Smoky Mountain News | September 9, 2020

www.smokymountainnews.com

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

September 9-15, 2020 Vol. 22 Iss. 15

N.C. 11 candidates face off during two-night debate Page 6 Author releases first written history of DuPont Page 22

CONTENTS On the Cover: Live music will return to Haywood County this fall despite COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions. Two drive-in-style music festivals — one that will take place at Maggie Valley Festival Grounds and the former Ghost Town parking lot and the other at the Haywood County Fairgrounds — are expected to attract big crowds. (Page 18) Aerial shot of the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Donated photo

News Tribe to develop themed destination on Sevier County land ................................4 Cherokee passes COVID-adapted budget ................................................................5 N.C. 11 candidates face off during two-night debate ............................................6 Strong support for Cawthorn outside NC-11 debates ..........................................8 Flag burning suspect taken into custody ....................................................................9 Cherokee man dies in Swain jail ..................................................................................11 Downtown business owner grows amid pandemic ..............................................12 WNC moves into new phase of COVID ..................................................................13 Health News ......................................................................................................................15

Opinion Pandemic prompts huge absentee ballot request ................................................16

Books What if we tried thinking instead of screaming? ....................................................21

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

September 9-15, 2020

Asheville writer releases first written history of DuPont ........................................22

2

STAFF 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 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 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 SUBSCRIPTION:

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

WE’VE MOVED Fresh & Frozen Meals

Online Ordering & Patio Seating

Shepherd’s Pie, Black Beans & Rice, Meat Pies, Chicken Pot Pies, Scottish Savories, Soups, WEEKLY SPECIALS

PRICES START AT JUST $5

WE SHIP

ORDER AHEAD AT

SPECIAL ORDERS

AVAILABLE

CALL AHEAD OR JUST STOP BY 828-452-7837 or 828-734-1969 HOURS FOR PICK UP - Mon - Thus 9-12 294 N. Haywood St. Waynesville

Order.CityLightsCafe.com DINE IN, TAKE-OUT & CURBSIDE SERVICE

FRESH SEAFOOD & MEATS

828.476.5020 HOURS: 11-6 · MON-SAT 142 MILLER STREET • WAYNESVILLE

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

Bonnie's Mountain Farms

Carver's

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT since 1952

CALL OR ORDER ONLINE

CURBSIDE

TAKE OUT

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

32 Felmet Street (828) 246-0927

Daily Specials: Sandwiches & Southern Dishes We Have APPLES!

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

33 S. Main St. #101 · Waynesville

Guaranteed Fresh

• Tomatoes • Cucumbers • Onions • Zucchini • Potatoes • Corn • Half-runner Beans

Gluten Free Options Available

watamisushinoodles.com · 828.246.6888

D

LOCAL • NO GMOs • Local Sourwood Honey • • Pumpkins • Mums • Squash

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

Burgers • Wraps • Sandwiches TEMPORARY HOURS: THUR.-SAT. 4-8 P.M.

Featured Dishes: Fresh Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Country Ham, & more

OUTDOOR DINING - WEATHER PERMITTING WE OFFER TAKEOUT! Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday

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

828.400.6579

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

-

FIND US ON FACEBOOK!

September 9-15, 2020

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

Tribe to develop themed destination on Sevier County land

Smoky Mountain News

September 9-15, 2020

In 2019, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians purchased both the 198-acre Dumplin Creek property and a 122-acre tract on the other side of Interstate 40. EBCI image

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has announced its intention to develop a 200-acre mixed-use development envisioned as an “experiential destination” on property it purchased last year along Interstate 40 in Sevier County, Tennessee.

Plans for the development remain flexible, but organizers say it will feature a common theme or narrative that heightens the experience for visitors. Tourists and shoppers will have “dining options, unique shopping experiences and entertainment attractions that fit the overall theme and vision,” according to a press release. The destination is expected to serve as a gateway and first stop for the millions of tourists who travel the highway en route to the Great Smoky

T

Cullowhee | MLS 3540189 | $579,000 Follow the tree-lined winding road along the bold stream until you arrive at this private country farm.

Mountains National Park each year.

Tribal Council voted to purchase the property in July 2019 for $13.5 million and tasked its business arm, Kituwah LLC, with deciding how best to develop it. Its first pitch — up to $30 million upfront to bring the story-themed resort Ancient Lore Villages to the property, with the tribe retaining at least 40 percent ownership of the company — was shot down by a unanimous vote from Tribal Council in December.

In phone interviews after the vote, members said “it was just a lot of money for something that has never been built before,” that there were “a lot of unanswered questions” and that they “felt like we were being misled on the information we were given.”

This new development effort, however, has definite links to the previous one.

Waynesville | MLS 3608641 | $700,000 Move in Ready! Located in the Waynesville Country Club above Golf course. 2 wooded acres offer privacy & quiet. Mountain views.

Billy Case, CCIM

4

(828) 508-4527 billycase@naibeverly-hanks.com

Kituwah LLC has hired Knoxville-based firm OE Experiences to help the tribe make plans for the development and seek out partners.

The company was founded this year by Matthew Cross, who at the time of the December vote was CEO of Boyd Hollow Resorts — the company that would have been the developer for Ancient Lore Villages. Tribal Council voted on the previous proposal because Kituwah was requesting tribal funding, but the LLC has the authority to decide how to develop the land so long as it can do so using partnerships or existing funds.

Principal Chief Richard Sneed said in a press release that the tribe is “pleased with the strong interest in the property and look(s) forward to strengthening partnerships with Sevier County,” while Kituwah

CEO Mark Hubble characterized the project as a rare opportunity.

“This land is strategically located and has the benefit of significant infrastructure investment from prior development attempts,” he said in the release.

The property is already flat, with about $2.5 million in site work done prior to the tribe purchasing it.

“This will be a major investment by the EBCI into our local community,” Cross said in a press release. “It is a unique opportunity for the tribe to form strategic partnerships in one of the best tourism markets in the country. Millions of tourists drive by this location every year on their way to the national park, and they will stop here first.”

The site’s location at Exit 407 of the highway allows easy access from nearby Knoxville, something developers are counting on for both visitor volume and workforce. In addition to the 197.5 acres it purchased last July, the tribe also owns 122 acres on the other side of the interstate.

Council approved that purchase in February 2019.

“We know Knoxville residents will visit this location for a unique date night, dining experience, shopping trip or an easy weekend getaway,” Cross said. “It’s merely a 20minute drive from Knoxville and a little over an hour from Asheville.”

OE Experiences is currently collecting bids and proposals from interested parties to co-develop portions of the site. SIG Real Estate’s Keith Widmer is acting as broker on the development and accepting applications for lease. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge planning efforts nationwide, Cross said that he is cautiously optimistic about the development’s future success. According to Kituwah Economic Development Board Chair Chrissy Arch, the LLC is moving quickly to develop plans and acquire key tenants.

“We are keeping our expectations managed about the future,” Cross said. “It is too early to know how exactly the virus will affect us long-term. However, we are seeing that most people feel safer in their car than on an airplane. That is great news for this market, as we are one of the most drivable destinations in the country with most of the nation’s population east of the Mississippi River living within a one-day-drive of the Smoky Mountains.”

I

ter, and that’s why we recommended that we delay the budget hearings until January to give that first quarter to realize actual returns.”

There could be a second wave of infections, or an especially large cluster could force the casino to shut down. The tribe is also waiting to see how the end of the $600 federal unemployment payments will impact visitation.

Only one COVID-19 cluster has been identified at the Cherokee facility thus far, announced July 20. That cluster has officially closed and included only five positive cases. It did not cause the casino to slow or halt operations. No clusters have been identified at the Murphy location.

In July, Tribal Council voted to postpone the budget hearings it typically holds leading up to adoption of the final budget. Instead, it decided to adopt a bare-bones budget and hold hearings beginning in January, when it hopes to have a clearer picture of the tribe’s finances over the coming year.

“All revenue being added back to the budget would come to this council in the form of a request,” said Blankenship. “It actually

The budget’s passage was narrow, with some council members wishing to table the vote.

Wolfetown Representative Bo Crowe advocated for adopting a continuing budget and waiting to pass a true 2021 budget in January.

Book online at:

MassageWaynesville.com 828.456.3585 Haywood Square | 288 N. Haywood St. | Waynesville

Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

MORE MUSCADINES Recently I was able to participate in a Zoom webinar by the NC Muscadine Growers Association to learn more about muscadine grapes, how and where they are grown in North Carolina, some of the different varieties and I even got to sample some different types of muscadine grapes.

If you aren't from the South you may not be familiar with muscadine grapes. These grapes are known as "slip skin" grapes because when you bite into them the thick skin of the grape slips off.

Usually this time of year you can purchase quart containers of muscadine grapes in the Produce section of your Ingles store.

Here are some other interesting muscadine facts: • Muscadines are known as America's first grape and were the first cultivated wine grape in the US. • Two varieties of muscadines, the dark(purple) and light (bronze), grow in the wild.

• A French explorer, Verrazano, discovered muscadine grapes growing in the Cape Fear River valley in 1524.

• Just like any fruit, depending on how they are bred and how ripe they are when picked, muscadines can vary in flavor and sweetness.

• Muscadine vines are very hardy and few insects bother them so they typically do not require the use of pesticides (insecticides) but deer and racoon love to eat them!

For more information about muscadine grapes including recipe ideas see: www.ncmuscadinegrape.org

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Smoky Mountain News

gives you a better idea of how they’re performing and how they’re using those revenues and what those expenses are, because we can move to a truly performance-based model.”

The budget’s passage was narrow, with some council members wishing to table the vote. Wolfetown Representative Bo Crowe advocated for adopting a continuing budget and waiting to pass a true 2021 budget in January.

Crowe moved to table the vote, with a second from Big Cove Representative Richard French. Joining Crowe and French in favor of the move were Painttown Representatives Tommye Saunooke and Dike Sneed.

Opposed were Chairman Adam Wachacha, Vice Chairman David Wolfe, Yellowhill Representative Tom Wahnetah and Birdtown Representatives Boyd Owl and Albert Rose.

Chelsea Saunooke, Bucky Brown and Perry Shell were absent from the vote.

The move to table failed, and then Wachacha, Wolfe, Rose, Wahnetah and Owle prevailed on the move to pass. The passage will become official upon ratification from Sneed.

JustDoOils.com

September 9-15, 2020

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER n a narrow vote Sept. 3, the Cherokee Tribal Council approved a Fiscal Year 2021 budget that reflects the economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19.

The tribe derives about half its annual revenue from casino operations in Cherokee and Murphy, and the pandemic has resulted in closures and reduced capacity at both locations. While the FY 2020 budget was based on 80 percent of casino projections, the 2021 budget anticipates only 50 percent of the revenues realized last year.

Overall, the new budget is 19.5 percent smaller than last year’s budget, with $120 million less in gaming revenues. The office of Principal Chief Richard Sneed declined to release a copy of the budget to The Smoky Mountain News, stating that Cherokee law makes that document available to tribal members only. In FY 2019, the last year the tribe released the size of its budget, the total was $564.3 million.

The adopted budget will allow the tribe to retain all current employees at full pay and benefits, also providing for 2 percent merit increases as well as seniority bonuses for tenured employees. It includes enough money for all programs to start the year without cutting services, instead reducing spending on contracts and capital expenses as compared to previous years.

“In order to balance this budget at the 50 percent revenue mark, we had to redirect allocations from the investment funds to the general fund, as well as make those cuts and put in cost control measures to get to that point,” Blankenship told Tribal Council. “We do expect to outperform that point. We have outperformed that point to this juncture.”

Due to the pandemic, the casinos were closed completely from March 18 through May 12, the first closure in the tribe’s 23-year gaming history. They reopened May 13 on an invitation-only basis, and then to the general public on May 28, though only at 30 percent capacity.

On Sept. 3, Sneed issued an executive order allowing the casinos to operate at 50 percent capacity, along with gyms and bowling alleys — such as the bowling alley contained within the Cherokee casino facility.

However, due to social distancing protocols the casinos will not be able to take full advantage of this updated limit. Practically speaking, occupancy is still limited to 30 percent at the Cherokee location and 35 percent in Murphy, according to Regional Vice President of Marketing Brian Saunooke.

Despite these limitations, Blankenship told Council, the casinos performed at 65 percent or better compared to the prior year, one month actually beating prior year performance.

“We are performing at a much higher level than we anticipated performing,” said Blankenship. “However, we’re not certain how we will continue to perform into the first quar-

news

Cherokee passes COVID-adapted budget

Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

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

5

news

N.C. 11 candidates face off

September 9-15, 2020

Republican Madison Cawthorn (left) and Democrat Moe Davis squared off last weekend in a debate series that marked their first face-to-face meeting of the campaign, during which both candidates are seeking to replace Mark Meadows as Western North Carolina’s congressional representative. Holly Kays photos

Two-part debate series covers issues from global to local

Smoky Mountain News

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ongressional candidates Moe Davis and Madison Cawthorn clashed last week in a pair of debates spanning two days and three hours, covering everything from health care and economics to gun rights and race relations.

The encounters took place Sept. 4 and 5 at Western Carolina University facilities in Asheville and Cullowhee and were organized

by The Smoky Mountain News, Blue Ridge Public Radio and Mountain Xpress. It was the first time the candidates squared off directly heading toward the General Election, when they will compete for the N.C. 11 seat vacated earlier this year by Mark Meadows, who left to become Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump.

SMN Staff Writer Cory Vaillancourt moderated the events, with questions coming from six different panelists: Lenoir-Rhyne University Equity and Diversity Institute developer Aisha Adams; former Asheville Citizen Times political reporter and current Mountain Xpress contributor Mark Barrett; Pete Kaliner, a longtime N.C. political reporter, radio host and podcaster; WCU political science and public affairs department chair Chris Cooper; WCU professor of economics and director of WCU’s Center for 6

C

the Study of Free Enterprise Edward Lopez; and Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Throughout the debates, Asheville Democrat Davis emphasized his record of experience and service to the country. Davis retired as a colonel after 25 years in the U.S. military, and since then he has been a law professor, judge at the U.S. Department of Labor and head of the Congressional Research Service’s Foreign Affairs Defense and Trade Division.

“You’ve got a clear choice,” he said during his opening statement for the Sept. 5 debate in Cullowhee. “My record’s out there. You can see it. You can send me and 35 years of experience, or you can send my opponent and his three-ring binder.”

At 25, Cawthorn would be the youngest person in Congress if he won as the Republican candidate in November, and the Henderson County native turned Davis’ criticism of his youth and relative inexperience on its head.

“Over 60 percent of the people who make up our Congress are lawyers,” said Cawthorn during the second night of debate. “And I’ll tell you if that’s what we needed to fix our economy, to fix our country, to fix racial tensions, that would have been fixed long ago.

We need to send an outsider to Congress.”

Cawthorn attempted to paint Davis as “a member of the D.C. swamp,” who would happily place the gavel back in the hands of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and do all he could to support the “party of AOC and M-OE.” Davis is a “firm supporter of the Green New Deal” proposed by New York Rep.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cawthorn warned, an expensive plan that would “waterboard our future generations” with debt.

Cawthorn further criticized Davis’ actions during his tenure as chief prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay, during which he testified on behalf of two detainees.

Davis, meanwhile, characterized Cawthorn as a privileged youth with no work experience to speak of but a tendency to “play fast and loose with the truth.” He accused Cawthorn of accepting “stolen valor” by leading the public to believe that he had been accepted to the U.S. Navel Academy prior to the 2014 car accident that left him paralyzed in both legs. His application had in fact been rejected prior to that accident, Cawthorn said in a 2017 deposition, though during the debates he added that while he had received an initial rejection, he was in fact still hoping to ultimately get accepted.

Davis also homed in on Cawthorn’s statement during the second night of debates that prior to his accident he had stood 6 feet, 3 inches tall, when in the deposition he’d said he was 6 feet or 6 feet, 1 inch at the time.

“Every time Mr. Cawthorn tells a story he’s bigger in that story, but they’re not truthful stories,” said Davis.

Cawthorn, meanwhile, made the case that Davis’s stories about himself are not always true either, at least when it comes to his positions on issues. He quoted a February article from The Blue Banner, the student newspaper of UNC Asheville, which reports that during a private event with his supporters, Davis stated that while he does not disagree with banning assault rifles, “he does believe he

would lose the election if he made that opinion public.”

“The reason that he is so aggressively attacking is because he knows that he can’t stand on what he truly believes,” Cawthorn said during the first debate in Asheville.

You (Cawthorn) have been accused of both sexual assault and having ties to white nationalism. How do women, black people, LGBTQIA and other marginalized communities know that we can trust you, and what experiences do you have in creating equitable policy?

The very first question of the very first night of debates, presented by Aisha Adams, addressed head-on previous reports in which multiple women accused Cawthorn of sexual assault and reporters questioned various symbols potentially tying the candidate to white nationalism.

