Smoky Mountain News | October 16, 2024

Page 12

WNC livestock center becomes crucial relief hub Page 22

On the Cover:

Among the multitude of government, nonprofit and private relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, one of the most interesting has been run out of the Jackson County Airport, little more than an elevated airstrip. The effort, coordinated by Operation Airdrop, allows individuals with a pilots license and an aircraft to get aid to remote areas by taking to the skies. (Page 4) Crystal Cochran photo

News

On the table: agriculture race more important than ever........................................6 Road to recovery begins for Waynesville’s post-Helene businesses..................7 Green, Morrow battle for State Superintendent........................................................8 Early voting starts this Thursday......................................................................................9 Three seek two Haywood Commission seats..........................................................10 Tillis, Cooper spar over military response to Helene..............................................12 General Assembly’s Helene relief bill ‘a first step’..................................................13

Opinion

Blow the tannery whistle: Ah, Booyz, that’s good..................................................14 We can support WNC, albeit in different ways........................................................15

A&E

‘A shelf on which to rest’: Writing through trauma ................................................16 PumpkinFest rolls into Franklin......................................................................................18

Outdoors

Livestock center becomes crucial aid distribution hub..........................................22 The Joyful Botanist: After The Flood............................................................................26

D IGITAL MARKETING S PECIALIST Tyler Auffhammer. . . . .

ADVERTISING SALES: Amanda Bradley. .

tyler.a@mtnsouthmedia.com

amanda.b@smokymountainnews.com Maddie Woodard.

C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier. . .

N EWS E DITOR: Kyle Perrotti. . . .

WRITING: Hannah McLeod. . .

Cory Vaillancourt.

Garret K. Woodward. .

ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Jamie Cogdill.

D ISTRIBUTION

CONTACT

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classads@smokymountainnews.com

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S UBSCRIPTIONS

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah

McGrath

WAAYYS TO (CONTINUE TO) HELP WEST

There are many churches and community relief and service organizations that are and will continue to help in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Please make sure you check on what local ar churches may be doing or need in terms of donations. the best thing to donate so they can buy what they need. V time is also often appreciated. For organizations that help with brrooader distribution and see beloww. s important to check with these or Please note that it’’s rg g

Manna Food Bank — mannafoodbank.org (Note: Manna Food Bank lost their warehouse and distribution

Farmers Market and accepting donations at their facility River. Please see website for details.)

with

— heartswithhands.org 6. ABCCM (Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry) — abccm.org

For additional information on how to help farmers as well as avoiding scammers see: ncdisaster.ces.ncsu.edu/2024/10/ways-you-can-help-in-hurricanehelene-recovery/

‘Operation Air Drop’

Volunteers take to the skies to deliver disaster aid

HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

Anyone on the internet knows that it can be a place of negativity and division. But it’s also a powerful tool for connection, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Crystal Cochran harnessed that connection to build a community of volunteers that provided vital assistance to thousands in Western North Carolina.

On Sunday afternoon, Sept. 29, amid region-wide internet and cell outage, before the full extent of the damage from Hurricane Helene became clear, Crystal Cochran saw a post on Facebook.

“A guy that I went to high school with tagged me in a post on Facebook because there were some military friends that have Operation Airdrop,” Cochran said. “They needed somebody on the ground at the airport in Sylva in an hour. I posted it on my Facebook, and I sent a text to the people that I could, cell service was very minimal, but people showed up to come and help me.”

Cochran was born and raised in Sylva. She returned to

the area after 15 years away when she lost her husband, a member of the Air Force, in 2016. Cochran is not only a mother and a Gold Star wife but is also the vice president of

Those military ties meant Cochran saw the call for help when it was needed, and she was ready to respond within the hour.

Operation Airdrop is a Texas-based nonprofit that got its

start in 2017 during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, a devastating storm that made landfall on Texas and Louisiana resulting in more than 100 deaths.

“A group of about 15 of us got together to organize a general aviation response to the large-scale flooding that happened there to address concerns where small communities were unable to get the supplies they needed immediately following the disaster,” Operation Airdrop Executive Director Alex Clark told The Smoky Mountain News. “That’s generally our mission statement, we try to bridge the gap between when disaster hits to when roads are back open and able to be supplied via the normal means — FEMA, Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, etc.”

Operation Airdrop gets donations from people all over the world and works with volunteer pilots and volunteers on the ground in affected areas. This time around the organization had supply drops open at airports in Concord, Statesville and Hickory.

“We had an outstanding turnout in the local community dropping supplies to our dedicated supply depots there, we also had an incredible outreach, which resulted in a standing number of donations as well from our community worldwide,” said Clark. “So, we were able to use those supplies we gathered plus donations to buy more F

Volunteers unload supplies at Jackson County Airport. Nick Breedlove photo

Operation Airdrop was a team effort.

Crystal Cochran photo

targeted supplies such as generators, solar inverters, Starlinks, etc., to be able to fly and truck those in.”

According to Clark, Operation Airdrop was running 60 to 80 helicopters a day, plus nearly 680 airplanes that were able to transport supplies to different communities throughout the response to Hurricane Helene.

Those communities in need spanned the mountainous WNC region, but many of the Operation Airdrop planes brought supplies to Jackson County, which, despite flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Helene, escaped the worst of the storm.

“A lot of the airports were closed because of everything going on, so Jackson County was one of the only ones open at the time to be able to get supplies out to those people,” said Cochran.

During the height of the supply mission, the Jackson County airport was buzzing with air traffic and volunteer power. On the busiest day, there were 188 takeoffs and

“We sent a big truckload of stuff to the veterans’ home in Black Mountain, the childrens’ home in Black Mountain, a lot of nursing homes in Black Mountain that didn’t have adult diapers or anything like that for their patients,” said Cochran. “We got insulin to some people that really, really needed it.”

The work of receiving supplies, sorting them and getting them out to the places that could use them or distribute them within other communities involved a massive effort from volunteers in Jackson County. At times, there were as many as 250 volunteers on hand at the airport to help.

“To be able to provide for our neighbors that have lost their homes and lost everything and have no water, have no food, have no homes, it’s been incredible,” Cochran said. “To see the people that have shown up to help … I live in Webster, and I have neighbors that I’d never even met until this just kind of brought the community together.”

“Western Carolina students, the baseball

At noon on Monday, Oct. 7, the last day of flights from Operation Airdrop, there had already been 650 flights in just eight days. But even after Operation Airdrop had moved all of its supplies, flight missions by private, volunteer pilots continued through Thursday, Oct. 10. One couple alone made 22 trips to deliver supplies.

Planes came in from across the country, near and far, places like Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Idaho, South Carolina, Connecticut, North Dakota, Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts and Texas.

“The pilots loved us and loved this area so much; the national aviation director told me we were the most well organized place that they had been to, and they kept wanting to come back because it was beautiful and the people were so nice to them,” said Cochran.

Everything that was collected and sorted at the Jackson County Airport was then driven and backpacked into areas hardest hit by the disaster. Supplies went out to Avery County, Marshall, Asheville, Swannanoa, Black Mountain and more, in addition to those residents in Jackson County that were in need.

Donations for the FRIENDS of the Haywood County Animal Shelter appreciated.

According to Clark, Operation Airdrop moved over $1.2 million worth of supplies after Hurricane Helene, more than double the largest operation previously. With more supplies coming into the county than could be distributed back out immediately, some supplies are now being stored for when needs arise.

“We formed a medical response team with some people in Cherokee that are going to be able to take out all the medications and use them,” Cochran said. “We’ve got hazmat suits, we’ve got boots, we’ve got blankets for emergency workers.”

Natural disasters unfold in several stages and the conclusion of supply flights to the Jackson County Airport on Thursday, Oct. 10, is just one more indicator that the initial, life-threatening stage of Hurricane Helene is drawing to a close. Now, WNC is embarking on the long road toward recovery.

“The biggest thing is still getting these supplies to people that need them,” Cochran said. “We have a little bit of a stockpile, not a lot, but we have enough so that if somebody is in need, we can still get stuff to them.”

Private pilots volunteered time and equipment to transport supplies. Crystal Cochran photo

On the table: agriculture race more important than ever

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

North Carolina’s commissioner of agriculture is responsible for leading an agency that plays a vital role in one of the state’s most important economic sectors. With a record-setting $111 billion impact in 2023, the Tarheel state leads the nation in the production of eggs, poultry, sweet potatoes and tobacco and ranks second in Christmas trees, trout and turkey. The next commissioner of agriculture will deal with a mix of issues related to food supply security — some old and some new.

Traditional concerns about foreign labor remain of interest, alongside new challenges centering around legalized cannabis and the loss of farmland to development.

“Farmers here in North Carolina are often making as little as half as much per acre as their peers in Georgia and Virginia. That’s us not putting our land to work effectively.”

Wide-ranging tariffs, proposed by former President Donald Trump if he wins, are a recent wildcard, but for five-term Republican incumbent Steve Troxler and his opponent, agricultural consultant and Democrat Sarah Taber, that issue — and more — are all on the table.

Food supply security, the United Nations says, is national security. It’s not something people in the United States often have to think about, but it’s not something Americans want to think about after it’s too late.

are going to happen — we’re going to price a lot of people out of the ability to buy product, or there will be no product.”

Taber, a Fayetteville resident who was born into a military family and holds a DPM (doctor of plant medicine) degree from the University of Florida, says the commissioner’s main job regarding labor is training famers who want to hire H2A workers and educating them on how to responsibly abide by the terms of the visas. But we’d need less of them, Taber said, if farmers diversified their offerings to turn seasonal jobs into more permanent jobs, say 10 months a year, that American workers would consider taking.

worth $800 million in tax revenue. “I feel like a lot of folks say when we’re legalizing cannabis, ‘We’re creating a new industry.’ We’re not. We’re bringing transparency, visibility, accountability and taxation to a big business that already exists in our state.”

Troxler isn’t as enthusiastic, especially for the people he deals with on a regular basis.

“I don’t see it being a big deal for farmers. The reason being, if it’s going to be controlled at all, the government is probably going to put it in the hands of very few people. That is the proposal that had come

Integral to American food supply security is the labor force, especially foreign workers. The Department of Agriculture doesn’t play a role — the state’s Department of Labor and seasonal H2A federal visa programs form the guardrails — but much of what the state’s larger farmers and processors do is dependent on migrant labor.

“The problem is, every time we try to do something to make the labor force more efficient, it gets tangled up in the bigger immigration debate, and people don’t want to touch it,” said Troxler, who added that he’d been working on H2A reforms for the better part of 30 years, without success. “So we are we are on a crossroads with labor, and we either are going to have a reliable, affordable labor force in agriculture, one or two things

forests is “the number one issue that we face in the future of North Carolina,” and that he’d advocated for farmland preservation measures from the General Assembly in the past.

“Last year, we had 112 applications for permanent easements, which would have been a $55 million expenditure,” he said. “We’ve only had $18 million to use, so it’s got to become a priority with the legislature and local leaders.”

Taber thinks if North Carolina’s farms were more profitable, developers would have fewer tracts available for development.

“It is not population growth that’s causing our farmland to go under. That’s what happens to farmland after farms go out of business. When farms go out of business, it’s that they’re not making as much money as they should be,” she said. “Farmers here in North Carolina are often making as little as half as much per acre as their peers in Georgia and Virginia. That’s us not putting our land to work effectively.”

able to grow (legally) before, but some North Carolinians — the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, specifically — are now cultivating and selling recreational and medical cannabis. That endeavor will be closely watched by the rest of the state, where cannabis remains illegal. Moral and public safety arguments aside, the tax receipts from other states are substantial.

“We’ve lost a lot of farmland. This county 40 years ago had nearly 80,000

acres of farmland. We’re down to less than 50,000.”

— Don Smart, President, Haywood County Farm Bureau

“I think it’s another important opportunity that we need to stop closing ourselves off to,” Taber said, opining the crop could be

state; the American Farmland Trust released a study last year, calling North Carolina the second most at-risk state for loss of farmland between now and 2040.

“We’ve lost a lot of farmland,” said Don Smart, president of the Haywood County Farm Bureau, at the April meeting. “This county 40 years ago had nearly 80,000 acres of farmland. We’re down to less than 50,000.”

Troxler says the loss of farmland and

“We have the most efficient system for the production of agricultural products anywhere in the world, but tariffs do get in the way, and we went through the trade war and retaliation with China, and that is not beneficial to us. There’s no question.”

— Steve Troxler

Former President Donald Trump could hobble North Carolina’s farmers even more than development — his wide-ranging tariff proposal would amount to a 20% tax on American consumers and likely prompt retaliatory tariffs by trading partners.

North Carolina famers are already losing out, to the tune of $6,000 per year, as a result of Trump backing out of the Trans-

“Trump’s not even in office anymore,” Taber said. “He made such a bad deal that it cannot be recovered from.”

Even Troxler thinks Trump’s tariff proposal is a bad idea.

“We have the most efficient system for the production of agricultural products anywhere in the world, but tariffs do get in the way, and we went through the trade war and retaliation with China, and that is not beneficial to us. There’s no question,” he said. “But the question becomes, how do you get fair trade? A lot of our products going into these other countries are hit with very high tariff rates to be protected, and so you got to negotiate to the point that is fair on both sides. And in many cases, we’re being slapped with these tariffs, and it kills us.”

Sarah Taber

Steve Troxler

Sarah Taber

Long road to recovery begins for Waynesville’s post-Helene businesses

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

Aregion largely dependent on the tourism industry is now asking a question not heard since the COVID-19 pandemic — how to support retail and hospitality businesses that depend on foot traffic while respecting public safety guidelines and strained infrastructure across the region.

“There is an extraordinarily large misconception going around the county that the [Tourism Development Authority], all on their own, made a decision to push a message that said, ‘Please don’t come to Haywood County this week,’” said Corrina Ruffieux, executive director of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority. “That decision came from North Carolina Department of Transportation, from the governor, from the state tourism office, from the Haywood County Board of Commissioners, from emergency services and from the Haywood County Sheriff.”

The TDA, Ruffieux told a meeting of the Downtown Waynesville Commission on Oct. 10, was simply the messenger.

