Opinion

Look to the stars and beyond

I’ve been looking at the stars a lot lately. It started several weeks ago.

It was 10:18 p.m. on a Sunday. We were driving the parkway, windows rolled down, Van Morrison on the radio. My boyfriend, Matthew, looked over and squeezed my knee.

“We’re going to find it,” he said.

A goose chase then ensued as we searched for the comet, Neowise. Matthew likes astronomy. He took a course in college and was hooked. In contrast, my eyes tend to be fixed straight ahead or downward in a book or journal. Stargazing is a pastime toward which I’ve traditionally felt indifference. I can find the Big and Little dippers, but that’s about it.

Like most people these days, I’m sure you’ve been watching the news. Among pandemic information, political banter and speculation over the state of our economy, you may have heard a short blip about the comet Neowise.

Astronomers discovered the comet, formally known as C2020 F3 NEOWISE, this March. The acronym stands for the NASA mission that spotted it, for the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. The goal of the mission was to find as many near-Earth asteroids as possible, especially ones that could be hazardous to our planet. This is when they spotted Neowise.

On July 3, the comet was closer to the sun than the orbit of Mercury and close to breaking apart. The sun heated up much of the comet’s icy makeup, erupting in a large debris trail of dust and gas.

At three miles across, Neowise is fairly large in size and made up of material 4.6 billion years old, from the origins of the solar system. According to NASA, it takes about 6,800 years to complete its path around the sun. Seeing this unique comet is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but only if you’re in a good spot and it’s the right time of day. The location of the comet is between the horizon and the lower right of the Big Dipper.

This is what spawned our weekend goose chase.

Once Matthew told me about Neowise, I wanted to see it. Heck, I’d never even seen a shooting star, much less a comet. I was willing to get up early, stay up late, whatever it took to catch a glimpse of a giant dusty snowball. Susanna Shetley Columnist One Sunday morning, we awoke 80 minutes before sunrise and drove to the Junaluska overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We waited and waited. And while we saw a stunning sunrise and observed the birds arising for the day, we did not see Neowise. It could have been the haze or maybe we should have gotten there earlier. Nonetheless, we didn’t see it.

We tried again that night. Even though it was Sunday and we both had to work Monday morning, we drove to the parkway well after 10 p.m. to ensure it was dark enough. At the Waterrock Knob parking lot, we settled on the ground and observed the sky.

Millions of stars pierced the black night, resulting in a beautiful light show. I felt small compared to the galaxy before me. We still didn’t see Neowise due to its position on the horizon, but I saw a shooting star and felt an overwhelming sense of calm. It won’t be the last time I look to the night sky as a reminder we’re all part of a bigger story.

Matthew and I have five kids between us. About a week after our initial attempt, four of the kids wanted to join us on another quest to find the comet. The six of us again drove to Waterrock Knob parking lot, put blankets on the ground and looked as hard as we could. Although we still didn’t see Neowise, we had fun giggling and pointing out other constellations, stars and planets.

The following day a friend told us about his experience viewing the comet. He suggested 9:50 p.m., after sunset but before total darkness. We were looking for it too late in the evening. He also recommended binoculars. That night, we loaded up and went to a peak out in Jonathan Creek. It took some searching and the use of binoculars, but guess what? There it was, an actual comet blazing across the sky. It was far and it was faint, but we all saw it, even my eight-year old. It was well worth the two-week wild goose chase.

We’re currently on vacation at Ocean Isle, and I’ve been looking at the stars each night. There is something breathtaking about the night sky above the sea. Probably for the rest of my life, I’ll look to the Big Dipper and smile thinking of all the nights we hunted for Neowise and finally found it.

In life, it’s often other people who pick us up when we’re down or teach us something new. There’s a lot I love about Matthew, but his curiosity about the solar system is toward the top of my list. As someone who can easily fall into melancholy, it’s nice to have a mate in life who gently lifts my chin and says, “Look at the stars.” (Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist for The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain South Media. sussanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)

Is this a fit Commander-in-Chief?