Cawthorn replied that “there’s really no basis” for the assertion that he’s a white nationalist and said that his fiancé is biracial.

As to the sexual assault allegations, he said that “I kissed many girls in high school and some of my attempts failed, and I believe that there’s a large difference in failed attempts versus sexual assault.”

“If I have a daughter, I want her to grow up in a world where people will have to ask permission to touch her,” said Cawthorn. “I think that would have made my high school experience much less awkward if I knew that was a question that could generally be asked.

But also if I have a son, I want him to grow up in a world where he’s not accused of being a sexual predator, just

F

W

because he wants to kiss a girl.”

Davis, meanwhile, touted his endorsement from the National Organization of Women and his record of “having fought for equal rights for everyone.”

“I’m proud to say I haven’t had to spend one minute explaining that I’m not a Nazi,” he said.

When asked his opinion about climate change and the environment, Cawthorn said that climate change “is not a hoax” and called himself a “green conservative.”

However, he vehemently denounced the Green New Deal as “a joke” that would “waterboard” future generations with $51 trillion in debt each decade, taking funds that could be used for needs like improved broadband infrastructure and increased Payment In Lieu of Taxes funding. Cawthorn

This story contains just a portion of the lively back-and-forth featured in the livestreamed debates. Watch the whole thing at www.facebook.com/blueridgepublic. said he supports an “all of the above approach” to environmental solutions that would use wind, solar and nuclear power to bring the United States to energy independence without fossil fuels. Cawthorn also advocated for updating the “outdated” National Environmental Policy Act, which he said delays the deployment of projects that would promote a clean environment.

“Climate alarmism is on the side of the left,” he said. “If they truly wanted to fix the problems that we’re facing, they would embrace nuclear energy.”

Davis took a firm stance as to the reality of climate change and Americans’ duty to do

ended, several supporters were still out front as Cawthorn and Davis left the building.

Things were quieter on the second night of the debate, which took place at the WCU Health and Human Sciences Building in Cullowhee. About 50 Cawthorn supporters — ranging in age from elementary to elderly — gathered in one of the lower parking lots.

No Davis supporters were present.

The Cawthorn supporters set up fold-out chairs and truck beds in front of a large white trailer that would hold the projector screen for the debate taking place inside, with several pick-ups parked throughout the lot bearing large Cawthorn political signs.

Chelsea Walsh had traveled the hourplus from her home in Hendersonville to be in Cullowhee that night. Walsh, 32, said that “one of the coolest things” about Cawthorn

is his ability to gather support across generations — her grandmother and her mother are both Cawthorn supporters, and her niece and nephews are excited to go to the polls as well.

“It’s neat, because I’ve never seen a politician bring in so many different groups of people,” she said. “I feel like we need younger people in politics.”

Supporters hailed not just from Cawthorn’s hometown of Hendersonville but also from the various corners of Jackson County.

“I’m here to support Madison. He is trying his best to do what he can, and I think he’s got a sincere heart to completely keep his words,” said Emil Milky, 81, of Sylva.

Staff writer Holly Kays contributed to this report

something about it, holding up green technology as “the path forward.” Solar energy, especially on the roof of individual houses, is a safeguard against dependence on foreign oil and a boon to the environment, he said. In Congress, said Davis, he would plan to extend tax credits for alternative energy that “the Trump administration and Republicans are slowly peeling away.” It’s not reasonable to cite dollars as cents as a reason not to act on the environment, he said.

“I don’t believe in putting profit first, whether it’s with COVID-19 or with the environment,” he said. “I believe in being an adult, being responsible. We have a responsibility to take care of the environment in this area that we live in.”

Later in the debates, Davis said that while he did “like the Green New Deal,” he has “refused to commit” to endorsing it and has lost endorsements from some progressive groups as a result. Cawthorn countered by saying that prior to the Primary Election Davis’ website stated that he did “fully support” the Green New Deal.

What is your view of the concerns about law enforcement’s treatment of Blacks and other people of color, including deaths like that of George Floyd that have sparked so many protests around the country this year? What, if anything, do you think we as a nation and in Congress should be doing about these concerns?

Davis said that the “defund the police” tagline has done a “huge disservice” to the movement, and that his background gives him great respect for law enforcement.

“I think issues like mental health and alcoholism and drug addiction should be treated as health issues and not criminal justice issues,” he said. “So I’d love to see us reimagining law enforcement and looking at what our communities want our law enforcement professionals to do. And again, I think the defund the police label was a horrible label, and I certainly don’t support that concept.”

Davis said he would like to see something

S EE DEBATE, PAGE 8

Smoky Mountain News

To what extent do you believe that human activity is causing global warming and climate change? What steps if any do you support to deal with this issue?

Watch the debates

Madison Cawthorn addresses crowd of supporters in Biltmore Park in Asheville.

September 9-15, 2020

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF WRITER hile N.C. Congressional District 11 candidates Moe Davis and Madison Cawthorn got into a heated debate inside during the “Best in the West” online events Sept. 4-5, the excitement overflowed outside of the venue as well.

The event took place at the WCU campus in Biltmore Park on Friday night. Though the event was streamed online, with no seating available to the public, roughly 100 Cawthorn fans gathered outside the building to show their support for the young Republican. On the other hand, Davis didn’t have any outside fanfare.

Several trucks parked around the building toted Cawthorn for Congress signs, and countless more drove circles around the nearest roundabout honking and shouting support, waving Cawthorn, Trump 2020, Blue Lives Matter and Rebel flags.

“I’m a veteran, and we have a large veterans’ group that is supporting Madison. We want to show our support tonight. Because we feel that he is a patriot. And he’s gonna do a lot for us veterans out here,” said Harvey Stanley, who was holding a “Veterans for Cawthorn” sign. “There are a lot of veterans in Western North Carolina. And they depend on people in Congress to help them out. Mark Meadows did that for us. If Madison takes his place, he’ll probably do the same thing for us.”

Over the sounds of cheers and car horns, Stanley went on to say why he couldn’t support Davis. “To me, he doesn’t care about the people who served, he didn’t care about saving American lives, that’s why I, as a vet-

eran want Madison Cawthorn in there and not Davis.”

Police were present outside the building, and as the crowd continued to grow, one young supporter got the crowd’s attention and asked that they split into two separate groups, with a wide amount of space between them.

At 4 p.m. Friday, North Carolina entered Phase 2.5 of easing COVID-19 restrictions, which still limits outdoor gatherings to 50 people. Face masks are still required in this phase, but a majority of the crowd did not wear one.

Cawthorn came out to address his supporters just before the event began. He spoke to each group separately thanking them for their support and assuring them that he “would not let them down.”

One supporter, who asked not to be named, thanked Cawthorn for a prayer he had previously offered for her mother prior to her mother’s hip surgery. The supporter’s mother was there in a wheelchair, and Cawthorn was quick to ask her how the surgery had gone.

“While he was on the phone, I told him that my mother was about to go into surgery because she had a fall and she broke her hip.

He stopped all of a sudden and he said this beautiful prayer for my mother before she went into surgery,” the supporter later told The Smoky Mountain News.

John Hart, public relations consultant and spokesperson for Cawthorn’s campaign, said President Donald Trump’s support of Cawthorn’s campaign, “creates a lot of energy and enthusiasm. But I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about both president Trump and also about Madison.

Madison is his own person, he is not a Trump conservative, he’s not a Reagan conservative, he’s a Madison Cawthorn conservative, so he’s writing his own script in real time and we’re all watching it happen. So, it’s an exciting moment.”

Almost 2 hours later, when the debate had

news

Strong support for Cawthorn outside NC-11 debates

7

news

DEBATE, CONTINUED FROM 7 akin to the GI Bill for first responders and law enforcement to help them further their education and training.

For his part, Cawthorn said that, “of course, I believe that Black lives matter,” and that he was “unhappy” about the “lack of empathy” with which President Donald Trump treated the death of George Floyd.

However, Cawthorn said he has a “hard time believing” that Davis stands against defunding the police when Democratic leaders have released press statements advocating for exactly that position. He pointed out that 14 of the district’s 17 sheriffs have endorsed his campaign.

“When you are dealing with your ex-husband, and you dial 911 and he’s pounding at the door, they (Democrats) want on the other end of that phone to be a social workers, not someone who’s put a bulletproof vest on and wants to protect your life,” he said.

Smoky Mountain News

September 9-15, 2020

Based on your experience, what can you tell us specifically about what needs to be done to ensure all North Carolinians get the health care they deserve?

Cawthorn said that the current system is “antiquated and outdated,” and that he wants to be “the face of health care reform for the Republicans.” For too long, he said, the Republican Party has been the party of “no” on health care without offering any clear strategy of its own. Medicare for all is not the answer, he said, because competition is key in the healthcare sector just as in other sectors of the economy.

“I’ll tell you what I genuinely believe is that the problem with health care is that the free market has never been allowed to actually work in it,” he said. “You know in North Carolina, as many of you know, we have a virtual monopoly from Blue Cross Blue Shield, which inhibits any of us from actually being able to choose our own system. We’re forced into this area where they have a monopoly, which creates artificially high prices.”

Davis took the opposite tack, stating his support for a government-funded public option that would allow “everyone from cradle to grave” to go to the doctor without being bankrupted by an accident or illness.

“Here in North Carolina there are over a million North Carolinians that don’t have health care coverage today,” said Davis.

“That’s up over 250,000 since COVID-19 hit.

So we’ve got to decouple health care from employment, and we can do it at a much lower cost and cover everyone and have better outcomes than we’re currently doing right now.”

What are your positions on gun control, and why?

Davis said that he supports Second Amendment rights — within reason. He owns multiple guns, grew up hunting and carried a gun on the job while working as a bail bondsman, not to mention his 25 years in the military.

“I’m not gonna take your guns. I’ve got my 8 own,” he said. “What I do support is guns and

Cawthorn greets his supporters following the conclusion of the second debate Sept. 5. Holly Kays photo sense. So I do support strict background checks and red flag laws.”

The Second Amendment is something “I’m very passionate about,” said Cawthorn, and his passion stems not from a love of guns but from a love of freedom.

“The Second Amendment was not written so that we could go hunting or have a sporting rifle,” he said. “It was so that we could be able to defend our families and defend ourselves from a tyrannical government. And that’s something that the founders were very wise to include.”

It might be reasonable to have a debate about the legality of automatic weapons, but removing silencers from the market “just makes people lose their hearing more often.”

First, do you plan to support the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act when it comes before Congress again and secondly, how does the protection of missing and murdered indigenous women fit into your police reform agenda?

Cawthorn said that he would be “more than willing” to reauthorize VAWA because it is the duty of the government to protect the weak. In general, he’d like to see local sheriff ’s departments make wellness checks a higher priority.

“If there is a woman, or a man for that matter, who is facing a situation when they’re facing domestic abuse or violence of any kind, I believe it’s the role of the government to step in and protect them,” he said. “When it comes to police reform, I would like to see a higher level of intervention when it comes to these domestic violence issues.”

Davis questioned Cawthorn’s level of concern for women in light of the sexual misconduct allegations against him but said that for his part he supports the Violence Against

Women Act. Davis pointed out that Republicans had previously been opposed to the Obama-era legislation.

“Unlike my opponent, I lived, and I’ve got a record. You can look at it,” said Davis. “I was a judge at the Department of Labor, and I’ve got a record of standing up for people and for their rights and making sure that they’re treated fairly. And I’m proud.”

What will you do for college students, and how do you plan to assist them with the burden of paying off their student loans, especially in the middle of a global pandemic?

Davis said that, because “most folks aren’t multimillionaires like my opponent who can pay for college and buy a house to live in while he’s there,” student debt is a big problem that is holding young people back.

If elected, he would support the U.S. Department of Education buying up all $1.6 trillion in existing student loan debt, taking it on as a government debt and charging 0 percent interest — with an option for debtors to pay it back through military or public service.

“I think that’s a fair compromise,” he said.

“Some have proposed eliminating student debt, and I think that’s a slap in the face to those that work hard to make sure they didn’t have student loan debt.”

Cawthorn criticized this plan, saying that it would do nothing but add significantly to an already record-high national debt with the 0 percent interest rate encouraging people to default on their loans.

Instead, he would focus on creating a better job market hinging on lower taxes and less regulation so that people can find good jobs right out of college.

“I do believe it’s imperative that we make the cost of college tuition cheaper, though,”

he said. “That is something that absolutely has to be accomplished because right now it’s unattainable for the vast majority of Americans, and one reason is because the job market is so poor, and that’s because of democratic policies, which I will fight to reverse.”

How would both of you go about protecting the federal lands in Western North Carolina while in Washington?

Cawthorn said he would focus on increasing funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes, monies that are dispersed to counties that contain federal lands not subject to property tax. It’s a big issue in Western North Carolina — for example, in Swain County only 13 percent of the land base is taxable, largely due to the presence of federal lands.

“We know that when places have financial burdens, they tend to be less clean environmentally,” said Cawthorn. “And so that’s something that I would like to have happen where we can bring more PILT money back into Western North Carolina so we can pay for these public lands that make our areas so unique and so beautiful.”

Davis criticized Trump administration funding cuts to the national parks and national forests and said he was “really proud of ” the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act that passed recently to address deferred maintenance needs on federal lands. If elected, he said, he’d want to sit on the Natural Resources Committee so as to have continued input on those issues.

“I’d like to be on the National (sic) Resource Committee, because they’re responsible for our national parks and national forests, which are so important to our economy here in Western North Carolina,” he said.

“It’s the lifeblood of our economy. It’s what brings people here.”

news

Providing Exceptional Cancer Care, ^ Close to Home Sti BOARD CERTIFIED DOCTOR ON SITE EVERY DAY

Jennifer Heaberlin, DO BOARD CERTIFIED MEDICAL ONCOLOGY, HEMATOLOGY

Rebecca Roques-Davis, MD BOARD CERTIFIED MEDICAL ONCOLOGY

HAYWOOD INFUSION CENTER 49 SPICEWOOD DR., SUITE 10B • CLYDE

(828) 456-5214

y

f

Q

See Our Full Selection of Styles and Scents Made With Soy & Beeswax

Smoky Mountain News

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER uick police work coupled with private l surveillance footage landed a Haywood County woman behind bars on several counts related to the partial n burning of several American flags. k “The complainant came in on Saturday y morning [Sept. 5], and we were able to get warrants and locate her on Sunday morning at 11 a.m.,” said Lt. Tyler Trantham of the n Waynesville Police Department. d Trantham explained that the d Waynesville Kiwanis Club noticed several of their flags, displayed on the sidewalk for d Labor Day weekend, had been stolen.

Officers of the WPD soon found the flags in l another location, partially burnt. d Officer Jason Reynolds took the initial report, according to Trantham, and by that evening had a pretty good idea of who was responsible thanks to surveillance video. l WPD officers also had previous contact with the woman, who gave a Buncombe County address but said she was now homet less in Haywood County.

Brandy Michelle Coleman, 33, told offi-

Fall Scents Have Arrived

September 9-15, 2020

t y

Flag burning suspect taken into custody

cers she was married to “Silence of the Lambs” movie villain Hannibal Lecter, and that she was born in Norway.

“I’m here in this country illegally and I fucking hate America,” Coleman told officers per the Sept. 6 arrest report.

Coleman was apprehended as she was allegedly shoplifting $56.18 worth of products from Publix, earning her additional charges. At the time, she was still wearing the same clothes in which she was observed on surveillance video.

As of press time, Coleman was being held on $10,000 secured bond with Brandy Michelle misdemeanor counts Coleman of larceny and possession of stolen goods and a felony charge of burning personal property.

Trantham estimated the value of the flags at $180 each.

The Kiwanis Club places 175 U.S. flags in front of local businesses for several major holidays, including Labor Day, Memorial Day and Fourth of July. Businesses pay a $50 annual fee to the club for their service, which helps the club meet its mission. While the members are heartbroken anyone would do this to an American flag, they were happy to report that Sheriff Greg Christopher had already offered to buy more flags to replace the ones that were destroyed.

Affairs of the Heart

————————————————————————————— 120 N. Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.0526 • affairsoftheheartnc.com

9

news

Constitution Day in Franklin A ceremony honoring Constitution Day will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, outside at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin.

The event will include a reading from portions of the historic document. Remember the social distancing guidelines as directed per the Town of Franklin and NC Governor’s orders. For more information, contact Joe Suminski at 828.371.2307. This event will be held rain or shine.

Haywood woman wins $1 million lotto

Smoky Mountain News

September 9-15, 2020

The new Carolina Black Millionaire Edition game delivered its first $1 million prize to Caterra Ponton of Clyde last week.

Ponton claimed her prize Thursday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. She had the choice of taking the $1 million as an annuity of 20 payments of $50,000 a year or a lump sum of $600,000. Ponton chose the lump sum and took home $424,503 after required state and federal tax withholdings.

Carolina Black Millionaire Edition launched this month with five top prizes of $1 million. Four top prizes remain to be won.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $725 million a year for education.