Hurricane Helene swept through the region Sept. 27, inundating areas in all four of Haywood County’s municipalities plus Lake Junaluska, cutting power, damaging water and wastewater infrastructure, washing out roadways, severing internet and cellular communications with the outside world and washing out bridges.

While some areas fared OK — Waynesville’s Main Street business district, for one — other areas like Waynesville’s Frog Level remain devastated.

The good news, Ruffieux said, is that Haywood County is in much better shape than it was two weeks ago, with power, water, communications and shipping services coming back online. Now, the message to visitors is simple.

“‘Hey visitors, thank you for caring about us. We’d love for you to come, but we want you to know the facts before you come.’ And let me tell you, knowing the facts is huge, because we are doing a disservice to our emergency workers, to our neighbors who have experienced devastation, including right down the hill in Frog Level, and to our visitors when we say, ‘It’s fine, just come,’” she said. “It is not fine. There’s a reason the Frog Level bridge is closed.”

thousands of jobs and contributes to sales tax collections that end up in county and municipal budgets.

Leaf season, when visitors from across the world come to marvel at the brilliant fall colors across Southern Appalachia, is especially important to the local economy; one business owner who spoke at the Downtown Waynesville Commission meeting said that being closed the past two weeks was the equivalent of being closed for three months.

The disruption in Haywood County will also have an effect down the road.

David Francis, the county’s top economic development official, said that the popular, longstanding Church Street Art and Crafts Festival was recently canceled because 42 of the 140 vendors contacted said they weren’t coming — a reflection of the damage Helene did to their inventory and operations. An additional 36 vendors couldn’t be contacted, Francis told The Smoky Mountain News. He acknowledged that people were upset, but tempered complaints about the cancellation with a dose of reality.

in anticipation of the hordes of visitors who for now aren’t coming, produced an air of warranted desperation among some.

Ann Walsh, co-owner of Ava & Arden, an upscale home, garden and apparel shop on North Main Street, admitted to feeling “guilty and selfish” in complaining about her own business losses during the public comment portion of the meeting, but pressed the DWC to plot a path forward.

“Last week, we didn’t have any internet service,” Walsh said. “One person walked in on Thursday. I was like, ‘Thank you so much for being here.’ I made $17 that day. I am down 40% over where I was last October … I know when people have lost everything it is hard to stand up here and say that. We need to try to figure out a way to promote.”

Walsh mentioned that she’d already seen ads from communities that weren’t hit as hard as Haywood County was, including Bryson City and Highlands, inviting visitors to partake in their offerings. Waynesville doesn’t want to lose hard-earned market share.

“Bottom line is, we need customers,” said Becky Trump, co-owner of Olde Brick House.

Trump pushed for measures to attract online customers but decried what she said was the “poor” state of the DWC’s website, downtownwaynesville.com.

“Looking at the website, on the ‘plan your visit tab,’ there’s a photo of [Frog Level Brewing]. They’re not even in the [municipal service district, which comprises the DWC’s mandated area of service]. There are many broken links on this page, leaving the visitor without directions of how to get here, how to park here,” she said. “The ‘things to do’ tab, each category has only one listing … If you keep scrolling down for the local directory, it’s missing numerous businesses, at least 19 within our red light to red light section, and almost every business in the MSD that’s not between the red lights is not being shown … the ‘events’ tab, there’s no greeting to the visitor to give any information of our current status, letting them know our stores are open. Nothing is pointing out open roads and bridges, providing a positive outlook, rather than ‘roads closed’ information.”

The reason is that although the bridge looks fine, just two weeks ago it was submerged beneath raging waters of the normally placid Richland Creek and is now structurally compromised. There are many such cases across the region, so officials from NCDOT are asking people to use Western North Carolina’s roadways for essential travel only.

Haywood County is technically still under a state of emergency, and citizens are subject to a 1-6 a.m. curfew. Pisgah National Forest and the Cataloochee Valley remain mostly closed, and the North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed indefinitely.

Those major attractions bring millions of year-round visitors to the region; a recent study indicated that the Blue Ridge Parkway alone is responsible for pumping $1.4 billion each year into rural communities where motorists stop for gas, food, lodging and entertainment. That revenue supports

“I understand. It’s an important event for all of us. If I was there, if I had to make that decision, I would have made the same decision,” said Francis, who is now the president of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce. “When you go to the airport to pick up cadaver dogs, you make the same decision. When you go and feed 150 emergency folks that are here, you make that same decision. When you still have active search and rescue looking for folks, you make that decision.

And I know it’s a painful decision.”

There is, however, some good news that also paints a portrait of resiliency and determination. The Apple Harvest Festival, held in downtown Waynesville, will proceed as scheduled on Oct. 19. The festival draws thousands of people each year, but will be scaled back somewhat. The impact of Interstate 40’s closure near the Tennessee line will have an impact not only on the festival, but on travel and tourism to Haywood County for the foreseeable future. Business owners who attended the DWC meeting were by-and-large respectful and understanding, but the reality of owning a shop, stocked to the gills with fall merchandise

Ideas floated by business owners and the nine-member DWC board included targeting the day-tripper demographic, especially with many lodging establishments full up with first responders form across the state and the nation. Spencer Tetrault, co-owner of Axe & Awl, encouraged businesses that hadn’t already to integrate their wares with e-commerce sites. Francis suggested a marketing campaign to residents of nearby Buncombe and Henderson counties. Board Member Joyce Massie wants to see — and hear — more live music, on more days, on Main Street.

“These musicians are really looking for places to perform right now,” Massey said.

After nearly two hours of discussion, the DWC board made several motions, all of which passed unanimously. One was to start a “shop downtown” campaign. Another was to pursue Massie’s musical musings. The last was to issue a press release.

Board Chair Dave Barone said the DWC needs to focus on salvaging what it can of the next three to six months, utilizing unified messaging. He reiterated Ruffieux’s statement that things in Waynesville, Haywood County and Western North Carolina are getting better, week by week, but there would be setbacks, and the town’s business district would persevere.

“This is not going to happen overnight,” Barone said.

Although Waynesville’s Frog Level was decimated by floodwaters, the Main Street business district was spared. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Green, Morrow battle for state superintendent

BY HANNAH MCLEOD STAFF W RITER

The race for state superintendent will determine who will support and advocate for the state’s 2,500 public schools and lead the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). This election cycle, it also a race in which experience in public education is pitted against an outsider to the system.

Mo Green touts his experience in public education as foundational in preparing him to hold the office of state superintendent and the basis for his vision to improve the public school system.

Green was the superintendent of Guildford County Schools for seven and a half years and has also worked as the deputy superintendent, chief operating officer and general counsel for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. In 2015, he became Executive Director of Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a philanthropic organization that funds several education-related initiatives.

Morrow, that experience is nothing more than a liability.

“He is an integral part of the failing, broken system,” Morrow said of Green.

Morrow, a former nurse and homeschool teacher, beat first-term incumbent Catherine Truitt to become the Republican nominee for the race earlier this year. She beat Truitt by about four percentage points after casting herself as more conservative than Truitt.

Morrow has never held public office, or worked in public schools, but says that her experience as a mom with five children who have variously been enrolled in public, private and home schools, makes her the best candidate for the job.

“I’m the best person [for the job] because I’m not beholden to a system,” said Morrow. “I’ve already been successful as an outsider in changing things, in promoting the parental rights bill, I was talking to people throughout the state.”

Green and Morrow also diverge on the issue of funding public schools.

Last year, the General Assembly removed the income eligibility requirement, as well as the requirement that recipients must have previously attended public schools, for the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program — a system that reimburses families with children attending private schools to help pay the cost of tuition and fees. This led to some 70,000 new applications for private school vouchers for the current 2024-25 school year, a more than 100% increase over the 2023-24 school year.

The bill provided enough funding to clear the 55,000-student waitlist at the cost of $463 million. It also increased the amount

schools of approximately $260 million.

“That’s real money. You think about what that looks like over 10 years, for example, and you’re talking about billions of dollars that could be utilized in our public schools,” said Green. “It is deeply troubling that these private school vouchers will allow the wealthiest of the wealthy to take advantage of these private school vouchers, many of whom already have their children in private schools and can afford them at the same time that we find ourselves woefully underfunded in public schools.”

Morrow supports the vouchers and sees them as benefitting competition between

“All he [Green] talks about is system, system, system and money, money, money,” said Morrow. “And money is important, but it is most important that we prioritize how we’re spending it.”

“It is deeply troubling that these private school vouchers will allow the wealthiest of the wealthy to take advantage of these private school vouchers, many of whom already have their children in private schools and can afford them at the same time that we find ourselves woefully underfunded in public schools.”

schools given my experience,” Green said. “I have extensive experience working directly with and on behalf of schools and leading complex educational organizations.”

But for Green’s opponent, Michelle

included $463 million to clear the waitlist of families that had applied for the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program and provided voucher money for those attending private schools.

Green was vehemently opposed to the bill, saying he believes “that it is taking money that could go into our public schools at a time when our public schools desperate-

The bill passed a week after the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management released an analysis that estimated the new legislation would cause annual K-12 state spending to increase by a total of about $185 million. This represents a decrease of approximately $75 million to public schools and an increase to private

the public school system,” said Morrow. “The question is, should parents have an option to send their children somewhere else if they are not getting an education, for whatever reason, if they feel like it’s going to be in their child’s best interest, they’re going to be more successful somewhere else. The question is, should they receive back their own tax money that they have paid into the system for their child to be successful? And my answer is absolutely. The money that we are spending on taxes is our money.”

“We need the competition, because it’s going to raise the bar F

Mo Green

— Michelle Morrow

Early voting starts this Thursday

Voters can cast their ballots in-person starting Thursday, Oct. 17. Same day, in-person registration is also available at polling locations.

Voters will need to bring a valid form of photo identification to vote in person using documents like a driver license, state identification card, U.S. passport and college or university ID cards. A comprehensive list can be found at ncsbe,gov/voting. It is advised that voters check their polling locations and the hours of operations through the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Dale Neal will be sharing his new novel Kings of Coweetsee

Terry Roberts will be sharing his new novel The Devil Hath a Pleasing Shape

For voters that are not able to vote in-person, absentee ballots are available upon request. The deadline for requests is Tuesday, Oct. 29, with the submission deadline of 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Overseas voters and military members requesting an absentee ballot have different requirements and deadlines. More information can be found at ncsbe.gov/voting/military-and-overseas.

for everybody — private, charter and public schools,” Morrow said. “When we make our public schools strong, when we have excellent academics, when we are producing young people who have strong work ethics and an ability to solve problems and to be critical thinkers, they’re going to be the leaders of tomorrow. So, you know what? Then the private schools are going to have to work even harder to get people from the public school to pay extra money to come to their school.”

Morrow not only disagrees with the notion that funding the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program will lead to money being taken away from the public school system, but also thinks funding is not necessarily the answer to the woes of the public school system.

“All he [Green] talks about is system, system, system and money, money, money,” said Morrow. “And money is important, but it is most important that we prioritize how we’re spending it.”

If Morrow is elected, she says the first thing she would do as state superintendent would be to get an outside entity to audit DPI’s finances to look at “what’s happening and where our funding is going.”

“There is an indirect relationship between the amount of money that we are sinking into our K-12 system and the literacy rates across all demographies [sic] of students,” said Morrow.

Green says he is determined to be not only chief administrative officer of public schools if elected, but also “chief advocacy officer.”

“The way that I advocate is to listen, learn and then lead on issues,” said Green. “I talk with folks, I try to bring other people in on the conversations and see if there aren’t ways for us to reach agreement, maybe not on everything, but on things that can move, in this instance, more funding forward in a positive way for public schools.”

Green contends that it is “deeply troubling” of his opponent to utilize the position of state superintendent to advocate, regardless of their personal position, for the taxpayer-funded private school voucher programs.

Both candidates have vowed to make school safety a top priority. For Morrow, the

path to safe schools will take enhanced security — metal detectors, one way of entry to schools and video surveillance.

“One of the first things I did when I won the primary, within that first week, I started assembling a school safety advisory council for us to look at other states and to see who is doing this well,” said Morrow. “That’s going to be my number one priority as soon as I’m elected.”

Green has a four-pronged approach to the issue of school safety. First, he sees the need for more mental health professionals working with students. Second, he wants to build a more effective, stronger relationship with law enforcement. Third, he wants to “harden” facilities through double entry security systems, metal detectors at entry points and security cameras monitored in real time. And fourth, a focus on character development for students.

“Helping them understand how to be in relationship with other students, even when they’re in a disagreement with other students,” said Green. “This would address things that get to the core bullying issues as well.”

Beyond the policy issues at the heart of this race, both candidates are urging voters to consider core questions of character when considering who to vote for in the race for state superintendent of public schools.

“I am the best person because I’m not beholden to a system. I have no ties to any deep pockets, any political activist groups. I am doing this 100% for the students and the families of North Carolina, and that is who I’m going to represent, and that is who I’m going to be accountable to as superintendent,” said Morrow. “I am the one who had done this in my own time. I’ve already been successful as an outsider in changing things, in promoting the parental rights bill, I was talking to people throughout the state.”

“I’m the one who has the belief in our public schools,” Green said. “My wife and I, we had two children, we chose to put our children into our public schools. We believe in them. My opponent calls our public schools all sorts of things, cesspools of evil, lies and deception, taken over by Satan, calls our educators groomers. The list is long … What kind of character do we want next to them, leading our children?”

SYLVA Thursday Oct. 17th • 6 p.m. Saturday Oct. 19th • 3 p.m.

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Three, including two incumbents, seek two Haywood Commission seats

Ktively chair and vice chair of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners, both ran for reelection last in 2020 amid unprecedented economic challenges and a contentious national election. It’s little different this time. They’re no longer dealing with the Coronavirus Pandemic, but in the intervening four years the board, led by the two Republicans, had to address a seemingly unending stream of unusual situations most county governments don’t have to deal with in a hundred years, much less four — now including recent devastation visited upon the region by the second catastrophic flood in three years.

A lone Democrat, Tausha Forney, is hoping to claim a seat on that board, in effect asking voters to fire one of the two men. It’s a tough case to make in a heavily Republican county, but Forney thinks she has at least one reason to encourage voters to do it.