To the Editor:

The first duty of our Commander in Chief, Donald Trump, is to protect the people of these United States. He took an oath to perform this most basic of duties. Over a 135,000 American have died as a result of the Covid virus. The family of each person lost to this pandemic can rightly ask: if Donald Trump had done his job would my loved one still be alive?

Owners of struggling and failed businesses and their workers can rightly ask: If Donald Trump had done his job, would the business and its jobs still exist? The doctor in an overrun Arizona or Texas hospital could rightly ask: If Donald Trump had done his job would I have to decide who gets a ventilator today? Grieving parents of soldiers killed in Afghanistan can rightly ask: If Donald Trump had read his Presidential Daily Briefing, would my son or daughter still be alive?

Donald Trump’s failure of leadership has become appallingly apparent to anyone who dares to look. In the early days of this pandemic our Commander in Chief said that this “Chinese” virus would magically go away. When that did not happen, he said it was not his problem; the individual states and their governors would have lead the fight. When that did not work, he blamed the WHO (World Health Organization) for the failure.

Seven months into this fight we are still short of PPE and testing is still a problem. Just

LETTERS

to be clear, the United States has more cases and deaths by far from this virus than any other country on the planet.

Donald Trump’s failure to lead goes far beyond this pandemic. Once the leader of the free world, the United States has now withdrawn from virtually all international organizations and he has nothing but praise for autocrats around the world. The Russians and Chinese have rushed in to fill this vacuum to the great detriment of the United States.

While Donald Trump defends dead Confederate generals and holds up someone else’s Bible in front a church, we can only hope that his “leadership” is not again tested. Louis Vitale Franklin

Stop using MLK defense

To the Editor:

Heather Hyatt Packer would have Haywood County’s School superintendent resign for posting a meme on his Facebook page she views as “racially insensitive.”

To support her opinion that Dr. Bill Nolte is undeserving of the post he apparently otherwise successfully holds, she summons forth the words of Martin Luther King Jr.

King said many things in his quest for civil rights, Ms. Packer, including (if memory serves): “I have a dream that one day my children will be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin.”

Following that speech and for the last 50- odd years (thanks to Affirmative Action and equal opportunity practices) countless American citizens have been judged and deemed worthy solely on their gender or the color of their skin, up to and including how the next vice presidential candidate for the Democratic Party will be chosen.

So please, Ms. Packer, stop using the MLK defense. David L. Snell Franklin

Have you been sprayed by Duke?

To the Editor:

Duke Energy, through a contractor, has started aerial spraying of herbicides over the rights-of-way for their transmission lines, the lines supported by large steel towers. Here in Oak Grove, this means that three routes are subject to the defoliants: the line which runs over Lakey and Bradley creeks into the Cowee Community, up Goshen Creek and down Greens Creek in Jackson County; the line which crosses the Little Tennessee River at Deans Island and runs up Tellico Creek to Wesser Gap, crossing the Appalachian Trail and descending into the Nantahala Community; and finally, the line which parallels N.C. 28 and the Little Tennessee before veering toward Bryson City.

Were you notified prior to the spraying operation? We were not, yet Duke’s own instructions state: “In developed and maintained areas, we typically notify property owners a minimum of three days prior to the start of planned vegetation maintenance work. We usually notify customers with a door hanger, but we may also call, send a letter or knock on your door. Sometimes notification includes a combination of these methods. We’ll also provide a point of contact in case you have questions or concerns about the work being done. If our attempts to notify a customer are unsuccessful, work will proceed without further direct notification.”

What chemicals are being used in this operation? We have observed containers labeled IMAZAPYR, METHOD, and TRICLORPYR. The safety data sheets warn of not allowing human contact with the airborne mist or allowing it to enter surface water.

But, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved these herbicides. They must be safe. Wait. Look again. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, who made a two-year investigation of EPA approval of pesticides (and herbicides), the EPA used a regulatory loophole to approve 65 percent of 16,000 pesticides that pose a threat to public health. Aerial spraying of herbicides has only been used by Duke for the past 3 1/2 years, since 2016. Go figure.