10

Foundation awards $18,700 to area nonprofits When Haywood-area Realtors merged with their Charlotte counterparts earlier this year to create the Canopy Realtors Association, one big reason was the opportunity to dispense charitable support that would address unmet housing and educational needs.

On Sept. 8, the CHF held its inaugural Community Awards Celebration; five area non-profit organizations received a total of $14,200 in Community Grants this year, including: n The EACH Initiative, Inc. (Ending Area Child Homelessness) received $3,000 to accelerate the entry of homeless children and their parent(s) into the EACH Program, where a case manager and a PWC (People Who Care) group partner with the family as they transition from homelessness to a position of self-sustainability over a twoyear period. n Haywood Pathways Center received $3,000 to provide one month’s rental relief for six families at an estimated cost of $500 per family, in collaboration with the Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency. n Jacob’s Dream House received $3,000 to purchase two refrigerators, two electric stoves, and two $100 grocery gift cards at a cost of $1,500 each for two families. n Mountain Projects received $2,200 to purchase portable power tools that can be moved from one construction site to the

next to build homes in two affordable housing developments. n The ARC of Haywood County, Inc. received $3,000 to hire a consultant to develop and implement a strategic plan to address the barriers to affordable and

accessible housing for individuals who have an intellectual and/or developmental disability.

Another $3,000 was awarded to Haywood County Habitat for Humanity as

part of the foundation’s Habitat Support Program, which has supported Iredell and Mecklenburg county-area Habitats for Humanity since 2007. The money will be used to purchase materials to frame a new home on Sylvan Street in Waynesville.

Two $750 scholarships were also awarded to local students, Tuscola High School graduate Joseph Smart and Pisgah High School graduate Walker Beasley.

To date, Canopy Housing Foundation has distributed $586,749.70 through the Community Grants Program and the Habitat Support Program to community organizations and Habitats in the Charlotte region (and now Haywood County) over the past 14 years. The Foundation looks forward to expanding and continuing this tradition of support in Haywood County.

Jackson County manager receives fouryear contract extension

Adams chooses to break the contract early, he must give the board at least 60 days’ written notice.

The new contract is a “mirror” of the original, Chairman Brian McMahan said in open session prior to the vote. It is the same as the original except for omission of the section on moving expenses contained in the original and the absence of a previously included section outlining the process for Adams’ yearly performance evaluation. McMahan said that the board still plans to conduct an annual performance evaluation but decided the evaluation schedule did not belong the in the contract itself.

The initial contract stipulated an annual base salary of $125,010, with Adams receiving any annual increment, cost of living, bonus or merit increases provided to all regular full-time county employees. At the end of the 2019-2020 fiscal year, Adams was drawing a salary of $135,315, the third-highest among managers for the four counties in The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage area.

Haywood County Manager Bryant Morehead makes $150,118, Macon County Manager Derek Rowland makes $140,000 and Swain County Manager Kevin King makes $98,261.

Prior to his arrival in Jackson County, Adams spent 19 years as the county manager for Alleghany County.

J

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ackson County Commissioners voted unanimously to offer County Manager Don Adams a four-year contract extension following a closed-session discussion on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Adams was hired in 2016 for an initial contract term running from Aug. 1, 2016, through July 31, 2021.

The extension will take effect on Aug. 1, 2021, and continue through July 31, 2025, unless terminated sooner.

Under the contract, the board has the right Don Adams to terminate Adams’ contract at any time without cause, but in that case the county would be required to provide six months of salary, health and dental insurance following termination, in addition to payment for any accrued sick or annual leave. Those terms would not apply in the case of termination for cause. If

J

smokymountainnews.com

Trump Our relatives who served our country were not “losers or suckers.”

Neither are the people you and your followers are killing daily.

190,000 AMERICAN DEATHS Paid for by Seniors for a Safe and Sane America

Smoky Mountain News

symptoms. Detention officers are required by law to make rounds to check on inmates twice an hour or more frequently if they are suffering from a mental health crisis or are under the influence of drugs. Cochran told SMT that Lomas was sitting on a bench in the holding cell during the last rounds, which was done about 24 minutes before he was found unconscious.

According to Lomas’ obituary, he is survived by his mother, three children and three step-children in addition to other close family in Cherokee. A funeral was held on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

“Prayers for Joe’s family and his babies, this is a horribly sad situation and I pray this is a thorough investigation and not one sided, Joe was a very young, something happened that was very wrong,” said Faye McCoy on Facebook. “I have heard horror stories about that jail and some that was most disturbing from an ex DO there, how inmates are treated especially natives with medical issues, I pray this family gets the answers they deserve.”

The Smoky Mountain News requested a copy of the autopsy report, but had not received it by press time Tuesday.

September 9-15, 2020

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR oseph William Lomas, 25, of Cherokee, died while being detained at the Swain County Detention Center on Aug. 28.

According to the sheriff ’s department, Lomas was found unresponsive in a holding cell around 3:50 a.m. Aug. 28.

“The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations was immediately notified and they were on scene around 4:30 a.m. for the investigation, which is normal for a death in a jail,” the sheriff stated on the agency’s Facebook page. “The District Attorney’s Office and the Jail Inspectors Office were also notified. The family was notified earlier this morning. The body has been sent for an autopsy and agents are there now to observe.

This inmate was in a cell by himself with noone else in with him.”

Lomas was taken into custody Aug. 24 after being arrested for a probation violation for a DWI. Sheriff Curtis Cochran told The Smoky Mountain Times that Lomas was kept in a holding cell so he could be treated by a nurse for what appeared to be alcohol withdrawal

news

Cherokee man dies in Swain jail

11

news

Why not grow?

Mike Coble’s hope for downtown Waynesville

BY BOYD ALLSBROOK CONTRIBUTING WRITER t’s 10 O’Clock on a Monday morning. I stroll into J. Gabriel Home and Gifts on Waynesville’s Main Street and am greeted by a blur of commotion. Though the store’s just opened, people are already popping in and milling around displays of jewelry, clothes and chocolate truffles. There’s a flash of grey fur by my feet and I’m suddenly being nuzzled by a gorgeous ice-eyed husky.

Pleasantly shocked, I reach down to pet it, but am interrupted by a short whistle that sends the dog careening away across the shop.

“C’mere Juno,” calls Mike Coble, owner of J. Gabriel and three other Main Street stores.

To me, he says, “I’ll be right with you, sir. We just hired a new employee today, we’re training her up. It’s crazy man. Crazy Monday! But hey — that’s what it’s like here.”

With that, he turns on his heel and resumes leading the new employee around the shop at breakneck speed, expounding on various products with unbridled enthusiasm.

This all takes about 30 seconds.

Perhaps the shop’s high energy stands out especially in contrast to the slower pace so many of us have grown accustomed to in the time of Covid-19. For months after the pandemic first hit, public life ground down to a narcotized slur, forcing many vendors to close their doors forever. Not so with Coble, however. Rather than cut back and hunker down, he’s managed to expand into two new businesses — Georgia Colt, a children’s boutique, and J. Gabriel Embroidery — this summer alone. When asked why he chose this bolder path, he responded, “Why not?” and laughed.

“It’s go-time, now. I’ve got 12 employees depending on me — you can’t be timid with

Smoky Mountain News

September 9-15, 2020

I

12

that. This is the time to grow. I mean, we could just give up, curl up and die like so many other places, or say ‘why not?’ and get after it. What else are you gonna do? Our whole philosophy here is ‘why not?’”

Coble and his wife, Brooke, have taken advantage of unfilled niches in the downtown community.

They opened Georgia Colt just a month after the U.S. pandemic’s April peak.

“Remember that baby store we had years ago, Just Ducky?” he said. “That was a cool place. With that gone there’s really not a kids’ store here in town. That’s why we opened Georgia Colt — it’s named after my kids, Georgia, Colt and Daisy. When you visit a town, you want there to be a lot of different kinds of businesses. You don’t want every shop to be a copy. I want to fill those holes so there’s something here for everybody.”

Coble also sought creative solutions to a customer base now used to shopping from home.

“It’s go-time, now. I’ve got 12 employees depending on me — you can’t be timid with that. This is the time to grow.”

— Mike Coble

J. Gabriel recently expanded into onlineshopping and 10-mile delivery for customers reticent to leave home — options usually unheard of in connection with small-town merchants. This creativity is vital in a time when traditional markets are so uncertain.

“It’s a big blow with the Church Street Festival being shut down. And we’re all still hoping the Apple Festival is still a go. But, this time just goes to show that you’ve gotta make your own luck,” he said.

Just last month, he opened J. Gabriel Embroidery. His excitement about this newest endeavor offers key insight into his broader motivation and philosophy.

“I don’t usually do interviews. I’m not for my own publicity, but I’m doing this for my people,” he said. “I’ve got this one employee who went to school for graphic design, and her dream was always to open a shop kinda

Georgia, Colt and Daisy Coble pose in front of their dad’s new store. like this one. Now she basically runs it and I’m like, ‘Here’s your shop!’ That’s what I love.

It’s all for my people.”

Though Coble has been successful personally, he cares more about fostering growth in the downtown community at large.

“It’s not just about me and my business,” he said. “I want the whole town to grow. Our goal is to have a town with no off-season.

Usually that’s like January through March, but it doesn’t have to be. I want people to see we’re not a Pigeon Forge or Cashiers that’s just open six months out of a year, but that this is a place you can invest in. A home to grow and be safe in.”

Coble hopes to inspire other Wall Street and Main Street merchants to bounce back from their pandemic losses. In keeping with this goal, all of his stores offer a 10 percent discount for any customers who brings an item in that they purchased anywhere in the downtown area.

Using J. Gabriel Embroidery’s parking lot as a Wall Street platform, he also recently started hosting special embroidery days. He

kicked it off with “Pamper Your Pet Day,” on Aug. 22, where pet-owners could come have their pets’ favorite items monogramed at a discounted rate. On Aug. 28, he held a backto-school monogramming event. While these events are small, they play into his larger dream of transforming Wall Street into a second Main Street.

“We’re trying to open up a whole new area on Wall Street,” said Coble. “That’s like a hidden gem back there. There’s a ton of parking.

The buildings are beautiful, if you work on them a bit like we have and Boojum has. It’s like a second Main Street we need to invest in. And it’s not like we don’t have investors in town — we do. We just need them to focus in on downtown.”

These hopes and projects are a different vision for Waynesville after months of economic and mental depression. Growth, not decay. Restoration, not stagnation. In uncertain times that have left many just wishing for normalcy, Coble’s mantra of “Why not grow?

Why not move forward?” may be just what we need.

Online forum held for NC House race

access to health care; financial security (jobs, affordable housing and economic development), and the environment.

Find the Zoom information at www.publicpolicynetwork.net or www.mountaintrue.org on the morning of Sept. 22.

A

An online candidate forum for candidates running for the District 120 House seat will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 22, via Zoom.

The candidate participating will be Karl Gillespie, R, of Franklin, and Susan Landis, D, of Murphy.

This online candidate forum is co-sponsored by the Public Policy Network of Western North Carolina and North Georgia (PPN), in concert with Mountain True and the Hinton Center. The emcee for this event is Hayesville’s own Harry Baughn, host of “Mountain Mornings” on WJRB 95.1 and WJUL 97.7 radio stations.

Candidates will have the opportunity to share their views on many issues that are critical to the voters in District 120, including

Part of entering Phase 2.5 includes gyms being able to open at 30 percent capacity.

Waynesville Recreation Center and the Old Armory officially reopened Sept. 8 and will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Masks will be required for entry to each facility and in common areas such as the lobby at check in; masks are optional during exercising. Age 5 and below will not have to wear a mask. Individuals should observe social distancing when possible.

Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center will begin a phased reopening plan to best navigate the health and safety of patients and guests.

“We are very excited that Governor Cooper is allowing gyms to reopen at 30% capacity,” shared HRHFC Director Scotty Setser. “We’ve been preparing, and we hope the public will have patience with us as we finalize details over the next couple of weeks.”

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Smoky Mountain News

tine. Since Aug. 28, the health department has reported 25 new cases and 31 deaths (most of which have been linked to the Silver Bluff outbreak).

“As case numbers level out, we have an opportunity now to keep numbers low. As always, it remains important to stay vigilant, continue to practice social distancing, wear face coverings, and isolate if sick,” said Public Health Services Director Patrick Johnson.

Meet school board candidates A Community Meet and Greet with law enforcement, candidates for the Haywood County School Board and others in the community will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at Canton Recreation Park.

Two sheds have been reserved and can accommodate 50 in each. Everyone will practice social distancing and people are asked to wear masks if they aren't eating.

September 9-15, 2020

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR s the number of new cases begins to stabilize in Western North Carolina, medical directors urge people to keep doing what they’re doing to prevent another spike.

It’s easy for people to let their guard down when they hear that cases are steadily decreasing, but with more people traveling over Labor Day weekend and more businesses opening under the state’s Phase 2.5, Haywood County Medical Director Dr. Mark Jaben warns of another possible spike.

Jaben told Haywood County commissioners Tuesday morning that Haywood County currently has one of the lowest rates of cases in the country right now and he hopes it stays that way. The county did experience a spike in positive cases in July and early August — half of those cases could be attributed to the outbreak at Silver Bluff Village in Canton but the other half was community spread.

While cases are now at a plateau, Jaben said it’s still not as low as it was before the first big spike and that’s where he’d like it to be. As people’s current behaviors will be reflected in the next two or three weeks, Jaben said cases could rise again as a result of Phase 2.5 and Labor Day festivities.

“I’d like to see the plateau level back where we were before the spike, but what the current numbers are showing us is that enough people are taking the needed precautions,” he said. “And if we want the economy completely reopened and if we want schools to be open to in-person instruction and want them to remain open and we want to live less under the shadow of this virus, we know what it takes.”

Haywood County has had a total of 521 positive COVID-19 cases, but only 42 people are currently in isolation or under quaran-

cafeteria. Students who choose to continue remote instruction in Phase 2 can have meals picked up by parents and guardians at the six school locations weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. excluding holidays.

Haywood County Schools previously announced a goal for returning to in-person learning as early as Sept. 21. Schools will begin communicating with families to determine their intent to have a rotation of inperson and remote learning, or remote learning only. The in-person schedule cannot be established until the actual number of in-person students is determined. The collected intent information will impact instructional schedules, staffing needs and bus accommodations. Student and parent participation in providing their intent information is critical for effective planning by the schools.

Identifying each family’s intent is scheduled to be completed by Friday, Sept. 11.

School administrators will sort the collected intent data for the system’s approximately 7,000 students. A report will be made to the Board of Education on Sept. 14 and an announcement about large-scale in-person learning will be made no later than Wednesday, Sept. 16.

“There are many factors to consider in making a decision about the timing of inperson learning,” said Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte. “In addition to health and safety, two additional key factors are the actual number of students who plan to attend inperson and staffing for both in-person learning and remote only learning.”

news

WNC moves into new phase of COVID

The Fitness Center has already undergone important planning to reopen safely, including tagging machines to maintain social distancing and heightened cleaning protocols. Currently, the second floor air system is being completely replaced, a solution the Fitness Center has had in the plans for some time. It’s estimated the air improvements will be finalized mid-month. The Fitness Center will continue to waive member fees until the gym is reopened. Updates to the Fitness Center’s reopening will be shared publicly through press releases and on the HRMC website and social media channels.

As of Sept. 3, Swain County had a total of 133 cases, but only four active cases and 38 tests pending.

Macon County had a total of 556 cases, but only 12 were active and 106 tests pending. The county has had a total of seven deaths.

Jackson County has had a total of 591 cases, but only 45 people are currently in isolation or quarantine. The county has had seven deaths as well.

Public school systems began their reentry plans in late August, but some schools had to shut back down and move to remote learning a little longer as cases began popping up and creating staffing issues. Jackson County is currently remote learning through Sept. 11, but students will return to school for in-person instruction beginning Sept. 14.

When the district moves to Phase 2, students who return to school in-person will receive free breakfast and lunch from their school

1819 Country Club Drive, Maggie Valley, NC

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

13

news a website to take you to places where there are no websites.

September 9-15, 2020

Log on. Plan a getaway.

Let yourself unplug.

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 14

MEDICARE PROVIDERS & MOST OTHER INSURANCES ACCEPTED

Health

Smoky Mountain News

Harris recognized by Newsweek Harris Regional Hospital was named to Newsweek’s 2020 list of Best Maternity Care Hospitals. The distinction recognizes facilities that have excelled in providing care to mothers, newborns and their families, as verified by the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Best Maternity Care Hospitals is part of Newsweek’s Best Health Care series, powered by data from The Leapfrog Group.

“To see firsthand the level of care that is provided to our patients every day, this designation is only fitting,” said Steve Heatherly, CEO of Harris Regional Hospital. “The amount of passion, focus and teamwork spanning from the physicians at Harris Women’s Care to the skilled nursing staff within the New Generation Family Birthing Center along with the resources and technology available result in our team delivering care at a level above the rest.”