Ensley has served on the board for decades and seen great change in Haywood County.

year of Ensley and Rogers’ current term. With it came not only economic surprises — brief disruptions to small businesses accompanied by a sales tax collections boom — but also misinformation and resistance to common-sense public health policies supported by science.

“We and our staff followed state protocol, and we tried to support them as much as we could, because that was the law, and we had to follow the law,” said Ensley, a land surveyor by trade. “The Constitution is all about rule of

“I think this last term has probably been the hardest term that I’ve had to serve in because of COVID and the flood and now the mill closure,” he said.

WAYNESVILLE

flood, and here again, another flood possibly coming up on us.”

Rogers and Ensley both conducted their interviews with The Smoky Mountain news less than 48 hours before Hurricane Helene added new challenges to the coming years. Cleanup and remediation from deadly flooding in August 2021 was still underway until the storm lashed the county on Sept. 27, leaving devastation in its wake.

“Brandon and I went up there some and talked to the people,” Ensley said. “I think the county’s response in trying to help as much as we could, we did as much as we could. I think it’s frustrating for us as commissioners and for the public, for the time it takes for them to get things cleaned up and everything. But of course, when you’re talking about tax money, you have to follow the rules and that’s what we’ve been doing. I’m thankful for the state and the help that they gave us. They’ve been great.”

the law so that’s what we did during that pandemic.”

Rogers, a rising star in the party and coowner of a tire shop in Canton, is currently serving his second term and has led the ticket in both of his elections, even besting the popular Ensley.

“Dealing with all this stuff in this second term has been pretty much overwhelming,” Rogers said. “But I feel like our county staff

“I think this last term has probably been the hardest term that I’ve had to serve in because of COVID and the flood and now the mill closure.”

— Kevin Ensley

and county manager, along with all the towns have worked together exceptionally well to overcome all the obstacles and hurdles that we’ve had with COVID taking place and the

Current cleanup efforts appear to be proceeding in a similar manner, but there are still years of work ahead that will once again define county government’s efficacy in recovery and mitigation. Although the board is now 5-0 Republican, Ensley and fellow commissioners had to work across the aisle, under a Democratic governor and president and over a Democratic mayor in hard-hit Canton to bring Haywood County to where it is today.

Indeed, that Democratic Mayor, Zeb Smathers, said he believed that the debris cleanup and storm preparation using examples from 2021 helped Canton avoid an even worse fate this time around.

The commission has also worked closely with Smathers on another unusual situation — the completely botched short-notice closing by Pactiv Evergreen of its century-old paper mill in Canton, which left nearly 1,000 workers with a dangerous health care coverage gap and little time to seek other employment.

“Having a relationship with all those folks even on the state and federal level, which I do, has been great. When you have something like a mill closing or flood happening, those are the folks that send the money down,” Rogers said. “To be able to reach across the aisle and work with these folks, just because you got an ‘R’ or a ‘D’ after your last name doesn’t mean we would be on total opposite sides of the fence when it comes to flooding or a plant closing.”

Haywood County Board of Commissioners

Chairman Kevin Ensley, along with fellow Republican Brandon Rogers, are hoping to retain their seats. Kevin Ensley photo

Rogers has been heavily involved on a state and federal level, traveling to Washington, D.C. to lobby officials for flood help and traveling to Raleigh to participate in mediation over a $12 million lawsuit against Pactiv for allegedly violating the terms of a decade-old economic development agreement. When Pactiv pushed a settlement offer for far less than $12 million, Rogers literally pounded the table in frustration.

Of the more pedestrian issues Haywood commissioners — like others similarly situated across the country — have had to address, there’s maybe one that hasn’t exactly gone to plan.

When Sheriff Greg Christopher took over in 2013, he was already advocating for a jail expansion. Commissioners kicked the can down the road for a few years, a stance made easier by Christopher’s vision of what would become Haywood Pathways Center, designed to reduce recidivism. Both Ensley and Rogers agreed that Pathways, which has provided

nearly $9 million in food, shelter and individual support services to vulnerable Haywood County residents at almost zero cost to taxpayers since 2014, was largely responsible for allowing the county to make do with the jail it already had. In 2019, Christopher presented a plan for a $16 million jail expansion, however when commissioners finally signed the papers earlier this year, the price tag had ballooned to more than $25 million.

“Taking on debt with the new jail, we couldn’t be better off as a county. You know, our debt service continues to roll off and our fund balance continues to grow. And not only that, but [former commissioner, Republican Rep. Mark] Pless gave us $5 million to help with the jail project as well,” Rogers said. “So even though it’s $28 million, we’re going to use that $5 million towards the project.”

do struggle with local tax dollar support.”

Ensley said he goes back and forth about the issue and is on board with non-financial support, like help with the grant processes, but wants at least some of the opioid settlement money to end up with Pathways.

“The facts are that Pathways has saved the county money in several different ways, and they’ve helped people,” he said. “I can’t point a finger to what program that we would have had to have done if they weren’t here. They are an asset to the county and to the community … but the opioid money, I would like to see a portion of that go to them because I can’t think of another program that we would use for opioid money than what Pathways does that’s in our community.”

While questions about the county’s major issues will linger far longer than the next four years, it’s worth noting how far the county has come in the last four years.

Upon taking office in 2020, commissioners noted that 25% of the county didn’t have broadband. In conjunction with Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon), the county is now on track to reduce that number to 3%.

The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency helped the county do about as much as any local government can with the affordable housing crisis.

Recovery court, Ensley and Rogers believe, has had a positive effect on recidivism but more importantly on the lives of people battling substance use disorder.

The county proposed and adopted a 1.5cent tax increase to provide its 15 public schools full coverage by armed school resource officers, with nary a whimper of opposition.

County staff have applied for and received more than $13 million in grants.

Wage increases for county employees have helped the county reduce costly turnover and

early childhood education credentials and began working in daycare. From there, it was an associate’s degree at Haywood Community College and a bachelors’ degree in sociology at UNC-Asheville.

Around 2008 her mother, local legend Lyn Forney, let Tausha know that she needed help running the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, which like Pathways is a nonprofit that provides millions each year in free nutrition, education and child enrichment services to a population the free market has never really paid much attention to.

Forney admits that Ensley and Rogers have done a good job with the unusual problems they‘ve had to contend with over the past four years. On the pandemic, she reported their performance as “fair.” On the flood, “well.” On the mill, “pretty well.”

With all that said, she’s still asking for a seat at the table.

“While they have kept a lot of the community in mind, there is a huge portion of the community that I don’t feel is represented by those folks. They represent business owners and land owners, and I definitely understand the importance of that, but that’s not all that our county is,” Forney said Oct. 11. “That’s not all of who we are. And in order to be more inclusive, and to do what I think is the best job for everyone and not just for small groups of folks, I’m asking voters to fire one of them.”

Forney said she didn’t necessarily agree with the whole jail situation — there was early opposition from some who wanted to see the tens of millions spent on prevention, including mental health and substance abuse treatment — but now that ground has been broken and construction is proceeding, she says it’s time to move on from the issue.

On the topic of Pathways, a recent fiscal crunch reminded most people of the integral role it plays for unsheltered people, people in recovery and people in poverty. Haywood County is sitting on a heap of money from national opioid lawsuit settlements that has been floated as a more stable funding stream for Pathways, which relies almost solely on donations from Haywood County’s faith community. Here is where Ensley and Rogers disagree.

“As a Christian, I don’t know how you cannot support [Pathways],” Rogers said. “However, for using local taxpayer dollars, I’m not a fan of that. I like supporting it personally or even as a business. I like the way it was set up, with the faith-based programs supporting it and I’d like to see it stay that way. However, I

The new pickleball court at Lake Junaluska and a pump track at Raccoon Creek are a response to citizens increasingly demanding more outdoor recreation offerings.

Of the state’s 100 counties, 70 have higher property tax rates than Haywood County does.

Of the state’s 115 public school districts, five rank higher than Haywood County’s.

Haywood County voters will find three candidates on their ballots — Ensley, Rogers and Tausha Forney. Voters may select two, but don’t have to. Forney wants voters to remember that.

Born and raised in Haywood County’s small Black community, Forney graduated from Tuscola High School in 1998, earned her

Instead, Forney’s focus is on the prison pipeline, much like Pathways. The Pigeon Center, formerly the county’s segregated school for Blacks, provides with its $2 million annual budget an array of educational opportunities for kids that might not get them, especially over the summer.

Aside from very minimal county support, their funding comes largely from private donors and grants. Again, just like Pathways, there’s never enough.

Although Forney says more financial support from the county would be nice, she acknowledges that the possibility is slim; the overwhelming majority of county revenue is spoken for, in the form of mandated services. At the end of the day, there’s no big pot of money laying around, waiting to be dispensed.

“Unless we find other income for the county, like grants, maybe they could help work on some of those things that we don’t have to pay back,” she said. “Nonprofits also are going to have to figure out how to diversify our own incomes, because things just don’t look like they did before.”

Funding Pathways with opioid settlement proceeds, however, is something Forney said she’d like to explore, but has questions.

“It’s a huge chunk of money, right? So my questions are, how much of the chunk would go to administration and how much of it would go to actually funding folks to get out, to go

Brandon Rogers. Facebook photo

Tausha Forney. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Tillis, Cooper spar over military response to Helene

Tillis believes that the FEMA people on the ground in Western North Carolina are “doing great work,” and that while he does have an issue with some decisions that were made, he has no issue with the first responders charged with carrying out those decisions.

DThe massive response involving equipment personnel from the National Guard, Army, state and local first responders and emergency managers, FEMA and others must be closely coordinated to meet immediate emergency needs and establish a longterm recovery, Monaghan said, adding that every effort is being made to the maximize speed, coordination and impact of resources and personnel at every level. Cooper, said Monaghan, appreciates the significant additional capabilities brought to this effort by our active-duty forces.

through treatment, to resettle in halfway houses, to help them take those steps,” she said. “I think that it’s a good possibility, because it’s the same people they’re serving who should be receiving these [opioid settlement] funds. If we can help folks get out of that situation and become a part of our community as the community nurtures them and brings them back in, I think that’s a great testament to what we can do as a county, as individual nonprofits and collectively as a whole.”

Conventional wisdom holds that local governments funding nonprofits could be a slippery slope, with many qualified — and unqualified — entities clamoring, “me, too!” but Forney disagrees.

from the 101st Airborne. My main concern is that we had 1,000 soldiers at Fort Liberty last Monday that could have been deployed. They didn’t really start moving until Friday.”

state Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) for calling them out — North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis made clear today that in his opinion, not everything has gone smoothly during the state’s recovery from the storm. Gov. Roy Cooper pushed back on at least one aspect of Tillis’ claim.

“I think that FEMA, a lot of the usual suspects for disaster response, were pre-positioned about as well as they could be,” Tillis told The Smoky Mountain News at the International Paper Sports Complex in Canton Oct. 8. “We’re in a parking lot right now with some soldiers that had come in

Tillis said that although the federal government had made the resources available, it was Cooper’s decision on when to deploy them.

“We started really pressing the issue of, ‘get as many resources out there as possible,’ particularly people like these,” said Tillis.

The soldiers, Tillis said, are very low impact on the communities they serve. They bring their own food and their own shelter along with tremendous capabilities. Other resources, however, will soon be redirected to Florida, where Hurricane Milton is projected to make landfall as a major hurricane on Oct. 9.

“A significant hurdle in this response has been a relentless campaign of disinformation both online and from prominent politicians including Donald Trump and Mark Robinson,” Monaghan said. “We encourage Sen. Tillis to stick to the facts and refuse to turn a blind eye to all those who are trying to spread confusion and slow this recovery.”

A frequent visitor to Canton in the wake of tragedies, Tillis recently secured a $5.8 million in federal funding for Canton’s fire station, which was damaged during flooding in 2021 and again last month during Helene.

“This storm was another 8 or 10 feet higher than what we were recovering from,” he said. “I’m back in Canton to tell those folks that I’m going to be with them on this one, just like I was the last one and any future ones.”

ASPCA launches animal assistance efforts in wake of hurricane

In response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on communities throughout North Carolina, the ASPCA® is announcing the launch of an animal assistance hotline for residents in Western North Carolina affected by the catastrophic storm.

The hotline will provide impacted pet owners with critical information on where they can receive free pet food and supplies provided by the ASPCA across the region. Residents will also be able to report the need for companion animal search and rescue support.

The ASPCA’s disaster response team is on the

ground coordinating with the North Carolina Emergency Operation Center at the request of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and as a member of the National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition (NARSC). In addition to providing pet food and supplies for impacted pet owners and shelters, the ASPCA is assisting with animal search and rescue efforts alongside ASAR Training and Response and other national and local animal welfare organizations, as well as evacuating homeless animals out of the disaster zone to free up critical resources at local shelters.

Residents in Western North Carolina who

need animal assistance can contact the North Carolina Animals Hotline at 888.808.0810 or submitting a request form at aspca.org/NCanimalhelp. The hotline is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. ASPCA personnel will offer services including delivering pet food and supplies and responding to requests for animal search and rescue. Information about local animal shelters and veterinary clinics, volunteer opportunities and how to donate to these efforts will also be provided. To report a found or missing animal, residents should contact their local animal service agency.

“It is a slippery slope [but one] that we should stay away from? No. If we think about how to spend the money, and we make some real lines and ideas around who is available to ask for the money. History is going to be a huge part of it,” she said. “Some haven’t shown us that they even served the population, or will, or could. It would be for the county to decide very specific guidelines on who can apply for this funding, and then you’re able to control it a little more and you have a better idea on who needs it, because they’ve shown success.”

Getting that point across to the rest of the commission — she would be the lone Democrat on a board with four Republicans — could be a heavy lift, but if history’s any indicator, an idea Forney has about how, exactly, to prioritize the county’s very limited discretionary funds might be a bit easier.

“For me, the first place is the fire departments,” she said, noting that volunteers work for nothing and don’t always have the resources they wish they had — a pertinent point with so many first responders currently working to restore some semblance of normalcy to the county after Helene. “Budgets are terribly tight everywhere and they’re not going to get any better. But through my work at Pigeon, I have seen how to prioritize, how to think about things and make really hard decisions. I’m confident that’s a skill that I already have. It’s just the ability to do it.”

