apology, the overwhelming majority of them were in support of Nolte; some commenters said they

F

CUSTOM SEAMLESS GUTTERS Replacement Gutters • New Construction

Western Carolina Home Exteriors 828.734.7399

took no offense whatsoever, others called it an innocent mistake and still others thought it had been “twisted” or “misinterpreted.”

PICK

LOCAL

YOUR

OWN

BLUEBERRIES NOW PICKING! 78 Medallion Dr. Wayehutta - Cullowhee

508-5803

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

C

Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath Is there an easy way to find low-sodium products at Ingles?

Sodium is a naturally occurring substance in all cells. Salt is a mineral that is composed of sodium plus chloride (NaCl). A low sodium diet and a no added salt or salt-free diet are not exactly the same thing. Typically when looking for low-sodium items you need to look on the Nutrition Facts label for products that have 140mg of sodium or less per serving. Overall consuming less than 2300 mg/day of sodium (the same amount of sodium in 1 teaspoon of salt) should be a goal for most Americans.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Smoky Mountain News

A couple of reminders: • The major culprit in added sodium is often foods eaten out rather than anything cooked/prepared at home.

• Rinsing canned vegetables in a colander will reduce the sodium amount by about 40%.

• Consider flavoring foods with garlic, lemon zest or lemon juice, pepper, fresh or dried herbs and salt-free seasoning mixes.

• Sneaky sources of sodium include: condiments, breads, bakery products and cereals.

July 15-21, 2020

The Haywood County Board of Education was quick to address the Saturday morning post by Nolte, who accepted the superintendent’s job in July 2018, upon the retirement of then-superintendent Dr. Anne Garrett.

On Sunday, July 12, Board Chairman Chuck Francis phoned members of the media to let them know that a closed session for personnel would be added to Monday night’s regular meeting. The closed session was also posted on the HCS website.

By that time, more than 130 people — current and former HCS students, parents, grandparents and community members — had already signed an online petition presenting a lengthy list of recommended curriculum changes meant as “a response to the nation’s current state of affairs regarding antiBlackness, systemic racism, and the demonstrations protesting these longstanding American conventions.”

Held at the Educational Center in Clyde, the open session of meeting was conducted under strict social distancing guidelines that Nolte posted this meme on his personal Facebook page on July 11. included mandatory masks, touchless temperature screenings and the completion “While you have this picture of of a COVID-19 selfimpoverished white children picking assessment form.

Due to building cotton, slaves were not simply poor. They capacity limitations, were property. That’s quite a distinction.” two remote viewing locations were set up — Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford, Western Carolina on the premises to University professor and Waynesville resident ensure transparency, although less than a day-to-day duties until July 22, while the dozen members of the public were in attenboard conducts further investigation into dance. the circumstances. Nolte was also to formuOutside, a small group of people gathlate an action plan to address the situation ered waving signs in support of Nolte. created by his post.

Four email comments received prior to Hinnant-Crawford expressed disappointthe meeting could not be read aloud in the ment at the outcome. meeting because they violated district policy “I honestly hoped for a different outby mentioning specific students or personcome. Not just in response to the social nel, however the comments are public media post, but because there needs to be a record and were made available to board shift in the culture of the district,” she said. members. Francis said the comments were “His reprimand shows what I already knew, all about Nolte’s Facebook post. the educational structure in Haywood Another four people who wished to County is not serious about serving all stucomment publicly during the meeting dents. This action aligns with other policies signed up at a podium outside, and were escorted into and out of the boardroom for and practices that have marginalized those not in the majority. I wish I could be that purpose.

Tammy McDowell and Jackie Hall, repre- shocked, but I am not. Only disappointed.

Inaction, just like action, speaks louder senting the Haywood County MLK than words.”

Committee, were the first to speak.

news

REACTION

“We are concerned that the leadership in our HCS public school system needs to be addressed as far as racial insensitivity,” McDowell said, demanding accountability.

Hall said she felt Nolte had committed an ethical violation.

Tracy Fowler, a retired HCS educator, spoke in support of Nolte.

“I think that you need to look further into this as to what kind of person we’re talking about there,” Fowler said. “For this one particular comment to be taken that way … it’s a sad state of affairs. We need to be focused on getting our kids safely back to school.”

The final speaker, Kasey ValentineSteffen, blasted Nolte’s apology and asked the board to consider anti-bias training.

After a closed session that lasted almost two-and-a-half hours, the board returned to open session and announced that pending further action, Nolte would be relieved of his

Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

@InglesDietitian Leah McGrath - Dietitian 800.334.4936 Ingles Markets… caring about your health

5

news July 15-21, 2020

More than 150 people marched through downtown Sylva Saturday, July 11, calling for the removal of the Confederate soldier statue that currently stands on the steps leading up to the historic courthouse. Holly Kays photo

Take it down?

Crowds turn out in Sylva to oppose, support Confederate statue

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER uly 11 dawned hot and sunny over the 131-year-old town of Sylva, sweltering rays pouring heat in equal fashion over the 106-year-old Jackson County Historic Courthouse on the hill and 12-year-old Bridge Park down below. Also collecting heat was the 105-year-old statue of an unnamed Confederate solider, situated on a pedestal midway between the crest of the hill and the banks of Scotts Creek.

The statue, which in more recent history has garnered the not-so-affectionate nickname Sylva Sam, was erected in 1915 through a community effort to honor “the deeds of the Confederate soldiers and their wives, both living and dead,” according to an Aug. 27, 1915, article in the Jackson County Journal.

Its dedication “was perhaps the greatest day the town and county have ever had,” reads a Sept. 24, 1915, Journal article, and the event drew more than 700 people to a celebration that included speakers, a parade, a free picnic lunch and musical performances of

Smoky Mountain News

J

6

“Maryland, My Maryland” and “Dixie.”

“Every one felt and knew that the stately figure of bronze, holding high its noble head to meet the breezes that ever blow across these sacred hills, represented a heroism, a loyalty and a glory seldom equaled upon the face of the earth,” the article continued.

It’s safe to say that no newspaper today could make such a sweeping statement as to what its readers feel and know when looking at the statue.

“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,” wrote Sylva resident Kelly Brown in a letter to the editor that appeared in The Smoky Mountain News July 1, nearly 105 years after the statue was first erected.

Brown is a leader in an organization called Reconcile Sylva, which aims to see the monument removed from the downtown area.

“The way forward may be hard and

require you to be uncomfortable and to confront your own biases, but it is right,” he wrote. “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.”

HILLSIDE On the sunny Saturday in question, Reconcile Sylva members were headed to the grassy field at Bridge Park for a demonstration supporting the statue’s removal, while at the same time another group representing a conviction of equal strength and opposite direction gathered in the library parking lot on the hill.

“I’m just here to help protect our national heritage,” said a 60-year-old Haywood County man and Navy veteran who asked to be identified only as Dan. “I mean, as far as I’m concerned that statue doesn’t have anything whatsoever to do with whether you’re white, Black, orange, green, blue. It don’t matter. I mean, as far as I’m concerned, we’re all American.”

It’s not about race, he said. It’s about remembering the past and the heritage of the South, and that’s a heritage he’s prepared to defend.

“As long as I’ve got a living breath in my body, it’s going to stay standing right there,” he continued. “If I get killed right here today I don’t really give a damn, because I’m doing what I said I would do when I swore an oath 40 years ago to defend, to respect and defend

the constitution of the United States.”

Qualla community member Michael Moore said that he has ancestors who served in the Confederate legion commanded by William Holland Thomas, who is known as the “only white chief ” of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

“A lot of the Thomas Legion, they joined the Confederacy because they were kind of like a home militia. They were kind of like the national guard,” said Moore. “They didn’t own slaves. They were protecting their homes. They were protecting their families.

You look at what happened with (General) Sherman’s army. Sherman destroyed Atlanta.

They were afraid that could happen here.”

Nearly everyone interviewed at the counter-protest, which drew about 100 people, had a similar perspective. The statue is a symbol of heritage, they said, not a symbol of hate.

However, one attendee did express his anger along racial lines.

“If they kept their damn mouths shut and left our damn statue alone they would have been alright, but they run their goddamn mouth and pissed me off, and I’m ready to fight to the death,” said a man wearing a white T-shirt with the words White Lives Matter in black on the back. “And they’re fixing to stir up a damn civil war right here in the United States. And this time we’re going to win it.”

He concluded his comments with a racial slur directed at Black people, accusing them of having “sucked off us white people long enough.”

The man was standing with a knot of people that included Dan and several others who were listening to the interview. At his words, the group went silent. Former Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe, who was nearby, told him to leave.

“That’s not acceptable,” said Ashe after the man left. “We’re not here about that. This is a peaceful gathering. We’re not belligerent.

We’re not violent. It’s not a racial issue at all.

No, it’s about history preservation.”

Ashe said his family has been in the area for eight generations, and that the statue represents a period of history that has strongly impacted the heritage of many in the county.

He’d never support its removal, he said, but when asked if he’d be OK if the existing statue were joined by another monument representing the history of people groups who are not represented and were actually threatened by the Confederacy, he had a quick answer: why not?

“History is history created,” he said. “Our ancestors created it then. We can create it now.”

It was pushing 1 p.m. when the formal festivities began, led by event organizer Frank Huguelet. After the national anthem was played, complete with American flags held aloft, Sylva resident Todd Barr opened the program with a few words imploring attendees to be on their guard.

“Folks, if you think this is about that statue there on the steps, you are sadly wrong,” he said. “This is all about an ideology being sold as a pack of lies. That’s all that 2020 has been is a pack of lies. Turn your TVs off, turn your social media off. They’re selling you lies, folks. This is all an

F

l d y s f

d f e t r

d l

r

d e n

Masked police officers monitor the protest event at Bridge Park. Holly Kays photo

a s n g

Protests were peaceful, but traffic caused problems

l m g

- Supporters of the statue stand atop the courthouse hill waiting for a counter protest event

CREEKSIDE

S EE STATUE, PAGE 9

Smoky Mountain News

At “the movement down there,” there were no flags and no patriotic tunes, but there was music, Shalamar’s “Make That Move” playing through the speakers as the group waited for the rest of its numbers to make their way to the gathering through gridlock traffic.

“The statue has been a starting place for us,” said Jo Shonewolf, pastor at Whittier United Methodist Church. “It was a concrete idea for us to gather groups together.

Now that we have gathered people together who we know are willing to support continuing reconciliation acts, we plan on doing other things in the future. We don’t want to do anything that is going to cause chaos.

We don’t want to do anything that’s going to disrupt people’s lives, but we do want to make sure that we are tending to our history in a way that allows us to move forward in the future with a diverse community, instead of just the white voices that have been at the table in the past and have been glorified in the past.”

“We have got to respect black and brown bodies, that those people matter, those people in our community matter,” added Jessica Swinkford, an organizer for Reconcile Sylva. Having grown up in Rutherford County, she’s lived in Sylva for the past decade. “Right now, the Confederate statue that stands in down-

I

July 15-21, 2020

n effort to sell an ideology that Americans should strongly resist.”

It’s time for the “silent majority” to r stand up, he said. s That “silent majority” isn’t made up solely of white people, said the next speakers, who introduced themselves as Kim and Charles. The couple and their five children a moved to Sylva two years ago, and though - they are African-American, they want to see y the statue stay.

“When I first moved here to Jackson t County, one of the first things I did the first week I was here was to take a picture with - the statue and put it on my Facebook page,” e said Kim. “I just felt like after that it would be wrong for me to love something two k years ago and then hide in my house and not come out and support it when it needed r to be supported.” t Her support of the statue is rooted in her Christian faith, she said.

- “(God has) always been about heritage. k He’s always been about honoring, even when s some of the kings aren’t good kings,” she d said. “They’re still in the Bible and he still e walked with them. So why are we deciding - now who is good who is bad? It’s not ours to decide. It is up to us to honor one another and support each other and love each other.”

“The problem with the movement down g there, to be honest, is they’re trying to s change the culture,” Charles added. n “They’re trying to take away the biblical values. They’re trying to take away the freedoms that we’ve enjoyed forever.”

to begin July 11. Holly Kays photo

t was a long day, but July 11 was a success from the perspective of law enforcement, said Police Chief Chris Hatton.

“Our plan was solid, and it kept people safe, and that’s the main thing,” said Hatton.

There were no arrests resulting from the event, and no protesters on either side were found to be carrying weapons, which under state law is illegal to do during a parade or protest.

However, Reconcile Sylva leader Kelly Brown strongly criticized the way police implemented road closures that day.

Barricades went up too early and traffic was backed up for blocks trying to find parking, he said, likely diminishing attendance.

“Reconcile Sylva was notified that the street would be closed during our march, but no sooner or later. The police also requested that we cut our march short, as it would be ‘unreasonable’ to hold traffic from downtown for that long. Our group agreed that we did not want businesses in downtown to suffer and shortened our march by two blocks,” reads a post on the group’s Facebook page.

“Organizers arrived around noon to start setting up. We began to receive text messages from medics, legal observers and hopeful attendees that they could not access downtown. Traffic was blocked at every entrance, many car lengths back. Medics trying to bring water to the event, even just to unload, were denied access to enter and park.”

Ben Scales, an Asheville attorney who attended the event as a legal observer (see LEGAL, page 10), said the closure infringed on participants’ right to protest.

“They’ve closed off the streets an hour or more in advance of the actual march,” said Scales. “So people are frustrated in their ability to express their First Amendment rights.

And it’s that type of thing that we’ll observe

and report on, and hopefully avoid something like this happening in the future.”