Read the entire article at www.newsweek.com/best-maternity-care-hospitals-2020.

VA gets top marks for patient experience When it comes to patient experience, Charles George VA Medical Center is on the short list of top performers nationwide according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Out of the 3,478 hospitals rated by CMS, the medical center’s five-star rating was among the best, along with only 265 other hospitals.

CMS, the federal administrator of the nation’s major healthcare programs, assigned a patient experience star rating — ranging from one to five stars, with five being the best — to the hospitals based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores collected from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2019.

HRMC recognizes Peripheral Artery Disease September is Peripheral Artery Disease Awareness Month. PAD is a condition that develops when the arteries, that supply blood to the internal organs, arms and legs, become completely or partially blocked as a result of atherosclerosis.

It affects between 8 and 12 million people in the U.S., contributes to difficulty healing wounds and is associated with amputation. Though the symptoms may be serious, an astonishing 40 percent of people with PAD do not experience any symptoms.

“In our Wound Care clinic, we see patients who have had injuries and patients who are dealing with wounds that develop on their feet or legs. We first establish the cause of a wound and establish factors that might affect healing. In doing so we evaluate the arterial and leg vein status. Thereby, we are able to diagnose PVD (peripheral vascular disease of the arteries) and chronic vein disorders of the legs,” said Dr. Joseph Miller, Haywood

Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Wound Center Program Director.

For more information on managing PAD and treating chronic or infected wounds, contact Haywood Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center at 828.452.8594. The center is located in The Homestead at 127 Sunset Park Drive, Clyde, 28721.

Harris, Swain hospitals partner with PT Solutions Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital have partnered with PT Solutions Physical Therapy, a national provider of physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and sports medicine services including athletic training.

The partnership will expand the hospitals’ services in Western North Carolina and provide additional opportunities for the clinical team of therapists caring for patients and student athletes in Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Cherokee, and Clay counties, and Rabun County, Georgia. Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital also have a longstanding partnership with Western Carolina University Athletics and operate a physical therapy and sports medicine clinic at the College of Health and Human Sciences.

The same team of therapists and athletic trainers will serve in the same capacities and at the same locations as always. The team consists of more than 40 therapists and athletic trainers providing evaluation and treatment for patients, and practice, competition, concussion prevention, and injury management for student athletes.

“PT Solutions is a company that we feel shares our values and can provide a focused environment for growth and employee development for rehabilitation services,” said Steve Heatherly, CEO of Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital. “Our therapy and athletic training team is the best in the region, and we are excited to

forge a partnership that will provide limitless growth and development opportunities for our staff and organization, all focused on serving patients and our communities.”

For more information on rehabilitation and athletic training services, call 828.586.7235.

September is Suicide Prevention Month September is the annual Suicide Prevention Month and the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System wants to remind veterans and their loved ones through the Be There campaign that small actions can make a big difference to Veterans experiencing difficult times.

During this and every month, the Health Care System — comprised of Charles George VA Medical Center and community based outpatient clinics in Rutherford County, Hickory and Franklin — remains committed to spreading awareness of suicide prevention to Veterans and their supporters and connecting them to the resources they need.

For more information and resources visit BeThereForVeterans.com. Contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive free, confidential support and crisis intervention. Call 800.273.8255 and Press 1, text to 838255, or chat online at veteranscrisisline.net/chat.

Swain Summits focuses on health To demonstrate this commitment to wellbeing, Swain County Health Department and Swain Community Hospital have partnered (along with support from MountainWise) once again, to bring you Swain Summits, a community-wide wellness initiative.

Swain Summits is a one of a kind community endeavor available to all residents of Swain

15

County or full-time employees in Swain County age 18 years or older. The current program has 233 participants and the goal is to inspire and nurture the healthy spirit among Swain residents one challenge and one step at a time.

Swain Summits will be kicking off again this month with health screening dates starting Sept. 1.

The health screenings will look different this year, they will be by appointment only and following all COVID-19 screening and infection control protocols.

Checkout the events sign-up link on Facebook to register for a screening or contact Trish Hipgrave at trish.hipgrave@swaincountync.gov or 828.488.3198.

Harris offers lung screenings Harris Regional Hospital is now offering a lowdose computed tomography (CT) screening program to help detect lung cancer in patients who meet specific criteria.

In order to qualify for a lung screening, a patient must be between 55-77 years old; smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years; a current smoker or one who has quit smoking within the past 15 years; show no signs of lung cancer; have a physician order the test; and undergo an educational session with the prescribing physician.

For more information, visit www.myharrisregional.com/our-services/lung-cancer-screening or call 828.586.7950.

HRMC publishes annual report Haywood Regional Medical Center recently published its annual community benefit report, which showcases the broad scope of the hospital’s contributions to the Haywood County region and illustrates the many ways the organization invests in the region’s physical and economic health.

“Our mission of Making Communities Healthier is deeply rooted in all that we do,” said Chris Fensterle, interim CEO of HRMC. “We are proud to contribute to the health and vitality of our community by providing quality care close to home and creating places where people choose to come for healthcare, physicians want to practice and employees want to work.”

In 2019 alone, HRMC added 31 providers including interventional heart care, orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology, behavioral health and family medicine; and made more than $3.8 million in capital improvements, including a telemetry system, a navigation system for the cath lab, new vein clinic equipment and upgraded fitness equipment. Additionally, with the fundamental belief that everyone deserves high quality care regardless of their ability to pay, the hospital provided more than $33 million in charity and other uncompensated health services to those in need.

The hospital distributed more than $67 million in salaries, wages and benefits for its more than 860 employees.

View the entire report at www.myhaywoodregional.com.

Opinion Pandemic prompts huge absentee ballot request Smoky Mountain News

What’s happening in North Carolina right now with absentee ballot requests is staggering.

Currently there are around 7.1 million registered voters in North Carolina. Breaking it down, there are 2.55 million Democrats, 2.13 million Republicans, and 2.37 million unaffiliated and a sprinkling of Green, Libertarian and other party affiliations.

As of last week, about 600,000 absentee ballot requests have been made, 16 times more than the 38,871 requests submitted as of this time in 2016. Democrats have requested 300,000 absentee ballots, more than three times as many as Republicans.

Time will tell how this will affect results. President Trump, while visiting Wilmington last week, implored citizens to vote twice — once by mail and then in person — in order to test each county’s election system capabilities. State elections supervisor Karen Brinson Bell, subsequently, politely reminded the state’s citizens that it is a Class I felony to try and vote more than once in the same election.

Mail-in and absentee voting have become a controversial issue as many GOP politicians have openly worried that fraud associated with these ballots could skewer election results.

Trump has fanned those flames, but election officials here and elsewhere say there will not be problems tallying the votes accurately.

RUMBLE The women in our company conceived of and then developed, a weekly newsletter geared toward women, and they are doing some excellent work. If you haven’t checked it out, I encourage readers to do so, both men and women. It’s called Rumble, and you can find the latest edition by clicking on this link or posting it into your browser (https://mailchi.mp/330f022f20c8/celebrating-womensright-to-vote-2529254?e=54c3ff09b8).

We are always looking for new ways to connect with readers, and so this idea made sense from the beginning. The editors focus on a specific topic with each issue, filling the newsletter with original content, podcasts, interviews with

Trump has many accomplishments To the Editor: I keep hearing the term systemic racism. I assume this means racism built into our nation’s systems and policies for years and years. I guess the latest example in our media is supposed to be the black persons killed by cops even though many more whites by far are killed by cops annually than blacks.

I think people easily want to forget all the previous presidents we’ve had that didn’t recognize or do anything about any supposed systemic racism. Even eight years of Obama and Biden didn’t give importance to this cause or do anything to rectify any supposed built-in racism in our many government agencies/departments. Seems the last administration was too busy depleting our military, not protecting our embassies, pandering to Middle East despots and cozying up to China so they could steal our jobs and technology.

No wonder people were tired of the same old

regional leaders and more — and always with a focus on Western North Carolina and its people. It’s just a great read, and as I said earlier, it’s made by women — SMN News Editor Jessi Stone, SMN and Smoky Mountain Living Associate Editor Susanna Shetley, and SMN Staff Writer Hannah McLeod — for woman, but there’s something for all curious minds.

OK, shameless self-promotion here, but I would encourage people to Editor subscribe now while we’re offering prize drawings for those who get others to subscribe to the newsletter and for those who sign up themselves.

Scott McLeod

16

INDOOR TIME I’ve read many articles that used anecdotal observation to deduce that many of us may be spending more time outdoors during this pandemic. Health clubs and gyms are closed, schools were closed, no movie theaters or large concert venues, many offices closed, etc., so people perhaps were substituting some of that indoor time to get outside, walk, hike, do yard work, fix things around the house, etc. Hell, our company even holds some meetings outside now so we can social distance.

If so, that’s probably a good thing.

According to research by two Harvard scholars (“Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity,” Joseph G. Allen and John D. Macomber, in this week’s New Yorker), Americans and Europeans on average spend 90 percent of their lives indoors. If your 50, that means — if you’re average — you’ve spent 45 years of your existence inside a house, car, apartment, office building, school, store, subway, train, airplane or something similar.

The essay goes on to speculate about what that means for health (both mental and physical). It seems logical that more time outside would lead to better wellness, peace of mind,

LETTERS swamp approach and wanted an outsider with some backbone!

Now we’ve got an abrasive New Yorker who was raised in Queens. People knew he wasn’t a polished, silver-tongued, experienced politician and therefor has made many verbal blunders. His everyday language and sometimes clumsy words and phrases are always used against him by various media, groups and political parties. These entities have agendas to dethrone and further the unrest so they can use this to reinstall their old status quo.

Their slanted organized repeated talking points push that any unrest is always Trump’s fault for the history of any supposed systemic racism.

Nonetheless, I believe his policies and successes so far show he loves this country and works hard to make it the best for all legal residents. Experience shows that once a strong outside executive is chosen to lead any entrenched organization with a new approach, the organization will rebel in order

health, and just a better life in general.

Ninety percent. Who would’ve thunk?

BIKES, BITES AND BREWS. I like to ride bikes, but my wife, Lori, loves to ride. It always puts a smile on her face. And during the pandemic, it’s been a good way to social distance.

This weekend we traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee, stayed downtown, and rode bikes for two days. The place has transformed itself over the last 20 years into one of the Southeast’s best small cities: fastest city-wide internet around, an aquarium, minor league baseball, and a host of nice, smaller museums (most closed at this time).

City leaders put a great emphasis on biking, hiking and walking. There’s a great trail that basically goes from downtown to the top of Lookout Mountain, the site of a famous Civil War battle won by the Union that is credited with helping turned the tide of the war. It’s a nearly 10-mile climb, but it’s only steep at the very top. The view back down to Chattanooga is stunning. We rode past tons of hikers and runners.

After that ride on Saturday, we got up Sunday morning and rode the Tennessee River Trail in the city, which is 13 miles and runs through city streets, parks and industrial areas while hugging the Tennessee River (into which the French Broad River flows, into which the Pigeon River flows, into which Richland Creek in Waynesville flows — same water we see every day), a 26-mile out and back.

After our rides, we always search out restaurants and breweries to visit, these days only those with outdoor seating and social distancing. We’ve taken similar weekend trips to Greenville, South Carolina; Knoxville, Tennessee, and Galax, Virginia (New River Rail Trail).

Lori suggested we compile a book she suggested we call “Bike, Bites and Brews.” We shall see. More importantly, the communities in WNC would do themselves well by making more investments in greenways and trails within our small towns and outlying areas. It’s an investment that would benefit locals and tourists.

(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)

to maintain the status quo. Just like the entrenched swamp has pulled out all the stops to oust the new administration even if they have to make it up to disrupt or like some recent ads. It’s hard to believe Trump had the stamina to not only withstand the onslaught but still managed quite a few accomplishments to help the nation.

For the future, I can’t imagine why any of our brightest and smartest would ever choose to be abused and fight the political machine to be president. Seems the system now only promotes smooth talkers with charisma that have built connections and

have no experience operating a business.

Mark Franklin Waynesville

The shadow pandemic takes its toll

Susanna Shetley

L

…Healthcare Never Stops The Haywood Healthcare Foundation (HHF) Annual Golf and Gala event is an established tradition here in Haywood County that helps provide significant funding for Foundation initiatives. Over the last 28 years, HHF has contributed more than $14 million toward improving the healthcare in Haywood County.

Last year’s HHF Annual Golf & Gala event netted $74,000, and those funds, as well as net proceeds from other HHF fund raising events, were dedicated to the expansion of Haywood Community College’s (HCC’s) Health Sciences Education Center and Programs.

When the expansion is complete, HCC would serve up to 100 additional health education students per year, thus providing many necessary healthcare professionals for our communities.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to inform you that the “29th Annual Charitable Classic Golf & Gala” must be canceled. The safety and wellbeing of our golfers and guests is tremendously important to the Foundation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront the important role our healthcare heroes play in our community. Your support is needed now, more than ever, to ensure we can support the critical healthcare our community needs. Your generosity, will help us complete the expansion of HCC’s Health Sciences Education Center, and dramatically increase its capacity as outlined in the enclosed information.

Being a part of the community, we hope you will be able to support this important initiative. The need is critical!

We look forward to the time when we can all be together again for our Annual Charitable Classic Golf & Gala. Thank you for your partnership Donations can be made to: HH Foundaton, 262 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, NC 28721.

Credit Card donations may be made by calling our office at 828-452-8343.

DONATE

SHOP VOLUNTEER

September 9-15, 2020

Now Open with Limited Hours 268-267

Call or visit our website for updated info

WALNUT VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER 331 Walnut Street Waynesville

828.246.9135 haywoodhabitat.org

Smoky Mountain News

ately I’ve been feeling tightness in my chest, an inability to take a nice relaxing breath. When I told my boyfriend this, he asked if I felt OK otherwise. We live in a time where anything related to breathing is immediately connected to COVID-19.

How I knew it wasn’t a virus is that when I went on a long run, my breathing got easier, not more labored.

When I slowed down for a five-minute meditation, my breathing calmed.

After observing my body for several days, I decided the chest tightness and shallow breaths must Columnist be related to stress.

Since then, I’ve been more cognizant to exercise, get enough sleep, eat healthy, meditate and use other methods to ease the anxiety.

I’m apparently not the only one feeling the effects of the world we’re living in.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation Poll, nearly half of Americans report the pandemic is harming their mental health. A federal emergency hotline for people in emotional distress registered a more than 1,000 percent increase in April 2020 compared with the same time last year. The online therapy company Talkspace reported a 65 percent jump in clients since midFebruary, with coronavirus-related anxiety dominating patients’ concerns.

In a Washington Post article, journalist William Wan writes: “When diseases strike, experts say, they cast a shadow pandemic of psychological and societal injuries. The shadow often trails the disease by weeks, months, even years. And it receives scant attention compared with the disease, even though it, too, wreaks carnage, devastates families, harms and kills.”

Combine a pandemic with a downwardspiraling economy, record high unemployment rates, a contentious election, racial unrest, natural disasters and navigating virtual school, and you’ve got millions of people reaching a breaking point.

While we’re all struggling during this pandemic, healthcare workers are especially vulnerable. In the same Washington Post article, emergency room doctor Flavia Nobay is quoted saying, “We’re used to dealing with sick people and seeing terrible things, but what’s devastating with COVID is the sheer volume. It’s like drinking from a poisonous fire hydrant …. It chips away at your soul,” Nobay said. “You have to hold on to the positive and how you’re helping in the ways you can. That hope is like medicine.

It’s as important and tangible as Tylenol.”

And now, as virtual school continues

with no end in site, teachers, parents and students are feeling an increased level of stress and anxiety. Students who were already struggling with mental health issues are now faced with isolation and lack of therapeutic services. With Zoom calls and Google Meets, teachers can literally see into a students’ chaotic home life which leaves a teacher feeling helpless and fatigued.

Parents are trying to juggle working from home while ensuring their children are getting an education, or entrusting their child’s learning into the hands of a baby-sitter or family member.

At the end of the day, it’s very overwhelming, and there are no easy answers.

The CDC and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America offer suggestions to help ease feelings of anxiety and depression.

Along with exercise, getting outside, eating a mood boosting diet, limiting alcohol, finding joy in simple pleasures and staying hydrated, they remind folks to connect with others. While it’s harder to be with one another physically right now, we can stay connected to those in our own homes. We can also use other modalities, such as FaceTime, phone calls, emails and letters, to stay in touch with loved ones from afar.

Brené Brown, professor of sociology, author and expert on vulnerability, offers these four core suggestions for battling COVID-related anxiety and depression.

Understand the toll anxiety takes: Adrenaline has a short life span and cannot fuel us through a crisis that is ongoing. If we haven’t already, we must grieve the loss of normalcy and find a new normal in which to live until we begin to see the other side of this.