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (left) speaks to soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division at the International Paper Sports Complex in Canton on Oct. 8. Cory Vaillancourt photo

General Assembly’s Helene relief bill ‘a first step’

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

After a series of emotional speeches by western legislators during an Oct. 9 press conference and assurances from Senate President Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) that the measure was only a “first step,” North Carolina’s General Assembly unanimously passed, and Gov. Roy Cooper signed a wideranging $273 million storm relief act on Oct. 10 that will fund recovery spending by state agencies and loosen regulations that can sometimes get in the way.

“There’s so many issues that need to be resolved to allow things to rebuild, but it’s a good start,” said Rep. Mark Pless, a Republican who represents two hard-hit counties, Haywood and Madison.

The Act’s legislative findings testify to the terrifying power of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26 with 140 mile-per-hour winds, causing “record flooding and significant loss of human life and property” once it reached Western North Carolina. Devastating rainfall of up to 30 inches in some places “created several 1,000-year flood events in several counties” according to the Act, and damaged more than 400 roads and bridges, including a significant section of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee line.

Gov. Cooper’s 30-day state of emergency declared Sept. 25 will extend through March 1, 2025, per the Act, which will allow some entities to seek state and federal funding for disaster response provided during that time. The SOE also triggers price gouging laws and waives certain permitting and safety requirements for essential transportation services.

Perhaps most importantly, the Act establishes the Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Fund, a special fund administered by the Office of State Budget and Management, “to provide necessary and appropriate relief.” A separate fund for a Sept. 16 rain event on the coast, called potential tropical storm 8, was also established by the Act to aid Brunswick and New Hanover counties.

The Helene fund applies to the 25 western counties included in President Joe Biden’s Sept. 29 major disaster declaration, plus the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Qualla Boundary. The Act endowed the fund with $273 million from the state’s healthy “rainy day fund,” including a $250 million appropriation to the state’s Division of Emergency Management, which is a subdivision of the Department of Public Safety.

The balance of the funding was appropriated to three other entities — $16 million to the Department of Public Instruction for lost compensation of school nutrition employees, $2 million to the OSBM to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners for technical assistance with local recovery funds (prioritized to counties with less than 250,000 residents) and $5 million to the State Board of Elections to facilitate voting in those 25 hardhit counties.

Aside from funding, the Act also gives local

school boards flexibility with calendars, allowing them to make up “any number of the instructional days or hours” missed due to Helene or to deem as completed up to 20 instructional days or hours. Schools can also utilize remote learning, up to 30 days, to complete instructional days required for the school year.

boundaries if they’re capable.

Permits for open-air burning of storm debris are no longer required, but such action cannot be taken when air-quality warnings have been issued.

Golden LEAF’s rapid recovery loan programs were also given more flexibility to offer loans with longer terms.

Retired local government employees, including cops and teachers, can now return to work without jeopardizing their retirement status.

A number of provisions in the Act are intended to ensure the continuity of persons

“I think we’re going to have to do a lot more than what the bill allows us to do,” Pless said. Oct. 13.

Among them, initiate a speedier process for building permit approvals. Most local development offices are fully staffed, he said, but not fully staffed for an event such as Helene.

include waiving precinct residency requirements for election judges as well as State Board pre-approval of implementation plan changes for polling place locations, days and hours.

On Oct. 11, Haywood County’s Board of Elections announced it would not change early voting days, times or sites; however, three precinct polling locations will change due to damaged infrastructure or buildings.

North Clyde’s polling place, formerly the Education Center on Broad Street, will move to Clyde Elementary School gymnasium. South Clyde’s polls, formerly at the Clyde Fire Department, will move to the Clyde Municipal Building. Big Creek, located in remote northern Haywood County but voting across the state line in Tennessee, will move south, to the Jonathan Valley Fire Department.

Last week, elections directors in Jackson, Macon and Swain counties told The Smoky Mountain News that they didn’t anticipate having to change their plans for the election, as storm damage there wasn’t as severe as in Haywood County and points east.

Absentee ballots may now be delivered by voters or close relatives to any county in the state, as opposed to the voter’s county of residence. Poll observers, designated by the chair of each political party, no longer need to be residents of that particular county.

Certain DMV fees, including for duplicate identification cards, titles, license plates and late registration renewal penalties, have been waived, which should help voters comply with the state’s voter ID law and help storm victims file claims if paperwork has been lost or destroyed.

The Act also made several modifications to the state’s water and wastewater policies, eliminating limits on emergency loans and permitting the Department of Environmental Quality to order wastewater treatment facilities to treat wastewater from outside county or municipal

“Sometimes the permitting process and the things that we rely on at the local level gets so overwhelmed because of the requests, we’re going to have to figure out a way to streamline that,” said Pless, chairman of the House’s disaster recovery and homeland security committee. “I learned all that dealing with [hurricanes] Matthew and Florence, and that still goes on occasionally when they’re building houses in a specific county.”

Finding a way around the State Transportation Improvement Program, which ranks and schedules transportation construction projects across the state, could be another important step. There is currently an urgent need for some projects within the declared disaster that, according to Pless, don’t rank high enough for consideration at present.

requirements for day care and adult care facilities.

Although Pless agrees that the bill is a good start, he knows it’s just that — a good start.

Although the focus right now is on moving forward, Pless said during his Oct. 9 press conference appearance that there will come a time to address concerns that the recovery has been less-than-perfect. After issuing pointed words against lies and conspiracy theories that have plagued the recovery effort, Pless reiterated Oct. 13 that that time isn’t right now, but it will indeed come.

“We need to make sure that [hurricane response] did work the way that it’s designed to work,” he said.

Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood) speaks during an Oct. 9 press conference at the North Carolina General Assembly. NCGA photo

Ah, Booyz, that’s good

Kind Hearts, this hurricane has made me think about water, and I can say with certainty that water once had a role in my grandparents’ life that was near to a religion. Several years ago, a friend sent me a warning that confused me. “An organization named Nestlé is coming for your water.” What the hell? I struggled to understand how anyone could steal my water. Well, I was pathetically ignorant of the modern world’s devious plans. They had come for our timber and our natural resources. Now they have come for our water. I still find it hard to believe that Nestlé that makes chocolate is going to control the commercial bartering of our water, but it is true. I also read that my favorite coffee, Starbucks, is “In cahoots” with Nestlé. Damn, I hate to stop buying Starbucks, but so be it.

water (and where I once kept a trout). Each night, my grandfather stood with a gourd dipper and drank his fill. Gone now. All of that magic was going, even then.

When my grandfather drove that oil truck up Glenville Mountain, or to the rock crusher in Little Canada, there were places where he would pull over and get his tin dipper out of the glove compartment and disappear into the undergrowth to where he and a multitude of others knew there was that rare thing, an unpolluted spring. Often the water was running

Blow the tannery whistle

BY GARY CARDEN · S PECIAL TO SMN

In the world where I once lived, water was at the heart of everything. Every household had either a well or a spring, and I loved to open the little door on my grandfather’s spring house where spring lizards scurried across the bottom of the spring stirring up sand and, according to my grandfather, kept “the spring water pure.” When we visited the Plemmons family, I could let down the bucket in the well and listen to that awesome, magnified sound of water drops falling into the darkness. My grandfather had a water system that consisted of hollow pine logs fitted together and bringing cold spring water to our back porch where my grandmother’s butter and eggs and milk sat in a trough filled with continual running

Do these politicians have no shame?

To the editor:

The small city of Springfield, Ohio, has been turned into a target of anti-immigrant hate by Donald Trump and JD Vance, echoed by many of their followers. They spread the vicious lie that Haitian immigrants — who are legally documented and were invited by the town leadership to settle there — are eating  people’s pets. The police chief and city manager of Springfield and the Republican governor of Ohio all have publicly declared this is not true. And please note that in traditional Haitian culture, the eating of dogs in particular would be regarded as sinful.

Dishonest politicians and their followers hope that fanning the flames of antiimmigrant hatred will mean votes. Power, that’s all this is about, and winning elections no matter how disgusting the tactics. That’s why Trump sabotaged the comprehensive immigration bill Republican and Democratic senators had worked on: Trump did not want to solve the border problem because as he said that would “make Biden look good.”

But worst of all is the cruel way a family’s terrible tragedy is being used for political gain. Last year in Springfield, a minivan crashed into a school bus. Aiden Clark was killed and

from a pipe, driven into a rock bed, and the water sprang up from that pipe in a steady stream. Often times, there was a gourd, or a Garrett Sweet Snuff Glass jar atop of a stake. The water was crystal clear and ice cold because it had filtered through rock and tree roots and my grandfather would stand reverently drinking a kind of water that was becoming a rarity. Each time the roadbed was rebuilt and each time construction work uprooted a water system buried in the mountainside, another water system vanished.

Twenty years ago, the county agent told me there was no longer such a thing as an unpolluted well or spring. Trailer

LETTERS

26 other schoolchildren injured. His father, Nathan Clark, pointed out that Aiden was “not murdered” as Donald Trump claimed, but was “accidentally killed by a migrant from Haiti,” who was found guilty of vehicular homicide and sentenced to at least nine years in prison. This horrible accident is being used to poison the discussion about what to do with the border and immigration.

Here is what Aiden’s father said about this terrible tragedy and the anti-immigrant hatred the Trump crowd are promoting: “I wish that my son, Aiden Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man. I bet you never thought anyone would say something so blunt, but if that (type of) guy killed my 11year-old son, the incessant group of hatespewing people would leave us alone. The last thing we need is to have the worst day of our lives violently and constantly shoved in our faces .... They make it seem as if our wonderful Aiden appreciates your hate, that we should follow your hate .... We have to get up here and beg them to stop. Using Aiden as a political tool is, to say the least, reprehensible for any political purpose. And speaking of morally bankrupt politicians Bernie Moreno, Chip Roy, JD Vance and Donald Trump, they have spoken my son’s name and used his death for political gain. This needs to stop

parks and housing construction had polluted them all. Eventually, tree roots did in my grandfather’s unique water system and finally, water tests indicated that even the old springs (guarded by spring lizards) were contaminated. I bowed to the god Progress and got “city water.”

One of my recurring dreams is of my grandfather rising from his bed at 2 o’clock in the morning and walking barefoot through the house to get a drink of water. Sometimes I would peer from my bedroom at him, standing there in the Moonlight in his long johns, drinking from that long-handled gourd dipper, and halting now and again to whisper, “Ah, Booyz, that’s good.” I never knew what “booyz” meant, but both of my grandparents said it. It indicated they were experiencing a profound pleasure. When my grandmother died in the hospital, the nurse brought a wash cloth dipped in ice water to her room and washed her face. My grandmother smiled. “Does that feel good, Mrs. Carden?” My grandmother replied, “Ah, Booyz, it does.”

So, on we go, Kind Hearts. After we repair the damage created by the hurricane, progress is still coming to Rhodes Cove. On the mountain above me, I used to flush grouse and pheasants, which would rise like thunder and scare me badly. Now, there is only silent timber, abandoned springs and the distant sound of traffic. Pavement and street lights creep closer each day. Wish me well.

(Gary Carden is one of Southern Appalachia’s most revered literary figures and has won a number of significant awards for his books and plays over the years, including the Book of the Year Award from the Appalachian Writers Association in 2001, the Brown Hudson Award for Folklore in 2006 and the North Carolina Arts Council Award for Literature in 2012. His most recent book, “Stories I lived to tell,” is available at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, or online through uncpress.org.)

now... They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they been ever allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio. I will listen to them one more time to hear their apologies ….”

So far over 30 bomb threats in Springfield. Schools and children terrified. And now JD Vance admits that the story about immigrants eating pets is actually false! But he says its ok to make stories up to get people’s attention (and votes).

Do these politicians have no shame?

Stephen Wall Waynesville

GOP’s intent is to handcuff NOAA

To the Editor:

I am concerned about the effects of “Project 2025” — the Republican playbook for a second Trump administration — on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Project 2025 aims to change how federal agencies operate, and it could harm NOAA’s ability to do its work.

NOAA helps us understand and prepare for weather events like hurricanes, monitors

our oceans, and tracks climate change. During Western North Carolina’s devastating experience with Hurricane Helene, NOAA’s forecasts were crucial in helping residents and emergency services prepare as best possible for the coming storm, saving lives. If Project 2025 fulfils its goal to cut NOAA’s funding or limits its research, it would significantly weaken our ability to prepare for and respond to future hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Even last week, as Category 4 Hurricane Helene was approaching, many Republican senators and congresspersons (including North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop, now running for Attorney General and Sen. Ted Budd) voted against supplementing essential disaster relief in a FEMA relief bill in the government funding extension. That bill, thankfully, was passed by both houses of Congress.

Project 2025 also aims to reshape other federal agencies such as the EPA, the Department of Energy and NASA, by cutting their budgets, reducing their role, and shifting focus away from science. This would dramatically reduce our government’s ability to handle life threatening natural disasters and pollution. Hurricane Helene was destructive and tragic in the loss of life. Imagine if Project 2025 eliminates our capacity to prepare for and mitigate future catastrophes.

Constance Neely Scaly Mountain

We can support WNC, albeit in different ways

When you’re a columnist for a newspaper, you don’t take the space for granted. It is a gift and an honor to be given a page every other week to offer my thoughts and opinions on matters of the world or matters of the soul. During this post-Helene season, the right journalistic topic has been eluding me, and I think it’s because there are so many heightened emotions and opinions surrounding this natural disaster that I don’t want to take any issue lightly or try and sound like I’m an expert or a soap box queen.

When this happens, I write from my heart instead of my head because I know that what is written from the heart will read authentically.

My longtime readers may remember when I bought the cabin in Maggie Valley. After three years of living there, we moved to a home in downtown Waynesville and began renting the cabin. When Hurricane Helene was forecasted, my guests for that weekend canceled and then once the storm hit, the cancellations for all of October started coming in. Over the past two and a half weeks, I’ve offered my cabin to displaced individuals and to friends who needed it for power or water. Once Haywood County was more stabilized, I encouraged my friends from Asheville to use the house, but for most, it was a little far from their everyday lives and they wanted to stay in their communities to help with recovery efforts.