Hatton acknowledged that the road closure caused problems but said his department fixed the issue as soon as possible after becoming aware of it. The department used the same traffic plan it employs for other large events but didn’t foresee the impact that the temporary closure of U.S. 23 at Dillsboro Bridge would have on mobility. It seems that GPS apps preferred to route travelers through Exit 83 rather than sending them through the detour at Yellow Bird Branch.

“We anticipated that causing more problems down around the Yellow Bird Branch area (around the closure), which in fact we didn’t,” he said. “We got flooded with traffic coming on Exit 83 and so it jammed up the area of the Municipal Road.”

The delays forced Reconcile Sylva to shorten the march and push its program back by about half an hour in order to wait for those stuck in traffic, said Brown.

Hatton said he started his day around 7 a.m. Saturday and worked until after 6 p.m., with the 60 officers working the event attending their first briefing at 9 a.m. The official protest events ran from 1 to 3 p.m.

In addition to his 14 officers, officers from the Jackson County Sheriff ’s Department, Macon County Sheriff ’s Department, Franklin Police Department, N.C. Highway Patrol and Bryson City Police Department were on the scene. Also assisting were the Sylva Fire Department, Harris EMS, Jackson County Emergency Management and town staff. Sylva did not have to pay for help from other departments but will be expected to reciprocate by deploying officers when those towns have large events.

“These are pretty expensive weekends for us,” Hatton told the town board July 9.

“Pretty much every officer here will be working on overtime for the most part except for the two or three that were supposed to be here already.”

Staff writer Cory Vaillancourt contributed to this report. 7

news

Public sounds off on Confederate monument

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ackson County Commissioners saw a precursor to the intense public discussion ahead of them when 16 people gave public comment at their July 7 meeting to talk about the fate of the Confederate statue that stands on the historic courthouse steps.

Of the speakers, 11 were in favor of keeping the statue where it is, while the other five called for its removal.

“My friends, my high school friends, my childhood friends — their grandparents, their great-grandparents fought in the same regiments, in the same company as mine, and when the state of North Carolina asked these men to go serve against an invading army — because at the time that’s what it was to them — they did it,” said Frank Huguelet, a native of the county and organizer of the July 11 counter protest in the library parking lot. “They picked up a gun and risked their life.”

Commissioners heard from community members whose families have been in the o area for hundreds of years, whose ancestors m fought for the Confederacy. Denny Wood m n decried efforts to remove it as a Marxist “takeover of our country,” while Jason Ray t said it’s a “symbol of all the things in our his- S tory that’s good and bad.”

Mike Ferris went a step further, remind- p ing commissioners that the statue is protect- t p ed by state law and saying that if they attempt to remove it, “We will tie y’uns up in lawsuits for 20 years, 30 years, whatever it d takes, and it will stand right there, and we C will drain every nickel that we can out of this “ t county.”

Meanwhile, others insisted that the stat- r ue is a hurtful symbol of racism glorifying a I treasonous rebellion that lasted only four w t years before crumbling.

“These symbols do represent slavery and racism to a lot of us,” said county res- o b ident and Cherokee Nation member Lianna Costantino. “If you poll our Black s community members, I think you will find t that. There are parts of our Confederate m history that I am not proud of at all, and I c t think it’s time that we change some of n those things.”

In his comments, Sylva Commissioner s David Nestler pointed out that there were J more slaves in Jackson County than there d were Confederate soldiers who died in the w war, while Jessica Swinkford said that the r town’s reliance on tourism means inclusivity m

should be of paramount concern.

Commissioners did not respond to the c comments but discussed the issue at length s during their work session July 14, which occurred after press time. For more on this r n topic, visit b www.smokymountainnews.com/news/ itemlist/tag/confederate%20monuments. s

Smoky Mountain News

July 15-21, 2020

J

*Terms and Conditions apply see dealer for more information.

Indian® and Indian Motorcycle ® are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, eye protection, protective clothing, and obey the speed limit.

Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. © 2020 Indian Motorcycle International, LLC

Exit 100 off U.S. 74 82 LOCUST DRIVE | WAYNESVILLE | NC

828.452.7276 8

SMSH.CO FOR OUR FULL INVENTORY Tues.-Fri. 9-6 | Sat. 9-5 Closed Sun. & Mon.

news Counter protestors (left) bow their heads for a prayer offered during the speaking program. Protestors listen as speakers address various aspects of racism and issues surrounding white supremacy. Holly Kays photos STATUE, CONTINUED FROM 7

and in this county and this town,” he said.

“Yes, the name of this county is coming next.

All you need to know about Andrew Jackson is that he was a slave owner, he was an Indian killer, he was a town destroyer and he and his men made horse reins out of the flesh of our indigenous brothers and sisters and nonbinary folks. This is not a man who should be anywhere near anything.”

White supremacy is “the dominant political and economic ideology of the planet,” he said, and the sooner people recognize that, the sooner they can fight back against it.

“The stress, the fear of poverty, the fear of lack of healthcare, the fear of lack of insurance that we all have, that is violence done to you,” he said. “That is why we are so messed up as a people. This is what has been done to us on purpose.”

With that, the speaking program ended and the march began. Roughly 150 attendees, all donning masks, carried signs demanding the statue’s removal and an end to racism along a route that took Railroad Avenue up to the intersection of Grindstaff Cove Road and Main Street, east to Spring Street, and then back to the park via Railroad Avenue. Chants included “No justice, no peace,” “Take it down,” “This is what democracy looks like,” “Hey hey, ho ho, this racist statue’s got to go” and “Defund who? Sylva Police!”

Ultimately, the decision about what to do with “Sylva Sam” rests in the hands of the county commissioners. Brown said he hopes that the protesters have made their point, and that he’s urging them to continue telling board members about the urgency of the issue.

“I want that statue down, and I want white supremacy gone,” said protest attendee Mary Furr, who lives in Jackson County. “I don’t really know what else to say. It’s 2020 and it’s been far, far too long to continue to happen.”

Staff writer Cory Vaillancourt contributed to this report. 9

Smoky Mountain News

hand what was being said at both events. She made similar comments at each gathering, she said, and while there was some yelling atop the hill after she said she felt it was important to listen to all citizens, the heckling at Bridge Park was far worse.

“I know that a lot of the anger comes from real hurt, and there’s very obviously valid hurt in the community and it’s not been addressed, so I know where that comes from,” she said. “I’m not justifying being disrespectful, but I understand what happened.

I felt like it was important for me, however I was perceived, to speak to both sides.”

Later in the program, a 25-year-old Black woman who attended Swain County High School but did not state her name reminded the crowd that racism is very much still alive and real, relating an experience she had the day after Barack Obama was first elected president in 2008.

“That day I walked into school at Swain County High and there was a death note taped to the outside of my locker,” she said. “I was 14. I was 14. And all I could do was take the notes, go to the office and say, ‘I’m leaving.’ I couldn’t wrap my head around that these kids who I had played with for spirit week — we played in band together we were in classes together — but for some reason their parents taught them that it was OK to leave a death threat taped to the outside of my locker.”

White people must be more than allies in the struggle against racism, she said. They need to be co-conspirators.

The statue’s removal would be a good start, said the final speaker Munene Mwaniki, who is an assistant professor of anthropology and sociology at Western Carolina University.

“Removing a statue might not seem very significant, but we would like a moral commitment from the people of Sylva to begin making the changes that we need in this city

July 15-21, 2020

town is a representation of hate and oppression that they have experienced for many, many years. And so we are here to make sure that our Black and brown community knows that they are supported and that there are people here who want to see the Sylva that includes them.”

The official program started around 1:30 p.m., with eight different speakers addressing the crowd regarding the statue, racism and prejudice in general.

“I had ancestors who were Confederate soldiers too and I own it,” said Lianna Constantino, a Cherokee Nation member.

“And I love my ancestors, but I do not honor the Confederacy. I can clearly recognize how racist these statues are. It’s not brain surgery.

It’s not rocket science, and see how easy that was for someone with Confederate ancestors to say, ‘Um, no. They lost. It’s over. Get over it.”

Documentation surrounding the statue’s original dedication make it clear that the bronze cast is a racist symbol, said another speaker. The parade, the picnic, the music, the lack of names of fallen soldiers on the monument itself — they all point toward the conclusion that the day was a joyful celebration of the Confederacy, not a somber recognition of the lives lost. Then, there’s the speaker the town chose for the event. While Julian Carr was ultimately unable to come due to his wife’s death, he’s the one the town wanted to commemorate the event. His remarks at the dedication of a similar monument on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill — the now-removed “Silent Sam” — make it clear how he stood on race.

“One hundred yards from where we stand, less than ninety days perhaps after my return from Appomattox, I horse-whipped a negro wench until her skirts hung in shreds, because upon the streets of this quiet village she had publicly insulted and maligned a

Southern lady, and then rushed for protection to these University buildings where was stationed a garrison of 100 Federal soldiers,” he said in that speech. “I performed the pleasing duty in the immediate presence of the entire garrison, and for thirty nights afterwards slept with a double-barrel shot gun under my head.”

The gathering turned contentious at one point when Brown invited Jackson County Commissioner Gayle Woody to address the group, because she’d done the same earlier that day before the counter protesters.

“I did go up and speak to the folks up at the top, and I want to say what I said to them,” she told the protestors. “When I took the pledge to become a commissioner, I took very seriously the oath of office, which says I will uphold the constitution of the United States, the state of North Carolina and the ordinances of Jackson County. I believe we can come to a peaceful resolution according to the law.”

That statement was met with loud boos from the crowd.

“I just want to say this. I represent all the citizens of Jackson County and I value your opinions,” she continued. “Those people you may not agree with have value as human beings as well.”

The crowd booed again, prompting one of the event leaders to step in.

“All the white people yelling over her right now, as a Black person I don’t want to hear it,” he said. “If she’s going to dig herself into a hole and say something racist, let her do it.”

“I don’t plan to dig myself in a hole,” Woody said. “I do think if you were honest about wanting to be heard today by me and the other four commissioners then you need to be honest about their right to be heard as well. Even if we don’t agree with them.”

In a follow-up interview, Woody said that she hadn’t planned ahead of time to speak to either group but had committed to hear first-

news

Blue Ridge Heritage

Craft Quilt

&

Juried Exhibit

OCTOBER 2 -31, 2020

Call For Heritage Craft Artisans!

Applications due: July 24

Smoky Mountain News

July 15-21, 2020

HaywoodArts.org • Artist@HaywoodArts.org

10

Legal observers were present at Sylva demonstrations

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER rotests, rallies and marches have become commonplace in Western North Carolina over the past six weeks, but dueling demonstrations in Sylva last weekend featured for the very first time a totally new aspect — the presence of trained legal observers.

“Our group tries to act as a calming presence,” said Ben Scales, an Asheville attorney who with several others donned yellow shirts bearing the term “legal observer” and volunteered to attend the events on July 11. “We like to call ourselves ‘Constitutional law enforcement.’ We can’t arrest anybody or stop anybody from being arrested, but we can document and investigate and report, hopefully to protect people’s constitutional rights of freedom of assembly and other First Amendment rights.”

Scales said it wasn’t his first protest, but it was his first west of Asheville, where he’d spent time observing all summer.

“We have a loosely connected group of attorneys and other people who are trained in the skill of legal observing,” he said. “Some of us have been through National Lawyers Guild training. They have a program for legal observers.”

The NLG established the legal observer program in 1968 after protests at Columbia University in New York and before the violent clashes at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that same year.

The goal, according to the NLG, is to “enable people to express their political views as fully as possible without unconstitutional disruption or interference by the police and with the fewest possible consequences from the criminal justice system.” Sometimes, legal observers even represent protestors in criminal or civil suits.

“We’ve seen all sorts of things going on,” he

P

said of his time in Asheville. “We’ve seen disparate treatment of different people by police.

We’ve seen unwillingness to enforce certain laws against certain groups of protesters and a zealous application of those same laws to other protesters. Generally speaking, the protesters, the counter protesters, law enforcement — they all appreciate us being there.”

Inviting legal observers to an event isn’t as simple as opening up the Yellow Pages; in fact, they’re almost like TV’s A-Team: if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe they’ll be there.

“When an organizer of an event talks to another organizer of an event, sometimes our name will come up and they’ll say, ‘Hey, we could use some of your services for our event,’” Scales said. “We don’t have a hotline.

It’s not anything that’s advertised and we reserve the right to say no if we can’t make it but we’re mainly dedicated to being a neutral observing presence at these events.”

But Scales’ experience at the sometimesviolent protests in Asheville hasn’t been all doom and gloom.

“We’ve also seen cooperation at times between organizers and the cities where these events are happening,” he said. “It gives me hope that there is room for dialogue in these events. And, and like I said, sometimes just our mere presence will change the narrative enough to where a constitutional violation that might have happened, doesn’t.”

Before the day’s events kicked into full gear, Scales said he had high hopes for the pro- and anti-Confederate statue demonstrations in Sylva.

“I hope that everybody gets a chance to say what they want to say and put their ideas into the marketplace of ideas. The First Amendment is so crucial to the functioning of a free and fair democracy,” he said. “If speech is stifled or chilled, then we slip toward totalitarianism.”

Sylva votes to prohibit Confederate images on town property

I

The sole opposing vote came from Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh.

“To some people this is offensive, and to some people this is representing people who died to save their land or save their children or their land,” she said. “It wasn’t about

news

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER n a 4-1 vote, the Sylva Town Board approved a resolution July 9 that will prohibit the use of Confederate imagery on town vehicles and property purchased after July 10.