Move your body: We hold trauma, grief and anxiety in our bodies. The only way to combat this is to get moving. Whether it’s running, walking, yoga or weight training, we need to move our bodies every day.

Don’t rank your suffering: I feel like I can’t be annoyed that my fifth grader missed his Washington, D.C., trip because that’s nothing compared to the ER doctor who is on the floor every day or the woman who lost her husband to COVID-19. But, Brown says we cannot rank our suffering because it can affect our empathy toward others. Allow yourself to feel what you feel.

It’s OK to be vulnerable right now: Brown relays it best by saying, “There is no courage without vulnerability. I don’t want you to be vulnerable and all gooey for vulnerability sake. I hate that crap. That is not my personality at all. I’m just saying that vulnerability is the birthplace of courage.

And if we want to be brave, we have to be real. And that requires risk.”

Although these tips can help the masses, some people are experiencing much worse depression and anxiety. As an altruistic species, we must reach out to our friends and family who may be struggling with more severe emotions or feelings of isolation. And if that person is you, don’t be scared to ask for help.

(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist for The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain South Media. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)

17

18

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

All we need is music, sweet music Drive-in music series rolls into Maggie Valley

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER few months ago, Russ Keith was cruising down U.S. 19 through the heart of Maggie Valley. Soon, he noticed the festival grounds out of the corner of his eye. He pulled in, stopped and got out of his car.

“The gate was unlocked, so I just walked out there and stood in the middle of the property,” Keith said. “And I knew this was the place — it needs to happen right here.”

Owner of The Grey Eagle Music Hall in Asheville, Keith saw immense potential in the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds as a destination for a drive-in concert series. Now, with everything in place, the series will officially launch on Sept. 20 with bluegrass legend Sam Bush.

Bush will be followed up by Americana/folk juggernaut Mandolin Orange, who will perform on Oct. 2, with the iconic Del McCoury Band to take the stage Oct. 3. More acts will be announced in the coming weeks and months.

At press time on Tuesday, The Grey Eagle announced an additional drive-in show with St. Paul & The Broken Bones on Oct. 29 at the Ghost Town in the Sky parking lot in Maggie Valley. There are other shows also expected to be held on that site moving forward.

With the current pandemic, the entire live music industry has pretty much come to a screeching halt. So, promoters and venue owners had to get creative. By being able to adhere to social distancing guidelines and protocols, the drive-in series has taken flight slowly and steadily around the United States.

“It was very challenging, just trying to find the right location and getting the right people onboard who see the vision that we have,” Keith said. “It’s been great working with the Town of Maggie Valley and the community itself. They were itching for some live music and they knew of the reputation of The Grey Eagle.”

A legendary venue in the Southeast, The Grey Eagle is regarded as one of the most beloved and storied stages of its kind across the country. In the last year, The Grey Eagle’s popular Taqueria inside the venue opened two new culinary locations, both in partnership with BearWaters Brewing’s taprooms in Canton and Maggie Valley.

“We want to let people know that The Grey Eagle isn’t going anywhere,” Keith said. “We’re trying our best to keep The Grey Eagle spirit out there, whether it be our patio shows in Asheville, the Taqueria spots in Haywood or this new drive-in series.”

Through the partnership with BearWaters, Keith has now put down roots in Haywood County, something which parlayed itself into confidence in putting together the drive-in series. Also alongside Keith is Jeff

A

The Del McCoury Band (right) will play the drive-in series on Oct. 2. (photo credit: Haywood County Tourism Development Authority) Whitworth of Worthwhile Sounds.

A full-service booking agency and artist management company in Asheville, Whitworth has worked with The Grey Eagle and several other venues (and festivals) around the Western North Carolina for several years.

Most notably for Haywood County, Worthwhile Sounds is also the booking arm behind the annual Cold Mountain Music Festival at the Lake Logan Conference Center.

“Honestly, it’s refreshing to be back in the saddle again and to be pushing music out there,” Whitworth said. “Tickets for the drive-in series are already selling well, which is reaffirming to our belief that people are ready to get back out and experience live music — they’re missed seeing it and we’ve missed putting it on.”

In terms of the festival grounds, the setup with be as follows: 250 cars allowed (with different ticket pricing tiers available), each vehicle will be given a 20x20-foot box with space for parking and for outside seating/viewing (bring your own camping chairs), with the concert also transmitted live to your FM car radios (if you choose to remain in your vehicle).

“The festival grounds was an obvious choice for us because it has an infrastructure that doesn’t exist in a lot of places where you’re doing drive-in and pop-up shows,” Whitworth said. “The property already holds largescale car events throughout the year, so that shows

Want to go?

The Grey Eagle drive-in concert series will kick off with bluegrass legends The Sam Bush Band at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Tickets start at $100 per carload (allowing up to six people per vehicle).

Americana/folk juggernaut Mandolin Orange will perform on Oct. 2, with the iconic Del McCoury Band to take the stage Oct. 3.

More shows will be announced.

For more information on tickets and/or the social distancing guidelines for the series, visit www.thegreyeagle.com, click on the “Calendar” tab and scroll to the show date you’re interested in attending. how well-structured the facility is to do a drivein series. It also has multiple entry points for vehicles coming in and going, which is on a four-lane highway near a major interstate — it’s a win-win for everyone.”

For the Town of Maggie Valley and greater Haywood County, that “win-win” is something of a silver-lining in a year of festival cancellations, with tourism faltering amid the pandemic and an event calendar that has been pretty much wiped clean.

“We wanted to work with Russ and The Grey Eagle from day one. Their reputation is second-to-none in the Asheville music scene — they’re about quality,” said Nathan Clark, town manager of Maggie Valley. “We went slowly through this process to get it right, with our thinking now as to how to make this a longterm relationship with The Grey Eagle.”

“We’re very excited to see such an innovative event happening in Maggie Valley and Haywood County,” added Ben Wilder, assistant director for Visit NC Smokies and the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority (TDA). “The drive-in concert series will bring in a significant impact on weekdays and weekends this fall. We look forward to welcoming new visitors and music enthusiasts to our community.”

For Whitworth, someone who has worked in the music industry for over 20 years, he can’t help but smile knowing that the industry he’s poured his heart and soul into is finally starting to reemerge in this “new normal” of societal interaction and live music experiences.

“With the uncertainty and the great unknown of everything that’s going on right now, it’s reassuring and rewarding to see these ideas and events come to fruition — to see these things take life,” Whitworth said. “Now? We just have to set our sights to the finish line of that first drive-in show and then grow and evolve from there — we’ll get there.”

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

I get the urge for going, but I never seem to go

L

The North Country of Upstate New York. Garret K. Woodward photo Even as a teenager, I remember that creeping sense of self as graduation approached and we — still kids — had to either jump into our wildest dreams or fall back into the safety net of familiarity in that small town.

That whole “thing” triggers anxiety, doubt, fear, but also ambition, compassion and drive to persist in your far-reaching endeavors of the heart and soul. And yet, as we grow up and grow apart, we all daydream about the other side of the fence, that whole “grass is greener” adage, which usually is always on all of our minds, regardless of what side we may stand on.

I never wanted to become an adult and get older with regret. I always ran for the horizon. I still chase after dreams like butterflies just out of reach, that will land on you when you’re ready, and calm and collected.

ANNETTE SAUNOOKE CLAPSADDLE author of

Even as We Breathe Thursday, Sept. 10th, starting at 6PM

5”& 6”

CUSTOM SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Smoky Mountain News

LAUNCH CELEBRATION!

And yet, there is loneliness and alienation in that, too, where you still have to work on yourself and how you view the world outside your front door as an opportunity and not an obstacle. Every human being is an evolving work in progress, where each day it’s about aiming to be a better person than you were the day before.

Whether you pursue your dreams or decide another course (which can also unlock new, unknown dreams), what everything truly — and honestly — comes down to is memories made and remembered with friends and family. The older you get, the more you realize that sentiment to be the truth. Do with it what you will. But, when all is said and done for you and me, it will be about moments shared with loved ones.

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

September 9-15, 2020

abor Day 2020. After finishing up my arts feature for this week’s newspaper, I jumped into the old Tacoma and headed for Lake Logan to swim and layout in the sunshine of a fading summer. Park down the gravel road and grab a seat on the dock. Pop open a cold beverage and hoist it high to those familiar and beloved faces surrounding you.

Later that night, I found myself at my dear friends’ house out near Allens Creek in Waynesville. The last of the sun’s rays were falling behind the mountain ridge as we sat on their front porch listening to the bugs humming in the trees and the nearby field.

After dinner, we all decided to watch the new Charlie Kaufman film “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” on Netflix.

Known for his staggering cinematic works like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Adaptation” and “Being John Malkovich,” his latest flick swirls around the idea of loneliness, delusions of grandeur and what it means to realize how quickly time flies when, well, you’re not having fun. It’s a dizzying spectacle of a film, of which it set my mind and thoughts into a frenzy.

Of course, this is a very distilled take on an incredibly complex film. But, in essence, it shows the mindset many of us have about how different things could have turned out in our lives if one thing was changed: if you’d gone left instead of right, had chosen this significant other instead of someone else.

Missed opportunities and ignored red flags.

Thinking “it’s never too late,” but then realizing the sands of time have almost disappeared from your hourglass.

Once the film ended, I got back into the Tacoma and headed back down the mountain to my humble abode in downtown Waynesville. The entire drive I kept thinking about my current reality in Western North Carolina.

What if I never took the job at this newspaper? Would I even ever know my friends, swim in that lake, watch that film with them, head back to that apartment in that town I’ve called home since 2012?

Yes, that train of thought can lead to an existential crisis of sorts. But, it’s always something in the back of your head, the notion of cause and effect in every single move you make, for good or ill.

We either constantly look over our shoulder at where we were and look down at where we stand, or we simply put faith into the cosmos that your path is your path, and you just have to trust that the outcome will, ultimately, workout in your favor (this also brings in the idea of “good karma,” of which I’m a subscriber).

There’s a scene in “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” where the main character talks about being a janitor and the odd feeling of seeing these young faces year-afteryear graduate school with high hopes and aspirations, only to run into them — like clockwork a year or so later — working behind some counter in the same small rural town, eventually fading into the landscape of their once promising youth.

Now, first and foremost, “it is what it is,” in terms of who you are, what you want to do, and where you want to end up. What some folks might find as stability and happiness (having a family, career, home), others may view as chains that hold them down from flight. And vice versa, where seeing someone walk through life with a devil-maycare attitude may seem reckless and careless to the next person.

It’s really a matter of perspective, and of introspection, where you must see reality for what it is: real and right in front of you. You can either accept what you wake up into as your place in the grand scheme of things, or you can change that scenery, whether physical or emotional.

For myself, I took that scene from “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” deeply. I grew up in a small town on the Canadian Border.

Replacement Gutters • New Construction

Western Carolina Home Exteriors 3 EAST JACKSON STREET • SYLVA • 828/586-9499 • CITYLIGHTSNC.COM

828.734.7399

19

Smoky Mountain News

September 9-15, 2020

arts & entertainment

On the street WCU virtual art events Although the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University is closed to the public during the WCU fall semester due to COVID-19 restrictions, audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy a selection of virtual events and experiences, with a line-up of streaming events beginning in September.

The WCU Fine Art Museum is currently offering an interactive 360-degree virtual tour of the exhibition, Cultivating Collections: Paintings, Ceramics, and Works

by Latinx and Latin American Artists. This multi-year series of exhibitions highlight specific areas of the WCU Fine Art Museum’s Collection, which includes over 1,800 works of art in a wide range of media by artists of the Americas.

Throughout the fall more virtual events will be available, learn more at arts.wcu.edu/cultivatingcollections.

The BAC Performance Hall has partnered with the SouthArts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers to present a free documentary film series that audiences can watch in the comfort of their home. The films this fall are available to watch on browsers through computers and mobile devices, along

with Rokus, Amazon Firesticks, SmartTVs and more through the app, “Eventive TV.” Each stream is followed by a post-film interview with the film’s director and/or other member of the film crew. The film series opens with the documentary, Coded Bias, streaming at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, and 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20.

Coded Bias explores the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini’s startling discovery that facial recognition systems do not see

Yonder Mountain String Band. dark-skinned faces accurately, and her journey to push for the first-ever legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in the algorithms that impact us all.

Shalini Kantayya, the film’s producer and director, will be interviewed immediately following each stream. Learn more about this film, the entire series, and how to register for a free ticket by visiting arts.wcu.edu/filmseries.

Discover further virtual WCU arts events and experiences by visiting arts.wcu.edu/blog.

The Sock Hops.

Sock Hops return to Franklin

An oldies group known for singing beautiful four-part harmonies of memorable songs from the ‘50s, ’60s and ‘70s, The Sock Hops will perform an outdoor concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

The performance includes many hits: 20 “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” “At the Hop,”

Asheville Music Hall announces Haywood series

“Sherry” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

This event will take place outdoors as a “drive-in” style concert. Patrons may stay in their vehicle or bring lawn chairs to sit in a designated socially distant area near the elevated stage. Curb hop concessions will be available for purchase (cash only). Please watch the theatre website for news about cancellations due to weather.

Tickets are $18 each. To purchase tickets or to find out more information, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER ollowing the recent announcement by The Grey Eagle of its drive-in concert series in Maggie Valley, the Asheville Music Hall made its series public last week, which will take place at the Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville.

“Unlike any other options we saw, the location spoke to all of us instantly,” said Matteo LaMuraglia, talent buyer for the Asheville Music Hall. “Not only is the venue spacious and all grass, but the layout of the venue instantly inspired our team to envision and start organizing an optimal drive-in concert experience. We knew all attendees would not only enjoy, but also appreciate the beautiful backdrop of the mountains.”

Formerly the Haywood County Fairgrounds, the center will play host to beloved bluegrass act Yonder Mountain

String Band at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Gates will open at 5:45 p.m. Aside from the group playing live onstage, there will also be a large screen streaming the show in real time.

“As far as with what the future brings, we’re navigating the uncertainty of the pandemic as best we can. We’re planning this first series almost every weekend through October, and if everything goes smoothly and safely, we’d love to continue to bring more live music to the area in the spring,” LaMuraglia said.

“We feel like the drive-in concept will still give people a chance to enjoy live music, even if it’s just with a small group of people in a designated area, but safely with your closest friends.”

Tickets start at $150 per carload (up to four people per vehicle). For more information on the series and/or to purchase tickets, go to www.ashevillemusichall.com, click on the “Events” tab and scroll to the Yonder Mountain String Band listing.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host Western Carolina Writers w/Cody Siniard, Jesse Frizsell & Nick Mac 8 p.m.

Sept. 12. Free and open to the public. www.elevatedmountain.com.

• The Great Blue Farms Brunch & Blooms will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays through Sept. 12 at 1101 Briartown Church Road in Nantahala/Topton.

Admission is $75, which includes a tour, brunch, all flowers, supplies and container to take home your floral masterpiece. www.greatbluefarms.com or 828.508.1502.

F

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends and Good Bonez 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Will James 7 p.m. Sept. 19. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends and Gunslinging Parrots (rock/jam) 6 p.m. Sept.

11. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

ALSO:

• 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.

• 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.

On the shelf

Jeff Minick

I

in black families.

Though Rubin ended the interview feeling as if his viewers, including the cameramen taping the show, had witnessed his “intellectual execution,” he nonetheless nobly insisted on the interview with Elder being run without cuts.

••• For those parents teaching at home, or guiding students through distance learning, a few reminders and reassurances: If your children are learning to read, to write, to do math, and to explore history and science, then they’ll be fine academically. With competence in those fields, students can master any subject whatsoever.

For grades K-6, let me again recommend the E.D. Hirsch “The Core Knowledge Series.” Hirsch, a professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia-Charlottesville, produced books for each of these grade levels: What Your Kindergartner Needs To Know, What Your First Grader Needs To Know, and so on. Each volume is packed with myths, poetry, stories, history, and lessons in science and math. You can learn more about the Core Knowledge Foundation at coreknowledge.org.

Middle-school and high school students might want to follow some advice once offered by C.S. Lewis: “It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one until you have read an old one in between.” Old books, like some old people, are treasure houses of stories and wisdom from the past, offering perspectives different from our own.

Happy reading, everyone!

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com)

Clapsaddle reading at City Lights There will be a special reading and signing by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle for her new novel, Even as We Breathe, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Starting at 6 p.m., she will address the passersby with selections from her book. After the reading, there will be an alfresco autographing on the patio at City Lights Cafe. Following the signing, those of us who are of age will progress next door to the lawn in front of The Paper Mill Lounge to hoist a glass in honor of Saunooke.

Her first novel manuscript, Going to Water is the winner of The Morning Star Award for Creative Writing from the Native American Literature Symposium (2012), a finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction (2014). After serving as Executive Director of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Annette (National Board Certified since 2012) returned to teaching English and Cherokee Studies at Swain County High School.