I wondered if I should stop renting it because people were being told not to travel to the area, but then I spoke with an upcoming guest who wanted to ensure it was still OK to visit. She was planning to attend a small wedding in Maggie Valley that had not been rescheduled. She asked if restaurants and stores were open and I said something like, “All Waynesville and Maggie restaurants are open. A few of our favorite retail stores in Frog Level suffered total losses, but they will have booths at an upcoming festival.” The Apple Harvest Festival in Waynesville happens to be the same weekend this guest will be in town. As an aside, the stores who suffered total losses who will be at the festival are Soul Sisters Depot, Cultivate and Funky Fern Emporium.

As this guest and I were communicating, I pondered why people couldn’t come to the areas of Western North Carolina that were unharmed or only partially harmed. At the time, it felt like a little secret I was keeping because news outlets everywhere were saying not to travel to the region. Then, little by little, I started seeing social media posts and

then even billboards encouraging people to visit the western mountain towns so that the economy in some parts of Western North Carolina could survive this awful tragedy. Towns that are waiting and willing to welcome tourists and locals this fall are Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Bryson City, Murphy, Dillsboro, Franklin, Andrews, Cherokee, Sapphire, Highlands, Cashiers, Sylva, Cullowhee, Nantahala, downtown Brevard and perhaps a couple more places.

With that being said, my heart is broken for the hardest hit towns. As someone who grew up in Weaverville, Asheville was the “big city” of my childhood. It was supposed to be the unbreakable, charismatic boss of WNC, but even the biggest and boldest are fragile when up against a hurricane. Along with Asheville, my heart breaks for Spruce Pine, Chimney Rock, Swannanoa, Barnardsville, Marshall, Banner Elk, Burnsville and all the beautiful Appalachian towns I grew up knowing and loving.

What I’ve decided is that I can do two things at once. I can promote and encourage folks to visit some mountain towns while supporting the devastated mountain towns in the ways I can. I’ve been buying gift cards from stores in Asheville that are closed because of the water outage and then saving the gift cards for future birthday and Christmas gifts. It’s certainly not equal to the amount of money they would make during a normal October, but if hundreds of people do this, it could help some. Similarly, I’m in communication with my local church and a friend who’s a counselor at two Buncombe County schools to keep my finger on the pulse in terms of what people are still needing.

During this challenging time, my goal is to support all of our incredible mountain towns. That may look like attending the Apple Harvest Festival in Waynesville on a Saturday then on Monday driving diapers, propane and cleaning supplies over to Asheville to be distributed to displaced families. And you better believe that as soon as some of the hardest-hit towns begin opening up, I’ll be there with a smile and open wallet.

The needs of Western North Carolina are so varied and vast, it can be hard to know what’s helpful and what’s not. We need to keep working as long as our people need us. Continue inquiring, stay connected, ignore fake news and conspiracy theories, maintain empathy, act from a place of love not fear, and keep the energy up for those who can’t find their own. If ever community and fellowship were needed in Western North Carolina, it’s this moment in history. Let’s keep showing up my friends. Oftentimes, that’s the most important thing we can do. Keep showing up.

(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist who lives in Waynesville. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)

Susanna Shetley

‘A shelf on which to rest’

BY HANNAH MCLEOD

STAFF W RITER

As the life-threatening emergency faced in the wake Hurricane Helene ebbs in Haywood County and the reality of the long road to recovery washes over the region, so too does the task of processing the traumatic event. On Monday evening, Meredith McCarroll and Nickole Brown led a workshop at Orchard Coffee in Waynesville to help people process that trauma through writing.

“My hope is that by writing together, it will be healing,” said McCarroll.

The idea for Brown and McCarroll to hold a workshop for people to process trauma was born out of a shared experience — another flood, in another Appalachian town just a couple years ago.

Meredith McCarroll was born and raised in Waynesville and graduated from Appalachian State University. She later earned a Master’s from Simmons College and a PhD from the University of Tennessee. Now she lives in Portland, Maine, where she writes and teaches writing.

She is perhaps most well known for her work co-editing “Appalachian Reckoning,” a collection of essays composed in response to the best-selling “Hillbilly Elegy” written by vice presidential candidate JD Vance in 2016. The work, which was intended to illustrate the breadth and richness of Appalachia, won the American Book Award in 2019.

Nickole Brown received her MFA from Vermont College, studied literature at Oxford University and was the editorial assistant for the late Hunter S. Thompson. Her second book, “Fanny Says,” released in 2015, won the Weatherford Award for Appalachian Poetry.

In the summer of 2022, McCarroll and Brown were roommates at the Appalachian Writers’ Workshop in Hindman, Kentucky, when a series of storms caused catastrophic flooding in the area.

“We had to evacuate that night, and the faculty apartment we were sharing flooded to the ceiling,” said Brown. “We’ve been through a flood before, and both of us ended up writ-

ing about it.”

Now, just over two years later, Brown experienced the devastation of Hurricane Helene when it swept over her home of Asheville.

In Maine, McCarroll had been trying to figure out what she could do to help the place she was born and raised, the place that is still home, from the aftermath of flooding when a friend from high school posted on social media encouraging people to write down their experiences.

“We went back and forth and there was this conversation about there being a need for someone to help people process through writing,” said McCarroll. “I did not want to come in as someone who hasn’t been here and have any sort of savior complex, I just wanted to be really mindful about making sure this was the right thing… I overwhelmingly heard from people that this would be helpful.”

While her teaching background is primarily in academic writing, when McCarroll was at Bowdoin College in Maine, she was asked to lead a writing group for people who had experienced sexual trauma. Both women have extensive experience writing through their own trauma and grief, and leading others through the same process.

“There’s this strong intersection between writing and processing,” said McCarroll. “The very act of taking the time to be quiet and to give voice to whatever it is that you’re feeling can be healing, and also that gathering together in community can be really healing. The confluence of these two things for me feels powerful and important at this moment.”

Orchard

Coffee owner Cabbell Tice

opened up his Waynesville business for the event and Monday evening, Oct. 14, around 15 people gathered in person, with 12 more joining via zoom to participate in a writer’s workshop intended to help people process their traumatic experience through writing.

“I very much believe in the power of bearing witness to what you have experienced and to try to find words to give those memories a shelf on which to rest so that you don’t have to carry them all,” said Brown. “So that you can document, you can bear testimony, and in a way, you can put it down and let it go.”

From her work in trauma writing workshops, McCarroll knew that the act of gathering with people who have a shared experience, and who know they have a shared experience without having to give voice to it, can be just as powerful as any writing that takes place.

“There is a quiet acknowledgement that the person next to them gets it, that they know what this sort of trauma is like,” said McCarroll. “There is this understanding that allows safety and a sense of belonging, if not connection.”

That connection extends beyond the places immediately impacted by Hurricane Helene. The workshop itself was open to people from the Western North Carolina region and beyond, and participants joined from hardhit areas around Haywood, Buncombe and Watauga counties, as well as one participant in upstate New York who was living in Haywood during flooding from Tropical Storm Fred in 2021. Others joined from Eastern Kentucky where flooding occurred in 2022.

Together, Brown and McCarroll led participants through a series of prompts, intended first to ground people in the current moment and space where they showed up to write, and eventually invited them to recount sensory detail of their experience.

“They’re intentionally open ended,” said McCarroll. “Someone may come and never write about a hurricane, may never talk about a flood. I’m not asking them to look directly at this thing that they’re still in, because only they can know how to maneuver it safely, and I can’t make that decision for anyone else.”

McCarroll said the work involves helping people get grounded, get into their senses and then also let go of emotions and feelings that aren’t serving them. This idea of writing from the corporeal experience is central to writing through trauma because of the way traumatic experiences manifest in the body.

“Trauma is stored in the body,” said Brown. “What I’m trying to do is to get people to write through the sensory images of the trauma, meaning, what did the floodwaters

smell like? What was the air like? Did you taste anything? Tell me specifically what it is that you see. It helps to dislodge the debris that is stored.”

One of the prompts asked people to think about looking back on this experience in five, 10 or 15 years, and consider something they would want themselves to remember, some sort of lesson to take forward. Almost everyone who shared their writing after this prompt had something to say about the generosity of others. People said they’d want themselves to remember to hold onto their kindness, their softness and openness toward helping the people around them and asking for help where it was needed.

For those who are interested in working through trauma with pen and paper, but couldn’t attend Monday’s workshop, one thing Brown suggests is automatic writing — setting a timer and writing about what you remember for 20 minutes without lifting the pen, without judging what comes out.

“It’ll allow you to tap into things that you didn’t know you were carrying,” said Brown.

Another suggestion — to write down small instances of beauty and joy.

“These are moments that you would completely forget about if you didn’t write them down, but they are ways to sort of keep you stitched to your life, no matter what circum-

“It’s important to just take the time to acknowledge that whatever you’re feeling is what you’re feeling.”

— Meredith McCarroll

stance you’re in,” Brown said.

But most importantly, just the act of writing is enough. Just the act of writing can be helpful in moving through trauma and grief.

“There’s no right or wrong way to do it,” said McCarroll. “It’s important to just take the time to acknowledge that whatever you’re feeling is what you’re feeling, to validate that it is worth the time to give voice to your experiences and allow yourself to be surprised by what shows up on paper.”

Because these are tough times in WNC, Brown and McCarroll wanted to begin and end the workshop on a high note. Roots musician Sarah Elizabeth Burkey was there to open the workshop with a chilling acapella performance of “Gonna Rise Again,” by Si Kahn.

Likewise, the last prompt of the night asked people to focus on moments of beauty, so that the final images spoken into existence were those that live on in perpetuity in Appalachia — things like watching neighbors help neighbors, the night sky, the sound of bird song.

(Brown will continue to lead free writer’s workshops in WNC for people who want to process trauma through writing. Look for a forthcoming schedule in The Smoky Mountain News and learn more at hellbenderpoets.org.)

Nickole Brown

Meredith McCarroll

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

enough to encounter, interact with, write about and share with you the reader. Pick up the soaking piles, search in vain for anything dry to save.

HOT PICKS

1

The 28th annual PumpkinFest will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in downtown Franklin.

2

The power of water. Today was a rough one.

To preface, I’ve been entirely caught up in the chaotic whirlwind in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, whether it be with my journalist hat on interviewing flood victims or simply being a distraught resident of Western North Carolina.

And as my girlfriend, Sarah, and I have continued to navigate these choppy waters of unknowns, we’d forgotten about our storage unit. It was located along the Pigeon River, in the badly damaged Haywood County town of Canton.

The waterline on the storage unit door from the flooding was four feet high (the river rose over 30 feet). This pungent smell of mud and mold in the air. I tried to lift up the door. It was jammed. Something heavy had shifted and fell onto it from the inside. Finally, it budged and opened.

And all of those ticket stubs, hundreds of them. I’ve saved pretty much every single ticket stub since I started going to live concerts when I was 12 (39 now). Those stubs were a physical, emotional and melodic timeline of my existence. Slowly picking through the debris, they became scraps of discarded paper, blank from the ink being washed out in the flood.

Not to mention my enormous concert poster collection. To be honest, that was the hardest thing to uncover. Works of art that

A special stage production of Agatha Christie’s legendary whodunit “The Mousetrap” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17-19, 25-26, Nov. 8-9, 15-16 and 2 p.m. Oct. 20, 27, Nov. 10 and 17 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

3

Kentucky singer-songwriter Dalton Mills will perform at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, on the side-lawn stage at Yonder Community Market in Franklin.

4

Stecoah Harvest Festival will return Oct. 18-19 to the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville.

5

The pumpkin patch and hayrides will continue through Oct. 31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.

ing and hanging out with late legendary jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb (of Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” sessions) at the Village Vanguard in Manhattan during the fall of 2007. He was also one of my first interviews.

First thing was a thick layer of sludgy mud on the floor. Antique heirloom furniture and countless trinkets of Sarah’s from her late parents and grandparents waterlogged and ruined. She started tearing up. I tried to comfort her. We stood in awe.

Pretty much all of my memories are gone. Photos from high school, college and adulthood. Images strewn about, stuck together, torn, moist and muddy. My cronies and I on a ski trip to Jay Peak Resort in Vermont, taken when I was a sophomore in high school (circa 2000-2001). Standing next to my late grandfather when I was home for summer break during college. Old flames and long-lost friends.

Treasured postcards from all over. Ever since I was a little kid, I’d request a postcard from whoever I found out was traveling somewhere. There’s one big box holding my collection from over the decades. I love the idea of describing an indescribable experience abroad in only a few sentences. Sadly, I was only able to salvage a handful, most were badly deteriorated. Words and sentiments from Australia, Spain, Vietnam, India, Ireland and even Antarctica.

Press badges and mementos from assignments. All of those hundreds of articles I’d saved from stories written that meant a lot to me, now simply dripping garbage tossed into the dumpster. Print pieces about interesting people, places and things I’ve been lucky

I’ve meticulously cultivated for as long as I’ve collected the stubs. In my dreams, I hoped to frame and display some of the key posters in my home someday, whenever and wherever Sarah and I would able to afford a place of own. Now? More mush coagulating with the natural ingredients of the Pigeon River.

In truth, what little of my life that I’ve cherished and physically held onto through the years has crumbled away. Standing there, my clothes also now muddy and wet, the loss hit me deeply.

But, in the muck of the flood, I was somehow able to retrieve this old pocket notebook of mine. From 2007, when I was 22 years old and just starting my journey as a writer. I used to always keep a notebook with me in those days. Jotting down whatever came into my head, whatever I heard or interacted with in passing.

And although most of my big notebooks are safely within reach of me at our home, I forgot about this little guy who ended up in storage.

It was covered in slim and sopping wet. Soaked enough where I was able to peel the pages apart slowly and safely. I couldn’t even read what the pages said. After a few hours, they dried out on a towel on my porch and I discovered what I’d written those many years ago.

scribbles in joyous haste about see-

Words, sentences and paragraphs from that same time period when I went and visited Portland, Oregon, in hopes of starting a new life in that city post-college.

And moments captured of those youthful days running around my hometown of Plattsburgh, New York, before I finally headed West and started my first journalism gig at the Teton Valley News in Victor, Idaho, in January 2008.