The policy would include symbols that depict the town’s iconic courthouse hill if the Confederate solider statue on the courthouse steps is included. The Sylva Police Department recently got new badges, patches and car designs that showcase the hill, and those scenes include the statue. The policy would not require the department to discard all that newly purchased material but would mandate that any future purchases scrub the statue from the scene.

“The intent here is not to erase history, but the intent is to realize what has happened over the years,” said Commissioner Ben Guiney, who proposed the resolution.

“Frankly, the Confederate flag has been taken from the veterans and the descendants of the veterans and is a symbol of white supremacy, and has been for some time.”

Police Chief Chris Hatton told the board that he didn’t include the statue for any reason other than it was part of the much-photographed scene.

“We just added the image as it appears on all the photographs that any of us have of the courthouse,” he said. “This is an issue that has only just recently come to all of our minds.”

“Frankly, the Confederate flag has been taken from the veterans and the descendants of the veterans and is a symbol of white supremacy, and has been for some time.”

— Sylva Commissioner Ben Guiney

slaves. It wasn’t about having slaves, especially not in Jackson County, in the povertystricken county that we were.”

The board also briefly discussed a resolution presented by Commissioner David Nestler that, if passed, would request that the county relocate the statue somewhere outside town limits. A longer discussion, and likely a vote, will occur at the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting, slated for 9 a.m. Thursday, July 23. For more on this story, visit www.smokymountainnews.com/ news/item/29444.

The new car designs include the statue in silhouette form in front of the courthouse.

Donated photo

Catch a

it's FREE

Welcomes Prosthodontist Jackson Blackburn DMD MS

Monday thru Sunday, 10AM - 6PM

• • • • •

Tires Brakes Alignment Road Service Tractor Tires

Dr. Blackburn is a dentist with specialty training in complex dental concerns including implants, dentures, full mouth rehabilitation, and maxillofacial prosthodontics.

Dr. Blackburn is excited to be joining the Smoky Mountain Dentistry family. He can help you create the smile you want and deserve.

We are accepting new patients, call to schedule an appointment.

Authorized Motor Fleet Management Maintenance

M ONDAY-F RIDAY 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE P LAZA 828-456-5387 • WAYNESVILLETIRE . COM

Smoky Mountain News

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, INC.

July 15-21, 2020

GOLDEN TROUT

Dr. Jed Lambert, Dr. Elizabeth Ferguson, Dr. Robert Franklin, Dr. Jackson Blackburn

30 MIAMI DRIVE, WAYNESVILLE

828-452-5807 SmokyMountainDentistry.com

11

news

NC schools to reopen Aug. 17 as state remains in Phase 2

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER fter weeks of speculation, Gov. Roy Cooper announced July 14 that North Carolina would again remain in Phase 2 of his three-phase reopening plan and that schools would reopen as scheduled on Aug. 17, albeit with important caveats.

“We know schools will look a lot different this year,” Cooper said. “They have to, to be safe and effective.”

Three separate school plans had been floated over the past few weeks — Plan A, a fully in-person arrangement; Plan B, a hybrid version of Plan A and Plan C; and Plan C, fully remote learning.

The state’s “baseline” plan, according to Cooper, will be Plan B. That includes fewer children in the classrooms and a remote option for any student who wants it.

State-provided reusable face coverings for every student, staff and teacher will be mandatory, and frequent COVID screenings, along with aggressive sanitation practices, will also be implemented.

Local school districts, however, may also choose to follow Plan C. Cooper reserved the right to mandate Plan C should caseloads worsen.

Senate Republicans declined to consider a bill July 7 giving flexibility to local school boards on how to conduct the first week of school, so for at least the first five days, students must attend in person.

Cooper had initially closed schools for two weeks on March 14. At that time, North

Turnaround time longer for COVID-19 test results

test product that is producing false positives.

The report from the state stated that a testing product from a company called BD was shown to produce 3 percent false positives.

“That means that out of 100 positive results, three could be wrong,” Jaben said.

The Haywood County Health Department checked with the labs performing testing analysis for them and was reassured that the labs don’t use the BD product. For those getting tested, Jaben recommended asking the provider what test product was being used.

As of press time, Haywood County had reported a total of 138 cases, 94 of which were considered recovered. The county also reported that there were two hospitalizations at Haywood Regional Medical Center and two at Mission Hospital. The county hasn’t had any reported COVID-19 related deaths.

Jackson County has had a total of 220 positive COVID-19 cases, and 74 of those are still active and in isolation. The county has only one reported COVID-related death.

As of July 13, Macon County had a total of 333 positive cases — 117 are still active, 218 are recovered, 448 tests are pending and there’s been one death. Macon County has identified three clusters of cases throughout the county, the latest one being at least nine positive cases found among employees at Norton Creek Farms.

Swain County has had 70 positive cases, 189 tests pending result and one death. The county health director has said she’s not comfortable reporting cases as “recovered” because the state hasn’t offered a concrete definition of what that means.

Smoky Mountain News

July 15-21, 2020

A

12

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR s more tests for COVID-19 pour into laboratories across the state, the time taken to get results continues to increase.

Dr. Mark Jaben, medical director for the Haywood County Health Department, said turnaround time on testing was down to a couple of days a couple of weeks ago, but now test results are taking up to eight business days to return. That increased wait time creates challenges for the health department as well as local residents who have to isolate while awaiting their results.

“Once you get tested, a longer time for results means a longer time in quarantine.

This could impact when it’s safe for you to go back to work. A longer time for results complicates the effectiveness of contact tracing,” he said. “An additional four to six day lag before we know about a positive result means close contacts to that person remain out and about possibly exposing even more people.”

Jaben asked people to be proactive and let their close contacts know as soon as they’ve been tested and as soon as they get their test results. The health department will still reach out to people who’ve come into contact with a positive case but it may take another week before that happens.

Jaben also warned against a COVID-19

A

Carolina had seen only 29 cases, and the seven-day rolling average of new cases was about seven per day.

At the time of Cooper’s July 14 announcement, the state had seen almost 90,000 cases as well as more than 1,500 deaths and a seven-day rolling average of more than 1,800 cases per day.

Cooper’s announcement came as The Smoky Mountain News was going to print; look for more on this developing story in the next issue of SMN, on newsstands and online on Wednesday, July 22.

Take the Census.

news

When I take the Census, I’m making sure that I’m counted ffere and that I make a difference for my community.

I can impact

July 15-21, 2020

In less than 10 minutes, my representation in Congress,

funding for our roads, schools, emergency services, housing, senior services, and youth programs,

You never have to share your citizenship status, religious affiliation, social security number, financial information or make a donation.

Count me in.

Smoky Mountain News

and job opportunities in my community.

2020census.gov 13

J

We're OPEN

T

news

Gateway to the Smokies

Shops • Galleries • Restaurants We are practicing social distancing and wearing masks for the safety of everyone.

f

5 N Main Street • Waynesville • 828.452.7672

p w

p w

Buying Gold, Silver, Siverware & Coins

p

July 15-21, 2020

NEEDED: 1-5 Carat Diamonds, Rolexes, Vintage Jewelry, Watches

• fine jewelry needs • expert repairs

We are all in this together “Making your moments special”

l

146 N Main Street

f l

tammys-jewelry.com

Waynesville

828.456.4772

Smoky Mountain News

p

f b

affairsoftheheartnc.com

14

d own townwayn e svi l l e.c o m

f A

T

The plan for cleaning and sanitation includes the kind of social distancing now familiar in daily life. Plexiglass barriers will be installed in reception and waiting areas, and signage and floor stickers will indicate flow patterns to maximize social distancing.

All middle and high school students and staff will be required to wear personal protection equipment provided by the school.

K-5 students will be required to wear masks as much as possible and always outside of classrooms. Masks were purchased for the

TRANSPORTATION “Reopening plans, especially on the environment and logistical end, will tell you that one of the biggest challenges school districts are facing is transportation,” said Buchanan.

There were three options presented to the board for transportation. Under a “total social distance” model each bus could fit seven students, the “every other seat” model would allow for 11 students per bus and the “one student per seat” model would allow for 22 per bus (this model includes allowing students from the same household to share a seat). Any of these plans would greatly increase route numbers. Using the “total social distance” model, some routes that usually take one run would now take 15. Even the model that allows for one student per seat would triple or quadruple the number of usual bus routes.

Regardless of what plan is used, busses would have to be sanitized after each route, and another adult in addition to the bus driver will likely be placed on each bus to take temperatures before students get on the bus, and ensure compliance with social distancing while the bus is moving.

The least expensive plan, placing one child per seat will increase the budget by $147,000 per month. According to research

“Jackson County and Jackson County Public Schools have a long track record of coming together to take care of our kids.”

— Jackson County Schools Assistant Superintendent Jacob Buchanan

learning objectives. JCPS will be using a paid and expanded version of the Remind app to help students, teachers and parents stay connected. The plan is designed for five remote learning days per week, in case schools are expected to be fully remote again this fall. If school is fully or partially remote, there will be remote learning training days for students at the beginning of the school year.

An important aspect of the plan is feedback and engagement between teacher and

REOPENING OPTIONS According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, there are three options for reopening schools this year. Under Plan A, schools reopen fully and there is minimal social distancing. This plan will be possible if COVID-19 metrics stabilize or improve. Under Plan B, school would reopen with social distancing and reduced capacity. This would be the plan if COVID-19 cases continue to worsen. Plan C would mean complete remote learning and will take place if COVID-19 metrics worsen significantly.

Natural Wood 7 1/2" Hickory ClicLOCK engineered 1st Quality 4 Styles available

Golden Opportunity 2 1/4" Solid Wood Butterscotch and Saddled- 1st Quality

Historic Oak 7 1/2" Engineered Wood Waterloo and Stalingrad 1st Quality

Smoky Mountain News

HEALTH AND SAFETY

school system with the help of Dogwood Health Trust.

Hand sanitizer and/or portable hand sinks will be placed in every classroom and other common areas and touch free bottle fillers will be available in place of water fountains. Students will be encouraged to bring their own water bottle to school, but reusable cups will be provided to each student that can be washed in the lunchroom dishwashers.

The committee created a detailed plan for daily, and more frequent, sanitation with checklists for added assurance and accountability.

Students will remain in the same classroom everyday whenever possible, with teachers coming into the classroom to teach different subjects. Lunch and breakfast will also be taken in the classroom.

Buchanan assured the board that with all the changes and new rules, staff would be trained on all protocols prior to reopening, students and parents would be educated through multiple avenues prior to reopening, and students would be trained on procedures during the first few days at school.

If a student or staff has been exposed to a positive case, they will not be permitted to come to school for 14 days, if a student tests positive for COVID-19, they will not be permitted in school for 10 days, and if a student has had symptoms, they are not permitted in school until 10 days after their first symptom.

In order for this plan to work, attendance policies will have to be altered or suspended.

According to JCPS, each school district is required to submit a Remote Instruction Plan to the Department of Public Instruction

by July 20.

Chief Academic Office Angie Dills presented the Remote Learning Plan to the board.

The plan centers around regular and clear contact with students and parents about

July 15-21, 2020

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER his week the debate has raged over whether — and how — to reopen schools next month. President Donald Trump has demanded that schools reopen, and yet some of the largest districts in the country, including Los Angeles and San Diego, have announced they will remain fully remote this fall, following a surge of cases and a reversal of reopening efforts in California.

At a special called meeting July 7, Jackson County Public Schools administration presented the school board with plans for several possible reopening scenarios.

JCPS created two central committees to plan for returning to schools next month, whatever that may look like. The Environment and Safety Committee was responsible for cleaning and sanitation, health and safety, child nutrition and transportation. The Remote Learning Committee was responsible for curriculum and instruction, instructional technology and professional development, human resources, data collection, special populations and student services.

Retiring Superintendent Dr. Kim Elliott addressed the meeting first, expressing how proud she was of JCPS administration and staff and her gratitude for how hard they have worked at planning for reopening. She then turned the meeting over to Assistant Superintendent Jacob Buchanan.

“There is a great deal of concern in our community, and rightfully so, but the first message I would give is that Jackson County and Jackson County Public Schools have a long track record of coming together to take care of our kids. We fully understand the magnitude of reopening and what it means for our community, what it means for family, what it means for our staff and most importantly, what it means for our children,” he said.

According to Buchanan, the planning process included parents, staff, community members, experts from the health department, representatives from Western Carolina University and private practitioners in the medical field.

REMOTE LEARNING

administrators. Instructional videos will be used as an important way to not only relate information to students, but for teachers to observe themselves and understand what they, and their peers can do to better relay information and material.

“When we are at our best as a school system and as a community, it’s when parents and staff work together and communicate together and we’re all on the same page” said Buchanan.

Administration made clear that there had to be communication about grades and academic expectations. Dills said that many teachers reported students tuning out at the end of last school year once they found out that their grades would not change depending on work and engagement.

In addition to regular academic expectations, JCPS has outlined specific plans for special population students.

news

Jackson County Schools plan for reopening

by JCPS, ridership will be down 15 percent from normal years.

12. 13’2”. 13’6”. 15’6” 16’4”. Wide

EXPIRES: JULY 25, 2020

15

16

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Who is your neighbor?