She is the former co-editor of the Journal of Cherokee Studies and serves on the Board of Trustees for the North Carolina Writers Network.

We are open

Magazines - Newspapers 428 HAZELWOOD Ave.

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

Is Your Business Facebook Account More Than You Can Manage?

Ask How MSM Can Help!

Smoky Mountain News

And from that point on, Rubin began to regard himself as a classical liberal. Not a liberal like Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, or Lyndon Johnson, or Bill Clinton, but a classical liberal of the nineteenth century who believed in individual freedom and a very limited government. He also became a man hungry for facts and evidence in argumentation.

After recounting the circumstances of this conversion, Rubin explores different hot button issues in American culture: gun control (he supports the Second Amendment), gay marriage (he’s married to his husband David, but understands why some might disapprove), the war on women (“Western women are not oppressed. There, I said it”) and other topics. As a classical liberal, he tries to approach each subject with facts and reason, knowing all the while that others will disagree with him.

And some of his friends, as he relates, disagreed vehemently, cutting off long-time relationships, accusing him of sexism and racism. Conservatives, too, will find some of his ideas as disagreeable as do his progressive friends.

But here’s the objective: Rubin wants us

to think again, to converse with each other, to use reason and facts in our arguments, and to agree to disagree civilly when no consensus can be reached.

Near the end of Don’t Burn This Book, Rubin makes this most important observation regarding our current cultural chaos: “As we have progressed in terms of freedom, rights, and tolerance, we have regressed in defense of what got us here in the first place.

Postmodernism, now the main school of thought at so many of our academic institutions, has rejected objective truth in exchange for subjective feelings.”

Don’t Burn This Book offers excellent advice on how to bring some semblance of peace to our culture wars. I didn’t agree with everything Rubin wrote, but that’s exactly his point. We don’t have to agree. But it does help if we’ll at least listen to one another and make rational arguments.

Highly recommended.

September 9-15, 2020

t’s September 2020, and you’d have to be living as an anchorite in the deserts of New Mexico if you are unaware of the turmoil in American society. The coronavirus crisis, the riots in various American cities, the daily bombardment of charges and countercharges from candidates for political office, members of the mainstream media, bloggers, and anyone else with an ax to grind: all provide evidence that we are as deeply divided a country as possible without actually engaging in civil war.

Maybe it’s time we took a deep breath and stepped away from the circus of shrieking voices and pointing fingers.

Maybe it’s time we look to reason and evidence for our salvation rather than sinking into a bog of emotions Writer In Don’t Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason (Sentinel/Penguin Random House, 2020, 224 pages), Dave Rubin urges readers to listen to others with different viewpoints, to ask questions, and perhaps most importantly, to bring facts and evidence to these debates. Host of The Rubin Report, where he interviews guests from all manner of political and cultural camps, Rubin tells us how he moved away from the prejudices of his own beliefs to inquiry based on data and facts, and shows us how we can do the same.

In what he describes as “the biggest defining moment of my professional life,” in January 2016 Rubin interviewed Larry Elder, an African American conservative radio host, columnist, and author. Rubin, who at that point still considered himself a progressive, asked Elder about “‘systemic racism’ in America — a social theory I presented as fact.”

“Give me an example,” Elder asked him.

“Tell me what you think the most systemic issue is.”

Throughout the rest of the interview, Elder tore him to pieces.

When Rubin brought up cops shooting blacks, Elder unleashed a barrage of facts and statistics demonstrating Rubin’s false premises. Using these same weapons, Elder discussed popular misconceptions about black life in the inner city and the problems

arts & entertainment

What if we tried thinking instead of screaming?

Reading Soothes the Soul

828.452.4251 susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com

21

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

22

Beyond the waterfalls Asheville writer releases first written history of DuPont State Forest

titles are hiking guides, and two focus on the experiences to be had using public lands — one covers her 1,000-mile hike of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and another takes readers inside each of the 71 National Park Service units in the Southeastern U.S. “I’ve always been interested in the history of the land. Even in my conventional hiking guides I always dug into what happened there and the history, but this was very different in that it had to be a narrative,” she said.

True to form, Bernstein’s research included joining Friends of DuPont Forest and hiking each of the forest’s trails. Some of those experiences did make it into the book, but its main goal is to tell the tale of how the land came to house a factory that became an economic powerhouse of the region, what it was like to work there, and how that industrial operation eventually gave way to the muchloved state forest in place today.

“I had to make it like a story,” she said.

THE DUPONT STORY

Triple Falls is one of DuPont State Recreational Forest’s most well known waterfalls. Danny Bernstein photo

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER anny Bernstein’s fascination with DuPont State Recreational Forest began soon after she moved to Asheville in 2001.

“The first hike I took in DuPont Forest was to High Falls,” Bernstein wrote in her new book DuPont Forest: A History. “Like other visitors, I gawked and stared at the falls as I clicked one shot after another. It was a spectacular waterfall. Then I turned around and spotted a tall chimney on a hill. I walked up the wooden steps and saw that the chimney had a fireplace on two sides. A date had been engraved in the concrete. No other clue, no plaque, no sign — I was not in a museum. But

D

I knew there was a story here beyond the waterfalls.”

Bernstein started asking around. There are literally hundreds of books covering every aspect of the history of the nearby Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Surely there must be at least one telling DuPont’s story?

But she could never find anything more than a smattering of articles.

“Nobody had put the whole story together,” she said.

She decided to do it, and The History Press released the resulting book this month.

Bernstein is the author of four other published books, but this project would turn out to be much different from the others she’d tackled thus far. Two of her four previous

Learn more Danny Bernstein will join author and Smoky Mountain News writer Holly Kays at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, for a conversation about her new book DuPont Forest: A History, to be held via Zoom.

Offered by Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, the event is free with registration. Bernstein’s book, as well as Kays’ titles Trailblazers and Traditionalists: Modern-Day Smoky Mountain People and Shadows of Flowers, are available for purchase at Malaprop’s.

Learn more or register at bit.ly/2ZhSRR7.

Luckily for Bernstein, the 10,400 acres that now comprise the state forest offered up plenty of stories spanning generations of characters.

The land’s recorded history stretches back to 1799, when Revolutionary War veteran John Thomas Jr. was given — as bounty land for his service — a tract that most likely included High Falls, Triple Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. In the early 1850s, John Thomas’ son Micajah built the Buck Forest Hotel at the intersection of present-day Cascade Road and Staton Road, entertaining guests traveling to the mountains from upstate South Carolina.

After that, the land changed hands several times until 1910, when it was sold to Tench Charles Coxe and remained in the Coxe family thereafter. Another tract of land that would eventually become part of DuPont’s holdings, known as Guion Farm, was bought by engineer Alex Guion in 1951.

DuPont Corporation first turned its eye to Western North Carolina in the 1950s as it geared up to produce hyper pure silicon for the nascent semiconductor industry. The process required pure water and pure air, something the company was sure it could find in the mountains of WNC. In 1956 DuPont bought 5,359 acres from Frank Coxe and smaller owners in Transylvania County along with 5,411 acres from Alex Guion in Henderson County.

The plant soon became a successful and important part of the region’s economy. By 1958, it had an annual payroll of $1.5 million — the figure grew to $4 million by 1967 — offering locals the chance to work a steady job in exchange for high pay and top-tier benefits.

“Everyone was eager to get a job with DuPont,” Bernstein wrote. “The company was already well known for its high safety standards. Eager young men still in their teens were looking for their first job. Supplies were bought locally, which boosted the local economy. With $2.5 million of annual purchases,

the company needed a professional purchasing agent.”

After purchasing the property, the company tore down the Buck Forest Lodge, which by then had become run down with “haphazard and unpredictable running water and electricity.” However, the DuPont Employees Recreation Association, formed in 1963 with management approval, soon began working for enhanced entertainment opportunities among the workforce. For $2 per year, employees could join an organization that offered families “a Kiddie Xmas party, Easter Egg hunt, DERA dance, Fishing in Little River, Hiking, Barn for horses, Picnic…

And the list goes on.” In 1973, the company newsletter announced that a new lake would Danny Bernstein be built for employees, and two years later the lake opened complete with a 400-foot deck and 14 campsites.

By 1962, silicon was no longer a competitive product and the plant began to produce X-ray film instead.

“They had bought the land to make silicon, and silicon required good air and good water,” said Bernstein. “Once they switched to film, they didn’t need 10,000 acres, but they were very concerned about their neighbors.

They were very concerned about other people polluting their streams upstream.”

In researching the book, one of Bernstein’s biggest surprises was learning that DuPont executives were talking, almost from the beginning of the venture, about what they should do with all the unneeded land. For decades, the company relied on logging to get the land the pay for itself and also realize a small profit, planting 500,000 white pine trees upon purchasing the property.

DuPont continued to produce X-ray film until 1995, when it announced it would sell the plant. The following January Sterling Diagnostic Imaging bought the 2,700 acres containing the factory, but the question was, what would happen to the rest of the land.

The plant’s life was coming to an end, but its death marked the birth of a new creation — Dupont State Recreational Forest. In 1997, DuPont sold 7,600 acres to The Conservation Fund for $2.2 million, a price that hung below market value and was considered a bargain sale. The Conservation Fund then transferred the land to the State of North Carolina.

Just two years later, Sterling Diagnostic sold 476 acres of the plant property to Agfa, but the remaining 2,223 acres were purchased by developer Jim Anthony for $6.35 million, higher than the state’s $5.5 million offer.

Anthony planned to build houses on the property, but after prolonged public outcry the state took the title by

Law enforcement is investigating an early morning shooting that occurred just before 3 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, near milepost 364 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The incident involved two men. One of

the men shot the other as he was allegedly breaking into the shooter’s car. The owner of the vehicle called 911 immediately to report the incident and is currently being held by investigators. The man who was shot has been transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville with injuries requiring surgery.

The Buncombe County Sheriff ’s office will be the lead investigative agency with assistance from the National Park Service.

outdoors

Early morning Parkway shooting under investigation

eminent domain in October 2000.

Before long, the Agfa operation announced that it was closing the plant completely in order to consolidate operations in South Carolina. In 2002, the facility shut down for good. After Agfa tore down

*

PER YEAR! Subscribe at smliv.com and use promo code FW2020

*Offer expires 9/30/2020

’

Smoky Mountain News

‘I

ONLY $18.99

September 9-15, 2020

because so much of it is depending on people’s memories,” said Bernstein. “Very little is officially written about DuPont.”

To gather these stories, Bernstein started by chatting with the people she shared the trail with on hikes with the Carolina Mountain Club. As her interest grew, she found herself setting up official interviews, traveling to people’s homes or else buying them lunch or coffee while they shared their memories.

Bernstein began attending a monthly breakfast for retired DuPont employees, held at a café between Hendersonville and Brevard and segregated “not by sex and not by race, but by whether you were an hourly employee or an engineer or chemist,” she said. Every time, The ribbon is cut on Hubbard Field, a baseball field that said Bernstein, she was the only opened in 1974 and was built atop buried waste from the woman there — the plant was plant. Chan Hubbard family photo always a man’s workplace.

“I just listen,” she said.

“Most of them don’t want to Biking is a popular talk about the old days. They pastime at DuPont. want to talk about what they’re David Vance photo doing now.”

Any interviews with the men from the breakfasts would take place elsewhere, during a separate meeting. That’s how she met one of her favorite interviews, a World War II veteran in his 90s named Earle Johnson who was likely the plant’s very first engineer. He told her about how the pipes froze his first year there after the temperature went down to negative 20 degrees. Johnson, who moved to Brevard from New Jersey, was in disbelief the buildings on site, cleanup responsibilithat the temperature could get that low this ties reverted back to DuPont. This property far south. After the interview, Bernstein is now known as the “donut hole,” a chunk checked National Water and Climate Center of private land surrounded by thousands of records and found that, indeed, the temperacres of public forest. One day, it’s likely to ature in Brevard had dipped to negative 20 become part of the state forest. But with in February 1958. environmental cleanup efforts still continu“Years ago, when I told my parents that I ing, it will remain private for the time was going to marry an engineer, my dad being. was thrilled,” Bernstein writes earlier in the book. “‘Engineers make the best husbands,’ JUST LISTEN he said, which at the time seemed absurd.

At the heart of Bernstein’s book are stoBut overall, engineers are smart, dedicated ries. Not stories pulled from a textbook or a to their job, make a good salary and are too magazine or even from old letters and jourbusy or indifferent to cheat. These are good nals, but rather stories gathered one by one odds for a successful marriage and a happy from personal conversations with the peolife. These are also good odds for a successple who lived them. ful interview.”

“Even though The History Press wanted After writing Dupont Forest: A History, to call it a history, I call it a memoir, Bernstein would know.

smliv.com MAGAZINE

FIND US ON

Amazon, Kindle and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

23

outdoors September 9-15, 2020

Jackson rec announce reopening plans

Sylva Pool Sunday, Sept. 27. Fee is $10.

To join in, register at www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

The Jackson County Recreation Centers in Cullowhee and Cashiers will reopen on Monday, Sept. 14, but with significant operational changes.

To use the centers, people must call one day in advance to make a reservation, with space limited to the first 12 people in each time slot. Individuals may only reserve time for themselves and/or for immediate family members and may reserve only one hour-long time slot per day. The facilities are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays, and phones reservations can be placed 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

Seniors ages 55 and older will have exclusive access to the facilities 9 to 11 a.m.

Monday through Saturday and 2 to 3 p.m.

Sundays.

Showers, lockers and water fountains will be closed, and masks are mandatory when not in a workout room. Equipment such as basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls will not be available for checkout, and basketball courts are open for individual play only, with visitors required to bring their own balls. The aerobics and spinning room will remain closed, and only half the cardio equipment will be available. Group fitness classes will continue in online or outdoor formats only.

To make a reservation, call the Cullowhee center at 828.293.3053 or the Cashiers/Glenville center at 828.631.2020.

Waynesville rec opens additional facilities

Get on a paddleboard Jackson County Parks and Recreation will be making use of its stand up paddleboard inventory with two upcoming events this month. n A SUP adventure at Bear Creek Lake will be offered 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept.

19. Fee is $30. n A SUP yoga session will be offered at the

The Waynesville Recreation Center and Old Armory will reopene for additional activities at 30 percent capacity at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept.

8, in response to Gov. Roy Cooper’s announcement that North Carolina is entering Phase 2.5 of reopening.

Masks are required to enter each facility and to use common areas such as the lobby at check-in. Masks are optional while exercising, and children ages 5 and younger are not required to wear one. Individuals should observe social distancing rules when possible. n The Rec Center is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., remaining closed on Sundays. The gym is open for pickleball and volleyball only, and the pool, water park and racquetball courts are all open. In the weight room, half the equipment will be available Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the other half Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. In the upstairs area, a reduced number of ellipticals and treadmills are available, with half the upstairs weight machines available Monday, Wednesday and Friday with the other half Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

A class schedule will be published Sept.

14, with classes starting Sept. 21. Certain programs will not be offered due to COVID-19, including birthday parties, childcare, judo, swim lessons and ballroom dancing.

Multipurpose rooms will be closed. n The Old Armory is open at 30 percent capacity 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The gym is open for pickleball and walking and the pottery room is open for use.

The cafeteria is closed and certain programs will not be offered. n Outdoor basketball courts and playgrounds are open as of 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4.

A group of volunteers shows off their bags of recently collected trash. WCU photo

Pick up the Tuckasegee Like most other large events this year, the 36th annual Tuck River Cleanup slated for April 18 was postponed due to COVID19 restrictions, and now Western Carolina University has announced plans for a new, socially distanced version of what has long been one of the nation’s largest single-day trash pickup efforts.

To participate, pick up trash at any outdoor location any time between now and Friday, Nov. 20. Take a selfie at the location with the trash collected, and stop by the front desk of the Campus Recreation Center

to show the photo and receive a free T-shirt while supplies last. The desk is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located at 379 Memorial Drive in Cullowhee.

While picking up trash, be sure to follow pandemic-related health guidelines as well as trash pickup guidelines. Don’t touch needles or sharp objects, don’t lift heavy items, and always wear gloves and watch traffic.

Transport trash to a proper receptacle — don’t leave bags on roadsides, parking lots or trails. www.tuckcleanup.wcu.edu.

Join the Big Sweep Volunteers are needed for the Big Sweep, an annual countywide stream cleanup event that will feature four locations in Haywood County this year on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Cleanups will occur from 9 to 10 a.m. beginning from the town halls of Maggie Valley, Clyde and Canton, as well as in Waynesville at the Vance Street pavilion in the Waynesville Recreation Park.

Volunteers should be prepare to work in the sun, get a little dirty and possibly get wet. Wear closed-toed shoes, long pants and bring plenty of water. Trash bags, grabbers, reflective vests and gloves will be provided. This year’s cleanup is sponsored by Haywood Waterways Association, Commission for a Clean County, Town of Waynesville, Town of Clyde, Town of Canton, Town of Maggie Valley and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

To help out, RSVP to Christine O’Brien at Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

Smoky Mountain News

Mild fall color display predicted for WNC

24

The fall color forecast is looking dim for 2020, according to the annual prognostication offered by Western Carolina University biology professor Beverly Collins.