Although I’m sad at what I lost today, that put a genuine smile on my face. As a friend said to me in solidarity and in comfort when she asked how I was doing, “That shit is tough. But, you got that in your head and in your heart. So, not all is lost.”

But, the wildest thing? The only item we found that was completely dry and untouched was an old Allman Brothers Band T-shirt worn by my late cousin, Nate Arruda. He was like the older brother I never had. It was in this plastic grocery bag atop the pile of mud and debris. Spotless. A true silver lining.

Sitting here at my writing desk, I’m disheartened and deflated. But, grateful Sarah and I are safe in the great scheme of things. Especially as we drove home in a saddened silence through the small community of Clyde (between Canton and Waynesville).

We observed numerous homes overtaken by floodwaters of the mighty Pigeon River, possessions in piles on front yards, the owners of the houses sitting in disbelief on muddy chairs outside.

For us, it could’ve been a lot worse. Gratitude remains.

Love to all y’all. We’ll get through this, together.

The flooded storage unit in Canton. Garret K. Woodward photo

On the beat

Rising songwriter returns to Franklin

Kentucky singer-songwriter Dalton Mills will perform at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, on the side-lawn stage at Yonder Community Market in Franklin.

Originally from Middlesboro, Kentucky, Mills now calls East Tennessee home.

With a unique and mesmerizing style of Americana/indie-folk, he’s a rising

• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Brian Ashley Jones (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Oct. 23. For tickets and reservations, go to cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/live-music.

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Jake Matthews Oct. 17, Charles Walker Oct. 18, Doug Ramsey Oct. 19, The Remnants Oct. 24, Blue Jazz Oct. 25 and Darren Nicholson Oct. 26. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee)

On the wall

Dalton Mills will play Franklin Oct. 19. File photo

name in the musical circles of Southern Appalachia and beyond.

Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. Bring a lawn chair.

To learn more about Mills, go to facebook.com/daltonmillsmusic.

For more information on Yonder, call 828.200.2169 or go to eatrealfoodinc.com.

will host Little Feat w/Duane Betts (southern rock) Oct. 25 and Tower Of Power (prog-rock) Oct. 26. caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host The V8s (rock) 2 p.m. Oct. 19 and Eric Pedigo w/Omega Defern (rock/folk) Oct. 26. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music

• “Kaleidoscope: An Exploration of Color & Shapes,” the latest exhibition from the Haywood County Arts Council, will be on display through Oct. 27 at the HCAC on Main Street in Waynesville. Free and open to the public. haywoodarts.org.

• “Art & Artisan Walk” will be held from 5-8 p.m. every third Thursday of the month (May-December) in Bryson City. Stroll the streets in the evening and discover handcrafted items, artwork, jewelry, pottery, antiques and more. Look for the yellow and blue balloons identifying participating businesses hosting artists. greatsmokies.com.

• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. For a full list of classes, go to cre828.com. dawn@cre828.com / 828.283.0523.

• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club is a nonprofit organization that exists for the enjoyment of photography and the improvement of one’s skills. They welcome photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings. waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net.

• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts

Do you like classic rock, country gold?

Haywood County rock/country act Outlaw Whiskey will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, at Unplugged Pub in Bryson City.

Formed in Haywood County seven years ago, Outlaw Whiskey has emerged as a popular band in Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia. A blend of original country and rock songwriting amid a bevy of cover tunes from the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and other marquee acts, the essence of the group is musicianship and fellowship.

Recently, Outlaw Whiskey was recognized as “Band of the Year” (New Country: 50 & Over Category) by the North America Country Music Association, Int’l (NACMAI) for the second year in a row. Mike Holt took home “Male Vocalist New Country,” and Gerald Scott was awarded “New Country Rising Star Song” for the melody “Dirt In Your Hands.”

Admission is $5. For more information, call 828.538.2488 or go to unpluggedpub.com.

Bryson City community jam

A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer or anything unplugged is invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of the Sawmill Creek Porch Band.

The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — spring, summer, fall.

This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts.

For more information, call 828.488.3030.

Bingo” 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Douglas Aldridge (indie/folk) Oct. 18 and Eric Pedigo w/Omega Defern (rock/folk) Oct. 25. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host Cliff Williamson Oct. 16 (free), Karaoke w/Lori Oct. 17 (free), Outlaw Whiskey (classic rock/country gold) Oct. 18, Johnnie Blackwell Band Oct. 19, Cliff Williamson Oct. 23 (free), Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Oct. 24 (free), Whiskey Mountain

Oct. 25 and Jon Cox Band “Halloween Costume Party” (country/rock) Oct. 26. All shows are $5 at the door unless otherwise noted and begin at 8 p.m. 828.538.2488 / unpluggedpub.com.

• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host Dick Dickerson (indie/folk) 2 p.m. Oct. 20, Connor Hunt (country/folk) 5:30 p.m. Oct. 25 and Bridget Gossett Band (rock/soul) 2 p.m. Oct. 27. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts

Stecoah Harvest Festival

Franklin arts and crafts fair

The annual Stecoah Harvest Festival will return Oct. 18-19 to the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville. Featuring a full day of family fun — including music, dancing, food, heritage demonstrations, arts/craft vendors, quilt show, pie contest, live animals and more — the festival celebrates community and gratitude.

The SVCAC is a nonprofit corporation that serves the people of Stecoah and greater Graham County through programs and services that benefit all members of the community. For more information and a full schedule of activities, go to stecoahvalleycenter.com or call 828.479.3364.

The Stecoah Harvest Festival will be Oct. 18-19. Donated photo

The Friends of the Greenway (FROG) will host an arts and crafts fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at the FROG Quarters, located at 573 East Main St. in Franklin. A wide array of artisan booths will be onsite. Vendor fees, food purchases and purchased raffle tickets will benefit FROG. Live music will also be ongoing during the event. For more information, call 828.369.8488 or go to littletennessee.org.

On the street

Ready for Apple Harvest Festival?

Apple Harvest will hit Waynesville Oct. 19. File photo

The Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in downtown Waynesville.

Hailed as one of the “10 Best Fall Harvest Festivals in the Nation,” the annual festival is a celebration of the autumn harvest and Haywood County’s agricultural heritage, attracting upwards of 20,000 attendees throughout the day.

The event features handmade arts and crafts, locally grown apples and apple products for sale. In addition, the festival will feature food vendors, educational and information booths, authentic mountain music, dance groups and children’s fun area.

Put on by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, the festival is free and open to the public. For more information, go to haywoodchamber.com and click the “Events” tab.

• Grumpy Bear Campground & RV Park (Bryson City) will host a “Native American Show” 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. 828.788.2095 or grumpybearcampground.com.

Fall into Darnell Farms

The annual pumpkin patch and hayrides will continue through Oct. 31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Visit the farm for some old-fashioned fun. Enjoy a hayride ($22 admission, which includes pump-

Halloween activities and/or visit the huge pumpkin patch, where you and your family choose your perfect Jack O’ Lantern. Prices vary by size. There will also be live music, food trucks, farm stands, apples and fall decor onsite. For more informa-

PumpkinFest rolls into Franklin

held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19, in downtown Franklin.

The centerpiece event of PumpkinFest is the “World Famous PumpkinRoll.” Who can roll a pumpkin the greatest distance down Phillips Street, vying for bragging rights?

One past winner rolled 1,021 feet.

Sign up for the “Pumpkin Roll” is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the actual “roll” from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pumpkins will be available for purchase at the event or bring

stage

The ‘Pumpkin Roll’ is a beloved PumpkinFest tradition. File photo

Darnell Farms is

Other highlights of the day include a costume parade and contest, pumpkin pie eating contest, along with dozens of vendors featuring arts and crafts, festival food and more.

This event is rain or shine. PumpkinFest is sponsored by the Town of Franklin. For more information, go to townoffranklinnc.com or facebook.com/pumpkinfestfranklin or call Franklin Town Hall at 828.524.2516.

HART presents ‘The Mousetrap’

A special stage production of Agatha Christie’s legendary whodunit “The Mousetrap” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17-19, 25-26, Nov. 8-9, 15-16 and 2 p.m. Oct. 20, 27, Nov. 10 and 17 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

For over seven decades, this suspenseful masterpiece has captivated audiences with its gripping mystery, unexpected twists and memorable characters.

Set in a remote English manor during a snowstorm, “The Mousetrap” follows a group of strangers stranded together, whose anxieties rise when they learn a murderer is on the loose nearby. As it becomes clear the killer is among them, suspicions grow and when a second murder occurs, tensions soar.

Prices range from $18-$38, with special discounts for students, seniors, and groups. To note, 50% of profits from tickets sales for “The Mousetrap” will go to local flood victims as a result of Hurricane Helene.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to harttheatre.org or call the box office at 828.456.6322.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host a special stage production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” at 7 p.m. Oct. 25-26. Tickets start at $14 per person. smokymountainarts.com / 866.273.4615.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular taptakeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. waynesvillewine.com.

• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every

Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.

‘The Mousetrap’. Donated photo

Thursday, Nov 7, at 7:30pm

Bluegrass performances by the Kruger Brothers with Kontras Quartet and Tall Tales, and Ballads performed by Sheila Kay Adams, Donna Ray Norton, and William Ritter.

Giving the present to the future

No book review today. Instead, some words about the importance of words — yours.

If you’re reading these words and live in Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, or parts of Georgia and South Carolina, then you survived the Great Flood of 2024.

Maybe you lost a vehicle, your home, your business or your job. Or maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who lost only power or water, but otherwise came through the rains and Helene unscathed. Whatever the case, you witnessed a catastrophe that delivered death and destruction on an epic scale.

The cataclysm of rain and wind that ravaged your neighborhoods, towns and coves is fading from the national news, yet you’re still dealing with the effects of floodwaters, fallen trees and landslides. You’re shoveling gunk out of a friend’s living room or your own, babysitting grandchildren while Mom and Dad are looking for work, volunteering long hours to help others still in need of food, water, medicine and shelter. Many of you doubtless feel exhausted much of the time, and that fatigue is justly earned. When routine is so violently ripped apart, when all hell breaks loose and the normal becomes the abnormal, simply getting through each day can be a major accomplishment.

— heroism, neighbor helping neighbor, cruelty if you witnessed cruelty — and turn those memories into words. Do it now, while those memories are still fresh.

WHY BOTHER?

Our feelings and impressions often tumble about inside our minds, jumbled up as a child’s toy box. Writing out those feelings and events, or speaking them aloud, can bring understanding, shape and order to this personal history.

Moreover, this inventory of memories can deepen a sense of gratitude for others. That stranger who funded and sent a trailer load of desperately needed food and water to Swannanoa, that man in Weaverville who worked 24 hours straight to remove the muck from the water treatment plant, that Asheville couple with a generator who cooked meal after meal for their neighbors:

tial in your relationships with others. Finally, this account of what you’ve undergone, however brief or bare of description, will be a gift for your descendants. These as yet unborn men and women may read some narrative about the Great Flood in the mountains or watch some documentary or movie about it, but more importantly, they’ll have your story at their fingertips. Those future generation need to know that story. My family members and friends in places like Asheville, Waynesville, Banner Elk and Swannanoa have recounted all sorts of tales of hope, of helping hands, of love of neighbor for neighbor just as the Old Book recommends. These narratives and anecdotes make all of us better human beings. Your stories will do the same for those who come after you.

BITS OF HOW-TO ADVICE

But here’s one important item you might add to your to-do list. Consider spending some time each day, however brief, recording your personal experiences of the Great Flood.

I’m a lover of the written word, so I would recommend putting down your recollections and thoughts on paper or on your computer. If you dislike writing, make a video or audio recording of what you’ve witnessed or heard from others. Take your memories of the good, the bad, and the ugly

These same inventories of charitable acts can also serve as reminders of community and what that means. In an age of political acrimony, Hurricane Helene bonded together people from all backgrounds and beliefs. Later, when you return to them, your words can serve as a reminder of what’s truly essen-

Write or speak in our own voice. You’re not back in high school writing an essay for your sophomore English class. Don’t worry about usage and grammar. Tell what you saw and what happened to you in your own words.

Devices like otter.ai allow you to simultaneously record your stories while making a transcript of them. Come up with a general outline of your story to help keep you on track, figure out how to use Otter or some other program, and start. Make this slice of history a family project. Everyone from youngest to oldest will have different impressions of the disaster. Get them involved, and you’ll not only have a fine account to leave future generations, your family members may also find healing in the process.

Organizations might consider keeping records as well. Many churches, for instance, stepped up in the immediate wake of the flooding to lend assistance to all who needed it. An account of their charity and labor might inspire congregants a century from now to

And of course, put whatever you have written or spoken in a place that neither fire nor flood can touch.

Here’s your chance to leave an invaluable legacy to the future.

(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” minick0301@gmail.com.)

Writer Jeff Minick

Hazelwood Avenue in Waynesville.

If you build it, they will come

N EWS E DITOR

Dan Messer would have preferred to host a livestock auction on Monday, but instead he was working one in a string of countless dawn-to-midnight days coordinating aid distribution out of the WNC Regional Livestock Center in Canton.

It’s not that Messer, a Haywood County native who runs the day-to-day operations at the livestock center, isn’t honored to serve his community during a time of extreme need. Of course he is. But as Messer is quick to admit, he didn’t expect to become the man in charge at the hub that receives and distributes most of the feed and hay to desperate farmers still cut off from access to these vital supplies.

A running joke among the dozens of volunteers is the absurd frequency with which someone somewhere is asking, “Has anyone seen Dan?” Of course, because the man is always on the move somewhere around the property, no one ever knew for sure. You’d just have to find him. In fact, at some point, someone made a button that reads “No, I don’t know where Dan is.”

The direct link to the Disaster Hay and Livestock Assistance Portal is go.ncsu.edu/livestockdisast erhelp. The form asks if you need help or want to help. To donate click on the ‘Want to Help’ button, then you will be asked for contact information and items you have to donate.