Being Black in Waynesville

BY B RANDI H INNANT-CRAWFORD G UEST COLUMNIST n 2014, on my 30th birthday, I got a call from my former department head offering me a job at Western Carolina University. I was ecstatic; I was going home. Upstate New York winters are not kind to girls raised in the south (aka GRITS), and the Old North State is the state I love more than any other in the union — everyone was happy. Two years after living in Jackson County, I heard about these amazing kindergarten classrooms at Hazelwood Elementary; I wanted my kids to have this wonderful experience. After apartment living for two years, I moved into a colleague’s house in Waynesville. Finally—the west was feeling like home. My kids had a yard, and I had Belk (Modern, Southern, Style!). Plus, Waynesville is halfway between my Cullowhee office and Biltmore Park classroom. Jackpot!

In the New Testament (the 10th chapter of Luke), Jesus tells folks they must love their neighbors as themselves, and one smart-aleck says — well, who exactly is my neighbor. And then Jesus shares one of our favorite parables about the good Samaritan. Living here has made me question time and time again—who is my neighbor—and how do you make someplace home when it is apparent the neighbors (or at least some of them) don’t want you.

I am an outsider, and I recognize there is outsider/insider culture here. However, that becomes amplified when you’re a Black woman outsider. I cannot speak for the whole 2% of the Waynesville population that is Black, but for the four in my household we have often asked: who is our neighbor, who can we trust, whose home would we be safe in, and who might we need to avoid.

We like to think of racists as people in sheets, neo-Nazis, “skinheads” or as bad people with ill intent. All racist acts are not blatant; some are subtle. Racially charged interactions happen between people (even good people) constantly, sometimes in the form of microaggressions. Sometimes they are unintentional (though everything is not unintentional, just as all bias is not implicit). When people are afraid to talk about race because it makes them uncomfortable, racially charged interactions happen more often. When people believe they are colorblind, they fail to see how their actions may impact people of different groups disparately. And there are people who think issues of race belong exclusively to people of color, and with the small percentage of that Waynesville population that is not White, such issues cannot exist here. Whiteness is not the absence of race; whiteness is a race too; and racial issues also belong to White people. I believe the discomfort, colorblindness, and “that’s their issue” conflate in Waynesville for a perfect storm. So, I am writing to tell you what it is like to be Black woman in Waynesville: It’s a local bank teller speaking to you as if I had never been in a bank before.

It’s a pediatrician suggesting your kid has a behavioral problem when they’ve only been around him 3 minutes.

It’s a random man coming up to you in a book store saying, “race isn’t real,” and when you respond “you’re right, race is a social construct but the consequences of race are real,” and he tells you, “I can see you’re a thinking person.”

It’s walking into Walmart and a man telling your 5-yearold son, “We stand for the flag and kneel at the cross” in reference to Colin Kaepernick.

It’s being told you can’t use the bathroom at a gas station, while you are dancing trying to hold it in, and have already

I

purchased something — since you figured bathrooms were for customers — because it is being cleaned, only to see it’s not.

It’s going to the Tuscola-Pisgah game, because you’re trying to be a part of the community, and being jarred by all the Confederate flags. They can stand for heritage to you, but as the fifth generation descendent of enslaved people in this state, they remind me of state-sanctioned violence, vigilantism, bondage and captivity — and those fighting to uphold that institution.

It’s working with Haywood County Schools teachers and hearing one say they are afraid to write a referral for a kid calling another kid “nigger” because they don’t know if adminis-

tration will support it or if parents will complain. (Which let me know my voice as a parent does not mean much in this system and my Black kid doesn’t matter as much as the one doing the name calling.)

It’s hearing about the fights that happen as a consequence of racially motivated bullying in upper grades (from other Black parents) and trying to decide at what age do you absolutely need to make sure you have your kids out of the district.

It’s going to a multiethnic gathering of churches at Jones Temple AME Zion Church (that you were ecstatic was happening) and hearing several guest pastors preach about not seeing color. To be clear, colorblindness is not the answer. To not see color is to not see me.

It’s high-ranking officials posting things on social media that negate disparate histories of different groups of people in this country.

It’s a huge Back the Blue event, while few folks gather to say my life, or more importantly the lives of my children, actually matter.

It’s being warned not to attend local Black Lives Matter event, because of the threat of violence, “and I want you and your kids to be safe.”

It’s reading the comments about the protests on Facebook and seeing so-called neighbors saying, “keep that in the city, the woods get scary at night,” and being terrified because you live in those woods.

These are but a handful of my experiences here, over the past four years (and I have lived in six different Southern communities for comparison). I realize gender also plays a role in how I experience Waynesville, and some of these interactions may have been different or avoided if I was a Black man. You might say, “well, if you don’t like it, just leave.” I think about that often. I pray about it often. I ask myself in bed at night, is my great job worth all these interactions that make me question who is my neighbor? So, before you write me off as some “Yankee” stirring up trouble, remember, I was under the guise that coming here was coming home. Those sub-zero temperatures were bone-chilling cold in Syracuse, but warmth here is bone-chilling too. It’s educative for my impressionable children.

My daughter, who is on the autism spectrum, has already articulated that she thinks it’s better to be white. My son, who is a social butterfly, cannot understand that people who love him right now — because he’s super skinny and little and the cutest thing ever — will be afraid of him when his voice drops and he shoots up a couple of feet.

And I wonder if I need to time my exit with his maturation.

What I am trying to accomplish with sharing my experience? I simply wanted to share with the locals what it is like for someone like me to be amongst you. Have we made friends here? Absolutely, people I will love with my whole heart until the day I die, but most of them do not understand the Waynesville I know is different than the Waynesville they know. I’m writing this so the good folks of Waynesville know that even in this beloved town, race matters. And Black lives matter in Waynesville, even if very few will say so. You may argue back as you’re reading that I’m oversensitive or I have a chip on my shoulder, and I would urge you instead of creating a rebuttal to my experience to simply read with the intent of understanding. While there are no crosses burning in my yard, don’t let that be the litmus test for you to feel my words are valid.

We don’t choose our neighbors, but we choose how we treat them. For far too long, Southern hospitality has been performative. We smile, we nod, we wave, and say, “Good morning,” while also using our lawn signs, bumper stickers, elongated stares, and Facebook pages to tell someone they don’t belong here. In the end, Jesus taught your neighbor was the one you didn’t expect. The Samaritan was a foreigner (outsider). But He also said, in Matthew (10th chapter,) when you go somewhere and you’re not welcome, shake the dust of your feet. I often wonder if my family will need to shake the dust when we leave this town.

Brandi Hinnant-Crawford is an Associate Professor of Educational Research at Western Carolina University. She lives in Waynesville with her 8-year-old twins, Elizabeth Freedom and Elijah Justice, and her mother, Rose. Her children attend Haywood County Public Schools.

Haywood County Schools needs some lessons

I

pricing starting at $499

Trailer Center

financing available, ask for details

HaywoodBuilders.com 828-456-6051 | 100 Charles St. | Waynesville

Smoky Mountain News

ago. That explanation is questionable, at best. But to further complicate things, he appealed to the fact that he had a Black friend several decades ago. Proximity to Black people does not make someone an anti-racist. Instead of recognizing the problems with his public display of the meme and explaining how he will do better in the future, he ultimately blamed those who were “offended” for misunderstanding him.

I wholeheartedly believe that Dr. Nolte has done good things for Haywood County Schools. He has worked in our school system for three decades, and, in my own experience, many of the administrators and teachers who work under his leadership are incredible, especially pretty much everyone that has come into contact with my own son.

With that being said, there are three ways Haywood County Schools and Dr. Bill Nolte can handle this situation. Number one, they could dismiss the concerns of those who were upset by the situation and move forward, knowing that the majority white population won’t really care about it.

Number two, Dr. Nolte could resign, forced or otherwise, and the school board will hope that those angered by the meme will forget about it and move on. Number three, which I believe is the best way forward, the school board and Dr. Nolte can use this as a chance to educate themselves and the rest of the educators in this county by LISTENING to the voices of Black people in our community.

Listen to former and current Black students; listen to Black parents; listen to the leaders of community organizations like the local NAACP and local black churches.

Reach out to Black educational administrators in neighboring counties and states.

Listen to the words of Black educators from across the country. I would also encourage you to, as the meme says, “Open a book and gain some knowledge.” I would recommend Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, in which Kendi traces the insidious nature of racism throughout our nation’s history and how it has shown up in every facet of American life, including education.

And then take it a step farther and listen to the voices of Latinos, Native Americans, immigrants, and all of the other people who make up our community in Haywood County. If these steps or comparable steps are not taken, then Dr. Nolte and the Haywood County School Board will have refused to be educated while at the same time standing for the education of the children of our community.

Brandon Milan Canton

July 15-21, 2020

To the Editor: am writing this to the Haywood County School Board and the citizens of Haywood County.

My name is Brandon Milan. I am a decade-long resident of Haywood County and the white father of two Black children, one of whom is already a student in the Haywood County School system.

We all know that Haywood County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte shared a meme viewed by many as racially insensitive. Without rehashing it too much, the meme stated, “Poor children of every color picked cotton; open a book and gain some knowledge.” I don’t think that Dr. Nolte is a vile racist who should resign immediately; but, I also believe that his sharing of the aforementioned meme is very problematic and needs to be addressed in some way other than his defensive apology.

A lot of people are mad that people are so “easily offended,” but it isn’t about people simply “being offended,” it is about what this meme represents. So what is the problem?

On its face, the meme is true: white people picked cotton. But it is incredibly dismissive of the multitude of issues of injustice towards people of color. The argument “white children picked cotton too” is part of the line of thinking that suggests that the struggles of Black people in America aren’t unique; therefore, any suggestion that racism still exists in a systemic form is a “false narrative.” But racism does exist — both in individuals and in institutions. We, white people, recognize it when it’s overt, such as when people use racial slurs or make generalized negative statements about Black people.

But it is often much more insidious than that. In other words, sayings and memes and ideas and policies that belittle and dismiss the suffering of others beget ingrained ideas and attitudes about groups of people.

In a very real way, when someone like Dr. Nolte shares an idea like “white kids picked cotton, too” in our current racial climate, he is educating our community with ideas that ultimately lead to insidious racism. Now, please note that I am not saying that Dr. Nolte is a vile racist, but the fact that he did not consider the implications and impact of him sharing that meme is incredibly problematic.

To further complicate matters, after realizing the impact of sharing it, Dr. Nolte deleted it and shared an equally problematic “apology.” Now, his explanation was that he posted the meme in response to a news story from June 14, 2020, almost a month

Quality Trailers, Quality Prices

facebook.com/smnews 17

18

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

The abstract beauty of humanity

A conversation with painter Avery Rowan

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER f you’ve ever spent time in New Orleans, Louisiana, you know all too well the grandiose nature and immense splendor of the rollicking metropolis.

It’s a place where you can experience the organized chaos of the French Quarter, and yet also find yourself amid a serene silence along the Mississippi River or down some side street of breathtaking architecture where history comes alive right before your eyes.

At the core of this wondrous city remains its essence — its people.

Avery Rowan Wandering through the rich and vibrant culture of New Orleans, one finds a variety of personalities and happenstances that is unmatched anywhere on the planet. Whether it be music, art or culinary delights, the surprises around every corner remain a whimsical whirlwind for any who simply let go and fall gracefully into the arms of “The Big Easy.”

And capturing those moments of humanity with each brush stroke is Avery Rowan. A

I

‘The Rebirth Jazz Band’

by Avery Rowan

native of New Orleans, her paintings are as bright and engaging as the city itself, something not lost on the talented and perceptive artist. Every work is a love letter to New Orleans, this inspirational pool of unknown depths that Rowan happily dives into with each blank canvas in front of her.

Smoky Mountain News: What is it about the physical and cultural landscape of New Orleans that really appeals to you and draws you in as an artist?

Avery Rowan: I’m kind of a person that’s naturally drawn to excitement and activity, and especially community. And I think something I’ve noticed about New Orleans, more than anywhere else, is this big sense of community. So, I find myself naturally painting about things I love and things that other people love.

And in a way, I almost feel more creative [in New Orleans] because there’s also a lot of support for the art community. I feel like ever since I started out when I was young, I’ve had a lot of support and people very interested in it. What makes me proud of what I do is [painting] the city that I love and what other people love [about it], and it is through my eyes. I feel a lot of people can kind of relate to those serene, subtle moments that [are in the city].

SMN: And with a place like New Orleans, it’s hard to not be inspired by all of the beauty that’s coming from seemingly every direction.

AR: I totally agree. And it’s empowering

‘Flamingos’ by Avery Rowan.

Want to go?

Avery Rowan will one of the featured artists at the Cashiers Plein Air Festival, which will be held July 15-19.

Aside from several artists that will be painting in and around the community throughout the week, there will also be special virtual art demonstrations and a gallery showcase.

For more information on the featured artists and a full schedule of events, visit www.cashierspleinairfestival.com. when people reach out [and connect through] my art. I’m always trying to find a way to help contribute back to the community. At the beginning of COVID, I kind of made my own little fundraiser [through my art] to raise money for the [Greater New Orleans Foundation], which is helping provide money to people [in the restaurant and hospitality industry] that were laid off.

It’s just a way to give back to the community, since I feel like I’ve benefited so much from this place — [it’s about] the bigger picture of things. It means a lot to me and I hope it means a lot to others.

SMN: When I look at your paintings, you have such a variety in them. And that’s kind of what really was captivating to me was, that your style is whatever you want it to be.

AR: Definitely. I’m interested in a lot of dif-

ferent things. I guess I consider myself a person of variety. I’m very open to new ideas and decisions. So, I would feel limited if I had to make my art [one particular] way. You want to keep things interesting. And, honestly, I find that keeping it [fresh and] interesting for myself is just as important, if not more.