The color peak will likely be less dramatic than usual unless the region sees a stretch of sunny days and cold nights in late September and early-to-mid October, Collins said. Some level of stress and cold temperature is required to promote abundant yellow, orange and red pigments in the trees’’ leaves, she said, and such weather has been absent from Western North Carolina this summer.

Beverly Collins. WCU photo “The warm, rainy summer caused little drought or ‘hot sunny day’ stress and promoted a lush, full, green leaf canopy,” Collins said. “This is true even in some species we don’t want around. For example, kudzu seems to be overtaking road signs and covering trees at a faster clip than in years past.”

A long-term forecast predicting warmer-than-average temperatures in September and October means that low temperatures around Cullowhee may not reach the 30s until the last week in October — the summer weather pattern might be around for longer than normal.

Fall colors are a mixture of pigments that are revealed as photosynthesis and chlorophyll production wind down and eventually stop as the weather turns cold. These pigments — especially the yellow and orange pigments — play a role in photosynthesis and help protect the plant from stresses; for example, when there is drought, when it’s bright and hot, or under high UV conditions.

The pigments are always there in the leaf, but may be relatively less abundant when conditions are wet and warm. The red pigments, called anthocyanins, are also produced more in fall when the weather turns cool.

While a muted fall color display seems likely, Collins acknowledged that, as with any forecast, there is room for variation.

“As we know, local light and temperature conditions vary widely in the mountains over elevation, slope exposure and vegetation type, and there certainly will be areas where colors are brighter or arrive earlier or later,” Collins said. “Sites that typically ‘turn earlier’ are likely to do so again, and colors will progress down the mountain and north to south as they have done in the past.”

Eat fresh

Virtual book club will explore climate change solutions

Smokies telethon canceled, donations still needed

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

• • • • •

Calories 0

Tires Brakes Alignment Road Service Tractor Tires

% Daily Value * Tot al Fat 0g

Authorized Motor Fleet Management Maintenance

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

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.

OUR SPECIALS ARE THRU OUT THE STORE Too many to mention Come see for yourself SALE PRICES END SEPT 12

19 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SALE

CELEBRATION CONTINUES • TILE 12”X12” 49C SF 4 COLORS • VINYL TILE 89C SF 3 COLORS • ROLL CARPETS FROM 49C SF • ENGINEERED WOOD 1/2’ X7” $2.49 SF • CORK 2 COLORS $1.99 SF • CARPET REMNANTS SPECIALS 12X12 UP TO 12X18 FROM $49 UP TO $99

227 Muse Business Park • Waynesville, NC

Smoky Mountain News

Due to the pandemic, Friends of the Smokies has had to cancel its annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon, which it typically holds at the end of August to raise money for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

However, the need is not canceled.

Friends of the Smokies must raise $75,000 for a new fully equipped search and rescue vehicle as well as additional funds to support other critical park needs.

Telethon partners WBIR and WLOS are creating a revised Donor Drive to take the place of the typical telethon format, and that drive will take place later this year. Dates and information will be announced later at www.friendsacrossthemountains.org. the site also contains a donation portal.

Nutrition Facts

September 9-15, 2020

A virtual book club through the Highlands Biological Foundation this fall will cover the book Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming.

Over the course of nine weeks, participants will read about solutions for the Highlands Plateau and discuss what actions they can take to mitigate negative impacts on the environment. No prior knowledge about climate change, climate science or solutions is necessary.

Meeting times are still being determined. An interest poll is available at www.highlandsbiological.org.

828.526.2623.

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, INC.

outdoors

From gathering ingredients to enjoying a finished dish, a Sept. 12 event beginning at 3 p.m. at The Mountain in Highlands will have it all.

Chef Sandra Stefani, originally from Pisa, Italy, will offer a tour showcasing the mission of The Mountain — bringing the community closer to their food — that includes picking fresh ingredients form the onsite farm.

Participants will then receive instruction on preparing a four-course dinner, when they’ll then enjoy with wine and good company “al fresco” with spectacular mountain views. Lodge accommodations are available.

Tickets are $150 for dinner only, and $200 for dinner with lodging. Register at www.themountainrlc.org.

828-456-7422

“YOUR FLOORING SUPERSTORE”

www.CARPETBARNCAROLINA.COM HOURS: M-F: 8:30AM-5PM • SAT 9AM-3PM

25

Quality Trailers, Quality Prices outdoors

Ford and East prepare for their adventure. Donated photo

pricing starting at $499

Trailer Center

financing available, ask for details

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

Tour de Smokies fundraising challenge begins

Smoky Mountain News

September 9-15, 2020

At midnight Friday, Sept. 4, a pair of experienced Smokies hikers embarked on a 900-mile challenge in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the goal of raising $60,000 for the park’s Preventative Search and Rescue program.

Nancy “Seal Mom” East and Chris “Pacer” Ford will catalogue their Tour de Smokies journey on East’s blog “Hope and Feather Travels” at www.hopeandfeathertravels.com. Along the way, they’ll show hikers what it takes to properly train and

26

prepare for such an adventure.

Funds raised will go directly toward funding two seasonal rangers. The rangers will assist with rescues and be part of the Smokies’ increased preventative efforts. They will oversee a cadre of volunteers who will hike various areas in the park to help visitors make good choices about their hiking.

To donate, visit www.friendsofthesmokies.org, call 800.845.5665 or mail a check to Friends of the Smokies, P.O. Box 1660, Kodak, TN 37764.

GAF goes online NOC’s Guest Appreciation Festival has been a staple in Western North Carolina since 1982, but due to COVID-19 this year’s festival will morph into a virtual appreciation event throughout the month of September, with no in-person festival the weekend of Sept. 25-27.

GAF 2020 will run Sept. 1-30 and feature the annual used boat sale, deals on NOC Adventures, discounts on gear from the Outfitter’s Store both online and in-store, contests and giveaways and fundraising for American Whitewater.

While no in-person festival will occur, recreational releases on the Cascades and Upper Nantahala are still scheduled as normal for Sept. 26 and 27, respectively.

To stay on the inside track, join the #GAF2020 information list at noc.com/events/guest-appreciation-festival-gaf.

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

Donations needed for conservation project Donations are needed to finish fundraising for a $3.1 million conservation project in Burke County.

The Oak Hill Community Park and Forest project aims to create a 651-acre destination for hiking, mountain biking, outdoor education, archeological exploration and community events. The Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina still needs to raise $250,000 before it can purchase the second half of the property, 321 acres, and complete the land acquisition portion of the project. The purchase is scheduled to close Sept. 30. The conservancy purchased the initial 330 acres in January 2020.

The deadline for donations is Friday, Sept. 18. Donate online at www.foothillsconservancy.org/oakhillpark, call 828.437.9930 or mail a check with the memo line “Oak Hill Park” made out to Foothills Conservancy at P.O. Box 3023, Morganton, N.C. 28680.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Southwestern Community College students will host four debates this fall. The first debate will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, students will guide conversation in a debate between candidates for U.S. House of Representatives: Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis. The following debates will take place Sept.

24, Oct. 8 and Oct. 22 between candidates for Jackson County Board of Commissioners, N.C. House of Representatives and M.C. Senate respectively. SCC will provide live streaming video at https://livestream.com/southwesterncc/congress2020. For updates about SCC’s debates, check SCC’s website (www.southwesterncc.edu) and social media pages (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) regularly.

• There will be a Community Meet and Greet with Law Enforcement, candidates for the Haywood County School Board and others in the community from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Canton Recreation Park. Two sheds are reserved and can accommodate 50 people in each.

Participants will practice Social Distancing and should wear masks if they aren't eating.

• There will be a ceremony honoring Constitution Day at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, outside at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin, NC. Participants will celebrate this great nation in sing along with a reading of portions of the Constitution of the United States of America. Remember the social distancing guidelines as directed per the Town of Franklin and NC Governor’s orders. For more information, contact Joe Suminski at 828.371.2307. This event will be held rain or shine.

• The North Shore Cemetery Association will be hosting a downscaled version of the Reunion from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Deep Creek Picnic Shelter north of Bryson City.

There will be no organized services or agenda.

Participants should bring lawn chairs and other items necessary for an outdoor picnic while maintaining social distancing.

• The next curbside Grocery Giveaway will be held from 12:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Sunday Oct. 4, 2020 at Live Forgiven Church, 45 Crown Ridge Road Sylva. This is free and open to anyone who can use a little extra help. For questions, email Chris and Crystal, FoodMinistry@LiveForgiven.Life.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a free webinar series for those looking to start or pivot a small business. The series will include virtual learning opportunities on key topics ranging from writing a business plan and choosing a legal entity to marketing and bookkeeping. The series will begin with “How to Write a Business Plan,” from 4 - 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. “Choosing Your Small Business Legal Entity” will be held from 1-2 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 18. “Marketing Your Business” will be held from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24.

“Basics of Bookkeeping” will be held from 2-4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5. “How to Find Your Customers” will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 22. Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register today.

n All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering a live online Digital Marketing & Public Relations Certificate program Sept. 18 – Nov. 6 (six Fridays) from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration fee for the full program is $640, individual workshops are $119 each. For more information and to register, visit pdp.wcu.edu or email Jill Thompson, WCU’s associate director of professional development at jcthompson@wcu.edu.

• Get schooled in the Smokies with one of the varied programs offered through the University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School this fall.

Courses cost $69 apiece with the exception of Fall Nature Photography, which costs $99. They are led by a variety of experienced and skilled instructors.

For a complete course list or to register, visit aceweb.outreach.utk.edu/wconnect/ace/showsche dule.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Haywood Pathways Center and The Community Kitchen will hold their first Unified Charitable Golf Outing to be held on Friday, Sept. 25, at Springdale at Cold Mountain. Registration may be completed online at www.haywoodpathwayscenter.org or at Haywood Pathways (179 Hemlock Street, Waynesville) or The Community Kitchen (394 Champion Drive, Canton).

HEALTH AND WELLNESS • Waynesville Yoga presents a “Two Week Journey to Self Discovery” with Amber Kleid beginning Sept. 13. The program will explore setting boundaries, designing your future, your creative self, simple acts of self-care and kindness, mindful eating and more. For more information, or to register, visit waynesvilleyogacenter.com.

• Waynesville Yoga studio presents a four-week series, “Introduction to the Chakras.” The series will be hosted by Leigh-Ann Renz from 8:30 to 10 a.m. each Sunday in October at the Waynesville Yoga Center. For more information, or to register, visit www.waynesvilleyogacenter.com.

A&E

• There will be a special reading and signing by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle for her new novel, Even as We Breathe, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept.

10, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

• The Sock Hops will perform an outdoor concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets are $18 each. To purchase tickets or to find out more information, go to www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Will James 7 p.m. Sept. 19. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host

Smoky Mountain News

27

Western Carolina Writers w/Cody Siniard, Jesse Frizsell & Nick Mac 8 p.m. Sept. 12. Free and open to the public. www.elevatedmountain.com.

• The “Haywood County Medical Exhibit: 18701950” 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.

• Part of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville, the Kids at HART program will offer classes in acting, directing and musical theatre dance. Registration is currently underway.

Classes will run Sept. 14 through Nov. 16. To register, go to www.harttheatre.org

SFR, ECO, GREEN

147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE

828.506.7137

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey

• The Jackson County Arts Council is now accepting applications for Grassroots Sub-grants.

Interested organizations can obtain application information at www.jacksoncountyarts.org or by email at info@jacksoncountyarts.org. The deadline for acceptance of applications is Sept. 15.

Call 828.507.9820 or by email at info@jacksoncountyarts.org.

Juli Rogers, REALTOR 828.734.3668

JuliMeaseRogers@gmail.com

FOOD & DRINK • Beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, Chef Sandra Stefani, originally from Pisa, Italy, will offer a tour showcasing the mission of The Mountain in Highlands that includes picking fresh ingredients form the onsite farm.

Participants will then receive instruction on preparing a four-course dinner, which will then be enjoyed with wine. Tickets are $150 for dinner only, and $200 for dinner with lodging. Register at www.themountainrlc.org.

71 N. MAIN STREET | WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

828.564.9393

• The Great Blue Farms Brunch & Blooms will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays from Aug. 8 through Sept. 12 at 1101 Briartown Church Road in Nantahala/Topton. Admission is $75, which includes a tour, brunch, all flowers, supplies and container to take home your floral masterpiece. To register, click on www.greatbluefarms.com or call 828.508.1502.

Climate Control

Outdoors

• Jackson County Parks and Recreation will be making use of its stand-up paddleboard inventory with two upcoming events this month. A SUP adventure at Bear Creek Lake will be offered 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19. Fee is $30. A SUP yoga session will be offered at the Sylva Pool Sunday, Sept. 27. Fee is $10. To join in, register at www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

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

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

Call: 828-476-8999

MaggieValleySelfStorage.com MaggieValleyStorage4U@gmail.com

• Tremont Institute is offering support and resources for schools this year as they prepare for teaching and learning during a pandemic. The annual Teacher Escape Weekend will this year be offered as a virtual workshop, with sessions Sept. 11-12 and Sept. 25-26 at a cost of $50 per weekend. Register at gsmit.org/educators/teacher-escape.

• Get schooled in the Smokies with one of the varied programs offered through the University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School this fall. Courses cost $69 apiece with the exception of Fall Nature Photography, which costs $99. For a complete course list or to register, visit aceweb.outreach.utk.edu/wconnect/ace/showsche dule.

Climate Controlled

Ellen Sither esither@beverly-hanks.com (828) 734-8305

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

Market WNC PLACE

Announcements

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.

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.

Auction ONLINE AUCTION, Commercial & Residential Real Estate Auction in NC & SC, Online Only. Begins closing 9/23 2pm. Visit our website for details, maps & inspections, ironhorseauction.com, 800997-2248, NCAL#3936

ONLINE ONLY AUCTION, NCDOT Residue Property, NC Mountains, Division 14. Begins Closing 9/15 2pm. Properties in Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Macon, Polk, Swain & Transylvania Counties. i r o n h o r s e au c t i o n.c o m 800-997-2248.

NCAL# 3936 ONLINE ONLY AUCTION, 2 Acre US Hwy 17/ NC 58 Opportunity Site, Begins Closing 9/11/2020 at 2pm, Jones County, Pollocksville, NC, Does not have city or county zoning, ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248, NCAL 3936

AVAILABLE POSITIONS • • • • • • • • • • • •

Rooms Manager Reservations Bellman Servers Bartenders Host/Hostess Bussers Sous Chef Cook Pastry Cook Dishwashers Housekeepers

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Houseman Laundry 2ND Shift Laundry Turndown Attendants Fitness Manager Spa Attendants Pool Attendants Spa Concierge Cosmetologist Licensed Massage Therapist Gardener’s Assistant Acorn’s Warehouse Associate

(Full-time year round, full-time seasonal, part-time seasonal) Benefits available for all FT employees (medical, dental, vision, long term/short term disability, life & 401K)

Limited Housing Availability

Please apply online at oldedwardsinn.com/careers

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

find us at: facebook.com/smnews September 9-15, 2020

Business Opportunities

AUTHORS WANTED! Page Publishing will help you self-publish your own book. FREE author submission kit! Limited offer!

Call now: 888-910-2201

Employment 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.

NEW HOTEL AND RESTAURANT HIGHLANDS Formerly known as The Main Street Inn, The Highlander Mountain House and the Ruffed Grouse Tavern is located right on Main Street in the beautiful town of Highlands, NC. Opening soon and staying open all year long, we are seeking all job positions for Front and Back of the House. Positions include Host, Server, Bartender, Food Runner, Porter/Bell Hop, Housekeeper, Overnight Auditor, Sous Chef, Line cooks, prep cooks and dishwasher. We offer competitive salaries and need good UHOLDEOH SHRSOH WR ÂżOO WKHVH roles. info@highlandermountainhouse.com MEDICAL BILLING/ CODING ASSISTANT NEEDED Full or part time position for experiHQFHG RIÂżFH SHUVRQQHO Must have medical billing and coding experience.

Fax resume to 828-586-7624.

TOWN OF FRANKLIN FIRE CHIEF The Town of Franklin is accepting applications for a full-time Fire Chief. The position will be responsible for leading a combination department comprised of 27 volunteers and 6 full-time ÂżUHÂżJKWHUV 7KH 7RZQ FXUUHQWO\ KDV D ÂżUH LQVXUDQFH rating of 3 within the corporate limits, and a class WKURXJKRXW WKH ÂżYH PLOH corporate district.