Fencing items can also be brought to the WNC Regional

Livestock Center at 474 Stock Drive in Canton. Here is a list of items most needed at this time:

• Chicken feed

• Hog feed

• Braided horse tape

• T posts

• Barbed wire

• Smooth 14-gauge wire

• Woven wire

• Hight tensile wire

• Solar chargers

cial month during which animals can still feed off pastures. However, many pastures are now wiped out or at least contaminated. Come next year, that land will need to be tilled, and new grass must be planted. Meanwhile, instead of looking at three months or so — a typical winter season — when animals would have to eat hay, now it may be the better part of a year.

Messer technically started the operation in the days ahead of Helene’s arrival as heavy rains from a separate system caused rivers to swell ahead of the hurricane. At that time, Messer put out a call for people looking to temporarily keep their animals at the livestock center. Not a lot of people took him up on the offer, but that was just the beginning. Within a week, the sales arena at the livestock center was loaded with supplies and the whole building was being used as the receiving and distribution hub coordinating with the state Department of Agriculture for livestock distribution.

Although the pens normally used to hold animals awaiting their run in the sales arena haven’t held much livestock in the weeks following the flood, they are packed with tons upon tons of all kinds of feed. And that’s in addition to the dozens of round

bales and hundreds of square bales of hay at the south side of the building.

The whole thing morphed several times as it grew, and what started as an effort to provide for people who couldn’t provide for their livestock in the wake of the storm now coordinated deliveries of medication and oxygen, tents and sleeping bags, clothes and food. Initially, the effort was supposed to mirror what Messer and volunteers put forward in 2021 following flooding in

Logistically, it makes sense to run such an operation out of the WNC Livestock Center. It’s right off Interstate 40, which although severely damaged to the west, provides ubiquitous access from the east. It is large enough to house the massive lode of supplies. It has more than enough grassy space to accommodate a Chinook bringing in hundreds of pounds of feed or hay.

In this case, because of the magnitude of the disaster and the large area affected, nonprofits such as Fleet of Angels and The Sanctuary at Red Bull Run took note of the operation at the WNC Regional Livestock center and started routing donations there. The immediate effect of that organic growth was that it brought in volunteers from that world, such as Kat Dortenzo.

Dortenzo came to the mountains from the Atlanta area. She’d met her husband in Asheville and lived in Fletcher for a while, so she has some connection to the area. Perhaps more important for this mission, she has plenty of relevant experience. Along with growing up on a hay farm in Michigan, she is also a professional horse trainer and works with multiple nonprofits in that field. She learned of the work being done at the WNC Livestock Center when she heard about a local hay-donation effort.

“I was just sitting at home saying, ‘what can I do to help?’” Dortenzo recalled.

Dortenzo arrived about a week and a half after the flood and stayed through the end of last weekend. Like many of the other volunteers, she was camping out on the hill above the sales barn. During the daytime, her role has been working with people looking to bring in large donations of hay and feed.

“Every day I’m coordinating with people and working to get stuff up here,” she said.

Within a week of floodwaters receding, people on social media took note of the WNC Regional Livestock F

Tons upon tons of hay have cycled through the livestock center. Kyle Perrotti photo

Mule teams have been brought in to reach some of the hardest hit areas. Facebook photo

Dan Messer has been in high demand in recent weeks, and this button has emerged as a sort of inside joke. From Facebook

Dan Messer has coordinated the effort on the ground. Kyle Perrotti photo

Center as several posts went viral, including one of volunteers unloading hay from the back of an Army Chinook helicopter that has been shared almost 10,000 times. It was this newfound viral popularity that brought volunteers from far and wide looking to do whatever they could to help.

One night, the Wednesday after the storm, a woman drove in from Fayetteville but didn’t arrive until about 11 p.m. She asked to pull her vehicle around to the grassy hill behind the area where she could get some sleep. She stayed there for three days as she worked, and the area became somewhat of a makeshift campground. Some volunteers from other states have camped out in that area for the better part of two weeks.

Along with volunteers coming from all over, unsolicited donations began pouring in, and now, from sunup to sundown, a line of trucks hauling hay, feed and human supplies is seen that runs from the receiving area of the facility all the way down to the road below.

Once the supplies arrive at the livestock center, they are sorted out and quickly turned around and shipped to smaller receiving hubs, often at community centers, from which they are distributed to 26 North Carolina counties, including and especially those hardest hit by the storm. Because some places are cut off, some of those supplies have to be hauled in by ATVs or even mule teams.

“The coolest part about this entire thing is 100% volunteers,” Messer said, adding that those with the Department of Agriculture he’s worked with have also been great.

While Messer has acted as a sort of foreman overseeing the operation on the ground, Yvonne Coburn has masterminded the whole effort, coordinating logistics from behind a wobbly plastic desk littered with papers, energy drinks and cell phones. Behind her is a white board with locations and pending deliveries. While the whole thing may seem chaotic, Coburn has calmly kept track of everything in her ledger.

Coburn is the founder of the Civilian Disaster Response Organization, which aims to provide hay, feed and other necessary supplies to people with livestock in the wake of a natural disaster. Many of those in need following disaster have small operations, and

some are simply homesteaders with a family cow, some goats and a chicken coop, but Coburn realizes that these animals may even be more important to those folks than bigger operations. Coburn said the goal is to get people and animals the things they need where they are, and there’s a good reason for that.

“We believe in sheltering in place. Studies have shown that if you can safely shelter in place livestock, then it is least traumatic to them because they’re in a place that they’re familiar with,” she said.

enal to us, but that’s not our mission.”

Along with Messer, Coburn is one of two people who vets anyone involved with any element of the process. When it comes to volunteers, that can be as easy as sizing them up and considering where they could be best utilized. When it comes to people offering to move hay, feed or anything of value like meds or generators, that can go a bit deeper. Perhaps most important is vetting farmers who say they’re in need to see what they could use.

At this point in the overall relief effort, human aid is flowing well across every community, and the livestock center has more water and certain food and hygiene products than it can take, so they are turning away such donations. However, the calls for feed, hay, generators and chainsaws are still constant, and there is a dire need for both temporary and permanent fencing materials in areas that experienced the worst flooding.

This was echoed recently in a press release sent out by North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.

“We have seen time and time again our agriculture community support one another in times of need, and this is no different,” he said. “We are seeing an outpouring of support with hay, animal feed, fencing and other supplies that are going out to those needing these resources. In the days ahead, we know we are going to need even more fencing sup-

Like Messer, Coburn has been blown away by how their operation has grown.

“We started off with just a focus on livestock, and we’ve just worked up to the point that it it’s kind of like a mega church,” she said. “This has exceeded anything Dan and I could even dream of.”

Coburn also receives volunteers, many of whom hope to go out on ATVs and find some adventure while providing aid. In most instances, those people are asked to stay right there at the facility and take a hands-on role with either receiving or distributing supplies.

“We don’t do the sexy stuff, but we do the necessary stuff,” she added. “Cajun Navy does the sexy stuff. They ride around ATVs and they rescue people. Not to down the Cajun Navy, because we have worked with them in this event, and they’ve been phenom-

Open burning permits waived until further notice

The N.C. Forest Service is waiving the requirement for open burning permits in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties effective at noon Saturday, Oct. 12, until further notice. This measure is enacted through the authorization of House Bill 149, the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024.

“Hurricane Helene left excessive amounts of storm-related debris on the ground in the western part of the state,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Critical infrastructure is still being restored, and many communities continue to have limited access, making it difficult, nearly impossible, for people to comply with the law and get a burning permit. While we’re waiving the requirement for a permit in these 21 counties, we cannot stress caution and safety enough when it comes to burning outdoors this time of year.

livestock producers. If you have resources to donate, please go to our website to let us know.”

These needs don’t appear to be going away any time soon. While Coburn and Messer are exhausted and at times frustrated with how big the operation at the WNC Regional Livestock Center has grown, they are keeping their eye on the mission they care so deeply about.

“Apparently it was God’s plan, because it came to us,” Messer said. “But it’s worked, and the people that needed to be here have come, and they’ve all done absolutely incredible job. I didn’t set anybody up at the gate. I didn’t send anybody anywhere. They’re just falling into place. Everybody’s doing what they do. It’s like a force of nature. It’s passion and it’s compassion.”

“With more fuel on the ground as a result of the hurricane, seasonal leaf fall and as conditions continue to dry, burning storm-related debris as safely as possible is paramount. We need our emergency personnel focused on hurricane response and recovery efforts, not pulled away by escaped debris burns. Use the best practices and wildfire prevention tips recommended by the forest service,” said Troxler.

This waiver does not apply to permits required by other agencies, including the N.C. Division of Air Quality or a local fire marshal’s office.

When burning outdoors, recommended best practices include the following: Never burn on a dry, windy day. Never leave your fire unattended. Keep a water source, shovel, rake and a phone nearby.

For additional best practices and wildfire prevention tips, visit ncforestservice.gov/fire_control/fc_firesafet youtdoors.htm.

File photo

This photo of hay being offloaded from a Chinook helicopter went viral on the WNC Regional Livestock Center’s Facebook page. Facebook photo

Yvonne Coburn has been the brains behind the operation and has kept track of what’s coming in and what’s going out. Kyle Perrotti photo

The N.C. Arboretum remains closed, eyes reopening

The North Carolina Arboretum remains closed following the widespread impacts of Hurricane Helene. Staff is hard at work assessing and addressing damage to the Arboretum, however, safety and enjoyment of this resource is of top concern, so the Arboretum will remain closed to the public until further notice.

The Arboretum would like to express its gratitude for the support of UNC System President Peter Hans and his executive staff, who have been with us hour by hour through this crisis. Many thanks also go to Emergency Responders, Duke Power, the US Forest Service, and local officials and municipalities. Lastly, we are getting daily support and encouragement from our board,

Soil Management recommendations for Hurricane-impacted WNC

Hurricane Helene caused great devastation throughout much of Western North Carolina and farm fields were not spared. There are reports of impacts to fields in all landscape positions. This situation calls for a vigilant approach to soil and crop management that includes assessment on a field-by-field basis.

Caution should be used in first visiting fields since crossovers or bridges to enter fields may have been compromised during the storm. Here are considerations to address potential issues: Remove any visible debris from the field. Storm water is powerful and can push and float all kinds of debris into fields, including large objects such as

members, donors, and volunteers.

“The North Carolina Arboretum has always been a refuge for our neighbors, and we hope to continue to be that resource for people seeking a place of tranquility and connection to nature,” said Executive Director Drake Fowler. “As we look toward reopening to the public, we do it with a focus on making these visits as spectacular as they have been in the past.”

While there was no structural damage to buildings or the formal gardens, the acres of trails and forest sustained significant impact, with an early estimate of 2,000 trees damaged or fallen. The Arboretum

cars, appliances and trees. Debris may be buried and not noticed until future tillage operations.

For areas where erosion has occurred, significant topsoil is lost. If so, phosphorus, potassium, and significant micronutrients such as manganese, zinc and copper, may have been removed. If not being replaced by fill, soil sampling existing soil is strongly encouraged.

Any fill for reconstruction purposes (grading, filling gullies) should be tested for general soil fertility prior to use. There are no state regulations on topsoil quality in NC, so it is buyer beware.

Sediment or soil eroding from other locations may be deposited over native soil in fields. This can potentially impact fertility.

Since this deposition is often topsoil from other locations to floodplain areas, it may have high nutritive value. If predominantly sand has been deposited, it may have relatively low nutrient levels.

asks that people please not access the campus or trails by walking or biking onto the property, as many of these areas remain extremely hazardous.

Announcements about reopening will be made via the Arboretum’s Facebook and Instagram pages and ncarboretum.org. The Arboretum’s 11th annual Winter Lights is still planned for Nov. 15 through Dec. 31. Ticket sales, originally scheduled to begin Oct. 1, have been postponed. Updates will be posted at ncwinterlights.com and ncarboertum.org.

Deposits may be seen visually over existing soil, but the depth of deposition cannot be accurately assessed. Use of a soil probe can be helpful. Probe down to see where the soil layer transitions into native soil and measure the depth of deposition. Use the following considerations in assessment and management.

• Maps can be drawn of depositions across a field as evaluated. Zones can possibly be created from this effort and may be helpful for future management decisions.

• 0 – 2 inches of deposition. Consider this to minimally impact drainage and fertility. It may be best to mix the overlying sediment with native soil with normal tillage using a disc or shallow tillage implement.

• 2 – 4 inches of deposition. Considerable deposition has occurred and may impact field management and crop production. If 3 or 4 inches of soil overlies the field, consider soil sampling this depth for soil fertility, especially for pH, phosphorus, and potassium levels. While sampling, take a sample from the next 3- or 4-inch depth for comparison purposes.

• More than 4 inches of deposition. A great level of deposition has occurred. Soil sample the deposited layer for soil fertility and evaluate.

• Movement of soil such as grading and other soil management such as tillage in such situations should be carefully evaluated on a site-by-site basis. Note textural/soil type differences when evaluating. Layers that are very different in texture could potentially cause drainage issues. If fieldwork is planned, wait until the soil is dry enough to reduce compaction.

• Soil stabilization is one of the first steps for the recovery of impacted areas. If possible, consider

planting a cover crop with rapid growth and an extensive root system. It will help stabilize the soil, reduce erosion and stimulate soil biological activity.

On soils that were properly limed before the flood, soil pH, soil calcium and magnesium levels should be sufficient on most soils. If soils have not been sampled in 3 or more years, soil testing is highly encouraged.

In flooding situations, there are often concerns over pollutants in soils.

Given the widespread origin of floodwaters, it is difficult to assess contamination of soils since various unknown chemicals can be associated with these events. If there are known chemicals of concern at a given location, use of a commercial environmental lab that offers analysis for contaminants is an option but can be expensive.

Soil fertility labs do not offer this service. To initially evaluate crop growth impacts, plants such as wheat and soybeans can be grown in soil collected from fields of concern in a greenhouse setting to bioassay for materials that are toxic to plant growth.

The following are resources that can provide further help:

Soil Testing: Agronomic Division Soil TestingNCDA&CS: ncagr.gov/divisions/agronomic-services/soil-testing

Regional Agronomists: Agronomic Division Field Services - NCDA&CS: ncagr.gov/divisions/agronomic-services/field-services

NC Cooperative Extension Service: ces.ncsu.edu/local-county-center

NC Soil and Water ConservationNCDA&CS: ncagr.gov/divisions/soil-waterconservation (For guidance on installation and remediation of conservation practices).