SMN: In a lot of your works, you focus on people. What is it about humanity that fascinates you?

AR: It’s the variety of the kind of people in the aesthetic that those paintings give off, the meaning behind them. I don’t like to go as deep in the meanings behind my paintings, because I’m more about kind of that subtle, instant appreciation, not something to ponder over or think too much about.

I think the world is already busy enough as it is, and to kind of have a moment to like slow down and appreciate just something you can enjoy or relate with is the main goal of it. When I was beginning my art career, I was so driven to doing realism and making all my paintings look exactly like the person.

And I think by doing people, it kind of brings me back to that and reminds me, “Oh, I can get very detailed if I want to.” But then, as I make it more detailed, I get to where I’m comfortable with the painting, and I go back in and kind of make it a little more abstract. I feel like it makes me grow every time I do another person or another phase — that’s what I enjoy about it.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Split Rock Falls in New York. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

I

and looking forward to the many more to come!

Magazines - Newspapers 428 HAZELWOOD Ave.

Waynesville • 456-6000 OPEN Mon.-Sat. 9AM to 3 PM

NOW OPEN! Thurs- Mon 11-8PM

Wings • Burgers Sandwiches Twilight Rate*

36

$

after 2:00 PM SEVEN DAYS A WEEK *for a limited time

176 COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE

Smoky Mountain News

’m currently sitting at the old kitchen table in my parents’ 1840 farmhouse in Upstate New York. Our family dog, Madison, is lying down a few feet away, always within a short distance of me whenever I’m walking around the house or wandering the backyard. The coffee in hand is fresh and strong. There’s a lot on my mind, too.

Outside in the driveway is my pickup truck. I keep thinking about the Tacoma and how I’ll be able to pack everything behind the driver’s seat before I head back down to Western North Carolina in the next couple of days.

Besides my clothes and camping gear, I’ve now got to figure out how to seamlessly store my musical instruments. When I left f Haywood County in mid-May, I took off with my two ukuleles in tow. Now, I’ll be returning with four ukuleles, two acoustic guitars and a mandolin.

I guess, on a more spiritual or meta level, this recent acquisition of the instruments is a way to fill up a lot of the new space I’ve made within my life in recent months, physically and emotionally. You see, as I prepare

to hit the highways and backroads toward Southern Appalachia, I can’t help but reflect on the last two months situated here in the North Country.

Initially, the plan was to head north of the Mason-Dixon Line for a couple weeks or so, in an effort to spend quality time with friends and family. With the shelter-in-place orders expiring, I figured it’d be the opportune time to drive to my hometown and hunker down when the weather is nice (not the normal 10 below zero that I experience when visiting during Christmas).

Leaving Waynesville on May 19, I meandered my way through the mid-Atlantic states with a slight detour into New England to pick up my dream ukulele in Western Massachusetts. That first week in the farmhouse, I found myself in the presence of a wide-array of blood relatives and familiar faces I’ve called friends since elementary school.

By the second week, I was already disappearing almost every day into the endless depths of the Adirondack Mountains, hiking and trail running along routes I’d known since I was kid, with several new spots happily discovered while wandering and pondering the dirt roads of Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. Or that hot afternoon swimming and jumping off the cliffs at Split Rock, a place that continues to tug at the deepest corners of my being.

13 Years

for

July 15-21, 2020

Staring out at nothing, listening to an old dog bark

THANKING OUR WONDERFUL CUSTOMERS

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

Just as the third week approached, I had visited most of my favorite places, like clockwork, as I do whenever I find myself in my hometown of Plattsburgh. There’s Campus Corner, the beloved 1950s greasy spoon diner. Then, you have Clare & Carl’s, an oldschool hot dog shack and home of the “Michigan” (you’d have to eat one to understand the undying passion for this local favorite).

And lastly, by sunset, it was drinks held high in The Monopole (established in 1887) and Fourth Ward Club (opened in 1907), two iconic watering holes where all who enter leave with new friends and memories for a lifetime. These two dive bars represent all that is good and just in our universe, a beehive of unique people and unforgettable moments quickly fleeting but never taken for granted.

Before I knew it, it was mid-June and I’d been away from my Waynesville apartment about a month. I called Smoky Mountain News publisher Scott McLeod and asked when he expected me back in the office.

“You don’t really have to come back until the end of July,” he replied. With the pandemic and shutdown, most of our newsroom has been working from “home,” which has given myself and my colleagues this newfound freedom of the written word. Sure, some of us are actually working from home.

Me? Heck, how about an actual return to my old North Country home, eh?

And now here I stand. The calendar states mid-July and my soul is starting to get antsy to makes some moves for Carolina.

There are faces I miss dearly down yonder (all y’all). That, and I figured it was time to hit the road when my landlord messaged me the other day, stating: “Do you still rent from me? The other tenants say they haven’t seen you or your truck since May.” Don’t worry, good sir, the check is in the mail.

These last two months in the North Country has sincerely brought a lot of things full circle in my existence. While the world lately seems like a rollercoaster ride we can’t get off of, I’ve focused on the good that is in our society and intently focused inward about what it is that I want to radiate outward: love, compassion, positivity, and being an open door to growth.

Though the trek from Plattsburgh to Waynesville is about 1,100 miles, I’ll have lots to think about, seeing I’ll be returning to Western North Carolina with a renewed sense of self. And I know already that the majority of that solo journey of 16 or so hours will consist of the memories made up here with my family.

It’s been those mornings in the farmhouse making breakfast for my mom, hitting up the a nearby wildlife refuge for a trail run with my dad, and those days spent with my niece, Lucy, reading her a book or running around the beach together.

And it’s the several bonfires I sat around at with my little sister and her boyfriend (a childhood crony), rehashing old stories of shenanigans and tall tales, to which I recently found out I’m going to be an uncle again to a new addition with an expected arrival of early March.

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

19

arts & entertainment

On the street Hometown Appalachian Heritage Festival Sponsored by over 30 downtown merchants, the Hometown Appalachian Heritage Festival will kick off at 9 a.m.

Saturday, July 18, in downtown Franklin.

Live music and demonstrations will be showcased and will feature the essence of life in Appalachia. See quilters, wood carvers, canoe builders and even a live, working gem mining flume.

Other events are planned including a fire truck display and face painting for the kids.

There will also be a checker tournament at the Macon County Historical Museum.

Free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.524.5676 or visit www.franklin-chamber.com.

Franklin drive-in concert The Overlook Theatre Company will present “A Few of Our Favorites: the Best of Broadway” in a live concert at 7 p.m. Friday, July 17, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

This event will take place outdoors as a “drive-in” concert. All patrons will be expected to remain in their vehicles at all times except for visits to the restroom.

A FM frequency will be provided to all patrons which will allow the concert to be transmitted to the vehicle radio. Curb hop concessions will be available for purchase (cash only).

Watch the theater website for news about cancellations due to weather. Tickets: $7 in advance per vehicle, $10 day of show per vehicle.

All money raised will go to the theatre in education program which allows children of every age opportunities to experience live, theatrical presentations.

828.524.1598 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.

Artist grants now available Artists in all disciplines are eligible to apply for grants to support their professional and artistic development. Artist Support Grants will be distributed to eligible applicants by Haywood County Arts Council in the following counties: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania.

Applications for the grants are available www.haywoodarts.org/grants-funding.

The deadline is Sept. 30. Grants will range in awards from $500 to $1,000.

For more information, visit www.haywoodarts.org or call 828.452.0593.

July 15-21, 2020

DONATE

SHOP VOLUNTEER

Now Open with Limited Hours Smoky Mountain News

268-267

Call or visit our website for updated info WALNUT VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER 331 Walnut Street Waynesville

828.246.9135 haywoodhabitat.org 20

Concerts on the Creek

Presented by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the 11th season of Concerts on the Creek will return with Summer & Bray of Mountain Faith (bluegrass/gospel) on Friday, July 17, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

Performances will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. The tentative schedule is as follows: • Saturday, July 18 - Bohemian Jean (classic hits/acoustic) • Friday, July 24 - Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) • 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) • Friday, Aug. 21 - The Get Right Band (funk/rock)

• Saturday, Aug. 22 - Shane Meade & The Sound (soul/rock) • Friday, Aug. 28 - Arnold Hill Band (rock/Americana) • Saturday, Aug. 29 - Keil Nathan Smith Band (classic rock/country) • Friday, Sept. 4 - Daddy Rabbit (blues/rock) • Saturday, Sept. 5 - SKA City (ska) Attendees are welcome 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.

• The “Haywood County Medical Exhibit: 1870-1950” will be held at The Shelton House in Waynesville. The showcase will run 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.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Amongst The Trees 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1. Free and open to the public. www.curraheebrew.com.

• The next “Dillsboro After Five: Wonderful Wednesdays” will be held from 3:30 to 7 p.m. July 15 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 late-hour 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 the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 828.586.2155 or visit www.mountainlovers.com.

ALSO:

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host JJ Hipps & The Hideaway July 17 and Scoundrel’s Lounge July 18. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host karaoke 7 p.m. July 17. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade 5 p.m. July 18. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• There will be a free wine tasting from 2 to 5 p.m every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

Books

Smoky Mountain News

21

Advice for those ‘Walking Through Hell’ any among us have committed crimes or wronged other people, dark deeds which we regret and which may well have ruined not only their lives but ours as well.

Our prisons are full of such people, criminals who have repented of their felonies and who on gaining their release resolve to walk a different path. The strangers we pass in the streets or see in the grocery store may hide a firestorm of guilt and self-accusation in their hearts: the man who hasn’t Writer spoken to his father in years, the woman who lost her job for spreading rumors about a fellow employee, the drunk whose addiction left him abandoned by his family, the adulterer who lost his reputation. They are the ones who by wounding others have wounded themselves.

Such people often have trouble moving forward in the world, bombarded by selfrecrimination and haunted by the ugly destruction they have wrought. Again and again, their thoughts return to the deed that ruined them, what used to be called a sin, like a tongue to a loosened tooth. Every day they feel stuck in place, locked in a prison of their own making, as burdened by chains as Marley’s ghost in The Christmas Carol.

Walking Through Hell: A Guide for Those Who Have Wounded Themselves and Lost Their Way (Old Tree Press, 2020, 202 pages) seeks to offer these prisoners the keys to escape their chains and cells. Writer Jake Durant aims this self-help book directly at those “whose wounds were self-inflicted … all those lost, stumbling souls who have committed some great wrong, intentionally or unintentionally. You are the ones for whom I write.”

Jeff Minick

M

Durant includes himself in these battalions of the lost.

“We are comrades, you and I, walking the same road through hell. The journey is differ-

ent for each of us, because we are individuals who have suffered trials unique to our circumstances, but all of us share the realities of sadness and despair, regret and shame, hopelessness and isolation.

“We are the ones who carry our guilt like a cancer.

“We are the ones who know you don’t have to die to go to hell.”

Durant intends Walking Through Hell as a

compass for his fellow travelers to help them find the right path. Here in 44 short chapters he aims to get those who have fallen back on their feet and moving forward. Each chapter begins with one or more quotations and focuses on a specific healing device — “Own Your Guilt,” “Invictus,” “The Up-AndDown Days,” and so on — which Durant then illustrates by examples taken from history, literature, the movies, the headlines, and the experiences of his friends. These healing techniques range from the performance of simple tasks — clean up your room, take better care with your appearance — to explorations of more esoteric practices such as stoicism, willpower, and the meaning of reputation.

Some of Durant’s advice — the efficacy of exercise in battling black moods, the gifts found in the practice of gratitude, the healing power of taking pleasure in the small things such as a cup of coffee or birdsong in the morning — will be familiar to readers slogging down the hard road, ideas they may have come across in other books, in counseling, or in discussions with friends.

Other chapters, however, give some us new insights into our difficulties and so aid our recovery. In his chapter “Throw Away The Crystal Ball,” for instance, Durant first reminds us of the importance of planning for the future, saving money for college, for example, or for a vacation. “This is necessary preparation,” he writes. He then examines a more dangerous way of looking at the future: “Many of us also keep a crystal ball in our heads, which we use for prediction and projection, not preparation. Trying to forecast future

events over which we have little or no control will not only drive us Daffy Duck crazy, but our prophecies may also become self-fulfilling. That crystal ball is a deadly enemy, particularly to those of us making the hike through hell. Because we are in an unbalanced mental and spiritual state, because we are suffering, we often find ourselves projecting all sorts of dark fantasies on the future.”

Along with the advice and examples found in Walking Through Hell are exercises intended to help readers break their bonds, leave their dark prisons, and make their way into the light. Nearly every chapter ends with one of these exercises: recommended books and movies; writing lists, letters to a friend, or a written inventory of the good, the bad, and the ugly in our personalities; cleaning out a closet; taking a walk with the intention of contemplation; deliberately seeking out a place of beauty; even “Doing a good deed daily” like the Boy Scouts.

Near the end of Walking Through Hell, Durant reminds his audience of what so many of us forget when we are reading a self-help book or listening to a podcast for inspiration.

None of these tools will help us unless we take the next step and put that advice into action.

“This is where it gets ugly,” Durant writes.

“Because that change is up to you — not a book, not a guru, not a trainer, not a video.

You.” Like a good teacher, Walking Through Hell gave me food for thought and some valuable insights into my own history. Others who have walked this path, or who have fallen and are having trouble moving forward, may also find help in these pages.