Have you come into contact with the spray while it was airborne, or on grass, vegetables or fruit where it has come to rest? Have you experienced skin or eye irritation? Have your crops or fruit been damaged by drift from the prescribed ROW zone? Has F

your drinking water source been contaminated?

In the past, right-of-way vegetation management of transmission lines has been a ground operation, much safer for Duke customers in proximity to this ROW, but not now. Be aware. Be safe. Stay out of the way of active spraying and airborne drift. Aerial herbicide application is happening right now.

See a doctor, of course, if your body has been impacted, but also call the regulatory agency to report any contamination of crops, gardens, water or trees outside of the ROW: Dwight Seal, Western District Manager, N.C. Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services 939.733.3556. Doug Woodward Franklin

What would the Founding Fathers do?

To the Editor:

“He has erected a multitude of new officers and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people …”

“He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power.”

These words were among the charges against tyrant King George III in declaring independence from England in 1776. History repeats itself. These charges have come alive today in the tyrannical actions of our would be king, Donald Trump.

To quote further from our Declaration of Independence: “Governments are instituted among Men deriving their just power from the consent of the governed.”

No governor of any state or mayor of any city, has given consent to Trump’s sending his storm troopers to invade their cities. These storm troopers have unlawfully beaten, gassed and detain demonstrators in Portland, Oregon, violating their constitutional rights.

To quote from the First Amendment to our Constitution: “Congress shall make no laws .... abridging the right of people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The Fourth Amendment states: “The right of people to be secure in their persons … against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.”

Donald Trump’s use of storm troopers is in flagrant violation of our First and Fourth amendments. Please note Trump is only targeting states and cities with Democratic governors and mayors. His unidentified military force is creating urban warfare designed to convince Americans that Democrats are out-of-control rioters and anarchists. Trump is posturing as a lawand-order president. His use of this tactic is designed to sway voters to reelect him and his Republican supporters in November.

Do we still believe in the values expressed in the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution? Our Founders fought and died in the Revolution to secure this government for future generations of Americans. At the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked “What kind of government do we have?” Franklin replied, “A republic, if we can keep it.” This question has yet to be determined.

What would our Founding Fathers do? Margaret Abel Franklin

I serve every Franklin resident

To the Editor:

As the Mayor of Franklin, I represent every man, woman and child in the town, regardless of partisan politics or religion.

No, I was not at the Back the Blue March on Saturday. Yes, I was at both of the Black Lives Matter marches. There is a difference. The Back the Blue turned political and to some extent religious. The BLM was about bringing social change to systemic racism.

For those who are saying I do not support law enforcement, I will put my law enforcement and military credentials up against any of the elected officials or candidates who spoke Saturday. I have taught many law enforcement students as a certified laws enforcement training instructor by the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. I hold the Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the N.C. Sherriff ’s Education and Training Standards Commission. I am a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a Certificate of Achievement in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from WCU and an AAS from SCC. So, I resent being accused of not backing law enforcement because I did not attend the Back the Blue march. I did not feel it would be appropriate of me to take part due to the partisan nature of it.

I support our military. I am an OCS graduate and a member of the Retired Reserve. For those of you who believe I am some kind of liberal, socialist, Marxist, I have a DD214. For the record, I do not believe in the violent protests taking place in our nation at the moment, but I also understand the frustration of those who are protesting. I survived the Civil Rights movement. I trained with the National Guard in riot control. I have seen firsthand and experienced the abuse of power.

I was not contacted to speak and if I had, I feel it would have been inappropriate for me to do so. The town did cooperate with traffic, allowing the use of the Gazebo and making sure it was in good shape, and this morning emptying the trash cans. This was not a town event.

For those wanting me out of office, you will have your chance in November 2021. In the meantime, I will continue to serve every resident and visitor of Franklin, regardless of race, religion or politics.

I will not pander to hate and fear. There is way too much of that now. In the meantime, I will continue to be a mayor who believes in the Constitution. Bob Scott Franklin

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