Smokies offers update on closures

The National Park Service continues to assess conditions and address damage following the impacts from Hurricane Helene in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park experienced substantial damage particularly in North Carolina, including Balsam Mountain, Big Creek and Cataloochee Valley.

Within the park, the Cataloochee Valley saw the most significant impacts from Hurricane Helene and will be closed until further notice as staff address damage. Flooding from Rough Fork Creek washed out several roads in the valley. Upper Cataloochee Valley Road saw the worst damage and is not drivable. Various levels of erosion and flooding impacted all trails in Cataloochee Valley and nearly all footlog bridges in the area were washed away during the storm.

Cataloochee Valley also experienced fallen trees, flooding at campsites and damaged power lines. There were impacts to historic buildings, particularly the Caldwell Barn, which park staff are currently working to stabilize.

EPA administrator Michael S. Regan joined officials, including Gov. Roy Cooper and Rep. Chuck Edwards. Donated photo

EPA visits WNC

On Oct. 10, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan joined North Gov. Roy Cooper, Sen. Thom Tillis, Rep. Chuck Edwards, Asheville Mayor Esther E. Manheimer and local officials to assess federal and state recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Helene.

The day’s tour included key operational sites, beginning at the EPA Mobile Command Center in Lake Junaluska. The command center serves as a hub for directing on-the-ground response activities and coordinating field data to assist local decision-makers.

Regan also visited the EPA Mobile Drinking Water Lab in Asheville, an ISO-accredited lab essential for providing rapid drinking water analyses. Capable of testing 100 samples per day, the lab supports swift recovery by confirming water safety for communities impacted by the storm. EPA is encouraging residents with private wells to reach out to local and state health officials for testing kits, with EPA standing by to run tests and provide confidence in these drinking water sources.

The visit concluded at the North Fork Water Treatment Plant, where Regan joined Cooper, Tillis, Edwards and other officials to tour the facility’s progress in getting back online and answer questions from reporters. The plant, critical to Asheville’s water infrastructure, is receiving expert EPA technical assistance to expedite restoration efforts.

EPA encourages residents to prioritize safety, adhere to local advisories, and stay updated on recovery information through official channels.

EPA’s ongoing efforts to support recovery from Hurricane Helene include:

• Monitoring Water Quality: EPA teams are actively working with local agencies to monitor water quality in affected areas. Mobile water labs are deployed to test for contaminants, enabling rapid analysis and guiding advisories for the public. Since the beginning of October, EPA, its state partners and local utilities have made significant progress bringing drinking water and wastewater systems back online, including restoring service to more than 75 drinking water systems that serve approximately 260,000 people in the Asheville area.

• Waste Management and Hazardous Waste Support: EPA is coordinating with state environmental protection authorities to ensure the same disposal of storm debris and the identification of hazardous substances to prevent contamination. Since clean-up efforts began, EPA has collected more than 500 containers with oil, hazardous materials or propane.

• Technical Assistance for Infrastructure Recovery: EPA personnel are offering technical guidance to local water operators, supporting efforts to restore and maintain drinking water systems and other essential services safely.

• Public Health Protection Measures: In collaboration with CDC guidance and local health authorities, EPA is helping to advise residents on precautions to prevent waterborne illnesses, emphasizing the importance of following local boil water advisories and staying informed through local health updates.

For more information on EPA’s ongoing Hurricane Helene response efforts visit EPA’s Hurricane Helene Response landing page.

Joyce Kilmer Memorial trail reopens

The U.S. Forest Service reopened the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Trail and all other facilities in Graham County will reopen on Oct. 11

The Memorial Loop experienced one location that had a washout that has been mitigated by installation of hand rails, and there might be a couple of step-over downed trees, but there was no significant damage.

The Joyful Botanist

BY ADAM B IGELOW

After The Flood

Water washes us clean, helps to cook our food and quenches our thirst. Water grows our crops, cools the air and brings the flowers in April and May. Not enough water leads to drought and fire. Too much water, and there comes the flood. Not enough water, we are dry and parched. Too much water and we drown. This year, after a late summer drought, Western North Carolina has suffered the deluge of flood in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Water determines where plants can grow and how well and healthy they will grow. Just like with humans and other animals, plants can be stressed and damaged by not enough water and by too much water. Just ask any novice home gardener about those impacts. Plants in the wild are no different, and most have adapted to thrive well either in dry or wet locations.

the incredible buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) who have adapted to growing even in standing water of ponds and eddies. The proclivity of many plants to grow near or in riparian areas is often found in their common names that include the word swamp. Riparian plants like swamp milkflower (Asclepias incarnata), swamp louse-

Plants that prefer a rocky, sunny and dry hillsides will wither and wilt if grown in rich, moist garden soil. Plants whose lives are inundated by pond or river water also will suffer if that water dries up or if they are planted in conditions that cause them to dry out. There is, however, a special class of plants that has adapted to and will thrive in conditions that are sometimes too dry or sometimes too wet.

These plants are referred to as riparian plants. Riparian simply means found along a river. These riparian plants will grow well near rivers and creeks, lakes and ponds and are especially tolerant of the ever-changing conditions of these waterways. Sometimes the creeks and rivers are full and raging with stormwater. Often, they are dry and exposed after periods of drought and heat.

Riparian plants are suited to live in these varied conditions. When the soil is dry, their spreading and fibrous roots have the ability to forage for water and nutrients in the soil as needed. During the deluge, these same root masses cling to their perch as they hold onto the soil along the riverbank, helping to keep both plant and soil from washing downstream.

Common riparian plants that are found in the Southern Appalachian bioregion include trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants like grasses and wildflowers. Among the riparian trees are the majestic sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) whose peeling bark patterns of white and brown arch out over the river water have seeds that are adapted to float downstream to find a new perch far from their mother tree.

There are many shrubs that are found growing near the water’s edge. These include the medicinally valuable and delicious elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), the beautiful hazel alder (Alnus serrulata) whose golden catkin flowers signal the start of spring and

restoration of flood-damaged creeks and rivers after the devastating floodwaters recede, these and many other native plants that are adapted to growing along the banks should be strongly considered to be planted and encouraged. Not only are they great at helping stem the inevitable erosion occurring but are beautiful plants that help keep the entire ecosystem in balance, even come hell and high water.

I hope that you are safe and dry while reading this and that your losses in this historic flood were not too great. I am sending out all of my love through the waters that flow amongst the plants and trees. There has been a lot of loss. My heart is now with the recovery, and those impacted the worst.

(The Joyful Botanist leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions. bigelownc@gmail.com.)

Robert Przynosch

Dr. Robert DelBene

Dr. Tyler May Dr. Khalid

Adam Bigelow photo

Market PLACE WNC

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Legals

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

COUNTY OF JACKSON DISTRICT COURT DIVISION

FILE NO. 24CVD 000376 NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PROCESS OF PUBLICATION

JADE MOORE, Plaintiff vs. AUSTIN ROLAND, Defendant

TO: AUSTIN ROLAND 245 Lopes Circle Franklin, NC 28734

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows:

The Plaintiff, JADE MOORE is seeking the primary care, custody and control of the minor children born to the parties to wit, LINCOLN ROLAND, born on the 22nd day of July, 2014 and BAYLOR ROLAND, born on the 3rd day of September, 2018.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than November 18, 2024, being forty (40) days after the date of thetice, and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.

This 4th day of October, 2024.

DONALD N. PATTEN, PLLC

Attorney for Plaintiff 46 South Main Street Waynesville , NC 28786 828-452-1454

By: Donald N. Patten DONALD N. PATTEN

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF Jackson File No: 24SP001167-490

NOTICE OF SALE

TAKE NOTICE THAT:

William Richard Boyd, Jr., Substitute Trustee, has begun proceedings to FORECLOSE under the Deed of Trust described below, and under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in such Deed of Trust, and an Order entered by the Clerk of Superior Court of the above County, will sell the below described property at public auction as follows:

1. The instrument pursuant to which such sale will be held is that certain Deed of Trust executed by William N. Stewart and Alisha Stewart, husband and wife, original mort-

United Community Bank (“Noteholder”) and reJackson County Register of Deeds in Deed of Trust Book 1842, at Page 69, subject to that Assignment of Deed of Trust recorded in Book 2155, at Page 439 (the “Deed of Trust”). The record owner of such property, as rethe Register of Deeds not more than ten (10) days prior to posting this Notice

of Sale, if not the original mortgagors, is: N/A

2. The property will be sold by the Substitute Trustee at 10:00 a.m. on October 25, 2024 at the Jackson County Courthouse door in the City of Sylva, North Carolina.

3. The real property to be sold is generally described as 230 Keener Cemetery Drive, Sylva, NC 28779* and is more particularly described as follows (the “Property”): Being all of that property described in that certain Deed of Trust recorded in Book 1842 , at Page 69 , subject to that Assignment of Deed of Trust recorded in Book 2155, at Page 439 of the Jackson County, North Carolina Registry.

Any Property described in the Deed of Trust which is not being offered for sale is described as follows: Subject to any and all Release Deeds of Record in the Jackson County, North Carolina Registry.

*The general description of the Property is provided for convenience but is not guaranteed; the legal description in the Deed of Trust controls .

4. Any buildings located on the above-described Property are also included in the sale.

5. The Property will be sold by the Substitute Trustee to the highest bidder for CASH . The highest bidder will be required to deposit IN CASH with the Substitute Trustee at the date and time of the sale the

(5.0%) of the amount of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty and no/100 Dollars

($750.00).

6. The Property is being sold “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Substitute Trustee, Noteholder, nor attorneys, employees, or authorized agents or representatives of either Substitute Trustee or Noteholder make any warranty relating to title, possession, quiet enjoyment, or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the Property and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way related to such conditions are expressly disclaimed. The Noteholder has reserved the right to withdraw the sale up to and until the deed is delivered by the Substitute Trustee.

7. The Property will be sold subject to all unpaid taxes and special assessments.

8. The Property being sold is all of that Property described in the Deed ofcally set forth above. It is the intention to extinguish any and all rights or interests in the Property subordinate to the Deed of Trust.

9. An order for possession of the Property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the County in which the Property is sold.

10. Additional Notice Where the Property is Residential with Less Than 15 Rental Units, including single-family residential real property:

Any person who occupies the Property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the Notice of Sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

11. Pursuant to North Carolina General Statues Section 45-21.8, the sale of the Property may be made by whole or by tract in the discretion of the Substitute Trustee. Further, the Substitute Trustee may offer for sale any and all personal property as permitted by the Deed of Trust in accordance with North Carolina General Statutes Sections 25-9-604, 25-9-610, and 25-9-611, in whole, as individual items, or together with the Property as the Substitute Trustee determines is appropriate in the Substitute Trustee’s sole discretion. This notice is intended to comply with the requirements of North Carolina General Statutes Sections 25-9-607 and 25-9-613 providing for the disposition of personal property in connection with a foreclosure of real property. Mortgagor is entitled to and may request an accounting of the unpaid indebtedness secured by the Deed of Trust.

12. Any successful bidder shall be required to tender the remaining balance of the successful bid amount in cash or the Substitute Trustee tenders to such bidder, or attempts to deliver to such bidder, a deed for the Property. Should such successful bidder fail to pay the full balance of the successful bid at that

time, that bidder shall remain liable on the bid as provided by North Carolina General Statutes Section 45-21.30.

13. The purchaser of the Property shall pay the Clerk’s Commissions in the amount of $0.45 per $100.00 of the purchase price (up to a maximum of $500.00), required by Section 7A-308(a) (1) of the North Carolina General Statutes. If the purchaser of the Property is someone other than

the Deed of Trust, the purchaser shall also pay, to the extent applicable, the land transfer tax in the amount of one percent (1.0%) of the purchase price.

14. If the Substitute Trustee is unable to convey title to the Property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are of a bankruptcy petition of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the Substitute Trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Substitute Trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

15. The Property is being sold subject to all prior and superior: (i) deeds of trust, (ii) liens, (iii) unpaid taxes, (iv) restrictions, (v) easements, (vi) assessments, (vii) leases, and (viii) other matters, if any, which, as a matter of law, survive the foreclosure of the Deed of Trust, provided that the inclusion of this clause in this Notice of Substitute Trustee’s Sale of Real Estate shall not be deemed to validate or otherwise effect to any such matter or other right which, as a matter of law, does not survive the foreclosure of the Deed of Trust.

16. Any person who occupies the Property pursuor tenancy may have additional rights pursuant

to the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act.

17. This is a communication from a debt collector. The purpose of this communication is to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose, except as stated below in the instance of bankruptcy protection. If you are under the protection of the Bankruptcy Court or have been discharged as a result of bankruptcy proceedings, this notice if given to you pursuant to statutory requirement and for informational purposes and is not intended as an attempt to collect a debt or as an act to collect, assess, or recover all or any portion of the debt from you personally.

THIS the 19 th day of September, 2024.

William Richard Boyd, Jr.

Substitute Trustee 474 Mountain Cove Road Waynesville, North Carolina 28786 (828) 646-7308

Dates: October 16, 2024 and October 23, 2024 20800-4

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.24E000482-430

Cleo Pace Rogers, having

of the Estate of Tommy Lee Rogers of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 25 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor

382 Chambers Cove Rd Canton, NC 28716

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.24E001312-490

Brenda Dillard, having

of the Estate of Elizabeth Ann Chester of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 25 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor

c/o Coward, Hicks & Siler 705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.23E171

James Andrew Heatley,

Executor of the Estate of Thomas Andrew Taulbee of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 25 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor c/o Coward, Hicks and Siler, PA 705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

NOTICE

TO CREDITORS

Ancillary Executor of the Estate of Terry C. Luckenbach, in Macon County File No. 24E001372-550, the undersigned does hereby notify all person,

having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 461 East Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 on or before ninety published, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All per-tions indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

Terry Stephen Luckenbach, Representative c/o Timothy Lewis, Attorney at Law

moc.etatnella@rehtis.nelle 38-437)828( ROTLAER

Earwood 461 East Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

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