(Jeff Minick writes for various publications. He has also written two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust On Their Wings, and two books of nonfiction, Movies Make The Man and Learning As I Go. The books are available through Amazon or through your local bookstore. He can be reached at ashevillelatin@gmail.com.)

368 COKESBURY CIRCLE $267,000 MLS#3571712

Use Google Tools to Help You Land Your Next Job VIRTUAL LIVESTREAM

Wednesday, July 22, 2020 Noon-1 p.m. EST

Phyllis Robinson OWNER/BROKER

(828) 712-5578

Walk to all Lake activities from this convenient location. Up the stairs to the main level; Great Room; Kitchen; Master Bedroom/Bath; Upstairs are 2 more Bedrooms/1 Bath; connecting door to downstairs apartment with 2 Bedrooms/1 Bath. Can be separate apartment with 2nd Kitchen or open to 1 big multigenerational home. Park on street or in parking area across street. 1 Block to Stuart Aud. Perfect for vacation home with rental potential, both vacation or long term. City water/sewer; Convenient to doctors, downtown, hospital, I-40, casino. Investors - Heads Up!

The Only Name in Junaluska Real Estate

91 N. Lakeshore Drive, Lake Junaluska 828.456.4070 • www.LakeshoreRealtyNC.com

22

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Plans ready for 150-mile Hellbender Trail

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER ocal governments and residents of Western North Carolina have been working for years to improve and construct greenways. Now, there is a plan to connect local trails, greenways, multi-use paths and other bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure into one long trail — the 150-mile Hellbender Trail.

This region is based heavily in the outdoor tourism industry. In 2017, “Business North Carolina” estimated the tourism industry in Western North Carolina at over $3 billion.

Land of Sky Regional Council — a multicounty, local government planning and development organization — developed the idea of the Hellbender Trail as an opportunity to work with local governments and create something greater than the sum of its parts, something that would be an added attraction to a region full of outdoor recreation activities.

“We are currently watching the success of other regional trails in the Southeast. The Carolina Thread trail in Charlotte, the Swamp Rabbit in Greenville, the Virginia Creeper in Virginia, the American Tobacco Trail, those types of infrastructure projects help people get outside, make them more active, and can really be a boon to local businesses,” said Tristan Winkler, director of the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization.

“For us, we know there’s a lot of people who make trips to go enjoy that infrastructure, and it’s something to us that would really fit in our region, a region that’s really known for outdoor recreation.”

The Hellbender Trail would rely exclusively on existing and planned local trails in Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood, Madison and Transylvania counties. As the idea for the trail developed, Land of Sky Regional Council began looking at and suggesting changes to local plans that would allow for connections between communities and ultimately one, continuous, 150-mile trail system.

“Henderson County has developed a greenways master plan, Buncombe has had one for a few years, Haywood developed a bike plan. A lot of our jurisdictions have plans on the books. Waynesville is working on Richland Creek, Canton has recently finished up their bike/ped plan. From our perspective, at the regional level, we started looking at it like, there’s been so much planning, what if we look at all those plans and see where they might start to piece together, and if they piece together,” said Winkler.

After compiling all the locally-planned trails, Land of Sky Regional Council began to fill in the gaps in connections between trails.

“There were a few areas where we kind of suggested where connections might be made, or where connections might be feasible. For

L

A “subway” map of the Hellbender Regional Trail System. Lines are Conceptual.

French Broad River MPO photo

us that mainly included connecting Weaverville to Mars Hill, right now that’s not in any local plan. In Haywood County, connecting the Pigeon River over to the Junaluska Greenway. So the vast majority is based on local plans but there were a few areas where, in order to stitch the network together we came up with some additional recommendations,” said Winkler.

The majority of those local trails are still just in the plans. Of the 150 miles that would make up the Hellbender Trail, only 12 currently exist on the ground. Those 12 miles are not connected, spread out between Brevard, Hendersonville, Asheville and Waynesville.

According to a breakdown of mileage, an additional 18 miles are potentially funded, 8 more miles are being engineered, 45 more are currently being studied and the last 67 are tentatively mapped out.

According to Winkler, one important partner in the project is the North Carolina Department of Transportation. As part of North Carolina DOT’s “Complete Streets” policy, every time they improve a road the DOT is required to at least consider bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. The most recent update to the policy says that if there’s a multi-use path, bike lane or sidewalk in an adopted plan, DOT will

F

Missing hikers found safe

We’re pleased to welcome

Dr. Nathan Cleaveland to our practice. Dr. Cleaveland is now accepting new patients.

mountaineye.org 828-452-5816 WE FOLLOW STRICT COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS

OFFICES IN CLYDE, WAYNESVILLE & SYLVA

Real Experience. Real Service. Real Results.

828.452.3727

www.TheRealTeamNC.com

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

Smoky Mountain News

local governments have envisioned adding bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. So they have been and will be a key partner in implementing this project,” he said.

But in the end, implementation of plans will come down to each local government.

According to Winkler, feedback about the project has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

“I think a lot of people really want to see

more trails,” he said. “We’ve heard that on the local level for a long time in our region.

We have heard from several people that they want to be able to go between communities and right now that’s not something that our infrastructure facilitates.”

The plan is open for public comment through Aug. 21, and is available in its entirety at frenchbroadrivermpo.org.

As for the name, the workgroup wanted something unique to the region, memorable, marketable and including an ecological lens.

After several other considerations, Hellbender was chosen because it promotes an interesting local aspect of the environment, it reflects the natural appeal of the region and, as the plan says, “sounds as rugged as the Southern Appalachians.”

Performed in Jackson & Haywood Counties

July 15-21, 2020

include that feature for free for local governments when it’s time to improve the road.

“So there’s a lot of potential overlap between DOT’s planned projects and where

CATARACT SURGERY CLOSE TO HOME

outdoors

Rescue, Cruso Fire and Rescue, Lake Logan A search and rescue effort in the Shining Fire Department, Haywood County Rescue Rock Wilderness area of the Pisgah Squad, Henderson County Rescue Squad, National Forest had a happy ending last Reynolds Fire Department, National Park week when rescuers found missing hikers Service and the United States Forest Kelly and Mark Kleinbrahm, as well as their Service. son Noah, around 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 7.

The search had started at 9 p.m. the previous evening after a relative called 911 for assistance.

The family followed the Ivestor Gap Trail from the Black Balsam parking area for a few miles and then left the trail to explore a waterfall. They got turned around when trying to return to the trail, and upon realizing they were lost they contacted the family member who ultimately called 911. The hikers’ cell phone batteries died shortly thereafter.

Haywood County response teams set up a station at the Ivestor Inclement weather Gap Trailhead. Haywood County Emergency Management photo conditions hampered the overnight search, but the Many trails in the Pisgah National family was located the next afternoon Forest run through wilderness areas in thanks in part to a whistle they’d brought which the trails are unmarked and minimalwith them, allowing searchers to zero in on ly maintained. Even in summer conditions, their location. The hikers suffered from hypothermia is a real threat, especially if fatigue, mild dehydration and some bumps you get wet and cannot dry off, so always and bruises from their night in the woods bring rain gear and an emergency shelter but were otherwise unharmed. when hiking, even on short day hikes.

Several local agencies were instrumental Signaling devices like whistles and mirrors in this successful search and rescue effort are highly recommended as well, and including the Haywood County Sheriff ’s always travel with extra food, water and Office, Haywood County Emergency light sources.

Services, Haywood County Search and

71 North Main Street Waynesville 23

outdoors

SUMMER DEALS MOST NEW 2019 & 2020

FORD MODELS

0% FOR 72 MONTHS

July 15-21, 2020

1 Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit financing. 0% APR financing for 72 months at $13.89 per month per $1,000 financed regardless of down payment (PGM #21142). Residency restrictions apply. Take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford dealer’s stock by 8/3/20. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.

2020 FORD

EXPEDITION

0% APR for 60 months

Smoky Mountain News

Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit financing. 0% APR financing for 60 months at $16.67 per month per $1,000 financed regardless of down payment (PGM #21142). Residency restrictions apply. Take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford dealer’s stock by 8/3/20. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.

2019 FORD F-150

0% APR for 84 months Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit financing. 0% APR financing for 84 months at $11.90 per month per $1,000 financed regardless of down payment (PGM #21128). Not available on Raptor. Residency restrictions apply. Take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford dealer’s stock by 8/3/20. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.

I-40 EXIT 31, CANTON, NC

828-648-2313 1-800-532-4631

www.kwford.com 24

kenwilsonford@kwford.com

Paddle the afternoon away

Work for the Smokies Local applicants are wanted for facilities management jobs in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Snorkel the Pigeon Discover the amazing diversity of life in the Pigeon River with an event on Saturday, July 25, at Jukebox Junction in Bethel.

Using snorkeling gear, underwater viewing boxes and nets, participants will learn about the salamanders, fish and other fascinating creatures that make their home in the river. Due to COVID-19, the event will take reservations on the hour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the number of participants for each time slot limited to 10. This will allow plenty of space to practice social dis-

tancing.

The event is part of Haywood Waterways Association’s “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor recreation activities. It is free for members with a $5 donation requested from nonmembers.

Memberships start at $25. All youth under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

RSVP to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11, by 5 p.m. Friday, July 24.

Tsali trails undergoing maintenance

Smithsonian exhibit on display in Franklin

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Smoky Mountain News

A traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institute will make its home at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin through Aug. 24.

The exhibit, “Water/Ways” explores the endless motion of the water cycle; water’s effect on landscape, settlement and migration; and its impact on culture and spirituality. It looks at how political and economic planning has long been affected by access to water and control of water resources.

Human creativity and resourcefulness provide new ways of protecting water resources and renewing respect for the environment.

The library was chosen by the N.C. Humanities Council as one of six North Carolina communities to host the exhibit from July 14 through April 25. Designed for small towns, “Water/Ways” will serve as a community hub to inspire conversations

about water’s impact on American culture.

The library is partnering with numerous local groups and individuals to develop a film and photographic tour of the Little Tennessee and its watershed, virtual and inperson public programs, and educational initiatives to raise people’s understanding about what water means culturally, socially and spiritually in their own community.

“Water/Ways” is part of the Smithsonian’s Think Water Initiative to raise awareness of water as a critical resource for life and is part of Museum on Main Street, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. To learn more about “Water/Ways” and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit www.museumonmainstreet.org The Macon County Public Library is open by appointment 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. 828.524.3600.

preservation projects on park structures. $23.45/hour. n Custodial Worker (WG-3566-04) or Laborer (WG-3502-04): conducts janitorial and maintenance tasks such as sweeping, cleaning, disinfecting and maintaining park facilities in visitor use areas and administrative areas. $17.19/hour.

Positions are available in Townsend, Gatlinburg and Cherokee.

Resumes will be accepted through Aug. 31 and must include relevant work or volunteer experience. Include name, address, phone number and email address, but do not include sensitive information like social security numbers.

Resumes and questions can be submitted to grsm_jobs@nps.gov.

July 15-21, 2020

The Left Loop Trail of the Tsali Trail Complex in the Nantahala National Forest is closed for maintenance work.

The work began on Monday, July 13, and includes replacing two trail bridges, repairing trail tread, rerouting trail, brushing and vegetation removal and water drainage repair. After the work is completed, the trail will remain closed for an additional two weeks to allow time for the trail surface to harden. Contractors will then begin work on the Right Loop Trail, which is expected to be closed through October.

Funding for the project comes from North Carolina Recreation Trails Program grants and funding appropriated to the U.S. Forest Service trails program.

Positions include: n Carpenter (WG-4607-09): serves as a carpenter for construction, rehabilitation, and

outdoors

A two-hour canoe outing on Apalachia Lake in the Hiwassee area will offer a peaceful afternoon 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 26.

The group will meet at the parking area at the TVA Hiwassee Dam Recreation Facility and carpool to the put-in, which has very limited parking. Fishing and swimming are both options along the way, so bring a line if you like. No alcoholic beverages allowed, and everyone must have a flotation device accessible.

Hosted by MountainTrue. Cost ranges from $10 to $25 depending on membership status and boat rental needs. Space limited. Register at www.mountaintrue.org/event/apalachia-lake-paddle-waterfall-hike.

1819 Country Club Drive, Maggie Valley, NC

M AG G I E VA LLEY C LU B . CO M

25

outdoors

Quality Trailers, Quality Prices

pricing starting at $499

Trailer Center

financing available, ask for details

HaywoodBuilders.com 828-456-6051 | 100 Charles St. | Waynesville 10-Acre Garden.

CBD Questions?

Pharmacist Answers.

July 15-21, 2020

We carry

828.452.2313 479 Dellwood Road Waynesville

Smoky Mountain News

facebook.com/kimspharmacy

26

Puzzles can be found on page 30 These are only the answers.

Tour a working farm Tour 10-Acre Garden and enjoy a woodfired pizza Saturday, July 25, at the Ten Acre Garden in Bethel.

Danny Barrett will give a tour of his farm, showing the group how he gets water to the whole property, and at the end of the tour there will be pizza made with local ingredients to enjoy.

The event is organized by the Haywood Waterways Association as part of its “Get to

Know Your Watershed� series of outdoor recreation activities. The event is free for members with a $5 donation for non-members. Donations are also accepted for the pizza, and participants will be able to buy vegetables from the farm.

Space is limited to 10 people, with social distancing guidelines followed. RSVP to Caitlin Worsham, caitlinw.hwa@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 12.