The chief oversees and SDUWLFLSDWHV LQ ÂżUH SUHYHQWLRQ ÂżUH VXSSUHVVLRQ training and emergency response of paid and volunteer staff, as well as administrative duties for the department. Work is conducted in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards; IHGHUDO DQG VWDWH ÂżUH building and mechanical codes, laws and regulations; local ordinances and departmental policies and procedures. The chief reports directly to the Town Manager.

Recruitment and Selection guidelines: Thorough knowledge of standard ÂżUH SUHYHQWLRQ FRGHV NFPA standards and federal, state, county and departmental standards, rules, and regulations.

Thorough knowledge of techniques for handling hazardous materials.

Ability to act with sound judgment in routine and emergency situations.

Thorough knowledge of departmental budgeting practices, and the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Needs to be able to establish and maintain effective working relationVKLSV ZLWK 7RZQ RIÂżFLDOV

WNC MarketPlace

employees, volunteers, professional engineers, contractors, business owners, homeowners and the general public.

Residency within the Town is not required, but residency should be close enough to the Town to respond adequately when needed. Desirable education and experience: Graduation from High School and at least 5 years of experience LQ ¿UH SUHYHQWLRQ VXSpression, investigation or related area and some administrative experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Preference for college degree in Fire Science, Emergency Management, or a related ¿HOG 3RVVHVVLRQ RI D valid North Carolina commercial driver’s license and a Fire Inspector, Fire 2I¿FHU )LUH ,QYHVWLJDtions, and EMT-B. The Town of Franklin participates in the N.C. Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System, and RIIHUV EHQH¿WV LQ KHDOWK dental and life; participates in a 401K deferred compensation plan, which the Town contributes 5% for full-time employees.

Salary Range - $57,331 to $84,631 depending on TXDOLÂżFDWLRQV 7R DSSO\ Please submit a Town of Franklin application form, in addition to cover letter, resume and transcripts to the Macon County NCWorks Career Center ofÂżFH ORFDWHG DW 0DFRQ Avenue, Courthouse Annex, Franklin, NC 28734.

Mailing address is 5 West Main Street, Franklin, NC, 2IÂżFH FRQWDFW number is 828-369-9534.

The application form can be downloaded from the Town’s website at www.franklinnc.com, or picked up at Town Hall located at 95 East Main Street, Franklin, NC 28734. A pre-employment background check, physical and drug screen is required following a conditional offer of employment. The position will close on September 11, 2020. A copy of the SRVLWLRQ FODVVL¿FDWLRQ FDQ be obtained at www.franklinnc.com. For additional questions please contact Travis Tallent, H.R. 2I¿FHU DW

ext. 312. (828) 524-2516 ttallent@franklinnc.com CLEANING ASSOCIATE- PT Haywood & Jackson County Mountain Projects Inc. is currently accepting applications for part-time cleaning associates at Head Start centers in Haywood & Jackson Counties. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license, High School Diploma or GED required. Ability to clean, sweep mop, vacuum ÀRRUV RSHUDWH ZDVKLQJ machines and dryer; perform routine cleaning of classrooms/toys/classroom furniture and do laundry daily for center classrooms. Experience cleaning and doing laundry required. Monday-Friday 11am-4pm. Please apply at www.mountainprojects.org. AA/EOE RECEPTIONIST opening at an independent insurance agency in Sylva. We need someone dynamic who loves working in a fast-paced environment, can remain calm under pressure and enjoys being the point person for our guests. Applicants must be outgoing, possess excellent phone etiquette, beginner to intermediate computer abilities, and positive communication skills.

Proven work experience as a Receptionist, )URQW 2IÂżFH 5HSUHVHQtative or similar role LV SUHIHUUHG %HQHÂżWV include a competitive salary, health insurance, and an employer contribution retirement plan. Please email your cover letter and resume to wncinsurancecareers@gmail.com.

CASTILLO

Tree Service, Etc, Inc.

• Dangerous Tree Removal • Pruning • Creating Views

FREE ESTIMATES • INSURED

828-342-3024

saulcastillo7212@gmail.com

www.wncmarketplace.com

INSTALLER TECHNICIAN Carolina Mountain Cablevision, Inc., located in Waynesville, NC, is a privately-owned telecommunications company and is currently seeking resumes for an Installer Technician. We are looking for experienced cable TV or FTTP Installer or Cable Technician to help us grow our network and subscriber base. The applicant must: • Have experience installing TV, phone, and internet services for residential and commercial accounts • Have experience with hand tools, power tools, hydraulic equipment, ladders, etc. • Have a good driving record • Be self-motivated and dependable with the ability to work independently • Be quality and service focused • Be able WR GHDO ZLWK GLIÂżFXOW customers and members of the public in a professional, courteous manner • Be available for “On Callâ€? Duty on weekends and overtime as needed with little notice • Live in or close to Haywood County, NC • Be able to pass a drug test and background check This person will be responsible for the installation of telephone, cable, and internet service from the utility pole into a customer’s home, will install and set up modems, digital equipment, etc. in a customer’s home, and be able to detect, troubleshoot, DQG Âż[ SUREOHPV DV they occur with the services offered to a customer. We will be accepting resumes until August 31, 2020. Salary is dependent on level of experience. Anyone interested should e-mail their resume to sanders@ccvn.com or fax it to 828-536-4510. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourage veterans to apply. sanders@ccvn. com

Homes For Sale CHARMING OLDER HOME on Hwy 107 next to Sylva Dollar Tree.

Tremendous potential for rental or commercial development. $375k OBO. 828.230.9997 elliottness51@gmail.com

Legal Notices NOTICE TO INTERESTED CONTRACTORS 3UHTXDOLÂżFDWLRQ 5HTXHVW – Audio Visual (Bid Package 26.1) WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY STEM FACILITY Owner: Western Carolina University CM at Risk: Skanska USA Building, Inc. Skanska USA Building Inc. is currently seeking to pre-qualify Audio Visual contractors to participate in providing, installing and terminating AV equipment in the new 6-story project called the “Western Carolina University STEM Facilityâ€? which is located on the University’s main campus located in Cullowhee, NC. The deadline for submission of the State of NC’s required prequaliÂżFDWLRQ IRUP DQG DWWDFKments is September 23, 2020. Please contact Teresa Thomas at 984212-0661 or teresa. thomas@skanska.com to obtain the pre-qualiÂżFDWLRQ LQVWUXFWLRQV DQG form, and to complete the SUHTXDOLÂżFDWLRQ SURFHVV 2QO\ WKRVH SUH TXDOLÂżHG through this process will be allowed to provide a lump-sum bid for the work. We anticipate this scope of work will be performed in January of 2021. In support of Western Carolina’s diversity and inclusion efforts, Skanska is committed to creating an environment of inclusion that affords historically under-utilized businesses equal access to the economic opportunities that sustain our community. HUB-owned businesses are encouraged to participate.

SUBMIT ADS ONLINE

www.wncmarketplace.com

September 9-15, 2020

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BID Sealed bid proposals for the Jackson County Animal Rescue Center and Green Energy Park, in Sylva, NC 28779, will be received in Commissioners Board Room A201 in the Jackson County Justice Center, 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva, NC 28779 by 2:00 PM EST on date October 1, 2020. All bid proposals will be opened and read aloud in Commissioners Board Room A201 at 2:00 PM EST on October 1, 2020. Bidders are encouraged to arrive early at facility due to the fact that security may delay entry. This project consists of new work at the existing Green Energy Park, including new roadways and parking, walking trails, QHZ DQG PRGLÂżHG VLWH elements and utilities, as well as the construction of a new 10,000 square foot Animal Rescue Center. The project also includes the demolition of an approximately 10,000 square foot steel structure and associated slab located at the current site of the new Animal Rescue Center. The County reserves the right to reject any bid for failure to comply with all bidding requirements or of the Contract Documents; however, it may

waive any minor defects or informalities at its discretion. The County reserves the right to reject any bid received after the designated closing time. The County further reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or to award the Contract which in its judgement is in the best interest of the County. All Bidders are required to submit a 5% Bid Security with their bid. Upon award of the contract, a separate performance and payment bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price will be required. All proposals shall be lump sum single prime contract.

All Bidders shall comply with the requirements of North Carolina General Statute 143-128.2. The low bidder shall provide documentation of compliance. Jackson County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, national origin, age, ORFDOO\ RZQHG ÂżUPV Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) and Minority and Women Business Enterprises (MBE or WBE) capable DQG RWKHUZLVH TXDOLÂżHG WR SHUIRUP ZRUN GHÂżQHG by the construction contract are encouraged

SPACIOUS PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SUITE AVAILABLE TO RENT $1595 Featuring 4 private offices and conference room on main level. 3 private offices with conference room on ground level. Includes 2 restrooms and kitchenette. Available NOW 256 N. Main Street, Waynesville

*Single independent office available top floor $300 - 258 N. Main Street

(828) 452-1688 www.haywoodrentalsnc.com 58 Pigeon Street • Waynesville, NC

WNC MarketPlace

29

SUPER

CROSSWORD

THE END IS IN SIGHT ACROSS 1 Rum brand 8 River of D.C. 15 Winger of Hollywood 20 Qom native 21 Great Plains tribe 22 "Sk8er Boi" singer Lavigne 23 Method of making customers' mixed drinks?

25 Surrender 26 Dairy farm machine 27 Mai -28 Slithery creature 29 Metal deposit 31 Added a coward as a Facebook connection?

37 "Unto the Sons" author Gay 41 Apple center 42 Arles article 43 Prosecuting attorney's statement about his lastever client?

51 Bewildered 52 Dentist's filler 53 On the -- (in hiding) 55 Gift add-ons 58 Nice smell 62 "A mouse!"

63 Popular pain reliever 65 Golf rarity 66 Noted U.S. lithographer holding some salad greens?

70 One nosing around 72 R&B singer with the 2003 hit "4Ever" 73 Exemplars 74 Forebode the spilling of Chablis and Chianti?

79 80 81 82 83 84 85 87 90 99 100 101 102 110 111 112 113 117 118 125 126 127 128 129 130

Golf ball holder Black -- cattle Wide foot spec Yule tunes Bunks, e.g.

TV "Science Guy" Garb Bellybutton variety Email a large image file in error?

Color tone Vivacity Nasty type Funds given to a certain soccer player?

IM giggle Lift up Teeny-tiny Seer's site Estate in the country Trumpeting beast wins someone's affection?

Ashley or Mary-Kate Monte Carlo locale Vail, for one Must have Get more precipitous Climbed monkey-style

DOWN 1 Baby's tie-on 2 Football coach Parseghian 3 Tony's wife on "The Sopranos" 4 Voting "nay" 5 Cambodian money unit 6 Like a cold, damp cellar 7 Like the article "a" or "an": Abbr.

8 Golf average 9 Hosp. scrubs sites

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 24 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 38 39 40 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 63 64 66 67 68

Longest river in Scotland Photo finish?

Photo finish In advance Waggish sort Hotel chain with a sun logo Showed plainly Rest period Poet Rainer Maria -Mayflower man John Make a gaffe Giant Mel Yell of cheer Here, in Haiti Long period Gun org.

Salami seller Rock's Lewis JFK data JFK jet, once Lifesaving team, in brief 2018 is one TV's Jamie Lacking in variety Absconded Counterfeit Lift up Untangled Untidy states New York's -- Zee Bridge "AWOL" or "FAQ," e.g.

1714-27 king of England Most unctuous Lo -- (Chinese dish) Songwriter Harold Totals (up) Falsification Middle marks Large vase Retort to "Are not!"

69 71 75 76 77 78 83 85 86 88 89 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 114 115 116 119 120 121 122 123 124

Author Anais Letters on an AC Actor Bruce Yard intruder Bump on -"The jig --!"

Test version Action Old New York ballpark Robbins of "Short Cuts" Hard water Forked (out) Many beach mementos TV Tarzan player Ron "Thwack!"

Ending for serpent Get rid of, as a bad habit -- de Oro Slithery creature -- Rex (cat variety) Force out of the country Counterfeit Water jugs Ignited anew Irk "Just joking!"

Hair lock Egyptian sacred cross Twice CCI Slant Bakery buy With it, man Exist "The Mugger" actress Martin R&B singer Des'-Bummed out

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

to participate. PRE-BID MEETING A non-mandatory, but highly recommended, pre-bid meeting will be held for interested bidders on site on September 17, 2020 at 2:00 PM EST at Green Energy Park, 100 Green Energy Park Road, Dillsboro, NC 28725. Potential general contractors, abatement contractors and building subcontractors are encouraged to attend.

Digital copies of complete SODQV VSHFLÂżFDWLRQV and contract documents can be received by contacting Cary Perkins at cperkins@mcmillanpazdansmith.com. Bid documents are on display and can be purchased from Henco Reprographics at https://www. hencoplanroom.com and (828) 253-0449. For purposes of coordination, primary contact for project information is: Project Manager: Cary Perkins, AIA Title: Architect E-Mail Address: cperkins@mcmillanpazdansmith.com Signed: Don Adams County Manager Jackson County, North Carolina

Medical 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

Pets MEDIUM-HAIR CAT – BLACK &WHITE,HATIO 5 year old, big guy with lots of character! I enjoy being petted but like my space sometimes. (610) 297-5135 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org

Real Estate Announcements LEASE YOUR LAND FOR HUNTING. Prepaid annual lease payments. $5M liability insurance.

We handle everything for you. Base Camp Leasing 1-866-309-1507 www.basecampleasing.com Promo Code: 339

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! 844359-4330

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

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

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

September 9-15, 2020

WNC MarketPlace

45

RV SPOTS $ AVAILABLE

PER MONTH

at Canton location

ONLY 2 LEFT!!!

THE BEST RIDES IN THE BLUE RIDGE REGION

VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE

Meltdown GATHERING

CARVING UP BLOOD MOUNTAIN

Lake Country Travels

FRONT ROYAL, VA PLAM WERKS DRAGON RIDING TIPS SPRING 2020

Curves to Cure What Ails You

SUBSCRIBE TODAY USE PROMO CODE WOW2020 FOR 20% OFF NEWSSTAND PRICE

W W W. b l u e r i d g e m o t o r c y c l i n g m a g a z i n e . c o m

Great Smokies

STORAGE LLC Call 828.506.4112 greatsmokiesstorage.com 434 Champion Drive, Canton, NC 28716 21 Hollon Cove Rd, Waynesville, NC 28786 September 9-15, 2020

Holiday Cookbook Submit Your Recipes Today!

Share your memories!

www.tastethemountains.com Appetizers Beverages

Soups Salads

Main Dishes Side Dishes

Breads Desserts

Smoky Mountain News

Submit your favorite recipe to be featured in our inaugural holiday cookbook. We’re looking for all types of dishes, from traditional homestyle favorites to farm-to-table delights.

*If you would rather write out your recipes, you can mail them in. Please include your name, email or phone, dish name, ingredients and instructions. PO Box 629 • Waynesville, NC 28786 While we thank you for submitting your recipes, due to space all recipes may not be printed in this year’s edition.

31

The Haywood Ministry's Annual Charitable Golf & Gala Dinner has been cancelled for 2020. However, your continued support is vital to meet both the crisis and daily needs of the less fortunate in Haywood County.

100% OF FUNDS DONATED GO TO CLIENTS AND FAMILIES. Therefore, we ask you to consider a donation to HCM. SPORSORSHIP LEVELS: $5000 + UNDERWRITER $500 + GOLD

$2500 + PLATINUM $350 + SILVER

$1000 + DIAMOND $250 + BRONZE

For golfers who regularly play in our tournament, we suggest a donation of the normal golf tournament entry fee of $150.

As our way of thanking you for your valued support of HCM, Sponsor level donors will receive two (2) non-transferable Gift Certificates for a round of golf w/ cart, while donors of $150 will receive one (1) nontransferable Gift Certificate for a round of golf w/ cart.

September 9-15, 2020

Course options are Laurel Ridge Country Club or Waynesville Inn Golf Resort

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, HCM ceased routine services in March to become an authorized food pantry for FEMA and Manna Foods.

• Food was provided to 26,726 people from March-June 2020 • Food pick up averaged 104 cars and 3+ buses daily (1 vehicle/3+ minutes) • HCM has earned designation as the #1 food distributor in Western NC The food pantry continues to provide food to those in need weekdays from 9-4.

NOBODY TURNED DOWN! Each car receives FEMA emergency provisions.

Basic services are again available. The Thrift Store reopened September 2.

Please use this form for your donation to Haywood Christian Ministry and mail to: HCM, 124 Branner Ave., Waynesville, NC 28786

Smoky Mountain News

Donation amount (payable to HCM) $ Donations may be made by check as well as online at www.haywoodministry.org by credit card or PayPal. Name Email

Phone Number

Mailing Address City

State

Zip Code

The above information must be completed to validate your non-transferable golf Gift Certificate, which you will receive by mail.

NOTE: HCM offer valid thru September 30, 2020 — Golf Gift Certificate valid thru June 30, 2021.

32

Haywood Christian Ministry: 828-456-4838 • Thrift Store: 828-452-2909 • 150 Branner Ave., Waynesville, NC