Fall event cancellations announced

to operate the fair this year. Should the event be ultimately unable to proceed, those funds would be lost. So far, 76 events scheduled to be held at the WNC Ag Center have been cancelled, resulting in a significant loss of income. n The Southern Highlands Reserve Native Plant Symposium planned for Aug. 22 has been cancelled, with the annual event planned to resume next year.

With rising case counts showing that the Coronavirus Pandemic is far from over, a new round of cancellation announcements has emerged. n The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has canceled or postponed all events scheduled on the Qualla Boundary through the remainder of the year. This includes the Cherokee Fire Mountain Inferno and the Cherokee Harvest Half Marathon & 5K. All registered participants for these races will be deferred to the 2021 events, with the Fire Mountain Inferno slated for May 22-23 Mountain Heritage Day. and the Cherokee Harvest race planned for Sept. 18, 2021. n The N.C. Mountain State Fair, scheduled for Sept. 11-20, has been canceled. Fair officials determined that holding the fair within Centers for Disease Control guidelines would result in an extremely scaled-back experience and that to move forward would be too financially risky. The fair costs more than $1 million to put on, and a commitment of $500,000 in contracts and expenses would be needed by the end of the month

n Mountain Heritage Day, the annual community and campus celebration of Southern Appalachian culture presented by Western Carolina University since 1974, is cancelled for 2020. The event is held the last Saturday in September and typically draws more than 15,000 people for a range of events including a 5K race, chainsaw and timbersports competitions, Cherokee stickball games, musical performances and more.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Jackson County Department of Public Health is seeking input from residents who’ve used the department’s services and residents who have thoughts on the health needs of Jackson County. http://health.jacksonnc.org/surveys. Info: 587.8288.

• The Jackson County Branch of the NC NAACP meeting for Saturday, July 18, 2020 at 10:00 am will NOT be meeting face to face but online. The program topic will be "Being Allies to the Asian American Community", presented by Ricky Leung, from NC Asian Americans Together. Please email jcnaacp54ab@gmail.com to receive instructions to join online. All are welcome!

BUSINESS AND EDUCATION • Haywood County Community College Small Business Center will hold Business Planning Virtual Learning Series. The first program, on July 20 - 21 will be the ABC’s of Starting a Small Business in Today’s Crazy Economy. The second program, on July 27 - 28 will be Creating a Winning Business Plan. The third program, on Aug. 3-4 will be Dynamite Marketing on a Firecracker Budget. Attendees are encouraged to register for the webinars that best meet their current small business needs and availability. Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512.

• Registration is underway for several session of a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician program through Landmark Learning. Upcoming sessions include Aug. 7-15, Aug. 21-23, Aug. 29 - Sept. 6, Sept. 5-13, Sept. 18-20, Sept. 26-27 and Oct. 3-30. www.landmarklearning.org.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • Haywood Habitat for Humanity will conduct their Annual Meeting on Wednesday, July 29th at 12:30 p.m. via Zoom. The meeting is open to persons supporting the purposes and objectives of the organization. New board members will be nominated and voted on. Call 828.452.7960 to request a link to the meeting no later than Monday, July 27th. For more information, see the organization’s website www.haywoodhabitat.org.

A&E

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Amongst The Trees at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 1. Free and open to the public. www.curraheebrew.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host JJ Hipps & The Hideaway July 17 and Scoundrel’s Lounge July 18.

All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host karaoke at 7 p.m., July 17. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Shane Meade at 5 p.m., July 18. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• The Overlook Theatre Company will present “A Few of Our Favorites: the Best of Broadway” in a live, drive-in concert at 7 p.m. Friday, July 17, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets: $7 in advance per vehicle, $10 day of show per vehicle. All money raised will go to the theatre in education pro-

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. n To have your item listed email to calendar@smokymountainnews.com gram which allows children of every age opportunities to experience live, theatrical presentations.

828.524.1598 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.

•The Hometown Appalachian Heritage Festival will kick off at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 18, in downtown Franklin.

Live demonstrations will be showcased and will feature the essence of life in Appalachia. You’ll see quilters, wood carvers, canoe builders and even a live, working gem mining flume. Many other events are planned including a fire truck display, face painting for the kids, Appalachian Music and a checker tournament at the Macon County Historical Museum. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.524.5676 or click on www.franklin-chamber.com.

• The next “Dillsboro After Five: Wonderful Wednesdays” will be held from 3:30 to 7 p.m. July 15 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 late-hour 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 the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 828.586.2155 or click on www.mountainlovers.com.

• Concerts of the Creek presents Bohemian Jean (classic hits/ acoustic) on Saturday, July 18 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Presented by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the 11th season of Concerts on the Creek will return on Friday, July 17, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

Performances will be held from 7 to 9 p.m.

• Artists in all disciplines are eligible to apply for grants to support their professional and artistic development through a partnership of the North Carolina Arts Council and Asheville Area Arts Council, Haywood County Arts Council, Arts Council of Henderson County, Tryon Fine Arts Center, Rutherford County Recreation, Cultural, and Heritage Commission, and the Transylvania Community Arts Council. Artist Support Grants will be distributed to eligible applicants by Haywood County Arts Council in the following counties: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania. Applications for the grants are available www.haywoodarts.org/grants-funding. The deadline is Sept. 30. Grants will range in awards from $500 to $1,000. For information or questions, contact Leigh Forrester, executive director of the Haywood County Arts Council, at www.haywoodarts.org or 828.452.0593.

• The Macon County Public Library, in cooperation with North Carolina Humanities Council, will host “Water/Ways” a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program.

“Water/Ways” will be on view through Aug. 24 at the library in Franklin. The exhibition explores the endless motion of the water cycle, water’s effect on landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality. For more information, visit www.fontanalib.org or call the Macon County Public Library at 828.524.3600. The library is open by appointment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

FOOD & DRINK • Tour the 10-Acre Garden and enjoy a wood-fired pizza Saturday, July 25, at the Ten Acre Garden in Bethel.

Danny Barrett will give a tour of his farm, showing the group how he gets water to the whole property, and at the end of the tour there will be pizza made with local

Smoky Mountain News

ingredients to enjoy. The event is organized by the Haywood Waterways Association as part of its “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor recreation activities. The event is free for members with a $5 donation for non-members. Donations are also accepted for the pizza, and participants will be able to buy vegetables from the farm. Space is limited to 10 people, with social distancing guidelines followed. RSVP to Caitlin Worsham, caitlinw.hwa@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 12.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • The Overlook Theatre Company will present “A Few of Our Favorites: the Best of Broadway” in a live, drive-in concert at 7 p.m. Friday, July 17, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets: $7 in advance per vehicle, $10 day of show per vehicle. All money raised will go to the theatre in education program which allows children of every age opportunities to experience live, theatrical presentations.

828.524.1598 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.

Outdoors

• Discover the amazing diversity of life in the Pigeon River with an event on Saturday, July 25, at Jukebox Junction in Bethel. Using snorkeling gear, underwater viewing boxes and nets, participants will learn about the salamanders, fish and other fascinating creatures that make their home in the river. Due to COVID-19, reservations are taken on the hour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the number of participants for each time slot limited to 10. The event is part of Haywood Waterways Association’s “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor recreation activities. It is free for members, a $5 donation requested from nonmembers. Memberships start at $25. All youth under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. RSVP to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11, by 5 p.m. Friday, July 24.

• Mountain True will host a canoe outing on Apalachia Lake in the Hiwassee area from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 26. Cost ranges from $10 to $25 depending on membership status and boat rental needs. Space limited.

The group will meet at the parking area at the TVA Hiwassee Dam Recreation Facility and carpool to the put-in, which has very limited parking. Fishing and swimming are both options along the way, so bring a line if you like. No alcoholic beverages allowed, and

27

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 everyone must have a flotation device accessible.

Register at www.mountaintrue.org/event/apalachialake-paddle-waterfall-hike.

HIKING CLUBS • On Saturday, July 18 The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-to-strenuous 7-mile hike, elevation change 900 ft., from Long Branch to Rock Gap in the Standing Indian Recreational Area. Start at the backcountry parking, hike up Long Branch to the Appalachian Trail. At Glassmine Gap, continue north to Rock Gap and return by the Forest Service Road. Dogs on leash are welcome. Hike is limited to 6 people. Meet at Westgate Plaza at 11 am, drive 38 miles round trip.

Call Leader: Katharine Brown, 421-4178, for reservations or questions.

• On Sunday, July 19 The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 3.5-mile hike, elevation change 500 ft. on. Wayah Bald Loop, starting at Wayah Tower to hike the Appalachian Trail to the junction with the Bartram Trail and coming back via a forest service road.

Beautiful views from the tower and the bald. Hike is limited to 10 people. Meet at Westgate Plaza in Franklin at 2 pm, drive 32 miles round trip. Call Leader: Gail Lehman, 524-5298, for reservations.

• On Saturday, July 25 The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 6-mile downhill hike, elevation change 700 ft., to Bee Cove Falls in South Carolina on an old logging road off 107 near the Fish Hatchery. View this 80' multi-tiered falls in a pretty area near the edge of the escarpment of the mountains. Hike limited to 10 people. Meet at Cashiers Rec. Park at10 am, drive 20 miles round trip. Call Leaders: Mike and Susan Kettles, 743-1079, for reservations.

• On Sunday, July 26 The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a 9-mike moderate-to-strenuous hike, elevation change 1,000 ft., on the Cowetta Hydrological Lab Center Loop, hiking up Shope Creek Road to Cunningham Branch to Dyke Gap to come down Ball Creek Rd. Hike limited to 6 people. Meet at Smoky Mtn. Visitors Center on Hwy. 441 at 9 am, drive 10 miles round trip. Call leader Katharine Brown, 421-4178 for reservations.

Market WNC PLACE

MarketPlace information:

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County.

Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!

Rates: • • • •

• •

• • • • • •

$15 — ClassiďŹ ed ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.

Free — Lost or found pet ads. $6 — Residential yard sale ads.* $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m.

Monday for your ad to run again FREE Legal N otices — 25¢ per word $375 — Statewide classiďŹ eds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less) Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4 Boost in Print Add Photo $6 Bold ad $2 Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4 Border $4

Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border� feature will not be available on the screen.

Announcements

Employment

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, highend, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash!

NEWER MODELS too!

Call 1-866-508-8362.

FTCC - Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following position: Department Chair, Mathematics - Quantitative Literacy Pathways.

Mathematics Instructor - 10 Month. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https:// faytechcc.peopleadmin. com/. Human Resources 2IÂżFH 3KRQH

7342 Internet: http://www. faytechcc.edu. An Equal Opportunity Employer

Auction LAND AUCTION Aug 8/8/20 1pm. 16—1-3 acre lots Gated Mountain Communities Haywood County, North Carolina, 151 acre Mountain trac springs, lake sites, 3/2 home. ERA Sunburst Realty www.sunburstauctions.net NCALCo # 10376 Randy Flanigan NCAL6421 NCRE274318, 706-207-9436.

Business Opportunities NEW AUTHORS WANTED! Page Publishing will help you self-publish your own book. FREE author submission kit! Limited offer! Why wait? Call now: 888-910-2201

CASTILLO

Tree Service, Etc, Inc.

• Dangerous Tree Removal • Pruning • Creating Views

Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com

p: 828.452.4251 ¡ f:828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com www.wncmarketplace.com 28

www.smokymountainnews.com

FREE ESTIMATES • INSURED

828-342-3024

saulcastillo7212@gmail.com

AIRLINES ARE HIRING Get FAA approved hands on Aviation training. FiQDQFLDO DLG IRU TXDOLÂżHG students - Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-441-6890.

FTCC - Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Phlebotomy/ Registered Medical Assistant Instructor. Male Mentoring Coordinator-Academic Support. Security 2IÂżFHU ,QVWUXFWLRQDO /DE Technician - AC, Heating & Refrigeration. Part-time Student Learning Center Facilitator/Instructor *UDQW )XQGHG )RU GHtailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https:// faytechcc.peopleadmin. com/. Human Resources 2IÂżFH 3KRQH

7342 Internet: http://www. faytechcc.edu.

& Press courses.

Available qualify.

0354

1. 100% online Financial Aid for those who Call 833-990-

WORK FROM ANYWHERE You have an internet connection? 13 positions available. Start as soon as today. As simple as checking your email.

Complete online training provided. Visit for details: https://bit.ly/2yewvor MASSAGE THERAPISTS Seeking massage therapists to join our team. We offer competitive compensation, a comfortable work environment, and generous gratuities from clients. Our therapists receive experienced guidance to build their mas-

sage skills, increase their client satisfaction and their pay. Enjoy a friendly and independent work environment working with colleagues who will help build your business and expand your knowledge of massage and natural healing. Flexible hours and set schedules available. Full-time/Parttime positions available for therapists. Applicants must adhere to local and state licensing laws and regulations. Visit massagewaynesville.com for more information. Send resume to: MassageWaynesville@att.net

MEDICAL BILLING & CODING TRAINING. New Students Only. Call & Press 1. 100% online courses. 833-990-0354

AVAILABLE POSITIONS

$

1000 BONUS PAID FOR DISHWASHERS WHO START IMMEDIATELY

Stay through October and you will be paid $

1000 Bonus at the end of October!

Apply online or in person at Old Edwards.

Online at OldEdwardsInn.com/careers or call Pat Turnbull at 828-787-2697

MEDICAL BILLING & CODING TRAINING. New Students Only. Call

July 15-21, 2020

WNC MarketPlace

Medical ATTENTION DIABETICS! Save money on your diabetic supplies! Convenient home shipping for monitors, test strips, insulin pumps, catheters and more! To learn more, call now! 855-667-9944 LIFE ALERT. 24/7. One press of a button sends help FAST! Medical, Fire, Burglar. Even if you can’t reach a phone! FREE Brochure. CALL 844-9022362 ARTHRITIS, COPD, JOINT PAIN Or Mobility Issues on the Stairs? **STOP STRUGGLING** Give Your Life A Lift! An Acorn Stairlift is a perfect solution! A BBB Rating.

Call now for $250 OFF your purchase. FREE DVD & brochure. 1-888329-4579

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS Unable to work? Denied EHQH¿WV" :H &DQ +HOS Strong, recent work history needed. Call to start your application or appeal today! 888-351-1231 >6WHSSDFKHU /DZ 2I¿FHV //& 3ULQFLSDO 2I¿FH Adams Ave Scranton PA 18503]

DENTAL INSURANCE From Physicians Mutual Insurance Company.

NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for 350 procedures. Call 1-844496-8601 for details. www.dental50plus.com/ ncpress 6118-0219

PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR May Be Covered by Medicare!

Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-727-9628 BEST CBD PRODUCT On Market. $24.75 for 2000mg CBD in MCT Oil. Visit VetsCBD.com today. Very Strong 33mg/ ml Strength. FREE SHIPPING!

Climate Control

Storage Sizes from 5’x5’ to 10’x 20’ Indoor & Outdoor 64 SECURITY CAMERAS AND MANAGEMENT ON SITE

Climate Controlled

1106 Soco Road (Hwy 19), Maggie Valley, NC 28751

Call: 828-476-8999

MaggieValleySelfStorage.com MaggieValleyStorage4U@gmail.com

Find Us One mile past State Rd. 276 and Hwy-19 on the right side, across from Frankie’s Italian Restaurant

Pets BROWN TABBY CAT, ANNA ~8 years old; a beautiful,, talkative lady.

I have skin allergies that require management to stay looking/ IHHOLQJ JUHDW

2001 publicrelations@ ashevillehumane.org

Real Estate Announcements SAVE BIG On HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies. Get a quote within minutes. Average savings of $444/year! Call 866 0 ) DP SP &HQWUDO

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise ‘any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status

COMPLETE HOME INSPECTION SERVICES

Moving or Buying?

Let Us Help You.

HAYWOOD

HOME INSPECTIONS

828.734.3609 | haywoodhomeinsp@gmail.com

Dan Womack BROKER

828.

243.1126 MOUNTAIN REALTY

71 N. Main St. • Waynesville, NC

828-564-9393

Real Experience.

Real Service. Real Results.

828.452.3727 www.TheRealTeamNC.com

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE www.wncmarketplace.com

July 15-21, 2020

71 N. Main Street Waynesville

Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage • Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy- michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com Billy Case- billycase@beverly-hanks.com Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com John Keith - jkeith@beverly-hanks.com Randall Rogers - rrogers@beverly-hanks.com Susan Hooper - shooper@beverly-hanks.com Hunter Wyman - hwyman@beverly-hanks.com

Christie’s Ivester Jackson Blackstream • George Escaravage - george@IJBProperties.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com Jerry Lee Mountain Realty Jerry Lee Hatley- jerryhatley@bellsouth.net

Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com • Darrin Graves - dgraves@kw.com

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Log & Frame Homes - 828-734-9323 Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com Mountain Home Properties- mountaindream.com • Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

Nest Realty • Madelyn Niemeyer - Madelyn.niemeyer@nestrealty.com RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com • Holly Fletcher - holly@hollyfletchernc.com • The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com • Ron Breese - ronbreese.com • Landen Stevenson- landen@landenkstevenson.com • Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com • Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net • David Rogers - davidr@remax-waynesvillenc.com • Juli Rogers - julimeaserogers@gmail.com Rob Roland Realty - robrolandrealty.com

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

The Smoky Mountain Retreat at Eagles Nest • Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com • Sherell Johnson - sherellwj@aol.com

WNC Real Estate Store • Melanie Hoffman - mhoffmanrealestate@gmail.com • Thomas Hoffman - thoffman1@me.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com WNC MarketPlace

29

SUPER

CROSSWORD

TRIPLE OVERLAP ACROSS 1 Boater, e.g.

4 Poker chip, for one 8 Uncorks again 15 Liven (up) 19 Mexican resort port 21 To-do trays 22 Actor Bates 23 GOP race runner 25 At midnight, say 26 Justice Kagan 27 Planet near Earth 28 "Attack, dog!"

29 First-class 30 "Dirty" drink 32 Data entry device 36 Ewoks and Na'vi, in brief 38 Actor DeLuise 39 Strengthens in volume 40 Large insectivores with long snouts 47 Recycling container 48 Support financially 49 Unmannerly 50 Suffix with pay 52 Nissan, formerly 58 Mop brand 60 Common bit of onstage audio equipment 63 Writer Isak 65 Pago Pago's home 66 Pied -a- -67 Tokyo, prior to 1868 68 Play dumb 73 Bloom-to-be 74 Clichy's river 77 Radio booth notification 78 Mattel guy 81 Company not reliant on a

86 87 88 89 91 92 94 96 101 103 104 108 114 115 116 118 119 120 124 125 126 127 128 129 130

parent, e.g.

Actress Kazan of "My Favorite Year" MRI's kin -- -de-France Branchlet Krone spenders Breakfast brew Ones who love making others happy Egg-making organs Many a pro bono TV ad Grass sold in rolls Clinton-Kaine, in 2016 Optimistic Somber song Party card game cry "Tomb Raider" Croft Raptor's nest Foot bottom They include Advent and Eastertide Be fitting for Ideal spots Appeases Warlike god Floral wrist accessory Rolling car part, to Brits "Ethyl" suffix

DOWN 1 Female seal group, e.g.

2 Amtrak bullet train 3 Get thinner at one end 4 Persian Gulf emirate 5 Ailing 6 Sword type 7 Funny Imogene 8 Classic detergent brand 9 Complete

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 24 29 31 33 34 35 37 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 50 51 53 54

55 56 57 59 61 62 64 69

California's San Luis -Speaking platform Spot-on Kin of .com Flagstaff-to-Tucson dir.

Ashen-faced Actress Stritch Wickerwork cane Genuflects Gridiron kick Oval portion Aussie avian Once known as "ER" extras Wallach of "The Deep" Sonata part Poker variety Like the giant sphere at Epcot Occurrence Lymphoid throat masses Lymph -Christmas verse starter Ice cream maker Joseph Kylo of "Star Wars" Breakfast meat Sharif of movies Peru's capital Spot-on With 55-Down, Paris edifice housing several universities See 54-Down More out of control Not necessary Ring arbiter Of -- (in some way) Spice holder Very bright Agra's home

70 71 72 75 76 79 80 82 83 84 85 90 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 105 106 107 109 110 111 112 113 117 120 121 122 123

Manxman, e.g.

Square root of 81 Slithery fish Japanese tech corp.

MPG-rating org.

Nil "Buenos --" ("Good day") Get admitted Suffix with Denver 16 eighths Pups' plaints The world over That, in Peru Karachi's nation: Abbr.

Kin of .com Ukraine port Fabric with a soft nap 2002 Cesar winner for Best Film Popular thesaurus, familiarly Really cold Models on walls, maybe Smelting slag One-on-one teacher Beethoven's "Fuer --" Tic -With 121-Down, judge in the O.J. Simpson trial Helen of Troy's mother Seeing red Air raid alert German state Engrossed Jazz's Jean- -- Ponty See 109-Down Funny bit Big elephant part

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination’. Familial status includes children under 18 living with parents or legal guardians and pregnant women.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate in violation of this law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a /RDQ 0RGL¿FDWLRQ" ,V WKH bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now!

FREE CONSULTATION 844-359-4330 GOT LAND? Our Hunters will Pay Top $$$ to hunt your land. Call for a FREE info packet & Quote. 1-866-309-1507 BaseCampLeasing.com

Rentals TIMESHARE CANCELLATION EXPERTS. Wesley Financial Group, LLC. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and

fees cancelled in 2019.

Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare!

Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 844-213-6711

Home Improvement IS YOUR HOME SMART YET? Get a FREE quote from Vivint, the #1 Home-Automation Company! Fast & Affordable! $100 VISA giftcard w/ installation! Restrictions Apply. Call 855-589-7053 LEAFFILTER Eliminate gutter cleaning forever!

LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-877-649-1190 ENERGY SAVING NEW WINDOWS! Beautify your home! Save on monthly energy bills with NEW WINDOWS from 1800Remodel! Up to 18 months no interest. Restrictions apply. 1-877-287-8229

Legal, Financial and Tax

ATTENTION: AUTO INJURY VICTIMS If you have suffered a serious injury in an auto accident, call us! Our attorneys have the experience to get you the full compensation you deserve! Call Now: 844-545-8296

Tools & Equipment

POND/LAKE WEED REMOVAL TOOLS. #1 alternative to chemicals. Cuts Pulls Rakes. MI made.

WeedGatorProducts.com Promo Code GATORSE for discount. 989-5293992

Yard Sales MOVING SALE Fri July 17 & Sat July 18, 2020 from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM Household items for sale. Summer Place Community, Jonathan Creek Rd, 1/2 mile north of Hemphill. 11 Strollers Lane, Waynesville, NC 28785

SUDOKU Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, Answers on 26 the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

30

www.smokymountainnews.com

July 15-21, 2020

WNC MarketPlace

Jimson weed has a long and lethal history Editor’s note: This George Ellison column first appeared in a July 2006 edition of The Smoky Mountain News.

I

George Ellison

f you have a recently cleared area on your property or in your neighborhood, there's an excellent chance that jimson weed is blooming there right now. The good news is that it’s one of more interesting species in one of the most remarkable plant families. The bad news is that it’s one of the most toxic and potentially lethal plants in the flora of the Smokies region.

Jimson weed (“Datura stramoniColumnist um”) belongs to the nightshade family, which includes among its members such familiar garden vegetables and ornamentals as petunias, potatoes, tomatoes, green and red peppers, and eggplants. On the darker side of the family's genealogy are the numerous members containing narcotic and sometimes poisonous alkaloids: tobacco, belladonna, horse nettle, bittersweet vine, enchanter's nightshade, jimson weed, and others.

In this region there are five nightshade

BACK THEN genera, containing 11 species. In addition to jimson weed, these include apple-of-Peru, ground cherry, several nightshades, and horse nettle.

The yellow, tomato-like berry enclosed in the inflated, lantern-like seedpod of the ground cherry is toxic when green but sometimes harvested and made into jams or pies when ripe. Caution should be exercised. I no longer pop ripe ground cherries into my mouth during fall outings as I once did. And I don't think I'd ask for another slice of ground-cherry pie either.

As for jimson weed, I won’t even touch it with my bare hands these days, now that I know more about its properties and history. I regard the stout three- to six-foot tall plant — which displays large irregularlylobed, purple-tinged leaves and funnelshaped flowers — from a distance, according it the same respect reserved for copperheads, rattlesnakes, and amanita mushrooms.

The white or pale violet flowers are about four inches long, having an open end that flares into pointed lobes and a closed end at the stem covered by a green angular sleeve. These are the lushly ominous flowers Georgia O’Keefe immortalized in at least four of her out-sized floral studies. Jimson

weed grew near her home in New Mexico.

In one of these studies, she placed the four flowers in a design that repeated the tight rhythm of the pinwheel-shaped blossoms, and she highlighted the beauty of the flowers by depicting them using a light, simplified palette of colors.

“When I think of the delicate fragrance of the flowers, I almost feel the coolness and sweetness of the evening,” O’Keefe said. It’s probable that she also knew about the dark side of the plant’s history and lore, but she didn’t bother to mention them to the patron in New York City who commissioned the painting.

Since the fruit of jimson weed is a spiny ball about two inches in diameter, the plant is also called thorn apple. In late fall this pod splits open, revealing four compartments in which there are numerous black seeds. As might be expected, these seeds are the most potent part of the plant.

Cattle and sheep have died after grazing on jimson weed leaves and fruit. And the deaths of humans who have devoured the seeds, especially children and old people, are recorded throughout the literature about the plant.

The dried leaves — marketed as stramonium — have long been used as cigarettes or other inhalant forms in the treatment of asthma as an antispasmodic. This use

apparently encouraged people to experiment with the seeds, which contain potentially lethal doses of several alkaloids.

Authorities differ on the origins of the plant, but it was apparently introduced into America at a very early date. The settlers of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement (1607) in the New World, brought the plant with them and it thrived along the Virginia coastline. In 1676, the uprising known as Bacon's Rebellion took place as a result of Governor William Berkeley’s refusal to commission an army to protect the Virginia frontiersmen from Indians and other grievances. Nathaniel Bacon raised an unauthorized army against which the governor sent his troops.

Near Jamestown many of the governor’s ill-equipped, famished soldiers devoured the thorny fruits of a plant growing in profusion thereabouts and promptly died.

Shortly thereafter, Bacon himself, aged 29, died suddenly “of a mysterious fever called the ‘Bloodie Flux.’” Some historians have conjectured that he, too, may have eaten the same fruits.

Thereafter, the plant was known as "Jamestown weed" — a designation that in time became "jimson weed." By any name, it has a long and lethal history.

(George Ellison is a writer and naturalist who lives in Bryson City. info@georgeellison.com.)

Smoky Mountain News

ARE YOU READY?

July 15-21, 2020

Education Changes Everything.

Registration Now Open! haywood.edu hcc-advising@haywood.edu

31

32

Smoky Mountain News July 15-21, 2020